NewSong Comprehensive Team Update

Wednesday, July 9
Diann led a spiritual formation time with the children’s home house parents specifically dealing with anger. This was followed by all four team members dividing the parents by gender, men with men, women with women, to discuss adolescent development issues specific to the gender. These development concerns are just beginning to be seen at the Kipkaren River Children’s Home and the parents are searching for effective ways to talk about them with the children.

Dan concluded a devotional experience by taking the older children on a treasure hunt teaching them to use a compass. The children were delighted to find the hidden treasure of a soccer ball and a jump rope.

Duke finished working on a game he had taught the children. He and Diann had to paint 96 sets of four rocks as playing pieces. Now each child has his/her own distinctive set.

Peggy finished helping Adele, our team hostess; sew colorful curtains for the guest rooms we stayed in.

Following staff devotions at 4:00 p.m., the team enjoyed dinner with Michelle and William Kiprop, staff members of ELI, and heard the story of the chaotic journey of their first 9 months of marriage.

Duke and Peggy met with another Kenyan couple who are recently married and searching for ways to bring diverse backgrounds into a healthy marriage.

Thursday, July 10
Following a breakfast time debriefing with Adele, Dan met with the headmaster and his assistant at the Brook of Faith Primary School to search out ways to improve the traditional methods of educational practice in the school and to plan for the development of a secondary school. This meeting was followed by a lengthy discussion on the same topic with Training Center Director, David Tarus. Together they examined solutions to bringing more financial support to the schools.

Diann, Duke, and Peggy went walking with Stone and Wilson, two ELI staff members who work with the ministry to alcoholics. They heard their stories and were able to meet with and encourage some recovered alcoholics. One lady who has come out of alcoholism and accepted the Lord as her savior stated that since the day she let Jesus into her life 6 months ago, neither she nor her children have gone hungry. That is an amazing testimony since she brewed alcohol to have money for food.

In the afternoon, Diann and Peggy attended a fun party for 30 women of the ELI staff put on by Juli and Allison, American staff members working in health care. It was a great time of celebrating each woman and encouraging them in their work they do for ELI.

When the afternoon rains started, the team received the affirmations of the training center, children’s home, and primary school staff in a farewell service. They are such a gracious and loving people. We were also able to share our closing thoughts with them letting them know how our lives had been affected because of their lives, work, and testimonies. This service was followed by a tearful goodbye from all the children in the orphanage. So many hugs!

Friday, July 11
We left the training center at 6:45 a.m. for an Indiana Jones style ride over slippery, rutted, rock filled roads to the airport. Adele’s skillful driving got us there 25 minutes before the plane left the ground. Upon arrival in Nairobi, Micah who is a trainer in the Dynamic Business Start-Up Project, served as our driver and took us to an orphan baby elephant rescue center where we witnessed 12 ranging in ages from 2 to 22 months be bottle fed and played with. We heard the sad stories of how they were orphaned, many by poachers, and how they would be trained for their return to the wild at age 3.

In the afternoon after settling into our rooms at the Mayfield Guesthouse, Duke and Peggy went on a walk exploring a farmer’s market and AIDS rescue clinic, Diann took a needed nap, and Dan spent 3 hours at an elite private high school once again exploring how Kenyans view and practice good education.

We all enjoyed HOT showers and soft mattresses.

Saturday, July 12
Dan discovered he has no voice due to a viral cold. His day was spent forming a report on his findings and recommendations to ELI leadership concerning the continued development of the educational program.

Diann spent the morning and early afternoon doing spiritual formation training at the church of a Kenyan pastor that was a part of the New Song Church community for several years while attending Fuller Seminary.

Duke and Peggy composed this report, journaled, and got some needed rest.

At 3:00 p.m., Micah once again became our tour guide taking us to a open air market then on to the Carnivore Restaurant where we enjoyed the delicacies of roast ostrich, crocodile, water buffalo, sheep, cow, and chicken while debriefing our time in Kenya and preparing ourselves for our return to the USA where we will share our insights, experiences, and shaping of our time of ministry to the wonderful people of Ilula and Kipkaren, Kenya.

