Leaving Well

Hello All,
The month of Dec is very hard here on the local people.  RVA (the school) is closed down and many people go away on holiday, etc.  So, they are not here to buy the normal items that they buy from the locals.  We are getting hit up hard here in this last week that we are around from acquaintances that are going to have a hard time even getting food on the table this month.  Please pray for us that we will have a peace about what we can give (or not give).

We had such a good time at thanksgiving, and I wanted to tell you about what my house help (Rose) said.  Her granddaughter, whom some of you are helping to support through school, was with us that day, and she can not stop talking about it!  It was such an amazing experience for her.  This surprised me when Rose told me, but they just never have gatherings like that.  Yvonne tells all of her friends and even others about the big day (Siku Kubwa) at the Wazungu (white's) house.

Yvonne's graduation from Kindergarten

She has done very well in school (she is thriving there) and graduated from kindergarten.  She will start standard 1 (1st grade) in January.  She went with us yesterday to Naivasha to go on a boat ride to see the hippos.  This was the first time she had seen a hippo!  But, I guess it is a lot like when you live in a place with things that are so familiar and you just never get around to seeing them.

We wanted to go camping in Nakuru, but the rains have been excessive!  I did not want to find myself in the rain, in a tent, with 3 kids for the whole night (with the lions outside)!  Here are a few more pictures from yesterday:

We had a good time and, as we were sitting in a dry living room playing a game at night, it was pouring outside!  I was happy!

We are heading home on Tues.  I thought we would be at the point of just getting ready to go by now, but that is not to be!  We have been in meetings and wrapping up loose ends with the hospital projects every day.  We have failed with the immigration services here to obtain the kids' re-entry visas (which would cost about $2 each).  So, we will have to buy them at the airport when we come back (for $50 each)!   The constant delays are very frustrating and very expensive!  Fortunately, Jim and I have our e-permits and re-entry visas so we can get back in at a $2 cost.  We are looking forward to our visit home.  I have just gone through the kids' closets and taken inventory of items needed.  Here is a picture of what Timothy has left for socks!

He will not let me throw these away because it is his second to last pair!  You can get things like socks here, but it is not easy and the quality is horrible.  He would probably be embarrassed about this picture so don't mention it to him!

But, Sallie is in the worst shape.  I am only packing one extra outfit for her to come home because she needs just about everything new!  She is very excited to get to Target.  I may have to drug her to survive the day!  She has already asked, "What time are we leaving to go shopping and are we having lunch."  That's my girl!

One more story about cleaning out closets:  I gave a bag of Timothy and Trevor's old things to Rose to find someone that could use them.  There is a lady friend of hers that works for an organization called Little Lambs.  It is a place that takes care of orphans that either have AIDs or have lost parents to AIDs.  This lady has not been paid in 6 months due to lack of funds.  Rose came back yesterday and told me she had given these things to this lady, and she was over the top grateful!  The shoes in particular were very appreciated.  It just strikes me that something that I consider so little can be so appreciated.  Oh, the things we take for granted!

I forgot to mention something from a few weeks ago.  Timothy entered a car in the Pinewood derby and won a prize for craftsmanship!  He was very excited!

As you can see from the picture, the award has a matchbox car glued to it.  It has been all we can do to keep him from ripping it off in order to play with it!  I think he is in matchbox withdrawal!  He doesn't buy them here because they are $3-4 each (and they are $1 at home).  He has been saving his money and is planning on shopping for several, specific matchboxes.  We were very proud of him.

I may not be blogging as much while we are home, so don't be disappointed if you don't see something new.  We leave on Tues (Dec 6th) and return to Africa on Dec 31.  We went to a seminar recently called "Leaving Well."  It was for people who are transitioning from one culture to another.  Even when you have lived in a place for a long time, and then return to that same place, there are issues.  People change (you change and your friends change) and sometimes it is hard because of your expectations.  Jim and I experienced this on our first time away in Italy.  I didn't think there would be any culture shock when we returned home, but there sure was!  We understand it a bit more now, but the kids will experience it I am sure.  Please pray especially for them, that their expectations will not be too high, so they are not disappointed when things don't work out.

