Making the Evening News

Curious eyes were aimed at me as I took a seat in the students' lounge to watch the news - in Swahili.

It has been less than a week since we arrived here at Scott Christian College in Machakos, Kenya. During the three weeks we will be here we will participate in African Based Orientation (ABO). This time is to help orient us to the worldview, culture and ways of living we will encounter while ministering in Africa. With a half-week's worth of material completed we have already learned so much and our eyes have been opened to how much we don't understand those we are wanting to minister to and how much we are going to need God's grace to wade through murky cultural waters clouded by our own western worldview.

On Sunday we were all assigned a church in the area to attend. Our family got lucky because we were assigned the closest one - the Scott College campus church. Well, it just so happens that this weekend Scott is celebrating it's 50th anniversary so there are some big celebrations planned. Along with all of the fancy ceremonies and special services, was the news that the Vice President of Kenya was going to be speaking at the campus church!

Sure enough, they had the whole church set up and ready to welcome their special guest. At least halfway through the service the Vice President arrived; there were some respectful introductions and the most gracious greetings until the Vice President, a fellow believer from what we can tell, addressed the congregation and gave much congratulations on their 50 years.

(Below the Vice President addresses the congregation.)

While that was all fun and exciting, the best part was the walk home. We waited for the press to conclude an interview with him outside the church and then we headed back to our dorms. However, along the way we found a helicopter in the middle of a field, surrounded by many Africans signing and shouting. It was their cultural way to honor the VP and send him off well. We got to stand right there next to the field and watch him get in the helicopter, waving to his people and take off, flying right over our heads!

(Below Nia and I walking past some of the "Security" for the VP. You can see the one soldiers gun behind Nia - serious stuff!)

Of course, as I sat on the tattered green couch, I had no idea what the women on the television was saying, but it was kind of fun to see the Vice President and the event we were apart of, on the Kenyan news today!

 

Thailie Turns Four

Well, my baby turned four today! Although she already seems like she has been four for a year, it is crazy to think that it was four years ago that I had her!

We celebrated by having the girls on the team over for a tea party. We had African chai and a chocolate cake that Mat and I baked over the fire. I really don't think we could have made a better cake in the States!

Of course, Thailie and Nia dressed up for the occasion. Kim and Dawn got her a little flower picture holder, some stickers and two erasers. Jared and Megan made her a card and put some stickers inside. Thailie was really excited and loved everything she got. It was cute.

Kim asked me if I was patting myself on the back because I had successfully pulled off a birthday party in Africa. I had to admit that I was trying to think of what we did have for her birthday because the things that usually defined a great party for me weren't available today; things like family, lots of friends, games and decorations. It was fine but I really didn't feel satisfied that she had a great birthday party.

For the rest of the day we hung out and I painted the girls' toenails. Then we had our one-on-one meetings with Peter. We borrowed Jared and Megan's phone and texted our families in hopes they could call to wish Thailie Happy Birthday.

Just before dinner Mat said His parents were trying to call. It never worked and the signal kept fading. Finally Mat decided to just call them. When we called we found out that Mat's whole family was together! It was quite a sight because we were all gathered around our water tank trying to get the best signal.

Later we were eating dinner and the phone rang! We jumped up and answered it to find it was my family! My Dad, Mom, Grammy, the Lillemos, even Brit on FaceTime! Kristin had brought over party hats for everyone to celebrate! It was so awesome to hear everyone. Thailie was so excited to talk to them and hear from them. It really made her birthday feel complete for me that she got to hear from all of her relatives back in America!
(Below you can't see the phone but it is sitting on the shelf to get signal!)

Mat and I just laughed as we sat down to finish dinner; we were in Africa eating beans and ugali with our hands when we got a phone call from our family in America! It's so crazy!

We finished the night by having a special movie night! It was a fun treat for Thailie even though we all were too tired to finish it at 9:30pm!