Miller Family Kisumu, Kenya: A Seminar, A Wedding At Nyakoko, An Hail On A Rusty Tin Roof!

(Saturday September 17th)
CAREN & JOSHUA'S WEDDING DAY!!!

Joel at the guest registry, welcoming the guest's, complete with his mud-boots

Today we all got up early to be on time, an in tune, for today was the long anticipated day of Caren & Joshua's wedding!
Dad & Mom left earlier then us others, to set up the guest registry table, an the gift table, Mom, as creative as always, made signs to put on the doors to the church house, welcoming everyone to the service, she even wrote the one sign in luo! I was proud of her! Once I got there I helped put up some balloons to make it special.
We had also assembled a bouquet for Caren, as well as corsages for the choir ladies, the Bride an Groom, an the witnesses. (two older couples that were close to Joshua & Caren.)

The ladies choir practicing their songs for the wedding.

So we finally get to the church after picking up some people from the Rabour church, an others along the way that needed a ride to the wedding, Us Nyakoko youth were there early to practice our two songs for the wedding. (a lot of them were too late to practice. What's new!)

Jane from Nyakoko an Leah from Aroba, waiting for the wedding to start.

We got everything set up, an the guest's started arriving, an finally everyone was there, except Caren & Joshua, then we hear people saying that according to culture Joshua needs to arrive at the church before Caren....So we were all there waiting for the groom to arrive...the wedding was supposed to start at 11:00am. but it wouldn't have been a Kenyan wedding if it would have started on time! The service finally did however started at 12:30pm. the groom FINALLY arrived, then Dad found out he was supposed to be the one to go pick-up Caren an the family she was staying with, so Dad an I along with several of Caren's friends left in a van to go pick-up Caren an the family she was staying with.

As you can see wearing white to a wedding is the culture, its so diff. at home!

Some of the youth girls waiting for the wedding to start.

We get to the house, an surprisingly Caren is all ready in her beautiful white dress, with her small daughter Mary also in a cute little white dress, first we all file into the house an like usual, before anyone sits down the "white pasta" needs to pray a blessing on their house, after which we thought we were going to leave now, but they wanted us to sit down, an then Caren explained to Dad that she would like for him to go to the church house where her family was, (Caren's actual family were from quite a long distance away, an traveled far for the wedding.) an bring them over to the house she was staying at as, she had something to give them (Chia and mondozies)...SIGH! Dad jumped back into the van, leaving us girls there, an went back to the church to get Caren's family...but instead, he returned with the needs committee.... (I'm thinking, what!? the needs committee?....... but then again I guess we did have a serious need here...mostly a "need for speed!" it was so late already an they were acting like this was going to be a wedding like in the Bible times, were people celebrated for a week straight!) the needs committee gently tried to explain to Caren, an the family she was staying with, that we are already an hour an a half behind schedule, and that they should just leave the chia an mondozies, an come to the wedding so things could get started. (Bless the needs committee's hearts!)

Standing around waiting for things to progress...

Brad spending his time climbing the tree outside the church house.

So after explaining the need to get to the church an get started, we all stood to leave, an then the man of the house said that he wanted to pray for Caren an her young daughter Mary, as they will be leaving their house, and Caren will never more return here as a single girl, so after an impressive prayer, we finally packed everyone into the van an started the bumpy ride back to the church, as we neared the church, one of the older ladies told the young ladies that were along to start singing, an she didn't have to ask them the second time! they started singing so loudly, that I finally had to hold my one ear shut, as the girl beside me had a healthy set of lungs, an vocal chords that were incredible! But thankfully the trip to the church wasn't that long, an as we bailed out of the van, they where singing at the top of their lungs, an then we all moved over to the church house entrance, with Caren & Joshua standing side by side, with all their friends an the ladies choir behind them, all singing very loudly! meanwhile, I was quickly pinning the corsages on the Bride & Groom, an the one couple that came with us, from the house where Caren had been staying at, and that Caren also had chosen to be her witnesses...we all together filed into the church house slowly, an reverently.

the church service finally under way, the pastors are getting their thoughts together.

