In the shadow of Mt. Meru, Tanzania.
Time: 11:23 AM
Location: Arusha, Tanzania

We arrived after about 20 hours of travel into the tourist town of Arusha. There is a tribunal going on here for the Rwandan Genocide (which we hope to visit this afternoon) and mountains to climb and scenery to see, so there are lots of Masaai in traditional garb and lots of white skin wandering the streets. It's a pretty different scene from the other cities we've been to.

The picture below is Disa helping creating the burning trash heap I described last post.

We met Jo French last night, and today we'll be around town. Tomorrow we join Jo traveling down to her hometown of Dodoma!

- Dan
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So many thoughts and emotions have been running through my mind. First I miss my three teammates... Making fun of Erik, SNL parodies with Poni, and creating new signs with Kiden. It is nice to be in a new place. The expectancies of traveling around and what next, to finally be at the something next, is great. It comes with different thoughts, different experiences and a different Disa! Yes! Well, time is running out and my blog thoughts are not coherent, so I will post another time. Until then thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and contributions to the team/blogspot. Oh and don't think that I wanted to burn the trash! That is an incriminating picture that Dan posted without my agreement.

- Disa

The rocky East African road lies before us bathed in moonlight.

I'm sipping on a bitter lemon in one of those internet cafes. We are about to chat with some local sex workers and then board a bus down to Tanzania. Nick Kemboi is joining us for the next leg of the trip.

We've had a wonderful time here, and hopefully once we arrive in Tanzania we can get a group blog organized for everyone. Please pray for us as we travel. And pray for all the friends here that we leave behind.

Yesterday was probably the highlight of the Kenya experience for most of us. It started out slow with a lot of waiting around and talking, but finally we were able to collect and accomplish our objective - cleaning up a dirt road in front of the clinic in the Munyaka slums. Just a tiny act. And the streets here are covered in dirty plastic bags and other assorted trash items. We started out with a team of ten or so, and soon there were about 50 spectators and then about 75 kids joined in the process. We collected trash for about 2 hours, making a huge pile that came about to my waist of trash - mainly plastic bags. We lit the pile on fire (sorry environmentalists out there - it was the least of many evils) - and the toxic trash smoke began to drift into the golden sky. The kids crowded around to keep warm and we laughed and played with them. The kids began to exclaim that "Jesus had come to Munyaka" because Mike Sandford looks like Jesus with his beard! He's heard that comment almost a dozen times now. Laura was spinning kids around like a roller coaster ride. The local citizens stopped to thank the team. It was just a small act, and within a week the street will probably look much the same. But it was a special moment for all who were there. We shared community and love and work together coming from very different worlds.

And now we're off to TZ. God bless you all. Thanks for your friendship and love.

- Dan

There is Life.
Location: Eldoret Kenya
Time: 6:36 PM

The strange picture below is from a funeral we went to yesterday. I've never been to a funeral where everyone took pictures with the casket (almost like a wedding). Nick and Dr. Oronje had a patient that died last week, and we were invited to the funeral.

We drove south for about an hour, one of the cars in the convoy broke down on the way, but ended up in a small Kikuyu community where the friends and relatives had gathered to say goodbye to thier loved one. Another AIDS victim was placed in the earth. But she wasn't just a faceless person, she was a mother and a daughter and a sister. We've experienced the whole cyle of AIDS here, and this is the final moment for all with the virus.

But there is life. Life continues on. Today we found out that Dr. Oronje's wife just delivered - a little baby girl named after Laura! And we visited Peter who I had met earlier in the week. His picture is in the last blog entry. Peter is doing much better. He was sitting up, eating, and was able to talk with us. The donation of anti retrovirals provided by the government and Indiana University brought the frail engineer back from the edge of death. He was grateful for our visit.

We've also been visiting some of the local sex workers here in Eldoret. We met one lady the other night who met us to discuss her hopes of leaving the sex work. She earns about 3 to 9 dollars per night. She has one son that needs food and school supplies. It was a bit surreal speaking with her and asking her what was holding her in the prostitution lifestyle, and we discussed ideas of how to break the bonds of the dangerous life that she lives. We hope to create a program that will provide loans or donations for school for some of these ladies. If the sex workers are cut from the equation, the spread of the virus is cut dramatically.

