Posted in Rwanda by Staci Weedman on 1/12/2012
My last six months have been a journey of discovering myself, God, close community, friendships, culture, religion, and missions. As this journey progressed, I have had a confirmation from God to now move onto the next season of my life.
While in Kenya, I made a list of reasons why I decided to go on this journey in July of 2011.
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To share the testimony of what Jesus has done in my life.
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To make an impact in this world for God’s kingdom.
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To share the needs of the world with people back home.
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To understand other religions and religious backgrounds.
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To understand other cultures in order to relate to people.
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To discover mission opportunities that match my passions with the greatest needs of the world.
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To grow in my character traits and learn more about myself.
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To gain a better understanding of who God is and develop a more solid faith.
Let me share how each of these reasons have been touched over the past six months.
{My Testimony}
In Romania my testimony changed a young woman’s life through sharing how Jesus has shown me grace, unconditional love, and that He is the fulfiller (as well as the creator) of the desires of my heart through faith in Him.
{An Impact}
In Kenya I have chosen to take 4 young boys off the streets and place them into school…into a loving family…into a future…and into an environment that will build them into strong men of God.
{The Needs}
Through blogs, conversations and newspaper articles, I’ve shared the stories and pictures of the needs of the world. I shared the needs of the people in Serbia tormented by the oppression of the Orthodox church; the widows in Romania struggling without government aid; the gypsy population in Romania lacking education and facing continued prejudice; the crippled people suffering on the streets of India; the people in India living in the misery of overwhelming pollution; the people in India and Nepal lost in the emptiness of practicing a myriad of religions only to appease the gods; the countless children orphaned and abandoned on the streets of Kenya and all over the world; the people afflicted by the genocide in Rwanda who are still seeking healing…
{Other Religions}
I've learned so much about world religions and the people who practice them. While in Serbia and Romania, I visited Orthodox churches and spent time with friends, ministry contacts and priests speaking about the Orthodox religion. In India, I lived in a culture that is immersed into the Hindu religion. In Nepal, I lived among and worked with Hindus, Buddhists and Christians, and visited a Buddhist school and a monastery. In Africa, I was surrounded by the most charismatic and faith-based people on earth.
{Other Cultures}
I learned to understand people in a new light, including children who experienced mass killings and poverty, as well as beggars who know only that which they’ve been taught from birth. I gained a new understanding of other cultures by learning that hot showers make you lazy, that sanitation and cleanliness are luxuries, that education is worshiped, that kids can’t be kids for long, that servants still exist, that women need to be tough and work hard, that a family may have no one of blood relation in it, that my space is your space, that solitude means something is wrong, that walking everywhere is a pleasure, that a 5-year-old walking miles to school by himself is completely expected, and that following road lines is optional.
I made many more observations that help me relate to people of other cultures: A head bobble is a sign of understanding in India. You never know how someone will greet you in Rwanda: A hard hand slap leading to a hand shake or 1…2…maybe 3 cheek hugs (but not too close with the body). Eyebrows rise to say ‘yes’ in Rwanda and Kenya. Car horns in India used not for emergencies but just to let people know you are there and are passing them at all costs. ‘Not long’ means at least 2 hours in Africa. ‘No’ never really means ‘no’ when it comes to more food servings.
{Opportunities}
Among the countless needs that I had seen, I have found myself drawn to a few areas of ministry in particular: Care for the widows, meeting the needs of the street kids, improving sanitation within the environment, providing homes for the orphaned, improving the orphanages and care within them, and bringing healing to those afflicted by national tragedy.
{Character Growth}
I’ve learned a lot about myself through being in leadership. I became more aware of my habits, of how I handle matters, and of how people around me may feel in response. I saw my character continue to develop as I experienced growth in my relationship with God and saw my faith in His perfect timing increase.
