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The FriendShip...

We would like to introduce four wonderful Christian leaders in Nakuru who are coming together to see the message of the Kingdom of Heaven proliferated throughout Kenya. They are just a few of the men who are offering their lives to fight corruption and immorality in religion. They hope to begin this fight through the mutual accountability and training found in a new ministry called...  ‘The Friendship’.

We asked the men and women of who have consistently attended the ‘The Friendship’ meetings to describe how it has helped them. Their replies were very encouraging. We are also proud to say that these exceptional men and women are also our friends. Below are a couple of examples of how they responded.

There are those who would call these people dreamers because they believe two or more gathered together in Christ name can make any significant difference in a large and very religious city; and perhaps they are right. Yet what higher dream can one have than desiring to glorify Christ through the sacrifice of their lives. We shall see what Christ will do with their offerings.

Let me begin by introducing to you two pastors who I believe will be the men who will soon lead this newly formed ministry called ‘The Friendship’. Both these men are becoming some of our best friends in Nakuru.

The first is James K Nyaga. James is a veteran pastor who has done much apostolic work among the Massi people in Samburu. He now lives in Nakuru and is the father of two wonderful children. He has been blessed with one of the most devoted wives I have ever met. His ministry here in Nakuru consists of serving as a full time shepherd and running a school with of 85 students in the midst of the slums.

 James and his wife labor in this school tirelessly providing the love and care these children need, who otherwise would grow up without an education. I will have a lot more to say about the faith of this man and his wife. Above are some of their school children.

Here is what James related concerning ‘The Friendship”…

“May I take this opportunity to thank God for opening this great door to know the men and women from Rose Creek and even having fellowship with them.

The things I have learned from your meetings have not only helped me in the ministry, but first (in) my personal life and my relationship with God. I have learned to allow God to deal with body, soul and Spirit. The meetings are not like other meetings…. everybody participates and love of Christ is experienced.

I love the way you share with us the deep secrets of the word of God. Your teachings are not (so much just) theologically rooted but life changing truths which go deeper than body, soul, (all the way) down to our Spirits. I’m teaching these truths to our church and I can see the impact of the teachings. People are open for true and sincere fellowship and love from one another.

I am committed to continue with these meetings and I want more from your experience as God has given you. You are more than teachers to me but, my spiritual fathers. I want to tap more from you. I am willing and ready to continue with the meetings”.

Yours in Christ,   James Nyaga

The next brother we want you to meet is Thomas Okumu. Thomas is the owner of a chicken business located in the center of Nakuru. Thomas is also a wonderful spirit filled man. He not only runs a good business but pastors a growing church. He works in connection with other men he is raising up to co-shepherd with him. Watching them work together is awesome.

Here is what Thomas says about ‘The Friendship’….

First of all I would like to thank God who have connected us with the men of God: Brother Noah and Brother Douglas

These meetings have blessed me so much. The first thing I was taught was that the spirit and the soul are two different things and operate differently. I (also) came to realize that if we cannot work together as brothers, then we will not make it. So these men have worked hard to see all pastors have come together. Ps 133-1:3

I would urge my brothers go on (continue the meetings) so that God may continue to bless us spiritually so that we may go on as well. The word of God is new day by day. If we continue meeting we will have to heat (receive the) new things that God is doing in our life and also get the word of encouragement in (for) our life.

These are two of the people our Father is touching and bringing together on board the 'FriendShip'. May God help us to continue in this ministry. None of these men and women would have been so affected without the support and prayers from people back home.

So from the entire crew of the 'The FriendShip' and those of us serving them … thank you!

Next post… What would you do if 160 employees of Wal-Mart asked you to come and teach them every Saturday morning the gospel of the Kingdom of God?

Transitions and Moving on...

Certain revelations concerning our work with Amazing Life fellowship and its leadership have compelled us to move on to other areas of ministry that our Father has opened up for us here in Kenya. These issues have become so problematic that we believe space and time are now needed to allow the 'emotional dust' to settle and see clearly the facts. We will leave this situation and all concerned in God's capable hands. Should a more detailed explanation be needed, information on a need to know basis can be obtained by emailing a request to Doug Chamley.

