beautifularethefeet

Today we went to another location of the children’s home we visited yesterday.  It was located in a small slum outside Nairobi.  Some painted walls, while others painted walls.  As the entrance wall dried, some team members decorated the wall with the children’s handprints and wrote each child’s name by their handprint.  It was a wonderful time with children, but very bittersweet as we realized this was our last day of ministry.  The staff was amazing and truly blessed us with a special good-bye.

There was a story from yesterday that we didn’t share with you.  During the service, we were asked to pray for a baby that was thrown outside of the location where we were today.  We were told that this baby had rocks placed up his nose which could possibly have been an attempt to kill the child in case no one found him or another possiblity is that rocks scratched up his face and went up his nose when he was thrown down.  In the afternoon, we were told this baby had died.  But praise God, we found out very quickly that he was still alive.  God blessed the team with being able to meet this child today.  He was passed around and loved on quite a bit by the team.  He has been moved to the infant part of the children’s home and the staff has been given formula and clean water to make bottles.  This was truly a special way to end our time here.

Please pray for us as we travel home and have to adjust back to life in the States.  Unless you have been in our shoes, you won’t understand, but that’s okay!!  Just keep praying, especially if we randomly burst into tears in a grocery store or at a drinkning fountain.  It will make perfect sense to us, but we probably won’t have the words to express what we are feeling.  Again, we appreciate all the prayers…you have truly been partners in this journey with us!!

Please be praying for Laura as she is staying behind for two more weeks.

Love to all and we’ll see you soon!!

Today we spent the day at a children’s home and the emphasis is on home.  Although, the children and adults live in separate buildings (sorted by age), they are truly one family.  It was an amazing day.

When we arrived, we found that church had started without us.  The singing had already begun and we joined right in.  The different student groups put on a performance for us.  Then the entire team helped lead the worship service.  Amanda, Laura, and Michelle and spent part of the drive home from the safari planning out the sermon but didn’t have the details planned out.  We worked on it some last night and decided to ride together this morning to go over the individual parts to make sure there was a flow.  God truly met us on that car ride.  The sharing that occurred was truly brought on by God’s prompting and led to some changes in the sermon that had a big impact on those who heard.  After the service, we made a receiving line and were greeted by all the people in attendance.  Greeting everyone individually as you come and go is a Kenyan custom and it was a flashback to the old days when everyone personally greeted the pastor.

After service, everyone relaxed while some of the team prepared a picnic lunch for 80 people.  We served hotdogs, chips, carrots, and apples.  The apples were a huge hit as most of the people had never had one before.  Even the hotdogs were a rarity…maybe one every few years.

The games began shortly after lunch.  It was so much fun teaching some new games.  We taught partner tag and the penny relay.  Both were games Amanda had used in her coaching days.  Everyone approached the games with enthusiasm and it was a great time.  The penny relay had kids having to put on four shirts (they made a shirt, pants, purse, and hat).  It was quite the sight and provided many laughs.  Then the children taught us a few of their games that were quite fun.

We came together as a group to say good-bye.  This group is amazing and it was difficult to leave.  We all had a blast today as we got to hang out with this special family.  Sorry no pictures today…the internet is having trouble uploading them for some reason.

We’re back!!  We arrived back this afternoon from an amazing safari.  There aren’t enough words to describe God’s creation.  It is truly majestic.  We traveled throughout it in style.  The tops of the van and truck popped up or came open and we were able to stand up as we drove along pretending to be photographers for national geographic.  One of the most amazing sights we saw as Mt. Kilanmenjaro.  It is located 60 miles away from the resort and when the clouds part you can actually see the two peaks.  It was an awe-inspiring moment to realize you had to look in the clouds to find it.  As the Kenyans say…the lady lifted her skirt and this is what we saw…

The resort where we stayed truly pampered us as we processed what we have done so far and gear up for our last two full days of ministry.  The people we are staying with in Nairobi visit this resort with teams throughout the year and have developed a good rapport with all the staff.  Their rapport with the staff is so positive that the staff chose our group for their new marketing brochure.  We were treated to a bush breakfast this morning which means we drove out to a hill with a view where tables and a buffet line were set up for us.  The staff greeted us with sparkling cider.  This was a once in a lifetime experience that we enjoyed as we were captured on film…how many times do you get to go on a mission trip and end up in a brochure?  Our pictures are so numerous that we don’t know where to start…you’ll have to wait until we get back for most of them.  But here are some pictures from breakfast.