The man pictured above is Kitonga and his daughter Margret. Kitonga's wife died from AIDS, and both he and his daughter pictured above have HIV. As we approached the home to visit him, Kitonga's daughter Wanjiro jumped into Laura's arms. Wanjiro recieved a school uniform from donations earlier this year. It was sad to see the home and the poverty that this family was living in, but encouraging to see the little difference a donation could make.

We have a couple more days left here with the friends in Eldoret, and then its on to Tanzania. We've booked our trip. Nick will be joining us for the next leg of the journey to TZ. (Jo, if we don't get in touch with you in then next couple of days we are coming by Akamba bus on Monday afternoon.)

Thanks everyone for your prayers and interest. Please pray for us as we head out from here. And please pray for all the faces and families we've met the past week. There is life. And there is hope.

- Dan

Eldoret Town 6:00 PM

The sun is setting here in Eldoret. The team is pretty tired at this point from all of the travel, and some of the energy and romance have faded as we continue to travel and listen and network.

We've spent the last couple of days visiting the slums of Eldoret. I went to the hospital and met Peter the other day. Peter was once a healthy young man, who became infected with AIDS and now is barely hanging on to life. He's fragile and unable to speak. He lays in his hospital bed and moans silently. His family members won't speak with him because of the stigma of the disease. Dr. Oronje is slowly bringing him back to life. While we were there he coaxed him to drink some milk and take some anti retro virals. Peter was found in his home a couple of months back, locked away waiting to die. It's so shameful here in the country to have the disease, and many will just suffer silently until its too late.

Jennifer is a woman of 40. She was once a healthy lady, and had an affair several years back. Unfortunately the man was sleeping around with others and she got HIV from him. She was fired from her job, and then went blind. Her family members won't speak with her, and they constructed a shabby tin room built on the road to the cemetary to ensure a cheap burial. Jennifer spends all her days in her little one room home. We visited her, and ate a simple meal. She was absolutely thrilled that we were there, and it was so touching to see her come to life as we spoke and laughed with her. She's been recieving free anti retro virals from Indiana University, and she most likely has many more years ahead of her because of the treatments.

This morning we visited a horticulture dairy poultry project run by Indiana University as well. Under the name of Empathy International, this project encourages "Positives" to grow healthy foods and meats in their own gardens. It was a very encouraging tour.

We are over 3 weeks into our journey. I can say personally I'm tired and emotionally frayed. I feel pretty weak compared to my tireless brothers and sisters here in Africa who live these stories every day and still push on with joy and hope. We 4 westerners are also at the stage of critical analysis of our surroundings. It's impossible to change whole systems of culture or lifestyles overnight, and often our methods might merely be more efficient or comfortable for us, but they are less relational and loving in the context.

And the questions are always there: What's going on here? Why this sad sad state for our friends in the region? How do we fit in? Can individuals make a difference? Does love mean preference or equality? What is one's responsiblity when hearing these stories?

We have about one more week left here in Kenya, and then we'll be joining Jo French down in Tanzania. Please pray for us:

1. That our team would have strength and health to carry on and love for each other.
2. Pray for the local team here (especially Dr. Oronje and Nick Kemboi) who work long hours, travel long distances to care for those with AIDS.
3. Safety in travel and security in crowds and at our locations of stay.
4. That cross cultural differences will be minimal and we will be able to be servants and love those we stay with.
5. And you can pray for direction and we choose the people and organizations that we are planning to partner with and support as an organization.

Thank you all for the love and interest. May God give you peace and lead you gently on the dusky path.

- Dan

The Kibera Slums

Over 700,000 people live in the Nairobi slum area called Kibera. At least half of them are children. Kibera is a city in a city. It has homes, businesses, hotels and schools. They are all packed into buildings with mud walls between sewage filled streets.