Thank you so much for supporting us and praying for us!
We are so blessed!
In His Hands,
Jullie T.

Cow Success!

Hello All,
Well, we have had success with cow shopping and buying!  What an adventure!  The House of Hope orphanage now has a young friesian cow (a Holstein) that they will raise and hopefully be able to get 30 or so liters of milk per day.  These cows are very expensive here, so we were able to get a young one that they can raise.  This was all with the help of some very generous donors (thank you so much)!

Bessie with all the kids and the adults

I have some other pictures of the orphanage that I want to add here. 

This is where they cook all of their meals

They are chopping Sukuma Wiki which is a staple at every meal.

This is the living room area

This is the kitchen where they serve meals from (no running water)

This is Ruthy

Joel (the founder) told us that he prayed for opening this orphanage for 9 years.  He and his wife decided to adopt a child (Gideon who is about 6) and as soon as they did that, they got the money in order to open the orphanage.  At that point, doors just started opening left and right and now they have 23 kids with 2 more coming soon.  They are 3 - 13 years old.  They have been operating since 2005 and are doing well. 

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving day yesterday.  We got our 10 Kg (not 10 lb as ordered) turkey into the oven and cooked it in just under 7 hours!

I know this is kind of weird, but here is a picture of it in the oven.  We had some friends and other wayward people to dinner and it was a great gathering.  There were 11 of us and we ate very well.  Our friend Susan made a wonderful cheesecake with an African twist:  It was topped with Mango slices. Yum! 

The new incinerator is now operating.  It came when the rains were very heavy last Saturday and 2 of the vehicles got stuck. 

It was an all day affair for Jim to be there and help, but he finally got home at about 8pm soaking wet.  They were able to get some training done and they will be using it to burn hospital waste starting Monday.  They have just been open pit burning.  What a blessing to have!

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day this past week.  We are very thankful for many things.  We will be home in just over a week and a half and will be looking forward to a break!  Hopefully, it will be somewhat restful.

In His Hands,
Jullie T.

Praises in a Cow!

Hello All,
Well, only 2 1/2 weeks left till we come home for a visit.  The kids already have plans about what they are going to eat!  There are a few chosen items that just can't be duplicated.  Timothy wants to have a whole foot long from Subway all to himself! And having real Maple syrup will be incredible.  I was graciously given some back in the spring and have been doling it out by the tablespoon full but am now sadly out!  We will be glad to visit for a while and get refreshed.

Today is the big pinewood derby race up at RVA.  They have this huge track with 6 lanes and electronic timing.  I am going to help score keep.  It is an all day process though.  Races start at 8:30 and go till 3 or 3:30.  Then, awards are given in a ceremony tonight at 6:30.  But, we have a huge conflict:  The hospital's new incinerator is due to arrive this morning!  It was supposed to be here last Thurs, then yesterday and now this morning.  Jim is pretty frustrated with the lack of ability here to do things on time (can you imagine)!  Some things are really coming to a head for him and he could use your prayers.  I should have pictures next week.  It is coming on a 40 ft container and we even had to repair the road for it to come.  The maintenance people put out 15 lorrys (trucks) of stone to try and improve the road.  They should be out there right now inching it into place.  The building that it is going into was being prepared all week.  They had to remove the roof so they can lower it in.  I am staying out of this one as Jim is worried enough about it for the both of us!

This is a picture of our friend Patrick Saroni.  He is a good friend from the Masai tribe.  He attends the local Bible college called Moffat.  His story is amazing of how he came ot be here.  His dad told him in 8th grade that his schooling was over and he had to stay and tend the cows (the Masai are great cow people).  He had meet some missionaries (Kenyan) and eventually they supported him and allowed him into their home (far from where he lived) and supported him through the 4 years of high school.  He wanted to study philosophy, but got hooked up with Moffat.  He had nothing, but was allowed in on a scholarship.  He has been going that way for 3 years now, just praying that the funds will come and basically living for his daily bread.  It is hard for us to imagine, but he does it.  His dream is to become a pastor and go back to the Masai people to help them understand the love of God.  He is currently talking to some US colleges and seeing if they have some opportunities for him.  Two of them were in Michigan.  I told him I did not think a Masai could survive in Michigan with the cold.  They usually wear just a red robe (with nothing underneath)!

