Buscher's Blog

2011-02-21T19:45:00.000-08:00

This is How we Live...
Notes from Embarcadero, Honduras

On January 4^th, 2011, eleven Jewell students and faculty traveled to Embarcadero, Honduras, to continue our ongoing work with our Village Partners Project. We stayed in the village for six days, living, working, and learning alongside our partners. The following are some excerpts from journals and reflections from our trip.

At first light, long after the roosters alerted us to the approaching day, we pulled on our rubber boots and headed out into the fields. Our guide this morning is Maximo, a leader in the community, whose weathered face smiles as he offers us a glass of fresh milk. This is as fresh as it gets. His son,

As we look at Maximo’s small garden, someone asked if they ate the things they grow, or if they sold them. His answer surprised all of us… He pointed to the garden and said, “This is how we eat…” and he turned and waved toward the palm trees and said, “This is how we live.” He was basically telling us that the small gardens help keep food on their tables from day to day, and that the harvest from the palm trees essentially pays their mortgage, or allows them to live on this piece of property. In Honduran terms the members of this small agricultural co-op are referred to as “Campesinos” which translated means “peasants” or “country folk.” As we continue to work with our partners in Embarcadero, we hope to help them achieve their goal of one day owning the land that they live and work on.Rudy, just took a break from milking the cow to fill a cup for us.

Our friends in Embarcadero live together as an agricultural co-op, and Maximo has brought us out

this morning, to show us some of the ways they live in harmony with this fertile land. The cattle, that are milked and used for beef, are just one example of ways our friends find sources of income and sustenance in the village.

As the sun peaks over the mountains, we leave the milking pens and put our rubber boots to good use as we trudge through the water-soaked mud trails, between the 5 year-old palm trees. A five year-old palm tree is really more like a palm “bush,” with the upper palm fronds reaching heights of about 12 to 15 feet. The men of the community also work this 100 acre field of palm trees, and when we asked how they divided up the field, Maximo explained that they don’t divide the field, they all work together to keep the trees healthy and productive. Later we watched as they harvested the palm seed bunches.

During our trips we sleep in a one-room school building, and each individual is “adopted” by one of the families. During the week they share breakfast and dinner with their host family. Maura McDowell, a junior, education major, share

d how valuable this relatio

nship building is for the project. “One evening I watched as my family spent time just worshiping and singing and it was so cool. They were just singing as loud as they could and playing their instruments as loud as they could. It was really cool because my “mom” was kind of humming along to it while she was cooking dinner. Spending time with them in their home and learning from my family helped me see and understand how they actually live, and it really blew my mind.” Junior, Ashely Willard adds, “Being in this small community that was self-governed and seeing how they worked together with a genuine simplicity of life was an amazing concept. Living in a real community without any technology and being able to communicate with our hosts, even not knowing the language, was absolutely life changing.”

The high point of our week in the village was the celebration we held on Sunday, celebrating the completion of all of the composting latrines in the village.

(Note: Sanitario Secos are an above ground, dry composting latrine contribute to the goal of cleaner wells in the village. These are an important alternative to the commonly used “Pit Latrines” that contaminate the high water table in the region.)

The celebration was a big event, starting the day before, when the men of the village chose one of their cattle to serve as the main course for the celebration. They constructed a large covered area and brought in a large grill and a huge bag of charcoal. They also invited government officials to be a part of the festivities. Among them were the Mayor of nearby Esparta, and the Director of the Ministry of Health. Professor Rafael Carias also brought two Nursing professors from the University in nearby La Ceiba (UNAH-CURLA), so that t

hey could see the “Sanitario Secos.” The nursing department from UNAH-CURLA plans to help us track health issues in the village in future months to determine if these recent village efforts actually improve their overall health and wellbeing.

We started in the school house where we heard speeches from all of the gathered dignitaries, congratulating the community and emphasizing the value of these new sanitation units. More than once it was noted that this village is truly modeling appropriate waste management that could be used in other villages throughout rural regions in Honduras, keeping ground water cleaner and serving as a source for fertilizer in the fields. Following the speeches we enjoyed entertainment provided by a group of Honduran dancers dressed in traditional garb. The dancers then invited the leader of the village to join them in dancing. It wasn’t long before many in our group of “gringos locos” joined our friend Adriano, dancing to celebrate the village’s accomplishments. As the dancing subsided and they began to pass out plates of “barbacoa” barbecued beef, rice and beans. A great meal, washed down with liters of Coke, Fanta, and Tropical, the latter being an interesting banana flavored soft drink.

Following the meal there was more dancing, including some limbo and a lot of Spanish/English conversation. We truly experienced this village’s excitement and appreciation for the projects we have partnered on thus far. Senior communication major, Paul Moore writes, “It was so rewarding to know that we had a small part in helping with this project, we sponsored and helped build these sanitarios, but we also had a part in teaching them how to build, maintain, and use the sanitarios effectively so that they could teach neighboring villages about the how it could benefit their communities.”

Looking toward future trips we did a number of things that will help us prepare for further improvements in the village. As one new dimension for our project this trip, students from UNAH-CURLA University joined us during our stay in the village. We teamed together to measure and test wells, and talk with families about their stoves, and update our census information. Currently many homes use a wood burning stove inside the house, which fills the home with smoke. We spoke with all of the residents and discovered that they are all interested in buying and building a more efficient stove that vents outside their house. Our partners from the University in La Ceiba, will be organizing a workshop to teach the village women how to install and test a new stove in

one of the family houses. When we return in May, we will join the women in constructing a new stove in each house in the village.

The people of Embarcadero are also in the process of forming a “Health Committee,” that will ensure the proper use of the “sanitario secos” in the village and monitor the health of each family. They will also work with the Nursing Department from the UNAH_CURLA to lead healthy lifestyle seminars dealing with a wide range of issues including, hygiene, newborn care, women’s issues, and dietary information.

It was hard to leave on our last day, Jessicca Baker sums it up this way, “Everything about the trip was an amazing experience, I am still working on putting everything together, but I know that I have changed as a person and that my focus has changed. The trip really opened up my heart and I am so thankful I got the opportunity to go.”

On each visit we learn more about how we should live from our partners in Embarcadero. In February we will take a small team of business students to the village to sit down with the leaders and develop some financial strategies to help them be more productive. And in May, just after graduation, we will take our next full team to continue working with, and learning from our Honduran partners. If you would like more information about upcoming trips contact Dr. Lori Wetmore or Jeff Buscher for details.

Headed back to Honduras

2011-01-02T18:35:00.000-08:00

Hey Friends,

On the 3rd of January I'll celebrate a birthday, and on the 4th I head to Honduras with 10 others from Jewell.

We will spend 10 days in Honduras. most of that time we will be in the village of Embarcadero with our friends.

Hopefully they have completed all the latrines and we will work on another set of projects while we are there.

On this trip we will get to know some students from the University in La Ceiba. (UNAH-CURLA)

They have been working with the folks in the village on community development issues and community leadership.

More after the trip - Happy New Year - Jeff

Spring Break Last Year

2010-11-22T21:38:00.000-08:00

We had a great trip during Spring Break last March. Late luggage and heavy rains cut our stay in the village a little short. But while we were there we held some English classes, met with the Mayor of Esparta, and had some great conversations with the people of Embarcadero about future projects. Dr. Bunton did some water testing of the wells in the village. Latrine work continued, and we learned about a possible Chicken raising venture for the women in the village. While visiting with the Mayor we asked about the future possibility of a bridge over the river so that Embarcadero residents will have access despite the rains. We also visited the Campus of UNAH-CURLA University in La Ceiba, and began to visit about internships for students at the University as they work with our partners in Embarcadero.