Moving on… Since moving to our bigger house many doors have opened to begin teaching and demonstrating the life of God that He revealed to us in Rose Creek Village. 

 We are currently living with a wonderful Kenyan family of seven that God placed in our lives about three years ago. Every year we came to Kenya our hearts would go out to this ultra poor family living in the slums of Nakuru. Two years ago we almost lost their youngest (Todo) to sickness. Had God not led us to visit them when we did she would have surely died.  We love them so much. So let me start by introducing all of them to you.

At the head of this wonderful family is a very hard working man named Patrick. When we met his wife Christine four years ago I noticed that she and her children were always at church alone.  One day I asked her if she had a husband and if so where he was. She politely smiled and said; “My husband and I have five children and he works seven days a week over eight hours a day so we can eat.” He only makes three to four hundred shillings a day. That’s about four American dollars. I told her I wanted to meet this man. The next week I met Patrick and our relationship has really grown over the last three years. We fell in love with their family and consider them part of ours.

Next is Mama Christine. Christine is a devoted Christian mother with a heart for people. She and Patrick have raised five children whose hearts and lives are a testimony to what can be accomplished by parents who live in abject poverty, follow God and don’t feel sorry for themselves. Christine is also a brave woman. During the atrocities of the post election violence back in 2007, Christine went out in the thick of the killing (which centered in her neighborhood) and took care of the injured and dying. Her stories earned her the name ‘warrior queen’ we gave her after listening to her stories. Christine is helping us help people back in her old neighborhood.

Then there is Flora. Flora is a bright, seventeen year old young lady with an incredible smile. Like any teenager she has dreams of making something of her life. Yet living where she lived in Lakeview there was never any time or even a place to do homework. 

She and her siblings slept on a mattress in the living room and cooked meals in her parent’s bed room. There was no indoor plumbing in their ‘house’, no bathrooms or available drinking water. Taking care of her brothers and sisters became a full time job leaving no time for studies. Both parents spent most of their time trying to pay the bills and providing the kids one meal a day. Had it not been for the LEARN  (Letting Educational  Adoption Reshape Nakuru) program she would not have even been able to attend school. Today Flora has hope.

Next in line is Diana. Diana is a shy, intelligent young fifteen year old. Like Flora most of Diana’s time was spent watching and taking care of her younger siblings. Living where they lived in Lakeview was to be constantly exposed to the danger of rape and or serious diseases. Like Flora her life in Lakeview was constantly in jeopardy. She too has been enabled to go to school through the LEARN program. Like her older sister, Diana now has hope for the future.

Then there are the three youngest. Lynn, Lewis, (the only boy) and last but not least is Todo. Amma and I have had a special place in our hearts for these little guys for over three years. This year LEARN has added it’s assistance for their education.

Our two families are learning a new symbiotic way of living together. They are helping us take care of our little compound and we are helping them with resources. I can tell you that we are experiencing the promised blessings of what the bible teaches concerning those who live together in Christ. Together we want to show all who come to our house for teaching, counsel and fellowship that this blessing is for all who share their life together in Christ. It is as He said….

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing— Life forevermore.  (Psa 133:1-3)

It’s been a rough couple of months and we have been feeling kind of low, but I think that we are coming up again … perhaps that’s why those who sing (live) this song and experience it's reality call it …. A Song of Ascents!

Next week…. ‘The Word’ is getting out.           

 P. S.   If any of this touches your heart please consider helping us carry the financial burden of this work. Patrick and Christine’s family is just one of several ways we are laboring to demonstrate the reality of the Kingdom of God here in Kenya. Our work with home bible studies and teaching pastors in other local churches is growing stronger. Yet we cannot do this without the help of our brothers and sisters. The spiritual battles here can be really tough. It so helps to know that God’s family is standing with us. 

Much Grace,  David Noah and Team

May 20 2012

                     For His Pleasure and His Glory

Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified," says the LORD. (Haggai 1:8)

Well dear family of God; we have commenced to build a house for the house of God to meet in and we’re hoping He will take pleasure in it and be glorified in the process. We know that our Father is only pleased by faith and glorified by sharing His love. So we want every piece of wood to be infused with faith and love from the hands and hearts of His saints.

