Miller Family Kisumu, Kenya: Malaria Strikes, To Drown, Or To Live? A Farewell, And A Wedding At Aroba!

(Saturday December 17th)

Dad with two of his friends, Dishon (L) Wycliffe (R) both youth guys from Rabour

Today we all slept in good an hard...an once we regained conciseness, Mom informed us that Dad went to the hospital to do some testing, since it has been almost a week that he has not been feeling well!
Mom said he just called from the hospital were he said he just tested positive for Malaria, confirming his fears....poor Dad that is the last thing he needs, or that's what I thought.
But then, only God knows how to slow down a workaholic when he needs a rest. An we trust God knows best.
So in the afternoon after Wayne an I had done our jobs, we decided to go swimming, since it was another scorcher of a day.

Our family with Dishon an Wycliffe

On the way back Wayne took a piki home, but I decided to walk home since it is only several miles, along the way I saw this small shop/restaurant an decided to stop an rest at their outside picnic area an have a snack since I hadn't had lunch yet, as I was sitting there enjoying my solitude, Dad an Mom drove by, an seeing me sit there, stopped in to join me, with a interesting story of what their last two hours consisted of! Let me tell you about it...

Dishon an Wycliffe came to wish their "family" good-bye.

gathering at the carport to say good bye to Mark's family

Waiting till everyone is at the carport, for a last prayer together...

Ok so obviously Dad was not feeling well so after being at the hospital, he decided to drive to a quiet place by the lake to rest an meditate, an just to "get away from it all" so he drove down to the lake parking his vehicle by the water, reclined his chair, sipped his sprite, an enjoyed the peace an quiet...then he sees a lady down in the water, sloshing up out of the water, her clothes an hair all sopping wet, her dress completely water logged, she struggled up on the bank, an sat under a big tree close by, then looking over an seeing Dads vehicle sitting a short distance off, she said, "White man! Man of God, please come! I need to talk." Dad being very wary at this point, slowly went to where she was sitting, then realized she was crying, she said, "pastor would you please pray for me?" And then she started telling the whole story to Dad, she was sobbing an tears streaming down her face, she said she had just tried to commit suicide, she said, "My life is just so messed up, an I have so many pressures in my life." she then continued saying how she had just tried drowning herself three times, but she said every time she went under the water she saw a bright white light in front of her eyes, an she would just come back up on the bank somehow, she tried three times, but then decided her watery death could not be carried out...she said she had just come out of the water to sit on the shore to think what can be done now, when she looked up an the first thing she saw, was the written Bible verse on the side of Dads vehicle: "Jesus Is The Way, The Truth, An The Life." And she said those words gave her the glimmer of hope she needed, an she thought maybe there was hope for her after all! Praise God! after listening to her story, Dad texted Mom an told her to come to the lake where he was, an they counseled the lady for several hours, listening an giving her advice, they then prayed with her, an took her away from the lake, an she directed them to a piki driver who was her cousin, an my parents stayed with her while she told her cousin what her plan had been, then once someone else was aware of it, Dad an Mom made so she could get transport back home, where she had left two small children with her parents, an upon arriving back home she also had a lot of explaining to do to her family members as she had left notes for all of them explaining her plans, an had even taken "last day" pictures of herself, for her family.

The partings are always hard for the natives too, their friends leave once again

So keep praying for this lady that Satan would not have any hold on her life anymore!
(Sunday December 18th)
Today was a normal Sunday, but since the pastor had malaria, he just had a short topic, the sat down to rest, while others shared various testimonies, an the service ended, with us youth having a small meeting about some of the youth visiting the compound.
In the evening Stan an I went to Hippo Point to watch the sunset....
(Monday December 19th)
Today we were just around home....Dad was a pastors meeting.
I worked on the blog...Mom worked on some of our laundry.
We were just at home in the evening.
(Tuesday December 20th)

A flat tire on our way to church...

Today I did all of our laundry, with the help of my little friend from ring road, an since we were preparing for the youth from our church to come visit our house here at the compound, I got our little helper to also wash some windows for us, even scrubbing the steel bars that are across all of the windows, an catch so much dust! She was a big help, an we usually repay her with food, or eggs.
Dad was working in his office today, an before our little maid Maureen went home we all had lunch together. It was a good day.
(Wednesday December 21st)
Today only Dad an Mom went to Bible Study...The twins did their work around the compound here an errands in town, an Wayne an I worked around home, cleaning an baking some pumpkin breads to give to the church people on Christmas morning, since Christmas is on a Sunday this year.
(Thursday December 22nd)

Joseph & Jacinta invited our family an others to their house for Sunday lunch

Happy Birthday Karen Kiem!! I Love you a lot! God bless you an your husband real well!

outside their house with some of their children, an other cousins...

Today I went to Glenda's house to help her bake some cookies, since tonight was the compound school program, after helping out a bit there, I went home to finish helping Mom with preparations, since Dad is on the school board we were the ones in charge of decorations, an the main part of the food for the event...so Mom an the three bros worked most of the forenoon to get things ready at the Agape carport, since no one is living in the house down there right now, things get really dusty an dirty an no one is there to clean it on a regular basis, anyway, after the outside was cleaned up, Mom did some decorations that were pretty an Christmas-y, then we made sloppy Joe sandwiches, an hot drinks, an the rest brought snacks to go with that.
The program went very well with a short skit about the people who lived in "Tin Can Valley."

I was really tired from the days events, so I went home early to try an rest, but so was not to be....I was so extremely tired, but couldn't fall asleep till around 5:30am the next morning.
It was a trying experience, but those who have struggled with insomnia know the grief of being so tired but not being able to sleep! Sleep is a gift from God, so if you can fall asleep in the first five minutes after your head hits the pillow, thank God for that!
(Friday December 23rd)

Stanley waiting on the food!

Today was a highly anticipated day, since it was the day of David & Leah's wedding, two CBF youth from Aroba church, where Joseph & Becky (From Pa.) long term missionaries in Kenya here are pastoring at.
They had invited lots of people, an Rhoda Wengerd From Tn. the new school teacher that replaced Charity Yoder, had the honor of being in their bridal party.
Dad was to have devotions at the wedding.
But I guess sadly I don't have many juicy eye-witness details of the wedding because I was so extremely exhausted from not being able to sleep the night before, that I had to stay at home...I was so so SO sad, I actually shed several tears, I was so much looking forward to attending my first Kenyan wedding...but I want to try an accept things like that more, instead of being bitter about them.

I just did odd jobs around home, an after resting for a while, I did some cleaning, since our youth were coming the next day, an cleaning was not done yet.

Jacinta happy to see Mom, an welcoming her...

The rest came home from the wedding around 6:30pm.
Except for Dad & Mom who were having a meeting with someone from church an got home really late.
Stan an I went to the lake before dark to watch the sunset, an to give me a opportunity to get out a little, since I was home all day.
So that is all for this blog post...an again sorry for the late post here...I'll try to do better.
Have a wonderful good week!
~Sylvia
For The Miller's