This is a picture taken from the Internet of some Masai.  Patrick says they stand on one leg (like the man on the right) in order to let themselves breath!

This week we have several things to deal with for the hospital.  The Bethany kids wing is being rethought in order to bring it into budget, the incinerator will be hooked up and op tested, I will meet with some more people who can design a wet lands system for us, I am talking to the head Doctor about a scavenging air system for the theaters, and thanksgiving is on Thursday.  The school just changed the schedule and are having 1/2 day of school Thur.  I am going to stick with my original plan and have thanksgiving dinner on Friday.  That is their last day of school for the term.  They are very excited to be finished!  I have a 22 lb turkey taking up my whole freezer right now!  I had asked for a 10 lb turkey and got a 10 Kg turkey!  We will be eating turkey all next week I suspect!

Hope you have a great thanksgiving day this week.  This is my favorite holiday.  I will miss not watching football games!

 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Col 3:15-16

I have another praise to tell you about:  Remember last week when I talked about the orphanage needing a cow?  Well, someone spoke up and wants to buy a cow for them!  God is Good!  I am now hunting for a cow (trying to keep my white face out of the picture so that the price is reasonable)!  We are making progress and I will let you know how it goes.

Thanks so much!  We are so grateful to all of you!

In His Hands,
Jullie T.

House of Hope

Hello All,
Yesterday I had the privilege of meeting a man in Naivasha (a town about 40 minutes from here) that is running an orphanage called the House of Hope.  He started with nothing and now has a store (to support the orphanage), a house of his own and an orphanage with 4 employees.  There are 23 kids there now with 2 more expected.  The orphanage was opened in 2005 and has been growing.  They have 2 cows (but one is very old), and some chickens and a big shamba (garden).  His vision was to have a group of kids that are from all different tribes.  Here in Kenya, there is a lot of prejudice along tribal lines.  He wants these kids to grow up together to know each other as brothers and sisters and to be a witness to others about living in harmony with God as their leader.  He has done an amazing job in getting all of this together. These kids are loved and fed and seem to be happy.  But, when we see them (through Wazungu (white) eyes) they seem to have nothing.  They are lacking in shoes and clothing just to start.  There are bright colors painted on the walls, but no games, no balls, no books in sight.  There is a nice playground in the yard, that was donated and is a blessing.  The kids are loved and that is the main thing.  We have read several books about trying to "help" people in seemingly poor situations.  All say that just giving money is usually a crutch, because people can become dependant on those gifts.  Well meaning people can come in and try to "fix" a situation that they have deemed to be broken.  I see this orphanage through different eyes then I would have 1 year ago.  They have the necessities.  They are getting fed and an education.  The man that runs it has a heart for the kids and is doing very well at providing for them.  I still would like to try and fill some of the basic needs that they have and just help them to support themselves.  We are coming home in 3 weeks and if anyone would like to help, we are planning on filling one of our 10 bags with 50 lbs of items for the orphanage.  We in the states have used items that we let sit around or even throw out that here would be deemed valuable.  So, here is a list of things that I think we can bring back for the kids that will not weigh too much (weight is a problem as we only have 1 50 lb bag):

• Clothing and shoes for ages 3-10:  girls and boys
• the shoes are OK to be sandals, crocs, sneakers and the like.
• the clothes could be anything from warm sweatshirts to fancy dress.  They do not wear a lot of shorts though.
• The kids even wear very warm hats as it is pretty cold - at least to them - up on the hill.
• Childrens' books (English is OK with pictures) (Children's bibles would be great).
• Soccer balls -small ones would be best, size 3-4 (that can be deflated) and a pump or 2
• Toothbrushes (I will ask my dentist in Cadillac if he can support this one).
• If we can raise some money, it would be great to supply this place with a young cow.  A cow can provide a source of food for many years.  It costs about $500 to buy a good cow.

Thank you for prayerfully considering helping out here.  This man did not ask for anything, but I know it would be a blessing to them to provide some needed items.  Just let me know and we can coordinate getting items to us.