One in three Kibera residents is HIV positive. That statistic is slightly higher than Nairobi's of one in four.

Our team spent a large part of Friday in Kibera, and we saw some of the good work being done by those that have dedicated their lives to the children and families there. The school that we saw teaches 180 children (50 to a classroom), but there are 1000 more in the area that they are unable to serve.


Here is some of what we saw:









In other news: I made it back to Portland after about 45 hours of travel! I am unpacking, doing laundry, and trying to reacquaint myself with the Pacific Standard Time Zone before I go back to work tomorrow.

It is strange to have life be familiar here and yet to carry so many new ideas in my head and heart.

I am praying for the safety and physical endurance of everyone still traveling. I love you guys, and I miss you already!

- Erin

We are currently in Eldoret after spending a few days in Nairobi. We visited the massive slums of Kibera, and then took a long bus ride north. We arrived yesterday evening, and today we've been visiting HIV/AIDS patients in the region. Erin flew back to the United States on the evening of the 19th, so now we're down to 4 members.

I'll post more later! - Dan

One of the many evenings we spent dancing and singing with the kids. Mike demonstrating one of his signature moves.

Dan shooting footage of the kids at Amazing Grace.

The kids at Amazing Grace shooting their first music video.

Life is an adventure. So is buying meat on a stick from a street vendor before an 11-hour ride to Adjumani. Karin and Laura chowing down. The team posing with Susan Tabia at
Amazing Grace. The girls were given dresses, and the boys given shirts as a gift from Susan and the local widows.

Hello Friends! This is Poni Karin writing safe and sound back in the States, writing to share with you a few pics from the first few weeks in Uganda and Sudan and give you a snapshot of re-entry.

Ryan Connole and I flew out of Entebbe on Wednesday and arrived in London in the evening. As our flight out of London wasn't to leave until the next morning, we grabbed at Taxi and headed into the city. My friend Jess had invited us to stay with her at her flat and show us a bit of her neighborhood. Our time there was brief, but we made the most of it taking in a brisk (um, the climate transition was tough – especially in flip-flops) walk though old Chelsea, grabbing a bite and a pint at a local pub, enjoying a morning commute back to Heathrow on the Tube. It was weird to wake up without the kids, my team, and the oddly comforting wake up call of roosters, but great to have Ryan along with me to debrief the trip a bit, and share one last breakfast together at the airport before I left for Portland, and he for San Diego to visit his family.

Hard to sum up the past few weeks - I can say that I couldn’t have hand-picked a better team, or dreamed up a more amazing adventure. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to laugh with the kids, experience a feeling of community with my team, Ezbon, Emmanuel, Susan…dance with the widows, and simply experience God’s presence and movement in Africa. It was just awesome to be able to share in the daily lives of the people there. I am so excited to continue to walk through life with my new friends and to find more ways to partner with them in the work they are doing. The idea of living and working in Africa one day continues to stir me…

If I could convey one thing about the trip, it’s that I have seen that there is HOPE in Africa. Beyond headlines of war and HIV/AIDS and disasters and political corruption…there is the laughter of orphans who are healthy, happy, and well loved. There are widows who despite a history of pain, are finding joy in the Lord and in the simple gift of a blanket and a cooking pot. There is rebuilding of farms, businesses, homes, in a place once overridden by landmines and gunfire. There are Africans dedicating their lives to serving their communities and building each other up. There are schools being built and young girls getting education. I left feeling encouraged, and am moving forward with new hope that even the smallest act has the possibility to make an impact.

Love and Peace from Poni, and again, thank you for your prayers and continual encouragement!

AID for AIDS

Well, Mike has been down the past 24 hours. He chomped down on a greasy beef samosa, and we think it might have been not the best food for him. He's been puking and sleeping for the past day, but is ready for lunch and more adventures today. You can be praying that he will recover completely.

We've tranistioned now into the HIV/AIDS phase of the trip. We are now in Nairobi Kenya staying at Mayfield with my childhood friend Nick Kemboi. It was great chatting with him about the challenges and approaches that he and the team are taking in Eldoret.

