As you may recall from an earlier post, we discovered that being gay in Kenya is very dangerous: one is subject to much violence and oppression (including prison) because of one's sexual orientation. While we were there, we met with a gay couple. One had lost his job because he was suspected of being gay. The other had done jail time.
This morning, we received an email from Kenya, that one of our friends had been beaten in his home. His partner wasn't in at the time. The intruders, as they beat him, said that someone like him should die.
The two men are now in a safe home. We ask for your prayers for them. We also recommit ourselves to working around the world and in the US for civil rights for all people, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Pen Pals
Katie:
Evelyn emailed me on Friday, to let me know she received the letters I sent to Celestine and Lawrence. Evelyn told me they were very happy to receive their letters, and that she took photos of each of them holding her/his letter. She will attach the photos to the return letters that each of them writes me.
On Friday, a lifelong dream of mine came true. When I was a child myself, I watched the Christian Children's Fund ("CCF") ads, and I was touched by the images of children with poverty-ravaged lives. I envisioned having a pen pal relationship with a child whom I would support, and it was the human connection of that epistolary relationship that inspired me the most.
In retrospect, the CCF ads feel creepy and exploitative, but in my childhood viewing, all I knew was that I wanted to help a child in desperate circumstances. That dream did not leave me over time, but I never knew how to realize it, not having a relationship with any of the agencies claiming they would use my money to directly benefit my sponsor children.
Celestine and Lawrence weren't yet born when I watched those ads, but God had them in mind for me. I am fortunate to have met and worked with them, to personally know these shining lights who brought me joy this summer. I am blessed to support their educations and build a mentoring relationship with each of them, if both or either of them chooses to engage on that level. I can't wait to know them better over time, and I will do all I can to encourage and inspire them to realize their dreams.
For now, I await my return letters, excited to read from their souls.
Evelyn emailed me on Friday, to let me know she received the letters I sent to Celestine and Lawrence. Evelyn told me they were very happy to receive their letters, and that she took photos of each of them holding her/his letter. She will attach the photos to the return letters that each of them writes me.
On Friday, a lifelong dream of mine came true. When I was a child myself, I watched the Christian Children's Fund ("CCF") ads, and I was touched by the images of children with poverty-ravaged lives. I envisioned having a pen pal relationship with a child whom I would support, and it was the human connection of that epistolary relationship that inspired me the most.
In retrospect, the CCF ads feel creepy and exploitative, but in my childhood viewing, all I knew was that I wanted to help a child in desperate circumstances. That dream did not leave me over time, but I never knew how to realize it, not having a relationship with any of the agencies claiming they would use my money to directly benefit my sponsor children.
Celestine and Lawrence weren't yet born when I watched those ads, but God had them in mind for me. I am fortunate to have met and worked with them, to personally know these shining lights who brought me joy this summer. I am blessed to support their educations and build a mentoring relationship with each of them, if both or either of them chooses to engage on that level. I can't wait to know them better over time, and I will do all I can to encourage and inspire them to realize their dreams.
For now, I await my return letters, excited to read from their souls.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Defying the Odds
Katie:
I saw their "homes" - well, not theirs in particular, but those of a few classmates at Ray of Hope, their unaccredited school. All the dwellings I saw in Kawangware look the same to me - corrugated tin, dark inside, highly unstable, and not at all insulated.
Without electricity, food, or water at home, I wonder how the children I met this summer subsist. Thankfully, Ray of Hope feeds them lunch every day, but nights and weekends must stretch on endlessly and painfully. Survival aside, I cannot fathom how the children sing and dance and smile with so much spirit. In many ways, they are the lucky ones, their joy so full, and their gratitude so effortless, despite their dismal circumstances.
I have signed up to sponsor two of these angels: a seven-year-old girl, Celestine, and an eight-year-old boy, Lawrence. It will be, by far, the most meaningful commitment I have ever undertaken.
The agreement is that I will financially support both of them through eighth grade, but I'm not stopping there. I have wanted to sponsor African children since I was a child myself, and being privileged to personally know the ones I will support, I won't feel fulfilled just writing a check for the next six or so years. I will visit them every year, actively exchange letters in the interim, and financially support them through high school at least.
Two weeks ago, one of the two Ray of Hope teachers, Evelyn, emailed to tell me that Celestine and Lawrence both aced their national exams! Thanks to their brilliant work, the tireless efforts of their teachers Evelyn and Alfred, and my financial assistance, they will both attend an accredited school next year.
I am very excited for these little ones, and I can't wait to write them and tell them so.
