Chris Loehmer Kincaid's Blog, page 112
May 29, 2017
What are we remembering?
Hope you are having a good Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day means different things to different people.
Our younger generation probably doesn’t think too much about what it means. They’ve not lost a loved one in a war in a foreign country, or if they have, they don’t appreciate why that is significant. The older generation remembers Vietnam and Korea. Much of our population who lived through World War II have passed away. World War I is now only in the history books.
The Middle East conflict? I wish I could say that I understand that, but I do know that we have lost a lot of good people there.
Looking through our old family pictures, I came across this one. Supposedly it is of my father’s father. It would have been taken before my father was born in 1915 in Germany. If the man in this picture had been called to duty to fight in a war, it would have been World War I and he would have been fighting for the Germans. Against the United States.
Does that make him a bad man? Does that make him an enemy? He would have been fighting for his country, whether he believed in what he was fighting for or not. He would have been fighting for the only thing he knew.
But in the end, if this is indeed my grandfather, he came to America in 1923, with his oldest son.
The following year, this woman, my grandmother followed him here.
Along with four of her children, Paul, Frank, Klara and Emmy. That would be my father on the far left.
Moral of this story, whatever you remember today, remember family and the good stuff.
Our younger generation probably doesn’t think too much about what it means. They’ve not lost a loved one in a war in a foreign country, or if they have, they don’t appreciate why that is significant. The older generation remembers Vietnam and Korea. Much of our population who lived through World War II have passed away. World War I is now only in the history books.
The Middle East conflict? I wish I could say that I understand that, but I do know that we have lost a lot of good people there.
Looking through our old family pictures, I came across this one. Supposedly it is of my father’s father. It would have been taken before my father was born in 1915 in Germany. If the man in this picture had been called to duty to fight in a war, it would have been World War I and he would have been fighting for the Germans. Against the United States.
Does that make him a bad man? Does that make him an enemy? He would have been fighting for his country, whether he believed in what he was fighting for or not. He would have been fighting for the only thing he knew.But in the end, if this is indeed my grandfather, he came to America in 1923, with his oldest son.
The following year, this woman, my grandmother followed him here.
Along with four of her children, Paul, Frank, Klara and Emmy. That would be my father on the far left. 
Moral of this story, whatever you remember today, remember family and the good stuff.
May 28, 2017
Faces of Faith
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (New International Version)
One more round of pictures of the kids at Southern Cross Academy. As heavy as the burdens are that many of them carry, they still manage to smile and laugh.
May God lighten their loads.
I may have shared some of these already, but it’s surprising that I don’t remember seeing some of them before, even though I took them all.
Very soon we will start planning our next project in Kenya. You can donate to our work there at any time by clicking this link. Or mail your check to Tumaini Volunteers, Inc., PO Box 726, Wausau, WI 54402. Thanks for your support.
One more round of pictures of the kids at Southern Cross Academy. As heavy as the burdens are that many of them carry, they still manage to smile and laugh.
May God lighten their loads.
I may have shared some of these already, but it’s surprising that I don’t remember seeing some of them before, even though I took them all.Very soon we will start planning our next project in Kenya. You can donate to our work there at any time by clicking this link. Or mail your check to Tumaini Volunteers, Inc., PO Box 726, Wausau, WI 54402. Thanks for your support.
May 25, 2017
2017 Kenya Log Entry 14
I promise this will be the last post about my trip to Kenya in April. Or at least it will be for a while. I have more to share, but will probably spread that out over the next few weeks. You may or may not want to know other things that have been going on in my life, so I should get back to that.
I need to close the Kenya Log series with the culmination of our work. The Rabbit Project.
After the 45 minute ride from the rabbit project farm in Kikuyu to Southern Cross Academy in Maai Mahiu, the rabbits arrived at their new home.
The kids were understandably excited and wanted to know all about the rabbits.
They also wanted to help, so we let them move the food dishes.
Peter, the caretaker of the rabbits, doing one final inspection of the hutches.
Each rabbit got their own cage, with one of the six males in each of the rows.
Rachel did not want to give up the sweet Angora rabbit she had brought from Kikuyu.
Hey, little bunny, not to put any pressure on you, but you have work to do.
Make lots of baby bunnies so these kids will have an income at their school, so they can continue their education, learn lots and make a difference in their own lives and the lives of those around them.
Last we heard, the rabbits were doing well. I’ll let you know in a few months how it all turns out.
I need to close the Kenya Log series with the culmination of our work. The Rabbit Project.
After the 45 minute ride from the rabbit project farm in Kikuyu to Southern Cross Academy in Maai Mahiu, the rabbits arrived at their new home.
The kids were understandably excited and wanted to know all about the rabbits. 
They also wanted to help, so we let them move the food dishes. 
Peter, the caretaker of the rabbits, doing one final inspection of the hutches. 