{Faith in God}
In the midst of other religions, and frankly in the midst of everyday life, I became very confused as to who God is and where God is. God has shown me what a deeper level of dependency on Him looks like while on the World Race. I have developed a greater, more dependable prayer life and have seen God answer my prayers in new ways. I’ve become sensitive to God’s voice and direction after a very dry season. I’ve learned to better appreciate how God works while He’s working. I’ve learned and re-learned more of God’s traits through my own walk as well as the walks of others. I’ve seen God provide me with direction after seeking Him with all I am.
<With this I have had confirmation from God to now move onto the next season of my life.>
It has been amazing to be able to distinguish God’s voice now more than ever. He has already shown me blessings through this decision. So on January 6th, while in Rwanda, I left the World Race. This was a decision based on much prayer and many circumstances that have arisen while on the race. The focus on ministry to the world has diminished greatly and was replaced by the focus on the team. The race became a place of being forced to reveal more of yourself to your team and submitting to World Race authority, while being analyzed constantly by squad leaders and teammates. Honoring the authority that was placed over you by the World Race became the main priority that superseded your own ability to seek truth through your own relationship with God. Thus, this environment became an unhealthy place for my personal growth and even a place of hurt.
If you know me well at all you know that I persevere through all, even when I’m miserable. God has without a doubt used my time on the field to great depths for His Kingdom. I’ve persevered and I’ve also reached a place in my relationship with God to know that before I choose to persevere through life, I need to sit quietly with God and see what He wants me to persevere through. This race was no longer one of those things, and He gave me instant peace when it was time to go.
Thank you so very much for all the support you have given me over the past several months!! I cannot express my gratitude enough for having your prayers, encouragement, and financial support. You have truly been a blessing to me and to those I’ve been able to touch while on this journey. Please continue praying for my future endeavors and for God’s direction to be revealed to me.
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Posted in Kenya by Staci Weedman on 1/11/2012
This week is a big week for my precious Kenyan boys. This week they go back to school after being away from school for nearly 2 years.
These boys have been getting tutored every day for the past several weeks and have shwon great signs of improvement. Last week they took entry exams and Megan placed into 8th grade which was such a surprise after being away for so long and a blessing! David Chege and Jeremiah placed into 7th grade and will be staying with John's family as they ride their new bikes to school every day. It has been decided that a family environment will be best for them this year as Jeremiah has a habit of running away from school and is more likely to have that temptation while boarding in a school in town. It is necessary for Megan to be in boarding school though to receive proper education, so he will be schooling in town.
Megan
I was able to speak with them yesterday and was so reassured in hearing their voices and filled with joy myself as I heard their happiness. I was asking Megan about his new living arrangement and he said with excitement,"Staci, we are sleeping on a big mattress!" This is a huge change after sleeping on a hard mud floor for several years.
Megan and David Erot at former home
 
Row of homes where the boys lived
Entrance to the boy's former home (door on right)
As soon as Jeremiah heard that I was on the phone he came prancing out of the kitchen to talk with me.
 
They all love to cook and I was told that David Chege is a pretty good cook.
I'm so excited to hear of their progress in school and in becoming more acclimated to having a family.
Unfortunately, David Erot (the brother) has remained in his habit of running away and has run away 3 times since living with John. He is currently not at home and they all have searched for him without luck. This is a young boy that laid his head in Rachel's hands and cried as he told her that he was hurting so much. He is comforted by the constant pain and has not yet been able to invite a loving family to care for him and to build a different life by going back to school.
 
This is always a concern and something not to be taken lightely after so many years of living on the streets. This is also why Jeremiah is learned to be better at home and not alone at school. So that his struggles of going back to what's familiar are not neglected but nurtured and eventually what's familiar is what's healthy for him and his future.