We have completely outgrown our old tent and it’s extension.  There were people standing for a couple of hours in our Sunday gathering last week. 


This Sunday's  Gathering, men's, women's and business meetings lasted almost six straight hours. People are still coming in from the street and standing in the back. So by His grace we are going to undertake the construction of a bigger place to meet. This meeting house will be built through the efforts of men and women who love God and His people. We don't want anything fancy, just something to keep the rain and sun off our heads.

I remember many years ago when we were considering building a meeting place in Rose Creek Village. We lacked the resources to even start such a project. As we wondered what to do, a brother spoke up and said… “Let’s at least dig the holes for the uprights. Then, having done all we can with what we have, we can cry out to God and ask Him to provide the wood we need.”

So we did … and He did.  Our prayers went up and so did our meeting place. That is exactly how we intend to construct this meeting house in Nakuru, Kenya. 

So we dug the holes and now God is providing our wood. We fully expect that He will provide everything we need to raise up this meeting place. 


Our Father has already sent someone to oversee the construction of our building and plenty of strong, young men to build it.


Our building overseer is an older gentleman by the name of Mr. Mwaniki. That's him holding the plumb bob on the right. We met him last year and had the opportunity to share the good news of the Kingdom of God with him. Our Father opened his heart and Mr. Mwaniki's response was to commit his life to Christ and become part of our family at ‘Amazing Life Fellowship’.

He’s a farmer, mason and builder and a very sweet brother. This dear man made the stage at the front of our tent of meeting with just a trowel, sweat and his masonry skills. It took him two weeks of working part time before he finished the stage last Sunday morning as we began our worship.

After the gathering that Sunday the men met and agreed that any man who could show up on Wednesday morning, should do so bright and early ready for a full day’s work… and many of them did.

First we dug the holes literally by hand. Tools used: Sweat, hands and a crow bar. Having dug the holes we then asked the church to pray. The next week people’s hearts were opened up and we got our poles. 


That's Patrick working on a hole. He's Christine's husband and one of my good friends. He's a hard working man and Amma and I love his family like our own. 

When we arrived the following Wednesday morning Mr. Mwaniki instructed us to strip the bark off of the all twenty-two twenty foot long eucalyptus poles. Tools used: Sweat, knives, hammers and machetes. This was a lot of work.

Then came cutting the poles to an approximate size. Notice there are no power tools of any kind being used. There were lots and lots of cuts. Tools used: Sweat and small handsaws. This too, was a lot of work.


Next, we took used motor oil and saturated the bottom of the poles to protect them from the mdudu  (Swahili for insects). Tools used: Sweat, rags and old motor oil.

After saturating the bottoms of the poles with the motor oil we stuck them in the holes. Then we used a string and a plumb bob to attain the proper height and alignment. Next we took small rocks and dirt and firmly packed the poles in. Tools used: Sweat, string, plumb bob, rocks and dirt.

Well, the next part of our construction is to pray for more wood to build the walls. We know God will give us what we need we just don’t know exactly when. Till then; soggy, sunburned or standing we will continue to send our prayers up the mountain to get more wood.


If God should open your heart to help us and you can’t donate any sweat, just keep praying … and should God enable you, feel free to donate some money. 


Your sent ones.

  

May 2012 Greetings

Dear Family and Friends;

This is the first minute I have had to write. Amma has turned out three blogs and this is my first. We have been delightfully busy. 

Well as some of you know, we solved the “Where’s George, Oh no, we're stuck at home” dilemma. We bought a car. It’s just a small clunker but it runs good and now we have our wings. It’s a 14 year old little African Toyota Camry (the Toyota’s are different here). It’s kind of rough but runs great. It has all the basic things (good engine, tires, brakes, windshield wipers) and they actually work ... well sort of.

We bought it from some missionary’s friends we know in Nakuru. George has maintained this particular car for about 3 years so he knows everything about it. We took it to the shop to fix some odds and ends (windows, defroster, gas access, door locks, horn, etc. etc.) and they kept it all day.

