Coast region

Kenya is a beautiful country with incredible diversity. This photo was taken in the Coast region but its the far western side of the region. An area where people still live the way their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. Its one of my favorite places in Kenya. Hot, dry and remote but full of possibilities!

Kenya drought

Kenya is praying for rain. Everywhere you go people talk of rain and wonder if it will come this year. We have been to several places where no rain has fallen at all for the past few years. At a recent meeting a pastor told us that in his region of Kenya, the children who are 5 years old or younger have no idea what rain is! In some places the crops haven't grown in several years. Last week Bryan visited a community near Machakos, and he met a widow lady who has 6 children, 3 sets of twins! She was caring for her elderly father in-law. Both of his wives had died of aids. He was so weak and frail that he couldn't sit up to talk or even raise his arms to greet them. Their farm was bare and not even weeds were growing. Bryan and his team gave them food and prayed with them that God would sustain them and bring rain. A few days later we received a report that the old man had eaten the food and felt refreshed. He was sitting up and talking to his grand kids. We are thankful for the food that was donated and the impact it had on this family. We plan to follow up in that area next week with additional food and other needed items.

We are back in Nairobi, Kenya! We have begun to settle in and get connected with our friends and colleagues. Kim and the kids have started school and its getting busy with sports and after school activities. Our year in the US was fun but its really good to be back "home". We enjoyed all the favorite restaurants and so forth but we are finding our old favorites here are pretty nice too.
Several things have changed during our year in the USA. Most noteworthy is the power and water rationing. Due to the drought, the Hydro Electric generators can not produce enough power for the whole country at once. They have begun giveing power to certain places at certain times. Water is also being rationed, we get water once per week, on Sundays. Its really hard to believe but in parts of Kenya, there are 5 year old kids who have never seen rain! They have not had rain in over 5 years! Cattle are dying and crops wont grow. People are desperate. Keep Kenya in your prayers!

We have added one to our family, his name is Bo. He is giving us lots of laughs and he loves to play and chew. Raelyn has a special attachment to him. Our dog Coco passed away while we were in the USA so she is happy to have a little shadow.

Thanks to all of you who invited us to your church or hosted us in your home while we travled around the US this past year. We really enjoyed our time there and all the wonderful friends we made. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers!

Its hard to believe that we are leaving the USA in 30 days! Its been a fun year for all of us and it seems like we just got here. We are all talking about all the things we will miss already! Fritos and bean dip, Andys frozen custard, El Chicos, Cherry Limeades from Sonic, Blue Bell Ice Cream and the list goes on and on. The next 30 days will be filled with good byes and "last times", as we visit 11 states before our departure.

For all of you that have shared this journey with us this year, thank you for making it a great year back in the States. We look forward to seeing some of you in Kenya over the next 4 year term. If you are interested in our family and our "Safari", or journey as we say in Kenya, you can check us out on facebook! http:/www.facebook.com/bryanburr1

We have packed up our things and are just counting the days until our departure for Kenya.

Kim and I just had a few days in California to relax and celebrate our 20th anniversary. About a year after we were married we moved to Los Angeles to teach in a Christian school there. We have a lot of fond memories of our time in California. After 20 years, we are more in love than we have ever been!

Memorial Day in Texas, 2009. This is how we celebrated our freedom that so many have sacrificed for us to enjoy. Our family lives in Kenya, so we understand how valuable freedom is. Just as I sat down to write this, our American Embassy had sent out a warning about demonstrations planned for Downtown Nairobi. These demonstrations usually turn into riots. Freedom comes at a price and many in America take it for granted. Our last few months in the USA have been enjoyable. We haven't seen military troops guarding the streets, or armed guards at shopping malls. The freedom to travel from State to State without being stopped at road blocks by corrupt policemen has also been nice. Driving on a freeway for miles and miles without hitting a single pothole just makes me smile. Soon we will be back to muddy streets and potholes big enough to swallow small cars, corruption waiting for a hand out at every corner, and the desperation of people who want their voices to be heard. The bright side is that Kenya is growing and development is everywhere. New businesses and more technology, higher education and medical facilities. Most of all, its the land of our calling and that's what keeps us going back. Its our home and its where we long to be.

Almost there!

We have been in the USA for 10 months now and looking forward to getting back to Kenya.

Our family has enjoyed our time here and it has been very busy with many ministry opportunities. We have shared our experiences with many churches and our vision of future ministry in East Africa. Our fund-raising goals have nearly been met and we are trust that the rest will come in before we leave in July. For those of you who currently support our work in Kenya, Thank You! If you are interested in becoming a partner please contact us at:

bryan.burr@agmd.org

We are still needing to raise around $25,000 in project funds and opperational expenses needed for the next 4 years in Kenya. We know that God will provide what is needed for the work he has called us to. We will keep you posted on our progress as we move ahead!

We are enjoying the Texas springtime but our family is ready to return to our home in Kenya.

Currently the kids are attending Maypearl public school in Maypearl, Texas. They have made good friends and plan to keep in touch with them after we leave for Kenya this July.

Our family recently celebrated the life of my Grandmother, Esther Vivian Burr. She passed away at age 91 and her life was a testimony to all those around her. An incredible prayer partner and student of Gods word. For all who knew her, she was a source of Godly wisdom and many turned to her for guidance and counsel when making tough decisions in life. She always seemed to know the heart of God. She is missed by all but we all know that she is exactly where she always wanted to be. At 91 she had out lived most of her friends, and her husband who died 25 years ago, so they are probably having a great reunion in heaven! The photo of the flowers was taken by our son Reed, following the funeral.

The news from the Orthopedic surgeon is good. He found no signs of cancer or abnormalities in the appearance of the bone cyst. Once the fracture heals, we will meet with a tumor specialist at Childrens Hospital in Dallas to determine the best treatment for the cyst. These types of bone cysts are treated by Tumor specialists. We would appreciate your prayers for a quick recovery and healing of Rileys arm. He just wants to be a normal 8th grader, playing sports and doing the things he likes to do: Skateboarding, basketball, soccer, and even playing video games which is proving to be difficult with his arm in a sling. Due to the location of the fracture, high on the upper arm near the shoulder joint, the doctor can not put a cast on it. Riley just has to be really careful for the next few weeks. Thanks for your prayers!

Our boys starting the year off with a bang! Reed had his wisdom teeth taken out and missed a couple of days of school. Riley fell while learning some new tricks on his skateboard and broke his arm. The fracture has revealed a bone cyst. We are meeting this afternoon with the Doc to decide what needs to be done for his arm to heal properly. We will update later. Thanks for your prayers.