This last week saw the discharge from hospital of the pregnant disabled lady who is now with us at Mailisita for bed rest. And already she is looking so much more happier and content from when we first met here, not having to be concerned where her next meal was coming from, or the stigma that she was having to bear.
The Masai mama with the lumps has already visited the dermatology department and has an appointment for the removal of some of the hanging tissue tomorrow.
We have been blessed with Jake Lyall the photographer from the States who had to make a hasty exit from Kenya where he had hoped to have taken shots of celebration, but instead had to flee as the fighting became worse and arrived at our doorstep unannounced at 10pm one evening. Jacob is documenting the history of LIA with photographs as he knew us when we first started on the mountain, so next week we shall have some new pictures to place on the site, thanks Jake.
I previously mentioned that I had made a decision to open the Food Kitchen for the many people suffering from the HIV/AIDS virus who were unable to obtain food, either through lack of employment or because they had become to weak to work.
Saturday found Pastor Frank and me in front of approx. 70 people who had arrived to obtain a plate of food, and wanting me to officially open the Adult Food Kitchen Program. I started by telling them how I had arrived in Tanzania from the UK and then explained all the work that LIA is now involved in. After I had finished, a mama stood up and asked if she could pray. The words that this mama spoke left everyone in tears......she cried out to God that no one wanted to know them and spoke badly of them, they had no food, or money for transport to access the drugs which could extend there lives and all the hope they had was that they would lay down and die quickly....... but now God had send Light in Africa to help them, and for the first time they had hope, that their lives would improve..... she also prayed for the staff of Light in Africa who had welcomed them to the Food Kitchen, instead of shunning them, and now they couldn’t wait for the next day to arrive, because they were assured of having a plate of food and a drink of tea, and for the first time they were all together in one room and friendships had been formed......it was just so emotional that I had to leave the room and have a good cry and to thank our staff that they had put there prejudices behind them to help these suffering people.
Be blessed
mama Lynn
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Dear Family, Friends and supporters of Light in Africa.
I really believed with all the upheaval over the Christmas period that we were now entering the New Year with a quiet, peaceful time...........alas, not so.
The 8th January, finds me waiting in the local hospital car park for two nurses who specialize in HIV/AIDS testing. It had been agreed by the doctor who manages the children in our homes that the nurses may accompany me to the mining town to do a pilot testing scheme, as I am very much aware there are many children who are orphaned and are not receiving any anti-retro virals which would enhance there lives ......
The testing station was held at Dr. Ninja's new dispensary which our volunteers built last year, and there were many clients awaiting our arrival. One maasai mama who was covered in lumps was feeding her baby whilst laying on the floor, waiting to ask for Light in Africa's help.
As the adults entered the room, after the customary greeting to me as an elder, there was much talk and counselling. The nurses were repeatedly explaining to me that they were being asked to thank the 'wazungu' (european) for feeding the children, but please, they were starving too, would I also feed them. Six hours later, I had been convinced that I had to open the Food Kitchen to the adults as well as the children.
So with a long list of names of needy - malnourished - patients that Dr. Ninja gave to me, I initiated the Adult Feeding Program which started yesterday. The adults attend between 10am - 12 noon, and the children attend from 1-30pm to 4- 30pm. We ended the clinic and put the maasai mama and her child in the vehicle to go back to Mailisita. Enroute, I receive a call from Anthony our Secretary. An ambulance has just pulled up from the hospital with two seriously sick HIV/AIDS children, where did he want me to place them?
One child was suffering from TB so they of course had to go into isolation..... We didn't arrive home until 8pm, it had been a long day.
The children were in a skeletal condition, the boy of 4 yrs weighed 8 1/2 kilos and the girl, 4 years, weighed 4 1/2 kilos. I am extremely happy today to say that with the special care our nursery staff have given, the boy is now walking and we pray they will continue to make good progress.
The following day I took the mama with the lumps completly covering her body to the dermatology clinic. The Professors where very interested in this case, and an appointment was made to remove the larger hanging tissues. Thankfully, it is not malignant.
On the 11 January, the police arrived at 9pm with a newly abandoned approx 1 month old baby girl.
At 11 pm our resident 20 year old with a learning disability and schitzophrenia decided to climb a tree and cause havoc. This meant a visit to the hospital at 1pm for sedation......... and that my dear friends just completed my day.
