July 23, 2008 

We have just said good-bye to the Graber's and Steve Schultz, as they have extended their stay to visit relatives here in London.  It was a long night for me but I think a lot of our group got some sleep on the flight from Nairobi.  It was really hard to leave our drivers and friends in Kenya, because we had gotten so close but we knew it was time.  All of us are trying to process what we have gone through and we are excited to see you all.  It really was a life changing experience for all of us!

See you in a few hours,
Jake 

July 21, 2008 

Hi there.  We are all doing very well.  We are still here in the Mara and loving it.  Yesterday we spent the entire day on safari and covered a lot of ground. We saw everything from hippos to lions to wart hogs - it was a great experience!

Today we have split the group up. and several are helping in the local ABW clinic while the rest are at our last school.  The students are doing very well, you should all be proud!  I think everyone is not sure what to think at this point in our trip, because they miss home and want to see you all, but most don't want to leave.  We wish there was a way for all of you to have experienced what we have.  There have been lots of rough patches along the way, but it's all worth it because of the growth I have see in our team.

We leave the Mara tomorrow early on safari and plan to be back in Nairobi by late afternoon.  It will be very long day, as our flight leaves at 11:50pm.  After a 7 hour lay over in London we will arrive in Calgary on July 23 at 4:35pm. 

We look forward to seeing you all.

Jake 

P.S. For those of you interested in seeing more about our trip, you can check out www.a-better-world.ca. 

July 19, 2008 

Hi everyone.  I am sorry that I have not been very consistent in updating this blog lately, but phone coverage is very spotty here.  We have been having a lot of fun here with a schedule that has slowed down considerably.  It is migration season so we have already seen lots of different animals including elephants, giraffes and many more.  Today, after taking the morning off, besides an early morning game drive, we have visited two schools and a clinic built by A Better World.  We are finishing off our day with a traditional tribal dance with singing in a Masie village.  Our kids joined right in - it was a lot of fun and a great taste of the Kenyan culture.

From the best animal migration route in the world,
Jake 

July 18, 2008 

Hey everyone!  Sorry there are no pictures - I seem to be having some trouble sending them... welcome to Kenya.  We are on our way to the Mara today; it will be a long drive but worth it as we get to see the animal migration through the Rift Valley.  We should be at our new hotel by 5pm tonight.  It was hard to say good bye to all the babies and orphanage kids but I think all of us are up for the next challenge.

From some of the bumpiest roads in the world...

Jake

July 17, 2008

Today we were able to go to the Ringa school that Lacombe Composite High School had a hand in building.  We were again the recipients of lots of thanks as a result of their beautiful new school.  A Better World has created a wonderful learning environment where students have a great opportunity to make a difference in their world.

Our guys had lots of fun listening to singers, enjoying a wonderful lunch prepared for us, and connecting with students.

Tomorrow we travel to the Mara...it will be a long journey on these roads!

Jake

July 16, 2008 

And even more babies!  They are very special little ones with stories that bring us all to tears.  They are the 'unwanted' that society has rejected.  Join me in thanking God for ladies like Anne and Faith that see how beautiful and precious  these little ones are... just like your babies.  They miss you.  Take a moment tonight and join me in thanking God for all of them!

From the happiest place on earth,
Jake

July 15, 2008 

Another hockey day in Kenya!

Today was another early morning as we split the team in two to go to both EAMO and Ian's orphanage.  The students have been involved teaching at the school, playing with kids, holding and feeding babies, as well as a lot of painting this week and they have done very well.  They don't have quite as much zip as they had in the first week, but with all they have been able to do its no wonder they are getting tired.

I personally spent most of the morning painting so that the students could spent the day with the kids, but during a break I was amazed at what I saw.  There are several disabled children at the orphanage so when it was time to play hockey our students made sure that no one was left out.  They had kids in wheel chairs with artificial limbs, and even ones without limbs playing.  I was really proud at the way our students demonstrated to these special kids that they can do anything if they just give it a try.

Be proud parents, you have exceptional kids!

Jake 

July 14, 2008 

We are doing very well here in Nakuru, with our focus on three different locations: Ian Castleman's orphanage, East African Mission Orphanage, and Anne's Baby home.  The team is split in two groups in order to help in as many places as possible and, like usual, our students are doing a great job and are being very flexible with all that is going on.  Our heart strings are being pulled in a lot of different directions with all that we are seeing.  We are having lots of fun interacting and playing with the kids; they are so happy to see us just as we are in seeing them.  We have also heard many of the orphans stories and that is a little more difficult to take.  A lot of our students are not sure to do with all the emotions they are feeling, but they do understand that they are making a difference even if it is for a short while.

