Blog

THE CHICKEN PROJECT

11/26/2018

NEW SOURCES OF PROTEIN

The exciting new project on the Widows' Farm is to raise chickens (kukus in Swahili). While Jeremy has been in Kadawa he began construction of a chicken coop on the farm. It is being built with the same siding from which most of the farm buildings are made.

The chickens will be raised to lay eggs - which will be distributed to widows and the farm staff - and also, as the chickens get older and new ones take their place, they will be distributed to the widows. With completion of the coop, 46 chickens were purchased and delivered, and seemed to settle right into their new home.
These photos/videos show the construction, the final product, the arrival of the chickens, and Belinda locking them up on their first night in their new home. She will care for them.
Black Friday took on new meaning. (Actually that is an unknown term there, but seemed appropriate considering what was being made.) On that day several children were given the task of making balls - about the size of tennis balls - of dung and charcoal dust. These will be dried out and set alight as a source of heat to keep the chickens warm at night.
Amazing how God is so creative through human beings. A favorite quote is: "God was so intent on working through humans that He became One"!
Jeremy is doing a wonderful work in Kadawa. We are so grateful that God sent him to work with us. A good man!!!
More news in a few days. What is happening on the farm is exciting.
God Bless You All!

John & Marty

UPDATE - NOVEMBER 2018

11/24/2018

Sunday church services last a lonnnng time. Here is a small video that Jeremy sent of the "worship" part of the service Sunday morning, Nov. 11.

There is also the "praise" part which is much more lively with a lot of dancing and clapping - I've attached a praise video from a previous service. For many folks in the villages Sunday is the only time they can all get together, so it is a good time to have meetings of various committees, teams, etc. We are talking several hours of Bible study, church and meetings. Sundays can be wonderful, and sometimes tiring days. Arriving at 10 and leaving at 2 is not uncommon. When we visit other churches to minister we can leave there at 5 or 6 o'clock in the evening after having the Sunday service and then gathering for a meal, ministry to church staff and general fellowship.
Also attached is a heart-tugging (for us) clip of widows and farm staff praying for John and me this past week. Oh how we love and miss our friends there.

God is good - all the time and All the time - God is good!

We wish you all God's Richest and Abundant Blessings!

John & Marty

GOOD BYE TO JOHNFRED

7/3/2017

THE LOSS OF A DEAR FRIEND, COLLEAGUE AND SON!

JOHNFRED AJWANG LEFT THIS EARTH FOR A FAR, FAR BETTER PLACE ON FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 2017

We are broken-hearted. It is a terrible blow. This man was like a son to us - John loved him dearly. We loved him and he loved us.

He was the backbone of Widows' Farm Enterprises. He managed the farm, was president of the Credit Union, and was pastor of the church he pioneered in Kisumu - DOVE Kisumu. He was of invaluable assistance to Hesbone and Violet Odindo,who are overseers of DOVE Kenya, with leadership of Restoration Community Church in the village of Kadawa.

He was a quiet and gentle man. He received a degree from Bible College while working for us. He was happy to learn new things about administration, computers, Quick Books, banking, farming, riding a motor cycle, eating American food (even food that was strange to him) and using an American fishing rod and bait.

He was a faithful husband and father and has left behind his wife, Lydia and four children - Shem, Enoch, and twins Japheth and Ruth.

Apparently Johnfred wasn't well in February, went for treatment, and was told he had an ulcer, for which he received medication. When he was in the United States in March, he appeared well. He had one of the greatest adventures of his life while in the United States, enjoying every minute of it, except perhaps for the extreme cold while in Pennsylvania, but soon forgetting that while in Florida. It is hard to believe in looking back that in four months he would be gone from this earth.

When Marty, was in Kenya in May she noticed he had lost some weight, but he looked fine. He got a serious case of what he said was malaria while she was there, and had a very short spell of down time. As we look back over the past year or two, he seemed to be getting sick with "malaria" and "typhoid" fairly regularly, but happens a lot in Kenya. However, for the past couple of weeks in June he hadn't been responding to John's e-mails, which was uncharacteristic, and John was a bit concerned.

