Today we’re sharing the third post from our trip to Kakuma Refugee Camp at the end of February. (Click over to see the first and second posts.)
Our first stop on our last full day was to meet with a small church just outside Kakuma before driving further north. As I mentioned in one of the earlier posts, it’s common in Kenya to offer guests a meal when they visit. The small church didn’t have a building and the people had very little, but they graciously gave us a goat in place of a meal. We were so moved by their act of generosity. The only place to put her was in the back of the ambulance that part of our group was using as transportation that day, so she rode along. We later gave her to a family who prepared meals for us during our stay. Meat is truly a gift in Turkana County. Many were blessed by the gift of this goat.
Following that brief meeting, we drove two hours north to Lokichoggio, which is just a few kilometers from the border of South Sudan. Throughout our drive, we noticed a few things that were previously pretty unfamiliar to us. Like this camel crossing sign.
And then we saw the camels! It was estimated that this lanky, little camel was about two days old. The tower of dirt behind mama and baby was made by termites. These termite towers all across the northern terrain. The tallest one we saw was about 15 feet high!
Lots of wide open, incredibly dry space.
This was one style of home along our drive.
This was another.
Domes are made with sticks and branches, then covered with pieces of whatever is available. The nomadic Turkana tribe uses this style of home because it can be easily taken apart and moved to a new location as they follow their grazing animals.
We visited one new church that was only three weeks old. What an honor to be with them! The church consisted of an extended family, which is often how churches begin here. We prayed together and asked God to open ways for their church to grow and for their neighbors to know the real love of Jesus.
Following our fellowship with the new church group, we drove far outside of town, a ways down a dusty, sandy road, parked where the road ended, and began walking. We heard singing even before we could see the beautiful colors of the wraps worn by these Turkana women, dancing beneath a tree. This is the Elelea Church (which means spring of life), worshipping in the ever-moving shade of a giant tree.
As is tradition, we were each asked to give a message to those who had gathered to greet us. I learned quickly during our time in Turkana County that sharing greetings from our children brings great joy to the people. I also shared words of encouragement for the mamas, reminding them that God sees their hard work and sacrifices for their families. We may come from very different places, but before God, we are all one. I look forward to spending more time with these traditional Turkana people in the future.
Back in Lokichoggio, we had the privilege of touring a government hospital with the Medical Director of West Turkana County. It was built in 1986 and was originally a fully-staffed, 700-bed hospital during the civil war in Sudan. The hospital is incredibly well-outfitted with modern technologies, provided by the Kenyan government. However, like many facilities in the region, recruiting staff has been nearly impossible. Therefore, this hospital almost always has less than 30 patients at a time, mostly cared for by a small nursing staff. Part of our call at Tenwek is to teach national medical officers to become missionary doctors in order to provide desperately needed medical care in areas such as Lokichoggio and Kakuma.
On our way out of town, we stopped near the border to have a time a prayer for South Sudan. We took the photo like this because, a few months earlier, the Bishop of the Africa Gospel Church was visiting the very same spot and took a similar photo. We sent him the photo to show we share the church’s vision and want to be a part of what God does along the border over the next few years!
On our last morning, we drove to the Kakuma airstrip early to get our flight in before the heat in the air made the ride too choppy. These boys were quite curious about what we were doing as we waited for our plane.
As we waited, this van pulled up on the road beside us. We couldn’t believe it! Pete asked the driver if he had any idea what the decal on his van meant, but he didn’t. One of the most remote places I’ve ever been and we found a Minnesota Timberwolves sticker!
Visiting Kakuma and northern Turkana County with this small team of our friends was incredible. It was a whirlwind few days, but God opened our eyes to possibilities for sharing the Gospel in the area.
Pete will be taking a discovery team up to Kakuma at the end of May to explore more of the medical facilities and meet again with some of the pastors. The trip will enable us to plan more specifically for teams of medical professionals to travel there from Tenwek Hospital in order to provide specialized, short-term clinics and Bible teaching. Many of our colleagues have expressed interest in being a part of the medical work there, and we look forward to working alongside the AGC Church to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the people God puts before us. Will you pray with us for this vision? We’re excited to see where God leads!