2010-02-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

Jewell's Village Partners Project

January 2010 Embarcadero, Honduras

This past January, boarding a plane to the Central American country of Honduras was just a little too easy, as the snow continued to pile up and temperatures plummeted in the Midwest. Little did we know that even in the warmer climate, precipitation would still affect our adventures in the village of Embarcadero.

Leaving the airport in San Pedro Sula, it was cloudy but no rain was falling. Our local host, Tim McNeely, informed us that it had been raining in the village for four days, and that our chances of getting into town were virtually impossible. That night we slept in the chapel at the orphanage, but as we rested, a steady tropical downpour kept us just a little restless, knowing that our only way into the village is by driving through a small river, that continued to swell with each passing day of rainfall. The next morning, we decided to go and see for ourselves how it looked in Embarcadero.

The drive to Embarcadero usually takes about an hour, but four days of rain changes the landscape in many ways. We drove past small mudslides, pastures that had been transformed into lakes, and the road itself, in many places, resembled more of a river, than a road. When we arrived at our river crossing we learned at its deepest point the crossing was over 5 feet deep. Maximo, one of the leaders from the community road his bike out to meet us, but he was only able to do so because he knew from memory exactly where the submerged footbridge was

under the surface of the flooded stream. We learned that this stream rises quickly, but also recedes quickly, so if the forecast for dry weather held, we would be able to get into the village the next day.

The rain stopped and the next day we drove to the river, parked our van, and walked the final mile into the village. Thankfully we had also rented a small four-wheel drive pick up that could negotiate crossing the river. Students trudged the muddy road and finally entered the village of Embarcadero. Junior, Religion major, Abby Pratt describes it like this, “As we walked into the village I remember thinking, ‘what am I getting myself into here? This is for real!’ But when we left, three days later, Icouldn’t help but realize how silly I was and how much I had changed in those three days.”

Our trip had two goals, to start a composting latrine for each family, and to begin building relationships with the members of the community. Materials for building the latrines had been delivered prior to the rains, so once we got into town we were ready to get to work. The first order of business was to gather the folks of

Embarcadero at the schoolhouse and introduce students to their adopted families for the week. Our group slept at the schoolhouse, and shared meals with our adopted families. This proved to be a little uncomfortable at first, b

ut by the week’s end, everyone felt like they were truly a part of their respective families. Our Spanish skills ranged from

none to fluent, so it took a lot of creativity and determination on the part of our students to hold basic conversations with our hosts.

Before nightfall, which means a lot more when you have no electricity, we had started to dig the holes for the foundations of the first two latrines. The work continued the next day as we formed teams with very specific duties. First there was the location team, led by one of the local men named Infriene. He new the exact dimensions and had a system using stakes and fishing line to mark where each latrine foundation should be placed based on his discussion with each resident. Laura Vanbiber, a senior, got to work on Infriene’s team, and she said this about the experience, “ When I approached the group several of the men just looked at me and then went back to what they were doing. I felt like the new kid at school, waiting to see if I would fit in. Then I asked Infriene if he needed my help and he said, “Of course! You are my partner.” That is when I really felt like I was part of the group. After that day, the other men in the town began to treat me like I was just one of the guys. When we were waiting to measure the next foundation, they would ask me questions about my life back in America or we would talk about how to say the names of the tools in English. It felt really good to know that I was able to accomplish these things on my own.”

Our student’s formed most of the next two teams. The rough dig team, and the finish dig team. The rough dig team used shovels to dig about a six inch wide trench just inside the fishing lines left by the placement team. Once they finished a rough outline, they would move on to the next site, while the finish dig team would use hand trowels to clean out the trenches and make sure they were level and square. This prepared the way for the final team, usually consisting of the homeowner and a few of his neighbors. These men worked together to actually lay the cement (mezcla) and place the first course of bricks in the holes. It worked out to be a great system, in two and a half days we were able to start 17 latrines, one for each family in the village.

After lunch each day, instead taking a little siesta, we always found something interesting to do. One day we walked through the palm groves to see how the men of the community work together to care for and harvest the palm nuts from the palm trees. The trees are only about six years old, and so they are only about 6-8 feet tall right now, looking more like palm bushes, than palm trees. The next afternoon, we made our way to the soccer field at the edge of the vill

age, even though it was very muddy, and half of it was still under water, that did not stop some of the guys from a rousing game of “futbol!” Josh Ehrhard, a Jewell soccer player said, ““Who would have thought that a remote village would be able to teach us so much about our culture, relationships, family and stuff.” While the guys played soccer the girls played games with the children. Many of us watched and cheered as players slid through the mud.

Sunday was supposed to be the next to last day in the village, and so we worked together with the residents to share together in a worship service at 1pm. Unfortunately, the night before it had started raining again, causing us concern about being able to get out of the village, in the event the river rose again to an impassable level. We moved up our worship service and quickly dis-assembled our makeshift camp inside the school house. In less than 30 minutes we had all of our belongings stowed in the pick up truck, and drove it out to the river where the water was indeed getting deeper by the minute. As I drove through the river the water was easily four feet deep, leaving the footbridge just a foot above the water level. We parked the truck in a nearby family member’s yard, and Colon and I walked back to join the worship service just beginning.

The service was enthusiastic, and filled with music, scripture readings and of course some energetic Pentecostal preaching. The first speaker was our liaison, Tim McNeely, then from the local pastor, Maximo. Following the service we took about an hour to share formal words of appreciation and thanks from both our students and the men and women of the village. Each student presented their host family with a framed picture of the student with their family. We also gave the children soccer balls, donated by Jewell’s soccer team.

One by one the people of the village stood to express how much it has meant to them for us to come and live in their village. In some cases they addressed their adopted student directly, sharing how much they valued their new friendship, bringing tears to many students eyes. Abby Blevins said, “Each day, eating meals with Maximo and his wife Emelda was an interesting experience. I always invited Emelda to join us, but in their culture, she is accustomed to staying in the kitchen, while the family eats, but I made a point to invite her at each meal. I wanted her to know that I wanted to spend time with her too. At the closing service, when Emelda said that I was like a daughter to her – I totally lost it, I gave her a big hug and I started crying like a baby!”

Our group said our last goodbyes and left the village the same way we came in… on foot, wearing rubber boots, carrying our backpacks, sporting just a few more blisters and bug bites. As we walked the muddy road toward the river, we all knew that we would never be the same. Our partners in Embarcadero were now our family and the memories of being truly immersed into their world will help us make our world at Jewell a better place. We are all looking forward to our next trip in March, and how the Village Partners Project will continue to benefit both communities.

First Day in Honduras

2010-01-07T05:24:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Honduras on Tuesday, during the third day of torrential downpours. On Wednesday we ventured out to Embarcadero, but the recent rains made it impossible for us to cross the swollen stream at the entrance to the village. We are "Camping out" in the chapel at the Proyecto Alcance Orphanage, which is run by our friends David & Dialis Romero. We will do some work for them at their school tomorrow while we wait for the rainwaters to recede. It quit raining tonight at about 8pm (We are on Central time too) So hopefully we can get into the village late tomorrow or Friday. We are all well and soaking in the Honduran culture. We will send another update when we can. We appreciate your prayers and support as continue our adventures.

Thursday Morning...

