Good morning on our last morning in Kipkaren! I’m writing on behalf of the whole team as we are busy packing our things and heading to Ilula. Word on the street is that the road to Ilula is going to be high HIGH adventure! It has rained a lot this week, especially the last two days, making the roads…um, a challenge. We’ll be thanking God for the opportunity to pray as we drive and for the laughter the journey will surely cause.

Last night was our final time with the children. We did devotions with them as usual and wrapped up the week with a physical representation of the gospel message – Bryan acted as Jesus and laid his body down on the ground for Jo to walk across the gap of sin and make it into fellowship with God (played by Christina). After devotions were over, we spent a few minutes taking pictures, receiving letters and small gifts from the children, and saying our tearful goodbyes. These children have for sure taken a special place in our hearts and we will never be the same.

We had an amazing “Bye-Bye Service” with the adults of Kipkaren last night. Representatives from the Training Center, Children’s Home, leadership students, Home-Based Care team, and the missionary community gave speeches and shared the impact that team has left on the community here, then the three pastors on staff prayed for us. We were so touched by their sincerity and kind words…there wasn’t a dry eye in the room! To close, Joshua (our favorite worship leader) started a song and all of our new friends joined in singing in their beautiful Kenyan harmonies. As they sang, they lined up and gave each of us a warm hug, wished us journey mercies, and welcomed us back with a “karibu tena!” We all laughed together as Pastor Peter demonstrated his sweet dance moves, including the motorbike (kickstand, kickstand) and as Bush (the director of the Children’s Home) and Bishop David competed in a jumping contest to the beat of the music. It’s incredible how deep and rich our friendships have become even after only being here for a week. God is so good!

We are so grateful for your continued prayers and comments on the blog. We pray that you are able to get a sense of the amazing things God is allowing us to learn and experience even through our humble and inadequate words. Ben - Roxy misses and loves you too and can’t wait to share all of her exciting and fun memories with you when she gets home. =)

much love,
erin and T.K.

CA Team - Continuing on!

Greetings and salutations from Team Kenya!! We are together sending this so here are the high points of our last two days.
• Yesterday several of us went on home visits. One of the great experiences of Kenya is to go into homes of Kenyans and see them as they are, to encourage them. It is a great honor for a Kenyan that you would come into their homes. Many of them are HIV positive. And for us it is a great experience to see these local villages and homes. It truly is a life changing experience. Christina adds that it is a great opportunity to pray with people in their own setting.
• Bryan says he got bit by a Black Mamba…but Bryan lies all the time and he’s no weirder than when we arrived…so you make the call.
• We’ve spent a lot of time at the school and the Children’s Home. Our time there continues to be sweet. Erin was sitting on the tire swing with a little one on her lap yesterday…trying to put the child’s hands on the ropes and then tickling her. The laughter and glee were infectious and utterly beautiful. We do a daily devotional with the kids in the evening before dinner. The stories, worship and crafts delight the kids…but surely we are more impacted than they. We wish you could hear their voices raised in worship…see their hands raised and eyes closed. It is heaven.
• Bryan enjoyed very much playing football with the kids yesterday…which begs the question of how he’s faring after the snake bite….
• Kacy adds that her career as a “Jumperoo” paid off as she joined in jump rope games with the girls and excelled. Perhaps her “in your face” attitude when she wins is inappropriate but she seems to be loved anyway…
• Some of us have participated in a Leadership Conference for students and alumni of the Training Center. Brian and his Baba talked on vision and communication, our friend Fernando spoke on challenges in leadership, Amanda talked about being a force in the nation as leaders who seek justice. Kathy closed last night talking about perspective…seeing our life as a whole in God’s story.
• Amanda, who you know was sick the first couple of days, is much recovered. Its good to see color in her cheeks and her voice singing again.
• Ben, Roxy wants to remind you that she will be home on Friday the 21st at about 11:30pm. In fact, to all of you who are picking us up….make note!!

From Team Kenya we send love, hugs and blessings. We are experiencing so much that cannot yet be put into words. Thanks for your ongoing prayers.

T.K.

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!

Greetings from the CA Team

Jambo! Greetings!!
As you've been told, we have arrived safely. So much has happened that it would be difficult to convey all of it, but on behalf of the team I will try to give you a taste of our life thus far.
Our journey was approximately 32 hours long...waiting, airplane, waiting, airplane, wild ride through Nairobi, SMALL plane (wee-haa!), wild van ride from Eldoret to Kipkaren Children's Home and Training Center. By end of day on Friday we were zombies. Gratefully, God's promise is true: His mercies are new every morning. On Saturday we awoke to sunshine, breakfast and shining faces...theirs and ours!
While individual stories will come when we return home, I will try to give you a picture of what we've been doing. We have spent several hours a day at the Children's Home worshipping and playing with the children. They truly are so amazing. They worship God with such abandoned and love to sing. They are inspiring to watch and to follow. These children show so much love and care...they love to hold our hand and to sit on your lap. They show respect and affection together.
Christina, Caroline, Amanda, Casey and Roxy did a wonderful job of leading games for the children on Saturday afternoon. Bryan and Brian played soccer with the boys and a good time was had by all. Joanne is amazing at connecting with everyone, adults and children alike. Kathy was assigned the cameras which was so much fun. The kids loved to see their pictures on the digital camera...they are NOT camera shy!
We were given a full tour of the Children's Home and the school. What an amazing work they are doing here...with so much love and integrity. I'll let each team member give you the low down on how they operate the Home. Its amazing.
This morning the team hosted the Sunday School for the children from the Home as well as local children. The girls (noted above) did a fabulous job of telling the story of David and teaching the children "He Knows My Name." It was wonderful. The morning church service (over 3 hours!) was such a grand experience. They sing their hearts out...children and adults...in genuine pure worship. Many are called upon to share their testimony and then there is a brief message from the Word. Today Kathy was asked to bring it (scary!). God is faithful and the translator was very good. Most of the community speaks English, but Swahili is most comfortable for them, so everything is done in both languages. It truly felt like the Church as God sees it...all kinds of people together worshipping Him.
The food has been good...and very different. Fernando, a visitor here with APU missionaries, made salsa yesterday and you would have thought he had discovered the cure for cancer! We praised him embarrassingly and savored every bite. I'll withhold sharing on the bathroom and shower facilities...ask us when we get home!
It is Sunday afternoon here...some of us have gone to the market (Fernando has orders for more salsa!), some to a home visit, and some are taking their Sabbath fully to rest. We are so very grateful for your prayers and love. We feel them and cherish them.
Every team member sends their love to family and friends. Kristen, Isaiah and Hope: Brian/daddy sends love. Budd...I miss you. And personally to every one of you family members and friends we send greeting and love. Perhaps on the next blog we will have opportunity for personal messages...I'll see how we can do that. Wayne ('Baba Brian'...Brian's dad)is a wonderful, kind presence among us.

From Team CA here in Kipkaren, we send love, greetings and gratitude.
Bwana asifiwei (God Bless you).
kathy

CA: Safely in Kipkaren

Just a short note: The CA team has arrived safely in Kipkaren. I haven't seen them or talked to them but am merely relaying a message from the team in Kipkaren. I'll have the team write an update tomorrow when I'm in Kipkaren.

~ Adele, for the team