Miller Family Kisumu, Kenya: Unit Meeting, An A Family Of 11 Fleeing For Their Lives!

At Unit Meeting in Nakaru

(Saturday June 18th)

Today Carolyn, Stacy, Rhoda, an I were panning on going swimming, but we woke up to total over casted skies, an rain, so we canceled. It was very unusual weather for Kenya...but it was nice to have a "fall weather" type of day. later on when Stacy an I went to do some random shopping, I even wore a sweater, It was very chilly!
After we got back I did some odd jobs around home...Dad was studying for his message...mom was baking cinnamon rolls... an finally, Dad & Mom left to go do some shopping, an just have some alone time.

Very intent on the meeting.

After the twins were done at the shop, an Dad & Mom were still not home, we decided to sit down by the lake an watch the sunset. there were lots of people there, so we didn't stay long, but we stayed long enough to see a big, old, hippo walking along the edge of the lake, bobbing up every now an then so we could catch a glimpse of his monstrous face.
We got home in time for some of mom's yummy chicken/ranch pizza.
(Sunday June 19th)
Dad left early for IC class, Mom an Wayne, went along as well.

The girls sitting with rapt attention. (They did a lot better then me on that!)

Steve an I went in one van, an Stan followed with another van, as we made our way to Rabour church, to pick up the choir there, an bring them to our church, (there were about 13 ladies an 4 men on the choir.) as they had a program at our church. They sang very well. Then Dad had a message on Mathew 18. Church finally dismissed at 1:00-1:30 pm after some very elaborate testimonies...we all went home, taking the choir back to their church house, an dropping others off nearer to their homes, then we came home an ate a great lunch, an retired to our napping.
In the evening the youth were all invited to JoeAllen's for supper, an sitting around a camp fire, which we had not done much of since we are here, since wood is so scarce, an is used for cooking not just burning. but we had a great time together, even though it was a small group!

saw this on the way home from unit meeting. (This is why I think tractors should have air bags.)

(Monday June 20th)
Today Dad was at the pastors meeting most of the day...
The twins were in the shop most of the day...
Mom was cooking, an sewing a dress for herself...
I worked on the blog most of the day...then in the evening, Stacy, Rhoda, an I went to hangover for supper, an then did some shopping, we had an epic time together.
(Tuesday June 21st)

A lady was teaching me how to get water from a well.

Today our whole compound made the three hour trek to Nakaru for unit meeting...which meant we had to rouse from our slumbers at 5:30am!! I almost didn't make it people! It was terrible. So after about 100 speed bumps, an three hours later,we arrived at Nakaru for the epic unit meeting, the meeting was so interesting that I actually caught a short snooze out in the van, upon my return the discussion was on suit coats....so interesting. NOT. The meeting started around 9:30am. an they had a very delicious pancake breakfast before the meeting. The meeting finally adjourned around 1:30pm. It was longer then usual for some odd reason, But with taking a nap, as well as texting random boring comments to the other very bored youth, we once again live to talk about unit meeting.

I stayed at a safe distance an watched, I just knew she was gonna fall in!

we had some amazing haystack for lunch, an then started for home around 4:30pm. we returned to the compound around 7:30pm. was great to warm up in Kisumu again, as it was so cold an rainy in Nakaru, I even had a sweater on, an finally wore one of my brothers thick coats because I was still so cold! I have not been as cold as I was at unit meeting, since I left the states! It was like in the 50* in the morning, but I know we should enjoy it because soon it will be in the 90* or more.
(Wednesday June 22nd)
So today was the weekly Bible Study.
And since Rhoda will be attending church with Joseph an Becky, she did not attend Bible study with us, so it was just Dad & Mom, Wayne an I.
We had quite the times...we were way out in the backwoods, an they had just had a big rain.

At Luke's house, with 9 kids, an the neighbors kids too, it made for a lively place!

we put the vehicle in four wheel drive an drove through massive puddles, were people were washing their piki-piki's, we continued to spin our way back in, the vehicle at times drifting first one way, then the other, skidding from side to side, an I kept gasping for air! It was something else. sometimes I thought we were going to turn around completely an head the other way.
Finally we were back in as far as the vehicle would go, then we walked another 30 min. or so in the sweltering afternoon sunshine. Oh! Joy!

Luke an his wife, an some of their children, the rest were gone else where.

