Bungoma Encounter Bungoma (CMS)Latest news... 28th July 2010 'Bungoma Calling' is now a registered charity (no.1137121) with the specific aims of helping in training, education and alleviating financial hardship in Bungoma District, Western Kenya. A list of the trustees and objects can be found on the charity commission website www.charitycommission.gov.uk. We hope to set up a website for Bungoma Calling soon! The History... 2006 (May - July): Phil spent 3 months on sabbatical with the Bungoma Anglican Diocese as the guest of Bishop Eliud Wabukala. The sabbatical was set up through CMS. He travelled the Diocese freely doing day seminars in a variety of parishes. He also spent some time doing seminars with the clergy of the Diocese. Gift money he took was used to improve the residential hostel block for the Wycliffe Centre. 2007 (August - September): Phil returned using 3 weeks of his holiday entitlement to lead a 'School of Theology' for a group of lay students and for the Diocesan clergy. This took place at the emergent 'Wycliffe Centre for Mission, Theology and Development'. Gift money this year was used to galze the windows and screed the inside of the Wycliffe Centre to make it habital for students for the first time. 2008 (August - September): Phil led a Team from the York Diocese to offer training seminars to lay and clergy. Each Team visit has been administered by CMS www.cms-uk.org one of their 'tailor made' Encounter Teams. The Team accompanied the Bishop on his Archdeaconry visitations and led seminars for clergy and sunday school teachers at the Wycliffe Centre. The Team included The Revd Robert Dueer (then of St Martin's Scarborough), Trevor Lewis (then of Hemlington, Middlesbrough), John Grove (Pickering), Sheila Fisher (Cottingham, Hull) and Karen Magson (then of St James, Scarborough). Further work at the Wycliffe Centre included the provision of electricity and water supplies. 2009 (April): Bishop Eliud was elected Archbishop of Kenya. 2009 (August - September): Phil led another Team in advance of the Diocesan episcopal elections. Seminar work was divided between parish visits around the Diocese and more focussed teaching at the Wycliffe Centre again with clergy and lay groups. This Team included The Revd Richard Walker (Elloughton & Brough), The Revd Richard Costin and Jill Costin (St Martins Scarborough) and Tina Simpson (St James, Scarborough). Some improvement to the Wycliffe water supply were made. 2009 (October): Phil was invited to the consecration service of he newly elected Bishop George Mechumo. Plans begin to set up a charity to alleviate the pressure on St James Treasurer Muriel and give greater independence and credibility. 2010 (July): The third Team visit took place this time not only with parish visits but also large attendances of Clergy, Lay Readers and Lay Evangelists in two 2 days blocks at the Wycliffe Centre. Merci Ireri joined the Team representing the Kenyan network of the Langham Partnership www.langhampartnership.org.uk. Discussions are now taking place at a high level to se if its possible to bring the Langham training experience (a 3 year programme) to Bungoma District in 2011. The Team included The Revd Richard Walker (again!), The Revd Richard Costin & Jill (also again!) and Greg Booth. Greg made a very useful contribution to seminars on basic finance. 2011 (July): a fourth visit is to be planned. Would you like to come?! Initial enquiries about Bungoma Calling and/or Encounter Bungoma 2011 to: Applications to: Some past reflections..... In August 2008 Phil led a team of 6 from the York Diocese to Bungoma. None had been to Africa before. It was a challenging and often deeply moving experience for us all. Karen (a member of St James and NSPCC employee) writes of her experience: 'When I think of Bungoma, my first thoughts are of the tremendous inner strength of some of the women I met.
I see in my mind's eye the smiling faces, hear their laughter as they watch us attempt to dance, our movements stilted, or to sing, our voices not as free as theirs, their empathy in sharing with them, their sincerity as they offer prayers for me!!!! and I am humbled. I hear the voice of a young woman, telling her story, the sound of her soft voice almost lost as the rain falls on the tin roof which is our shelter. She tells of her struggle in managing her land, of having to sell her goats who provided milk for her boys, of visiting her sick husband in hospital, of building her house of mud,of lining the walls and floor with cow dung, and of her dream to send her boys to school,now only attending occasionally. Proudly she opened her purse and showed me a bank slip, she had deposited that morning, 50 Kenyan shillings, to us a paltry amount, to her, the beginning of her dream. Kenya holds so much beauty in her land, her people, so much grace and generosity.
Karen'
To read Trevor's blog which includes 'Encounter' reflections go to: http://www.scoutwiththecross.blogspot.com/ Sheila (a recently retired Primary Teacher from Cottingham) says the following with typical honesty! 'There were downsides to the trip: the pit latrines; the hard wooden slats underneath the much- too- thin mattress; the ever-present fear of contracting either malaria or rabies; the uncertainty of the availability of water or electricity at the hotel in Bungoma; not to mention the initial worry of " Where am I going and more to the point who am I going with?" The advantages soon outweighed all the disadvantages: the hospitality of everyone we met shown in their smiling faces and the generosity of those with very little; the shy or cheeky smiles of the children, their call of "How are you? " wherever we were, on foot or in the van; but my lasting memory is of the hope, faith and love of people willing to share and give to us. They taught me far more than I taught them.'
Revd Robert from Scarborough says more... On August 25th, we flew to Nairobi, on to Eldoret in western Kenya, then on by van until finally arriving in Bungoma. There we were welcomed with generous and gracious hospitality that never ceased during our visit. During our stay, we were the only white Westerners that I saw. To be a minority based on my skin colour was a completely different experience. We were treated with high regard for work of the Church Mission Society (church pioneers in this area) that our group never felt out of place. Many of these services were part of the Bishop of Bungoma's Archdeaconry visitations. I had the opportunity to preach at some of these gatherings, always with a translator. English and Swahili are both official languages, but the further we ventured out into the countryside, fewer people understand English. As part of our mission, we participated in a Diocesan Mother's Union conference, ran a two-day training conference for Sunday School Teachers and led a Diocesan Clergy day. We also visited clinics and schools often next to the churches in order to serve all the needs of the parish. The Anglican Church of Kenya is blessed with many committed Christian leaders, but a large number of them have not had opportunities to study at length for their ministry. We were able to help with practical gifts of money to provide electrical wiring, water plumbing and sewage disposal, There is great need in many places that is very eye-opening and heart-wrenching at times,
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