The Menu: Chicken bones? or Bugs? Decisions...Decisions!

(Saturday May 14th)

Steve An Wayne Throwing Football In The Street.

Today we all got ourselves out of bed at an earlier hour then usual, an made brunch for Marcus an his brother Micah Beachy, at the unearthly hour of 8:30am. before they started their hour or so drive to where they live. (They live outside the compound, an closer to the church that Mark Beachy is pastor of.) anyway, so we had a great time with them... before they left for home. Then started the clean-up from the event at our house the evening before, (in case you forgot, we had the compound "end of the year" school supper.) An started up cooking an cleaning again, as we are planning on having Mark & Maryellen Beachy family at our church on Sunday, Mark bringing the message, an then we also invited them to our house for Sunday lunch. as well as Charity Yoder.

Stan an I did some random running around town in the afternoon.

Then in the evening our family walked to a little "hole in the wall" "Restaurant" an ate most of what they had left, since they were getting ready to close for the day. Our whole family ate for around $7.50.  We then came back home an discovered poor Dishon still working on washing the compound vehicles, with rainy season they were extremely dirty! He comes every Saturday an washes most of the vehicles. so anyway, we asked him if he wants to come eat supper at our house, an being a bachelor, an appreciating a square meal every now an again, he came.

We have not had natives at our house to eat yet very often, an so anyway, mom served him chicken an skuma-wiki, putting it on a flat plate with a fork an a spoon, an then she returned to the kitchen to finish things up there, as it was probably already 7:30pm, so the rest of us were sitting in the living room talking, an Dishon was eating his supper, when all of a sudden, I noticed he was making stabbing attempts at his drum stick of chicken, missing, an then eating a bite of skuma-wiki instead, then he would chase his drum stick around, an around, his plate, pausing to sneak a peek every now an then to see if we were seeing his dilemma, (an of course we were not watching at all! lol) an finally, when I saw his piece of chicken sliding off of his plate into his lap! I went to the kitchen an got a pitcher of water an a bowl, an went into the living room an said, "sorry Dishon, I will wash your hands, then you can eat with them like you usually do!" an I told him, we eat chicken drum sticks with our hands too! so after that he ate with his hands an the food disappeared, amongst much noisy eating, an smacking. (to let us know it was good food.) he even ate the chicken bones! I heard loud cracking, an crunching, an to my complete horror I saw the bones going down too! to bad for prince...maybe sometime later doggie!



Steve Having Devotions.

 But some of our own church member's were sharing how tasty the grasshopper is when he's deep fried, an ants too. so bugs seem to be a delicacy for them! unreal!

(Sunday May 15th) 7:45

Our whole family, along with Charity left for church around 7:45am. (Did you catch that! WE LEFT for church, we didn't get up at that time, or get ready at that time, we LEFT for church at 7:45am. just wanted to be sure you caught that!) I know! I'm a wimp on this whole sleeping in thing, but on a Sunday morning!? I just felt guilty, an abit queasy about the whole situation the rest of the day!  Oh! Well! so much for "a day of rest."

So Dad had to be there for instruction class, as Linford's were at another church preaching there. Steve had devotions for the first time, with an interpreter.



Mark Beachy's family was at our church, an Mark preached for us, he talked about if we are having "the whole amour of God" in our lives.

Then after services we ladies all quickly piled into one vehicle to rush home an finish up lunch prep. so everything would be ready when the men folks got home. we get home only to discover that the keys to the house, were in the vehicle the men had, back at the church! so we all sat on the porch an visited, as we smelled the food burning away in the oven. comforting ourselves with the lame excuse that we were in Kenya, so somehow it didn't matter as much..?

it all turned out ok then, with lunch finally happening around 2:00- 2:30 pm.

Headed Out For Supper.

