Living Out of a Ziploc Bag

Mimi Nyumbani: Day Seven-Eight

2012-01-16T07:15:00.000-08:00

Well I got the urge to bring you more from the blog tonight!

So here's yesterday and today :)

Day Seven: Asante Yesu. Thank You Jesus.

Most Sunday mornings I’m getting up really early to get to church by 8:30 or sometimes earlier if I’m singing or helping in the 8:00 service. It’s usually a little frantic and Brian and I are running around bumping into each other trying to get ready. Today was totally different. For some reasons my brain decided to have nightmares last night. Sometimes I have them and I just don’t sleep well. I got up at around 3:30 and had just had enough. I got up, walked around in our little hotel room and prayed that the Lord would grant me peace as I slept. After a little while the dreams stopped. But when the alarm went off at 7:00 I was NOT ready to get up. Now in Africa, you have to set your alarm 30-45 minutes earlier than you are planning to get up, so you can turn on the hot water heater. So our routine is I get up and turn it on, then Brian gets up to take the first shower. I love him for that. I get to sleep an extra 30 minutes. Today I slept an extra 45. Once I got up, I felt refreshed. That was only something the Lord could have done! Brian brought me eggs, sausage and pineapple for breakfast and I finished getting ready for church. I was really excited about church this morning because Dad and Brian were team preaching 
Nyakabungo Baptist Church has a very special place in our hearts. It is Samuel Ezekiel’s home church and one that we (when we were at Little Flock in Kentucky) helped to plant. Samuel’s whole family goes to church there, so it’s always sweet to worship with them. And of course, whenever we come to Mwanza, he wants us to come and preach and sing there. I have even had to preach once! You can ask Mer about that experience. Dad and Brian prepared a sermon about Joseph and his likeness to Christ. They talked about how the New Testament is contained in the Old Testament and the Old in the New is explained. The church really enjoyed the lesson and Dad really challenged them. Brian began by telling Joseph’s history and how his brothers hated him, sold him in slavery, he was blessed in Potiphar’s house, his temptation by Potiphar’s wife and his response. He really wanted them to listen to Joseph’s response to Potiphar’s wife. He said, “How can I sin against God?” That was the challenge to the church this morning. How can we, a people that have been redeemed by the saving blood of Christ, Who gave EVERYTHING for us, still go on sinning against Him? Are we willing to keep His commandments? He also challenged them as we do with every visit to fill every seat. They only have about 10 benches. And it’s hard to call them benches at that. They are uneven planks of wood with feet on them. They wobble back and forth and I’m always afraid to sit on them, but somehow they always hold us up. So Dad told them today that He and Mom would pay for more seats because they had filled these. And our team coming in May is hopefully going to help finish the church, put in more “pews” and build an altar area for prayer. I leaned over to Mom during the service and told her that I thought that we should do that, then Dad said it at the end without even talking to me! How crazy our minds are! So I took that as confirmation that it was supposed to happen. Mom and I sang “Nashakuru Mungu” with Samuel Ezekiel in THREE parts. It was so much fun. We’re going to try and record it before we leave. Worshipping with our brothers and sisters in Africa is always the biggest highlight of my trip. Whether it’s at church or with the boys my heart always takes away those memories. To hear Samuel Ezekiel praying with such conviction and faith is amazing. He is such an inspiration to me and I look forward to serving with him for years to come. He truly is my BROTHER. Today He was praying in Swahili and said “Asante, Yesu,” then almost immediately said it in English, “Thank You Jesus.” There was just something that struck me so hard. I teared up. We are one in Christ. Even though there is a language separating us, we are one. We are one with Christ. Even though sin may separate us from the Father, we are one with Him through Christ. One mind. One body. One Lord. Wow. Simple words. Asante Yesu. Thank You Jesus.
After church was over we enjoyed sodas with Pastor Nixon and talked about plans for the construction with the team in May. We’ve got big plans for this team. I’m really excited about it.
After taking a few pictures and saying goodbye to everyone we headed into town for lunch. We ate at the pizzeria again, but this time I got Chips Mayai. That’s eggs cooked with potatoes. It’s a simple African meal but I love it. Samuel told me not to eat it everyday because I would be kubwa sana. (that means real big) I said, Thanks. Well we exchanged several more words but it wouldn’t be as funny second hand, so I’ll just let you imagine what I said. I also got to enjoy my favorite mixed juice: avocado and passion. Well I love pineapple and passion too, but there is just something about the avocado and passion that I just, well, LOVE. Yes it’s green and a little thick, but it’s sooo yummy! I don’t even love avocados at home, but you bet I’m gonna start trying them more!
After lunch we went by the dress shop again to buy material to have some clothes made. Brian agreed to get another matchy outfit. He loves me  I got material for another dress for myself too. It’s Sunday, and the Wazungus (white people) are the only one out shopping so there aren’t many shops open. Africa takes Sunday very literally as a rest day and I’m gonna LOVE that when we live here. He stopped by a few more shops, I got another dress I L-O-V-E. In fact, I just might have to go back and get another or another….or another. Did I say my husband loves me?? We’ve been exploring new shops to bring the rest of the wazungus to in May.
Vincent brought us back to the hotel and we congregated down in the restaurant for some cards, internet time, and most importantly talking about where the buildings are going to be on the land. Tomorrow we’re going back to the land to walk it over again and see exactly where the buildings will go. We are also meeting with the village to do a Bible study. Dad and Brian are going to team preach Joseph’s story again while Mom and I do some activities with the children. Brian and I ordered some dinner and spent a little more time uploading pictures on Facebook and such. Now we’re chilling in the hotel room getting ready to go to bed. Tomorrow we leave earlier than the few days before so its bedtime for us! Usiku mwema.