During the course of that day they took out all the seats to fix the gas door release cable, tore the dash apart and fixed the horn, defroster, radio, window switch, and locks. Most things they fix doesn’t involve buying new parts they just 'repair them'.  ‘MacGyver’ could learn a few things from these guys. There had to be 4 different men working on the car throughout the day and it cost a whopping… ten dollars. Unbelievable.

We are now able to visit families in the church and other missionaries as well. Kind of bit into our financial reserves for the next 6 months but we got a smoking deal (for Kenya) on the car and we are very sure our Father wanted us to get it. So we’ll leave the future to Him.

George really is doing so much better since the kidnapping and robbery incident. His heart is softer. That and the fact of that more brothers are ‘stepping up to the plate’ in the church. He is much more open, humble and desiring to learn.

Nelly is opening up to us more than ever and has been coming in our room to talk more often. She has started a little money transfer business in her hair salon and it seems to be doing well. Her whole hair salon is only eight by eight feet with the new business. Nelly is awesome.

The women have really grown spiritually as well. They too have become softer and eager to learn. There is a freedom growing here that is refreshing. Even the young women are beginning to volunteer to take responsibility in the church.

There is twice the amount of young men in the church than before we left. Simon is becoming a spiritual man. He is also becoming a real spiritual leader with the young people, even if he does it by stealth. He is making good choices and has turned down a remarkable opportunity to professionally dance so he could remain with God and continue in the church.

May God raise up many such young people. We would like to have a passage for him but it may be a little early for the men to fully understand what would be happening.

Amma, Nikki and I are doing well. We have not fully caught our breath yet but are recovering gradually. With the exception of Amma accidentally frying her sewing machine with a 220 electrical outlet and Nikki’s sunburn (see Amma's Blog ) things are going pretty smooth.

Nikki is constantly surrounded with a new set of brothers/admirers. I have never seen anyone, including us, integrate here so fast. I think it helped that she was raised around all those brothers.

We met a man today that really impressed us. His name is Amoshe Thomas and he is 36 years old. Thomas has a wife and young son named … “wonderful”. Some of the kids call him papa wonderful. He is a marvelously talented singer. He has a CD out that I really love. He has been a pastor and been offered many financially secure jobs in big churches but he chose rather to be a blessing in God’s Kingdom.

He told us he has been looking  10 years for men who desire to see a scriptural version of the church. We spent a few hours with him at Kokeb (our favorite restaurant) a couple of days ago and he poured his heart out about his search for true biblical fellowship. When he went home after our meeting he told his wife about our conversation and she cried for joy.

This Sunday he came and helped lead our worship. I have rarely seen or heard anyone worship God like Thomas. His entire being was before God… it was really inspiring. 


People were coming in off the street to hear him. At the end of our gathering he stood and said this would now be his church family. Our only major difference is our choice of Sunday shoes. 

He really has a heart for God and God’s people. We’re going over to eat at his house next week. He also said no white man has ever entered his house. Pray for them and us to come together.

The Gathering was so full there was no room in the tent. We have got to do something about the lack of room. This Sunday some people were standing in the sun.

We had a wonderful Kingdom Hikers (young people) meeting despite many that were away at school. The young people desire to be taught about the corporate life of Christ. They very much want to be good disciples.

We feel doors beginning to open. Today we talked about leasing some farm land and growing something to sell. Several missionaries here are doing this and turning a profit.I believe it could be profitable, but for now we are just gathering information. We would wait for the input of our new RCV Mission Committee and much advice from local farmers and businessmen.

Nakuru is growing very fast. There is so much potential. May God direct our paths.

Oh, one more thing. Don't forget to pray for our friend Pastor Daniel in India. The government in the state of Kerala, where Daniel lives and ministers, has outlawed all home churches. That makes hundreds of Saints with no where to meet.


Things are heating up everywhere all over the world and we need to support our friends with prayer. Pray for our friends in India.

Well that’s all for now but there seems to be a lot of reasons for … shouting African Praises. Leave a comment, even if its a few words it’s very encouraging to know people are staying with us.


Much love ... Your sent ones.

Part 2 … Why we stay.

I remember us flying into the Nairobi International Airport and me feeling something close to terror as I looked over the sea of strange faces and not being able to understand anything that anyone was speaking. I could not believe we were in Africa. That was the first time I wondered… what are we doing? There would be plenty of other times I thought that as well.

