Joska is about 45minute- an hour drive depending on traffic. We leave the congestion, noise and pollution of the city and enter wide open country side that is green and beautiful. In the distance we see Mt. Kenya and the sky is brightest of bright blue with scattered puffs of white. The soil is diverse much like the soil in Alabama, ranging from red hard clay to rich healthy black. It is beautiful!

More beautiful than the land are the people. They are warm and gracious and when they say "feel free" they mean it. There is a spirit of strength and fortitude that we do not know. One of the team members today said she just thought she was a super-mom. We have certainly met some super moms - mothers of many children who are without a husband and carry water from the well 3 times a day WITH the children under foot. The water to cook, drink, wash and irrigate plants comes from miles away.

 



The project part of our team has assisted with this week is a trench where pipe will be laid so that water can be pumped to four adjacent communities in Joska. The trench is almost complete. People from all communities came out yesterday and today - some in their 60's and 70's - others in their 20's with their babies on their backs. Side by side they dug and their is a palpable hope among them that life will soon be better.

Many of these families have bought plots of land in Joska to move out of the city. Most of the children at the school where we are teaching were rescued from the streets in Nairobi. They are not forced to stay in the country, but a bed and food and education is there for them if they choose to stay. Many stay permanently. This week there have been 3 new children.

I taught sentence structure, punctuation and capitalization today. The students wrote an essay for me about the most important person in their lives. I am bringing them home to share with students in America and hope they they will write back to the children at the Compassion Rescue Center.

The children we will be helping tomorrow are at Hope Rescue Center. This home is for children affected or infected by HIV/AIDS virus. We will be assisting the founder, Christine, and the 2 house mothers in washing, cooking and mopping. The older children will be at school but we will have time for the younger ones and those too sick to attend school. Some have to stay home and take iv medications.

I feel wonderful today. God has shown his healing power and our home visits were encouraging to me. I am even more grateful for what God has given me in a home and in my family. I am blessed and God has called me to use my blessings to help others. Although it is difficult to eat knowing someone I met today has no food, I will eat my dinner with a thankful heart and pray for nourishment so that I can go again tomorrow and share the love of Jesus with the Kenyan people.

I must mention a great delight for me is getting to know Father Steven better. He is a mighty tower of strength and wisdom! His presence here has made a huge impact on the team and on our host. He says that he is now a Kenyan missionary to his own people. I believe he will return with a mission focus again!

If you have not read much about the agency that I am working with, please do. Their formula for ministry works. I see evidence. The 410 Bridge ....google it!

Until tomorrow! Peace!!

Brian introduced Lora to Hee Haw tonight while I ran to pick up Evan from youth group. He was giggling when he said, "Tell your mom what you watched on tv." "What was it called, Papa? Yahoo? Hahoo??" Brian busted out laughing and as he said "Hee Haw" with a lilt in his voice I said "Hee Haw" with angst in mine. I made it eight years without exposing her to it and I leave them unattended less than an hour and she's ruined. For the next hour she surfed YouTube (with parents in attendance of course) and listened to Dolly Parton, Connie Smith and Loretta Lynn. Picture this, my little girl sitting at the computer listening to Coat of Many Colors for the fourth time, Brian standing behind her with teary eyes, Evan declaring the absurdity of hair styles from across the room and me...feeling warm and fuzzy.