A Troubled Student

This past week I drove one of our secondary students along with his uncle back to school. Wycliffe started secondary school in February, but has been struggling throughout. Last term he only remained in school for one week out of the thirteen week school term. He has been running away from school and one of the times he was able to find his way all the way to Homa Bay which is about 55 km from the school. He spent several nights sleeping on the streets and without eating. Eventually he was found and brought back home to Mbita. He admitted to me that secondary school is too difficult. The schedule is challenging and the academics are at a high level. He feels that he is not smart enought to make it competing against the other bright students. We had discussed changing to a day school instead of the boarding one he is currently at and we also discussed leaving high school and learning a trade. In the end we all thought it was wise for him to learn about perseverance. No matter what he does in life he needs to learn to push through difficult situations and try to finish what he started. He assured us that he could make it through the last school term which ends in November. I think it is easier for him to think about making it through 13 weeks instead of making it through four years. We decided that after he finishes in November, we will reevaluate and see what is best for him.

He is an orphan who lost his father when he was still young. His mother battled sickness for many ears before passing away in 2007. His younger brother has also battled with sickness over the years. Wycliffe is a good boy who is struggling with his self-esteem. He is shy and reserved. It takes him a while to make friends and doesn't feel confident in anything he is doing. He has potential and is able to make it if he believes that he can. Pray for him to stay strong during this term and that he would be able to stay at school throughout. Also pray that he would see some glimmer of success that would help to motivate him to continue. And pray for him to understand how God views him and that he was created in God's image exactly the way that God wanted him to be.

Goodbye Barak

The entire staff of CGA and many of the students trekked over the hill behind the school and into the valley of Gera for the burial of their beloved pupil, Barak Ochieng. The home is a mud hut in the rural part seated between two big hills. Barak passed away on Thursday after a long battle with cancer. The school manager, Steve Cochran, along with Willis Onyango and several members of the family travelled on Friday to Kisumu to collect the body and bring it back to his home to be buried. It was a small ceremony and short in duration, just like his life. Barak was only six years old, but his life had touched many. People shared of how he was always smiling. He didn’t talk so much though he was always ready to offer a smile. He also had a servant’s heart. Every day after school he would stop at his grandmother’s house to see if she needed water. If she did, he would walk to the river and fetch her water. And he was a mighty warrior. He fought all the way until the end. He endured much pain as the cancer attacked many parts of his body, including the nervous system, but he stayed positive throughout and had an incredible attitude. As the ceremony came to a close the men lowered the coffin in the grave just next to the house and began shoveling the dirt over the top, as Barak’s 9 year old brother stood by watching, holding the two stuffed animals of his deceased brother. Barak will be deeply missed by many, but all that knew him personally were enriched by his life.

House Shopping

I found out last week that my rent would be increasing by 50% at the start of October. And my internet payment would quadruple. I have been fortunate in my six years on the mission field in Kenya to stay at ICIPE, the International Center for Insect Physiology and Entomology. It is a nice compound with good security, 24 hour electricity, running water and furnished apartments. The rent is already high compared to any other place around Mbita, but it is worth it because of the amenities. Now the increase has broken my budget and made it unfeasible to continue staying here. So last week I began house hunting, walking up and down the road and up and down the hills of Mbita looking for a suitable place. My life will be drastically changing in the coming weeks. I have found a couple of good options that I am praying through and researching.

One option is next door to fellow missionaries, Steve and Judi Cochran. It is a nice little place about the right size and it would be nice to have friends/family close. The drawback is that there is not electricity there, so I would have to invest some money in solar panels so that I could use my computer, television and possibly a refrigerator.

Another option is a new one being built on the hill. It already has electricity and water connected to it and a great view of the lake, islands and the sunset. It is right next door to a good Kenyan friend of mine, right in the middle of a certain clan. I would really be living "in the community." The compound is secure, but there are a lot of people around that might make privacy a bit difficult.

Life is going to look drastically different, but I am looking forward to a change and stepping out of my comfort zone.

I am praying about these two places or anywhere else that God might lead me to.

Going Home to Heaven

My little buddy, Barak Ochieng, passed away this morning around 11:00 am Kenyan time. He has been in the hospital battling stomach cancer over the past four months after a CGA staff member noticed the stiffness in his mid-section. He went through 6 chemo treatments which cleared his stomach, but the cancer had already spread to his spine and muscular system. When I visited him in Kisumu last Friday I knew that it wouldn’t be long. He hadn’t been eating normally and hadn’t been walking at all. He was having difficulty in talking also, but kept saying the word “animal” when we were together. Nobody could figure out why he was saying that. I tried to encourage him that he had the heart of a lion and to keep fighting. About two hours before he died we were able to speak with him on the phone and again he kept saying the word “animal.” Now I know he is face to face with the Lion of Judah, also called the lamb of God.

