18 and Counting

Sunday was Ellen's 18th birthday. Of course I could say things like, "My, hasn't the time past quickly" and "I can hardly believe she is that old". But I choose to say, "I am proud of you" and "You go girl!" and "Keep your head up" and, most of all "I love you very much". The teenage years have been full of struggling, bonding, and letting go. Ellen is becoming a lovely lady that makes me very proud. She has dealt with issues and challenges that would cause most people to stumble but she keeps moving forward. I know she is becoming the woman God wants her to be. The best is yet to come, so, I say again, "You go girl, take hold of the future with your arms open wide. With God's guidance, you can't go wrong."

Thoughts on Kenya

Processing my trip to Kenya is still a daily experience. So many memories to consider, so many thoughts to organize, so many faces to remember. Our visits to the schools, HIV+ orphanage, and The Nest have surfaced as my most cherished memories. Our VBS sessions, the morning in Tigoni visiting with people, and our worship time at the Banana Hill Baptist Church are priceless treasures. Getting to know Charles, Grace, Cristabel, Bosco, David, Jamima, Mary and others was a great privilege. Then there are the kids: Edith, Cherry, Lilian, GeGe, Elizabeth, Nathan, Michelle, Felix, Eddie, and hundreds of other children whose names I may never know but whose faces will stay with me forever. Our spots on the earth are far apart but we are all together. We are all living, breathing, loving people. Our lives are separate but we share together in friendship and faith. Part of my heart will remain in Kenya. I will never forget.

Long Journey Home

After five flights and two days, we are home!!! Flat, open space has never looked so good!! We were able to spend the night in London on the way home so that helped breakup the trip. I took this picture from the plane. If you look carefully you can see Buckingham Palace.

Help for the Helpless

Experiencing the Nyumbani Institute was heartwarming. It is the first Hospice for HIV Positive Orphans in Kenya. It was founded in 1992 with three HIV+ orphans and presently has 101 kids. The youngest we held is six months and the oldest I visited with is 17. Her name is Elizabeth and she has lived at Nyumbani for ten years. Her body is very petite but occupies a realistic spirit. Ellen and I plan to write to her. It is obvious she is struggling with full blown AIDS.
The young boys rushed to Colman as an invite to play soccer. They even had a dog that was pretty good at the game!
We did another short VBS with school children this afternoon. Once again I learned all children are the same they just come in different packaging. I've made many friends that I will never forget. How fortunate to have spent time with kids!

Potholes

What an adventure!! Our safari was quite eventful. Even though we did not see as many different animals as we would have liked, we did see unbelievable sights. Our roads trips were very exciting. Plainview has no potholes like Kenya!!!
We are on the countdown to return home. Two more full days and we will start the trek to Texas.
Tomorrow we will visit another school, visit an AIDS orphanage, and mix with the students here. So much to learn!!

Worship and Avocados

Sunday was a very restful day. We attended Banana Hill Baptist Church. The service lasted two hours and then we were served tea and cake. Experiencing worship together was exciting and heartwarming.
Now for some trivia. There is a large avocado tree in our backyard. While exploring the many plants and flowers in the huge yard I discovered it. DH has told me it was here. What a surprise to get under a tree with hundreds of avocados!!! I felt like a kid exploring a new world.
Today we attended chapel and then moved to the construction site. The work is at a point we would be more in the way than helpful if we tried to do anything. We did write a message including the name First Baptist Church with the scripture, II Corinthians 9:12-15. The cornerstone we wrote on will be below ground level by Wednesday. The workers that were near were curious about what we were doing so Stan told them the purpose for our writing the message. Two of the guys wrote the scripture down. How fortunate we are to be here at this time! The building is progressing quickly.
Tomorrow morning we leave for the safari. I am charging batteries!!

Beads, Animals, and Contrasts

Today we took a trip that involved KUZURI BEAD FACTORY. It is a place where single mothers from the slums can come and make a living. They make jewelry out of pottery beads as well as other pottery. The tour of the factory was fascinating.
We visited an elephant orphanage and a giraffe shelter. Feeding a giraffe was a new experience for me! Riding through Nairobi and through the countryside is very unbelievable sight. So many people-everywhere. The weather today was perfect. The sunshine was a very welcome change.
The grounds around us are so beautiful. Kenya is a country of great contrast. We’ve had a very busy schedule so having a free afternoon tomorrow will be a welcome change. To post pictures I have to have Stan’s computer- maybe tomorrow.
I still can’t believe I’m here.