On a lighter note, we have made an unexpected hotel change.  Everything was safe and satisfactory at the old place, but they were not really prepared to host a foreign group.  Let's just say that toilet seats are a prerequisite in our books.  All the students are really happy with our switch, and they are happy that their toilets are no longer in the shower.  The students named the bathrooms at the old hotel 'shoilets'.

Stay tuned,
Jake 

July 13, 2008

This is van number 2, Donna, Stacy, Keira, Tessa, Jake and Jackie. Hello! We are on our way to EAMO after some blackberry issues, don't we love computers?!?! This is Melissa and Donna. Don't worry we are all safe and having a blast and we have learned lots. Like they have bicycle taxis - how great is that. This is Tess and I am having an amazing time and hugging lots of little babies, seeing lots of really cool equipment and cars.  They actually have a dozer... sweet!  This is Stacy and everything is so spectacular and life changing I'm speechless.

July 11, 2008 

It was a very emotional last day at the Male School; we were only there for 5 days but great bonds were formed.  We had many letters and requests from the African kid to come back to Canada with us, but in our final address to them we affirmed to them that they have a great country and we encouraged them to be the best little Africans they can be.  You should all be proud - our students were great!

On our final day we also discovered an outbreak of ring worm.  We identified three of the worst cases, so Charles and I took them to the doctor and purchased antibiotics for them.  We have also arranged to have a doctor visit their entire school.  This reconfirms to me that we need to have a long-term partnership with this school.

We had a great time at the Male school but everyone is now excited to move on to our next challenge in Nakuru.  We will see lots of great points of interest as we travel, but we have to endure the roads!  I wish you could see the looks on some of our teams' faces - priceless!  I have just been telling everyone...'Welcome to Kenya!' 

Jake 

July 10, 2008 

Hi everyone, I would like to introduce you to Charles.  Charles is our head driver that I met the last time I was in Kenya and he is a pretty special guy.  He has been driving for A Better World for almost 18 years and in all that time of seeing and managing many projects he has never asked for anything for his home village.  After 18 years of service, we have the privilege of being the first Canadian group to invest in his village and it has been a huge honor. 

We have had lots of fun teaching in the classroom, playing their sports, and teaching them to play hockey, but I think as we leave tomorrow morning for our next location we can honestly say that we have received much more than we have given!  Kenyans are a great people who can see the good in each situation and in all people, they are also a forgetting people that forgive very quickly.  I think the most contagious thing about these people is that they are content with very little or even nothing!  'School is in session Canada' be grateful for what and who you have today!

We are all blessed and humbled to be here, so please pray for us as I know there will be many tears here in our final day at the Male School.

Jake

July 8, 2008

It was another hot one today, but it didn't start that way!  This morning the temperature was in the single digits with everyone snuggled up in their warm cloths at breakfast, but by 9:30am it was hot!  We spent the entire day at the school and it was highlighted with a debate between our students and their high school students.  The subject was 'has science been positive or negative on our society' - our students did very well with little time to prepare.  They very appropriately called it a tie, and there was a lot of opportunity for relationship afterward.  Stay tuned...

Jake

July 7, 2008

Hi everyone, we are doing great besides a few upset stomachs and some lingering jetlag.  I just wanted to send you a few pictures to let you know that we are really roughing it out here!  Actually our hotel has been a wonderful refuge and the students have enjoyed the pool, beautiful scenery and fine dining.  (Well, most of us have.)

Today is the first day that we were at the school with the African kids and it was incredible.  We had a wonderful ceremony with some introductions and the raising of both of our flags.  The day was very full with students in the class room, on the play ground and a Kenya vs. Canada games of soccer and volleyball.  We lost both games but everyone had a lot of fun.  I blame the jetlag. ;)

Our days have been very full, concluding with evening debriefing / connecting time where we also spend time planning for the next day.  We are all tired but feel very blessed to have the opportunity to be a blessing.

Please pray for students that are not feeling well, for safety, team unity, for tired leaders and most of all for the beautiful African kids that we get to be with...it's hard for us to see them hungry.

From the happiest place on earth!

Jake 

July 6, 2008

Jambo everyone!

We are most certainly on a life changing adventure here in Kenya, with new things happening every day.  Yesterday started out with a visit to the Male school, without children, for orientation with the staff and it was an eye opener.  In Kenya they plant crops in anticipation of the rain and this year there was no rain.  The students that we will be working with are surviving on only one simple meal a day and still have to walk for several miles to come to school.  There are kids that walk up to 8 miles one way; many do this without shoes.  As you can imagine it was a very emotional time.

From the school we went straight to an authentic Kenyan church service as a team and it was a lot of fun.  Again the life lessons are hard to miss when people are putting eggs and produce on the offering plate because they have no money.  During the service the food is auctioned off at below market value for those who cannot afford food.

