A few days gone bye

Well we are slowly adjusting jet lag was still rough last two nights but I think the worst is over. We are going to go look at a few other childrens homes through the week and then friday we will be going to an Aids awarness campaign. The childrens in the homes here are very fun, they warm up to u fast and are playing with the painters kids too. I am enjoying my stay so far looking forward to what we have to do the rest of the week.

Josh

We Are here

Hey guys Josh here. We made it to Nairobi Saturday Evening and went to a missionary guest house where we slept like rocks. Then went to a fairly large Morning service on sunday at the nairobi baptist church. After we went and got Calzones at the local market place. Then we had our last one hour flight to Eldoret yesterday as soon as we got here (It was pouring bye the way) the 100 orphans greated us bye singing and gave all of us red and yellow roses. We then ate supper also very good local food Keaton and Karly both really enjoyed being done with flying and having some food, Karly loves Chai also. So now we are here it is monday moring and we are getting ready to take a tour of the place and get to know the kids a little better. So Mom be sure to let Joel know his Bag he let me use was the only one small enough to take on the plain from the hethrow airport in London (that place was a mad house) All the new codes of conduct and allowances you are allowed to take on the plain they wont let anything bigger than a laptop bag go on the plain basically and no gels or liquids DOH. Oh and joels i pod nano was also a huge help no fans here so I had some noise still to sleep lol comforts of home. Well I will try and update as much as possible lova ya guys keep praying as we are going to be headed to the other village later this week I think. Oh the albrights are cool people also they are the head missionary family hear right now.

Josh

Painter Family Update: Arrived Safely

The Painter family and Josh Slate arrived safely in Kenya last night. All their luggage made it, too. They spent today in Nairobi, waiting for their connecting flight, and spent time in Kibera, the largest slum in Nairobi.

Tonight, after arriving in Eldoret, they were welcomed by pouring rain! The children from the children's home couldn't do their usual welcome for the wageni (visitors) but welcomed them in the dining room to the deafening sound of rain on the metal roof.

They then went over to the training center dining area for their welcome dinner, where everyone ended up singing "Happy birthday" to Keaton. She's learned how to say five in Kiswahili, since that's how old she is today.

The girls were excited to make new friends, and the kids here were as excited to see little ones like themselves arriving as guests. In fact, the kids at the homes were really stretching to be able to see the kids sitting down!

The rain has calmed down, and I'm sure they'll all be able to sleep well tonight. This will be a full week for them with lots to see and experience. Please pray for them for their adjustment and simply to be able to sense what God is teaching them through their time in Kenya.

Laura's Update: Pictures!

Beating dried beans with Navy and Emmy
Originally uploaded by Boyznberry.

Click on this photo to see more pictures of me in Kenya.

Laura's Update: Glimpses of the past 2 weeks

Habari friends and family! (How are you?)

It’s been almost 2 weeks since my last update and there are so many amazing experiences, adventures and tangible moments of God’s presence that I can’t possibly describe or reflect on them all. Instead, I thought I would try and describe a few images and memories to help capture these last two weeks.

• Riding on the back of a bicycle taxi (boda boda) up and down the hills of the Rift Valley through endless farms and villages (although usually we biked only down the hills because I weigh more than the men who were pedaling!)...with kids yelling “mzungu!” (white person!).
• Coming back from Kitale on the other side of the Rift Valley with untouched government land (no maize). As I looked out the window of the matatu (public van), I saw miles of green plains with acacia trees and sunshine peering through the ominous afternoon clouds.
• Walking miles everyday with Situma (head of the Kipkaren agricultural center) and Emmanuel (Kenyan intern) with rich conversations about God, community development, politics and culture.
• Hearing Situma try to speak with a Southern accent after my introductory lesson of “Hey ya’ll” and “I’m fixin’ to go eat some chicken.”
• Fitting 22 people in a 14 passenger public van! Fitting 8 people in a taxi barely the size of a Corolla, including 2 in the driver seat. “Like a spare tire, I am the spare driver,” said the passenger next to the driver.
• Singing and dancing to African praise music with 300 youth in Kipkaren in a small church. Personal space is a foreign concept here! I felt such a strong sense of corporate joy like I’ve never known.
• Watching dozens of people get baptized in the Kipkaren river before church while the African praises and roar of the river ushered these individuals into an everlasting declaration of Jesus’ love for them. What a joy it was to see, Cosmas, the night guard, get baptized after leaving alcoholism two years ago!
• Reading bedtime stories to the orphans in the children’s home by kerosene lantern. In exchange they taught me the routine drill when raising the Kenyan flag and their “pledge of allegiance.”
• With Situma and Emmanuel, I had the privilege of interviewing over 25 students who have graduated from ELI’s agricultural 6-month training program. I had the privilege of sitting in their homes and celebrating their victories, hearing about their challenges and failures and brainstorming together how to harness their resources in a way that is sustainable and life giving to their family and community.
• Sitting around with Situma’s wife and about 10 other women who are participating in a group “table banking” system. It has been great to see the things I’ve been reading about in school come to life!
• Meeting with Dorothy, ELI’s admin assistant, who has on her own started a micro loan business, using her own savings from her ELI salary. In the last 3-4 months God has used her to help improve the lives of 50 women! Not only are these women in a more secure financial place, but as I met some of them, I learned about the hope they now have because they realize God has created them for a unique purpose with unique gifts!
• Sitting around the warm coals of the portable cooking stove with Situma and Emmanuel in the evening chill. Sipping chai and sharing our testimonies. Situma was raised in a polygamous home (dad had 3 wives) and because there was no money to send him to secondary school, he borrowed the notes from his friends and taught himself for 4 years under a tree in the middle of their maize filed where no one could find him (the sons from the other wives wanted to curse any sibling who showed signs of being smart, since they were not successful in school. One brother had already been cursed and went from being good in school to mentally ill). As Situma watched the airplanes fly over him as he studied, he was inspired to press on and became #2 in school after he took the final exam!
• Although we were not able to visit Mt. Elgon for 3 days (see first blog for info on Mt. Elgon), we did go just for a day to encourage Nellie who is taking care of 5 children from her siblings who died of AIDS. Read Adele Booysen’s blog entry for to learn more about Nellie's unbelievable story. She is a true example of living by faith and forgiveness. After Adele and I prayed for her, I continued to hold Nellie as she started to cry in my arms. She shared that all her tears are flowing “inside” day in day out. I thank God that we were able to travel back to be a source of encouragement, as she does not have many other believers around her. Pray for her and that she would be a catalyst for change in this depressed community. We had a chance to also pray and share scripture with Nellie’s family and friends (who most are alcoholics) and one even exclaimed “I am in chains!” We believe that God has the power to release her and show her and others a new hope and way of life.

I hope this gives you an idea of what God is doing here in Kenya. Asante sana (thank you very much) again and again for being a part of it and for sending me through your prayers, finances, and encouragement. Know you are God’s vessel just as much as people like Nelly, Dorothy and Situma.

Bwana asifiwe!

Laura