This evening I was sitting on the couch in the guesthome re-writing my long term goals. After writing this: work in full-time ministry educating, and empowering, Americans who are interested in impacting the life of an orphan in East Africa… something caused me to pause and say to myself, WOW, I’m living in East Africa. As the word Africa resonated in my mind, I had to stop writing my long-term goals and turn my attention to this blog. Honestly, Africa has been on my heart since I was a little girl listening to my cassette tape of We are the World. I grew up in a generation who watched infomercials of Sally Struthers holding a skeleton clad child with a distended belly as she walked around in heaps of trash these kids called home. Go ahead, close your eyes and picture it. Can you see it? I wish I could say the picture now lingering in your mind isn’t real. I wish I could say that after 25 years of advocating on behalf of the voiceless, these kids now live in houses and eat 3 square meals a day, but I can’t. I live in Africa and that infomercial is a reality that stares me in the face daily. I see with my own eyes real images of kids as young as 3 who walk miles to school, barefoot in the mud, because they know education is their only hope for a brighter future. I see other kids running around city streets selling avocadoes for less than 10 cents each and then using the profits to buy glue to sniff, all because they’ve lost hope.

So yes I live in Africa and my long-term goal is to empower people like you to impact the life of an orphan. So what’s my short-term goal… well it’s to love the children the way Jesus does, to give them a hope and a future. My 2 feet walk the 100 yds. across the field to the school everyday, my 2 hands pick up the little kiddos, and give high-5’s to the rest, my head works to improve the quality of education at Tumaini, my heart longs to see lasting change, and my soul prays it’s in the name of Jesus. I am all in and I ask you to pray about how you can join me. Here are a few suggestions:

· Pray for the children at Tumaini Miles of Smiles School and orphanage pray that they continue to grow physically, mentally, and spiritually. Pray that they find hope in their Heavenly Father.

· Consider visiting the Tumaini Miles of Smiles Website and contributing in the following way(s)

o Sponsor a Child

o Help Tumaini finish the Guesthouse

o Help Tumaini Finish the 7^th grade classroom

o Contribute to the Tumaini Car Maintenance Fund

Let me take just a moment to elaborate on these needs:

Child Sponsorship

Since June I’ve been working diligently with a team of people at ISF to update and streamline the Tumaini Child Sponsorship program. I’ve seen first hand how this program helps feed, clothe, educate, and encourage children to be future leaders for the glory of God. This option requires a long-term commitment to provide monthly for the child you sponsor. As a sponsor of 2 children myself, it’s well worth the commitment and small monetary sacrifice to receive letters from them and see the smiles on their beautiful faces!

The Guesthouse

This is important to me because it is my current residence. It also serves as the home of Rose and her children. Although it serves as a great place to lay my head at night, it is still unfinished and in need of improvements. Please consider helping us finish the house and who knows, God may lay a visit to Tumaini on your heart and you may need a cozy (term used loosely :) )place to stay!

7^th grade Classroom

The new school year begins January 3, 2010 and the children from grade 6 are excited to be promoted to the 7^th grade. There’s only one problem, the classroom is only halfway completed. Consider what it would be like to have class in a room with dirt floors and no windows. These kids deserve the best education possible and that includes starting their school year in a COMPLETED functional classroom.

Car Maintenance Fund

Okay so this would be my pick if I wanted to make a difference and I didn’t want the hassle of a long-term commitment… A one-time gift will work just fine. Actually, I just made a one-time contribution myself. I was to be in Kakamega in an hour (it takes 30 minutes to get there) for a very important sponsorship meeting, when Rose’s sister says to me… the tire has a puncture! Uuhhhhh, so frustrating, but not surprising if you look at the conditions of the roads. This was our 2^nd puncture since the car arrived in August. So I drove the car to Kakamega on the spare (scary) and purchased a new one at the bargain price of $100.00. Now I classify myself as a missionary and I don’t always have $100 just lying around. It just so happened that the Lord led me to make this purchase and encourage others to help out as well. If I can find the money to contribute then anyone can! Gas is also a burden in that it cost $1 per liter, which is about $4.00 per gallon. We don’t get great gas mileage in Kenya because of all the stop and go in dodging people and potholes. I must say the car has been an absolute blessing in that we are now able to get children to the hospital when they are sick and gather supplies from town without having to pay a taxi an outrageous amount to take us back to the rural areas. But with this blessing has come the overwhelming task of keeping Freida (the pride of Kenya) on the road. Please consider helping us with Maintenance cost and therefore enable us to use the car to better serve the children.

Check out the Tumaini Website and give as the Lord Leads!!!!

www.tumainimilesofsmiles.org

If you would like to support me or any of these urgent needs BY CHECK, feel free to send a check made out to International Sports Federation, PO Box 2788, Acworth, GA 30102. Make sure you put in the memo line which urgent need you are contributing to or to generally support what God is allowing me to do, write "Amanda Walton" on the memo line. Thank you so much for believing in what God is allowing me to be a part of here in Kenya. I could not do this without the prayer and financial support that God has provided to me through you!

