Grieving

My heart is grieved right now.  A family that has been through so much in the last six years lost their father a few days ago.  Sometimes you wonder how much grief one family can endure, but you focus on the fact that God won't allow us to face more than we can handle. 

Some of you may remember back in 2006, I shared a story in one of my e-mail updates about one of our Nursery teachers that passed away.  Teacher Caren died, leaving behind 5 children.  Four of them are a part of the CGA family.  Here is what I wrote about her death in 2006...

Christ’s Gift Academy suffered a big loss this past month.  One of our teachers passed away in the middle of the night.  It was totally unexpected.  Teacher Caren was so healthy that she didn’t even bother seeing the doctors while the medical team was here a month ago.  She had worked on Thursday and then went to the market place after school.  After preparing dinner for her five children, she went to sleep.  The next morning Victor, her 6^th grade son that attends CGA, went in to wake her up, but she was already dead.  He ran with his sister Violet (8th grade) to the school office and told us.  We were stunned at first and couldn’t even comprehend what he was saying.  A couple of our staff rushed to the house to check on the situation and petition God for her life, but evidently it was her time to go and be with her heavenly father.  Needless to say, the past couple of weeks have been difficult at school dealing with the loss of a friend and teacher, helping with the funeral/burial arrangements, and helping to console and care for her family and children (three of which attend our school).  All of this has been happening in the midst of final exams, sports tournaments and preparation to end Term 1.  It was a revelation to me when I realized that on one Monday during our morning devotions Teacher Caren was asking questions about Jesus; and the next Monday she was standing face to face with her Lord and Savior asking the questions directly to him.  We will miss her greatly but are comforted to know that she is in a better place.     

Back now to 2012... The children are now much older.  Violet has finished secondary school and is looking to join a college soon.  Victor is in his last year of secondary school and Daisy is in her 3rd year.  The youngest one is in 4th grade at CGA.  The father has really struggled trying to provide for his children and educate them since the death of his wife in 2006.  He is always concerned about them.   

Last year, Daisy had many challenges including having her dorm (and all her possessions) burnt down by an angry student.  Just last week the father's father passed away and the children went home for the burial last weekend.  Then last night I received a phone call that the father has also died.  I don't know the story or reason why, but my heart breaks for the children.

Sometimes it is hard to understand things in this life. 

Set Free

I appeared in court today.  I was blessed that a friend of mine from Kisii met me at the police station and stayed with me throughout the day.  It was good to have someone around to offer advice, encouragement and translate at times.  We had to sit through several other cases waiting for our turn.

When it was our turn, I was called to the stand and the judge read the charges aloud, "Said driver ran into the back of a motor vehicle which then knocked down a motorbike with their two passengers who had slight injuries."  I was asked how I was pleading.  I had been advised by several others to just plead guilty to the careless driving offense and I would most likely get fined and be set free.  So I pleaded guilty thinking it would be over.  After my plea, the judge asked the prosecuting police officer to read the facts of the case.  Since the officer had just received the file, he asked for a few minutes to read through it before presenting it to the court.  That meant I had to wait longer while the court continued with other cases. 

Honestly, that is when I started to worry a little bit.  I had prayed about it and I know so many others in Kenya and in America were praying for me, but I started to have doubts.  Those doubts began escalating when I realized that most of the offenders were being sentenced to 30-90 days in prison, and most of the offenders were motorcyclists driving without insurance.  My mind began picturing Kenya Prison life for a mzungu (white man).  It didn't seem like a very good way to spend a couple of months, but then I thought maybe I could begin a prison ministry and witness to the inmates.  Yes my mind went even that far.  It was a test for me to trust in the Lord no matter what the outcome of the case. 

Finally, they brought me back on the stand and the prosecuting officer read the facts of the case.  I was asked if they were true after he finished, and I responded that most of it was true, but there were a few mistakes I wanted to clarify and give a little more detail on the events that happened (in retrospect I should have just kept my mouth shut).  I don't think the judge appreciated my version very much and asked me several times if I was still pleading guilty or not.  I said I was pleading guilty but was asking for leniency since this was the first accident blamed on me in 20 years of driving and my first accident in 8 years in Kenya. 

Then the judge asked a funny question.  He asked me if I felt any remorse for what happened.  I told him that I felt very bad that the other man's vehicle was totaled and for the two that were injured.  Then he asked how would somebody be able to tell that I felt remorse.  I responded that no one can really know what is in someone's heart, but I felt bad that the accident happened.  He didn't leave it there.  He then asked what sentence I could say to let others know that I felt remorse?  Confused, I answered, "I'm Sorry?"  He said, "That is correct."  I don't know if he felt like I wasn't sorry from my story or if he was trying to drive home a point, but it didn't make me feel good.  Was I supposed to apologize to the judge and the court for something I did wrong on the road 4 days before or to the others involved in the accident? 