Previously, I wrote about a disabled young woman who was pregnant; hhe is now hospitalized and we are awaiting the outcome..... Prayers for this young women would be very much appreciated.
Bless you all abundanly - mama Lynn
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Hello dear family - friends and supporters of Light in Africa.
Over the New Year period I have received some lovely SMS messages and would like to share them with you as I too pass on these sentiments to one and all..........
MAY ALMIGHTY GOD BRING THE HEAVENS IN THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS THIS YEAR OF 2008 BE FULL OF GRACE AND PEACE ....DR. MINJA
UNDERNEATH THIS CHRISTMAS TREE IS MY WRAPPED GIFT OF PRAYERFUL WISHES OF PEACE LOVE AND JOY FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR IN 2008 .... MR. KESSEY TAXI DRIVER
EACH DAY TO YOU IS A GIFT FROM GOD; UNWRAP IT WITH ZEAL, WEAR IT WITH STYLE & CELEBRATE IT WITH GRATITUDE....
MAY GOD'S BLESSINGS BE WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES
AS WE ENTER IN TO THE NEW YEAR OF 2008 MAY THE LORD
- REMEMBER YOU LIKE NOAH,
- FAVOUR YOU LIKE JOSEPH
- FIGHT FOR YOU LIKE THE ISTRAELITES AND
- BLESS YOU LIKE SOLOMON AND GREET ALL PEOPLE WITH YOU .....
GOD BLESS YOU ....RITHA (15 YRS)LIA
GOD ISNT THE ELECTRIC COMPANY - BUT HE LIGHTS UP OUR LIVES.
GOD ISNT THE TELEPHONE COMPANY - BUT HE COMMUNICATES WITH US EVERY DAY.
GOD ISNT BAKHRESA, BUT HE GIVES US OUR DAILY BREAD.
GOD ISNT THE MOBILE COMPANIES - BUT HIS NETWORK IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE -
SO STAY CONNECTED WITH GOD - HAPPY DAYS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR ....PASTOR FRANK (LIA)
>
With these wonderful sentiments we start a new year at Light in Africa.
I would like to express our most deepest thanks to all of the volunteers who came to our mission and made a difference in the lives of the poor.
I would like to thank all the wonderful people who made a contribution to our mission either with prayer support - financialy - food - medicens or with gifts for our children. We bless and thank you all for your wonderful compassion, I can not repay you, only GOD HIMSELF can reward you for your giving, as it is clearly stated in the bible, "it is better to give than to receive", and I can assure you that this promise holds true, that I personally have no wants or needs and yet God is feeding and providing in the miraculous for all of the children in and out of our care. MAY GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU - WITH LOVE
MAMA LYNN
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WITH ABUNDANT BLESSINGS IN FRONT OF YOU FOR 2008 OF PEACE - JOY - LOVE - HEALTH - AND HAPPINESS, ALL THE VERY BEST OF BLESSINGS THAT GOD HAS TO OFFER.
When we welcome new volunteers to join us in our mission at Light in
Africa, on the following day of their arrival, we gently give them an
introduction in to what it means to volunteer with our 'grass roots'
organisation.
One of the comments I repeat is that they have to get used to the "F" word.
"Frustration" is the most stressful thing about living in this
wonderful country.
Having arrived from the west, we have our cultural stories of how
things should work, so when visitors arrive and things that are
planned don't work out as they should, then the frustration really
starts......for example, you can arrange to be collected to go on
out-reach at 8am, the vehicle doesnt arrive until 10-30am or you have
made arrangements for a meeting at 8am in the morning, and other
invited members saunter in at 11.30am with no explanation as to why
they are late, and you have just sat there twiddling your thumbs, the
slowness of pace, when one is used to be so 'time concious' as I say
can be very frustrating....and boy did I have a big dose of it on
Christmas Eve.
Each year our children receive two gifts for xmas. One is a new
change of clothes, and the second gift is a shoebox full of 'goodies'
which has been donated from the community around Grimsby Town in the
UK where I lived.
