Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Final chapter

Blog 812
The final Chapter 
We left Silas's at 3 o'clock in the afternoon Monday  which would've been about 6 o'clock in the morning Montana time.  We didn't get home until nearly 3 o'clock on Wednesday morning because of flight delays in Minnesota. Most of the next three days I did little else but sleep. Ann unpacked all the suitcases and did laundry and straightened the house. During short periods of being awake I did pay some bills and sorted through the pictures trying to get a slideshow together for our friends.  We also did make couple of visits to friends and family to share some of our pictures and our experiences. All this week we've been trying to put our trip into perspective. Here are some of my conclusions.
Silas's vision of training young men and women in the proper handling of the Scriptures seems to be a very vital need.
I want to generate prayer support for Silas's family and for each one of these students and the Bible school.
Our greatest successes on the trip were the relationships that we established with the Kenyan Christians.
We have a real desire to support Silas and other leaders at the Bible college. 
Although we are willing to offer financial support to certain individuals we want to be very careful not to have any funds be counterproductive.
We are so grateful to Silas for his vision and for his invitation that brought us into a position to serve in such a an unbelievably fulfilling fashion.
We count the chance to experience an African culture in such a unique way an opportunity of a lifetime. We were truly privileged. 
We cannot even begin to understand in six weeks the complexities of a culture that has developed over thousands of years.
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only answer for this world's needs.
Thanks for all the assurances since we've returned that the time spent in keeping you all informed was appreciated and helped generate the prayer support that we believe was key to all of our accomplishments. Thanks again for your interest and your prayers. 
Art

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Still totally holding up !!

The home stretch

We are facing a slight delay in MN. Sincerely trusting that it does not become a major one. Photos don't lie unless you have photo shop. We left Silas' house around 2:45 PM on Monday. There it is already 6:00 AM on Wednesday and we are under severe thunder storm warnings. Departure time has been pushed ahead 10 minutes. We will see what we will see

After 40 hours all holding up well


Arrived in USA

Got into Minneapolis on time. Cleared immigration and customs. Have a few hours to wait for flight to Bozeman. We hear there will be a welcoming party for our 11:20 PM arrival. 

Departing gifts from Phoebe, Mary's friend.

Elizabeth

Henry attends Man. Bib. Ch. This is his sister who we met the last Sunday. 

Last Sunday church service.


Gracie having breakfast

Ryan off to an early Saturday HS meeting

Silas waiting for overdue airport van

Prayer for us at last Saturday service.

Hillary taking down the tarp after Saturday church

Ready to head home

Have been low on power and signal but all is well and we are preparing to leave for Eldoret and the first leg of our almost 40 hour trip home. 