After lunch dishes were done, I promptly started working on the dough I was making for the soft pretzels for that evening, since the youth from Nakuru (the other AMA mission 3 hours from here.) were coming Sunday night, an hiking a huge mountain on Monday, an the youth girls returning back, leaving the youth guys to "rough it" by sleeping on the top of the mountain, an returning back Tuesday afternoon. they came around 6:30 Sunday evening, an we were all gonna have snacks an games in Marlins car port with the visiting youth. So my nap time went extinct! horrors! an my pretzel making was a whole other drama story! like my cooking usually is. anyway, so I don't bake or cook a lot, so I was all into this making pretzel's thing, an was happily dumping in ingredients, an then I realized, that where it said 1quart water, an however much baking soda, that was meant to stir together in a separate bowl apart from the rest of the ingredients to dip the pretzel's in before you bake them....well, I just dumped the whole quart of water into the dough, so for the next hour I was running from first one house, to the next, to plead on behalf of my need for more flour, as I had used all ours an the dough was still runny. so for you all that don't bake, that was really boring. sorry. The Pretzel's did turn out ok in the end, an Mom took charge as she soon saw her 23 yr old daughter isn't safe in the kitchen yet.

Dad & Mom were just at home, Wayne also went along to the youth gathering. but they did wind up inviting JoeAllen's, an Linford's over for snacks.
we got back around 10pm an tumbled into bed, exhausted!


(Monday May 16th)


Got Theses From Clarissa For My Birthday.

So this morning at 7:30am both youth groups got up an left for their day of hiking. they hiked a very steep mountai

n, an then on the top of the mountain was a big boulder called "Monkey Stone". I stayed at home since I have not been feeling the strongest ever since my last seizure, an didn't want to be a burden to the rest of the group. they all tried their best to convince me to go along, but my mind was made up. I stayed at home. it was a little struggle for me to accept it all, because of the very social part of me. but I had a good day, I went to language classes till 12, an even FINALLY got my blog out last week! sorry about that once again! sigh....

in the evening around 5:30pm the girls got back from their hike, totally worn out, but we did end up going out to eat at this really neat Chinese restaurant, had a awesome time! an the food was epic! After we got out to the vehicle to leave, Carolyn was driving, an the rest of us were sitting in the van as well, but Stacy an Charity were looking at some star in the sky, or the moon, or something an just stood there outside looking, an looking at the sky talking about different star facts, so after asking them to COME we want to go home, everyone was tired, we got an even better idea, we shut the door, an took off!! leaving them to their star gazing...we went an made a big loop, an when we got back they were standing their waiting, trying to decide if they want to get a piki-piki to bring them back home, or if we would eventually come back. so that was fun, an just made me realize why I like the awesome group of girls here in Kisumu!
The girls said that it was raining when they came back down off the mountain, so we hope the guys are ok, sleeping out in the elements over night.


(Tuesday May 17th)
All of us youth girls had a brunch together in our carport at around 8:30am. then after that we all went swimming at a local pool called "cosmos" it is a very clean, nice one, an we had a epic time together, some diving in, or trying different things before hitting the water, an using the small slide that went into the water. Carolyn an Janette stayed behind to work on lunch prep. for when all the guys get back from the before mentioned hike.
We got back from swimming around 12:30 an the guys got back soon after that. We then all ate the hamburger's, an milk shakes that were made, an listened to the guys stories of, a very drunk native that was staggering around their camp site, saying how he was going to be their guard, an about the rain, an a river running through the one an only tent they had along. all in all it sounded like they had a good time, but were thankful to be back home.

The Three Bro's.

We then all said our good-byes an the Nakuru youth group departed for home again.

An we started clean-up around the place where we had lunch, an the youth guys from Kisumu decided that after such a hard hike back down the mountain in the forenoon, that they too deserved a swim, so they all went swimming in the afternoon.

In the afternoon Mom an I were busy in the kitchen as we are planning on having Marlins family over for a farewell supper of sorts as they will be departing for America in a few short weeks, after serving here for 4 plus years. we had a good time together with them, their family will be missed so much once they leave, with half our youth group in tow! later on in the evening I finished the blog, an voxed abit with my dear friend Kate, an finally got to bed around 11:30.

(Wednesday May 18th)

Both Youth Groups Having A Good Time.

Had Language classes till 12. then rushed home to leave for bible study at 12:45 we wanted to leave early since with the mud, we usually have to walk part ways back in to their houses (huts).

The van wasn't full with just our number in it, so as we went along we picked up members that were walking to bible study, mostly very old people, that walk an unreal distance just to attend bible study. so as we went, we kept picking up people... till I was fairly certain that I would be holding the next individual who hopped aboard, in my lap!! I had a terrible head-ache, an the bumpy roads, an pot holes, along with these dear, smelly, sweating, singing bunch of church members, took my endurance level to new heights, an made me wish for random things such as... an oxygen tank, an face mask, as I mentally reminding myself, to bring extra Tylenol to bible studies from now on.