Overcoming Obstacles

I recently began driving to and from town. It’s about a 15-mile drive and it takes a minimum of 35 minutes to get there. Why you may ask…well first of all it’s my first time ever behind the wheel of a car with the steering wheel on the right therefore also my first time keeping left. In addition to this, there are many many… did I say many obstacles. Potholes the size of the car and almost as deep as they are wide, cows, goats, children as young as 3 walking along the side of the road, bicycles that never look back, tractors carrying sugarcane stacked as wide as the road, matatu’s that seem to be qualifying for the Indy 500, construction that detours onto a bicycle path now serving as the main road still accommodating all of the above…. It’s a wonder I ever make it to town at all. Once I arrive I have to pay to park and gas is over $1 per liter. So I think it ‘s safe to say obstacles are abundant.

Today the children were at school and in the afternoon I saw the storm clouds rolling in. They were in the last class of the day learning their respective subjects when rain started to fall on the tin roof. It didn’t take long for the pitter- patter t on the roof to evolve into a deafening sound. It’s impossible for the teacher’s voice to project over the noise. So what’s one to do???? They had to wait 30 minutes to resume the lesson. Oh yeah and I forgot to mention the kids have 1 textbook per 3 or 4 kids. They all crowd around the book, dying to get a good look at it. They want to learn… it’s their only hope of overcoming the death grip of poverty. How’s that for obstacles.

I could go on and on and on about the abundance of obstacles here, but I won’t. That would be giving the enemy too much credit. The truth is that obstacles are being overcome here everyday. God is at work in a mighty way, and I have to choose joy!!!! I have to choose to fight. I have to choose to trust that the Lord has it all under control.

I will say with great joy that the grace of Christ is with me! In the daily obstacles I see God so clearly in the eyes of the children. I see him in the majesty of a sunrise over the mountain and in the wrath of the storm. Every time the storm comes, it too shall pass and the sun returns to reveal the glory of the Lord in all things living and thriving. The storm is necessary and it tests the faithfulness of all creation. So lets give thanks to the Lord for He is good and his love endures forever!!!

*I’m usually not one to cut and paste parts of scripture and all of Psalm 107 is amazing… just listed my favorite parts to save space J

Psalm 107

Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So

¹ Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever!

² Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,

whom he has redeemed from trouble

³ and gathered in from the lands,

from the east and from the west,

from the north and from the south.

⁸ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

for his wondrous works to the children of men!

⁹ For he satisfies the longing soul,

and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

²⁸ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

and he delivered them from their distress.

²⁹ He made the storm be still,

and the waves of the sea were hushed.

³⁰ Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,

and he brought them to their desired haven.

³¹ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

for his wondrous works to the children of men!

³⁵ He turns a desert into pools of water,

a parched land into springs of water.

³⁶ And there he lets the hungry dwell,

and they establish a city to live in;

³⁷ they sow fields and plant vineyards

and get a fruitful yield.

⁴³ Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;

let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

Sabbatical Adventures

Since I still find myself behind in posting and I could write for hours about these adventures I think I will just settle for listing some fun and refreshing happenings on my 2 week journey away from Tumaini:

Ate Ox testicles at the Carnivore in Nairobi… I thought the server said ostrich meat balls so I said sure… it was not until it was on my plate that he rephrased Ox testicles…. What was a girl to do, but enjoy the savory taste with my dear friend Bellar.

Experienced God’s creation at Maasai Mara… we stayed in a tented camp and learned more about the traditional Maasai warriors. We also saw a lion walk right in front of our safari van as well as the migrating buffalo and one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen.

Spent a few days in Mombasa with Rose and SaraBeth. Our business there was to buy a car but it was also refreshing to see the Indian Ocean, camels on the beach, and to relax for a spa day including a much wanted pedicure! We also had some time with Rose to discuss the future of Tumaini… and I must say God is doing some amazing things in and thru Rose.

Traveled to Uganda (against my mother’s wishes) we walked across the border and looked into some other possible places of ministry. We met with a pastor named Geoffrey and he took us to several places.

Tororo: our first stop of many and there was something really unsettling about the place we stayed…. It was almost as if my spirit sensed that something really bad had taken place in our room…. I couldn’t wait to get out of there the next morning. We walked to the bus stop and I stood for 45 minutes until there was a vacant seat. I was so tired and sick, so it was a tough 45 minutes but I slept the remainder of the 6-hour bus ride.

Lira: Met Geoffrey’s pastor friend Joel for lunch and then he took us around the city. We toured his church and a hospital with a maternity ward. I’ve never seen anything like it… women laying on the floor on a mat in labor, other women with their newborns laying right beside another woman struggling thru labor… the most disturbing part…..There were no men in sight, the women go thru this process on their own, some even walking or riding a motorbike to the hospital. There were no families waiting with video cameras or gifts, no fathers, no coaches, no private rooms, no beds. Just women bringing life into this world… ALONE!

