Fruited Plains, Kenya

Chicken Heads, Testimonies and Slippery Ditches

2010-08-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Mt. Elgon. We spent a few nights up there and had a blast. Staying on the mountain is about as close to camping as I get!! We actually had running water the second day!! On the way up the mountain the police stopped us and attempted to do a shake down. Mike REFUSED and made it clear he knew the law. That plus mentioning the Honorable Fred Kapundee (Member of Parliment for Mt. Elgon) got him to back down. Especially when Mike kept referring to the officer by his name. This was one Mazungoo he was not going to take advantage of!

We did the boy's and girls youth conference. Girls and boys combined we had about 250 youth. It was amazing. The youth in Kenya are not much different from the youth in the US. They all seemed appreciative for the open and frank conversation about real issues they address. It was a great segway to talk to Lucy about the birds and the bees and boys and all that fun stuff!

The following morning we went to a humble church that received the Fruited Plains Miracle Maize last February. The only istruments were their voices and it was beautiful!! This small church rocked the roof off!!! I had the opportunity to preach again. I was overcome with emotion towards the end. God has truly given us His love for these people. It sometimes overwhelms me. We had lunch in the home of the pastor and his wife after the service. Mike and Chris ate the head of the chicken- brains and all!!!! No lie. It was disgusting.

Chris taught kids Simon Says and Lucy taught us how to eat sugar cane like a true Kenyan. We got to see the 10 acres (really 11). UNBELIEVABLE!!! We even have a sign with our logo on it. We are official. We could not believe all the maize growing and the demonstration plot was incredible. Peter is a passionate and phenominal farmer. He has set up 110 plots to show the people all the different vegetables that grow well on the mountain. He has compost piles and even a tree that the leaves can be crushed and used as a natural insecticide. We are overwhelmed how God ia allowing us to join Him in His work with these people.

Today Mike did his business seminar and the rest of us headed up to Pastor Philip's church, walked Shambas and heard testimonies. There are several widows at his church due to the recent land clashes. One of them shared how she has 10 children and had no food and her life was in despair. After receiveing the seed and harvesting, she now has enough food to feed her family, pay her kids school fees and tithe. She said she is now giving seed and educating her neighbors about it so they too will benefit from what God has given her!! How great is our God?!! Everyone talked about how much better this seed is. They have already harvested the first crop and are planting the second. They will get at least 2 harvests a year opposed to one with the other seed.

My dad was a real trupper today. He had to climb a HUGE hill and cross through several shambas. He hung in there and never gave up! Lucy stayed by his side and took good care of her grandfather. He loved having her watch over him.

Mike mentioned that one of the men at his seminar brought two ears of maize to show the people how much bigger the kernals are compared to the stuff the government sells. Light bulbs were going off as Mike showed them how to reduce costs and run their shambas as a business. He is so gifted in business and loves teaching others how to be self-sustaining and thrive. He is living his dream.

We got stuck in a ditch on the way down. Chris and my dad have now officially experienced Mt. Elgon. It took about an hour to get out but Leonard is the bomb! he got us out and even got us past a school bus that was blocking the road. It was an Indiana Jones ride for sure!

We are having a great time as a family. I feel so blessed to be here with the 3 most important men in my life and Lucy. This is it for now. Will update later. Kwaheri!!

Oxen, Donkeys and Deformed Cows- Oh My!

2010-08-25T06:58:00.000-07:00

Jambo Sano friends and family. We are having a great time in Kenya. We planned well so we have a bit more down time which feels strange to us. I realize it is difficult for me to just relax when I am here. I find myself wanting to be ministering in some way constantly.

We had a GREAT team meeting on Monday. We have been blessed with the best staff EVER! God is moving in some incredible ways through Fruited Plains. Peter (our farm manager) mentioned purchasing our own oxen to plough the 10 acres. Mike had already done the figuring and the oxen pay for themselves in 2 years time. Yes, you heard correctly, we are actually discussing purchasing oxen! How surreal is our life? We are constantly shaking our heads at how God has chosen to use us on this earth. We would not change it for anything in the world. It is just comical to us. As we discussed the possibility of having live stock, we realized we need an acre to graze them. I asked about the cost of an acre. Summary then said, "By the way, the land the government gave us is really more than 10 acres. It is actually 11 acres!" Peter and Leonard then chimed in and said one of the acres is bad for planting but perfect for grazing cattle. We can retain our 10 acres for planting and demonstration plot and we still have an acre to spare!

Peter then asked about having water at the site. I asked about drilling for a well and Sammary again said, "By the way, there is actually a water pipe running right through our 10 acres and it is very cheap to just hook into the water supply that already exists." God just blows my mind!

We are going to distribute to 600 new families again in February. We will have about an extra 100 bags to sell which will help us with a bit of our overhead. Because we will be selling the maize as food, not seed, we will not be competing with the seed companies. We will also sell the produce from our demonstration plot. We are continuing to look for ways to become self-sustaining or at least lower our overhead.

We had the opportunity to visit the animal park. Once again we saw the donkey's with no tails (perfect for a game of pin the tail on the donkey), the cow with 4 horns, 3 functioning eyes and a cleft pallet, and my personal favorite, the female cow with a testicle growing out of its back! No lie. It's Kenya! You got a love it!

We visited some of the Building Hope recipients. They are all repaying their loans and the businesses they have established are helping to care for the basic needs of their families. We are grateful for the committee that over sees this project. They are doing a great job.

Chris is having a great time. Today he played soccer with the street kids at Oasis of Hope. He was so in his element. He plans to go back again tomorrow. He is also connecting with Lucy. She LOVES her cousin!! She has connected to him like no one else. It warms my heart.

We have met with Lucy's counselor two times now. We are impressed with the head counselor. He seems to get her and what she needs. Now that the assessment period is complete, she will be transitioning to a new counselor experienced in grief counseling. We are learning some new details of what has transpired over the last couple of years. I won't go into detail on the blog but it breaks our hearts. I hate that we could not have done a better job of protecting her. What she has experienced most of her life is heart renching. To see how far she has come is such a blessing from God. Please continue to pray that God would give us wisdom on how to guide her. We can absolutely see how God has and continues to have his hand on her life. I don't know what He has for her but one thing is for sure, He loves and cares for her so very much! I sure hope she sees it. Her value and worth in His eyes is so evident to us.

We will head up to Mt Elgon again on Saturday and will spend 2 nights. Sammary and I will be doing a girls youth conference. Mike, my dad, Chris and Abraham will be doing a boys youth conference (the first ever). Sunday we will visit another one of the chruches that received seed this past February. I have been asked to give the message again. Pray that God shows up and blesses the people through me!!! I covet your prayers! Monday Mike will do his business seminar with the recipients who have not yet attended while my dad, Chris and I go visit past recipeints and hear testimonies from the people. I can't wait!!!!!!!

Love you all. Keep praying for us. We are all healthy and doing well.

Jambo from Kenya

2010-08-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

Jambo Sana from Kenya! We are having a wonderful time. Our first day here we went to the Cottage Hospital and walked the farm with Richard. Oh how I love that man. I treasure every moment I get with him. After lunch in the cottage we headed out to feed the kids in the pre-school at the Cottage hospital. These kids live in the slums and most don't have food to eat. The Cottage Hospital has a pre-school where the kids come 6 days a week for breakfast and lunch. A few years ago Richard and Freda shared with us that most children do not eat again until they return to the school on Monday. Mike had a great idea of providing a pre-cooked meal to distribute to the kids on Saturdays so they would have a meal on Sunday. After we served the kids lunch we but beans and rice in 70 bags and distributed them to the kids. With big smiles and a gracious "Asante" (thank you) they took their bag. After all the children received their food they closed there eyes and thanked God for the meal he provided. I looked over at Chris and he was a goner! Tears were streaming down his face. Oh yeah, Kenya has gotten a hold of him and it was just the first day. The people and this place have a way of grabing hold of your heart and you are forever changed.

