The Deaf Shall Hear

My best friend from college, Dave Brost, served on the medical team that visited CGA a few weeks ago. This is a post from his blog...

Have you ever just stood in awe of how mighty God is and proclaimed that it could only be God alone who works all things out in His way? Every now and then we get to be participants in these stories.

"The blind receive sight,
the lame walk,
those that have leprosy are cured,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the good news is preached to the poor."
Matthew 11:5

This is the story of my favorite patient during my time in Kenya. Her name is Anna.

I first met Anna at the end of the first day of clinic. She was my second to last patient. Her triage sheet showed that her chief complaint was, "Not being able to hear out of the right ear since she was two years old." Anna was now seven. She couldn't speak English nor could her mother. So through the interpreter her mother explained that she could hear good out of her left ear but not the right. She had no pain or drainage from the ear. Looking through my otoscope I examined the ear and could immediately tell that something was wrong. My initial impression was that there was a beetle like bug in the ear canal. Usually I don't clean the wax out of patients' ears because it can be a long process and we didn't have the best equipment available. However, since she seemed to have a foreign body in the ear I thought there was a better chance for removal. I had her lay down and I placed ear wax removal drops in her ear for about 15 minutes while I saw my last patient. I returned and flushed her ear with water using a suction bulb. I also had a small soft tool for wax removal. Unfortunately after about 20 minutes of working there wasn't any change in how her ear looked and nothing was able to be removed. Fortunately it didn't cause her any discomfort. I had her go home with an ear wax removal kit and instructions to put the drops in her ear 4 times a day. She was to return in two days.

That night I thought about Anna and the other possibilities about what might be going on in her ear. I wondered if this could be some type of tumor such as a cholesteatoma. If that were the case it would probably not be advisable to be digging in her ear.

Anna returned to the clinic two days later. I put the drops in her ear again and had her lay down just as the time before. This time when I first examined her ear I could tell that there was something black at the very entrance of her ear canal. Excitedly I scooped it out and recognized it as some type of small black seed. Immediately I was relieved that this was a foreign body and not a tumor! After a few more ear washes a second seed came sliding out.

I hoped that this would have solved the problem. However, when I re-examined the ear I could tell that it was still abnormal. I could not distinguish if there were more foreign bodies or if she had a very abnormal eardrum. I flushed several more times with no success and most disappointing was the fact that she could not hear any better. At this point I was discouraged but did not want to give up hope. I had her leave again with the same instructions to come back on our last day in clinic. I kept thinking about Anna through the next couple of days wondering even if I could remove all of the material from her ear canal if she would be able to hear anyway. The thought came up that this could have possibly been some type of witch doctor treatment to put seeds in the ear. Maybe she couldn't hear to begin with and this was suggested as a possible treatment. If that was the case, all of this work would have been in vain.

Anna returned as the last patient on our last day of clinic. The ear had not changed upon examination. I flushed the ear several times and attempted to remove material from the ear with my tool again. After another 15 minutes there were no results and I had resigned to the fact that I wasn't going to be able to fix her hearing. I was more convinced that this was a much bigger problem than just some seeds in the ear. I discussed with her and her mother the possibility of being able to see an ENT doctor at one of the larger cities in the area in hopes that they might offer some further insight. Just prior to leaving we decided to flush the ear one last time. To my utter amazement and only by the grace of God this time it worked! A small piece of brown material began to exit the ear canal. I scooped it out and recognized it was half of a bean. Amazing!

I looked in the ear canal and saw it to be completely clear. I could see the ear drum completely and it looked relatively normal. I began to test her hearing by rubbing my fingers together near her ear and she pulled her head away as it seemed incredibly loud to her. She and her mother confirmed that she could hear and were overwhelmed with joy.

What an amazing God we serve!

A Whole New World

My friend Jenny in Nairobi alerted me a few days ago that there was a team of ear doctors coming to Kisumu this week. One of our teachers at CGA has a nephew named Ian who contracted meningitis before the age of one and hasn't been able to hear anything since that time. He is now eight and in 1st grade at a special school for deaf and mute children. Along with Ian, there is a 15 year old girl from Mfangano Island who is in our football club. I have coached Dorothy for around three years now. She is not totally deaf because she can hear some sounds like when I clap at her, but she is severely hearing impaired.

We were able to get Dorothy to travel by boat to Mbita this week. So this morning we went across on the ferry with both of them and travelled to Kisumu. We met a team of 16 ear doctors who greeted us with warm smiles and began examining the kids immediatley. Within an hour, they were both fitted with new hearing aides! When Dorothy first arrived, she was amazed to see hundreds of school children who had trouble hearing. Being from the island, she had only met a couple of people in her whole life who had hearing problems like her. She felt good to know that she wasn't so different!

The minute that they fitted Ian's ear with a hearing aide and someone stood behind him and spoke, the little boy's face just lit up with a smile from ear to ear. A few minutes after getting her aides, Dorothy commented that she could hear what everyone around her was saying. When she walked into the supermarket she started complaining that the noises were too loud and had to turn the hearing aides down.

