Naitobi Trip and The New Vehicle

April 28-May 6   
Nairobi Trip  and The New Vehicle
    The Straders headed out on Sunday night and Monday morning we were up and out the door at 4am headed for Nairobi. We also took Mama Cedrik and baby Sarah with us so they could continue on to Western to visit family. When it comes to going to Nairobi I am not a fan. I could never go to Nairobi and be very happy. It is a big city and you are constantly looking over your shoulder because crime is so bad. There are constant carjackings and hold ups so I think it is legitimate to not look forward to a place like that. One visit we made we were hit three times in one day while in the city and no one ever stopped to even check on the damage or to even acknowledge that it happened.
    During our drive in we had a small accident that involved us and a huge bus. Thankfully the accident was not too bad but it had the potential to be much worse. We were forced to go off the highway to pass trucks that were waiting to pass through a weigh station so that means it is everyone for himself. We were driving along getting ready to get back up on the highway when a bus decided to try and cut us off. Well he did not cut us off he cut into us! It was on the passengers side of the van midways back right where Sadie was napping. The bus hit us and Sadie got a 3D view of it! Thank the Lord the impact did not break the glass where Sadie’s head was! It did leave a nice scuff that you can see in the pictures.

    I had to get out and deal with the bus driver who was clearly in the wrong. The only problem was that we were both off the main road so in my mind we would both be considered out of line when and or if the police ever came. We went back and forth for a few minutes all in Swahili so it showed the driver that I was not a tourist. Finally the driver asked how much to fix the vehicle then shoved a thousand shillings in my pocket. I mean literally a pushed a one thousand shilling note ($12) in my pocket…as if that was going to really cover the damage. However I did not want to sit on the side of the road for half the day nor did I want to deal with the police messing with us so I accepted the admission of guilt and token of defeat and we continued on our journey with a little more character in the side of our van.

Picture from inside the vehicle note the paint smear from the bus on the window and the thousand Shillings int he dudes hand that went in my pocket

    The little excitement gave us something to talk and laugh about. You had to laugh and wag your heard at the interaction and the end result. The rest of the trip was thankfully uneventful except for waiting on the side of the road for Mama Cedrik’s sister. Mama Cedrik does not know Nairobi at all and being by herself with her baby was a bit frightening for her. We missed the place to drop her at her sisters on our way in and we could not just leave her although I must admit I wanted to…not because I was trying to be mean or insensitive. We had 1.5million shillings or $17,000 dollars cash with us and five children and we were sitting on the side of the road completely exposed to thieves, thugs, and car jackers. So I was a bit nervous to say the least. We did stay with Mama Cedrik until her sister arrived like an hour and a half later. I am glad we waited with her and it was a the right thing to do but it was eating me up on the inside. Yes I know…me of little faith…but I am not used to 17 grande in my possession!
    The reasons we were going to Nairobi was to renew Lydia’s passport that was about to expire, visit the Hoppers before they left for furlough, and to look for a van to replace our beat up van(thus the reason for the 17G’s). While we were in town we also wanted to show Sadie a few of the sites as her time with us is coming to a close.
    We were able to get the passport renewal taken care of on Tuesday morning and we met up with the Hoppers in the evening to visit. Granny (Cissy Hopper) had been planning a special evening for the kids for the past few months. There was a new place put in a mall near the Hoppers that is basically like Chuck E Cheese and Granny wanted to take the kids there. Our kids have been saving up their allowance and Granny gave them Easter money so they had quite a bit to play games and ride rides. It is so amazing all the development in Nairobi like the Chuck E Cheese place! Our kids had a awesome time! Granny and Babu had a good time watching the kids bask in pure joy of playing. After all the fun ran out and we turned in our tickets for some ultra cheap toys we had dinner together.