Today we headed up to Mt. Elgon for church (my happy place in Kenya). We went to one of the churches that were recipients of the planting seeds project this past February. We heard a testimony from a man whose children attended the church but he and his wife did not. The church decided that since the children attended the church they could be recipients of the seed if the father or mother attended all the necessary trainings. The father did so. He shared how he really saw the love of God demonstrated. Even though he and his wife did not attend the church and were not Christians, they still wanted to assist. He and his wife are now Christians and active members of the church. God is so amazing!

I was the pastor for the day. I found out about 5:30 Saturday night that I would be delivering the message. This is very typical in Kenya. At least I had some notice! God gave me a few passages of which I built on prior to leaving for Kenya so I at least had some notes and was semi prepared! There is nothing greater than being used by God. I loved every moment of it! To see the faces of those in the congregation as God spoke through me was something I will never forget.

Chris started crying from the moment he stepped in the church. For a big strong tough guy, he sure is a softy! He is loving this place and the people. The choir got up and sang and there was a guy playing a guitar and another who kind of tapped on the guitar like a drum. Two instruments in one! So innovative.

Two years ago during the clashes Mike and I had the opportunity of meeting a woman with 11 children. Her husband was a pastor and was killed in front of his family. I remember feeling so helpless as we sat with the family and prayed for them and gave them a Hope Span Mosquito net and blanket. The husband had just died the week before and was buried in front of the small hut they were staying in. I wept because I felt so incredibly helpless. This family was at the church today. The eldest son was the one playing the guitar. They too were recipients of the Planting Seeds Project this past February. God is brillant in the way he works. He never ceases to amaze me.

My dad is doing well. He is enjoying every moment with Lucy. Yesterday was a hormonal teenage girl day but today she was all smiles and laughter and talkative. This is the first time we have really seen her be so free to communicate with people outside of Mike and I. We played Frisbee and Soccer and just had a great day together. Tomorrow we go for a counseling appointment with her. Mike and I can't believe we are going to counseling in Kenya. This ought to be an experience!

Well, this is kind of it for now. Other ministry stuff happened but these are some of the highlights. I love being in Kenya with the 3 most important men in my life. What a treat for me.

Love you all. Please continue to pray for us.

Catching Up

2009-08-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

I know there has been a long delay since our last blog. I will try and hit a few highlights. We met with 30 pastors from Kopsiro last Friday. Kopsiro is an area hit hard by the clashes. The government shut down the IDP camps and told the people to go live with relatives. Those who could did, others are "just around" as the pastors say. We had the opportunity to explain the vision for this year. We will assist about 10 churches, 600 families in all. We also met with the farmers we sent to Manor House who will now train the future recipients of the maize project. They were all so grateful for what they learned and are eager to share their new found knowledge with others. They are all so giving and willing to serve. It is awesome.

We had Lucy for a few nights and our parent child talk went well. She is actually very compliant- whew! We sure lucked out on that one! We tried to help her with her math homework. She is doing Geometry in 6th grade!! I barely passed Geometry in high school. Mike, the math wizz even struggled. We just told her she had lame parents and unfortunately, we could not help her with her homework. She sure works hard. We found out from one of her teachers she won two first place trophies in track and Field. We asked her, " Lucy, can you say world record holder, future Olympiad, professional athlete?" We asked if she was going to take care of us in her old age and she said yes. We also found out she was elected by her classmates and teacher to be Prefect for Class 6. It is a position of leadership. One has to demonstrate discipline, leadership and respect. How puffed up our our chests right now!! For the past few years we have been saying, "Lucy, are you a leader or a follower?'' She laughs and says, "Follower" just to be cheeky. We are so proud of her. She did not even tell us she has been Prefect this whole school year. One of her classmates told us.

We had to meet with a judge twice this week so we can try and get Lucy a birth certificate. Again we were granted legal guardianship and sole custody of Lucy (thought we already did that and we even have documents to prove that but oh well, it is Kenya). She also gave permission to seek a birth certificate which will officially have our last name. It is now the last name she uses on a regular basis.

Dan, Kathleen, Erika arrived last night and surprised us by bringing Charles, Thomas and Joseph. They are orphan boys between the ages of 5 and 8. I know you are all laughing right now, Mike and I with 3 small kids running around the house. They are actually really cute and very good. Besides, we told them if they are bad, we eat small children. I am sooooo kidding. Seriously they have been great! Of course company arrives and the water company turned the water off and one of the workers turned our pump off so we have very little water right now. We should have water by 5:00am tommorrow. We won't hold our breath, it is Kenya.

Tonight we had our traditional dinner with the boys. There were 20 people at dinner and it took 2.5 hours. It was ok though because we loved visiting with them. They are all getting so big. It was great for Dan and Kathleen to see them. It was a bit emotional for them as Philip played a significant role in assisting with some of these boys.

Tomorrow we go back to Mt. Elgon and we are distributing 100 blankets to widows who were previously staying at the IDP camp in Kopsiro. We are looking forward to being with them and ministering to them. If you read this soon (we are 10 hours ahead) please pray for me as I feel a burden to share something with these women and don't have a clue what to say. I pray God shows up in a big way!

Love you all and talk with you soon. Kwaheri for now.

Fun, Fellowship and Food on the Mountain

2009-08-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

Hello friends,

Today was another amazing day on the mountain. We visited AIC Cheptonon. Pastor Martin's church. We have built a relationship over the last 5 years with them. The children that would once run from us in terror now chase our van when they see us coming in order to greet us.

We visisted many shambas and homes. The testimonies continue to be amazing. If each one were not so powerful in terms of changed lives and stewardship, they would almost seem redundant. Yet when you hear the people give their testimonies and see their faces and the faces of their children, each one is so impactful. We even vistited some shambas near the forest. It was our first time REALLY seeing the forest. WOW! It is so lush and beautiful.

We vistited Pastor Martin's church and his wife Asha gave us soda and her special Chapatis made with a bit of sugar. YUM! We then visited a few more shambas and one family we have gotten to know over the years invited us in and served us a big lunch. We then drove to the church and I met with the youth and youth leaders. We thought we were leaving but they asked us to sit and they brought in another huge meal for us. We were so full but we had to eat AGAIN. We don't think we have ever been so full in all our lives. They serve tons of carbs, beans and then you wash it down with a soda! There was some rumbling and bumbling going on! The bumpy ride back to Kitale was painful!

We are having an amazing time with our new staff. We joke and laugh and everyone feels free to share and give their input. They are teaching us Saboat and we are teaching them American slang. I have Sammary saying, "Leonard, you're the bomb". To hear it in a Kenyan accent is so funny. Leonard use to be quiet and timid but since we made some changes (you all know what I am referring to) he is open and filled with such joy. He and Peter (our farm manager) got up when the choir was singing and started dancing and singing with them. It was so awesome. We are doing ministry together and having fun!

Yesterday Mike did a business seminar at Pastor Tony's church. He is teaching the people how to look at their shambas as a business and ways to reduce costs and increase profits. He did an amazing job and the people are always so grateful for the seminar and seem to come away from it with new ideas.

Well, that is it for now. We love you and miss you.

More News from Kenya

2009-08-10T08:53:00.000-07:00

Hello again from Kenya. Saturday was our day at the farm with Richard and Freda. Richard has been ill so we did not walk the farm this time. We did visist with sick people in the hospital and pray for them. there was a little girl named Rosie that had a severe case of jiggers. Jiggers are like magots that burrow in the skin, lay eggs and well you get the picture. It is way nasty and extremely painful. She walked on her heals because her feet and hands were covered with jiggers. She was such a sweet girl!