This morning we met with a Canadian doctor helping with HIV/AIDS sufferers in the Kenyan slums. She had lots of amazing wisdom to share with us from her work. One point was the importance of school fees. Helping kids stay in school keeps them off the street, which means less drugs and prostitution, which means less AIDS in the long run. She also stressed the importance of discipleship in AIDS work. If the human is not met and developed on all levels - including the spiritual needs - the work can been retarded or even useless. Also, she mentioned the importance of partnering with local national movements rather than coming in and setting up a "Western" program that will collapse when the Westerners move out. Good advice. Also she said she prefers not to use the term "Victim." Those with HIV/AIDS still can have a profitable 15 or 20 years ahead of them, and if they merely see themselves as victims, they won't address their current life, thier spiritual condition, and they will merely rely on handouts. Those with HIV/AIDS can be the biggest link in the chain of support and care for those still in secret about the condition and those that could get it because of risky lifestyles.

We are thinking of stopping in the central town of Nakuru to visit some friends there that are working on partnering Western donors with national community groups. Haphazardly throwing money into the mix can often just make the problem worse. But... there are needs and outside assistance can be invaluable - so it takes a huge deal of planning and wisdom to properly assist anyone on the ground here.

We should be heading out today into Kenya's notorious Kibera slums to visit some work there and talk with a local doctor.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers. Please remember Ezbon as his house was robbed recently, and also pray for our safety as we travel and move in areas where theft is high. Kwaheri (bye) from Kenya! - Dan

Samosas and Pineapple juice.
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Time 11:20 AM

We arrived this morning from Kampala into the modern city of Nairobi. Well, some parts are quite modern. Nairobi also boasts one of the largest slums in the world, which we will probably be visiting tomorrow.

Our team is down to 5 members at the moment. Karin Poni left yesterday morning with Ryan Cannole, and two days ago we said goodbye to Eric Chapman.

Kampala was calm the day we left, which was nice as we had business to do downtown. The streets were anxious, and there was glass on the roads and police patrols everywhere. For those of you who aren't up on the local politics of the region, an opposition candidate was arrested, and so there's a lot of tension and rioting in the capital. At one point we were in a van stopped at a bus stop, and suddenly the whole street panicked and ran toward us. We slammed the door and took off, but it didn't seem to be anything serious.

We enjoyed the time at the orphanages. I think I can speak for all of us that those two weeks were some of the best of our lives. We all sat down the other night in Karin and Laura's room and debriefed the trip a bit. For me it was just unbelievable that there are such impoverished orphans, widows, and even leper colonies in the same world that I usually wander around in. These people have nothing.

I think as I observed Ezbon and Susan that I was struck with the contrast of peoples in the region. This area has some of the most selfish, heartless, reckless politicians and military leaders on the planet. Individuals that store up millions of dollars that they've stolen from their countrymen for personal gain. All the while the ordinary people suffer on the street. And yet - and yet - there are people that have risen up like the staff at Amazing Grace that shine with beauty and compassion and dedication. People that are admirable, gracious, noble, and trustworthy. People that I feel honored just to spend time with. And being with them I see hope for the region, hope for the communities.

Kampala once more...

We are in a small internet cafe overlooking the smokey Kampala skyline. As many of you probably know there is some unrest here as one of the opposition leaders was arrested yesterday. We are on the outskirts of town, and all seems peaceful today, but please pray for peace in the city.

Sudan... was incredible. We left last Wednesday after picking up Erin at the Adjumani Airport. We meandered through the green countryside in a large blue lorry carrying blankets, pots, food, clothes, and about 20 passengers. After a quick ferry ride over the Nile, the team pushed North and crossed into Southern Sudan.

It was encouraging to drive through the Kajo Keji region and see the new houses and hopeful people returning to their lands. It was a stark contrast to the last trip where basically all we say was destruction and burned out homes.