Each rabbit got their own cage, with one of the six males in each of the rows. 
Rachel did not want to give up the sweet Angora rabbit she had brought from Kikuyu. 
Hey, little bunny, not to put any pressure on you, but you have work to do. 
Make lots of baby bunnies so these kids will have an income at their school, so they can continue their education, learn lots and make a difference in their own lives and the lives of those around them. 
Last we heard, the rabbits were doing well. I’ll let you know in a few months how it all turns out.
May 23, 2017
2017 Kenya Log Entry 13
I will probably have more to say about my trip to Kenya last month, more pictures and stories, but I think it is time to share the outcome of the whole trip. The grand reveal. The purpose of the trip and the end result of a year of planning.
On Tuesday, our last day in Kenya, we picked up the rabbits and delivered them to Southern Cross Academy!
First though, we needed to load their food bowls in the van.
This bunny is ready to go to a new home.
So are these guys.
They were loaded in crates. Two.
Then four.
Then six.
Ended up a little too crowded.
So Mike ran for more crates before we left for the 45 minute ride
Though the crates were a bit crowded, it was still safer for them then to roam free in the van.
Then each of us got to hold one on our lap on the way to the school.
Oops, I think that’s enough pictures for this post. I guess you will have to wait one more day to see them arriving at the school.
On Tuesday, our last day in Kenya, we picked up the rabbits and delivered them to Southern Cross Academy!
First though, we needed to load their food bowls in the van. 
This bunny is ready to go to a new home.
So are these guys. 
They were loaded in crates. Two. 
Then four.
Then six. 
Ended up a little too crowded.
So Mike ran for more crates before we left for the 45 minute ride
Though the crates were a bit crowded, it was still safer for them then to roam free in the van. 
Then each of us got to hold one on our lap on the way to the school. 
Oops, I think that’s enough pictures for this post. I guess you will have to wait one more day to see them arriving at the school. 
May 18, 2017
2017 Kenya Log Entry 12
The day after our visit to Mary Faith, we took a tour of Kibera Slum. Take everything bad I showed you about Mary Faith and magnify it a hundred times, and you still aren’t close to experiencing the largest slum in Africa, and one of the biggest in the world.
Madfish was our guide once again this year. 
How is it possible to find hope in this place?
But it’s possible to find hope anywhere. 
The “bone guys” make jewelry from animal bones, and the work they do is beautiful. 
The day we were there, a woman from Toronto, Jacky Habib, had brought a group of people to make their own jewelry. 
For a small fee, they learned how to make several articles for themselves, with a lot of help from the bone guys. 
Finally we made a home visit. This mother has a college education and is a school teacher in Kibera. Her husband had been a matatu driver before he was injured and is now unable to drive. Besides the couple and their two children, Shadrach and Mary, two other people live in this house. I was almost in the doorway when I took this picture, so that’s pretty much the entire place. 
Not much room outside either. 
Yet, there is always Hope.
May 16, 2017
2017 Kenya Log Entry 11
I am back to Kenya again. Or I wish I was, instead of sitting here in Wisconsin, reliving our trip last month.
On Friday, April 7, we visited Mary Faith Women’s Shelter and School. Here girls and young women are taken off of the streets, out of dangerous situations and abusive relationships. They are given an education, and since most of them are pregnant or have small children, their children are given an education as well.
Sounds like a great place, until you see it. The staff are doing the best they can with what they have. I get that, but it doesn’t make it any easier to witness. It makes you want to take any – and all – of these kids home with you.
Some of the classrooms.
The courtyard, looking worse than it probably usually does due to rain the night before.
All the kids chipping in to do the laundry.
Raising chickens.
Growing a garden.
The kitchen.
My daughter Val, doing what she does best, helping out. While the rest of us wandered the grounds, she sat down, grabbed a plate and started sorting beans, much to the delight of the young women. These girls were all so beautiful, but because their abusers are still out there, I unfortunately can’t share any of their pictures. (I can’t imagine anyone would find their pictures here, but I must be respectful.)
Like daughter, like mother? I don’t know about that. I wasn’t all that helpful, but it doesn’t take much to just be in the moment.
On Friday, April 7, we visited Mary Faith Women’s Shelter and School. Here girls and young women are taken off of the streets, out of dangerous situations and abusive relationships. They are given an education, and since most of them are pregnant or have small children, their children are given an education as well.
Sounds like a great place, until you see it. The staff are doing the best they can with what they have. I get that, but it doesn’t make it any easier to witness. It makes you want to take any – and all – of these kids home with you.
Some of the classrooms. 
The courtyard, looking worse than it probably usually does due to rain the night before. 
All the kids chipping in to do the laundry. 
Raising chickens. 
Growing a garden. 
The kitchen. 
