Portland Love Rally Recap

On Saturday a crew of us joined in the 5th Annual Love Rally in downtown Portland! Art, booths, DJ's, a Graffiti wall, and several speakers encouraged Portlanders to spread the love. Here's a YouTube video of the day.

Lahash Staff/Board Retreat

Our Portland staff and Board just returned from a great weekend to Hood River, Oregon where we spent time visioning, praying, and hearing reports on progress across East Africa. The photo above - from left to right shows: Dan & Erin Holcomb, Leisha Adams, Kristy and Joel Strong, Liz Harrison, Benhard Obiero, Lyla Peterson, Doug Hazen, and Cathy and Clark Blakeman.

We've been growing rapidly these past few years, and it was essential that we take some time to analyze where we've been and where we are headed as a community. In this time we heard reports from the following people:

• Lyla Peterson: Our health initiatives with our partners and where we are headed over the next several years
• Leisha Adams: She just returned from Tanzania with our partner conference in Dodoma and provided us with summaries of the projects and strengths/weaknesses
• Dan Holcomb: I shared on the over state of the involvement, donations, travelers, and the past and present of the movement
• Joel Strong: Joel's been designing this amazing database which is going to assist us immensely in our various partnerships

We also had some group discussions, and were assisted in our cultural understandings by our friend Benhard Obiero who is from Kenya. For lunch on Saturday, Obi also directed a crew of half a dozen cooks in preparing a delicious Kenyan meal of Sukuma, Ugali, Rice, Cabbage, Chicken, and of course Cokes!
It's been amazing working with each of you partners, travelers, and friends over the past several years as we take on the task of providing essential love and care for East Africa's most vulnerable. We had some success, some failures, and learn many things along the way. We see small miracles of God at each step along the way, and we pray that he will continue to guide us as we move forward.

Please pray for us as we take steps to ensure sustainability, greater accountability, better training, deeper spiritual discipleship, more cultural sensitivity, & a unified vision and message over the next 5 years.

Dax's Eldoret Report

Greetings from Kenya! Because of limited time and internet resources, I thought maybe the best way to share what's been happening on the trip would be to create a couple of web albums.

Please click here for the first, and here for the second.

We are now in Nairobi visiting Tenderfeet. Our friends here in Kenya have been wonderful, it's inspiring to see the level of sacrifice people have for their community. I'll create some web albums for Kibera as well.

Dax Mitchell arrives in Kenya

Dax Mitchell arrived in Kenya over the weekend, and flew up north to the city of Eldoret for a few days to work with the SCF project. Dax is our Kenya advocate, and he's worked closely with Nick Korir and Mama Margaret for the past year. Pictured above are (L to R) Edwin, Daniel, Margaret, and Dax.

Lahash Craft Sale

Lahash had a booth at the Nob Hill Fall Fest in Portland on Saturday. We were able to meet many new faces, and sell some of the crafts made by the widows of Sudan.
Lyla Peterson, Betty Jones, and Erin and I along with Betty Jo Austin all took turns at the display and craft table. The artist Chatta Addy eventually led the crowd in some Ghanian beats.

Thanks to all who participated!

Portland Love Rally

Lahash will be taking part in Portland's "Love Rally" - happening on September 29 in Pioneer Square.

New Lahash Podcast <> Trans-Nile Song

Here is a new podcast - featuring a song by Timothy Bata of Kampala, Uganda. He and fellow musician Kalwaza Shaban recorded this song last year. It speaks of the devastation that AIDS has had on the community and confronts the immorality that so often leads to death and the abandonment of orphans. The beautiful song is recorded with traditional instruments.

Download the MP3 here. Subscribe to our Podcasts in iTunes

Kalega
(By the Trans-Nile Ensemble - Translation of lyrics by Kalwaza Shaban)

You’re half-way dressed,
A mature girl half-way dressed!
Surely it is an absurd word.
Oh! What an absurd word
The girl is an absurd maid.

