In February 2012 eight of us visited the RUSH project in Kenya that Springfield Church support. The party was made up of two people who had been before Joan Hadlow (RUSH UK trustee and frequent visitor) and the Minister of Springfield Church, Will Cookson, who had visited in the 2011 Trip. The other six in the party were Rose Gill, Angela Hope, Ian Fowkes-Smith, Cecile Clark, Gabi Jeffery and Becky Cookson.
This page, we hope, will give you links to the articles, videos and pictures that we took whilst we were out there. This year was a little easier to communicate than last year due to having a 3g dongle in our computer that allowed us unlimited amount of data to be uploaded (such as large videos!) so that we could set something off to upload and leave it.
Off to Kenya
A post from last year proved useful to know what to take:
Bluffers guide to Kakamega – looking at some of the lessons and how we survived being there!
Arriving in Nairobi
Videos of our arrival in Nairobi – After an overnight flight we arrived in Nairobi full of life!
Gracelands – This post had pictures and description of our journey to the Gracelands hotel, Lake Nakuru (including of the great Rift valley). Gracelands is a run-down hotel that gives you electric shocks if you touch the shower head! It’s a great place though full of “atmosphere” and helps to adjust to where we will end up living for the length of our stay.
Safari
On Safari with Cecile – Cecile wrote about our one day trip to the Safari park at Lake Nakuru, a stunning place full of many different species.
Videos of the team on Safari – A few short videos of the team on safari
Kakamega
The real point of the visit was not the safari but visiting the RUSH project in Kakamega and helping with the work there. There were a number of posts during the week about this.
Arrival in Kakamega – After a journey up from lake Nakuru we went to see the RUSH school and also the new land for the Secondary school under construction.
Becky’s Day– A moving account of our youngest memeber’s day at the RUSH project with the widows (many of whom are suffering from HIV/Aids) on the Tuesday
Wednesday at RUSH – Our first day in the school, helping with the painting, the sponsorship project, Lucy suffering from malaria
Rose’s View from Kenya – Rose Gill describes her experience of RUSH to date and all the comings and goings.
Videos of Thursday – Includes videos of the RUSH football team, nursery children waking from an afternoon sleep and the children singing the “Teacher, you are so good to me”!
Angie’s Week – Angela Hope describes her experience of being in RUSH for the week
Videos from Friday – The famous Ian video, interview with the caretaker, Renson, who has been with RUSH since the beginning of RUSH over 10 years ago, classroom being painted and Gabi blowing bubbles!
Outside Kakamega
Building a house – On the Saturday we went to build a house for a widow, Jospehine.
Video of the House being built – Gives a good idea of how and what goes on in building a mud house, Kenya style
Last day in Kenya – Off to church in Butare and then an evening party to say goodbye
Singing in Church – Powerful singing in the church in Butare
Post Trip reflections – Reflections from the team written on the long flight home, well worth a read at the end of a very busy ten days
Photo posts
Pictures of the RUSH project and Kakamega
Pictures of building Josephine’s House
Will Cookson's Blog 
Wow! Just spent a very interesting hour or two catching up on all the RUSH 2012 blogs…had to do an ‘intensive’ sitting like this because that’s how things work for me at the moment, being ‘between jobs’!
What amazing experiences, & how wonderful that the technology has allowed you to share so many lovely photos & videos, which really bring the events to life.
Who knows, if God allows me to, I might be able to afford to go out there in 2013, in (God willing) my 40th year! What a way to celebrate.
God bless you all, & well done,
Angela B. x