    On Wednesday I spent the day looking at vehicles at several dealerships and online. I was able to locate two vehicles that I wanted Kenya to come and take a look at so she could help make the final decision. We test drove one van that was petrol and the other was diesel and as soon as Kenya hit the throttle pedal on the diesel and felt the power her decision was made. We went with a 2006 Nissan Caravan. I worked with the the salesman on some things we wanted done and about getting seats put in then we agreed on the price.
    We met the Hoppers for supper again at one of our favorite Indian places called Little India. We also wanted Sadie to experience the waiters attacking us with menus and wanting you to order from them. It is funny to see the response of folks who we take there. We also wanted Sadie to have Pan (pronounces PAWN). It is a bunch of seeds, spices, and syrup all rolled up in a leaf that you eat. There are Pan that are not good that cause you to “see things” but we stay clear of those and go with the sweet pan. After we ate Sadie and I both ate a pan. I actually like the sweet pan but usually others do not…Sadie got it in her mouth and chewed a little until it grew in her mouth and she could not swallow it and she spit it out. Oh good times! I love the pictures. Some may think of this as torture or laughing at others expense we just call it “giving people a cultural experience” BWAHAAAHHH!

    We did not put this in our plan but May 1 was a national holiday so it threw a kink in our plans to get our new van all finished up and ready to roll out by the weekend. With everything closed for holiday we decided to take the day to take Sadie to a couple of the the sites in Nairobi. First we went outside of town to the Elephant orphanage to see baby elephants and pet them. It is a pretty cool place to see elephants up close and learn about them. After the elephant orphanage we had some Kentucky Fried Chicken… oh yes there are now several KFC restaurants around Nairobi. It is not exactly the same but pretty close. That is one big benefit about Nairobi you can get Western type things…at a price of course.

    After the amazing KFC we made our way out to the Rift Valley which is a must to see if you ever get a chance. We passed through Karen and by the Ngong Hills which is a nice drive. The Rift was beautiful as always and we got some pretty sweet pictures.

    Friday I went in and put 1million shillings down on the van and got the ball rolling on everything with it. Kenya and Sadie spent the day with Cissy in Limuru at a tea farm. They went to the first tea farm in Kenya and learned all about tea and took a tour of the farm. They had a great time with Cissy having a girls day out. The kids and I hung out at our room then took a 45 minute walk to the mall for lunch and a movie. We had some KFC again and watched Rio 2.

    Saturday we really just kind of took it easy around the room. I ran to town and got two of our tires fixed and had the van washed. The rest of day I worked on some finances and things, then we had an early supper with Ernie and Cissy. We got word from the embassy and from some missionaries on the coast of two explosions one on a bus and the other near a mall in Mombasa. This is becoming very common here in Kenya. It seems every month there is another IED (Improvised Explosive Device) going off somewhere. Usually it is in Nairobi or Mombasa because they are the two largest cities and of the most influence. The attacks are continually traced to Al-Shabab a terrorist group with links to Al-Qaeda that Kenya has been at war with in Samalia.
    We went to the Kibera slums for services at Silanaga LBC. Julius Ayugu is the pastor of the church and a good friend. He was with us in March on the coast teaching class for the ABA media project. We try to visit with Julius and his family when we come to Nairobi. We were very close to Julius when we worked in Western Kenya. He even named his twins James and Kenya after us so his family has a special place in our heart, not to mention he is a very Godly man. We met up with Julius at the entrance of the slum and left our van at one of our other churches Makina LBC then walked 30minutes through the slums to the church. The walk itself was a cultural experience as we stepped over raw sewage and trash everywhere.