Lucky children who have sponsors also receive their parcels from there
sponsors if they have managed to arrive on time. Each year, we go to
the local airport to collect the boxes after which they are stored at
Malaika until the great day........... this year everything went wrong
wrong wrong: two pallets arrived on different cargo flights and
could not be found, until our Secretary found them in the warehouse in
different places; then right upto Christmas Eve the shoeboxes had not
been released from customs. Only with ultimatums been given were the shoeboxes
released and arrived at Malaika House at 4pm. Marcus
- Godilla - and myself were there into the early hours making sure the
children each had a gift for Christmas Day, going over and over again,
checking the names against the list, until we were satisfied that no
child would be missed out on Christmas Day......... But it was all
worth while ...... as the children enjoyed a wonderful xmas day,
and the following day, we had a wonderful meal, followed by a "water
fight". This is now traditional, something which my daughter
started, and the children won't let us stop it, as they get their
chance to chase and throw water all over me, the Pastor, the nurses,
the carers, the cooks, the cleaners and the maasai, who are the watchman,
it's a hoot and the children love it.....
I'm sorry I didn't manage to get a goodwill message to you all on the
website, but as I dashed the 40 km from the airport, sat in my favourite
seat at Dot Cafe, compiled the message, the server went down so I
couldn't post it. That, my friends, completely finished my christmas
eve day.......
Be blessed, looking forward to chatting to you all in the New Year.
mama lynn
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Dear Friends and family.
Some more updates for you: Doreen is now walking unaided. She has made a remarkable recovery from her stroke.
Sister Grace visited the Food Kitchen project yesterday to weigh the children who have been attending the kitchen since September. The statistics are that already 80% of the children have a weight gain so we thank our friends in the USA for the food consignment and our staff for doing a good job.
At present, with the loss of Laura (mama Gemma) from our mission and Godilla at home on maternity leave we are struggling severly with the limited use of staff that we have.
I am especially struggling to answer so many emails, at present.
With all that is involved with the preperation of christmas in the homes, it is sometimes over 7 - 10 days before I can get to answer them, please bear with me on this.
600 christmas parcels of exercise books and pens and pencils which is awaiting distribution to the children who we support; without these much needed books they would not even be allowed to start school. I do know that some people think that Light in Africa is on a par with the likes of Oxfam from the comments that I receive, but I assure you, that I don't even have a secretary, and there is only 5 active managers that we have to organise all of our programs and out-reaches although we employ 60 local staff to care for our centers.
Thank you and bless you all, mama Lynn
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On a previous email around January of this year, I told you about the work of an amazing Doctor, who single handedly saved the lives of over 200 cholera victims. His name is Dr. Ninja and he is wonderful humble human being.
Around June of this year, I had visited Dr. Ninja to pay our monthly medical account where if anyone is ill during the month, and has no money to pay, they visit Fleeze House, and get a letter to take to Dr. Ninja and we at the end of the month pay the account. This ensures that no-one goes without medical treatment through lack of money. Many lives have been saved especially children suffering from malaria, whose parents where poor.
Anyway I digress, after we had completed the transaction he told me that he was having to build his own dispensary instead of renting the one he was in. He gave me the directions where he had started to build, so I drove past the area to see for myself. It was at the time pouring quite heavily with rain.
And what I saw depressed me, as the building was being built of mud bricks, and the rain was disintegrating them.
On my return to Mailisita - the volunteers accomodation, after dinner, I just casually mentioned to the present volunteers what I had seen with the mud bricks.
In the morning, a group of volunteers (including Gayle over 70 yrs young), came up with a suggestion: if Dr. Ninja would agree to build his dispensary with cement bricks and not mud bricks, they would provide the funds to build him a new dispensary............wow ..... so here you are girls, great job......pictures of the completed dispensary, of which Dr. Ninja with great enthusiasm and great joy moved into last Tuesday, and with his sincere appreciation for what you did to help him build his brand new dispensary.
Blessings - mama lynn
Two pictures, one of the new dispensary, and the second one of Dr. Ninja and mama Lynn
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Hi everyone,
Well, as predicted, the out-reach dispensary held at the Food Kitchen this past Saturday was a very moving experience for our medical and social worker team.
We think we have seen and experienced most things over the last 7 years, but even we can be shocked at the utter abuse of one party over another at times.
The door swung open and a bent, severly disabled young women, slowly walked across the room and sat down. She was accompanied by a good samaritan who was helping this poor young women with accomodation after she had been raped and is now 6 months pregnant, then chased away by her family........ Dr. Ninja who was our Doctor for the day, examined her and said she needed expert medical assistance.