No Rain Last night - there was a power outage and saw amazing display of stars and shooting stars in the total blackout. This morning it is sunny and we will try to get to the village today. We are breaking our "Camp" in the chapel and preparing for travel. The forecast shows no rain until Saturday. We pray that the weather holds. Blessings - Jeff

Half-Way There...

2010-01-04T20:08:00.000-08:00

What can we say... It was pretty easy to board the plane this afternoon, considering the local temperature was hovering around zero. Our friends at Continental threw us a curve ball this trip. Usually we leave early in the morning and make a quick connection in Houston and we are in San Pedro Sula Honduras by Noon the same day. This year we were notified about two months ago - that the early morning flight had been moved ten minutes ahead. That move eliminated the option of a short layover in Houston. The minimum time allowed is 30 minutes, and the adjustment left us only 20 minutes. So tonight we are sleeping at a hotel near the Houston Airport.

We have made the most of our time. After dinner we spent about an hour getting acquainted, sharing stories about our families and our holidays. We also talked a little bit about our fears and expectations as we head into this trip. Some in our group are a little anxious about not having much privacy this coming week. (We are all sleeping in a one room school house.) For the most part everyone is excited about building relationships with the families in Embarcadero.

I may not have a lot of internet access the next few days since we will be working in the village. If you try to locate Embarcadero on a map of Honduras, you probably will not find it. But in the northern district of Atlantida you will see two coastal cities - Tela and La Cieba. A little closer to Tela is the village of Esparta just a little inland. Embarcadero is just a mile east of Esparta. This little agricultural community is at the end of the road... literally. Until our next update - stay warm!

Pictured: From a previous trip - The sign on the church in Embarcadero.

Our team consists of...

Jeff Buscher

Dr. Lori Wetmore

Tim Honse

Josh Ehrhard

Matt Goldschmidt

Abby Pratt

Abby Blevins

Caty Compton

Kait Bartoletta

Laura Vanbiber

Amber Hull

Ken & Janessa Carroll

New Adventures in Honduras

2009-12-01T20:50:00.000-08:00

On January 4th 2010, a team of 13 students, faculty and staff, will head to Embarcadero, Honduras for our third trip in an ongoing partnership with this village. During our week in the village we will build relationships with our host families, and we will build as many Latrines as possible.

Communities engaging for the purpose of healthy change through learning, practicing, and partnering.

This project falls under the mission of Jewell’s Center for Justice and Sustainability. Our goals are to act thoughtfully and responsibly as we address societal, economic, and ecological challenges as we encounter them. Through this project we have broadened and re-defined what it means to “Serve Abroad.”

Students step outside of their own cultural experience, and engage in community led projects designed to meet specific needs for the Honduran village. Students and faculty will dialogue and reflect, enhancing the students’ academic and practical grasp of the challenges faced by developing communities. This project is becoming a model for campus-wide initiatives engaging global cultures.

Immersed in Rural Honduras

This year we will take two trips to Honduras. The first will be in January and the second during Spring Break. Participants will stay in the small village of Embarcadero, Honduras. Lodging will be in the school house, and each student will be adopted by a family in the village. We will share meals together and learn from our hosts.

As a community the residents have set priorities to improve the health and well being of their village. The first issues to be addressed include improving the water supply (wells) and providing healthy, sustainable waste systems.

To those ends, this year’s effort will be to work alongside the residents to build a latrine for each family in the village (19 families). Last year’s group did education work and completed the first two latrines. Since that visit a third latrine has been completed.

2009-07-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

Matthew 25 Project: Lending a hand, where a hand is needed most...

In Kansas City’s urban core, one zip code was dubbed “The Murder Factory” in a January 2009 series of articles in the Kansas City Star.

Author Tony Rizzo writes, “No other ZIP code in Kansas City, St. Louis or any other part of the state comes close. Though its 26,000 residents make up about 6 percent of the cities population, it accounts for

20 percent of Kansas Citians in prison for murder or voluntary manslaughter.” In the midst of this neighborhood, WIlliam Jewell College has forged a strong partnership with the staff and volunteers at the Palestine Neighborhood Development Center. Among many of the good things they do for their neighbors, once a year they partner with Jewell, selecting homes to be painted during the Matthew 25 Project.

A qualifying home owner receives paint donated through the Kansas City Paint Program and Jewell provides the volunteers by inviting churches, schools, and other civic groups from all across the metro area. Volunteer groups sign up to serve for one day during the week. This year because of the extreme heat, crews started pretty early, around 7:00 am, and worked until noon or 1:00pm. In four days, 17 crews completed four homes, and by Friday, as we were gathering equipment and cleaning up supplies, homeowners were ecstatic about the facelift their homes received.

During the course of the week one volunteer, who had been pondering the plight of the neighborhood, was thinking out loud and asked me, “Do you really think that painting this house will make a difference?” We visited for a few minutes and determined that each resident will definitely benefit from having a newly painted home. The next day his question was answered very clearly when DeWayne Bright, Coordinator of the L.I.N.C. Program at the Center, relayed the following story.

One of the residents of a street where we were painting 2 homes, told DeWayne how much she appreciated the work that was being done. She shared how a year ago, family members on that same block had been arguing and fighting with one another and the situation had escalated to some minor violence involving calls to the authorities. She told DeWayne that over the course of the week those same quarreling family members determined to work together to do some yard work and made plans to make some long past due minor maintenance projects on their own homes.

Each day new groups would arrive at the homes ready to get as much done as they could before the scorching heat sent their weary, sweaty bodies home at mid-day. Equipped with paintbrushes, scrapers, ladders and water bottles they worked in the morning sun and whatever shade they could find to beautify the resident’s home. In many instances they also made some minor repairs and yard work to help spruce up the finished product. One homeowner complimented a group, telling them they were “Angels” because of the work they had done.

One of the key partners in this effort is Major Gene Bresino and his summer ROTC Cadet program of Central High School. This summer Gene is coordinating five crews of 10-12 students each. His teams and their sponsors will work most of the summer painting other homes that qualified for the program. Each week they also spend a day in class learning about character development and receiving leadership training. Many of the Cadets live nearby and know the residents whose homes they are painting.

The Matthew 25 Project is working to make a difference in “The Murder Factory.” With more partners in this grassroots effort we hope that the biblical mandate of serving others, found in Matthew 25 can become a reality in the heart of Kansas City. Find out more how to get involved at: www.matt25project.com

BEFORE & AFTER shots of one of the houses...

Meeting in Embarcadero

2009-06-03T13:57:00.001-07:00

We arrived on Saturday in Embarcadero at about 11 am. We drove two vehicles, a Hyundai Santa Fe and a Toyota four wheel drive pick up. When we got to the river, it was not much more than a mud puddle, but the folks in the Toyota convinced us to leave the rental car behind and climb into the pick up to cross the muddy depression. During the rainy season (December & January) the water flows nearly as deep as the wooden footbridge on the left. Access by vehicles is often limited to the village because of this unpredictable drainage.

Once we crossed the mud puddle and made our way into the village we were greeted with smiles and hugs, mostly from women and children because we learned the men were in a Co-Op meeting in the school house. We were able to walk around and visit and get a look at the latrines our team built in January. The folks of Embarcadero had built a third latrine near the church. I put a

picture of one of the latrines on my last post. We were very encouraged by the way the community has embraced the value of the ecological, composting latrines. They prevent pollution of their water source and provide fertilizer for their crops.

A little later in the afternoon we were able to hold a meeting with the

folks of the community in the school house pictured here. Our

discussion covered three primary topics. First we wanted their feedback on the latrines and we wanted to hear what they felt would be best for their community.

