Body Farms??!!

      I learned for the first time from one of the members of the Unbound trip about  "Body Farms" in the United States. He told me that people who may not have the  money for a funeral offer to donate their body after death for forensic research.

They allow their dead bodies to be used to help solve crimes.

The largest one in the United States is in Texas.Here is a website:http://www.sliptalk.com/body-farm/
 Here is description  from their website:

"The Forensic Anthropology Research Facility (FARF) serves as a resource for forensic anthropology students, researchers, as well as state and national law enforcement agencies. Research into questions relating to time since death, the postmortem interval and decomposition processes for human remains under various topographical and climate conditions are conducted at FARF.

The FARF is a 26-acre outdoor human decomposition research laboratory at Texas State’s Freeman Ranch. The Texas State facility is spatially the largest facility of its kind in the world. The FARF is used by the forensic science community to gain knowledge about human decomposition and developing methods for determining the post mortem interval or time since death. The FARF is also used to train forensic anthropology students, law enforcement, and medicolegal personnel in methods for searching and recovering human remains in a medicolegal context.

FARF was conceived because there is a need to develop rates, patterns, and sequences of human decay applicable to Texas and western states. The FARF formally opened in 2008. Since then, research has been conducted on approximately 150 donor individuals, with another 200 living people pre-registered as donors to this unique forensic program. Once the donor bodies are removed from FARF and processed at ORPL, they are kept in perpetuity and accessioned into the permanent Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection. This collection of documented modern skeletal remains will form the basis of future research and be utilized for scientific research and education for years to come."
   There are six such facilities in the United States. If you want to read more, check out:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_farm.
     I learned there is a novel by Patricia Conwell with the name The Body Farm. Here is the plot:
Kay Scarpetta is called in to assist in the investigation of the brutal murder of 11-year-old Emily Steiner in rural North Carolina, whose murder resembles the handiwork of a serial killer who has eluded the FBI for years. Scarpetta is joined by her ingenious, rebellious and very annoying niece, Lucy, an FBI intern with a promising future in Quantico's computer engineering facility. To help with the investigation, Scarpetta turns to a clandestine research facility in Tennessee known as the Body Farm. There she finds answers to Emily Steiner's murder.

Sounds like an interesting read!

 
 
 
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Unbound trip -Lewis and Denita

     Another wonderful couple I met on the trip was Lewis and Denita from Colorado.

I learned that Lewis is a very gifted artist. He has frequently been an artist- in -residence at  National Parks and has won many plein air competitions. However, his passion is doing icons. His work can be found on the site: www.trinitystores.com. Here is what the website had to say about him:
"Lewis Williams, OFS, a student of master iconographer Br. Robert Lentz, OFM since 1999, feels blessed by the calling that has led him to ‘write’ icons. Art has been a lifelong interest for Lewis, obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Northern Arizona University in 1983, and a Masters of Fine Arts degree in painting from Utah State University in 1991. Years spent in search of ways to integrate his interest in history, faith and art found fruition in a workshop with noted iconographer Peter Pearson. Another workshop with Br. Lentz eventually led to his being accepted as his student, and launched him into his new vocation.

With the support of his wife Denita and his two children, Sean and Tiahna, he was able to end full time employment serving people with special needs and commence study to become an iconographer. Living in the beautiful high deserts and inspiring mountains of Western Colorado feeds his soul and supports his work.

Travels to Nicaragua and Africa during this initial period of study added to his conviction that social issues would be a focus of his future icons. Individuals who sought and cared for the small and forgotten; who served and honored those with no voice in a world that prefers the loud and powerful; and where greed reigns supreme, those who are Christ’s words and hands among the poor: these are the personalities and images to reverence in an icon. Children, nature and those with a Franciscan spirit were to be fed by and represented in his images. These are and will be his priorities.

His early art career saw success in many national and international shows, but he is a relative newcomer to iconography. In 2002, his Our Mother of Sorrows icon was purchased for the 9/11 memorial bell tower at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Father Solanus Casey icon can be found at St. Anastasia Roman Catholic Church in Detroit, Michigan. Several other icons are located in private collections."

Please take a look at his work and please comment on what is your favorite icon. Mine is "A Mother's Love."

Unbound trip members- Andy and Gail

      The people on the Unbound Awareness Trip to Kenya come from all walks of life. I enjoyed meeting Gail and Andy from Mississippi.

Gail was a teacher for 32 years and she stresses the importance of education to all the children we meet.In addition, she and Andy always have handmade rosaries to hand out to families as well as ziploc bags filled with necessities. She and Andy came on this trip to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. At the Mass that was held outdoors, they chose to renew their wedding vows in a touching ceremony.

