Kenya: Welcome Back Again

Words fail to describe, so we post pictures.

The Bridge: What Day is it?

Bwana Asifewe!

Julie and Kay here. We finally took posession of the computer to send an update. Well, Gary's taking a nap. It's 2:15pm as we begin to write. Obviously the power has returned. It returned during the night that it went out. I guess Gary and Shad were just too worn out from all the activities yesterday to post something.

And we're sorry that there won't be any pictures with this update because we don't really know how to do that :)

On Saturday, we were able to enjoy God's amazing creation as we had a 'day away' where they took us up a mountain to a view point that overlooks part of the Great Rift Valley. We realize that the previous sentince doesn't even do justice to what we saw, but we promise to show you pictures when we return. As we traveled up and down the mountain we were able to witness more of the Kenyan lifestyle, too. To say this is a beautiful country would be an understatement.

We stopped in Eldoret at an outdoor garden/restaurant place and had ice cream!

On to Sunday
Sunday School begins at 8:30am for an hour. It's for preschool-highschool. They're divided into 4 groups. Mick, I suggest we do this at The Bridge :) So we divided up amonst the groups and each got to share about ourselves and a Bible story. Then church started at 10am. WOW!! It was an amazing experience. All of the different age groups took turns singing in front of church, which is the dining hall at the training center. I believe Gary has talked about their singing in a past blog. It's something that is hard to describe, but I would compare it to what the angels sound like in heaven. It's pure, genuine worship. There was a time of testimonies. Anyone was welcome to come up and share what God had done in their lives.

Dorcas, a house parent and the choir director, lead her choir in some more amazing worship that was proceded by prayer. During their prayer time, everyone prays at the same time. Some literally cry out to God while others sit quietly in their seats. The children were also involved in this. The level of noise was almost deafening, but beautiful. We were then asked to introduce ourselves and give a short testimony of our lives. We followed this with some worship music and John preaching!

In the afternoon, we visited one of the house parents. Their youngest son, Emmanuel is sick. Please pray for him. He's 4 months old. They brought him to the hospital and saw signs of malaria. The rest of the afternoon was spent with the children playing kick-ball. Julie and I were cheer leading coaches. They thought we were crazy! They eventually joined in. Devotions followed where Gary gave his testimony and encouraged the children to grow in wisdom.
After dinner a few of us returned to the Children's Home to read stories and visit with the children. They're so precious!

On to today (though it's only 1/2 way done...)
Has Gary mentioned how much chai we consume in one day? It's probably an average of 5 cups a day per person! So we were schooled in how to make chai today! We'll make it for church some time.

We joined the whole ELI team for staff devotions. We again had the opportunity to share who we were, a bit about ourselves and words of encouragement. We appreciate that they constantly take time to share words of encouragement with one other as it builds each other up. We have not heard one complaint out of anyone's mouth. There are a lot of struggles, yet they choose to praise God (Bwana asifiwe!) It's sad that it's so unlike our culture. But don't worry. Julie and I are coming home to change that!

Work continued on the imfamous WALL. If you're thinking of constructing one out of bricks and concrete then talk to John, Julie and Charlene. It was a tough day of work because they felt they were more a hinderance than a help. So, our work on the wall is completed. The wall is not completed, but our work is. :) Shadrach and I were not given a 'wall job', so we went to the garden to help Lorence weed the onions. His garden is work of art. He told us that if you enter someone's garden that it's rude not to leave with some food. So he gave us each a passion fruit! YUM. And Gary . . . um. . . we're not sure where he was. Just kidding. He was working on a pamphlet about goats. Or as we like to call them, "The poor man's cow", which I will be milking in 3 hours!

Well, we're off to play with the children. This will be our last time with them as we leave the training center at 7 tomorrow morning. They're having 'closing ceremonies' for us. It'll be a night filled with lots of tears, but we know they have great parents to take care of them.
Thank you for your continued prayer. It plays a big role in what is being accomplished here at the center.