Tuesday August 6

Blog 806
It is Tuesday morning. We are in a layover in Amsterdam Netherlands.  Our flight was delayed for about three hours of Nairobi but that one affect our connection here. Seven hour layover has just been about four. Want of adequate power and lack of good Internet connections have kept me from posting over the last few days.
Friday the group took a trip over to a nearby village to visit some of Silas's relatives.  I decided to not try to keep up with everyone else. I got to talk to Silas for a short time while I helped him we just garden. I got in a couple of naps and worked on my Sunday school lesson. The report came back that I missed a really good time. It included a walk to some high rocky terrain overlooking the valley that we had seen on our visit to Pastor Josiah's. Everyone enjoy the height and the chance to climb the rocks.  I heard that grandma was a little concerned about some of the rock climbing that Caleb was into.  The rains came while they were visiting and made the roads very slippery so that the truck had to be pushed a long distance up a trail from the before it got on the main road.
Saturday which was like our Sunday while we were in Kenya I taught Sunday school from Genesis 25
and Ryan preached the sermon. From there we walked over to Mary's for lunch. That was when the rains began. It alternated between teeming rain and just plain hard rain for a couple of hours. Finally it broke and I was anxious to get back to Silas's. There had been a plan in place to visit another home, the home of a man named Joseph.  His house was up the dirt road from Mary's past Silas's. I thought that the rainy weather had probably canceled that walk.  But as I got up to leave Mary informed me that Silas was on his way to pick us up.  I thought maybe it was in the truck. But it was not. He showed up pretty soon with his boots on and we began our ascent of the muddy  rivulet ridden dirt track. It was the kind of terrain that the further you walked the taller you got as the layer of mud on the soles of your shoes thickened with each step. I'm really looking forward to this visit but we met a man there named Jacob who had some very interesting insights into Kenya and some very interesting stories. Back on the muddy road our shoes continued to grow but the grassy path between the maize and wheat helped immensely to get rid of all that red clay. 
Saturday night it was confirmed that Ryan and I were invited to visit the church of one of the students in the Bible college. Actually we will all invited to attend but since the Bible college students were coming that afternoon Ann and Andrea were needed at home to bake some American specialties for the crowd that was coming. They were doing some more cornbread and also attempting to bake a carrot cake in the charcoal oven.  I gave a lesson on the three trees that is the tree in the garden of Eden the tree on which Jesus died and the Tree of life in the book of Revelation. Ryan preached from Jesus high priestly prayer in John 17.  We had made the trip to the church on the motorbike driven by Ezra.  He had also taken Ryan to a local Christian high school for a service on Sunday before our regular service.  The ride on the motorbike was much more smooth than the usual one we  had taken in the white pickup truck. Of course they served us some food after the service and while we waited for it to arrive the sky darkened and the clouds thickened. With one eye on the sky I hesitated to accept the offer for a few cups of Kenyan tea.  After one cup we decided it was time to go.  We pulled into the yard just as the large drops started to fall around us. Soon the Bible college students started to arrive. There was no volleyball to be played in this downpour. We had a very emotional parting ceremony with the college students. They dressed Ann and Andrea in traditional African garb and also put robes on Ryan and myself. I am not big into robes but I figure it's practiced for the white robes that will have in heaven. Too many kind words were spoken to even begin to record.  One after another people shared words of thanks for our coming to Kenya. Tears were shed by both the Kenyans and the Americans.  It was very late before the last people left. 
Monday was to be our last day in Kenya. We were not due to fly out until 7 o'clock in the evening but I was very concerned that we would get there before the plane took off.  In Montana we laugh about ranch time being slower than the rest of the time in Montana. In Africa and Mexico we are even more amused at the lack of things happening on time. Silas asked me what time I thought that the van should arrive to take us to the airport. After suggesting noon I was a little concerned that I might have set the time too early.  Not to worry it was 2:45 when we left his farm in a van that contained all of us and 10 more people. When transport is moving in a certain direction there are many people who need to get there.  We had seen rain but nothing like the rain that we saw on the way to the airport. Soon van was leaking back front and on both sides. The road and the ditches on both sides were like a river of red clay.  You could not see 50 yards ahead of you.  I had two concerns one that we would get drenched getting our luggage into the airport and two that we would get ourselves soaked getting from the airport out to the airplane.  Neither fear came to fruition. It stopped raining by the time we got to the airport. It rained a little bit while we are there but almost stopped before we had to board. The short flight to Nairobi  was without incident except for Caleb who had a. stomach issue as we approached landing. We trekked across the wet tarmac and into the building where we collected our luggage.  We found the international terminal without too much trouble. But the crowds there were strung out in long lines. We had a couple of hours so there was no immediate concern. As the lines continue to move more slowly some concerns began to arise.  At the check in counter I was questioned about some yellow form but I did not respond. When Ryan and Andrea stepped up they were sent back outside the area to get these forms and fill them out. We have now learned that our flight was going to be an hour late and that gave us some sense of relief. I went up to check out the gate situation while we were waiting for Ryan and Andrea. We stood a long line at the gate only to find at the gate had been changed. Now the estimated time of departure was two hours late. When we got inside the gate where the seating was we learned that there have been a gasoline pipe disruption and that we would be taking off three hours late. The troops were getting restless so KLM decided to feed us.  The sandwiches were good course Ann couldn't eat the bread. I petition one of the uniformed men to find us a place to sit down. In a few minutes a new section was opened for all the people standing  to at least find a comfortable place to sit while they ate and drank. It was somewhere along in that time that I realized I had some Shillings in my pocket that I could turn into chocolate. I went out to security made my purchase and on the way back the alarm went off when I went through the screening. I guess the machine didn't like the foil wrap Swiss chocolate packages.  Security examine them and decided that they were harmless so we'll have a little snack during the final minutes of our wait boarding to begin. It was then I realized that Ann and I were not seated together.  She was in business I was in the front of economy and Ryan and the kids were in the last row of economy.  I tried to talk them into letting me go up into business and and was certainly willing to come back into economy but I wanted her to enjoy the pleasure of the better seating.  She claimed she didn't sleep very much but when we has to how she enjoyed the first meal she said she didn't even know there was a first meal. So she must've gotten some sleep. Again Ryan got the prize for the least sleep Caleb and  Gracie  did well. I did very well but he was awake most of the night. He is on the floor over in the corner trying to get some shut eye. I hope this dictation into my phone is helping. I find the answers in the airport make it very hard to get any sleep.
 Well I think I have done enough for one day so I will bring this to a close and is just thank you fur your prayers expressed for us in your emails and your texts. Art

