Luzader Travels

A tribute to Bruce Luzader

2011-12-10T23:30:00.000-08:00

Brian's Eulogy to his Dad, spoken at the "Celebration of Life"

gathering held Dec 10, 2011 on Bruce Luzader's 84th Birthday.

Half a century ago, mysister Becky and I rode our bikes around the block,
where weran into those “Mean Denovo Boys.”

They chased us down and yanked ourbikes to a halt…

then drenched our littlefaces with squirt guns.

Crying and humiliated we rodehome to our Dad,
who we knew,wouldhelp us fight back, and defend ourHonor.

We told Dad of the horrificcrimes against us, the water fight we didn’t even start and our quest forjustice.

After pleading our case,we waited wide-eyed and anxious,
for the punishment those Denovo Boys wouldface.

But Gentle, and Wise Dad,who lacked a quest for retaliation and was slow to anger…instead…Pulled a couple of bucks from his wallet?

He said “Now…listen to me,Go back around the block, and invite those Denovo boys out for icecream.”

We were stunned by hisverdict (WHAT?) the punishment, didn’t even fit the crime?

But, seeing there was enoughmoney for us to have ice cream too, we peddled back to tellthe ‘Bad Brothers’ that after such a hard day of water wars, Dad wanted us… totake them… out for cones.

From that day forward, theDenovo boys became our friends and allies.

Our Dad should have beenthe neighborhood Secretary of State.

He was, so well liked inour community, that I was always proud to tell people that "Iwas Bruce Luzader’s son."

Dad saw, only the good inpeople he met and returned that back tothem.
He mirrored their bestqualities,
so that he left a person
feeling BETTER, than he found them.

I always felt so connectedto him, through his yearning to explore.

Whether it was the newest ‘technologyof the times’, the top of a mountain,or an abandoned lighthouse, I was there, eager to be by his side.

In his prime, Dad wouldsee an interest and just set out to do it!

In his makeshift closet,he taught himself Morse code on an old ham radio.
He learned to fly, and tookme on balloon, helicopter and plane rides.
Being next to him was always an adventure.

He took up boating, then restoredand created a commercial fishing boat that we operated, just for family fun.

He saved for a beach housewhere our family spent the summers making priceless memories together.

He made all, his new-foundinterests an adventure, and
He let me be a part ofthem... Which I now believe, has made me the person Iam today.

I always felt anunconditional love from both he and Mom,
(even when I made those lousy mistakes in myyouth),

Later, as I aged while ona quest to set and find my own goals,

he opened his professionand business to me.

When I had children, heembraced them with the same love, he had given me.

And now that he has lefthis 'Aged Vessel';
the one that had slowedhim down for so many years, he can voyage to a placewe still … in our minds… cannot fathom.

"So, my Dear Dad… Today, on your Birthday,

I thank You, forgiving me life and happiness...

from the brightest lightof your charisma."

I believe that in some way…we will all rendezvous together in an amazing place.

-Brian Luzader 12-10-2011

Ashley's Thank you Letter to her Grandfather

Thank you for loving me from the beginning.
Thank you for giving me my first bath.
Thank you for letting me paint your face with water colors.
Thank you for letting me build and glue wood in your shop.
Thank you for making chicken pox fun.
Thank you for taking me clamming and on motorcycle rides.
Thank you for playing with me in the hot tub.
Thank you for letting me travel with you, and
taking me on trips and showing me new things.
Thank you for letting me dig through your penny collection and
teaching me how to use chopsticks.
Thank you for teaching me fractions on grandma's lemons.
Thank you for feeding me when I needed it.
Thank you for taking a day to teach me how to drive,
then driving us home even though I passed my test.
Thank you for comforting me when I was scared.
Thank you for being the Best Grandpa anyone could ever need and want.
-Ashley Luzader

Bruce's Oregonian Obituary

2011-12-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

A travel through Preemie-time with Jack and Owen

2011-11-05T21:50:00.000-07:00

We proudly introduce our twin grandson’s Jack and Owen and their enduring big brother Kaden. Today, the twins are either 4 months old, out of the womb or 5 weeks old from their due date; it depends on how you look at life?
As grandparents, it has felt like a 4 month life-time.

A travel through Preemie Time:

Fast forward and then rocket reverse while frozen numb in time

Easy-going Owen

Mighty Jack

Remember the phrase, ‘just take it in baby steps’ while we methodically stumbled through life’s most confusing or difficult moments and triumphed over a simple success?

On July 5, 2011, one unexpected moment in time, we welcomed our preemie twin grandsons Jack and Owen into this world. Greeted with bruising, slicing screams of terror and abundant tears of joy, they challenged our perception of what baby steps meant in a 3 month premature life. Our family has evolved into different people while traveling through the ‘Preemie Steps’ of life…

… Like walking on smooth stones, then sinking sand, landmines, sunshine or rainbows…it all depends on the day.

Grammie and Grandpa touching the twins for the first time

It was a beautiful summer day and Brian and I were out for a long bike ride with our neighbor when we received the call. We peddled as fast as we could, strait to the hospital and arrived in a sweaty panic before Christy and Travis were whisked off to the operating room. The first sight of the twin boys, as they were rushed past us was both shocking and relieving. Their bodies were wrapped in plastic to keep their warmth, their heads; the size of an apple were bruised, tubed and wired. It was a miracle to us that they could survive and we cheered at their 2.4 and 2.5 lbs.

Jack came into the world the usual way through the birth canal, but Owen struggled at the end and had to make an emergency exit as the doctors cut through the abdomen and womb to bring him into our world. His birth caused trauma both in his body and his Mother’s, as the numbing epidural was not working at the time of incisions. Feeling the full effects of the cuts through her body, Christy screamed at the doctor to stop but there was no choice but to save Owen’s life. The operating crew got a bit of a bruising to restrain Christy, and Travis walked out of his first delivery room saying, “Wow Dad, that was intense. I can’t believe you did it three times?” When Christy woke from the general anesthesia given to her at the moment of crisis, she simply wanted to know “what the F* happened and where are my babies?” The babies were fine and her large supporting crowd was tearing with joy and relieved that she was going to be all right as well. Their and our first preemie breaths had been taken.

The twins began their life with the support of constant air flow, heart and breathing monitors and 24 hour professional care. Travis, Christy and Kaden stood over them every day without the opportunity to hold their babies or bond in an ordinary way. They began to stabilize and we could touch them through the incubators, then the day came when Travis and Christy could hold them. It was a huge preemie step to have them out of their incubators, even if it were only for a few minutes of parental bonding.

We were confident that the road to recovery was going to be smooth and felt like we were walking with confidence…until the call came that the doctors had found a hole in Jack’s heart. He was immediately put on medication to see if the hole would heal or show improvement after treatment. We held our own breath for a week, watching him transition through the onset of constant needles and testing. He remained strong, always fussing and fighting as we stood vigilant at his side telling him to “Get tough Mighty Jack, we’re expecting great things from you,” and then we went home silently weeping for our tiny shriveled little man. Our fears and tears were concealed from our kids as they needed only constant love and strength to endure this time. The days to follow, both boys began to turn yellow and needed blood transfusions and luckily had suitable donors. It was risky to have Jack go through the transfusion at such a vulnerable time of weakness. We kept our faith that his body would not get an infection or rejection from the new blood and sure enough, he immediately began to show his true fighting colors. These preemie steps felt like we were on a slippery slope; reaching and falling back each time but they began to stabilize again and we were cautious and optimisticly moving ahead.

Travis, Christy and Kaden made a new life and a second home at Emmanuel Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. We don’t know how they managed with Travis working overtime, Kaden dealing with the changes and Christy aching to have her family at home. Their schedule left little time for home cooking, cleaning or family time outside of the intensive care unit. Kaden found other big brothers and sisters to play games with and achieved almost all levels of Mario Brothers while spending his summer in the NICU. Brian and I found compassion attending a support group hosted at Emanuel for preemie families while Travis and Christy made a new extended family with the hospital staff. They took classes, tapped into resources and were gaining confidence in their new parental role. Their strength was amazing and the twins were making good progress, learning to breast feed, turn their heads, follow objects and were putting on some pounds. We were walking on sunshine seeing steady improvements.

I remember standing on a ladder, helping Brian paint a house when we got the call. Doctors had found internal bleeding in the brains of both twins. I felt faint and had to immediately sit down and gather myself. The vessels in preemie baby brains are fragile and are susceptible to changes in blood flow and can break. Owen had a traumatic delivery, therfore showed a larger portion of bleeding. Only over time, we will know how this may or may not have affected their development. At the moment, we just rushed to the hospital to be with our kids and educate ourselves about the diagnosis. When fear of the unknown creeped into our heads, we filled it with faith and read whatever we could find, to encourage our family to be strong. We could not image what Travis and Christy were going through while we pretended to be strong. Their lives were so different than one year ago as young lovers; planning their pregnancy and imagining their new, exciting family life-style.
We sat together in the NICU as Travis read out loud to us, all the possible outcomes of minor and severe brain bleeding. We closed the book, walked over to their incubators and told them “You’re going to be just fine.” Their little bodies were getting more perfect every day and our love will make them strong enough to get through anything that life gives them! The next two scans came back with encouraging results showing no additional bleeding and it appeared that the bleeding could have been from birth. As they develop, they will continue to have screening, to help us identify if they will need extra care.

We continued to watch over the twins nearly every day for the first month but one morning Brian and I woke up unusually anxious to get to the hospital early. We checked in, washed, sanitized and then entered the Bunny 1 and Bunny 2 cubicles wide eyed and scared. Twin Owen was surrounded by a team of doctors and nurses and his incubator was elevated to an emergency position. They were poking, scanning, and inspecting his fragile colorless body. I was terrified to ask and they didn’t know we were behind them until I could manage a simple, “what happened?” The doctor finished his examination and turned around to explain what they were doing. Somehow he managed to soothe our immediate fears while delivering the news of a neurosis of the intestines which needed immediate treatment and if not diagnosed and cured correctly, could be life-threatening. Owen had several spells throughout the night where he stopped breathing and began losing his blood oxygen. We stayed with him as they finished his brain scan, took numerous blood tests, poked at his tummy and finally put him on life support. We held back tears staring at our tiny lifeless-looking grandchild with taunt pale gray skin, now lying motionless, nearly naked and exposed, twisted in wires and tubes. As if these twins had not been through enough already, on his one month birthday, Owen was now facing a life threatening disease and needed another blood transfusion. Our heart hurt for Owen, for Christy, Travis and Kaden and we shook our head when Travis asked, “How can they have every preemie problem in the book?”

Tensions were elevated, sleep was lacking, and we were all emotional wrecks at this step of the preemie time-travel. I remember thinking that we did not have the energy to keep our chin up and give our kids the optimistic strength they needed. We were beginning to feel defeated by the whole preemie experience. When I asked super-mom how she was doing and what she needed this time, she admitted “Not doing so good any more. We need whatever good energy or prayers you can give us.” I took one long breath and confidently replied, “You’ve got it. I’m on it.” I quickly wrote a couple of lines celebrating the twins one month Birthday and sent it out to you, my favorite and loyal friends and family,

“I ask of you Today, Now, that you take this moment and send out your good thoughts of Health and Strength to them. Owen is especially in need of your positive thoughts, prayers and uplifting energy TODAY, as he is really struggling with health issues.”

The positive words, songs, phone calls, texts, messages of encouragement and prayers in response were overwhelming. As they flowed in from all over the world, they were immediately copied and sent to Travis and Christy. Their ‘in box’ was full every day from your good energy and we all had a miraculous recovery because of it. We drew strength from your love and kindness and we still can’t thank you enough. Owen responded well to his treatment and transfusion and was off life support within 5 days.

Things were looking up again and there was a happy skip to our preemie walk. Christy finished the twins’ nursery, baby showers were bringing us together, both boys were off assisted air, eating, gaining weight and there was talk of the twins coming home soon. We celebrated as they hit the 5 pound mark and the kids continued to take preemie classes for car seats, first aid, CPR and general care of their preemie babies. We could see the pot of gold at the end of our preemie rainbow and we began to rest.

And then…The stress of preemie life parenting caught up with Travis. The body has a funny way of holding up when it needs to and then breaking down afterwards, screaming ‘what about me’. Travis was admitted to Emmanuel Hospital for three miserable nights with a severe tonsillitis infection which closed his airways. The awesome staff rolled in a bed for Christy and Kaden so that they could sleep at the hospital together as a family. Christy could go back and forth from the boys to Travis, all under the same big roof for the first time and this made us happy in a peculiar way.

Preemie-day by preemie-day, the twins were able to feed, sleep and wake on their own, calling out for their needs. Travis and Christy understood their different personalities and comforts and became confident in their care. The twins were out of incubators and sleeping together for their first time since the womb.
Life had shifted to a new and reassuring constant preemie pace and three weeks before their due date on September 7^th, Jack and Owen went home.

