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