After the home assessment on Wednesday, we will have her medical condition monitored at a hospital, where decisions will have to be made. This really is a life-threatening situation.
....
I have waited over 1 year to bring you this amazing update on a young married couple we found living on the streets when we did our pilot research as to what assistance we could offer the Mererani community in September of last year.
Pastor Frank Titus, Janet and Steven. And Steven now.
Grace, our newly-employed social worker from Dar-es-Salaam, was on her first out-reach visit. She set out her table to receive the many people waiting to be seen by the social and medical team. Steven walked in with this huge tumour on the side of his face. He explained that he was playing a game of football, and collided, and a tooth came loose. He asked someone to pull it out, and infection got in, and as he had no money for antibiotics, his face just kept growing bigger.
He and his pregnant wife where now living in door-ways as his mother had 'chased' them from her home when his face began to swell, and they were so hungry they were sucking on stones, to try to allay the hunger pangs.....
We held a meeting and made the decision to help this young couple in any way that we could. They came to live at Mailisita where the volunteers are based and whilst Steven was being assessed by the local hospital, Janet gave birth to their first child, Lyndsey, ( Lynn said).
KCMC decided this tumour was too big for them to help and advised that he be referred to Umbili Hospital in Dar es Salaam, but it would be a very costly operation. Having spoken to Paul our webmaster about the situation he spoke to a friend in Italy who agreed to fund Steven's operations, Praise God.
Four biopsies on the bone and the tissue had 9 surgeons in disagreement. We sent off Sister Grace to the hospital for a medical analysis. She rang me as the 9 doctors where at Stevens bedside. "I just don't know where this is going", she said, they can't agree what to do, but they have explained the dangers of the operation to me and Steven has agreed he has no choice but to go ahead. The operation was successful, when they removed a piece of bone from his jaw. Now with medication, each time we meet with him his tumour has receded.
We had to keep his spirits up during this difficult period, and I kept jollying him along that he had to get better because I needed him to be the Project Manager for the Food Kitchen. And this is what he is now doing: running and monitoring the kitchen, whilst his wife Janet is in charge of our three cooks......and Lyndsay is beautiful, so a happy ending to a story.
Blessings and thanks to all who were involved in prayer support and the recovery of Steven.
Mama Lynn
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Hi dear friends and supporters of Light in Africa,
On Saturday (24/11/07) we are preparing to operate a dispensary at our Food Kitchen Program where we are feeding approx. 390 - 420 malnourished children 6 days per week. Our medical team have previously visited the center and have distributed worm tables and anti-fungal creams for the many cases of scabies and ringworm the children have.
On Saturday it is to test the children for HIV/AIDS. We are expecting a large number of the children to test positive, this will then be a huge operational program to access the anti-retro drugs and give education on their use, and to ensure the children receive the correct dosage, as well as finding a way to transport them over 1 hours journey on untarmaced roads. But, In God We Trust, that we shall receive provision for this new program, for without the orphans being able to access the anti-retro drugs they will surely have a limited life expectancy.
New photo's of the children accessing the food kitchen have been added to the website.
Mama Lynn
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Hi everyone,
A thought from little Geoff to Gudilla on the arrival of his new baby brother Christian..
"If you say that you are the mummy to Christian, then where did my mummy go to?"
Some good news regarding Doreen our manager for the White House, Mailisita. I visited her on Sunday, and was thrilled that she has now gained some use in her right arm and sufficient in her right leg to now be able to sit up unaided and is slowly walking with a stick.
Bless you and thank you so much for your prayers.
I have just scanned a picture of volunteers sat preparing food for one of our "cook-ins" which would feed over 160 children and mothers.
The team gets down to all the preperation of cooking outdoors on three stones for a cook-in at Lerai, next to the dispensary.
Doreen is pictured standing to the right of the picture.
And this is a picture that Victoria posted to one of our girls,but
it is so nice I thought I would share it with you.
Mama Lynn
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Today our new webpages about the development of LIA's Tudor Childrens' Village have gone live.
Click here to go directly to the new pages and pictures.
While still a lot remains to be realized, we are very greatful for already so much that has been accomplished during the past several months, thanks to the contributions of our many volunteers and overseas supporters.
The village, once completed, will provide a safe and stimulating development environment for all the children in our care as well as for our staff.
Asanta Sana!
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