The twins adjusted well to the new environment of day light and dark, smells, sounds, cars, kids, tv, telephone, pets and visitors. Everything was entirely new to them and they didn’t seem to care as long as they were fed and bed. And then one afternoon, at the very same time, they both stopped breathing and turned purple. While the ambulances raced them back to the hospital, they began to perk up and decided to try the common breath again. We stood over them in the Emergency Room wondering what was going on. They looked fine and alert by the time they were admitted and we didn’t know what to think. Brian concluded that they were having a contest of ‘who could hold their breath the longest’ followed by a race of ‘who had the fastest ambulance’. Or maybe they wanted to see shiny lights and sirens? The doctors concluded that they had acid reflex and as a preemie did not know what to do to catch their breath. They were sent home with parents who tirelessly watched over them breathe…moment by preemie moment while trying to maintain a functional family life.

Just when confidence was building and life was beginning a new normal, one terrifying night occurred, which will remain with us forever.

Travis heard a twin start to fuss and went to get bottles ready so that Christy could rest.

He came back to see who was hungry and found Owen lifeless, cold and blue. He pulled his unresponsive baby boy from the bed and woke Christy. They ripped off his clothes to find that he was not breathing and without a pulse. While Travis called for an ambulance, Christy brought Owen to her lap and began preemie CPR, pressing her thumbs into his tiny chest and breathed her air into his lungs. After what felt like a life-time and in one sudden moment, Owen released a small gasp and began to move. He choked and sputtered until he regained his full breath again and the paramedics rushed him back to the hospital. Owen was in isolated care for a week or so and was diagnosed with acid reflex and sleep apnea, then went back home to his family. Both twins now have sleep monitors and alarms and parents are trying to learn to rest again. We celebrate Owen back to life every day and are grateful for his parents who learned and responded to this crisis.

I cannot even begin to write the despair these parents have gone through in the entire preemie process, or of finding their child lifeless and resuscitating their baby back into our world. Comforting them in my arms, I remember Travis saying “You don’t know. No one should ever have to do that.” I can say that we are very proud of their strength and support in each other, while I share an ache for their frightening memories and the fear for what could have been. Travis, Christy and Kaden are recovering from the ordeal in amazing form and are regaining a new confidence, one preemie-moment at a time. We are in awe of their never-ending commitment to their family, their determination to triumph over the preemie steps and double our respect for super-mom after we did our first 6 hour shift of twin-care last week.

Twins Jack and Owen are a healthy 8 pounds now, without an alarm episode for several weeks and are doing great. They are normal babies, rolling over, smiling, swatting at toys and staying healthy. These steps are not ‘giant steps for man-kind’ but they are huge steps in our preemie time-warp-world.

"Happy 4 Month Birthday Jack and Owen and Kaden we are so proud of you!
All three of you are perfect and we love you forever."

We are 2 in a Million- Marooned in Thailand

2011-04-01T05:31:00.000-07:00

Flooding and collapsed bungalows in Thongnaipan Koh Phangan Island

29 March 2011 BREAKING NEWS: 1 Million people stranded as floods rage through Thailand’s South ...in Dry Season?

Monsoon rains, winds and waves will typically pass over Thailand in November’s rainy season leaving large puddles, muddy roads and bored tourists. In the hot and dry season, you can expect to see the locals celebrating the heat wave, splashing and dancing with buckets of water in the streets.

Locals wading through main street Thongnaipan
photo courtesy of Miss Choi

Two weeks before Songkran Water Festival (Thailand’s dry season celebration) one million people are trapped in knee to neck deep water sloshing through mud and debris searching for a roof that won’t drain on their head, a simple meal, siphoned fuel or worse, buried in landslides.

31 March 2011 BREAKING NEWS: Thai Navy rescues tourists stranded on flooding islands…In Dry Season?

Touists climing up the Navy ships
photo courtesy of Yahoo news

Desperate and scared Thais and travelers climbed up emergency nets dangling from the side of a Thai Royal Navy ship today while others were transferred by helicopter onto Thailand’s only Air Craft Carrier and transported to a naval base outside of heavily flooded mainland regions.

What are the chances Brian and Brenda would be stranded on that island? I’d say the chances were "Two in a Million" but we've always been lucky.

Thongnaipan Boat Storm- morning after School Party

It was a weird season on Koh Phangan Island anyway with frequent short rains and cooler temperatures. We knew something was wrong as we sipped our coffee and watched from our sea view balcony, a phenomenon which was the beginning of a long stream of disasters. A calm turquoise bay suddenly turned from shades of blue to shades of black. Large rolling waves appeared on the horizon and boats danced on the water like a playground of teeter-totters. We ran to the beach to check the fishermen’s boats which normally drift gently behind a protected reef. Scanning the bay we could see about 25 boats dipping behind walls of water and reappearing in a white spray.

The traditional Longtail boats pulled against their lines until the sea cut them free. Fishermen swam into the waves avoiding a collision with drifting boats and started their engines. The roar of the engines mixed with the roar of an angry sea and then the roar of thunder surrounded the entire bay.

Pulling Longtail Boats to safety

Everyone watched the boatmen skillfully maneuvered the waves, then run the boats full speed aground onto the beach. With each landing, all the men ran to the boats to heave them onto the shore and secure them to palm trees. The entire morning sounded of engines, thunder, crashing waves and the cadence of 50 exhausted men pulling boats to safety.

Two speedboats tumbling onto the beach

The rain fell and the lightening cracked and Brian returned drenched and sore to a beachfront restaurant needing a rest. The head waiter paled with fear as the storm blew furniture around the restaurant while he told us of the dream he had during the night recalling tsunami waves and a washed out resort. We all stared through blustering plastic screens as the remaining speedboats in the bay began to break anchor and crashed into the shore. We could see there was no hope of recovery, for the large waves captured and tossed them through the sea until the tide left them in a heap on the beach surrounded by their broken debris.

beached boat

boat carnage

boat graveyard at PinJun Resort

Brian taking advantage of some windy days

The next week brought a small earthquake to northern Thailand but the weather calmed to gray skies with occasional sun and wind. We welcomed the change and sailed the bay on our wind board, confident that the dry season had finally arrived. We were wrong. Long dreary days of rain returned and we retreated to the indoors, boring ourselves of movies and books, then reserved our flight out of the soggy province.

Brenda getting cold,wet and grumpy

Sitting with friends we complained of the lousy rainy weather causing our inconsistent internet and power cuts saying “It has to get better soon, it can’t get worse.” We were wrong. A full day of downpours started cutting into the landscape and small flooding began in the center of Thongnaipan village. The new concrete road and manhole covers filtered the water but did not fully accept the capacity of this massive rain. The early morning was busy with sandbagging and blockades were put up to divert the flows. The power failed again and we waded through the streets looking for mobile signals knowing that it must get better as it couldn’t be worse.

Post Office road turing into rappids

We were wrong. Heavier unstoppable rains continued to fall, trees began to fall, power poles began to fall and waters began to rise. Thunder and lightning splintered the dark sky and then a mountain of waterfalls rolled down the hills, streets and pathways streaming into the village at increased speeds. The water formed rivers, waves and excavated falls through dirt roads while making its way to the sea.

Thick, brown debris filled water, tunneled below the new concrete road and broke off chunks of cement while the sidewalk and light poles collapsed in heaps.

Game Bar hosting Monsoon Rain Parties

We gathered at night with friends around candles telling stories and jokes trying to keep our spirits up, tolerating a few warm beers at our Early Songkran Party. In the beginning, we were entertained with white water kayaking through the village until the full force of combined water cut a deep crevasse through a resort, collapsing bungalows to the ground. These were the bungalows at PinJun Resort which we lived in for the 10 previous years and it deeply saddened our dampened spirits.

A final farewell to Pinjun Bungalows. RIP
(moment of silence please)

Paradise Garden Resort under water

For two days, flooding spread through the village, cascading through homes, shops and resorts while cutting new rivers, washouts and causing more damage. Along with the initial power failure, came the failure of electric water pumps to fill tanks. There was no running water, no flushing toilets, no showers and then the water table rose until the septic tanks were full. We went home each night, cold, wet, shocked and depressed into a dark, molding, stinking but safe house. We woke to long gray days, conserved our gas and candles and collected rain water from our roof to clean and store for the days ahead. We had an emergency plan, our bags were packed and we were ready to get off the island so that we could catch our scheduled flight to Bankok and back to the states. We knew it would be better soon, but we had already had enough.

Fishing- for debris?
photo courtesy of Miss Choi

Construction workers camp under water

We were wrong. High winds brought huge waves and we watched Mother Nature continue to devastate the bay. Water was tumbling from the hills behind us and waves were eating away the beach in front of us. Beach front restaurants and resorts were being undermined and we woke to fallen trees, a collapsed business and beach furniture debris scattered across the bay.

Andi next to Mr T's house

PinJun's new restaurant seating blown to the ground

The way to Ta's Shop and Pens Bunglalows

A few resorts on the bay had generators but they did not have access to additional fuel, so after siphoning fuel from vehicles, power was rationed as well as food and water. We ate what was available as the freezers thawed. There was no power for 5 days and no phones, internet or access into our saturated, dark, disaster zone.

collecting water in the miserable wetness

Tourists were already scared but when they realized that the only road out of Thong Nai Pan village was now washed out in two places, they slowly began to break down. Word of mouth news was arriving throughout the day reporting severe flooding and landslides burying entire villages on the mainland. We learned that all transportation to/from southern mainland Thailand was closed. Additionally the high waves prevented all ferry boats from getting to or from our island. There is no airport on ko Phangan island and we had no means of travel out of the village. Even if we could get off the island, there was nowhere to go. We were officially stranded and isolated on Thongnaipan bay.

bridge washout

As the contaminated waters flowed, fuel and food depleted and the risk of someone needing medical attention rose. It became apparent that Thongnaipan bay needed to be evacuated of tourists so efforts were made to build temporary bridges over the washed out rivers. Trucks transported guests to the first crossing and those that would walk the plank, made their way through the river with a hand rope. A hike through the mud and over the next bridge crossing would bring them to a truck that would be waiting to complete their journey through the jungle and into the main town. We bade them a safe farewell and were relieved to see them headed to better communication and some power. One step closer to the pier was at least a moving direction.

first log bridges accross the washouts
photo courtesy of Mr O

Except later in the night and after resorts were closed down, they came back completely exhausted, cold, scared and hungry. They told us that by the time they made it to the second bridge passage, the waters had risen to chest level and no one wanted to risk the journey in the fast moving water. They headed back to the first bridge but in the same time, the temporary planks there had washed out as well. They were stuck between the two washouts the entire day waiting in a monsoon storm for the road crew to build a different temporary solution. When guests from Longtail Beach Resort arrived back to a dark abandoned Resort, the staff offered lamps, washing water and delivered dinner to their rooms.

Good bye and Good Luck
photo courtesy of Mr O

The road crew continued to work with the ever changing situation of fallen trees, shifting rivers and constant heavy rains until new temporary bridges were made through and over the three different washouts. The next afternoon, guests braved the journey one more time. This time Brian accompanied with safety gear and was prepared to rig a zip line and harness system if the situation allowed or called for it.
The first plank crossing was built higher but above a deep raging river and without possibility of hand lines. Brian and other local Thais bounced across2x6 planks carrying the guest’s luggage while a stream of 30 trembling tourists followed behind making their way safely across the river.

The road out of Thongnaipan
photo courtesy of Mr O

Guests were told to remain while Brian and the guys hiked about 2 kilometers through the jungle and mountains to evaluate the safety of the next crossing and find a truck to send back to those waiting. At the next bridge the Thais had rigged a supply trolley line and were floating barrels of fuel across the river. Overnight, a tree had fallen down river making a partial walkway. It was a dodgy two part crossing through a pineapple plantation up a submerged tree and across a final stretch of planks. They had made it safely so far and were determined to continue on. Beyond a few fears and tears everyone finished the journey into town.

Brian and Kim seeing that guests cross safely
photo courtesy of Mr. O

Unfortunately Thongsala Town and pier is as far as they could go until the next day when the Thai Navy responded to the crisis and arrived to the islands. Helicopters hovered above and evacuated the hospitals. The ship was nearly full from evacuating Koh Tao, a neighboring island but made room for an additional 200 sick and needy people. Over a thousand Thais and tourists lined up hoping for the chance to make another leg of the journey. Those that went were loaded on frigates, and climbed up the side of a Navy Vessel on emergency ladder nets.

The Royal Thai Navy has returned and is continuing to offer assistance and transport while delivering food and water to the islands and providing temporary shelters to millions affected by the storm.

