Paul texted me at about 4 AM CST time that they had boarded from Amsterdam to return back to the States. I'm sure when Paul gets back to somewhat of a normal comprehension of time (LOL) he will be able to post some of his summarizing thoughts. He is to arrive in Atlanta at 2 PM CST.
Thanks to everyone who has prayed, called, texted, sowed, and made this trip possible. The kids and I were talking last night, and Addison was somewhat bothered. He said, "Mom, I am ashamed of myself." And I am thinking, "Oh, no! What has he done! LOL" But, he was saying, "Mom, I miss Daddy, but then I don't. That is bad!" Then Ashlyn jumped in and said, "You know, I have missed him, but there was something about knowing that God made this trip happen for Daddy and how He really wanted to go. It kind of made the time pass by. I knew he was doing something for God and for ministry and it made it easier to deal with." Addison quickly agreed. He said, "Yeah. That's what I mean." I knew exactly what they meant. Even though Paul wasn't here in body, there was such a strong feeling that he was here with us in spirit that it was extremely comforting. No one can tell me that God doesn't provide a sense of companionship and peace. We have experienced it first hand.
As the family at home, we have had such an outstanding sense of calm within our house. There is no way to describe it. Even though moments of overwhelming awareness---"He is in the wilderness in Kenya! What if.....What if..----came in, the Lord always washed us with a fresh peace. Although the enemy tried his best to get his "game" on at the homefront, God reestablished His Army of believers to stand in the gap and make war in the heavenlies. SOOOOO, having said all of that , from our heart to our amily, friends, HARVEST CENTER family, all who share a piece of our heart....you know who you are, wesend a resounding THANK YOU!
Blessings,
Paula
Friday, March 27, 2009
DAY 8 Pastor Paul's Perspective
Day 8
What a beautiful morning. When I stepped outside to get the coffee and hot chocolate left with our wake up call, it was much warmer than yesterday morning. I got dressed and headed out for the last morning game drive. The search of the day was for leopards and a rhino would be a great find. There are only about 20 rhinos in the region now and they are pretty hard to find. We saw several lions zebras, gazelles, impala’s etc… as the morning went on. The view and scenery were incredible. The clear blue sky, mountains in the background, vast nothing other than wildlife and occasionally another safari group as far as the eye could see. The morning was coming to a close and we had spotted neither a leopard or a rhino. As blessed as we have been seeing things it wouldn’t have surprised me to find a leopard and a rhino in a tree. As I realized that our time was coming to a close and we had seen neither, we were coming up on crossing the river again in the jeep. I had a thought of something else I had heard about on these excursions, but had no desire to see. As we were getting ready to cross, the thought popped in my head that just maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to see one in the distance since this was my first safari---what was I thinking. Surely it was lack of sleep. We crossed thru the river and saw some birds and the hippos downstream, but nothing else. Almost a relief now I guess. Just about over. I was up taking some scenery pics and capturing some of the view at times. I can’t remember if I was up or in my seat at the time, but suddenly Raphael, our guide, slammed on the brakes and the Jeep came to a screeching halt. I thought surely an elephant or giraffe had run across the road in front of us. NOT! A python was slowly inching its way across the road. It was at least 8 foot long w/estimations up to 10+. I wasn’t about to get out and measure it. In the midst of the screams, I got some pretty good pics and video footage. I think some of our group and guides enjoyed watching me more than they did the snake. Can’t wait to share it!!! After watching for what seemed like hours, we had to move on to get back and have breakfast, then to pack to fly back to Nairobi. Breakfast was great and we headed in to pack. We said our goodbyes and then we were driven out to the landing strip. Thank God they were flying the big plane today!!! No motion sickness. I actually slept most of the way back in to Nairobi. There the rented bus picked us up to take us back to the Kibera Kids Center. We got back there and started packing before lunch to be able to spend some time with the kids and get headed out. Before lunch, the children from the school and the free school gathered for pictures and some goodbye songs. It was sad to realize that the end was drawing near. After they finished singing and taking pictures, the kids from the free school were given candy, a rare treat for all the kids, even more so for the ones in the free school. We went in for sandwiches, chips , and banana fries. They were pretty good! After that it was back upstairs to finish packing, get the room cleaned up and “finalize” the disk. I’m sure that Paula told me to, but I 4got! Afterwards there was still some time to take some footage and pics before cleaning up to head for dinner and the flight. I went around the room with those that were upstairs and got each of them to say their names. Hopefully the video picked up some of the names better than I did. Some of the group played soccer with them, others played some other games and just visited for a while. Finally it was time to get cleaned up and packed up. Everyone met outside with luggage ready to go and the Kids Center children were all gathered there for the farewell presentation. The songs were beautiful. It was heartbreaking to realize this was our final moments with them. After they finished singing, they blew a group kiss and went through the group telling us all good bye and “love you”. It was just about toooooo much! The children then carried our luggage up the hill to load it in the van and see us off on the bus. They were all standing at the gate waving as we pulled out, our final good byes for this trip. Just outside the gate there were folks working on the apartment buildings, a group of teenage boys, playing soccer, women headed in from who knows where back to the slums balancing their load on top of their head, working gardens, etc… As we headed into Nairobi, there appeared to be hundreds of people walking back home to the slums from work. There is no way to capture all the feelings to share. We had one last meal with the Womble’s at The Java House, a somewhat Americanized establishment in Nairobi. I got a cheeseburger, fries, and milkshake as my last meal there. We headed from eating to hit the Nairobi airport. Again, an experience that is indescribable. We told Jim & Debora Womble goodbye and lost ourselves in the crowd. When I got through at the ticket counter, a nun decided to turn around and I almost knocked her down. Not a good note to leave on haha. We waited in the terminal for time to board our flight. I had to check my carry on, because the attendant was going to throw so much of it away. I told him I had already checked two and he assured me that it was no problem. I’m just praying that all 3 pieces are waiting on me in Atlanta!!! We boarded the KLM flight and they served us some kind of soup and some kind of salad for supper. Interesting. I had a few claustrophobic moments on the plane when they pulled the cart beside me and there was no room on either side of me, but I went back to sleep to dream about my date with the python and all was well.
This is officially Day 9 now and I am trying to finish entering my thoughts in the airport in Amsterdam. We saw the Amsterdam sunrise. It was nice and bright! We have about a 3 hour layover, just long enough to be here and shop a little, but not enough to be able to head out for a brief tour. Our group divides here. Some are headed back to DC after a few hour layover, and some to Chicago after a longer lay over. We will be flying back into Atlanta at some point? Who even knows what day it is now? We have already gained 2 hours back and will gain the other 6 back somewhere between here, Atlanta, and the ride home to Pell City. Since the process of leaving began, (even though I think some of us considered throwing our passports out the window so we could stay), I am ready to get home, see Paula, the kids, call the rest of the family, catch up on the church family and get things back to normal. No, things will never be normal again.
As with every trip I have taken, I know that a part of me will never leave Africa, the place of the fallen zebra that will stay in my mind forever, and a BIG part will always be with the Womble’s and Kibera Children’s Center, with those who prayed for me, not to mention a part of me that I hope will go home with each of the group. Thank you Br. David Ray for continuing to tell me at Camping Conference that I needed to go. A ‘Thank you’ to all of the group for putting up w/me and a special thanks to Tyler, the 16 year old who put up with the old man snoring on the trip J. Thanks to the Baltimore Mission and Company for all of your hard work, a BIG thanks to Bishop Ronald Martin- “Big Daddy and Miss Lynda” (I felt that I already knew you through the kindred spirit of Margaret Gaines), and to the whole DelMArva Region for the impact you have made on the ministry in Kibera, not to mention Michael Ray, and then the Chicago Boys - Michael and Pastor Sam Abbott. Pastor Sam, you were much better behaved when we worked Bible Quiz together at assembly. I guess I will wrap up for now. I’ve spent more money than I needed to in Amsterdam. What a TRIP this has all been. I hope that my words have just somewhat conveyed the depth of it all. And I will close with, yes, “I needed Africa more than Africa needed me!”
