Holiday Club.

Holiday Club has started today.

It continues till Thursday with an outing on Friday if we can get new tyres for the school bus in time. The bus had a bad tyre burst when on a school outing recently and therefore needs two new tyres!

New babies!

Ruth Nabie with Mary and Hadassah (Star)
Mary Omondi with her daughter.
Nancy and Alex with their son, Jaden Blessing.
Auntie Ann with Jaden (3 days old)

IcFEM Christmas Cards.

Please help us to sell our Christmas cards.
Drawn by Dreamland Education Centre children.

This is the link: http://www.icfemcharitycards.bigcartel.com/products

Unusual cards and VERY well produced.

All profits come to IcFEM Kimilili.

Thank you.

October news.

I haven't done well this month, have I? I don't need to give the reasons - you can guess them.

For those who know our staff well, Mary and Anthony had a daughter, Hadassah, not long ago. Nancy and Alex had a son yesterday. Both first babies. I have no pictures....

Now we wait for the others.

2010 AGM photos.

The Mission Hall was packed for the AGM. The Director, Solomon Nabie, is seen giving his report, with the Chairman, Rev John Ayieko, sitting next to him.

Jacob gets his new chair

Physio, Becky, gave Jacob's family exercises to do with him before he got the chair.

When he got his new chair, he was able to wave.

The whole group was very happy and praising God for Jacob's new freedom.

Some photos from East Bukusu.

Here is Celestine in her new chair!

Mobility for East Bukusu people!

Sorry folks!! I have been struggling to post news....

I have failed to post this report with some wonderful photos, so will try to do the photos separately. It was an amazing day!

Report by Becky Nightingale.

On Friday last week the Bethesda Pool programme with the DMCC team visited East Bukusu to hand over two specially adapted wheelchairs. The wheelchairs were left over from the Wheels for the World distribution earlier this year. They were adapted and designed by two visiting Dutch students from The Hague University. The patients were originally assessed on the DMCC medical outreach programme.

The first was for a lady, Cellestine, who badly broke her legs in a motorcycle accident many years ago. She was unable to walk and the only way she could work on her farm was lying on her front. She was given a specially made hand bike which she could use on the farm and roads around her house, she and her family were very grateful for her new found freedom.

The second chair was made for Jacob who, following a neurological event, had been unable to sit up for 10 years. He had not left his compound in over 10 years. He was given spiritual care, medical care and the family were given an exercises programme to do with him. On Friday the wheelchair was given to him and for first time in 10 years he was able to sit unaided. Not surprisingly he and his family were delighted. They said they took him to church on Sunday and that they will join an IcFEM fellowship.

We praise God for the work done in East Bukusu and are very grateful for our links with both Wheels for World and The Hague University, without whom this would not have been possible.

Christmas Cards!!

Don't buy your cards without checking with us. We have very nice unusual cards and are arranging their sale in UK. Watch this space!

Very good AGM

The AGM went very well!

Too much rain and MUD. Lots of power blackouts and Internet down. Hopefully there will be some photos of the AGM next week.

Mission AGM planned for 4th September

The 11th AGM is planned for September 4th. We are very busy working on the Kenya Annual Report. Meanwhile, go to the Mission website www.icfem-mission.org and look at the UK Newsletters if you do not get them.

We've hit £100 on EVERYCLICK!!

Thanks to everyone who is using Everyclick to search on the Internet
and to buy on e-bay!!

We have now reached £100

If you are not already using Everyclick, please sign up to support IcFEM (Europe) on www.everyclick.com. It costs you nothing!!

Two sponsored girls at HQ

Mercy (in blue) and Brigit brought their reports to HQ.

DEC children go to the National Music Festival

The DEC Choir practiced much before the day. They gained 80% - the winners had 89%. This was a wonderful attempt.
Here you can see them practicing at HQ, in the Hall.

Prayer and Fasting July 2010 photos

We needed the tent because it poured during the meeting. The meetings at night were in the Hall.

Prayer and Fasting at the end of July

Every three months, members of Local Transformation Units come to HQ in Kimilili. The other end-month prayer meetings take place in the community.
This month over 200 people came - too many for our Hall. We had to hire a tent!
I am trying to add photos, but "it has refused" so I'll try again another day!!

