Kenya In The Wake Of Elections, A Mudered Pastor, A Missing Gun.

Hello Everyone,

Dad An Mom With interpreter James, visiting John an Anna...

Time for another update, an where do I start? I'm finding that not keeping a journal anymore makes it abit harder to collect my thoughts once I sit in front of this laptop again.


We are enjoying the peace that is here in Kisumu, for now at least.
The opposing presidential candidate, has still not excepted his loss, but is taking the announced president to court, to prove that they rigged the elections, an stole his votes.
So in the mean time he told his tribe, an his supporters, to go about their everyday life till the court has a final verdict on what the elections results are....some say that right now Kenya has no president, others say the announced winner is the president an the sooner they except it the more peaceful Kenya will be.

Johns small son, blowing the cooking fire to make chia...

It could go quite a while till the court announces the verdict, so we keep praying that this long, drawn-out process, could end up being peaceful, an that there would not be more riots later on...Keep praying for Kenya.
The locals are angry with the corrupt police force here, an I cant say as I blame them after some of the stories I heard, I would be upset too...but what can you believe!? who is telling the truth an who is making up a story.
One story that was supposedly in the news, an was true, was that, the police were raiding houses looking for a man that had killed one of their police horses, an stole the machine gun from the police riding it, an killed the police too, so the police were searching houses to find the missing gun, at the one house they pulled the father out of the house, beating him mercilessly, dragged the Mamma out an beat her too, then went inside to search the house for the gun, there was a 9 month old baby laying in the corner, an the police took his club an whack the baby's soft head, causing the family to rush to Aga Kahn hospital, after the police finally left, the baby was announced to the public as dead several days later. Its so sad when the police abuse their authority.

The usual food when visiting before lunch...

One of our CBF members actually got beaten by police as well, he went to their local market to buy something small to take home for supper, an met up with the police who beat him mercilessly, for no reason other then to take their anger out on someone. Its more understood when you realize that most of the police force are on the presidents side, Uhura Kenyatta, so they beat any Luo people they could find because they were the ones voting for the rival party.
The locals said the police traveled through the roads an highways beating anything that came in their path, children, adults, even cows, goats, an dogs....telling the people that they didn't come here to protect them, but to kill them, since they are not excepting Uhura as president. its so sad, pray for the Kenyan government.


We are also doing a lot of visiting to our church people since we are able to get back out, we thank God that they were all safe an none got killed.
This week is terribly full, an I think literally everyday this week I will be out visiting the natives, but I enjoy that so much.

Visiting Jared an Sarah, they sew for their living, an Jared makes bricks...

On Friday we went to visit John an Anna, a very poor family from our church, we enjoyed reading Gods word with them, an through an interpreter hearing about their struggles in life, an trying to encourage them. sitting in their little mud hut with nothing on the walls but a calendar the church gives all the members once a year, an no furniture other then a three person wooden couch frame, an a single wooden chair, with no pads on them, only the wood frame, an a small coffee table, it made me again realize all I have....but the happiness they had was amazing! they love the Lord, an living for God is their number one goal.
Friday night we had Bible study at James an Christina, they made some really good soft pretzels afterwards.
Saturday we got up abit earlier an Mom an I worked on getting some much needed cleaning done, while the twins an Wayne struggled to get some breakfast together for all of us...Dad worked in the office.

The lady in the teal dress is giving her testimony, an is in instruction class...

Then around 12 we all got ready an went to the funeral of pastor Moses, a friend of ours that we had come to know through our friends Richard an Janet (Ex-Muslim Christians) Moses would have been Janet's brother-in-law, it was a sad day...seeing his newly widowed wife an three children sitting there in tears, as between 400-500 people gathered for the funeral.
Moses was a very humble pastor, an many people knew him an loved him.
As for his death, I will give you the story.
Moses often spent all night in prayer an fasting...so this Wednesday after he had finished teaching his Bible study class was no different, he left the house around 10:00pm to go down to his office in the church house, only several hundred yards from his house.
He usually prayed an fasted till around 5:30am so his wife an children went to bed.

Her husband is on her left, along with her mother an children on her right...