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Thursday

Blog 801
I can't believe it is August first. I actually typed in 7/31 before I checked the date. We did visit pastor Josiah on Monday and it was in a beautiful area of Kenya. A few kilometers past the church we visited on Saturday we were  in valley between two ridges that got everyone thinking of Montana. My phone was on low battery so I used the camera for pictures. We are heading for Ziwa today so maybe I will be able to post some pix from my computer. We visited his church building and met one of the elders and joined hands in a prayer of blessing. Then we proceeded along red clay roads to his farm home. Near the house a couple of barb wire gates needed to be opened and then closed behind us.  We had a traditional Kenyan meal seated on couches in the sitting room. Dishes of hot food were brought in from the outdoor kitchen in insulated covered dishes and placed before us.  We all stood up and did a buffet line around the two coffee tables and back to our places. We had 9 in our party by the time we ate there were at least 13. Other church members arrived so we took a walk to give them our seats. We walked over to meet Josiah's dad 91 who lived over the ridge with his other wife. Josiah's mom lives near him. Here mom's are called by their oldest child's name so Ann would be Rachelle's mom. Widows often live with one of their sons. The plan was to get everyone together for tea in the garden but there were thunderstorms threatening which make the high crowned clay roads dangerous. We made all of the introductions on both sides, took a few group pictures and after a prayer of blessing we headed back. There were a couple of swollen rivers with inadequate culverts  but we made it safely across and got home just before the heavy rain started. That night we had a huge thunderstorm I am told. I could only remember one boomer that made me think I was inside a large drum while someone was doing a loud tattoo on the outside. 
Tuesday morning I made some large staples out of some steel rod to make a repair on a small gate down at Mary's house. With my tool sack over one shoulder and a heavy hammer on the other Gracie and I set out across the edge of the maize field through the barb wire fence and down the red road to Mary's.  As we arrived she and a young girl were just herding a half dozen cows out of the yard and up the road we had just traveled. The tree stump I was fastening the gate to proved to be too much for my home made staples. The gate still had one hinge and by using a hand drill and cutting the nails short with a hacksaw I managed to get the gate hung on that knarley old stump. Plan B was to use a strip of rubber tire in place of the staples.  That went well until the tire strip I had cut that morning totally disintegrated. Time for plan C. I just fastened some wire to the top and nailed that to the stump until a better idea could be thought of. The school let out for lunch and soon Gracie was inundated with admirers and more were running up the road. I tried to give Gracie some space and eventually got them all on their way. I hope they were not too frightened by the old man shooing them off. 
That afternoon it was back to Ziwa. The students were scheduled to watch some videos and hand in some assignments. My goal was to recharge electronics and publish pix. We arrived to find the power was out so videos and charging were both temporary scratched. Bananas and a couple if other things were on my shopping list so I figured I might as well do what I could.   When I got back the power was back on so I started plugging things in. Ryan joined me at the power strip and the last plug blew the fuse in the strip. Fortunately the video had just started because that had to be restarted. Ryan found a fuse in another discarded extension cord and soon all was well. I did some final printing and copying for Ann and we headed back but not before Caleb and Ryan got another ponga at the market. Now they can build stilts with two machetes. 
Wednesday I decided I needed a sabbatical. I skipped breakfast and stayed in bed. Before noon I worked on my Sunday school lesson felt much better by lunch. Ann did some laundry and she and Ryan spent time doing grades and I got a hair trim. The rains came and lasted all afternoon so the clothes on the line got a couple of extra rinse cycles. This afternoon we will head back to the college for more videos and assignments due. Ann is trying to get all her papers ready to hand back today. Caleb wants to stay in Africa but only if mommy and daddy do. Thoughts are starting to turn toward home as we look forward to our last weekend here. We are scheduled to leave Monday afternoon. Will try to post more pix. Keep us in your prayers for a strong finish. Art ps. Two hours of trying to overcome obstacles only to find new ones got almost one (zero) picture uploaded. 

