An Abandoned Newborn, Showers Of Blessings, Gifts From America!!

(Saturday January 28th)
Today we slept in...

Bishop Joseph preaching at Nyakoko...

Then dad was around home, an also having meetings with different people.
But I went with Lester's family an some of the other girls, to go visit Nic & Lillian...They had invited Lester's family for Saturday lunch, so the rest of us girls thought it would be a fun experience too, an especially since Nic & Lillian had a rather unusual happening the other week...


You know we have all heard of, babies being abandoned, an not wanted, an thrown into dumpsters in a plastic bag. We've all heard those "stories". But have you ever actually seen an abandoned baby? Have you ever held an abandoned baby? neither did I, till I went to Nic & Lillian's house for lunch on Saturday, it almost crushed my heart to hear the story...


Nic was on his bike going to town as usual, an as he was peddling along the road, he suddenly heard, faint little whimpers from the tall grass, an feeble little cries that he simply couldn't shrug off, an just hurry on.

My friend an I during church...

So he stopped an there in the grass beside an out-house, lay a perfectly formed baby, ten fingers, ten toes, a chubby round little face, an a head full of tightly curled black hair...he couldn't believe what he was seeing! the baby was just laying there in the grass, putting out mournful little squeaks, with all the strength its little lungs, an throat could muster, he looked around an no one was anywhere, no one to hear this little boys pleas for food, love, an care, until Nic came, he picked the little boy up, an saw that he had only been born several hours before, an was still sticky an dirty from its birth, it was around 9am. in the morning, an the baby was laying in the bright sunshine, void of any shade, an by that time of the day it is already very hot! Nic said he isn't sure how long the baby was there, but he suspects it was born in the early morning hours while it was still dark, an was there till the sun was getting hot.
Well, Nic brought his precious little baby home, since no one seemed to know who the mother would be, an now him an his wife are caring for the little boy, this little baby feels like such a gift to Nic an Lillian since they have only one boy, an he is 7yrs old already, Lillian has had seven miscarriages before this, so it felt like a gift straight from God! an they are all beaming to be able to give this baby the love an nourishment, that another girl found a bother to do.

Dad telling the people what sacrificeRhoda's Parents made to allow Rhoda to come to Kenya 

We had a good day, helping Lillian make lunch, an especially holding the baby...we got back home in the afternoon then.
In the evening I walked to the lake with Becca an Londa, it actually rained on our way there, an we had to step under a small roof till it passed! we are so excited about the several rain showers we have had these last several weeks, it is amazing how the dust is again gone, an the air is fresh an clean, I am really really hoping that the rainy season is here again, an that the weather isn't just tricking us. We will see I guess.
(Sunday January 29th)
Today Joseph an Becky came to our church for pulpit exchange, Rhoda's family also came, an some other Aroba church people.

Rhoda's family, or part of her family, Rhoda is on the far left in dark purple

We had a good Sunday, an I was really glad Rhoda' s family got to visit our church while they were here, we were honored to have them, since they could have chosen to visit any of the other CBF churches, especially ones that were a lot closer to the compound then what ours is. Bless your hearts Rhoda!
We all then went to Joseph an Becky for lunch, Dad an Mom felt quite spoiled, an so did we all, that Joseph preached for us, an then fed us all lunch yet too! unreal.
In the afternoon, it once again poured rain, an the electric flickered on an off...after postponing the compound gathering at Deans a little because of the down-pours, we finally all gathered there an had a good evening of fellowship, kind of a last together with Deans since they will be moving out to the house where Mark Beachy's lived in, to make room for two new families that are coming.

Magic from Becky Hostetler's Kitchen...

Deans only have several more months left to serve here in Kenya before going home, so they decided to move out there, since it is also closer to their church there.
We had a great evening, an since there were more youth in our usually small youth circle, we had superb times, laughing till our sides ached about various topics, one being about an infant that was supposedly being potty trained by its parents at 3 weeks old...... No. I'm not even kidding!! I know, like who even does that?! but someone knew someone that did that...unreal.
(Monday January 30th)
Dad was at pastors meeting today....(Do you ever wonder what really goes on in pastors meeting? an why that is always something I mention about on Mondays? Ask Baba Miller for more details. haha)
In the evening we had Wayne's an Joe's here along with their visitors Jake Benders, which are Clara An Glenda's parents, along with Davey, their younger brother.
So mom an I were cleaning an cooking the better part of day.
We had also invited Carolyn an Stacy, since Rhoda was still spending her last several precious days with her family while they were here.

Getting our hair braided...

