Gaining Insight. Experiencing God. Growing in Understanding.
A passage in Luke recounts the story of a woman entering the synagogue while Jesus was teaching (Luke 13:10-17). “She was bent over and could not straighten up at all” the text states. “When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, ‘Woman you are set free from your infirmity.’ Then He [...]
Posted on February 28th, 2009 by Nancy
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Please take one moment to view Shelvis’ “Introduction Video” of his time in Kenya: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF0C7WShydQ Each week, FECCLAHA’s staff participates in a Bible Study on the book of Nehemiah. The scripture offers considerable wisdom about overcoming conflict and rebuilding our communities. Within the narrative, the reader encounters characters who have suffered years of ethnic genocide, political [...]
Posted on February 28th, 2009 by Shelvis
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I like to think of myself as an adventurous person. An adventurous outdoorsie type. So when my friends, Anna and Sarah, told me that we were all going camping when they came to visit Kenya, I thought to myself, “Hakuna matata (Kiswahili for “no problem”). I can camp, I can handle this.” Even though they [...]
Posted on January 29th, 2009 by Nancy
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Nancy with 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Winner and Environmental and Human Rights Activist Wangari Maathai Here in Kenya, the Young Adult Volunteer Team and other Americans planned a worship/prayer service to celebrate the inauguration of President Obama called “Fulfilling the Dream.” The service provided Americans, Kenyans, and many others with an opportunity to celebrate those [...]
Posted on January 29th, 2009 by Shelvis
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We would like to conclude our January update, with words from Wangari Maathai’s autobiography. Lovingly called, “The Tree Mother of Africa,” Maathai has worked tirelessly for environmental and women’s issues. May her words inspire us as we continue to embrace the new year. ”Trees have been an essential part of my life and have provided [...]
Posted on January 29th, 2009 by Nancy
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Posted on December 21st, 2008 by Nancy
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Last month, I traveled to a rural community in the West Pokot district of Kenya, to visit a Church World Service program. In 2005, CWS partnered with Yang’at, a community based organization in Pokot, to build a sand dam with the local people. What I learned from my visit is that water transforms lives. While in Pokot, two community [...]
Posted on December 21st, 2008 by Nancy
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Similar to the experience of the elder in Pokot, my mind was also expanded to see “what things women can do” when I met Caroline and Magdalene. Caroline Menach, in addition to teaching secondary school, is a founding member and the vice chair of the board of Yang’at Girl Child Potential and Sensitization Group. While [...]
Posted on December 21st, 2008 by Nancy
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Church World Service works alongside the Maasai community in the Narok District. The Maasai people are easy to identify as they are usually clad in colorful attire and adorned with lots of beaded jewelry. The community we visited in Narok started functional literacy classes to prepare themselves to run small businesses. Once the community completes [...]
Posted on December 21st, 2008 by Nancy
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I just returned from Maputo, Mozambique where I attended the 9th Assembly of the All Africa Conference of Churches (http://www.aacc-ceta.org/en/ninth-assembly/home.htm). It was an intense couple of days in which my organization (Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa) hosted workshops on human rights. Church leaders from every country in [...]
Posted on December 21st, 2008 by Shelvis
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