Then on Friday, June 30 we received a text from his brother, telling us that Johnfred had been admitted Tuesday with a severe stomach ache and tests indicated a liver problem. On that Friday Hesbone and Violet Odindo, overseers of Dove Kenya, visited him and decided he wasn't getting the proper care and transported him to a better hospital. She contacted us to say that he went straight into the ICU. The Widows' Farm has a hospital fund, and John authorised her to withdraw some funds for his care. Then late Friday night she notified us he had passed.

As he was going into the ICU he said to Violet "Mama, my faith is stronger now than ever".

It was determined that He had cirrhosis of the liver, and kidney failure. The doctors said he had Hepatitis B. It takes a long time for the liver to get that bad, so the cirrhosis had been developing for quite some time.

Johnfred leaves a widow, Lydia, and four children, Shem, Enoch, Japheth and Ruth. The oldest starts high school in January; the other three are in elementary school.

Please pray for this young family, for finances to cover any remaining hospital and funeral costs, and for funds to pay for the children's education. Lydia is a school teacher in the village. However, teachers' salaries are not high in that school system, and with Johnfred gone there will be no other source of income. She will be able to feed and clothe herself and the children.

CELEBRATING JOHNFRED'S LIFE

We want to share the culture here with you. Death is a great, well-done celebration.
Friday was a difficult day - and long! We went to the mortuary to pick up Johnfred's body. Short service there - singing. Then loaded the body on a massive hearse that held 51 passengers (voted on by pastors and funeral committee) and took it to the church in the village. Had a service there. Then a container was set on top of the coffin, which was in the front, the sliding door on top was pulled back to view Johnfred through a pane of glass and the whole church lined up and passed by and around the coffin, dropping money into the container. Music and worship was continuous.After that the coffin was transported in the big hearse to Johnfred's house, and placed under a canopy out doors.

There was joyful singing from the hearse all the way. And a long line of people were running along either side all the way. Horns were honking and beeping and people were shouting and crying. All the people pressed in toward the coffin and began to wail and cry loudly. A short distance away there was the beating of drums a songs of mourning.

Then people sat in groups and chatted while a traditional meal of nyoyo (maize and beans with some onions and tomatoes in it) along with some mandazis (fried dough) was being served. Folks went home, to return again at 9 PM to 3 AM for an all night wake, consisting of singing, dancing, preaching and mourning. (We didn't do that because we don't travel after dark).

JOHNFRED’S BURIAL DAY
The funeral was held at Johnfred and Lydia’s home, in an uncultivated field, in front of his house. It lasted over 8 hour, beginning around 10 A.M. Much worship with a dance/singing team, and many, many testimonies about Johnfred. So many people had many good things to say about him. He was loved and well respected. There were dignitaries from many churches and organizations. John, Jeremy and I were seated with the honored guests. (We were easy to notice.) We ourselves were honored to be asked to speak - John did that for the three of us as we stood before the group. There were 1700 chairs under approx. 14 tents, all filled at one point, with standing room in back of them. There were 300 people standing. (We received this report from the chair of the funeral committee.) Also several tents for eating. All who attend are fed - in shifts - during the ceremony. The casket was carried into the center of the area and placed under the canopy. That field became a holy sanctuary. As testimonies and worship continued people would go out and view Johnfred.

Toward the end of the service many more people lined up, passed by the coffin and then came to Lydia and the children, an shook their hands or hugged her. Many placed money in a nearby receptacle as an offering for the family.
The last person to speak at a funeral is the widow (widows in instances of polygamist marriages, with the first wife speaking first). At about 5 PM Lydia, Johnfred's widow, spoke. She had the 4 children with her at first - introducing them and telling a bit about each. Then she spoke alone. She was very transparent and so elegant and inspiring. She left all of us encouraged and amazed by her poise and grace.The coffin was then carried to the grave at the back of the house. The service continued there as he was interred. We had to leave for that part of the service - it was getting dark and our car was acting up.

We went by to visit Lydia on Monday and Tuesday; the house was full of people. It is customary for people to come and sit with the widow.

BLESSINGS AND MUCH LOVE,

JOHN AND MARTY

JOHNFRED IN AMERICA - THE FARM SCHOOL ON THE WIDOWS' FARM

4/11/2017

JOHNFRED COMES TO AMERICA
For several years it has been our goal to bring Johnfred, our farm manager and CEO of the Widows' Farm Enterprises, to America for the DOVE Fellowship International Leaders Conference, which is held in March each year.
He came this year, fulfilling a long-held desire. He landed in Pennsylvania to about a foot of snow; something he has never seen before. After a few days of being EXTREMELY cold, he adjusted a bit.