{Please continue praying for these boys and for David's return.}
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Posted in Rwanda by Staci Weedman on 1/3/2012
Yesushimi (“Praise the Lord”)! Preaching in Africa…this was on some of the girls bucket lists and this month, in Kigali, Rwanda, is definitely the month. We have been preaching every day in many different churches. The squad leaders are staying with us so we have 7 girls and 1 boy. We go in pairs to each place, so each day we are sending out at least 4 groups to preach. We preach twice a day some days. In Rwanda church is a priority every day. Every night you can hear praising from every direction you walk. One day a week our church has all day worship. Every Friday, most if not all churches in Rwanda have overnight worship. This stuff is crazy!! Although one of my bucket list items for Africa was to dance around a fire in a grass skirt worshiping…I have found it just as fulfilling and freeing to dance with no reservation in a mud hut with Africans banging drums and singing at the top of their lungs.
The first few times I preached I focused it around my testimony and Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desire of your heart,” and what delighting yourself in the Lord means.
One day my team met with a group of prostitutes, men and women, and sat in between a few mud huts on benches, shared our testimonies, and prayed for them. Some of these people are followers of Christ now, since our contact has done a lot of ministry in that area. You know what happened by the end…you can’t ever leave a place without incorporating some dancing so that’s what we did! This same evening I preached in a mud hut about the people God has used in my life to show me love and how I need to bring that thanks to God because it was through those people that he showed his love for me. It was an awesome setting with benches lining the hut, a table in the middle, no lights but 4 candle sticks on the table, and preaching in the candle light.
Friday before Christmas I preached about the book of Ruth and used her as an example of obedience and faithful love, and further how this led to the geneology of Jesus. This night was so sweet. One of the church members picked me, Corinna, and Fergy up and took us to her church where she banged on the drum and we all went crazy dancing and singing. I love when you can take the type of dancing you would only do in private and do it among others with complete freedom.
Christmas was another day of preaching for me. Olivia and I were able to spend the whole day together while the rest of the team went to our ministries’ church. We rode 2.5 hours, walked through a swampy jungle of banana trees to a mud hut with nearly 200 people. I preached, we watched a few pastors get ordained and then we made our way back 2.5 hours.
Later for Christmas my team had a gift exchange where we wrapped some of the things we already have, but are willing to sacrifice, and put them in the center of the room. We drew numbers and took turns picking a gift and stealing gifts until I ended up with a few pink note cards, stickers, an envelope and a chocolate. I am holding onto those note cards and will have to choose when to use them very wisely because it’s quite hard to come across.
Corinna with her popcorn, me with me note cards, and Brooke with her fingernail polish remover
Christmas stockings...always need toilet paper
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Posted in Kenya by Staci Weedman on 12/29/2011
A mzungu (white folk) gets mobbed anytime they go into town, and we went into town quite often. We drove through town every day on the way to the orphanages and stopped every time to drop someone off or pick something up. Every time either the van was, or we ourselves were, surrounded by street children. Here and there we would have little snacks in our bags and we’d give them out, but there were 2 boys that captured my attention and later my heart.
As I said in my previous blog, we can’t help everyone but there are those that God specifically planned for you to help. The day I gave Simon my flip flops, the day I was surrounded by a group of street kids, the day I received some translation and orientation as to what street life was like…this is the day I met Megan and Jeremiah. I went around the whole group of kids and asked them their name as we shook hands. They also learned my name.
A few days later I was in the grocery store when I heard my name. I looked and saw 2 of the boys from the group of street kids and they had huge smiles on their faces as I said, “you remembered my name!?” I unfortunately did not remember their names so I asked them again. Jeremiah jokingly said his name was ‘hungry’ as he did the day we met and Megan then reminded me of his name. This began my relationship with Megan and Jeremiah and my understanding of their lives and as well as my desire to help them.
Megan (17 yrs. Old), David (16 yrs. Old) and Jeremiah (15 yrs. Old) are all brothers and live with their relative David Chege (15 yrs. Old).
