'Flowers for Bibles'
By CANDACE NEWSON, T&D Features WriterFriday, October 19, 2007ST. MATTHEWS -- After a September mission trip to Kenya, volunteers with the "Flowers for Bibles" campaign said they came back with an awareness of new challenges and opportunities.
"It keeps getting bigger and bigger in terms of things we're trying to do," said Delores Zeigler of St. Matthews.
What started in 2005 as a faith community's "Use What You Have" flowers for people in Kenya has grown into a project that generates more than $7,000 for medical mission, Bible study and evangelism.
The "Flowers for Bibles" campaign sells more than 100 plant varieties as part of an effort to raise enough money to purchase Bibles to send to Kenya and beyond.
This interdenominational, multiracial project first began receiving donations from businesses and organizations. Founded in Orangeburg, Calhoun and Bamberg counties, it now involves donors from Spartanburg, Aiken, Richland, Greenville and Lexington counties.
The group most recently held a fall flower sale Oct. 5 and 6 at the Swansea First Baptist Church.
Funds from a "Flowers for Bibles" sale in April 2007 were used to purchase handmade medicine bags, Bibles, Frisbees and other toys and treats distributed during the Kenya mission trip, Sept. 2-15.
The 18-member mission team was composed of participants from North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, representing 12 churches and four denominations. While in Kenya, the group distributed more than 400 English and Swahili Bibles and donated 14 lockers full of medicine.
The mission team included six registered nurses, and native doctors at two sites allowed them to conduct medical clinics in four areas -- Kitali, Farfarol, West Pokot and Turkana. The team saw approximately 500 patients with medical conditions ranging from malaria, typhoid fever, syphilis, intestinal parasites, HIV, meningitis, tuberculosis, ringworm and burns.
Due to the number of people arriving at the clinics, the group was unable to serve all patients but left medicine and supplies with the village doctors, pastors and educators, Zeigler said.
"Medical services there are very limited," she said. "If we're able to respond to the needs in any way, it's a great opportunity."
Zeigler said during one of the clinics, a team member gave up personal medicine to an asthma patient in need.
"When we see the conditions in other countries," Zeigler said, "we marvel at how God has been so good to us."
The team also donated toys and medicine while visiting the Legacy Christian School in Narook, Kenya, and three different orphanages.
Zeigler said her most unforgettable experience was seeing the people of Turkana's source of drinking water.
"When you see grown men and children digging in sand to get a little bit of water that's not even clean, it really makes an impression on you," she said.
The lack of clean water touched the mission team so much that they are currently investing a part of the flower funds to the Turkana Clean Water Fund to purchase a clean water system for the Turkana Tribe.
The September mission trip was Zeigler's third journey to Kenya. She said the people of Kenya are extremely appreciative of all the work mission teams do in their country.
"These folks have almost nothing," said Zeigler, "and they continue to be full of faith and hope."
T&D Features Writer Candace Newson can be reached by e-mail at cnewson@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5540. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.