Men and women from the community expressed their appreciation for the latrines and also related that because

of the education offered last Januray's visit, they no

longer wanted to use the "Pit Latrines" because they understood that those would contaminate their wells. They are eager to enter into a partnership that will provide a "Composting Latrine" for each family in the village. When you include the church and the school, this will require the building of approximately 25 more latrines.

The second topic we discussed was the logistics of our on-going partnership between William Jewell College and the village of Embarcadero. Our goal in this partnership is best expressed through the phrase:

"Communities engaging for the purpose of healthy change through partnering, learning and practicing."

As we discussed ideas for our next trip to Embarcadero we arrived at the following model. A group of no more than 15 will travel to the village in January of 2010. They will sleep in the school building and each participant will be "adopted" by a different family for meal times eating what the family eats, when the family eats. Our group will cover the expenses of the extra meals and lodging in the school building. This plan helps meet our goals a number of different ways. Students will truly be immersed in the local culture, also we will be very close to our work sites as we build more latrines. Also because we will be right there with them we will have so many more opportunities to get to know them and learn from them. Building these relationships will be a great benefit to both of our communities.

Finally we discussed the best way to move forward in our plan to construct latrines and engage the folks of Embarcadero in the process. We talked about the need for resources to build the latrines. Materials for each one costs about $300 USD, which translates to just over 5,600 Lempiras. The average annual income for an agricultural worker in Honduras is only $450 per year or 8,500 Lempiras. They are committed to providing labor, along with our teams. We are also negotiating how housing our students can also be seen as an investment in the project. Each family will also plan and prepare the ground for the site of their family's latrine.

In the coming months we will be raising funds for this project, but in our discussion with our partners we both agreed that we want both groups to contribute equally to the project. It is important that we continue to support and encourage their community as they strive for healthy change.

Tim McNeely is serving at Proyecto Alcance in La Masica and teaching school in San Juan Pueblo. He is works with David and Dialis Romero, who have been our partners for the past 5 years. Tim will continue to visit Embarcadero every 3-4 weeks and keep our communication current as we move forward in our planning. Tim will be instrumental in getting supplies and building materials to our partners as we move ahead on this exciting project.

More next time about the great potential this project holds for participants from William Jewell. Mucho Gusto - Jeff

Village Partners in Honduras

2009-05-31T16:01:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY

Our day started at 4 am traveling to KCI where we would board a 6am flight to Houston, and on to San Pedro Sula Honduras by 11 am local time (Noon CST) Our driver, WJC Chaplain, Dr. Andy Pratt, braved the early morning hours to take Campus Minister, Jeff Buscher, Chemistry Professor, Dr. Lori Wetmore, and Alumni Mark Buhlig to the Continental gate and send us on our way.

( Photo - Latrines built by our group in January )

Our flights were both early, in fact the pilot on one flight joked, “So the next time you are delayed you owe us 20 minutes before you can start complaining!” Upon arrival something totally unexpected occurred – 2 out 3 bags arrived – somehow mine did not make it. They knew it was missing before we got to the counter. Mmm? Anyway we submitted a claim and they indicated it would be delivered to our hotel the next day? We’ll see how that goes. I was truly surprised because over the last 5 years we have never lost a bag on this leg of the trip. As I write this I realize that our video camera and my medicine is in that bag… I’m sure it will arrive tomorrow… Now that I'm posting this note - Everything arrived just fine. In fact the good folks of Continental delivered my bag to our hotel in La Masica - Three hours away from the airport. Thank goodness, another day in those clothes would have been challenging.

Renting a car was an adventure: Avis said their car was not working, so she took it on herself to send us next door to “Econo-Car” Where they rented us a Hyundai Santa Fe for the same price we were quoted by our friends at AVIS. We signed some papers and we were pleasantly surprised with a shiny new Hyundai. It had a few dings and scratches, but it will be ideal for touring this part of northern Honduras. The important thing is that the AC worked just fine. We then exchanged our cash and made our way to La Masica.

Following Thursday’s earthquake the drive was not too bad. There were back ups at the Bridges. The bridge near El Progresso was the worst damage we saw. As we approached the bridge there were some cracks in the highway. We crossed on the good bridge and made our way toward San Juan Pueblo where we would stop in and pay a visit in the colonia where we have built homes and a church over the last 5 years. It was great to see the families that we have worked with over the years, including the high school student – Rosita, who our CSM group sponsors by sending funds for her school supplies each year.

From there we drove another 15 minutes into La Masica where our base of operations… Hotel Media Luna (Half Moon Hotel) stood waiting for our arrival. After a few minutes of tracking folks down at Senior Antunez Hardware Store, we finally found a fellow that could hook us up with keys for the rooms. And we got settled in for the night. I have to stay up and wait for Donette, Tono, and Dani to arrive from Guatemala. They finally arrived around midnight.

Some of the things we will work through on this trip: How do we appropriately assure that our partnership with the village folk of Embarcadero is intentionally reciprocal and can we ask our partners to be vulnerable with us by telling us their story. And then how do we communicate the big picture of our Village Partners Project? I look forward to re-connecting with the folks in Embarcadero tomorrow – For now I think our friends have arrived, I’ve got to give them their room keys.

More Manyana - Jeff

EarthQuake in Honduras

2009-05-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends,

All reports indicate there was scattered damage from this morning's earthquake. The village of Embarcadero is about 10 miles from the north coast of Honduras, and about 60 miles west of La Ceiba. I'm sure they felt the quake, hopefully their homes are still standing. We leave in the morning (5/29/09) and will return on Tuesday June 2nd. We understand some bridges were damaged, but it appears we can still get to La Masica before nightfall. I will be blogging while we are there if possible, a primary internet line was severed, so I'll do the best I can to keep folks posted on the progress of our visit.

Here is a link to the BBC story about the quake:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8071568.stm

Serving Others... Jeff

Headed to Honduras

2009-05-20T06:37:00.000-07:00

Greetings Friends,

It's been awhile since our last adventure. We have wrapped up another great school year, and in just a few days a small group from Jewell will be traveling to Honduras to do some logistical work with our village partners near Esparta. The village is called Embarcadero and last January a team from Jewell partnered with some folks from Guatemala to introduce and build 2 composting latrines. We are going to see if they completed the third latrine and visit with them about the future of our partnership. Pictured here is one of the homes in Embarcadero. Our plan for our next trip is to stay in the village 24/7 with our partners. Possibly camping out in the school building. With no electricity and no clean water, we will be doing some extensive planning to assure a safe and productive time while we are there next January. Our upcoming trip will be from May 29 - June 2. I look forward to sharing more about the trip soon. Olah, Jeff

The Matthew 25 Project

2009-03-05T06:47:00.000-08:00

We are very excited about this year's Matthew 25 Project.

Our goal is to recruit approximately 45 Kansas City area churches to assemble crews of about 10 folks and work on a house painting project for one day during the Matthew 25 Project.

Dates: Monday - Thursday, June 22-25

(We will use Friday as a make up day in case we get rained out during the week)

More information at the Website: www.matt25project.com

As churches register for the project they will be assigned to a specific house and work day and they will also be paired with another church from the Kansas City area. Monday through Thursday each of the six homes we will be painting, will have two teams working together for the day.

Visit the website and/or contact Jeff Buscher (816-415-7560) at William

Jewell College for more information. Last year was our first y

ear for this project and we were structured more as a

residential camp/missions experience with stud

ent groups staying at the college. (See article posted on a nearby blog) Th

is year we are inviting local churches to get involved

and serve locally and build relationships with churches from all across the metro area.