We played alot with some of the children that live at the farm. I hurt my back swinging Esther around. She is really growing up and remembers us by name now. She refuesed to let me put her down. My back was killing me. I am just getting to old! There was a little girl named Kathleen that is such a tiny peanut. She is 3 years old and a sack of flour weighs more than her. She had Mike wrapped around her little finger. She kept wanting him to hold her and when he put her down she would just look at him with that little peanut face and hold her arms up. At one point she held his hand and lead him off. I asked where Mike was and Richard said he has left me for another woman as someone else has stolen his heart. Wait until you see the picutres. She is so tiny and so cute. She could make you do just about anything when she looks at you.

Sunday we went up to Cheptonon for the church service. As usual we found out the afternoon before that one of us was doing the message and as usual, Mike volunteered me. So on our way up the mountain, I was preparing my message. I believe the message went pretty well. I recieved positive feedback but then again what else are they going to say? The great part is I am learning to not be so anxious when I am not fully prepared. It is not because I think I am "all that" but because I am learning to trust that God will show up and deliver His message through me. Why would he not want to answer that kind of request?

There was alot of rain the day before so the ride up was an "adventure". The van could not make it all the way up to the church so we had to hike up the hill. I was in a dress and heals, Mike in a suit and hard sole shoes. When it rains on Mt. Elgon the ground is like walking on ice. It was an experience for sure. Our shoes and legs were covered in mud. My heel kept getting stuck in the mud and I kept walking out of my shoe. We both almost ate it a few times but managed to stay on both feet. We are definitely not going up the mountain without a pair of hiking shoes with us in the future.

Pat Hamer came with us that day. He loved Mt. Elgon but I think even he wondered how our vehicle would make it a few times. We loved having him with us. He enjoyed trying to scare the children and then trying to convince him he really is a "nice Mazungoo" or "ghost" as they have been told in their bed time stories.

The people were so amazing and so full of life. I loved dancing with the women and doing their traditional chant or shreak with them. I am really getting good at it and it definitely makes everyone laugh.

We heard some amazing testimonies. We met one of our farmers we sent to Manor House to be trained. He has already taken the inititive to start his own demonstration plot and train some of the church members. He has even used some of the beans he has harvested to give to his neighbors who have nothing. Another family used the harvest to pay school fees for their child who is in their second year of high school. I love how God is using this project. Their are fewer orphans because people are not dying of disease and starvation, kids are getting an education and the farms are becoming a business that is providing an income for the people. Just goes to show you, God can use anyone. We are constantly amazed by what God is doing through Fruited Plains. We still believe he chose us because He recieves all the glory in it. What the heck do we know about farming. We love how God works!

We had the opportunity to meet with more youth and youth leaders. They were first focused on what we could do for them. I tactfully and gently helped them see that it is in their best interest to not focus on "Mazungoos" giving them a hand out. Infact, this only hurts them. I encouraged them to think outside the box and to focus on how they can grow in their relationship with God as their first priority and allow God to show them a way out of their circumstances. One of the ICM workers was able to chim in and give his testimony as an example. It was powerful and definitely made the point. The fact that he is a Kenyan from Mt. Elgon really made it impactful. It still comes down to creating weekly Bible studies for the youth. They need Bibles and youth leaders need training. We believe God can work out those details. We also focused on how they can serve the church. There were some great ideas like ministering to the widows. There are several in the area as this was one of the areas hit during the clashes.

After we left, Pastor Harry said, "Michele, do you want a ride on my motor bike?" An offer I could not refuse!! Dress, muddy heals and all, I climbed on and had an amazing ride. Because were pretty high up on the mountain and it was sooooo green and beautiful the view was breathtaking. It was so much fun. The people we passed by looked shocked. First, they don't see many Mazungoos in that area, and second, I am sure they don't see them on the back of a motor bike. After riding for awhile it was Mike's turn. He too had a blast. He actually rode through some rough turrain but loved every minute of it. I think we need to make this a tradition.

We actually came across my Rafikee Elizabeth again on the road. She was so disappointed she did not get to meet my dad and Pastor Mike when we were here last February. She had been praying for me and my family since Harry announced to the church my mom had passed away. She is just so great. I can't even express in words how full of joy my heart is everytime I see her.

We took Lucy back to school. She started summer school today. We will try and get her on Saturday afternoon for lunch. We definitely have to have a parent child meeting with her. As amazing as she is, there are a few behaviors that need some work. Pray for us! Pray we handle it well and she listens as well as takes part in the conversation. We don't want to lecture. We know that does not work.

Today we had a bunch of meetings. All were productive. We believe God is going to continue to do some great things on the mountain. We found out it will cost about $400.00 or less to build a traditional 2 bedroom house with iron sheets. Six people can do the framing and roofing in one day and church members can do the mud walls. There is a guesstimate of about 300 families that are in the greatest of need (although their are many more who will eventully need homes). We would like to target widows and orphans. We are looking to put small teams together to bring up to the mountain to assist. The ICM campus on Mt. Elgon would host us so we can stay in the dorms there. It is very close to where the work would take place. Pray about whether God can use us in some way to make this happen.

We love you and miss you. If you are reading the blogs, please respond to us. We love hearing from you.

Kwaheri for now.

God Continues to Move Mountians

2009-08-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and family. We have had a couple of great days. We went to Mt. Elgon and saw the site we purchased for the Fruited Plains headquarters. It is over an acre and it sits next to the district offices for Mt. Elgon which means we have electricity and it will be safe. We will build a warehouse to store our beans and maize and a garage big enough to store 2 lorries. We will also have an office. We will likely plant some small vegetables that we can sell to cover some of our overhead. It is alot of land so we don't know all God has in store. If there were a grocery store and Pinewood, we would build a home there. Mt. Elgon is so beautiful and we love it there so much.

We met with the Assistant Chief of Mt. Elgon and the District Officer. They both were very pleased with what Fruited Plains is doing to assist the people and were very happy to hear we will have our headquarters on the mountain. They offered their support in any way. It was definitely nice to recieve that.

Today I went up to Mt. Elgon again. Unfortunately Mike had to stay behind to deal with some business matters. It was a wonderful day. We got to see the homestead that Pastor Martin grew up on and we prayed for his mom who was having some knee problems. We walked to some shambas (farms) and heard more amazing testimonies from Harry's church. People have just harvested their beans. From the 10kg bag they were given last February, they have harvested 90kg's. Not bad! We heard more testimonies of people providing food for their families, paying school fees, and selling the excess to buy goats, cows, sheep and even build larger homes. When Fruited Plains started we simply wanted to help people have food to eat. God has done beyond what we ever imagined. There is a reasons Ephesians 3:20 is our verse for fruited Plains. "Now Glory be to God. By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we ever dreamed or imagined." One gentleman was asked by a neighbor, "How come your crops look so good?" His response was, "Because they are crops from God!"

Lucy was great. She was my videographer. She did a great job! I got to see my Rafiki (friend) Elizabeth. We ran towards each other, hugged and told each other we missed one another and loved each other. She speaks Saboat and I speak english but some how our bond was able to break through the language barrier. My heart was so full! I wish all of you could experience Mt. Elgon and see what a great place it is and the amazing people that live there.