Pastor John, David Chege, Jeremiah, Megan, David
After God laid it on my heart to help these boys I visited their home which was on the edge of Kipsungo (the slums). Their home is a mud house, one room, decorated with a wooden chair, book case and small wooden table. At the back of the house, a few blankets lay on the mud floor, spanning the size of a twin bed, where all four boys sleep. These boys have been on their own since 2003…Megan was 9 years old when both of his parents died.
Jeremiah, Megan, David
Jeremiah, Megan, Edward, David
I have spent sweet time with these boys and through my inquiry about how to get these boys into school and further have a chance at a better life, our ministry contact assigned one of the pastors, John, to help my team care for them. We’ve been able to spend a lot of time with Pastor John as he took us to ministry most days. John took time to look for schools and prices of tuition as well as opened his own home to these boys. I have also had the privilege of visiting one of the schools. Right now these boys are in living with John’s family until school starts.
These boys will be in boarding school, as is common, and since they have been out of school for nearly 2 years, all of them except one will be in 7th grade. Every 3 months they will have a break and will be staying with John and his family for 1 month at a time. John has 3 young children of his own and his wife, Naomi, is so excited to have 4 more kids to care for. These boys will be going to a private school where biblical teaching is part of their regular curriculum. Private schools are more prevalent in Kenya, as the public schools are overrun with students and not enough teachers.
To care for these boys, I plan on providing for their tuition, for them to have a place to go “home” to at John’s, for their personal items such as clothing, bedding, and toiletries. This first year is more expensive than future years will be since they will need all the basic items and furnishings. For all 4 boys this first year will cost $5,000 total. If you feel led to support these boys also please send me a message and I can go over many more details with you!!
I’m so excited to have this opportunity to bless these boys. Please keep them in your prayers. Pray that this transition from the streets to a home environment (with parents) and to a school environment (with teacher and pastoral authority) are smooth and that they are strengthened and encouraged through such transition. Pray for their hearts and minds to remain focused on the goal of a better life and not distracted by the freedom of street life or their friendships built while on the streets. Pray for God to show them love and to grow them into men of God. Further, pray for funds to continue supporting them.
I will hopefully be able to post more pictures of these boys soon!
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Posted in Rwanda by Staci Weedman on 12/24/2011
I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! Enjoy some snow for me and lots of Christmas lights and I'll enjoy some crazy African dancing and praising for you!
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Posted in Kenya by Staci Weedman on 12/21/2011
At the orphanage the other day it was really muddy since it has been raining every day here. While slowly walking around the place by myself, trying to stay as clean as possible, my flip flop broke. The thong part came up so I pushed it back through the flip flop and completely got my hands and foot all muddy. After fixing it some of the kids called me over and they served me so well. I couldn’t have even imagined for children to observe their surroundings and think of others the way they did. They gave me a bucket of water and soap and took my flip flops and scrubbed them as I washed my feet.
So on our day off I bought myself some new flip flops for about $1.50 for when I cannot repair mine…and that day is soon if it continues to rain. Later in the day, while still in town, a boy walked up to me and with very little English pointed at his feet and said, “shoes.” In Kitale there are many children on the streets for many reasons. Normally the children put their hand out and ask for food but this boy asked for shoes. I was soon surrounded by a group of children and teenagers as we waited for our ride home. Others were able to interpret for me as I asked where the boy’s parents were. They said that he had no one and that he didn’t know where to find an orphanage to stay.
This very well could be the truth because the Kenyan government does not enforce any regulations on street children and there aren’t enough orphanages (or the orphanages themselves are corrupt) to care for all the needy children. Further, many of these kids choose to live on the streets and once they are on the streets it’s a lifestyle that is difficult to move beyond.
A few scenerios include:
1) Kids living with one parent or relatives but their relatives can’t afford to feed them so they spend the day on the streets begging for food and go home at night.
2) Kids without family, or family that is far away and unable to care for them, are being sponsored to go to boarding school but when the holidays come the kids have no where to go but on the streets.
