Crutches for Africa update...

Our trip was amazing, God provided Max, a Kenyan who is all american, big, black and fun to be with.  Our granddaughter Brooke called him Gigantor.  She felt very safe and protected by his presence.

He arranged TV interview, meetings, with head honchos of every description every where we went.

There were newspapers, radio stations, and all sorts of meetings with heads of communities we hope to distribute into.

About 9 reporters were at Bandera College where we had free storage before loading up the train in Mombasa to go to Nairobi.

 

We were given native costumes, baskets of mangos and a GOAT!

 

NO we did not kill and eat the goat.  We regifted it.

ahhhh recycled goat....ha ha.

We gave away over 3000 devices in three weeks overseeing at least 500 ourselves, personally one on one.

We were in so many places, city slums,

 

deep in the bush

 

   

the far country this was a shock to the woman who had never had anything given to her.

The toughest thing we ever have to face is when we cannot help someone, either because they are too twisted up by the ravages of polio,

  This was a sad moment when David got down on the ground and said "if we can do something we will do it, but right now I SEE YOU."

I think for the invisible people on the ground, in huts hiding, or abused and neglected, the greatest gift is to be seen.  To be counted as a person.  It shocks them and is hard to take.  The children are so used to the neglect and abuse they don't believe it and when they get a wheelchair they go into shock and disbelief.

  until now the grandmother had to carry this girl everywhere she could not scoot on her twisted limbs.  She only has one useable arm....

sometimes we ran out of what we needed.

We were in Kenya and Uganda. 

We got to see our sponsored orphan Oliva in Tororo, Ug.we met her in 2005.

David went to Rwanda to meet with the officials in charge of the shipment to the new government hospital to be arranged.

I was able to spend some quality time one on one with Brooke, our granddaughter from Tenn. who is 16.We were able to take a long safari in the Nairobi nature preserve, which is unfenced and full of many species of birds and wildlife.  Giraffes were prevalent, but we also saw lions up close and personal, thanks to Brookes perfect imitation of a bleating goat.

   

We all stayed well, ate plenty of "chips" french fries,

scrambled eggs, instant coffee, and samosas. 

Our favorite food was sugar bananas

Bottom line, we were blessed, kept safe despite horrible traffic and near misses on the road.  We also were blessed to deliver about 40 dresses from Dressagirlaroundtheworld.org.  That was "fly by the skirt" distribution for sure.  Out of van windows,

 then when wehad a van breakdown I dressed 5 kids!

.

Gave out about 90 devices at a remote location then about 12 dresses afterwards.

 

 

 

on our way home (36 hours) we had a layover for 8 hours in Chicago.

 glass floored deck of Sears tower, now Willis Tower....wild

 

  

thanks to all who participated, through giving, prayer, volunteering, or any other way.  We cannot do this alone, and it is growing by leaps and bounds.

Please share this with whomever and however you can so that people can see we are really grass roots, on the ground, face to face people who love what we have found to do.

Candice Talbot