Visiting Student Homes

2009-01-29T12:13:00.000-08:00

In the middle of our time in Kenya, all of us had the very distinct privilege of spending a night with the families of our host students from Daystar University. Now that we are back in the states, and students are back into the routine of classes, I'm going to share about my experiences that weekend, and invite our students to contribute as they have the time.

My roommate at Daystar was an older student by the name of Kimeli, a non- traditional student, in that he is about 25 years old and has a wife and two small children. I came to know Kimeli as a good friend, and as w

e spent time together the first week, I began to eagerly anticipate the opportunity of traveling to his home and meeting his extended family. As it turned out getting to his home town of Marigat, about 4 hours north of Nairobi, was an adventure all its own.

A matatu is a 14 passenger minivan, that will

take you, rapidly, to your desired destina

tion for a small fee

but only when the driver decides

he has a full loa

d. And in our case, a full load meant 24 people. On our journey north, up the great rift valley, I learned we would be crossing the equator... well I was

not about to let this momentous occasion pass me by, so

I kindly asked our matatu driver if he would stop and let me take a picture at the

equator. He did, I did, and I was promptly accosted by a host of souvenir sa

les folk who wanted to sell me a little something to remember my equatorial crossing. What can I say, I was a

captive westerner with more shillings than sense, they've seen my type

before. SO... there I stood with one foot in each hemisphere, contributing to the local economy!

Just another 15 minutes down th

e road, Kimeli asked the driver to stop, and we got out, and as I looked around I saw a small gravel road heading off to the west. Next to the road was a small wooden stand where local folks would sometimes sell honey. On the other side of

the gravel road was a small enclosure with a crumpled piece

of tin for a roof. As it turns out that shed was just large enough to serve as the local pool hall. In the center was one functional pool table, and along the side was another older pool table that had seen its better days. I was introduced to the players and learned, that like most folks in this area, they were related in som

e way to my host, Kimeli.

After visiting briefly with the local billiard pros, I couldn't help but wonder where our next stop would be. Two of the guys we met at the intersection were Ki

meli's younger brothers, one who is still in high school, and the other who is studying engineering at anoth

er university in Nairobi. After Kimeli consulted with his brothers, he said, "We're going for a walk, I want to show you around." Well that sounded great, but in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but wonder, where in the world we were going? We crossed the highway and began to walk down a path... straight into the brush, and that's when things really started to get interesting.

At our first stop Kimeli showed me a water retention pond where people and animals came daily for water. It was not very clean, and he shared about how he hopes after college he can return to this area and help improve the water sour

ces and living conditions for his people. We hiked on another half mile or so and we came to a small compound. It was a small fenced-in area complete with goats, a mule and two metal sheds and two mud huts with thatched roofs. "This is where I grew up" Kimeli said, as he invited

me into one of the sheds. He showed me the kitchen, and he described

how he used to stay close to his mother's side as she would prepare "ugali" over the fire. "Ugali" is a mashed potato sort of texture, but its made by mixing corn flour in boiling water. He explained how each structure was for different family members, his younger brother still sleeps in one of the huts when he is home.

On our half mile trek to the next home we stopped to meet a neighbor and her extended family. Once we arrived at his aunt's, we negotiated a small ga

te and we were greeted by more family members. Meeting his aunt was another treat. His family members were all very gracious and so excited about having a guest drop by for a visit. Kimeli explained and helped me realize that I was the first

westerner to ever come to his family's land and take the time to stop by and visit for a little while.

The picture at the right, shows me, Kimeli, his grandmother and a young cousin. She only spoke Swahili, and so Kimeli translated as we got acquainted and visited about how long she had lived in the area. She said nice things about Kimeli and his brothers. Kimeli told me that I was the first white man she had ever met.

I told her what an honor it was to get to visit her home and to meet her and I g

ave her a small gift. She was so touched and thankful that she grabbed my

hands and shook them vigorously, then she did something I was not expecting... she spit on my hands, and continued to thank me and shake my hands. Kimeli must have seen the surprise in my face after she spit on my hands, he leaned toward me and whispered how his grandmother had just bestowed a tremendous blessing on me, and was showing her deep appreciation for my small gift. It is said that when an elder blesses you in this way, they

are blessing you the hope peace and prosperity. After a couple of pictures, it was time to make our way to

one more home.

As we walked toward Kimeli's second mom's home it was beginning to get dark. I learned that in Kenya, men may sometimes take a second wife later in life. This

was the case with his father. They often do not divorce, but they just mo

ve on to live with another woman. The father often continues to support the first wife. Unfortunately, I did not get to meet Kimeli's father, he works for the highway department and was out on a job in a remote area. I did get to talk to him on Kimeli's phone and he also

thanked me for coming to visit.

As we approached their compound we were greeted by Winnie, a cousin, who I learned, is a first year college student at nearby Eldoret. We were invited inside for a cup of tea. As I mentioned it was pretty dark by now so they lit a small kerosene lantern and set it on a small coffee table. We en

joyed a cup of tea and what they called ground nuts, I learned later they were peanuts. Again, I was reminded

what a novelty I was as a guest. As we visited and

enjoyed our tea, Winnie sat next to me and constantly brushed my hair with her hands. She was very curious, and g

entle as she stroked my head. It was truly a blessing and I felt that this was a great opportunity to experience real immersion as Kimeli's family members shared their time with us.

We finished our tea and said our goodbye's and by the light of the full moon we started our one mile hike back out toward the highway. When we reached the highway we met Kimeli's mother. She met us and we took another series of pictures, and visited briefly. Again I wondered, what are we going to do now? Kimeli's home, where we were spending the night was another 1

0 miles down the highway, and I was pretty sure there were not going to be any Matatus coming by this remote stretch of road any time soon. Kimeli ssured me, "Don't worry, we will get a ride." And sure enough, a car came by and pulled over and offered us a ride to Marigot. I got to meet Kimeli's wife and two daughters. And we had a great evening sharing stories and more tea.

The next day before we started our journey back Kimeli took me to Lake Bogoria

a beautiful park where we saw hot springs, giesers, flamingos and an ostrich or two. More about that in my next entry.

Deo Fisus Labora - Jeff

Why We Went...

2009-01-18T06:53:00.000-08:00

Brian McLaren's book, "Everything Must Change" is about to be released in paperback, possibly with a new subtitle: "Where Jesus' Good News and the World's Biggest Problems Collide." I've read this book, and the new subtitle does a great job of explaining why our group traveled to Kenya.

First, it is important to understand the value of water in this region of Kenya. T

he average annual rainfall for the region is about 15 inches a year, (Wyoming averages about 12) and most of that comes between March and May of each year. The rest of the year the climate is hot and dry and the Ukarimu House, as well as the rest of the campus, relies on water from a reservoir at the University, and a very unreliable pipeline that brings water from Nairobi. In very dry times they pay a great deal to have water trucked into the college. During the school year the campus houses approximately 1000 students who all observe strict water conservation practices.

