Sunday, September 7, 2008

Welcome Everyone!!


WE LEAVE FOR AFRICA ON FRIDAY!

SEPTEMBER 6
Why does a hurricane have to be coming this week?! It's looking like Ike is going to be staying to the south of us. I'm finally - well almost finally - packed and I hope to get rested up this next week before we fly out. A friend told me that we ought to be getting to bed earlier each night and waking up earlier to let our bodies begin now to adjust to an 8-hour time difference. It's hard to get to sleep though, because I'm so wound up! But my goal is to be asleep by 8:00 p.m. the night before we leave. We'll be leaving for the airport around 4:00 a.m.



I found a nifty currency converter (you can see the link it on the right upper corner). One US dollar is worth about .73 Kenyan Schillings (KES). You can go to: http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.co.uk/time-zone/africa/kenya/time.htm and see what time it is there. You can go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day_f.shtml?world=0129 and see a 5-day weather forecast. It looks like it's generally about 78 during the day and 55 at night. Our elevation is 5,672 feet above sea level which makes for low humidity! You can go to: http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/worldmusic/view/page.basic/country/content.country/kenya_172?fs=travel.nationalgeographic.com and hear a little bit of Kenyan music if you want.



For those who have given socks and seeds and support funds, I thank you sincerely and ask that everyone be praying for us this month of September (we leave on the 12th) and the first week of October (we return on the 11th) every time we come to mind. I'm planning on starting a new Post for In Africa soon!



AUGUST 31
Hurricane season has finally arrived to remind us how small we are and how powerful God is!! Hanna has thankfully passing us by, and Ike is due to arrive at southern Florida sometime next week possibly as a CAT 3. We'll probably get lashed with some strong winds and rain up here in Merritt Island. We pray that the lives and property of many will be spared.


Wow!! Having a hurricane off your coast can make for some gorgeous sunrises! I took this pic from my kitchen window yesterday morning.



Patrick took us to the beach after dinner to check out the erosion the news had been reporting and found someone had written into the erosion wall.

Early this morning I woke up wondering what it will soon be like to be staring out at 300 little curious Kenyan faces at the Mitumba slum school. Being among 1.5 million people living in gigantic slum cities around Nairobi, their life situation is dire. They don't fully realize what a difficult, diseased and death-filled future awaits them in this world. When they see us, I wonder what questions will be in their minds? Who are these two foreign women? Why are they here?

The question in my own mind is: What can we bring 8,000 miles across the world to these little ones that will benefit and impact them for life?

Our conclusion is that the best thing we can bring them is hope of a rich spiritual future filled without out tears and sickness and death; a future in a kingdom beyond their wildest dreams. We will bring them the hope of the incredible free gift of God's salvation through faith in Jesus of Nazareth. For the present and immediate future, we will teach them to be rich in love and we hope that long after we're back in our own land, that they will remember our message of hope.





Amidst final packing preparations, yesterday I took McKenna to Wycliffe in Orlando, since she'd never been there before. It's a missionary organization and I thought it would be encouraging to go there and see what other missionaries have done and are doing. Boy, were we encouraged!! Here's an excerpt from their website:

"Wycliffe USA is part of an international association of organizations dedicated to seeing God's Word become accessible to all people in the language that speaks to their heart. Wycliffe’s staff is passionate about the glory of God through the translation of His Word for all peoples of the earth in the language they understand best." (http://www.wycliffe.org/About.aspx)

A volunteer named Marty introduced us to several staff members after she took us on a tour. We got to sit at length with Diane, Gary, Carolyn and Ruth and ply them with questions! They were so patient with us, and we learned many very helpful facts. We left feeling more ready than ever to get on a plane in a week and fly to Africa!!!

Please keep us in your prayers starting now!

AUGUST 24
I find I wake up thinking Africa...what time is it there? I need to add page numbers to the program schedule... I've got to get the wording on that puppet show simplified so they can understand easily... I've got to get those sashes ready for the human video... I've got to get those new songs onto CD for Ann... Gotta get my passport copied and laminate the song sheets...Etc. !!

This past week I've been feverishly working on time management for our first week spent at the Mitumba Slum School; polishing up puppet shows and messages and practicing songs and getting things needed including a chromatic pitch pipe in case my guitar gets damaged or lost, a portable music stand, paper bags to make 200 puppets, a rain poncho, a little suitcase with wheels etc. etc. etc. McKenna is working on a felt board project and a message for the children on Sept. 21 and practicing harmonies. We'll be hitting hard the Slum School week on Monday. Ann said she's prepared our room for us at Diguna!

We'll be spending the first week at Mitumba with 200 children on Tues. - Friday for 2 1/2 hrs. a day not including lunch time. (Note: we'll not be eating lunch there as the food is very scarce. The children only get one meal a day at the school.) We'll have 4-5 yr. olds from 10:00 - 10:30; 6-7 yr. olds from 11:00-12:00; they then have lunch and then we'll have 8-14 yr. olds from 2:00-3:00. We'll be working with a small special group of older children who on Sunday morning will present to their church a program I've written for them.

