From Lawyer To Missionary: Carrie, Kenya and You

Well, Friday was a great day.  Thanks to Pastor Allan we were able to get a few different meetings with various people in Nairobi that work in the courts and in the government.    We are so greatful to everyone for taking their time on their casual Fridays to meet with us even though they had a lot of work to do.  They gave us great advice and hope.   They fully support all our efforts with the schools as well as the adoption issues.   Thanks so much for all your prayers.   We sat in the hotel Serena - the same hotel they settled the violence issues over the last election in 2008 and they decided on the shared government and on passing the constitution which they did in August.    Amazing workings of God - from total chaos and violence 2 years ago - to a new constitituion and governmental protections.   Only God can bring such greatness from such darkness.   Got home after flying for a few days a...

Today was our last day in Mombasa.   Very sad.   Saying goodbye to everyone.   Lots of work today.   Make photo copies and getting things organized for work at home.   Please pray for our meetings in Nairobi tomorrow.   Leaving early tomorrow morning.   Will update you when I get home.  

Wow.   That's all I can say about today.   It was staff appreciation day.   First of all it started off with Kristen and I being late.  In Kenya?    I know, apparently we didn't get the memo and everyone on holidays is early for parties one hour early so we left the house rushing, rushing to get to the staff appreacation day at a beautiful butterfly park with nature trails and lots of different types of trees.   It was a very, very, very hot day.  Even the Kenyans thought it was hot.   Once we got there and got everyone one there we divided all the staff from Injili, Bomani, Vipingo, and one other school into 10 teams.  There were 90 people there.   They each had to come up with a logo for their team and a team name.    They had to use coins to make a logo.  It was f un to watch the originality they came up with.    Then they headed off to the nature trail for s...

October 17-19, 2010 Pole, pole (sorry, sorry) I missed a few days.   Sunday we went to church at Crossroads where the youth lead all the of the service.  They were the ushers, they were doing the worship songs, and the youth pastor did the sermon.  It was a really great way for the youth to feel an important part of the church and the lesson was on Daniel 1  about keeping our youth pure and spending time with them.   It was a really neat idea that US churches can probably learn from.   Then in the afternoon we went on a 10K bike ride around Hollar Park.  I didn't think it woud ever end, but at the end we were in a very, very quiet field filled with some type of animal with horns (bigger than deer) maybe elk but I'm not sure with Kenyan type evergreen /weeping willow trees and it was beautiful.   We have been preparing for our staff appreication day for Bomani, Vipingo, Ingeli and one other school here in Kenya.  It's tom...

October 16, 2010 Today we had a relaxing morning.   Got up and worked on our bible studies and then I went for a swim while Kristen watched Connor and Dylan for an hour or two.     Then we headed out to Vipingo for the teen Experiencing God bible study.    Teddy says hello to everyone.    Henzi greeted us at the car.  This is the first time anyone saw him since we left in August.   Then we headed back home and made dinner and worked on some Operation Give Hope projects and some bible studies.   Until tomorrow, Carrie

I cannot believe it is after 6pm on Friday as I write.  Time is going much, much too fast.   There is so much to do and people in Kenya really only work face-to-face.   Very little work gets done over the phone or through email.      Anyway,  today we went to Gospel (Ingili) and Bomani (the blue school from Fox River) to do the Stranger Danger.   We taught them how to scream and they had a lot of fun.    All the staff at Bomani says hello to their American friends and a special hello and love to Pat from Anne. I hope God will us it in great ways to protect the children of these communities.   We meet up with Pastor Allen today - a Pastor that helped Fox River get Bomani started -  he said on the TV they were talking about 144,000 or so kids have been abducted in Kenya since March.    That is a major amount.   We need to pray for this country.  God is doing so much work here, and the devil has become aware ...

October 14, 2010 - I think! Well today we were up early to travel to Mombosa to meet with the lawyer I meet in August.   We went and viewed all the court systems in Mombosa and sat in on Kenya first video conference court appearance between Mombosa and Nairobi for the Court of Appeals.   I know it sounds boring to most of you I'm sure, but I'm a lawyer and that kind of stuff doesn't even happen in the US unless your in prison.   We also sat in and watch some court appearance in action. Then Vicky - the lawyer and I had a lot of time to discuss water issues she is working on in Kenya as well as adoption leads and we will meet with some more people on Monday.   Kristen and I also got to tell her about the work we are doing with Operation Give Hope for the south coast schools and working on raising support.  She was very excited and we all look forward to working together in the future.   We had lunch and were able to hear a lot of her story and she hear...

October 13, 2010 - Wednesday Well as another day is coming to a close in Kenya tonight I write again.   We went back to the same two schools we were at yesterday because so many kids were absent especially from the Tumani school.    We got almost all the kids photos and height and weight info done.  Now we just have input it into the computer.   That will be our night time job for the next few days and most of the day Saturday and Sunday afternoon.   I couldn't help but cry on the way to Tumaini thinking they are greatful to God for dirty water while I sit at home and buy pretty much anything I want and eat anything I want and drink anything I want without thinking about it.  They are praising God for dirty sewer water.   That is completely heartbreaking and gives a lot of perspective.   Anyway, at the schools the kids were so cute and we got a little chance to interact with them more today.  Pastor Daniel  at Perani had all the...

It was a great day today.   Kristen and I were up at 5:00 am so we could make it through downtown without hitting hours worth of traffic and so we would not have to wait hours to get across on the car ferry to get to the south coast.   We first arrived at Perani which is 1.5 hours past Tiwi (which is already 1-2 hours past Mombosa where we stay) to take pictures of all the kids and get their height and weight and some personal info on their families so we could put that info into a data base to hook up sponsors with this database so they can check their child's progress.    Pastor Daniel is in charge of that school and is a great man of God.   It was great to see another school and see the differences between that school and our Fox River schools.  It make such a difference in the culture when the church is 100% behind the school.   You can see a difference in the children.   I know with the work Kristen is doing here and the work I am doing here ...

October 11, 2010 The first full day in Kenya and it was great.   Really spent the time exchanging money, buying groceries, and getting things ready for the next few weeks. Lots of emailing and phone calling to get things settled.    Had time to get a massage and Kristen and I got our toes done.    Now we are going to work on our Beth Moore Believing God bible study and go to sleep because we have to be up at 5 to get to the south coast for the next two days.  We will be working with Tiwi and Perani.    I will be doing my first stranger danger presentation so pray for the kids understanding. Also, my kids will be going to a funeral on Tuesday for a dear aunt of mine.   She was suffering from lung cancer.  They gave her six months to live 3 years ago.  We will miss her dearly, but she had a great last few years.  Lots of traveling and time to say goodbye.    My kids will be going to the funeral without me and the last...