KITENGWANI & BENGON – REPORT 2

Published by Administrator on September 23, 2024

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Siku Njema marafiki! (Good Day friends!)

This morning was bright and early but our hosts know how to keep us well fed. Fruit galore, fresh sausage links, juices, milk, tea and scones (beignets for us southern folk ) smothered in jam and honey! With sustenance in our bellies, we all donned our Sunday finest to join the humble village of Kithengwani (KITH-IN-GW-ON-EE) for their Sunday church service and work on the mural designed by one of our travel companions- Kaylin. Before we even pulled up to the few buildings in the village, we were greeted by a horde of happy humans, singing a song of love and joy for our safe arrival. We were each taken by the hand as we stepped off the bus and danced up to the church services area where we were sat on chairs as their guests of honor for the day’s service. We were overcome by the beauty and passion their pastor and visiting pastor’s speeches held- with few words, they can convey their steadfast conviction and faith in God. They are so grateful for every blessings bestowed upon them and they wished nothing but happiness and joy for us “visitas”

The GV Cares team had to step away in the middle of the service festivities to get their hands dirty with Kaylin’s custom designed mural that she painstakingly created for Kithengwani Primary school- established in 2008. “Kithengwani” means “to isolate”, reflecting the school’s unique location between two rivers, making it feel like an island. Her design reflects the 2 rivers the school sits between and the women of the village who fetch the water for their community. The bright colors and one-of-a-kind design grant this village with a unique identifier and fills the township with a great deal of pride. We felt so privileged to be allowed to gift these wonderful people with such a stand out mural on the side of their school building so that they will forever be remembered for who they are and where they come from and that it comes with great pride for their home. With the sun beginning its decent, we left the same way we came in- with a song and a dance!

Our drive home was full of light dozing, laughter and joyous reflections of the days events from different perspectives. Watching the team work and play with the children and having small private moments with specific children or adults has been absolutely magical. From Burt showing off his physical prowess by swinging two children in circles, simultaneously! to Julia holding the young babies of the village (I’m sure the mothers were grateful for the break!) to Alyssa/Samantha and Zach teaching the village the Macarena and the hokey pokey- all of the team members were truly so happy to amongst the Kithengwani people.

We’d like to now introduce the part of the email where we open up to be collaborative stories from each traveler to better display the full scope of how we all were affected by these beautiful moments in the day.

"Today was an amazing day full of love and joy. A highlight for me was when the kids were following my dance moves. Even the moms were just watching and laughing -it was just amazing vibes."

Alyssa

"Today was a day of sharing bright colors and bringing light into Kithengwani. It was as great joy painting the mural and being surrounded by the village kids. A fun highlight was the talent show and seeing the cute personalities of the older village boys. Seeing the faith they have and praising God gave me great peace."

Becky

"Today was an amazing day! We were greeted with love and singing and lots of dancing. It was so nice to be able to worship in the village. You could see the love they have for their Lord and Savior. They were also so gracious to welcome us and make us feel loved. Kaylin killed it with the mural and it all came together so nicely. The highlight is always dancing with the kids while they’re painting the mural. They love to dance!"

Jen

"Watching the teams reactions to the kids was my favorite part."

Levi

"My favorite part of today was going to church with the village…until the last pastor spoke hahaha."

Zach

"I loved hearing and watching the women and children sing and dance during the Sunday service. My aunt gave me a miniature Jesus figurines to take on the trip and I loved giving them out with stickers. The children lit up! P.s. the pastor said Zach and Sam were 'two choir masters' after singing 'I am a Child of God'!"

Samantha

"Today was a memorable day. The church service went for a long time with one preacher speaking very loudly and fast while a poor translator tried to keep up with him 😊The mural turned out amazing, nice job Kaylin!"

Spence

"I loved holding the little babies in the village. It was also fun handing out candy and bracelets to the kids."

Julia

"Being able to paint my design onto the school was a huge highlight for me. It turned out so well thanks to all the help from everyone. I feel so grateful and excited to be here."

Kaylin