Miller Family Kisumu, Kenya: 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.)