Tuesday...not at all as we intended

Well I must say, this trip has not gone as we planned. Our baggage still hasn't arrived in Kisumu, and they are telling us that Lawyer's bag was separated and may not arrive until Thursday (we fly home on Friday.)

As we were sitting at the airport waiting on our bags to arrive (we were told they would arrive so expectantly we went.) we called and asked out Stve(our administrator), Emily (our social worker), and Kennedy (our head teacher) to meet us to go shopping and join us for lunch. The plan was then to go and deliver everything to the children in the afternoon. Well...things did not go as planned.

As we waited at the airport for an hour, we were told that our information was incorrect. Our baggage was "delayed." So, quit dejected we went out to the car...there was a parking boot placed on our car! Again we waited for another hour. The team from the orphanage had been waiting for almost 2 hours in Kisumu before we finally made it st 1pm to go shopping! Th were gracious, but we were frustrated. 

SHOPPING...my highest spiritual gift is GIVING! This was in my wheel house. So Lawyer and I bought clothes for the day and were able to buy underwear for the kids and toiletry items. In this moment I realized how thankful I was that Lawyer and I were her together. We make a great team! 

We really felt the need to have some private conversations with Emily on some news we have gotten, but these guys seldom separated themselves from her. As I asked her to lead me to the help me find a tooth brush, Lawyer ran interference with the other 2! It provided me with a good 20 minutes to visit with Emily! 

At we went shopping, we went to the linen store to buy material for new uniforms! It was a unique experience. Lawyer and I both hav been buying cheap shirts as we have awaited our luggage and in this store we realized that we could have had Kenyan tailored shirts for cheaper! Too late, but Emily told us the next time we arrived that she would have some waiting for us ;) (she eyeballed our measurements)

Then it was time for lunch. There is a place called the Java House that has great sandwiches, that. We had planned to visit. Our teachers hoped for more, so we went to the Kisumu hotel in stead! They seldom, if ever get to eat at such a place. It was a gift. Lawyer and I tried samosa? For the first time! If was great. I would call it Africa's version of a meat pie!

At lunch is when I say lawyer at his best. Steve is a competent young man, but doesn't relate well with those below him...lording his authority over them. There is much tension there. Lawyer for an hour talked with him about leadership and the joy of serving! It was beautiful to watch and listen to from afar. That young man didn't understand the gift he'd been given. He listened intently, and you could see him deciding whether to believe his training or this man who sat in front of him. Amazing!

We then went on to purchase shoes for the kids. Steve took initiative for the first time...and negotiated the price of the shoes! Saving some $100. 

By the time that was finished it was too late to go to the orphanage. So we visited the Masai Market to get gifts to take home. Man those guys ,corner you! But we put our best negotiator's hats on and got what we needed. Our families will be happy!

Our biggest God moment happened as we woke up in the morning! We had been told a few years back for the need of a fence at the  cost...$25,000! The church has tried to raise money but fallen short! It is a need. Well at the Okelo's where we are staying I noticed a living fence. It don't know how to spell it but it sounds like "K-epo" it is s thorny brush..beautiful! As we talked, many of the nicer homes have this thick brush manicured as a fence! It was pretty and effective! As we dicussed, we talked about the possibility of this at the orphanage! The soil and rain is good for this plant there...we would need to buy some 2500 plants! The plants cost .10/ea! We could do the fence for 100 times less than our goal! Lawyer took the idea, put his engineering mind behind it and presented this idea to Steve and I believe he listened to it because of the relationship Lawyer had built with him. 

Not as planned, but good.

Prayers...

Pray for both of our digestive tracks. Without meds, we are both adjusting to the food slower than we would like. Pray for the meetings that must occur Wednesday. They are most critical, and will be most difficult. Pray for our luggage to arrive. Pray for the orphanage and those who are there. 

On a lighter note, I was encouraged with a text from one of our members last night. It was a reminder of the last sermon I preached. The text, Mark 6:7-9. 

And He *summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits;

 8 and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt—

 9 but to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two tunics.”

Well, I guess we packed too much! What a great reminder to the preacher, that we have been knives what is needed to do the Lord's work! As always He is Our provider!

We don't what tomorrow holds, but we know that it will turn out just as the Lord desires. 

***update: it is Wednesday at noon on Kenya. Lawyer's bag has made it. It had the most important meds. Mine is still missing. Its important contents are the letters for the children and balls for recreation. Small things but important. Pray for its arrival.

Day 1 or Day 3, depending on how you are counting

Day 1---or 3, depending on how you count

Well we have made it through day 1 (or 3 of you count flight time) it has been a good trip this far. The flights were long...very long. But we arrived (our luggage didn't, but should arrive Tuesday) as a side note we went out and bought some clothes and we looked like an old guy boy band! Note to self, Kenyan sizes are smaller than US sizes!

After a pretty good nights rest in Nairobi we boarded our plane to Kisumu. The view below is the first site I had of Kisumu from the air! 

As we were met by our host (Jared) we made our way to the orphanage. If you haven't been this next picture might not mean much b/c it is just of the road. If you have been here then your jaw is dropping! The roads are great and have brought many homes,businesses, and schools to the area

Our our way there must have been 15-20 towns that have developed along the road. I was amazed that during the day. On our two hour drive to the orphanage that we only saw a handful of kids not in school. These areas were businesses that had formed in pockets for travelers.

We stopped for lunch. Below is Jared (yellow), his brother Joshua (black), Tom (our previous admin) and Lawyer.

Lunch was...fried! Not too bad.

Lawyer insisted on the next picture! Before and after each meal you had to wash up. You eat with your hands, so this was important.

This is a picture of our orphanage from the back. It's HUGE! I mean big! Compared to other orphanages I think the facility was as nice or better. Now, apparently there is no running water and the generator is not working, but you can tell that FBCP put a lot into the bones of the facility.

This was Pastor Daniel's home. It now serves for prek-1st school rooms.

The kitchen smelt good. Wood burning stove/oven. The head chef was there today (what are the odds!?! JK, they knew we were coming)

This is the garden where the kids grow Kale and then use it in some of their meals.

Lawyer and some of our orphans.

Finally made it home. Must have seen 50-100 houses like the one in the picture on the way back to Homa Bay and Kisumu.

The scenery is beautiful. God is good

We had a full day with a fuller one tomorrow. We heard the school side of the report. High marks. Trophy for the best private school on Homa Bay. I wrote the stat, but it was 1 out of 97 schools I believe.

Many questions and tensions between some of the people associated with the school/orphanage are already stirring. Pray that the Lord will give us the ability to bring them together. Also pray for truth. We heard only about the school today, but so much still left to talk about. Some big issues. 

What a unique experience the Lord has given us and we want to serve Him completely and competently. 

Thank you all for praying.

**its midnight and I'm beat. So forgive any typos**