Patrick’s Funeral took place on 21^st February and was attended by over 1200 people. In Kenya, everybody feels part of the family’s grieving and a great procession was formed to view the body via a glass panel in the coffin. It was placed on a bench in the prayer house within the Peacemakers site and Chrissie tells us that many ladies were overcome and were carried out weeping. Chrissie found the continuous singing very uplifting, confirming to her the passing of one who had gone to live with his Lord and Saviour.  The coffin was then carried to a field where there was a photo session with his wife Harriet and various groups followed by the valedictory speeches from colleagues, church and family members, the eulogy; which included reference to his love for peacemakers and finally Pastor Moses who preached and Bishop Salesio who spoke. There was African singing and dances and a time of prayer before the burial on family owned land. There were further hymns and a sermon at the grave before, and as tradition requires, the soil was placed over the coffin by the same youth who had dug the grave.  Wreaths were placed and those remaining fed with rice and stew before leaving. It had all taken 7 hours.

 Chrissie reported it had been an emotional day as the whole community and Peacemakers had lost a teacher, a preacher, a seeker of the lost, a helper of the addicted, an advocate and intermediary, a dear husband, a father, friend and brother in the Lord.

 A full account of the funeral and a “last memory”can be read below on previous posts.

Patrick’s Vision for Peacemakers was expressed to Chrissie only days before he died. He had a burning desire to help those who had missed out on life’s chances and to extend our current Bible Study classes and create a Bible School. Chrissie still half expects him to appear around a corner shouting, “Hodi! (Swahili for “is anyone home?”), is there a cup of chai (tea) there?”

Tributes: Thanks for all the tributes to Patrick from Peacemaker friends which have been collated and together with all the pictures we have will be presented to his wife Harriet and family.

 Sponsored Half-Marathon Run by Jess Walker has raised £322 for Peacemakers projects. 1500 took part and Jess completed the race in 2hrs 2min 56 sec. Congratulations to Jess who’s set himself a further challenge to beat 2hrs. at another half-marathon event at Windsor in September. He will be wearing a Peacemakers T shirt as before.    Watch this space……………..

Building Work.  A good start has been made on the foundations for the restaurant, bakery and clinic with £6000 approved by the committee for materials and labour costs for some of the continuation works. The materials include hard-core, ballast, sand, cement, bricks and timber which need to be on site before the heavy rains come.

If there are any fit and able people out there who would like to give of their holiday time or even a longer period, to visit Kenya to get involved in the above building work, or any other project, it would be fantastic.  I’m afraid you will have to pay your own fare and expenses, but the reward you would receive from living and working in the community, outweighs the cost.  The accommodation would be very reasonable as you could stay on site.  If you are interested please get in touch.

AGM for Peacemakers Kenya has elected Peter Wagakindi as chairman with Lucy Ndwiga and Grace Kauma re-elected as Treasurer and Secretary respectively. Sammy Gitunga (an original Peacemaker with Patrick) was made an honorary member of the committee.

John Musiymi is now 24, is mentally unstable and lives with his grandmother. His mother had died of aids years ago and his drunkard HIV+ father in December 2013 having refused for years to take the anti-retroviral drugs. John had TB in 2010 and lots of other sicknesses but has made good progress socially. He attends school with the children but needs training for simple tasks to get a job. He also needs a home of his own.  Peacemakers are caring for him at the moment.

As we have mentioned before, there is no ‘Special Needs Care’ in Kenya, so certain individuals in the UK are sponsoring children and a few adults monthly by Direct Debit for them to receive education and medical care.  You will see fully grown adults sitting with a class of young children and handicapped children attending schools.  John is a prime example of the difference you are making to these unfortunate and deprived people. In fact John is beginning to come alive and claps his hands in excitement of being able to walk and talk a little now. 

Thank you for your support and care.

During the previous week before Patrick was taken to Nairobi for hospital care, he had visited me twice in the evenings, following his day at Kianginga Primary school, to where he had transferred just in January this year, from Kivuria School. The first time, he brought a colleague, Mbogo, who had been his deputy at Mufu Primary School twenty years ago. “Imagine,” he said,” things have turned full circle! When I started, he was my deputy, and now he is mine again as I finish my last few terms in teaching!”

We also met with another young teacher as Patrick was in a hurry to start a School at our site for those who did not complete formal education due to lack of school fees. It was one of his burning desires to help those who had missed out on life’s chances.  He had talked to several colleagues, some already retired, to offer their services. He also talked to the Education Dept and they had told him to register, as it was such a good idea. The following evening, he discussed some future plans for Peacemakers to extend our current Bible Study classes to being a Bible School as soon as possible. In his inimitable way, he also wanted to see a two storey accommodation built where we grow a few humble vegetables at the moment. I allowed him the enthusiasm and vision for the future but also reminded him about the gaping hole and the tumbling walls in the house where we sat. “All in God’s time and planning.”