What a beautiful morning. When I stepped outside to get the coffee and hot chocolate left with our wake up call, it was much warmer than yesterday morning. I got dressed and headed out for the last morning game drive. The search of the day was for leopards and a rhino would be a great find. There are only about 20 rhinos in the region now and they are pretty hard to find. We saw several lions zebras, gazelles, impala’s etc… as the morning went on. The view and scenery were incredible. The clear blue sky, mountains in the background, vast nothing other than wildlife and occasionally another safari group as far as the eye could see. The morning was coming to a close and we had spotted neither a leopard or a rhino. As blessed as we have been seeing things it wouldn’t have surprised me to find a leopard and a rhino in a tree. As I realized that our time was coming to a close and we had seen neither, we were coming up on crossing the river again in the jeep. I had a thought of something else I had heard about on these excursions, but had no desire to see. As we were getting ready to cross, the thought popped in my head that just maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to see one in the distance since this was my first safari---what was I thinking. Surely it was lack of sleep. We crossed thru the river and saw some birds and the hippos downstream, but nothing else. Almost a relief now I guess. Just about over. I was up taking some scenery pics and capturing some of the view at times. I can’t remember if I was up or in my seat at the time, but suddenly Raphael, our guide, slammed on the brakes and the Jeep came to a screeching halt. I thought surely an elephant or giraffe had run across the road in front of us. NOT! A python was slowly inching its way across the road. It was at least 8 foot long w/estimations up to 10+. I wasn’t about to get out and measure it. In the midst of the screams, I got some pretty good pics and video footage. I think some of our group and guides enjoyed watching me more than they did the snake. Can’t wait to share it!!! After watching for what seemed like hours, we had to move on to get back and have breakfast, then to pack to fly back to Nairobi. Breakfast was great and we headed in to pack. We said our goodbyes and then we were driven out to the landing strip. Thank God they were flying the big plane today!!! No motion sickness. I actually slept most of the way back in to Nairobi. There the rented bus picked us up to take us back to the Kibera Kids Center. We got back there and started packing before lunch to be able to spend some time with the kids and get headed out. Before lunch, the children from the school and the free school gathered for pictures and some goodbye songs. It was sad to realize that the end was drawing near. After they finished singing and taking pictures, the kids from the free school were given candy, a rare treat for all the kids, even more so for the ones in the free school. We went in for sandwiches, chips , and banana fries. They were pretty good! After that it was back upstairs to finish packing, get the room cleaned up and “finalize” the disk. I’m sure that Paula told me to, but I 4got! Afterwards there was still some time to take some footage and pics before cleaning up to head for dinner and the flight. I went around the room with those that were upstairs and got each of them to say their names. Hopefully the video picked up some of the names better than I did. Some of the group played soccer with them, others played some other games and just visited for a while. Finally it was time to get cleaned up and packed up. Everyone met outside with luggage ready to go and the Kids Center children were all gathered there for the farewell presentation. The songs were beautiful. It was heartbreaking to realize this was our final moments with them. After they finished singing, they blew a group kiss and went through the group telling us all good bye and “love you”. It was just about toooooo much! The children then carried our luggage up the hill to load it in the van and see us off on the bus. They were all standing at the gate waving as we pulled out, our final good byes for this trip. Just outside the gate there were folks working on the apartment buildings, a group of teenage boys, playing soccer, women headed in from who knows where back to the slums balancing their load on top of their head, working gardens, etc… As we headed into Nairobi, there appeared to be hundreds of people walking back home to the slums from work. There is no way to capture all the feelings to share. We had one last meal with the Womble’s at The Java House, a somewhat Americanized establishment in Nairobi. I got a cheeseburger, fries, and milkshake as my last meal there. We headed from eating to hit the Nairobi airport. Again, an experience that is indescribable. We told Jim & Debora Womble goodbye and lost ourselves in the crowd. When I got through at the ticket counter, a nun decided to turn around and I almost knocked her down. Not a good note to leave on haha. We waited in the terminal for time to board our flight. I had to check my carry on, because the attendant was going to throw so much of it away. I told him I had already checked two and he assured me that it was no problem. I’m just praying that all 3 pieces are waiting on me in Atlanta!!! We boarded the KLM flight and they served us some kind of soup and some kind of salad for supper. Interesting. I had a few claustrophobic moments on the plane when they pulled the cart beside me and there was no room on either side of me, but I went back to sleep to dream about my date with the python and all was well.
This is officially Day 9 now and I am trying to finish entering my thoughts in the airport in Amsterdam. We saw the Amsterdam sunrise. It was nice and bright! We have about a 3 hour layover, just long enough to be here and shop a little, but not enough to be able to head out for a brief tour. Our group divides here. Some are headed back to DC after a few hour layover, and some to Chicago after a longer lay over. We will be flying back into Atlanta at some point? Who even knows what day it is now? We have already gained 2 hours back and will gain the other 6 back somewhere between here, Atlanta, and the ride home to Pell City. Since the process of leaving began, (even though I think some of us considered throwing our passports out the window so we could stay), I am ready to get home, see Paula, the kids, call the rest of the family, catch up on the church family and get things back to normal. No, things will never be normal again.
As with every trip I have taken, I know that a part of me will never leave Africa, the place of the fallen zebra that will stay in my mind forever, and a BIG part will always be with the Womble’s and Kibera Children’s Center, with those who prayed for me, not to mention a part of me that I hope will go home with each of the group. Thank you Br. David Ray for continuing to tell me at Camping Conference that I needed to go. A ‘Thank you’ to all of the group for putting up w/me and a special thanks to Tyler, the 16 year old who put up with the old man snoring on the trip J. Thanks to the Baltimore Mission and Company for all of your hard work, a BIG thanks to Bishop Ronald Martin- “Big Daddy and Miss Lynda” (I felt that I already knew you through the kindred spirit of Margaret Gaines), and to the whole DelMArva Region for the impact you have made on the ministry in Kibera, not to mention Michael Ray, and then the Chicago Boys - Michael and Pastor Sam Abbott. Pastor Sam, you were much better behaved when we worked Bible Quiz together at assembly. I guess I will wrap up for now. I’ve spent more money than I needed to in Amsterdam. What a TRIP this has all been. I hope that my words have just somewhat conveyed the depth of it all. And I will close with, yes, “I needed Africa more than Africa needed me!”
JUST A NOTE
For those who have been reading the blogs from day one, if you haven't already noticed, this site archives the earlier posts. So if you are signing in for the first time or you are wanting to reread the beginning of the journey, just look at the bottom of the blog for the link to the earlier posts.
Thanks!
Paula
Thanks!
Paula
DAY 7 CONTINUED Pastor Paul's Perspective
Day 7 Part 2
PS on day 6. I won my first game of Spider Solitaire before laying down Tuesday night.
After lunch we started out to go to one of the Masia Villages. Just a short distance out one of our guys spotted some cheetahs under a tree. Our guide, Raphael drove us to them so we get some pics and video footage. Little did we know what was in store for us! The cheetahs were beautiful under the tree, but after a couple of pics they started moving toward a herd of zebras passing through. Several of the group had been so anxious to see a kill. I consider myself a lover, not a fighter, (no comments please lol), so I wasn’t really sure that was on my list of things I wanted to see for this safari. I was content. I had seen lions, zebras, hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and giraffes. (Not to mention my new found animal friends including the monkeys that nearly invaded our tent and other animals that I can’t even remember their names. What more could anyone ask for? Well, I was about to get more, like it or not. The cheetahs started chasing the zebra hoping to find some good lunch. Eventually one of the zebra made a horrible mistake and pulled away from the group. (Harvest Center folks, you will hear this message eventually and if you hear it in SS b4 u hear it from me, I may send her to Africa J .) After the zebra pulled away from the group, it was singled out and doom was surely to be its new found destiny. Just hours before I had thought of the hundreds of zebra we had seen and wondered if they needed to be thinned out. Now it didn’t sound like such a good idea. The lone zebra was a much easier target now. The three cheetahs zeroed on and tripped the zebra up, pulling it down. They clawed and worked and thought they had everything under control and in the midst of shouts of “get in”, “WOW”, “I’ve never seen this before”, and “Oh No!”, “YES”, and “Run zebra RUN”, the zebra got up and I prayed that it would be able to get away. Just beyond on the hillside, some of the zebra had come back to try to lend support by sending a beckoning call, but their call soon turned into a mournful cry. As the cheetahs got the zebra down again, starting in the back, (WARNING: Graphic descriptions that may not be suited for the weak stomached and the spiritually lukewarm!) between the hind legs, they started trying to pull the intestines out. I’m not sure how many times the zebra got up, but I realized that the last stand was at hand. The zebra on the hill could be NO help now. It was TOO late. He had made a wrong choice to pull away from the group, and was now paying a dear price, life. As the cheetahs continued their death grip and the zebra continued to suffer such a violent death, a hyena appeared on the scene to run off the cheetahs and take the zebra as prey for itself, just as if it deserved it. Almost immediately the crows and cranes began to gather to await their turn. Eventually one of the guides threw rocks that ran the hyena just a little ways into the distance, leaving the zebra now to be fair game for those who had killed it. The hyena continued to try to make another stand and came back again and again and again. The amazing part of all of this is, that it is said throughout Africa that cheetahs can’t take down a zebra. National Geographic would’ve loved to be in our spot today! Finally the cheetahs slowly moved back in to reclaim their kill as the hyena looked on, (not calling for help from other hyena’s but hoping to keep it all to himself), and the cranes, and the buzzards continue to gather by what looked like hundreds by now. We had finally seen and heard enough. I’m not sure if the video captured the sound of the hide tearing or not, but it was horrible, realizing that the zebra was still alive during so much of this. If only it had stayed with the group. But it didn’t and now the food chain that God created is being witnessed at its finest. On the flip side, had the zebra not died, others may not have lived. Everyone seemed to be waiting in line to get their share. After seeing enough, we headed on to the Masai village to visit. We were welcomed by the greeters and we were greeted with a welcome dance by the Mighty Masai warriors. Dressed in colorful garments they chanted, danced and marched around us with sounds that we will probably never understand. They yell, dance, and jump and jump, to welcome their guest. Some of the bravest of the guys were invited to join them in the jump and dance. You’ll have to see the video to know who those brave men were! Then it was on the inside of the village, watching our feet/shoes every step of the way. The cattle had already been herded in for the night. There was a puppy laying in the middle of the cows, asleep on one of them. We walked around piles of branches that would soon be pulled to the openings as the gate of protection for the night. We gathered around the cattle and the women of the village greeted us w/another song and dance. After they finished it was off to tour the homes. The houses are made of stick and mud basically. The roof had sticks, mud, grass, cow manure, and a combination of things over it to make it secure. About 7 of us were stepping in to the first room of the house which was very small. As soon as the door was blocked I had to get out quickly to breathe. The quarters were way too close! I got my breath and was ok to go back in for a minute. We moved to the next room, which was very dark and we were told to sit down. I finally sat down, and again when the doorway was blocked ---WHEW-- I had to get up and change places. I got to hear a little about the home and the traditions of the Masai, but I am looking forward to looking more up when I get home. After the tour of the house, it was down to the market. The tables consisted of much the same consistency of the roof. The Masai are also facing troubling times, and they were desperate to sell, but not desperate enough to come down to some of the prices that were offered. I left with a couple of what I hope were good deals, and we were back to the Jeep to clean our shoes and head back in to the camp. On our way back we continued to see zebra, gazelles, impala’s, and a host of other friends. When we got back to the sight of the kill, the vultures had clearly taken over by this point. There was quiet a crowd of onlookers to see what was taking place. I wonder if anything is left by now? We got back to camp in time to clean up quickly for supper. Supper was moved out into the “bush” as our farewell surprise and appreciation. A fire was built for grilling. We were served; cream of pumpkin soup, salad, rice, potatoes, spinach, a chicken dish, steak and chicken from the grill and a variety of desserts. By the way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Miss Lynda. Today is the official day!