On Saturday Sept. 20th we'll have an additional 300 children! Then the next day on Sunday about hundreds of children (don't know how many) all squeezed into a room the size of my little living room. I think McKenna and I are feeling excited and overwhelmed at the same time! We are happy to be bringing a message of hope to these little ones who are among 1,500,000 living in slum cities in Nairobi.

On Saturday Sept. 20th we'll also have the privilege of talking through an interpreter (the children speak English) to hundreds of "slum mama's" who are very depressed from what I've been told. They feel they have no future, no purpose and we are happy to bring them a message of the hope of a bright future through faith in Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Please pray for us if we come to mind the next couple of weeks!!

NAIROBI
In Nairobi, Kenya, approximately 60 percent of its two and a half million inhabitants live in slums. That is SO mind-boggling. That's about 1,500,000 people living in slums.

Our first week in Kenya will be spent at Mitumba, a slum city. What exactly is a slum? UN-HABITAT attempts at a definition by describing a slum household as, "A group of individuals living under the same roof that lack one or more of the following conditions: access to safe water; access to sanitation; secure tenure; durability of housing; and sufficient living area.

"The majority of slum dwellers earn their living in informal but crucial activities, and therefore provide services that may not be so easily available through the formal sector. Many cities and industries would simply come to a halt without the labour provided by these dwellers." (Rasna Warah, a writer based in Nairobi, Kenya. )

What can we bring from America that could possibly impact those living in such dire circumstances? This is a question I asked myself. The only hope that we can bring is the hope that God offers: that of the gift of eternal life through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

The first week we're in Kenya we will be singing, speaking and doing puppet shows for about 500 children!We'll also be speaking with the "slum mama's," who are for the most part very depressed, and understandably so.

If you've never seen any photo's of a slum city, you can go to:o http://www.webshots.com/search?query=Kibera&new=1&source=chromeheader


USED SOCKS NEEDED!!!!
We want to bring socks to let the children make sock puppets. You know those socks that you thought you'd find the mate to and never have? We need them! Or if you have other used white or light-colored socks of any size - we can use them! Please call me at 321 452-4755 if we can come pick them up.

MARKERS NEEDED!
We need colored permanent markers so the children can make their sock puppet faces. If you can help out kindly let me know.

TRAVELING 8,011 MILES
I did a search to find out how many miles we're going to be traveling: 7,966!! Add on the 45 miles to the airport and we'll be a little over 8,000 miles away on foreign soil. We'll be traveling about 32 hours!

We'll be leaving for New York at 7:10 a.m. on September 12th, and will arrive in Dubai at 8:05 a.m.. Go figure! We'll be Time Travelers...

Dubai is an Emirate (a city) in the United Arab Emirates, a country formed in 1971 out of 7 different and locally run Emirates.

The UAE is in the Persian Gulf (though the UAE officially calls it the Arabian Gulf), bordering Saudi Arabia and Oman. Most of the country is desert, and most of the cities (including Dubai) are located on the coast of the Gulf. Dubai is toward the East of the country.

We'll be in Dubai for 2 1/2 hours. Then we fly on to Nairobi where we arrive at 2:50 p.m.

We have lots to do still in preparation. Please pray for us if we come to mind.


A few pics from our July SUMMER PRACTICE STUDY:





CHRISTMAS IN JULY ART SALE
Thank you so much for coming! Here's a few pics. Sorry we didn't get everyone. I'm so grateful for the use of my little paintings to help fund our mission trip to Kenya! McKenna and are practicing everyday. I've written three messages for our Kenyan brothers: "He was Looking" (about Abraham looking for a city built by God), "The Measure of a Woman," (How does God measure us?) and "The Cross of Christ in Times of Crisis."












We got to practice on our puppet show!





My art sale was a big part of my preparation for Kenya and now that it's behind me I feel that I'm oh so much closer to getting on that plane! We sang at First Baptist Merritt Island which was good practice for us. We sing for anyone who will endure our practicing!


It was really awesome to have folks in my home and to feel their loving encouragement. We ate chips and dip and stuff and chatted and all the while paintings disappeared from my walls. I hope that they are a warm spot in each home and that you'll say a little prayer for us when you look at them.

Thanks to each and everyone of you who came and supported me. Nancy, thanks so much for the beautiful tags and all you made and for helping me all day. McKenna, thanks for your help and how you drip honey onto my songs. May God be glorified.






Africa in 6 weeks!!






I've written four puppet shows using The Way of The Master method to evangelize children (if you haven't read about them, go to www.wayofthemaster.com). I've also written some songs specifically for the Kenyans, "Worthy Worthy;" "Are You Ready?", "The Eyes of the Lord," "There Is One Body," "Love Oneanother," and "He Who Walks."


I'm helping McKenna to come up with hand/body motions to help communicate these songs. Plus I've written a human video for the slum city kids to do. We're also working on some "oldies," like "Bread Of Heaven," Safe" and "The Blood Of Jesus." Plus we've learned five Swahili songs. And more!