Here is a picture of the kittens that Sallie has "adopted" over the last month.  They were wild and could not be handled.  But, Sallie has been patient and can now pick up all of them (at least for a little while).  We have them advertised, but no takers yet.  Not sure if we will end up with a yard full of cats!

Their mother is very nice and loves to come around.  It is good having Doctors living next door though.  He was able to watch a you tube video of a spay (Spay a cat in 4 minutes!) and do just that to her on his kitchen table!  Warning - Do Not try this stunt at Home!  Professionals only!  Now at least the mom can stay and we will not be inundated with kittens - much to Sallie's chagrin!

In His Hands,
Jullie T.

Things to be Thankful for

Hello All,
Can another week have passed?  These weeks are just flying by.  We must be having fun (or just too exhausted to notice)!
We may be on the verge of getting the ball rolling again for the Bethany Kids Children's Wing.  The board met last week end in DC to decide the way forward.  We are very close to having a plan.  Please pray that we will be able to fit the structure to the budget that we now have!

I wanted to talk a minute about the things I am thankful for when living in the states.  We take so many things for granted.  When you live in a place such as this, it really brings some of these things to the forefront:

A stable government that abides by rules (most of the time)!

Roads that are not one constant pothole.

A banking system that works.

Meetings that start on time.

The love of a good dog.

The ability to shop for things in a lot of variety.

Jar lids that actually seal!

Not having a fear for your life when driving at night.

People that will tell you "No" if you are wrong.

Windows that close properly.

The fall colors.

Here are a few things that I am very thankful for while living here:

Having a good store of chocolate chips!

Making chocolate chip cookies on a rainy day.

Coke in a bottle.

Walking to the school and work.

Bird of Paradise growing in the yard.

Making a difference to the hospital (even though we are not doctors)!

Cuddling with a kid on the couch while reading a book.

Waving at a kid and having that make their day.

Being able to give $5 worth of food to feed a family for 2 days.

Seeing the monkeys in the yard every morning.

This coming week is our last week of soccer with the elementary kids (Titchies).  It has been 3 days a week from 4-5.  I will be glad when it is over, but we have had a lot of fun.  I think the kids have had a great time too.

We only have 4 weeks left until we travel home.  Jim and I are looking forward to that as much as we ever looked forward to a semester break at Auburn!  We know the 3 week visit will just fly by, but it will be a welcome respite!

Another blessing about being here is not even noticing that Christmas is coming!  What I mean by that is there are no advertisements, no TV to bombard you with sales, no stores that tell you it's getting late, no flashy signs or Christmas displays.  We are truly blessed! 

Something has happened this past few weeks that really brings to mind how precious life is.  It can be taken at any moment and you don't have any control over when or where or how.  Only God knows.  We can only live it, given free choice, to our fullest and knowing that if we follow His will we will be blessed no matter what the end.

Col 1:9-11
9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

NKJV

Thank you all for everything you do for us.  Even keeping up with us on this blog is a blessing (to know that you care enough to take the time)!

In His Hands,
Jullie T.

Living with Unrest

Hello All,
I am not sure if you have heard of the unrest here in Kenya, but I will brief you on the goings-on: 

Kenya invaded Somalia last week in retaliation against insurgents from Al-Sha_bab kidnapping missionaries and tourists up near the Somali boarder (in the north east).  The US embassy has sent information telling us to stay away from high profile areas (like Malls or big events and night clubs).  We live in the more southern part (to the north west of Nairobi).  Al-Sha_bab has threatened to carry out retaliation events against Kenya. There were a few minor events last week (a bomb went off in a night club and a grenade was thrown at a bus station).  They are not sure if the culprits were Al-Sha_bab or not.  So, we are doing our best to just lay low.  The security at the hospital has been beefed up:  The police post that is here has been upgraded to a police station - which means they should get a car!  We are doing our grocery shopping at some lesser known places.  It is interesting that I heard a story from a missionary that lived here for a long time:  Back in the 50's, the Mau Mau had an uprising against the British. (You can see the 1957 movie about it called, "Something of Value" starring Rock Hudson and Sidney Poitier).  During that time, some Mau Mau, who were captured, had reported that they had turned away from Kijabe after they noted the high level of security forces surrounding the area.  At that time there were no security forces, but the Christians here had been praying hard!  Who's hand was in that!  So, don't worry about us, but pray that the kidnappings will stop and this war will be temporary.