We had placed 6 chairs up in the very front for the Bride & Groom, an the two couples that they had chosen to witness for them, we all sat down, us youth all sitting right behind the "bridal party" but once we sat down, I noticed the couple that Joshua had picked to witness was not there, an we had not pinned corsage's on them either an I had noticed that we had two corsage's left.

Joshua an the older couple he chose to be witnesses for him.

But eventually the husband of the "missing witness couple" arrived, an after his youth aged son went to the ladies side of the church, (They had segregated seating.) to find his mother an tell her that she is one of the witnesses, an needs to sit up front with her husband, she got up an ambled her way slowly to the front, plopping down in the chair next to her husband, they didn't have corsage's like the other couple, but then again, wearing a flower is not all that important in Kenya.

The Bride & Groom, an the two couples that witnessed.

Saying their vows...(Try not to notice the huge gap between the Bride & Groom.)

After the service was well under way, I hear a cell phone ringing, which isn't a big surprise, as ringing cell phones, an sleeping people are a huge part of a Kenyan church service, but, when I see the Groom reaching into his pocket, an fumbling around, my heart skipped a beat! an nothing like hitting the silence button either! He causally fishes the singing device out of his pocket, And not only that! HE ANSWERED THE CALL!!! I couldn't believe my eyes! never mind stepping out side to take the call either! he sat there an talked for a while, then finished the call like nothing out of the ordinary had happened, (an it probably wasn't out of the ordinary for them.) but why not, this is Kenya after all! I couldn't help but think of the person calling Joshua....like, "Hey Joshua! what are you up to today?!" an Joshua being like, "Oh! nothing much, just getting ready to say my vows, an get married." the Kenyans though! you gotta love their "no agenda" type of living....

Praying a final blessing on their marriage.

After Dad had the message, the ladies choir sang two songs, then after the vows, an while they were signing their marriage license, our youth group sang two songs, it was a bit of a disaster, as most Kenyans think the louder the better, when it comes to music an singing, an with all the visitors at the wedding, they wanted to put on a good show, an simply screeched with a volume that was unreal, an made the song off key, an 3-4 scales higher by the end of the song.
But all in all, Caren & Joshua got married! God Be Praised!!
A Native Bishop Thomas Amata married them, an I found it a bit humorous that after they were married he told Joshua, "you don't need to fear this girl, she is now your wife!" everyone had to laugh a little, as the couple stood very far apart, an only holding hands while in prayer, they were not what I am used to seeing in a newly married couple, that's for sure!

getting married....

After the service was over, everyone greeted the Bride & Groom, an gave them gifts, or some money.
Then, after loading all of the gifts on the back of a truck, an piling the Bride & Groom an their families in a van, we headed for Caren & Joshua's newly mudded hut, the rest of us walked as their house is not too far from the church.

Finally Married!!

All the white pastor's an their wives an children, (Some of the other missionaries from the compound, where also at the wedding.) an Caren & Joshua all sat in their new house to eat, but my brothers an I went to another hut where they were also serving food for the wedding goers, an us youth all piled into the one hut, it was most of our youth, as well as, a few youth from Aroba an Rabour.

Witnessing the signing of the marriage license.

