This Week in Kenya...

Before we came to Kenya I searched far and wide for a Swahili Bible with both Old and New Testament and when we were buying Swahili Bibles last week for Friday Fellowship we found this nifty half English half Swahili Bible. I was very excited! One catch: it's stamped defective because it hapens to be missing four random verses. I don't know which ones, and neither does the publisher! It's a fun item to have but I can never give it an athiest that I hope to convert. What can you do?

I miss all of you. I have been feeling a little under the weather lately.

Here's Tammi:

Friday 9/8/06
Since Margaret was going to be out of town all weekend we all thought it best if we just went into town on Friday rather then going on Saturday, because it would be better to be at home with the kids all weekend. So off to town we went. We first went to the bible store to get some Kiswahili bibles to share with the community. It was very nice to go somewhere different, the whole time we have been here we have only gone to a town really far away that we could not find again to save our lives and the Nakumatt the Nakumatt is off the same road we are off of, Mombasa road, it is the road that will take you to the airport or the downtown. So needless to say we were very excited to go though a neighborhood. It was neat to see houses with gates around them and to see how they protect their homes. They line the tope of the brick walls with broken glass or barbwire, the broken glass made for something scary yet very colorful and beautiful. So we made it to the store only to be told they only take cash, we did not have that much cash on us so off to the bank we go, PAYPAL is amazing and Heather B. is too. So we got money and went back to the store, we got 20 Kiswahili bibles and 5 bibles that were in English and Kiswahili so that we could use them to follow along with others when they read. So now we were ready to go spend 4 hours at the nakumatt. It never seems to fail that when we want to go into town we should know we are going to be in town all day. So we are getting more and more use to it. Also side note, the whole time we have been going to the Nakumatt we also eat lunch there, they have a café that serves America dishes and other good stuff, so we eat and we tip. We found out that you do not tip in Kenya and if you do, it is much smaller then we have been. So we have been the stupid Americas at the Nakumatt, stupid or rich, I am thinking more stupid then rich. Also we found out that we were doing about 10% of our bill and that is like a days rages here in Kenya. It is just so hard for us to wrap our minds around how a bill can be like 1000/= and so we leave about 100/= which is like a little over a $1 and that is about ½ days wage. How could anyone that makes that much ever eat at that café? I guess they don’t and that would explain all the beans and corn dishes that are so popular here. Oh a quick side note, we saw at the café a note that read, if the service is good then tip us (this made us feel a little better).
So fellowship night: First off thank you all that prayed for us, we felt it! It was a slow start that was made much more dramatic by the load and I mean LOAD crickets in the background, but as the night went on everyone started to open up more. We still have a long way to go but things look very hopeful. It was very nice, our cookies and tea were a big hit (we found out that the cookies were worth about $10 and well according to our calculation that is about a weeks worth or work in cookie form) so no wonder they were such a huge hit! The bibles were also a huge hit, at first no one took them then someone was brave enough to take one and they all went! We saw them again in church on Sunday! So over all we felt Jesus in that place and may said at the end as we all took our second cup of tea that many have wanted the fellowship to be like this and that they were very excited about what was to come. Thank you again everyone who prayed for this; please make it a point to pray for us on Friday mornings (it is the afternoon here when it is morning there).

Saturday 9/9/06
Today seemed much like every other weekday here at house of hope; all the kids go to school except they don’t take it seriously, no uniforms and no real agenda. My class just colored for ½ the morning and then after tea we all went for an hr walk. It was nice to see the neighborhood so to speak. Michael’s class just played indoor games all morning. Then off to the house for lunch at 1230 except they never eat at 1230 they don’t eat until like 1ish so that makes for a crazy 30min or so. Then they don’t go outside until 2ish and well they are the quickest bunch of eaters they world has ever seen. So they just run around like chicken with there hear cut offs for about an hour and a half. Also we have found out that it is a competition with the kids to eat the quickest, everything here is a competition, that when they go into the other room we hear them say “ I am number one” and “I am number 2” and so forth. So lunch and then a nap for us and the kids go off to God only knows but for 2 hours we don’t really care (wink, wink). Then we got up when the kids came home and we went out side to start to wash our cloths with the rest of the kids. We washed and hung all of our dirty cloths and then it was dinner for the house and we played Indian Jones after dinner and it was a huge hit! So over all the day was nice and the kids handled Margaret not being here very well.