The second piece of this picture is the ministry center that is under construction, called The Ukarimu House. (pictured above) Ukarimu is a Swahili word meaning hospitality. Chip and Chari Kingsbury have

been at Daystar for more than 8 years. Chip serves as the director for faculty development, and teaches classes in the area of leadership and community development. They also coordinate a program called "The Praxis Team" which trains and equips students for ministry. Currently they live in a small home adjacent to The Ukarimu House. Once completed the roof of these buildings will collect rainfall

and fill the newly constructed water tank, providing water for most of the year. They are currently recruiting team members to travel to Kenya in August of this year to be a part of a crew that will help fund and install the roof/rainwater collection sys

tem. Total cost for the metal and tile roof, $40,000 USD. I am told that they have a little over half of this team committed. If you are interested in participating

in this project contact Chip at: ckingsbury@daystar.ac.ke

So... how does a team of 10 college folk from the states fit into this equation? Jewell has had a longtime commitment to building student leaders that are engaged in their local and global communities. This project, with Jewell alumni, Chip Kingsbury, had all the righ

t pieces to mobilize and engage students at a number of different levels. First we sought the support of the campus by raising funds to help pay for the construction materials. Through the generosity of student organizations, faculty and staff we were able to donate $2,000.00 toward the water tank project prior to

our arrival. When we arrived the hole had already been started, (pictured above) and for the next 10 days we used pick axes (the ground is very hard and dry) shovels, ropes and buckets to complete the foundational shape of the tank.

Nothing builds community faster than working together, sweating and carving something out of the dense Kenyan soil. Our team partnered with 15 of

the Praxis students from Daystar to dig this hole and the channels that will support the pipes carrying the rainwater to the tank. While building this ecologically friendly tank, what we were really building, was relationships with peers from a very different culture. We constructed bonds and understanding on levels much deeper than the 13 feet of earth we removed together.

By the end of our second week our team began to dig the trenches that will be used to hold the pipes that will carry water to the tank during the rainy seasons. Chip employed some men that were skilled at lining the tank walls with concrete. As our time in Kenya drew to a close it was interesting to watch as the combined groups of students would walk over to the tank and stare with pride at our "hole in the ground," and reminisce at the amount of blood sweat and tears it took to make this huge tank. A sustainable rainwater collection structure, that will very soon make the Ukarimu House a self supporting ministry center at the base of the Lukenya Hills of southern Kenya.

For two weeks in Kenya Jesus Good News, collided with the global issue of water conservation as Jewell, Carroll, and Daystar students shared labor and lives for the growth of God's Kingdom. Thanks again to all of you that helped make this happen. Deo Fisus Labora - Jeff

Photos

2009-01-14T21:00:00.001-08:00

Final Days in Kenya

2009-01-13T21:58:00.000-08:00

We are on our way back, so while we have a few hours in the Amsterdam airport, why not feed the BLOG monster. I'll start with our latest adventures and as folks come by maybe someone will add a note or two of their own. I haven't blogged since Sunday, so here's a quick overview of the last 48 hours.

On Monday morning we toured the "Beacon of Hope Ministry Center" in western Nairobi. This is a remarkable clinic meeting the needs of HIV positive women and families affected by AIDS. Monday afternoon we began packing our bags for the return journey. Monday Night was our big closing celebration time with our hosts from Daystar University. We had a "Nyamachoma" which is Swahili for goat roast, or more generally a barbecue. We had a great time eating goat and pork, and other local treats like "Ugali" which is a mashed potato type substance made of boiled water and corn flour. Following the meal the two groups exchanged gifts and shared words of thanks and blessings. We also enjoyed a slide show of pictures from the past two weeks projects and adventures. The Vice Chancellor of the Athi River Campus, Dr. Godfrey M. Nguru and some of his staff also joined us for the celebration. He shared some brief words of appreciation, and looked forward to other opportunities for exchanges with William Jewell. To top the night of Chip mixed up an amazing batch of home made ice cream.

Tuesday morning we left the dorm at 5:30 am with all of our luggage packed for the 10:30 pm departure. Why did we leave so early you ask? Well, when you tour the Nairobi National Wildlife Reserve it is best to tour at dawn or d,usk to see the most animals. Here is a short list of animals we saw during our 3 hour tour: (6-9am) Warthog, Hartebeast, Thompson's Gazelle, Ostrich, Zebra, Baboons, Rhino, Cape Buffalo, Storks, Guinea Fowl, Giraffes, Velvet Monkeys, Antelope, Crocodile, and the coup de gras... the King of Beasts, A male lion (Simba) and his pride of about 8 females. We were about 10 feet from the big guy as he laid in the grass - Sorry photos next blog.

Our safari was a blast, following that adventure we visited a gift shop and then had an amazing wild meat lunch at a restaurant called "The Carnivore." It was kind of cool, after seeing all this wildlife we got to sample Ostrich, crocodile, and the staples of beef, pork and chicken. They would continually cycle through with swords of skewered meat, and cut some off on your plate. We dined there for a couple hours, and ate our fill of meats.

Ironically the next event on our schedule ws a brief tour of Nairobi's poorest slum area known as "The Kibara Slum." It is the second largest slum in Africa, and this overcrowded area is home to over 1 million people. Our guides were some remarkable young men and women that grew up in the slums and have returned to lead a futbol program for the children of the area. They currently coach over 300 teams and they hold tournaments at neighboring schools that are very well attended by the residents. It was very humbling and eye opening to tour the area. I think our repsonse to that experience will require an entire entry of its own.

Next we made one last souvenir stop in the downtown market area known as "Biashara Street." Once our final Shillings were spent, we stopped at a home nearby, some friends of Chip and Chari, to re pack our luggage, grab a snack, and clean up before our flight. Once that was done we made our way to the Nairobi airport for our return flight.

My Battery is nearly dead... Deo Fisus Labora - Jeff

Weekend Update

2009-01-11T13:28:00.000-08:00

What an amazing weekend!

Its late and we are all beat.

So here's what I think I'll do...

...I'm going to do a bullet list of activities various members of our group got to experience with our Kenyan hosts over the last couple days. Hopefully this will serve as a great discussion starter the next time you see one of our team members...

* Hiked around and climbed a volcanic crater

* Met a grandmother of a Kenyan who shared in Swahili that this was the first white person she had ever met.

* Enjoyed an interesting dish made of bananas, black eyed peas, and potatoes

* Had a college aged Kenyan rub and touch his hair while he had tea with the family

* Didn't go to Nakuru National Park (Flamingos) because the Non-Kenyan price is $60 per person, Kenyan price - 300 shillings = $4.00 USD

* Watched a Kenyan produced soap opera

* Hiked by the light of the full moon

* Looked at the full moon using the Daystar University's telescope

* Crossed the Equator - Stood in two hemispheres at once

* Bartered with artisans at the Masai Market in downtown Nairobi

* Rode in a Matatu... numerous times (Public transportation - seats 14) However I counted 24 people in the one I rode

* Stood by and watched as one of our Kenyan hosts argued with a Matatu driver for trying to over charge her American guests for a ride

* Was mistaken for a local - and tried to act interested as a person spoke to her at length - in Swahili.

* Taught Kenyan hosts how to play chess

* Drank Mango Juice - from a pop bottle

* Overwhelmed by the gracious generosity and appreciation shown by all of our host families

* Had there hands spit on by an elder (This is a gesture conveying great blessings)

* Saw geysers, hot springs, ostrich, zebra, Thompson's Gazelle, antelope, baboons, warthogs, flamingos, and 8 foot tall ant hills

Thats enough for now - as I said its late, and I may have confused a detail or two, but we really had a great weekend with our Kenyan friends. Tomorrow we are visiting an AIDS ministry center in the morning, and having a nyamochoma (Goat Roast) tomorrow evening.

Deo Fisus Labora - Jeff

Stalking Giraffe

2009-01-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

Friday January 9, 2009 - Guest Bloggers: Elizabeth Warth, Sarah Taylor, Dawn Ferguson

Today was our last work day. The hole was plastered and the brick wall is complete. Trenches have been dug and we are now proud parents of a nine thousand gallon water tank. There is still a bit of finish work, but we are excited about moving on to the next thing. As our day

ended, the group divided and headed different directions. Some went to a nerby town for supplies, another group headed back to the hostel (dorm) and six of us went giraffe hunting, including Chip Kingsbury, who has been our host and today served as our guide.

