# Visit Sept/Oct 23 Pamela and Ken
Bravely setting out on Saturday 21st October for Dabel as planned we were not to travel far on the marram road before the action
Travelling in Kenya has changed much for the better in the last 25 years, but challenges can still overcome you during the wet season particularly in the less well-developed areas of the North.
The photos explain our failure to reach our project at Dabel (65 children in a meals, ministry and support project at a primary school), during our weeklong trip to the far North and Ethiopian border area. The time was nevertheless fruitful visiting Raphael and Lucy and seeing the children at Ndikir, Laisamis. Meeting David and BJ the couple from the USA we help support at Marsabit along with the two disabled local children they care for and having time with the Children’s Officer and the Sisters of Charity at Marsabit. The latter having brought to Kindfund 8 young children and the former 6 young children in the last 3 years.
The inclement weather enabled us to have time at Moyale with Fred the leader of our Dabel project but unfortunately, we missed his wife and co-worker Emily who had remained at Dabel. We were staying at St Pauls Anglican guest house at Moyale where we knew the vicar John from his time in Isiolo and his generosity to Pamela, Gillian and the Ngaremara children during a security incident at Ngaremara a few years ago. We were made very welcome and enjoyed the fellowship.
Bravely setting out on Saturday 21st October for Dabel as planned we were not to travel far on the marram road before the action of the heavy rain during the night and on previous days took its toll. Twice we were able to remove the vehicle from the shoughs but by the third time some 5 kms after leaving the tarmac we were bogged with no hope of escape without stronger manpower than what was available. It was raining and matters could only get worse. We made a quick decision to leave the vehicle to the driver and a couple of helpers and strike out back towards Moyale on foot.
Thankfully after only 40 minutes walking on the muddy road in the rain we were able to hire a small vehicle which had discharged its passengers to return to Moyale because of the conditions.
The additional time with Fred was well invested discussing the key issues in the Dabel programme and being encouraged by the work there.
Sunday was to be our day of rest before returning to Ngaremara. What a lovely time of worship and fellowship we had on the Sunday morning at St Pauls. The worship at the 8am English service was warming and lively and raised our spirits.
This was a short 5 week visit by Pamela and me. It was busy and fruitful with the following highlights: - On arrival in Nairobi at the end of September we had a meeting with our Advocates to discuss the recent formation of Kindfund Foundation Charitable Trust
Apart from Dabel we had time at each of the other three projects and particularly at Ngaremara and Wamba. We were able to update ourselves on developments, deal with the main issues and spend some time with the children. Pamela spent time with the teenage girls speaking with them and answering their questions. She was also very pleased to see our disabled 3 year old at Ngaremara now walking and running and beginning to speak, amazing for cerebral palsy. I visited the KRA (Kenya Revenue) offices in Isiolo and County Land Officers at Isiolo and Maralal, in addition to our accountants to receive advice on the way forward with the Trust. Agreement was reached with the Education Department at Wamba to improve the education of our classes 3 to 6 in the new Primary structure by moving them to a smaller nearby village school with much smaller classes and where our ability to help would be of significant impact. Finally, we were able to meet our secondary school and Polytechnic students as well as those in class 8 primary who will be sitting the last KCPE exams, this very week, as Kenya embarks on a restructured education system. Along with a few of our teenagers sitting KCSE over the November period we hold them all in prayer. It is worth mentioning that 7 of our teenage children are now at high grade secondary schools and two of them at different schools are number 1 in their forms at the end of their first year. Our God is in the transformation business, and we are thankful to him for that.Conclusion
We have progressed some areas and we have seen how God is enabling a good work transforming the poor, forgotten and abandoned children into the adults he planned.
We have been encouraged to make ourselves available for God’s work as we see the tangible difference in young lives.
We are thankful that our health has been good throughout the visit.
As Paul remarked, to paraphrase, we are hard pressed, challenged and at times exhausted but the unspeakable joy of knowing God’s love and being his instruments in sharing that love with the neediest in Society enables us to press on.
We give God thanks and praise for you all who support this work even more as you do not have the personal contact and joy of seeing God at work through it. As you read this short report may you experience some of that inner joy welling up to overflowing within. God is faithful and the time is short.
As you can see word got out that someone was having a birthday. A surprise invitation to tea with the owner of the Bomen hotel in Isiolo and the arrival of the cake. The children at Ngaremara enjoyed after Pamela and I had a small slice.
added on Oct 30Give thanks to the Lord for he is good
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