My daughter Val, doing what she does best, helping out. While the rest of us wandered the grounds, she sat down, grabbed a plate and started sorting beans, much to the delight of the young women. These girls were all so beautiful, but because their abusers are still out there, I unfortunately can’t share any of their pictures. (I can’t imagine anyone would find their pictures here, but I must be respectful.) 
Like daughter, like mother? I don’t know about that. I wasn’t all that helpful, but it doesn’t take much to just be in the moment. 
May 14, 2017
Happy Mother's Day
I have to be honest, I didn’t know what to write today. So I thought I would just post a bunch of old family pictures, showcasing, of course, Mom. Happy Mother’s Day to everyone out there. The weather is going to be beautiful here in the Northwoods. Get out and enjoy it.
May 11, 2017
2017 Kenya Log Entry 10
Here I am again, not being as productive as I had hoped. Fortunately, for you, I still have pictures to share from Hell’s Gate.
Here Boni and John are giving us instructions for hiking in the gorge.
Here we go down into it.
Somewhere along here is where my feet went out from under me and I came down on my left hand. That was five weeks ago, and it still hurts. I did have it x-rayed when I got home and it wasn’t broken. It is feeling much better though every day.
Rachel and Kenzie, our volunteers from back home, put up with a lot from me that day.
I don’t know how I would ever exit in case of emergency, but how reassuring. Not so much.
Rachel and Kenzie dealing with me again.
This is the point where Boni said, “we can go to the left up this canyon and see a lot and climb a lot and it will take a half an hour, or we can go the other way and be out in five minutes. Your choice.” As if I had a choice.
Our first major obstacle. I took this one like a champ. Too bad I melted down later on,
As if the rope at this emergency exit will save me.
Then just a few more bends and I hit the wall. If you didn’t read about that earlier this week, you’ll have to go back and check that out.
A beautiful place and truly worth it.
Here Boni and John are giving us instructions for hiking in the gorge.
Here we go down into it. 
Somewhere along here is where my feet went out from under me and I came down on my left hand. That was five weeks ago, and it still hurts. I did have it x-rayed when I got home and it wasn’t broken. It is feeling much better though every day. 
Rachel and Kenzie, our volunteers from back home, put up with a lot from me that day. 
I don’t know how I would ever exit in case of emergency, but how reassuring. Not so much. 
Rachel and Kenzie dealing with me again. 
This is the point where Boni said, “we can go to the left up this canyon and see a lot and climb a lot and it will take a half an hour, or we can go the other way and be out in five minutes. Your choice.” As if I had a choice. 
Our first major obstacle. I took this one like a champ. Too bad I melted down later on, 
As if the rope at this emergency exit will save me.
Then just a few more bends and I hit the wall. If you didn’t read about that earlier this week, you’ll have to go back and check that out. 
A beautiful place and truly worth it.
May 8, 2017
2017 Kenya Log Entry 9
I was going to stick to blogging about our work in Kenya and save our tourist activities until the end, but I started working on other stuff for the nonprofit tonight and ran out of time. It’s quicker to post a lot of pictures, without so many words and background information, so here’s how my day at Hell’s Gate National Park began.
You can either bike or ride in the comfort of the van through this part of the park, before getting to the canyon where I almost died. I knew that I would appreciate opting for the van over the bike ride.
We got to see lots of wildlife and the scenery which inspired the backdrop for “The Lion King”.
A beautiful place.
You can either bike or ride in the comfort of the van through this part of the park, before getting to the canyon where I almost died. I knew that I would appreciate opting for the van over the bike ride.
We got to see lots of wildlife and the scenery which inspired the backdrop for “The Lion King”.
A beautiful place.
May 7, 2017
Don't Let my Foot Slip
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let my foot slip— (Psalm 121, NIV)
We were at Hell’s Gate National Park in Kenya last month, hiking through this beautiful gorge. We got to what looks like a dead-end, and I’m thinking, yikes, we have to hike all the way back out.
Nope, we have to climb this wall.
I wish there was better documentation. Or, maybe not. After Rachel clambered up, I put my camera down and started getting myself psyched up. Anna scaled it next and then I told them, I have to go next or I never will.
I have never been so terrified before in my life. I kept telling them, I am too old to be doing this kind of nonsense.
All I can say now is –
Thank You Lord God for not letting my foot slip. Thank You for guiding my footsteps at all times. Amen.
We were at Hell’s Gate National Park in Kenya last month, hiking through this beautiful gorge. We got to what looks like a dead-end, and I’m thinking, yikes, we have to hike all the way back out. Nope, we have to climb this wall.
I wish there was better documentation. Or, maybe not. After Rachel clambered up, I put my camera down and started getting myself psyched up. Anna scaled it next and then I told them, I have to go next or I never will. I have never been so terrified before in my life. I kept telling them, I am too old to be doing this kind of nonsense.
All I can say now is –
Thank You Lord God for not letting my foot slip. Thank You for guiding my footsteps at all times. Amen.
