Last day in Ilula...

Roxy
Well this is our last day here at Ilula and tomorrow we’re off to the Safari. I’m finding that my experiences on this trip are pretty hard to put in words; there are so many things that have touched my heart, that I will never be the same. I didn’t write personally the last time we all did b/c I wasn’t sure who would be looking at this, BUT I’m so happy that you (Mom and Benny) have written some things! Mom I can’t wait to come and see the house I’m sure it looks so good and I am so happy that you’re finally getting it all done, I miss you I can’t believe I haven’t talked to you in so long. The tears have been flowing here, who do you think I got that from?!?! Tell Dad, Jess, Doug and the boys I say Hi and I love you all. Benzi I can’t wait to hear about how your new job is going and how things have been!! I miss you so much and can’t wait to see you at the airport, I love you so much. You would have loved it here and I thought about you often when we were with the kids=0)

So an update- I got sick while we were in Kipkaren and was up all night and stayed in until dinner but I’m thankful that it got better after that, and since then I have been great. It’s amazing how much joy these kids have brought me, oh my goodness they are so loving and accepting. I met two girls in particular that both gave me letters and bracelets they were great! I went on a home visit with some others from the group to a woman named Dina’s house and she was amazing. She had so much joy for the Lord and was living with so little but at the same time had so much, I have much more to say about her but I’ll tell you more when I get home. So the stay here at Ilula has been short and I’m sad that we didn’t get more time to interact with everyone. I did get to visit one of the parents yesterday, her name was Mary and she is pregnant with her second child due in about two months I think….it was really nice to get to know her a bit more, and amazing to see how much she cared for all her children and how much she was eager to improve. I can’t imagine having the job of taking care of that many children, but to her it came so easy and she had so much faith in God to keep her strong. Well I think I have written enough, I’ll see you all soon Love you!


Bryan
We arrived in Ilula on Friday, and as it has been raining all week, it was raining then as well. So the dirt roads were more like a muddy swamp. About a mile from the village our vehicle got stuck in the mud so about four of us had the privilege of getting the vehicle unstuck. A little advice to anyone who gets stuck in the mud in the future: the best way to get you vehicle out of the mud is the “rocking method”. Here’s what you do, push the car and let the momentum bring the vehicle back to you, then push it again. After four or five “rocking motions”, you should be cleared from the stuck position. Anyway, we had a lot of fun. The entire group made the best of the situation. The really funny part is when we finally arrived to the village. We had apx 100 kids and 20 adults waiting to welcome us. They were singing songs to honor all of us and to welcome us. So here we are wet and some covered in mud, walking around shaking everybody’s hands. A time we’ll remember for years to come.

I miss all my friends and family. I miss all the students at Discovery; I’m sure things are going well with Lindsay, Brandon, Brian, and all the wonderful leaders in charge. I look forward to Unite Night on Tuesday, Sept 25. The plan is to be in church on Sunday, September 23. I look forward to seeing all of you!

I have so much more to say but I’ll wait until I see all of you. The people here are great and so welcoming and Christ-like. It has really humbled me. I’ll see all of you soon.

PS Tom – you are da man! Thanks for the first aid kit. (Story to follow.)


Kacy
Hellloooo Everyone That I Love! I miss you all greatly, but am sad that our time in Kenya is coming to an end soon. When I left for Kenya, I prayed that I would know God’s character more and in a different way. I prayed that I would get a bigger idea of how BIG God is, experience His love in new ways, and that I might understand the ways He created me to love others. I have learned so much here and have seen over and over again that God is bigger than I ever imagined. I felt like I have been a sponge, absorbing more information and seeing more of God in daily life than I ever imagined. God has definitely been with me in my prayers! I have had many opportunities to have rich discussions with parents, teachers and the kids, of course. This week in Ilula, I was able to teach some parents, Pastor Lucas and Leah Rono, at the Children’s Home how to do “group time” with some of their boys and shared a special bedtime time with the Rono family last night. It’s been a joy and a blessing to be part of these kids’ lives, even for a short time.