After the meal I spent a little time walking, looking at the handiwork of a sky filled with stars. Finally had to come in and start packing a few things up for tomorrow. We have the early morning game run at 6:30, back for breakfast and final purchases and packing, and zip our tents and head to the landing strip. After landing we are back to Kibera briefly to spend some final moments with the kids, get packed and loaded, and headed to the airport to stand in line and wait and wait and wait. I know that everything at home is in great shape, but I am sure looking forward to seeing some folks.
PS on day 6. I won my first game of Spider Solitaire before laying down Tuesday night.
After lunch we started out to go to one of the Masia Villages. Just a short distance out one of our guys spotted some cheetahs under a tree. Our guide, Raphael drove us to them so we get some pics and video footage. Little did we know what was in store for us! The cheetahs were beautiful under the tree, but after a couple of pics they started moving toward a herd of zebras passing through. Several of the group had been so anxious to see a kill. I consider myself a lover, not a fighter, (no comments please lol), so I wasn’t really sure that was on my list of things I wanted to see for this safari. I was content. I had seen lions, zebras, hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and giraffes. (Not to mention my new found animal friends including the monkeys that nearly invaded our tent and other animals that I can’t even remember their names. What more could anyone ask for? Well, I was about to get more, like it or not. The cheetahs started chasing the zebra hoping to find some good lunch. Eventually one of the zebra made a horrible mistake and pulled away from the group. (Harvest Center folks, you will hear this message eventually and if you hear it in SS b4 u hear it from me, I may send her to Africa J .) After the zebra pulled away from the group, it was singled out and doom was surely to be its new found destiny. Just hours before I had thought of the hundreds of zebra we had seen and wondered if they needed to be thinned out. Now it didn’t sound like such a good idea. The lone zebra was a much easier target now. The three cheetahs zeroed on and tripped the zebra up, pulling it down. They clawed and worked and thought they had everything under control and in the midst of shouts of “get in”, “WOW”, “I’ve never seen this before”, and “Oh No!”, “YES”, and “Run zebra RUN”, the zebra got up and I prayed that it would be able to get away. Just beyond on the hillside, some of the zebra had come back to try to lend support by sending a beckoning call, but their call soon turned into a mournful cry. As the cheetahs got the zebra down again, starting in the back, (WARNING: Graphic descriptions that may not be suited for the weak stomached and the spiritually lukewarm!) between the hind legs, they started trying to pull the intestines out. I’m not sure how many times the zebra got up, but I realized that the last stand was at hand. The zebra on the hill could be NO help now. It was TOO late. He had made a wrong choice to pull away from the group, and was now paying a dear price, life. As the cheetahs continued their death grip and the zebra continued to suffer such a violent death, a hyena appeared on the scene to run off the cheetahs and take the zebra as prey for itself, just as if it deserved it. Almost immediately the crows and cranes began to gather to await their turn. Eventually one of the guides threw rocks that ran the hyena just a little ways into the distance, leaving the zebra now to be fair game for those who had killed it. The hyena continued to try to make another stand and came back again and again and again. The amazing part of all of this is, that it is said throughout Africa that cheetahs can’t take down a zebra. National Geographic would’ve loved to be in our spot today! Finally the cheetahs slowly moved back in to reclaim their kill as the hyena looked on, (not calling for help from other hyena’s but hoping to keep it all to himself), and the cranes, and the buzzards continue to gather by what looked like hundreds by now. We had finally seen and heard enough. I’m not sure if the video captured the sound of the hide tearing or not, but it was horrible, realizing that the zebra was still alive during so much of this. If only it had stayed with the group. But it didn’t and now the food chain that God created is being witnessed at its finest. On the flip side, had the zebra not died, others may not have lived. Everyone seemed to be waiting in line to get their share. After seeing enough, we headed on to the Masai village to visit. We were welcomed by the greeters and we were greeted with a welcome dance by the Mighty Masai warriors. Dressed in colorful garments they chanted, danced and marched around us with sounds that we will probably never understand. They yell, dance, and jump and jump, to welcome their guest. Some of the bravest of the guys were invited to join them in the jump and dance. You’ll have to see the video to know who those brave men were! Then it was on the inside of the village, watching our feet/shoes every step of the way. The cattle had already been herded in for the night. There was a puppy laying in the middle of the cows, asleep on one of them. We walked around piles of branches that would soon be pulled to the openings as the gate of protection for the night. We gathered around the cattle and the women of the village greeted us w/another song and dance. After they finished it was off to tour the homes. The houses are made of stick and mud basically. The roof had sticks, mud, grass, cow manure, and a combination of things over it to make it secure. About 7 of us were stepping in to the first room of the house which was very small. As soon as the door was blocked I had to get out quickly to breathe. The quarters were way too close! I got my breath and was ok to go back in for a minute. We moved to the next room, which was very dark and we were told to sit down. I finally sat down, and again when the doorway was blocked ---WHEW-- I had to get up and change places. I got to hear a little about the home and the traditions of the Masai, but I am looking forward to looking more up when I get home. After the tour of the house, it was down to the market. The tables consisted of much the same consistency of the roof. The Masai are also facing troubling times, and they were desperate to sell, but not desperate enough to come down to some of the prices that were offered. I left with a couple of what I hope were good deals, and we were back to the Jeep to clean our shoes and head back in to the camp. On our way back we continued to see zebra, gazelles, impala’s, and a host of other friends. When we got back to the sight of the kill, the vultures had clearly taken over by this point. There was quiet a crowd of onlookers to see what was taking place. I wonder if anything is left by now? We got back to camp in time to clean up quickly for supper. Supper was moved out into the “bush” as our farewell surprise and appreciation. A fire was built for grilling. We were served; cream of pumpkin soup, salad, rice, potatoes, spinach, a chicken dish, steak and chicken from the grill and a variety of desserts. By the way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Miss Lynda. Today is the official day!
After the meal I spent a little time walking, looking at the handiwork of a sky filled with stars. Finally had to come in and start packing a few things up for tomorrow. We have the early morning game run at 6:30, back for breakfast and final purchases and packing, and zip our tents and head to the landing strip. After landing we are back to Kibera briefly to spend some final moments with the kids, get packed and loaded, and headed to the airport to stand in line and wait and wait and wait. I know that everything at home is in great shape, but I am sure looking forward to seeing some folks.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
DAY 7 Partial Pastor Paul's Perspective
Day 7
And on the 7th day God rested, but we didn’t. We wanted to take advantage of every opportunity we had. Our wake up call came about 5:50 as hot chocolate & cookies were left on the porch of our tent. I did a quick hair wet down, tooth brushing and we headed for the 6:30 game drive. We saw elephants quickly into the drive followed by hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, lions in a drove just waking up playfully, and then we saw it, the biggest of all right in front of us, 2 mother elephants, each with 2 babies. Phenomenal!
We continued to see impalas, gazelles, and multiple other animals and birds. We came in for breakfast about 8:30, a good meal consisting of juices, fruit, omelets, crepes/pancakes, bacon, sausage, and cheeses. Got a text from Paula during breakfast that she was headed back in to the house after she and the praise team doing the music at The River, Guntersville COG. We went back out after breakfast and saw the river lined with hippos, hills full of zebra, gazelles, wart hogs, and impalas. We were able to get out of the jeep at one point near the river. The river was filled w/hippos and a couple of crocodiles were close by. I was doing pretty good until someone grabbed my leg! I know I probably screamed like a girl. I will have to edit that portion of video. I’m just thankful that it was a sanctified moment. I think we had a very productive morning and mid morning drive. We came back in for lunch; salads, soup, grilled steak & chicken, stir fry veggies, fried potatoes & rice. Everything was good. I know I am gaining weight on this trip. Not good! Gonna try to get this sent out if I can get the internet stick and will finish day 7 hopefully tonite. For the afternoon drive we are heading to a Masai Village. They are the tribe that owns the area that we are now in. I’m looking forward to experiencing some more of the culture.
To Be Continued:
And on the 7th day God rested, but we didn’t. We wanted to take advantage of every opportunity we had. Our wake up call came about 5:50 as hot chocolate & cookies were left on the porch of our tent. I did a quick hair wet down, tooth brushing and we headed for the 6:30 game drive. We saw elephants quickly into the drive followed by hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, lions in a drove just waking up playfully, and then we saw it, the biggest of all right in front of us, 2 mother elephants, each with 2 babies. Phenomenal!
We continued to see impalas, gazelles, and multiple other animals and birds. We came in for breakfast about 8:30, a good meal consisting of juices, fruit, omelets, crepes/pancakes, bacon, sausage, and cheeses. Got a text from Paula during breakfast that she was headed back in to the house after she and the praise team doing the music at The River, Guntersville COG. We went back out after breakfast and saw the river lined with hippos, hills full of zebra, gazelles, wart hogs, and impalas. We were able to get out of the jeep at one point near the river. The river was filled w/hippos and a couple of crocodiles were close by. I was doing pretty good until someone grabbed my leg! I know I probably screamed like a girl. I will have to edit that portion of video. I’m just thankful that it was a sanctified moment. I think we had a very productive morning and mid morning drive. We came back in for lunch; salads, soup, grilled steak & chicken, stir fry veggies, fried potatoes & rice. Everything was good. I know I am gaining weight on this trip. Not good! Gonna try to get this sent out if I can get the internet stick and will finish day 7 hopefully tonite. For the afternoon drive we are heading to a Masai Village. They are the tribe that owns the area that we are now in. I’m looking forward to experiencing some more of the culture.