 An we sure had a good evening, laughing a lot, telling "embarrassing moment" stories,(Dad called me out to tell several of my embarrassing stories...cringe.)  how several of the couples that were there "met", an other great discussions. 
An so another evening was spent in good company.
(Tuesday January 31st)
Rhoda's family flew home today, an we will all miss them, especially the three youth they brought to our group, but I'm sure Rhoda will miss them more then anyone.
We really enjoyed having them on the compound!
Today I worked on the blog...Becca, Londa, an I ended up going to mamma Kay's hair braiding shop, to get our hair braided, an much to my dismay she over charged us, I thought I knew prices an was astonished at the price she gave, but was confused because I was so sure that we were good enough friends that she would not over charge me, but it happened! she way over charged me according to my other Kenyan friends, which reminds me again, Can you truly trust your friends on this side of the big pond, when there is money involved?  but more then that....what is my response going to be? Anger? or forgiveness? an I decided I can forgive, but I can also choose to not braid my hair there again, even though we are still good friends an I visit her often, she will eventually find out she lost a customer, but not a friend...An I think God will take care of the rest.

Glenda An Clara along with their husbands, parents, an younger brother...

In the evening Joseph an Becky came for supper...
But I wasn't home in the evening, since Stacy invited all of us youth girls over to her house for supper, an also to plan the upcoming valentine's supper for the couples on the compound.
The youth usually are responsible to get a nice evening together, with lots of yummy food, so we planned for that.
We had a nice evening, an Stacy's cooking was amazing!! thanks Stacy!
(Wednesday February 1st)
This morning Dad went to the airport early to pick up the twins, bringing them home!!! we all had a grand reunion, an a big party, opening gifts from home! squealing, some even jumping up an down over certain foods that came! Dad gasping seeing his favorite crackers,( Thanks Lyndon H.) an mom so pleased with all the pop corn....in short we were crazy excited for everything! an started hiding our various treasures right away, (Note: if you send something for someone specifically, make sure to mark which person of the family...might save us some fights! haha!)  So anyway, thanks so very much from the bottom of our hearts, for everything you all sent over! We felt quite spoiled to receive so much stuff from home, especially since Judith an Elaine had just brought stuff for us! So a huge thank you to all you amazing church people! your kindness makes us miss home an you all more then you will ever know.......Wow! Well..... that speech should have boosted your self-image!! haha! just kidding....no actually I'm not. It really should make you feel fuzzy inside, so there you have it, at no charge!


All to soon our celebration came slamming to a halt as Dad an Mom hurriedly left for Bible study.
The rest of us unpacked, an did various jobs around home, all the while catching up on stories, an we also looked at pictures from bible school, an then the twins an I went to town to pick up a few things.
We were just at home in the evening, the twins were extremely tired, an we went to bed early.

Becca holding the little abandoned boy... 

(Thursday February 2nd)
Today we were just around home, then I went to the dentist, an got my wires tightened, an that left my mouth feeling extremely sore, an my teeth aching...but I suppose that is to be expected with braces.
In the afternoon, Becca, Londa, an Rissa an I went swimming, coming back in the late afternoon.
Then there was compound prayer meeting in the evening, at Joseph an Becky.
(Friday February 3rd)
Today Becky, Stacy, Becca, Londa, an I all went out to Mark an MaryEllens former house, about an hour from the compound an cleaned it. Since Dean an Barbra Jean were planning to move out there temporarily to make room for the two new families that are moving in.
An since Marks house had been sitting empty for the last several months, it was really dusty an dirty.
So we cleaned an then ate our lunch that we had packed into sack lunches...We had a wonderful time laughing an talking.

Hadassah, Lester's daughter from Kenya... 

Then on the way home we saw the all familiar signs of the home of Obama's grandmother, so we decided to stop in, although we knew we needed reservations to actually meet her, so I got the phone number to call, to make reservations, so I'm hoping to some day go out there an visit her an take a picture with her for sure!  So we will see, maybe someday I will! Not that I'm such a fan of....ok, never mind. You know, famous peoples relatives are supposedly cool, so I want a picture with her. period. I wont try explaining various other details about her now, white haired grandson.
We had volley ball this evening, but it was so terribly lame, that we quite early, and us girls had a girls party instead, now that was fun! roasting marshmallows over a candle, laughing talking! evenings like that keep me going over here in Kenya! Girl time, is the bomb!
After volley ball some also played spike ball for a while...It was a great but busy week. But what's new!? The time goes faster when your busy anyway! ;)
So that is all for this week....

us girls all helping Lillian cook lunch...

Have an epic week, make it your best yet! how do you make it your best week yet!? I don't know, but how about we start with showing an interest in someone else's life, be genuinely interested, ask questions about something you know they enjoy, or care about, an then listen, don't quickly listen so that when they take a breath, you can plunge in an tell them all about your, joys, strife's, ups an downs...just listen.
That's my challenge this week, be a friend to everyone, an take an interest in their life.
So now that I preached that little topic, I will let you all go, its late here an I need to post this yet tonight if I can get all the pictures on it yet, an sent out.
~Sylvia
For The Miller's

Latisha also helped us...

 

Londa cooking the Kenyan way...