We're here!!

Thank you to everyone for your prayers! We arrived yesterday safe and sound after two long flights and not much sleep. We were all so excited to be going, but also that we would see Karen again. We overwhelmed her with all the hugs we were supposed to give her when we saw her. She says "Hi!" Well, we all know she'd say more than that!

We were all a little worried about getting through customs with all of the donations we brought, but Elizabeth and Caleb had been praying for weeks for the customs agents to have "blinded eyes," (which I didn't Know) and Karen and I prayed the same thing before we landed. I thought of Corrie Ten Boom when she prayed that the guards in the concentration camps would not see the Bible she had hidden on herself. We sailed through the Visa process and went to collect our bags. As Sue and I went first, we were asked simply if we were on 'holiday,' to which we answered "Yes," and he said, "Just go ahead." Two down, four more to go. Rockie sailed through, and Elizabeth, Shani, and Karen decided to just walk on through without stopping, and an agent looked and at them and said nothing! I think our prayers were answered!

Lorna had a wonderful dinner waiting and then we crashed into bed.

Today Lorna took us to Springs of Life, the church and school she and Pastor Dennis serve at in the Kibera slums. We were able to see how much work they had done since last year. There are four new classrooms and they are renovating the two classrooms that we saw last year. Rockie's eyes lit up when Pastor Dennis told him he would be painting those rooms and installing tile floors! I don't think he could have had a bigger smile on his face if he tried :-) He is itching to get there tomorrow and get started.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Shani couldn't wait to see the children at the school. They went to work immediately. Elizabeth read to the children and taught them a song. Can't you just see her doing that! She then worked with one of the teachers and taught them a very simple, yet profound way to teach a child to read. Shani was the consummate caregiver and helped one little girl to be accepted by the other children where she hadn't been before. You'll have to ask her about that one. God is working in amazing ways through this team already, and it's only the first day!

Karen, Sue, and I took a tour of the improvements at the school and saw the giant cargo container that was sent by the Canadians. Eh! It is filled with clothing, desks, bicycles, and they don't even know what all. When it is empty they will convert it into a Medical Clinic, and they would love to have a double-wide. So Sue said, "We can do that! Game on!" So get ready St. John. We're going to be filling a cargo carrier and shipping it here! To show you God's hand in all this, Corey, her daughter, has a friend, whom she had not spoken to in a very long time, who knows someone at the U.N. in Kenya and may be able to assist us.

Is that a God-thing, or what!

Tomorrow, Rockie will stay behind and work at the School, while we go to a Masai village with Susan, the one and only Masai deaconess. We will get to see a real Masai village and how these people, who have lived the same way for thousands of years, live. Dcs. Lorna told me today that there are no toilets, so we will have to go in the bush. How does that sound ladies?? Not only are there no toilets, but there's lions out there! Keep praying :-) This will be a real adventure!

We have been profoundly touched already, and we are looking forward to seeing the hand of our AWESOME God at work in the days to come. Pastor and Lorna have been overwhelmed by YOUR generosity to them, the children, and the deaconesses! We will be taking lots of pictures, and we will show you where your tithe and contributions have made a difference in so many lives here.

May God continue to bless and keep you! We should be able to post fairly often because Lorna has an Air Card and Sue has her MAC.

Kirk and Dave we miss you! We picked up a surprise for you both at the Nakumat!

In Christ's amazing and all sustaining love,

Dcs. Linda