Annual Ministers Meetings, Visiting A Coffee Plantation, An The Kenyan President Visits Kisumu!

What the thump! time for yet another update...I've been so terrible with my updates as far as writing goes the last while....but I again wrote an update this time...I thought there wasn't much of anything to write about till I started writing an realized how much had actually happened the last week an a half.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading it...An I would love to hear from any of you!
I love any an all emails even if I cant always respond to all of them.
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(Saturday April 15th)


Ministers meetings...

Today our family had planned to go to the workplace were Victor works to tour it an also to take some Bibles to them to distribute to the workers.
Its a massive farm of around 600 acers that a rich lady from Nairobi owns, they have beef cows, orchards, an gardens, as well as a high class school on the farm.
So it was interesting to see what all goes on there, an like most things in Kenya it all takes time, so it ended up taking a bigger chunk out of our day...but we were happy for the experience.
We were just at home tonight, I made some pizza, an we all relaxed an prepared ourselves for the big day tomorrow.
(Sunday April 16th)
Today was a big Sunday at our church in Nyakoko...
First it was Easter Sunday...we had communion, we had a youth guy that has been in instruction class for several years finally being baptized, we had a excommunicated brother restored to full membership.
my friends Victor an Winnie came to visit our church again...

Preparing to serve supper...

Joseph an Becky along with their "daughter" Rhoda also came, since Joseph is the Bishop at our church.
After the service, we all went home for lunch, Victor decided to stay for lunch with us.
Steve was at home sick all day, he was having a bout of sickness that lasted a week, an saw him 10lb lighter afterwards...it seemed like a deep congested chest cold an fever of some kind.
In the evening I went to the Lake with Winnie an her sister Faith who is home from school right now. We had a grand time watching the sunset an spending time with Faith who is usually at school.
(Monday April 17th)
Today was supposed to be a holiday, so most business places were closed.
I was just working around home in the forenoon.
then because my friend Winnie thought she was going to have the day off for the holiday an then found out last minute that she wouldn't be having a holiday at all.
I decided to take her lunch to her work place, an also some flowers...we had a really good time.

Waiting for the announcements to end...

after that I came home an just did the usual Monday things around home.
(Tuesday April 18th)
Today was a school field trip...an since my Dad is the principle an was in charge of getting together a fun day, we of course went to a place he also found interesting...a coffee place.
At this coffee place they basically raise the coffee seeds in a green house, till they are seedlings, then at around 6 months to a year old, they then sell them to local farmers, who plant them an raise coffee beans to in turn bring to their coffee mill to be hulled an shipped all over the world.


We saw how they hulled the coffee beans, to how they packaged them, an even got to go to the taste testers room, where the one that tastes the various coffee to ensure its flavor, showed us how he vigorously sucked the coffee in with the loudest slurp I had ever heard, an then promptly spit it in a trash can he was holding in front of him...he slurped loud an impressively from one cup to the next an finally gave his verdict on which was the best tasting coffee...it was really neat, but the spitting back in the trash can was rather disgusting.

anyway we toured the whole place, then had our sack lunches in one of their big

offices, in the afternoon. We were then all gifted with a small coffee tree as a gift from the company.
It was a great day, an we returned to the compound at around 4:00pm.


A long day... an yet another testimony...

Rhoda an I promptly left again after coming home, since we both had an appointment at the dentist to check upon our braces...we both got braces since we are over here, since the price was so much cheaper then at home, so we kinda weather out our aches an pains of the braces life together.

Rhoda then was so kinda as to take me to Java house for a snack before we came back.


But while we were in town, we soon noticed the roads were being blocked off here an there, an police an soldiers were everywhere, so we took to the back streets but continued our way to Java house, since we heard the President of Kenya was set to drive through Kisumu on his way to a festival somewhere, so after we were finished at Java House we went up to Acacia which is a restaurant on top of java house that gives you a birds eye view of Kisumu town, we hope to see the president from there, but by the time we reached there, we had only just missed it, an only saw the last part of his motorcade pass by, with lots of shiny new government vehicles passing by, an load after load of soldiers, to protect the president in the middle of a "rival tribe" city.

We were just at home in the evening...