Us youth Girls Eating At Chinese.

The bible study was a smashing success in number at least, with 17 men an 19 ladies that is with out our group, of my parents, Linford & Kay an Charity an I. the men all fit in the hut but the ladies were on the outside, finding shade beside the house to sit in, so we could still hear, but with the cook shack right there, an food preparations in full swing, the noise drowned out the preaching inside the hut, an in my American brain I didn't know why we couldn't just sit out side under the huge group of shade trees that they had, but in their culture it is very important to have the "white man" inside their houses, an also to have him pray inside your house, they think that will bring them extra blessing. so we sit outside watching the chickens an rooster scurry around, an the cow lumber past with the skinny little girl pulling frantically on the rope, to encourage the worn out cow to take yet another step. While the men are having bible study inside. finally they dismissed an we ate the usual, cooked corn an beans, with some salt over the top, an I've never been so blessed with chickens in my life before this, but it was so easy to just toss some of my food to them whenever I didn't think anyone was looking, as well as the bugs that I found in my corn, they were on the inside of the kernel of corn, so who knows how many bugs I ate on Wednesday (quite a frightening thought really) but when I spotted one I would through it to my waiting crowd of chickens, an other times I would crunch on something gritty, an realize that I had infact just ate another bug. Oh! Joy!

we got home from Bible study around 7:30pm.

Kisumu an Nakuru Youth Groups Hanging Out

(Thursday May 19th)

Today is Dad & Mom's anniversary! However, normal everyday life persisted. We had Language till 12. Then I washed up the dishes from our chia break like I usually do...then I came home, an got ready to leave with Carolyn to go do some shopping, I needed different things at Nakamatt, an we stopped at the market to pick-up several things she had wanted to buy there, an all together we just had an epic time hanging out, an I was once again reminded why I like Carolyn so much! she is just my type of gal! we had many a laugh, an just made some awesome memories! We got back in the late afternoon.
Mom had went shopping with several of the ladies from the compound here.
Dad was out visiting people with Linford.
Steve an Wayne were working around the compound here, an Stan was sick in bed. he is better now, so we are not sure what it was, but kinda blamed it on when we had break the one day in class, he came home an was hungry, an so he made some popcorn, an got some left over meatballs out of the fridge, that we had had the evening before for supper, an put out a big bowl of those. an by late that night the meat balls decided to change their course of direction, an he ended up puking, an had a fever the next day. he skipped language class the next day, I know, NO FAIR! maybe I should try cold meat balls too! Just kidding! I was kinda jealous of him though...oh well, only next week left!




I presented Mom & Dad with some gifts to celebrate 28 years of marriage.

Wayne Throwing the foot-ball

We had prayer meeting in the evening, it was in Joe & Glenda's car port. (The new Family on the compound) there were several families missing, but then we had some visitors from America, and Nakuru so it was still a big group.

After prayer meeting the youth girls had a sleep over at Carolyn's house as a farewell for Janette, as she is going home with her family, (Marlin's Stoltzfus's) back to their home church in Greenville Tennessee.

(Friday May 20th)

Happy Birthday to me! The rest had language till 12. an I got off of classes since I got hatched 23 years ago. yippee! I got to sleep in, an then had brunch with the girls at Carolyn's house, we were planning on going swimming, but it was all cloudy, so we decided to wait till Monday after chicken butchering.

Micah an his fascination with selfies.

So I got home an worked on the blog most of the afternoon, Wayne an I went on a little walk, an then we all got ready an went out to the Green Garden Hotel (Restaurant) for supper to celebrate Mom & Dad's 28 year's of marriage, an my 23 years of survival on the earth. we got back in time for Volley ball with the youth, I got to face time with some amazing friends for my birthday, an the youth still had a little party for me after volley ball, so I was feeling pretty special, by the end of the day! An Carolyn took it upon herself to sing Happy Birthday for me 23 times! I don't know who was more wore out by the 23rd time her, or me!? she did it throughout the whole day, an at 10:00pm. she sang the last round, an I've never been so happy to hear someone singing happy birthday for the last time!

We got back from volley ball at 11:00pm. an so starts another weekend in Kenya!

