Communion, Bible School, an Two Sylvia's

*Our Family At Jennifer's Gardens*

(Saturday April 9th)

We all slept in like usual. mom did some cooking, an I worked on the blog. After lunch we all went driving around Kisumu, an finally found a parking spot, we walked around Kisumu, shopping along the little booths an shops along the street, every now, an then, stopping to buy different foods we hadn't tasted yet, that is when the blessing on the food, before you eat, becomes more important then usual! an the "Sanctify this food for our bodies sake!" part in the prayer becomes an earnest plea...



Jennifer's Gardens! (Warning Lots Of Pic's On This Blog, Of The Garden's)

we had quite an interesting time, my brothers especially liked stopping an talking to other boys along the way, chatting about anything from Luo words, to how much they can "bench" =) they enjoy the interaction about as much as the natives do.

we did wind up going to jubilee market, which has anything you can imagine... an then some more! it was terribly over-populated, an makes a person wonder where ALL these people come from!?

the market smelled horrible! an they had fish laying out in the sun, covered in flies, chicken coops, that smelled VERY bad too! I soon retired to the outside of the building to seek out some cooler temps an fresher air!

And then there are always the children that are begging...sigh...their big brown eyes looking pleadingly up at me, saying that they want a little something to eat, I always feel so hard-hearted to say no! but once you help one, seemingly they multiply, an soon you have a whole herd all around you!

we started for home again around 4:30 an Stan tried out his skills with our little manual  "stone crusher" as the people at the compound call it! he did very well! didn't stall it once...And once we got home, he explained in full dramatized detail how he had managed to do it so well! ;) (I love my brothers...most of the time!) lol

Tommy Baptizing The Three Applicants 

(Sunday April 10th)

Answering The Baptism Questions

Today was a BIG day! We had a baptism, communion, commissioning for Dad as Pastor, An Tommy's final message, an farewell. wow!  what an emotional time it was, the natives usually don't show much emotion, but for the last message with Tommy, an him having been their pastor for 10+ years is was quite the day, the ladies all crying an wiping their eyes as they hugged Margi for the last time, not knowing if they will ever see their family again...the men stiffly giving Tommy a hug, an blinking fast, to fight back the tears, as they left the church house. It was touching for me too, just to see how much the church loved an relied on Tommy's family, an it seemed like we were the "problem" that they were having to go through this change...an yet we knew that wasn't how it was, it just felt like it. we know it was God who was leading Tommy's back home, an it was God who was leading us to Kenya for 2+ years. so all I could do was put my arm around them an say, "Polly sauna"-very sorry- an cry with them.  (Don't know if that is spelled right, since I haven't taken langue classes yet. ;) but it seemed to draw us all together.

Commissioning Dad As The Pastor, An Linford As Assistant.

I was really blessed with my friend Jane, I guess for a little update on her...she was one of the applicants that was baptized, an then after baptism we had communion, an she made sure she was right in line so she could wash my feet, I somehow felt unusually humbled, an awed, watching her very black hands wash my feet, an realizing that way back in the bush of Africa there are Christians that believe, an are willing to face terrible mocking an rejection from family an friends to live the Christian life, it truly was awesome experience, that I wouldn't trade for anything! an the water even got dirty an had to be changed! so different from at home.

Jane also shyly told me "yuh dress looks smart!" an after she repeated it several times, I finally got that she was saying that she thought my dress was nice! :) but what touched me the most of all that Sunday, was after the service, I was standing outside the church house, watching the ladies hug an cry on Margi's shoulder, telling her their final good-byes. I had to cry just watching it all...an suddenly I feel someone was standing right beside me, an I look... an it was Jane!! her eyes filled to the brim with unshed tears, so I put my arm around her an we cried together...somehow I feel like I am beginning to know a really good friend, we haven't talked much because

My New Friend Jane, An I

of the langue barrier. but somehow I already dread to ever have to tell her good-bye! I can sense such a friendship with her...Thank you Jesus for your care!!

We got home from church around 3:00 since good-byes stretched out for a good long while...we ate a quick lunch, an retired for our naps. The twins an I met at Marlins at 6:30 for song practice, along with the rest of the youth, as well as Mark Beachy an both of his sons. (Marcus An Micah) we sang three songs in Swahili for Tommy's farewell, that was at 7pm. we also watched some slides at Joseph's house from the years of service that Tommy's have done here at Kisumu. All the men shared a "last speech" with Tommy an Tommy shared briefly with them, encouraging them to not despair, but keep on working in the work of the Lord! we then had a snack afterwards, an comforted ourselves that the final good-byes could be left till Tuesday morning when they left.

Linford Counseling A Former Baptism Applicant.

