Salem: Saying good-bye

The team wrote a somewhat detailed report today at lunch about the last few days. But due to a technical glitch, I lost the entry.

So, as they're currently at the airport (they should be at their gate as I'm typing this), I'll just conclude with some quotes from dinner conversation tonight - 

• Several team members kissed giraffes this morning. You'll have to get the scoop from them!
• Going to the market to buy souvenirs was  quite an experience. Tim described the vendors' enthusiasm to serve them as "like piranhas going for fresh meat"!
• Derick is thinking of starring in "Farmer wants a wife." OK, not really. But he's been told by a Kenyan couple that once their baby gets born, if it's a girl, he can marry her. So the team might re-unite in Kenya in 20 years.
• For dinner, the team sampled crocodile, guineafowl, camel, and had lots of other good meat and salads. They all decided that the camel was not too good. It may take a person the entire flight to Amsterdam to chew one bite.

They really had an amazing time in our village, and we were blessed to have them. We look forward to seeing the future results of their work, especially in terms of the farmers' coop that was started this week!

Thank you for each of you who were a part of this journey through your support and prayers.

Salem: Update 1

Dear friends and family,

We apologize for the delay in getting this out to you. We arrived safely in Kipkaren on Friday to an amazing ELI welcome. There were about 200 children and adults from the center waiting to welcome us with singing and dancing. It made us feel like royalty and we were all teary eyed by the end.

Since then we have settled in to our nice cottages – much better accommodations then we expected. The food has been good and we have been made to feel very welcome and appreciated.

For the most part, everyone is feeling well although Doug and Jenn have been dealing with upset stomachs and a little light headed, that we attribute to the higher elevation.

On Sunday, Tim and H gave the sermon and the rest of us participated in small ways including performing a team song (I know some of you are laughing at this!) We were treated to an amazing display of talented singing and dancing by the children, almost like the African Children’s Choir only from the Kipkaren village! The entire service lasted two and a half hours.

Today Fred and H taught the pastoral seminar to 24 pastors and it was well received. Tim and Deric went into town to hunt for what Ag supplies are available. Doug taught about cooperative to over 80 farmers which was well received. Both seminars will continue tomorrow and Wednesday.

Linda and Jenn met with Michelle from the medical clinic to plan the week’s schedule of teaching opportunities and then spent some time at the clinic this afternoon. Linda had an opportunity to accompany Kiptoo (an RN) and a few others to the public school up the road to invite some of the teachers to the First Aid training that will begin tomorrow.

Vickie spent the day taking pictures of the seminars and working with the cooks.

We are all enjoying being here and are learning much about the Kenyan culture. We are enjoying many opportunities to minister to and build relationships with the people and we are being ministered to also.

Please pray for health and stamina as we are keeping a busy schedule in a different culture and that our hearts and the Kenyan hearts remain open. We hope all is well with those of you back home and we are praying for you also.