Miller Family Kisumu, Kenya: A Lost Boy, A Persistant Shop Vendor, An A trip To Nairobi!

(Saturday August 20th)

This cute little boy at Bible study...

Today Dad & Mom had a brunch meeting at Java House with the two school teachers for this term Rhoda, an Carolyn, the three bro's an I slept in then, I made breakfast, an after cleaning up the kitchen, I left to go do some swimming, with the compound girls, an Stacy's Sister an Cousin who are here presently. We had a grand time together! I stayed longer, an decided to try an walk all the way back from the pool, which took around 35-45 min. I got back around 4pm. fried to a crisp!

Enjoying Bible Study at Nakuru...

Winford sharing. The guy in the background had a fascination-phobia with being in a pic.

Wild Zebras on the way to Nairobi...

I then helped Mom with supper preparations, I was sitting in the living room cutting up vegetables, when I look out the front screen door, an here a small maybe 2-3 yr old boy comes walking in our walk way, an onto the porch, trotting right on over to our front door, an without hesitation he opened the door an walks in! I'm sitting there like, where did he come from? an why isn't he scared to come into our house by himself? especially with our big dog! so he stepped inside where I could get a closer look at him, he was a well dressed little guy, an carrying a small umbrella in one hand...he really was ready for the journey! so as he was looking all around with his big brown eyes, I asked him how he was doing, no reply, but rather he started playing with some things on our coffee table, like he knew exactly where he was! so, I didn't want his mother to come looking for him, an find him in our house, so I picked him up, an he didn't even protest, I then took him down to the guard shack/gate man, an asked them if they know where this little fella belongs? they then directed me to a house which was on our compound, but I just had never met the people living there, an so I knocked on the gate, an soon a lady appeared, an I told her that he came striding into our house, an I was just returning him, she didn't seem all that worried about it. An politely took him, an chided him abit in Luo, an then thanked me for the return of her son. I told her that her an her son are welcome anytime! it was a rather strange experience. An the little guy was so cute I couldn't help but to plant a kiss on his forehead, before returning him, I sure hope his mommy takes good care of him!

In the evening we were all just around home, Mom made some of her yummy pizza, an we just relaxed.

At Bible study, it was dreadfully cold...

(Sunday August 21st)
Today Dad & Mom left early for IC class, the three bro's an I coming later, we picked up some Rabour member's, who were walking an dropped them at their church since we pass right by their church.
It was a good Sunday with less in attendance then usual.
Dad preached about leadership, taking responsibility, an making a difference in your own corner of the world, he talked about not having the mentality that: What can the church do for me...But, What can I do for the church. stressing that you didn't need to be a president or pastor etc. to be a leader an make a difference.

The guy with the Bible had devotions...

The three bro's an I actually got home early, Dad & Mom got home quite abit later, we had already eaten lunch, an were taking our naps when they got home, they had stopped by to see a lady from our church who is having a very swollen an painful foot, thus the late return.
In the evening, Joe & Glenda invited all of the missionaries on the compound, to come to their house for an evening of campfire singing, an snacks, we had a great evening, an us youth girls sang several songs together, since we had 2 extra girls with us.
(Monday August 22nd)
Today was a more low-key day...

Mr. cutie an his friend...

Mom did some of the laundry.
Dad was at pastor's meeting all day.
An I worked on the blog most of the day.
Steve n Stan worked on several vehicles, Steve taking the one van to get all new tires...just all our normal Monday duties around here.
Over lunch time, we had just given the three bro's their lunch, when Pastor Richard an his wife Janet an son Peace stopped by to visit. (This is ex-Muslim pastor) So of course we pull out a chair an sit on the porch to visit with them, we then ended up making some extra food, an serving them lunch.
They stayed for around 2 hours, so that took a big chunk out of our afternoon, but that is why we are here for so...
In the evening I walked to Nakamatt to buy some things I needed, an as strange as this may sound to you, I was so proud of myself for going out alone, usually I would have always taken someone with me because of being scared of having a seizure, so it felt like a small milestone for me, an I think taking meds might be boosting my confidence abit. anyway.

Stacy an I with the two little boys who kept staring at us through the open door.

We were just around home in the evening, eating supper on our front porch, it cooled off nicely an was very windy...
(Tuesday August 23rd)
Today Mom an I cleaned, an made food, since we had invited Stacy an her sister an cousin over for supper. I also did our laundry in the forenoon, I felt good, an rushed around like a mini tornado mom thought, but it was great to feel good! I almost over worked myself, an was over tired by evening, but I was so amazed by everything I got done.
Dad was in an out all day, working in the office an going to town...

these little guys were my best friends, once I gave them candy...

The twins were helping Jake an Janice with driving their church people to impala park for a day of socializing, impala park is basically a small zoo, an you can watch them feeding the lions, which is interesting.
The twins worked on several vehicles, an got some tires rotated.
In the evening Stacy an her sister an cousin came at 6:30pm. I grilled some chicken, an mom cooked up a feast! we had a great evening, with the girls an I talking an laughing till around 10:30pm.

Picture time...

In the evening we also got a nice rain, an it cooled everything off a lot, it was much needed as there was dust everywhere, an with the wind storms in the afternoon the dust blew right into the house, an you couldn't do anything but watch it settle over all your freshly dusted windows an furniture, but the rain calmed the dust a lot an that was nice.
(Wednesday August 24th)
Today I decided to leave for Nakuru an on to Nairobi with Stacy an her sister an cousin...it was another one of those things where I was scared to go when Stacy asked, but I still wanted to go so much that after some convincing from Stacy I decided to go.