It was a whole new world that neither of them had ever experienced! What a blessing to be able to be with them during this special day.

October Update

This past month has been consumed with helping secondary students, preaching in church, spending time with friends on a visiting medical team, a safari in the Masai Mara, time in Nairobi, coaching football and … house shopping. Yes, after six years of living in an apartment in an International Insect Research compound (ICIPE), I am looking for a new place. The management was forced to raise the rent again, but this time it was a 50% increase. It has surpassed a reasonable threshold in a rural place like Mbita which has forced me to begin hunting for a good rental. I am a little excited about the change, though also hesitant at the same time. My current place has 24 hour security and electricity, running water and indoor plumbing and it is also furnished (including a refrigerator). I have looked at several options and found three reasonable ones but each has its issues. The one house has no electricity and would take a major investment in solar power right off the bat. Another place has everything except a reasonable landlord. He doubled his rent when he saw my white face come through the gate, assuming I am filthy rich. The third place is great except it is so tiny and has no running water. So I still don’t know where I am moving to, but I am preparing by getting some furniture made, buying a mobile internet modem and researching alternate power sources. I don’t enjoy the process very much, but it is a good faith building experience as I learn to trust God more and know that he will meet all my needs according to His glorious riches.

For those of you who have not read my blog or the CGA website, one of our students passed away this past month. Barak Ochieng had been in the hospital battling stomach cancer for the past four months. Six chemo treatments helped to clear the cancer from his stomach, but it had already started to spread to his spine. In the seven years of life that God gave him, he impacted many others in a positive way with his infectious smile and servant’s heart. Barak will be dearly missed by his family and the entire CGA community.

Our 8th grade class at CGA is focused on their National Exams coming up on November 10-12. The teachers squeeze every free moment to provide extra help for them or assign them practice exams. Exam fever is a very real thing that affects students all across the country because of the huge amount of pressure on this one exam that will determine if they can go to secondary school and what kind of secondary school they will go to. I was pleased to resume teaching the 8th grade class this term in Bible. As their focus is directed almost entirely to the exam and themselves, we decided to study the book Purpose Driven Life. I love teaching the book and helping the kids to understand the purpose that God created them for, especially during a very stressful and difficult time in their lives. The students have responded well, particularly in the area of forgiveness. That is difficult for all of us, but in their culture it is rare. They have shown an openness and sincerity about forgiving some of their classmates, teachers and family for things that happened a long time ago. These students are at a very critical time in their lives and it is exciting to see the Holy Spirit working in their hearts.

Please pray for:

1) Pray for a good place for me to move to. Pray for a place that will be a blessing to me and that I can use to bless others.

2) Pray for our 8th graders as they sit their National Exams on November 10-12. Pray against anxiety and sickness and pray for them to be bold and confident in what they have learned and how hard they have worked while in Primary school. Also, pray for their success.

3) Pray for my old vehicle to sell quickly and for a good price

4) Pray for God’s word to continue to take root deep in our student’s lives. Pray that they would be growing to become more like Christ daily and impact the world around them for His kingdom.

Playing Football in Africa

These are some reflections from a visitor that visited CGA on the medical team that came in October. Carissa Rowe is a nurse from Charleston, South Carolina...

One of my favorite memories during our medical mission’s trip was the time I was able to spend with the children at Christ Gift Academy. Some of us had the honor of playing sports with the older children. I was able to play soccer with them- my favorite sport! It was an amazing experience and I had so much fun! One of the boys, Caltrex, really impressed me. He just looks like a soccer player, and his amazing speed did not impact his control of the soccer ball. He was aware of his skills yet used his teammates instead of hogging the ball and showing off. His maturity and leadership on the field stretched far beyond his actual age.

The most impressive part was how the kids were able to play on such rough terrain…barefoot! Most of the kids didn’t own cleats or shoes to protect their feet from the dirt, rocks and uneven ground. One of the luckier kids had a cleat on one foot and a flip flip on the other yet he still played awesome! It just shows how good soccer players can play anywhere and in any condition! These kids were so much fun to play with and I learned so much from them!

It’s such a blessing that these kids have the opportunity to share their God-given talents. Some barriers that they overcome daily are the lack of transportation, finances and equipment. When I heard of the Suba Lakers Football Club I got excited. This is a club for girls that provides them with the opportunity to share and grow in their soccer skills. I know that God will do great things through this program and I hope to help it grow and allow as many girls as possible to shine and develop their God-given talents through the wonderful sport of soccer!