Anyhow, the verdict was suspended license for a month, sh. 5000 ($60) fine and 90 days in prison.  At least that is what I heard.  As we walked out of the courtroom my friend didn't seem very worried.  He just asked me for the money so he could go pay it in the bank and bring the receipt back to the court.  I asked him about the prison time and he explained that it was only if you default on paying the fine.  Whew!  That was a relief.  Fortunately while we waited for him to pay, a police officer kept watch on my out in the courtyard instead of putting me in with the other criminals.  

Many questions have gone through my mind since that time.  One is why I am fined more and given a long prison sentence for my offense than someone who knowingly drove a motorcyle without insurance.  I guess the reason is because two people were injured in my accident, but mine wasn't anything intentional.  It was just a mistake.

Oh well, I guess I am just trying to justify my actions.  All in all, I praise God that the ordeal is over.  It consumed a lot of time, but not much money.  My insurance is able to cover the damages.  Things could have been much worse, both on Thursday and even today.  God is good and I have learned a few lessons in the process. 

One feeling I can't ditch is that feeling of condemnation and guilt that I felt when the judge was talking to me and asking questions.  It made me realize how blessed we are in Jesus, that he has set us free from all of that by what he did on the cross 2000 years ago.  I would hate to live my life with that feeling or to stand before the judgement seat of God someday and be faced with that for everything I have done wrong. 

Thank you Jesus for setting us free!

Accident

The other vehicle

On Thursday I was driving my landcruiser to Nairobi so that I could get my passport and finalized work permit, and so I could follow up on the registration of our football club with the attorney general's office.  Ironically enough I was talking with my friend JP about driving tests and other qualifications for driving in Kenya when we got into an accident.

We were almost reaching Kisii, going through a town center named Suneka.  I was driving slow since we were in a town center and was a reasonable distance behind the small car in front of me.  The other vehicle began to slow so I also reduced my speed, but suddenly the vehicle almost came to a complete stop.  I hit the brakes, but it was too late and I bumped the vehicle in front of me who had decided to turn, though he had forgotten to signal.  We were both going very slow and in fact we were almost stopped upon impact.  I didn't even skid at all because my speed was so slow.  Later I found out that the reason he slowed almost to a stop was because a motorcycle had turned right in front of him.  At such a slow speed with both of us hitting our brakes you would expect minimal damage and both vehicles to come to a stop.  That didn't happen.  After being hit, the other vehicle turned and actually accelerated.  He hit the motorbike in front of him and then accelerated even more into the patio of a building where someone was drinking his morning cup of tea more than 60 feet from the road. 

The building the other car ran into

I was shocked.  My only explanation for the other driver's reaction was that he panicked and hit the gas instead of the brake.  His airbags had gone off and that might have disoriented him. 



I jumped out to assess the damage.  The other driver was fine, but his vehicle was pretty much totaled from running into the building.  The two on the motorbike had small injuries (one on the arm and the other on his big toe) and were rushed to a nearby hospital. The tea drinker had some minor scratches, but was ok.  The side of the building had come crumbling down from the impact.  My vehicle was unscratched thanks to my cattle guard on the front. 

As typical in Kenya, a huge crowd came over to get involved shortly thereafter.  I thank God that the crowd was very calm and didn't get hostile like happens sometimes.  Many of them came over to me and said it wasn't my fault and that I shouldn't blame the other driver because he got disoriented.  Some blame definitely has to go to the motorbike driver for cutting him off and to the other driver for what happened after impact, but I know I caused everything since the person from behind is always to blame.  It was a pretty small thing that turned into something much bigger.



I called my insurance and the police, but no one showed up for over an hour so we walked up the road to find a couple of traffic police at a road block just out of town.  They came and interviewed several onlookers and assessed the damage.  After another hour of their investigating we were ready to go to the police station.  The only problem was that one of my tires had gone flat from a rusty nail.  After getting that fixed we proceeded first to the hospital to check on the two injured ones from the motorbike and then on to the police station.  All of us concerned recorded statements and went through other procedures.  I signed an "Intent to Prosecute" ticket for careless driving.  At first I was told I wouldn't be allowed to leave because my vehicle needed inspection and the inspector was until the next day.  After some pleading, they found another investigator who was able to help us (though not very competent).  Eventually, after about 6 hours they released me on cash bail and summoned me to appear in court on Monday morning. 