Day Eight: The Blessing of Water: Living and Literal

Today we got up to leave at around 9:00am. We were headed out to the land again. Today we would meet with another village leader and some of the men that we purchased the land from. If it was possible and time permitted we would gather some people from the village and do Bible study, but we weren’t sure how the day was going to work out. Little did we know what the Lord had up His big, very
big sleeve.
We swung by the place in town where we always buy the sodas for the boys to return the bottles. In Africa most all sodas come in a glass bottle. The Coca-cola bottling warehouse is just outside of town. They don’t like it when you keep the bottles too long! So Vincent took care of that for us.
Then we were off! It’s about 40 kilometers out to the land, 30 on tarmac and another 10 out to the actual plot. Once the village makes us a new road to the land it will only be about 4-5 kilometers off the road. It’s not a bad ride at all. A bit bumpy the closer you get, but definitely not impossible  Let’s just say I’ve down worse roads. Once we arrived we swung by Musa’s house that lies just outside the borders of our plot and said Good morning. He was going to join us on the walk up to the top of the plot. Dad and Samuel Ezekiel were going to walk out where the first building will go. Our guest house. The guest house will be built first because it can be used as a multi-purpose building for a while. Brian, I AND Samuel Ezekiel can all live there until the funds are in to build the next buildings. And we can take in a few boys to start with there as well. And once things are going we can begin raising funds for administrative housing so interns and team and such can use the guest house, mostly in summers, but throughout the year as well. So exciting!!! It was really awesome imagining sitting on our back porch enjoying the sunset over Lake Victoria. Bwana Yesu Asifiwe!
So after we walked around for a bit enjoying the future site of our home, we gathered up under an acacia tree. I still think it’s so cool we have one of those! For those of you that don’t know, the Tabernacle in the Old Testament was made from acacia wood. It has thorns similar to those that were placed in the crown that was shoved on Jesus’ head on the cross. It always reminds me of my Savior and His sacrifice for me. As we sat under the shade of the acacia tree we began formal introductions with the land owners. They all still live with their families close to our property so we want to be great friends with these men!
After we all knew each other’s names Dad began talking a little about Anza Imani and how we want to partner with them in our work and such. Brian expressed our gratitude towards them for parting with their pieces of land so that we could start this work. Mom talked about how God was at work in this place and how that was our main concern, spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How we want to worship together with them one day on our land. Before I could really say anything Dad felt led to share the Gospel. If he had not stepped in I would have shared as well, because I felt it was the right time for the Gospel to be shared with these men. It has always been our goal to make sure they each had a relationship with the Lord, or at the very least make sure we had shared with them of His great love.
After Dad presented the Gospel, Limbe asked them some clarifying questions and four out of six said they wanted Jesus to be the Savior of their life. The other two said that had already asked Jesus to be their Savior, but desired more strength in the Word. My heart leaped inside my chest. It was so awesome to hear that under this very acacia tree these four out of six men receiving Christ for the very first time. What a legacy of Faith the Lord is building in Isamilo. I cannot wait for Brian and I to sit with these men and talk about the Word and how God has changed each of us.
And if we could not rejoice over that enough, Samuel Limbe looked up and the rain clouds were coming. They have been praying for more rain, and on this very day when these four men gave their lives up to Him, He came with the blessing of rain water. Mom put it well. She said it was as if God smiled and rained down His blessing on these men and their families. It was so exciting! If this trip was only built for those few moments, sacrificing the money to go would be worth it. Taking time off work with no pay would well be worth it. Missing birthdays and anniversaries is well worth it. Why? Because HE is worth it. HE is WORTHY!
We snapped some pictures together and then ran very quickly back to the car. As soon as reached the car the rain started to pour. Our prayer is that the rains filled our rice patties to the brim so that they can plant the rice to harvest in May. I cannot wait to see the harvest that the Lord bring to those four men. Their six names were Charles, Musa, Juma, Daudi, Ngale, and his son (whose name I cannot even try and spell!). Thank You Lord for saving them, even before the foundations of the world!
We drove back most all of the way in the rain. Mwanza city didn’t get much rain. Pray for the city of Mwanza. Our prayer has always been that Mwanza would not end up like much of America. That their hearts would remain soft towards the Gospel. Many people are searching. Many people are waiting on someone to tell them the Good News (Habari njema) of the saving Grace of Christ.
Once we got back to town we stopped by the Pizzeria so the Wazungus could use an actual toilet. Squatty potty just wasn’t going to cut it today. Then we went to a “cafeteria” in town for lunch. Limbe had taken me to this cafeteria when I stayed by myself several summers ago. It was just really good, really simple Africa food. And very inexpensive. We’re talking like $3.50 a person, drink and everything. Some got ugali and sumaki. Several of us got fried chicken (best yet!), rice, beans, greens and chapati. It was SOOOO good. After we were all full up to the brim we went to find a fundi (sewing person) to make our dresses, skirts and shirts. We bought the material yesterday but there were no fundis around. Samuel Ezekiel knew of a place so we went there. The Mama there told us that they could do them by Wednesday afternoon. Since we’re leavin here Thursday around 1:30pm we need them by Wednesday in case they need to fix something. She agreed and we all proceeded to get measured. Baba Mchungaji and Brian weren’t as excited but they played along to please their wives  And we were happy. Now we BOTH have matching outfits. We not all four the same, but two and two.
We started back for the hotel, discussed what tomorrow looks like and are now resting. Not sure what the rest of the night holds…probably just chatting and dreaming about the future. That sounds exciting to me!
Well we’ve decided that we’re going to Tilapia Hotel for dinner. I had asked earlier if Me, Brian, Mom and Dad could go together. I just wanted to get to eat just us for one meal out. I LOVE having everyone with us all the time, I just wanted the four of us to get a little alone time to just sit and enjoy each other’s company. So I guess that’s what the rest of the night holds. One more crazy taxi ride, of which I’m sure we’ll get many many laughs then an awesome meal at my favorite place to eat so far in Mwanza!
That’s all for today. More to come tomorrow.
Usiku mwema.

