The Road to Bosnia~Stonic's a Pro!

A 3-yr old suffering from Malnutrition

Mama Bosnia

Sister Fredas Clinic

Today I had quite a few firsts…Good, interesting, difficult, and everything in between…
This morning we went back to an IDP camp just outside of Kitale called Bosnia that had been set up back in 1992! We had visited the IDP camp yesterday and we went to disperse much needed supplies. Simple things like blankets, pots and basins for washing and cooking, sugar, salt, and rice.
I have never really been a part of a relief effort before so I was very excited about getting to be a part. I guess I should explain, I have been on a ton of missions trips and on most of them it has been more of spending time with the kids and giving them school supplies and clothes. So when I say Ive never been a part of a relief dispersment, I mean it more in a way where we are handing out the bare essentials of life…
About half way through I kind of just stood back and observed what was going on…The church was divided into 2 sections. One side was a medical clinic, where Sister Freda has brought her team and supplies to treat the villagers. The other half was where we were handing out the blankets and food. We started to notice that some people we coming through the line again and people started to become pushy, which I can’t blame them, but reality hit me like a ton of bricks, and I had to do everything I could to not burst into tears.
It just broke my heart to see people struggling and how desperate they were to get a bowl of rice and half a cup of sugar! I mean these are necessities! I’ve seen poverty and its effects so many times I was afraid I was becoming desensitized to it, but there was something about today. Im not going to get on a soapbox about it, but it was so hard to watch them be so desperate, knowing there’s nothing I can do other than hand it to them and pray it lasts as long as it can.
It doesn’t make me feel like I should sell everything and go live in a hut the rest of my life, that wouldn’t solve anything, but it makes me know even more so that I am who I am for a reason and that reason is to acknowledge these people and do whatever I can for them…Whether it’s be a voice back home or hand them a water basin with a small bag of salt…Do me a favor and pray for these people and the millions of others in their situation. Don’t look down on them or pity them, help them, however you can…
Another first today was riding on the back of a Boda Boda, a motorized Boda Boda no less…It was half amazing, half terrifying. Especially considering that the last time I was on the back of a motorized bike I was in an accident that sent me to the hospital! And even then I was in Nashville, not the middle of a dirt road in Kenya…But I made it home safely and it was soooo much fun…travling around Kitale by Boda Boda is the only way to go

Me & my little man Jona's from Hannah's in Addis

Street boys from Ambo (Noma is 2nd from the right)

Me & Allie

Sister Freda's

Our home!

Today was awesome. We had to “run errands” so I was able to see most of the places we are going to be working at and just getting to see a little bit more of Kitale. I loved it, it was really great to get into things a little more…One of my favorite places we went to was Sister Freda’s.

    It’s a medical clinic among other things. But a couple days ago here at the house, some of the Ukrainian women who are also living here at the compound with us and working at Sister Freda’s, told us about a woman and her son who had been brought to Sister Freda’s from a village outside of town.

      They were covered in maggots that had literally been eating away at them. The mother could only moan and the son was mute because of the mothers inability to speak. They had been living at a man’s compound when he had died and they never left, so for the last couples of years they had been neglected. The mother had finally crawled to the neighbors. But it was crazy because of the way she looked, she was completely white and covered with maggots so the neighbors thought she was a ghost and were afraid. They finally took her in and took her to Sister Freda’s for help.

    Her progress was amazing! I was so thankful for people like Sister Freda and the world that she does…I can’t wait to see what kind of work were going to get to be a part of with her

Finally!!!!

I can blog now!!!

The entire time I was in Ethiopia I was unable to blog because the government doesnt allow it, crazy I know...but I am now in Kenya and able to access it so you'll be hearing a lot from me...

most of it will be pics but ill write a few things here and there...

    I'm excited to finally be in Kenya, but I have to say I really miss Ethiopia. It was amazing there and getting to co-lead some teams was a great experience. So over the coarse of the next couple of days I will probably post some stories or pics from there as I am still getting settled into Kenya and don't have much to report about yet...Although we are staying in a pretty amazing home...Ill post some of those pics now.

Also, I just got a phone so if you want to call let me know and Ill send you the number...Oh also, Im going to add pics online as well, ill post that address as well...More updates to come soon

Thanks for all your support!

Thanks!

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone for their support. I feel so blessed and it's really blown me away to see the way everything has come together. 

It's hard for me to ask for help, but Ive really been trying with this whole process, and I've been overwhelmed and very very thankful to everyone who has provided support in some way, whether its financial, helping me move, encouragement, letting me unload my thoughts over lunch, or distracting me from my overwhelming thoughts...Hope to see as may of you as possible before I leave...

Thank you thank you!

2 1/2 weeks and counting!

   So I know I've said that me going to Africa is right around the corner for a while, and now, it really is...All I can say is that overall I feel ready to go. Part of me definitely wants to stay and live my comfortable life ( why do things always get better just as youre about to leave?) but the other part, the majority, feels like its my time to go and I have a peace about it... So hopefully I'll remember that as I'm stepping onto the plane to go...

    So I'm new at this blogging thing and unfortunately thats all I really have to say. But I do have one important update regarding where to send support once I leave the country.

Make all checks out to "Reaching Beyond Ourselves" and put my name on the memo line, so they know whose account to deposit the check into.

The address is...

C/OFloyd Mohr

29842 Running Deer Lane

Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

If you have any questions, I will still be available by email while I'm over there