(Wednesday April 19th)

Today Dad an Mom an I went to Bible study...I thought I had too much to do at home, but since it was at my best friend Stacy's house I decided to go along, since she is usually in school an I don't get to see her much anymore, we had a good day, all packed into their tiny house for Bible study, eating big, fat, fluffy, chapatti's was all part of a good day spent with church people.



The school group in front of the coffee hull pile....

In the evening our family all gathered at KFC for supper an to spend some time together after all being out an about our separate ways during the day.

We had a good evening together.

(Thursday April 20th)

Today at noon all the pastors from our Kisumu compound left to meet all the missionary an native pastors from nakuru, coming for a day an a half of meetings at our compound, but first they all met for lunch at our CBF church in Rabour, then after lunch all came to our compound an had afternoon meetings till supper time at around 6:30pm.

Mom had a topic for the ladies so she was busy studying for that the first part of the week...



I spent most of my morning making food for the supper that evening, we were to make a "Kenyan stew" of sorts consisting of cooking chicken meat, with carrots, potatoes, onion, an tomatoes an cilantro, then they served the soupy stew over rice for the main course at supper, somehow that took me a long time to make...I was cooking three chickens.

then I did some cleaning an put away laundry, an by that time it was time to get ready an head down to where they had put up the big tent for the meetings, an help serve supper.

It was a busy day but a good day too!

(Friday April 21st)

At the coffee mill....

This morning Dad an Mom got up early an scrambled 8 flats of eggs a dozen an a half on each flat, as part of the breakfast for all the ministers an their wives an small chil

dren that were here.

We then went to help serve it an of course wash up the dishes after everyone was finished eating.

Today most of us girls, except the school teachers went swimming...we were happy for the excuse to go, as well as to take two of Mark Webbs daughters who are visiting Kenya with their parents, along too.



April an Audrey found themselves in Kenya with their parents after Mark Webb was chosen to take Ray Stutzmans place in recruiting missionaries to come serve in Kenya. So they made a trip over to become better acquainted with the missionaries here, an the tasks they do.

We sure enjoyed having extra youth here on the compound, an had a lovely time swimming with them.

After swimming, I went to town for a few things...in the evening quite abit of the compound went to Kiboko Bay (A favorite restaurant) for supper. the sunset over the lake was nice, an the food was as good as always.

After we got back us youth had spike ball.

An that's it for this week...

Thanks a lot for taking an interest in our lives!

~Sylvia

For The Miller's









In the coffee storehouse...



Looking at the coffee going through...

Touring the process of things.... 

Curious kiddos...

Washing dishes at Ministers meeting....

April 8th - April 15th ~ Random Picture Post~

Angela an Peace

I had a fish fry for some of our friends...here my friend Winnie an Millicent an I are washing dishes

Our family doing what we do best...eating!

Dad having fun doing something other then preaching...

Angela having a good time at church...but she was abit disturbed with the "dirt on the floor"

My friend Winnie (In oink) an my friend Leah (with small child on her lap) visiting our church.

The one Sunday I visited Lela church where JoeAllen an his wife pastor

My friend Carolyn also goes to Lela church with Joe's...she is one of the school teachers here...

The three bros working hard at church clean-up

The ladies cooking for the hard workers...

rice coming right up!

Dad an mom helping with clean-up...

Little Andrew...

pouring water on the dirt floor to settle the dust...

Thursday evening prayer meeting we had special singing groups...

We also had a welcome for the newest members of our unit....

James Barkman's welcome

The school children singing...

Us youth went to play with the slum children instead of volley ball Friday night...

Carolyn holding Peter Gerold...

Leonard a youth guy from our church being baptized...

Dad preaching about the crucifixion on Sunday... 

All the members in a circle in the front of the church house, taking communion together as a family....

Bishop Joseph officiating...

Welcoming a formerly excommunicated brother back to the church...

Leonard an his parents on the left, an Jared an his wife on the right. (Jared was again received as a member.)

Angela doing what I used to do with Daddy...

A Father/Son Camping Trip, Widows An Orphans, An A Bowl Of Rice...

(Saturday April 1st)
Wow! do I even remember how to write a blog?! I guess we will see...

