It’s hard to believe that a year has passed and we are writing Lalmba’s Christmas newsletter once again. I’ve started to remember each year by the item we gift. For example, 2013 was the year of the elephant hair bracelet; 2014 the year of the banana leaf boats; 2015 the year of the serving spoons. And so on. Not quite as exciting as the Chinese calendar, which is marked by animal years. (I’ve always hated that I was born in the year of the Snake!) I really wanted to call this year, “The Year of the Bush Baby”, and give each of you one of those adorable creatures. But I suppose they’re better in the wild, and there’s just no way I could round up 500 of them to bring home. Instead, we’ve chosen something equally adorable, which will surely provide you with years of utilitarian pleasure, and will assuredly brighten any room or table setting they adorn.
This year, Lalmba is proud to offer these colorfully beaded baskets, handmade in Kenya. They come in a variety of different colors, each one with a unique design … and purpose, depending on how you use it. We have one placed near the front door into which we toss our keys or change. You could fill them with seasonally scented potpourri, or festive nuts and candy for your guests. The possibilities are endless, but our best idea rivals the bush baby for pure charm.
Now be honest, that’s pretty cute!
This little doll will really be how I remember 2018. As much as I love the beaded bowls, my love for her is infinitely greater. Please welcome the newest member of the Lalmba family, Josephine James, born September 5, 2018 to the proud and truly blessed parents of yours truly, Jeff and Hillary James. We’re calling her “Posey”. So 2018 is now “The year of Posey …and the beaded basket from Kenya.” It’s a bit of a mouthful, but we’ll get used to it.
Other New Additions to the Lalmba Family
Lalmba has 3 other new heroes to welcome to our family, professionals from 3 different continents, who are giving a year of their lives to expand our programs in East Africa.
Dr. Eliezer Rodriquezfrom Venezuela is working in Kenyaas medical director of the Matoso Clinic and the Ochuna Dispensary.
In Ethiopia, we are blessed to have Jukka Lehtinen, from Finland, to serve as construction director, building the new Agaro Bushi Medium Clinic. We’ll keep you posted on his progress over the next year.
We are also very lucky to have Jared Lollarfrom Spokane, WA. Jared just completed a 3-year stint with the Peace Corps in southwestern Ethiopia, the same region where we run our programs. He will serve as managing director in Agaro Bushi, bringing a firm understanding of the language and culture, and an immense love for the country.
Thank you for your hearts for the poor. Godspeed, gentlemen!
When you think of the word “safari,” no doubt it conjures images of glorious animals amid breathtaking landscapes, and tourists wearing earth-toned khakis and wide-brimmed hats, jabbing telephoto lenses through windows and rooftops of Land Cruisers. All those tourists are hoping to snap the perfect souvenir – a trophy image to hang on a wall and remind them that they walked with the wild through “the cradle of mankind.”
Chances are, however, that they rolled rather than walked, as walking is usually forbidden in the big game parks.
Not so with Lalmba’s Tembea Na Mimi(TNM) safari! TNM is a 10-day walking safari, 180 miles through Kenya’s Great Rift Valley all the way to Lalmba’s project on Lake Victoria, in Matoso, Kenya. It has all of the majestic landscapes and close encounters with wild beasts that a high-end safari would have, but 10 times more adventure, and a lot more heart.
Our third TNM adventure will be July 2019 in Kenya.
This walk has become more of a pilgrimage, as its impact activates the soul and brings a sense of purpose to the lives of those who’ve walked this path. Why?
It’s personal for everyone, but for me, a significant emotional journey transpires that mirrors the physical journey. We walk through isolated wilderness (the first 5 days), land formed by the hand of God and 4.5 billion years of geologic transformation, and into communities, villages and towns, (the next 5 days)populated by farmers and merchants, people who have toiled these lands for thousands of years. These are the lands where treasures are found in culture and tradition, not in wealth or opportunity.
TNM is a pilgrimage that brings people together in a common quest – to deliver hope to the disheartened, to learn dignity from stumbling, to discover courage in the depths of a quivering heart, and reserves of energy when rest is elusive. It is a pilgrimage because it puts service and self-sacrifice above reward, bringing honor to those who walk with purpose.
