Krismasi katika Kenya

This year, we made plans to spend Christmas with some dear friends in good old Mombasa.  We pulled in after about 12 hours of busses, mini-planes, waiting, dust, walking, more waiting and plenty of sweat.  

 

And it was perfect.  Fresh fajitas, warm showers, smiling friends, even stockings hung up just for us.

 

We spent the next week or so relaxing and playing and swimming and eating all kinds of food not made by my two hands. 

 

We had one night set up for Mombasa Christmas and had the kids decorate their own gingerbread people.

 

And eat them.  Then stockings and a Christmas movie under the fan.  Just before Christmas, we headed up to Nairobi with our friends to spend it with Maggie's parents who live there.

 

THAT was a treat.  It was deliciously cool and beautiful.  On the drive there and back, we saw giraffes, zebras, giant storks, white tailed antelope, ostriches and 2 dead hyenas (the only kind you really want to see up close).  In the wild beside the road!  Awesome. 

 

We spent one day at Paradise Lost...a beautiful "park" of sorts with a huge waterfall, caves behind it, a lake to fish in, or to attract dive-bombing hawks like Justin and Josh did with the chicken legs they had out there.

 

The kids: Hunter (7), Matthew (6), Avery (5), Caleb (4), Braelyn (3), Jordan (2).  We were every bit the spectacle as you might imagine as we trooped around the city!

 

This was a fun little bridge to cross up above the waterfall.

 

A certain Gramma was not happy to see this picture afterwards!

 

We were blessed to have both Josh and Maggie's parents with us to stand in for our own much-missed grandparents.

 

Hunter and Matthew seem to have some sort of glue between them, which was so sweet to watch at this innocent age.

 

OK, lots of pictures taken this day.

 

Let me not forget horse riding!

 

To prove my existance.

 

Nothing indicates the end of a good Nairobi day than feet covered in the red dirt of fun!

 

 

It got so cold at night, we donned sweatshirts!  First time in 2 years, huh? 

 

We even had smores outside with "The Grinch" movie projected for all to see.

 

Grampy read us the Christmas story as Maggie lit the advent candles.

 

Including the stocking-received tattoo, Avery was in her element.  Long sleeves and jeans every day, long silky hair left down.  Beautiful.

 

And speaking of beauty...Hunter lost her first tooth!!!!  It was a heart-pounding moment for both patient and puller (mom with dental floss).  And there was much rejoicing by both of us when it popped out easy as pie!!!!  She is waiting till we get back to Little Island to put it under a gourd outside and receive her chicken.

 

And our last beauty had to sleep in the closet. 

 

 

Don't worry.  There was a nice mattress put out for her in real life.

 

We hope your Christmas was as Merry as ours!  We pray that your hearts are drawn ever closer to Jesus this year as we work together, Loving the Lost.

The final installment

Saturday night was the big Christmas Party with Omar's 2 families.  I was nervous and overwhelmed and excited and it was great.

The big boys loved trying out our dance game, which was hilarious to watch.

Justin Zahor got his first set of wheels.

Mahil sparkled in high style...African style.

The teenage girls watched the wedding across the street dreamily.

Bibi (grandmother) seemed to really enjoy herself, dancing to the wedding music, laughing, talking to me about her 12 children.  She got all solemn for the picture though.

 Maryamu, Mama Huntah, Azia.

 The 2 Justins

 Shemsa and Sabra.  Avery calls Shemsa "Shrimpsa".

Spider Swinging

 Some of the children eating dinner...fish curry and rice and homemade bread and butter and Christmas cookies and brownies.

Best of all, when Omar finally showed up himself, merely 2 hours late, we ate and then got to share the Christmas story, including the why of Jesus' birth and the final results of it here on earth.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the story a lot.  Afterwards, Omar asked where he could read the story himself (at which time he was presented with his very own copy of the "Injili" (New Testament)).  Then, he asked for 2 more copies.  Praising God with us?

We spent Sunday relaxing and doing a little fishing/snorkeling, but we had one more matter of unfinished business...Babu (Grandfather).  Monday I went to his house but he wasn't home.  I gave his wife the gifts and told her the story of Christmas, but she was not the ONE God had laid on my heart a month or two ago.  I couldn't find him in his field either, so I went home and had to trust God for this one...we were headed out first thing Wednesday for Christmas in Kenya.  