After many miles of trees and dirt, Elizabeth Warth spotted a long neck in the distance. After the first giraffe was spotted we found a total of eight of them in a herd. They did not find us as interesting or as cute as we found them to be. We eventually attempted to sneak closer to them, which failed due to the sounds of eccentric picture snapping and the fact that we

are not stealthy. Feeling defeated we sat down thinking that if we were low to the ground and didn't move that they would come to us. We were wrong.

Everyone gave up except two of us. Dawn Ferguson and Cyrus (a Daystar friend) decided to give it one last attempt. They were very successful and Dawn was very excited because they finally got within 20 feet of them. At this point there was a tragic turn of events. Cyrus decided that it would be a good idea to storm the giraffes. This did not work so well as giraffes are faster and stealthier than they look. Within a few seconds of chasing, and zig-zagging around, the giraffes were scattered. And there was Dawn, standing with her mouth wide open in shock and disappointment, the giraffes were as far away as when the attempt began.

The bystanders at this time were no longer sitting but standing in shock, much like the home team crowd at a football game when their team fumbles the ball. Overall the giraffe hunting experience was amazing. There is nothing like being so close to wildlife in their natural habitat knowing that your encounter is genuine. We are all preparing for a fun weekend with our friends shopping and visiting their homes.

2009-01-09T07:29:00.000-08:00

A quick update... a couple students will be writing an entry a little later this evening. Briefly I wanted to let folks know I may be "offline" over the weekend. Our group is dividing into small groups and traveling to the homes of our host students. I will be traveling to my roommate's home, which I'm told is a couple hours away via a "matatu" which is a small bus or minivan. Our girls are all going to one place where they will have the African version of a slumber party. Monday we are visiting an Aids ministry Center called Beacon of Hope, and Tuesday we will tour the Nairobi Game Park. So please stay tuned as our adventures continue.

Deo Fisus Labora, Jeff

The Wall

2009-01-08T13:52:00.000-08:00

Today we dug trenches and helped put a retaining wall around the top of our water tank. Its actually starting to look like a little more than a hole in the ground. More than once today I spoke with students that were staring in amazement at our handiwork.

Tonight we introduced our African friends to S'Mores, they loved them, we ran out of biscuits (Crackers) and marshmallows. We built a small fire on a high hill on campus. Around the fire we sang songs and listened to some very nice music. We told stories and finally headed back to the residence halls, weary from another productive day.

Pictured to the right is the gourd my friend gave me yesterday. In northern Kenya these are used to transport and store milk.

The Gift

2009-01-07T12:04:00.000-08:00

Today one of the young men from the school invited me to his small room, just off campus. He proudly showed me pictures of his family and told me about how in his tribe, milk cows are the staple of the society, in fact they are traded as currency. He has already begun to raise some cows himself to use in the future as a dowry. After a brief chat he gave me a small gourd that was hand painted and decorated with beads by his mother. He explained that these are used to carry milk and as a container for drinking. In December, while he was home, he told his mother that our group was coming to visit, and she gave him this gourd to share with someone from the group. I have to tell you I got a little choked up as my friend shared a piece of his life with me. We have a little less than a week left to spend with our friends and my experience today was one very small example of the kinds of relationships that are developing between these two groups of students.

We have a few more work days on the water tank, and I can't lie, today was a hot one. We have begun to mix concrete for the rim, and dig the ditch that will carry water from the Ukarimu House to the tank. We had to take a few extra breaks this afternoon. I'm afraid our fair skin, gallons of sun screen included, is no match for the hot, dry, baking qualities of the equatorial African sun. We are about 50 miles south of the equator here, and the sun rises and sets at about 6:15 - am & pm each day.

We are also sharing some American culture with our friends. Tonight we shared a good old fashioned "Movie Night." The school provided a projector, and together we had pop and popcorn and we watched the classic movie "The Princess Bride." We had a great time laughing, and teaching our friends to say... "My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die." Tomorrow night we are planning to teach them how to make S'Mores around a campfire.

Deo Fisus Labora, Jeff

Sorry about no pictures tonight - technical difficulties - jb

Conquering the Clod

2009-01-06T11:34:00.000-08:00

Jan. 6, 2009 - Guest Blogger - James Buscher, Carroll College, Helena, Montana

Today was epic. The center pillar in the hole was toppled like your ego right after your girlfriend says "I just want to be friends." It was a Titanic feet, requiring all the man (and woman) power we could muster. After a few minutes of chopping at the solid base of the pillar, we lassoed that sucker and played the most one-sided game of tug-of-war ever to be played between twenty humans and one very large dirt clod. The humans won. With the mass of broken dirt carpeting the floor of the hole, we all felt the thrill of defeating such a huge and ominous inanimate object.

With that surge of energy coursing through our dirt clogged arteries we headed just down the road to swim in a pool at an oddly located hot

el known as the Lukenya Getaway. Once there our Kenyan partners told us that most of them did not know how to swim and over half of them were afraid of water. So we did the culturally sensitive thing and shoved them into the deep end to learn through emersion. Not really. Actually we held a small swim lesson that ended up resembling a class on the art of drowning, rather than any form of swimming school. After a few pointers though, our Kenyan friends were racing each other across the pool, and while none of them would ever be mistaken for Michael Phelps, for multiple reasons, they certainly held their own

considering for most, it was their first time in a pool. So as I said, today was epic.

2009-01-05T19:56:00.000-08:00

Our group has learned why the old song says, "God Bless the rains down in Africa..." Water storage and conservation is critical for daily life, and it reinforces the importance of this project. We have determined that every bucket of dirt we remove, means a bucket of water for someone in the future.

Today we made huge progress on the water tank. We nearly have all the dirt removed from the hole. Using picks, shovels, buckets and ropes, we will complete the "dig" tomorrow. To celebrate this portion of the project, we may go swimming at a nearby hotel at the end of the day.

Our trip to Nairobi yesterday was a great adventure. Never again will we complain about road conditions or traffic in Kansas City! And did I mention the British influence here also means they drive on the opposite side of the road than us folks in the states.

Yesterday a handful of new students arrived at the university for orientation. And some of our group went to the evening welcome program. At one point in the program they invited (read grabbed) new students from the crowd and put them onstage. Among the "victims" was my son James. The played a few games and pranks, it was pretty funny. He got a lot of ribbing about being a new student. Thanks again for your prayers and support, The team is doing very well, and we look forward to beginning our second week in Kenya! Peace, Jeff

Andy's African Holy Day

2009-01-04T12:02:00.000-08:00

Africa – 4 Jan. 2009 (guest blog by Andy Kirk)

I never thought the day would come when I would consider performing a church skit as a part of a “fun day.” Usually, my fun days at home in Liberty involve being glued to a trashy reality TV marathon while drinking enough Dr. Pepper to kill most animals and small children. But today, visiting a church meant NOT digging a hole, and for that, I was uncharacteristically overjoyed to praise the Lord.

This morning, our group of Cardinals, Kenyans and Carroll College compadres traveled into the city of Nairobi to attend a contemporary worship service at Kileleshwa Covenant Community Church. Our group was also charged with the task of performing a church skit for the congregation—a task that could easily tarnish the delicate reputation of the United States in Kenya, if gone awry. With all of the positive energy here behind President-elect Obama, we couldn’t ruin the U.S. for these people. Additionally, I somehow found myself writing and directing this skit, which would be hilariously ironic if it weren’t utterly terrifying. I’ll spare you the details of my “baby,” but let’s just say it was written and practiced less than twelve hours before production.