I saw their "homes" - well, not theirs in particular, but those of a few classmates at Ray of Hope, their unaccredited school. All the dwellings I saw in Kawangware look the same to me - corrugated tin, dark inside, highly unstable, and not at all insulated.
Without electricity, food, or water at home, I wonder how the children I met this summer subsist. Thankfully, Ray of Hope feeds them lunch every day, but nights and weekends must stretch on endlessly and painfully. Survival aside, I cannot fathom how the children sing and dance and smile with so much spirit. In many ways, they are the lucky ones, their joy so full, and their gratitude so effortless, despite their dismal circumstances.
I have signed up to sponsor two of these angels: a seven-year-old girl, Celestine, and an eight-year-old boy, Lawrence. It will be, by far, the most meaningful commitment I have ever undertaken.
The agreement is that I will financially support both of them through eighth grade, but I'm not stopping there. I have wanted to sponsor African children since I was a child myself, and being privileged to personally know the ones I will support, I won't feel fulfilled just writing a check for the next six or so years. I will visit them every year, actively exchange letters in the interim, and financially support them through high school at least.
Two weeks ago, one of the two Ray of Hope teachers, Evelyn, emailed to tell me that Celestine and Lawrence both aced their national exams! Thanks to their brilliant work, the tireless efforts of their teachers Evelyn and Alfred, and my financial assistance, they will both attend an accredited school next year.
I am very excited for these little ones, and I can't wait to write them and tell them so.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
More on the closing retreat - June 3
Katie:
We are on retreat at a beautiful lodge, with several small Maasai villages surrounding us – the nearest, from what I understand, being about 20 miles away. Out in the open air, I feel so far away from the densely packed slums we’ve left behind. I am grateful to be resting, even as more sadness sets in: I won’t see the Learning Centre children or Ray of Hope staff until my next trip to Nairobi.
Tonight, a group of Maasai tribesmen performed one of their traditional dances, as entertainment for guests of the lodge. The men were cloaked in beautiful red shukas (their tribal cloth garments), and they were so fabulously bejeweled in their adornments, I actually wondered before they danced if they were true Maasai warriors or the faux variety, reserved for lodge guests who wouldn’t know the difference.
They were real. The guttural tones, accompanied by well-timed, high-pitched shrieks, all set to intentionally paced head movements and line walking along an apparently predestined line, sent chills through me. I felt the warrior energy, and I lost myself in the moment, so much so that I actually felt terrified when the line headed in my direction.
The dance we saw was the one best known by Westerners, featuring several vertical jumps. Afterward, the leader told the audience that the jumps signify the number of girlfriends one has, with higher jumps indicating more relationships. (Maasai communities are traditionally polygamous.) He also mentioned that a Maasai warrior wishing to marry must first kill a lion.
This all sounded fantastical to me, not in the sense that such rituals weren’t recorded in my social studies books, but only in that I had not heard news of any lion slayings in quite some time. I assumed the leader was reporting on tradition, rather than on current events. I approached him after his remarks and asked.
Turns out, I was wrong again: Traditionally and still, killing a lion is required before a Maasai man can marry. In more recent years, the government has restricted the Maasai, in terms of the number of lions they may kill in a given time period. Accordingly, marriage-bound Maasai men are now joined with their peers in age sets. As long as the group successfully kills a lion, each member may marry.
The leader showed me the knife that he and other tribesmen use for the slaying. The very short blade suggests that lion encounters must be handled toe-to-toe ... assuming one is lucky enough that those are the only two body parts involved.
I had never met anyone who has killed a lion before tonight. I have to say, I’m impressed. I am not a fan of animal hunting generally, but when taken on as a prerequisite to achieving a cultural milestone, it sounds – well, warrior-like. And that’s fascinating to me.
I’m going to make a project of learning much more about this compelling tribe.
We are on retreat at a beautiful lodge, with several small Maasai villages surrounding us – the nearest, from what I understand, being about 20 miles away. Out in the open air, I feel so far away from the densely packed slums we’ve left behind. I am grateful to be resting, even as more sadness sets in: I won’t see the Learning Centre children or Ray of Hope staff until my next trip to Nairobi.
Tonight, a group of Maasai tribesmen performed one of their traditional dances, as entertainment for guests of the lodge. The men were cloaked in beautiful red shukas (their tribal cloth garments), and they were so fabulously bejeweled in their adornments, I actually wondered before they danced if they were true Maasai warriors or the faux variety, reserved for lodge guests who wouldn’t know the difference.
