Miller Family Kisumu, Kenya: A Knee Pops out of socket, An Water Pipes Leave Their Brackets!

(Saturday July 9th)

The landscape at Luke's house! incredible!

Today we all slept in, then I got up to start brunch, we all had brunch, then I left for swimming around 11:30am. with Stacy, Rhoda, Clarissa, an I also invited my good friend Irene to go with us. It was fun to have her along since she had never before swam in a swimming pool, she absolutely loved it, an I'm trying to teach her how to swim.
We all got back home around 2:30pm. an after doing various things around home , our family an Stacy, an Rhoda went to Java House for supper, we had a really great evening there.
(Sunday July 10th)
This morning Dad left for IC class.

Then Mom, the three bro's, an I came at the usual time.

A nice stream close to Luke's house!

We had reorganization today, so that took up a lot of the service, an hardly left time for the message, but Dad did try to preach a shorter message on Naboth's vineyard, taking some pictures along to demonstrate, as well as some clusters of grapes, I then got to pass the grapes out to the children, it was really fun, an needless to say, the children were more attentive to the message then they sometimes are! Dad then talked about telling the truth, an living out the truth.
After the service I started walking home, since it was so pretty an not as hot, the three bro's then came an picked me up with the stone crusher, an we hurried home to prepare lunch, while Dad & Mom had various meetings with people, an Mom was practicing choir song, with the church ladies.

Hiking out to Luke's house...

I almost had lunch ready by the time they got home, around 2:30pm. I then decided that I was more tired then hungry, so I went an took a nap, so I would for sure feel like going to our Sunday evening activity.

The ex-Muslim pastor Richard an wife Janet wanted Dad to preach at their evening church service tonight, an that started at 4pm. already, so lunch was light, an the naps short. So we all got ready an left for their small church down on Ring Rd. It was quite a culture shock for us all, Dad an Mom had been there before, but us children hadn't been there yet.
First they had an ear-splitting worship service, I was so glad once the singing was over...it was just a small building, an they actually had a speaker system, an it was way too loud! the ladies literally just yelled into those mic's till my ears stung, finally Dad had a message, an then we greeted most everyone, then Steve an I decided to walk home, since it was so close, an Dad & Mom were still talking with the people.

Enjoying the stream, with the high temps. out

We got home before the others, and I made popcorn, an Richard & Janet came for snack, of popcorn an the Luo's special delight, banana bread! We sat on the front porch an talked till pretty late, seemed we couldn't finish talking, they are such a kindred spirit!

(Monday July 11th)

Dad was at pastor meeting most of the day.

Mom did laundry in the forenoon.

I worked on the blog most of the day.
In the evening Wayne an I went walking along Ring Rd. again, we bought some Skuma- wiki for Mom, an just relaxed around home in the evening.
We had a very usual Monday.
(Tuesday July 12th)
Today we were just around home doing various tasks, Dad was in his office most of the day, an went to town with me to copy out a bunch of pictures I took for the church people, an also got some SMS cards for the twins, an Dad's new iphone's. We ended up waiting about an hour an a half on the pictures to print, then they didn't have all of them printed, so Kenya. We were at the post office a bit, then walked around looking at different shops, an ate some fries, an finally the pictures were ready!
We were just at home again tonight.

hiking back out to our vehicle

Reaching our destination... the vehicle

I had a bit of a calamity happen tonight, I was walking into Mom an Dads bedroom, an I saw there was a wet puddle on the tile floor from wet towels, so I went to take a big step over it, an I guess the puddle was bigger then I thought, because I took a big step, an I still landed in the water, an my ankle went one way, an my knee went another way, an my knee slipped out of socket! I heard it crack as it slipped out, an I just collapsed to the floor, in a pain that I thought was almost unbearable, my knee cap had still been sore from landing on it several weeks before when I had a seizure, so it hurt even more, in my extreme pain I kept asking, (or yelling might better describe it) "Mom!! Why cant I just have a normal life!?" Ha! kinda strange what you say when your in such pain I guess. But after some writhing around in pain, an breaking out in a cold sweat, I was able to hobble to my bed, my knee was actually fairly good the next morning, of course Mom put some oil on it that was supposed to make it all better, an it did! I wanted it to get better fast, since the next day, on Wednesday, we had planned to take the water girls, from SMBI along to bible study, an Dad wanted me to go along, especially if they were along. So usually after popping my knee out of socket like that, it would be almost impossible to walk on it normally the next day, but I got up Wednesday morning, an I could almost walk without a limp! Praise God!
(Wednesday July 13th)