We have also been leading children’s activities and devotion times and have been overwhelmed at the love for the Lord even the tiniest kids have. We have heard countless testimonies, memory verses, and beautiful beautiful Swahili songs. PTL! We are sufficiently adorned in beads and covered in love. I enjoy the hang-out down time the most. Amanda and I learned quickly with the Rono family that a love for echo-mics and inflatable guitars is international! Note to self: the echo mic and inflatable instruments have found a home in Kenya… need to purchase more stat. Don’t worry, there is video footage of the first official concert, and I think you might see potential! Rosa and NaNa, there is also a special video for you. Sister, stop being jealous. I left them pictures of you and told them how wonderful you are.

Now let’s talk about how much I love you all and can’t wait to share my pictures and stories. Ailey, I haven’t heard your voice in far too long. Mija and Mooooooo, I miss the A-town lovin’ and wish I could show you pictures in PERSON. To the Fuller folk: let 21 Choices know I’m coming home and prepare yourselves for a killer African dance party (me and Amanda are bringing home instruments!) Drea… IT’S ALMOST TIME! Sister, Rosa, NaNa and the rest of the Schedule crazies: being here in a family-oriented culture has made me miss you like cwwaaaazy! I have told many stories of all of you (well, the ones that are appropriate) but I LOVE LOVE LOVE my family! (Let’s all move to Africa… please?) If Eve and Lily are reading this, I MISS YOU and can’t wait to bring you some surprises! Sadly I will not be bringing home my best African purchase ever: the beloved gum boots (rain boots)… because it hasn’t rained in California IN A YEAR! I will also not be able to bring home the beautiful roses we were given by the children at our welcome. But I bring home their greetings and their love. I am also praying, and ask you to join in my prayers, that I will bring the heart of Kenya with me. I am praying that I will remember to cherish and value each person as a precious creation of God rather than getting lost in schoolwork, practicum, work and general life chaos. It will be a challenge to find balance in American fast-paced life and wanting to incorporate what I have learned in this trip. Go! Fight! Win!
Love you.


Erin
Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE AFRICA??? Just checking.

These few days that we have had in Ilula have been interesting. A lot of the team really poured their hearts out in Kipkaren, so because of that and because of the short time we had here, some of us had a harder time engaging here…and by “us”, I mostly mean “me”. =) However in God’s amazing grace, last night He provided a wonderful time of fellowship and laughter with the children that transformed the strain and the disconnect of the past few days into a time of well-needed emotional re-fueling. I met two kids last night, Alex and Mercy.

Mercy is an 8-year-old beauty who caught me watching her during worship time in devotion. The first time our eyes met her mouth spread into a grin and her eyes quickly darted to the floor and a game of still and silent hide-and-seek began over the heads of 47 singing children. After devotions were over, I saw her walking back to her gazebo for dinner so I ran up behind her to sweep her up into a big hug. Over the next few minutes we stood in a circle with some of her sisters and some of the other girls on the team and played a few games that involved her pushing up on my hands, intertwining her fingers with mine, and giggling as she held onto my fingers and spun under my arm. We didn’t say anything to each other, but we didn’t have to. When it was time to go, she gave me a big smile and a huge hug and I knew that our hearts had been joined forever.

Alex is a 12-year-old orphan who has an incredible leadership ability growing inside of him. I watched him help his brothers and sisters during our craft, set an example of patience and attentiveness during Kacy’s devotion, and when we asked the kids to give a testimony, he was the only one to stand up. He thanked God for everything in his life - from his great parents and home to the blessing of the rain, from the safety God had provided us (the visitors) to the gift of salvation. When I looked at him I felt like I was looking into the future of Kenya, and even more, into the future of the Kingdom, and I was overcome with peace and joy and gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of an organization that is providing orphans like Alex the chance to fulfill God’s calling on their lives.

So, I’m getting ready to be abandoned and left to fend for myself in the African bush!! Well, maybe it’s not quite that dramatic, but I am preparing for the team to leave and to see what this next week and a half will hold for me. Please keep praying! Pray that I will not be afraid to let God keep pouring into me and that I will not be afraid to keep pouring into those around me. Pray for continued health and safety (and maybe for a break in the rain???). Pray that I would be sensitive to what God wants me to see and who He wants me to talk to and what He wants me to learn over the next eleven days and that I would be filled once again with God’s energy, joy, passion, and love.