We arrived at St. Bartholomew's at dusk with the children singing. The next couple of days in Sudan were packed. We drove around and met with widows and some members of a leper community. The people were so grateful for the donations. It was amazing what a simple garage sale in the United States could do for so many faces. Destitute destitute people with disease and no family living in rediculous structures were all smiles with a simple gift of a blanket and a cooking pot. It's tough to not become numb when there are so many needs around. But with each thanks and with each handshake it was so worth the trip and the little effort from our end.

Many voices speak of a bleak future for this region. And sometimes it can be easy to slip into this perspective. But traveling with Ezbon and Susan and the team - man - there just isn't words for the hope and love and dedication that they show to others. Sometimes I feel as if I know some of the deepest hearts on the planet. These friends are tirelessly working on bringing assistance and care for their countrymen.

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Well, as I was typing, I was trying to bring up some photos for you, we've taken over 1000, but I was defeated by this slow connection - so Karin Poni will have to upload some photos once she arrives back home. Note the frustration. Hmm. This connection is slow. Maybe I can figure out a better solution later. Peace.

Kampala once more...

We are in a small internet cafe overlooking the smokey Kampala skyline. As many of you probably know there is some unrest here as one of the opposition leaders was arrested yesterday. We are on the outskirts of town, and all seems peaceful today, but please pray for peace in the city.

Sudan... was incredible. We left last Wednesday after picking up Erin at the Adjumani Airport. We meandered through the green countryside in a large blue lorry carrying blankets, pots, food, clothes, and about 20 passengers. After a quick ferry ride over the Nile, the team pushed North and crossed into Southern Sudan.

It was encouraging to drive through the Kajo Keji region and see the new houses and hopeful people returning to their lands. It was a stark contrast to the last trip where basically all we say was destruction and burned out homes.

We arrived at St. Bartholomew's at dusk with the children singing. The next couple of days in Sudan were packed. We drove around and met with widows and some members of a leper community. The people were so grateful for the donations. It was amazing what a simple garage sale in the United States could do for so many faces. Destitute destitute people with disease and no family living in rediculous structures were all smiles with a simple gift of a blanket and a cooking pot. It's tough to not become numb when there are so many needs around. But with each thanks and with each handshake it was so worth the trip and the little effort from our end.

Many voices speak of a bleak future for this region. And sometimes it can be easy to slip into this perspective. But traveling with Ezbon and Susan and the team - man - there just isn't words for the hope and love and dedication that they show to others. Sometimes I feel as if I know some of the deepest hearts on the planet. These friends are tirelessly working on bringing assistance and care for their countrymen.

Greetings from Northern Uganda!
Time: 9:14 AM
Location: Adjumani Uganda

Hello everyone! I'm in an internet cafe in Adjumani. We've had a wonderful time with the kids and staff so far. We drove up a few days ago, after collecting all of our trunks from the airport. I was skeptical about the trunks coming in, and at that point we had lost 4 items of luggage, but both Laura and Karin said they had good feelings about the luggage and we booked our ticket anyways. Well, Disa came in, and sure enough all four items were there!

Our trip up was long and cramped. Just outside of Kampala our bus had an accident. We came around a corner and a little van was parked in the middle of the road. Our driver swerved, but we hit the back of the van. Unfortunately it was full of school girls, and the bus is pretty sturdy metal. We jumped out and got about 5 of the girls to a hospital. I think one of them was more seriously injured, so please pray for all of these dear girls. We waited about 3 hours filling out police reports, then headed back on the road. We missed the military convoy because of the situation, and so ended up just filling up with soldiers and drove alone. It was good to understand a bit more of the hardships here in Uganda, and what the people face every day. We were all packed in the bus, with soldiers at the windows, carrying the big guns and surveying the landscape. The area has been pretty peaceful for a while, so no one was that worried as we drove, but I was pretty sobering.

We arrived in town and met Ryan Connole, Jeff and Michele Theisen, and Ezbon. We packed our dirty trunks into a couple cars and headed over to the orphanage. We were welcomed in with singing and tried to get some rest that night.

