Clarice ~ God Gives and Takes Away

This past week ended in great sadness and grief.

Clarice Achieng, a sweet, joyful 6 year old in Pre-Primary (Kindergarten) class at CGA, passed away on Friday.  Joe received the phone call from our CGA social worker and we were both in shock.  We were waiting for the phone call to inform us her surgery was complete and successful.  Instead, it was a phone call of disbelief and questions.

It is such sad news after so much effort was expended to help improve Clarice's medical situation and so much intercession to the Lord on her behalf.  Yet, we know and believe that God's ways are higher than our ways and beyond our understanding.  He has the ability to bring redemption and good from all things; even death for he has overcome death! In spite of the loss, we are comforted knowing that she is now safe and rejoicing in her eternal home with her Savior.

The exact cause of death is a not known for certain.   The orthopedic surgeon, who’s one of the best in the country and used to work at Cure International Hospital in Kijabe, said the surgery went fine.  It was surgery on her hip from a 3 month problem caused by septic arthritis.  As the doctor noticed her waking up from the anesthesia he left the room to write his surgery notes.  A short while later the nurse came to tell him that Clarice was no longer breathing.  They performed CPR on her, but she didn’t revive.

The surgeon was very surprised, saddened and humbled by what happened to Clarice.  The cause of death was most likely a heart embolism, though it could also have been bacteria that got into the blood stream, blood clot (very unlikely in children) or the anesthesia.  After consultation with 2 American doctors, it seems the hip problem almost certainly had nothing to do with the death.  [Autopsies are extremely rare in Kenya; often only done for cases where murder is suspected.  As much as we (Joe and I and CGA staff) wanted an autopsy, Clarice's mother/aunt did not. For her, there was not point since it wouldn't bring her back.] 

3 months ago, Clarice began complaining of leg/hip pain and had trouble walking. After many visits to the local doctors in Mbita, and many misdiagnosis, by early January she could no longer walk.  When all the CGA students returned to school on January 8th, Clarice was not among them.  She was simply in too much pain to come to school.  On January 14th, we were able to take her, along with 2 other CGA students, to the Cure International traveling clinic in Kisumu (2.5 hrs away).  There, some of the best orthopedic surgeon's  in Kenya quickly saw her problem as septic arthritis.   Because of the long delay in a proper diagnosis, her femur separated from her hip socket and was causing her great pain.  Still, the surgery to fix the problem was routine.

Clarice is a total orphan and has stayed with her aunt (mom’s sister) since she was very young.  The aunt, her guardian, had no other children of her own and loved and treated Clarice like her own daughter.

One of CGA’s USA Board Members said it well, “The CGA team did a wonderful job in taking care of Clarice, just as parents would take care of their beloved child. Even with that kind of love and attention from CGA, the slow systems of men, the finiteness of even highly trained professionals and the schemes of the enemy cannot always be overcome."

The beautiful part of this story is that Clarice passed from her earthly life to her eternal life in the midst of love and prayer and affirmation.   She had her aunt/guardian (who was like a mom) along with CGA staff caring for her, and giving her loving attention.  She knew she was loved.  There are so many kids on earth for whom that is not true; especially orphans. Thanks to God, Clarice was not one of them.  

Please join us and the CGA family in prayer:
- For Clarice’s guardian, Marissa, and the rest of her family as they discuss the burial arrangements and other logistics in the midsts of their sadness.
- For the CGA family and especially Clarice’s classmates and teachers in Pre-Primary

- For us to trust and believe that God redeems all things and can bring good out of such sadness

Heaven must be a little bit brighter now!

She always had a smile on her face and joy in her heart!

Neighbors, Friends, Classmates, Deskmates and Teammates

Brenda June and Lillian Awuor have a lot in common, but size and the position they play are much different.  

Lilian training hard

Neither one originally come from Mbita.  Because of family challenges in Ndhiwa, June’s uncle in Mbita decided to bring her here (to live with him) so she could concentrate on her school work.  Lillian also had many challenges.  After the death of her father, she was told to stay home from school to take care of the babies in the house.  Her aunt brought her to Mbita at the age of 8 so that she could begin going to school for the first time.  They first met when June came to Mbita in 4^th Grade.  Lillian was a little older and a lot taller, but they quickly became friends because of their love of playing football.  

Since coming to Mbita, they have both played for their school football team and then joined the Suba Lakers Football Club at the same time in 2011.  Because of their strong work ethic, they have developed rapidly as good players. 

Lillian has become one of the best goalkeepers around.  Last year she was selected to play at Primary School Nationals and was the top goalkeeper for her region.  She is aggressive, quick to learn and has the size and hands that make it difficult for anyone to score on her. 