Love you all.
One three more days here...definitely bitter sweet. But I'm excited about sharing it again with many of you in May. I'm also really excited about spending time with everyone between now and then. Keep praying. The Lord is at work.

Mungu aku bariki sana mi rafikis.

Mimi nyumbani: Day Four-Five-Six

2012-01-15T05:33:00.000-08:00

Well here's another issue of the longest blog around!
I have found a way to get wireless internet in the restaurant of the hotel, so this girl is super happy!

Hope everyone is doing well and I cannot wait to share Mwanza with you all one day.

Love you.

Day Four: Boys vs. Girls
Today has been an interesting day. We got up not too early, but early enough. This body still was exactly ready to get out of bed this morning due to a queezy feeling in my stomach. No, I’m not pregnant…quit asking! I think I just needed some bland food in my stomach. As much as I LOVE Yu Long’s Chinese, I don’t think it sat just right with me this time. But no worries…all is well now.
After breakfast, which my awesome husband so kindly had sent up to the room for me, we headed out to Msungwi to the lawyer’s office. The meeting was supposed to be at 10:00am. We left the hotel at 9:30. Limbe just knew we’d make it on time. An hour and 15 minutes later we arrived at the District Office and to no surprise the lawyer wasn’t even there yet. African time. It never grows old. Or gets faster. We sat outside and waited for a bit and after he arrived he looked for keys to the large meeting room, but couldn’t find them so we all (7 of us) proceeded to sit around in his office. There was plenty of room, although they were so concerned for our comfort. Some being treated like kings and queens does get old. There’s definitely no reason to treat us any different, but I will always be thankful and appreciative.
We started the meeting with introductions and Dad began to explain the vision of Anza Imani. The lawyer is also a pastor of a local church so we liked him right away. He could really grasp what we are trying to do with these street boys. After our meeting yesterday we came away with some really daunting questions and concerns, but in about half an hour this lawyer answered every one of them and we walked away with a peaceful spirit. But we also walked away with work to be done. So we planned for tonight to be a “stay at the hotel” night and planned to work on re-writing those part of the constitution. Before we left I asked where the choo (pronounced choh-swahili for bathroom) was and the gentleman escorted me (well me and Pendo…she came so I’d feel more comfortable) to a white building and immediately I knew what was coming….THE SQUATTY POTTY!!!! My worst nightmare. I have some sort of mental block when it comes to these things. I just have the hardest time going. I have an innate fear of peeing on my feet I think. I went to the bathroom in the woods as a kid all the time…you’d think I’d be an expert! And to top all, when I got to the cleanest one, there was no toilet paper! So I manned up and went in. Yes, it took a good 30 seconds to go. It’s quite the art I tell you. Ask anyone. Now, for those of you who are planning on going in May, this is not a normal experience. Most places have a toilet, but there will the occasion for you to use a squatty potty. And you should prep ahead of time. I ALWAYS have toilet paper on hand, but I put it in Brian’s bag this time. Won’t make that same mistake twice. Glad that’s over…
We headed back to town and went to the market. We knew at some point we were supposed to be meeting some girls to buy them school supplies (kinda the same as the boys yesterday). Limbe and Ezekiel went back to the land to resolve an issue. Somebody knocked down some of our land posts…so they have to report that and such. All is well now I believe. So Pendo stayed with us. We went into the inner market where we usually take teams to buys gifts. We shop from Jessica, Gilbert and two other Mamas’ shops there. Brian acquired some spears and such for co-workers and got himself a “cane-sword.” It’s a walking stick but has a spear like sword thing inside….it’s pretty cool. He just HAD to have it  And I love my husband so I bargained for it for him. We bought a few other odds and ends and then headed to find the girls.
Pendo got out close to another market to search for them. She found the three we were supposed to be helping and the craziness began. Now, let me preface by saying this: shopping with boys is ALWAYS different than shopping with boys…no matter where you are. We went to the first place to look at backpacks. None of them like any of the backpacks. So we went to the next place to look for skirts. They didn’t like the way the skirts were made so we weren’t getting anything there! Next comes shoes. They tried on like 10 pairs of shoes each. Most of them fit but they “just didn’t like them.” Can I remind you that these are street girls with pretty much nothing. SO it goes to show that girls will always be girls. We are taking care of boys for a reason. I don’t think I could handle that all the time. We walked away with 3 backpacks, 3 pairs of shoes, 3 shirts and 2 pairs of socks each. We did not get skirts or counter books because they took too much time being indecisive. And to top it all they did not even say “thank you.” Now, don’t get me wrong, I want to help every child in Africa that needs it, but I can also teach them to be thankful. I would help them again anyways. But there are many lessons to be taught. We have such a huge task ahead of us. We explained to Pendo why we felt that way and how she could handle the situation better next time. Because she has two girls of her own, and she doesn’t want them to disrespect like that. She understood and appreciated the advice. So bottom line. I’m thinking boys are an excellent option! More power to Chris Gates. He’s got the touch I guess. His girls are so sweet. But I also know, he doesn’t tolerate disprespect or ungratefulness. My prayers are with these three girls: that they will do well in school, find a home, and seek the Lord in all, so HE may teach them the way to go.
After we got back from all that we settled into our rooms at Hotel kingdom and rested for about an hour before congregating downstairs in the restaurant for sodas and constitution writing. We got is rewritten and submitted it to Limbe for review. We are going to the land tomorrow to meet some local government officers. Mom and I bought these huge straw hats to wear out there tomorrow since it’s been BLAZING hot every day between 12:00 and 4:00. We’ll probably look ridiculous but at least we won’t be quite so sunburned! We’re gonna come back with tans on our necks and arms and people in Alabama are gonna wonder where we’ve been!
Good night for now. Love you all. Usiku mwema.