Sorry if you were expecting actual animal pictures in a safari post…we like to keep you guessing!!

Hello everyone!!  We made the journey back from Kisumu this morning and safely arrived in Nairobi this afternoon.  We have been busy repacking our bags and we head out to Tsavo tomorrow for safari.  This will be a good time for us to rest, relax, and process all that we have done so far.  Internet is not free there, so the laptop will not be making the journey.  The blogs will continue again on Saturday or Sunday.  We’ll get back to Nairobi on Saturday at some point.  We have full days of ministry on both Sunday and Monday.  Then it is hard to believe, we will head for home on Tuesday night.  Time is going by so quickly.  Thank you so much for all your prayers.  We have felt them across the ocean and we could not be doing this without your support.  Please continue to pray for Ashley as she is really struggling with being away from home right now.  Our prayers go out to Spencer (Ashley’s boyfriend) and his family who lost his aunt while we have been in Kenya.  Ashley wishes she were there to bring comfort and the rest of the team is praying for you.

Enjoy a few pictures from the drive!

actual road we drove over...it wasn't all like this

Today is our last day in Kisumu.  Tomorrow we will be trekking to Nairobi.  This morning we divided up into three groups.  Laura, Ashley, and Suzanne went to a preschool and played with kids.  Laura and Michelle taught the P principles again and Suzanne taught the kids the song Father Abraham.  Before leaving the preschool, they were taken to the office and three staff members shared how much they appreciated visitors and how it uplifts them.  Please keep this school (Hoda Hoda).    This afternoon, Laura napped while Ashley and Suzanne did a return trip to the market to make purchases and then joined Agaath and Berdian for a trip to the Italian coffee shop.

Amanda went on Care and Compassion with Annelien and Jacob.  She was able to go into Kenyan homes and visit with patients.  It was amazing to follow Annelien and Jacob through the neighborhoods…she would have never found her way out.  The people of Kenya are so gracious and inviting.  It was good to see so many people doing well.  Several were adjusting to being on ARV meds and so they were fatigued.  Praise the Lord, she didn’t gag when an open wound was dressed in front of her.  As a group, we took turns sharing encouragement from the Word and praying over the people.  We met with six different families.  Amanda experienced her first matatu and boda boda rides.  There are no words to describe the traffic in Kisumu so to say she was scared may seem silly, but it was riding boda bodo was probably one of the scariest things she has ever done.  Not the preferred choice of transportation on busy roads (Ashley and Suzanne also experienced boda boda rides today).

John also went on a Care and Compassion run with Desmond and was gone all day.  They traveled back to the counrtyside village where the support group was held yesterday.  They got stuck several times in the mud, so John was the one who got out to push the van.  They went to several homes and saw many of the same people we met yesterday.  They brought food and did some counseling.  At one patients house, they found one the patient’s daughter was at the hospital several miles away.  Desmond and John gave him a ride to the hospital and were able to intervene with the doctors in order to get the little girl medical attention (she went in at 7:30 that morning and still hadn’t seen a doctor at 2).  She had a fever of 104 and was immediately placed on antibiotics.  She is doing better.  While at the hopsital, a nurse told Desmond and John there was a patient in deep in a village and was very sick and did not have a ride to the hospital.  So, John and Desmond went exploring in order to find this man.  After a while, they found the man and brought him to the hospital.  He was actually moved to a larger hospital today in order to receive “better” care.