Fortunately we had prearranged to be picked up by a fellow American. He was visiting Kenya at the time and had agreed to meet us in the Nairobi International Airport and drive us to his house in Nakuru. After retrieving our luggage he led us to his car and introduced us to his Kenyan driver in whom two days later would take us to Kisumu. The tall lanky young Kenyan was called George Agai Olendo.  It didn’t take long for us to start loving him.

During the next week Agai didn’t speak much, but during the long journey to Kisumu he would listen intently as we spoke to our American friend about the amazing life we were living together in Tennessee.

After we arrived in Kisumu and had visited the pastor in Kisumu we became unsure about our involvement with him. Something didn’t seem right and later we would providentially find out that he was not who he claimed to be.

We then asked God … why did we come to Kenya?  Why did we spend all that money? It would be months before we fully comprehended that though we had made our plans… the Lord was directing our steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

After our short visit we decided to stay the night in a hotel in Kisumu and get a fresh start in the morning for the drive back to Nakuru.  Before retiring Agai our driver came to us and asked …. “Can the life you’ve been living in Rose Creek Village be lived here in Kenya?” Shammah spent hours telling him …. “Yes, but only if you’re willing to give up everything for the Kingdom of God.”  We talked about the present state of Christianity and the differences that could be easily seen in the biblical precedent. He said he knew that was true.

Because of the work the Lord had been doing in Agai’s heart he understood what we said. Was Agai the open door? After a few more days Agai drove us to Nairobi and having said our good-byes we flew back to the states. Yet George Agai Olendo never left our hearts and our message … never left his.

After some deep soul searching several months later, Agai started talking to his friends and neighbors about the life he had heard us talk about. They became excited and began to gather together to inquire if they could experience God’s corporate life. Soon Agai called us and said… “I have thirty five people gathered here and all of them are asking how to live the life you talked about …. “What do I do?” A month later and the number had grown to sixty.

And so it began.

Several tumultuous years later there are now 80 or so people in Nakuru who are seeking to grow in the corporate life of Jesus Christ and demonstrate the Kingdom of God in their city.  There are 20 or so teenagers seeking to dedicate their lives to revealing the Kingdom of Christ to their generation. There are 25 pastors currently we meet with who are seeking to know why the Christianity they have been involved with for so many years bears little or no resemblance to biblical Christianity.  That doesn’t sound too impressive but to us it means the door has swung wide open.

Why is all this happening?  The scripture says that God is always looking for someone whose heart completely belongs to Him. When God finds such a man or woman he begins moving  all His resources to strongly support them. (2Chron. 16:9) We believe we have been sent by our heavenly Father to bring 'Life Support' to George Agai Olendo. 

 Inside this young man’s heart was a consuming desire that overrode and ruined everything else in his life. It is what allowed him to hear us. It was the same desire that overrode everything in King David’s life as well. That one consuming desire was to be with God… in His house.

One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.             (Psalm 27:4)

As to the importance of that house being established in the lives of every disciple T. Austin Sparks can testify:

“Before the real meaning of the fulness of life can be known and entered into, or manifested and expressed, it is necessary for the House of God to be in clear view. The Holy Spirit has to do first of all with the House of God. That is what He has come for. That is the Spirit's object in this dispensation. Be careful not to be swung away from the object of this dispensation! There are all sorts of other interesting and fascinating things, about the future and other matters, which are not the present object of the Holy Spirit, and people are caught with the fascination of these side-lines and side-shows. They become occupied with them and are led right off the track of the Spirit's specific movement in this dispensation. Let it be understood that it is the Church, the House of God, which is the Spirit's object, and that we shall not come into the value and benefits of the full tide of the Spirit, unless we are in line with the Spirit's object, the House of God.”     T. Austin Sparks

That house is now being formed in a few of the disciples of Nakuru. They are learning to dwell in each other’s hearts and to bathe in the wisdom that comes from doing so. This blog is for the purpose of sharing with all our readers the joy of the continuing construction as it happens… in Africa …in that House. This is why the blog is called 'African Praises'.

