From Dedee:
Relaxing at Sweetwater.....This is one of the most beautiful places on earth! You should really consider coming to Africa....you will never be the same! Parting today from Endana was bittersweet, but knowing that electricity and clean water is a few weeks away is truly the best gift in the world!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The bug has gotten me for sure!
From Gayle:
Today was our last full day in Endana. The week has gone so fast & tomorrow we say our 'so longs' to all our friends here....It's always a very hard day. God is doing some amazing things here....soon they will have access to CLEAN water! We also got to visit with their high school students today....That was pretty cool too.
From Kristin:
Had an amazing day at Endana today. Bonded with some sweet girls. It's really going to be hard to leave tomorrow! Can't wait to come back to Kenya! The bug has gotten me for sure!
From Holly:
AWESOME DAY IN KENYA! Played with 120 preschoolers...so crazy but so fun! Hung out with some sweet 4th grade girls and got precious time with SENGENOI!!!! YAY!!! It was so hard to leave her. Pray for continued healing in her foot.
From Dedee:
Having an awesome time in Kenya! Taught 120 nursery and kindergarten students....WOW! am I thankful for the student cap in the USA and desks for all as well....four and five kids per desk and a free for all most of the time....Loving leading in music and movement....Missing teaching music!!!
Today was our last full day in Endana. The week has gone so fast & tomorrow we say our 'so longs' to all our friends here....It's always a very hard day. God is doing some amazing things here....soon they will have access to CLEAN water! We also got to visit with their high school students today....That was pretty cool too.
From Kristin:
Had an amazing day at Endana today. Bonded with some sweet girls. It's really going to be hard to leave tomorrow! Can't wait to come back to Kenya! The bug has gotten me for sure!
From Holly:
AWESOME DAY IN KENYA! Played with 120 preschoolers...so crazy but so fun! Hung out with some sweet 4th grade girls and got precious time with SENGENOI!!!! YAY!!! It was so hard to leave her. Pray for continued healing in her foot.
From Dedee:
Having an awesome time in Kenya! Taught 120 nursery and kindergarten students....WOW! am I thankful for the student cap in the USA and desks for all as well....four and five kids per desk and a free for all most of the time....Loving leading in music and movement....Missing teaching music!!!
Wednesday Update from Aaron
Jambo!
I can't tell you how inspired I have been by the Kenyan pastors we have been working with this week. These godly men were so hungry for God's Word and we had some great discussions that will hopefully impact many people through their churches. We had 14 pastors in attendance today! I can't wait to get back here for more. Mark Monical, Lee Ullrich, and Tom Hundl have been awesome.
The water project has also been amazing. The community has come out in force...98 community members working side by side with our team to dig the trench. It is extremely tough work. Kirk Willson and his team have also been busy working on the pump house down by the river. Kirk + Kenyan friends + construction on a water project = happy man :)
Anyone who has worked with kids in this setting understands the daunting task of leading anything organized. The numbers are about 1 to 40. But our team has been amazing. Over the years we've learned some important principles and the past week has been like a well oiled machine. Our people are kid magnets... and adorable kids are EVERYWHERE!
The Special Needs team also wrapped up their needs assessment and the future suddenly looks a whole lot brighter for about a dozen kids. I am so thankful for the unique skill sets God designed through our team.
This afternoon, we were able to visit the Endana Secondary School. We divided into small groups and had some great conversations with the high school students there. We hope to be more involved there next year. It was tons of fun. I love those kids.
The highlight of the day though was walking down to the river to baptize a 15 year old orphan named Mary. Ronnie had the chance to lead her over the line of faith on Sunday and then baptized her today. It was a living picture of the Great Commission.
And to top it off, we were able to have a skype conversation with Lanny Donoho and Jeff Pickering live from the stage at BigStuf. The connection was pretty rocky, but it was very cool.
In the morning, we'll head back to the Primary School for the closing ceremony and goodbyes. Leaving is so hard, but the blow will be softened by our safari day at Sweetwaters. Sweetwaters is THE most beautiful place on Earth. Our first timers are gonna freak out.
Thanks for all your prayers and to those who wrote notes of encouragement for our team. They are greatly appreciated.
Aaron
I can't tell you how inspired I have been by the Kenyan pastors we have been working with this week. These godly men were so hungry for God's Word and we had some great discussions that will hopefully impact many people through their churches. We had 14 pastors in attendance today! I can't wait to get back here for more. Mark Monical, Lee Ullrich, and Tom Hundl have been awesome.
The water project has also been amazing. The community has come out in force...98 community members working side by side with our team to dig the trench. It is extremely tough work. Kirk Willson and his team have also been busy working on the pump house down by the river. Kirk + Kenyan friends + construction on a water project = happy man :)
Anyone who has worked with kids in this setting understands the daunting task of leading anything organized. The numbers are about 1 to 40. But our team has been amazing. Over the years we've learned some important principles and the past week has been like a well oiled machine. Our people are kid magnets... and adorable kids are EVERYWHERE!
