Our son, Timothy is the bravest and most determined young man we've ever know

Dear Family and Friends,

We’re convinced God’s Word teaches that those who lead God’s people must first lead their families well (1Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:6.)   We saw it repeatedly during our postings in Africa.   Many times, there would be a temptation to “do the real work of ministry.”   Yet, if we prioritized the needs of our children, God used that to position us to meet the needs of other families.     Our most effective ministry activities were always rooted in family health.    Another matter we are convinced of is that there can be very long seasons of trial, error, and waiting before God’s full intent is disclosed.   

Our adaptation to America has gone slow. Yet we are convinced it is of God.   In this newsletter we want to catch you up on our son, Timothy.    The last two years have been one of both great challenge and discovery.     Much of it has to do with Timothy becoming a teenager and with that increasing his awareness and communication skills.    

For most of Timothy’s life we have described him “as having a minor case of cerebral palsy.”    He had little use of his right hand.   His right leg was a bit smaller than the left.   Yet, he has always been very athletic.   Many times, people describe him as “inspirational.”   

A friend last year made a very pertinent observation as she remarked, “I didn’t know there were minor cases of cerebral palsy.”   She was right.   We’ve had a couple years in which we continue to discover that Timothy’s cerebral palsy is very complicated.   There have been many discoveries and ups and downs.

In February 2016 Timothy had surgery which lengthened tendons in his right forearm.  With the lengthening of tendons and different type braces Timothy gained the ability to grasp on his right hand. He learned to ride a bike. 

For years we had noticed that Timothy’s sensations were different than others.   He could go long times without food, exercise without rest, and stay outside with few clothes in the cold.   Some would see him as “being tough.”   Yet, we increasingly realized his different sensation perceptions made it difficult to stay on track with nutrition and rest.   

He also struggled with digestion and respiratory infections.    His pediatrician, Dr. Akin  (/https://balanceweightcenter.com) thought that the hemiplegia (diminished use of right side) was internal as well as external.   His right lung was not as efficient as his left.    She saw beginning signs of scoliosis.   We suspected that the under utilization of his right side was creating imbalance.

Last year, we cautiously began 9^th grade.   It didn’t go very well.    Timothy kept getting sick with respiratory infections.    He struggled to keep up academically with math and science.   He also finally told us that he was in pain sitting in school desks within 15 minutes.   It all made sense to us as his cerebral palsy causes muscle spasms.   Sitting for hours was the worst thing.    After several months, we realized we couldn’t make public high school workable.   We withdrew Timothy and began home schooling.

Yet, home school has been a struggle to have social connections and stay on task. 

Also, Timothy’s athleticism struggled.   With his rapid growth and muscle tensions he frequently had pain in his shins, knees, and heels.    As we tried travel soccer teams the practices were too intense and didn’t give him time to rest.  

Dave had noticed that it felt like Timothy’s muscles fired in his right chest, shoulders, and back while   not firing in his right hand. He and Timothy started going to the local weight room.   Dave started having Timothy use weight lifting straps like power lifters use for dead lifts to get grips.   Then he started looking on line and found the Active Hand gripping aid out of the United Kingdom (/https://www.activehands.com.) It was a game changer.    With reading and following intuition we found a path forward.    Dave and Timothy did big lifts like squats, dead lifts, presses, and rows plus body weight exercises like dips, pushups, and pull ups.    Sometimes they used a smith machine when Timothy couldn’t balance weights.    They also bought neutral grip free weight bars that were easier for Timothy to grip.    In the last year Timothy has gained 26 pounds of muscle weight, can now do 13 pull ups (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhHPFHJBUjY,) balanced out the muscle and bone structure in his rib cage, and his pediatrician now sees negligible differences in efficiency between his right and left lung.    

 Also, the routine and discovery got Timothy on a journey of nutrition.   He became extremely disciplined with supplements and meal plans.   (Thank you Dr. Miravone Dorough at https://www.drmiravone.com/ .)  He is not sick as often.  His spirits are more optimistic.   

As we were removing Timothy from public school and pondering where to connect, Dave read an article in the Chicago Tribune about a lawsuit to create opportunities for disabled students to compete in the Illinois High School Athletics (http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/evanston/news/ct-met-evanston-disabled-athlete-lawsuit-20171102-story.html .)  Dave had never heard of ambulatory or Paralympic sports for athletes with cerebral palsy.   He started googling, emailing, and making phone calls.    For the first time in 15 years we started finding other families and young people whose journey was like our own.

In the process Timothy was asked to go to San Diego for a development camp with the USA National Paralympic Soccer team for a week in December at the Olympic training facility (https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2017/12/07/23/05/20171206-news-pnt-domestic-camp-roster-release.)  