I also had the opportunity to sit with about 29 youth and youth leaders from 4 different churches. We brainstormed about youth ministry. Other than Sunday school where all ages come together, there is no youth ministry. No Bible studies, no mentors, nothing. They all were eager to share their ideas. I have been waiting 6 years for this! God has put the youth on my heart and kept pulling my reigns back and saying, "not yet". I believe now is the time where He may use me. Training youth leaders is desparately needed. Their is a desire to serve but no training available and no idea how to really establish ministry. I know this is a big part of why God has called me to close my practice. At the end of the meeting we all committed to pray together each day and see where God leads us. We are all committed to follow His lead and not our own. Again, my heart is full!

Our time with Lucy just gets better and better. Her abiltiy and willingness to communicate with us in english has been great! She is still very quiet in front of others but open with us. She jokes, laughs and is affectionate. We have waited over 6 years for this! We love having her with us. She is definitely Daddy's little girl! She loves to tease him and he certainly knows how to return the favor. There is something about dad's and their daughters.

Continue to pray for us. We are having a wonderful time and there is still much ahead to accomplish over the next few weeks. Kwaheri for now!

Open our Eyes and Hearts to be the Hands and Feet of Jesus

2009-08-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

Jambo Sana friends and family. Yesterday was a very productive day. We had a long meeting (typical for Kenya) with the Fruited Plains employees. We have an amazing team of people working for Fruited Plains. They are just great people who are intelligent and eager to serve. The cool part is they are all from Mt. Elgon. This certainly was not a requirement to work for Fruited Plains but it just worked out that way. We are so blessed to have the team we have. We all then went to look at the 5 acres where we are currently growing our maize. The beans have already been harvested. It has been a dry season this year so we won't yield the kind of crop we were hoping for. We are doing a very conservative estimate of 600 families we will distribute to in February. That is roughly between 4,800 and 6,000 people who will benefit. Not too bad for a dry season.

We met with the advocate who has been working on Lucy's birth certificate the past year and a half. We had to start all over! At least we were able to meet with him today and get the ball rolling again.

This morning when we woke up we (Mike, Lucy and I) decided that as we were out and about running errands, we would keep our eyes open for opportunities to assist people in need. We asked God to help us see those in need and how we might be the hands and feet of Jesus. We handed out biscuits to MANY street kids, chated with them and got to know them better. There was also a woman with a very malnurioushed baby. I asked Lucy what she thought we should do and she thought buying some milk would be good so that is what we did! We also were able to surprise an extremely needy family with some groceries. Lucy was very helpful in knowing what to get. She even contributed some of her own money. She was not asked to do so. She just wanted to. What a great day way had as a family. It is not too difficult to find opportunities to serve those in need in Kenya. I believe God will provide all of us opportunities to serve those in need no matter where we live if we just keep our eyes and hearts open. I encourage you all to try it! Just commit to one day and see what God does.

Tonight Lucy made us dinner. She taught me how to make Ugali. She also made Sukamawiki which I did not think I liked but I liked hers alot! She made some kind of meat stew that Mike liked and I made a vegetable soup. It was all very good. It was fun cooking with her. Who I am I kidding, you all know me, it was fun watching Lucy cook. It was even more delightful to eat her tasty cuisine.

Tomorrow we go to Mt. Elgon and will meet with some of the pastors we have relationships with and see the 1 acre that will be the future headquarters for Fruited Plains. We can't wait to get back up on the mountain. There is no where else we would rather be.

That is all for now. Keep writing to us. We long to hear from you.

Kwaheri for now.

A Zoo for the Misfits

2009-08-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

Jambo Sana from Kenya. After 36 hours of travel, we have arrived safely. Friday we got setteled into our "new"/rented house in milimone. It is a beautiful old colonial home built in the 1930's and sits on 4.5 acres. It is comfortable and home for now.

Saturday we met with the Building Hope Committee and 4 of the new loan recipiants. There were 8 loans in total given over the last few weeks. Building Hope is moving forward with great success. We visited 4 of the businesses. 2 had vegetable and general item kiosks, one had a chicken farm with 200 baby chicks (they were soooo cute) and one had an electric milling machine used to grind maize. This is a cool business. She buys maize to grind, and then sells it. This is used to make Ugali. She also grinds customers maize for a profit. She showed how it all works- way cool!

We picked up Lucy yesterday afternoon and she will be with us until the 9th when she starts tuition (summer school). We took her to dinner at Pinewood (shocking) and we had actual conversation. Her english is unbelievable!! We literally conversed the whole time there. We laughed and talked about school and friends. We were amazed! It was so awesome. We always dreamed of a day when this would happen and often wondered if it would. It was such a special time. Today of course, she was a moody, hormonal teenage girl!! She is not a morning person!! We will take the precious sweet moments with her when we can get them. We love her so much.

Today we went to church at AIC Nuru. It was great to see everyone again. This is our home church in Kitale. Sammary, our new administrative assistant invited us over for an early dinner. First let me say, Sammary is the bomb!! She is intelligent, organized, professional and efficient. I am not into human cloning, however if I could clone Sammary and take her home to manage my life in the US I think I would do it. We went to her house this afternoon. She and her roomate Esther made the most amazing meal for us. It was one of best meals we have ever had. They were so excited to have us over and to cook for us. We talked and laughed and got to know each other better.

We all then headed out for an outing at the Kitale Animal Conservatory. Wow, what an experience. It is a animal park for abnormal animals. They are out in the open and you walk right up to them. Oh and me without my camera!!!! We saw an amaphrodite sheep. It was a pitcher and a catcher if you know what I mean. Oh the jokes!!! We also saw a bull that had 4 horns and 3 functioning eyes! This was one messed up Bull. there were 2 donkeys born with no tails. Talk about a pin the tail on the donkey party! There was a cow that had one of it's four stomachs kind of hanging on the outside. Everytime it walked, it kicked itself in its own stomach. There were way too many animals to write about. My personal favorite however was the pregnent cow with a testicle growing out of the top of it's back. I kid you not!!! You just can't make this stuff up. Only in Kenya. You have no idea how hard it was to be appropriate in an evironment like that. Mike and I kept cracking each other up. Lucy, Esther and Sammary were just laughing at us. I know, we are here for ministry but everyone needs a break now and then. Besides, it was good bonding with Sammary and Lucy.

Tommorrow we meet with our employees and will get an idea how things are growing on our 5 acres. It has been an unusually dry season which is not good for the maize. Our beans have been harvested and I guess we did ok despite the whether. We will get more details tomorrow. We head up to the mountain for the first time on Tuesday. Mt. Elgon is calling us. We can't wait to be at the place we love with the people we love.

We will update you all again as soon as we can. Please write back. It is always so great to hear from you.

Kwaheri for now.

383 families receive Miracle Maize

2009-03-08T08:01:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a week since our last blog. We had difficulty getting access to a modem that would work for our computer here. Our favorite sayings are "It's Kenya" and "It is what it is." I will just try and hit some highlights.

As of this afternoon, we have distributed seed to 383 families. That is approximately 3,830 people who will benefit. Praise God who definitely receives all the glory. One of the boys from the boy's home is now attending Purpose Driven Academy. He was so surprised to see us. He ran up to us and hugged us and began to cry. It was so great to see him again. We took all the boy's to our traditional Pinewood dinner on Friday. Their appetites continue to grow as they are certainly growing boys. Their English has improved quite a bit. They are all growing up so fast.

We went to Kipsongo to Ben and Christine's school. It is a high school started after the election battles earlier this year. The kids were all displaced and Ben and Christine were asked by the Red Cross to start the school. On faith, they did so. The students speak English! I was in my element. I LOVED encouraging those kids and could have spent all day hanging out and listening to their stories. I am absolutely going to do that next time.