John and Marty left for Florida and 3 days later Johnfred flew down to more of an adventure.

He went to the Atlantic Ocean on 3 occasions. One day the blue fish were just off shore in massive schools - you could actually see hundreds of fins breaking the surface. There were two guys pulling in 3-foot-long blue fish and then throwing them back (they are not much good for eating - oily and tough). Johnfred went up to one and asked him why he was throwing the fish back. The guy explained that they weren’t good for eating and that they were only fishing for fun! Johnfred’s jaw dropped! He exclaimed “Fishing for fun! My family could eat for a whole week on that fish!”. He told us that his people would eat a fingerling if caught. For a couple of days afterward he would occasionally shake his head and repeat “Fishing for fun”!!!

Another day Johnfred, John, and John's buddy Don went fishing in the surf. Johnfred caught 2 whitings and 1 pompano; John and Don caught none. And on that same afternoon we had them fried and steamed along with a wonderful dinner lovingly prepared by Don's wife Jay. Other days he saw a manatee, saw a cruise ship up close, ministered in John & Marty's church, was given a banquet, and slept on one end of the couch while John slept on the other end on more than one occasion after a good meal at home.

THE FARM SCHOOL AT THE WIDOWS' FARM
We have purchased another acre of land adjacent to the Widows' Farm and the farm hands - Eric and Leonard - have cleared it of ant hills so it is ready to use. Ant hills are very, very fertile, so the men spread shovels full of them all over the new land to be plowed under.

Our colleague/team member Jeremy has assumed oversight of the farm, giving us more freedom to minister to the widows in their homes and minister at cell groups. He has recently initiated a project in Kadawa by which an agronomist from a local university, in partnership with an organization from the UK called Just Earth, is training villagers how to produce more diversity in the crops from the land on which they live and produce a bigger yield.

We have given a half acre to the project, which involves 36 people who have made a three-year commitment to learn new ways to plant, cultivate and produce different seeds/food. The yields will be from 3 to 8 times greater than their previous crops. The increase will give them more for their personal use and they will be able to sell the excess. Additionally they will be encouraged to tithe their produce to the poor and needy. Eric and Leonard are part of the group, so we will see the Widows' Farm benefited from their education.

Currently the group has planted 18 different varieties of maize to weigh their individual yield, how resistant they are to disease, how they grow in the local soil, etc. Being able to experiment in this way saves them any risk to the crops upon which they depend on their own land.

This program has been successful in many areas and when the neighbors see the results compared to their crops it is an incentive for them to want to learn the same techniques/methods.

Johnfred Sitting Atop a Dormant Ant Hill

Fertile Dirt from Ant Hills Spread on Virgin Ground

Students in Class for Farming Project

Students Preparing Soil for Their First Crop

Blessings and Great Affection!!
John & Marty

WE VISIT PEOPLE AND PLACES - THAT'S WHAT WE DO

10/24/2016

JARED IN FRONT OF ANDREICUS' HOUSE

VISIT TO THE HOUSE OF ANDREICUS
We were approached by a man named Jared who has become acquainted with a senior gentleman named Andreicus. Jared felt that his friend needs a house. Knowing that we build houses for destitute, aged widows (and occasionally aged men and younger widows) he asked that we go meet and interview Andreicus to determine if he meets the criteria for a house to be built. Johnfred, John and Marty drove back into the bush and then walked the rest of the way to meet Andreicus and assess his need for a new house. We hadn't any information beforehand, so were completely unprepared for what we encountered. Andreicus came out of his "house" and greeted us with the customary handshake, and we found that he had no fingers. He had had leprosy and all of his fingers and toes are gone. We also noticed that he had an open wound on his left "hand". What he was living in could not pass for a house. When asked what he does when it rains, he said he puts a piece of polythene (polyurethane) over the place where he sleeps. He has absolutely no protection from the elements. (The above photos shows Jared next to Andreicus' house.)
We were so taken back by his dire circumstances and conditions that we stumbled through the interview: How old are you? (He doesn't know - births weren't recorded years ago.) We estimate he is in his 70s. How long have you lived here? (He thinks since 1973.)
This man is not a member of the church in Kadawa, he is what is known as a member of the community. We do not limit ministry to church members, and have several widows on our list who were recommended by the chief of the village.