Josiah's place







Pappa and braids girl beads included

Thursday AM

Blog 801
I can't believe it is August first. I actually typed in 7/31 before I checked the date. We did visit pastor Josiah on Monday and it was in a beautiful area of Kenya. A few kilometers past the church we visited on Saturday we were  in valley between two ridges that got every thinking of Montana. My phone was on low battery so I used the camera for pictures. We are heading for Ziwa today so maybe I will be able to post some pix from my computer. We visited his church building and met one of the elders. Then we proceeded along red clay roads to his farm home.  As we neared the house there were a couple of barb wire gates so familiar in Montana  to be opened and closed behind us. We had a traditional Kenyan meal seated on couches in the sitting room. Dishes of hot food were brought in from the outdoor kitchen in insulated covered dishes and placed on the tables before us. We all stood up and did a buffet line around the two coffee tables and back to our places. We had 9 in our party by the time were ready to eat there were at least 13. Other church members arrived so we took a walk to give them our places and time to eat.  We walked over to meet Josiah's dad 91 who lived over the ridge with his other wife. Josiah's mom lives in a house nearer him. Here mom's are called by their oldest child's name for instance Ann would be Rachelle's mom. A widow would often live with one of her adult children as Silas's mom does. The plan was to get everyone together for tea when we returned  but there were thunderstorms threatening which make the high crowned clay roads dangerous. We settled for just making all of the introductions on both sides, taking a few group pictures and heading back. There were a couple of swollen rivers with inadequate culverts making some muddy going but we made it safely across them and got home just before the heavy rain started. That night we had a huge thunderstorm I am told. I could only remember one boomer that made me think I was inside a large bass drum while someone was doing a major tattoo on the outside.  The house trembled with its force. 
Tuesday morning I made some large staples out of some steel rod to repair a small gate down at Mary's house. With my tool sack over one shoulder and a heavy hammer on the other Gracie and I set out across the edge of the maize field through the barb wire fence and down the red road to Mary's.  As we arrived she and a young woman were just herding a half dozen cows out of the yard and up the road we had just traveled down. The tree stump I was fastening the gate to proved to be too much for my home made staples. The gate still had one hinge and by using a hand drill and cutting the nails short with a hacksaw I managed to get the gate hung on that knarley old stump. Plan B was to use a strip of rubber tire in place of the staples.  That went well until the tire strip I had cut that morning totally disintegrated. Time for plan C. I just fastened some wire to the top and nailed that to the stump until a better idea could be thought of. The school let out for lunch and soon Gracie was inundated with admirers and more were running up the road. I tried to give Gracie some space and eventually got them all on their way. I hope they were not too frightened by the old man shooing them off. 
That afternoon it was back to Ziwa. The students were scheduled to watch some videos and hand in some assignments. My goal was to recharge electronics and publish pix. We arrived to find the power was out so videos and charging were both temporarily scratched. Bananas and a couple if other things were on my list so I figured I might as well do what I could.   When I got back from the market the power was too so I started plugging things in. Ryan joined me at the power strip and the last plug blew the fuse in the strip. Fortunately the video had just started because that had to be restarted. Ryan found a fuse in another discarded extension cord and soon all was well. I did some final printing and copying for Ann and we headed back but not before Caleb and Ryan got another ponga at the market. Now they can machete more stilts. 
Wednesday I decided I needed a sabbatical. I skipped breakfast and stayed in bed. Before lunch I worked on my Sunday school lesson felt much better by lunch. Ann did some laundry and she and Ryan spent time doing grades and I got a hair trim. The rains came and lasted all afternoon so the clothes on the line got a couple of extra rinse cycles. This afternoon we will head back to the college for more videos and assignments due. Ann is trying to get all her papers ready to hand back today. Caleb wants to stay in Africa but only if mommy and daddy do. Thoughts are starting to turn toward home as we look forward to our last weekend here. We are scheduled to leave Monday afternoon. Will try to post more pix. Keep us in your prayers for a strong finish. Art