A Back-street in Kisumu

A Homeless Boy, An A Loaf Of Bread!!

(Saturday May 7th)


Center Piece

Today we got to sleep in! Then when we all finally did get up, we rushed into our various tasks, an ended up eating a very late brunch...the twins ended up concreting a culvert in Deans lane, as well as cutting some concrete for their sidewalks, hot dusty work!

Dad an I went to town, an tried to find the post office, I wanted to mail a card to one of my best friends, an he had some different things he wanted to go do.


School Picnic

We thought it was funny, because we had the hardest time finding the post office, an so we made lap after lap around town, enjoying the sites, an laughing at our ignorance of not knowing where the post office was! so we finally ask a piki driver if he would know where we could find the post office, he said no. he did not. so we made more laps....finally we found it! an parked our vehicle, then we found out that the post office was right where the piki driver was sitting! I guess it must have been his first day as a piki driver, or else his first day in town! =) but we should have seen the huge post office sign behind him too, we just somehow didn't see it!

Going to the sewing

We then did some Mother's Day shopping, I got some roses, an a card for my dear Mom. She is such a big important part of my life!

Taking this Mattress to this poor widow. she was sleeping on the floor. 

Ladies at the sewing

while we were in town, I wanted to develop some pictures that my brothers an I had taken with the Muslim guards next door, (They had wanted to take pictures with us, an then wanted us to develop some for them too, so I did. an they were just thrilled!) but there was a long wait on till the pictures were ready so Dad an I walked around town, an here come some "street children" that we had seen the Saturday before, an they were begging us for food, they said they were so hungry, an we told them that we will pray for them, but after we left we felt so bad for them, an bought some food alongside the road an brought it back, however, the boy that was saying how hungry he was was no longer around, an so we saw these other homeless boys in the center of one of the round-abouts they were curled up on there shirts, sleeping with only their pants on, so we parked the van an walked over to them with our food items, we walked right up to them an they were all sleeping, an we stood there for a while thinking they would wake up, their little bodies just skin an bones, I honestly thought the one boy might have been dead! but then I saw his ribs pulsing up an down, an knew he was just sleeping, we finally tapped them till they woke up, an gave them the food. they could not believe it! the smiles that came over their faces was amazing to watch, an it moved me so much as I watched them scarf down that food like hungry dogs, I walked away feeling very fulfilled...  I might not be able to help them all...but I had helped those...an I kept wiping away tears on the way home, wondering why I EVER complain about anything in my life! seems like God has given me so much more of a chance at life... with the parents, an family, an culture, I grew up in. here they had nothing. we saw the hole in the ground that they lived in, we looked down, an there where rods in the concrete along the wall that they stepped on, to make their way down into the sewer where they lived, I looked down an saw water running through, an it was so terribly smelly an damp, an as I was peering down into the pitch darkness, trying to let my eyes adjust to the dark surroundings, I see some movement, an two white eye balls staring up at me! I then realized that I was infact looking into someone's "home" an felt like I was intruding...we gave them our food, wishing that the boy that was begging earlier would have been there. So this all happened last Saturday, an I didn't include it to my blog post last week, so then this Saturday, we went back an when we were waiting on those pictures to develop, we walked around, an low an behold! here comes the beggar boy who disappeared last Saturday, an we could not find him to give him the food we had bought. he came right up to Dad an I an said, "you said you would pray to God last Saturday when you came...but I am still so very hungry!" he said, "I don't want any money, just please buy me some milk an bread...please!?" we were sitting there, an I could see Dad was debating what we should do, then I asked Dad if I could go buy him something to eat with my allowance money? an he said yeah, its up to you. so I asked the boy what he was hungry for? an he got a big grin, an said, "Supa maket is ova ther!!" (super market is over there.) an so I told him I didn't know where he meant, an asked if he could show me! he grinned again an said, "sure!" so I followed him across the street, an went into this little grocery store. he even grabbed a small cart for me, I thought it was funny since we were only getting two items, Bread an Milk. he was grinning the whole time we were in the store, an he made sure I got the cheapest milk an the cheapest bread, an then as we started toward the counter he would randomly point at things along the way an say, "you could even buy that one?" an I would say, "no not this time" an he would grin an keep going till he saw something else, an we would have the same conversation all over again! he had no idea how much I wanted to buy everything in the store he wanted. anyway, he gave a big smile, a thank-you, an God bless you! An was off with his bread an milk! it was such a fulfilling feeling, an I just hope he could have seen more then just white people with money, to buy food for him, but that he could have seen Christ through us!