Sunday, July 13
We will enjoy an early morning drive-through safari at the Nairobi Game Park then on to church with Wendy Ludovici, and ELI staff member working in business development in Nairobi. Following church we will do some more sight-seeing around Nairobi, then drive to the airport for the 11:20 p.m. start of our 26 hour flight home.

Monday, July 14
Afternoon arrival to be embraced (we hope) by our families.

We have all had an experience that is a gift and also a challenge. There are so many amazing stories, sights, and relationships that have impacted our lives over the last 18 days. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts of us. You have provided us with blessing and shield. Please pray now for our safe journey home. We hope to see many of you very soon and share first hand this experience with you.

With our deepest love and regards,
Dan, Duke, Peggy, & Diann

NewSong Update: Wednesday

The NewSong team continues to enjoy God’s blessing as we live and love among the people around the Kipkaren River Training and Development Center.

Diann, Duke, & Peggy have just wrapped up three days of seminars with parents of the community and have had good discussions about parenting, marriage, and letting God do His work in us.

Diane, doing an intensive training seminar with children's home parents

Dan has visited the Kamagut High School and continues to gather information and plant seeds of educational reform with the leadership of ELI’s schools. Today he walked the ground where the new high school will be built and received God’s promise that this ground would yield its fruit in its season. We also have spent time in homes and seen amazing families overcoming the many challenges of life with God’s love in their hearts. God, through ELI, is at work here!

Brian, biological son of Mike & Dorcas, ELI Kipkaren orphanage parents

Please continue to support us in prayer as we finish or time in Kipkaren on Thursday and head back to Nairobi on Friday where we will spend time with two missionary friends, explore the local marketplace, see a slum ministry, visit a high school, do a short drive-through safari, then board the plane for the long journey back to California.

We are tired but well and that is a good way to be. God has done a work in the seeds we have planted and He has done a work in our lives as well. We look forward to sharing more of our ADVENTURE with you in the days ahead.

Dan, Diann, Duke, & Peggy

~ text & photos by Dan

NewSong: Weekend Activities

It's been a busy weekend at Kipkaren, and the NewSong team have been able to observe some of the day-to-day ministry happening in our village.

On Friday night, they danced into the night with the children from the Children's Home and the Salvation Army Band that came for the AIDS campaign the next day. They were up early on Saturday to join the Kids' Camp (a one-day VBS-type event), after which they headed out to the campaign. They managed not to get caught in the typical afternoon rain storm. This photo of the team was taken right before they left the campaign. The sky was looking pretty ominous by then...

Today, Dan preached in church. (Diane caught a local virus that took her voice away for a bit. Please pray that her voice will hold up the rest of the week.) After lunch, the team enjoyed resting. They played Phase 10 with some of us ELI missionaries in the new visitor's gazebo by the river.


This week will be a busy one for them. Diane is teaching at the staff devotions. Then, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, she, Duke and Peggy are doing 3-hour seminars for ELI parents and community members on parenting adolescents. Diane and Peggy will be leading the Monday afternoon women's meeting, too. Dan's been leading devotions at the children's home.

I'm sure they'll write an update tomorrow or sometime soon so you can hear from them how things are going. They're doing wonderfully, though, and we're blessed to have them here.

NewSong Team Update

Praise be to God!
A NewSong update by Peggy & Diann

After 41 hours of travel by car, train, bus, plane, and plane, and plane, and waiting along the way we arrived safely in Nairobi Friday night, June 27. We spent the night (or really the early morning hours for most of us, since one of our suitcases got left behind at the Nairobi airport and had to be fetched) at a missionary guest house in Nairobi.

On Saturday morning, after having to adjust our packing a bit due to a weight restriction, we flew in a 20-seater plane for Eldoret. (Our remaining two cases came the next evening.) Seeing the landscape from this vantage point was beautiful. We were picked up by the Ilula Children’s Home Director Laban Rono, the Ukweli Training Center Manager Patrick Kiprop and the Short Term Teams Coordinator Joel. They drove us through town and out a ways to the Ilula Children’s Home.