The next morning, the guard that is at their compound was making his rounds, turning off the lights around the compound an making sure all was safe from the previous night. when he came to the main gate, he saw that the padlocks had been cut with a sharp knife, an were laying on the ground, then he looked over at the church house an saw the main door to the sanctuary was open, he went to investigate, when he heard someone inside, gasping in a labored, raspy, breathing pattern, he went inside only to find Pastor Moses laying in a pool of his own blood, in his church.
The murderers had gagged him, an slit his throat, an chopped at the back of his skull...
He ran to notify his wife, an they rushed him to the hospital were he died by 4pm that night.

Only in Kenya, there is always room for one more....we counted 6 people on here

He left his pregnant wife, two sweet little girls, an his oldest child a 10yr old son behind...needless to say it was one of the saddest funerals I have attended in Kenya, an as the widow talked at the funeral, saying how she doesn't understand how someone could come in an just kill her husband, an go Scott-free...there was not a dry eye in that place. She melted into sobs, but regaining her composure she said that she knows that the Lord says, Vengeance is mine! I will repay, saith the Lord!  And she said that she is choosing to forgive the murders of their great crime, an leave it to God to punish them. Pray for her if you think of it, I believe her name is Carolyn.

My friend Jane an her grandmother....

No one knows why those men came an did what they did...some say it was jealousy of all that Moses had, he was a more wealthy man then the average, an he had met up with a white missionary pastor from England I believe, many years ago, an after the missionary left he signed everything over to Moses, his land an house an all, an in recent years a co-pastor or co-operator of some kind kept telling Moses that he was to share in this inheritance left by the missionary, so finally the court made a verdict an saw that Moses had all the legal papers to owning the compound an everything, an concluded that the co-partner does not receive anything, an shortly afterwards, the murder happened, but no one has any proof, that it was because of that.
One interesting thing to me at the funeral was that the preacher was quite energetic an preached hell fire an brimstone! I had to laugh because he kept calling his interpreter his "interrupter", he had quite a sense of humor though, an the one time he was asking us to greet the person sitting beside us, then he told us to tell that person that "I look better then you." hahah he was hilarious, he was also asking us all to clap an chant something or other, an some people I guess were slow in doing what he wanted, since it was hot an everyone jus wanted to sit still an listen to him speak, so he said, "Hey! if you don't start clapping an smiling at your neighbor right now, you will be seen as a suspect." everyone laughed, but I must say, everyone started doing just as he asked us to. hahha

Visiting my friend Jane's house, this is her nephew Jr.

It was a typical Kenyan funeral, we had asked what time to come to the funeral an they had told us 10am. so we knew right off that we didn't have to leave the house till 12noon, we got there around 12:30pm an sat through three solid hours of "testimonies" then they still had the message, an finally by around 5pm they took him to the gravesite to be buried.
Sunday was a normal day at church, Dad however preached his first message since his malaria an felt quite weak towards the end, he said he felt so weak that he wanted someone else to come close the service since he felt like he could collapse.
Pray for Dad, his second time with malaria has really made him even more weak, he says he weighs less then he did in the last 15 years, an he says he is dizzy a lot recently, an feels like fainting most of the time, also complains that his vision is somehow dark, so I worry about him, I think all those malaria meds have almost taken a toll on the old man.
But I keep reminding myself that God is faithful, an will help him to be strong.
I will wrap up this update for this time, as I'm going out to Lela church to help with a clothing distribution, an have a dentist appointment at 3pm. but I wanted to quickly write this small update of our last week, an get it out to all of you.
Keep praying for us, an thanks for all the prayers you have prayed for us.

Some of the neighbor children, an my friend Mareen...

~Sylvia
For The Miller's

Margi (Named after Tommy an Margi Wagler, the family we replaced) is cooking for us 

 

 

Lifting her nephew high up in the tree...

 

My friend Mareen....she is my friend Jane's younger sister, but knows English very well, unlike the rest of her family...

Protesting, Gunshots, And A Calm Only God Can Bring.

Hello again everyone,
So quite honestly I have not been keeping a daily journal like I had been, an I don't know if that will return right away...we will see.
How much can I journal about being cooped up in the compound the last week?! yeah kinda boring...