Pray for God's favor as I go to court on Monday.  Pray for a fair and honest judge that will be able to undnerstand the situation well and that I would be able to clearly and accurately describe what happened.  Also pray for things to be resolved speedily and efficiently so I can return to Mbita and get back to work.



the place where I hit him (notice how far the building is from the road)



My insurance will cover the damages to the other vehicle and I know the injuries sustained were very minor.  But sometimes you don't know how things will go in a country like Kenya.     

It was not a great experience, but I felt God's peace throughout the day.  It could have been much worse.  Thank God that no one died and there were no serious injuries.  I am thankful that my vehicle was unharmed.  I can also praise God that the crowd that gathered was very peaceful.  We also got a chance to get to know the other driver and several police officers who were interested in what I am doing in Kenya and even led to some conversations about God.  It was my first accident in 8 years of driving in Kenya, and if I am not mistaken, the first accident I have caused during the 20 years I have been driving (anyone is welcome to correct me if I have forgotten anything).

The Last One

On Monday, we brought the last of our 9 primary school football girl graduates to join secondary school. These nine have all been a special part of our football club for many years. Several of them have been with us since the beginning of the club, and some were with us even before we started the club. Most of them are orphans and from very poor homes. For the past year we have been praying and fasting about their future, asking God what to do next. Most girls in our district never even finish primary school and of the ones that do finish primary school, very few move on to secondary school because of low national exam scores or lack of money. With 9 to think about helping, we didn’t know how we could raise the money to assist. But where man is not able to, there is nothing impossible with God.


In the last couple of months a few well-wishers have given some money to help educate some of these girls. At the same time, God has given us some good connections with secondary schools that value girls football as well as academics. Some of these schools wanted these players so much that they were willing to allow them to come for drastically reduced fees. With the combination of those two things, we were able to pitch in our part to make sure each of them would continue their education.

The one we brought on Monday is named Caren. She has two loving parents, but they don’t have very much money. In fact the father has been struggling for the past three weeks looking for finances from every possible means with no success. When we shared with him what we had found out from a coach at Kobala Secondary School in Kendu Bay, Caren and the father were both very ready to give it a try because none of Caren’s three older siblings had even finished primary school. So when we brought her on Monday, she was the first one in her family to join a secondary school. The school warmly welcomed her and helped her get settled in and oriented as quickly as possible so that she could begin learning immediately.

After reaching home I got a message from the father saying, “It was today when I believed that with God, nothing can stand in your way. I was really stranded with Caren because I had no money for school fees or even transport to get her to school, but God provided a way through you. Pass our prayer to the Suba Lakers Club Officials. It is a miracle I will never forget in my life. Caren’s mother has a small gift to bring to you. Thank you. Every one of us is praying for you.”

We feel blessed that God would choose to use us to make a difference in the lives of these girls.

Special

Another one of our players was able to join secondary school this week. On Monday, I met Dorothy and her father down at the beach when their boat taxi reached Mbita from their home on Mfangano Island. We travelled together to Rongo.

Dorothy has a hearing impairment and in 2010 was able to begin attending a boarding primary school in Lambwe that is specifically for students with that disability. After struggling for many years in public schools that would make her repeat because of her performance, it was a big blessing to be in a school with others that had the same problem as her, along with teachers who understand the children and do their best to help them. The curriculum was the same as the public schools except that they learn sign language instead of Kiswahili. Dorothy really improved in her overall performance, especially her ability to speak English and read lips. She easily passed her National Exams and was invited to join Kuja Secondary School for the Deaf in Rongo, about a 1.5 hour ride from Mbita.

Kuja is one of the best schools in the country and in the region for hearing impaired students. They receive students from all over Kenya and all of East Africa. It is a very beautiful school with top notch facilities and excellent teachers. I had taken Dorothy to visit the school last year on the way to one of our tournaments to motivate her to work hard in school so that she could reach there. Ironically we ended up playing in a tournament at that very school at the end of December. The girls even spent several nights there and ate their meals there. All of that helped Dorothy feel very comfortable going to school there and helped her to fit in very quickly.

It was a pleasure to escort Dorothy and her father to school. Through well-wishers, the club was able to pay for her school fees at Kuja. The father loves her very much, but with many wives and dozens of children, his finances are stretched to the limit.

Dorothy was the 5th of our 9 students to join secondary school this year. The other four will be joining in the next few days.