Day 2 is the hardest day exhaustion

MARCH 25, 2012

We arrived into Nairobi at 1 am.   Sue and I waited patiently till 5:30 for our Kenya Airways flight to leave to get us to Mombasa and had some good talks which kept us awake somehow as we went the full night with no sleep.    Sue and I hardly know each other.  Other than the briefly meeting 2 times in early January, we had one conversation on the bus on the trip last July.  So it was good to get to know each other a little bit.  An on time departure from Kenya Airways between Nairobi and Mombasa has been less and less likely but this one took off early and get to Mombasa early and our luggage was unloaded so quickly.   We are 1 hour early hoping our driver was there early to get us.    Luckily for us, they were early.   We went right to the Nakumatt (Kenyan Walmart/Walgreens) so we could get our food for the week and shampoo and other things we couldn't take because the suitcases were to heavy already.    Mission accomplished on that.  Then we need a key to get into the house we were staying.  We were able to get that accomplished more easily than I thought possible, thanks to George the housekeeper who is amazing.   He showed us everything we needed.    He is such a great help. 

We got all our stuff in and the groceries unpacked a quick shower and off to Crossroads Fellowship Church to thank God for the safe travels, relief from illness, and the ability to be here in Kenya.   We were so, so tired.   The praise and worship part was fine, the message, though great, was very difficult to stay awake.  I felt like when I was a teenager and stayed up all night and then noon hits and you are so so so so ready to sleep.    With a few head bobs, we were able to get through church.  We came back to the house to take a 2 hour nap.  Well for the first hour, all I could do was cough uncontrollably so I didn't get much sleep.  Then I switched spots and was able to fall asleep for an hour.   Then I was more tired than if I stayed awake!   But we got up and off we went.  

We met up with Pastor Paul from Vipingo Crossroads who was busy the last few weeks setting up orphanages for us to come and visit.   We went to Shanzu Orphans Home.  We met a wonderful German woman who is running this orphanage.  It was so clean and so well organized and the kids were great.  They were close enough to walk to the beach so some of the kids were headed there when we arrived.   She travels back and forth from German to Kenya to obtain funding for the center.  She is in the middle of adding on a second story to her building to house more children but the project costs keep increasing.   She has 1 million raised but now she needs 1.6 million to finish the project.  They have a very nice visitor suite if you want to come stay and play with the kids for as long as you want you can stay there.  

We did an art project with the kids using their finger prints which they enjoyed and then we had them make name tags that we had printed with Eph 1:9  on them and a title stating God Loves You.    We tied a string on them so they could wear them like name tags and then we knew their names.   Then we read them a children's book that was written by Erica a friend of mine  and illustrated by Sara a friend of Sue's.   It was a great book that told of fall of man into sin and Jesus coming to save us if we choose and then the Holy Spirit coming to us.   Sue read the story and then I followed up with questions about the story and about their lives.   The kids know so much and are amazing to talk to.   Then we talk with them about how they have a purpose in their lives for being right here where they are and they need to pray and read the bible and ask God what his purpose is for them.   Just like Sue and I did which brought us to them, God has a purpose too and they need to seek Him to find it.   Then we left our gifts of bibles, pens, and other office supplies with them.  We said our final goodbyes to the kids and staff and made our way back.  They were a great group.   Then we headed to Yul's a great food place right on the Indian Ocean that has amazing veggie burgers and "chips" fries to us.   So much food could not even eat it all.    Wish we would have brought the Ipad as we have no WIFI at the house.   Opps!  

We got a chance to hear Rashid's story during dinner.   Rashid has been the driver for Fox River since 2008 the first year that I came to Fox River, so I knew a little about his story but it was good to hear the whole thing together and with more details in a smaller group.   He grew up in a village area near Mombasa.  His dad passed away when he was very, very young, not even a year.   His mom remarried a few years later and had more children.  He went on to school and an uncle was even paying for high school for 2 years.   Then his mom fell sick and he was missing too much school taking care of her so he had to decide full school or take care of his mom.  He dropped out of school to take care of his mom.  He did that until she was well again and then he had an opportunity to get his drivers license.  He took that opportunity and now he does for a living and he loves it.  He is working on trying to start his own company and his wife Lucy also has some small business that she runs.   They have 3 boys  - twins in high school and Dixon who is in 6th grade. Unfortunately Rashid's mom passed away last November.