Bungoma Encounter Bungoma 2008 (CMS)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, Encounter Bungoma 2009 (CMS) Bungoma Diocese - Anglican Church of Kenya This is an invitation to consider joining a training mission team of lay and clergy this August visiting Bungoma Diocese in Western Kenya. The team will consist of no more than 10 people and will be led by The Revd Phil White. Phil has developed a relationship with the Bishop and Diocese over several previous visits. Almost two weeks of the visit will be spent providing training to both lay and clergy. This training will include aspects of biblical exegesis, pastoral & preaching skills and training church educators, it will seek to integrate the skills brought by the team with the expressed needs of the Diocese. The programme will also include visits to churches and schools around the Diocese. Much of the training will be delivered at the Wycliffe Centre for Mission, Theology and Development close to Bungoma town. Previous visits have helped to upgrade these facilities with electric and water supplies, sewerage system, screeding and glazing as well as establishing a basic theological library. The centre is close to self sufficiency and the ability to provide an income for the Diocese. Accommodation in Bungoma will be at the Bungoma Countryside Hotel where the facilities are adequate but basic. On leaving Bungoma the Team will experience another side to Kenya on safari in the Masai Mara. Two nights and four game drives later, the Team will fly back to Nairobi. Here as the guests of CMS, visits will be provided to Kibera and some of the church projects providing hope for the people of one of the worst slums in Africa. CMS UK will provide administrative back up and opportunities for briefing before and debriefing afterwards to reflect on and explore cross cultural issues and experiences. Initial enquiries to: Applications to:
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