The Night Bus

After the medical team flew out I had a few extra days in Nairobi to catch up with some local friends and do some shopping for solar panels, furniture and other things as I prepare to move out of ICIPE and into a house of my own (hopefully by next week). After a couple of days in Nairobi though, I get really anxious to get back to Mbita and out of the big city. I decided to try out the night bus to get back home. Many Kenyans travel long distance on the night bus to save time (travel to Nairobi at night and then back home the next night) and money (don't have to find a place to stay). Because of the bad roads, bad drivers, lack of street lights and the insecurity at times in the country, travelling by day is much safer than at night, but I wanted to give it a shot.

I went out to dinner with my friend Tracy and her parents who just arrived in from the U.S. and then they dropped me at the bus stage in town. Being in town at night was an experience all its own as I tend to avoid downtown at night for obvious reasons. Immediately upon entering the bus stage I found a young mzungu girl who needed help. She shared with me that she is an atheist Israeli Jew. We broke into a deep hour long discussion on many topics including the origin of the Earth, science, faith, love, Old Testament law and others. Then we found a couple of old friends waiting for another bus. Beatrice Ollimo and her sister Phenny who had just returned from doing a YWAM DTS in South Africa. I got to hear about that experience and laugh and joke with them a bit before my bus finally left two hours after the scheduled departure. I quickly claimed a first row seat so I could have some leg room and a place to rest my feet on the railing.

The ride itself on the old dilapated bus was a bit slow and bumpy, but rather uneventful. Around 7:55 am I was happy to see the ferry floating in to the dock as our bus pulled up. Overall, it was about 12 hours of travelling. I did get some sleep off and on while listening to my IPOD, through I have no clue how much I really slept. It was nice to arrive in the morning and have the whole day ahead so that I could unpack, run some errands and spend some time in school.

Sweet Fellowship

CGA and Mbita were blessed by a medical team that came to offer free clinics to the community. Close to a thousand patients were seen during the week. The team was mixed with some people from Charleston, South Carolina and others from Montana. The clinics also provided a platform to share the Gospel by words and action to the people.

On a personal note, I was very blessed by their presence. They fulfilled some of my requests and brought several "American" things to me that I can't get here in Kenya and even several gifts that I did not request, but was happy to receive. It was also a great time of fellowship for me to share my life with some old friends. Dave Brost was my best friend while I was in college. Paul McClintock was another friend from college. I have gotten to know Paul Hansen over the past few years during my times back home and also hosting Paul and his wife in my house when they visited Mbita in 2006.

I was able to see the team around school some during the day and enjoy dinner with them every night. After leaving Mbita, I travelled with them on safari at the Masai Mara and on to Nairobi. After the South Carolina portion of the team flew out, I remained with my four Montana friends for an extra day of fun in Nairobi that included the giraffe center, elephant orphanage, a tour of the slums and even a go-kart race!

Time and again God reminds me of how blessed I am to have such quality friends throughout the world. Friends that set a good example for me in their own life, care about me and are just fun to be around. Coming on a mission trip is a big sacrifice giving up family, money and vacation time to travel to a foreign country. It was a little sad for me to watch them through the window and see them disappear in the airport up the escalator, but I am grateful for the chance to spend a couple of weeks with them in Kenya.

Post from Kim Davies

This was a cool post on Kim Davies blog from last month about the Suba Lakers Football Club and CGA

http://firstwondergoesdeepest.blogspot.com/

Lakers Football Team

I left Darla and her crew or rather, she left me, at the sports center in Kisumu. I had been instructed to meet Joe there between the hours of twelve and five. He promised to be easy to find, as the only white male present, and I couldn't imagine that an African football field could be all that crowded. So with that in mind, I assured Darla that I would be fine, stepped out of the car, into the sports park and away from my only Kenyan contact. I was surprised to find not only one, but two VERY crowded football fields at the Kisumu sports center. Fortunatly, us mzungos stick out like sore thumbs and after asking only a few spectators, I was directed right to the guy.

Three days were spent with the Suba Lakers Football Team. Most of the girls on the team come from broken homes, foster families and/or economically stressed households. Many are students at Christ Gift Academy and oh, did I mention, these little ladies can play some football! Both the Senior and Junior teams won first place in the weekend's tournaments. For me, the best part of the weekend came when the Junior team scored their winning goal in front of hundreds of cheering fans on the main football field Kisumu. Hearing their names and each play by play announced over the loud-speaker was so exciting!

These girls are not only learning how to play football on the Suba team. They are learning something about themselves, they are learning who they are in the Lord. Beautiful women of Christ. Suba Lakers Football Team - The Champions!!!

Christ Gift Academy

Located on the shores of Lake Victoria in Mbita,Kenya I spent about five days observing elementary classes, working with small groups of students at CGA and getting a general feel for the Mbita area. After visiting and working short term in several schools here in Africa, I can boldly say that Christ Gift Academy is, by far, the best school I have ever seen on the continent. Teachers are teaching, students are learning. And the basis of it all, is Christ.

This little sweetie was finishing out her first year at CGA. I couldn't believe the quality of her penmanship, she was only about four years old! She could have taught my 2nd graders back in the states a thing or two.