Day Five: Lunch at 4, Dinner at 7
Well today started like most days in Africa. We planned on leaving at 9:00AM to go to Busungwi to meet with the Village Ward Executive Officer for Isamilo. Limbe texted me at 7:45AM to let me know we we’re leaving until 11:00. The meeting had been moved to 12noon. Typical. I was thankful to sleep an extra half hour or so though. I could not fall asleep right away last night. Brian got breakfast for BOTH of us brought to the room today. How sweet he is 
Before we headed out to the meeting the four of us started planning out the May FBC Pelham trip. It’s going to be awesome! We cannot wait! Lots of different avenues of ministry and so many different ways to share the Gospel, so everyone can use THEIR GIFT. We believe in the Biblical principle of spiritual gifts. We all have them. And the Lord calls each of us to serve in the capacity of the gift given us, not what WE may want to do. Our prayer is that each team member would begin to pray, if not already, about where they will be serve in this endeavor.
Busungwi is out towards where Isamilo is located…in the same region. We arrived at a quaint little building where a very nicely dressed woman and another gentlemen were waiting under a big tree for us. She greeted us all and told us she was an executive secretary in the region. I said, “Shikamoo, mama.” She said, “Marahaba. Hujambo?” To which I replied, “Sijambo.” This is a very common greeing in Swahili. Shikamoo (pronounced “shee-ka-moh”) is a formal greeting to someone older or more important than yourself. You’ll hear many children greet adults with this. Marahaba is the response. Hujambo is a word meaning “How are you today?” Sijambo is a response, “I am fine.” If you ever come to Mwanza I’m sure you’ll hear that one!
We entered the office of the gentleman we were planning to meet. We all snuggled around his desk on a very narrow bench. My bum was uncomfortable after about 5 minutes. I think I’ll invent wider benches first upon arrival in Mwanza  We exchanged introductions and signed the visitor’s log. While we were signing Limbe discussed yesterday’s incident with the posts on the land with the executive officer. He assured us that it would be taken care of and that he was there to help. After exchanging a few more words about Anza Imani and our mission in Isamilo for the boys and for that community we asked for patience from the local government concerning the timeline of building. We tried our best to explain to them that we (our family) isn’t made of money and we would have to raise funds for each project. So at times it might seem we are building a lot, while others may seem slow moving. He understood and expressed a great deal of gratitude for the mission.
We took a picture with him outside of the office and gave him a new Nike soccer ball that Donnie Sisk so graciously gave. He is going to make sure children in Busungwi get to enjoy the benefits of the new soccer ball.
After we left Busungwi we headed back to town for lunch at Tilapia Hotel. Although it’s usually the most expensive meal of the trip (still usually no more than $10-$15 a person) it’s one of my favorites. Mainly for the atmosphere. It’s right on Lake Victoria and the scenery of the hillsides is just beautiful, especially at night against the light of the moon. Before we got to Tilapia we made a quick stop at Somo Biblia to grab some Bibles for the hotel staff and village leaders, as well as land owners, in Isamilo. We also grabbed some “Nyimbo za Sifa” hymnals for the team in May. I picked up a new one for myself. The titles are in Swahili but have the English title below. The tunes are most of the time the same as we know in America. So it’s fun to come home and sing familiar hymns in Swahili. It also helps me practice learning a new language. (That’s a whole other blog…that thought still is a little overwhelming.)
