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Mwamba Church Ministries International

Mission Statement: Transforming lives in the U.S. and Kitale, Kenya, by building mutual partnerships that enhance human capacity through education, sharing resources, and cultural exchanges.

Mission Trip to Mwamba / May 14 - 28

2006 Trip Itinerary

An Outreach Event at Trinity Episcopal Church, Solebury

2006 Participants:

Kyle Evans,

Youth Ministries Leader,

Kathleen Davie,

Parishioner (& Ex-Youth Group member),

Tara Stedman,

Youth Group Member

PHOTOS and WRITINGS : Mwamba 2005

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PHOTOS & STORIES from Mwamba 2006

Kyle Evans' reflections of 2005 trip
My second trip to Kenya was in partnership with seven others from Trinity, including three young people and two people from the Doylestown community. It was exciting to see Kenya through their eyes and faces. For me, one of the most powerful memories of this trip was getting to meet young people sponsored by families in the United States. Beth Bokose is a young woman sponsored by Drayer/Nicholas family through Mwamba Ministries. When I traveled to Kenya last year, I did not know the name of the young woman they were sponsoring and, therefore, could not visit her. This year I had her name and was determined to see Beth. Beth is a student at the Turkana Secondary School, located in Turkana near the Sudanese border. This visit required a journey of about eight hours beyond the community of Kitale. Where there are partial roads in the community Lodwar immediately south, there are no roads in Turkana. It was literally by God’s grace and a keen sense of direction on the part of our driver that we arrived safely at the school entrance. The headmaster was most gracious and sent for Beth and two other girls who were also being sponsored by Mwamba. The two other girls arrived first. Then Beth appeared. I started to approach her and she ran to me. What an incredible moment! It felt as if I was greeting a daughter. We hugged for the longest time. Aside from my commitment to the Mwamba scholarship program, I also served as an ambassador for the Drayer/Nicholas family. After presenting their gift to her, we shared with each other, exchanged addresses and took lots of pictures. Our trip back from Turkana was rich with challenge and adventure (a story for another time). None of that mattered, however. I would have met all the travel hurdles and then some to be able to see Beth’s beautiful face, embrace her and spend precious time with her. The world is a much smaller place than we realize. There is no question that God provides us wonderful and rich opportunities such as the one I had with Beth to bring us all closer together.		Map of Africa The Diocese of Kitale -area in red

Allana Simons' reflections of 2005 trip
I’ve often heard that Bermudians are some of the friendliest people around, and though one myself, I beg to differ. The Kenyan people not only shared their time, but their culture, their resources … you name it. My host and hostess, Mr. and Mrs. Butaki, were the key to this newfound belief. Upon my arrival, the Butakis greeted me warmly and showed me their home. That first night, we spent time getting to get to know one another over a hearty meal prepared by Mrs. Butaki. She is a retired schoolteacher and her husband is an agriculturalist. They the are parents of six young adults and live on a 10-acre farm. They manage herds of cows and flocks of sheep, as well as raise a variety of crops. They also own a computer school in the town. Every morning Mrs. Butaki would prepare breakfast, and we would sit and talk before I headed out for the day. Mrs. Butaki is a member of the Mother’s Union, an organization in the Diocese that helps support young mothers emotionally and spiritually. Each evening, the three of us would share what had transpired that day, enhancing my cultural experience. In fact, she was quite the teacher in that she taught me a bit of Kiswahili. My favorite phrase was, “Nina Toku Kwa Butaki,” meaning, “I am staying with the Butakis.” The entire trip – from the trek from Nairobi to Kitale to visiting a number of schools to the Safari experience – was enlightening. The most rewarding and memorable part of my trip was spending time with my host family, the Butakis.