We received a beautiful greeting from the children as we pulled down the driveway onto the campus. All 90+ children were lined up in a semi-circle formation, from smallest to biggest. The four little ones at the start of the line held a bouquet of roses, one for each of us. As we walked down the line, each of them extended their precious little hand to shake ours and they put left hand over their right forearm as a gesture of honor to us, all the while saying: “Welcome” or “Welcome Home.” It was a greeting that overwhelmed our senses and emotions. The people here are very gracious, grateful, and kind . We received several warm welcomes by different staff and children in word, song, and dance before the welcome ceremony was concluded.

From that time until now, five full days have flown by. The people here, both ELI staff and villagers alike, are warm and loving people who value relationship. They have shared the stories of their lives and asked us about ours. The sharing has been rich. Time is not as important as people, and it is measured more by the event than the minute—although they do plan a daily and weekly schedule and pack a lot into each day. They are very grateful for us as their “visitors” and are so open and eager to listen and receive what God can speak through us. We have had several formal opportunities, and many casual ones, to minister; here are some highlights:

• interacting with the staff of the Children’s Home, adult Training Center, and the Director of Operations for ELI Kenya over meals and in rich conversations
• Duke and Peggy, primarily, spent three days of seminar discussions with the Children’s Home house parents; Diann sat in on the last two and contributed
• a few hours of seminar discussion with 13 men and their two leaders in the 30-day alcoholic rehabilitation group—they live on the grounds and graduate Saturday (four are being baptized!); it was a powerful time
• Dan met with the teachers and headmaster of the school next to the Children’s Home to discuss improvements in teaching and student growth
• Diann was the main speaker at a church service on Sunday in a beautiful area at 8,500 feet elevation; three congregations came together for it and we were the first team to ever be taken to this area
• we all spoke to a group from the church that afternoon about their community concerns and gave ideas, challenge, and encouragement
  

Each of these opportunities has been a privilege to be used by God as well as the many small conversations and interactions we have had interspersed among these. These wonderful people have hearts that are open wide to God’s truth and calling and have touched our hearts and deepened our faith immensely.

Tomorrow* we leave for 8 nights in Kipkaren and begin again to bond with God’s dear servants and to serve the least of these in Jesus’ precious name.

By His grace and for His glory,

NewSong Church Kenya Team
Dan Perrine, Duke and Peggy Draeger, Diann Enderby

* The team has since arrived at Kipkaren and are enjoying the new Kipkaren guest houses on the banks of the Kipkaren River. So far, they've been on tours of the various ministries at this base, and right now, they're at the graduation of the new DBSP class, a small-business training program. Tomorrow, they'll be spending some time at a children's rally (300+ are expected) as well as at an AIDS campaign.

Please keep praying for the team, for good health & for God to show them his heart.

NewSong: Final Update

Our time has been wonderful! Sadly, we will leave in a few minutes to share devotions with the children for the last time. We are going to miss their infectious laughter and precious little smiles. Each night, Daren has led them in a few songs that they have come to enjoy... "Noah's Ark" and "Waddley Acha". We wish you could share in their sheer glee, as they laugh hysterically at the goofy faces and animal noises. It is impossible to escape the grasp of them stealing our hearts.

Illula has shown us the success that the children's homes are having in raising up intelligent, beautiful kids who will undoubtedly impact the future of Kenya. Each child has a their individual dream according to their giftings... some desire to become a pilot, a nurse, a doctor, an engineer, a farmer, a politician, or some other wonderful career. We are confident they will succeed in reaching their goals. Even the young ones seem to know what they want to do and are making tremendous strides in that direction.

Tonight we will celebrate with the Kenyan leadership at a closing ceremony, all that God has accomplished during our short time with them. It is with mixed emotions that we embrace the close of our time here. While we are excited to return home to all of you in America, we are already feeling the pain of leaving these new friends behind. There is no question that Empowering Lives International is making a difference. Please join us in continuing a commitment to uphold this organization and their many arms of ministry in prayer. The staff here lead humble, courageous lives offering all they have to God's service. We stand in awe at the commitment and sacrifices they are each making every day. Although life here in Kenya is difficult, it is satisfying when you see the results that the training centers, schools, and children's homes are making.