Playing spike ball

we have sewed many dresses, read many books, made much food, painted much, an the pastors cleaned up a storage room, ate the donuts we made, an had pastors meeting....so as most of you probably know that Uhura Kenyatta was announced the winner once more, an we were shocked by the outburst of anger by the luos...the winner was announced Friday night, an soon after seeing it on the news, we heard shouting, wailing, an utter-chaos...us youth scrambled up on our house roof, an looked down onto the city where the riots were, we sat on the hard tile roof for at least an hour or more, watching as the fires lite up the black sky, an tires burned throwing clouds of black smoke into the air, we cud hear as the throng made its way down ring road, small tin shacks were being torn apart, stones flying, an then the police, an army people arrived, an we promptly heard tear gas, an gunshots being fired over an over, till the storm of people had quieted down, an only the smoke an fires remained...the gate guard soon came an told us to leave the roof, since he was afraid stray bullets would hit us if we sat there, we then came down, an needless to say it was a rather sleepless night for most of us, as there were gunshots going off when I feel asleep, but thanks to my trusty fan, I was able to sleep through most of it, the next morning we woke up to more gunshots, an throughout the day some too, but mostly silence was everywhere, waiting for what "Baba" the luos candidate Raila would have to say, as of today he has still kept silent, he is remaining quiet, an everyone is in suspense, if he says "peace" the luos will somewhat relax, if he says "it was robbed from me, we fight!" then we can only be stuck inside the compound much longer, praying that Gods will would prevail. So pray for us as we wait, he was supposed to make a public announcement today, but then it was cancelled, so we are all hoping by tomorrow he will tell his voters, an tribe, what to do.

The ladies sitting around the fire before supper

The one day we had a small scale chicken butchering, or I might say "rooster" butchering, we had 12 roosters that were making a lot of racket, an needed to be butchered, so our family got up Saturday morning, an butchered most of them, a few of the pastors also came to help abit, then we put all the meat into a marinade, an had a big chicken BBG Sunday night.

Sunday we were also stuck inside, our churches out in the interior had to go on as best as possible...we missionaries however enjoyed having "church" with ourselves, we all gathered at bishop Wayne's house, an under a big shade tree, we worship God, us youth sang several songs, an also a song that we had written the night before, using "The Battle Belongs To The Lord" as the song, only changing words, that was quite an experience, as us youth sat around, someone came up with the brilliant idea that we should write other words to that tune to express our present election conditions, it turned out quite a success, an the missionaries really enjoyed it...a native family on the compound here also joined our little service.

The Men playing botchy-ball

Sunday was a relaxing day, however waking up, to native church singing into their loud speakers like they usually do, an gunshots chattering in the distance, gave Sunday a strange feel.

But the week passed by safely an that's what we are thankful for...Monday things were peaceful enough that a group of us went to town to get some things an to evaluate the damage done so far, I took some pictures an was pleasantly surprised that there wasn't more damage done.

Monday night it was still peaceful, so us youth made a flying trip to Java house, had a lovely super together, an just enjoyed being outside!

Today there was some tension on a very low scale since Baba was supposed to talk today, but then the speech was canceled once more.

So that is all I can update you on for now, keep praying an thanks so much for all your prayers already.

Have a blessed week,

~Sylvia

For The Miller's

 

 

Dad showing us all how to butcher chickens...

Mom gutting them, an Stan cutting off the feet, which the natives will love to eat.

Wayne was the "professional" chicken catcher...

Bishop Wayne preaching

Sunday Services...



The native family....

Ring road after the Friday night riots

notice the black spots on the pavement, from burning tires...

They had cleared some of the debris of the roads, but stone heaps still remained 



This store front got hit with stones...

Security guards reading a pamphlet we gave them... 

Dad talking with some men in town...



Wayne painting Jakes house...

Grandpa on the front porch, after pastors meeting, waiting for you all to email him! haha

Getting ready to paint the side of the roof lining...

Tired of painting...

My Trip To America, Back Home Again, And Election Tensions!!

Rhoda And Kalita

Hello People!
Hope everyone is enjoying their life, watching summer turn into fall...
I got back from my two week four day stint to America...the normal questions from people in America ranged from: How was/is it to be back in America? Did you have culture shock when you got back to America? How is it to go back to your youth group, an church? Is the food in America good again? an on, an on, an on.