      Gail shared that her daughter was 4 months pregnant and was in a terrible automobile accident in France. She was urged to abort the baby, but she chose to carry to term. The little girl was perfect, but her daughter suffered some brain injuries. Her daughter, Rachel Benin,has since wrote a devotional about the experience called Hit My Heaven. It is described as " the moving account of one woman re­covering from tragedy and how she learned to see God in common, ordinary experiences. God, in turn, spoke to her in the language of her everyday life."

Grandparents as caretakers due to HIV

     Due to the HIV crsis in the Kisumu area of Kenya, there is a whole generation of young people who have lost both parents. As a results many grandparents have involuntarily stepped in to raise their grandchildren. We went to a more rural part of Kisumu and met a grandfather raising 6 children by himself

and a grandmother raising three children by herself.

     Both are fortunate that their clan owns the land that they live on so they pay no rent. The area is much cleaner than the slum we saw earlier.

The grandfather used a loan from the Unbound mother's group to start a fish business. The grandmother tries to feed her family through farming, but sometimes the weather does not cooperate.
       We were warmly welcomed.

Outside I saw many women washing their clothes in muddy rain water and hanging their clothes over bushes to dry.

Kisumu Kenya home visits

     Today I was part of a small group that made four home visits in a slum outside of Kisumu in southwestern Kenya, It was a warm muggy day as we made our way through the muddy garbage strewn walkways.

The children were all so excited to see us arrive and wanted to shake our hands.
I noticed many of them playing with discarded items like old tires

or they constructed something made  of wire pieces.They would run in the dirt barefoot or sit alone, with no supervision.

     However, inside each house we found a mother beaming with smiles,

so proud to have us in her very small home. We only saw one room in each visit and have no idea how the families were able to sleep in the remaining part. The rooms had no kitchen or running water. We saw a large hole in the ground filled with water. The mother said she used this dirty water to wash her clothes.

Toilets seemed to be shacks in the common areas. One counselor said that some people use "flying bathrooms"- meaning they do their business in plastic bags during the day and then at night they swing them overhead and toss them.We also noticed that mostly everyone carries items on their head, and can balance heavy items without their hands!

     Every mother had tears in her eyes when she expressed how different their lives were after their child had a sponsor from Unbound. Many times children were turned away from school for lack of a uniform or school fees or not buying the textbooks. Unbound sponsorships help families provide some of these basic needs for their child.
     Also, each mother started her own business to bring in extra income. One mother sold second hand clothes, another sold charcoal, and another had a food stand. Another mother said her husband was able to start a motorcycle taxi service.It was inspiring to see that they all had hope for a better future, even in their bleak surroundings.
     A couple, Gail and Andy,

brought hand made rosaries and gave one to each mother.

At the end of each visit, Gail asked if we could hold hands and recite the "Our Father" together. It was a powerful moment where we felt intimately connected to one another.

     
 

Patrick- our sponsored boy from Unbound

      Patrick is a shy 5-year-old boy we sponsor through Unbound. He lives with his mother named Emily brought along his 2-year-old son Moses.

We all went to Mamba Village to see the crocodiles and Patrick held one.

Later we had a picnic and he and his mother could speak to my husband using Face Time.

    Emily is going to college to study to be a primary school teacher. Their father is a day laborer to support the family. Emily has a dream to one day open her own primary school. She is very smart and writes us long detailed letters. I will be able to visit their home on Tuesday February 28^th!

Juliet- our sponsored young lady from Unbound

       Juliet is about 12 years old and has a twin sister Sharon. Their mother during their childbirth. Their father, Bernard, remarried.

They have one older sister and two younger brothers. Their new stepmother is named Alice.

We all went to Mamba Village to see the crocodiles and other animals and have a boat ride. Then I  was able to visit their house in a very poor section. The roads were full of water and mud.

The five  children and two parents were squished into a one bedroom cement hut with no running water. They have to use a common public toilet and water.He is saving money to get a larger two room hut.
      The father currently works  repairing machines at a sweater factory. However, he has a plan to try to buy the machines to make uniform sweaters and start his own small business. He may be able to get a small loan from the local project's mother's group.
      I  saw Juliet's report card and she is number 4 out of 40 students. She is doing well and her dream is to be a teacher. I could see that in  spite of all the obstacles, the family has a lot of love for each other.

As we were leaving, the children from Juliet's school all said goodbye by throwing kisses.

Joel- our sponsored young man from Unbound

    After 14 years of writing letters back and forth, I finally got to meet our sponsored young man, Joel!

He is now 22 and will be starting his last year of university at Chuka University.(http://chuka.ac.ke/)  His major is economics and statistics.Here he is with his scientific calculator.

We sponsor him through Unbound, an organization  out of Kansas City. ( www.unbound.org)
     He brought along his mother and his brother, Julius.