Tomorrow morning early, we fly to the Masai Mara to enjoy a brief safari. We plan to take lots of photos of the wildlife and scenery before departing from this beautiful country. We have already seen the true beauty Africa has to offer through its people and culture. We hope this safari will only further round out our experience with the natural sights that the wilderness has to offer. Friday we board our international flight to return home to all of you. We look forward to sleeping in our own beds again Saturday night.

We love you and await our opportunity to share the many adventures we have embraced.

Thank you for your love and support,
The 2007 NewSong Kenya Team

New Song: Annie reports

When we arrived in Kip Karen around 8 pm, the entire center was their to greet us. It was amazing! The warm welcome was felt the entire time we were in Kipkaren.

The children are amazing! They smile every time they see you and enjoy the simplest of games. We have been blessed to have spent every evening with them singing songs and reading stories. We will attempt to post some pictures tomorrow but we have had some "technical" difficulties up to now. Technical difficulties include no electricity during the day or running water. It was interesting to use the "toilet" in the middle of the night with all the frogs! Yuck! They use the word "cho" or toilet but not bathroom as that means a place were you bathe.

Another amazing thing is how friendly everyone is. Wherever you go, people stop to shake your hand, greet you and tell you to have a good day. This happens A LOT as everyone walks everywhere. (Very few people have enough money for cars.) We also spent some time visiting with some local Kenyans in their homes. They spent time sharing their stories with us and treating us to chai.

We also spent some time with the American missionaries that live there. (Juli McGowan, Allison Tjaden, Dan and Jen Davis) These people have given up their comfort, their homes in the USA, modern conveniences, all to help the people of Kenya. WOW! I cannot begin to describe the type of courage it must take to give of oneself so completely. We will miss their company as we leave for Ilula.

We will either send an email or get the blog page to work in the next few days. Look for pictures by Friday.

We hope this email finds everyone doing well.

The New Song Team

Annie Welch

Daren Bachman

Duke Draeger

Dan & Myra Perrine

New Song Update from Kenya!

I’ve been trying to reach the team for the past few days, but haven’t been able to reach them. Annie finally called me this morning with news from the team.

Everyone’s doing really, really well. They’re all getting over jet lag. Says Annie, “We’ve been having a good time. We’re enjoying the atmosphere at Kipkaren. The kids have especially been amazing! We’re falling in love with them. They’re stealing our hearts! We’ve been playing with them after school, singing and leading their evening devotions.”

According to Annie, it didn't take a lot to get used to the bathroom arrangements and such. Thanks for your prayers!

Their first two days (Monday and Tuesday) were spent with the 33 students who are currently in ELI’s 9-month bio-intensive agricultural training program. They conducted leadership training, did exercises in team building, and Dan and Myra presented a variety of talks.

Yesterday, Duke conducted a marriage seminar for all the couples who are serving as parents at the orphanage. Duke loved it and is doing really well, too!

While Duke, Dan and Myra were at the parents’ training day, Daren and Annie went to Edwin’s home with ELI staff Juli and Allison. The 12-year-old Edwin sadly passed away yesterday after years of heart problems and surgery. Allison and Juli have been friends with Edwin for several years, visiting him in the hospital, raising funds for his surgeries and more. Daren and Annie were touched to be able to be with Edwin’s family during this difficult time.

Yesterday was Daren’s birthday. The team had taken carrot cake mix, and after dinner at ELI Kipkaren Director David Tarus’ house, they had carrot cake and celebrated the big 4-0 with Daren.

Today, they've been busy doing a leadership seminar for ELI staff and were all still in the training when I got to speak with Annie.

They’ll call me again early next week with an update and will also try to send me photos at that time to upload.

Again, thank you for being part of this journey with Daren, Duke, Annie, Dan and Myra!