Please pray for us as we travel to Kenya. Pray for the spiritual power and resources  to accomplish all we see that God wants us to do. Pray for us and everyone everywhere who is involved in the work of spreading the message of God’s incredible love.

Part 1 Here we go...and why.

In less than a week me, my wife and a young teenage friend will be flying halfway around the world to Africa.  When we arrive everything in our lives will change…. Again. We will be eating Ugali (something akin to dry grits with the consistency of the rice in sushi), goat meat and fried rice. We will be living with our Kenyan family in an apartment next to the poorest, major crime filled area in Kenya’s fourth largest city, Nakuru.  

Our time in Kenya has already been a little frightening. In just over a year we have  experienced a major city riot in which people we know were shot and killed, a friend was killed by a hit and run driver, and one of the people we live with was kidnapped, beat up and robbed. These are just some of  the struggles we have encountered in Nakuru. 

A few days ago it dawned on me that we are working in the inner city. Somehow, I never realized that we were working in the ‘inner city’.  We are not used to so much physical violence happening around us. It's a major change from our life in the Village. (click Village to see what I mean)

Some people might wonder why the Lord would lead us to work in such a drastically different environment as the east African country of Kenya down in the inner city of Nakuru. I know I have. Nakuru is so very far away, so terribly expensive to get to and has such a vastly different culture/lifestyle than anything we have been accustomed to.

Beginning a work  there has involved years of short trips  just to understand the culture and now this very far away work is requiring us to learn to speak the native language of Swahili and possibly… even move there.  

Our staying in Kenya for six months has prompted us to wonder ….  ‘Why are we doing this, isn't there something closer we can do?’ Why are we traveling half way around the world to serve?

While packing our suitcases I felt our Father gently remind me why this is happening in Africa. The answer is simple but not obvious. It's not because there aren’t plenty of needy people close by. There is. It’s not about us being burdened to work in the inner city. We weren’t. It's not the place we felt we were ‘called to’. It wasn’t. It wasn’t even the ‘ministry’ of our choice. It still isn’t. Yet we know He placed us there. 

So why the inner city of Nakuru, Kenya?  Well; to be honest it’s all Agai’s fault. Let me explain.

When we think of ministering somewhere, we don’t think of potential numbers or even the needs of the masses. For us it’s all about individuals. Specifically those individuals in whom God is drawing to Himself. Those who spiritually speaking are; ‘Crying and asking the way to Zion.’ (Jer. 50: 4, 5) We also know that our Father's eyes roam the earth to find those whose heart belongs to Him. (2 Chron. 16:9) 
We think He found another one.

 We were sent to Nakuru’s inner city slums because of meeting a wonderful young man who loves God named George Agai Olendo. We are currently in Nakuru because of what we discovered inside of Agai’s heart. Our calling to Africa began there. It was through Agai’s heart that we have bonded with Kenya and her people.  Let me attempt an explanation of how this happened and who this man Agai really is.

I remember various times celebrating at a RCV Ingathering (one of our annual week long spiritual celebrations) or being at a Passage (celebrating the transition of a RCV youth to adulthood) or even during our Sunday worship. There we would either sing or state how we would go anywhere in the world to find and help those looking for the Kingdom of God.  We had no idea of what that meant; but to the best of our knowledge we really meant it. The most interesting thing is that the Lord God heard us.

We had already been across the United States and traveled as far away as England, Scotland, Burma and India looking for anyone who would be interested in moving in the corporate life that Christ had given us.  Yet not finding an open door in any of those countries we decided to help the other indigenous ministries in their work with Indian and Burmese orphans. We are to date… still helping them.  But … we continued to look for that open door and one day… we found it in Nakuru, Kenya.

Some of you know the Story of how we met Agai. Our journey began with a pastor in Kisumu, Kenya looking at the RCV website and by email asking us if we would come to Kenya and share our life with the people in his church. We wondered… is it possible our Father actually wants us to travel so far to find an open door? With much fear and trepidation we joyfully said we'll come. (To be continued in a few days!)

Last Post + 1

Ok, ok; I know my last post on this blog said it would be the last one in 2011 …. Sorry… the trip home and our arrival was just too good not to share with everyone. We are home now; and to see the smiling faces of family and friends can be likened to …well … to a little bit of what it must feel like to go to heaven. But let me back up a little.

