Spring break 2010

We traveled to the coast for some meetings over the kids spring break. We decided to add a couple days for some beach time. While we were there, our daughter Raelyn was baptized in the Indian Ocean. Bryan and the boys went out to the barrier reef to surf several days in a row. The reef is out about half mile and its a beautiful place to see marine life, they saw seals, eels, and lots of fish, including a small shark that swam by under them one day. Great surf, and most importantly, a great memory!

Masai Mara

We traveled to Masai Mara game reserve with our guests so they could see some of Africa's finest. Kenya has some beautiful game parks where you can see animals in their natural habitat. We saw all of the "big 5" and lots of smaller animals that some guest never see, including a Bat Eared Fox and a Cerval Cat. I think most people were impressed with the cats however.

Kim and I hosted a team from the US. A group of executives came to Kenya to look at some development projects and to visit some orphanages that we work with. What a great group of folks. They are from the business world so they had a lot of great suggestions and ideas that we hope to put into practice. In addition to the brainstorming, they have pledged to help us expand the work we are doing here in East Africa. One of the guests treated Kim and I to a hot air balloon ride over the plains of the Masai Mara Game reserve. What an incredible experience. We are thankful for Gods many blessings!

Great day for a ride!

Today I had to go to Naivasha, a town about 75 miles from where we live, out in the Rift Valley. Naivasha sits on the edge of a beautiful volcanic crater lake. A few weeks ago, Kim and I went to a tented camp on the back side of the lake to enjoy our 21st anniversary together. It was really peaceful and quiet there. Lots of wildlife and birds. I left something there so today I went back to get it, and I decided to take the bike. What a great day for a ride. Along the way you pass Mt. Longonot, one of my favorite pieces of East African scenery! Our family will be climbing Mt. Longonot soon, so watch for the pics of that trip.

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.