Stacy, an her "could be twin" sister Amy...

If you can have a bike, you have "everything."

So I slept in a bit this morning an then I showered an packed up all my things, we left the compound around 12noon an headed out for the other AMA mission in Nakuru, I was nervous but hoped for the best. after the 2.5 hour drive we arrive in Nakuru, in time to go with Winford & Debbie to their Wednesday bible study, (Winford is Stacy's cousin, so we stayed in their guest quarter's.) we had a great time at Bible study, but it was so cold! it felt like a fall evening back home, were you wanted a jacket, I almost froze, an the natives were all wrapped in coats an blankets, it is just amazing how that Nakuru is higher elevation an is so much colder then Kisumu. we prayed, an studied the lesson, then they served us chia an it actually felt really good to drink something warm!
We returned to Winford an Debbie's house where Debbie had made a delicious supper for us, we did dishes, after that the others talked in the living room, but I went to our guest quarters an took a hot shower, an soaked my ice cold feet in hot water, curled up in a blanket, an made some hot tea! I was not cold like that since I left America! it was dreadfully cold.
( Thursday August 25th)

If you don't know which pose to do, you can always resort to this one!

This morning we all slept in abit, then had brunch together.
We then went to town with winford, he dropped us girls off at the animal market, an he took Mathias an Jacinta on to the grocery store to stock up on things for the compound pantry.
Us girls shopped at the animal market, which is basically tiny little shops where they sell all kinds of little trinkets that they hand make themselves, to sell to tourists, they have a lot of carved animals carved out of soup-stone, thus the name "animal market" they also have all manner of other things from bracelets to scarves etc. the shop vendors were as persistent as ever! running along side as you walked, trying to sell you things.

Bikes could possibly be the rage among this age group?

The one man was trying to sell me a map, he literally ask me like 6-8 times if I wanted to buy his map "for a very good price!" I kept saying no...no....no...finally I got slightly ticked off...an after he asked me yet again if I wanted to buy his map, I asked him "Do you remember, what I told you the last time when you asked me if I wanted to buy your map?" an his eyes dropped.... an he said quietly, "You said no." so I told him that "believe it or not, I still feel the exact same way now, as I did then." an with the "light of inspiration" dawning in his brain all at once he said "ok." an never bothered me again. those street vendors though....you gotta love 'em!
After we were finished shopping, we went to the store where the rest were buying groceries an other supplies for the pantry, they were soon finished an we all headed back to the compound where we helped them unload all their bulk supplies, an then Debbie had a amazing lunch of avocado wraps made for us.

Going to town with the bike...

We then did random things around the compound, which included naps, an packing our things up to head on to Nairobi, at around 4pm Winford an Debbie an their youngest daughter, along with Stacy, her sister, an cousin, an I all packed into a van, headed out for Nairobi.

Innocent. Adorable.

After driving for hours, we checked in at our motel, an unloaded some things, then we went to find some supper, an ate at KFC, it was unreal to be eating American food again, I didn't realize how much I missed it, till I tasted how good it was! it was just amazing! we then headed to the airport around 9:30 - 10:00pm an dropped Amy an Andrea off so they could catch their flight out of Nairobi at midnight, after hugs an those sad good byes they loaded all their luggage on carts an disappeared into the throngs of people...it was really sad to see them leave.
We then left the airport, only to get stuck in a traffic jam, an once we finally arrived back to our sparsely furnished rooms, (With showers in another room, where we had to walk out around to get to the shower room.) we all crashed to sleep.
(Friday August 26th)
Today we had the entire day in Nairobi! Winford left early in the morning to try an get the brakes fixed on the van as they were sounding horrible. So that left his wife Debbie an daughter Lakisha an Stacy an I to figure out what we wanted to do, so after breakfast an trying to decide, we decided to start walking, an we found some cool little shops where they sold the usual things, an then we walked abit further, an came to a good sized town where there was a mall, an different places to eat, as well as a java house, so we spent a lot of time there.

I finally got a smile out of her!

Stacy an I went to a small 4D-5D motion theater, it was small only holding 4 people, but it was crazy! I was a little scared about doing it because of my seizures, but deep down inside I really wanted to do it, simply because I was a bit scared to do it, an also because I could tell Stacy really want to do it, we kept debating if we wanted to do it, an I said well what if I have a seizure!? an Stacy so confidently said, "you wont!" so I said, " ok, lets do it!" then after we had paid an were getting our seat belts on, an the bars in place, Stacy looked at me an said, "Do you think you'll have a seizure?!" I laughed an said, "No! you said I wont." she looked alittle worried, but we both wanted to do it so bad....so we did, it was wild, with the seats jerking this way an that, an even real snow falling! hadn't seen that white stuff in a while, but wow! the screaming...I haven't screamed that much since my last volley ball game! it was really awesome...we both left the place alittle hoarse, an weak in the knees!

Delbert this one is for you. Some people don't have a box truck to haul furniture!

We had pizza for lunch, an then headed back to our motel, getting a matatu (Van) to take us most of the way back, we then took naps an once Winford got back we moved all our things out of our primitive little rooms, to more furnished rooms, with actual showers in them! what a treat! then we all went to Java house for supper, after supper we went back to our rooms to relax, then poor Winford an Debbie had to pick-up the group of 8 at the airport, coming from hillcrest at around 12:30am. returning to the motel around 1:30am. everyone collapsed into their beds...
An that was yet another week in Kenya!