After lunch we went to the equator for a water demonstration and some shopping.  The shopping was fun for some, but not  for all.  The majority of the team have had no bartering experience, so let's just say it was a good (and expensive for some) cultural experience.

We are all doing well and understanding that we have way more to learn than teach, and way more to receive than to give!

From the happiest place on earth,

Jake

July 5, 2008

After a couple hour delay in London we finally got off the ground with everyone excited but exhausted.  To be honest, I don't remember much from the trip because I was sleeping.  After arriving we quickly made our way though the visa line only to find out that five of our bags were missing, including Stacy's, Ainsley's, Stephanie's and Nicole's.  Thankfully they will be sent to us tomorrow.  After getting out of the airport, we had a quick session with our travel agent and drivers, a short tour downtown and now we are off to Mount Kenya where we will be serving for the next 6 days.

Jake 

July 4, 2008

Off off and away!

We have arrived in London and although we are all different, as a team we have one thing in common, WE ARE ALL TIRED!  We spent the day together walking around beautiful Windsor Castle and community and it was really fun.  It was a great cultural experience as well as a great time for us as a team to bond before we see the beauty and hardships of Kenya.  We got to see some city, some countryside and have lunch in a traditional pub - it doesn't get much better than that!  Everyone is excited and exhausted at the same time, which means that our flight tonight from London to Nairobi will be a quiet one.  The team has dispersed in the departure area and are getting their last fixes of consumerism before we fly out at 8pm this evening.  Please pray for us that we would get a good night sleep tonight because none of us really slept at all, with the exception of Steve Schultz, who got bumped up to first class (he must have had a coupon!).  We arrive in Kenya at 6:30am tomorrow morning and don't really stop until we reach our hotel later in the evening.  We will arrive, go through customs, have an orientation session with our travel agent, and then take the 4-5 hour drive to Mount Kenya where we will be at our first school.  I will try to keep you updated as much as we can, we are thinking of you as we think of others! 

Jake

Day Four - Tuesday March 25 

Today we split our group up into two, with one going to the Greater Vancouver food bank and the other going to a great organization called Gleaners.  I was very proud of all of our students as they worked really hard chopping vegetables and sorting cans.  

The Vancouver Food Bank is a huge facility that takes in and distributes massive amounts of food to people who need it.  We had the privilege of sorting out a huge backlog of canned products.  We sorted them into different categories and boxed them.  Jerel, who apparently has a gifting for sorting cans, had all of us working very efficiently.  We actually finished putting together 10 pallets full of individual boxes early, which is a ton of work, and they even had to find extra things for us to do.  It was great!

Gleaners is an organization that takes donated fruits and vegetables from grocery stores and processes them to make into soups that they ship to third world countries.  Innovation in giving!  They take what we would consider waste and they make something good out of it - what a great idea.  Our students were helping in any way they could with cutting vegetables, mixing, drying, and packaging the final product.  It was really good for our students to see how creative you can be when you help people.

After our morning work placements, we spent some time in downtown Vancouver hanging out and shopping.  After shopping at the most expensive mall we took our packages in hand and we walked to East Hastings Street.  The students didn’t know it at the time, but this was a very intentional exercise in going from the rich to the poor in a matter if a few city blocks.  It is good to understand how much we really have; to be grateful and to understand real need.

The end of our walk was supper at Street Church, where we had the opportunity to serve food to the locals and put on a service for them.  Jerel and his team did a very powerful drama followed by a short testimony from Glen Robson.  Jerel spoke, and Trysta, Laura, Kelly & Stacey lead us in singing.  It was a good night again, immersing our students into the culture of people that have very little and struggle with every day life.  It is always amazing for me to see our students face their fears about the stereotype of the poor and homeless, and realize that they are just people like us who have had some bad luck or have made some bad decisions along the way.  They really are just like us - they are someone’s son or daughter, father or mother, friend, husband or wife, and we all deserve a little help every now and again.  

Jake

Day Three - Monday March 24

Today we left the beautiful Life House and went into the city.  After a session about the issues that people face that are homeless and live in poverty, our students were both excited and nervous as we drove.   It really is a lot to take in all at once.  We went right down to the heart of the city on Hastings’s and Main and it is quite a sight.  Usually, if you were to visit Vancouver, you would just drive by skid row or choose to go around it, but not this time.  The sights and smells of downtown are not what we are used to, so it truly is a cultural experience within our own culture.

Our first stop downtown was at a place called DEYAS where the students were given a talk about life downtown and were given supplies to paint their thoughts.  This was a great exercise that enables students to process what they see without having to put words to it.  There were some great pictures with great stories attached to them - please ask the students about their paintings when you see them at home.  The paintings were not ours to keep, but were gifts for the poor and homeless that live downtown.