Photos of Bethesda Pool training day

The photos show Becky Nightingale teaching the group and some practical on a "patient".

Disability training day

Bethesda Pool coordinators from each Local Transformation Unit were the first to benefit from a new training package developed by IcFEM, receiving training over two days at the beginning of July 2010.

The 17 regional coordinators were joined by two staff from the Dreamland Medical Care Centre for the course at IcFEM Headquarters in Kimilili which was led by a combined team of the Bethesda Pool department coordinators (Leonard Wanjala & Paul Stephens) and clinicians from the Health department (Mellan Mukhongo & Becky Nightingale).

The correct identification and appropriate treatment of disabilities is poorly managed across Western Kenya with many people left with lifelong conditions as a result. The purpose of the event was to help local leaders to better identify those with disabilities in their areas, and to make clear the correct care required for various conditions. The aims are to improve the quality of life for those with non-preventable disabilities, and to ensure that preventable conditions are picked up and treated – even in the most rural areas.

Each unit coordinator was equipped with a training manual written by the facilitators, which gives information about the common disabilities and conditions found across the rural communities. This material was explained over the two days, with additional opportunity provided for practical demonstrations of helpful exercises and the equipment available to treat some of the conditions.

The team are fundraising at present to allow the training to be rolled out at village level across the 17 Local Transformation Units over the coming months.

NB Photos of this will be added separately!!

Sports training for Local Transformation Unit reps.

The day at HQ today was very well attended and included Biblical teaching, practical exercises and footwork skills. The latter part was watched by interested Nursery School children, who even tried for themselves!

Senior Management take 70% salary cut.

Finances have been low for the last few months - see June 6th blog post. Today, at a special staff meeting, HQ staff agreed to salary reductions until the situation improves.

This does not affect DEC, DMCC or security staff.

Please pray for us.

Dreamland Education Centre successes.

Dreamland was awarded certificates and trophies at the recent District Education Day.
You can see teachers with certificates (the children concerned are now in Secondary School) and the trophies.

The group photo shows teachers displaying the certificates awarded at the Kimilili District Education Day. Our school got an award for being the second best Private Primary School in the District. Our Kiswahili performance was position one amongst the 42 primary schools in the District. Other subjects were either 2^nd or 3^rd.position.

The 1^st position is also awarded a trophy in addition to the Certificate.

New mast!

Here is the new and stronger mast being erected beside the old one.
You can see how the old one was not vertical! Both are about 40 metres tall.The latter has now been taken down.

BACK ON LINE!!

We thank God that we are now back on line (today!). Seven weeks off has posed many problems.

Soon, I'll post a photo of the new mast and some more news.

Still no new mast!!

The new mast is being prepared, we are told, but is not yet here. Be patient with us as we try to cope with communications!!

Sadly the new Internet is down!!

The new internet mast is very high and relies on a line of sight to Bungoma. Recent storms have caused enough misalignment to make the HQ Internet be disconnected.

If you are trying to e-mail us, we may not be getting it! I am using the phone to post this, but I do not think I am able to upload photos.

We have been off for nearly two weeks now! It is, of course, cutting off our Cyber Cafe completely.

We are told a new and stronger mast will need to be installed. When? We appreciate your prayers.

What news would YOU like?

The aim of this blog is to give some up-to-date news of events and activities in the IcFEM LTUs and in the Mission in general.

What news would you like to see here? News can be much more up-to-date than on the Website. Please note that we can't update the Website ourselves from Kimilili.

There is a lot of wonderful activity here despite our lack of enough funding. Most of all, we covet your prayers.

Facebook

To all Facebook members reading this - have you joined the Facebook group "We support IcFEM"?

Looking forward to seeing YOU there!!

Also, don't forget the Mission website. www.icfem-mission.org

Driver, preacher, doctor!

Leonard (left) speaking at the meeting.
"From Mission driver to preacher and Doctor!!"

End month Prayer and Fasting in Kenya

This month's meetings were small due to many funerals.
The Kiminini meeting was very powerful. Leonard gave a wonderful testimony together with sharing from the Word of God before the prayers.

Another photo will be in the next post!

Follow up to April 8th post.