The Miller Crew...

Today the three bros left Fairly early for a Saturday morning, an since there is a shortage in vehicles here on the compound they took public transport an went out to where Dean Miller's family is living (Mark Beachy's former house) taking public transport in its self is a expirence, those loud booming with music, old rattle trap vans that are stuffed to seam ripping point with smelly people, most looking depressed.
I do need to insert a little story about my brother Wayne while I think of it....So Wayne reportedly went with one of those old loud vans to some place or another.., an he said that the van was even older then usual, an as he sat in his seat he could see the pavement through the floor of the van, kind of a cool feature for a van to have, but also kinda scary... then he said when he went to exit the van, the sliding door fell out with him, I don't know any details concerning how exactly the door fell off, but we will blame the old van by all means, I'm fairly certain the opening of the door was big enough...but there's always that chance...?
anyway, they went out to spend some time with Deans boys Weston, an his two younger brothers.
they reported a jolly good time, of hiking, eating good food, an a sleep over.

The Miller's

In the meantime, I went swimming with Rhoda, Carolyn, an Stacy, then did some shopping around town...in the afternoon/evening Dad an Mom went on a date..so that left me at home alone just chilling out with myself, was a very relaxing Saturday for sure.
(Sunday April 2nd)
So today the twins were still with Deans visiting their church out there...I thought it would be a great chance for me to visit another church as well since the brothers were gone anyway, so I went with Carolyn to her church, CBF Lela is the name of it. it was a great Sunday, an amazing to see how other peoples church services go...it was quite different for me to see such a small group of people, since our church is a lot bigger, with tons of little children.
We then went to Carolyn's house for a yummy lunch, an then naps.
Dad an Mom were left to go to church alone.
They had prep, services for communion Sunday after this next.
In the evening, Carolyn an I went walking...it was a beautiful evening an a gorgeous sunset.

A day at Jennifer's Garden....Wayne doing what he loves best...

(Monday April 3rd)
Today started with a crash after a relaxing weekend...Laundry...cleaning...an baking.
Moms arm is slowly but surely getting better, I think she is finding out that, that wrist will never be the same as before, with that steel plate in there she cant bend it like her other hand. also some days are still very painful...but we have much to be thankful for!
The twins were working around the compound...changing light bulbs...working on the volley ball lights...graveling a newly leveled area...an on an on...seems there is always something to be done around here. I wish they would expound more to you all on what their life really consists of, but they "Don't have time for such things."
In the evening we were just at home, I went walking on ring road.
(Tuesday April 4th)

A Picnic...

Today I was around town most of the day, trying to find my seizure meds, as the chemist where I was getting them quite stocking them, I actually (with the help of my awesome father) found some cheaper but still the same kind further down the road, so that was awesome! I didn't want to change anything with my meds since I haven't been having seizures for quite some time now...Praise the Lord!  I feel like I have my life back again, to a certain extent.
So after waiting for a long time at the hospital, I ended up being in town till around 4:30pm. I also had other things to pick up in town, but then I came home rested abit then went walking again this evening... yeah pretty much my favorite unwinding is to go out an walk ring road, there is always something interesting to see!
Dad made a trip out to one of the churches with his piki, we hold our breath an pray when ever he goes out, but God kept him safe...I even got to rip-around town with him this morning, searching for a chemist that carried my meds...I must say I probably enjoy getting rides on his motor bike, more then what my mother likes to see, since motor bike, an death, mean about the same to her these days...poor dear!
(Wednesday April 5th)

The Landscape is a break from hot dusty Kisumu...

Chill zone....The girl in the blue dress is Carolyn, a friend of mine, an school teacher.

