UN Russian Helicopter

On Monday I moved from Harvesters orphanage in Yei to their new orphanage in Terekeka, which is about 150 miles north. The road is really bad from Yei to Juba and I was able to catch a free ride on a old Russian UN helicopter. What a kick.  Got to ride this cool old helicopter instead of spending six hours getting beat to death on very rough road.  Lance and Kim who run the Terekeka compound picked me and a brother and sister from Arkansas who wanted to visited Terekeka also, in Juba.  We got to Terekeka in the afternoon and it seemed like we went a long way back in time.  Wow, this is one fascinating place.  We are considered in the middle of the bush on the mighty Nile river.  A crocodile is seen now and then, lots of snakes to include green mambas and cobras and it is a lot hotter than Yei.  Internet is by generator and satellite and strength of connection is always questionable, but I hope to share a  lot about this amazing place.
Blessings from the bush in South Sudan

Go To Guy

Pastor Dennis and Mama Lillie Klepp are the founders of Harvesters and they run the show.  But for day to day operations and when the Klepps are gone they have to have a very talented person to keep things running smoothly.  During the week it is normal to have over 800 people at Harvesters, so keeping things running smoothly is a daunting task.  Their go to guy is a very nice man they call Mr. Morris.
Maurice Akuno is 48 and he was born in Kisumu, Kenya and is of the Luo tribe. He is married and has four children.  His family lives in Mombasa, Kenya and that is very hard on him as he is in South Sudan most of the time.  After he graduated high school his brother offered to pay his way through a university in India.  However, after one year his brother lost his job and Maurice was on his own in a foreign land.  Instead of coming home he stuck it out and finished his college degree on his own, many times living on the streets.  Eight years ago Maurice came to Harvesters as a teacher.  Now he is the compound director and this man has a huge job that he takes very seriously and does very well.  I hope he thinks of me as a friend as much as I do him.
Blessings from South Sudan

Rush Hour

Almost every evening after dinner I go for a walk around the perimeter of the compound.  This small effort at some exercise after eating more beans and rice has become quite enjoyable.  50% of the time I am able to watch  the last part of a soccer game and these kids are fun to watch.  From there I make it to the back corner of the property which has a lot of plant growth, so I have to watch for snakes.  Then I go through the area that the housemothers are doing the laundry by hand for their kids. About half way through this little walk I come to the road that adjoins the compound.  A vehicle will come through this area at the rate of about one an hour.  There is however, a lot of foot and bicycle traffic and  you can see some real interesting characters on this road.  But just whipping your camera out and start taking pictures is a no no.  In fact it can become a problem so we just don't do it.  The above picture was taken on the sly, but it give you an idea of some of the comings and goings of this area.
Blessings from Harvesters, South Sudan

A True Rose

My last blog I talked about the food that the kids get here.  The lady who is charge of making sure those 600 kids get something to eat is an amazing lady.  She has been with Harvesters almost since the very beginning and she is a kick.  She has seen it all.  She has seen the kids scared to death because Joseph Kony and the LRA were near by.  She has seen babies die and she has seen a tremendous amount of kids get a chance in life.  I like her and we had fun while she let me hang out in her very hot kitchen for a day.

Rose Itiya is 39 years old and born right here in Yei, South Sudan.  Itiya is from the Kakuwa tribe and is a widow with four children all who she has put through school.  I salute this very nice woman and her wonderful staff.  They are amazing.  They work 13 hour days and they always have a smile. I am also proud that  Sarah, a friend of mine from Oregon sponsors Itiya.  Thank you Sarah for helping make a much better life for these kids.

African Orphanage Food

Today I spent several hours with six ladies as they went about their business of preparing lunch for 600 kids.  What a daunting task.  It was warm today, real close to 100 in the shade.  The kitchen where these ladies prepare all this food is wide open because the cookers are all heated with wood.  It was exceptionally hot in there.  The picture is of my lunch.  The white food is called porsho.  It is made with maze flour and water and a little salt.  A lot like corn meal.  The sauce is very salty and is made with oil, water, and onions.  The fish is smoked and dried and there is nothing missing.  They don't bother cleaning them.  And yes, for those of you who are wondering, I did eat the whole thing. The kids that live here get this for lunch and the kids that just come here for school get porsho and beans.  For many of the kids who don't live here, this is there only meal of the day.  They actually have trouble with some kids faithing on Monday mornings because they have not eaten since their lunch Friday........ bon appetit from South Sudan

LOOKOUT WORLD!! Here I Come!!

Yesterday was a pretty special day for me.  Kerry, a visiting nurse from Tasmania/Houston/Kampala took me to the hospital here at Harvesters.  She wanted me to meet three special ladies along with their three special babies.  One lady by the name of Rose was having serious problems giving birth and four members of her family carried her several miles  by hand on her little mattress.  Two moms had twins but both lost one because they were so small. This little girl does not have a name yet because they will have a special ceremony at which time they will name her.  I have to tell you it was pretty hard on this old bird holding that little girls tiny little hand, knowing that if this hospital had not been here she would have died.  Pretty special moment for me.....

157 Kids Call Me Mama

What would you do if you were born and raised in Western Kenya.  Married and working toward your degree in counseling psychology, but needed a job.  Well Josephine found a job alright, not in Kenya but in South Sudan at Harvesters as the Orphanage Supervisor.  Which means she is the head mama for 157 kids and let me tell you, she does it well.  She knows every kid by name, where they came from and how long they have been here.  I have got to know Josephine pretty well and she is a kick.  But to tell you the truth I like her daughter better.  Adrielle graced the cover of this very blog a few day ago under the title of "Looking Good".
Josephine Wanjiku Kigundu.  Born in West Kenya 33 years ago, married, and comes from the Kikuyu tribe.  She has been with Harvesters for almost five years.  She love Jesus and these kids and the kids love her back.  Very fine lady....