LAND ISSUES
In some cases houses cannot be built because of land issues. These are usually settled by having papers drawn up and appearing before the chief to have them signed and authorized. This is a fairly straight-forward procedure and can be done quickly. We will build a house for Andreicus as soon as it is possible.

MEDICAL ATTENTION and BACKGROUND OF THE CULTURE
Meanwhile, Andreicus was taken into town Monday (Oct. 24) to get medical attention for his wounded hand. Arrangements were made and at about 7 AM - his friend Jared went to his house and told him to get ready to go to the city for medical treatment. It was reported to us that Andreicus was very excited. He never would have thought something like this would happen to him! People in such dire circumstances, who have afflictions or become ill will often never get treatment. Considering Andreicus' missing fingers and toes due to leprosy, it would appear he didn't receive any medical attention that would have spared his loss and cured him, or if he did get treatment it wasn't until it was too late. Medical treatment costs money, and relatives or acquaintances wouldn't have any way to pay for treatment for him, nor would he. Help was a nonexistent option. It appears, as is often the case, that he has accepted his condition and adapted to living with it.
BUT ON MONDAY he had treatment, has been prescribed medication, and will go to a local clinic in the village to have the dressing changed regularly until the wound is healed.

An addition to his adventure was that he was able to have a good meal with Jared while in town.

CLOTHING/BLANKET/MOSQUITO NET
We also have purchased a few pieces of clothing that will be easy for him to pull on and off (track trousers & T-shirts). We also have a blanket and mosquito net for him.

HOW HE MANAGES TO GET MONEY FOR FOOD
We later discovered that even with his extreme handicap he somehow uses his stubs of hands to chop down trees with a panga (machete) for people, and for firewood, and somehow he digs up stumps and roots. He is able to get a few shillings at a time for this. It could be that this is how he came to have the wounded "hand".

WHAT'S IN A NAME!!!
We learned this from Johnfred on the day of the interview. Andreicus' surname is Owiti (Oh wee tee). His name mean - throw away - rubbish - good for nothing. In the bible people were given specific names for specific reasons. The power of those names was so real that the people's lives and personalities were affected by what they were called. Such as Jabez; his mother named him that because she bore him in pain. He carried that name as a curse upon himself until one day he got tired of that curse; he called on God and asked Him bless him, enlarge his territory, keep him from evil and that he would cause no pain. God granted him what he requested. We declare that Andreicus is no longer OWITI - no longer a throw away or trash. We declare that he no longer sees himself that way. We call upon God on his behalf and ask Him to bless him, enlarge his territory, keep him from evil and cause no pain. We declare that he is the head and not the tail.

ALL OF WHAT IS BEING DONE FOR ANDREICUS IS DUE TO THE PROVISION OF SPONSORS - YOURSELVES! THIS MAN IS COMING INTO A PLACE OF HAVING DIGNITY AS HIS YEARS ARE ON THE WANE! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

WE TAKE SO MUCH FOR GRANTED IN OUR LIVES WITHOUT KNOWING THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING!

ANDREICUS

WITH MANY BLESSINGS & MUCH LOVE - JOHN AND MARTY!

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF MISSIONARIES TO KENYA

10/14/2016

Early Morning: To Doctor for change of dressing and to check swelling, bruises and fractured shoulder. Getting ready for a day’s work.

Mid Morning: To the farm where volunteers were weeding the maize fields and we were to distribute Food to Widows. We arrived to see 40 + ladies and a few babies seated in the shade. The weeding was all done, and they were awaiting our arrival to have chai (Kenyan tea/Mixed tea) and madness (Kenyan fried dough - a real treat). While the younger women (many widows) work in the fields the dani (grandmothers) take care of the baby in the shade. After eating we distributed food to 20 destitute widows (3 weren't there, but had delgates). Each lady received 4 kilos (9 lbs) of Maize, a hand of bananas (all from the farm) a small tub of cooking fat, and for the first 4 - a papaya (as they ripen we will pick them and distribute). Then, although the other women were volunteers, helping their older sisters, and don't expect anything, we gave each of them a small gift - 1 kilo of maize flour. They were very happy with that surprise.

