“Service above self” is a motto that every Rotarian strives to follow in his or her life. 

For five days, 32 Rotarians from the Central Valley of California (District 5220) demonstrated a humble servant’s heart.  They built a home for a grandmother who is caring for 27 of her grandchildren because all her sons and daughters have died of AIDS. They added walls to the TEMAK classrooms and painted the exterior.  They painted all eight Agape classrooms as well as chalkboards, installing sound absorbing material to the back of each classroom wall.  This material will also serve as a large display and notice board for each classroom.  They built water jars that will assist Agape in providing clean, safe drinking water.  They visited the ministry of Agape to the boys who remain on the street.  They visited the CHE project in Luanda and learned how community development takes place in the rural villages.

The impressive aspect of their work was not in what they did but how they did it.  Some of the work was labor intensive, even exhausting.  Every evening during our sharing time at dinner, inspiring stories were shared about what the team members had experienced during the day.  Every story expressed the true meaning of service above self.

The trip began for these Rotarians with three days and two nights on the fabulous Masai Mara, one of the famous game parks of East Africa.  The experience was astounding.  Numerous sightings of lion, cheetah, elephant, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe and the crowned crane left them oooooing and ahhhhhing.  And then most also had the rare joy of seeing the elusive leopard.  A few viewed the Mara from the basket of a hot air balloon.  And when the team left the Mara, I’m sure they didn’t believe me when I told them that their greatest experience was yet to come in Kisumu.  But within a few days, the memories of wild animals and vast sweeping plains began to fade as the images of needy street children and the contrasting smiling faces of the boys at Agape invaded their minds and hearts.  Before long, talk of the overwhelming game rides from a few days earlier was no longer heard.  Instead the group began to share how God was touching their heart as they served and looked to the interests of others.

I don’t believe that any of the Rotarians anticipated just how much this journey would bring change.  They talked after the Sunday worship service about how moved they were by the spirit of worship in the service, the enthusiasm of the singing and the honest sharing during the time for testimonies.  They talked about the amazing Medical Ambassadors CHE project in Maseno (Luanda).  They cried tears of joy after visiting the New Life babies’ home which rescues abandoned infants.  They shared amazing stories of working in the rural communities around TEMAK.  They were touched by the comments of the staff at the Imperial Hotel.  They gave their hearts freely to the boys of Agape.  They gave from their pocketbooks when it was learned that one young boy, Eric, needed to go to Nairobi for a life-saving amputation of his leg.  (He’ll be traveling there on Tuesday)  Yes, the experience did bring change.  Change in the community, change in the lives of the boys but most importantly the Rotarians themselves left as changed people.   

When we listen to God’s instructions on how to live in harmony with each other through an attitude of humility and the action of service, God blesses us with joy and satisfaction.  If you need evidence that this is true, ask any one of them to share their personal story with you and how God changed them through service.  But be ready to listen for awhile.  As the old gospel hymn states, “They love to tell the story.”

God bless you Rotary District 5220 and DG Gallagher

Dan and Patty

Prayer list

1. Pray for Eric who will head to Nairobi with Dan, Tuesday morning to meet with the head of orthopedic surgery at Kenyatta Hospital at 2:00 PM Tues.  We’ll keep you posted on how his surgery goes and the necessary prosthesis rehab.

2. Pray for our Form 1 & 2 students who are heading to Boarding school even as I write this.  Each of them is anxious about the coming year.  Pray they settle well and are faithful students.

3. Pray for Njeri, our bookkeeper who is on the mend at home after a serious accident on a boda boda.  She broke her thigh bone and is recovering well.

4. Pray for all those affected by the disaster in the Far East.  Praise God for the generosity of so many.

5. Pray for us as we search for a personal vehicle.

6. Pray for Faith, wife of Odipo our cook who is expecting a child