A bit more detail

Well, I can now share a little more about what we will be hoping to achieve on the trip, following a really successful meeting in London on Tuesday evening.
It was a quite surreal day. It didn't begin well for me as somehow my purse had jumped out of my handbag and left itself in my car. So I arrived at Leicester station without it and Gerry had to buy my ticket and bail me out with some cash for the day! What a great impression that must have given to my travel buddy - I'm hoping to be a little more reliable than that for our next outing!
Anyway, as Gerry needed to go and sort some visas out for a forthcoming trip to another far flung part of the globe, I had a few hours to myself in London... a rare treat...and as it was nearby I decided to have a wander around the British Museum. I felt very grown up and really enjoyed the art and artifacts in the Africa room. I thought that was appropriate! I was particularly taken with a sculpture - 'The tree of life' made by Mozambican craftsman, from guns no longer needed after the civil war there. 

A Bishop began a scheme of turning guns into tools and so anyone could come and trade their guns in for tools and useful items to rebuild the country and destroy the weapons of hate that had caused so much devastation. Swords into ploughshares. Projects like that are a sign of hope, a triumph of good over evil whether motivated by humanitarianism or faith.
What Etc are about to do in the Maasai Mara could be similarly triumphant! The plan is to build the first ever secondary school in the Mara. The school will provide secondary education free to girls who would otherwise have no chance of secondary or tertiary education. 

"Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world."

Nelson Mandela

Jabs update

Nearly at the end of my jabs now...just one more to go in two weeks time. Yellow fever is now done, which is the one you need a certificate for. Some countries insist on seeing your certificate before you enter. 
No bad reactions to any of them so far!
I'll be writing later about how Tuesday's meeting in London went. I now know way more about the trip, so if you were praying about that, thank you!

What's it all about?

I just wanted to say a little bit about what the trip is hoping to achieve and how it came about. 


Some of you will know that at St Luke's we've had a knitting and a sewing frenzy over the last couple of months. A mixed band of creative people have been making knitted dolls and sewing school bags for the children at Sekanani Primary School in the Maasai Mara, Kenya. Why? Well, Gerry Feehally spent 3 months of last year teaching at the school as part of her work with the charity Etc. of which she is the Education Director (see the links on the blog). She has enthused us all to use our time, energy and resources to provide simple items that could make a big difference to the children at the school. It seems these crafty projects have really caught people's imaginations and I think having a direct link through Gerry, to be able to see photos and letters written by the children, to hear their stories and to find out more about their difficult circumstances from someone who has lived amongst them for a short while, has really helped us catch the vision.


So how have I got involved? Really there are three main reasons but I'm hoping and expecting God to reveal more and more about why He is allowing me to get involved at this time. 
My Sabbatical: I am very fortunate that in November I am taking a Sabbatical from my work. A time to reflect on my work and myself and my relationship with God, in the hope that I will be refreshed and re-envisioned (is that a word?) for the months to come. The trip 'just happened' to be planned by the Directors of the charity for November and I have been invited to join them.
Secondly, I am hoping that while I am there I will be able to be useful to the team going out. So in important meetings that need to happen during the trip I will be taking notes and when we visit the projects I will be getting video footage to produce promotional material. I'm sure there will be other things too...watch this space.
Gerry and I will also be looking into the possibility of developing lasting links between our parishes and the projects that Etc is involved in, which may lead to further visits and practical involvement in the projects.


Anyway, that's all for now! The arms still hurt by the way!

OUCH!

Well, the first jabs are done! I was very brave but couldn't look! I feel a bit sorry for my body being bombarded with all those vaccines at once. 
I now know a bit more about what the trip will involve as I heard from Gerry this morning. We will be spending the first five or so days in the Mara and then transferring to Nairobi for the rest of the trip where we will be staying with a Kenyan Asian family known to my fellow travellers. Watch out for a blog later where I will be explaining more about the purpose of the trip...laters.

Pin Cushion

So, today is jabs day...I hope so anyway! The nice lady on reception has made it VERY clear that the nurse is seeing me tomorrow at the end of her clinic as a special favour. I hope this doesn't mean she'll be jabbing me with special fervour!
Last night, as well as learning how to blog, I made a list of all the vaccines that I need to travel to Kenya. I know that I need Yellow Fever, Anti malaria tablets, Tetanus, Diptheria and Polio Booster and HepA but there are also some I'm not sure they will offer me.
I'm feeling a bit under the weather but hopefully that won't be a problem. I'll let you know soon...