Afternoon: Farm Worker meeting. Eric and Leonard met with John and Johnfred. Eric asked for an advanced loan from his salary for a mattress and a bed. He and Belinda sleep on the floor on a straw mat. Leonard asked for an increase in salary to help him pay school fees for his children. The most important need above food is education. They know their children will never escape their dire poverty without it.

Late Afternoon: Meeting with Tobias, fundi/pastor, who will build the equipment shed. A fundi is a man who builds, makes, puts together, things. Tobias is good at building houses (he built Marty's kitchen, and furniture. Keep in mind these things are well put together, but not the same standard as England or America.

Early Evening: After a long, hot day we headed back to Kisumu with Johnfred, who had a meeting. We ate out (yaw! Marty's exclamation) because we were very tired and just needed to sit and relax. THERE YOU HAVE IT! A TYPICAL DAY FOR US!

WE'RE GOING BACK!

9/24/2016

IT'S TIME! WE ARE RETURNING TO KADAWA! We depart from the UK on Thursday, 29th of September, 2016. We will arrive in Nairobi (via Zurich, Switzerland) on John's birthday - the 30th, and then on to Kisumu/Kadawa on the 1st. of November.
We'll meet up there with our colleague, Jeremy, for a happy reunion and be able to spend a week with him before he returns home to the UK.
Many good things have been happening while he was there taking care of business.

DENTISTRY IN THE VILLAGE

This report is given by Sarah Albitz, who was a missionary in Kadawa and helped administer the dental clinic that was made possible by you, our supporters. It was held in a school in the village in May of this year while we were in the US. Sarah, Dan and the children have just returned to the US following God's plan for the next phase of their journey with Him!

Hey there!!

In Kadawa Village on May 13, 2016 we held a Dental Clinic. We were there all day long serving this community. Initially we spent our time organizing, setting up and praying before everyone arrived. The dentist is an Indian Muslim woman. Her technicians are Kenyan Christians and were there before the Doctor arrived. We prayed for Dr. Khizra and her techs to be efficient and wise; for ourselves that we would be loving and helpful; and for the patients, that they would have peace, and feel the presence of God in that place. We arranged all kinds of different instruments and dental pliers - you've never seen so many. There were all different shapes and sizes. We set up three buckets to wash and sterilize the instruments in between uses, set up the tables and chairs where patients would be seen and set up the gloves and the gauze. We divied out the doses of Panadol to send home with the patients as needed. We got our notebooks and pens in place ready for the first names to go on the list. We set up many chairs outside for them to form a line while people waited their turn. We prayed and prayed throughout the day. We know the Lord was with us giving us grace and sustenance for the day!

Dr. Khizra and her technicians saw a total of 210 patients of various ages. They pulled over 80 teeth and referred 12 people to the hospital in town for more extensive treatment.

THE MEDICAL FUND

7/11/2016

CURRENT TREATMENTS

A medical fund has been established to help treat our widows and orphans and others in the community. Over the past few years many have benefited. We thought you might be interested in some of their stories.

Kennedy Otieno Awiti is 14 years old. He is an orphan. In December, 2015 he stepped in to break up a dog fight and one of the dogs attacked him; biting him on his left heel/ankle. By the time he was brought for treatment his foot was in bad shape. He was required to go to the doctor for treatment every week; it took three months to heal. Additionally, he had to take a series of rabies shots. Fortunately they were not in his stomach.

Alberta Adhiambo Oliech has had trouble with her health for several years. Recently, however, she began to have difficulty breathing and is unable to sleep lying down because she suffocates. She has a persistent cough, has trouble speaking, has lost her appetite and is very weak. The fund paid for and X-ray that disclosed she has an enlarged heart. Owing to this it pumps below the normal rate, resulting in the blood not circulating the required level of oxygen through her body. The fund is also providing the medication for treatment of the enlarged heart.

Fred Omonge - As this blog was being written, a young pastor friend of ours who leads the church in Kadawa, had a serious motorcycle accident. His leg was badly injured, but two fingers on one of his hands were terribly injured - one mangled. Surgery was done on his leg and hand, but it has been touch and go for the fingers. The doctors prepared Fred for the real possibility that he would loose at least one of them. We are delighted to report that the fingers have been saved. This is especially important because he is the keyboard player for the church. The medical fund paid a substantial amount of his medical bills.