(Sunday May 8th)

Dad & Mom left earlier for instruction class, as Dad was teaching that, and since Linford & Kay were at another church to preach. And Joseph & Becky came to our church, so the three bros an I along with Charity, an Joseph & Becky came at the usual time for the services, Joseph will be the bishop at our church for the time being, he then had the message on, "What type of soil does your heart have?" we also then had a members meeting after the service, an that took a while, so we finally got home around 2:30pm.  we ate a quick lunch an retired to our napping.

Linford & Kay came in the evening had a great time eating an talking with them, Linford entertaining us with his many tricks...

(Monday May 9th)
Had Language till 12. then did some odd jobs around home here. we were all just around home here in the evening.

Language seems to be a little more of a trial, as we are learning now that you can say the exact same word, but if you say it in a different tone, it changes the complete meaning of the word! yikes! yeah no kidding! so we continue to learn, learn, an learn some more!

(Tuesday May 10th)

Had Language till 12.

Mom & Dad were not in class, they were at a sewing that they had planned for the church ladies, mom an Kay helped get some sewing machines around an mend, an patch, some of the ladies dresses, some had such big holes in their dresses, that they had to wear tee shirts underneath their dresses, because they had no sewing machine to mend, or no money to pay someone to mend it. Linford an Dad went to visit some people that had to talk to.

So after class, I came home an made lunch for the three bros, then we started on our afternoon jobs.

I did some cleaning... an then made chicken an potatoes for supper, then the electric went off, an Dad & mom were not home yet for supper, so Wayne an I went on a walk along ring road, walking, an chatting with some of our friends along the way.

We got back from our walk, an had supper together, we had a huge tropical thunderstorm over supper time, but the electric stayed on this time! was such a chilly rainy evening, so we were just around home.


(Wednesday May 11th)

Our Trusty Security system! :)

Had Language till 12. in the afternoon at 1pm. our whole family left for the weekly bible study, usually only my parents, Charity,  an Linford's go, but me an the bros wanted to go along an experience what the bible studies are like, since we had never done that yet.

We all had a great time packed into our van, singing an laughing the hours drive away as we bounced to one of the church members hut to have bible study, his name is George, he is a church member but his wife is not, she was however, around there making the corn an beans for everyone to eat afterwards, an was very nice an friendly.

We had to park on the main road, an jump over a ditch filled with water to walk back into where his house was, since with rainy season in full swing the ground is so, so, wet!

Making lunch at the sewing!

they had chairs set up outside, an so we all gathered under the tree an sang several songs, an then Joshua had devotions, an Linford had a short message. there is so much I could say about our time there...we were just getting ready to have the usual prayer requests an prayer, when it started sprinkling an then raining a lot! so us ladies all flocked into the one smaller hut, an the men all went for the bigger house, so we prayed an ate our corn an beans separately. the ladies (mostly widows) requested prayer for various aches an pains, after prayer we were all served heaping plates of corn an beans, after getting enough courage to ask for salt for my mountain food, it went down fairly easily. they also served some kind of tea, I didn't care for it at all, but drank it anyway, smiling in approval. (you soon learn the meaning of "grinning an bearing things" here in Kenya.) we then sang several songs, an talked, an kept shooing the stray dog away from the doorway, till the men were finished an ready to go home again.

Some of the ladies from church. (Most are widows)

We all started walking back to the van, an with the recent rain my feet an sandals were covered in mud till I got back to the van. so we tried washing off our muddy feet in the rushing stream, beside the road, so the van wouldn't get quite as dirty on the inside. We then started for home, but soon got stuck in muddy ruts along the way, mud an standing water were everywhere, so the three bros, along with some random cattle herders that happened along, pushed an shoved, an got splattered with mud, from head to toe, but got us out an going again!

Roads to church,  an church peoples houses!

when we were stuck in the big mud puddle, I quickly  took my sandals off thinking I would wade through the mud to the far side an video them spinning their way out, since it was quite a riot with mud an water flying everywhere, an the van fish tailing first one way, then the other! but as I finally reached the other side of the huge mud slough, all muddy an wet, I turn my camera on, just to watch it take it's last breath an die!! I was majorly bummed out about that one...but I am sure I will have many an opportunity to get a video of us stuck in the mud again sometime, but just shpited me that my feet were nicely caked in mud, an my dress splattered too. an no footage to show.