    We had a great service and even had one lady saved. Julius asked me to teach and preach. We really had a great time worshiping with the church and Julius is doing a great job. The Silanga church has gone through a lot and God has used Julius to bring stability and strength to the congregation. We had a good time visiting with Julius and his family walking in and out of the slum.
    We had an early dinner/ late lunch with the Hoppers. When we got where we were staying we heard of two more IED going off this time in Nairobi. One was near the mall we had gone to with the Hoppers our first night in town. We called Ernie and Cissy because they were heading in the direction of where one of the explosions took place. They were fine but stuck in bad traffic. It took them a while but they finally made it home. They said that another missionary they knew had gotten robbed at gun point while stuck in the same traffic they were stuck in. Again one of the reasons I do not like Nairobi, traffic and gun point robberies, but anyhow.
    Monday was a big day for us. We got to pick up our new Van and it is nice. Kenya, Sadie, and the kids went back to our room while I finished up the details on getting the vehicle to load up all our stuff into “the old van”. Cissy had given us like eight boxes full of magazines, spices, syrups, chocolate chips, and all sorts of goodies. She cleaned out her pantry and gave us the things that she thought we would like. The Hoppers are leaving for furlough for a year and they had to pack up their entire house and move so that is why we only met up with them for meals because they were working on packing and storing things. We got to have one last meal with Granny and Babu and show them our new van. We said our goodbyes then headed to our rooms so we could get some rest before our long drive back to the coast.

    Kenya, Sadie, and all the kids except Josiah rode in the new van while Josiah and I drove the old van. The drive was long and rainy. We had to stop twice because the windshield wipers on the old van quit working. I had to disconnect the rear wiper because it was shorting out the front wipers. I kept thinking, “just get this van to Malindi and you can sell.”  We saw several terrible accidents along the way and even a dead body laying out along the side of the road. We say this, and it is true, the most dangerous thing we do is drive the highways in this country. I do not worry about the IED explosions as much as getting hit head on by a van, bus, or Semi. The worst would be by a semi tanker loaded with petrol…I can not tell you the number of times we have been head to head with one of those,but anyways…
    The Nairobi trip was a complete success and we did not get robbed or killed! Bonus! Seriously we are grateful the Lord protected us and gave us time with Ernie and Cissy. It was also nice to have a break from the heat. Our new van did great all the way home. We are confident it will be a blessing for several years, I have even promised Kenya not to take it deep into the bush so that should help.

Strader’s Survey Trip and Singuaya Building

 The Strader Family

April 15-27
Strader’s Survey Trip and Singuaya Building
    Kenya left the country to be with her family and the Strader’s came in right behind her. This was John and Amber’s official survey trip. John was our intern back in 2010 so he was pretty well aware of the work here but it was Amber and Eleanora’s first trip. We were super excited for their arrival even though it was in the midst of a crazy time. I am thankful that Sadie was here to continue with school and help keep things afloat while Kenya was gone. Once John and Amber arrived they jumped in also and we managed to make it until Kenya returned but I am jumping ahead.
    I felt bad because John and Amber got in on Wednesday morning early and we had not gotten the guest house ready for their arrival. Baby Sarah was sick on Tuesday so Mama Cedric had to leave early to take her to the doctor so she forgot also to get the guest house ready. I was pretty embarrassed and Kenya was mortified when I told her but John and Amber were very gracious. I ran and got towels and everything and got them at least pointed in the right direction.
    Once John and Amber were sorted out in their room we had a good meeting to talk a little about the trip and how things have been going. It was a great visit that set the stage for the trip. After our meeting John and Amber went to get a little rest since they had not slept in like three days.

    At lunch time we had a little one year birthday party for baby Sarah. Sadie even baked a cake and everything. Although Baby Sarah was not feeling well and could barely set up because she was dizzy we still sang, gave gifts, and ate cake. I hate  that Kenya had to miss it but we made the best of it.

    Thursday I took John, Amber, and Eleanora out to tour the town and see Malindi. Again it was Amber’s first trip so it was a good chance to talk and give her a one time over. In the afternoon I began to get things ready for the building project in Singuaya that we had scheduled for Friday and Saturday.  I was able to get everything needed and loaded up so that we could roll out in the morning.  John taught our evening Bible study in Malindi and did a great job.