Sunday 9/10/06
Off to church we go. When we were leaving out the back gate we saw the sweetest sight ever. A new baby sheep, she was born the night before and still had her umbilical cord and everything, and Peter the herds man, named her Shallow. She is too cute for words hope you enjoy the photos. So church was very nice, Michael did not have the pressure to teach (because of the fellowship night) so that made it something we could just sit back and learn. It was about Zacchaeus and his faith, it was very powerful to hear about a man of great status turning from it all and following Jesus. You realize here how weird it is to turn from your corrupt life and turning to Jesus and giving everything back to those you took from. Not just turning your life over to Jesus but climbing a tree to see him. No one who was rich here, or anywhere for that matter, would climb a tree to see Jesus unless they knew who he was. Also something I had not though of until I heard it was that Jesus called Zacchaeus by name out of the tree. Jesus knew him by name, and called to him over the crowd and out of a tree and told him that He (Jesus) was going to be staying at him house, no question on if that would be ok or not, just straight up “Hey you up in the tree I am calling you out and I am telling you it is time for you to turn away from your sin and I am going to come and stay in you heart forever, get it” and well Zacchaeus got it and turn from the sin he had done. It was very powerful. What made it more powerful was the fact that we get to hear this sermon in Kiswahili and then in English, so our spirit is hearing it two times to make sure we really get it. After church we went back to the house to have a late lunch and by late we mean 2 in the afternoon and then we went for a long walk with the kids around the area and talk about everything we saw. The kids really love getting out of the house and so do we. We get to wave at the few cars that go by and they give us all weird looks and we get to say hi to all the neighbors and all the animals that are wondering about. So then we went back to the house for all the night time activities which are baths, washing shoes, polishing shoes, washing cloths, preparing dinner and eating dinner, all in which leaves everyone tired and ready for a movie and you know we love movies. So we put in a movie and let something else entertain the children other then us for a few hours.

Monday 9/11/06
Half days are so great! We were only going to be at school until about 11 because we were going into town to pick up our first package! It was from the Rice’s and we were beyond excited and nervous. Our first package we knew would be hard but we were still none the less excited. So to the post office we go at around noon (because everything is always an hour or so later then when you think it will be) so we get to the post off and find out that everyone that handles the packages goes to lunch between 1 and 2. So we thought hey we are close to the bank and we still have not gotten our ATM cards so we will go to the bank and kill and hour standing in lines and that we did, 3 lines to be exact and about 1 hour, so good timing huh? And we got our ATM cards and our pin numbers. So back to the post office we go and we find out that we are at the wrong post office and we need to do to the Westlands post office. So we go and it is a great ride with new things to look at and we always thought that the Westlands was so far (because Margaret always tells us it is) but it is not, it was really close and really neat looking, we think we will go back one day and look around more. So we go and we were thinking that the duty fee was going to be like $50 dollars (again because Margaret told us it would be) and we were super blessed with it only being $6 what a big difference huh! So we get our package and we do not have to open it (it had already been open for us and gone through and resealed). However I am super hungry and we are really close to a place called fish and chips and that sounded really good so we go and Michael and I get a hot dog (no fish at a place called Fish and chips), and Cyrus and Charles get chicken and chips and we all get a drink for 425/= which is only like $5, so we all eat and feel good and get back into the van! Oh the crazy bumpy Van! We go to the Nakumatt to pick up some things while Cyrus and Charles go to pick up Margaret we all meet up and Margaret tells us that British Airways has called and they have Michael’s guitar, WHAT but we already said our goodbyes to it, and we were already seeing it as Gods will and it was a blessing! So Michael was already feeling stressed. I think it was the combo of getting the guitar and going back to the airport and not getting on a plane to go back home, that was part of the stress. So we go and it all feels very weird and hard to swallow, but we get though it the best we can and pick up the guitar and head back to the house to find 44 children all whispering “guitar” and we went straight to the room to hide! We open our package and cry for about 15 min. or so over our goodies, the knife, astros cap, the space pen, and shirts were all a nice surprise to Michael, I was very excited over the Tums (I just looked for some at the store today), and our letters about how everyone is doing including our CAT!! Michael could not read the letter once it go to the part about Fletch and well I could barley get through it myself. We finally pulled ourselves together long enough to go and play with the kids for a few minutes. Michael played his guitar for a few minutes and I gave Mary her letter from Tina, she was very excited and seemed to be really moved by the whole thing, THANK YOU TINA for making Mary’s day!
Now we sit in bed, I typing away, and Michael playing his guitar, it is really comforting to hear, reminds me of home, I think it does him too. Over all a very emotional day for us both and we are quite tired.
Oh a side note, HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY ARABELLA GRACE! We love you and miss you very much, don’t grow to fast while we are away!

Tuesday 9/12/06
Yesterday I told Olivia that we could run together on Tuesday (she wants to be a long distance runner). So all day I was a little excited about running with her and anyone else who wanted to join us. We also found out in the morning that the staff meeting that was canceled on Saturday was now going to happen at 4pm right after school got out. I told everyone that I was going to run then I would be back before the meeting stated. So off to run I went only to have all the kids pass me up and run so fast and for so long, they really showed me up! However Ben at some point decided that he was going to run in the opposite direction as everyone else and that was a little frustrating and scary. As I was running I begin to feel my throat getting sore, like the day I worked in the garden, and I thought it must be the dust in the air and the dirt roads that is getting to me. However I never got better just worse and by that night after one of the longest and hardest meeting yet I hade a bad fever and my whole body hurt like I had the flu. So I went to bed crying because I did not feel well and because again we got told that we were not meeting expectation and that I had hurt some feelings and had my feeling hurt also. So Michael was amazing and support the whole time and just let me cry and got me everything I would need to feel better.