Today our whole family got ourselves together an went to Bible Study, only today we had a clean-up at our church instead of normal Bible study...we all got together with tools an shovels an wheelbarrows an cleaned up around the church, which consisted of hand slashing the grass...trimming trees an bushes, an digging along the side of the church lane to build up the washed out dirt from the rains...also we ladies pumped an pumped water from the well, to dump on our church floor, since it is all a fine dust an gets very dusty, we were dumping water on the ground to help with the dust...as I sloshed my way from the well, back to the church with yet another bucket of water...I couldn't help but think of our carpet sanctuary at home, an our tile flooring in the kitchen...seems like a different world at home somehow...Anyway, after hours of hard work in the hot sun, the church ladies an Mom had made rice an beans over open fires...the people loved it! many saying that they only get to eat rice on Christmas day because its more expensive then buying Ugali flour, I sat there in the grass eating my lunch, an feeling guilty for all the times I have complained about having to eat rice yet again....here it was a treat for these poor people.
We then cleaned up the dishes getting water from the pump an washing them in plastic bowls on the ground...then when things were finally finished an people started to leave, we also packed up all the tools we had brought an got into our old beater van an started our way home...we all came home an showered an rested abit, then we went to KFC for supper...it was a nice way to end a hard day of work.

Returning from a Daddy/Daughter birding expedition...

(Thursday April 6th)
Today we were all just working around home...
in the evening it was prayer meeting at Brian's house for the first time for them...we enjoyed our evening, even if the rains came falling in torrents on the tin roof, an we couldn't hear each other talking so we all waited for the rain to subside, it was chilly an windy, an like usual the electric only lasted so long before it blinked an went dark for remainder of the evening.
Today was also filled with food prep. an packing bags, as the fathers an their sons left for a camping trip to Jennifer's Garden's....you all know how my father enjoys camping! NOT! but he was a good sport.
(Friday April 7th)
This morning the fathers an their sons were up bright an early an left for the hour an a half drive to Jennifer's Garden's, arriving an unpacking, then to have it start to rain around 4:30pm an rain off an on most of their stay...lets say Dad wasn't any more convinced... that camping was for fun, an not torture, upon his return, then he was before he left.

These gardens though!

In the meantime, Becky Host. had a nice time planned for the temporary widows here on the compound...in the forenoon they all did their various cleaning duties at home, then in the afternoon, they all gathered at the house that is empty an waiting for the new arrivals next Tuesday. an made use of the empty house, by each one bringing her sewing machine an they had a sewing day there...cutting out dresses, sewing dresses, veils, etc. I had been sewing in the forenoon, an so I decided to take advantage of the quietness in the house an just chilled, it was so relaxing an refreshing! in the evening we all went to KFC for supper...it was interesting to see the wide eyes of surprise as all these white ladies an their children made their way into the restaurant, we then took our food to a park behind the restaurant...it was a nice evening, upon returning home, we all resumed our sewing duties, an some of us who were not fond of staying in our houses by ourselves with the men gone, all slept somewhere or another in the big empty house that is waiting for the replacement family that is coming to replace Dean Miller's.

More of the other side of the Garden....

it was one big slumber party, an the next morning the single girls made a brunch for everyone, an after brunch the ones of us who wanted to, all went swimming till around 2pm. so much fun in such a short time was just amazing!

after swimming though we all got home an faced various realities...those of cleaning up camping gear...scrubbing black pots from camping fires...airing out soggy sleeping bags...an washing cloths that reeked of smoke....why do we go put ourselves through that when we have perfectly comfortable beds at home?! yeah. you might have guessed, I'm a tiny bit related to my father on this issue...anyway, after unpacking we all got ready for an early bed time. (Sorry I kinda cut into some Saturday happenings in my Friday here...so you might hear alittle about this day on next weeks post.)

Andre preaching the last Sunday in our church....

An that's it for now...

~Sylvia

For The Miller's

Someone is looking like someone....?

more pictures of the gardens...

Watching the fish through the crystal clear water....



Wayne with his "just after a joke" face, an Angela obviously enjoying the humor...

Precious little family, came a long way to see us! an we are honored! 

The grandparents, proud as peacocks!

There's always that one sibling...who makes taking family pictures, way longer then it should!

Girl time...

My Amazing sister...how I miss you dear!!

Angela wanted to be in the picture too...

Driving through the tea fields on our way home...

One of the many tea pickers in the Nandi hills....

Picking tea...

    

another family picture...

Carolyn was also invited to go along, an thanks to her for taking our family pictures...

The big man Wayne...

I know I put a lot of pictures of Angela on here, but when you love someone so much they are just so fun to take pictures of!!!