We all piled back in the van an started for home, we stopped at a town close to Kisumu, an all bailed out an got random things to eat at the stands were they were frying fries, an hot dogs an different "street food" like that. I was enjoying talking to the people, but they kept staring at my muddy bare feet! asking, "where are your shoes!?" looking at me in disbelief, I tried to explain, but they just shook their heads, since they would never go to town like that, they always wear their best clothes an shoes when they go to town...an here a "white person" that is supposed to be rich, was barefoot an mud splattered!

Walking the rest of the way to Bible study

We got home around 7:00pm an after a shower, an foot spa, I went to bed.

everyone else retired too sooner or later.


(Thursday May 12th)

Had Classes till 12. had a quick lunch, an then the twins were off to help Jadon an Lavon. Dad, Wayne, an I went to town, the post office, an the feed mill to get some more chicken feed, which all took an unbelievably long time! seems in Kenya everything you go to do takes SO long, an people want to talk an visit, but I guess that is why we are here so...we keep learning from the Kenyans.

(Friday May 13th)

At Bible study

Had Language till 12. at 11:30 an alarm started going off, the alarms that each house has when there is a robbery, but it was in the middle of the day!? then another alarm goes off...we soon discovered that that is the traditional way of celebrating the final closing day of school! =) We got home from classes, and hardly had time to eat lunch, as we all dashed around home here, trying to get the place cleaned up, outside, as well as inside, washing off the pavement, an sidewalks, setting up chairs, mowing, etc. etc. since everyone on the compound was coming to our house for the last day of school picnic supper, first there would be some singing by the students, an awards given to the students at 4:00 then we all migrated to Jake & Janice's spacious back yard, where they had various group games that didn't necessarily have a point, but instilled teamwork none the less! as well as providing some entertainment to those watching. They wrapped up with a game of foot ball, till it rained everyone out, some continued the foot ball game in the rain, an came back all wet an mud splattered. Everyone came to our house for supper around 6:30 pm. an after eating amazing homemade pizza, we youth played v-ball till 10:30 pm. we got home an tumbled into bed our exhausted!!

Getting ready for the school picnic

Games at the picnic

 

More group games

 

 

Getting ready to play football

 

 

The roads in rainy season

 

 

When four wheel drive takes its last breath...an dies!

 

Our Gardener working most of the forenoon in the hot sun for around $4!!

 

The Gardeners well kept flower beds he did for us!

 

 

More mud an stickiness!

 

 

Foot ball at school picnic

 

More Of Daily Life, An Unit Meeting!

Our Family after 3 weeks of Classes. Still all in an upright position! PTL =)

(Saturday April 30th)

We all slept in, had brunch, an the usual Saturday morning routine...


Then by 11:00 a.m. I went with Carolyn, Stacy, and Charity to the animal market, to look over their items they had to sell, an to renew friendships, with the different vendors there, also I had ordered a little something or other that I wanted to have customized, an they said it should be finished in a week, I get there, an it wasn't started yet, they wanted to be sure of the exact size! lol welcome to Kenya, where they have so much time on their hands an then some! but never get things done in time.

Our entire group, along with our teacher

We all then did some shopping, an got back home by early afternoon, I then did some random things around home, an finished the blog.

JoAllen & Glenda an Tiffany they have  become like family to us!

After supper I didn't feel the best, an headed out for bed, an a shower, I wond up having a seizure just before I got into bed...It lasted several minutes according to mom, who was on her way into my bedroom to bring me something, when she heard the crash. but the Lord protected me, an I made it through alive once again, I felt dizzy, an confused, but that is usual. since then I have felt pretty tired, an kinda like a whipped puppy, but after several days of taking it easy I feel almost back to my normal self! Praise God! I was really hoping that that would be one part of my life that would just stay at home in America, but seemingly God still is allowing the seizures, so it is my duty to accept, an to love each day that he grants me without a seizure. And my heart is to just trust God that he has the best in mind for me, even if I don't understand what He's up to...

