BLOG #2: 28 Days

The countdown begins: 28 more days until we leave. There's still a bunch of things to take care of, including getting our flight tickets, fundraising, Visa's...

Today I accomplished 2 major things. First, I got all my shots - yellow fever, polio, Tetanus, Hepatitis A, Typhoid - and prescriptions for malaria pills and traveler's diarrhea (hee hee). My arms are really sore. I'm really really really hoping that my insurance will cover travel shots, otherwise... it's looking to be just over $1000... =(

The second thing I accomplished was sending out all my support letters. Chances are, if you are reading this blog, then you are part of my support group. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATION!!!!!!! As you can see, the costs of going on this missions trip really add up, and YOUR contribution helps to make it possible. Thank you.

On another note, our team is really struggling with fearing the safety of our team. August 4th will be an election to vote on some issues in their Constitution, including abortion laws, and there has been some violence recently. If you want more information, here is the article:

NAIROBI, Kenya — A grenade attack on a political rally in downtown Nairobi on Sunday evening killed six people and injured more than 100, cranking up tensions ahead of a hotly contested referendum on a new constitution.

Three grenades exploded one after the other at dusk in Uhuru Park, a treed carpet of green that stretches the length Nairobi’s central business district. The explosions caused a panicked stampede among thousands of Kenyans who had gathered to campaign for a ‘No’ vote in the forthcoming constitutional referendum due in early August.

The injured were taken to Kenyatta National Hospital where the luckier ones were laid on gurneys while others, bloodied and battered, littered the floor of the overstretched emergency department.

The blood, death and fear of Sunday evening were an unwelcome flashback for a country still feeling the aftershocks of political violence that killed more than 1,100 people following the last elections. Not a single person has yet been convicted although an investigation underway by the International Criminal Court (ICC) may change that.

Political violence is nothing new to Kenya. Since multi-party democracy began in 1991 politics and violence have walked hand-in-hand. Tensions rise before elections often erupting in ethnic attacks stoked by politicians who emphasize tribal allegiances and stoke local animosities.

The run-up to the constitutional referendum on Aug. 4 has been hotly contested, as it was in 2005 when a proposed new constitution was voted down, setting the stage for the disputed and ultimate bloody election of late 2007.

On Tuesday six politicians were called in for questioning by Kenya’s National Cohesion and Integration Commission for alleged, “hate speech” during the campaign.

A new constitution is widely considered to be long overdue. The current one dates back to independence in 1963 and since the early 1990s a replacement has been debated and even fought over. The proposed new constitution trims the president’s sweeping powers, devolves more authority to the regions and addresses long-standing land grievances often seen as being at the root of Kenya’s strife.

But it also allows abortion, “if the life or health of the mother is in danger,” and special Muslim courts for “matters relating to personal status, marriage, divorce and inheritance.”

These latter clauses have upset Christian groups so Sunday’s rally was a politico-religious affair with politicians and preachers standing side-by-side to condemn the draft law.

Please pray for our safety and just to let us be able to go to Kenya to do what we were called to do, which is working with the children and doing something positive to make them feel special and loved.

Thanks for visiting this blog, and for your compassion. We thank you! I thank you...

grace

BLOG #1: My Very First Support Letter

Dear Friends,

I would like to share an exciting opportunity coming up in my life. As many of you know, I have been dancing with Eight Count (www.eightcount.com) for the past five years. We have performed and served with people all around Northern California and Hawaii. This summer, we are planning to travel to Nairobi, Kenya, to teach dance and build relationships with the children who live there. We will be staying in an orphanage and we are planning to reach out to the children who live in Mathare.

Mathare is a neighborhood of slums in Kenya with a population of about 500,000 people. The whole area is approximately 1.2 miles by 0.2 miles where people sleep on cardboard boxes inside 8’ x 6’ shacks with no running water or electricity. Human waste fills up ditches and alleyways. Many adults die from AIDS, leaving thousands of orphaned small children and babies everywhere. Their schools are made up of 10’ x 12’ classrooms with mud walls, dirt floors, and 40 children packed inside. I can only imagine what it will be like to experience this kind of poverty first-hand.

I have never been on a missions trip before, but I feel a strong calling to go on this trip. In these times, where we hear about the Haiti earthquake or the Gulf oil spill, our world is suffering and lacking hope. I feel challenged to step out of my comfort zone and do something to make our world just a little bit better.

Our team is made up of fifteen people from Great Exchange Covenant Church (www.grx.org), in which six of us are dancers on Eight Count. We plan to use dance as a means of breaking down language barriers and reaching out to the children in Mathare. We want these children to know that they are loved, even by strangers like us, and that they are special. We plan on teaching dance classes and putting together dance routines for the kids to learn. We hope to use music and movement to bond with the kids. In addition, we will sing songs, play games, make crafts, and just spend time with the children. We hope that when we leave Mathare, the kids will be left with a positive long-lasting memory they can always hold on to. I am sure they will leave us with unforgettable memories as well.

I wanted to share this news with you so that you know what is going on in my life and what has been on my heart. Our team will be traveling from July 28^th – August 11^th. We are trying to raise $3000 per individual by July 25th to cover the costs of the trip. I appreciate any prayers or thoughts for a safe trip for my team. Specifically, there is an election occurring on August 4^th while we will be in Kenya, which has potential for rioting or attacks. We hope for the team to stay safe from harm, remain healthy, and succeed in building strong relationships with the Kenyans.

Thank you for your friendship and encouragement over the years, and thank you in advance for all your support. If you feel led to support me financially, or if you would like to contact me, please feel free to email gracelingyu@gmail.com.

With much love and appreciation,

Grace Yu