To Be Continued:
DAY 6 Pastor Paul's Perspective
Day 6 (incomplete version)
After finally getting to sleep around 2:30 am, after being so wound up after the service AND trying to copy pictures from the camera to the laptop, I got up about 7:20 am to finish packing and get ready for the flight to the Safari. I finished, grabbed a bite of breakfast and we headed to the airport. NOT Nairobi International, but a small airport not far from us, that specializes in Safari drop offs. We had a short delay as they had to split the group up, and then we were on to the plane. An 18 seater if my memory is correct. We flew at an altitude of 10,000 feet. WOW! After take off, looking down, we could see everything. Amazingly not too far from us there were large estates with swimming pools, huge yards, etc… Then everything started to look like doll houses, then we never went any higher and I starting feeling not so great! Some air in the face and closing my eyes helped, but I was sure thankful when we finally landed in the middle of big field about 45 minutes later. We were greeted by The Intrepid Safari Company (got a killer deal btw from what I understand) and zebras. The equator sun was scorching hot. Thank God for Sunscreen 50, that I protested about (oops, hope Paula doesn’t read this)! (By the way, did I tell you how proud I am of Harvest Center’s kids for rocking at State Jr. Talent last Saturday? GO HC!!!) On the 20 - 30 minute jeep ride to our “TENTS” , we saw what appeared to be millions of wild animals! Will have to continue this part when I can get the pics, video and interpreter. When we arrived we were greeted with juice and then I learned to play some African rock/hole game (mancala)? It’s GREAT! After the whole group arrived, we were treated to a lunch buffet. Excellent food. Then we made our way to our tents. You’ll just have to see to believe. Never dreamed I’d be sleeping in a tent in Kenya, Africa, near the Tanzania border!
To name a few, between the ride from the landing strip and the afternoon safari, we have seen zebras, crocodile, hippo, birds (can’t remember names), gazelles, impalas , to fus? , buffalo, bush babies, lions, (one group saw a lion in a tree! I still wonder if they pulled that pic off the internet lol), giraffes and a host of friends. I am hearing something howling now and not sure that I even want to know what it is!!! Our electricity is on from 5am-4pm, and 6pm-midnight. I am thankful for the wind up radio and flash light! We have hot water from 5:30-8am & 5:30-8pm.
Supper was good, we saw a Masai native dance that I didn’t get on video. I was hoping they would sing Happy Birthday to Lynda Martin and join all the others who have, as she gets ready to celebrate tomorrow. Listening to the crickets chirp, frogs do what they do, and whatever other creatures are outside our tent doing what they do?
Gonna try to get in bed before lights out (brings back memories from camp- maybe we just need to pull the plug and be sure its lights out ha ha). Will complete this soon I hope. And congrats to Sam & Tori on the new baby girl! Can’t wait to see and hold her!
After finally getting to sleep around 2:30 am, after being so wound up after the service AND trying to copy pictures from the camera to the laptop, I got up about 7:20 am to finish packing and get ready for the flight to the Safari. I finished, grabbed a bite of breakfast and we headed to the airport. NOT Nairobi International, but a small airport not far from us, that specializes in Safari drop offs. We had a short delay as they had to split the group up, and then we were on to the plane. An 18 seater if my memory is correct. We flew at an altitude of 10,000 feet. WOW! After take off, looking down, we could see everything. Amazingly not too far from us there were large estates with swimming pools, huge yards, etc… Then everything started to look like doll houses, then we never went any higher and I starting feeling not so great! Some air in the face and closing my eyes helped, but I was sure thankful when we finally landed in the middle of big field about 45 minutes later. We were greeted by The Intrepid Safari Company (got a killer deal btw from what I understand) and zebras. The equator sun was scorching hot. Thank God for Sunscreen 50, that I protested about (oops, hope Paula doesn’t read this)! (By the way, did I tell you how proud I am of Harvest Center’s kids for rocking at State Jr. Talent last Saturday? GO HC!!!) On the 20 - 30 minute jeep ride to our “TENTS” , we saw what appeared to be millions of wild animals! Will have to continue this part when I can get the pics, video and interpreter. When we arrived we were greeted with juice and then I learned to play some African rock/hole game (mancala)? It’s GREAT! After the whole group arrived, we were treated to a lunch buffet. Excellent food. Then we made our way to our tents. You’ll just have to see to believe. Never dreamed I’d be sleeping in a tent in Kenya, Africa, near the Tanzania border!
To name a few, between the ride from the landing strip and the afternoon safari, we have seen zebras, crocodile, hippo, birds (can’t remember names), gazelles, impalas , to fus? , buffalo, bush babies, lions, (one group saw a lion in a tree! I still wonder if they pulled that pic off the internet lol), giraffes and a host of friends. I am hearing something howling now and not sure that I even want to know what it is!!! Our electricity is on from 5am-4pm, and 6pm-midnight. I am thankful for the wind up radio and flash light! We have hot water from 5:30-8am & 5:30-8pm.
Supper was good, we saw a Masai native dance that I didn’t get on video. I was hoping they would sing Happy Birthday to Lynda Martin and join all the others who have, as she gets ready to celebrate tomorrow. Listening to the crickets chirp, frogs do what they do, and whatever other creatures are outside our tent doing what they do?
Gonna try to get in bed before lights out (brings back memories from camp- maybe we just need to pull the plug and be sure its lights out ha ha). Will complete this soon I hope. And congrats to Sam & Tori on the new baby girl! Can’t wait to see and hold her!
Day 5 REVISED Pastor Paul's Perspective
Day 5 (As complete as possible)
Got to talk to Paula and the kids early. We had a day to sleep in, but it was pleasant waking up early to talk them just after they got in from church. Early for me, Late for them.
I went back to bed and when the alarm went off played the snooze game until it quit playing. I won & went back to sleep. I woke up late, just minutes before we were supposed to leave to walk thru the slums. I got ready as quickly as I got and grabbed a bite of peanut butter so I could take my malaria tablet and Aleve. (Back and nerve have done exceptionally well on the trip).
Walked thru Kibera slums: Indescribable; One of the first houses we came to was occupied by church members. I was very humbled as we walked into the two room mud hut, the rooms separated by a sheet. While we were visiting in this home part of the group was visiting next door and having prayer for a lady. We had a prayer and sang a song of blessing before we stepped out. We walked through part of the area and then went in and prayed for one of the church members mothers who has aids. She had also had sugery recently on her stomach and had fallen against the speakers at the church on Saturday when the chaos broke out. She had a sparkle in her eyes and was so appreciative of the visit and prayer. We continued our journey through the slums, discreetly taking pictures along the way, not wanting to invade the privacy of those who live there. There is no possible way to describe the poverty of the area. Sewage runs freely, there is little or no electricity, no running water and the access to water is now far away for the part of the slum that we were walking in. There were children playing in the dirt, in the water, everywhere. The average age of the residents is 12 years old. Aids, incest, disease, and violence are rampant in the area. There were areas that were almost impassible due to the narrow passage ways, steep hills, sand and rocks, and sewage flowing in the area. Outhouses were scattered, but only consisted of a small hut type structure with a hole dug in the floor. There were pits dug next to the doors of the homes for building fires to cook. Several had clothing, washed by hand, hanging on the clothes lines. We passed a few shops featuring items such as soft drinks, bananas, and collards (sukuma). Again words and not even pictures can do justice to the living conditions of these people. To me, the walk back seemed much longer, awakened to a fresh awareness of the great needs of the area. When we got back we were told to take off our shoes and they would have them cleaned for us by some of the workers and students, another humbling experience.
When we got back we spent some time talking and defragging and then it was lunch time on the Womble’s patio. A nice breeze was blowing as we set down to the meal that had been prepared for us: Fruit salad, (mango, paw paw, pineapple), Sukuma (Collards) & Ugali, Potatoes, Fried Chicken. The meal was wonderful! After we ate we prepared to take the rented bus into town to do some shopping at one of the markets. One of the best flea markets in Nairobi is only open now on the weekends. We arrived at the market and were immediately meet by peddlers with the best deals in town. My only concern was that their trinkets were probably made in China. The market was filled with shops of all kinds and every owner tried to coerce us into their establishments. There were just about any kind of native items that you can imagine; hand made dolls, pottery, carvings, linen accessories, knives, jewelry, etc… Our time was somewhat limited so we had to hurry through to try to make a few purchases. Of course every shop keeper assured us they had the best deals. There was a lot of “bargaining” going on and I don’t think I had an offer refused when I told them to forget it, that was all I could pay, and started to walk away. We finally boarded the bus at 4:30 instead of 4 and headed back to Kibera. About 4:50 the bus went dead in the middle of the road still in downtown Nairobi. Eventually someone had to push us off in reverse. It was an experience sitting still in the middle of Nairobi 5pm rush traffic. We were thankful to finally be back on the road. After returning to the Kids Center, we started setting up for “Christmas in March” for the kids. It was amazing to see all the items that had been brought for the kids and for the school. Even more amazing was the joy on their faces as they got to come through by grades and load their bags. I have never seen kids so excited about receiving items such as tooth brushes, flip
flops, pencils, pens, notebooks, candy, nail polish, matchbox cars, hair clips, skirts, etc… There were also supplies for the school; paper, pens, first aid supplies, lotions, creams, soap, toothpaste. After all the gifts were presented to the children as they passed through in an orderly line, they were presented with their new uniforms, supplies by donations from the DelMArVA region. The Martins’ had also raised money through their region to buy 2 new lawnmowers, 2 new industrial dryers for the rainy season, and other supplies needed by the Womble’s and the school. The children and the Womble’s were so grateful for the much needed items and the things that may not have been necessities, but brought so much joy to the orphans. The orphans stories are heartbreaking! There is Immaculate who woke up one morning and told the people that she was staying with that “she had to go to her people”. She was 3 maybe 4 at the time. After being there for services she left, but Debra Womble sent someone to find her, to bring her back “to her people”. They couldn’t find any relatives for her, only the people that she occasionally spent the night with. So many of their lives are filled with no living family members, sexual abuse such as rape, incest, others were sold out for prostitution before they were five years old. To hear some of their stories, and then see the glow on their faces makes it even more special. Gideon, the minister of music, was also presented with a saxophone, a trumpet, and a flute. After all the presentations, we went downstairs for a supper of spaghetti and lunch leftovers. Immediately following supper, the kids had planned a surprise birthday party for Sis. Lynda Martin, First Lady of the COG Delmarva (Administrative Bishop’s wife). They had decorated the room with streamers, balloons, Happy Birthday streamers, and BIG cards that they had made for her. When she came in and they yelled surprise, the school band played and followed with a festive time of celebration. You’ll have to see the video to capture the celebratory spirit of the evening. When that began to die down, the kids were all given Coca Cola and cookies, compliments of the Martin’s. Again, to see the looks on the faces and the grateful hearts for things that our children take so far granted! The biggest surprise and blessing of the evening was yet to come, and it wasn’t in what was being given to the kids and the Womble’s. It was what they were giving back to us. The group was called to the front to sit on the benches that they spread across the front of the room. Then they began to tell how thankful they were for all that had been done for them, and they wanted to do something for us. Realizing that they had little or no resources to present us with gifts, I was NOT prepared for what was about to take place! The Womble’s, the staff, and the children gathered in a circle around us and began to pray for each of us. Some prayed in Swahili, some in perfect English, some in broken English, some in tongues (and amazingly it’s not so hard to tell the difference J ) . It was more humbling than you can ever imagine without experiencing it, to hear these children pray for each of us. Time and time again I heard heart wrenching prayers of “Father bless Pastor Paul and his wife and his“fam a lee”, thank you for sending them to us. Bless them with health, with strength, keep them from the hand of the “een e mee”. The prayers went on and on as others continued to pray for each of us. They didn’t just say prayers over us, the children PRAYED and cried out to God on our behalf. Not just a short obligatory prayer, but prayers with such passion and tears crying out to God for us. I can’t remember a time in my life when I have ever been any more broken. I have never understood the words in the old hymn, “for such a worm as I”, but I felt that low or lower, and so unworthy of the love that these children were pouring back to us. When many finished praying for us, maybe 45 minutes later? Who knows? Time didn’t matter any more at that point; they gathered around the walls and continued to pray and intercede, some with groanings that could not be uttered. I wondered how God could love me in my selfishness so many times, when they were giving all that they had! May God help our children and adults to learn to pray with the same fervency. As the praying began so settle down, the voices began to sing, “One more time” (will have to share more words later) (the computer screen has gotten blurry for some reason, must be this Kenyan Power LOL). I just wanted to get in the floor and sink as low as I could go and thank God for all His blessings in spite of my unworthiness. As for me, I know I can never be the same after that night!!!When we finally gathered some composure back, the Mission Baltimore kids (one of those Kayla, was born in Clanton, attended Oneonta Worship Center COG, and is now children’s pastor in Maryland!) continued with Kids Krusade. During that time I went back to the room to pack for the early morning flight to the Safari.