(Sunday May 1st)
Wayne an I stayed home from church as I was still feeling quite weak, from my last seizure.
I slept in good an long an felt like a new person when I woke up! =)

Wayne was the best nurse ever! he even made me eggs n toast, some of the best I ever ate! he seems to be a right smart good cook! we ended up going on a walk around noon, an the rest all got home from church around 2:30 -2:45 The twins had went with the rest of the compound youth to another church to visit, along with two native CBF youth guys, I was really sad that I couldn't go along, but so goes sometimes I guess.

So Dad & Mom an Linford & Kay were the only originals in our home church in Nykoko.

My Dear friend Stacy, an our teacher Josephine.

In the evening all the youth were invited to Linford & Kay for snacks an games, we had a great time hanging out, an Linford entertained us with his "Donald Duck" voice an different stunts, an Wayne also entertained us with various John Schmidt  sayings he had memorized. so all in all it was a lively great evening.

They had also invited Wayne because he will be with the youth in Aug. an also because they needed an even amount of players for their games they had planned.


(Monday May 2nd)
Had language till 1pm, as we will be taking a day off this week with the unit meeting on Tuesday.

Learning how to cook Luo Style!

so we are having classes an hour longer each day (8a.m.-1p.m.) to make up for the lost day.

Stacy getting things down pat!

So after classes we were working on laundry, an then finally ate a late lunch an rested abit. In the afternoon we folded laundry an put it away, Dad an Joe went to the last part of the pastors meeting, the Twins were helping to set up the big white tent in Waynes yard to host the bi-monthly missionary unit meeting, an Wayne mowed the lawn where the tent was going to be set up. it will be starting at 10a.m. an usually lasts till noon or shortly after,  an lastly to wrap up the day Dad, Stan, Wayne an I went on a walk an got different things to eat at the little road side shops, an talked with people, an practiced our Luo...I saw a sight tonight that really touched my heart, a little boy was sitting beside the street in the dirt, playing with a old crinkled water bottle, with a tooth pick stuck through the bottle just below the cap, an had a cap stuck on either end of the toothpick, with the back side of the water bottle dragging on the floor, an a long while later when we went back past, that little boy was still sitting there playing with his little toy "car", I couldn't help but think of all the children in the USA that have toy boxes jammed full, an are looking for other new toys to play with.

(Tuesday May 3rd)
Today was unit meeting.... an we didn't have any language class!! YIPPEE!
The unit meeting started at 10 a.m. an as the leaders all sat in a circle discussing different things of importance. Us younger ones had either our lap-tops, ipad, iphones ect. doing different things to pass the time, I got caught up on our blog, so that was nice.

Josephine making lunch for us all! Bless her heart! 

by 12:30 the meeting was adjourned. we all had a good lunch together again. Then us youth were off to play v-ball till about 4-5 p.m. then most of the youth left for home again, we did the dishes, an loafed around, drinking iced coffee, trying to decide what we wanted to do that evening for supper, some of the families went on a picnic, so we youth finally decided to go to Java House were we got "almost American" food which was great! we then went to the very top of the mall, were they have a nice setup, a huge pool, an nice tables an chairs, an some delectable milk shakes! we had a grand time hanging out, an enjoying the beautiful view of lake Victoria, but then it started to rain an it rained us out! so we went home, but we had a great time! We got home around 9:30 p.m.

Spreading out the food on the table. (seems Dad is getting kinda excited about eating!)

(Wednesday May 4th)

Today we had language class from 8-10 a.m. Then from 10-1 we had a cooking class an our teacher taught us how to cook some of the main dishes that the natives usually cook, that was all very interesting, an then eating it was of course, the best part! ;)
we were dismissed soon after 1:00.

Stacy doing the traditional hand washing before u eat, since u eat with ur hands!

In the afternoon we did random duties around home here, an then by 5:30 p.m. Dad an I along with Joe an Tiffany went on a walk through town, Tiffany was in the stroller an received a lot of attention, with her fair skin an curly blonde hair! she seemed to enjoy all the new sites, an even got to hold a tiny baby chick that I captured from a hen beside the road. we had a good time, we walked up to the first round about, an back, which is prolly around a mile. we like to go walking if nothing else is going on in the evening.

We all worked on our home work, an retired to bed early.

My Brave parents learning a new language at 50 years old!!