But most of the time I was just trying to grasp the fact that I'm even back in America again, an trying to get over jet-lag, an wondering if I'll soon wake up, an realize it was all just a dream like I did so many times before.
But no, it was for real, an yes it was wonderful to be back home, but at the same time I missed Kenya, an my Kenyan friends like crazy. Did I have culture shock in America? Yes! I did. I always thought I would never have culture shock, like "Those other missionaries" simply because I lived in America all my life, an missionaries that came home an had culture shock were probably not totally okay when they left...but no, here I was the return missionary in shock! things I noticed were the SMOOTH roads, I simply sat in awe at how fast the car glided over the pavement, I felt stupid for being enthralled with something so....so...senile? I guess that's the right word? Everyone drove such nice vehicles. People are so fat. sorry for saying that, but wow the people are huge-mungus. The food was too sweet an rich, but yes it was good. But the truth be told I missed Kenyan food so much, an made sure to eat a good Kenyan meal before I left, I love the food here, most of it anyway.
So in short, it was awesome to be back in America, to see my friends, who were dating when I left, toting around their babies, an to see everyone, but towards the end, I just wanted to get back home, were my family was, an my Kenyan friends, an what was familiar to me for the last year an a half.

Donut making...

America was good, but everything was so different, people change, time goes on, an I know once we return there will be so many adjustments. But God will help us to adjust when we return, I know.
I really enjoyed spending the first whole week with my sister, her husband an two little girls, it was strange to see their little house for the first time, since they have moved to an outreach since we left, an to go to their church, but it was good.
The next week was spent at my home church area, seeing old friends, an living in "my" house, with my uncle an aunt who are living in our house, an taking care of our business while we are gone.
I felt so blessed with their heart of serving God through taking care of our business, while we are on the mission field, they could make better income somewhere else I'm sure, but they choose to be committed, an that's something that goes a long ways with us, since we cant be there.