Mom an Luke's wife singing

Today we all got ready to leave for Bible Study, we all did odd jobs around home in the forenoon, an also made supper to put over to Joe an Glenda's house since they just had an addition to their small family, a small, one month early, baby son, named Elliot Layne.

Dad with some of the children

We quickly ate lunch, an the three bro's an I left at 12:00 noon with one van, an Dad & Mom came with the stone crusher, since we children had to get back from Bible study earlier then what Dad & Mom would, also we picked up the water girls at Ahero, since they were on their way to Kisumu from Nakaru, an were planning to go to Bible study with us. ( I believe I had said in my last post that they are from IGO, but its actually SMBI, so sorry for that wrong info.) their first names are Valerie, Lanae, an Teresa, I've had a great time getting to know them better, an to try an give them a true cultural experience, since they are on a couple week trip to Kenya, through the SMBI program.
We had a great time at bible study, we even got to sit outside an listen in, instead of sitting inside the hut, so that was an extra bonus to the day, for me at least.

Eating sugar cane!

After bible study, we rushed home since I had a phone call/face time scheduled with abunch of my friends who were hanging out an wanted to FaceTime. I was so excited about that! it was a lot of my closer friends, Kate Yoder, Jenn Borntregar, Debra Borntregar, Rita Hershberger, an Phelan Brooks, It was beyond amazing to not only talk to them but to "SEE" them!
Jenn is my friend who is getting married on Aug. 13th she had asked me to be in her bridal party, but with being all the way on this side of the world it didn't work out. I never thought I would miss her wedding, since she was one of my closest friends, but I've learned to be ok with it, an it sure helps that I'm enjoying Kenya as much as I am! an I realized before I came that this might be a sacrifice that I may have to make.

Wayne with his buddies

*A random bit of info I keep forgetting to add to my blog is that Dean Miller's family has left for a 6 week furlough to the states, so we are missing having them on the compound.

*Also, Carolyn Rhodes had left for a several week journey to her home in Virgina, to spend time with family an friends, before returning to her post her in Kenya, gearing up for another term of school teaching. Its great to have her back in our midst!
(Thursday July 14th)
Today Dad & Mom were gone most of the day, finally taking the blind man to live at the school for

Luke an his wife, an some of their children.

the blind, where they say he should be able to read in braille in around 2 months time! so that is very exciting!
An another thing on their agenda was to take a youth guy, an his hopeful girl friend, to do HIV testing, a well as get a ID card for the girl.
They had a full day out an about, an didn't return back home till around 5:30pm. So we all had a quick supper an went to Jakes for prayer meeting.

Stan & Wayne enjoying the day

Well people, while Dad & Mom were gone today we children here at home, had our own set of problems...So the last several days our shower wasn't working properly, we had basically no hot water, an we were taking cold showers, Steve had been trying to fix it, to no avail, an in the mean time we were reminded of our missionary position... an taking deep gulps of air, were a common routine at shower times, like I said the water was freezing cold, an stayed that way for several days. But it was good for us, we now appreciate our hot showers more.
Anyway! back to the disaster that happen while Dad & Mom were gone....So this morning, determined to fix the issue, an get hot showers, the twins had bishop Wayne, as well as pastor Jake come investigate things, so they stomped around up in the attic for a while, doing what men do best, solving issue's, an reaching conclusions.