Flash floods and landslides still remain a problem everywhere in the south with sporadic heavy rain fall. The water is draining out of the mountains, the skies are looking a bit lighter, the main street in the village is almost above water today and we are hopeful. Electricity has just come back in waves, and we are thankful to have mobile phones and random internet again. Our flight to Bangkok was canceled as the airport we were booked on, remains under water. We missed our flight to the states but it’s all being rearranged and we should be home in about 10 days. We will wait to leave the island until we know that our home is safe, the village is recovering and we are not needed for clean up.

fallen trees, sliding boulders and dangling power poles
make the way to the pier a dangerous route

For now, we are simply thankful that no one on the bay was injured and ever more thankful for imitation light, running water, a hot shower and access to the world outside of Thongnaipan village. Our small scale disaster is nothing in comparison to the devastation in Japan but we have learned much about our community and friends here in Thailand. We are grateful for our extended Thai and expat family who have supported us through this adversity. We feel fortunate that these friends are some of the Million that we were stranded with.
"Indebted thanks to Thailand for an organized, painless and safe evacuation of the islands."

"And thanks for the invitation, but we’ll skip the dry season's Songkran Water Festival this year."

Thanks to Mr A
for always taking care

Thanks to the entire Longtail Beach
Resort Staff for feeding us

Thanks to 'Meenu Man' and
Havanna staff for their friendship
& taking care of our
communiction needs

A BIG Thank you to Mr O
manager of Longtail Resort
Proven to be a true leader
through difficult times

First mobile service and calls out to family
Thanks to Miss Nok for pre-cooking the entire fridge

Regrets to Miss A for another big loss at PinJun and
Thanks to Miss A and Miss Choi for their support
Thanks to Andi at Nu Bar for never ending friendship

To our Big PinJun Family: Thanks for the Memories

Amani School Progress Report 2010-2011

2011-03-09T00:35:00.000-08:00

Celebration dance

Congratulations little graduates

Greetings friends,

We are pleased to bring you an impressive progress report from Kenya while organizing the 5th Annual Child Sponsorship Program. The children are doing great and the schools growth has been immense.

The Bouter family/building sponsor continues to visit and provide additional funding to meet the schools growing construction needs. The enrollment has superseded all our expectations from its original 16 students studying under a tree, to 250 students studying in a clean and safe learning environment. The school is supporting 13 teachers plus the last classrooms and additional restrooms are being built now. This is the final phase which will complete the project to include 8 classrooms, 4 toilets, water well, kitchen, dining hall/community center and office. See photos included of this years graduation ceremony and construction progress.

New Classrooms

I recently re-read my blogs, reports and letters from our initial phases of building Amani School five years ago and remember feeling both success and defeat with an unstable future. I can only praise this group of teachers, directors, parents and financers and conclude that combined, their determination could build an empire. These last years have been difficult in Maweni village with famine, violence, destruction and economic failure. Yet, Amani School continues to press forward in the face of hunger, fear and poverty to bring education and structure to their little part of our shared world. We are very proud of them all.

And to those who sponsor a child or would like to sponsor a child please see the contribution information below and contact Brian and Brenda for more information.

Last construction phase underway

Still dreaming of a swimming pool...

Only $150 USD Donation per child

will pay for the following:

- One year of school fees
(which generally supports the main teaching staffs' salary)

- Current curriculum text books
(which the entire family and surrounding huts benefit from as well)

- A book bag
(to organize and carry their things for the bumpy trail to/from school)

- A new school uniform
(custom measured and sewn for them)

- A pair of shoes and socks
(To keep the bugs out of their toes and protect from the sharp coral ground)

- Government Testing & Filing
(So that their education is documented and acknowledged formally)

- Lunch 5 days a week
(For many, this is their only meal of the day)

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Account information for B&B Relief:
Bank Name: US Bank
Account Name: B&B Relief
Please contact Brian and Brenda for account information
--------------------------------------

Chinese New Year in Vietnam

2011-02-10T23:59:00.000-08:00

Street vendors

My Son ruins

Hoi An town

Chinese New Year with friends

Viet cuisine

Cold day at the beach

Hoi An City

my new rice paddy office

visiting ancient sites

Back to Vietnam

2011-02-01T03:21:00.000-08:00

New Day Center- Disabled children doing a play for the staff & parents

Hi good people,
Much has changed in Vietnam since we were here last. There are several really great things happening and some disheartening news. We choose to focus on the things that are going well and offer support where it’s best utilized. It is great to see the children and get updates on their progress.

The UK foundation which worked within the government orphanage the last 8 years training caregivers and bringing support, have grown to meet their capabilities. They now bring support to other disadvantaged children in the area. We continue to visit the children in the orphanage and those who were moved to other facilities. Since the orphanage receives a large amount of support from tourism and local businesses we have assessed the current needs of other projects here in Vietnam.

One project in particular we’d like to support, is the new Day Center for Disabled Children run by the Kianh Foundation. http://www.kianh.org.uk/ We continue to praise this group, who in the midst of struggles and constraints, focuses on long-term goals while bringing immediate help to those with the greatest need.

visiting the orphanage

Phuc speeding around

The foundation is successfully operating a pilot project with 20 disabled children in Dien Ban, 10 minutes from HoiAn and getting ready to build a new center in March to meet the increasing requests for help. Dien Ban is an impoverished countryside region in which half of the households live on agriculture and forestry. Dien Ban has one of the highest proportions of disabled and disadvantaged children in the Quang Nam Province. The local government authorities attribute this, in part to the heavy bombing and spraying of defoliants during the war with the United States. Government records show over 800 children with disability in this small area. With no access or alternatives for education and therapy, these children have little chance of mobility and lie helpless in homes that can’t provide for their needs.
It is our wish that we can bring support to these children by providing monthly or yearly sponsorship for the Day Center. Sponsorship includes daily transportation to the center, individualized education, meals, physiotherapy and group play. Additionally, when a child attends the day center, the parent can work to provide a better life for the entire family.

Kwa learning to write

Kianh showing off

Several of our friends have asked to help and we encourage any of you to sponsor a child for any amount of time. The following three children are next on a waiting list to be sponsored at $60 month

1.) Dat is 7 years old and has Cerebral Palsy. He lives alone with his mother, following the death of his father last year. Until recently Dat and his mother made the long journey from their home in the countryside to Danang city every day for Dat to experience physiotherapy.The new centrt is near to their home and can also offer education to Dat, who is a bright and clever little boy.
2.) Thanh is 9 years old and has Cerebral Palsy. He has a strong, happy and determined personality. Thanh is fascinated by vehicles and it can be sometimes hard to get him to focus on his work when there are motorbikes, bicycles and (on a really good day) trucks going past the centre. The highlight of his physiotherapy session is when he is allowed to use the specially adapted bicycle to drive around the courtyard at the end of the day.
3.) Khanh is 4 years old with Cerebral Palsy. He is making amazing progress at the centre and we would like to have him there regularly. His progress is also due to his parents, who emulate the therapy done at the center and reinforce it at home. (Many Thanks to David and Lori S. for sponsoring Khanh for one year!)

Lunar New Year Party with children at the Day Center

For more information please contact Brian and Brenda Luzader or visit the Kianh Foundation web site

www.kianh.org.uk

Donations and Sponsorships can be made through the Kianh Foundation
or through B&B Relief. Please notify Brenda of your donation request.

BeHong can now sit and scoot

Hien can now run & play

Tung successfully begs to out and play

Staying Busy- Home on the Island- Thailand

2011-01-08T09:26:00.000-08:00

Just Busy
Thong Nai Pan - Koh Phangan Thailand
Longtail Beach House

Busy Surfing

Busy Salvaging

Busy Beaching

Busy Island Hopping

Busy pondering the meaning of life, love and pursuit of my continued happiness

Busy Building

Busy Bug-proofing

Busy Roofing

Busy Beach Cleaning

Busy Bungee Working

Busy Connecting with friends

Busy Connecting with Junior
(Kook & Andi's baby)

Busy Being Together

Longtail Beach Resort Staff
Christmas BBQ Seafood Dinner

Busy Working at the Resort

Busy Fishing Geckos from the House

Busy Being Sporty

Staying busy during the cloudy and rainy days on the bay.
Thong Nai Pan- Koh Phangan, Thailand

Introducing Molly Michelle

2010-10-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

Life keeps on giving us joys.
And now we'd like to welcome our newest family member

Molly Michelle McFarland

Born: August 23, 2010 7lbs3ozs

Carly and Kevin are very proud parents

Kenya School Update

2010-04-27T20:31:00.001-07:00

AMANI EDUCATION PROJECT

2009-2010 Graduation Day

Hi Friends,
We received new photos from the school in Kenya and wanted to share them with you. The foundation for their success was strong and we are proud to see the school and children growing steadily. It has been an exciting year for them with new additions and positive changes. The building financer from Holland has been generous enough to expand on the schools' success and funded three more classrooms a new office/watch tower and employed new teachers a cook and a grounds caretaker.

In November the school hosted it's first graduation ceremony for the children who passed their exams and moved up a level. They have worked hard for their success and we celebrate with them. We encourage you to send the school children a post card to acknowledge their hard work.

The address again is: Amani School PO Box 5618Diani Beach, Kenya Africa
To the Individual Child Sponsors: Take the time to reflect and appreciate how important your support for these children has been. They have been fed, protected and educated for an entire year with your $150 donation. It is time again to renew the sponsorships and we hope you can find a way to continue giving this gift of life, education and a promising future. Education is making a difference in this part of the world. Look for information coming soon to remind you how to donate to B&B Relief/Kenya Sponsorships

Child Sponsorship Renewal

2010-04-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

Hello Sponsors,
Sorry, I'm a bit behind but trying to catch up fast. We have just arrived back in the states and having a bumpy landing. However, we're getting up to speed in this whirl-wind world.
Renewal for the sponsored children is now available. Yeah!
I can't say enough, how life-saving your support has been to these children. If ever possible, I encourage you to visit them and see what a difference you have made. These chosen ones, will now have opportunities in life, that otherwise were not possible.If you can mange to continue educating your child/children in Kenya, please act now.
New Sponsorhships are also available. Please contact us for more information.

$150 USD Donation per child will pay for the following:- One year of school fees
(which generally supports the main teaching staffs' salary)
- Current curriculum text books
(which the entire family and surrounding huts benefit from as well)- A book bag
(to organize and carry their things for the bumpy trail to/from school)- A new school uniform
(think how fast kids grow and these are their only new clothes every year)- A pair of shoes and socks
(To keep the bugs out of their toes and protect from the sharp coral ground)- Government Testing & Filing
(So that their education is documented and acknowledged formally)- Lunch 5 days a week
(For many, this is their only meal of the day)
If for some unfortunate reason, you are not able to renew your child's education, consider asking someone who might want to take over your child's sponsorship. Perhaps you could pool together as a sponsoring family, gift your sponsorship to another or ask a friend or relative who would like to take part in saving a child in Africa. Please take serious consideration to the sacrifice you will make and the value it has in comparison.

You can continue your sponsorship by sending/making your contribution to:
1.) B&B Relief Bank Account here in America
(Brian and Brenda will pay for the transfer to Kenya) or2.) Amani Education Bank Account in Kenya
(You will need to pay the inter-wire-transfer yourself)
*Please contact Brenda if you would like to sponsor a child

Account information for Kenya:
Bank: Kenya Commercial Bank
Account Number: 094113169229
Swift Code: KCBLKENX
Account Name: Consolata Musyawa Danson

Please notify B&B that you have made a deposit and expect a confirmation/receipt.
(All information including collections, receipts, transfers, spending reports etc. are kept on file and are considered public record as requested.) All our best to you and your family,
Brian and Brenda

If you want to send your child or the school a post card, The address again is:
Amani School
PO Box 5618
Diani Beach, Kenya Africa

Bungalow Project Finnished

2010-04-20T21:23:00.000-07:00

Thailand Holiday House Vacation Rental

Ta...Da...! It's finally done. You can find out more at

www.longtailbeachhouse@blogspot.com

Leaving our Bungalow

2009-04-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

Life on the Beach

2009-03-09T04:47:00.000-07:00

Thailand-Island, Thong Nai Pan Bay

Family Time on the Beach
with Travis & Des, Wendy & Rob, Kook & Andy

Island Activities

Working at the Resort
The office, dining room and living room

Wildlife Sightings

Traditional Thai Foods

Transportation: Trucks/motorbikes on dirt roads

Night life and parties

B&B Bunglalow -Thailand

2009-03-09T00:44:00.000-07:00

The View from our new Bungalow

The beginning phases:

The Crew of 5-6 workers was the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to build in Thailand as they came with tools and local language skills. They set up camp under the water tower, planted their gardens, and provided 24 hour security. The camp quickly grew hammocks a tv, dvd, refridgerator and stereo system. A happy home away from home.

More finish work still to be done...
We'll come back to it when time allows.
B&B Vacation Rental Coming Soon
Location: Thailand
Island: Ko Phangan
Bay: Thong Nai Pan Yai

Good Night Vietnam

2008-05-20T00:20:00.000-07:00

Hoi An -Central Vietnam - 2008

Good bye to the Children

2008-05-13T23:52:00.000-07:00

To the children... To them, we dedicate our volunteer trip around the world. They will always be, our 'Biggest Little Hero's!' We honor them for their determination and strength. I hope we can grow up to be as resilient, forgiving and loving as they continue to be.

"Your smiles are with us every day."