On a projects note:  Jim has updated the projects page (on the top bar).  There have been a lot of things progressing this week.  Things are moving pretty quickly around here.  It sure keeps us busy.

We tested some of our bricks (finally) this week with a machine that we built.

Here is a picture of the brick testing machine

There is a plate that is 30mm x 30mm that we use to crush the samples.  We add a weight (or Jim hanging on to the bar!) to the lever arm and use a scale to see how many Kg is takes to crush the sample.  Most of the samples passed, a few failed.  It was fun to actually get to destroy things!

Here is a picture of the MCH building:

It is coming along!  There are many challenges.  Please pray that we will overcome those and have a strong building for the women and children that come the Kijabe and for the CT scanner that will be so important to the health care aspect and for the finances for the hospital.

I have been looking forward to today!  Today is Senior Store up at RVA (where they sell good food), and a football (soccer) tournament.  It is still wet outside as it has been for about a week so far, but we are going anyway.  They boys have already left, as they eat good food, and play and hang out with friends for the day.

Here are some pictures of when we went last Friday to eat at a friend's house.  Grace makes the best chicken! 

I can't tell if Grace is waving in the picture or trying to tell Jim to "Stop it!"

Please pray for us as we finish out the month of school.  The kids are done at the end of Nov and we will be leaving to come home for a visit in Dec.  It feels like the last push, and we are really looking forward to the break when we get home!

In His Hands,

Jullie T.

Human Kenyan Flag

Hello All,
We had a good but busy week here.  Thursday was a Kenyan holiday (hero's day).  Everything was shut down, including RVA (to an extent).  They are not allowed to have classes that day so they do "Multi-cultural Day."  It was amazing!  They have a ceremony where all the kids from the different countries have opportunities to do a skit, or dance or song or something to represent their home country.  Then they have a parade of flags, where each flag of the kids that are represented is walked in one by one and everyone cheers.  There are 33 countries represented at RVA!  I would not have guessed that.  After the ceremonies, they served lunch (BBQ chicken and ribs - Yum!) and the rest of the afternoon was filled with sports games, etc.  We did a pick up game of soccer with the titchies (elementary kids).  It was a blast.  Below is a picture of the Kenyan flag:

Can you see Trevor in the white hat??  He is in the white row just under the black, just to the left of the middle.  Timothy is visible too, but hard to find (he's in the top black row on the right).  I never could find Sallie.  She is in red somewhere.

Here is a picture of the Kenyan flag.  The human one looks pretty good huh?  We had a great day even though Jim and I needed to do some work.

Jim has been over the top busy this week trying to get the electrical team ready for the big turn over today.  They are going to turn the hospital over to the new generator (finally after almost 1/2 a year)!  All of his Navy evolution experience is paying off.  They have been doing walk throughs and making lists trying to be ready.  They did a short walk through/try out for switching the housing over yesterday and had a fireworks show!  Something about a ground not hooked up.  Today is the day.  He is already up there as I write this, so please pray for him and the whole team that is goes well.

We told you in early Oct about a problem with some anesthesia equipment.  It seems to be running well now.  They started back with adults and are now back to children in that room.  I have been busy writing a lessons learned paper for the whole thing (that Navy pays off again!)  Please pray for continued success for all the operations. 

One of the people effected by the issue was baby Rose.  Her mother is Mama Rose (Margaret).  Mama Rose is very young and a new christian.  Rose was released from the hospital in early Oct, but is now back.  She is not in a good state and needs prayer.  Her mother is amazing.  Because of this incident, her husband left her.  She is staying with a distant relative for the time.  Taking care of Rose in this state is not easy for anyone, and Margaret is very young (17-19 maybe).  But, she has an attitude that would inspire you.  She is putting it in God's hands as that is the only thing she can do.  Please pray for her.

Just wanted to mention the Jazz band concert that we went to last Saturday.  It was awesome!  The RVA jazz band is very, very good.  They played some old songs that definitely dated Jim and I (he will be 50 this year, but don't tell anyone)!  We had a great time -relaxing in the sun, shopping (arts and crafts), good music and coca-colas!

