Winding Down

Well, these last few weeks have been busy.  Getting things done and preparing to leave.  I miss everyone a home so very much!  I think I have run out of grace for being here, so since I am not leaving yet, I keep praying for more.  And He is good and supplies me with my every need!  I can honestly say that I am not sorry to have missed our very hot summer, being here in the hills of Kenya during winter.  Even if it is on the equator it has been cool at times because of the high altitude.

Kids in the 'neighborhood' playing marbles :-)

This is just one flower on a Poinsetta TREE!

We went to the crater, dormant volcano (steam still rises here, don't know how dormant it is)


Well, Kids Day was a huge success.  So I'm told :-)  I was asked to do this for the kids in church.  Well, ok, there are maybe 30 kids on a full Sunday and with their friends maybe we'll have 50, so let's plan for 100.  Lakini (but), Geroge did not tell me he invited 2 churches and their Sunday school teachers!  Turnout was around 150!  The Kingdom Hikers helped ALOT!  I couldn't have done it without them.  We had fun!  At 9 we got there to decorate (put up balloons and the banner) and were greeted by friends! 

Then they trickled in all day.  We started singing and worship, Gideon leading, at about 10:30.  When there was about 100 I taught a bible lesson:  Jesus loves the children, kwa kwali (of course) and His Triumphant Entry (palm leaves and everything!)  Largest group I had ever taught and with an interpretter (swahili)

One hundred and fifty!  Oh Lord, stretch the snacks and prizes! (And He did!)

Me and Mary's cute little Nahid!

It was a good day!

Mama and toto (baby) at the gate of Lake Nakuru Park.  We went to look at the baboons.  They just roam around there, and by the homes in nearby Lakeview (getting into homes and vehicles looking for food!)  We are going on safari to the park tomarrow!  It will be so much fun!

Bye, and love to you all!
I can't wait to see you next week!

Praise the Lord for the Kingdom Hikers!

 

 

I have been thoroughly and completely blessed by this wonderful group of young people.  This is an amazing group of young people between the ages of 16 and 23.  This is the exact ages of 'my' young people, who are at home and abroad and I miss so very much.  God is so very good!  He has given me opportunities to be with these delightful young people, and they actually want me to be with them (some even affectionately call me 'mom').  They are very dear and I love them very much.  They amaze me with their love for God, their desire to go deeper with Him, and their uninhibited way of worshipping and praying. 

Here let me introduce you to a few of them:


Gideon, Robert, and my Johnny.
Hanging out at our house.



Robert, Gideon, and Adrian praising God.



Simon having a silly moment with Michelle :-)



Dickson



Brandon with Kenford, Lloyd, and Simon on a hike to the caves.

Evelyn, Janet, Simon, Kenford, and Lloyd



Sweet Flora

                                          Enchanting Janet :-)

The Talent Show they hosted was awesome.  Everyone had so much fun!  But their goal is not to have fun, but to have a purpose and to reach out to other teens and people with God's love.   I am honored to be here with them.

Back of Llyod's shirt

Simon

Lily, dear Mary, Modesta, praising God.

Tamasha (Festival)
Alan, Herman, Zippy

It was a good day!







It is SUNDAY!!!

Every Sunday I load up my felt bible story board with the pieces I have chosen for my story, my craft, and 'sweeties' for the kids.  I have prepared during the week for the teaching.



This is my Beatie who tirelessly helped my cut out
the 600 felt pieces for the Felt Bible Stort Board!

 

Here I am making the game for this week.

Here are the 30 fish and bread necklaces I made for class.
Doesn't it look like a fish net? :-)

 I arrive and enter the tent for worship, after worship I head to the 'classroom' where I am greeted by 10-30 wonderful children and begin to review last weeks teaching, sing, and teach my new lesson. 

Teaching with my Bible Story Felt Board

We then choose songs to sing and review this weeks bible verse for presentation at the end of service.

This is 'Toss Jonah into the Fish' with beanbags.

Sometimes we play a game. Or just wait for our turn.

 It is very fun teaching these wonderful children and I enjoy it very much!
I am very grateful to my brother Tom and his wife Barb for helping me get this Bible Felt Story board for me to use here in Kenya!

Here we are!

I can't believe I've already been here one whole month!  Time went vey slow at first, not boring, just not going fast.  Probably there was so very much to get used to! 


