Extreme Makeover: Lakeside

Just when I was beginning to question the meaning of my life in Africa, God gave me an amazing week that reminds me of why I'm here & how much I love what I'm doing!

Greg & I spend the last 4 days (Thursday-Sunday) down in Kisumu, overseeing renovations made to the AIDS orphanage, Lakeside Children's Home, and spending time with our friends and co-workers from Ring Road Orphans Day School.
The roof was replaced on the main house, the roof on the boy's dorms was repaired & re-painted, 3 new outside doors were installed, all of the rooms inside both buildings were painted , the front steps were repaired, and some other minor cosmetic repairs were made as well. We captured all of it on a video we filmed as "Extreme Makeover: Lakeside Edition." Northwest Church members, who paid for the renovations should catch the episode in coming months! We had so much fun working with the staff from Ring Road Orphans Day School, who volunteered their time to help out with the renovations. It was great getting to know the leadership of our ministries down in Kisumu better as well. I got to spend time with Mama Postina, the female staff who stays with the kids at Lakeside. She let me help out in kitchen, preparing the food for the kids' lunches as well as the workers. I am working on my African mama skills! As you can see, Mama Postina is the epidomy of an African mama! I also reviewed the financial reports given by the team in Kisumu, and will continue to do so in order to hold them accountable for their finances. Saturday night we took the leadership team, who is Jared & Schola Odhiambo, James & Lauryn Were, & Thomas & Irene (don't know their last name!) out for dinner at a restaurant called The Grill House. They acutally had real hamburgers there and they were SO good! This was a treat for them as well as us, and we had a great time together. Left to right is James, Thomas, Greg & Jared. These 3 guys run the Ring Road school, the Lakeside orphanage, and are also hoping to start a VCT center in Naylenda (Kisumu's slum, where the school is located) to help raise awareness for HIV & AIDS, providing counseling & testing to their community. It is a joy to work with them because of their energy and commitment to serving the Lord whole-heartedly. These are not your typical Africans!
From left to right in this picture is Irene, me, Schola & Lauryn in front of The Grill House.
On Sunday morning, Greg preached at the Ring Road Church of Christ, located on the same compound as the school. His sermon, as usual, was about AIDS and how we, as the church should respond to the pandemic in our communities. His message is usually met with by a shy, quiet audience who seems nervous and uncomfortable. The congregation wasn't much different this Sunday. Kisumu has the highest rate of AIDS than any other city or town in Kenya, however. Greg's message needs to be heard there more than anywhere. Our mission is unlike that of the missionaries who have gone before us. But what we are standing for and against is still being met with opposition. People don't like change, and that is what we are asking them to do. To change the way the treat HIV infected people around them. To change the way they respond to sin & sinners. To change their habits of infidelity, and to remain abstinent until marriage. Greg made a good point in one of his recent sermons. AIDS isn't killing us, our behavior is killing us! Please pray for us, and for Africa, that people's hearts would be softened to changing their behavior, in order to stop HIV/AIDS.
Like I said, this week God reminded me why I am here, and that it is worth it. Thanks for all your support & prayers. God is good!

Love,
Alita