We all ordered what we wanted from Tilapia. I got Fried Chicken. Not it’s not greasy super thick crusted really bad for you fried chicken like we have in America. It is fried, but mostly just the bird, not much crust at all. It was SO GOOD! Brian got a Thai curry dish that was also very good. Jeera Chicken. I’ll have to get that next time. We ordered lunch around 2:30. It didn’t really get to the table until almost 4:00. Yeah, it takes a few hours to eat a meal in Africa. But it’s always so much fun to sit around and fellowship with the company you’re entertaining. We talked about the trip in May. We talked about finding Samuel Ezekiel a wife. Yeah, they gave him a hard time, since Patrick is getting married before him. Good food. Great fellowship. Awesome friends….well family actually.
After leaving stuffed to the brim, we drove right outside of town to buy some rice. I always love bringing some Tanzanian rice home. This time we got TWENTY KILOS! It’s a pretty big bag! But I wanted to get quite a bit to bring home so we could have an authentic African meal with the team coming in May sometime before we get on a plane together. After rice shopping, we drove by a house that Limbe wanted to show us that might be where Brian and I live for a while after language school. I was so excited. I have been praying that we’d find a place on this trip, so we’d know exactly where we would be going after language school. The plan right now is to go a few days after the team goes back to America to Iringa to a language school that has been highly recommended by several people. It is costly, but said to be worth every penny. I cannot imagine learning a whole other language in just 12-16 weeks but I’m up for the challenge! The house we looked at (and loved) is right behind the Bishop of AICT’s house really close to where Bob and Esther Jeffers’ house was in mwanza. It is gated and I felt very secure and safe. Our neighbor would be a Korean missionary who has lived there for quite a while. I believe she manages some of the property. It’s a guest house just the right size for us. Our own 2 bedrooms, bathroom, sitting room and kitchen. Even a little back porch sitting area. We loved it. And we’re praying that the Lord would provide a way for us to live there, even for a short while, until the money is raised to build us a home in Isamilo. Please pray with us!
It was 5:30PM by this time and Pendo reminded us that we were eating at their house tonight. EATING! AGAIN! We were SOOOO full but knew we would find a way to eat some more. I think that they think all we Americans do it eat. Kubwa sana. That’s what we’re going to be before we get home next week. Yikes. Super diet…Gym…hello….here we come! We, well I, took a little nap and we grabbed a taxi at 7:00 to head to the Limbes’. When we got there I saw Lizzie in the door waiting on us. When I got out of the car she RAN to me. I have hoped that one day she would do that. So I would know for sure she knew exactly who I was. I almost cried! She wrapped her little arms around my neck and we went inside and sat down together. Esther was even up and walking around laughing with us. We bought a children’s Bible story book for them. It was in English but Pendo wanted it that way so they would begin learning English early. They were enthralled with it. We took some pictures, sang and prepared to eat…again. I cannot EVER pass up Pendo’s cooking. It’s some of the best in the world. Tonight she had fixed plain rice, cooked bananas (they taste like potatoes!), beef, greens, kuku (chicken) and a tomatoey soup to go on the rice. Spoon by spoon we all managed to finish. After dinner we had chai and coffee and talked about the itinerary for the May trip. We are getting more and more excited about what the Lord is going to do then through that team!
Now we’re back at the hotel, getting ready for bed. Tomorrow morning we’re going to town to do a few things: exchange money, look at a few pharmacies for Brian and prepare for meeting with the boys. Tomorrow I’m sure will be a great day like today was and every day before that. Mwanza is definitely mimi nyumbani. (my home away from home) Good night for now. Usiku mwema.