My brothers an I are trying to get our youth to not be so terribly segregated, so we all ate together, after Steve announced to the youth that we are going to eat lunch together, instead of the boys all going one way an the girls another, we had a great time, laughing an talking, an with my limited luo, an with bits of English mixed through, I heard there was some teasing going on about who would be next! we had a great time, eating our rice an beans, an watching the dog an cat hissing an fighting over the stray crumbs that fell.
Usually even the natives eat rice with a spoon, but with all the people there to eat, an a limited amount of spoons, we were supposed to just eat it with our hands, an that was a challenge as the rice just fell through your fingers, to the eagerly awaiting pets below.
While we were eating, it started to rain, an then it poured in a tropical down-pour, we looked outside an watched as the people that were eating outside ran to the nearest hut, to find shelter, an finish their wedding meal, then it started to hail! an the sound was deafening on the rusty tin roof! we basically had to shout to be heard, it finally stopped raining, an we all left, but first I snapped a few pictures of Caren & Joshua an their daughter Mary.
Then the three bro's an I, along with Dishon left in our land-rover, starting for home, we had tons of fun hitting enormous mud puddles at a high rate of speed, an seeing the water fly 12-15 feet up into the air... an so ended a Kenyan wedding day, with some very fun mudding, with our trusty ol' "stone crusher."
(Sunday September 18th)
Today Dad & Mom went to our church in Nyakoko, then Steve, Wayne an I all went to Jake an Janice's church, since Steve had to help shuttle the Rabour choir to Jakes church.

Joshua signing the license.

Stan was still sick at home, an I think him pushing himself to be at Caren & Joshua's wedding also tired him out.
Steve, Wayne an I were then invited to Jakes for lunch along with the Rabour choir, an Stacy, we had a great time laughing, talking an singing.
Dad & Mom were at home with company of their own, as a pastor from another CBF church had come to preach for Dad, as Dad had preached at the wedding the day before.
In the evening Wayne an I took piki's an went to hippo point to watch the sunset, an I also had several days in my daily journal to catch up on.
Steve an Stan joined us after Steve had taken the entire choir back to Rabour.
We had a great time at the lake, talking with friends, an the sunset was amazing!

Caren signing the license.

(Monday September 19th)
Today was "family Day," which is basically a day off to spend however you want to spend it, an preferably with your family, so we took a vote Sunday evening, an we decided the ones that wanted to sleep in, could. (Thank you Jesus!) An the ones that wanted to tour the coffee plantation with Dad & Mom could rise from their slumbers early, an do that, so it ended up that Dad & Mom an Stan went to tour the coffee plantation, an the rest of us stayed home, we slept in, an did some jobs around home, I actually got the blog out in record time today, we had planned to then have a family swimming party in the afternoon, at one of the pools that are close to the compound here, but because of rain, an Dad & Mom returning home later then what they had planned, we instead, all got ready an went to a Chinese restaurant for supper, it was as good as ever! an a real treat for our family!
After supper we walked the streets of down town Kisumu, looking at all the different street vendors wares, we even got to see some men fighting an yelling at each other over a "fender-bender."
And then we were just around home the rest of the evening.

Introducing them as husband & Wife...

(Tuesday September 20th)
Today seemed like a Monday....
I had a HUGE laundry today, that I worked on for most of the day, despite have a wringer washer that does it a lot faster then a washer would.
Dad was in an out of the office all day, working on church reports, financial reports, an everything in-be-tween that goes along with being a missionary/pastor.
(Wednesday September 21st)
Today was Bible study...but us kiddos stayed at home, Steve had various projects he wanted to work on.
Stan was still recuperating from a now, long illness that has left him feeling like all his strength is gone...but we think he is slowly gaining strength, an returning back to normal.

Youth girls from Nyakoko...

I worked on different things around home, an put away the mounds of clean laundry, an made meals for the three bro's.
Dad & Mom came home from Bible Study very, very late as they got their vehicle stuck in the mud once again, Dad said the ruts that they were stuck in were literally knee deep, an they had quite the mess trying to winch their way out of it, coming home exhausted, at around 8pm. tired an mud splattered...they could write a whole other blog post just on the events surrounding getting stuck out there in the Boone docks!
I warmed up left over supper that the three bros an I had had earlier, an worked on the gigantic batch of cookies I had stirred together after supper, it took like 18-20 cups of flour! so I was baking cookies for daaayyyzzz!

Leah an her boyfriend David, from Aroba, engaged to be married in Dec.

(Thursday September 22nd)

A faint hint of a smile, a rarity on pictures....

The wedding party, going to their new house...