Fun story from yesterday…if you have ever read the book “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” we learned if you offer a Kenyan a ride…this is what happens…

The day started off for Suzanne at 6AM with a hospital visit.  She went with Desmond to Russia Hospital.  Then she led devotions this morning at eight.  She was a little nervous about leading the whole group but she did an excellent job.  Suzanne started off with the verse of the day (her mom wrote her a verse card for every day she’s here…way to go mom) and really sparked a great group discussion.

After devotions we headed to a preschool located in George’s, a local CHI volunteer, community.  Laura presented the first two P principles of the Choose To Wait program.  Then we had lots of play time with the kids.  We divided the children up into two groups by age and played with parachutes.  The kids had a blast and love to get their picture taken.  It was a nice balance for us all after a hard couple of days.

This afternoon John, Amanda, Suzanne, and Laura went to an AIDS support group.  This is an amazing group of adults, teens, and children who have chosen to live openly by admitting they are infected with HIV.  They are choosing to live a positive lifestyle and take medications.  One man has been living with HIV for the last 12 years and is continuing to do well.  This is a HUGE step for these people.  In Africa, people are shunned, fired, and isolated when it is discovered they have the disease.  This group of people is hoping to start changing attitudes towards those who are infected.  They are hoping to work together to create a product to sell in order to support themselves.  They had some items out today for sale and it was hard to say no…so we didn’t.  Laura stayed in and met with the adults.  John, Amanda, and Suzanne took the children outside so the adults could meet.  It wasn’t in the plan but we improvised well.  Amanda and John were able to share some encouragement with the kids and Suzanne led the kids in a couple of songs.  A fantastic teenager translated for us.  It was interesting to try to teach duck, duck, goose with a language barrier.

This afternoon Ashley traveled to a local school to help with the Choose To Wait program.  A local CHI volunteer, John, led the lesson.  The kids were really bright and had excellent debates.  They weren’t shy about sharing their opinions and talked out their differences.

Ashley and Amanda then hand-washed their laundry (Laura has also done this).  They almost felt Kenyan, but only almost.

This morning we went to Life Celebration Centre, better known as the green tent church.  So, you guessed it…church is held under a big green and orange striped tent.  It was big like a circus tent and even had a tile floor.  Every one was really friendly and went out of their way to greet us.  They have an English service which was very full.  The first hour was worship and the praise band was excellent.  They had a keyboard, guitar, and saxophone in the band as well as several amazing singers.  The sermon was given by a guest pastor who really shared God’s word.  He focused on defeating Satan in our lives every day.  Please be in prayer for the church as they are looking to buy land and build a center.

Then, we came back to the compound and enjoyed a relaxing lunch with Pringles.  Pringles are quite a splurge as four cans cost $13 which is the equivalent here of feeding 10 people two meals.  After lunch most of us went to the Masaai Market with Denise, CHI staff member from the States, and did some bargaining for souvenirs for family and friends.

Laura did not go straight to the market.  She was able to do a hospital visit this afternoon with Doreen, a local Kenyan volunteer.  Laura was very affected by what she saw today.  Part of what she had to do was write down a dying woman’s childrens names, ages, and what they liked in order to make a memory book for the kids.  Please be in prayer for her as she processes all she saw and pray that God brings her comfort.  Ashley came home from the market and left on another hospital visit with Desmond, CHI staff member from Ireland.  Be praying for her as well because like Laura, she has a lot of emotions to process.  She visited with a man whose breathing was very ragged.  According to Desmond, this man only has a few hours to live.  There was no family with him and Ashley is really struggling with the idea that he will die alone.  John also went to the same hospital this morning at 6AM.  John was also pretty affected by what he saw.  He feels that he is much further along in his spiritual journey than he was 3 years ago when he visited Kisumu.  Now, he can see the good in things but it doesn’t make it any easier.  Please pray for the patients in this hospital.  It is run like a jail. Patients may not leave until they pay their bill.  There are cockroaches on the floor and in the hospital food.  Because family are the main caregivers in the hospitals, they often need to stay the night.  If a wife stays and sleeps on the floor by her husband in order to take care of him at night, 200 shillings is added to the bill each night (basically half a months wages).  So, bills escalate very quickly.  When you think about sleeping on the floors, you need to remember that human waste is often kept under the beds.  Urine often soaks through the bed and onto the floor when patients have no family members to change their bedding.  Family members often have to go arrange and pay for testing and lab work before it will be performend.  When patients are terminal, they are placed in an isolation ward where family cannot visit and they are left alone to die.  Tape is placed on the foreheads of patients who have died in the general population.