We had a parent teacher conference with Lucy's teachers. In one month, her exam scores have gone up 18%. She is adjusting well and her head teacher said she is working very hard and expects continued improvement. She was very behind when she arrived. She is now in Class 6 (6th grade). Her friends at school are so loving and kind to one another. Her head teacher also said Lucy is quite an athlete. She loves football. If nothing else, we can be her agents and she can support us in our old age.

Pastor Mike arrived safely. He was a bit fatigued yet ready for the adventure. We visited the IDP camp on Mt. Elgon. It took about 2 1/2 hours to get there but well worth it. There are 480 people at this camp. 2,250 people still displaced. Some have nothing to return to because their homes were burned and others can't return because the land disputes effect where their particular homestead is. They are still waiting on the government to decide things. We met with the chief and gave some maize. Although we brought quite a bit, it still was not enough. The team was able to go visit with various people, hear their stories and pray with them. Mike met with one woman. The SLDF told her to lie on the floor and not move. He was going to kill her. She said, "If you are going to kill me, let me pray first." The man said, "You are a Christian?" She replied "Yes" and he said, "Get out of here" and she fled. There were many women who's husbands were killed and homes burned. They are now left caring for their children at the IDP camp. It was a sad, yet amazing experience. it would cost $312.00 to build a 2 bedroom home. They have no funds however to do so. Please pray with us that God would provide a way. We also would like to see what we can do about seed and training as they are starving and have no seed to plant their shambas.

Saturday there were quite a number of people who came down from the mountain for the land dedication of the Fruited Plains headquarters. It was quite the event. It was amazing to see the people we have visited so many times come down to greet us. The member of Parliament for the Tranzoia region came. He seems like a very nice man. We did not get an opportunity to really visit with him. I hope we do in the future.

We have Lucy again this weekend. Even though we are busy, I love having her around. In between the utter chaos and madness of ministry, we have shared some precious moments. Today we FINALLY got to go to Cheptonon. It is hard to get there and the rain has kept us a way in the past and it is a place where everyone from the church fled during the clashes. Most are now back. The warm welcome was unbelievable. There are now so many widows yet they all have a heart to minister to others and help others know the love of Christ. WOW!! Even pastor Mike got a little chocked up by the joy of these people. They danced and sang and rocked! I danced with the women and even tried to do the Saboat high pitch chant they do. They laughed and chanted back. It was awesome!!! They showered us with gifts and we had lunch in the pastors home. The significance of that is, his home was destroyed in the clashes. They took his iron sheets and everything inside. They just moved back a few weeks ago. Praise God!!

Unfortunately, our home is a sick ward. Michelle, Stefani and my dad all have had sore throats and colds. They stayed home today to get some rest. The only adventures on the mountain so far is one day we got stuck in a ditch. It was Pastor Mike's first day on the mountain. The back left tire was in the ditch and the front right tire was off the ground. It all worked out as usual. Today, our lorry got stuck and it took several men pushing on it and the our van got a flat tire as we were heading down the mountain. It actually gave me an opportunity to speak to some very sweet girls who actually spoke English! I enjoyed the unplanned opportunity.

Sorry for the long blog. Hopefully I will get in one more before we head for home. As usual, we are on the go from the moment we wake up until our heads hit the pillow. Love you all.

Mt. Elgon, Lucy and defiant chickens

2009-03-01T07:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a great day. We were able to sit on the front porch, drink coffee and enjoy the serenity of beautiful Kenya. We did our traditional walking of the farm with Richard. We so enjoy our special bonding time with him. My dad is doing very well. He walked the farm with us and is even gettting a bit more use to the roads of Mt. Elgon. He did not have to rip his finger nails out of the seat in front of him today. He is becoming a local Kenyan. We picked Lucy up after school yesterday and have her until Sunday. She had her first sleep over with her friend Kristen that lives right next door. Kristen is a sweety and enjoyed sleeping in the new house. She calls me "Auntie"

Today we, (Mike, my dad, Butaki, Michelle, Stefani, Lucy, and myself) went up to Chemoge church on Mt. Elgon for the Sunday service. Butaki informed us 45 minutes before we left that one of us would be the "Preacher" for the day and wanted to know who had a message prepared. As usual, Mike volunteered me. He is such a giver. I am getting use to last minute "opportunities" like this so I now travel to Kenya with various messages I have given in the past that I can pull out and ask for God's divine intervention.

After the service we distributed the miracle maize and bean seed to the congregation. They fed us lunch and presented us with a huge stalk of plantains and 4 live chickens which voiced their discontent with the bumpy ride home. As their last act of defiance they left their own "fertilization" all over the van.

My dad, Mike and I then took Lucy to town to get some school supplies. She came up next to my dad, put her arm around his waist, head on his shoulder and walked through the store with him. She loves her grandpa and he loves her. It is great to see this new relationship bloosom. I must say though, he is more protective then we are as parents. But then again, growing up, he was always quite protective.

It just rained for a few hours which is good. God is preparing the Shambas for planting. Tomorrow we will go distribute more seed at Pastor Martins church on Mt. Elgon. I am still waiting for the wild adventure. My dad keeps shaking his head and says he can do without the adventure. I must say, it is pretty cool to see him get up in front of the people and greet them. He is having such a great time and we believe this has been very good for him.

Will keep you all posted. I am going to go rescue lucy from her homework for awhile and see if she wants to play.

Love you all and thank you for your prayers.

We blog at last!

2009-02-27T10:35:00.001-08:00

Jambo Sana friends and family,

Sorry for the long delay in blogging. We arrived to Kenya safely last week. This has been our first opportunity to blog since we arrived. First we had no access to a computer and then we were without electricity for almost 3 days. It's Kenya!

My dad is loving Kenya and is already looking forward to his next trip. He experienced Nairobi traffic which is an experience one can do without! We have moved into our new home in Kibomet (a suburb of Kitale). It has been hectic to say the least. The house was full of contractors when we arrived and although it is still a work in process, it is comfortable and we are grateful.

We arrived in Kitale last Saturday evening and saw Lucy Sunday morning. She is boarded at Legacy school. They hold their own church service for the students that board. Then entire service is lead by the students and each week a guest pastor shares a message with the kids. These kids were amazing. Every time I see kids worship God, it brings tears to my eyes. Lucy is happy, growing and beautiful. She had the opportunity to meet her grandpa for the first time. She had a huge smile on her face when he hugged her and my dad cried. He was so excited to finally meet her. (I know, I come from a family of criers) She is able to walk to our house from her school. Our first day here 2 of the neighbor kids came by and introduced themselves to us as Lucy's friends and wanted to know if Lucy was home! We get to have her every weekend we are here. We are blessed as this is a special compensation. We did not even ask because we did not want to disrespect the rules of the school. She will spend the night at the house with us. We are so looking forward to having her.

We have been to Mt. Elgon 3 times since we have arrived and so far no wild adventures to report. This is the first time we have been on the mountain and there has been no rain. The army now has a permanent presence on the mountain so they are actually making real roads up there. Although we believe it has been pretty easy drives, my dad begs to differ. It is still a bit like off roading. I am missing the adventure of it all and hope there is at least one before we leave. Perhaps when Pastor Mike arrives. One has not experienced the mountain until they have been stuck or stranded in some way. it is kind of like an initiation or a right of passage. My dad was given his Sabot name today. It is Ngeywo which means wise elder. Mike and I however believe it really means old man!

The testimonies we have been hearing from the people on the mountain have been beyond what we could ever imagine. And yes, they have made me cry but not just me. Mike and Butaki were also overcome with emotion by what the people were sharing. One of the pastors told us he wished we could understand their tribal language because the translation did not do it justice. Mike and I however thought it was all very powerful. There have been numerous testimonies, all powerful. We would like to share 2 of them with you.

