Their Story

So my last week with the drilling crew was bittersweet, but the lasting effects of spending the summer with those guys will be eternal.

After our walk home Friday morning, we had said goodbye to all of the guys on the drilling crew and had anticipated saying goodbye to our national friends around town Saturday morning before we hopped on a plane to Lodwar.

What I didn’t expect, however, is Ekai to walk THREE hours Friday night after working ALL day just to see us off. He stopped by the house to let us know that he had come to “push the plane” as we takeoff. We knew Saturday morning was going to be emotional leaving Lodwar. We may never be back again, but that is up to God. We didn’t anticipate having Ekai spend about an hour talking to us and sharing his feelings about the summer and how much we mean to him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he poured out his heart to us. He made us feel like we had changed the world and touched so many peoples’ lives in the name of Jesus. He sends his greeting to the brothers and sisters in Christ in America and let you know that he will be praying for you, as we witnessed him do many times this summer. He is such a great guy, always smiling, joking, laughing, or calling us “American Boys” in his Yoda like voice. 

His dream is to become an Engineer, be in charge of multiple drill crews, and operating a gas powered well driller, drilling one well a day because almost 2000 more wells are needed in Turkana. That is his dream and prayer. He wants to be able to help the thousands upon thousands of dying Turkana and give them life through water both the natural and the “living.” His heart is as big as an ocean. Saying bye to him wasn’t easy Saturday morning. When our plane landed, before we were waiting to board my eyes began to well up with tears. But what really got me was, as soon as I got that sad look in my eyes, I felt a hand pat and rub the back off my shoulder and hearing the words of Ekai, in his soft Yoda voice, “Emoru, it will be ok, it will be ok.” I almost lost it then and there. Later, we embraced and his last words to me were, "God bless you Moru."

Saturday morning, Todd and I also had to say goodbye to Sammy our translator, teacher, but most important one of our closest friends. Saying goodbye to Sammy was especially tough. We had almost spent everyday for two months with Sammy, from the time we woke wake up until bedtime. He took care of us and helped us all summer. Whatever we needed, he was the first one always wanting to do it, whether it was crossing a river to get us water to fill up our empty water bottles, simply bringing us our chai (tea) each morning as we were waking up, or showing us the new bush we were going to take a bath behind. Without Sammy it would have been a difficult summer. I will miss his patented phrases, “maybe,” “take care,” and “Kyle, Kyle, don’t do that.”

What is unique about Sammy is that he is very very smart. He knows his math and science. He always wants to test out his English reading during bible study or tell us some random fact that we aren’t even sure how he knows. Before helping us this summer, Sammy helped volunteer teach at a Primary School. His dream is to become a teacher.

On our walk to town Friday morning, we spent some time talking to Sammy on the way. Here our some of the things we learned:

• ·      It takes him 7 hours to walk from his home in the Bush to town
• ·      Sammy gets paid weekly by CMF
• ·      His sister walks 7 hours each way on the weekend to get that money so his family can have food, which includes immediate family, aunts and uncles, his cousins, and the elderly

His whole family relies on him for survival. As the drought and famine rages on in Turkana they fight for survival. What really hit home was this:

• ·      Sammy gets paid because he has a job working for Todd and I
• ·      Once we leave, his job is done
• ·      Therefore, he loses that income
• ·      He then cannot feed his family
• ·      When he volunteers at the Primary school he gets fed as payment
• ·      The Schools are closed during August, no food
• ·      There is already little to no work available in Turkana

What was tugging at the heart strings, was that one of my closest friends, who had helped us significantly all summer, would not be able to take care of his family, but he would also not be able to feed himself. We asked what he would do for food in August, his plans...

Not eat!

His family and himself were not going to eat all of August. My heart broke for him.

One of the most life changing events of the summer, between all the God time and working, was being able to hand him enough money Saturday morning to comfortably feed his family for the entire month of August. He was not expecting it and was almost speechless as tears welled up around his eyes as he hugged me choking out the phrases, “ Thank you so much! God bless you for what you have done! Thank you so much! Thank you… Thank you... Thank you...”

Ekai, Sammy, Sylvester

Sammy and Ekai are two of the nicest guys you will ever meet. They have big dreams and big hearts. They love helping people and sharing Jesus with the people they meet. They both wanted Todd and I to share their stories. They feel like if their stories are known then something can be done to help the Turkana. They love what they both do, helping people because "it’s what Jesus would do." Watching them stand and wave as our plane took off was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do. It has been a blessing getting to meet them, in my life as they have been and will be a blessing to many other people in the name of Jesus. Something both of them kept telling Todd and I the last few weeks, that all things are possible through Jesus. Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Famine and drought ravage Northern Kenya. Relief is being sent to other areas in Eastern Africa, such as Somalia and Southern Sudan. However, food and water relief has not been sent to the Turkana in TWO years. It hasn’t rained in many places in THREE years. Food prices have been increased to FIVE times the amount it was just months ago. The Turkana are dying at an alarming rate. Without food and water many more will die. Wells bring gardens, which brings food, which brings life. The faith of the people here is truly inspiring. They have to constantly rely on Jesus for their survival. They are crying out for help that their own government, because of greed, won’t give. They are in need.

Will you be an answer to their prayers?

Prayers are needed the Turkana people. Please pray for: 

• Rain
• That the gardens and wells already in existence will overflow with abundance and feed Turkana
• Their faith, that it will not waiver in these tough times