Lira to Gulu: Rode in a taxi car and ran out of gas, then when we arrived at the gas station the driver only put 1 liter of gas in the tank… enough to get us to the next station. Later I noticed the driver dropping money out the window along our way… come to find out he was bribing people to help him thru police checkpoints b/c he was carrying too many passengers. We finally came to a checkpoint where the police could not be bribed and our driver was fined for having 2 people and a chicken in the trunk. When we arrived in Gulu we met Geoffrey’s pastor friend Michael. Gulu is the site of the original Invisible Children documentary. We learned a lot about the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) from Michael firsthand. He was abducted and held captive for 5 excruciating days by the Rebels before he escaped. The army looked for him for 3 years after that and God spared his life and always helped him escape recapture. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a more captivating story of God rescuing one of his faithful servants…. This ranks right up there with the fiery furnace.

Gulu to Nebbi: At first this was an exciting drive. Alex, another pastor friend of Geoffrey picked us up and we found out we would get to cross the Nile River today. I actually put my feet in the Nile… very cool! My excitement was replaced with a somber spirit as we learned of the great massacres that took place as recent as 2007 along the short stretch of road we were traveling. All I could think about was the fear in the hearts of the people as they traveled that way. I can’t even imagine the blood shed and in such a beautiful place nestled between the Nile. Geoffrey would point out to us the remnants of camps where those from the bush would gather for safety and told us his own stories of fear becoming a reality as he was shot in one of the Rebel’s ambushes.

Nebbi: This was my favorite city on the Uganda tour and it was the place where Geoffrey currently resides. There the Lord allowed me to speak to the children of his church. I shared with them a short sermon from 1 Timothy 4:12. Many of these children are orphans and have been left behind because of AIDS or war. My heart broke as I raised my hand to give one of the children a high five and he shuttered at my hand in fear…. I really don’t know what to say to that, other than the scars of war remain… and they are DEEP!!!!! Here we met one of Geoffrey’s best friends named Stanley. He has the joy of the Lord all over him and we enjoyed visiting with him and his family. Both of these men are a true testimony to what it means to live by faith.

Nebbi to Arua: The following morning we left for Arua and on our way we stopped to visit a plot of land where Geoffrey hopes to establish a community that takes care of orphans and widows, referred to by Geoffrey as Acres of Hope. These kids from nearby followed us and taught us to play this really cool game with a top made of wood and a stick with twine on it.. It was fun and the kids were impressed that I caught on so quickly. I also taught them how to make a whistle out of grass. Stanley commented on the sign from God that all the children were drawn to this place. When we arrived in Arua we went to the market and then to a very good restaurant called White Castle for a burger and pizza…. Ummmm good!!!!! After that we drove to the Congo border (again don’t tell mom) but I did stand in the Congo just long enough to snap a quick photo! After that adventure we went to the place where Geoffrey was raised and met his brother’s family. He then showed us the house that he is building little by little so that he can rent it and generate income for his family and ministry. At sunset we went for a walk in the market and then we were off to board the night bus to Kampala.

Night bus to Kampala: This was an adventure! First the guy outside the bus was screaming instructions about how to board the bus in Kiswahili. Then they search all your things (which is a good thing). Then we hear from Geoffrey that we will arrive at 4am but we are not allowed off the bus until 6am because it’s too dangerous. Just as we were getting settled on the bus the conductor boards and says Welcome to the night bus. If you need to vomit we will provide you a bag. Only vomit in the bag and when you are finished please throw the bag out the window. If you do not the whole bus will smell like vomit, which will whereby cause others to vomit. Please do not throw any other rubbish out the window… only vomit. Now, would anyone like to pray for us? The highlight of this ride was when I woke up just in time to see the reflection of the full moon in the Nile River below…. Awesome!

Kampala to the Border: Man am I glad God did not call me to the city. Give me the rural areas any day. I did not like the city but we were only there a couple of hours before it was time to board a matatu for the border city of Malaba. I prayed for people of peace along the way and the Lord provided. As we approached the border we began to inquire about the best route back to Tumaini. There was a lady named Lydia who was from Kakamega but she was traveling to eldoret and she said we could go with her and she would make sure we arrived at our next stop. When we arrived at the border her brother in law was waiting with a SUV and instead of traveling by matatu, they gave us a free ride to our stop. We even stopped along the way for a soda and snack.

Back at Tumaini: It was so good to be back at Tumaini. The adventure was a blast and I love to travel, but there’ s just something nice about being in your own bed… even if it is still thousands of miles from home. To see the kids, to see Rose, and to have fresh eyes gazing upon all God is doing here… IT’s good to be back at Tumaini!