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Thursday was a bit of an odd day. We started off by going to the IcFEM HQ for devotions. They have been going though Philippians for the last few weeks with a guest speaker from the UK. Thursday was the last one so I was particularly keen to be there. The plan after this was to visit the much delayed drilling. Unfortunately the much delayed drilling was delayed again, so I was at a bit of a loose end. Claire was back at the house so I spent time chatting to staff members at the compound. We spent time learning to use Google Earth. The idea is to put all the project locations and photos on to an IcFEM layer so supporters around the world can see where each project is. IcFEM encourage supporters to sponsor a village so knowing where it is, what it looks like and what is happening would be good for the sponsor. The communication worker at IcFEM is Eliud. He goes out and reports on the work of IcFEM. We had been hoping to go with him to the drilling. He was going to visit a community hub (the same one Claire had been to with Sarah) with another visitor so I decided to tag along. 5 of us travelled to the village and on to the community centre. We met the local team and went on to a local meeting where the members were taking part in a turbo banking. This is where the members put in money and then can borrow from the group to start or expand businesses. In all honesty both meetings were a little dull and I was not sure why I was there. We went on to a second meeting in a house 5 minutes drive away and suddenly it made sense. We were welcomed by 40 people singing songs and clapping. The meeting was similar to the other but there was a real sense of joy. The chaplain of the group had explained that they had started by worshipping and fellowshipping together and had later started community banking and community programs such as public health and education. The chaplain was keen to emphasise that they had to continue making worship and fellowship the focus of what they did. The purpose then became clear, that they were seeking, with IcFEM's support to replicate IcFEM's functions on a local level. Local people working together to serve the local community. Several members shared their experiences. One said that his marriage was better now that they had money though a business they had started with the help of the turbo banking and that he had stopped drinking and smoking. Another said that their was less diarrhoea in the village through the education the local volunteer health workers had given. I later found that the health workers find people to come to the outreach clinics that Dreamland run. The chaplain shared that the village had been devided and their were many fractions and church groups in competition. IcFEm had brought the Christians in the village, from all denominations together to build their community. It was an amazing thing to meet so many people who through the work of IcFEM were changing their community for the better. At our church in the UK we talk about changing the culture and community around us and by accident I had stumbled on to what we talk about in the middle of rural Kenya. I was very pleased to have come on this trip out and I am feeling more inspired about what Christians working together can accomplish.
One final note on this. I found out on Friday that there was very little post election violence in the area around where IcFEM work. Only an hour away entire families were killed, but where IcFEM had brought the community to work together there was little violence. I think that at a time when we have unrest in England we should be inspired by the example of the believers in this remote town.
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