Rains and Youth Workers

Today, we were invited by Pastor Kinyoa to come to Kihesa Lutheran to see the Compassion Kids that gather at the Life Skills Center each Saturday (about 270 we were told.)

Part of the joy in Africa is meeting people and finding out about their lives and the way Christ is working-never knowing quite what you are getting into. Today was another one of those days. (Hmmmm, the last day like this was the Sending Service of Pastor Koko’s daughter, also at Kihesa. ) We arrived at Kihesa about 1:30pm. The sky had been looking cloudy off and on all day. Rain had been predicted for yesterday and today. Yesterday, nothing came. So I wasn’t really expecting too much today, although we haven’t had rain since September 29^th, and on average there are  4 days of rain in October.

As we drove up the hill to Kihesa, the drops started hitting our car. Turning toward the church, we could see many children, all dressed in the same school uniforms. They were just starting to gather under the large eaves around the church. Eventually we were directed upstairs to Shem’s office. Shem has been around Kihesa for a long time. He even remembers my sister Melissa from 2002. Shem looks pretty young, so I am not sure how old he was then but now he is the Youth Director. He coordinates the Life Skills Center and Christian Education programs for Youth. It was very fun to compare notes on confirmation and Christian Education. The youth here only go to confirmation for one year-but they go three days a week: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Then they move up into the Youth program.

As we sat in Shem’s office, the rain kept pouring down outside. It was amazing to see the town of Iringa, get bathed in water. Kihesa sits up on a hill, so we got to look down on much of Iringa, foggy and wet, taking in the moisture. Soon Shem brought in Subira to meet us. Subira is the social worker for the Compassion Program, which soon became apparent, was Compassion International. I don’t know how many Youth events/concerts/conventions I have been at with a Compassion International booth. It was so amazing to get to see it in action.

Subira’s job as the social worker is to oversee and keep up with the details of all the kids in the program. Most kids have a sponsor - 182 from the US, the rest from a variety of other countries (including a few from Cuba???) Subira oversees the Saturday program (and the 12 leaders who help run the program). The kids were being fed a meal when we left about 3:30pm. When Subira took us to her office we could see shelves of binders, each with a number on it. Each kid has a binder. Her record keeping is amazing. No computer, no typewriter. The kids will write letters to their sponsors on one form (different forms for different ages of kids.) Then she meticulously copies it twice. Once to put in their folder. Once to send to the headquarters in Arusha, to be translated before being mailed to the sponsors. There are also pictures taped inside the folder. One for each year to see how they grow.

Subira explaining the Compassion files

Subira does many home visits during the week. Most of the children are orphans living with other relatives, living with a single parent, or in some sort of situation that makes them vulnerable. It is Subira’s job to keep up on transitions in their living/schooling situation. I am sure this is not an easy job.

Subira explained that there are two other people on staff: a health worker and one other position I didn’t really understand. They are overseen by committee’s - mostly from the church I think? Subira was a young woman from the general Iringa area. I was impressed with Compassion for hiring someone from the area who would know and understand the culture and the community and it's needs.

Subira and me

I really enjoyed getting to know both Shem and Subira and am looking forward to going back. They have welcomed us back any Saturday. They play games and do crafts with the kids. They would welcome us helping them with English.

While Noel might feel right at home in the academic community at Tumaini, and for Dale worship and preaching is where he thrives: the chance to talk to Shem and hear about the work Subira and her crew are doing is right up my alley.  Not to mention that both Shem and Subira had great senses of humor. Maybe I will share my match-making thoughts in a further blog…

The other amazing thing about today was the rain. It rained for a good hour and quite hard. Sharon commented at supper, that considering how dry Minnesota was before we left, it was hard to remember when we have experienced so much rain. It makes the whole city of Iringa look different - wet roads, wet and shiny metal roofs on buildings. One of the things about being here for three months that I was looking forward to was watching the transition from dry season “yellow season” toward the rainy season” green season”. Shem asked us today if we have a rainy season in MN. We tried to explain winter. We have heard that these last few months of the yellow season are emotionally the hardest for people (and  animals) as they await the growth that will come with the rains. Maybe somewhat like the cold and darkness of our January and February.

Here is a picture of Tobie outside of our apartment by the drainage ditch we have been jumping over for a month now. It was fun to see the ditch with some water in it. Stay tuned for more pictures as we get more rains. Maybe the deep ditches will fill up!?

"Hey Look!  Water!"