Please pray for the family as they collect the body from Kisumu tomorrow and bring him back for burial on Saturday.

Becoming Family

This last week of training and participating in the Provencial Tournament was a great bonding opportunity for our team. Sleeping together and spending every waking minute together for a week tends to do that. Some of the most enjoyable times came while sitting around waiting for the bus or hanging out at the field waiting for a game or after dinner at night. Many times the girls would start playing little games with each other or joking around or sharing stories. Many of our quiet, shy girls came out of their shells this weekend and we were able to see their personalities better.

That is one of the true treasures of sports. It provides the perfect atmosphere that encourages people to grow closer in relationships. They all feel like they are special and are part of something special.

Challenges

During last week’s training and tournament, it was difficult being at the mercy of the Constituency Officials for all the arrangements for our team. On one hand it was nicee that I wasn’t having to pay for things out of my own pocket, but the lack of control was frustrating at times.

They tried to force us to take 9 players from a neighboring constituency. When I tried to send five of them back home because they weren’t good players and their discipline was not good, I met resistance. Even to the point that one of the officials paid for them to travel to Kisumu on their own and meet us on our arrival, much to my own shock and that of the players.

On Friday, we were supposed to leave Mbita for Kisumu by 8:00 a.m. and arrive early enough to settle in and practice. Because of financial arguments and other problems, we didn’t leave until the afternoon. Then they crammed all of our players and the boys team into a minibus that wasn’t big enough. The boys were rude and were speaking bad things towards everyone around, including the girls.

In my last blog I shared about the problems with the meals and trying to play matches on empty stomachs. Finally, both teams had lost out on Sunday morning and were ready to go home, but the officials forced us to wait until Monday to leave. The bus was supposed to arrive by 8:00 a.m. on Monday, but was three hours late again. When we tried to leave, the boys team took all the seats and forced the girls to stand. Some of the boys team wouldn’t give back their uniforms which forced the officials to take them to the police station where a riot almost broke out between the police and the boys.

Being around all of these problems helped me to realize how well-behaved and disciplined our girls are. We have built a strong tradition on the field and off of it. Even the four girls that joined our team from our neighboring constituency quickly adapted to our way of doing thins. The girls stayed positive and worked hard through all the difficult circumstances. There wasn’t much complaining from any of them. I think it also made the girls to appreciate how much our own club officials and coaches care for them and how well we take care of them. Each of the difficult situations was a learning opportunity for all of us. They help us to learn what is wrong and what is right.

I learned that if we qualify for a tournament like this again, I will demand that our training, transporation, accommodation and everything else will be separate from the boys. I will give the officials the budget and ask for the money so that we can handle these situations ourselves. But I also know that, whatever the circumstances, our girls will persevere and do their best!

Tough Fighters

The top players for the Suba Lakers reported to Mbita on Tuesday night, August 25th for three days of training ahead of the Nyanza Provencial Constituency Tournament. They stayed together at the SEEK base across from CGA and had two practices a day in preparation for the matches. As winners of the inter-constituency tournament three weeks ago, we were representing the other local consitituencies against the best in the province.

We travelled to Kisumu on Friday and were set to begin our first match early on Saturday morning. Because of the problems in organization of the tournament committee we waited for a long time. Finally in the middle of the afternoon they told us to take lunch at the YMCA. When we arrived there, they weren't ready and forced us to wait. While waiting we received a phone call that we were needed at the field immediately. So we rushed the team to the field to play on empty stomachs. The girls fought valiantly against the top team in the tournament and conceded one goal right before halftime. The game was shortened because of time constraints and we ended up losing a hard fought match 1-0. We were forced to remain at the field and play our 2nd match on empty stomachs (we had eaten 3 slices of bread for breakfast 10 hours prior). We managed a draw in another time-shortened match where we were so close to scoring the go-ahead goal. Finally at 6:30 pm we took our lunch and then supper came about an hour later.

With all the problems from Saturday, we still only needed a win in our final pool game to qualify for semifinals. We tried our best, but just couldn't get the ball in the back of the net. It was a frustrating game and weekend for our girls, but they kept up good attitudes throughout all the difficult circumstances and we improved as a team by competing well against strong competition. Most of the other teams had girls that were between 18 and 25 years old. Our starting 11 consisted of 8 primary school girls and 3 secondary school girls. These young girls are continuing to gain experience and grow as individuals and as a team.