Happy Birthday to you

2008-05-04T20:31:00.001-07:00

"Happy Birthday to you…"

What do these simple words mean to any of us?
In fact, it’s an anniversary of the day our life began and usually is celebrated, by people who love and care for us. So what about disabled, orphaned children in Vietnam? What if they don’t have someone who loves them? What if people have shown these children that their life is only a job, their birth a mere defect and their existence, a burden to society? Who will tell these children, that their life is significant? And if they don’t have a birth record, will anyone ever say to them, “Happy Birthday”?

I began to think about this when searching for information about the disabled children in our class. At last, I found the records of one of my favorite children with his a birth date coming the following week. I made a special tie and hat announcing his birthday, in both Vietnamese and English. It said, “Today is my Birthday!” and “Happy Birthday to Me.”

The morning of his Birthday, I went to his bed with a balloon and tied the announcement to his chest. A face full of surprised delight looked up at me as he held back his 11 year old tears. He pointed to himself, to question if it was really true. As I nodded in agreement he literally leaped from his crippled knees, into my arms and swung from my neck squealing with joy. I carried him to all the rooms in the orphanage so that we could tell everyone it was his birthday. In the afternoon we took him, along with a group of disabled children to the park and watched his life light up like never before. I stopped everyone that we passed on the street to acknowledge that it was a special day for him, and they responded with shared celebration. In the evening before we left to go home Brian and I sat on a swing with the birthday boy between us. He reached over and took my hand, pulled it to his heart and then looked up to me, searching for confirmation that his love would be reciprocated. Then he reached to Brian with his tiny, crippled hand and brought our laced fingers together on his chest. Cuddled between us, he rested his head on my shoulder and looked back and forth to Brian and I. We sat together in silence, feeling his love grow through us, connecting our thoughts, our hearts and our appreciation for each other.

What does it mean to be loved? What does it mean to be appreciated? What does it mean to have someone give your life value, even for one moment or one day? If you ask me, life has no meaning without these things.
To honor the children who don’t have someone to love and appreciate them or make them feel special and for the children here, who don’t have a day to celebrate life itself… “Happy Birthday toYou!”
And the next day, we hosted a birthday party to celebrate the lives of 25 disabled children in the orphanage. We are happy that they are alive. They are perfect in our eyes and have made our life more complete. They have changed our lives and we are better people because of them.

BIRTHDAY CAKE, GOURMET PIZZA PARTY, MUSIC, SINGING,

DANCING, PRESENTS, GAMES, PINATAS,

SMILES & LAUGHTER, ALL GIFTED WITH LOVE.

This birthday party was made possible with help from another volunteer and funding from a generous friend at home. Thanks again, and

“Birthday Blessings to You All.”

Through their eyes

2008-04-06T00:34:00.000-07:00

There are two sides to every story. What we bring you today, is a photo-journalistic view of a day “through their eyes.” The art featured here, is from four disabled children at the HoiAn Orphanage in Vietnam. We have given them our camera, to show us what they see. Because of muscle spasms, their bodies thrash around trying to hold themselves and the camera still. Through their determination we have images, of what it looks like from their perspective. We hope to learn from them and consider their life in a different light. I imagine that waking up everyday in this orphanage, is like waking to a ‘fresh new hell,’ but maybe they see their day as a ‘fresh new rapture.

Meet the photographers: Hein, Khoa,VanMay, Phuoc

Through our eyes: The room is dimly lit, damp and the stench of urine permeates the air. The sound of continuous muddled cries will awake twenty six disabled children from a restless night sharing the same bedroom. Four children will share a single metal grate bed. Instead of a mattress, they lie on a thin bamboo screen sharing a moldy pillow with their bedmates. As the morning light filters through the wood shutters, rats scurry out of the room and the care givers begin the morning rituals of changing diapers, mopping floors and cooking rice gruel. A handful of kids can lift their heads and sit up to greet the new day, while the immobile ones lie there with hardly a reason to open their eyes. These children will face another day of life at the Government Orphanage in Vietnam.

Through their eyes: The room fills with light and small moving shadows. The soft cries and smells are comforting and familiar. The kitchen fragrance makes our stomachs growl with anticipation. After long boring nights, we welcome the shuffling of feet and the women in white uniforms. They will roll our stiff bodies, change soiled linens and swat flies off our bed sores. Sometimes they are rough but we know this is how they care for us. Later they will feed us, pinch our cheeks and medicate our scabies and lice. Children across the room sit up and smile at the woman in white. She is folding a mountain of diapers and singing a happy song. Her song is music to our ears and that makes us happy too.

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Through our eyes: Tour groups parade through the orphanage gawking at the deformities while taking pictures. Often they leave the bed room quickly stunned by the stench and appalling circumstances. Random tourists will come in, bringing with them candy and plastic toys. They don’t realize that most of these children can not eat solid foods or maneuver their fingers to play with toys. Then volunteers turn up, bringing a different idealism and hopes of rehabilitation. The directors at the orphanage don’t understand why foreigners bother with these children at all. The hard working Vietnamese culture does not have the means to care for those who can not contribute to society. They see our work with the disabled children as, a waste of time. Many of the disfigured children were rescued and brought to this orphanage, after families had left them in the market or literally put their body outside with the trash. We value their life and eagerly attempt teaching them to sit, eat, walk and learn. Meanwhile, the government directors tolerate us, while eagerly accepting our financial support.

Through their eyes: White skin and long nose people arrive, and greet us with smiles and tears. As they wander through the room we notice they look different than us and are pleased to see something different today. We are intrigued by their presence. Others tease us with shiny packaging but our nurses always take it away. Sometimes we touch the colored plastic and listen to the crinkling sounds. It doesn’t matter what is inside for we will never know, but it is a gift and we are happy to receive their gift. Many of us have known far worse circumstances and we are content to have someone to look after us. Our new home is considered a role model orphanage in Vietnam and we can see the award certificates on the wall to prove it. We must be lucky! People wonder how we can stay cheerful in this place while stuck inside this twisted body, but we manage to entertain ourselves and see the simple things. We are grateful to have life. It doesn’t take much to make us happy and we laugh at someone dropping a spoon, singing a song or touching our hand. There is reason to smile every day when we don’t know anything else.

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Through our eyes: The disabled facilities at the orphanage are becoming overcrowded and there are not enough care givers to meet the basic needs of the children. We all sigh with exhausted exasperation as more disabled children and infants arrive this month. Pitiful but necessary, the children are tied to beds while meetings occur and when the staff are busy with other chores. When the essential work is done, occasionally a child will be placed in a chair walked around the room or chosen for play. There are so many children but not enough time to spend with each of them. It is heartbreaking to decide which child will get our attention and it feels like we are making ‘Sophie’s Choice’ each time we walk into the room. Only a few will get off their beds today.

Through their eyes: New roommates arrive often and occasionally someone will disappear forever. We don’t understand why, but we know that our time with the care givers is becoming limited. They don’t notice if our hand is stuck in the railing or our bedmate is scraping our face. We can’t tell them when we need help, and are sick or hungry. Still, we wait for hours hoping someone will notice that we are desperately trying to make hand or eye contact. We are children and we long for attention. Our existence has been reduced to a metal bed and we live for a smile, the touch of an embrace or a stimulated minute, and we wait patiently to receive them. If we are lucky, there is a chance we will leave this bed and go to a play room. And that chance is a reason to wake up today.

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Through our eyes: The art of swallowing is a huge task for these little ones. So, much of the day is consumed in the task of feeding children. The more advanced are allowed eating in the dining hall, while the others remain in the bedroom for all their meals. The dining hall is also the storage room for excess rice. Animal feces stain the unused bags of food, and rat droppings are scattered on the floor, tables and chairs. Bowls of rice stew line the counter; some are blended and some left dry. Children rush into the room and eat frantically; to avoid the inevitable scolding that comes when they haven’t finished their food in time. If the children struggle to eat, the ‘white linen wardens’ will come. They grab spoons from the kids and begin shoveling rice into their mouths, even before they have a chance to chew. The force feeding makes them choke and cough food out, but this makes the women angry, so they try harder to swallow while tears run down their face. Rodents hover in the shadows waiting to clean up the floor.

Through their eyes: The dining hall and kitchen are spacious rooms with specialized tables. When there is electricity, fans keep the space cool. Eating is the one thing that gives us a sense of time, because it breaks up the daily monotony. But our food is boring; usually a blended mush or rice with green leaves. If special funding comes in, we find small bits of fish, fatty meat or tofu in our bowl. Out of 21 meals this week, the only variation of taste and texture will be on ‘ramen noodle Thursday.’ We are excited for that day and rush to eat, so that the women won’t take our food away. Those who are learning to feed themselves will have the chance to practice with volunteers. We like this and laugh together at eating games and shout our approval at each success. Sometimes a spasm will ripple through our hand or arm and food will accidentally fly across the room, but the volunteers never get upset with us. Eating is fun when they are here.

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Through our eyes: The padded play room has toys, colored walls and bright window views. It is by far, the best room in the orphanage and donated by the Kianh Foundation* This is where a few children will get one-on-one training with specialized teachers. The room is full of smiles, toys, books and learning tools. Some of the semi-mobile children are brought to this room for a few hours of fun education. Here is where they learn to count, speak, exercise and play in groups with alike children. As they advance, they will be moved to another room in the orphanage dedicated to special education. Each child is also given a physiotherapy session, to address their individual physical disability. The Kianh Foundation* has now financed the physiotherapy program, to include rehabilitation for all the disabled children. The program has produced astounding results in the last few years.

Through their eyes: We plead and hope that we won’t be left in the bed today. With legs and arms flailing, we make every attempt to be chosen for the playroom. When chosen, we stroll through the outside courtyard and see other big children at the orphanage. When they stop and talk to us, it makes us feel accepted and we long to be like them. We pass several offices squealing loudly and don’t even care when the directors scowl at us. We’re overjoyed with anticipation, delight and the opportunity to play. Sometimes volunteers will take us out to the swings and we feel the fresh air against our skin and watch the leaves move in the trees. Inside the play room we have snacks, listen to music and play. The adults get bored with our toys but it makes us happy if they’ll just amuse us. Sometimes we have to wait while the teacher is working with other children. We all watch and encourage their learning with joyful thumbs up and praise. In this room, everyone is happy and everything is upbeat and colorful. Soon we go to the new physiotherapy class. Some of us find this is painful, while others enjoy the human touch and stretch of muscles. Many friends are learning to sit, crawl and walk. When we can do these things we will have many more opportunities in life. We work hard to please our therapists and hope that someday we will grow big and have freedom like other children in the orphanage.

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About the Artists: All four children whose art is featured here, suffer from severe handicaps, which limit their ability to operate their hands, arms, and legs. None of the children have full functioning hands or fingers and have difficulty sitting up. They have worked for hours learning how to turn on, hold the camera and use different settings. They have discovered on their own, methods of stabilizing the camera while struggling to hold themselves upright and still. They came out with great photos but lots of new bruises. The children enjoyed the project immensely and we hope you enjoy their labor of love.

VanMay is 15 years old and has been at the orphanage since he was a baby. His primary disability is CP (cerebral palsy) along with a learning disability due to the lack of stimulation for so many years. VanMay is the most determined child in the orphanage and commands his environment with a loving approach, irresistible laugh and strong arms. His size makes him difficult to handle but he manages himself while bouncing off the concrete, creating thick calluses all over his body.

Hien is 4 years old and has been at the orphanage since she was a toddler. Her disability is undiagnosed. She can walk with help but lacks the confidence to step out by herself. She is 100% girly and spends hours with dolls, dancing to music and wanting to be held. The Kianh Foundation has corrected her cleft pallet and we hope she will begin to vocalize more in the future. Hein is a passive and happy child in every environment.

Phuoc will be 11 years old this month and has been at the orphanage for two years. His only disability is CP and he is a very clever child. His personality and pleading eyes will make you love him in an instant. He is learning verbal communication skills but needs a speech therapist to accelerate his progress. Phuoc has relatives who come to visit him at the orphanage and he is proud to share his progress reports.

Khoa is 6 years old and has been at the orphanage for almost a year. He suffers from cerebral palsy. He has no known learning disability and is making great educational progress. Khoa recently took his first walking steps alone, and literally moved himself out of the severely disabled bedroom and into a moderate care boys room this week. He is an overachiever and we expect great things from him. He is also the most joyous child we have ever met with a keen sense of humor.

*The Kianh Foundation finances the physiotherapy, special education, play room, building maintenance, addl. care givers, nutrition and stimulation tools. Before the Kianh Foundation began there work at the orphanage six years ago, there was no education, no play and no physical stimulation. The children remained on their beds 24 hours a day.

You can help by contributing through:

Brian and Brenda at B&B Relief:
any branch of US Bank/ Account Name: B&B Relief /Account Number: 153657001902
Brian and Brenda are NOT a registered charity.