Got to talk to Paula and the kids early. We had a day to sleep in, but it was pleasant waking up early to talk them just after they got in from church. Early for me, Late for them.
I went back to bed and when the alarm went off played the snooze game until it quit playing. I won & went back to sleep. I woke up late, just minutes before we were supposed to leave to walk thru the slums. I got ready as quickly as I got and grabbed a bite of peanut butter so I could take my malaria tablet and Aleve. (Back and nerve have done exceptionally well on the trip).
Walked thru Kibera slums: Indescribable; One of the first houses we came to was occupied by church members. I was very humbled as we walked into the two room mud hut, the rooms separated by a sheet. While we were visiting in this home part of the group was visiting next door and having prayer for a lady. We had a prayer and sang a song of blessing before we stepped out. We walked through part of the area and then went in and prayed for one of the church members mothers who has aids. She had also had sugery recently on her stomach and had fallen against the speakers at the church on Saturday when the chaos broke out. She had a sparkle in her eyes and was so appreciative of the visit and prayer. We continued our journey through the slums, discreetly taking pictures along the way, not wanting to invade the privacy of those who live there. There is no possible way to describe the poverty of the area. Sewage runs freely, there is little or no electricity, no running water and the access to water is now far away for the part of the slum that we were walking in. There were children playing in the dirt, in the water, everywhere. The average age of the residents is 12 years old. Aids, incest, disease, and violence are rampant in the area. There were areas that were almost impassible due to the narrow passage ways, steep hills, sand and rocks, and sewage flowing in the area. Outhouses were scattered, but only consisted of a small hut type structure with a hole dug in the floor. There were pits dug next to the doors of the homes for building fires to cook. Several had clothing, washed by hand, hanging on the clothes lines. We passed a few shops featuring items such as soft drinks, bananas, and collards (sukuma). Again words and not even pictures can do justice to the living conditions of these people. To me, the walk back seemed much longer, awakened to a fresh awareness of the great needs of the area. When we got back we were told to take off our shoes and they would have them cleaned for us by some of the workers and students, another humbling experience.
When we got back we spent some time talking and defragging and then it was lunch time on the Womble’s patio. A nice breeze was blowing as we set down to the meal that had been prepared for us: Fruit salad, (mango, paw paw, pineapple), Sukuma (Collards) & Ugali, Potatoes, Fried Chicken. The meal was wonderful! After we ate we prepared to take the rented bus into town to do some shopping at one of the markets. One of the best flea markets in Nairobi is only open now on the weekends. We arrived at the market and were immediately meet by peddlers with the best deals in town. My only concern was that their trinkets were probably made in China. The market was filled with shops of all kinds and every owner tried to coerce us into their establishments. There were just about any kind of native items that you can imagine; hand made dolls, pottery, carvings, linen accessories, knives, jewelry, etc… Our time was somewhat limited so we had to hurry through to try to make a few purchases. Of course every shop keeper assured us they had the best deals. There was a lot of “bargaining” going on and I don’t think I had an offer refused when I told them to forget it, that was all I could pay, and started to walk away. We finally boarded the bus at 4:30 instead of 4 and headed back to Kibera. About 4:50 the bus went dead in the middle of the road still in downtown Nairobi. Eventually someone had to push us off in reverse. It was an experience sitting still in the middle of Nairobi 5pm rush traffic. We were thankful to finally be back on the road. After returning to the Kids Center, we started setting up for “Christmas in March” for the kids. It was amazing to see all the items that had been brought for the kids and for the school. Even more amazing was the joy on their faces as they got to come through by grades and load their bags. I have never seen kids so excited about receiving items such as tooth brushes, flip
flops, pencils, pens, notebooks, candy, nail polish, matchbox cars, hair clips, skirts, etc… There were also supplies for the school; paper, pens, first aid supplies, lotions, creams, soap, toothpaste. After all the gifts were presented to the children as they passed through in an orderly line, they were presented with their new uniforms, supplies by donations from the DelMArVA region. The Martins’ had also raised money through their region to buy 2 new lawnmowers, 2 new industrial dryers for the rainy season, and other supplies needed by the Womble’s and the school. The children and the Womble’s were so grateful for the much needed items and the things that may not have been necessities, but brought so much joy to the orphans. The orphans stories are heartbreaking! There is Immaculate who woke up one morning and told the people that she was staying with that “she had to go to her people”. She was 3 maybe 4 at the time. After being there for services she left, but Debra Womble sent someone to find her, to bring her back “to her people”. They couldn’t find any relatives for her, only the people that she occasionally spent the night with. So many of their lives are filled with no living family members, sexual abuse such as rape, incest, others were sold out for prostitution before they were five years old. To hear some of their stories, and then see the glow on their faces makes it even more special. Gideon, the minister of music, was also presented with a saxophone, a trumpet, and a flute. After all the presentations, we went downstairs for a supper of spaghetti and lunch leftovers. Immediately following supper, the kids had planned a surprise birthday party for Sis. Lynda Martin, First Lady of the COG Delmarva (Administrative Bishop’s wife). They had decorated the room with streamers, balloons, Happy Birthday streamers, and BIG cards that they had made for her. When she came in and they yelled surprise, the school band played and followed with a festive time of celebration. You’ll have to see the video to capture the celebratory spirit of the evening. When that began to die down, the kids were all given Coca Cola and cookies, compliments of the Martin’s. Again, to see the looks on the faces and the grateful hearts for things that our children take so far granted! The biggest surprise and blessing of the evening was yet to come, and it wasn’t in what was being given to the kids and the Womble’s. It was what they were giving back to us. The group was called to the front to sit on the benches that they spread across the front of the room. Then they began to tell how thankful they were for all that had been done for them, and they wanted to do something for us. Realizing that they had little or no resources to present us with gifts, I was NOT prepared for what was about to take place! The Womble’s, the staff, and the children gathered in a circle around us and began to pray for each of us. Some prayed in Swahili, some in perfect English, some in broken English, some in tongues (and amazingly it’s not so hard to tell the difference J ) . It was more humbling than you can ever imagine without experiencing it, to hear these children pray for each of us. Time and time again I heard heart wrenching prayers of “Father bless Pastor Paul and his wife and his“fam a lee”, thank you for sending them to us. Bless them with health, with strength, keep them from the hand of the “een e mee”. The prayers went on and on as others continued to pray for each of us. They didn’t just say prayers over us, the children PRAYED and cried out to God on our behalf. Not just a short obligatory prayer, but prayers with such passion and tears crying out to God for us. I can’t remember a time in my life when I have ever been any more broken. I have never understood the words in the old hymn, “for such a worm as I”, but I felt that low or lower, and so unworthy of the love that these children were pouring back to us. When many finished praying for us, maybe 45 minutes later? Who knows? Time didn’t matter any more at that point; they gathered around the walls and continued to pray and intercede, some with groanings that could not be uttered. I wondered how God could love me in my selfishness so many times, when they were giving all that they had! May God help our children and adults to learn to pray with the same fervency. As the praying began so settle down, the voices began to sing, “One more time” (will have to share more words later) (the computer screen has gotten blurry for some reason, must be this Kenyan Power LOL). I just wanted to get in the floor and sink as low as I could go and thank God for all His blessings in spite of my unworthiness. As for me, I know I can never be the same after that night!!!When we finally gathered some composure back, the Mission Baltimore kids (one of those Kayla, was born in Clanton, attended Oneonta Worship Center COG, and is now children’s pastor in Maryland!) continued with Kids Krusade. During that time I went back to the room to pack for the early morning flight to the Safari.
Monday, March 23, 2009
DAY 5 Pastor Paul's Perspective
(Abridged- will add details ASAP)
Got to talk to Paula and the kids early. We had a day to sleep in, but it was pleasant waking up early to talk them just after they got in from church. Early for me, Late for them.
I went back to bed and when the alarm went off played the snooze game until it quit playing. I won & went back to sleep. I woke up late, just minutes before we were supposed to leave to walk thru the slums. I got ready as quickly as I got and grabbed a bite of peanut butter so I could take my malaria tablet and Aleve. (Back and nerve have done exceptionally well on the trip).