We went to Ndabibi last week to attend the AIC church.  This is a church that was built with the stabilized soil bricks that we are using for our MCH building.  It is about a 2 hour drive, 1/2 tarmac and 1/2 dirt.  But the best part is seeing the giraffe, zebra, warthog, spring buck, etc. on the way.  Our friend Thomas Renner (German) gave a great sermon (in English) with our other friend Patrick (Masi) translating into Kiswahili.  It was wonderful.  They had not met before that day, but were like long lost brothers the way the worked together! 

Here is a link of some of the worship and service.

Youtube video of Ndabibi Harambee

Thomas and Patrick (the dynamic duo)!

My little friends!

Flamingos on Lake Naivasha

sunset on our way home

One last picture to add.  This was one of the kids getting ready to go up to multi cultural day.  Not sure if Trevor is actually smiling or in agony!

Thank you all for keeping up with what we are doing.  There are definitely challenges here, but we are doing well and are enjoying serving God in the way that we know!

In His Hands,

Jullie T.

Monkey In the House??

Hello All,
I have pretty good evidence that there was a monkey in my bedroom last Sunday!  Jim and the boys had left for 2 nights of camping in the Adedares (more to follow below) and I had gone for a walk with Sallie and a friend.  When I got back, I noticed a small "turd" on the window sill.  I thought to myself, "Why would Jim put this on the window sill?"  I was thinking that maybe Frodo, the dog, had "done something" on the floor and Jim picked it up and put it on the window sill.  So, I got a paper towel and picked it up.   It was not hard and dry as I suspected.  It was soft and warm!  It also had seeds in it.  Hummm, I thought.  Then I heard something on the roof.  I walked into the kitchen and there looking at me through the big window was a small monkey peering over the roof top!  He was essentially saying, "Did you find my gift?"  Not sure that one has ever happened to me before!

Jim and the boys had a great time (OK, Trevor had a so-so time) camping last week end.  Trevor had to put up with "munchkins" for 2 days solid - AJ, Nick, Mitch and Jonathan where are you when we need you! They saw some very cool animals and great waterfalls.  They came back very dirty but happy!  Here are some pictures:

Trevor, Craig, Nathan, Aaron, Timothy

Chameleon

African Forest Elephant

Bushbuck with a Francolin

The African Crown Eagle

Timothy and Nathan

Jackson's Francolin

Water Buck

As soon as they got home on Tues at noon, I had Jim's schedule packed tight with meetings, etc!  He was not happy with me.  It just goes to show the pace of this last week.  We have been admittedly, overloaded!  Last night came around (pizza night of course) and I just made pizza for our family (making only 3 seems to take only about 5 minutes!) and we sat and did nothing.  What a joy!

Sallie and I had a good time riding last Monday.  We went to Karen and there was a small stable where we rented horses for an hour.  It is definitely not the same as having your own, but the horses were nice enough and well cared for. 

Here is a picture of a sunset from our house.  It is very beautiful here at times.  Yesterday and today are like rainy, cold Washington days though! 

We are headed to Naivasha this afternoon though and it is always warm there.  Trevor is going over there with the jazz band from RVA to play at a festival.  They all have these white Fedora hats and they wear black pants and shirts - Very Cool!

Please pray this week for:

1.  the needs of the people here.  They pray everyday for their "daily bread"

2. The Bethany Kids wing project - the board is in the process of deciding whether to continue with the project at all or scale it back or proceed with it but in phases.

3. The Mother Child Health building - we are building with the Stabilized Soil Bricks, and are finding challenges.

4. The new Incinerator is coming early (in 2 weeks barring import delays in South Africa) and we are not ready with the building or the road.  Please pray for diligence and peace (this one is really stressing Jim!)

Update for the operating room troubles:  They have started using that room again with adults with no issues.  They are continuing with caution though.  Jim and I are going to be writing a report and formal "lessons learned" paper just like we did in the Navy.  We are also looking at putting in a scavanging system to suck the air out of the exit tube (instead of gravity flow out).

Thank you so much for all of your support!  We couldn't be here with out you!

In His Hands,

Jullie T.