The following day, I drove him to Runyenjes to have a blood test as he was feeling a bit un-well. Then we dropped to Embu. He sat in the back of the car talking politics with Peter Tum all the way, each of them becoming louder and more excitable as they agreed and debated current affairs. That was the last time I saw him as he was taken to Runyenjes hospital the day after, then transferred to Embu, then Nairobi; all so fast that the news of his ensuing death has shocked the whole community. I still feel he will come around the corner shouting, “Hodi! (Swahili for “is anyone home?”), is there a cup of chai (tea) there?”

In loving memory of Patrick, Chrissie.

Patrick Nyaga (Kavungura) died on February 15th at the Kenyatta Hospital, Nairobi. He died following an operation to correct a blocked vein, a burst vein and a non functioning valve. He had already had a minor surgery on a hole in the heart that week. The cost of the operations came to half a million Kenya shillings (about £45,000); it was a huge sum for the family to collect during those last few days. They took loans and gathered gifts from well-wishers and family members.

The day before, he talked to his son, Eric, to say he had already been a good soldier with God’s help; he raised his arms wide to Heaven and praised God for being with him throughout his life. But the shock for Harriet was immense when he did not recover from the operation. She kept telling him to wake up even after she had signed the papers for the mortuary. She had been advised that it was a simple procedure. But it was God’s plan to call him that day. When somebody dies, the local community gathers each day to have evening prayers at the home of the deceased and to start a collection for funeral expenses; everybody feels part of the family’s grieving. Early on Friday 21st February, my pickup, carrying the camera man headed the cortege of cars, the Hospital hearse and those who had travelled up from Nairobi. We had tied red ribbons on our vehicles; then made our way slowly through the town and up to our village. As we approached our site, the hearse was playing triumphal hymns and sounding its horn. There was already a great crowd streaming though the gateway. The coffin was placed in the centre of the prayer House on a long bench as it is customary for the body to be viewed. The queue stretched back up the drive but there was a sound of glorious singing from the many pastors and church leaders there that stood as one great choir around the edge of the prayer house, surrounding the coffin. I followed in line, being now used to this ordeal of looking through the small glass window which reveals the dear face of the deceased. Many ladies were overcome and carried out, weeping. I found the singing very uplifting, confirming the passing of one who had gone to live with his Lord and Savior.

The coffin was then carried to the field and was laid on a bier shaded by a marquee for a while. There were three large tents shading the mourners but hundreds sat under the scarce tree and banana palm shade. It was estimated that there were over 1200 people there to give their respects. Next comes the interminable photo- session. Harriet stood bravely as group upon group joined her for the official photos. This took over one hour in the scorching sunlight. After this came the valedictory speeches from colleagues, church and family members, the eulogy, which mentioned how much he had loved and served Peacemakers…and then the preaching of the Word by Moses, preceded by a speech from Bishop Salesio. 

Salesio spoke of his shock to lose his dear friend and how many people might say this or that about him but that the results of the faithful man were obvious and he had been a loyal and faithful soldier to the last. Moses preached about how God has an assignment for each of us on earth and that when it is completed, we are called. So, to take heart that Patrick had completed the work assigned to him to do and that it was his time to go. He urged us to know God’s plan for us, what work we had to do, to serve Him until the day we are called. There were some African songs and dances from family members and church groups, then a grand collection into the African baskets. Then after a time of prayer, the coffin passed through our shamba to the adjoining land, belonging to Kavungura’s.

Mourners were fewer by this time as the space at the home was congested. Again, there was a long sermon and many hymns at the grave, which had been dug that morning near to the house. The same youth who had dug the grave traditionally replace the soil on top of the coffin and the family laid their wreaths there. It had now taken 7 hours to this time. Those who remained were then fed with rice and stew, before leaving for their homes. It was quite an emotional day, as the whole community and Peacemakers have lost a teacher, a preacher, a seeker of the lost, a helper of the addicted, an advocate and intermediary, a dear husband, father friend and brother in the Lord.

                                        Chrissie.

SAD NEWS from Kenya: Patrick Kavungura Nyaga, a key man in the formation and development of the Peacemakers project died a few days ago from a heart condition. We are all terribly saddened by this and send our deepest sympathies to his wife Harriett and the extended family. Anyone wishing to send a tribute to Patrick’s life please contact Brenda who will forward it to Chrissie who will be representing Peacemakers at his funeral. If you feel to contribute in any way to his family, please forward your gifts to Brenda. A tribute to Patrick and his work for Peacemakers will be produced later and posted on the website for everybody to read.

Sponsored Run: Just a quick reminder that the half marathon run is this coming Sunday23^rd Feb. It’s the first one ever held at Hampton court. Jess Walker is running for Peacemakers and will be wearing the t-shirt shown below, so that people will recognise him amongst the 1500 competitors running.  A sponsorship form is available to download from here. Please try and help Jess raise as much money as possible for the Peacemakers Projects in Kenya.