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| Kisumu Youth Group |
So this morning we all SLEPT IN!! Twas amazing!!! (That line was for Lyndon Hershberger!:)
We then had a late brunch, an started on our various tasks...I did laundry, an some cleaning.Dad was planting flowers, in a big clay flower pot that they got for my Birthday!
Then by 2:30pm Mom an I went swimming, at Cosmos about 5 min. from our house. Dad picked us up. around 4:30 again. we got home, in time for Dad & Mom to get ready to leave for Java House for supper, with Linford & Kay.
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| Recording several songs |
The rest of us were just at home, I made my first batch of Ugali, also fried some green banana's.
Then made some supper for Steve, since he has taken to the ways of his younger twin brother, an is sick with a fever, an throwing up. seems to only last about 24 hr. so that is good. |
| Stan Cracking up! =) |
We kiddo's were just around home, finishing things up, an getting ready for Sunday.
(Sunday May 24th) Dad left for church earlier then the rest of us, as he was teaching instruction class.
An the rest of our family, along with Linford & Kay, and Charity, came at the regular time.
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| Hard At work.....singing! |
We had extra long Services, with some elaborate testimonies, an a widow expounding on all of her many needs, an wants, an illnesses, an aches, an pains! All in one "Testimony", that's when I need to pray for love... to continue having a true burden, an a heart for people that always have outstretched hands, wanting something free, anything you give. they can easily become so dependent on "hand-outs."
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| The girls singing too |
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| The children in Africa's main toy, is a tire. they roll...an roll them. |
After church I heard much yelling, an crying outside, children were yelling, in horrific cries, so I went to investigate, an found a nurse sitting under the shade tree, giving vaccinations, with a crowd of children all around, staying within a safe distance, but still able to watch, as another unfortunate child gets drug in to get his shot, screaming the whole way...I felt so bad for the children, the men just caught them by the arm an pulled them over to the nurse. most of the children were orphans, so that is why the nurse was there to give the shots, I think they were for polio, an something else, can't remember.
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| One Tire - Two Little Boys = Potential problem. |
But it was terrible much fun to give them a piece of candy after they got their shot, the tears dried up right away, an life was better! Wow! I had to think back when life was simple, an you only had "little peoples" problems, where a piece of candy fixed life's problems...
We got home later, an were finally finishing up lunch around 3:00pm.We all retired to our naps.
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| Our many games of volley ball, in the blazing sunshine! |
At 5:30pm some of the youth gathered at Marlins for song practice, after that we had a unit hymn singing, us youth sang several songs, an Marlins family sang several songs, we all ate haystacks afterwards, an then several youth were hungry for pop corn, an so some of the youth came to our house, an I made pop corn for them, we then played games, an laughed a lot! like usual.
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| And more playing... |
We all tried getting to bed early since the next morning was chicken butchering for the whole compound. Oh Happy Day!! NOT.
(Monday May 23rd)
Today they started killing chickens around 5:45am. an butchering started at 6:00-6:30am. (Made me wonder why we didn't start butchering Sunday evening, with such terribly early hours on Monday morning.) anyway, we butchered around 210 chickens. an finished around 10am.
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| And more playing..... |
We all then went to JoeAllen's for brunch around 11am. an had some amazing food, an topped it off with "monkey bread" which was totally better then necessary! it was so unreal good!! diffidently that is what I will remember of chicken butchering. lol
We all dispersed to our various Monday tasks.We didn't have language classes today.
And the swimming party that the youth girls had planned for today for a birthday gift, got cancelled. because of such busy schedules.
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| Stan Got to go on a ride with Mark Beachy on his piki-piki |
So I was at home an did all of our laundry, with our epic wringer washer, an had the wash out on the wash-line in no time! Also, in-be-tween loads of laundry, I mowed most of our lawn, with our not-so-epic little push mower. it's the kind of missionary push mower, where you keep debating whether to run inside an get the scissors to finish-up, or to keep pushing, or rather shoving, the mower around the yard. I know, I was proud of myself too!
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| One of the highlights of being at Marks was the little children!! |
Dad left for pastors meeting, with the rest of the pastors after brunch was over with, an they finally adjourned the meeting around 6:30pm.
The twins worked with Jadon an Lavon, doing various tasks.An in the evening Wayne an I went walking again, it cooled off so nice, an we had a great evening taking pictures of the native children an talking with friends.
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| Stacey hanging out with the little kids. |
(Tuesday May 24th)
Today we had language class till 12.