Eunice Migalo had chronic bronchitis for a long time. We recently provided an X-ray that diagnosed the problem; she was subsequently treated and is healed. (No photo - the interview was done over the phone.)

PAST TREATMENTS

Peres - Cataracts
One of our first 3 cataract surgeries; both eyes done, she sees today!

Sara Obondo - Uteran tumors removed. Several repeated procedures needed. She is now tumor free.

Mama Lorna is No Longer With Us

6/16/2016

Our Lorna Has Become Too Tired to Stay Here

It's Marty! I am here in Kenya! John is at home in Florida! John had eye surgery because of complications with his eyes due to glaucoma. Owing to that, because of follow-up treatment, we had to cancel our trip to Kenya, which was to be about now, and are to reschedule it for September or October. But last week we received an e-mail from Violet Odindo telling us that Lorna had just passed away (literally 10 minutes before) and that Lorna had repeatedly told her to remind us that we promised to be at her funeral. (Truthfully, many of us were praying that she wouldn't pass prior to a time when we would be there. But the sweet old saint just got too tired to wait and wanted to be with Jesus!) Therefore, hasty arrangements were made for me to come!
Normally people here in the village are not embalmed. It isn’t traditional, it’s too expensive (they are desperately poor) and burial must be done quickly because the body decomposes rapidly in the tropics. But to honour her wishes and accommodate my coming the family agreed to have her embalmed. We gladly paid for it since it was done to accommodate me.
The funeral was held this past Friday. Funerals are held outdoors at the home of the deceased - who was laid out under a small canopy in from of her house. The hole is dug near the coffin and she is buried next to her house. A woman is dressed in a white wedding gown made especially for the occasion, complete with veil. Lorna never had a wedding dress in her lifetime. It was an amazing fair - absolutely spectacular. Much dancing - native style - and singing and many testimonies. (The MC admonishes the testifiers before hand to keep the remarks short, but he is mostly ignored - even when he politely interrupts.) Folks from her family, from the community and from the church take the microphone and talk. They are not microphone shy at all. Many, many folks paid tribute to Lorna. She was well known for her generosity. A poor destitute woman, but always giving something to people. Consistently and joyfully. In church, during offering - which is done to music and the people come down front to give it - she would dance down the aisle with her few coins. When it was time for a special offering or fundraising, there she would be - dancing ever so slowly, but surely, down the aisle to give her coins. You may remember that she gave us a chicken once (we named it Lorna) and it produced many peeps. (We just couldn't eat it - which is what was really expected.)
After the tributes the worship team came up to lead more singing and a group of ladies in white dresses and black satin sashes - (they are official mourners) went into the canopy and picked up the coffin (made of wood) and danced it out of there, across the yard and partially out the gate; then turned it around and danced it back. All the while they are rocking the casket, lifting it high over there heads, then up and down, back and forth and everyone is following them and gathered around singing and dancing and praising God. It is traditional that an 8X10 photo of the deceased be placed on the coffin. There were 5 different ones and 5 ladies carried them up high on display as the coffin was danced along. It was wonderful! Such joy and celebration!!!
Then the casket is taken to the graveside and two men get down in the hole and others, standing at each end of the coffin, gingerly hand it down to them. Words are spoken, more songs, and the first shovelful is scattered bit-by-bit. Then several young men take turns shoveling the dirt into the grave - done with remarkable speed and agility.
I am so glad I came and John and I could keep our word, and honour Our Lorna.
On Sunday I told the church that I want a funeral like that. I told them that my children would never agree to such a thing (figuring that John would be gone before me, so he wouldn't object; I didn't say that). But, I said, if my children are gone before me I will have my body flown here and they can bury me down on the Widows' Farm. Everyone thought that was a great idea!!

Look for more about what I've been doing here for these two weeks! I'll update the blog shortly!

Bless,
Marty & John

THE SACRIFICIAL KUKU (CHICKEN)

4/19/2016

The chicken - before!

