Trip Cancelled :(

Friends,

 

It is with a very heavy heart that I write to let you know that there will be no Pres House trip to Kenya this year. We all arrived at Madison airport this morning very excited about our trip. But we also learned of some unsettling news about increased threats of terrorism in Nairobi http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16144356.

 

After a roller-coaster of a day at the airport and many members of the team opting not to go, we decided to cancel the trip this afternoon. There was simply too much concern over the security situation. As much as each of wanted to go and we had plans to help, our travel to Nairobi was not essential. Specific warnings against traveling to slums would have hampered our very reason for going and our ability to make a difference.

 

Our team members are very, very disappointed as I am sure you can imagine. We put over six months of work into planning and fundraising and had so many hopes for our experiences in Africa. Even though we are not making the trip our team has learned a lot in the past six months. We have gotten to know each other better during team meetings and other preparation, we have learned a great deal about Kenya, we have learned about international affairs, we have learned about raising money, and we have learned that sometimes, despite our best efforts, our deep dreams, and our hard work, things don’t work out has we had hoped for and planned. 

 

One of the remarkable things about these months leading up to this trip was the level of support we received from people all over the country. We raised over $18,000 towards the trip. Now that we are not going we are going to the do the following with that money: First, we will send some money to the projects in the slums (Kicoshep and Hamomi) that we were planning on working with to support their mission even though we could not be there to do so in person. The money we raised was for a service learning experience so we will set up a fund to use the rest of the money for future Break With A Purpose trips unless the donor wants it back. If donors would prefer that their money be returned to them we will gladly do that as well.

 

 There is a Pres House trip planned to do tornado relief in Joplin Missouri over Spring Break and in the coming months and years we will revisit taking another international trip, perhaps to Kenya if the region stabilizes. We keep the people of Kenya in our thoughts and prayers and pray for peace to prevail.

 

Peace,

Pastor Mark Elsdon for the Kenya BWAP Team

Day 1!

Today begins our journey across seas! It seems like the last few months have absolutely flown by and the day is finally here. We will mainly be traveling today, departing from the Madison airport at 12:25pm and heading for O’Hare Airport in Chicago where we’ll have about an 8 hour layover! From O’Hare we’ll be flying to Istanbul, Turkey to arrive around 4pm over there! Keep us in your thoughts and prayers for this long adventure ahead and we’ll be sure to check back in as soon as we can!

Promo Video

Check out our promo video made by our very own Will Ault!

Pres House Prom This Friday!

One idea our team came up with months ago to fund-raise was to host a dance party at Pres House! Friday November 4th, friends will come dressed to impress and ready to dance the night away in Pridham lounge. Admission will be $5 and all proceeds will be going towards our trip! Hope to see everyone there and make sure to bring as many friends as you can!

Support Letter

Give securely online today to support the Pres House Break With a Purpose Trip  Pres House 731 State St. Madison, WI 53703 (608) 257-1030 www.preshouse.org Kenya Team Blog Kenya Team Facebook Page

October 8, 2011 Dear Friends, My name is Allison Winter and I am a fifth year senior majoring in Elementary Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a minor in Spanish. I have been an active part of the Pres House community for four years now. I am on the Pres House Council (a group of student leaders that helps shapes the Pres House community) and a singer on the music team. However, one of my most memorable experiences at Pres House was been the Break with a Purpose trip I took last year to Washington D.C. It was very eye opening for me to learn from those who were homeless about how this issue is prevalent in our country. It was also a great opportunity to form deeper relationships with members of a community I care so deeply about. On behalf of the Pres House community, I am thrilled to tell you about the Break with a Purpose Trip that I will be taking in January 2012! I will be part of a team of students traveling to Nairobi, Kenya. From January 7-20, fourteen of us will spend about two weeks living, learning, and working in East Africa. We will be based in the capital city of Nairobi. The needs in Nairobi are great. It is home to the largest slum in Sub-Saharan Africa, Kibera, where millions live in horrendous conditions and dire poverty. The poor have been hit hard by recent, rampant inflation throughout Kenya and are devastated by high rates of HIV/AIDS in their communities. Drought in East Africa has led to a severe famine throughout the region. Deforestation has destroyed watersheds and contributed to food shortages. There are many challenges in Kenya but there are also many gifted people and organizations working to solve their own problems. We will provide encouragement and assistance to the local Kenyan people and organizations we volunteer with. We will learn first-hand a great deal about the difficulties and hopes that shape the lives of people in Kenya. Specifically, we will deliver school stationary for children in urban slums, work with children in schools, volunteer with HIV/AIDs support organizations, plant trees for re-forestation, and visit hospitals and orphanages. Through our contacts in Nairobi we will have unique opportunities to meet personally with leaders in healthcare, education, business, technology, non-profits and other sectors. We also look forward to spending time with Christian college students in Kenya to share experiences of faith and to develop a greater understanding of their expression of religion. On our way to Kenya we will be spending a day in Istanbul, Turkey visiting ancient Christian and Muslim sites. At the end of our trip will visit a Kenyan National Park to see marvelous African elephants, lions, and other animals in their natural habitat. I am humbled and excited to be a part of a trip like this and fully expect to be significantly changed by what I learn, do, and see. This important trip is not possible without the support of many people. Please consider supporting the Pres House Kenya team in two ways. First, we would appreciate your prayers on our behalf during the upcoming months as we prepare for this trip, as well as during the trip itself.  Please pray for safety, health, and for our team to grow in love and support of each other as this experience will be challenging for everyone involved. Second, please consider supporting the team financially. The total cost of the trip is about $2450 per person, which includes airfare, lodging, meals and donations for Kenya organizations. Each team member is paying part of their way and Pres House is subsidizing the trip, but we still need to raise $1000 per person in order to go. Please consider a financial gift to help send us to serve and grow in Africa. If you would like to support us financially, please mail your tax-deductible gifts to Pres House or click here to donate securely online. You will receive a receipt from Pres House for your donation. All gifts are appreciated! I invite you to join us as a partner in this experience! We have set up an online blog at http://kenyabwap2012.wordpress.com/and Facebook page to share information and updates before, during, and after the trip with you and other supporters. Check them out and follow our journey! As one of thirteen students that are going on this trip, I can say that we are all very excited about this opportunity to learn and grow as we embark on this international adventure! In God’s Service, Allison Winter and the Kenya BWAP Team

Economist Articles

Here are a couple of articles out of The Economist referring to Google and the use of technology in Africa and India. Our plan is to interact with friends working for Google while in Nairobi and hear first-hand the experiences which they’ve had in this ever changing technology climate. Have a read:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2011/10/internet-developing-countries

 

https://www.economist.com/blogs/baobab/2011/10/smartphones-africa 

Kenya’s Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai dies aged 71

BBC has an article about Wangari Maathai and the legacy she left in Africa. Here’s the link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15056502