Or through the Kianh Foundation, a registered charity in the UK at:
http://www.kianh.org.uk/
Or through the HoiAn Foundation. This sister foundation also a registered charity in the US at: http://www.hoianfoundation.org/
Please inform us of your donation and indicate “Orphanage” when doing so

Basic needs and quality of life for these children are important!

Good Morning Vietnam

2008-03-12T00:10:00.000-07:00

News of Violence in Kenya

2008-01-16T01:20:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends
We have News from Inside Kenya

Thank you to all, who have expressed your concern for our friends who are living amidst the recent violence and crisis in Kenya.
For those who pray for the school, children and the village... you're prayers have not fallen on deaf ears. The village and school escaped the damage of a huge fire that devastated much of the surrounding area. Entire streets of homes, business and buildings just one block away from the school were entirely burned to the ground, yet the village was spared from the enormous blaze. Most of the places where we shopped, ate, spent time or did business with, were lost in the fires. We share the sadness and loss these friends are feeling at this time.

Although the school and village are still standing, riots remain to terrorize the people and families who are confined to their huts. Starvation is now the biggest threat to the village as food supply is limited and transportation halted during the worst week of crisis. The most updated news of our friends from the tribe who has been under attack is not good as they have lost thier homes and business but managed to escape with their family and only the clothes on their back. They are staying safe and in hiding until the worst is over.

Good news...All schools were ordered to remain closed during the crisis, but as of yesterday the doors opened to Amani School and children filed back into class. We hope they find security and normality behind the walls of their school. The people in the village are trying to put the tension aside and take care of their families needs. New talks are scheduled in Kenya today and the world watches and prays for a peaceful resolution to the political situation. It is a very unstable time for the entire country and we do our best to share information as it comes to us. Current reports on Kenya can be found on your favorite news sources including BBC, NPR, and CNN.

REMEMBERING LITTLE THOMAS

We regret to share more disheartening news, but wanted to take the time to remember little Thomas from Amani School. He has died of an infectious disease. Little Thomas was featured in a writing on our blog called "Just another day in Paradise/Justify Violence?" It was an especially difficult loss to take, doubled with the previous news of his guardian grandmother's death, just one month before. She was a friend to us and a symbol of strength that we continue to draw from. We remember both their smiles and the life they shared with us.

Please remember to love your friends and family, hold them tight and appreciate all the ways they make you feel more alive... today, tomorrow and the next.
Sending warm hugs to all our friends and family,
Love to all,
Brian and Brenda

Regarding sponsorship of children at Amani:
- Sponsorship of the children is up for renewal this month. Please consider if you would like to continue supporting their education, and health needs.
- If you would like to begin or continue a sponsorship, please contact me to discuss the current situation of your individual sponsored child/children at the school.
- Do not send mail or packages to the children at this time as the post office was burned down in the fire. Wait for more updated news.
- We have not worked out the best way to transfer funds to Kenya at this time, but are working on a solution. Please contact us for more information.

Baby Atlas Luzader Payne

2007-12-30T23:36:00.000-08:00

We want to introduce you to our newest family member and our second grandchild,

Atlas Luzader Payne

Born: November 27, 2007

Ashley, Jason, Boulder and Atlas are doing great. The little boys are growing into their great big names.

And here's Boulder playing in the Artic

Summer in Alaska

2007-09-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

On Top of the World

While standing on top of the world, I hummed the song,
“I’m on… top of the world… looking, down on creation... And the only explanation I can find, is…humph?” Explain how I got here?
A year ago, I was looking up from Australia, ‘the land down under’ and now in Alaska, I’m peering down the vastest and most desolate valley I’ve ever seen.
We had just left North Pole, and were driving up a steep winding gravel road called Top of the World Highway. We were pioneering a visit to family through the Last Frontier coinciding with our next volunteer building project.

[Camping through Canada and up to Alaska with our daughter Carly, her friend Matt, and the two granddogs. We now have camped over six months of this trip. And I remember saying a year ago, “I never really liked camping.” And this has not changed.]

[Freedom of the open road. (And there was no ‘free’ in this freedom) Driving a personal vehicle for the first time in over a year was shocking with the cost of fuel, insurance, maintenance and then constant vehicle repairs.]

[Mt. McKinley, the Canadian Rockies, the Alaskan,/Al-Can Highway, the Yukon, the Klondike, the Glacier Fields and the North Pole. Brrr, now searching for Hot Springs, to warm our aching equatorial bones.]

[One must keep a keen eye on the highway at all times… Where the buffalo and everything else roams. While driving or camping, watch out for moose, caribou, black and grizzly bears, reindeer, rock sheep, wolverines, fox, minks, elk and so much more.]

[Gold Rush towns sent us searching but we found instead crystal clear rivers, silver glacier runs, tumbling waterfalls and mountains of wildflowers.]

The Project:

After spending a year volunteering in third world countries, we decided to bring some social responsibility back to our own family.

A bit north of Anchorage, in the small town of Wasilla, there are ten acres of wooded property, a TeePee and our daughter Ashley with her family.

Our recent project is helping build her and our son-in-law Jason’s first home. Our goal is to get a structure built and to weather before the first snow falls.

Construction with 20 hours of daylight made for good progress, despite our meager three member crew. Our assistants included a two year old grandchild for entertainment and a pregnant daughter for building supply runs. (However Boulder's idea of entertainment is drowning our tools in buckets of rain water while empting cans of nails down stairs. Not to mention Ashley who is now ‘growing a human,’ requires naps and weight lifting restrictions.)

[Blending work with play is the best part of our day.]

Building and living without power or running water would normally seem difficult but after previous volunteer adversities in third world countries, we hardly felt the compromise. Our challenges were instead building and camping in cool weather and rainy days without a roof over our heads. Warming ourselves at night, we gathered around a warm TeePee fire sharing stories and catching up on years of lost time. Baby Boulder:

After living above the Arctic Circle and in the tundra, Boulder has been deprived of a few childhood wonders. He has discovered that rocks and dirt are his new favorite toys. (Therefore appropriately named) He is a constant joy, an all-around easy child and loves the great outdoors. The New Grandbaby Boy is Coming Soon and due in November. Awaiting the namesake?

Wrapping things up and leaving the ‘Biggest State in the Union’ we sang,

“We’re on top of the world, looking down on creation and the only explanation I can find, is…

The love that I found every time you’re around…

Your Love puts us…

On Top of the World.”

Thanks to our family for enduring the long years away and to our friends for such a warm welcome home.
We will be in the states until Christmas and then head overseas again

Return to the Orphanage

2007-08-18T00:22:00.000-07:00

In light of the previous blog we now bring you Smiles and Joy from Vietnam.
Good bye Discouraging Kenya and Hello HoiAn Orphanage.

It was inspirational to see remarkable progress the disabled children had made, in our year of absence. They were walking, crawling, lifting, eating and laughing through the days.

We especially commend the Kianh Foundation for their continual funding of physiotherapists, who play a huge role in bringing about the change that renewed our spirits and restored our smiles. http://www.kianh.org.uk/

We were surprised to see many new children at the orphanage and a few who were lost to death or adoption. Their loss is not forgotten, yet we focus on the growing needs of the existing children. On this trip we were able to assist 35 of the children on outings. Unfortunately, it was only to the dentist for cleaning and tooth extractions, but afterwards we shared a lunch in the city, a visit to the park or shopping at the city market. The children were overjoyed to leave the restraints of their room, ride in a vehicle and see the world outside their orphanage. Many thanks to ‘East Meets West’ for providing free dental coverage for all the children in the orphanage.

We also want to praise the USA Foundation who supports the continuing medical needs of the abandoned children. http://www.hoianfoundation.org/ Several of the newest children were suffering from life threatening conditions including starvation, water in the brain, and lung infections. We had the opportunity to play a part in transporting a few children to local hospitals for blood tests, x-rays and cat scans detecting chronic illness and birth defects. While we were there, one of these scans identified a severe case of hydrocephalous (water on the brain) A surgery is being scheduled to drain and relieve the pressure on his brain and we are thrilled to know that this dear child will have a chance to live and grow. Hoian Foundation and the Kianh Foundation are both small groups of devoted people who work in the orphanage daily, saving lives and giving children hope for a future.

We leave the staff and children with a promise to return next year, and anxiously await the rewards of their smiles and determination. We leave our readers, with the children’s smiles as they proudly take Big Steps into a world of hope.

Thank you to B&B Relief contributors for your financial support. The last bit of 2007 funding was donated to the Kiahn Foundation so that they may continue their good works with the children.
**If you would like to revisit the first pictures and stories from 2006 at the HoiAn Orphanage, remember the original link www.luzader.blogspot.com for travel in 2006. Scroll down to find Vietnam.

Now... We are headed home to find and re-visit peace, tranquility, civilization, friendship and love on the homefront.

Just Another Day

2007-06-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

Just another day in Maweni Village with Brian and Brenda

Just another day… “In Paradise?”
Kenya’s coastline is dotted with beautiful five star resorts tucked comfortably under palm trees. Visitors enjoy tropical breezes with pool side drinks and grand buffets. They fly in and out of animal game parks on luxurious safaris. And if you ask them, how they like Kenya, they’ll tell you that they “Love it. It’s paradise.” I have seen the resorts and the safari tours and I can tell you that I do not love Kenya. In fact I couldn’t wait to leave the place. No amount of comfort could take away the hopeless despair and frustration that grew like a cancer all over me. What is there to love about babies who are born to die, shrunken bodies full of abuse? I have seen teens that survive on hate and violence, fathers that drink their children’s ration of food and mothers that pray for their salvation while God continues to deliver more suffering? The place felt full of empty hope; desperate to be rescued but not reaching for a life-line.It’s true our experience was tainted from working in the poverty stricken slums of Kenya where our friends and co-workers were some of the most difficult people to like or respect. I learned to weave our differences together to create a union that barely held me through the burden of another day of conflict, crisis and tragedy. When I left Africa, I was aching to put it all behind, but found that each of these tragic, absurd and comical days have followed my conscious and tested my resolve.
When I wake from this strange journey that has been my life I wonder if the full impact of its weirdness will ever surprise me? I think we have lost something soft and tender for life while becoming calloused and resilient to its daily suffering.

Just another day with Brian: “Fire in the Hood”
The sun is too hot. The shade is too hot. Sun screen and sweat drip down my face and burn my eyes. My muscles ache from regular dehydration and exhaustion. Our daily ration of drinking water has been consumed by the local drunks who have stumbled into our construction site. I can’t blame them, as we covet every drop of water and only I can afford to buy more. Sitting atop the roof I hammer in the last nails and dizzily peer over the village of thatched huts while children serenade me in the new classroom below. Young mothers saunter past the school, balancing stacks of firewood atop their heads and rummage through the dump for useful things, while their children are singing “we are happy, so happy.” I wonder if they keep repeating the verse, they can actually start to believe this.
I don’t see anything that resembles happiness for they are living to find food each day. Life is hard and they know it. No one seems to be able to do more than stay alive. I have worked hard and am rewarded with a life of plenty. Here in Maweni village everything a family has worked for, fits into a five foot grass shack. Many times I have peered into their little room with only basic essentials and wondered which things are meaningful to them. Do possessions mean anything at all? I remember thinking of a time that I needed a ski boat and diesel truck to be happy.
“We are happy, so happy” is ringing through the school ground, but the verse is interrupted by a strange shrill that startles me back to reality. Shouts and screams replace the innocent and hopeful voices of children. The daily village hum suddenly turns to chaos. I scramble down and race to the scene across the road where a red hot fire is quickly consuming a line of homes. People are jutting into the flames trying to remove their valuables but come running back, empty handed. A push cart of water is raced through the crowd and we line up pouring priceless cans of wet liquid on the dry palm siding. One by one the roofs cave in and walls of flames shoot into the sky. Desperately we cut tree branches and beat out the flames in a futile attempt to save even one home. The fire devoured its fuel and flickered out only when it reached the dirt floors. In a matter of five minutes, all of the homes and shops burned to the ground, leaving nothing but a small charred pile of undistinguishable belongings.

A woman steps into the cloud of smoke and kicks the blackened bones of her home. She lifts her hands in despair, reaching up to an empty sky. Then throws down her arms and begins to weep. Chance, fate, life in Africa? Today is just another unfortunate day in Maweni Village.

Just another day with Brenda: “Hopeless Existence”
We have just moved from a dirt floor hut into our new Adult Education classroom. I’m teaching English and Swahili to students who range from 20 to 50 years in age. They are all illiterate but anxious to learn. We have become a tight group and teaching and learning together is the most satisfying thing I have done in Kenya.
Today, I prepared a series of lessons, trying to include all levels of students. There are some who are just learning how to hold a pencil to make shapes on paper and others who can recognize alphabet letters and form words. I start with the familiar game called ‘hangman.’ They call out letters of the alphabet and with each wrong answer, body parts appear on a noose. A strange vibe moves through the class and I remember that hanging is a common punishment for crimes in Africa. My students must know people who have died this way. Oops. I quickly erase the noose and finish drawing a stick figure on the blackboard. Now we are playing ‘disappearing man’ and they laugh out loud as the figure looses a leg or an eye. They seem to be comfortable with these afflictions.