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| Stan super-amped about the ride! |
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| Thought this little gang was the cutest thing, I fed them some of my cookies. |
We usually have break at 10am. so I like to walk down to my friend Jenn's, she has a hair braiding little shack, where she braids hair. she is a typical Kenyan mother of five, an her, an her husband, both work, to try an make ends meet. he son is also named Wayne, an she thinks it is just the neatest thing EVER. We always find things to talk about, she loves when I tell her about America, an how things are there, she can't imagine that there are slums, homeless people, an orphanages etc. in America, they always thought everyone in America is rich an in need of nothing, so I have been telling her how America really is, how that people don't have time to chat, like the Kenyans do. And life is so fast paced, compared to Kenya.
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| Doing her homework. |
After class I did random things around home...Dad left with Linford to visit some "special" people, the kind that pastors have to go chat with every now, an then, not necessarily Dads favorite job, but it kinda goes with church life.
Mom was working on the budget letter, since all of our Amish family wants to hear from us, an the budget is about the only way, so mom is adding that to her list of responsibilities...I think she will do very well with that. |
| Carolyn an Janette having a blast! |
In the afternoon several of the compound ladies, Charity, Stacy an I went to the laso shop where we buy the famous scarves that all of the ladies like to wear, an use.
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| Stoltzfus Sister's...We will miss them SO much!! |
We also stopped at Java House afterwards, an had some yummy almost American things to eat an drink. Java House is a really cool Americanized restaurant with lots of awesome coffee drinks, an shakes, an the best part is, its just a few min. from the compound! We went to the top of the building where there is a big pool, an sitting area, it is so awesome up there, because you have a nice view of lake Victoria, an Kisumu. an you almost forget that you are in Kenya, because it is so fancy, an high class.
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| Mark Beachy's cute little house. |
We got back in the late afternoon, an I put away all the dry laundry, an then Wayne an I went on a walk till almost dusk.
(Wednesday May 25th) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY AMAZING SISTER SHARON!!! I love you so much....An I hope you had a amazing day!
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| Yo! Bro! What's up!? |
So we did something totally different today....Just kidding!! We had language classes till 12.
Then we rushed home so that Dad & Mom could leave for bible study by 12:45pm. Linford & Kay along with Charity went this week, the rest of our family stayed at home. I was glad later I didn't go since they didn't get back till around 7:45pm. They were helping some of the other missionaries get unstuck, an through all the mud! |
| At Cosmos where we sometimes go swimming. |
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| One of my new friends Irene, an I. |
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| Stan an I at the "Chip Shack" they make potato chips. |
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| They are all working on peeling potatoes to deep fry into chips |
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| A Traditional hut outside the museum. |
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| A turtle at the museum, "some greenery for his diet!" =) |
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| They were so unreal huge-mongus! |
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| Waking up Dad once he's asleep is one thing, but waking this dude up, is a whole other story!! |
I stayed home this week from Bible Study, since I had a friend named Irene, age 17, that I met over walking in the evenings, an she was wondering the other evening if she could come visit me at my house. I didn't know what to tell her, so I told her that she sure could! an so we planned to meet at my house on Wednesday at 2pm. So I made some chia, (with mom's help) an got our neat little table an two chairs all ready on our front porch, with a banquet of roses. An so 2pm. rolled around...an everything was ready...an I was getting more an more nervous...an having visions of long awkward silences, where I simply had no idea what to say! (yes! I do actually have those moments of NO words!! I know. sorry you never got experienced those rare occasions!) Anyway, so finally at 2:30pm. I decided maybe she got lost, I had given her kind of vague directions, since I don't really do road names. So I went on a walk, an walked down to the main road (Ring Road) an see if she was anywhere near, an just as I walked up to my friend Jenn's hair braiding hut, an was just telling her that I was looking for a girl named Irene that was coming to visit me, here she (Irene) comes on a piki-piki! It was so perfect timing! so we walked back to the compound together, talking random things, an then we got to the porch an I served her some chia, an I also had picture books an things there in case I need, you know, something to entertain her with if my brain goes fooey, an my mouth goes dry! so I showed her pictures of Andre & Sharon an of course my adorable little niece Angela, we talked an talked, an there were not very many of those long silences that I had so feared...where no body is talking, an your telling your brain to think of something quick! before the world collapses...Nope! not at all! it all went just fine! an after I gave her a picture of me, an we took some pictures together. she also asked if she could take our youth scrap book home, so she can read it, an I said sure! she said she will bring it back. an after that she left! an I walked her down to the main road where she has a shop an she sells sandals, since their family does not have enough money to send her to school. We had a really great time together! an we exchanged our Kenyan phone numbers, so we text, an I feel like she will be a really great friend! she also wants to come to church with us.