Leaving our family in Kenya is always tough. Our home and family in Kenya is almost identical to our home and family in the U.S.A. Both contain precious people filled with the desire to serve God and love one another. They are separated by being located half way around the world from each other, yet, they are joined together at the heart.

Leaving one and coming to the other is a painful joy no matter which one you leave.

We wanted to take George and family ‘up-country’* to our Village; but they wouldn’t fit in our suitcases. 

(*the term ‘up-country’ in Kenya means the village in which you were born in.)

(Sigh…) Hopefully he will be able to come to the next Ingathering.

The drive from Nakuru was beautiful and passing the small mountain called “Sleeping Massai” always reminds us that we have begun the long journey home. The trip usually last at least 26 hours and during that time we get little or no sleep.

When, as was this trip, our departure time ends up being 3 am in the morning we have to arrange for George to spend the night in Nairobi as he doesn’t do well driving back to Nakuru in the night. Last time he drove back at night he hit a zebra! So we get him a hotel room to spend the night in and we crash there until 3 or 4 hours before we have to be dropped off at the airport.

Among the things we do when we get to Nairobi is to visit our favorite little gift store called “Zanzibar”. It’s run by this neat little old man who is the third generation proprietor of this gift shop.  It opened in 1936 by selling things made from Rhino horns and continues to the present day by selling curios from all over Africa. He has become a friend of ours and has the best prices in Nairobi for almost anything to take back to the grandchildren.

This time the store owner wanted to show us everything in His two story store. Here are some pictures of some of his favorite items.

This is one of my favorite carvings. It is made from the ebony tree and carved from one piece of wood. If it wasn’t so expensive to send back to the States I would buy it for 200 dollars and sell it for 2000 dollars back in the States.

After finishing our shopping we ate a lunch/dinner and walked back to the hotel room. Our flight to Istanbul, Turkey would not be leaving till 3 am in the morning. The flight is almost seven hours long and fortunately we had some extra seat room due to the flight not being full so we grabbed some ‘cat-naps’ till breakfast was served. As we ate breakfast we flew over the beautiful Black Sea. It was beautiful coming into Istanbul from the sea.

Arriving at the Istanbul International Airport we hit the ground running  because we only had less than an hour to make it through a gauntlet of security checks (there were at least 5 or 6) to get to our gate. If you had been watching us and all those people run about while trying to get to their gate (corral?) on time it would look surprising a lot like a cattle drive.

We and the rest of the cows were mooing and asking about the location of our gate of departure and everyone we asked, politely gave us the wrong directions. All the while the electronic signs said that our flight was giving its last call before taking off.It truly seemed like this would be a great time to panic!

Yet thanks to the prayers of the saints on both sides of the world we made the flight on time. Bwana asifiwe! (Praise the Lord).

The flight from Istanbul to Chicago O’Hare was almost 12 hours and again, as before, soon as we arrived we had another gauntlet to run. At your “point of entry” you must reprieve your baggage and try to get through both passports checks and customs before your next flight leaves. So there we were; watching with anticipation everyone else’s baggage go round and round on the conveyor.

 Finally everyone else’s baggage showed up with the painful exception of my two, so we continued to wait and watch. I highly suspect that some of the baggage handlers were peeking around the corner and watching me squirm. Finally when they saw I was sufficiently anxious, they allowed my two suitcases to be put on the conveyor. Was that laughing I heard?

Then it’s a quick sprint through the airport to the customs section and a brief cross country race to the trains that will take you and the rest of the herd to their final security check. If completed on time you and your appointed herd will qualify for the final leg of our journey and to the “promise land” of Tennessee.

Flying from Chicago to Memphis we passed some of the most beautiful cloud formations I’ve ever seen. But just as we descended to the Memphis airport, as if our wonderful Father was making a statement, we saw the most beautiful rainbow ever. It was as if He was putting His final blessing on the most fruitful and wonderful trip to Kenya yet.

We were met by family and friends to be whisked away to one of the most wonderful places on earth; our neighborhood.  Thanks again for all who prayed us safely back.

As I previously stated …. It’s really good to be home.