Day Six: A Day at the Beach
We got up a little earlier today because we knew we wanted to go into town to get a few things done. We grabbed a taxi at the end of the road by the hotel. Then we proceeded to pile into the vehicle. Yeah. Let’s just stop here for a quick laugh. I’m laughing out loud…again. Cramming three mzungus (white people) in the back of a Tanzanian taxi is something everyone should have to try once. Baba Mchungaji (Dad) was in the front all spread out and Mom, Brian and I were snuggled all close together in the back. I didn’t think Brian was going to make it inside the car. His knees were jammed as tight as they would go into the driver’s seat and he had to sit with his head cocked to the side because there was no way he was going to sit straight up and down. I felt so bad for him. Luckily we were only going into town. Pole sana, Brian. Let’s not do that again…
We stopped by Serengeti Passage’s Office to get Aziz to exchange some money for us. That stuff does run low at times  And since you carry a lot more Tanzanian shillings than dollars at one time, we don’t like getting it ALL exchanged at once. After taking care of that business we set out to find a pharmacy that carries insulin for Brian. We are still planning on contacting the Lilly Corporation (they make the one he uses now) to see about shipping it straight to us from one of their international distribution centers, but we want a back-up plan in case that doesn’t work out all the time. We indeed found two different types of insulin. We bought the vials here and took pictures so hopefully one way or another
we can get what we need. We made a quick stop by SalmaCone to get a vanilla milkshake before meeting up with Vincent to go out to Bwiru to meet with the boys. We also explored a few new shops to take the next team to so they don’t have to take time to shop in Nairobi and will have more time in Mwanza. After we pulled Mama Eliza out of the last shop we walked down to the U-turn Grocery Store (this is where Brian and I will be able to find stuff for the house that is more American like). I was going to get some peanut butter in a jar, because I forgot to bring it, but it was 13,000Tsh and that’s about $8USD. It was a small jar. They sell brand name shampoo and such, like Head and Shoulders, Dove and Pantene. But it’s quite expensive, so we’ll have to learn to use the brands they make here. I’m sure that will be an adventure. We grabbed a few things and headed out when Vincent got there.
Vincent and Samuel Ezekiel had been gathering the boys in town and taking them out by Bwiru AICT (Limbe’s church out by his house) for us to meet with them there. They still had some more to pick up, but they took us to buys sodas for them and back by the hotel so we could grab the trunk with craft supplies and soccer balls before heading back to to Bwiru again. Limbe told us to be there by 12:00. We got there about 12:30 because they were working on an underground pipe on one of the main roads and there was an awful traffic jam. And today was the warmest day yet!
When we got to where the boys were, we were very excited to see the location. It was right on the beach of Lake Victoria and the boys were even out there swimming. Now time for another funny. Brian and I were taking the backpacks and the trunk into this little hut like structure made of straw and bamboo like sticks. It was pretty cool. Mom came in and said, “I wouldn’t advise taking your camera out there right now.” I wondered what she meant so I looked out and most every boy had stripped down to nothing and was frolicking in the water. Some were washing their clothes and some were just walking around on the beach in the buff. Not a sight my eyes were ready for. We all kinda chuckled inside and just got over it. It happened almost the whole time we were there. African culture…you gotta love it!
After they played for a while, the Mama who prepared lunch for them began bringing in the food to the hut, so we gathered the boys and wanted to do several things before it was time for food. Because, just like kids in America, once the food and soda was over, we would have had a very hard time getting them to listen and concentrate anymore. So we all gathered under two tarps for a Bible story, craft and singing. We brought these big story books from church with big pictures that they could all see. I began to tell the story of Noah. I avoided some of the wording such as “plunkity, plunk” and “bang, bang, boom.” I thought those would be a little difficult to translate.  After I finished the story, Brian got up and quizzed the boys on what they had heard. They did a great job of recalling even the smallest details. That is very promising to us. Because we want each boy to be grounded in the Word and able to recall Scripture at all times. Once the lesson was over, Mom led us in two songs: “Yesu, Yu Hai Leo” and “Jesus in the Morning” in Swahili. Yesu, Yesu, Yesu asubuhi, Yesu na mchana, Yesu, Yesu, Yesu ata jioni. They love that one. We sing “mpende” for Love Him, and “msifu” for Praise Him. We got a video of the boys singing that I hope people in America will be able to hear one day! After we sang those songs, we pulled out crafts. We had foam sheets that they wrote “God put a rainbow in the sky as a promise” on in Swahili, which is “Mungu aliweka upinda wa mvua kama ishara.” They put pom poms on with glue and we sprinkled glitter on there for them as well.
After we completed the craft it was time for chakula…FOOD! Two Mamas prepared rice, beef, beans and greens. It looked awesome. I was a little jealous! ;) Mom helped Pendo and the Mamas plate up the food while Dad opened the sodas with a makeshift opener. We forgot to grab one, and I didn’t have my multi-tool on me to help. Each boy came through the hut and grabbed lunch then they all sat down and ate together. Vincent and Samuel came back with MORE kids. They got a little excited. It’s hard to ever say no, but we can’t feed the whole city in one sitting! We asked the Mamas for a little more rice and got those fed too. Then Limbe said there was enough for us! I was pumped. I’ve been on this meal all week! I LOVE me some rice and beans.  So we grabbed a soda and ate too.
After the meal was over and we had handed out big bottles of water to each child we let them go to play some more. We gave them some soccer balls and they went to town. The same girls that we took shopping a few days ago were there and still just as picky as ever. They said the girls needed a ball too. We gave them one, but made sure they said Thank You. Just trying to teach lessons in gratitude the children. The boys seems to always get it, what is the problem with the girls?
Once it hit about 4:00 it was time to go. So we called Richard, a taxi driver Limbe knows to come pick us up. We let Vincent carry the boys back towards town in the rented car. We all crammed back into the car and headed to the hotel. I took a little siesta. Today my body is just worn. Not sure why. Most of the time this happens. I slept for a little bit and feel a little better now. Supper just got to the room so we are gonna dig in. Tonight on the menu we have Cream of Mushroom Soup and Rice. Brian got Chips (fries). Yum. It looks delicious. So that’s all for now. I’m sure we’ll just makes lists for things to get done tomorrow. Good night all. Usiku mwema.

