In the summer of 1999, I (Jeff) was managing a safari camp in the Rift Valley of Kenya. That summer I got sick and spent three days lying in bed drenched in my own sweat, barely able to walk the distance from my bed to the bathroom. Like Elijah under the broom tree, I prayed for a quick death to end the agony. But instead of an angel appearing and giving bread and water for nourishment, God sent Mrs. Roberts, my employer. I remember vividly her stunned expression when she opened the door and saw my emaciated and sickly form shivering in the equatorial heat. But unlike Elijah, I did not have to get up and walk for 40 days and nights. Instead, an 80-year-old Mrs. Roberts helped me to my feet, shouldered me to her pickup truck and drove me to the nearest clinic, an hour and a half away. There, the nurses hooked me up to IV fluids and treated the malaria that had nearly stolen my will to live. Miraculously, a few hours later, I was feeling much better!  But had it not been for Mrs. Roberts, I could have died of dehydration. Hundreds of people from the same community where I was living suffer from malaria and other illnesses on a daily basis. They don’t have a Mrs. Roberts or anyone with a vehicle to carry them. They have their feet and a long and dusty road to reach the same clinic that treated me.

To this day, I still can’t fathom how they do it. It’s impossible for me to comprehend the strength of will some people possess, and why, when I needed it most, I felt myself close to surrendering to a premature death. God had other plans for me, that is clear — which is why today I walk vigorously and believe passionately in Lalmba’s mission. In walking societies — or should I say where the poorest live — there are few other choices but to get up and walk when sickness, injury, or childbirth beckon. Many don’t make it to health facilities in time.  It is for this reason that Lalmba’s mission is to bring health care to the end of the road. This year, in honor of Lalmba’s 55^thanniversary, our team of walkers will walk from the bustling town of Chiri, where Lalmba has run the Chiri Health Center for 20 years, to the site of our soon-to-be new clinic in Agaro Bushi, an even more end-of-the-road community.

These six leaders are dedicated professionals who have devoted their lives to serving the poor and the sick of their community. We love them and know that without them, our mission would be impossible to achieve.  Please show your love for their service and sponsor one or all of them as they walk the 12 miles from the Chiri Health Center to the end of the road at the Agaro Bushi Medium Clinic, Lalmba’s newest clinic, on September 21, 2018, Lalmba’s 55^th anniversary of serving the poor in Africa. When they arrive they will spend time seeing patients, training staff on best practices, and evaluating public health issues in this very rural community.

This year we begin construction on a new clinic building, a pharmacy, laboratory, housing for Lalmba volunteers, purchasing a new ambulance, adding a photovoltaic power system, and a clean water system.  If you want to be part of this exciting new chapter for Lalmba, and join as early investors in this project, please contact us directly, or simply sponsor these walkers as encouragement for our growing mission and presence in Africa.

This past summer, Lalmba was fortunate to have two short-term volunteers visit our program in Matoso.   My friend, Dennis Debobes, called last spring expressing interest for his son, Austin, a high school sophomore, to have a meaningful experience serving the poor.   Our project director in Kenya let us know that the orphanage was desperately in need of a paint job!   So Dennis and Austin spent a few weeks working diligently to improve the children’s home, having one of those experiences that hopefully continues to resonate, shedding unexpected insights as life progresses. See below Austin’s reflections on his time in Kenya.

(All donors who have not already received one, and who donate $100 or more this month will get a copy of our 2019 Calendar!)