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| So he was kinda big an stuff! =0 |
An since then I think I have heard from her almost everyday! it's a little overwhelming, but I am learning when to make time, an when to say no. a hard thing to do, but something you simply have to learn.
She is teaching me more of the luo culture an language, an wants to learn more about the American culture as well. She can speak English very well, so that helps me be able to understand her better. |
| So yeah, this is a snake...next!! |
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| All that comes to mind for me, for a caption for this picture is: SICK! |
I did some cleaning in the evening, an made supper for the three bro's, an waited for Dad & Mom to get home from Bible study, like I said before, they got home really late, an both walked in the door looking totally wore out, poor mom was bare foot, an had mud caked around her feet. Dad had his pant legs rolled up to new heights, an was looking rather tired as well, he said he had gone mudding, an was busy the last several hours trying to pull some of the other missionaries out of the mud. it was quite a day, of which I could write another whole chapter about. but I won't..
(Thursday May 26th) |
| Lets not forget chicken butchering! |
Today was language class till 10am. then we all went to a museum as part of our class, it has lots of Kenyan history, as well as many mounted animals from Africa, an also live alligators, turtles an snakes, some of the snakes were so creepy big, an the tour guide said they can eat a person whole, no problem! wow! ok, so I'm ready to leave about right now...they were so huge an ugly...an uggghh! I shiver just typing about them!!
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| My friend Jenn an I, she is wearing the dress I made for her |
So after we finally finished there at the museum, JoeAllens an Rosemary (Our Teacher) went back home, an our family decided to grab a bite to eat at a whole in the wall restaurant, an ended up talking with a x-Muslim pastor, who is now a Christian, he was so on fire for God, an praising Jesus! I was truly inspired by his life! We ended up following him on his motor bike, as he wanted to show us his little church building where about 10-12 Christians gather to worship. He so wants our family to come sing one Sunday evening, an wants Dad to preach. So we will see, how time allows.
He was such a humble man, an was telling dad how he needs so much teaching, being a newer Christian himself, an wanted an instruction class book, he also commented on mom an I, how we dressed, he said he likes our modesty, an that is something he wants more teaching an direction on. |
| Cute little Tiffany, the face she makes when I tell her to smile for a pic. |
So after that, we got back home, the twins went to work in the shop, an after Mom an I did some cooking in the kitchen, Dad & Mom an I left for town, Dad needed some things, an Mom an I wanted to go to the laso shop. We randomly met up with some Holderman people, an it ended up they knew a cousin of Dad's that lives here in Kenya as well! It seemed like a small world after all...we got back in the late afternoon, in time to get ready for the weekly prayer meeting at 7pm. at Wayne & Clara's house.
And so ended a strange an busy day...(Friday May 27th)
Today was a full day, but a really fun day as well!
Our Kisumu youth group, along with Matthias from Nakuru (the other AMA mission) left the compound around 8:45am. to go to Ng'iya where the Mark Beachy family is living at, since their church is located way out there.
We joined their sons, Markus an Micah, an played some good games of Volley ball till around 12:30, we then had some amazing lunch, an after lunch we recorded several songs, that Lavon wanted to record before they leave for home, then they played some more volley ball till around 5pm.
We then left for home with Micah in tow, an on the way home we stopped at the equator to take some group pictures, an then continued on home, arriving at the compound around 7pm. we all showered an chilled till about 8:30pm. then we all went out to eat at a fancy Asian restaurant, called Simba club, as a last bash before the Stoltzfus youth leave us for good. the restaurant doesn't open the buffet till 9pm. so that is why we went so late, it was really worth it though! the food was amazing, an everyone in our group was kind of in a crazy frame of mind...so needless to say, we had a epic time! And Jadon, fulfilling a triple dare, came wearing one of the girls sandals! I ask him how much he got paid to wear the sandals, an he said, "nothing just got a triple dare, so I had to do it." wow! some people though!
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| Jadon's sandals he wore when he got a triple dare to wear them. |
We all got back home around 10:30. after a great youth day!
-Sylvia
For the Miller's
p.s. (Sorry for this ridiculously late post...)
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