Kenya Day 5: Power Is Out

This blog entry will be short. We are powering the computer and router with citric acid and coconut shells. ;0)

We are going into the surrounding villages today.
God Bless

The Bridge: Day four

Bwana asifiwe! (Praise the Lord!) Today, we took a walk out into the surrounding community and met two ladies who have been trained through the ELI training center.

The first lady, Esther, showed us the bread baking oven she now uses to bake and sell her goods. We enjoyed her rolls and muffins. We also had an opportunity to pray with her and ask God's blessing on her and her business. It was amazing to see how excited she was about working and how she had been empowered by ELI.

When we went into her home, there were beautiful blue skies, yet in the middle of our prayer (about 20 minutes into our visit) the wind kicked up strongly and a torrential downpour started. We waited it out for a few minutes and it passed. We were told that in the Kenyan culture this is considered a sign of blessing. Esther gave us some of her rolls and donuts as a gift to take with us.

Next, we went to the home of a lady named Paris who works as an assistant parent at the children's home. She also has a business of raising baby chicks which she sells to the community for extra income. She told us how she is using her income from the children's home to pay for her sister's schooling. It was incredible to just be walking down a dirt road in the middle of Kenya and soaking in the experience.

We continued to work on the brick wall today and it now stands taller than John. It should soon be finished and we hear we will be doing some more demolition tomorrow.

This afternoon we spent more time playing with the children again. They are such a joy to be around and are truly contagious. They are opening up more and are talking much more with us. I spent some time with a girl named Scopia who showed me the children's garden that they themselves work in and run. They do amazing work and are so proud. She shared with me that she wants to work hard and do good because God has done so much and has forgiven her sins and she is saved. Also I asked about school and she said she likes it very much because it is her future. It was really touching to hear her enthusiasm. This is common among all of them. We also went to devotions with them. It is awesome to hear them sing praises. We try to keep up with them.

We have a great time at our meals with the staff. We usually laugh until we cry. They shared how good it has been to have us here as an encouragement and to bring laughter and joy with us.

It is wonderful to see the messages everyone is leaving. It is incredible that half a world away we can receive the love and support from all of you. We cherish each and every one, even though everyone is complaining that they are mostly for me. :)

The Bridge : Kenya Day 3

The beauty of Kenya continues to impress us. This morning, we sang two songs and Kay spoke to the kids at the training center. Later in the day, we sang these songs again during the devotional time and we taught them the lyrics so that they could sing along. Their voices are clarion-brilliant when singing praises, their expressions of confidence and faith in God gives you chills. We have video :0)

Today, we spent time at the Alcohol Rehabilitation Center. There were 14 men with amazing testimonies of how they are placing their full hope of healing into the Lord's care. We had an opportunity to share our testimonies. You can see the picture taken. Some of these men have traveled great distances to be here. The news of the healing that takes place at the center is spreading quickly throughout the country. The rehab attendees specifically asked for your prayers of healing and perserverance.

Today, while playing with the kids, we taught them kick-ball. The kid's personalities are so vibrant and thier smiles are beaming. We were all lost in the moment with enthusiasm. Shadrach pegged Gary in the back with the soccer ball while running to third. Not exactly a godly example of sportsman-like conduct for the children unless you consider Gary's welt ' suffering for the Lord.' :) Shadrach says it was redemption for my snoring... too easy. During this time there were several pictures taken, one of a rainbow within a clear blue sky. There is another picture taken from exactly the opposite side of the afternoon sky, seconds apart, where majestic clouds are showering rays of light down upon the center's food storehouse off in the distance.

After lunch we began working on adding the brick hallways into the room where we yesterday removed walls. Julie wins the prize for best bricklayer. She must have completed 1/2 the wall herself, but not without us trying to keep up. You can tell from the picture how far ahead of us she was. The guys jested that Chris may be a stay at home daddy with Julie's breadwinning masonry skills. Everyone participated and the 2 walls are looking great. We should have another 2 days worth of work (Julie 1 more day) before completing this phase of our projects.

