Most Memorable Stories: Honorable Mentions

It was difficult going through all of my old stories from my time in Kenya to come up with the "Most Memorable" ones.  The following are more good stories that didn’t make the cut to be on the top list so we are giving them an "Honorable Mention.”

Overcoming Challenges

God Opening Doors - One of our Suba Lakers didn’t have much hope to continue her education after high school, but through her faithful service, God opened doors for Lizzy that no one else expected him to. This is one story which represents so many stories of our girls.  

Correcting Before It’s Too Late - She already had one baby when she was young.  Without some correcting and rebuking she was headed in the direction to repeat the same mistake.

Determination and Perseverance - The Magero children lost their mother in 2005 and then their father in 2012.  Daisy’s lost all of her belongings when her dorm was burnt down in school, but they keep struggling to do their best and continue on in their education. 

Making a Difference - A week that was full of visiting the homes of our Suba Lakers helps me to see the extreme challenges most of them are facing and realize all that the club is doing to make a difference in their lives.

Dire Circumstances - Working at school every day, I sometimes forget the type of homes and family situations these students come from.  Visiting some of our girls on Rusinga reminded me of how dire their circumstances are at times. 

Sharing the Gospel

A Life-Changing Decision - During a Bible study with some of our CGA Alumni, Stephen shared his story of when he accepted Christ in my 7th Grade Class. 

Witnessing through Football - One of the biggest joys as a coach is seeing your players reach out to players from other teams to encourage them and pray with them.  

A God Moment While Awaiting the VIP - On a Sunday morning, our Suba Lakers were waiting for an important female politician to come and speak with them.  Before she came, we had an impromptu Church service together.  It was a life-changing moment for several of the girls. 

Deaths

A Life Taken Too Soon - She was a sweet little girl who had changed so much in only 1 year at CGA, but due to poor health care, her life was cut short.

Making the Most of His Few Years - He had a sweet caring personality that touched the lives of everyone he knew, but he came up short in his battle against cancer. 

Corruption

We Earned that Money - Most people would assume that a tournament would award teams the prizes they promised when the teams were invited.  That isn’t always true in Kenya and sometimes it takes a lot of effort to just get some of the promised prizes!
 

Just Give Me Some Gas - It should be pretty simple to fill up a tank of gas so that we can drive back home from Kisumu to Mbita.  This time it wasn’t, but it gave an opportunity for God to show me how He answers prayers. 
 

If You Want Me to Leave, Just Tell Me - I didn’t have any problems getting a work permit when I came to Kenya and then renewing it multiple times, until they lost my file.  Then it took a lot of stair climbing, begging and a few tears to find it.
 

Impacting Young Lives

A Proud Father - For the first time I was able to accompany some of our girls to the Primary School Nationals as an assistant coach.  Their play on the field made me proud, but the character they showed was even more rewarding. 

The V.I.P.’s Visit - The Suba Lakers were so excited to finally meet one of their hero’s, Millie Odhiambo.  She is from Mbita, and now a Member of the Kenyan Parliament.  It took her a long time to arrive, but it was worth the wait.
 

Learning to “Beg” - The process of finishing 8th grade and joining high schools in Kenya is overwhelming for most parents and guardians.  Trying to find high schools for a whole class of over 20 is even more overwhelming, but because of our love we try to help these young ones however we can.  

Others

Denying the Obvious - There are many mistakes that you can hide from others.  Getting pregnant is not usually one of them, but this young 7th Grader tried her best to hide it.  

Cheated Again - Our Under 14 Suba Laker Girls were actually the right age for the Under 14 Coca Cola Tournament as opposed to all of the other overage teams.  They played their hearts out and deserved to win the championship and proceed to the National Finals in Nairobi.  Unfortunately, 1 man stood in the way.  

Searching for a Lost Sheep - The disappearance of Sharon was heartbreaking to me.  I was teaching her and coaching her, and she was doing well in school as she prepared to take her 8th Grade National Exams within a few months.