It felt like a very emotionally draining day. Especially pray for dad as the reality of it all sinks in as Tommy leaves. We are very thankful for Linford an Kay though, as they will take care of church responsibilities till we are through langue classes.  

(Monday April 11th)

Today we had "family Day" at the compound, basically, you did something with just your family, or else another family on the compound.

Thatched Hut At Jennifer's Gardens.

Monkey Eating A Banana

The Gardens

Flowers In Gardens

Marlin An Dad Discussing Life's Perplexity's

Dad Gone Horizontal! ;)

Marlin's family invited our family to go with them to "Jennifer's Gardens", which we had seen pictures of but never got to go there. Jennifer's Gardens is a lovely, well kept, garden up in the Nandi Hills, an perfect for relaxing, as it has several small ponds, an it is up in the mountains, so it is a little cooler, an saying it is pretty is totally an completely an understatement! words an pictures cannot capture the real beauty of it all! (only a visit! ;)  It is about 1-2 hours from the compound here. the gardens have all kinds of flowers, creeks, an nice green grass! an even have friendly monkeys that came really close when we started feeding them some popcorn! we all sat around eating, talking, played some very lame rook games, an corn-hole, an just relaxed in the "heavenly" atmosphere! after all the people, bad smells, dirt, an stink, we faced the last month, it was so very awesome to be there! I actually caught myself wondering, if perhaps, just maybe.... I had for real died an went to heaven!! no! really!! it was SO pretty, an the air was fresh an clean! an I could take deep breaths, without my stomach threatening to toss up it's contents!(by now you prolly realize,  I do not cope well with things that stink! =)- a real trail for me in Kenya!:) BUT Then as I was strolling through the gardens an meadows, an admiring the ponds an the surreal surroundings, all of a sudden! I feel a terrible stinging on one of my poor little toes! I quickly look down, an here this BIG red ant was literally feasting away on my toe!! I tried brushing him off, but finally had to pull him off as he was stuck onto my toe! needless to say my toe was bleeding were he had made a cut! an it hurt something fierce! Then I knew for certain that I indeed had not died an went to heaven, but was still quite alive an living in Kenya Africa! (It took awhile for the emotional setback to subside, but I got over it eventually! ) =) something funny that happened, that I feel is heavy on my heart that I should share, for those of you that know my Dad, you will appreciate this little story...so we had these rocket thingys an the children were shooting them around, well one got stuck waaaaay at the top of a big tree, so Jadon was standing on the van shooting rocks at it to no avail, then tried throwing one of his tennis shoes, yep! you guessed it! that one got stuck up there too! then he tried botchy balls, (they are really really heavy, kind of like bowling balls.) an wond-up getting three of those balls stuck up in the tree too, so Marlin said someone HAS to go up there an get them! they had tried different ways to get up the tree, since the tree bark would just crumble off, it made it hard to climb, they even backed a van up to the base of the tree, with a long, very unsteady wooden ladder on the top, but that didn't work either! so finally Jadon climbed the tree, an after much struggling, deliberating, an several loud "OUCHES!" he got all the items out of the tree an got back down safely. So this is the part of my story that I really wanted to say! so we were all standing around, or sitting around, (in some cases)  watching the drama unfold up in the tree! when there is a loud CRACK! an Dad goes head over tea kettle...one of his chair legs broke, an he went leisurely rolling under the table where all the food was on, of course everyone was howling with laughter, an Dad stays under the table a while, till the laughter subsides, or else his face changes to a more normal color again, then slowly rolls back out under the table an said, "If someone could bring me a tum, I think I might be ok!" wow! so typical Dad, I guess there's more then one way to handle an embarrassing situation! =) I don't know, maybe driving around visiting people an eating Ugali an chapattis is harder on the weight then we thought! possibly the mission should invest in more sturdy chairs around the compound since the arrival of our family!! :) :)

Enjoying Grilled Chicken

we left the gardens around 4:30 an got home to discover we were all quite sunburned with being up in the mountains, an right on the equator, the sun nipped us pretty good.

(Tuesday April 12th)

Saying Our Final Good-Bye's To Tommy's

Today was a busy day! we all gathered at Tommy's to bid our last good-byes at 8:00am Also, had a prayer of blessing on their family as they find their place back in America.

Dad was at home all day, organizing everything in his office, setting up the printer etc.

mom was home too cleaning up the feet washing utensils, an getting everything to Wayne an Clara as they will use it this Sunday in their church.

Steve went with Jadon as they took some of Tommy's luggage part ways, an then someone else met up with them, an took it on to Nairobi, an they returned home by evening.

Lavon left for a well drilling project, so that left Stan all to himself all day working on a steel frame for a carport they will be installing.