Wednesday 9/13/06
I still was not close to feeling better but thought it would not look good if I did not go to school. So I went to school and felt like a zombie all day. So at lunch time I went home and went to sleep, I did not really wake up until Michael came home and I did not eat breakfast or lunch and did not really want to get up for dinner but I did and had a few bits of food and back to bed I went. I really missed the kids a lot but knew I would be no fun or use if I were still not feeling well.

Thursday 9/14/06
Had a rough night the night before because I had a bad fever all night so I was cold then hot all night long. I did not sleep well so I did not go to school I just stayed at the house and sleep and took a hot shower and watched a movie and did not leave unless to go to the bathroom. Margaret called to ask if I wanted to go to the clinic but I think I am getting better but still weak and running a fever. Michael came home at lunch time and help me eat a little bit and then we both went back to sleep. We woke and I thought a walk may help me, so we walked made a few phone calls and came back for dinner and all the kids wanted to read, so we got lots of books out for the kids to read. We went in the room to read for a few minutes but I started to feel weak again so I went back to bed.
I found out that my family’s dog got hit by a car and died and that my sister got rear-ended the next day and that she was a little scared and that my mom was a little overwhelmed. Mika (the family dog) was very sweet. I went with Kimberly to pick up the dog when she got her. She was so small and cute, I remember that at first it was just going to be Kimberly’s dog, but that did not take long to change and she was everyone’s dog and she even sleep with my parents (who would have ever thought) she was a good smart dog who did not deserve to get hit by a car right in front of her house. John also did not deserve to watch a dog that he had grown to love get hit by a man that he knew and have that man not really show any real emotion. My mom told me that the neighborhood came over and helped to pick up Mika and but her in a bag and prayed over her. It is hard to ever write this because I know how hard that must have been for my family. But also how beautiful is it to know that most families in neighborhood hardly speak to each other but when it really counts they come together and pray together and help each other to love on each other. Thank you to all who came to my family when they needed it the most. I know this will be really hard on my sister, she is very loving and I know that she loved Mika very much, please let her know you are there for her and that she is loved, please pray that God will ease her pain and the rest of my families pain.

Friday 9/15/06
Fridays are always long, but good. The reason they are long is because we have fellowship on Friday nights from 9ish to 10ish. So we always tell ourselves that at some point in the day we will rest a little but that never seems to happen on Fridays (every other day we don’t have a problem resting). We took Stanley to school to show him how thing are ran. For those who do not know who Stanley is, let me feel you in. Stanley is a paper man that Paige, Michael’s niece, sent to come stay with us for a few days. He needed to have his picture taken with some of the kids and he needed to learn a few things about Kenya in the process. So Stanley played with all the kids, ate some sugar cane, played in the shamba, and seemed to have a nice time over all. Be sure to check out Stanley in the photos. So we stayed at school until 2pm and then came home to work on fellowship things. We worked and watched Sports night (a TV show that Michael’s parents mailed us), then we heard all the kids come home so we went off to take more pictures with the kids and Stanley and to get a group photo of us with the kids. So we played and then went for our walk and by the time we came back, Michael was not feeling to hot. He is doing much better now. We had a long talk about everything and I think we are both feeling better about things. So I ate dinner (Michael did not feel well enough for ugali) and I got out lots of books for the kids to read. Well Michael and I do most of the reading but hey we don’t mind. They just keep bringing us books and we just keep reading. They all sit around us and listen to us read about some pretty crazy things that I am sure they don’t fully understand, but it makes me feel good that they just want to listen to us read. However Michael and I both had to draw the line when we got asked to read a book about Thanksgiving, we really knew they would not fully get that one. So Margaret came in to do evening prayers and I went to the kitchen to start making tea for fellowship. They have a fire going with a large pot with boiling water in it and you add un-pasteurized milk, that has already began to separate, to the hot boiling water, then you wait for the milk and the water to boil and than you add tea leaves to it. You don’t let it sit for to long and then you drain it all (by putting a pitcher on the ground and picking up the large pot and poring it into the pitcher), put it in a thermos and serve it up, when you add biscuits aka cookies with you tea it makes the tea a lot better. So fellowship was nice and people shared and they seemed to really like it. At the end we asked them if there were any prayer request and people had some, it was really nice to know what we could pray for. Many had asked for a spiritual gift to return to them and two asked for more ways to share their musical gift with others. All in all, a very nice time of sharing and learning.