Today I was still working on my mountain of cookie dough that I had made, it was way more then we could freeze, so I gave everyone in the compound some except Joseph & Becky since they weren't home, and then I gave the Asian's couple some that live right across the lane from us, the guard man, an the sewing ladies, then as I was on my way to "mamma Kay's" shop with a plate of them, I saw three more of my friends sitting in their small booth selling vegetables, so I stopped an gave them some, an then several piki drivers sitting close by, saw me give them some an waved me over an said they wanted some too, so there went that plate of cookies, I then went back home an got ready to go to the doctor to refill my medication, so I got ready early an told Steve to just pick me up at mamma Kays shop on the way to the Doctor, so I tried to take her cookies once again, I decided to take a back street to her shop, were there weren't as many people, but then I saw a whole group of men working on a construction project, an as I came closer, the ones resting in the grass beside the road started saying, "Asante sauna Madam! Asante sauna Madam!" thanking me for the cookies I was bringing, never mind that the cookies weren't for them at all! so there went two more plates of cookies, an I ran home to get the last big tray I had, as I saw there were not going to be nearly enough for everyone with just the two plates, they couldn't believe I gave them each a free cookie! We had a bit of a stampede, with me finally holding the tray of cookies above my head an shouting, "only one cookie! If you had one back away so others can get one!" I was in the middle of a big circle, that was rapidly getting smaller, an black hands from all angles reaching in towards the tray of cookies, I finally left with empty plates.
I then went to the Doctor to get the meds for this next month...an although I hardly dare say it, but I'm so excited that this coming Thur. it will be 8 weeks since my last seizure! 8 weeks is the longest I have been able to go with out a seizure since I came to Kenya, so I'm hoping it will go longer this time! 6 month is the longest I ever went with out having a seizure since I had the first one several years ago. I'm just hoping an praying the meds can keep them away forever, because so far I have not had any severe side effects from my meds so.....we'll see!!

The neighbors an their children all coming to see the wedding people..

After seeing my Doc. we got some groceries, an then came home an finished getting ready for prayer meeting, as it was our turn to host the usual Thur. evening compound prayer meeting.
(Friday September 23rd)
Today was "special offices seminar" at one of the CBF churches, it was a seminar for all of the people from our CBF churches that hold a office like, Sunday school teachers, ushers, interpreters, etc. So Dad & Mom as well as the twins went to the seminar, but first picked up all of the people from our church that fulfill a special office to the church each Sunday.
Even though I'm youth girls Sunday school teacher, I wasn't really in the mood to go, so Wayne an I stayed at home doing jobs around home, an then Stacy an I went to do some curtain shopping for new curtains in my bedroom, as the ones I have now are pretty hideous.

The ladies choir in their white dresses with Caren....

I found just the fabric I wanted, an after a piki ride to the bank to switch over US money to Kenyan, I bought the fabric, Stacy an I explored the store we were in as it was a very modern store, with lots of modern furniture, an big stuffed couches, even a huge full body massage chair!(Kenya?) it sure didn't feel like Kenya as the store was very modern, an even had AC! we ended up sitting on a lovely stuffed living room set of couches, (Soft stuffed furniture is one of the things I really miss from home!) an had a long, much needed chat.... It was great! I so miss close friends from home that I could always "spill-out" to when life got tuff, an to have great friends here that I can connect with is just such a blessing!
We then came back to the compound an got ready for Friday evening Volley ball, some native CBF youth guys came to help us play, so it made our measly teams bigger, an also made so the pastors didn't have to drag themselves out on the court to help us play, we had a great evening!

Caren with her precious daughter Mary.

So there you have some of our journey's from this last week...I know some of you would like to hear more about what my brothers an Dad do, an I will try to not just write about my life...and include more of what all of our family does around here.

I guess writing about my schedule is the easiest, an I think it would be really neat if Dad would write a blog about what all his days consist of! I think it would be very interesting....but I don't see that happening anytime soon, so I guess you will just have to read my ramblings...

Hope you all have a splendid week! And thanks for checking in again with the Miller family...we love an miss you all so much!

~Sylvia

For The Miller's