Youths come for a common cause,
It's absurd and disastrous!
The HIV/AIDS and its effects.

That HIV/AIDS has mistreated us
All white blood cells it takes
Among the youths it has spread.

AIDS the disaster has orphaned children,
Nations have been demolished
Sadaibi's children have been orphaned.

Orphans all over the Nations
Because fathers, adulterers, they died!
Widows and children devastated.

You’re half way dressed, “Naigaga!”
Surely it is an absurd act.

Sad News About Mary

Dan recently wrote about Mary Wakilo, the seriously ill woman who was assisted by Nick and other SCF volunteers.

Nick has informed us that sadly, Mary did not make it despite the care and treatment she had received. She died in her bed the day after Nick updated us on the efforts to help her. It was heartbreaking news for all of us praying for her and hoping she could recover. She was blessed in her last hours by the love and compassion of friends and helpers (the picture is of those that came to her house to help).

Nick tells us that Mary accepted Jesus Christ as her savior through the guidance of Agrapina Angote.

Now Mary's two teenage boys are left without their mother. No one in the community is able to contact her family, which lives on the other side of Kenya near the coast, so the boys will be orphaned without a guardian. SCF is assisting with the funeral arrangements and costs and helping the boys with their needs.

What happened to Mary is tragically familiar in AIDS-ravaged areas like the Silas slums. Many AIDS victims, because of poverty or shame (or both), do not seek help for their illness. Sometimes they are found dead in their homes, sometimes they are found like Mary -- weak, starving, suffering terribly.

Lahash seeks to confront the viciousness and cruelty of AIDS on multiple fronts.

First, through education and awareness programs (talent contests, youth soccer leagues, public forums), to help young people and not-so-young people understand the danger and how to prevent the spread of the virus. Our dream, of course, is that the next generation will not struggle with an epidemic like the current one has.

Second, through programs like Renew, we strive to combat dangerous practices which spread the disease such as prostitution.

Third, for those suffering with AIDS, life-saving help is provided through health and assistance programs (in cooperation with AMPATH), making sure that the patient receives and stays on top of their ARV medication, and that the family receives spiritual and financial support through the tough times.

Several families have had help getting training or with business startups, so that greater levels of independence can be achieved. For instance, Grace Mukami (the picture is of Grace and her three daughters), has spent the past several months training to be a hairdresser so that she can better support her family.

The financial support is made possible through the child sponsorship program. In return for the assistance, sponsored families participate in community service projects, such as helping Mary Wakilo in her last days.

Through awareness, prevention, and assistance, Lahash and partners like SCF work so that tragic situations like Mary's do not occur again.

A new day for Mary

Several years ago, my friend Nick Korir started a ministry to the poverty stricken members of the slums around his home. People were pulled down by AIDS, prostitution, illegal alcohol brewing, and extreme poverty. It appeared as if no one in the slum was reaching out to help their neighbors in need.
It's been a learning process these past few years. Lahash is dedicated to assisting small ministries like Nick Korir's become empowered to reach their communities in the tradition and spirit of Jesus Christ.

On Saturday, Nick wrote of exciting news. "Today for the first time I have seen the community cooperating with SCF... more than 20 people came together with the renewal ladies (our sex worker recovery program) and they did cleaning at Mary's house. They washed the clothes and cut grass. We also brought her a new mattress and beddings. Really I have seen the hand of God reaching many people. Hope is alive really."

Mary is member of the community who recently was found extremely sick in her home. With the help of the Little Blue Ambulance, she was brought to the hospital. She was released home and is now in the care of the community - led by Nick at SCF. Thanks to all of you for your support.

The Little Blue Ambulance is in need of repairs, Nick has asked for $120 to repair the gear shaft. If you are interested in helping pay for these vital repairs, please make a donation to our office (or email us at info@lahash.net):

Lahash International
107 NE 45th Ave
Portland, OR 97213

Please continue to pray for Mary - that she will have complete healing of mind, body, and soul.