Tuesday morning dawned sweaty and bright with homeschool and packing yet to be done.  Justin takes off for business and my work is interrupted by a knock on the gate...it was HIM!  Babu had heard the crazy white lady was looking for him and he came.  We sat on the front porch and there I poured my heart out to him in my broken Swahili.  How I believed God had given him such long life so that he could hear God's final name.  Here they believe God has 99 names (the Merciful, the Holy, etc.)  but that no-one knows his final 100th name.  I was able to take that and explain that we know the "final" name...the ONE that saves.  

We discussed back and forth a few things.  I did not understand everything he said, but we seemed to make a way and he was open and happy the whole time.  Praising GOD!  Pray for these seeds planted to grow and flourish and someday bring fruit for God's harvest!

Possibly the most important week-end of my life

Yes, I recently had the busiest week of my life, and now we've charged into another busy week ending, or shall I say culminating, in this weekend of planting seeds.  But first, Braelyn in her Princess Minnie crown from Gramma today:

Back to the story.  THE STORY.  God laid it on our hearts to take His love, His story, and some Christmas gifts to the people we have built relationships with here the past year and 2/3.  

We even took our tree with us to Ali's house where we shared a bag of food, some toys and clothes, and the chance to hear for the first time, the REST of the story.  They have heard of Isa (Arabic for Jesus), and his virgin birth, but the rest (and the reason) is new.  We were thrilled when Ali then asked questions and clarified the crucial parts of the story we had told afterwards.  Seeds...planted!

This is Hilia.  She had some brain damage from a traumatic birth and/or constant fevers as a newborn.  They just moved in 2 houses down from us and at 3, she has never even stood up.  She is very weak all over and her legs have contracted up a bit.  We've taken her to the doctor, and are now in the process of loosening her leg tendons and strengthening her body to one day learn to stand.  The doctor says she should be able to, and despite her dubious look in these pictures, she can speak and think just fine.  We built this bed for her so that she can have "tummy time" to strengthen her back and neck, and stretch her hips out at the same time.  It can lay down too so she has a soft place to sit and lay all day, instead of just a woven mat on the ground.

After we delivered the presents, we were able to sow our story at this house as well.  Salum and Hilia (pictured) and their parents (dad named Isa even!) listened with joy and mom even quoted along with me when I read some parts from the Koran.  She was very into the story!  

Last night I was also able to go share with my "best friend" here, next door pregnant new bride Fatma.  She was very happy afterwards and kept saying how much she liked the story.  Pray "liking" means fascinated and hungry to learn more!

It's been amazing.  I know God brought us here to do this ONE thing.  Pray for continued open ears and hearts as we finish up tomorrow with the last 3 families.  Thank you!

Great Expectations

Today or tomorrow we will begin sharing the Christmas story with some of our friends.  I've spent all week writing and re-writing and translating and re-translating it.  It's not so simple when the people with whom we will be sharing have very firm ideas about a few things already.  I am trying to make it simple and beautiful and true and relatable.  I'm getting more scared by the hour!

As Sandy helped me translate it this week, her best friend here was with us, listening, helping, critiquing, and sometimes shaking her head and saying "huh-uh".  Can't happen.  Not true.

But it is.  And I'm ready to be bold and I'm ready to speak the NAME with all my heart.  I have 2 neighbor ladies who I want to go to first and by themselves with a basket of gifts, a story of love and a New Testament.  Perhaps tonight or tomorrow afternoon.  Then tomorrow evening we will go as a family to Ali's house to share the same.  He is our neighbor/night-guard and good friend, along with his family.  Then Saturday evening we will go to town to collect Omar and his 2 families, including 13 children and a mother-in-law.  I'm pretty sure the 13 children are stressing me out more than the story telling at this point.  Last is a man we call Babu and his wife.  Babu means Grandfather, and I love calling him that, perhaps because I don't have a living one anymore.  Babu says he is 108 years old.  No-one believes him, but that's not the point.  The point is he is OLD.  He has survived life here on Little Island and is still alive.  In my opinion, waiting for Truth.  God has laid him on my heart and I can't let him die never hearing it.