Walked thru Kibera slums: Indescribable - prayed for one of the church members mothers who has aids.
Lunch: Fruit salad(mango, paw paw, pineapple), Sukuma (Collards) & Ugali, Potatoes, Fried Chicken
Left for Market to shop: Indescribable
Dinner : Spaghetti
Afterwards Surprise party from the kids for Sis. Lynda Martin, First Lady of COG DelMarVaDC.
Will give more details ASAP
Then the kids prayed for us!!! I’ve never been so humbled in all my life!!! Can’t wait to write more.
Kids Krusade followed.Back in room now to pack for early morning flight to Safari
By, the way, I am so PROUD of all of our Jr. Teen Talent Winners! Wish I could have been there to see you, but I am excited for you!
Got to talk to Paula and the kids early. We had a day to sleep in, but it was pleasant waking up early to talk them just after they got in from church. Early for me, Late for them.
I went back to bed and when the alarm went off played the snooze game until it quit playing. I won & went back to sleep. I woke up late, just minutes before we were supposed to leave to walk thru the slums. I got ready as quickly as I got and grabbed a bite of peanut butter so I could take my malaria tablet and Aleve. (Back and nerve have done exceptionally well on the trip).
Walked thru Kibera slums: Indescribable - prayed for one of the church members mothers who has aids.
Lunch: Fruit salad(mango, paw paw, pineapple), Sukuma (Collards) & Ugali, Potatoes, Fried Chicken
Left for Market to shop: Indescribable
Dinner : Spaghetti
Afterwards Surprise party from the kids for Sis. Lynda Martin, First Lady of COG DelMarVaDC.
Will give more details ASAP
Then the kids prayed for us!!! I’ve never been so humbled in all my life!!! Can’t wait to write more.
Kids Krusade followed.Back in room now to pack for early morning flight to Safari
By, the way, I am so PROUD of all of our Jr. Teen Talent Winners! Wish I could have been there to see you, but I am excited for you!
DAY 4 Pastor Paul's Perspective
“And the mornings and the evenings were” all running together by now. What a DAY! We started with breakfast around 8am and then had some preparation time for service. The Mission Baltimore students and others taught Sunday School today. I went into all the classes and took some video and pics. There was a separate class for the Kids Center residents and the Slum kids. It was amazing the Bible knowledge that the Slum kids had. Many of them attend the Pre-School here at the Church. I also spent some time taking pics and video off the Slums just across the wall. There were all kinds of sounds from the slums this morning. Some preachers on loud speakers, singing, (one area sounded like an old fashioned Pentecostal Campmeeting, but who can be sure? My Swahili is not up to par). I hope the video captured some of the feeling of the area. The music in the service was uplifting as usual. You have to be in good shape to be on the Praise Team here. Lots of movements, great heart of worship. Pastor Sam Abbott, from Indiana brought some powerful word from Ps 91. It was beautiful to see all the children so attentive, Bibles and note pads in lap throughout the whole message. Several came up to pray to be saved before he got to minister. At the close of his message there was a powerful time of prayer covering all areas of the sanctuary. Service closed about 1:30 and we headed into Nairobi for lunch. Just outside the gate of the compound here, there were several people walking, cattle being herded and others carrying large loads on their backs and in buggies. We drove on the wrong side of the road but noone seemed to care. Everyone else did too, Even worse, most of the steering wheels are on the wrong side of the vehicle. We were able to see the spot where the slums start closer to the downtown area. We ate at The Serena Hotel. This is the place diplomats stay (Condaleza Rice was there a while back) when visiting the country. It was a beautiful buffet with more new food entries for me to try; duck, a spinach dish, several others a few that I was not brave enough to try. The hotel was breath taking, with a garden area & a pool that was open w/people swimming and laying out. We arrived back here about 4:30 and service began at 5. It was a great Sunday evening crowd. The music was good, lively & energetic again. Can’t say much for the preaching (it was me, so someone else needs to blog this for me), but it seemed to be well received. Wonderful altar service w/some coming for prayer to be saved and others just seeking God for more. We also had a “God ordained” time of prayer for the Womble’s. I actually played the keyboard some at the close of service. Amazing to see how many people stayed after it got dark, realizing they would have to walk back home to the slums in the dark. The kids were served supper as they prepared for Night Two of Kids Krusade. The group gathered for sandwich and snacks. I pulled out one box of peanut butter crackers, and the Womble’s brought over ham and fresh pineapple for sandwiches. In the mean time, David Ray taught some of the Mission Students the joys of banana, peanut butter, and mayo sandwiches(Kayla who was born in Clanton, and is a member of Oneonta Worship Center, had the upper hand & already knew how good it was), with any combination of that you choose. Some of the group was also unaware that pineapple sandwiches are wonderful. You would think they were raised in a third world country or something with their lack of food knowledge. (Oooppss, that’s where we are now). We then went to the Upper Room for Kids Krusade. At the close of the games, teaching, sharing, and ministry time, the Martin’s presented Dedication Certificates to all the residents that were here last year that were dedicated during a special service. What an awesome experience to watch the kids light up as their names were called and then to see their expressions as they had pics made and were given the certificate. This was followed by some fellowship time among the group, knowing that most of us needed to hit the bed soon. Tomorrow will be here all too early (8 hours earlier here than there for most of you). We are scheduled to take a short tour of the Kiberean slums in the morning, followed by lunch and then a trip to the market to do some shopping.
DAY 3 Pastor Paul's Perspective
Saturday, I think
I went to bed about 2 to the sound of African radio stations playing in my ear. I awakened around 6 to the sounds of birds singing.
It was SOOOO refreshing to finally be able to shower after what seems like weeks at this point. The shower was nice and refreshing although a little on the “hot” side, seriously.
Breakfast was at 8, consisting of toast, cereal, or anything else we brought or could find.
From there, it was next door to the church auditorium to begin the conference. I could have sworn I heard the sounds of an accordion coming from the area of the slums.
The music wass uplifting by the LifeSpring Children’s Choir and then the church praise team. Jim Womble, Sr. Pastor here did a great job on “What is the Cross”, followed by Bishop Ronald Martin of DelMarVa. The people continued to pour in. The first 318 were given tickets and I just never asked “what for?”. Pastor Sam Abbott ministered on the Power of Holy Spirit and Deborah Grey ministered on The Power to Heal. Each of these were followed by powerful altar calls.
The estimated attendance was close to 2000, and at least 200 or more dedicated their lives to the Lord. The Mission: Baltimore also ministered in some drama.
By this point it was well past the scheduled lunch time. We were able to assist with lunch. Some served; rice, a chicken dish, and cabbage. The attendees were thrilled to get a meal. I went to the dining hall to take some pictures and immediately started cleaning tables. Others were washing dishes, preparing water to drink, and trying to keep the tables cleaned as the group rotated. Everything was served in one bowl, there were no utensils, and water was poured into plastic cups as quickly as possible. It was obvious that no utensils was not a problem, and NO, Kenyans do not eat with chop sticks. Wrong continent. Several of the babies, I think every lady that walked in brought a baby or two, were eating from smaller plastic bowls and the younger babies were eating too, however not out of bowls or bottles. Many of them had eaten extensively during the service as well. I did have to stop looking at all the babies, and I quit taking pictures of those that looked so cute nestled up to mommy. Hopefully all my pics are G rated, however I do know one segment will need to be cut from the video. OOOPPPSSS.
It was quite an accomplishment seeing nearly 2000 people come thru a meal line and get fed with rotating bowls and cups. I don’t know how the dishwashers stayed ahead!
After they finished their meal, we were sent to the dining hall to eat, while they were headed back in to listen as the music started.
Just as we had started our line to eat, we heard a horrible uproar. Apparently tear gas had been shot somewhere just outside the compound and there was quiet a panic. People were screaming, trying to get our of the church building and total chaos set in.
It took a little while for security and the leadership to get everyone back in and settled down. After some more music, Catherine Hookers shared. This had been a 30 year dream come true for her. By this point it was already around 4:30 which is when the outdoor crusade had been scheduled. Considering all that still had to been and the distractions that had been encountered, it was time to dismiss the service.
Immediately following the dismissal, it was time to distribute mayse, a type of corn meal. There were several different ideas on how to handle this, but eventually it was all brought to the altar area, possibly to bless it as it went into the homes in the Kiberan Slums. We started handing it out row by row and it is amazing where people can hide 5 bags of corn meal. I know I must have given one row of 10, at least 30 bags J. Many seemed to have no problem misrepresenting the fact that they had already received. When all had hopefully been served once, everyone who did not have a yellow ticket from this morning were asked to leave. Of course some stayed w/out a ticket and there were still some that declared even tho it had been asked 3 or 4 times if all had been served, that they still didn’t receive the corn meal. After all were finally out, the doors were shut and the ticket holders remained. We were given new Bibles to pass out to the ticket holders so it was much easier to organize than the corn meal give away. (DelMarVa region donated the corn meal and the supplies for the lunch meal). It was again amazing that several of them had “lost” their ticket. After all the Bibles were distributed to the ticket holders, some had lost their Bible, their ticket, or they weren’t given the corn meal. Imagine that. Some were almost forced to leave. (And I thought it was hard to get our folks to leave service!) It is now almost 7 PM here and we are about to head to supper.
I’m hearing sounds from the slums. I’m not sure if it is a preacher on a mega phone or? It was an indescribable experience seeing and hearing such sounds of hope and joy in the church building today and at the same time looking out the doors and windows of the church into the hopelessness of the Slums.
Supper at the CARNIVORE, Nairobi - WOW. What an awesome cultural experience!
www.tamarind.co.ke If you check the web site, you’ll probably find it hard to believe that we are suffering for Jesus on the mission field. It was a good wind down from all the events of the day. It is somewhat a backward buffet style, they bring all the food to you at the table. Most of it is served and cut from long skewers. The meal began with a salad assortment consisting of garden salad, corn salad and some others that were of little or no interest to me. There were several dipping sauces brought in advance to prepare us for the main meal. This consisted of an assortment of ham, turkey, chicken, lamb, ostrich, ostrich meatballs, chicken wings, ribs, crocodile, steamed liver, and I am sure I have missed some. There was a pretty nice addition of a dessert menu to close out the meal.