Other Prayer Requests:  John’s knee is doing better and he’s not limping as much as yesterday.  Keep praying for healing.  Again, please be in prayer for the people of Kenya.  The poverty and sickness here is overwhelming and at times it eclipses their need for Christ.  But, that’s why we are here and what they need most.  We are trying to remember on a daily basis that no matter what we feel, God has a perfect plan and he loves the people here even more than we do.   We need to leave it all at the cross.  Please pray that God will soften hearts and bring people to Him.  Also, be praying for the orphans that they will find homes.  Please pray for patients with AIDS.  They are often in denial or diagnosed with TB and placed on TB meds.

Okay so the day seems super long, especially when you start the day at 5:30AM. We were up super early and left at 6 this morning for a boat ride on Lake Victoria, which is the second largest lake in the world. Our guides were very fun and pointed out birds, fish traps, trees, the pretty but destructive plants that grow on the lake and hippos!! It was incredibly cool to be so close. We didn’t get to hear them make noise, so that was slightly disappointing but the guides and John making hippo sounds more than made up for it.

Today is African Child Day, where children and their basic rights are celebrated. We were able to go back to the youth jail. We weren’t able to have much interaction with the children because we arrived during the program time. We saw a couple of skits, but most of it was in Kswahili. Our friend George did some interpreting for us. There were a couple of young men who were quite the comedic actors and they had the audience cracking up.

After the celebration, Amanda and Suzanne went to the District Hospital with Pastor Martin. District Hospital is broken up into small buildings. They started off in the older children/adult wing. They each prayed over a room of patients and then went and prayed with patients one-on-one. Then, they went to the children’s building which housed babies to 5 year olds. Upon walking in, there was a tiny baby laying on one of the beds. There aren’t really words to describe the emotions of seeing multiple children sharing a hospital bed. There are usually two patients per bed and their families crowd in beside them. Again, both girls were able to pray with individual families. I met a lady whose child or grandchild was in the hospital. Another child was dropped off and no family members have come to take care of the child. Each time this child sees this lady, he reaches out his arms. Praise the Lord, this woman has a compassionate heart. She has been taking care of this child as well as her own. Some patients aren’t as lucky.

After the hospital visit, Amanda and Suzanne traveled by tuc tuc and met up with the rest of the team at Pastor Martin’s house.  He and his wife are currently caring for 23 children, which means they have enough children to put on family futbol matches. John, Suzanne, Blake, and Amanda joined the match and were thoroughly outplayed. We are currently the walking wounded. John pulled a muscle in the first 30 seconds, Amanda (full of grace) randomly tripped over a tree root and scraped her hands and bruised her knee, Blake in an effort to make Amanda feel better also had a few problems staying on his feet. Suzanne left the first half early due to be being surrounded every time she got near the ball which led to her being kicked in the ankle which is also bruising quite nicely. It was a good time, but we won’t be turning professional anytime soon.

Finally, we came home and cleaned up in order to go to dinner at Kiboko Bay Resort on Lake Victoria. It was a very nice restaurant with beautiful scenery. We took lots of pictures and even saw a couple of hippos close to shore.

Prayer Requests: John’s leg…he is still currently limping. Amanda and Suzanne are still pretty emotional from their hospital visits. Ashley had a really hard time leaving the orphan’s prison because of a particular connection she had with a student and didn’t really have time to connect with her today. Laura is really grateful for everything and please continue to pray for her family at home (they are doing well and she would like it to stay that way), and also that we would continue to do God’s work here.  Please remember the African orphans in prayer.  Also, pray for Pastor Martin and Mama Joskey as they raise 23 children in God’s Word.

