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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 & STORIES from Mwamba 2006

Tara Stedman's Photos & Recollections

Kyle's Sermon

OR look back at:

PHOTOS and WRITINGS : Mwamba 2005

Tara Stedman's reflections of 2006 trip
(Tara and Dorcas) Rev. Emmanuel Chemengich and his wife, Dorcas are Kenyan natives and on the Mwamba board. They lived in Philadelphia for a short time and served at The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in Philadelphia. It was Trinity's connection to St. Thomas and Rev. Emmanuel that brought our attention to this ministry. Tara made an especially close bond with Dorcas in the time spent in Kenya. Read Tara's "first time" account of Mwamba Mission Trip 2006. Take a look at Tara's photos


Kyle Evans' reflections of 2006 trip
Kyle has posted a copy of a sermon she gave during the trip (click on "sermon" to read it). Kyle has approximately 500 photos that must be sorted and edited and then formatted for the website. Not all, of course, will be able to be included but, please check back for more photos (as soon as they can be worked in) and other written journal remembrances. Before the trip Kyle wrote a newsletter article on how moving the Mwamba experience is and how connected to the people of Kenya she has become in the past 2 years. If you would like to read this article to better understand Mwamba Tidings May 2006 online copy (page 6).

Tara's View on Mwamba

My experience in Kenya

by Tara Stedman

I have recently been on an unforgettable trip to Kenya, East Africa. On our way there we stopped in London. That was the first time for me travel outside our country. After riding the tube (train) and touring London, including Temple Church where they filmed part of the “Di Vinci Code”, we took another plane to Nairobi, East Africa. Once we landed we took a 7 hour ride to Kitale. I was expecting to see some wild animals, not crazy thoughts like tigers and elephants, but all there was to see were cows, sheep and chickens. Kitale was a very nice place, very different from what we think Africa looks like.

Kyle, Kathleen and I stood with a family named Doctor Henry and Mary Khisa. They had a very nice house. It had a TV, computer, refrigerator, indoor plumbing and other usual household items. The family was so gracious to us. They have an adopted daughter and a niece living with them, Helen and Sarah. These girls gave up their rooms for me and Kathleen to sleep in. They also have a grandmother living with them who speaks very little English. Tobias the houseboy also lived there and he took care of the grandmother. It seemed that everyone that we meet was genuine and welcoming.

One thing that was a downer on the trip was that I got very sick from something that I ate. I had such severe stomach pains that the family took me to the hospital. There I was given an IV and some other medication. I was told to only eat bland food. So for a week I ate rice, bread, cereal and avocados. The other foods that I was able to eat were: Ugali, a very bland and starching ball that was served with stew. That was my favorite thing to eat. chapati, was a tortilla made from corn and Mukimo, this made with mash potatoes, corn and peas all mixed together.

This trip I would say was very educational. For example something that was hard to get use to was the hours that they ate. 7 AM was breakfast, 1 PM or so was lunch and then dinner was served around 9PM. I’m so used to eating early and going to bed around 10 PM. I also learned how they lived and the language that they spoke. Everyone was so impressed that we learned some words. Our favorite word was “Jambo”, which means Hello and “Mzunga” that means white person. Everywhere that we went we were referred to as Mzunga. Some places we visited they had never seen a white person which made them scared of us.

Some of the places that we visited were very poor. Their homes were made of mud and the roofs were made from rags, paper and mud. On one of our work days we worked on digging trenches for a school that they are starting to build. They were so impressed on how hard we were able to work. During the week we were able to visit a few schools. I was blown away by how well behaved and respectable every student was and how different that they were from the kids in America. They were a bit shy, but who wouldn’t be when seeing people so different from what they are used to. We also met the kids that Trinity families have sponsored their tuition. Kathleen and I were given the task to do an ice breaker with them and this gave them an opportunity to talk with them. They had so many questions about America. They too misjudged our country, just like people here misjudge Africa. The best thing was that Kathleen and I were learning so many fun things from them too.