After we were seated, I noticed a long tail hanging from something on the other side of the restaurant. Still not sure if it was a monkey or what? A few minutes later I apparently had some kind of neck spasm that felt like I had been hit from behind. Needless to say, everyone in our group was aware of the monkey attack/neck spasm.
After returning from supper, all the kids were brought into “The Upper Room” for a time of Kids Krusade. Again, what an amazing contrast from the sounds of laughter and then just a short distance away the sounds of restlessness, dogs howling, and a spirit of darkness and hopelessness.
I’m back in the room now, listening to an African Gospel station I think on the wind up flashlight/radio. I think it’s about shower time again. Has been a HOT day here.
Can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for us tomorrow. The hosts told us we didn’t have to be at church until around 11, unless we were helping or wanted to go to Sunday School, so I guess I’ll just sleep in. haha NOT!
Looking forward to hearing from Jr. Talent. I do get free normal incoming text although it’s not free to respond, sooooooooooo----
Gonna call it a night after I read for a while.
Lessons learned today:
1. 2000 Kenyans can be fed in almost the same amount of time we spend ordering, eating and finishing a Sunday meal.
2. Eating utensils are not important. Just be thankful to God that you have a hot meal, even if it is all somewhat mixed together.
3. Children will love you no matter how different you may appear to be from them.
4. No matter how much you do for some people, it is never enough, but do not penalize those who need and are appreciative because of those who want to take advantage of you.
5. Be thankful for the small blessings. A hot meal, a bag of corn meal, a Bible, may not seem like a lot to us, but to others it’s a fortune. Don’t ever take the little things for granted.
6. Love conquers all. It may take a while, but just keep on loving.
I went to bed about 2 to the sound of African radio stations playing in my ear. I awakened around 6 to the sounds of birds singing.
It was SOOOO refreshing to finally be able to shower after what seems like weeks at this point. The shower was nice and refreshing although a little on the “hot” side, seriously.
Breakfast was at 8, consisting of toast, cereal, or anything else we brought or could find.
From there, it was next door to the church auditorium to begin the conference. I could have sworn I heard the sounds of an accordion coming from the area of the slums.
The music wass uplifting by the LifeSpring Children’s Choir and then the church praise team. Jim Womble, Sr. Pastor here did a great job on “What is the Cross”, followed by Bishop Ronald Martin of DelMarVa. The people continued to pour in. The first 318 were given tickets and I just never asked “what for?”. Pastor Sam Abbott ministered on the Power of Holy Spirit and Deborah Grey ministered on The Power to Heal. Each of these were followed by powerful altar calls.
The estimated attendance was close to 2000, and at least 200 or more dedicated their lives to the Lord. The Mission: Baltimore also ministered in some drama.
By this point it was well past the scheduled lunch time. We were able to assist with lunch. Some served; rice, a chicken dish, and cabbage. The attendees were thrilled to get a meal. I went to the dining hall to take some pictures and immediately started cleaning tables. Others were washing dishes, preparing water to drink, and trying to keep the tables cleaned as the group rotated. Everything was served in one bowl, there were no utensils, and water was poured into plastic cups as quickly as possible. It was obvious that no utensils was not a problem, and NO, Kenyans do not eat with chop sticks. Wrong continent. Several of the babies, I think every lady that walked in brought a baby or two, were eating from smaller plastic bowls and the younger babies were eating too, however not out of bowls or bottles. Many of them had eaten extensively during the service as well. I did have to stop looking at all the babies, and I quit taking pictures of those that looked so cute nestled up to mommy. Hopefully all my pics are G rated, however I do know one segment will need to be cut from the video. OOOPPPSSS.
It was quite an accomplishment seeing nearly 2000 people come thru a meal line and get fed with rotating bowls and cups. I don’t know how the dishwashers stayed ahead!
After they finished their meal, we were sent to the dining hall to eat, while they were headed back in to listen as the music started.
Just as we had started our line to eat, we heard a horrible uproar. Apparently tear gas had been shot somewhere just outside the compound and there was quiet a panic. People were screaming, trying to get our of the church building and total chaos set in.
It took a little while for security and the leadership to get everyone back in and settled down. After some more music, Catherine Hookers shared. This had been a 30 year dream come true for her. By this point it was already around 4:30 which is when the outdoor crusade had been scheduled. Considering all that still had to been and the distractions that had been encountered, it was time to dismiss the service.
Immediately following the dismissal, it was time to distribute mayse, a type of corn meal. There were several different ideas on how to handle this, but eventually it was all brought to the altar area, possibly to bless it as it went into the homes in the Kiberan Slums. We started handing it out row by row and it is amazing where people can hide 5 bags of corn meal. I know I must have given one row of 10, at least 30 bags J. Many seemed to have no problem misrepresenting the fact that they had already received. When all had hopefully been served once, everyone who did not have a yellow ticket from this morning were asked to leave. Of course some stayed w/out a ticket and there were still some that declared even tho it had been asked 3 or 4 times if all had been served, that they still didn’t receive the corn meal. After all were finally out, the doors were shut and the ticket holders remained. We were given new Bibles to pass out to the ticket holders so it was much easier to organize than the corn meal give away. (DelMarVa region donated the corn meal and the supplies for the lunch meal). It was again amazing that several of them had “lost” their ticket. After all the Bibles were distributed to the ticket holders, some had lost their Bible, their ticket, or they weren’t given the corn meal. Imagine that. Some were almost forced to leave. (And I thought it was hard to get our folks to leave service!) It is now almost 7 PM here and we are about to head to supper.
I’m hearing sounds from the slums. I’m not sure if it is a preacher on a mega phone or? It was an indescribable experience seeing and hearing such sounds of hope and joy in the church building today and at the same time looking out the doors and windows of the church into the hopelessness of the Slums.
Supper at the CARNIVORE, Nairobi - WOW. What an awesome cultural experience!
www.tamarind.co.ke If you check the web site, you’ll probably find it hard to believe that we are suffering for Jesus on the mission field. It was a good wind down from all the events of the day. It is somewhat a backward buffet style, they bring all the food to you at the table. Most of it is served and cut from long skewers. The meal began with a salad assortment consisting of garden salad, corn salad and some others that were of little or no interest to me. There were several dipping sauces brought in advance to prepare us for the main meal. This consisted of an assortment of ham, turkey, chicken, lamb, ostrich, ostrich meatballs, chicken wings, ribs, crocodile, steamed liver, and I am sure I have missed some. There was a pretty nice addition of a dessert menu to close out the meal.
After we were seated, I noticed a long tail hanging from something on the other side of the restaurant. Still not sure if it was a monkey or what? A few minutes later I apparently had some kind of neck spasm that felt like I had been hit from behind. Needless to say, everyone in our group was aware of the monkey attack/neck spasm.
After returning from supper, all the kids were brought into “The Upper Room” for a time of Kids Krusade. Again, what an amazing contrast from the sounds of laughter and then just a short distance away the sounds of restlessness, dogs howling, and a spirit of darkness and hopelessness.
I’m back in the room now, listening to an African Gospel station I think on the wind up flashlight/radio. I think it’s about shower time again. Has been a HOT day here.
Can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for us tomorrow. The hosts told us we didn’t have to be at church until around 11, unless we were helping or wanted to go to Sunday School, so I guess I’ll just sleep in. haha NOT!
Looking forward to hearing from Jr. Talent. I do get free normal incoming text although it’s not free to respond, sooooooooooo----
Gonna call it a night after I read for a while.
Lessons learned today:
1. 2000 Kenyans can be fed in almost the same amount of time we spend ordering, eating and finishing a Sunday meal.
2. Eating utensils are not important. Just be thankful to God that you have a hot meal, even if it is all somewhat mixed together.
3. Children will love you no matter how different you may appear to be from them.
4. No matter how much you do for some people, it is never enough, but do not penalize those who need and are appreciative because of those who want to take advantage of you.
5. Be thankful for the small blessings. A hot meal, a bag of corn meal, a Bible, may not seem like a lot to us, but to others it’s a fortune. Don’t ever take the little things for granted.
6. Love conquers all. It may take a while, but just keep on loving.
DAY 2 Pastor Paul's Perspective
After being served a breakfast of cold yogurt and frozen juice, we landed in Amsterdam. We had about a 3 hour lay over, but we had to go through check points again so we didn’t have a lot of time to waste. Some of us grabbed a quick breakfast: tomatoes, hash browns, eggs, toast, lettuce, and juice. For three of us, the cost converted to $50.00. OUCH.
Soon we were back on the plane and Day 2 consisted mostly of eating and sleeping. It is amazing how an airline can destroy a chicken dish. No details even necessary, just trust me. Like an idiot I ordered the same thing twice. I guess hoping and expecting it to be different. I was awakened at one point for some kind of carrot salad, some funky soup w/funky stuff out of a pack to add to it (which didn’t make it better) and some type of carrot dessert. It was really a GREAT day for sleeping.
The flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi is almost 8 hours and about 4400 miles.
We landed about 9 PM I think? Who knows what time it is by this point?
Amsterdam was 6 hours ahead of Central and Nairobi is 8. The landing was a little turbulent at times, but we made it off and to customs without a hitch. Took a while to get through the passport check, but we had no problems getting our luggage and getting out without any of the group of 18 being checked! Thank God for miracles!
The Womble’s, the directors of the orphanage were there to meet us. We loaded most of the luggage onto one bus/van and secured another for the other luggage and the 18 of us.
Just a couple of miles from the airport we saw 4 or 5 zebras grazing on the side of the road. That was pretty wild.
We made it to the Kibera Children’s Center, unloaded, found our rooms, had a group meeting and some fellowship planning our day tomorrow.
Ooopps it is tomorrow!!!
Will let you know how all that goes when I can.
Thank God for an opportunity to brush our teeth!!