The past several days have been so wonderful. At this point everyone is feeling healthy, so thanks for the prayers. The kids seem quite happy, and its always a big event having visitors. We donated the clothes, books, and shoes, and they've been so grateful. The kids have finished the music project, and are so proud of it. Many in town have already been asking if they could buy the tape or CD. When I arrived I found that one of the things they were hoping I could help with was a music video. So... we've been out in the sun doing dances and shooting from various angles. It's been tedious, but a good experience over all.

Erin called yesterday, and she arrived safely in Kampala, and we'll pick her up at the airport in Adjumani tomorrow. From there we'll head straight to Sudan and be there for several days spending time with the orphans, windows and those with leperousy. Please pray for our trip up. Ezbon hasn't been feeling well, and the music cordinator Emmanuel Lasu's woke up a bit sick.

Ryan's been over here a bunch since we've been at the orphanage. He's been integrated into the culture, and speaks a lot of Maadi language. He's eager to see everyone back in the U.S. I think we'll head down with him to Kampala next Monday.

Our days have been full. Lots of great talks, and experiences of daily life. The girls went and fetched water last night from the pump. They also helped with bread and some other cooking. They've all recieved new Sudanese names. Karin is "Poni", Laura is "Maria" (very Sudanese name!) and Disa is "Anike".

The faith of everyone here has been so inspiring. The local church service on Sunday was full of life and everyone was so hospitable. We've had great talks and as always the staff and kids believe and trust and love for God always stirs something inside me to push ahead and have a deeper faith.

Nothing in the life here can really be planned with certainty. We wake up each day, and set some goals, and then those goals reset themselves and then set us. We just kind of hang on for the ride. Some of the most enjoyable moments are dancing and singing with the kids with the traditional dances at night. The sky is immense, filled with bright twinkles in a huge black sphere, and the kids twirl and move with these innate rhythms and songs. The weather has been great, lots of rain, and its been quite cool at night. In the morning its probably 70 or 80 degrees, and the kids bundle up in blankets and sweaters in the "cold" weather. The food has been delicious, lots of paypaya, sweet potatoes, tea, casava, beef on a stick, fresh chicken, groundnuts, fresh bread, greens, and posho ugali (corn meal).

As I mentioned earlier, we are heading up tomorrow to Sudan. We'll be taking a lorry up, and a toyota land cruiser. It will probably take about 4 hours. I'll try to post something when I get back.

Thank you everyone again for your support and prayer! Hello to you all.

Tinate! (Kuku word for "thanks".

Dan

Prayer Requests:
* The orphans are undergoing exams at the moment.
* Orphans and Widows - those in the orphanages and those in foster care
* All the staff
* Ezbon and Emmanuel's health at the moment.
* Safety as we travel
* Peace in Uganda and Sudan

I would like to pass my heartfelt thanks to all our reader for their prayer and support to the widows and orphans Association.It is our encourgement to you all that you keep visiting our web site to know more about us and the work we carry out in the sudanese community in uganda and in southern sudan.

God bless and take care over you all.

Ezbon.

Hello! We are in Uganda, and have picked up Eric at the airport, and this evening will pick up Disa at the airport. Both were stranded in New York because of the storm. But... we've also lost 4 trunks in the mess, so hopefully those will show up tonight.

Kampala Uganda's been beautiful. We walked around much of today with Helen, a friend from the UK who's been our tour guide.

Tomorrow we jump on the bus early in the morning and head north to the Amazing Grace Orphanage.

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Time: 3:44 AM

It's early morning, and we just finished about 24 hours of flying and layovers. Mike and Laura and I have wandered around Dubai here for a few hours chatting with Mohammed our Taxi driver from India. He was an awesome fellow, and took us on a night time tour of Dubai, stopping to wonder at the 7 star Burj Al Arab hotel, pictured above.

The trip hit a kink in New York, as friends Disa Allen and Eric Chapman failed to show up at the flight. We decided to head on over hoping they would call or email, but at this point we haven't heard anything, and are in a foreign country with very little resources. And we are hoping and praying they will get on that next flight to Dubai this afternoon.

This afternoon we should be landing in Entebbe Uganda and will try to reassemble the team.