More to come in a few days.
Keep praying! God is good. All the time.

Mungu aku bariki sana.
We'll talk again soon.

Mimi Nyumbani (My Home): Days One-Three

2012-01-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

So sorry for the long absense. The African sun has been zapping all energy from my tired body! But God is so good. He is working already and I cannot wait to tell you ALL about it. So I am going to give you my journal entries from the last three days....ready? Strap in for the ride. Come with me to Africa :)

Day One: Karibu nyumbani!

Those were the first words out of Samuel Limbe’s mouth when we arrived in Mwanza today. And they were the first two I really needed to hear.
Let’s back up to two days ago. Saturday, Birmingham airport, 9:00am, standing in line at the Delta ticket counter. I pulled out my black travel document holder to get mine and Brian’s passports out and what do I find? Brian’s passport…looking….looking…looking…nope. Mine was nowhere to be found. Panic began to overcome my body. Then emotion hit. The tears began to flow. How in the world did I do this?? Luckily Erin was housekeeping for Mom and Dad. We got her on the phone, she rushed to the house and got it, (it was still on the printer where I was making copies of it) and rushed to the airport. Erin to the rescue! I cried for a good 5 minutes. My spirit was devastated! After I calmed myself down, and had the passport in hand, we made our way through security and on the plane headed to Nairobi. The layovers weren’t too bad. The fact that it takes two days to get here will alone wear a person out just thinking about it. Mer’s WOD for me was very much just for me…Be It Unto Me. That was definitely not my attitude in the beginning. So I readjusted and got my head in the game…well at least until we landed in Nairobi. We disembarked after two long days on 3 different planes and were headed to the visa counter. I again reached into my bag purse to get the document holder and IT WASN’T THERE!!! So again I began to panic, definitely not remembering the whole “be it unto me” thing. I rushed back to the gate. A tall skinny Kenyan man told me I couldn’t go back onto the plane, because I would have to go through security. So I went to the front of the gate where we disembarked and another tall skinny Kenyan gentleman, told me to stand aside and wait. STAND ASIDE AND WAIT?? How was I supposed to do that! So again the tears began to flow. About two minutes later a security officer approached me holding my document holder. Praise the Lord! He asked me to verify things and such and it was once again in my hands. I was just TOO worried about everyone else. I’m always the one that double checks things, always asking everyone else, “Do you have your passport?,” “Do you have all your bags?,” “Do you have your money?”, etc. I was too worried about making somebody else mad about having to wait on me to get out of my seat, that I was just absentminded and didn’t take care of myself.
Well, I can gladly say that the drama of my last two days is all over.
I am home now. I had a little sickness come over me last night and the flight to Mwanza today was rough, but once my feet touched Tanzanian soil I was home again. Brian and I are so happy to be here, and it lights up my heart to know how excited my husband, the man God gave me to do ministry with, is to be here and in just a few short months, make this our new home. I’ve said it before, but there’s just something about Mwanza that is different than any other place in the world. Far different than our home now, even vastly different from Nairobi. The Spirit of the Lord is here, and He is moving. The people are hungry.
We got settled at the hotel this afternoon, grabbed some lunch from the hotel kitchen and settled into our rooms. Because we had to leave so early this morning we took a good nap to catch up on some lost sleep. Then we headed to the Limbes’ house. Vincent, our beloved driver ate with us. Pendo fixed some of my favorites: rice pilau, samosas, chapati, samaki (fish), and Secuma cabbage. It was SO good. And of course we had fresh fruit for dessert. Elizabeth and Esther are way too big! Lizzie has so much personality now and Esther is walking around like a mad woman. Samuel said that she is much more “violent” than Lizzie was. His choice of words is quite funny. Pendo told me that they walk around moving things in the house and are quite the handful. Although it’s been about 7 months since Lizzie has seen me, she seems to remember me more and more with each trip. She came straight to me and sat in my lap for a long time, exploring my face and arms. She traced her fingers over my eyes, nose and mouth and rubbed her fingers up my arms. I still think the white skin confuses her. But nonetheless we smiled and giggled together and she mimicked funny faces I was making. At one point we really had a moment. For this whole time, no words were spoken. She just stared at me with those big brown eyes and we understood one another. Yes, I understand I’m talking about a 3 year old, but for a few minutes we were on the same page. I cannot really explain my emotions at that moment. But it was definitely a confirmation from the Lord that He was in control of mine and Brian’s future and that this would be our home.
After dinner was completely over, we watched portions of mine and Brian’s wedding DVD and talked about what tomorrow would hold. We get to see the land for the first time tomorrow. My emotions are really running high right now. I doubt I’ll sleep very well! We are SO excited! We are also looking forward to meeting with our boys tomorrow. It is such a joy every time we see them and get to spend time with them. I’m sure tomorrow we will sing songs, share from His Word, do a fun craft and feed them a meal. I cannot wait to see familiar faces and witness new boys in this community. I pray that Anza Imani will continue to grow so that we can quickly accomplish what it is that the Lord has set before us.
My body is worn out, so the bed is calling my name. I pray the Lord and all His angels sing over Dad, Mom, Brian and I as we embark on the greatest journey of our lives. We thank Him for His providence and grace. And for choosing us for such a time as this.

