THE Mission had its first mid-year trip in August 2012, with Sherry and Pam, and Sherry’s daughter Cassedy Sullivan and her housemate Kerry Irvin,  an ICU nurse.  It was a great team of experience and exuberance.  Because of the mid-year timing, we were hopeful of being able to spend more time with the students and were anxious to view the progress in the building of the new dispensary in the Maasai community of Lekrumuni.

HEALTH:      As usual we each carried a suitcase of medical supplies which we distributed to the four dispensaries/health centers we have been supporting at AshEngai, Ngare Nairobi, Kiraeni and Charlotte.  We were excited to join the Maasai community and view the beginnings of what will be the new Lekrumuni dispensary.  This had come about because when we visited the community in February 2011, a member of the community had asked about building a dispensary there.  Thus began discussions with the Holy Spirit Fathers which led to a plan for a simple dispensary funded by a special capital campaign and the generosity of our donors. They had only begun work a few days before we arrived, but the ground was broken and prepared for the pouring of the foundation.  As the community looked on, we reviewed the plans and envisioned the new building. We attended the mother-baby clinic at Kiraeni dispensary and Kerry assisted Sr. Venerables with weighing and recording. Then we had the special surprise of attending a birth of a big baby boy weighing in at 4.5 kg (over 9 lbs!).  Kerry assisted and both mama and baby were doing fine. EDUCATION:     The group had met with most of our students and paid the school fees in early 2012.  The purpose of this trip was to check in on a few students and to gather our Rombo students together for a day of networking and skill-building.  As we visited the schools, we were invited to speak to full classrooms and large assemblies of students. Cassedy and Kerry adapted quickly and became inspiring speakers of dreams and what it takes to accomplish them.  Kerry shared her own story of receiving an unexpected scholarship and talked about Luck being where Preparation meets Opportunity. Our first Student Summit was held on August 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Shauritanga Secondary School in Rombo.  Eighteen of our students attended as well as three additional visitors from Shauritanga.  Our education liason, Eli, was present to help lead the day’s activities and help translate for students with less English.  We led the students in a variety of activities intended to open them up and connect them with us and with each other, and to have fun. We presented a lesson on letter-writing and they each wrote a letter to a US penpal and received stamped envelopes to stay in touch with us and each other.  The students worked on an inventory of strengths and then participated in team-building activities to see how their strengths contributed to the effort.  They enjoyed the challenge of the exercises and repeated them a few times.  We closed the day with some small gifts, a blessing and a song.  For us it was a wonderful opportunity to work with our students outside of their usual context and to get to know them each a bit better as we support their growth and education. We were also very happy to have Eli Bariki Simon join us.  He is a very dedicated young man and has a gift working with the students.  He has worked with us this past year to stay in contact with our students and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with him.  He joined us for the Student Summit on Saturday even though his wife delivered their third child and first son on Thursday morning.  We were able to visit the new baby, Braham, and big sisters, Nancy and Gladdy, on our way back to Sabuko.  Hongera!

We also had the pleasure of meeting with two of our former students, Cresanta, who has graduated from University in Dar es Salaam and is now teaching at Kiraeni Secondary, and Elizabeth, who has competed Teacher’s College and is awaiting her first assignment as a primary teacher.  What a delight and affirmation of  work! 

We left our hosts with much gratitude on both sides.  We will be stretching to complete and furnish the new dispensary at Lekrumuni and to continue to fund the many worthy students seeking the opportunity of education.  Jehane, Sarah and Jake, along with Sarah’s husband Brian, are already preparing for our next trip in February 2013. by Sherry Cassedy