The next lesson is a simple application for job. I give each student a worksheet and explain common words found on the form starting with their name and show them where to place the answers. I recognize the blank expressions as confusion and repeat the instructions. After discussion I realize they don’t even know what, a ‘legal name’ is. They use the name of their first born child, followed by the title Mama or Bwana. Could they forget, not know or never given a proper birth and family name? They have tribal names and Christian names and nicknames but I don’t know what to put on the form. The class is puzzled by this complicated lesson. It’s hard to imagine this simple existence but started to make sense to me when I considered their surroundings.

I move on to ‘date of birth’ and ask them to write the month, day and year they were born. Dark questioning eyes stare back at me as if it was the million dollar jeopardy question. Again I repeat the instructions and they begin to talk amongst themselves discussing the year of the famine or the year their family migrated. It is astonishing to me, that no one kept track or celebrated when children were born. Nine out of ten students did not know their birth date and could only guess the year. They don’t know how old they are and ask me why this information is important anyway? Again, I didn’t have an answer. I realize the lesson is a failure but it creates debate and discussion and I continue despite my own bewilderment.

The next line is for address and phone number, but as soon as I look at the page I understand, there’s no reason to ask. Although one woman has lived here 20 years they are still squatters and living in a temporary slum. There is no power, water, mail or phone service in the village. I ask the question; “If I need to send you money, how would you receive it?” Each person thinks of someone they know and I assign homework to find an address. I guess no one has ever paid taxes either so what’s the point in waiting for retirement checks or birthday cards?

I should have seen this one coming but I proceed to move down the form to the spaces provided for educational background. I started asking if anyone had attended a Kenyan high school, middle school, elementary or preschool?? Feeling their embarrassment, I went around the room and simply wrote, ‘Introduction to English and Adult Education’ on each form. Even though they are grown, today is their first time in a classroom and this is their only education. These men and women, never had the opportunity to learn and they are spending every day trying to catch up on a life they missed. I feel naïve as their teacher and wished I had been more thoughtful when choosing this lesson which only makes them seem inadequate. I skip over a few irrelevant questions but the class urges me to finish the form with them.

In Kenya, you are required to state your marital status and children on a job application so I’m feeling confident that they would know this information. However, it never crossed my mind to question the amount of wives on the form because in this culture, men are not restricted to one wife. Wanting to end the lesson without causing further humiliation, I showed them where to list the number of children on the form and skipped the rest. After a long uncomfortable silence, one woman spoke up shyly asking if they should list how many children they gave birth to, or how many are still living? We all became silent and I didn’t know how to answer. I was lost for words. Eyes became teary as they told me about the children who have died. Every student has lost at least one and up to three children. Now I understand why African woman have many births. It never made sense to me that they would want more mouths to feed when they couldn’t provide basic needs for themselves. Infant mortality is high in Kenya and childhood disease takes the lives of many more. In order to keep a family and have children to help around the house, you need to conceive twice as often and burry your sorrow and loss with the bodies of children.
I can see on their faces that it has been an upsetting lesson. I announce an early dismissal but instead the room remains motionless. They linger in a long still silence until out of the thick air a single beautiful voice sings out a piercing wail that sends a chill down my spine. She closes her eyes, lifts her hands and repeats the chorus ending in a long howl. Like a massage that tightens and loosens your muscles and eventually reaches your bones, the release of pain and sorrow moved through the class. One by one with long awkward pauses, they rise from the chairs swaying to the rhythm. Together they build a drum beat of claps and performed a tribal dance. Each voice joins the following chant of verses until the entire group is singing, dancing and marching out the door. I am alone now, standing at the front of their first classroom watching the line of black heads move down the pathway. Tears pour out for their determination and tears flow for their loss. Tears stream down my face until I am flooded in their hopelessness. And when my tears stop, I blot my face dry and go home to prepare for the surge of the next day.

Just another day with Brian: “Dennis the Menace”
If this guy says another word to me, I swear I’ll toss him across the field. Dennis the Menace is back to harass and he never leaves us alone. Dennis the Menace showed up on the first day of our arrival to Kenya forcing gifts upon us, then demanding loads of money for them. When he discovered we had plans to build a school, he thanked us and later came back to ask if we could just give him the money instead. After Brenda gave him the definition of a volunteer worker he sat back in the shade and watched for a few days, then decided that he wanted to be a volunteer too. As we cleared the field of shrubs he followed on our heels scooping up the cut grass then throwing it in the air. Then he collected it again to make bird nests for the flowers.(??) The whole crew stood motionless watching him concentrate on the useless task. Next he took our tools and wandered off to the village bar but raced back to pose for pictures of himself pretending to work. When his 15 minutes of volunteerism were over he gave us every reason why he should be paid for his labor. Then he insisted we all stop working and take him to the resort to buy him beers and lunch. We remind him that we’ve never been to the resort, but his recourse is to show us the way. Dennis is never kidding. He is always serious and very sincere. Yes, this is Dennis the Menace and he never leaves us alone.

The only way we can deal with his annoying presence is to laugh but he never gets the joke. I look at his pathetic existence and even when my tolerance has faltered, I still feel sorry for him. He is from the messiah tribe and dresses in a red loin cloth and yellow sash across his skinny chest. His skin is falling off and he is dying of AIDS. He survives by walking the beach wearing his messiah outfit and begging from the tourists. Dennis is drunk by 10 am every day and never misses the opportunity to demand the shoes off my feet. I remind him that I have only one pair and real messiah men don’t wear shoes anyway. This doesn’t stop him from following me home, waiting for me to take them off.

We were ecstatic the day our fence enclosed the property, keeping Dennis and other drunks on the opposite side and away from the school children. But Dennis was so offended with this new concept of walking around the school, to get to the village bar that he shouted complaints over the fence the whole day long. His witch doctor friend sat beside him placing curses on us and our family while tossing rocks at us. On Christmas day, Dennis made the village kids come to our house to sing carols so that we would give him money for more beer. Then he invited us to spend the holiday together, but only if we bring many gifts. And Dennis is always serious and very sincere. On New Years day, he confronted me while I was riding my bike home. He stood blocking the path and commanded that this was my “last chance!” He told me that I could choose to give him my shoes or give him my bicycle. “Humm Dennis, I already told you, I am not going to give you either of these. Ever!” His expression saddened while he implored, “But Brian, that was last year. This is a new year and you have to make a new deal.” Yes, this is Dennis the Menace and he never leaves us alone.

Today I am so angry with Dennis that I’m tempted to throw him out of this planet. Instead I choose to walk away from his obnoxious drunken stupor knowing that he will stumble behind. I quickly lock him on the other side of the gate and wait for his banter to end. I’m so tired from working all day in the hot sun and really wish to be at home resting. But I know this game and have to remain until dusk awaiting Dennis to fall asleep or wander off. When the coast is clear I sneak home taking the back alleys so that I won’t be seen, but tomorrow will be just the same.

Just another day with Brian: “Justify Violence?”
Today was like many others. A woman’s voice screamed out terror from a mud hut in the village. She cried for help and we could hear her wail uncontrollably while a man shouted obscenities and drug her out by the hair. Children raced from all directions to see the morning drama and it sickened us to understand, that violence was their entertainment. The children returned to class and we all resumed our work while she continued to sob on the other side of the fence. I tried to put the scene out of my mind knowing that I can’t change the dysfunctional behavior of these people. We’re doing our best to build a safe and secure educational environment for these children and this community. We believe with education and good examples they will have more choices in life. Most days only bring saddening disappointment. Brenda came home for lunch today with more tears and frustration leaving us in silent disgust.

She explained that she was on her way to the gravel pit to check on Mama B. but found her at home preparing to comfort a friend while they buried her two year old baby. Brenda had joined the mother in church yesterday while they praised God for this child’s recovery from Malaria and now the baby is dead. Brenda went instead to the neighbors hut and noticed that that the children were gone. Mama B. explained that they had gone to the hospital. The youngest girl needed treatment for a concussion. We check on these children regularly just to be sure the drunken parents remember to feed the two girls. We knew the young mother was having a difficult time in life and recently lost her unborn child during delivery. There weren’t enough doctors working to receive her at the hospital, so she delivered alone and lost the infant. This woman had gained our sympathy compounded by the fact that one of her daughters has a crippled leg. Still, we watch in disgust while this mother makes frequent stops to the village bar with her broken daughter strapped tightly to her back. Today, Mama B. explained the history of this family’s violence. While this little baby was still swaddled to her mother’s body, the parents became drunk and violent with each other. In a brawl they ripped the baby’s hip joint from its socket and left her crippled. Today’s trip to the hospital is the same, only this time she has received a severe head wound from her drunken parents. We can’t imagine the terror this child felt, being battered while tightly bound to her mother, who was the cause of her torment. There was no escaping and we wonder if this child will ever know protection or feel safe again? Will this shrunken, bruised baby end up buried as well? Perhaps it will be her tragic blessing, which prevents a life of anguish. Living with so much despair, we find ourselves trying to find a glimmer of optimism, but each day leaves us with less hope.

Today, I looked around the school yard and was grateful for the fence that protected these children from their environment. We want them to enter the compound, knowing they will be sheltered from the storm of their life. We watch as some children come to school exhausted and fall into a painless and protected sleep. They linger after school and dread to go home and we encourage them to stay with us longer. They beg to help, cling to our sides and scramble up on our laps. They are content to just to be near us and feel safe.
But…today was different. While I was building their community center, envisioning a harmless environment, I heard the blood curdling scream of terror coming from a child inside. I was on the roof and could only peer through a classroom window to see what was happening. I was completely shocked and appalled by what I found.

Little Thomas is a six year old boy who has lost his mother and father to disease. He was given to his grandmother who has been left with five other grandchildren. They too have lost their parents. Mourning the loss of her own children, this grandmother does little more than lie on the grave of her daughter just outside the door of her hut. The grandchildren run wild and fend for themselves by begging beside the grandmother on the main road. They go without food, with out supervision and are deeply troubled. The children are starving for both food and attention and behave as so. Today Thomas has gotten the attention of the teachers.

When I heard Thomas scream, I searched the classroom to find him shaking with his eyes locked shut, holding his hands tightly over his ears. His mouth was askew and screaming in terror as the teacher threatened to cut off his ears. One of the teachers reached for a knife and held it like a dagger over his head. She continued to threaten him while his small body shuddered in fright. I looked to the staff and crew to understand what was going on, but the teachers and staff responded with laughter. The knife was replaced with a stick as they proceeded to cane the trembling child. Tears burst into my eyes as I watched the child disappear into isolation and numb himself to the pain of life.

The teachers told me later, “This is exactly how we handle a situation. This is our culture and our way.” I couldn’t believe their admission and lack of compassion. I gathered my things and walked to the gate, ready to leave this place forever. I could not witness or support more abuse to people in Kenya. I stopped short of the path, leading to my home and turned around. I can’t make this right, but I can give leave an example of a better way to handle the situation. We gathered in a meeting and the teachers boldly justified the cruelty assuring me that Thomas will never steal again. But the same day, I found Thomas sneaking into the class and watched as he uncovered a small bowl of rice and beans from his back pack. Hungrily he devoured the stolen food and crept back out to play. Is there crime in desperation? Is the circle of violence justified when it is all they know?

Just another day with Brian and Brenda: “Trials and Tribulations”
Five months in a foreign country and you begin to feel like you’re starting to get it. You get used to dealing with conflict and you find ways to avoid it. Eventually the tribal wars seem justified, the witchcraft seems entertaining, and the heat and bugs almost become bearable. It is not until you realize that these things are eating you alive, do you fully understand, that you don’t belong in this environment and you’ll never get it.

It was meant to be a quiet Sunday morning and we lounged back for coffee and soaked our blistered feet in cool water. Hoping for one peaceful and easy day, we decided to stay away from the village and relax at home. Last week was extremely chaotic with strings of conflict leading to pandemonium and stress. There is never a dull day in Maweni village.
This week, the school staff stopped speaking to each other. Apparently one teacher witch crafted a curse on the other and ‘cut her shadow,’ causing a sever typhoid outbreak and near death experience. (Yes, these are our co-workers) Two cups of rice and oil are missing from the kitchen and they are screaming corruption. One teacher left 30 preschoolers sleeping on concrete bags in the dirt and went home to practice email. Our workers won’t look at the building plans and insist on drawing sketches in the dirt with a finger, instead of on paper with a pencil. A witch hunt interrupted one day as a trail of people chased a black robed man holding a staff while searching for a red feather from a white chicken or some cockamamie thing. Then the village drunks had a knife fight and left a bleeding man to die, sprawled out in front of the children. And yesterday I was accosted and detained by an armed swat team at the ATM. There is never a dull day in Maweni.

Then there was the night that we startled awake, with itching welts and crawling bugs on our mattress. Those beautiful village children had left some of their creepy crawly bugs on my clothes and I guess they found their way onto our sofa and into our mattress. I’m sure you’ve never had to deal with bed bugs but it’s a process where everything had to be washed and put in the sun to dry. Only we had no water because the pump at the well broke, while our landlord went off on a long safari.