3) Further, kids are being sponsored to go the school but their sponsorship drops and they have no where to go but drop out of school and live on the streets.
3) Kids have been in an orphanage but the orphanage treated them badly (i.e. no appropriate place to sleep or no food) so the kids run away and live on the streets.
4) Kids become orphaned due to both parents dying or not knowing where their parents are and they fend for themselves at a young age on the streets.
5) Kids have a family but run away and live on the streets after having friends convince them that there is good money to make on the streets.
Once on the streets kids develop deep bonds with other street kids, this becomes their family. The young ones are beat up by a group of older ones and any money or food they have obtained throughout the day is taken. The kids begin their addiction to sniffing glue to erase any feeling of hunger. The many years of freedom from living on the streets makes it difficult to move into a controlled environment like school or a home when someone tries to help them, and even results in them running back to the streets.
…The boy’s name is Simon and Simon helped teach me something today.
I cannot help all the kids on the street. I cannot help all the homeless people on the streets. I cannot feed and provide clothing for everyone on the streets. I cannot send all the children to school and find them a loving home. So how does a person know what they can give and to whom? This day I decided to buy a pair of flip flops in preparation for when mine break fully. This day I was confronted by a boy, not asking for food, but asking for shoes. Shoes! Today I knew that although I was surrounded by a group of street children, God had a plan for me to help THIS one. My flip flops fit him perfectly.
My last week in Kitale I was sitting on the side of the street hanging out with some of my favorite street boys and Simon comes walking up….big smile on his face…wearing his new flip flops.
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Posted in Rwanda by Staci Weedman on 12/19/2011
After 2 days of travel my team has arrived in Kigali, Rwanda (the capital) on Saturday afternoon. It's beautiful here with their mountains, green land, paved roads and street lights, friendly people, and pleasant weather. We are in the rainy season now so it will rain a bit every day that we are here. We are staying in a house in a village outside of town, with dirt roads and quiet...I wake up to the sounds of birds chirping (not cows mooing or roosters forgetting what time it is) and the sun shining in my room. THIS makes me so happy! Our ministry contact is a young Congo man named Etienne. I called him 'Eti' as he calls me 'princess'. Our diet consists of french fries every day (it has to be that French influence as Rwanda was colonized by the French from 1956 to 1994)!
One of my first conversations in Rwanda was with my personal translator, Ferguson (Fergy). Fergy is a charming 21 year old, in what we would call Freshman year of high school. He speaks English, Swahili, Rwandan, some French and some Spanish. I met Fergy at church on Sunday as he sat beside me and translated everything from prayers, to thanksgiving, to the sermons, to the songs. After coming back from town our second day in Kigali, I sat down with Fergy for supper and he nonchalantly asked, “Did you see Big Foot in town?” After having him repeat himself a few times I finally realized that what I thought he said, he actually said. So I replied, “No, you have Big Foot here?” “Yes, he came over from New Francisco,” Fergy said with a straight face. This is how the conversation proceeded:
Staci: “New Francisco?”
Fergy: “Yea, it’s a state in America.”
Staci: “San Francisco, in California?”
Fergy: “Yea, San Francisco. He jumped across the waters to Rwanda.”
Staci: “Oh, he just jumped across the waters?”
Fergy: “Yea, jumped over to Rwanda from San Francisco. He has a wife and 2 children.”
Staci: “Is it a human wife?”
Fergy: “No, it’s a Big Foot wife.”
Staci: “Oh so there’s more. Have you seen Big Foot?”
Fergy: “Yes.”
Staci: “You have? What does he look like?”
Fergy: “He looks like Ki Kong.”
Staci: “Ki Kong?”
Fergy: “Yea, Ki Kong.”
Staci: “King Kong?”
Fergy: “Yea…I was saying it like the Asians say it…Ki Kong.”
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This conversation just got crazier haha. I think Fergy is going to keep me laughing all month.