    Friday and Saturday were big building days days in Singuaya. John and I headed out on Friday morning and picked up Emanuel, Alfonse , Nicholas, Noah, and Kleopus before heading to Singuaya. We had a great day of building ! The fellowship was great. The only bad thing was it was incredibly hot and there was no shade to work in. Needless to say we drank a massive amount of water. My jeans and tshirt looked like I had just jumped in water. The sweat was pooling up in my shoes it was so hot but we all pressed on and got pretty far on the first day.  The church provided lunch for us. They asked me to bring the food from Malindi because it was cheaper and they gave me the money back for everything. They paid me back with a little plastic bag full of coins. No doubt it was their offerings for quite a while. I was so excited to see them step up and take responsibility for the food purchase and cooking.

    When John and I got back to town after dropping everyone off we picked up Dub, Joni and the girls from the bus stage. They were in Nairobi working on the Bible Institute project and filming another couple classes.
       Saturday I went back to Singuaya after picking up Alfonse, Nicolas, Noah, and Kleopus. Brother John stayed behind to go to Malindi to teach Bible study and visit with the folks in Malindi. Day two of building was just as hot but as the roof started to go on we were able to have a little shade. Since none of us were really builders we had to correct several things along the way. I also had to make a run to Marafa to buy some more Mabati (iron Sheets) to make sure we had enough. We originally planned to be done around lunch but with all our little set backs we did not finish until around 7pm but… we finished. We were all so glad that we got the building ready for the church to meet in on Easter Sunday. I only wish we could have been there for that service.
    We put in a lot of hours and I was so proud of all the guys that participated in the building project. It was a joint effort by Malindi church, Jimba church, Magangani church, and Singuaya church. One of the biggest take aways was the time to sweat and bleed TOGETHER.

    On Easter Sunday John preached a great resurrection message for us. It was so weird not having Kenya with us. In the evening we had our normal service together only we had a  big crowd with our family, Sadie, the Straders, and the Wests. After service I worked with Dub on a few questions he had for the last of the classes he was finishing up.

    On Monday the 21 I took John, Amber, and Eleonora to Gede to visit with Daniel Mbuvi and Alfonse Maitha. We also passed by the Jimba church building and Magangani church buildings. We had a great time of fellowship Daniel and Alfonse’s families. We ate lunch with Alfonse and it was so good. In the Evening we all went out for a good-bye dinner for Dub, Joni, and the girls. It was their last night with us after three months of working here in Kenya on the Bible Institute project.

    Dub was able to get 11 classes finished and on DVD, footage for Mac Med ministry, Eddie Williams, and Ernie Hopper ministry videos as well as rework some old videos we had. Dub did a lot of work while he was here and traveled across the country several times to video. I appreciate him so much and all the work that he did. We are so grateful for the work and time that he invested in the ministry here in Kenya. The video work that he has done will be used for years to come. Dub is still planning to make DVD’s that we can distribute to the other missionaries here in Kenya and so we can have back up copies of the classes. Along with all the work Dub did we now have over twenty classes on video that can be used.
    We had a great dinner together and our kids all gave them cards to tell them Dub, Joni and the girls that they would miss them.
    Everyone loaded up in both of our vehicles to go to Mombasa for a fun day with the Wests and Straders. We went out for an awesome brunch at Java House then spent the afternoon at Haller Park looking at the animals. When we left Mombasa we dropped Dub and his family off at a hotel so they could get a little rest before their 3am flights. It was a really fun day just visiting and talking.

    On Wednesday we went back, again, to Mombasa for Orthodontist appointments for the kids but more importantly to pick up Kenya! We managed to survive the week without Kenya thanks to everyone pitching in around the house.  We also took the Straders by the Mall to look at what was available as they continue to do their survey. The kids and I went to the play area for a relaxing time before we headed out to the airport.