June is still small in stature but big in heart.  She has

June, always going for the ball

become the leader for the primary school girls and the engine that makes them go.  With her mid-field play, she controls the ball possession, distributes balls to her teammates and has a deadly shot from outside of the box, including dead ball situations.  

It has been a joy to see these two girls develop on and off the field.  They have become great friends living near each other, sharing a desk at school and training together.  Many secondary schools are anxiously waiting to see how they do academically in 8^th grade so that they can recruit them to play for their schools at the next level.  Whoever gets the pair will have a strong team for the next 4 years thereafter, and it will be difficult to separate them!    

Learn more about June and Lillian's teammates on the Suba Lakers website!

It Takes Just One

Grit - noun \ˈgrit\
Definition: mental toughness and courage; strength of character

Last August at the previous CGA Reunion for secondary students, Joe talked to the students about Grit.  He read a great blog by Justin Zoradi.  It talked about how grit is what makes the difference between those who succeed and those who don’t.  It’s what keeps us keep going when we have nothing left. It’s what motivates us to keep trying when we see no change or improvement.  Joe challenged the students to have grit when it comes to their academics.  To buckle down and study hard. Assuring them that their hard work will see results.  

In December, at the end-of-year Reunion, Benjamin came up to Joe and shared a story about the past term in school.  After being very sick for an entire week, he had to take an exam in one of his classes. He scored a horrendous grade of 25%.  He’s normally a good student so this was far below his ability.  He felt discouraged and just wanted to quit.  But he recalled Joe’s message about Grit.  He decided it was only one exam and he could study harder and do better next time.  Indeed he did.  On the final exam he scored a B in the same subject.  He was very grateful for that message on grit.  It helped him get through the term and finish strong.

It takes just one!  Knowing we’ve had an impact on one person is enough.  It’s stories like these which keep us going.  They encourage us and help us realize that we’re having an impact.  During most week-to-week activities, it can be tough to see the impact or notice the difference we might be making in Mbita.  We know we’re here for a purpose and that purpose is far beyond our own.  Our purpose is even beyond seeing any success or impact.  Our purpose is to be God’s hands and feet, a light in the darkness and to give Him Glory through it all.  On a yearly basis, there are probably hundreds of stories about how we (you included) have had a positive effect on another’s life, but we rarely get to hear how we’ve helped someone.  Yet as humans, we often need some additional motivation in life.  Hearing these stories of impact is a great encouragement to us as we move forward in daily obedience to God.

"Grit is something deep within you. It’s the soul of your work that only you can access." - Justin Zoradi

Laker Spotlight: Mary Lucy

Mary Lucy Adhiambo has been a Suba Laker ever since the club begin in 2009.  She attended Magare Secondary School where she was a top football player.  She has never missed a Suba Laker training or tournament!  She’s a decent footballer but that’s not where she excels the most.  Her character and leadership are far above her peers.  Since she finished secondary school in Nov 2012, she has been volunteering in the Nursery School at Christ’s Gift Academy where she went to primary school.  

When the Lakers play in Under 15 Tournaments, Mary Lucy always desires to go along to support the team. She naturally fell into the role of team manager, team mom, first aid responder and so many other roles.  When the coaches need to attend to coaching matters and meetings, Lucy steps up to care for the girls.  She’s quick to ensure they are warming up properly and having good behavior between matches.  Last Fall, at a tournament for the Under 15 girls, she was the only adult coach with the girls in the evenings and mornings before matches.  She slept in the classrooms with the girls, and ensured they acted with good character, listened to the speakers, and were ready to play and on the pitch before their scheduled start time!  She’s a gem and we’re so grateful for her devotion to the team!

Mary Lucy is a natural leader with dedication, perseverance and high moral values.  She comes from a home where her widowed mother is struggling to provide for Mary Lucy and her three siblings. 

This January, Lucy is heading to college! With some assistance from the Suba Lakers, as well as a local missionary family she’s attending Rongo University College and enrolled in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) course.  Upon completion of this course she’ll be a trained teacher for Nursery and Pre-Primary (Kindergarten).  Until recently, ECD was available primarily only in private schools.  In 2013, the Kenyan government has instituted a requirement for ECD teachers in every Kenyan primary school.  This will open the door of opportunities for Mary Lucy upon graduation from the 2-year course.

We are excited for Mary Lucy to experience life as a college student, yet we also look forward to her school breaks when she’ll be able to be a part of the Suba Lakers team trainings and tournaments. We trust and believe that God has great plans to use her life for His Kingdom!

The Stolen Phone

[written by Joe]

It’s sometimes in our darkest moments that we see God’s power in a big way. 

Working with teenagers at times can be very frustrating.  When it comes to our CGA secondary students, 95% of them really touch my heart.  I love to meet them when I see them on the road or at school.  They greet you with warm smiles.  They are disciplined, hard-working, and really doing the best to make the most of the opportunity God is giving them through CGA.  The problem is the other 5% are a major challenge.  They consume most of my time following up with them, solving cases they are involved with and meeting with their parents/guardians.   