Christian Wagler Spending Last Few Minutes With "Prince"

after 8 am prayer at tommy's I did some laundry, as we had been gone all day Monday. an after Tommy's left I went over to get their wringer washer that they had said that we could use, I brought it home an set it up rejoicing that I wont be washing dresses an shirts by hand anymore, or waiting for the poky slow, little, front loader washer...but like a true missionary day, the story wasn't over yet! as I was putting the second load in the wringer washer, an already having visions of getting my laundry out early...something sounded funny with the motor, an with a crackle, an a sputter, an eerie silence followed! the "hero wringer washer" quit working right there. so it was back to the poky washer, till Jadon would have time to look at the wringer washer.

Wayne Practicing Photography Skills

After lunch I went to Tommy's house where all the ladies flocked to after Tommy's evacuated. The mission for the afternoon was, stripping the old wax off, an re-waxing the tile floors...a daunting task! especially with some furniture still in the house, after scrubbing an waxing all afternoon I got home around 6:00.

Unloading The Vehicles For The Picnic

 For those of you who don't know about this whole waxing floor jazz, I will explain in short: first you sweep the tile, then mop the tile clean, then put the stripping solution in water an slosh over the floor to remove all the old wax, then you scrub it with a brush to properly remove all wax, then mop three times, with new clean water each time, then put three coats of wax on, letting it dry in-be-tween each time, then move furniture to the newly waxed area, an repeat process!! yeah! pretty hard work. the floors were so clean you could practically eat off of them.

Tommy's had a dog named "Prince" that we somehow inherited after they left, so he is trying to get used to his new home, an will hopefully provide some protection for us, in an "all Mennonite, loving, nonresistant way!" =)

(Wednesday April 13th)

Hello! Any Banana's??

Mom an Dad left with Linford an Kay for the weekly bible study with the church on Wednesday's...the rest of us were working around home here. nothing major to write about today.

(Thursday April 14th)

Arriving At The Garden's

AMA Youth Meetings

Today all the youth from the compound along with all the pastors from the compound, an several of their wives, went to Rabour for a day of bible school with most of the native youth from all the different AMA churches. for once we Americans were the minority, it was just a one day thing, beginning in the morning an lasting till late afternoon, we had services of course, with two messages, with a break in-be-tween the two messages, in-which you would go up front with your church youth an introduce yourself, saying what church you are from, an then your group sang a song. my favorite part of the day... NOT!!!  an the service was true Kenyan style, very warm, an very LONG! we were running about an hour behind schedule. I think we were finally dismissed for lunch around 1:30 - 2:00. we sat out in the grass, eating the traditional meal, with our hands. then afterwards we played some games of volley-ball, again very Kenyan style, the main goal being to get the ball over the net in one hit, instead of three, no setting, an hardly any spiking, but they were in-fact more organized then usual, since they actually made teams, an rotated, an even kept score. I had fun just playing like they do, an having fun with them, learning their names, an what they work, I really enjoyed it!

Sylvia An I

I also met a cute little girl, maybe 2 years old, an her name was also Sylvia! I couldn't believe it! I hardly ever find people with my name, an the sweet little thing...during introductions, while our church youth group was up there singing, (my brothers, charity, an I being the only white people.) an introducing ourselves, here she comes padding up the aisle, in her tattered flip flops, straight for me, wanting me to hold her! she just melted my heart right there! I had taken a picture with her before the service, when I heard her name was Sylvia, so must be she recognized me.

we got home in the late afternoon, in time to welcome JoAllen & Glenda an their little daughter to the compound! Stacey also returned after going home to a wedding, as well as, seeing her father who is having health issues.

(Friday April 15th)

This morning Dad an Linford left to go visit some erring members, they got back around 3:00 pm

they rest of us were just working around home, the boys at the weld shop of course.

The Kitchen Were All The Food Was Made... For Lot's Of Youth!

mom an I at home doing laundry an cleaning for the weekend, I worked on the blog since I was running behind on that...mom made a snack to take along to Volley ball tonight, as we will be having a welcoming for JoAllen's little family at 8:00 on the lane during volley ball. We even got extended curfew!!

We are so happy to have JoAllen's  here! we enjoyed getting to know them at orientation in Pa this winter, an looked forward for a while already, to reconnecting with them once they arrive here in Africa!

Sylvia - For The Miller's

 

 

 

The Garden's

 

 

 

 

Monkey With A Broken Tail! (Can't Have Everything!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Garden's

 

 

 

Water Lilies

 

 



Beautiful!

 

Blue Hydrangeas



The Garden's

 

Ladies Choir Singing With Margi One Last Time