Please PRAY!  Even if you're reading this after the fact, time is nothing to God and please pray anyways!  Pray for even one pair of listening ears that is connected to a heart that says, "Aha!  THIS is what I've been looking for!" Pray that the seeds we sow take root, and begin to replace old ideas.

Pray that satan will not succeed in derailing things.  Last night when I opened up my story on the computer, the Swahili was completely gone.  I panicked, I thought he'd done it.  Then I found it.  Pray God continues to be the victor at every turn, every step.  That HIS LOVE is what will win this weekend!

Amen and AMEN!

The rest of the busiest week of our year...

 Monday, Hunter's actual birthday found us waking to homeschool, hot season and ants.  Every once in a while, they get tired of living in our walls and come pouring out, or rather, in.

Tuesday, Wednesday, business as usual.  Then TURKEY DAY!  And YES, a friend flew over for business and brought us actual turkey breasts!  The kids dined indoors on turkey, gravy, sweet corn, home-made (by Sandy) stuffing, actual crescent rolls made by Justin, cranberry sauce mailed over by Sandy's mom, candied pumpkin, mashed potatoes, and that's all before dessert!  Amazing what can be put together on such a tiny island at the ends of the earth!

Us adults took refuge outside where the evening breeze had begun to cool us down.

Friday we woke to blazing sun and Braelyn turning 3!  I don't have a baby, I don't even have a toddler anymore!  It's bliss.  

We took our picnic of Thanksgiving leftovers to the sparkling sea and cooled off in the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.

It's moments like these that thrill my soul and make me forget the hardships and heat over here.

Today (Sunday) found us celebrating our 12th anniversary!  After church and the usual, we dropped the girls off at the A's and took the motor bike through the ancient forest to a quiet beach.  I surprised Justin (hard to do) with our suits and snorkels and we swam out, alone, for like an hour.  The water was warm and beautiful and we saw all sorts of sea creatures...it was magical.  Then we basked on the beach in the beauty of near silence.  

Back we came to finish up, or is it start off a week, with Christmas music, setting up our tree and decorating it.  The girls loved every second, and for the first time in 6 years, no baby was underfoot to pull on the lights or break ornaments or scatter the nativity scene under all the couches.  I love this big kid stage!  

Happy Holiday Season to you all!  May the joys of the True meaning of Christmas fill your hearts every day!

Once a year

Once a year we have 2 birthdays within 4 days of each other.  This wonderous event happens to fall on the same week as our anniversary and Thanksgiving.  This year, it even came at the end of our first week of teaching at the Adult Education Center.  It's been busy around here!  Birthdays also bring out the guilty mom in me, and I try to make up for all the unspecial days the rest of the year.

Recently, we've gotten ahold of the cartoon Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  It's a cute spin off of Peter Pan that is wildly addictive for my children.  The girls decided that THIS was to be the theme of the Big Day.

So we did our very island-best and here's what we came up with!  The kids loved it and I deemed it a Savvy Success.  You love that I've succumbed to the skull and crossbones, don't you little Sis?

The Birthday Girls

Pan's Hideout

Bucky the Pirate Ship

Walking the plank into shark infested waters!

Clues for the treasure hunt

Meet Winger the Never Bird, Izzy and The Pirate Princess.

It says Yo-Ho H and B!  My cake writing needs some improvement I know.  And yes, the candle word BIRTHDAY did come along too.  Sandy took some cute pics of the blowing out I'll post later.

Yo Ho Mateys Away!

Opening presents sent from afar with the help of Mrs. Sandy.

New pony shirt from Mimi.

It was fun, it was exhausting.  And with a night's sleep under our belts, we hit the ground running again today!  The Computer Classes are going great.  The students are enthusiastic and learning, though slowly.  We literally are starting with how to turn the computer on, how to hold a mouse, etc.  Imagine maneuvering a mouse when you've never seen a computer in your life.  It's harder than you're imagining.  But it's fun too.  Homeschool will also continue this week so that we can finish sooner at Christmas time.  

Thank You, Lord, for birthdays and blessings and beautiful little girls.  Thank you for friendships and opportunities and for making us YOURS!