During the CGA secondary student reunion in November we had team visiting from Nairobi to minister to our 100+ secondary students.  On the first day of reunion one of the visitors came to us to say that his Blackberry phone was stolen from the office.  We started investigating immediately, questioning students who had come to the office, and even went as far as to search the bags of some students and check their pockets.  During the investigation, one brave girl pulled me aside and told me that she saw a certain boy, Jason, carrying a backpack walking away from the office during lunch.  After hearing that, I went to where all of the students were gathered and looked for him but couldn’t find him.  So I found his friends and asked them, but they didn’t know where he was. 

With my colleague, Pastor Amos, we took Jason’s closest friend with us and drove to his home near Nyachebe fishing beach ~2 miles from school.  We went down to the trading center at the beach and then searched his home but couldn’t find him.  On our way back to the vehicle we spotted him and he started running from us.  We chased him through the bushes, but he knew the surroundings better than we did.  We left word with the village elders, beach leaders and his family that we were looking for him.  Meanwhile... back at school Daneen called me to say that at school the guard had found a phone case and fresh foot prints behind one of the classrooms leading out through the barbed wire fence.  It was clear that whoever took the phone must have snuck out of school in a way to ensure no on saw them. 

We were unable to resolve anything more that afternoon.  We exchanged contacts numbers with the family and went home.  Jason’s family and the local elders would continue to keep their eye out for him.  As soon as Daneen had finished preparing a delicious meal, I got a phone call from Jason’s older brother telling me that they had “arrested” him.  Before getting a chance to eat, I rushed out and picked up Pastor Amos to head 7 miles back to the beach.  We arrived after dark and Jason’s brother, mother and a village elder were there holding Kevin by his belt buckle so he couldn’t escape.  They had spotted him on the back of a motorcycle and yanked him off.  Jason was sternly denying stealing any phone.  Pastor Amos talked to him nicely and told him that if he admitted it now, we would be finished with the matter.  Since he was still denying, I decided to talk.  I told him that he must think everyone is a fool.  He thinks that his family, his teachers, the community and everyone else is a fool.  But I told him: “God will reveal the truth.”  If it was him who stole the phone, God would expose him in front of everyone, and we would see who the fool is.    

Jason is not new to trouble.  Even during primary school, he was a challenge to many of his teachers.  In 2013 he was in his 2^nd year of high school and had some problems because he was caught sneaking out and was suspended from school.  During his suspension, he snuck into school and got into a fight with another student.  Because of his actions, he was expelled from school just before the end of the year. He was already on CGA Probation; a time to prove to us that he’s ready to change and focus on his education.

After all of his denials, we had no other choice but to take him to the police station.  We drove back 15 minutes to the police station and they put him behind the main desk.  We narrated the story, they frisked him and then questioned him.  With no success, they asked us to step out for about 20 minutes while they interrogated him a little more force.  I was beginning to doubt that he stole the phone, and I tried to think of who else could have taken it.  With no confession, they said they wanted to record statements and then put him in jail for the night.  After recording the statements, they said we were free to leave.  I had gotten into my vehicle and texted my wife to tell her I was on my way home.  As we were pulling out, someone ran out to us and flagged us down, telling us to come back into the police station.  The police officer asked me if this was the stolen phone as he showed me the Blackberry.  I asked him how he got it.  He said that when they were booking Jason and preparing to put him in the jail they had to do a thorough search.  They found it in his underwear!  He had it the whole time!  The timing of when God revealed it was pretty ironic; in the police station, behind the bars, at the very last moment.  It made for a late night coming home past 10:00 pm, but it was worth it since God helped us to get the phone back. 

The next morning, Jason’s attitude was much different.  He was repentant and admitted everything that had happened.  He apologized.  Though the police were very convinced that he should go to court and spend 2-3 years in jail, the owner of the phone didn’t want that.  The owner was from another tribe that is usually thought to be the enemies of the Luos here in the Lake Region, but he wanted to show forgiveness and grace.  He shared the Gospel with the boy and gave him a Bible.  He also promised that he would travel from Nairobi once every month to visit him and spend time with him.  The boy was blessed that he didn’t go to court.  Instead he was disciplined again by the police officers and then told to come back every day for the next week to do work around the police station. 

It was a very difficult situation, but God used it for good.  We shared the whole story with all of the secondary students.  We shared with them because all of them were involved or affected in some way since they were searched.  In addition, we wanted them to learn that if they want a good, safe school or community then it is up to them to report problems and help police themselves.  We also told them the story because we wanted them to see God’s power and sovereignty. 

What Satan intends for evil, God can turn to Good!

Please pray for Jason to learn from his mistakes and begin following God’s ways.