Celebrating a hero

It's always hard to say goodbye especially to persons you have become so fond of.
At first i could'nt stomach the thought of this beautiful story coming to an end but i've learnt to embrace the fact that everything happens precisely for a reason. When people come into your lives, theres no doubt they'll impact you in a way, either way the expiriences will live on through time . Well, some do so much more than we could possibly imagine and change our lives for eternity. Though sometimes things get hard when together, it's always wise to dwell more on the good side of life and remain hopeful in all circumstances. When Mr Joe Peterson came to Kenya  sometime back in 2003 from the United States, theres was an instant urge to serve and step in the gap. Kenya indeed has alot of problems which did'nt take him a minute to identify, poverty, AIDS pandemic and lack of the gospel being some of the core issues particularly in the lake region. I first saw Joe when a group of missionaries from South Carolina were on an outreach at Christ Gift Academy. He was a young charismatic man with so much vigour and a big heart to go with it. The moment he arrived in Mbita, he was destined to stay and he did exactly that. He bonded only too well with the students the staff and the society in general. Infact he got so close with the students they often called him uncle Joe. He fancied sports alot and soon set up a basketball court in school, and that was the first time ever i got to play basketball.
My life changed for the better, the many workshops we had both in primary and secondary school were not in vain.
Most alumni got the opportunity to interact with people from different parts of the globe and this really changed the way i viewed things. I can personally say that he was a jack of all trades but what stood out was his will to serve and the desire to do good always. We became good friends up to date even though there were a few times I tended not to like the way he did things, but that's perfectly the way life should be. I must say that Mr  Peterson is a celebrated hero not only in Kenya but in every place he goes because he touched lots of lives. He got to assist more students by getting more sponsors in the U.S to help them stay in school. He agitated for the post primary education scholarships which saw a significant increase in the number of students who joined high school. Some students who did extremely well in their exams got the rare chance of joining the few national schools in Kenya and as if that's not enough he played a critical role in the establishment of post secondary school scholarships which again enabled a number of students join colleges and universities countrywide. I'm overly excited by the fact that some of the alumni actually got scholarships in universities overseas. He did not only major in academics but equally assisted young talented girls soar to greater heights in sports and particularly in the game of soccer. He founded the Suba Lakers football club which has gained a name for itself. The club has transformed the way people view the girl child in the lake region whereby sexual harrasment and gender violence is an ever present challenge. The girls have won many accolades in the region and even nationally. The society has also gained alot from Joe's big heart, he has assisted people by demonstrating simple acts of generousity like offering lifts in his car to paying medical bills when need be.
He got to attend many funerals in the locality which signified his committment and love for his new found family. He became a son of the society and had an African wedding too even though the official wedding was done in the U.S. He waited for the right time and God answered his prayers. Daneen Leidig who is now called Daneen Peterson became Joe's wife.
I met her some time before the end of last year and I must admit She's the ideal woman for Mr Joe. It was quite impressive that She had been to Africa too and had served so many people just as joe had done.
Mr peterson will soon be flying back to the states after being here for over a decade, i hope he's learnt alot in terms of personal expiriences. I am an alumni of Christ Gift Academy and the memories there have never escaped me, it becomes so hard when you get back there and miss seeing the Cochran family who are among the founding members and of course Mr Peterson. I believe it's time for every alumni to change the lives of others in the same manner it was done to them. We will Miss you Mr Peterson and I will personally miss you more, we have seen the light and now we are mandated to see God's kingdom come to Kenya through us. The mark you have left will forever be a reminder to me to impact the lives of others with whatever little it takes. Farewell.