Upon return to Chicago land Timothy began running track for Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA) (http://www.glasa.org/.)   So far, he’s ran 2 meets.    He’s won his classification and age in the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, and long jump.   His times in the 100 and 200 meters are fractions away from becoming “emerging” in which he’ll qualify to try out for the USA National Paralympic Track Team.    His long jump is also just inches away form “emerging.”   Timothy will run in the USA Junior National Paralympic Track Meet in Fort Wayne from July 25 to 27.   We’re all curious as to how he will do.  

A huge benefit of these discoveries is that we’ve met other parents who share a similar journey.    In that process we’ve discovered that much of Timothy’s academic struggles were related to his cerebral palsy.    Again, we heard counsel and started making phone calls.  It took us a couple months, but we were able to get neuro-psychological testing at the Fran Center (http://www.francenter.com/.)  Timothy has been diagnosed with dyscalculia (a math learning disability.)   Much of Timothy’s struggle academically is related to having limited use of his right side.  With that it is difficult to conceptualize space as others do and math is a struggle. 

We are now in the process of re-enrolling Timothy in public schools and advocating for him to get special accommodations and classes. We’re thankful to have diagnoses and good counsel from others.   We really don’t know where this will go.   However, we’ve never known a braver and more determined young man than Timothy.  We do see this all as a God journey.   Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.

Mungu akubariki (May God bless you,)

Dave and Jana 

P.S. Contributions may be sent to:

Ignite Church Planting
P.O. Box 189
Schererville, IN 46375 

Online contributions can be made at http://www.ignitechurchplanting.com/donate.html
By clicking the "Donate" button you will be taken to a secure site where you can give your donation.  Select "Giving Type" and designate your gift for "Nations Chapel."

Frequently Asked Questions About Ruth's Harambee

What is a Harambee?

 

A Harambee is an East African tradition of a community pulling together in a party with a purpose to turn what some would consider a crisis into an opportunity.   Harambees are probably most frequently held in Kenya though they represent the deep sense of community that characterizes African culture.

What is the history of Harambee?

 

The Harambee tradition largely goes back to the early days of Kenya’s independence.   Prior to independence from the United Kingdom Kenya was experiencing the violent Mau Mau crisis.   Fear reigned.   Mzee (wise elder statesman) Jomo Kenyatta was imprisoned, but released shortly before independence.

Kenya's founding President, Mzee Jomo Kenyata

 In 1963 as Kenya gained independence Mzee Jomo Kenyatta brought immediate calm from the Mau Mau crisis, healed wounds, and gathered the humble to build. His message was Harambee (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,875094,00.html.). We must organize together. Kenyatta was aware of his own failings, but confident in the strength of his united people. He said, "There is no society of angels, black, brown or white. We are human beings and as such we are bound to make mistakes. If I have done a mistake to you, it is for you to forgive me. If you have done a mistake to me, it is for me to forgive you." 

As a community faced a challenge that required capital he made a donation and asked for others to join in sharing their resources. With Kenyatta’s Harambee culture schools, hospitals, and infrastructure were developed. Among the humble Harambee economics provided realistic hope. 

Why are you hosting a Harambee for Ruth?   

Because it is both our African community tradition and our family tradition to celebrate and labor in community.   

Our daughter, Mary Ruth Mirembe Jenkins graduated from high school and plans to go to Judson University in Elgin, Illinois.   Judson is Christian liberal arts university.   One of Judson's academic strengths is her photography and communications programs.   Those of you who spend time with Ruthie know these too are her strengths.   Through scholarships, grants, and student loans Ruth has put together close to $33,900 of the $41,900 of estimated yearly costs (tuition, books, room and board.)   Ruth is also working 2 jobs this summer to raise more money (group leader for a janitorial crew at Wheaton College and a sales representative for Furry Babies.)   She is working between 50 and 60 hours each week this summer.  We hope to raise $8,000 at her Harambe party on Saturday, June 23.  

What typically happens at a Harambee?

 

A shared good meal, speeches, song, dance, and financial and practical contributions. 

Is there a Biblical base for the culture of Harambee?

 

I think there is a tremendous Biblical base for the Harambee culture.    One of the first ones to come to mind is the Year of Jubilee in Leviticus 25.    Most of us are too cowardly to embrace the implications, but they are still very relevant.   Sometimes the only way we can get our messed up world straight is to use the strength of our community and her institutions to practice grace and compassion (One of my most read blogs discusses this at   http://jenkinsinrwanda.blogspot.com/2011/03/audacious-forgiveness-must-be.html.)

 Besides the Old Testament Jubilee teaching there is New Testament teaching of the early church sharing their possessions so that there were no unmet needs in the community (Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-36,) and of master missionary Paul taking a collection among Diaspora Christians to be used to care for the poor in Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8-9.)