    It was so good to see Kenya after only a week. I have been gone on trips or Kenya and I together have been gone for a weekend but this was the first time the kids and I had to be without Kenya for a solid week. We made it with my root beer oatmeal, sausage hot dogs, and of course Shukarani. Kenya had a good trip and I know it was good for her and her family to be together during a very difficult time.
    With Kenya back in the house it was back to normal for the most part. Kenya took John, Amber, and Eleonora out for the day to shop a little ands they looked at a few houses. We had tried to look at some house when John and Amber first got in but we were not successful. Kenya was able to get in touch with the guy who helped us get the house we are currently in. I spent the day in the office working on administration stuff.
    Friday John and I were out the door at 5:30am and going to Miritini for class with the men at Mnara wa Kweli LBC. John had never met the men in Miritini so we arranged for some class time so John could meet Elli and the men as well as give them some teachings. John did a great job of sharing some lessons on evangelism, which is a subject that John is very passionate about . It was a great day with the guys. We left after lunch to make the long 3 hour drive back to Malindi but it was a good chance for John to get a final look at the over all work. It also gave Kenya and Amber a day to spend together to talk

    When John and I got back he and Amber went to Turtle Bay in Watamu for a night out together. We kept Ellenora for them so they would have a chance to talk about their trip together and just get away and enjoy the coast a little. Little Eleonora was a jewel. We had so much fun with her, she is so full of personality. John and Amber are doing a great job with her. Saturday when John and Amber returned we all had a meeting in the office to discuss their trip and to give them a chance to ask us any questions. I think that they were able to accomplish all that they wanted and needed to for their survey.

    We all attended services at Magangani on Sunday. I taught Sunday School and brother John preached the message. Alfonse was not at church because he had been robbed on Friday night and was not feeling up to coming. After services we went by to see Alphonse with Juma. He shared with us how a group of men in the dark jumped him and knocked him off his bike then beat him up and stole most of the his stock. Thankfully a motor Bike passed by and his assailants ran off or he may have been hurt even worse. He did not appear to have any major injuries just bruised up. We prayed with him then headed back to Malindi.
    Sunday evening was filled with packing for everyone. The Straders were preparing for their  departure and our family and Sadie for a trip to Nairobi. I Skyped with a church in Louisiana for about 30 minutes giving a report and answering questions during their morning worship service. We did get a chance to visit a little more before Kleopus came to pick up the Straders to take them to the airport.

    We really enjoyed the time with John, Amber, and Eleonora and it has excited me for the future. I really believe that God is building a team ministry here with men of various giftedness but the same vision. It is going to be awesome to see how everyone fits together and what God can accomplish as we preach the Gospel here on the coast.