Today was our first full day in Kisumu.  This morning was pretty relaxing and we worked on lesson plans for the afternoon.  We spent the afternoon at the youth jail.  Some children are there because they have committed actual crimes.  Other children are there because they have lost both parents to AIDS and are wandering the streets because they have no place to stay.  Boys and girls are housed in the same facility and the ages range from 4-18.  It’s quite a mix and as you can imagine there are many stories coming out of this place.  As we loaded in the van to leave, we saw a teenage boy being brought in by the police.

At the center, we broke into two groups.  Ashley and Suzanne went withGeorge, a local staff member to teach a Choose to Wait lesson with the older children.  According to both girls, George is an amazing teacher.  He spoke to the kids about how valuable they are and used stories to demonstrate their worth.  At first, the teeenagers didn’t agree that they were valuable but by the end of the lesson a few of them had changed their minds.  When the youth were asked about their prayer requests, an overwhelming majority wanted to leave the youth jail and return to school.  What a contrast from American students.  Amanda, Laura, and John stayed to work with the younger children.  The Choose to Wait program has 8 P’s that teach God’s plan for sex.  We broke up the eight principals and talked for a couple of minutes on each.  We had fun singing with the kids, but they didn’t get too involved in Father Abraham…other than to laugh at us.  Amanda did an example with glitter and glue and the kids went nuts.  They kept scraping the glitter off her hands and pretty soon it was on faces and arms all over the place! 

 Ashley was able to go on Care and Compassion run this morning.  She went with Annelien (a Dutch volunteer) and Jacob (local staff member).  She visited homes of four CHI patients and was able to pray over them.  Ashley was overwhelmed by the response to her visit.  The people were so excited to invite her in because she represented another person who truly cared about them.  She was then invited back to Jacob’s home for some lunch and was able to meet some of his family.   

Outside the CHI compound is a plethera of activity.  There is music blaring all day (which for us is fun, for those who live here on a daily basis it isn’t as enjoyable).  John, Ashley, Suzanne, and Amanda were able to take a walk with Denise (a local staff member) to see the street.  There are lots of vendors on the streets and kids.  We attract a lot of attention and are often pointed at and called Wamunzgo (I actually don’t know if that’s how you spell it).  The little kids are hysterically funny when they see us.  They get big grins and ask how are you.  When asked back they say they are fine. We don’t think they actually know what they’re saying which makes it even funnier. 

New Experiences:  Sugar Cane.  Thanks to Blake (from the Iowa team).  We had to chomp the outside to get to the good stuff.   Some funny pictures, but unfortunatly not on my camera because the battery was charging at that point.

 Tomorrow, we are getting up at 6AM for a boat ride on Lake Victoria to see hippos.  Tomorrow (Saturday) is African Children’s Day.  It is a big deal for the kids.  In schools, they put on programs and run the day.  We are going back to the Remand center to play with the kids.

 Prayer Requests:  Suzanne’s luggage is still not in her possession.  She just went to the Kisumu airport, but it was closed.  She’s being a good sport, but pray that she is able to get her luggage tomorrow.  Also, both Suzanne and Ashley are both homesick and struggling with communication with loved ones.  They were able to talk with their loved ones tonight, but are still having a some difficulty being away from home.  John would like prayer for his family at home that would be safe and protected.  He would also like prayer for safe travel for the team.  Laura is thankful for a great team.  She feels like we are a family and wants to send out love to her family and friends at home. Amanda’s praise is for technology working so that everyone can keep in touch with their families and for the daily encouragement letters from friends and family.  Keep praying for my mom that she doesn’t worry the entire time that she is here.  Please pray the hippos don’t upset our boat!!

roasted corn

Hello All!!  We made it and are finally in Kisumu.  Thanks for all of your prayers.  John, Ashley, and Laura made it without any difficulties.  Amanda sat at the gate in Washington, D.C. for 3 hours before taking off which caused her to miss the connection in Amsterdam.  She was then routed through Istanbul (not Constantinople) and made it to Nairobi at 2:30 in the morning.  Unfortunately, her bags did not make it.  But her bags did come in on a morning plane and our now in her possession.  Suzanne gets the prize for the best tale of woe.  She has never flown before and ended up delayed because of weather as well.  So, she also arrived in Amsterdam too late to make the connecting flight and had a nine hour layover before arriving in 6:30 this morning.  We welcomed her with big hugs!! 