They were real. The guttural tones, accompanied by well-timed, high-pitched shrieks, all set to intentionally paced head movements and line walking along an apparently predestined line, sent chills through me. I felt the warrior energy, and I lost myself in the moment, so much so that I actually felt terrified when the line headed in my direction.
The dance we saw was the one best known by Westerners, featuring several vertical jumps. Afterward, the leader told the audience that the jumps signify the number of girlfriends one has, with higher jumps indicating more relationships. (Maasai communities are traditionally polygamous.) He also mentioned that a Maasai warrior wishing to marry must first kill a lion.
This all sounded fantastical to me, not in the sense that such rituals weren’t recorded in my social studies books, but only in that I had not heard news of any lion slayings in quite some time. I assumed the leader was reporting on tradition, rather than on current events. I approached him after his remarks and asked.
Turns out, I was wrong again: Traditionally and still, killing a lion is required before a Maasai man can marry. In more recent years, the government has restricted the Maasai, in terms of the number of lions they may kill in a given time period. Accordingly, marriage-bound Maasai men are now joined with their peers in age sets. As long as the group successfully kills a lion, each member may marry.
The leader showed me the knife that he and other tribesmen use for the slaying. The very short blade suggests that lion encounters must be handled toe-to-toe ... assuming one is lucky enough that those are the only two body parts involved.
I had never met anyone who has killed a lion before tonight. I have to say, I’m impressed. I am not a fan of animal hunting generally, but when taken on as a prerequisite to achieving a cultural milestone, it sounds – well, warrior-like. And that’s fascinating to me.
I’m going to make a project of learning much more about this compelling tribe.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Ray of Hope Mission Team Closing Retreat
On Tuesday, June 2, we went to Masai Mara, one of the great Kenyan wilderness parks, on the Tanzania border. This was our chance to rest, reflect, and renew ourselves before going home. The highlight of our time in Masai Mara were the trips with a wilderness guide, to see the wildlife. We saw "The Big Five", including lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffalos, but so much more. It was a perfect way to regroup before heading back to the Bay Area.
Stephan:
June 2nd, June 3rd, and June 4th;
The emotion of the prior eight days was for the most part, overwhelming. Early on I took out my emotions on our team leaders, Pastor Karen, and Craig. My petty issues do not compare with what those living HIV in the slums Nairobi, or those who are gay in Kenya, not to mention gay and HIV+. I realize how great my life is, and that I have an obligation to work to find ways to help those I came in contact with during the past eight days.
I saw women living with the virus who are too poor to feed themselves. Many have children; some of the children are HIV+. I meet one gay man who is HIV+, and talked about the trouble he has accessing the medications needed to save his life. Food for most is the big issue, while simply accessing the medications is the “double” issues a gay person in Kenya faces if he has the virus.
The last three days have been just what the doctor ordered……rest, relaxation, and a time to reflect. Reflect on what a great life I have, reflect on what a great Pastor Glide has in Karen, and reflect in the hard work Craig did in putting this mission together, and reflect on the work ahead of us…..but mostly it was about rest and relaxation, which came in the form some trips in a Land Rover looking into the eyes of hundreds of wild animals, and speaking with a Maasi Warrior about his life. I also got a chance to spoil myself with a couple of massages. I would end this entry with a story about a monkey, except this is a church blog, not rated XXX…………what an adventure in nature!!!
The emotion of the prior eight days was for the most part, overwhelming. Early on I took out my emotions on our team leaders, Pastor Karen, and Craig. My petty issues do not compare with what those living HIV in the slums Nairobi, or those who are gay in Kenya, not to mention gay and HIV+. I realize how great my life is, and that I have an obligation to work to find ways to help those I came in contact with during the past eight days.
I saw women living with the virus who are too poor to feed themselves. Many have children; some of the children are HIV+. I meet one gay man who is HIV+, and talked about the trouble he has accessing the medications needed to save his life. Food for most is the big issue, while simply accessing the medications is the “double” issues a gay person in Kenya faces if he has the virus.
The last three days have been just what the doctor ordered……rest, relaxation, and a time to reflect. Reflect on what a great life I have, reflect on what a great Pastor Glide has in Karen, and reflect in the hard work Craig did in putting this mission together, and reflect on the work ahead of us…..but mostly it was about rest and relaxation, which came in the form some trips in a Land Rover looking into the eyes of hundreds of wild animals, and speaking with a Maasi Warrior about his life. I also got a chance to spoil myself with a couple of massages. I would end this entry with a story about a monkey, except this is a church blog, not rated XXX…………what an adventure in nature!!!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
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