For those who have asked me - Rosemary and Daniel DID get their visas to go to UK.
Sadly the BOAT (Bicton Overseas Agricultural Trust) Course had to be postponed to next year. All overseas participants were affected by the Icelandic ash cloud and the course dates couldn't be changed.

Ann is safely home from USA.

I thank God for very safe travels and for a wonderful welcome wherever I went. As well as the Lipson family gathering, I met a number of friends and former students from Lugulu - staying with some of them. It was a joy to spend time with other Kenya friends and to meet their friends as well as good time and fellowship with two of my own school friends.

I travelled from East (New York State) to West (Washington State), with visits to Lancaster PA, Washington DC, Columbus OH and Colorado Springs, with a plane change in Dallas TX.

I was able to share about IcFEM with a number of small groups and individuals.

I thank God for taking care of me on this "trip of a lifetime".

I hope to post some photos soon.

Ann

Fertiliser from the Government.

The poorest of the poor farmers have been given fertiliser, distributed through the Local Transformation Units.

The fertiliser filled the conference hall and Prayer and Fasting had to be held in hired tents!

Praise God for this wondeful gift which has helped almost 100 needy farmers in each LTU.

Photos of teachers in UK

A long wait in Nairobi, return to Kimilili, to UK at last.....

Some photos in and out of school!

Teachers are safely in England!

The group of teachers from Kimilili arrived safely in England and are already in school (apart from holidays!). The exchange programme is mainly funded by the British Council.

Cows.

A number of Mission staff have milk cows, not only for their family needs, but also to bring in some income to care for their family.
At a time like this, when the Mission is struggling to pay staff allowances, it is very hard to lose a milk cow. This has happened to both Macdon and Leonard in the last few days. Please pray for them as they adjust to loss of income as well as losing a "family friend".
Also pray for God's protection for the rest of the staff animals as well as the staff and their families.

Volcanic ash cloud affects our teachers!

A group of teachers from Kimilili were booked to travel to UK on the Global Partnership teacher exchange on Friday. The volcanic ash cloud over UK means they are having to wait in Nairobi. What a disappointment after all the preparation.
Please pray for God's solution to this unexpected problem.

Ann is away from home!

News for those who know me is that I am now in USA, until May 11th.

Any IcFEM friends who would like to talk to me, please e-mail me c/o IcFEM (Europe).

I am getting exciting news from Kimilili and will either post myself or ask someone else to do it for me. Please pray for me and the rest of the Kimilili team.

In particular, please pray for visas for Daniel and Rosemary who are expecting to attend a Course in Devon, at Bicton College. They are due to travel on 16th April, with the group of teachers, most of whom already have their visas.

Dreamland Medical Outreach Clinics "Hospital on Wheels"

We have just completed our first 3 DMCC Medical Outreach Clinics. The ambulance has been such a blessing,taking the team from DMCC and housing Alex and the Pharmacy. We saw over 130 patients this month. At Kiminini we were welcomed by the Local Unit team who worked keenly with the DMCC team to see 73 patients treated, eyes screened,children immunised and reading glasses, mosquito nets and waterguard dispensed along with quality medicines. The good news of Jesus was shared and pastoral care provided. Everyone seemed delighted with the new initiative and we look forward to our return on 20th April. Praise God for such an exciting new beginning.

Harambee Foundation, Holland.

The Directors of HFH have just left after a very good visit to IcFEM (and a few of their other friends in East Africa). They were also visited here by their Committee and other friends.

They have done wonderful things for so many schools in our rural community.

This time they saw the completion of five school building projects and these were handed over to the schools and the local community.
Classrooms etc in four Primary schools: Luuya, Lunyu, Makunga and Mukuyuni
A Lab in one Secondary School: Mukuyuni.

I am sorry I don't have any photos, but hope to get some in the future.

Thank you, Roel and Marianne and all your team. may God bless you richly!

New LTU at Cheptais.

Here are some photos of the Cheptais launch. The school Hall was PACKED, as you can see. People were outside as well. Many came. Children entertained with colourful activities.
Estimates of the attendance ranged from "over 2000" to "just under 3000"

The LTU has built its own Office, which you can see being opened after the Launching Service. The Director is seen signing the visitors book inside the Office.