 We left Nairobi this morning around 10AM and made it to Kisumu around 6PM.  The roads in part were brutal on the backside.  But it was  an adventurous ride and we are all very thankful for our expert driver, Francis.  He did an amazing job!  The sights along the way were amazing.  People are everywhere along the side of the road, either selling or just walking along.  We saw people in business suits walking along the roads as well as lots of kids tending cattle and other animals.  We passed several “neighborhoods,” which really give a true picture of how people live here in Kenya. 

 Under new experiences…going potty in a hole in the ground.  Kenya follows European tradition for their public restrooms.  It has always sounded like a horrible thing to have to do, but the girls were pleasantly surprised although still think boys have it easier.  Moving on to more pleasant ideas…food.  John bought us all a treat.  He bought roasted corn off a street vendor (after Francis assured us that it was okay).  It was good and tasted like popcorn without butter or salt…which isn’t really all that surprising.

 Please pray for health for the team.  Everyone is tired, a little sore, and adjusting to their malaria meds.  Laura and Ashley are having the most difficulty so far.  We are all looking forward to a good night’s sleep.

This is a common question we get!!  There are three main branches of ministry that we will participating in.  They are the following:

1.  Choose to Wait- This is an abstinence program being taught that focuses on God’s plan for sex and marriage.  We will be assisting the local staff member who teaches the program in local schools.

2.  Orphan Welfare- Our basic job is to love on kids (isn’t that amazing)!  There is an orphans prison we will be visiting where children live who have lost their parents to AIDS and have no place to go.  We will also be assisting with some Headstart type programs.

3.  Care & Compassion- We will join a local staff member who makes regular visits to the hospital to love on people.  In Kenya, patients in hospitals are cared for by the nurses and doctors because the family is expected to come in and take care of the patient.  So, this ministry involves a lot of hands-on help along with taking the time to talk with the patients and their families.

Amanda is a special education teacher at a high school.   AIDS in Africa has been a passion for her for several years.  Her church developed a partnership with Christ’s Hope, which led to a trip to Namibia four years ago.  Amanda is looking forward to loving on kids and helping out with the compassion ministry.  She is going to be the team photographer, supply coordinator, and blogger (so obviously I am writing about myself in third person which is slightly weird!!).  

Prayer Requests:  Please pray for boldness in sharing the Gospel with others.  Pray for a servant’s heart and attitude.  Please pray for peace for my mom who gets extremely nervous for my safety.  Also, please pray for the safe arrival of our baggage and that all the supplies we are bringing for the ministry make it through customs.

Suzanne is 19 years old.  She is interested in becoming a pediatric nurse.  Suzanne completed one semester of college and is now taking a small break to work a job that she absolutely loves.  She currently works at home for people with cerebral palsy as a caretaker.  Suzanne is most looking forward to working with the kids in Kenya.  She has agreed to make up skits and work on lessons to teach the children.  Suzanne is a lot like Laura in the fact that she has had a longing to go to Africa for many years.  In fact, her friends knew her desire that at a Christian music festival last year a friend showed her a tent that said, “Who wants to go to Africa?”  She met the Bells (who currently work in Nairobi) and looked at all their pictures.  Suzanne has been asked to go back to that same music festival this year and be the representative in the “Who wants to go to Africa” tent.  How amazing is our God!!

Prayer Requests:  Suzanne is most afraid of getting close to someone on this trip and watching them pass away.  Please pray that she will be able to open her heart without fear and be able to love on the kids.  Also, pray for her travel.  She has never been on an airplane before and this is quite the undertaking.  Her grandmother will be flying with her on the first leg of the journey, but then she will be on her own for the flight from NYC to Amsterdam.