These are the simple highlites of a day that could easily take hours to recall of all that was experienced. Everyone is healthy, happy and honored to be here. Please liftup the rehab center in your prayers, as well as, Limo and his wife, the neighboring landowner to the Rehab center who donated 2 acres of land for ELI rehab center to use after being impressed by the healing taking place there. Limo's wife is in ICU. Also, the miracles happening here are causing a stir with certain members of the community, especially with those brewing the alcohol. Please pray for their hearts to be softened and moreso for their deliverance.

It is late here now, as we are 10 hours ahead. Shadrach calls me a city slicker for bringing this up, but I must: The African midnight sky extends as far as one can see in every direction, a horizon fully revealing the constellations of the milky way. Truly, as you can imagine, a breathtaking celestial panorama. Glory be to God the creator.

We think and speak of you often and share our family/friend pictures with those we meet. The ladies will write tomorrow.
Until tomorrow.
Gary

The Bridge: Kenya Day 2

The group awoke early this morning to wonderful weather. The first activities of the day included fellowship while enjoying chai (tea). Breakfast consisted of fresh omelettes, freshly-baked bread and honey. While eating we each got an African name.

After breakfast we toured the grounds. The grounds consisted of the gardens, the animal quarters, the training center and the children's home (orphanage). The gardens were spectacular. The size is .8 of an acre. The garden consists of more fruits and vegetables than I can recall. There was an elaborate science to the spacings of each plant, the pest control process, and the fertilization techniques. They are very talented at utilizing the resources that God has given them. Every aspect of the plant is used in one way or another to bring about the most benefit. We will elaborate on this when we return :)

The next part of our day consisted of the men removing walls from one of the living quarters so that we can expand the facility tomorrow to make more living space, as well as allow indoor access to the bathrooms. Currently you need to walk around the building. Tomorrow we will begin adding in the walls. The ladies spent time visiting with the parents at the orphanage.

Everyone is so warm and welcoming and eager to share what God is doing in their life. The parents shared how they came to know each other and how God answered their individual callings to establish Christian homes. And how he did this!

The families are quite large. Today we spoke with one couple who cares for 24 children in addition to their 2 natural children, totaling 28 people in one household. They are not the only ones with families this size! The children are so delightful, they love to sing and dance to the Lord. We were able to spend several hours with the children outdoors playing basketball, baseball, dodgeball, as well as, spending time with them in devotional studies and bedtime stories. God is using ELI to perform awe-inspiring miracles within the transformation of the children's lives for His Glory.

Our joy is truly overflowing witnessing this healing and the fulfillment of God's promises towards his people, the faithful leaders of ELI, the children, the parents and The Bridge.

We thank you for your continued prayers. We will report more, include more pictures, and video as we are able to. Just know that our God is an awesome God.

The Bridge Team Arrived Safely in Ilula!

The Bridge team has safely arrived into the Kenyan village Ilula after approximately 36 hours of travels within 3 airplanes. We arrived to the warmest welcome of a large circle of children singing God's praises, hugging and telling us "Welcome home."

This moment nearly put all into tears of joy as the sincerity and depth of God's love was overflowing. We personally greeted each child and hugged them before parting for an excellent meal together with the ELI leadership.

The Bridge: D-day!

The day has finally arrived. Half of the team (Julie, John & I (Kay) will be meeting at the church in about 4 hours. The rest of the team will be meeting us at the airport.

With this day comes a flood of emotions as final details are being pulled together, soon many tearful 'see you later' will be said as we embark on the next step of this amazing journey God has us on. It's amazing to look back through my life to see everything that God has done to prepare me for this specific time. God is such an amazing author!

We covet every one's prayers deeply as we know they will be a foundation for each thing that is about to happen.

Our prayer for our family and friends while we are gone is that God will bless you and bring you his peace.