One woman said she was distraught because she was unable to provide food or school fees for her child. Since the project, her child has attended school the last 3 years. During the land clashes on the mountain last year, her extended family was displaced. She had 25 people living in her home and she was able to provide for all of them!!

Pastor Martin shared there was a woman who wanted to give her testimony and was waiting at her shamba (farm) for us. Unfortunately due to time, we were unable to make it. One of the recipients of the planting seeds project felt prompted by God to go and visit this particular woman who was a neighbor. When she did, she discovered the woman had NO food and her child was very sick. So the recipient gave the woman some food and took her child to the hospital for treatment and paid the bill. Several days later, the neighbor came to the recipients home and asked her where she fellowshiped and asked if she could attend church with her (she was not a Christian). The woman went to church with the recipient and accepted Christ! She will be a recipient of the planting seeds project this year and we will be distributing seed to her next week! We can't wait to meet her in person.

There was a church meeting for widows at one of the churches Fruited Plains works at. I was asked to give a message. God had put Psalm 23 on my heart- "The Lord is my shepherd..." In preparation I educated myself about the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep and that David, the author of Psalm 23 was a shepherd as a boy. Anyways, after I finished my message the women were asked to go outside and each was presented with a sheep as a gift from the church. I had no idea the women would be receiving this gift. How well it tied in with the message! Coincidence, I think not.

Tonight 2 friends from Saddleback Church arrived and will be staying with us for the next week or so. Pastor Mike (our pastor at Mission Hills) will arrive on the 4th. We will have a full house. We are sleeping very well here. Our beds our very comfortable which is a nice change and no more dirty mosquito nets hitting us in the face as we sleep!

Tomorrow we walk the farm with Richard and we pick Lucy up in the afternoon. Now that our computer is hooked up and we have electricity (pray it continues) we should be able to blog more frequently. Please pray we all remain in good health and that God would work through us as this is our greatest desire! The people here continue to go out of their way for us and do so much more for us then we could ever do for them. How blessed we are!

We love you all and look forward to hearing from you as well!

Kwaheri Kenya, Until Next Time...

2008-09-02T08:23:00.001-07:00

Hello friends and family,

We are now in Nairobi. We have had a great trip. Mike and I had the opportunity to go hiking and cave exploring on Mt. Elgon one day with Butaki. The caves are amazing and some go as far as Uganda. Some have paths that lead to under ground rivers. The only draw back were the bats!! Thousands of them--I am not exaggerating! We then went for a hike where Butaki grew up. We had a bunch of kids who saw us and trailed behind. There is just something about African children. They are soooooooooooooooo beautiful. We received a call from Stephen Mairori (who found out we were on the mountain) and asked us to to come to a peace rally in Keptama (a division of Mt. Elgon) We were wearing hiking shoes and pants. The peace rally had pastors from all over and the District Commissioner for Mt. Elgon attending. They were all dressed in coats and ties, not hiking shoes and cargo pants! As we were making our way to the van, I stepped in mud and my entire foot was covered and I some how managed to get it all over the back of my pants. We arrived at the peace rally apologizing for our appearance. Stephen reassured us it was no problem as he buttoned up Mike's shirt and told him to tuck it in his pants. Yeah right, no problem. Not much he could do about my appearance. He of course stuck us in the front row facing the audience. Here we are innapropriatley dressed and me covered in mud (I can not manage to stay clean no matter how hard I try!!) Stephen then asked us to speak to the people about peace and forgiveness. It all went well and no one seemed to mind that we were under dressed and a bit unclean. Of course, the people are so polite they probably would not say anything even if they thought it.

On our last day in Kitale, we went to say goodbye to the boys at the house and Edwin was not there. He apparently ran away. We were worried and said a quick prayer for him. After we left we went to spend some time with Lucy before we had to leave. Mike (who is becoming quite the driver in Kitale) took a different route to Sr. Freda's house where Lucy lives. We saw someone sleeping on the side of the road. It was Edwin! We believe that God lead us to him. We sat on the ground and held him while he cried. We then spent some time talking with him about what happened. He unfortunately was not taking any responsibility for his part of the situation but he was willing to go back to the house to try and work things out. He has come such a long way and we were able to help him see that living back on the streets was not an option he wanted. We felt very relieved we found him and that he was willing to stay at the house and meet with Lydia and Geoffrey to work things out.

Saying goodbye to Lucy went well for the first time ever. She did not shut down like she usually does. She gave us BIG hugs and knows we are coming back. We called her today as it was her first day at her new school. She sounded excited-- Yes, Lucy has found her personality! She likes her new school very much. We are very happy and feel such a peace about where she is attending. We pray for good teachers to encourage her.

Yesterday we met with a business man named Ken who is interested in Executive Coaching. He interviewed me by giving me a real situation to coach him on. It was a blast and went well. Mike said he watched Ken's face as "the light bulb went on". He asked to meet with us again today. We went to a place called Beacon of Hope. His wife Jane started it. It is an amazing center that started as a place to help women who are HIV Positive. There is a medical clinic, vocational training, a pre-school, counseling, and training for family members in home health care to save on costs. This center is bringing people to Christ and giving them purpose and hope. Jane and Ken are amazing Christian people who are brilliant and of high integrity. Beacon of Hope is definitely a place to visit in the future.

Our only regret on this trip is that as much as we were on the mountian, we did not realize that their are many families still displaced and living in tents on the mountain in IDP camps. Had we have known, we would have spent time with these people just to share God's love and offer encouragement in any way we could. If it were not for responsibilities we have at home, we would be on the next plane for Kitale and back on Mt. Elgon to be with these amazing people. Our hearts ache that we did not spend time with them.

By the time you read this, we will probably be in the air heading home. Over all, it was a great trip and we accomplished alot. There is more to share but will do so in person. We love you all and appreciate the prayers. We both stayed healthy on this trip!!!!! Hopefully the "elephants" are not near by!

2008-08-28T05:47:00.000-07:00

God's light continues to shine on Mt Elgon

Jambo Sana from Kenya. Yesterday was an amazing day. I did a girls conference on Mt. Elgon. I talked about issues that all teenage girls face including abstinence. Towards the end of the conference the rain began and the sound of the rain on the iron sheet roof of the church was deafening. We had to stop and wait. I had a strong sense that I was to extend an invitation to accept Christ. The problem was, no matter how loud we shouted (me and Rispa my friend and interpreter) the girls could not hear. When the rain falls on Mt. Elgon, it lasts for a very long time and does not let up. I prayed that if this was something God wanted me to do, He needed to provide a way. Suddenly the rain stopped!! I asked the girls to bow their heads and if they have never accepted Christ into their lives and if they wanted a relationship with God and to live God's way vs. the worlds way to raise their hands while their heads remained bowed. About 50-60% of the girls raised their hands. I thought they must have misunderstood so I asked again for those who have never made this decision, to keep their hands raised. Not one girl lowered their hand. I then asked if their were any girls who had not remained sexually pure but wanted to renew that commitment from today forward to remain pure until marriage to raise their hand, almost every remaining hand in the room went up! It was incredible. As soon as I finished praying for these beautiful young ladies, the rain started to pour again. God is so amazing!

We are having a wonderful time with Lucy. We have had some great conversations. The more time we spend together, the more she is talking-some English, some Swahili. We got Lucy into a new school, the one we were wanting to get her into so today we took her school shopping. She is always so grateful and only asks for the things she needs. She is a good girl!

We took the boys from the first boys home that we started along with Philip Hamer to our traditional dinner at Pinewood. The amount of food they consumed was insane. They are such great boys. Bramwel won't eat Chinese food because they eat dogs in China but he ordered a whole fried fish, plucked the eye out and ate it!! UGH!!!!!!! We had a great time with them.