 These are missionary texts.    When Diaspora come to America one thing we frequently notice is how prevalent syncretism is in North American Christianity.    Individualism and materialism mingle so freely in North American Christian thought that many are unable to recognize raw paganism masquerading as Christianity.   Yet, instead of having escalating confrontation why not graciously practice Harambee that teaches and lives out the reality that Christianity is a religion based upon trust in an unseen God's care lived out in community.  

I’ve heard about corruption and Harambees.  What happened?

 

Until the Lord returns to this earth the best of God’s intent wrestles with human depravity.  Sadly, there have been times when the Harambee tradition has been corrupted.  At times morally bankrupt politicians have used Harambees to bribe voters in a district.  At times the poor have been excluded from elite Harambee functions. 

The worst desecration of our Harambee tradition happened in Rwanda during the Genocide in 1994 when the community work of the Interhamwe (note similar grammar to Harambee) was to murder innocent men, women, and children. 

Yet, God made us in His image.   We all by simply being human have Agaciro (Kinyarwanda for dignity.)     Harambee is a way to display that though an individual may be at loss together we can overcome.   Our children can have hope.   One way we display this divine dignity is to come together as a community to overcome all obstacles.

Have you ever contributed at a Harambee before?

 

Yes.   Many times.   In fact, as our family spent 29 years in total in Africa our parents, Gaston and Jan Tarbet were the first ones to contribute to Harambees.   

We’re thankful to have been part of building schools, churches, roads, and other community infra-structure through Harambees.   We’re thankful to have helped couples marry through Harambee.   We’re thankful to have sent young people to school through Harambee.   We’re thankful to have helped those were sick become well through Harambee.   

Have you ever hosted a Harambee before?

Yes, we’ve hosted three Harambes.   First, when our oldest daughter, Sophia was accepted to Wheaton College in 2011 we applied for all the financial aid we could and still were about $22,000 short.   We hosted a Harambee in Rwanda.   Our Rwandan community raised $5,300.  Others in the USA made some contributions.   We barely had enough, but with Harambee Sophia got through her first semester at Wheaton. 

We didn’t know what would happen her second semester, and then we got a surprise.   Sophia received an unexpected grant, and her college bill was paid. Our African friends were confident that a Harambee was a step of communal proactive faith that God would honor.   They were right.  (To read more about Sophia's Harambee see http://jenkinsinrwanda.blogspot.com/2011/08/harambee-economics.html.)   

 Second, when our son, Caleb was also accepted to Wheaton College.   The anticipated total cost was $42,390 in 2013-2014.   Caleb has done well with scholarships and only lacked $5,600 to pay for his freshman year.   

The gifts the Lord abundantly gave us in Africa were friends and experiences.   Yet, we had no savings or property.  We threw a Harambee to give Caleb a blessing and a push.   Our community raised over $1,000 and the push got Caleb moving to get through his next two years. 

Third, we hosted a Harambe when our son, Ethan begin at Wheaton College in January, 2015.   Our community raised over $2,600 of the needed $2,993 to get Ethan through his first semester at Wheaton College.   Some other gifts came in.   Ethan shoveled snow and worked in a small transport ride sharing busines with his brother, Caleb to raise the rest of his needed resources.   

What should I wear and bring?

 

Dress casual.  Bring a little food.  Bring a little money.  Bring some encouragement.    If you have some musical skill we’d enjoy a song and dance.

If you are considered an mzee (wise elder statesman) bring a short speech to bless Ruth.

We’ll provide kuku ne mbuzi muchomo (grilled chicken and goat.) 

We’ll take cash in Shillings, Francs, Pounds, Pesos, Euros, and both Canadian and American Dollars.  We’ll have a money trader nearby if you need some exchange.  Also, we’ll trust your check is good (and even hold it for a season if you want to make a pledge.) 

If you have something that you think would bless Ruth as a college freshman please also feel free to bring it. 

What if I’m broke?

 

Show up anyway.   Your presence is the greatest value.  Harambee is about Agaciro (dignity.)  You are made in God’s image.   All you need to bring is what God has given you.  God will take your presence and use it to bless our community.

Karibu sana (You are most welcome.)

What if I’m on a safari (journey) and unable to attend?

 

Safari salaama (Journey in peace.)   If you would like to send a contribution by mail send it to:

Ruth Jenkins

395 Executive Drive, Apartment 101

Carol Stream, IL 60188

Also, we've set up a Go Fund Me account for which you can contribute at https://www.gofundme.com/ruth-mirembe-jenkins-harambe

Asante sana.   Webale nyo.   Murakoze cyane (Thank you very much.)