About 12:45a.m. we woke up to an alarms going off, an another robber had been spotted, this time he was at Dean And Mary Ellen's place, they woke up to their alarm going off, but the alarm was on a very quiet setting, so they turned it off, an went to check the door that the alarm signaled, Dean reported pulling the curtain back an being face to face with the robber! the robber didn't have any shirt on, (Maybe to blend in better with the inky black surroundings...?) an Dean just yelled out, "Git Out Of Here!" an as any obedient scared robber would, he found 5th gear in a right smart hurry, an went sailing over the gate slightly faster then the cameras showed him making his way into the compound. what a life! wow! I can't imagine...but at least our alarms helped out so that nothing was stolen this time.

Stanley hard at work! Talking is so fun, let alone in another language! =)

Also, before I fell asleep I heard our dog prince pacing along the front yard an gate, an growling an barking, which after I found out that there had been more robbers, it made me love our dog all the more! Prince! more chicken bones headed your way pronto! lol

(Thursday May 5th)
Today we had classes till 1 p.m. an then spent some time taking group pictures with our teacher Josephine, since Friday would be our last day with her, then we will be starting classes again on Monday morning an doing a three week session with Rosemary a native Mennonite lady.

The teacher trying to pound learning into our heads!

After class was over, Stacy an I went to the market an found this little tin hut, an I got them to do my hair in "corn rows" it was a really neat experience to sit there, it was sweltering hot, an several ladies coming to join us, just to visit, the Kenyans have SO much time on their hands, (not always a good thing.) anyway, they sat there talking about how they would want to go to America, an we tried telling them that they would not like America, but they just laughed, we had a good time visiting, while the lady was jerking around on my head, it hurt like crazy, an several times my eyes almost had some tears! I hollered out OUCH! THAT HURTS!! several times an those old ladies just bent over laughing, holding their stomachs, they thought it was so funny that I thought it hurt! I don't know what their scalps are made of, but something more thick then mine! that's sure! I kept asking them if I was bald by now!? Also, just a tip, if you are lacking in self image...please do NOT get your hair done in corn rows! I looked like a skinned porky pine! an when I got home I could not believe I spent $2 on looking totally horrible like that! I simply tried to avoid mirrors over the next several days, I had the braids in from Thur. - Sunday an the Luo's were Oh! so! impressed! they kept saying, "youw har is so smat!" ("Your hair look so smart.") anyway at least they liked it.

Welcome to class!

We got back home in the late afternoon, as we went walking around in town abit yet, then we got back in time to get ready for the weekly Thur. evening prayer meeting in the evening.

At unit meeting

I didn't go to prayer meeting, as I was just so tired, so I went to bed early, anyway, I was almost asleep when I feel something crawling up my arm! I immediately went into high panic mood, an then the thing, what ever it was decided to sample my arm!! it bite me...an that is when things went into overdrive...just to discover that a very large beetle was coexisting with me! I promptly flushed it down the toilet, an needless to say sleep was far from me, as I tried to trust my bed sheets again! but I guess I had to remind myself again, that I do live in Kenya... an becoming a buffet for beetles, an other various creepy-crawlies should not put me out of commission like that! I might as well get used to it.

(Friday May 6th)
Had Language class till 1 p.m. Then came home an did various things around home.

Unit meeting

We were then invited to Joseph & Becky for supper, along with the single girls, Carolyn, Charity, an Stacy. As well as Linford & Kay. we had a fantabulous time! the youth had v-ball planned for after supper, but it rained like everything, an the electric went extinct, an needless to say v-ball was cancelled, an it was in the 60* terribly cold, anyway, so we all went to Marlins cozy house, an drank latte's an played card games, I went home early as I haven't been feeling so well since my last seizure, I bumped my head pretty hard when I fell, I discovered there is nothing soft about a concrete wall an tile flooring! an so a head ache, an much tiredness has followed...an my whole positive thing at the end of my last blog came to haunt me several times this week, how I said that it is our choice to make it a good week, or something like that, an now it was my turn to re-accept the whole seizure thing in my life...an getting tired so quick is a trial too,

 but I know God has a reason for allowing this in my life an I want to respond, instead of reacting, to it like I so often do! keep praying for my health issues... I hope you all have a great week!

thanks for all your cards, emails, prayers an most of all your support!

-Sylvia

For the Miller's

Got a card from my good friend Karen Kiem!