I'm in Eldoret now - a town, on the edge of the Great Rift Valley in NW Kenya fairly close to the Ugandan border - in relative terms! It's a place where lots of the Kenyan runners come and train because of its altitude, and is also a town I first visited back in 2006ish when I worked for another NGO Open Arms International.
The reason for being here this time is to do a whole load of preparation for a CRED team that will be coming here next Feb, to work with a project that is new to us. But also, due to my previous links with Open Arms, it is a place where I have missionary friends, and so I am spending some happy days with them, and their network of other missionaries working locally.
A bit of an update on the events since the last blog - which was posted in Kenya, but written in Uganda!
Friday evening I arrived in Nairobi and was greeted by the wonderful taxi-driver Billy who always drives me in Nairobi when I am on my own. It was the first time in Nairobi since the massive fire at the airport last autumn that wiped out the arrivals hall, so I was a bit disoriented on arrival, and greatly relieved to see Billy, who drove me to Kenyanito's home. Remind me never to arrive in Nairobi on a Friday late afternoon - 2.5hrs of traffic on a journey that should take 30 minutes!
Anyway, had a lovely evening with Kenyanito and his 5yr old son Favor and 18month old daughter Honor. Val, the wife, was at college as she is studying for a degree in Theology, so I only saw her briefly (info most of you don't need, but those who have met Val will find that bit interesting!). I'll be back with them at the end of my Kenya week, so will save the rest until then, but suffice to say they are all well, the school is progressing, and it was great to catch up with old friends.
Saturday morning started officially with the 5.15 am alarm, but unofficially with the first cock-crow at 3am, and that set off a dawn chorus of cockerels all seeming to compete for loudest and longest crowing title.
30 mins to the airport and then a flight up to Eldoret. Pretty uneventful except that I happened to be seated next to a guy who works for Airtel, one of the main mobile networks here. Fair enough, you say, but I had been lent an Airtel SIM by Val, and it wasn't allowing me to send texts to UK - so Mr Airtel sat next to me sorted my phone out! My flight passengers so far have all been gems - and more prayers answered!
Dave and Linda met me at the airport and I spent a beautiful Kenyan Saturday with them. Catching up on life whilst doing the dog-walk, visiting possible accommodation for the February team, driving past the potential schools that the team might work in, sussing out the nearest medical facilities of acceptable standard, and visiting some projects run by other missionaries out here.
Dave and Linda came out here following God's calling, and are here in a 'free agent' kind of way. They have links in to many projects, and support those projects in all sorts of ways - Linda through assisting with book-keeping and accounts and logistics, Dave is making quite a name for himself at building play equipment at children's projects, and as a qualified HGV driver can turn his hand to all sorts of transport issues, plus other DIY / construction projects. They network people, support people, bless people, and do it all in God's name.
To me they epitomise Psalm 37. They committed their way to God (v5), and trust in God to show the way (v3). There have been ups and downs but they don't fret or get angry about it (v8). Instead they move forward each day with God, and for me it is an absolute pleasure, privilege and honour to be with them.
So, all in all yesterday was a very successful day, and just a bit mind-blowing in the way that God is not just sorting out the details that I know of, but also fulfilling other background issues that whirr away in my subconscious. The projects we visited, as well as others that Dave and Linda know of, could easily make up the elements of a brilliant CRED 360 Project for disengaged or disadvantaged young people, and it was only a couple of weeks ago that I had been thinking I ought to identify some more locations for such teams to go to - and now we have one! Thank you Lord once again :-)
And now its Sunday and time for church. Later missionary fellowship, and a chance to connect with more people living out their lives for God in this beautiful corner of Kenya.
More later, blessings
The reason for being here this time is to do a whole load of preparation for a CRED team that will be coming here next Feb, to work with a project that is new to us. But also, due to my previous links with Open Arms, it is a place where I have missionary friends, and so I am spending some happy days with them, and their network of other missionaries working locally.
A bit of an update on the events since the last blog - which was posted in Kenya, but written in Uganda!
Friday evening I arrived in Nairobi and was greeted by the wonderful taxi-driver Billy who always drives me in Nairobi when I am on my own. It was the first time in Nairobi since the massive fire at the airport last autumn that wiped out the arrivals hall, so I was a bit disoriented on arrival, and greatly relieved to see Billy, who drove me to Kenyanito's home. Remind me never to arrive in Nairobi on a Friday late afternoon - 2.5hrs of traffic on a journey that should take 30 minutes!
Anyway, had a lovely evening with Kenyanito and his 5yr old son Favor and 18month old daughter Honor. Val, the wife, was at college as she is studying for a degree in Theology, so I only saw her briefly (info most of you don't need, but those who have met Val will find that bit interesting!). I'll be back with them at the end of my Kenya week, so will save the rest until then, but suffice to say they are all well, the school is progressing, and it was great to catch up with old friends.
Saturday morning started officially with the 5.15 am alarm, but unofficially with the first cock-crow at 3am, and that set off a dawn chorus of cockerels all seeming to compete for loudest and longest crowing title.
30 mins to the airport and then a flight up to Eldoret. Pretty uneventful except that I happened to be seated next to a guy who works for Airtel, one of the main mobile networks here. Fair enough, you say, but I had been lent an Airtel SIM by Val, and it wasn't allowing me to send texts to UK - so Mr Airtel sat next to me sorted my phone out! My flight passengers so far have all been gems - and more prayers answered!
Dave and Linda met me at the airport and I spent a beautiful Kenyan Saturday with them. Catching up on life whilst doing the dog-walk, visiting possible accommodation for the February team, driving past the potential schools that the team might work in, sussing out the nearest medical facilities of acceptable standard, and visiting some projects run by other missionaries out here.
Dave and Linda came out here following God's calling, and are here in a 'free agent' kind of way. They have links in to many projects, and support those projects in all sorts of ways - Linda through assisting with book-keeping and accounts and logistics, Dave is making quite a name for himself at building play equipment at children's projects, and as a qualified HGV driver can turn his hand to all sorts of transport issues, plus other DIY / construction projects. They network people, support people, bless people, and do it all in God's name.
To me they epitomise Psalm 37. They committed their way to God (v5), and trust in God to show the way (v3). There have been ups and downs but they don't fret or get angry about it (v8). Instead they move forward each day with God, and for me it is an absolute pleasure, privilege and honour to be with them.
So, all in all yesterday was a very successful day, and just a bit mind-blowing in the way that God is not just sorting out the details that I know of, but also fulfilling other background issues that whirr away in my subconscious. The projects we visited, as well as others that Dave and Linda know of, could easily make up the elements of a brilliant CRED 360 Project for disengaged or disadvantaged young people, and it was only a couple of weeks ago that I had been thinking I ought to identify some more locations for such teams to go to - and now we have one! Thank you Lord once again :-)
And now its Sunday and time for church. Later missionary fellowship, and a chance to connect with more people living out their lives for God in this beautiful corner of Kenya.
More later, blessings
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