The Special Needs team also wrapped up their needs assessment and the future suddenly looks a whole lot brighter for about a dozen kids. I am so thankful for the unique skill sets God designed through our team.
This afternoon, we were able to visit the Endana Secondary School. We divided into small groups and had some great conversations with the high school students there. We hope to be more involved there next year. It was tons of fun. I love those kids.
The highlight of the day though was walking down to the river to baptize a 15 year old orphan named Mary. Ronnie had the chance to lead her over the line of faith on Sunday and then baptized her today. It was a living picture of the Great Commission.
And to top it off, we were able to have a skype conversation with Lanny Donoho and Jeff Pickering live from the stage at BigStuf. The connection was pretty rocky, but it was very cool.
In the morning, we'll head back to the Primary School for the closing ceremony and goodbyes. Leaving is so hard, but the blow will be softened by our safari day at Sweetwaters. Sweetwaters is THE most beautiful place on Earth. Our first timers are gonna freak out.
Thanks for all your prayers and to those who wrote notes of encouragement for our team. They are greatly appreciated.
Aaron
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Want to see the team in Kenya?
Wednesday morning at about 9:45 a.m. BigStuf & Lanny will be skyping with our team in Kenya. They will be talking about all the cool stuff that is going on in Kenya. Go to http://www.thinkbigstuf.com/ for a live feed of the BigStuf session.
Must Read!
From Aaron Sanders:
I am extremely proud of our team this week. Our group is serving in so many different ways. We have school educators partnering with nurses to assess the needs of mentally and physically handicapped individuals. Small Group Leaders teaching Kenyan pastors about grace, forgiveness, and financial peace. Teenagers and adults working side by side with the community to dig water trenches and a pump house building. And a whole crew of of gentle and patient Christ-followers expressing God's love to some of the world's most impoverished children.
Leading a large team like this is sometimes difficult, but our team's Christ-like attitude and boundless energy have made for a powerful combination. I love watching God expand our team's perspective as they serve alongside our Kenyan brothers and sisters. The community here has much to teach us about the value of cooperation within the body of Christ.
My favorite moment of the day though was getting to see our sponsor child, Sengenoi. Holly and I have been sponsoring her for the last couple of years. She has struggled with a badly infected foot and even came to the U.S. for treatment last October. After staying at our home for a week, Holly and I felt a tremendous bond with her. If we could, we would adopt her today. At our reunion today, Sengenoi was a bit shy at first, but then warmed up when we showed her some video of Ethan and Ella. She is such a cool kid, but there are tons of really cool kids here that need sponsors. I hope you'll all consider sponsoring a child here through Brightpoint for Children. Kids are available in both the Endana Primary School and the Secondary School. The small amount of money we send every month really does make a difference. It is worth the sacrifice to give kids like Sengenoi a brighter future. Go to Brightpoint to learn more.
From Holly Sanders:
God moment #1: I was sitting in a circle with preschoolers playing duck, duck, goose. One of the girls pointed out the dust on my leg. She spit in her hands, rubbed them together, and washed my leg. Her legs were covered in dirt, but she wanted to wash mine. I get chills just writing it. She cared enough about me to wash the dirt off. How beautiful! God moment #2: Hugging Sengenoi today for the first time in a long time. Leaving here there with her foot in bad condition was so hard! I just want to rescue her...take her home and take care of her. My heart beats for the people of Kenya!"
Also, I talked to Kirk this morning through our office messenger.
Below is some of our conversation.
From Kirk Willson:
We've been working on rebuilding a pump house by the river. We will put the roof on it tomorrow. Endana will have clean water soon!
It's hard work but good. I'm working with James who I have worked with the last two years. Carpentry work is fun!
Great team. Everyone is getting along great and doing great. The pastors conference is going good also. It's been a great trip.
Not sure if you heard but the government has run electricity out to the school. They will be wiring and hooking up the school very soon. Clean water and electricity will move this community way down the road!
Praise God!
From Gayle Stein:
"Hey! Today was amanzing (how many times have you heard that recently)! We went to the mission this afternoon & I was going to hand deliver a letter to Dianane Lewis' sponsored child. As it turned out, the child wasn't at the mission, but at Jerusalem, about 2 km away....I had her letter & then one from Kathy Peters because they both lived in the same area.....I actually got to hand the letters to the two little girls outside their huts....AMAZING... Oh yes, Nick Rimato came with me because he didn't want me to go by myself....He is a great young man! Anyway....it was totally awesome! God is so good....and doing awesome things in Kenya!"
Keep Praying!!
I am extremely proud of our team this week. Our group is serving in so many different ways. We have school educators partnering with nurses to assess the needs of mentally and physically handicapped individuals. Small Group Leaders teaching Kenyan pastors about grace, forgiveness, and financial peace. Teenagers and adults working side by side with the community to dig water trenches and a pump house building. And a whole crew of of gentle and patient Christ-followers expressing God's love to some of the world's most impoverished children.