We are having a great time and accomplishing a lot. Please continue to pray for us. So far, we have remained healthy but I should not call the elephants until we are up in the tree!

Don't Go Calling the Elephants Until You Are Up In The Tree

2008-08-26T02:07:00.000-07:00

We are continuing to have great experiences in Kenya. Mike and Butaki did 2 business conferences on Mt. Elgon at 2 different churches. They did a great job. They were able to explain that they will be receiving the miracle maize and that they will be trained on companion planting and how to make their own compost. They were able to realize further ways to reduce costs and increase profits. Most people did not understand how to calculate expenses to determine profits. They were so excited to hear about how the Planting Seeds Project will help them become self-sustaining. The business management side will further assist them. I had the privilege of giving the sermon at Harry's church last Sunday. It was an honor to have him interpret for me. I spoke about how no matter how impossible our circumstances are, God is bigger. I used the lives of David (David and Goliath), Daniel (den of lions) and Joseph as part of the message. Before I got up to speak, Butaki shared briefly with the congregation that God had put it on his heart to encourage them that God was doing great things on the mountain and that they must have great faith like David when he faced Goliath and Daniel in the den of lions. He had NO idea what my message was on. It was great confirmation to me that God had prepared this message for this congregation on this day! After the service the women were serving us lunch when all of a sudden the rain hit which meant we had to go! We ran out and discovered we had a flat tire!! We had a spare, but no tools! It took about an hour but the tire was changed. About 12 men physically lifted the van so the tire could be replaced. We were not sure we were going to make it down the mountain but what we did. We have a saying here, when ever someone says, "It looks like it will not rain", the response is, "Don't go calling the elephants until you are up in the tree." In Mt. Elgon, you never know when the rain will hit and when it does, you are not going anywhere. We were very careful not to call the elephants on Sunday but they came just the same. We have spent some time with Lucy. We were able to get her enrolled in a new school. It is a private Christian school. We have a peace that this is where she is suppose to be. She has been very unhappy at her current school. She is not at the bottom of the barrel as they say but she has a pretty good view! We are praying that she will receive the encouragement she needs to bring her grades up at this new school. Tomorrow I will be doing a conference on Mt. Elgon (where else) for teenage girls. As usual, I did not find out about it until last week. Please pray for me. You all know how I like to be well prepared. God is teaching me to trust in Him. I am actually excited as I love ministering to teens. Lucy will be coming along. We have also spent time at Freda's feeding program playing with the kids and assisting in serving them lunch. The kids are so cute. I love spending time with them. I know so much more has happened but I need to sign off for now. Thank you for your prayers and comments. We love you all.

It's always an adventure on Mt. Elgon!

2008-08-20T02:47:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it to Kenya. After 2 days of travel we woke up early our first morning here and headed up to Mt. Elgon with Butaki, and Philip and Dalene Hamer. We are very blessed to have the incredible talent of Philip to put a video together of the Saboat People giving their testimonies of how they have benefited from Fruited Plains. We will show this at the benefit on October 4th. It was also a blessing to spend time with Philip and Dalene in a place we love so much with people we love so much. The ride up to Mt. Elgon is always an adventure and the roads are even worse. It is more like off roading than anything else. Unfortunately, Dalene and Philip were a little under the weather which made the ride up a challenge for them. Every time we go to Mt. Elgon it is a new experience and this time was no different. First, the starter on the van came loose due to all the banging around we did. No one knew exactly how to fix it so we had to park each time we arrived at a new homestead on a down slope so we could get a rolling start and then jump start it. Thank God we were on a mountain where there were plenty of hills! We then were eating lunch in one of the churches we assist when we were hit with thunder, lightning, RAIN, and hail! Philip decided to use this as an opportunity to teach the children Spanish and Japanese. Once the rain stopped, we waited to determine if we could make it up the mountain to ICM where we planned on spending the night. We played out front with the children in the meantime. Mike and I entertained them with our "stupid human tricks" which they seemed to appreciate. We knew our talents would come in handy one day. Butaki determined that there was no way we could make it to ICM but there was a school we could walk to and stay the night there. School was out of session so we could sleep in the dormatory. A new adventure! There was no running water or electricity and of course the restrooms were nothing more than a tin shack with a hole in the ground. We sat in the staff room as day turned to night. We took out our flashlights and Mike entertained us with unrecognizable hand puppets. They put a small pot of charcoal (not what you are thinking. It is actually pieces of burnt wood) to keep us warm and they cooked some maize on top of it. Around 8:30 pm some of the women waked in with a lantern carrying pots full of food for us! Their hospitality is amazing. Cooking is not an easy process for these women and they took it upon themselves when they heard we were stranded to pull together and prepare food and bring it to us. We then headed for our sleeping quarters for the night. Mike and I had the "Pent House Suite" as you had to walk up some steps to get to our section of the dorm. The door to the dorm house had iron bars but no glass, their were window panes missing in our rooms, it was cold and we had no mosquito nets. I know we should have been miserable but Mike and I could not have been more full of peace, contentment and joy. It has to be a God thing because any where else, I would have been MISERABLE. Unfortunately, Philip and Dalene were not feeling well and this was definitely not the place to be when you are sick. We felt so bad for them. They were such troopers and despite everything, we laughed a lot and had a great time. During the night We were woken several times by a baying donkey that lead a chorus of barking dogs and other unidentifiable animals. We discovered the next morning that the donkey had been right outside our window the whole night. I know I am a vegetarian but I was tempted to have a little cooked donkey for breakfast!! We heard some amazing testimonies from the people both days on the mountain. The children who were once afraid of us were now excited by our visit. There was one exception to this however. As we crossed a farm, there was a very young girl, maybe 2 years old. She did not seem scared so I slowly approached her. Suddenly from behind me I heard another child shouting and suddenly the toddler with a stricken look on her face "ran for her life", screaming and crying. I turned around and Butaki was almost lying on the ground he was laughing so hard. Apparently, the girl saw me approach her little sister and thought she was in danger and screamed to her, "My sister is in danger. She will be gone forever." On Mt. Elgon, the people tell their children ghost stories. Guess who the ghosts are in these stories? Yep, it is us Mazungoos (white people). We made it down the mountain safely. I should also let you know (Kathleen) Philip and Dalene are both feeling much better today! We have not been able to see Lucy yet but will go get her this afternoon. I can't wait!!!! I miss her soooooooooooo much. I will blog again soon!

Heading back to Kenya

2008-08-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and family,

We are leaving for Kenya on Friday the 15th. We look forward to sharing with you all that God is doing there. Please keep us in prayer.

We are on our way home

2008-03-25T23:11:00.000-07:00

This has been our first opportunity to blog since last time. We did not have access to a computer. We headed up to Mt. Elgon on Easter morning but due to the heavy rains, we did not make it to the church we intended. Even with a 4x4 the mudd on the mountain is so slick and thick that heavy rains prevent you from going to far. We were disappointed as we were looking forward to seeing our frineds again and they began preparing for our visit the day before. We did however attend a church lower on the mountain. It was actually really great. There was a woman who gave her testimony. She had been dispaced from her home higer up on the mountain. She had lost everything and yet here she was in a small church made of mudd and dung in the pouring rain, giving God thanks. These people never cease to amaze me. I learn so much from them.

We are now at the Nairobi airport getting ready to leave. This has been a strange trip in that we did mostly administrative work and less ministry. It was extremely productive but I missed spending time with my friends on the mountian. It was hard to say good-bye to lucy. She did her usual shut down mode the day we left. We had a real good time with her however.

Our plane should be boarding so we will see you all on the other side of the pond!