The two weeks filled me with so many memories that I hope to go back some day and make more unforgettable memories.

PHOTOS FROM MWAMBA 2006

TARA STEDMAN'S PHOTO JOURNAL

After a long flight, over night....the first sight of ground was breathtaking and was the "route" they would have to cover . (Nairobi vista: basically the view to the horizon was to be the road to travel to reach the Mwamba experience)

There were "familiar faces": Rev. Emmanuel Chemengich and Dorcas, and Greg Allen from St. Thomas, and Bishop,Rt. Rev. Stephen Kewasis Nyorsok, to help transition into this new environment.

Tara and Kathleen with the Bishop

The Khisas: (Host Family and soon to be "family") Drs. Henry and Mary Khisa and their "daughters" (actually a niece and another adoptive daughter in their care.)

The Grandmother lived in a room and was unable to leave the room due to issues of her advanced age, but family came to her and she was taken care of by a "house boy" who looked after her needs.

The Khisa's Home: Breakfast room, and "formal dining room" (where you eat in the center area and then after dinner move to the outer chairs to talk and enjoy company.

The bedroom that the daughters gave up so that Tara and Kathleen had beds to sleep in:

Helping to build churches is part of the mission of Mwamba. Here are photos that reflect the work that Kathleen spoke of in her email on May 19th. They are creating by hand the foundation for Christ the King Church.

And helping to harvest coffee beans was an interesting and informative task in learning about different facets of life in Kenya.

Visiting schools and connecting with the students (esp. those that are "sponored" by Trinity members) is part of the sharing of cultures on the mission and part of the learning what we can do to help. The visitors are given a tour of the classrooms and dormitories... and are warmly received as welcomed guests who have come to "learn" about them and be in communion with them.

Girls school (on the left) and Boys School (on the right)

Girl's dormitory (on the right) and Boy's dormitory (on the left).

Life was certainly different and enlightening in Kenya. We had a wonderful time learning about another culture as well as just enjoying a different pace/focus of life. There were markets and villages and bigger cities and exotic wildlife: all were exciting changes to be a part of and to help understand life outside the United States. Some bathrooms were particularly "different" (see photo of hole in floor)

Transportation in Kenya, bikes and cars share the road.

Toilets were very different on some parts of the mission trip. (not all, of course)

They saw some very poor neighborhoods (left) and they also had the opportunity to see the Market (right).

There was many experiences of normal life: kitchen in school and Tara in the Khisa's, and other food prep.

Fellowship and community are very much the same on the mission trip as they are at home. (Judy Fisher in the aqua dress is another person who came from the PA area) They also met many people there who work to serve these communities and make life better for orphans in the Kitale Diocese of Kenya.

After the hard work was done, on the last day, there was a day of "fun". The group was able to experience the ligher side of life in Kenya and visited two parks, the Nairobi Club and the Alligator Club where native wildlife could be seen up close. There was beauty everywhere and getting the opportunity to "meet" local wildlife was a treat, having come so far.

The Alligator Club.

One point of "tourist interest" - on the trip to Mwamba there was a lay over day in London, and the group got to see a location that is part of the highly controversal book The DaVinci Code. Here is Temple Church, which is one of the elements of "truth" in the book. It is one part of the story that does exist and is a beautiful sanctuary.

There was a dinner at a restaurant, Carnivore Restaurant, during their travels and there was some very "exotic meats" as choices for dinner. Tara tried ostrich, camel and alligator to get a "taste of the local flavor."

The work of the mission mixed with a day of "tourism" help make a very full experience of life in Kenya. Reaching out to other cultures; sharing the joy and the work brings us closer to fulfilling Christ's commandment: "and above all.. love thy neighbor as thyself". Much is made of the term, global community. For the 2 weeks of Mwamba, our members of Trinity lived in that community. God's community.

Return to Mwamba 2006 Main Page
Read Emails from Mwamba 2006

Look back at Mwamba 2005

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