OUR STAY AT THE FARM & THE SACRIFICIAL CHICKEN
Last year we decided that we would stay at the farm one or two nights a week. It will save us money for transportation to and from the village and also help us to become closer to the land, the village and the villagers. Moving in wasn't quite as easy as we thought. It took us quite awhile to get enough furniture to live there comfortably. Furniture isn't easy to come by. We found that what is available in the local shops is not good quality and is very expensive. So, we began to look around for alternative means. It turned out to be quite fun, although very time consuming. One of the fundies (pronounced: foon dee - craftsmen - often self taught) who was doing some work for us happened to run a carpentry shop and builds furniture. We designed two single beds for the one bedroom and he made them. We discovered that an older gentleman who does handiwork at the compound where we live in the city also makes furniture and we hired him to make us two tables - one for eating and one work table to use in the temporary kitchen. Then, near our compound, on the corner of a street we saw some men making wicker chairs. We ordered two chairs and two stools (they are actually like end tables). These things took awhile to make - especially the chairs, as the fellow kept having reasons why they weren't being done when he said they would be. Finally we were able to move in. We only told one or two folks we were moving in, but not when! That was a social blunder!!! It seems that when someone moves onto his or her land or into their home it is tradition to give them a feast. It is a deep-rooted cultural must.

Now, some time back Lydia, Johnfred's wife, insisted that she was going to teach me how to prepare and cook a meal from scratch. Which would involve sacrificing the life of a chicken. She was going to show me how to do that as well. Keep in mind that there is no electricity, plumbing, running water or kitchen appliances. All food is cooked on a wood fire or, sometimes, a small charcoal burner called a jiko!

The next day, after our first night on the farm, Marty looked up the lane to the top gate where she saw a boy coming with his arms loaded, including some pots and - upon close inspection - a chicken! It was Lydia's son Enoch and he was bringing the beginnings of a feast. Awhile later Lydia and Evelyn arrived with potatoes, tomatoes, onions, sukuma wiki (kale) and cornmeal (for ugali). It was time for Marty to learn how to prepare a chicken meal (ohhh nooooo!) and Lydia & Evelyn patiently and methodically showed her how - working right alongside of her.

When it came time to slaughter the chicken, however, Lydia - she who for weeks had been saying how she was going to teach Marty how to do a chicken - sat in a chair with her head turned and eyes averted while Enoch dispatched said chicken (we won't show the actual deed). Let it be known that chickens are not too bright, and she willingly held still for the process, which was quick and appeared to be painless with absolutely no fuss on the chicken's part. (Oh dear!) This is daily life in the village! Chicken isn't an everyday meal, but we don't know of any avowed vegans in the village!!

Lydia - while her son dispatches the chicken!

Marty plucking the feathers!

Searing the pin feathers - over a jiko.

The feast was delicious
In addition to the chicken stew, we had ugali - which is cornmeal cooked in water until it becomes so stiff that when you turn it out of the pot you slice it. It is also known as African Cake. One kneads it into a lump and uses it to pick up bits of food and also sop up the "soup" - juices and sauce. It is a staple. If a Luo man doesn't have his ugly every day it is said he has a bad wife. We also had sukuma wiki - very finely sliced kale, sautéed with onions and tomatoes - also a staple. Sukuma wiki is Kiswahili for "push week". When the food supply gets low sukuma wiki is always available; it helps push the week.

A favorite with the children - along with the feet, with the entrails wrapped around them (all cooked, of course).

The chicken - After

Back to the UK and Kenya

We will be going to the UK in mid-May and then on to Kenya some time in June.

Prayer requests:
- Please continue to pray for John's eyes - his vision is fading. We are believing for a miracle.
- We have been considering the purchase of a used car for our use while there, and for Johnfred to use in the management of the farm and credit union, as well as to travel from the village to his church in Kisumu. We have been presented with a great opportunity to buy an excellent car at a very good price ($5000 - £3500) from a Kenyan pastor who was given a new car. Our two greatest expenses while in Kenya are for transportation and rent. Our expenses would be greatly reduced if we had a car.

Blessings and Much Love

John & Marty

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John & Marty Smith

Our primary focus is to improve the lives of destitute senior widows to assist in giving them dignity in their declining years, and give aid to other impoverished women, children and men in Western Kenya; predominately in the village of Kadawa on Lake Victoria.

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