Thanks to everyone who has been praying us through to this point. Chris & Erica – I hope the move went well and that you are already feeling at home in your new place. Mom & Steve – I hope things are going great for you and that you are dealing ok with Chris and Erica and Taylor (well….mostly Taylor, let’s be honest) being gone. Dad & Lisa – thanks so much for the comments you have left on the blog. It has been such a blessing to get an occasional note from home. Tabitha – I LOVE YOU!!!! I can’t wait til we’re officially roomies for more than a weekend! Everyone else, I miss you and love you and would love to hear from you through comments on the blog over the next 11 days while I’m here by myself!! I love you guys and am so thankful for the role that each of you play in my life and in this journey.
much love,
erin


Kathy
Hello my dear friends and family. We are just days away from returning home and I am so anxious to hug you and look at your faces!

Kenya has been amazing. We have been in Ilula the last few days. Our trip to Ilula was memorable beyond words. The road to the Children’s Home/Training Center was muddy, muddy, muddy. In fact, both vehicles got stuck at some point. Fortunately we had purchased “gum boots” in Eldoret on our way here. These are basically just big rubber boots. It was so much fun to walk…it was raining, muddy…and when the vehicle got stuck we went back to push. We rocked it until it finally went forward…and sprayed us with rich, red mud. We were an absolute mess when we arrived at the Children’s Home to 92 children singing…waiting for us with bouquets of roses. It was such a lovely reception.

Samuel and Laban, who run this facility, are amazing men of God. Their wives, too, are so wonderful to talk to. These people are doing an unbelievable work in the midst of so many challenges. They truly are heroes.

We were supposed to leave tomorrow morning, driving to Eldoret then flying to Nairobi and catching another flight to the Safari location. With the amount of rain and mud we’ve decided to leave this afternoon and fly to Nairobi, spend the night at the Mayfield Missions Home and leave tomorrow for the Safari. Because our flight was due out early it seemed best to get out this afternoon. It will be an adventure that I’ll surely tell you about.

My heart has been so filled, challenged and broken. I don’t even know what I’m learning. I just try to take it all in and pray that I will never be the same…never go back to who I was before I came. I don’t know all that means, but I know that I want to be changed by this. I love you all dearly and pray blessings on you. I hug you.
Kathy


Joanne
Rose…are the Camboni Missionaries in Nairobi? If so, where?


Amanda
Hello everyone! I wish I could tell you that I miss you all dearly and that I am homesick and want to come home, but, if I tell the truth I love it here and don’t miss LA at all. J Of course, if I wasn’t coming home in a few days I’m sure I would miss you more. Haha.

Thank you so much for your prayers. Since I’ve been healthier (and not dizzy) my time here has been wonderful. There is such a rich and deeply rooted presence of God here and I feel like I’ve been pulled back on course just by watching how these people love their God and depend on Him for all things. Words really can’t describe the steadfastness of their faith…I wish they could!

Kipkaren and Illula (the village we are in now) are very different communities. Aside from the geographical and climate differences, the people and programs are very distinct, and I have really enjoyed both of them. Kipkaren was more chaotic…not that the programs and purpose weren’t organized, things ran like a well-oiled machine. But the energy was explosive and a good representation of Africa, I think (chaotic yet completely ordered at the same time). Illula is more mellow and methodical. The leaders here have been at it a little longer; they are seasoned and wise and I have truly appreciated the small glimpse I have gotten of their obedient service to the Lord and the people of their country.

We are off to safari today, and I hate to admit that I am so scared of being eaten by a lion that I’d rather skip the adventure and stay here and learn more from these wonderful people. But, there will be a good amount of debriefing in the next few days, and so I would like to ask that you would pray hard for me in this final stretch. Please pray that I will hear from God and understand how to begin to relate this experience to the rest of my experiences and my future direction. Brian mentioned when we were in Kipkaren that when you go to Africa, you leave with a disease called Africa that you can never get rid of. I think I’ve been bit with the bug, but still need to know what to do with it!

Thanks again for your prayers. I love you and can’t wait to show pictures and share stories (like when I got locked in the choo [bathroom]!) J

Bwana Asifiwe (Praise the Lord),
Amanda
PS: Mom and Dad I am glad you made it to your new home safely and hope you are getting settled!
PPS: thank you to all who have left comments or emails of encouragement. I have gotten to read most of them at least briefly and they have spurred me on! Bless you!