After about an hour of singing, our group was called to the stage to perform. I was ready to throw up all over the altar, but we kept it together and got a reaction from the audience that I would compare to parents awkwardly clapping after their middle schoolers’ hot mess of a Christmas pageant. The rest of the service was fine, and we weren’t smitten by a higher power, so we considered it a success.

Following church, we ate at an Ethopian restaurant in Nairobi. I had Coke for the first time in six days, and I now have the strength to finish the rest of the trip. The other significant note about the restaurant was that five of us shared a tray of various Ethopian delicacies with no utensils. My friends and I talked about everything, from hot teachers to the Gaza Strip bombings, and it was almost enough to make me forget that I was mopping up spicy goat meat off of a communal plate. Kenya has been good for me, personally, because I’ve had to abandon my rigorous standards of order and cleanliness in order to survive. In the United States, I wouldn’t eat half of the things I’ve eaten here, and I would demand perfect conditions in which to consume them. But here, if you’re afraid of ingesting saliva, dirt or mustard, you die. To be honest, I’m more grossed out my decomposing than drinking tap water with just a touch of the tapeworm.

Finally, our group went to an orphanage and played with small children. There’s really no way I can make fun of these children because they were absolutely precious. We went down slides, played on the swings and ate cookies together. If even I could appreciate these adorable African toddlers, then there is hope for my beautiful biracial babies with Brittany Talley.

One of the songs in church today repeated the chorus of “anything is possible” about 30 times. If I could try strange food, semi-enjoy church, and have my ice cold heart warmed and broken by Kenyan orphans, then that might be somewhat true. Day 6 is ending, but it’s been one of my favorites thus far.

P.S. A quick shout-out to Bob and Gay Lee Bonney and Nancy Talley! Your daughters and I are totes enjoying each other’s company.

Birthdays & Soccer

2009-01-03T09:59:00.000-08:00

Today was my birthday, and it was certainly a memorable one! Our new friends at Daystar have an interesting birthday tradition. At some point during the day of one's birthday, your friends will 'wash' you. I think the picture will explain what I mean. The day started with everyone singing birthday songs to me at breakfast. First our traditional stateside version, then a sweet Kenyan birthday song was shared by the students from the college here. But as you can see it all went downhill fast after lunch.

We worked hard all morning knowing that this afternoon we were going to engage in the world sport of soccer. We played a great match. We mixed players from both schools because we had a significant cross section of students. Some who have played soccer, and some who were less than enthusiastic about their athletic capabilities. We made it clear that we were truly out to have some fun, and that was exactly what we did.

This evening we are putting the final touches on a short skit that we have written as a combined group. We will be performing in church tomorrow morning. We will attend Kilelshewa Community Church in Nairobi. After lunch we will be visiting an orphange that has a great ministry to Aids orphans and their families.

Dig Day One

2009-01-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

So there we were. In Kenya. Blistering hot, sunburned faces, no water, dirt everywhere, and pirates attacking every hour or so. We tried to fend them off, but we eventually lost some of our brave comrades to the scourgeful pirates. By pirates, I mean mosquitoes... OK, that may have been a little overstated. But seriously. today was our first day on the work site, and quite a day it was. Digging through the red African soil that seems to be the life blood of...life itself. Who knows what we may find digging this hole, we are only 200 miles from the famous paleontology site of the Olduvai Gorge. Everyone took turns in the dig, as we used pick axes, jembe's (or hoes), and shovels to clear the dirt and create a hole to store water for the new ministry house.

This hole is absolutely ginormous. Literally, take the biggest hole you could ever imagine and then times it by seven. Even then you have no clue. When we are finished this un-imanigably large hole will be about fifteen feet deep and thirty feet wide. Then we ate.

We also learned that not all rocks are really rocks. Some of them are frogs.

New Year Monkeys

2009-01-01T11:55:00.000-08:00

As Chip was showing us one of the classroom buildings at Daystar University, the tour was interrupted by the appearance of a small group of monkeys just outside the building. Cameras started clicking as the primates put on a show for us.

The night before we arrived on schedule with all of our luggage New Years Eve. We brought in the new year about 9 hours before all of our friends in the Midwest.

After our tour today we did some group building activities with our partners from Daystar and then everyone needed a nap to recuperate from jet lag. This evening students from both schools watched an hour long video about President elect Obama's visit to Kenya a couple years ago. We enjoyed a great time together discussing how both cultures are reacting to his leadership.

Tomorrow we will begin working on the water tank.
Deo Fisus Labora, Jeff

Travel Day

2008-12-29T22:55:00.000-08:00

Well, today's the big day.

Our team departs from KCI at 1:20pm. We will connect through Detroit and Amsterdam to Nairobi. We will arrive in Kenya at about 8:30 pm New Year's Eve, and we will bring in the New Year with a handful of students from Daystar University. What a great way to get over jet lag!

KC to Detroit - 2 hour flight - 2 hour layover

Detroit to Amsterdam - 8 hour flight - 3 hour layover

Amsterdam to Nairobi 8 hour flight - arrive at 8:30 pm Kenya Time

So if you are doing the math we will be traveling for a little over 24 hours. One other fun fact is that Nairobi is 8 hours ahead of Central Standard Time, so at noon in Kansas City, its 8:00 pm at the Athi River Campus. More from the next Airport...

People & Project

2008-12-10T07:39:00.000-08:00

As the semester wraps up we are looking forward to our adventures in Kenya. Our primary goal is to build relationships with our hosts at Daystar University. Each of our students will be paired up with a student from Daystar. We will all be lodging in residence halls and working on a nearby ministry center that is under construction called the "Ukarimu House." More about the Ukarimu House in another posting. Our construction project involves building at least one of two very large water holding tanks.

In Nairobi, I'm told that most of the rain falls during one month for the whole year. So, in an effort to make the "Ukarimu House" self sustaining, they will channel all run off water into these holding tanks. The holes will be dug before we arrive, so we will do what it takes to seal the bottom and then build the brick walls that complete the tank. The finishing touch is a large concrete slab that is placed over the top.

You may want to know who will be a part of this adventure...

From William Jewell, Liberty, MO

Jeff Buscher

Elizabeth Bonney

Andrew Kirk

Sarah Taylor

Dawn Ferguson

Elizabeth Warth

Brittany Talley

From Carroll College, Helena, MT

James Buscher

Jennifer Weisser

Eugene Burke

Deo Fisus Labora, Jeff

Get Set Blog

2008-12-04T21:40:00.000-08:00

In the near future I will be traveling with a team of students to Nairobi, Kenya. Six students from William Jewell College in Liberty, MO and three from Carroll College in Helena, MT. We are connecting with a Jewell alumni, to do some construction and ministry projects at Daystar University. I've started this page so folks can keep up with our adventures on this and other future service projects.

And since we engage in these kinds of trips regularly, I guess its about time we share at least one version of our events on the good old world wide web! Over the past few years we have done hurricane recovery work in Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Ice storm clean up in Missouri. Served on the Cheyenne Reservation in South Dakota. Built homes in Honduras. Partnered with various churches and ministries in New York City and St. Louis. Flood recovery work in Cedar Rapids, IA. And we are always doing projects in the Kansas City area. So stay tuned for blogs about our upcoming projects. Deo Fisus Labora - JB