Christian Assembly - Settling in.

BRYAN SANDS:
Dear family and friends,
From Bryan

All is well and I love my time here. The group and I have been spending a lot of time with the children. They are so precious. They’re not use to seeing other human beings with white skin so every time we get kids around us they are inquisitive and put their hands all over our face and hands attempting to figure us out. The children are so well behaved and respectful to everyone. Yes, it’s true, children can behave!

There are ninety-three children in the orphanage and four sets of parents who are in charge of them. The children stay in separate rooms than the parents and it’s very organized. It’s neat seeing how the older kids take care of the younger kids.

We’ll be in Kipkaren (that’s the village we’re in now) until Friday then we head to Ilula (another African village) for a few days and we’ll top off our journey with a two day safari. Oh and on our way back to the States we’ll stop at a restaurant and I’ll enjoy some giraffe and zebra (and no I don’t think the meat is striped).

I do miss all you youth group students, family and friends. Thank you for your continued prayers while I’m here. I am truly grateful.

Love, Bryan

CAROLYN AND CHRISTINA CONTRERAS:
Greetings Mom, Dad, Sheshe, Meagan, Eddie, Adrienne, and P&P!

Kipkaren is wonderful and we’re doing very well with the toilet and bath situation, we have just about mastered it Kenyan style. We miss and love you all very much. God Bless
Love, Christina and Carolyn

AMANDA MORGAN

Hey everyone! I think by now there’s been a post or two that we have arrived safely and have begun activities with the orphans and others who live at the ELI Center. I wish I had some wonderful stories to share with you all, but unfortunately, God has really been humbling me and the time here so far has been very difficult. I have been pretty sick ever since we arrived, and have spent the majority of each day in bed. It has been challenging to have come all this way and yet feel separate from the team and the wonderful people here. Please pray for God to fully heal me and allow me to join in the events of each day. Please pray specifically for God to heal me of dizziness – I have literally been dizzy 24 hours a day since we arrived last Friday and it is making everything very difficult.

Thank you so much for your prayers…I really feel a great need for them right now. Keep praying, and I hope I can send you stories of fun adventures soon!

Grateful for you,
Amanda

KATHY CHRISTOPHER

So to my family and friends I send my personal greetings and much love. I think of you more than you know as I see and experience so many new and different….and challenging things. The first night here (I was very over-tired and you know that means I’m unraveling), I went to bed and was feeling utterly inadequate for this task…unsure that I had it in me to be whatever I’m supposed to be here. I drew a word of encouragement from the bag Sarah sent with me. It was Micah 6:8. “The Lord has told you what is good. To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Well heck, I can do that! It was such a moment of God showing up to encourage me. I was very, very grateful. Every day has had amazing blessings…holding these children, playing with them, being blessed by them. Every day has also had great personal challenges like feeling totally out of sync with the culture, anxious that I not do the wrong thing, trying to take care of basic human needs…daily necessities…personal stuff…you know what I mean? It ain’t Kohler bathrooms over here….
I just wanted to let you know that I love you. Nikki, Sara and Sarahd, thank you for your thoughtful notes. To each of you who I know is praying for me, thinking of me, missing me, it means the world. I love you and can’t wait to show you these pictures…though I know they cannot capture the fullness of what’s going on here.
I send you greetings from Kenya.
kath


KACY CHAFFIN
Hello everyone!! Thank you so much for your prayers and the support that has led me here to this great adventure! Kenya already has a hold on my heart. (Don’t tell NaNa!) My health has been well and I have slept more here than I have in my entire life! I have developed a love for Chai (Melissa Ailey will be pleased) and am diggin’ the African cuisine. PTL for my hot pink leggings as I adjust to a life of skirts and slips! I’ve befriended a sweet, sweet child named Gloria and her friends are working on teaching us African dances. Prepare yourself for some sweet new moves. Yesterday I went on a home visit and was blessed to see life outside of the community we are staying in and learn about the culture. I even got to see a video of an African wedding!
I am having a wonderful time as God is showing me His character in new ways. I do not yet have words to capture my experience, but am praying that I will internalize the moments here in a way that I will be able to hold on to forever. I love you all and am excited to share stories and pictures! (PS: Sorry Sister. A child stepped on your camera and broke the flash.) Sending you kisses and hugs! Love, Love, LOVE YOU!

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN
Hey friends!! Bwana asifiwe! (That means “Praise the Lord,” and you should be responding with a resounding “AMEN” right about now…) Since we have arrived, I haven’t stopped thinking of the AMPM slogan that says, “Too much good stuff.” From our beautiful welcome to the hilarious time of trying to fly a kite with the kids, the sounds of the church singing praise songs and the river rushing by outside our room to the amazing view of the valley all around us, the hugs from our brothers and sisters here that are full of warmth and love to the sweet moments of rocking my new little orphan friend as she sleeps peacefully on my chest, my heart is full.
Mom, Dad, you may not be too excited about this, but I feel once again like my heart has come home. I still very much feel like a kid eating Thanksgiving dinner at the grown-ups table for the first time, but I know even more now that my place with ELI is a gift from God and that this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Thank you so much for your prayers! Please continue to pray for unity, health, and safety for our team, that we would be diligent in listening and responding to God’s direction for each day we are here, and that we would have open hearts to process all the amazing things we are experiencing and clearly hear what God is trying to teach us.
Oh, and good news everyone: No new parasites as of yet! (but I’ll keep you posted…)

much love,
erin


Joann Saraceno

To the Saraceno clan and Friends

Woo-hoo! I am in Kenya!!!!!
Praise the Lord! [Amen!]
Praise the Lord, again! [Amen]

Hmmmmmmmm I am told to keep this short so……….. Just some things for you to ask me and I’ll tell you about :
• The plane ride and God’s blessings w/ the seating arrangements and those I sat next to
• The toilet adventures and the advantages of dropping something in the toilet and not having to worry about it clogging up the drain (the downside… the item is non-retrievabe!!0
• The Kenyan shower…. Which I will attempt to do in our drought state ….however… the first shower was a little awkward… me in my birthday suit and the door flying open!!! Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord….
• Fab food
• Even more fab…. The music!!!! Yippie I love the music!!
• The Kenyan people very welcoming both the adults and the children; I am finally getting and giving my daily dose of hugs
The life is not fast paced at all, very peaceful!!
I spent sometime in the class room…. Awesome! Rose you would love it! The kids are very well behaved and the teachers do not spend any time babysitting…. They teach! Almost all lessons are taught in English!!!

God is sooooooooooooo visible; in this compound, God rules and the successes are because of Him. This place is a place of hope. The children thrive because they are loved and they know the King of Kings!

I’ve exceeded my space….. I love you all;
Remember who you are!
Rafiki and Mike start saving your money…. You’re next!! God has take care of the anxiety stuff…. I only threw up twice!! Right on!
Happy Birthday Pam

Love hugs and Blessings,
Ho
For whom the Son sets free shall be free indeed! Ciao.


ROXY

Hello and love to all of my friends and family. I send greetings!