(TRIP INFORMATION is in this post further below.)





I'm so glad to have as a traveling companion to Kenya - my sweet friend McKenna Taylor! We're learning a little Swahili (got some CD's from the library). Semahani, wafahamu Kingerezza? "Excuse me, do you speak English?"



We have a total of 21 songs that we are learning. Fourteen of them are little songs that I've written and I'm so thrilled to see them being used in Africa. Some you have heard "Bread of Heaven; Safe, and We Your People." I've also written songs specifically for the Kenyans and we're practing them too. We'll be singing a few hymns such as "Amazing Grace," and "All Hail the Power."




We've also learned five Swahili praise songs. Anita, a young Kenyan sister in Christ, sang them onto a CD. Anita leads worship at her church and she wants us to help her lead worship at her church with the Swahili songs. Gulp. Please pray for us!!



I've written a "human video" for the slum school. In Kenya we'll practice it each day at the slum school for a week and then the children will present it on Friday to their church, and possibly sing it for the radio.


There are three messages I've written to bring hope and encouragement to the Kenyans: The Measure of a Woman; He Was Looking (about Abraham looking for the city built by God); and The Cross of Christ in Times of Crisis. If you're interested in viewing any of these, please e-mail me at trishcampbell@cfl.rr.com and let me know. I can e-mail you the file.



McKenna and I have gone to the County Health Department and have gotten our immunization shots. It wasn't so bad! I got Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Hepititus A and B, and Polio. I was surprised about the Polio vaccination, but the nurse explained that there is "wild Polio" in Africa on the food. I've gotten back in for a followup on the Hepititus so I'm all set for Africa minus the Malaria which I'll start taking in a few weeks.



That catches you up for now. We're busy each day practicing and are finished with a little summer study and are very encouraged. On Monday July 28th we tested out one of our puppet show in front of some little ones and it was great!


TRIP INFORMATION
Ann Tayloe, my friend who lives in Africa and who works at BHB radio station, has asked me to come to Nairobi, Kenya to sing my little songs at schools, orphanages, churches, a slum school, at a concert, and to share the great hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ.


This is an answer to much prayer about how to serve God. He has certainly opened an amazing door!

















TRAVEL DATES
Leaving September 12 and returning October
11

As you see, we’ll be gone a month! Wow! Ann said she’ll have no problem keeping us busy for a month.

LIVING SITUATION
We’ll be staying with Ann and her husband Bob at the Diguna compound where they live about 30 minutes outside of Nairobi. Diguna is a German miss
ion that has been there in Kenya for 30 years. You can go tohttp://www.diguna.de/ueber_uns.html?&L=1 if you speak German, or http://www.diguna.de/home.html?&L=1 and read about them if you want. They have their own water system and housing that they built.

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR



















...so that you will PRAY FOR US. We don’t want to be out there alone!! Please, please remember us in prayer.


SEEDS – I want to bring in little packets of flower
and vegetable seeds to use as rhythm instruments, and then to give them to the children.

EXPENSES – We have our tickets!! So our needs aren’t huge. God is providing for transportation in Kenya, food etc.. Bob and Ann are not charging us rent. Wow!

ART SALE - Paul in the NT was a tentmaker. I decided
to try to raise the extra money needed for the trip with my own tentmaking enterprise: Hand-painted Art Works! Thanks to all who participated!


YOUR MISSIONARIES TO AFRICA




If you have any questions you can contact me via e-mail at trishcampbell@cfl.rr.com or call (321) 452 4755.

Don’t forget to take a moment now to mark your calendar so you can remember to pray for us!







































6 comments:

Jennifer said...

You can bet we will be praying for you and everyone there, Trish!! :)

xo-Jen

Dawn said...

Your blog looks great! I'm so glad you have this up so we can know all the details of your upcoming trip and ,of course, the things that happen during your trip too! I'm praying for you. Love you!

Unknown said...

Trish you are an extrordinary and gifted young woman!! You have touched so many lives for the Lord. Trish was one of my very first teachers after I was saved from the pit of certain eternal death. I am forever grateful for her spiritual guidance, knowledge and love for the Lord. The Lord has a special purpose for you. We will continue to keep you lifted in prayer for this amazing mission. I love you sweet sister!!! Forever Rejoicing in Jesus!! Lisa

Anonymous said...

Trish...I am so excited for you. I know how truly blessed the people will be by your "little songs". Your love for our Lord Jesus and desire to serve Him is such a blessing to me and so many others. When I read your blog I thought of the verse in Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart". He is an awesome God who honors His Word and I see it so clearly revealed through you. My prayers will go before you, may He annoint you powerfully in His Spirit to touch many lives for Jesus and expand His kingdom. God Bless your trip....God speed...Love you dear sister...sherry

Unknown said...

Yay mom! We will definitely keep you in prayer out here in California. I hope that God uses your songs over there to do a wonderful work! I love you!

Anonymous said...

My sweet sister, you've finally found your calling. May God bless you and McKenna on your journey to Africa, and may you touch the hearts of many people as you've touched mine, your little sister. Love you always, Michelle