Lessons learned for the day:
1. Sometimes it can be expensive to keep in touch with family, but it’s worth it.
2. Sometimes sleeping is better than eating.
3. Again, A full bladder and a full plane are not a good combination.
Soon we were back on the plane and Day 2 consisted mostly of eating and sleeping. It is amazing how an airline can destroy a chicken dish. No details even necessary, just trust me. Like an idiot I ordered the same thing twice. I guess hoping and expecting it to be different. I was awakened at one point for some kind of carrot salad, some funky soup w/funky stuff out of a pack to add to it (which didn’t make it better) and some type of carrot dessert. It was really a GREAT day for sleeping.
The flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi is almost 8 hours and about 4400 miles.
We landed about 9 PM I think? Who knows what time it is by this point?
Amsterdam was 6 hours ahead of Central and Nairobi is 8. The landing was a little turbulent at times, but we made it off and to customs without a hitch. Took a while to get through the passport check, but we had no problems getting our luggage and getting out without any of the group of 18 being checked! Thank God for miracles!
The Womble’s, the directors of the orphanage were there to meet us. We loaded most of the luggage onto one bus/van and secured another for the other luggage and the 18 of us.
Just a couple of miles from the airport we saw 4 or 5 zebras grazing on the side of the road. That was pretty wild.
We made it to the Kibera Children’s Center, unloaded, found our rooms, had a group meeting and some fellowship planning our day tomorrow.
Ooopps it is tomorrow!!!
Will let you know how all that goes when I can.
Thank God for an opportunity to brush our teeth!!
Lessons learned for the day:
1. Sometimes it can be expensive to keep in touch with family, but it’s worth it.
2. Sometimes sleeping is better than eating.
3. Again, A full bladder and a full plane are not a good combination.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
In Addition
I know that Paul will give us the "Day 2" Account as soon as he can get internet; however, he texted me today about their FIRST official ministry day in Nairobi.
He and a couple of others were asked to preach about 20 minutes each at a conference. According to Paul's brief text, there were 2000 people in attendance and 175 salvations. Praises the Lord! I am anxious to read his next "perspective"!
We on the home front are doing well. Continue to keep us in your prayers!
Blessings,
Paula
He and a couple of others were asked to preach about 20 minutes each at a conference. According to Paul's brief text, there were 2000 people in attendance and 175 salvations. Praises the Lord! I am anxious to read his next "perspective"!
We on the home front are doing well. Continue to keep us in your prayers!
Blessings,
Paula
Day One--Pastor Paul's Perspective
Paul emailed his "Day One" Experience from the airport to Africa. Since internet is still extremely limited, his accounts may be somewhat delayed. However, we will do our best to give you the "latest" LOL. Here's Paul:
Day 1
Day 1
And the morning and the evening were the first
day.
Day 1
After a somewhat short night Wednesday night in anticipation of Thursday morning, one of the most horrific aspects of the trip was awaiting me.
Finally the dreaded moment came, and Paula and the kids pulled out of the driveway, leaving me to finish some last minute packing and pull myself together before my taxi arrived.. The Lord seemed to allow some good distractions to help me get through the morning. Abut 7:45 the electricity went off. That never happens in our subdivision. The last time it was out for any length of time was when the tornado ripped through the area about a year or so ago.
It was off for abut 45 minutes, allowing me to reroute any emotional frustration. Snickers, our cat, was also a lot of help in keeping my mind from focusing on the fact that I would be gone for eight days. Now the moment had turned to eight glorious days without being clawed and scratched and hearing her tormenting screams.
My taxi, P. Ray. arrived right on schedule. (Imagine that! LOL). I finished packing and he loaded my bags in the car. We locked up and headed for Atlanta. One street over, I realized that I may have forgotten my wind-up radio/flashlight/weahter radio combo. Expecting to go back and retrieve it, I was reminded that all the doors were locked and now we had no key to get in. I was anxious to unpack and see if it was with me. ( I FOUND IT LATER!)
I felt rather nauseous most of the way to Atlanta so I decided a nap was probably the best way to deal with that.
I was up before we passed Six Flags and realized that we weren’t supposed to pass there. Oops. I had failed to give complete exit details, but thanks to P. Ray’s overwhelming patience and phone GPS, he worked his way through some very interesting parts of downtown. Again, I figured with the absence of electricity and the scenic tour of inner city Atlanta, the Lord was just giving me some insight in the trip at hand.
We arrived safely at the airport in plenty of time for me to get checked in. One of the attendants was most helpful in checking in my luggage and printing one of three boarding passes for me. He had never heard of Nairobi and I am just praying that my luggage meets me there.
From there it was off to meet David Ray, the international YWEA coordinator and his son Michael. We boarded safely after finding out that Delta had no clue of how to credit my new found sky miles. (Thanks Paula for getting that worked out for me! You always do all this stuff, aand I didn’t know where to start!)
We left Atlanta 2:45 EST and arrived in DC about 2 hours later. The flight was good. I slept off and on and was blessed with extra apple juice and an extra pack of cookies.
We were met in DC by the other members of the group, 18 in total of us, (some I still haven’t met), While waiting we ate at “The Five Men”, It was a cheeseburger lover’s dream and the fries were pretty awesome. After treking back to the gate, with a cup of coffee, by this point, it was almost time to load. I got to make a few phone calls before, during, and after boarding. Paula is helping Pell City High Choir with an upcoming event,
Ashlyn had a great game, Addison got to play 2nd base and pitch during a practice game, and Austen was content that he didn’t go with daddy to Erka (Africa) although that had been his plan for the last week.
Among those that I have met in the group are; Ronald and Linda Martin, Administrative Bishop of Del-Mar-Va (more importantly, close friends of Margaret Gaines), and Sam Abbott, one of Mark Abbott’s cousins.
I was blessed with an aisle seat. My guess is that most of the folks on this flight from DC to Amsterdam, cannot trace roots back to Chilton County or most anywhere in Alabama. My seat mate was from Hungary and has been over for some scientific seminars?
Wee were served almonds and drinks of choice earlier. Our supper choices were pasta or chicken. I don’t think Paula Dean would appreciate what they did to this chicken. There should be international laws against it, --- It was served with rice, some kind of bean salad, roll, and some cherry cake. Thank God for wonderful cheeseburgers!
It is now 10 PM Central time. I have no idea what time it is here now? We appear to be over the ocean but in the darkness it is hard to tell.
I still feel like an emotional slinky (rollercoasters and yo yo’s still have too much form to describe my current state), but I know that God has some awesome things in store. Thanks to each of you for your thoughts and prayers for me while I’m gone, and for “those left behind”. Thanks to so many of you who were so gracious to help me make this trip a reality. (You know who you are).
I’ve actually read a chapter of “Simple Church”, (I have a couple of copies for sale for anyone interested). It is one of the books pushed for 24toDouble. Seems to be the first reading time I have had in a while.
I’ll close for now with the words from a song that P. Ray so graciously left me with today, “I still miss you, life will never be the same with you not here . At least that’s close to the song . It “blessed” me today in my mental state. I know he just wanted to be a blessing . I have trained him well. LOL.
LESSONS FOR THE DAY
#1
Hold your family close and treasure the time you have with them.
(Definition of Family - those to whom you are related by blood line and those special people that God places in your life)
#2
A full airplane and a full bladder are NEVER a good combination.
Will close for now and try to find out the “local” time and catch a nap.Pastor Paul
Friday, March 20, 2009
They Have Arrived
I just received a text from the Trip Coordinator that the team of 18 people from around the USA have arrived in Nairobi. There will also be a log of news that will be updated from the YWEA trip coordinator David Ray. The address of that site is www.ycechurchofgod.org. Click the news section on the lower left. Hopefully, Paul will be able to sign on somewhere and make his debut as an official blogger. Until then, thank you for keeping our family in your prayers!
Our hearts are full of anticipation! Blessings, to all, Paula.
Our hearts are full of anticipation! Blessings, to all, Paula.
Part of the Way There
Paul texted me this morning around 4 AM (CST) . He arrived in Amsterdam safely and was getting to board for Nairobi. I am looking to hear from him at lunch today.
Thanks for your prayers!
Thanks for your prayers!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
TODAY IS THE DAY
Greetings Everyone! I wanted to touch base with you for Paul, since he is presently getting all of the last minute things together. He flies out of Atlanta today at 1:45 pm (CST). After a connection in DC, the group will land in Amsterdam approximately at 8 pm(CST) tonite. We are not sure as to the consistent availability of internet access. However, this site will have the latest information possible. The place where he will be staying is an orphanage in the Kibera Slums. If you do a search on this, you will find a heart wrenching view.
At this point, because of Paul's outstanding technological ability, he will be utilizing all forms of modern equipment--computer, video camera, digital camera and eletrical converter plugs! So, pray for his saftey and sanity as I am usually the one who "manages the Lett technical media"!
Blessings to all!
Paula
At this point, because of Paul's outstanding technological ability, he will be utilizing all forms of modern equipment--computer, video camera, digital camera and eletrical converter plugs! So, pray for his saftey and sanity as I am usually the one who "manages the Lett technical media"!
Blessings to all!
Paula
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Getting Ready
Paul is getting ready to depart for Kenya, Africa. So, today marks the beginning of his technical training in blogging. Since I thought this would be a great way for others to check out what is going on during his missions trip, I have decided to be the first to write on his blog! Paul is very excited about his trip, but because of his devoted heart to family and church, he is not very excited about being gone. We know that God has a plan for his going on this trip, and we are very confident that when God works something out, He has all of the details taken care of.
Be much in prayer for this group as all of the members of this team will meet in Washington, DC on Thursday evening to rally for their extremely short (in faith!) flight to Amsterdam, Netherlands. Once they arrive, they will have a fairly long layover, and then will fly out to Nairobi, Kenya on Friday. The time difference is nine hours from Pell City (central) time.
Keep us in prayer as we encounter this journey.
Love, Paula
Be much in prayer for this group as all of the members of this team will meet in Washington, DC on Thursday evening to rally for their extremely short (in faith!) flight to Amsterdam, Netherlands. Once they arrive, they will have a fairly long layover, and then will fly out to Nairobi, Kenya on Friday. The time difference is nine hours from Pell City (central) time.
Keep us in prayer as we encounter this journey.
Love, Paula
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