Like Fergy, most of the other Rwandans are so friendly, laid back, and like to joke and laugh…this already seems different than Kenya.
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Posted in Kenya by Staci Weedman on 12/18/2011
One month late, after processing through many things, I will now tell you about my time in Kitale, Kenya. Last month (month 5 of the race) I lived with a busy Kenyan family. Ben and Christine are our ministry contacts and they are constantly out serving. They have 3 young boys (Joshua, Caleb, and Ian) and a 13-yr old daughter (Glory). Many others live with them though and are part of their family.
Ben and Christine started Shekinah Glory Missions which consists of 5 orphanages and over 38 churches (and yes this is a lot…there are many villages). My team spent the first two weeks at the Ephraim orphanage where there are 33 orphans, mostly elementary school level. At every orphanage there is a church set up and a pastor and his wife that care for the orphans. At this particular orphanage there is also a high school that Ben and Christine set up for children that can’t afford to go to public school. This is dear to Ben’s heart because he found himself in the same situation and was blessed by someone supporting him, so that he could continue going to school). These children stay at the school/orphanage during the school year and receive 1 month breaks every 3 months in which they go home to either parents or relatives.
Some of the high schoolers are orphans also or do not have a home environment that can support them. Ben and Christine take these kids into their home during the holiday break, as well as those that just finished high school (Form 4 is what it is called here) and are trying to get on their own two feet. So we have had an awesome time with a house full of people. Not to mention that one of the ladies that works in the ministry office (Gladys, in charge of the health and well-being of all the children at the orphanage) also lives here, and family and friends are constantly staying over as well. It’s such a blessing to see this type of environment.
Our ministry this month consisted of painting 2 different orphanages and spending time with all the orphans. One of my teammates has sweet artistic abilities so we made the orphanages more exciting for the kids. However it was outside the planned ministry that I found God pulling on my heart…
In between my Rwanda blogs I will continue to post blogs from Kenya.
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Posted in Kenya by Staci Weedman on 11/23/2011
A whole day in the Kathmandu, Nepal airport, 5 hours in a plane towards Bahrain, and a rush to our next 5 hour plane ride to Nairobi, Kenya, and we reach our month 4 debrief destination. The whole squad stayed in Nairobi for a week to worship, debrief (discuss with the leaders the health of the new team), and rest. We were pretty much on lockdown with extra security outside our gates at night due to the bombings in Nairobi. We were able to escape to a local coffee shop for an afternoon though.
Kenya…Nairobi specifically did not feel like Africa. Everyone spoke English and everyone was dressed nicely, and the coffee shop was big and fancy like one you’d see in America, there were nice hotels that resembled those in America, people understood our culture to an unbelievable extent, there were guards at every entrance to a hotel (no not with guns…it was a ritzy feeling). Three of the things that resembled Africa may have been the painting of an African safari on the doors of the hostel we stayed in, the ‘hut’ that we ate meals under, and the woman with a huge blue decoration on her head.
This week has been one of the hardest weeks of the race…not because of lockdown but because of many changes within the squad and within myself. The first is that one of my good friends decided to go home, along with one of her teammates. Kaitlyn was one of the first girls I connected with at training camp and she presented a comfort to me through our conversations about Biblical truths. The second was that one of our team leaders was sent home. Between these two things a few teams were added to, eliminating one team altogether. The third was that I found myself completely lost in life, not knowing what I believed, what were lies and what were truth, needing a break from focusing on my teammates and just being able to spend time with God to work through my doubts and struggles, and to rest. My season of struggles has reappeared and my season of dryness in hearing God has met it. As a result of this, I am no longer a team leader and Kendall is now leading the team…
Okay so now, after arriving at our ministry site in Kitale, Kenya on the 18th, I am resting more, able to dive more into God’s word and pray for my own truths, as well as lean on my teammates as we become more open and trusting with each other.
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