A Sea of Tents

2008-03-21T23:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a great day! After spending the majority of our time in meetings, it was great being out with the people doing ministry and having the opportunity to fellowship with them. We visited two Refugee Camps. The first was at the Show Grounds in Kitale and the second was at Endebess. Lucy was nervous to go to Endebess as this is where we found her. There are a lot of bad memories for her there. She stayed close to my side. There are 5,500 refugees at the Show Grounds and 8,000 at Endebess. It was a sea of tents at both camps. The small tarp covered shelters have now been replaced with large tents that can house a family. There was one family of seven that did not have a tent and was living in a 5x20 shelter on the camp. You have no idea just how small that is! This family was from Mt. Elgon. They fled their home and have no idea what will be left when they return. They had a 15 year old daughter named Sylvia that was so bright and had such a good heart. I could have spent all day talking to her. I sense God has great things in store for her. At these camps, you see people with what ever they were able to grab before they fled. Some were able to leave with their cows which would at least supply them with milk for their family. I spent most of my day with the children. All it took was squatting to their level, smiling, and extending my hand. Before I knew it, I was the Pied Piper with many children in tow. When my hands and arms were covered with the hands of my little friends, they began holding on to my legs as we walked through the camp. These children who had lost their homes and in some cases; families, amazed me. It was remarkable how a smile and loving touch could brighten their faces. There was one girl who was about ten that kept a bit of a distance yet every time I turned around, there she was. After extending my hand and giving her the traditional greeting, “Jambo Sana. Habari Yako?” (Hello! How are you today?) I gently touched the side of her face and told her she was beautiful. The smile that brightened her face will forever be embedded in my mind. Mike stayed at the house to get some rest. He jokingly said before I left, “You’re not going to bring back another child are you?” There was one small boy who was about 2 years old whose parents were killed during the violence. If it were not for an extended family that had taken him in, Lucy may have had a brother! Sr. Freda conducted a medical clinic at the first refugee camp. It was run so efficiently. I assisted in dispensing de-worming medication to all the children. Children in America hate taking medication yet these small ones lined up and could not wait to receive the treatment that would provide some relief. Most of the refugees at both camps were from Mt. Elgon. I was really surprised to learn this. It breaks my heart that these people are displaced. The Saboat people have been struggling for so long. It is the rainy season and they are anxious to get back to their shambas (farms) to plant so they will have food for the year. According to the Member of Parliament that was speaking at Endebess, the government will need to assist them with seed and fertilizer. Even if their homes were burned, it would be better to live in a tent on their own land then to be in the camp. I pray that God, through Fruited Plains, will reach every village on Mt. Elgon with “Miracle Maize” and fertilizer. How great it will be to reunite one day with the new friends I met in the camps back on the mountain as we rejoice together over God’s provision. The thought of this brings tears to my eyes! Please continue to pray for the spiritual and physical needs of these amazing people.

Green Acres here we come!

2008-03-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

Another productive day in Kitale. This trip has been filled mostly with administrative meetings. Butaki’s vision makes me nervous. He can see things much further down the road then I can. Today we planted some avocado trees, orange tree, macadamia nut tree and grapefruit tree on our property. We are turning into quite the little farmers. “Green Acres here we come!!” I am literally a “red neck” as it is sunburned. I am even looking at egg shells, table scraps and corn stalks differently. I see them as a means to make compost (fertilizer) instead of trash or items to be burned. What in the world is happening to me?? ICM is going to start saving all of these things for us so we can make compost from them. They have a large kitchen where they cook meals for all the pastors at the school so there should be plenty available. What is one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!
The rainy season has begun! Our land is planted and God has now sent the rain to begin the growing process.
Please pray for Mike as we think he might have strep throat. This is the exact same thing that happened when he was here in February. We gave him a stronger antibiotic and he is taking Pretesone (a steroid) Freda is making a house call tomorrow morning. God bless Freda. What would we do without her?
Tomorrow we are going to travel with Steve Rutenbar, Don Thompson and Freda to various refugee camps. We will pick Lucy up in the morning from school and have her until Monday!!! That is all for now. We love you all.

We are officially farmers- yee haw!

2008-03-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

Hi friends and family. We are now officially farmers!! We planted about 10 rows of “miracle maize and beans.” We had 22 people show up to plant. It was amazing!! I am turning into a complete dork. I can’t believe how excited I was to work on a shamba (farm). I Was so excited that the workers were laughing and joking with us which made it all the more fun. 5 acres is a lot!! Mike, Butaki and I prayed over the land. I Believe God is going to do things beyond what we can imagine. It is falling in place bit by bit. We continue to have a lot of meetings. All of which have been fruitful! It is way too much to blog but please continue to pray that we are obedient to what ever God calls us to.
Mike went to see Freda today and she took good care of him. He definitely has the flu but this evening he is starting to feel better. We went to try and spring Lucy from school Friday so we can spend a long weekend with her. Mike stayed in the van. As I walked towards the office 3 dogs came charging at me growling and barking. I turned around and ran for my life!! A worker at the school ran out of the building and stopped the dogs before they reached me. My legs were jelly. I was thinking, “Great, my friends are afraid I am going to be shot are attacked with a machete while in Kenya, and I end up being killed by 3 guard dogs!”
Tonight we took the boys to Pinewood for dinner (a tradition) It was so much fun. Mike and I recently watched Glue Boys before we left for Kenya and had a reminder of just how far these boys have come . To see where those boys were and where they are at now is just amazing. You would never believe these boys once lived on the streets. They are smart, happy and so loving. We are having a great time with friends and family here in Kenya.
We love you all and appreciate your prayers and blogs.

We are in Kitale

2008-03-18T11:52:00.001-07:00

H I everyone,
This is our first opportunity to blog. We are safe. Mike has the flu so please pray for him. A few highlights: We saw Lucy and she is beautiful and happy! She has been having some severe neck pain and of course I jumped to the conclusion that she has meningitis. She does not have meningitis but does have Typhoid. She is on some good drugs and getting better. We are looking at having her attend a new school next year. We had a 2 hour meeting with one of the originators of this quality Christian school. We were very impressed. We have had several productive meetings. We are truly living the verse Hebrews 3:20 “Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than you would ever dare ask or imagine.” Fruited Plains is getting ready to get big quick! Only God will be able to accomplish the vision He has given us. Please pray that we follow His lead in all things and not mess up His plan! There is a curfew here in Kitale. We have to be in by 7:00 every night. As most of you know, we have many evening business/fellowship meetings that don’t even start until this time. Although this curfew is a pain it is also a blessing as it forces us to get the rest we don’t usually get. The curfew is going on because the situation is bad. The military is all over the mountain shooting and bombing trying to find the SLDF. There are some radicals who have decided they want all their original land back which has caused many problems. Many innocent people are being killed. The military believes the SLDF is trying to hide out in Kitale which is why the curfew is in effect. We can’t imagine not going to Mt. Elgon!! This past year and half, although there has been danger, we have always been able to go as long as we had security. This time, security may not be enough. We are praying that we will get word that we can go. You all know how we love these people but we will not be stupid, we will not put our lives in danger so please don’t worry (mom, dad and Linda). It is hard though to come all this way and not be with our friends. Tomorrow Mike and I are actually going to plant our 5 acres (Well, at least a couple of rows) How crazy is that? Two city slickers! There is so much to share and so much to do. We love you all. Please continue to pray for us. We would love to hear from you.

Leaving for Kenya on March 13th

2008-03-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

Hi friends and family,

We leave for Kenya Thursday. We will try and give daily updates but will not be able to until around the 17th when we arrive in Kitale. We have a ton to do and very little time as we are only gone 2 weeks. We would love to hear from you as well. Until then, Kwaheri! (good bye)