So the flights to an fro were fairly uneventful, we didn't miss any flights, an thanks to Rhoda's organized brain, she kept me on track.
I would like to throw out one tip for long travel hours, (But only if you are with someone else.)
{Sleeping Pills!!} for sure if you have problems with sitting in a tight little seat, with your knees touching the seat in front of you, an a stranger breathing down your back, an not being able to move much at all. I personally find sleeping difficult in those circumstances, but maybe there are some rare birds out there that can zonk out, an block all noise of coughing, babies lamenting, an people brushing past you in the aisles, an those stewards an stewardesses, forever rattling their carts up an down the aisles, serving drinks, pretzels, an other cardboard like substances to tired, irritable, an travel worn, victims.
But thanks to my sleeping pill, I would sleep soundly for hours, an regain conciseness enough, to hear Rhoda saying "I don't think she will take any food this time." hahah I couldn't wake up! the one time I did wake up to a smiling stewardess, with too much make-up on, an creepy red lips, staring down at me, asking if I would like some water, "sure I would like some" I said trying to act normal, but feeling like my brain was full of glue an my eyes couldn't focus...she gave me the cup of water, an leaning closer ask me in a subdued an serious tone, "Are you okay dear?" I quickly said "yes" so she would leave me alone, an she was infact asking entirely too many questions for someone who just woke up! An I was indeed fine as could be, I just happened to be a traveler with a lot of sleeping pills along, an conquered their torturous plane ride, an they were not used to seeing that! hahaha she then said, "seems like your really getting your sleep!" haha yeah more or less I thought, but only half smiled back at her like an idiot because my brain was all foggy, an I was trying to process what she was saying, but soon fell asleep again, I must say the trip seemed shorter then I figured.
Anyway, thankfully Rhoda was there to wake me up when we had to move, our flights were, first a one hour flight to Nairobi, then a eight hour flight to Amsterdam, an another nine hour flight to Atlanta, a hour flight to Nashville, an a five hour drive to Sharon an Andre's house. Lets say I was ready to be able to lay in a soft bed, an run, an jump, anytime I wanted! but that's what world travel is like, I guess I just haven't done enough of it, an I get all unglued about the toll it takes, on your patience, Christianity, mental state, your bottom, your ego, an various other things.
I got home an jet-lag on this side wasn't nearly as hard as on America side.
We got home Saturday morning after landing in Nairobi an sleeping there for several hours before we got up again at 4:30am. I had been able to take both my check-ins from America to Nairobi, for free, the one weighed 56lb. an the other 70lb. but then the short flight from Nairobi to Kisumu they were going to charge me $150.00 USD for them, but thankfully the luggage attendant was in a good mood, an said that that was way too expensive, even though that was the price he was supposed to charge us, he said in a quieter voice, "give me $40.00" as he tied tags on that said both weighed 20lb. hahaha I grinned an knew I was back home in Kenya! I then slipped him some small cash as a bonus for his discount, he faintly grinned in thanks, then adjusted his tie an continued with the next people in line, we just made it to our plane, because of the delay at the baggage counter.
We went to church on Sunday of course, an got to see all our friends, we had a children's choir there, that was quite interesting to say the least, an one little boy, beating a stick on an empty water can, for the music as the children sang, I sat there wishing everyone of my friends, in America would get to be there with me, an have that cultural experience.
Sunday night I went to the lake with three of my native friends, for a picnic, an games, I had brought them some gifts back from America, that was so fun to give them gifts! the greatest source of entertainment for me was, one of my friends had told me to bring back candy from America, but he said it had to be a kind that they don't have in Kenya, so I brought alot back but, seeing them try pop-rocks for the first time was the best! they sat there with their eyes big, then one of them sputtered, that it "feels like small bombs in my mouth!" haha I also brought some of those gummy eggs you can buy at most bulk food stores, an I told them in a very serious tone that, these were eggs from American chickens, I proceeded to make up my story as I went, an said that the chickens that lay these eggs are very small, an that as soon the egg is layed we deep fry the egg`, an that's how the gummy eggs are made. they stared at me, but I couldn't look at them because I was almost busting with laughter.
Then one of them said, "Sylvia I know you, an you are telling me a lie." I burst out laughing at my own joke, an they grinned abit an said they never believed me anyway, but the silence between my joke an him asking me if I was serious, was long enough to satisfy me. I told them I know they believed me for a little bit at least, they strongly objected, but I told them I thought my joke had been a huge success! haha
So on Monday I did laundry, then rushed to see some of my friends along ring road, since I knew with the presidential elections on Tuesday I might not be able to see many of them for weeks maybe...they were happy I made it back.
One of them wondered how Trump was, since when I left they had told me to greet Trump for them, I tried to explain to them that even though I was a white person, Trump didn't have time for the likes of me.
Anyway, Tuesday was interesting, we were all sitting tight inside the compound here, an as of today (Thursday Afternoon)  we still don't know the results. We only see helicopters flying over head, an hear of tear gas being shot to disperse crowds.
I have found the roof of our house to be a nice look out, today we saw the heads of soldiers going past, fitted out in riot gear, Stacy an I clambered up on our tile roof in time to see 8-10 military men, riding past on horses, we were shocked! since there are no horses in Kisumu, it is too hot for horses an they simply don't do well here.
So that was kinda neat...but it does get alittle boring having to stay inside the compound all day, but on Tuesday all the ladies made tons of donuts an apple fritters, then we had an MZL open house, so everyone could come see all the books they sell there, an buy what we wanted, an of course we all feasted on donuts an coffee.
In the evening I had supper with Rhoda an Stacy, then we sat around our fire pit, as it was chilly, an had some great conversations with Dad an Mom.
The rest were out on the lane playing spike ball, an sitting around chatting about this an that.
So on Wednesday the ladies had an all day sewing, I didn't go sewing, but did random other jobs, an worked on my blog, only to loose most of it an had to retype it today...
So we keep us in your prayers, that the elections could be peaceful, we pray that whoever looses would except it an move on, without war an killing.
Have a wonderful week an thanks so much for all your love an support while I was in America, it means more to me then you will ever know.
~Sylvia
For The Miller's

 

 

 

 

Clarissa working her magic...

Photographer in the making...

Tiffany enjoying the pastries...