But we recover from one problem and begin to prepare for the next. We have discovered many small blister-ish wounds on our feet and finally decided today that it deserved our attention. It seemed they could be septic mosquito bites or infected slivers but we weren’t sure. As we looked closer, we discovered deep holes with a disgusting substance. I cut open a sore on my foot and removed a white sack for inspection. The sack broke open and tiny eggs spilled out. Having a weak stomach, I cringed in panic while desperately wanting to cut my feet off.

Today is Sunday and the clinic is closed, so I ran for a medical book called, “When there is no doctor.” Quickly I rummaged through the pages searching for symptoms to match ours. I found a section on ancient remedies showing “The Do’s and Don’ts” for common village illness. One page had a drawing of a lady with swollen neck and a dead infant’s hand, reaching out. The caption said: “Do not rub a goiter with the hand of a dead baby.” Another drawing had a man with black paste around his eye and a cow taking a poo. The caption says: “Putting human feces around the eye does not cure blurred vision” and “Smearing cow dung on the head to fight ringworm can cause dangerous infections.” The next few pictures were worse and I went to a new chapter when I saw a picture of an old woman hiding a knife behind her back. Maybe there are more modern medical approaches for foot problems?

Finally I discovered the parasites which had embedded themselves in our feet. Without invitation, the tiny creatures have crawled under our skin to make a home. They are living, feeding and breeding off the tissue of our tender white foreign skin. They will continue to eat our flesh until every last egg has been removed or killed. After eight hours of surgery we carefully removed the miniscule bugs and their offspring from our feet and under our toenails. Completely nauseous from the ordeal we declined dinner, wrapped our feet in gauze and limped to bed with gaping, bleeding holes in our feet. I lay awake hoping for a night with out rats or bats, mad screams or bad dreams. While I cursed Kenya and seethed its existence, I realized that something else dreadful is living within, and it’s eating me alive. My tenderness, patience and goodness, is decaying inside an exhausted and worn out body. I know that I can not last much longer in this place and admit my defeat while planning our departure.

Just another day with Brian and Brenda:“One Perfect Day”
A perfect day in Kenya didn’t seem possible. After months of grief we plan for disasters to happen. We copy and paste the good moments to remind ourselves why we came to Africa and then clear our hard drive each day, erasing everything else. If we had left Africa without this one and only perfect day, I can say that we would never want to return. One perfect day made six months of torment worth while.

There were countless things we wanted to do for the children but there was one wish we managed to fulfill. It was our wish for them, to see a world outside of their own. We wanted to give them eyes to see hopes and dreams, success and pride. None of these things exist in Maweni village. In fact most of the children have never left their little town and only know dysfunction, poverty, abuse and dejection. It was our dream to take them out of the village, to show them another world.

The children buzzed with excitement when they heard of the trip. Parents stopped by to see if rumors were true and the village neighbors surrounded the school bus, like it was a spaceship visit to Maweni village. The children were almost unrecognizable when clean, wearing shoes and dressed in their new uniforms. Proud and eager to go, children paced around the bus until they playfully wrestled to be the first ones inside. Smiles were abundant as we rolled through the village waving goodbye to their friends and family. The Amani School children turned all heads and could be heard singing at the top of their lungs and clapping all the way through town. As we moved through the country side, they counted cattle and cars and sang their favorite childhood songs. When we reached the ferry crossing to the island of Mombasa, the teacher announced to the class, “Children, this is where you take off your village blindness.”

We drove the school bus on the ferry and they jumped on their seats to watch the boat disembark as multitudes of people gathered into the city. For the first time in their life, they looked at a world of possibilities. We made a city tour through business and residential districts, then out to a botanical garden, animal park and crocodile farm. It was impossible to contain their excitement when they saw the first multiple story buildings, big markets and shopping centers. The inside of the school bus buzzed with questions and their eyes were wide open with curiosity. We watched a show in an amphitheatre then visited exotic animals through the park. They moved in perfect step strolling through botanical gardens, smelling flowers and silencing to hear to the birds sing. They gazed in awe at waterfalls and ponds and patiently waited in turn to pet the animals. Never once, was there need for a reprimand as the children were in a perfect state of mind. Each child was treated to a horse ride through the park and after lunch we rolled and played in thick green grass. They had never felt the touch of a manicured lawn and tumbled head over heals until we were all perfectly exhausted.

We loaded back into the bus and sung and danced in our seats until the younger ones crawled in our arms and lolled to sleep. We woke them from their drowsy happiness for a coastal tour through golf courses and gardens and took them out for ice cream by the sea. Throughout the hour and a half journey home, the children clapped, swayed and sung to their hearts content. We had the driver drop each child off at their own village pathway and they skipped off into the brush beaming with pride and bubbling with happiness. We imprinted each of their smiles to memory as they were the last we saw. Those perfectly happy faces were lost in the following sun rise, bringing just another day in Maweni Village.

For the pain they can not escape. For the innocence they have lost. For the joy they have never known. For the childhood that has been taken from them
.. .They had just one perfect day. Thank you to B&B Relief sponsors for helping to bring about one perfect day for us and these children.

Safari

2007-04-26T23:07:00.000-07:00

Wild Animals in their Natural Environment

Some of the animals we saw on safaris include: African Elephants, Giraffe, Lions and cubs, Cheetah, Zebra, Hippo, Aligators, Gazelles, Dik Dik, Baboons, Ostrich, Colomus Monkeys, Verbet Monkeys & Wildebeast.

Kenya Photo Essay

2007-04-21T02:59:00.000-07:00

Everyday Survival... Life in Kenya 2007

A letter home

2007-03-18T06:04:00.000-07:00

Dearest Family and Friends,
More than a year ago, we set sail to the world claiming, “We will go, where ever the wind blows us.” In that year, the wind blew us through Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, India and Kenya. The year has been more than full and we are more than satisfied with our achievements. Our regrets were only when we wanted to do more for people, and for time lost with family and friends who were left at home. We leave Africa in a couple weeks and look forward to some rest and reflective time in Thailand before continuing our volunteer tour.

We look at what we have done knowing that we have sacrificed everything we knew, just to find something different. Has it been worth it? We hope so, but some needs remain unfulfilled when away from home for so long. It is a constant emotional battle to justify the neglect our own family feels, while we are filling the needs of strangers. We ache to see our children, and regret missing an entire year of our grandchild’s life. Our shoulders have been a continent away from our sick and anguishing friends and family. We have had to convey our encouragement for their joys and success over a distant computer and random phone call. We have lost loved ones and grieved alone, feeling the solitude of a big world.
While overextending ourselves in every stretch of the meaning, we have reshaped our values. We are choosing different paths and are coming out with a different outlook on life, love and our pursuit of happiness. We knew this trip would change us, but didn’t know how. We still have another year to endure, and we are taking a hard look at ourselves, while re-evaluating our motives.

You may ask which experiences have changed us the most, or what will be different when we come home? Besides some physical changes, we are more patient and compassionate people. Having conquered giant obstacles, we have gained an immense amount of confidence while looking to the future with uncertainty. Heart wrenching circumstances have made us more sensitive and at the same time, more calloused people. We are more focused even though it appears we are living on the edge. We have gained a new respect and compassion for people of a different knowing while struggling with antipathy for those who won’t help themselves.
We are still growing, learning and don’t know what the meaning of life really is. But we’re having an amazing time trying to figure it out.

I do know that when we had sacrificed the most and gained the least, we learned to look at life differently. First we had to look within to find our strengths, and admit our weaknesses. Then we looked to each other for support and validation; and finally looked to our environment to find a purpose. We found that we gained a first rate education, from third world countries. We have come to understand ourselves by living with, listening to and sharing with people who are vastly different than us. These people have taught us a new meaning of happiness which excludes monetary possessions and instead puts value in everyday relationships.

We have learned to treasure our friends, loved ones and even the common stranger. We all have a role to fill when we come in contact with each other, whether it is at home or in a foreign country. Each of us determines the future of our life when making daily decisions to engage or disengage with people, projects and careers. There are doors opening and paths to choose every minute of the day. Everyone you meet, greet and share yourself with; will change you and your life.

People make the world go around. I challenge you to see your neighbor, coworker, in-law and stranger in a different light. “Your family will love you, your friends will know you, but a stranger will change you.” Explore life, love and the pursuit of YOUR happiness. Each day, each person, each path, will lead to a different destiny.
Challenging our values and motives, meeting new people, and change has been extremely good for us. Don’t be afraid of change. It is just a part of growing into yourself.

We can not express enough, how grateful we are to those who have sent love, strength and encouragement from home. You have been our life-line to survival. When we couldn’t see it, you have renewed our faith to continue on.
We send an extra special thank you to those who saw and fulfilled our vision to help with deserving projects, and responded with your benevolent support.
We will carry your wish to make a difference in this world. It is your Mission Accomplished!
We keep, keepin’ on… in the pursuit of life, love and happiness

Love to each of you every day,
Brian and Brenda

Thank You to All

2007-03-14T23:42:00.000-07:00

Thank you for giving these children a chance at survival. Now they will eat, they will be safe at school, they will learn, they will have supervision, they will have clean clothes and a roof over their head during the day. Together we can help reverse the cycle of hunger and poverty.

Thank you to their Sponsors:

Masudi S,Majaliwa, Halima by Katie Evans-Texas USA

Omari & Riziki by Katie Evans-Texas USA

lil Masudi H. by Filippo Testoni-Abruzzi, Italy

Peter & Warda by Crain Martin-Cairns, Australia

Mwinyi by Dorothy Ellis-California, USA

Siti by The Greiner Family-Washington DC, USA

Rehema by Dr. & Mrs. Nancy Fear-Oregon, USA

Bakari and Zahara by The Gage Family-Oregon, USA

Zawadi by Brian and Brenda-Oregon, USA

Omari by Phil Husky- Oregon, USA

Ibrahim and Rama by Mark Brady-Canada

Fatuma Y. by Jeff and Margaret-Oregon, USA

Pauline by Jack and Darlene Sheridan- Oregon, USA

Mwanakombo by Darlene Greiner-Oregon, USA

Thank you Katie Evans- Texas, USA: For Sponsoring Adult Education Soap Making Business and providing classroom materials. Thank you also for donating funds to purchase adult size table and chairs.

Thank you Craig Martin-Cairnes Australia: For funding to put up gutters to harvest rain water, and plant foliage.

SCHOOL SPONSORSHIPS

2007-02-19T00:11:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends and Family,
B&B Relief is beginning a Sponsorship Program for the children of Amani School.
If you would like to sponsor one year of education for a child in the village, than we can show you how.

SPONSORSHIPS- For $150 USD this child will receive:
- One Year of School Registration Fees Paid
- Free Lunch is included with school fees
- A Uniform (shorts and top, or a dress)
- School Shoes and Socks
- The necessary curriculum books for his/her class
- A Book Bag/Back Pack
- The remaining aprox. $25 will go to the general school fund to help pay for school supplies for the classroom. (ie: pencils, paper, colors, teachers ect.)

If you would like to sponsor a child, we can accept your donation through B&B Relief bank account. We will remain in Kenya for 6 weeks to be sure 100% of the funds go directly to the child and school. To make this a more personal relationship, we can photograph and relay information about your sponsored child via the internet while we are still here. You can send photos and letters to your sponsored child via mail after we have left. We hope to open the doors connecting them and you to experience another world of understanding and compassion.

HOW TO:
You can make a donation to B&B Relief at any branch of:
Bank name: US Bank
Account Name: B&B Relief
Account Number: 1536 5700 1902

For donations outside of USA (additional information needed)
Name of account holders: Brian Luzader and Brenda Luzader
Mailing address of account holders: 525 NE South Shore rd, Portland OR 97211
Bank Routing number: 123 000 220
Bank address:1445 N Hayden Island drive Portland, OR 97217
Phone: 503-283-9747 bank managers name: Naoki
Fax: 503-275-5494
Please inform us that you have made a donation and which child/children you would like to sponsor and we will continue our correspondence with follow up pictures and information.
(remember: B&B Relief is not a registered non-profit organization. You will not receive a tax benefit from your donation)

The Next Children up for Sponsorship are:

FATUMA - Age 5 (F)

Lucy- Age 4 (F)

Mwanakombo- Age 4 (F)

Progress Report

2007-02-11T12:54:00.000-08:00

“All things are made possible with hard work, perseverance, patience and cold Guinness” Proverbs B:B

We are happy to report that the school building project is going great. Two new permanent classrooms are built. Tables, desks and chairs are filling the empty rooms as well as color posters and learning tools. The dining hall/community center and kitchen are still under construction.
Two new latrines are finished and help improve some of the health and sanitation problems that exist in the village. School has resumed with a lunch program that now feeds 50-60 malnourished children and the student enrollment is climbing each week. The school compound sings out children’s laughter, song, dance and continuous play. In the afternoon, the classes fill with adults who are learning to hold a pencil, read & write, take care of their family and practice commerce. A positive air is blowing through the village.