Also, our native guide that was supposed to direct us to the people who were having the Bible study, didn't know where they lived, an neither did we, but I soon discovered that African men, are never lost either, even though we were back tracking he still "knew" where he was going.
finally, I took off my shoes an socks, since we were wading through streams, Dad an Mom waded through with their shoes on, bless their hearts, an believe me once I was in the murky water up over my entire feet, I too wished for something to take the blunt of the snakes, an crocodile's bites...not that it happened...but, just in case. because once your in murky water like that you start thinking of the possibility, of being sampled by various reptiles, even though sitting here in our comfortable home typing on my laptop, it sure doesn't seem like I should have been so freaked out. but, I was.

They were having so much fun!!

an eventually as we were slipping an sliding our way to Bible Study, Wayne plodding along barefoot, in front of me, all of a sudden slips, an with a solid THUNK lands to the ground, an since we were way behind all the rest, I start laughing, an then Wayne still on his knees in the mud, randomly started singing, "We bow down." we had ourselves a good laugh! We then concluded that if this is what AMA wanted us to come an do, we were planning on making the most of our experience.
We got to Bible study very late, an the natives trying not to laugh while looking at our mud splattered selves, kept saying how sorry they were for us. They walk much further then we do, an somehow manage to arrive looking spotless, I don't see how they do it!
so after Bible Study we had some bread an tea, an started our trek back home.
We arrived home around 6pm. We then washed up an joined the twins at hangover for supper.
We had a great time.
(Thursday June 23rd)

Dad & Mom, Lois & Luke, an Daniel our interpreter.

Today we were just all around home, Dad was in his study since he will be preaching in Lela this Sunday.
The twins were working on finishing up the grill that they had welded together, for one of the families here on the compound.
Mom was doing the laundry, an I was working on some much needed cleaning.
In the afternoon Dad & Mom went to get some groceries, then we all ate a hurried supper, an left for prayer meeting at JoeAllen's which is like a 15 second walk from our house. It was a small group but we had a great time together.
(Friday June 24th)
Today Dad & Mom an I, along with Daniel okalo our interpreter, went to see a family from our church, Luke an Lois an their 9 children, he is a member of the CBF church, but his wife isn't an none of his family is either, but his wife is a very devote Christian, an she really encouraged me, to see her walk with the Lord.

We went past our church, an just so happened that CAM was having food distribution.

Kori, making sure the right families receive the food.

We went to visit them since earlier in the week, there had been another tribe that they are at odd with that came storming into their area, an about 50 men started robbing an killing, Luke's next door neighbor got shot with an arrow, an then was hacked to death! horrible. so Luke an his family fled for their lives, an came to a town that is closer to where the church is, but still close enough so that his older sons can go back to check on the crops. A relative in the town that they fled to gave them a house to live in, an they felt more safe there, so they will just stay there till they hear that it is safe to go back home. Pray for the family if you think of it. we took them some food, an spent time visiting with them, an their attitude was amazing, they were just happy to all be together an to be alive. the family sang several songs for us before we left, I took some pictures, an was so blessed with their contentment, an most of all their joy. It was truly incredible!
Afterwards they escorted us out to the road where our vehicle was parked, an kept saying how thankful they were that we came, we finally left, an took our interpreter back home, as he was feeling sick, an then we stopped by the hospital to pray with an older widow from our church who is staying there right now. We continued on home after that an stopped several times to buy chips (fries) along the way, finally reaching home around 6:15pm. I took a short rest, an then got ready for the weekly v-ball game that was on the street at 7:15pm
Was great to have Marcus Beachy here, as well as Kori from Nakaru
An that is about all that happened last week, at least in a nut shell.
Sylvia,
For the Miller's

P.S( So sorry for this terribly late post, I guess my excuse this time is that I had another seizure Sunday evening, so I've been recovering from bumps an bruises, an a bitten up lip. Pray for me on that if you think about it, I think we will be going to the Doc. tomorrow to check out if it might be limes disease. So please pray for me, I really wanna know what is causing these seizures, an as crazy as it sounds... I am hoping it is limes, just so that I have an answer, I am really tired of spending hundreds of dollars on various tests an the doctors saying, "nope, everything looks fine." then I go home an have more seizures!
So sorry for all this about my health again, I feel like I always talk about this. but just asking you please pray that we could find answers to this illness that disrupted my life. Thanks in advance! )