Ashely is currently a student at Western Michigan where she is studying to become a speech pathologist.  Her dad, John, will be the team leader.  When the opportunity to go to Kisumu this June, Ashley let it be known that she was willing to go without him.   She is looking forward to working with the Choose to Wait ministry, which teaches 1+1=0 AIDS.  Ashley feels strongly that change begins with the younger generation and if they can learn to embrace God’s plan for marriage then there is hope for Africa.  Ashley has also agreed to be the worship leader, work on lesson plans, and be the team encourager.    

Prayer Requests:  Ashley has been dealing with a constant headache for the last 2.5 years.  Doctors have not been able to find the exact source or a way to stop the pain.  Her family believes the cause of the headache was a result of an adjustment at a chiropractor’s visit.  The source of the pain seems to be in her neck.  Right now, Ashley’s headache is at a manageable level but please pray that it does not flare up and immobilize her while in Kisumu.  Also, be praying that the doctors will find a way to relieve her headache.  Ashley is not a fan of speaking in front of groups of people.  Please pray that God will give her the courage and the words to speak when given the opportunity.

John is our team leader.  He had the opportunity to visit Kisumu a few years ago and will be the voice of experience.  He currently resides in Michigan where he is a cherry farmer and a builder.  His daughter, Ashley, will also be going on this trip.  John loves fishing, hunting, boating, ans especially cruising the Caribbean.  John is committed family man (who recently became a grandpa) who is caring, loving, hard-working, humble, and would give someone the shirt off his back.  Besides being the team leader, John will also be heading up some construction projects.    

Prayer Requests:  Please pray that God will give John wisdom as he leads this team.  Also, one of John’s concerns is gettingn sick while in Kenya so please pray that he stays healthy.  Another request would be for John as he returns to Kisumu that he does not expect things to be the exact same as they were three years ago.  Keep him open to the changes that have been made since his last visit.  Pray for his crop while he is gone…may it flourish in his absence. Finally, pray for patience as he will be traveling with four women (hee, hee).

Laura is a wife and mother of 2 who currently resides in California.  This is a trip 30 years in the making for her and she is so excited to go.  She has had a heart for Africa for so long and is finally blessed with the calling to go.  She is hoping to make regular trips to Africa and wouldn’t mind moving there one day.  Laura will bring much laughter to our team because she overflows with joy.  In Kenya, she will be coordinating our discipleship times by assigning group members and local staff a day to lead devotions.  She will also be managing our kitchen times by assigning KP duties.  But most of all she is excited to serve in any and all of the local ministry opportunities and hopes to be a blessing to the local staff.

Prayer Requests:  

Laura is leaving a few days early (June 5th) to spend some time with a friend in Amsterdam.  Then, Laura will be staying 2 weeks longer than the rest of the team.  So, please pray for Laura’s family as she will be gone the longest.  Also, please be praying for her as the rest of the team leaves before her.  Guard against her feeling lonely.  Another request that Laura has is to have as large as impact as she possibly can while she is there.  She wants to show others the love of Christ and how to live it out every day.  Please pray for God to provide her with lots of opportunities to do this.   Finally, pray for God to prepare her heart for all she will see and the people she will meet.

Romands 10:15 says:  And how shall they preach unless they are sent?  Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GLAD TIDINGS OF GOOD THINGS!”  

Hello to our friends and family and to those who have found us quite by accident!  We are a team of five people who will be traveling to Kenya June 9-24 as representatives of Christ’s Hope International (www.christshopeusa.org).  The purpose of our trip is to love on kids and adults who are impacted by HIV as well as share the gospel as much as we possibly can.    This is our blog which will we update daily while we are in Kenya.  We will share the best parts of our day with you and any prayer requests that we have while we are there.  Until then, we will keep you in the loop about our final preparations, prayer requests, and needs.  Thank you so much for all your support!!  We are counting on your prayers to cover our travel and our time in country.  We love you and couldn’t do this without you.  Introductions of all the team members are coming up next…