Leading a large team like this is sometimes difficult, but our team's Christ-like attitude and boundless energy have made for a powerful combination. I love watching God expand our team's perspective as they serve alongside our Kenyan brothers and sisters. The community here has much to teach us about the value of cooperation within the body of Christ.
My favorite moment of the day though was getting to see our sponsor child, Sengenoi. Holly and I have been sponsoring her for the last couple of years. She has struggled with a badly infected foot and even came to the U.S. for treatment last October. After staying at our home for a week, Holly and I felt a tremendous bond with her. If we could, we would adopt her today. At our reunion today, Sengenoi was a bit shy at first, but then warmed up when we showed her some video of Ethan and Ella. She is such a cool kid, but there are tons of really cool kids here that need sponsors. I hope you'll all consider sponsoring a child here through Brightpoint for Children. Kids are available in both the Endana Primary School and the Secondary School. The small amount of money we send every month really does make a difference. It is worth the sacrifice to give kids like Sengenoi a brighter future. Go to Brightpoint to learn more.
From Holly Sanders:
God moment #1: I was sitting in a circle with preschoolers playing duck, duck, goose. One of the girls pointed out the dust on my leg. She spit in her hands, rubbed them together, and washed my leg. Her legs were covered in dirt, but she wanted to wash mine. I get chills just writing it. She cared enough about me to wash the dirt off. How beautiful! God moment #2: Hugging Sengenoi today for the first time in a long time. Leaving here there with her foot in bad condition was so hard! I just want to rescue her...take her home and take care of her. My heart beats for the people of Kenya!"
Also, I talked to Kirk this morning through our office messenger.
Below is some of our conversation.
From Kirk Willson:
We've been working on rebuilding a pump house by the river. We will put the roof on it tomorrow. Endana will have clean water soon!
It's hard work but good. I'm working with James who I have worked with the last two years. Carpentry work is fun!
Great team. Everyone is getting along great and doing great. The pastors conference is going good also. It's been a great trip.
Not sure if you heard but the government has run electricity out to the school. They will be wiring and hooking up the school very soon. Clean water and electricity will move this community way down the road!
Praise God!
From Gayle Stein:
"Hey! Today was amanzing (how many times have you heard that recently)! We went to the mission this afternoon & I was going to hand deliver a letter to Dianane Lewis' sponsored child. As it turned out, the child wasn't at the mission, but at Jerusalem, about 2 km away....I had her letter & then one from Kathy Peters because they both lived in the same area.....I actually got to hand the letters to the two little girls outside their huts....AMAZING... Oh yes, Nick Rimato came with me because he didn't want me to go by myself....He is a great young man! Anyway....it was totally awesome! God is so good....and doing awesome things in Kenya!"
Keep Praying!!
Monday, June 28, 2010
"God is doing some crazy things."
Today was an amazing day for both children helpers and construction workers. We will have the opportunity to go on home visits tomorrow. We're looking forward to another day hanging out with these kids.
I officially have a v-neck tan line from being outside all the time in KENYA! We had an amazing time back at Endana today, these kids are even more amazing than i remember. The project is going good, however, I kind of feel useless next to these beastly Kenyans. I'm not looking forward to saying goodbye on thursday....
- Jamie W
I cannot type on this keyboard so i can't say much. we hav played soccer nonstop, the kids are amazing! e have accmplished so much already ith the trench we are digging... th project was changed. I am having a great time, got sunburned bt its all good.
I will get on again later with hopefullya better comuter, but so far it is awesome! I am doing great and and i have ben taking my malaria pills.
Kenya is already everything I could have hoped for and more. God is doing some crazy things.
- Jakeb S
Today was awesome! We screened people with special needs.....not just chilldren....too much to post on a wall....But we had a 6 mo old baby to a 56 year old Masai warrior....We're tired....but it was rewarding....God puts amazing teams together!
- Gayle S
I was taught how to use a pick ax today....i wasnt very good, but I liked using it until a Kenyan pastor took it from because I was too slow. :)
- Holly S
I officially have a v-neck tan line from being outside all the time in KENYA! We had an amazing time back at Endana today, these kids are even more amazing than i remember. The project is going good, however, I kind of feel useless next to these beastly Kenyans. I'm not looking forward to saying goodbye on thursday....
- Jamie W
I cannot type on this keyboard so i can't say much. we hav played soccer nonstop, the kids are amazing! e have accmplished so much already ith the trench we are digging... th project was changed. I am having a great time, got sunburned bt its all good.
I will get on again later with hopefullya better comuter, but so far it is awesome! I am doing great and and i have ben taking my malaria pills.
Kenya is already everything I could have hoped for and more. God is doing some crazy things.
- Jakeb S
Today was awesome! We screened people with special needs.....not just chilldren....too much to post on a wall....But we had a 6 mo old baby to a 56 year old Masai warrior....We're tired....but it was rewarding....God puts amazing teams together!
- Gayle S
I was taught how to use a pick ax today....i wasnt very good, but I liked using it until a Kenyan pastor took it from because I was too slow. :)
- Holly S
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