Upon arrival we had assessed the village and its troubles, seeing a huge dysfunctional crisis with unemployed adults, political tensions with conflicting tribes and un-stimulated children living and schooling in dirty and unsanitary conditions.
We vowed to start anew with providing a safe, clean and stable learning environment for the children. Positive motion has now paved the way for unexpected progress. The adult education classes have expanded to 5 days a week including literacy, a small soap making business and English classes that I am teaching. They are all learning to work together through experience, despite their differences in religion, tribe, age, sex and educational background.

We are also excited that our friends Ami and Arden from the US, have just arrived bringing supplies, to offer art classes. For the next 6 weeks, the Amani School Children will have art/crafts incorporated into their curriculum and Art Workshops will be available to the village on Saturdays.

Some of our best news included a visit from the Bouter family in Holland. They have pledged to finance the building supplies to double the construction project and pay for one year of lunch food for the school children. We are now drawing up plans to add more classrooms, and started digging a well on site. We also contacted a local doctor who has agreed to provide free medical treatment to stabilize the school children’s health. It is all fantastic news for the village of Maweni!

However this expensive, demanding, volunteer workload has just doubled for us. (Personally we had visions of starting the New Year on a beach in Thailand, swinging from a hammock trying to remember an easy, stress free, life.) Instead, we have cancelled those plans and decided to extend our stay in Kenya for two more months.
To see…‘The winds of change’ circle through this little piece of the world.

It was not a difficult decision to make, as it has become impossible to deny these people an opportunity to have a hand in brining their country out of poverty. We can not deny people who want and deserve a better life and are willing to work for it. We can not deny people who want and need change. Our sacrifice is minimal to the overall gain in, raising a village.

Mission Impossible

2006-12-25T23:19:00.000-08:00

ASSIGNMENT: "Good Morning Brian and Brenda."
"Your assignment, if you choose to take it, is..."

M I S S I O N - I M P O S S I B L E

Country: K E N Y A , A F R I C A
The task: B U I L D S C H O O L
Help provided: N O N E
Tools available: N O N E
Training provided: N O N E
Culture preparation: N O N E
People showing up to help: N O N E

Assignment: "You will be sent to Africa to build a school. No One will come to help. Arrive to Nairobi Kenya International Airport. From the airport go to the train station and catch an overnight coach heading south to the coast of Mombasa and onward to Maweni Village."

Agents: "After arrival you will need to find your team members in the village and coerce them to assist in the mission. The cooperative agents you will need to locate are : Mama Benedetta, Pascal, Thomas, John, Dickson Teachers: Consolatta, Jadi & Binti, and neighbor Val with her friend Charles."

Find Agent Pascal : Alias: "Main Man"
Specialist: Goods supplier.Indigenous labor relations
Find Agent Thomas: Alias: "Mortar Maniac"
Specialist:Human Concrete Mixer 24 Hour Compound Guard

Obstacles you must overcome before you start:
"Chase down the source of funding from Holland, re-motivate the coordinator from Portland, reassure the dejected villagers, threaten the local surveyor and assume a unsolicited leading role. Finally, Re-establish faith in each person."

Find Agent Dickson- Alias: "Plumb Bob"
Specialist: Head Mason. Straight up dude
Find Agent John- Alias: "Lil' John"
Specialist: Mason apprentice

BEWARE: Dennis the Messiah Menace
Hindrance to the project. False ally. Will take the shoes off your feet. Covets everthing you have. (But will keep you in good writing material.
BEWARE: Possessed Witchcraft Village Man
Hindrance to the project. Real Scary. Avoid at all times.
NO PHOTO: For obvious reasons

Obstacles you will encounter:
"Dennis-the-Menace-Messiah will waste unnecessary amounts of your time with pathetic blundering. The Possessed-Witch-craft-Village-Man will scream at you, and discourage your works daily. Add the lack of running water, inexistent power, transportation, tools, funding and your mission is ready to start."

No rocket scientist is needed to figure out this project, but a plan and a team would have been good. In fact, many simple things would make life easier in Kenya. We've noticed that running water would be an effective tool when building a concrete structure from bags of cement and piles of sand. Yes, having power and water would be an easier way to do things. But, in retrospect that wouldn't be very interesting to write about, now would it? Some adventures and hardships are worth the story and this is proving to be true. Building a school 'African Impossible' has been challenging to say the least, but also provides free entertainment and a much overdue workout.

Background you will come to understand: "The environment in Kenya has been harsh to local people with droughts, famine, and corruption. They are struggling between modern approaches that are encroaching on tribal ways. Maweni village is a rural slum close to the tourist resorts of Diani Beach. The village has a population of about 400, varying from different ethnic tribes and different faiths but with one common goal; Survival of the poorest.
The village homes are made of thatch in the dirt and are on land that has been squatted for generations. The concept of a land deed is not in their tribal ways and far from their understanding. It has become necessary for these tribes to join the modern ways, but they lack the education to compete for modern jobs in today's world."

And that's why we are here. Over a month later, we have learned to live amongst them, work with them, respect them and learn from them. We hope to equip the local people with opportunities for education.
We have learned important history lessons from listening to the locals under the moonlight. Similar to the history of the native American Indian's, the English came over and claimed the indigenous land from the Kenyans. The visitors, drew out plots on their own paper, and no tribe had the opportunity to see the lines, or had the right to purchase their native land. It is an interesting situation to be a part of today, as the people are continuing to be pushed out of their homeland.
The land we are building on, was purchased by supporters from the states through the Amani Education Project. (Thanks again to all who joined this endeavour at the fund raiser done in Portland. ) The land and school will provide a safe and stable learning environment for both children, and adults in the area.

Objective: "You will start with pre-school classrooms, but they also need to accommodate adult education courses for the generation who has already been left behind. When the initial phases of the project are complete, you would have built a fenced compound that will confine two new classrooms, one commons area/dining hall, one kitchen and two toilets."

With our construction background, business, organisation and diverse travel skills, it seemed like a job that we felt more than qualified to do with the help of a few friends. We have learned to take all our experience and all our previous knowledge, and simply burry it. Nothing applies, nothing is available, and no one has shown up to help. Everything is done different in the Maweni Village World. We have made new friends, found good contacts, beat the odds and steadily but slowly, we have a school going up. We drew up site plans, made building estimates, employed a few local labours and set to work.

Find Agent Mama Benedetta- Alias: "Mama"
Specialist: Big hugger. Rock chopper. Native Motivator
Find Cultural Coordinator: Neigbor Val & friend Charles
Aly's to project.Technical Trouble Shooters. Infectious Laughter
To Achieve your First Objective: "You will need to build a fence to keep the supplies secure. The task must be done swiftly or they will steal the poles from the holes before the concrete dries. In order to accomplish this, you will need several post hole diggers, a cement mixer, a water truck, basic tools and transportation. But you will recieve NONE of these things." (I hear someone, somewhere, smirking, hee, hee, hee)

We started digging holes for a fence but instead of dirt, found solid coral stone. There are 'post hole diggers' available in Kenya, but these tools are big brawly men that are equipped with a steel rod. It gets the job done and for only .28 cents a hole. I never considered a construction site that would be without tools or a contractor without a truck, but it has proven to be possible on this job. We have accomplished getting rolls of chain link, lumber, rebar, bags of cement, windows, doors, gravel, and sand to a job site without those modern four wheel machines. We have our resources, and they include a bicycle, foot, hand cart, bucket, wheel barrow, and ferry.
I sat under a tree the other day wondering how long it would take our lumber to arrive on a two-wheel push-wagon from the nearest town, about two miles away? I began thinking about the 3 cars, motor scooter, and tractor that we used to have at home, and wished to posses even, just one of them again. I spend a lot of time thinking about 'imaginary and abstract concepts' like... customer service, trust, commitment and water that comes out a faucet. Maybe this hot, equator sun is getting to my head?

Tasks at hand: It will not be necessary to re-invent the wheel, but you will need to be imaginative and resourceful to complete the task on a minimum budget. You will learn to be appreciative when comprehending the effort that goes into building a structure 'African Impossible.'

Sometimes it's difficult to realize the function in a dysfunctional situation, but it's here if you are looking for it. Take for example the clear plastic hose; that when filled with water, serves as a level while building the classroom foundation, or a siphon when stealing fuel. Imagine a flywheel; that normally synchronizes an engine when on a car but in Kenya, functions as a ground compacter when wired to a metal post. The tree will provide vital shade, if it's not being chopped up for firewood or a made into a handle for our broken shovel. We do make huge progress every day even if its with the help of bailing wire and a different set of building codes. To appreciate this job, you must first understand the obstacles that have to be defeated in order to accomplish a simple task.
Let me use just one example of the process starting with the block that makes up the buildings. In the state of Oregon, we order pre-fab building blocks off the shelf at Home Depot. Then we go through a drive through where the guys in orange aprons, load it on our truck and then we hit the gas and drive away. (Drive, Drive, Drive. Wow, another abstract thought. Sorry, I got caught up in the moment remembering private transportation.) Now, I'm embarrassed to say; that a Home Depot trip is not much of a story to share with these hard working guys and gals who spend the whole day in 'the pit.' First they have to chisel a two foot section of the coral rock from the earth. Then it is shaped into a blockish form with a machete and loaded into wheelbarrows or a truck for big deliveries. The broken parts, then go to our dear Mama Benadetta who smashes them by hand into gravel sized pieces. When it's available, we get two buckets at a time from the pit, which we mix with sand, cement and water to make a mortar that holds our coral block building together.

Emotional Distress to Encounter: "You will challenge your morals, your values, your existence, and the reason why you decided to take on this 'mission impossible.'

Volunteering in a third world country and on a job site, forces you to find your own role, be compromised by different personalities and problem-solve in a culture that is foreign. I have been made to question everything I've known or felt about 'social responsibility.' Our first day here in Kenya, a stranger approached our door. He was a kind middle aged man, who was weak and shaking with sickness. He asked for money to travel home, so that he could die with his family. He was suffering from AIDS and needed a long-distance bus ticket. It was our first day in a new country and we didn't know what to do? What would you do? I made him a few sandwiches, and we gave him enough to get closer to his destination. We are surrounded by poor and sick people with varying problems that are important, individually. The problem is, we can't help them all. And after exhausting ourselves physically, mentally and financially... instead we ask "What can they do to help themselves?" There are vital needs everywhere but after 7 consecutive months of volunteer work, I ask myself again, "How much do I personally owe the world of poverty?" It's a question I have to answer every day, as people continually demand from us. The poorest people in the world are an interesting study as it seems there is no limit to their taking. We can dig under a hot sun doing volunteer work and someone resting in the shade will demand the shoes off our feet? We can give an entire village free goats and someone will ask why they didn't get a bigger one? We can build a school for their community and someone will ask, why don't we just give them the money instead? A stumbling drunk with a beer in hand, will tell us they don't have enough food to feed their children? We have sacrificed a 30 year career, and sold our belongings to afford volunteer service in Africa, and someone will demand that if we don't give them money today, that we "want them to starve?" We have learned many, new ways to deal with people but have concluded that, 'Education is the Answer.' We have kept our humor and it proves to be the antidote to our sanity. We remind ourselves that we are here for the children, and we are here to educate, which will naturally bring about change.

Collateral Damage: "Be warned, all work will be done under a scorching 98 degree sun, with 98% humidity in a non-existent air flow. Your bodies will encounter dehydration and abuse. Brenda will spend 10 consecutive hours at the well, pumping hundreds of gallons of back breaking water to make a cement slab. Brian will need to shovel hundreds of wheelbarrows of mortar and, mix countless piles of cement on the ground. Afterwards, he will need to visit the hospital to treat septic wounds, get injections pain pills and antibiotics. When you collapse at nightfall, it will become necessary to console cold Guinness and pain relievers to mend your injuries."

The heat and water deficiency has become our biggest hurdle to deal with. Image if you can, trying to keep a water flow from a well, that is located across the village at the pace of building a school. It demands a hand pumped, bucket brigade which is brought over on trail on foot, on head, on wheelbarrow and on a bike. We are proud to say that we hit the all time record for 'the most water pumped from the Maweni Village well.' (No need to spend money on a fancy gym membership, as the Maweni Village School Project offers the same workout for free.
We are sore and tired from the physical work in the extreme heat, but the experience continues to be amusing and educational. At the days end, we retire to our home nestled in the trees and swing from our hammock with monkeys that keep our company and require nothing from us. We have plenty of comfort and are surrounded by a community of new friends who remind us how valuable our life and existence is, to everyone we come in contact with, at the Maweni Village.

"So, Brian and Brenda... If you choose to take this mission understand that no one will take responsibility for your being there. The success or failure of this project is up to you. You have nothing to gain and only your sanity to lose. Good Luck"
"As seen on tv: This blog could self destruct in 30 seconds"
But probably won't, as nothing goes according to plan in Kenya