Family Deaths and Singuaya Preparations

April 10-15
Family Deaths and Singuaya Preparations
    After the Masai Trip I took a Thursday off to recuperate. We found out Thursday also that Kenya’s Grandpa passed away on Wednesday night after a long battle with cancer. Kenya’s mama was dealing with all the details. Kenya decided after talking with her dad that she would not go home for the funeral. It was not an easy decision but the Straders were coming and Kenya felt that her mama had good support and seemed to be doing well. 
     I went out to Singuaya on Friday to meet with the church concerning their building needs. They have done a great job getting things ready for their building and have done much of the work themselves. The rains are just around the corner so they urgently needed to get the roof on so that is why I immediately went to see them after the Masai trip. I have spoken with the church already but we could not really build until April anyhow because their Pastor Mwangiri is finishing up secondary school so he was not free until school closed in April.
    I had a great meeting with the church members that were able to come. It was a pretty good turn out considering most were in the fields getting things ready for the rains. Mwangiri, Furaha, several mamas, and even William came in for the meeting. We discussed the size and all the materials that would be needed. Thankfully there was a man that cut palm trees into boards near the place we were meeting. He was working on a project for the local school so he was available to give us some advice. We looked at the cost factor and decided to hire the local man to make all our boards for the roof. We agreed with him on price and time frame. I was glad we found someone local to get the wood from so we would not have to bring poles all the way from Malindi.
    We also set a date for the project and I asked the church to take care of the food for those that came to work. I was pretty sure that I could get some to come from the other churches to help us. The church agreed to take care of the cooking and purchasing the food. By the time the meeting was over I felt very confident in the project and was super excited for the church. I left the meeting to return to Malindi while the members continued to discuss the details and talked with the local “lumber dude”. I gave the church the funds to pay for the wood then departed.
    We did talk briefly about the Gandini Church and how the Singuaya church was helping them by sending Furaha to teach since Jonathan was not around. We did not go into a lot of details about the situation in Gandini I just encouraged the church if they could help that was great and that I was hoping to visit the church in the near future to see what was going on.
    William walked me out to the Land Rover while the others continued to talk. I told William I was so glad to see him and gave him a hug. It had been a long time since I had seen William face to face. I really love William and he has so much potential but he has made a mess of his life and has destroyed his testimony with everyone around him. No one trusts him and for good reason, but I still love that rascal. I told him I was glad to see him and I was praying for him. I also told him we were still friends but our relationship as far as ministry was different now and I hoped that he would allow the Lord to help him restore his testimony. It was a good moment with William that I hope defines our new relationship and allows for room to grow. I could say so much about William but it is enough to say that God has taught me many lessons through my dealings with him.
    On my back to Malindi I say Lawrence from Gandini church walking along the road headed to Garashi. I picked him up and we had lunch together in Garashi and talked about the church in Gandini. He said that things were not good and that Jonathan had not been in Gandini for more than two months. He said that he was teaching when Jonathan was not there but if he is not there usually William’s ex-wife Mama Faith would read a scripture and they would sing because it was only mamas and kids. He said there was other issues and I told him that I would try to come as soon as I could to meet with the church. I was thankful to the Lord to see Lawrence but a little discouraged to hear of the condition of Gandini. Please pray for the Gandini church and for opportunity to meet with them and encourage them.
    It was a good Weekend in Malindi with the normal activities. However Sunday’s worship service really stunk! I know that is bad to say maybe but it was really bad. Our normal keyboard player and choir leader were both gone so that through things off a bit. One of the Masai guys “tried” to play for us but it was terrible he just could not get with us and he only knew one tune and he played it loud and fast. I finally had to turn his volume down and Geoffrey asked him to stop playing. It was not just the music there was just a heavy spirit for no apparent reason. The Good news is that after services Baba Jennifer who we have been praying for got saved. I preached on what being a Christian is and he told me after church he was ready to be saved and become a Christian. AMEN!
    Monday we got word from our family back in Indiana that Kenya’s Brother In-law Curtis had died of a massive heart attack on Sunday night.. It was terrible news especially since Saturday they had buried Kenya’s Grandpa and the next day this happened. Kenya’s sister did CPR for 15 minutes until the paramedics came but it was too late. So it was a traumatic experience to say the least. As soon as we got the call I started looking for flights for Kenya to get home with her family. She continued to talk to everyone on the phone to get details and by the time she was off the phone we had flights booked for her and she was packing to depart that afternoon. She was to leave at 4pm so we told the kids everything and got her all packed up and we were on our way to Mombasa to the airport.
    My uncle , Kenya’s grandpa, then Curtis all passing was a lot to happen in a matter of a week. It has reminded us that we are entering a new phase of life with our families and making the distance between us a bitter reality. I remember on deputation and even on furlough folks saying, “I could never go on the mission field I love my family too much” and I would always think, “I love my family too”. I know they did not mean anything by their statement but it always kinda rubbed me the wrong way. We love our families so much and our hearts ache for them when they suffer and we can not be there. Just as true is the fact that we do not get to celebrate in person with them in the good times either. Such as my brother’s up coming wedding the end of May. I will not be able to attend due the expense. I am not sharing these thoughts to complain it is just a reality and one that we are feeling more as we again enter a new phase of life. We praise God for allowing us to serve Him here in Kenya and these feelings do not change our resolve to be faithful to our Lord and His calling. We know there is a cost to serve and God has given us and continues to give us grace.


I almost forgot to share our dogs latest Kill….we were told it was an Egyptian Mongoose.