Here are some monkeys hanging around near the gate at Lake Nakuru.
We were warned about the baboons, they are dangerous, but there weren't any,
only these adorable, cute playful monkeys!

So, here I am.  My days are busy, much the same as at home:  cooking, cleaning, teaching and shopping.  The ladies take turns cooking breakfast and lunch.  And doing cleanup.  Then Mary, our cook, comes in and makes dinner (we cleanup). There are still bathrooms and bedrooms to clean. Beatie does ALOT and takes good care of us!




Mary, our friend and cook.

Power outages are pretty frequent.  At least once a day, sometimes up to five times a day.  We've even had a candlelight breakfast on occasion (very romantic :-)

Here is Chloe studying her biology by flashlight during a power outage.

So, I spend my 'free' time crocheting.  I have made cell phone bags for Nellie, Beatie, and Petranella (and Amma).  I made a bag and a Simba (lion) for Michelle. I made Beatie a hat, she watched me and wanted to learn, she caught on quickly (I've never seen anyone that quick) and proceeded to make herself a bag and a scarf (fringe was added later!)  I made a shawl for Mary the priestess,
 also.  Now I've been busy making knitted wash clothes, I sent some home with Chloe and made one for Petronella.

A bag and a lion (simba) I made for Michelle.



Beatie looking 'smart' in the hat I made her and
the bag and scarf she made!

Here is my rafiki wangu (my good friend) Petranella
at her sewing shop.

I also practice my swahili as much as possible.  I am learning swahili as Michelle is learning english, she's 2 1/2 and I'm 50. :-) And I'm learning swahili songs with the children at church (songs really help).

That's all for now. Kwa heri! (goodbye)

Week one

Well, it has been quite an exciting week.  Shopping in Nakuru, getting settled, and finally getting our luggage!


These trees are incredible in the evening sun, they looked golden!

So amazing to see monkeys on the roadside!
We were told not to go near them, they are not shy!
(picture taken through the window)

Here we are on our first day, having a break and drinking 'Stoneys'
A ginger brew made in Kenya(?) bottled by Coca Cola.
It is absolutely fantastic!

Amid busy dusty streets packed with bustling people are
beautiful trees and vegetation.  Purple is my favorite color!

These birds are so beautiful, the equivalent of our robin.

And here is Chloe getting them on video!

(You have to check out her videos of the trip!)

Here I am enjoying my new favorite: samosas (meat pies)

with an incredible fruit smoothie!

After days we drive back to Nairobi to claim our suitcases.

I was so happy to see mine,

I felt like hugging it!

(A very strange thing to feel for a suitcase!)

So, I am practicing my swahili, and people smile and laugh, but are so loving and kind.

I miss everyone back home so very much, some have been so dear about emailing me.

And, so, the adventrure continues, and God is leading us on.

We can only trust Him, because He has always been faithful!

God is good!  All the time!

Jambo!

Hello! And greetings from Kenya! This has been so exciting! I can't believe that I am on the other side of the world from all of you! Do you like the title of my blog? It means amazing! I was looking at the beautiful countryside and asked George for the word in Swahili for it. I love it, it is almost like my name!

The trip was sooooooooooo long. 1 1/2 hour to Chicago, 5 1/2 hours wait, 10 1/2 hours over the ocean to Istanbul, Turkey, 1/2 hour wait, then 6 hours to Nairobi, that is 24 hours all together! Boy, did my knees ache.

George was there waiting for us when we landed in Nairobi at 1 in the morning. We were all there, but not all our luggage. We were all missing one of our suitcases: me, Amma, Abba, and Tabbach. Only Chloe had all of hers, she said it was because hers were hot pink!
we looked and looked and looked. So we filled out reports that they were missing and went to a hotel to sleep a little before heading to Nakuru.

Here is George's famous van.

Well, in the morning after breakfast, we went to the airport to get our luggage, but no luggage (hapana). They were still in Istanbul. We would get them tomorrow.

Yashangaza!

So we, finally, left for Nakuru. How exciting! So much TRAFFIC and PEOPLE! Very busy and bumpy. George is an incredible driver! And we arrived safely to find Nellie, Petronella, and Beatie had made a feast to welcome us: we had chapattis (yummy flat bread), turkey, vegetables and rice.

Michelle jumped into Papa Tabbach's arms!

Michelle was so cute! She kept saying 'How are you?'and 'I am fine.' After they welcomed us we ate and ate. It is so good to be here. God is good!