Luke an his wife

Stanley Miller

So before long Wayne an Jake both left, an the twins tried their non-existent plumbing skills, in our old, musty, stuffy attic...well, I soon heard running water up in the attic! Red Flag! I don't know anything about plumbing, but these were the things I did know, 1. there were water pipes in the attic. an 2. you shouldn't hear free falling water falls in an attic. Soon after, things broke loose in chaotic scrambling, I see a set of shoes come zipping down the ladder in a swift motion, an Steve yells out, "Grab Bucket's!" over his shoulder as he ran to the shop to find buckets as well! So buckets were hauled up into the attic in rapid succession, an Jake was frantically trying to figure out were it was that you turn the water off completely, Wayne came too, an they search, an finally were able to stop the water, an got things under control in the attic, that was now full of bucket's standing around, with water in them. but things might have been under control up in the attic, but enough water got spilled up in the attic before the buckets arrived, an soon water came pouring down the walls, an huge puddles were in the hallway, an into the office, an just when I thought things couldn't get worse, they did! with the ceiling being soggy from all the water, Stanley somehow set a full bucket of water on a soggy spot, an with a squishy groan, the ceiling gives way, an the bucket full of water comes crashing through the ceiling into the hallway, water going every direction on the smooth tile flooring, thankfully Stanley didn't make the hasty descent along with the bucket, so soon we were moving my mattress in my bedroom since my bed is not in a frame, but rather just on the floor. an the water was headed that way, we got it out of the way in time.

Enjoying lunch

There were pieces of old plaster board scattered around, an brown muddy water running down the walls, an water dripping an running...it was a mess!
Before I got to the scene, the twins in desperation grabbed all the towels, dirty an clean an threw them everywhere, as well as all the dirty wash in the bathroom dirty cloths basket, so it looked like a big mess to clean up when I arrive! an it was. there was sopping wet clothes, an towels, an water everywhere, so the rest of the day I mopped up water, an cleaned walls, an mop boards, (thankfully, the twins an Wayne helped me out a lot!) so we all grabbed buckets of soapy water an washed door frames, an mop boards an floors, an talked of the recent flooding's back home, wondering how depressing it must be to have your entire home flooded!

Luke enjoying the pastor an family

I then worked on laundry for a while till I got all the sopping wet towels an cloths all clean, an drying on the wash line....wow! what a day!
(Friday July 15th)
Today our family along with Daniel, an Joshua, from our church, as well as Dishon from Rabour church, went to see Luke an his family of 9 children, they are the family I had written about that was running for their lives.
Well, Praise God they are back home, however, there is still not total peace, an some unrest here an there, but they are trusting God, an praying his protecting hand over their family.

As you can see in this pic, that in this culture men who are friends, often hold hands.

We had quite the hike to his home, we drove part of the way, an then, hiked the rest of the way, an since we were close to the mountains, it was some steep hiking to his house, especially since it had rained a bit that morning, the mud was slippery, an I found myself sliding backwards, but Luke so kindly helped me up the hill.
We had a fantastic lunch at Luke's house, then we had a short bible study, with much singing, we then dispersed with each a stalk of sugar cane to chew on, on our way home.
Luke an his wife, an oldest son, escorted us all the way back down to our vehicle again. their hospitality, amidst obvious poverty, moved me to tears.

Daniel, Stan, Dishon, Wayne, an Joshua

It may also be noteworthy that Luke is the member in our church who bikes a very long way to come to church, he attends faithfully, howbeit he starts his journey to church at 10:00am. Saturday morning, an arrives at a town very close to the church at 5:00pm. Saturday evening, he bikes all day, then sleeps in the town close to the church, an finishes his trip Sunday morning, he is almost 50 yr. old an I marvel at his dedication, an his commitment in serving Jesus!

Roads through masogo town!

We then started the long trek back to Kisumu, dropping off our friends Daniel an Joshua in Masogo, an Dishon in Rabour, we then got home an the three bro's an I decided to go to Java house for supper, an then got home in time to get ready for the volley ball game, we didn't have enough youth players, so the pastors helped us out.
So that completes my update for our comings an goings this past week! there was much more I could write about our day at Luke's, but I am determined that this post will be shorter.
Have a blessed week!
-Sylvia
For The Miller's

P.s. (Sorry this post is a bit late, we had family day on Monday, so I took a break from posting.)