We also had a ‘free store’ where the students set up tables on the street and handed out clothing donated by the students and socks from our communities.  At times it seemed like the students were overwhelmed with the volume of people that were shopping, but they did really great.  They were a part of meeting real needs that people have, and it was very special for all of them.  

After getting back to the Life House and having supper we all went for a round of mini golf , video games and go karting to relax.  We ended our evening with a worship service and some reflection time about the events of our day.  There were a lot of students that were really touched by the needs that they saw and the people they talked with.  There were lots of tears shed tonight - tears of conviction, tears of sadness and tears of appreciation for all the blessings that we have, that we never think about.  It’s a good thing to be taken from your "normal" safe world and to have your mind stretched to include all of who we are and how we fit into God’s plan.  Stay tuned there is more to come…

Jake

Day Two - Sunday March 23 

Today is Easter morning, as I am sure you know, and more hiking was in store for use.  Even further up the side of the mountain past the house is a beautiful spot called ‘the bluff’ and that is where we celebrated Christ’s death for us.  We started down at the house with a scripture reading and then all took turns carrying the wooden cross like Jesus would have up the side of the mountain.  It was steep and muddy; some were not really prepared for the journey but eventually we all made it with every person taking a turn carrying the cross.  Once we got to the bluff we set the cross up next to a tree and with a beautiful view of the Fraser Valley.  Behind us we had another scripture reading and had communion together.  Most of our students participated and it was a very meaningful time.  

This afternoon we had some team building games that were a lot of fun and challenging.  I am very disappointed to say that my team did not win even though I cheated like crazy!  Jerel’s team didn’t with either, so I got half way to my goal.  In case you didn’t know…Jerel punches really hard!  All in good fun.

Tonight we went to the pool and again had lots of fun.  We are getting to know each other, playing crazy games - this always ends up making an old man like me tired and sore.  Tonight ended with a well deserved Tim Horton’s stop, some hang out time, and an early bed time.  Tomorrow is a big day for us because we will be going down town and starting our work with the homeless and the needy.  Please pray for us that our students would do well understanding and digesting what they will see.  Giving changes the recipient and the giver; may that happen to us as we go.

Jake

Day One - Saturday March 22

The Journey has begun…  It was way too early, but all of us were there and very excited to begin our journey to Vancouver.  We actually left on time, which I think is a first for me, so we got off on the right foot.  The trip was noisy at first but then soon 5am caught up with us and we had a few hours of sleep catch up.  The ride was long but fun as we get to know each other in lots of different ways.  It was goofy and crazy, with a few serious moments to make the trip just right.  

All of the students were very happy when they were greeted at the bottom of the driveway of the Life House by six excited Lifeteams students, ready embark on our adventure.  The first difficult task was literally the driveway because it is about a 400 meter hike up the side of the hill.  When we finally got to the top (the bus would never make it) we settled in very quickly into some ice breaker games and welcome gifts from the Lifeteamer’s.  While the students were having fun I got the privilege of finding a spot to dump the bus toilet, fun, fun, fun… This is the stuff they don't tell you in Bible College.

Jake 

In case you don't already know us, here we are.  From left to right: Jerel Peters, Tania Rapske, Jake Schellenberg & Devin Bos (missing: Jenny Splane & Greg Lamy).

Together, we made a significant contribution to achieving our yearly budget by raising over $13000.  All of the money raised will go to keeping YFC workers in the field, and will help keep our programs running.

Along with raising money, we had a lot of fun lathering on suncreen and enjoying great company.  We gave away prizes for everything from the winning team (Terry Capton, Chris Darnell, Kevin Darnell & Mike Kooman), to the team who was in the water and sand the most (Allen Patterson, Justin Patterson, Glen Scharf & Mitchell Fraser).  Adding to the fun, each team was given a ball that they were to play with throughout the entire round, and upon returning the ball the team would be entered to win a prize.  Knowing how great the Schellenberg family is at golf, my dad wonderfully put our team ball in the water on our second hole.  We had a good laugh at my dad's expense, as the two of us called it way before it happened.  To make a long story short, we had a great day playing a wonderful game, all the while raising money for an organization that is on the front lines of sharing the redemptive message of Jesus to the youth of our communities.

My heartfelt thanks goes out to our organizing team, all of our 25 sponsors, as well as all of the golfers who came out to support us.  It take teamwork for Wolf Creek YFC to exist, and it was realized on June 2nd.  It is so encouraging to us, as staff and board members, to know that there are so many of you out there who support us on a regular basis.  We are already looking forward to next year, so make sure you stay tuned for more information so you can help us help students.  Same time, same place, next year.