His father is 90 years old and could not come. What struck me is his infectious smile and the twinkle in his eye. Despite so many adversities, he still has a positive outlook.At Chuka University, he rents a very small room with one bed for $20 a month. However, to save money, he shares with another boy, so they each pay $10. However, there is only a cooking stove- NO running water, toilet, or refrigerator. He has to use a common public toilet and use running water from an outside spigot to fill a pail to wash off. Since he has no refrigeration, he has to buy and cook what he eats every day.
     Ar school, he has no computer to type his papers. He  rents a computer by the hour and saves his work on a flash drive. He also cannot afford his textbooks, so he reserves time at the library to read them there. His plan is to get a certificate in statistics and try to find a government job. When school is not in session, he volunteers to mentor other younger students to encourage them to pursue their education.
     We went to Mamba Village to see crocodiles and he held one.

We also had a picnic. During that time he was able to Face Time my husband and talk to him for the first time! Hopefully we can continue to stay in touch even after he graduates university.

Amani Gardens Inn-Nairobi

    Whenever I  mentioned to someone about going to Nairobi, especially if they were from a missionary family, they would immediately recommend Amani Gardens Inn. Now I can see why! Amani Gardens Inn was formerly a  Mennonite Guest House. Now it has the same feel, but is open to all visitors. From the moment I walked in the front door I was was greeted with smiles, especially from the helpful receptionist, Lillian.

Then I was shown to Room 3, which was arranged by Mary Rose and Greg Dow,

It is a spacious two room unit with a nice shower.However, the grounds are the best part. It is like an oasis in the midst of Nairobi.

     Lillian told me how to walk to the Wassini Suites up the road,where I was able to exercise with Antony in the gym.

Then I received a fantastic deep tissue massage by Beatrice.

It felt good to get the blood circulating in my muscles!
      But one of the most exciting things about Amani Gardens is the mix of interesting people you meet. It is like a magnet. I first met a man from South Carolina who was going  with a group to Uganda to help refugees from South Sudan. He said he was with Trinity South Sudan Ministry. He also suggested Water Missions International for my grandson, Dimitrius,

who is a water and environmental technology student at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. He wants to combine water technology with the gospel.
      Next I met a doctor going to Bomet to Tenwek Hospital with a group associated with Samaritan's Purse.It was no shock when this group openly held hands at breakfast and prayed before their meal. Then there was a group from Sankarra Hotels getting motivation training. They had an excellent speaker named Joseph Nginyah,

who sounded a lot like my inspirational idol- Joel Osteen. I was listening and it reminded me to think positive and surround myself with uplifting people.It was also amazing to see business meetings end with employees holding hands and saying The Lords Prayer!
However, the best part was meeting Betsy Stewart,

sister of my former neighbor in Lancaster, Lori Stewart Kapferer. Betsy is at Amani Gardens Inn as a placement from Eastern Mennonite Missions. Her official title is "hostess", but her aim is to make people feel welcome. She has a past connection to Kenya as she has come for several years on medical missions with the Alabaster Mobile Clinic.
      After spending just a few short days at Amani Gardens Inn you get a sense that the world is filled with many many individuals who are actively  helping those in  need. I really look forward to returning Feb. 28-March 4th!!

Camp Carnellys- Lake Navaisha

   After a 5 hour flight from Abu Dhabi ,I was picked up at the airport by Gabriel, from Just Connections Taxi. We drove the more than 3 hours to Camp Carnellys along a  mostly two - lane windy road that was filled with trucks. The driver kindly stopped so I could like at the view of the Great Rift Valley.

     Camp Carnellys is an idyllic place along Lake Navaisha. They have signs about being careful of the hippos.

Apparently there are over 2,000 hippos in the lake! At night, they try to come up into the campground, but they built a trench and erect an electrified barbed wire fence at night.
      I finally got to see Mary Rose and Greg Dow and the children. They were all staying in tents and cooking over a stove. I was booked into a bandu that has it own shower and toilet.

The only thing that made me uneasy was that there was nothing on the windows but a few open bars. Also, it was my first time sleeping in a bed with a malaria net.

There was also a hole in the wood floor that worried me about something crawling in!
      All through the night and early morning I heard the sounds of animals. I learned and later saw there were two types of monkeys swinging from the trees all around the camp. In addition, there are many types of birds, some very colorful such as blue and yellow.
      Unexpectedly a giraffe wandered into the campsite for the first time. It took a real liking to Greg Dow.

I was able to stand in front of him and he was very calm.

Later we went on a 1 hour boat ride all around Lake Navaisha.

Our sponsored son, Duncan, counted 45 hippos in the water, many with babies.

We also saw zebras on the shore as well as a water buck.

There were many different varieties of birds such as herons and comorants. We were surprised to see men fishing in the lake submerged to their chest with fishing nets, given the large number of hippos. Also I was told the lake is filled with all kinds of bacteria and parasites.
     I met a woman from the Africa Yoga Project.

She said she was training a team of yoga instructors from the USA to do yoga as a way for healing with people in trauma,
     It was a great time at the camp.