Day Two: Journey to Isamilo

I slept like a rock last night. To bed at 12:00 and up at 7:00. We took a long nap yesterday so I wasn’t tired enough to sleep until about midnight. We were excited to see the sun rise this morning, because today is a day that we’ve been waiting and praying for. We get to step foot on the land!! Our land. The site of our new home. Words cannot describe the emotions we were feeling.
After breakfast which consisted of toast with butter and jam along with fresh fruit, (I was SO excited to sink my teeth into some Africa nanasi – Swahili for pineapple ), we were off to town. We had to make a few stops before heading out to Isamilo. We stopped by two Serengeti Passage offices to pay for our plane tickets and for the car service. We exchanged some money and then headed to find Brian and I a plug strip. We found one for only about $15. We’ll see how long it lasts. Then we headed to the Pizzeria for lunch. I had Pizza Funghi na Nanasi. That’s Pizza with mushrooms and pineapple. Yum! Just as good as always.
After Samuel Limbe met up with us we headed off to the land. We were enjoying the view as we drove along about 70kph when my mom turned to me asked me if I noticed the car swerving. I hadn’t noticed until she said something about it. Then my Dad asked Vincent about it, then all the sudden: “Boom! Chuga chuga chuga….put put put.” The tired was definitely flat. Something about the rear left tires on those vehicles seems to give out the quickest. We had to change one last year too. So we all got out and watched while Samuel Ezekiel and Vincent changed the tire. We have to remember to bring some WD-40 back in May for Vincent. He’s using water to lubricate the jack. Quick fix…bad long term. After struggling a little to get the jack back down we finally loaded back up and got back on the road. It’s about 30 km to Isamilo. It took about an hour to get there. Vincent was driving as fast as usual either though. After getting off the tarmac we drove another 6 or 7 km on a dirt road, which narrowed pretty small and was quite bumpy. Limbe said they were negotiating a new road. The chief of the village says we will get that road. We picked that chief up in the town of Isamilo and headed on our to our land plot. When we got there the emotions rose as we got out of the car and began to look around. This is really ours!
We started out on our walk. We walked entire perimeter of the land. My gimp ankle wasn’t completely happy with me because we were walking on humps of cultivated land and very narrow walkways where I had to walk just one foot directly in front of the other in hopes of not twisting my ankle again. But all is well in the world. It hasn’t hurt today at all. It’s a little bit swollen but I expected that. We took lots and lots of pictures as we went. I’m hoping to get an awesome panoramic out of some that I took.
After we had walked the entire perimeter we headed back to the car while the men walked around for a bit chatting and such. Mom, Pendo and I found a big acacia tree to sit under. FYI…acacia wood is what the tabernacle is built from, and we’ve got several of them on our property. How cool is that?!? We just wanted to sit and enjoy the peacefulness. There is a stillness about Isamilo that is so nice. I look forward to the day when Brian and I will be able to sit on our back porch and watch the sun go down over Lake Victoria and just think about all the blessings the Lord has given us. Bwana Yesu Asifiwe! He is worthy of all that glory. Because we do this for HIS glory and HIS renown.
After we had spent some time reflecting we prayed together thanking God for giving us that piece of land and the relationship that the Samuels had been able to establish with the chief and the people there. Then we embarked for Mwanza town. I fell asleep on the way home. I think I got too much sun. My arms are quite pink…well red we’ll say. They don’t hurt though. The African sun will burn you in a second and we were right in it’s path today. So we took a short nap this afternoon. Samuel, Samuel and Pendo went and fed the boys with money we had given them. They said we would go and see them tomorrow.
Once we were rested they met us back here and we headed to Nyakabungo to eat at Samuel Ezekiel’s family’s house. Mama Samuel cooked an awesome meal that consisted of cooked plantains, rice (there’s just something amazing about Tanzanian rice), beef with tomatoes, green beans, cabbage, Kuku (chicken) and samaki (fish). We all ate probably more than we needed to. Samuel’s family was so gracious. Two of his sisters and a brother were there and several nieces and nephews. We even got to Skype in Patrick while we were there! It was awesome to hear from him today too. I still cannot believe it is just 2 short months for him and Erin get married! I’m so excited.
Anyways…we’re back at the hotel now. Getting ready to turn in for the night. Usiku mwema.

Day Three: The Cost of Education

Some days you are just sure of what you were made for. And today was one of those for me. And for Brian I think as well.
This morning we got up…a little unwillingly…and got showered and such. Brian went downstairs before me for breakfast and was kind enough to bring mine to the room because I was running a little behind. He brought me lots of pineapple and eggs, sausage and toast. It was yummy and definitely got me geared up for the day ahead.
We left the hotel with Samuel, Pendo and Samuel Ezekiel and headed to a place called Tunza Lodge. It’s a hotel out close to the airport in Mwanza. I had never been there before. I didn’t know what I was missing. It’s right on the beach and a perfect place for team meetings and such. The room accommodations are very nice as well. They are more like the cabins/huts we stayed in at Mikumi National Park outside of Dar es Salaam. We’re considering letting the team in May stay there but not really sure yet.
We sat down and ordered some sodas and began out meeting about the Tanzanian side of Anza Imani and its constitution. I don’t think I wanna talk about constitutions for a while. Oh well…have to talk about it with the lawyer tomorrow…pole sana. We worked through every section, picking apart wording and such and re-writing sections that we felt needed to be addressed. Oh and guess who popped in right in the middle of it all! Chris Gates and his assistant director Kayci. Crazy huh?? Why do I always run into him in town!?! So we paused for just a few moments to say hello and arrange a time for us to go out to JBFC to hang out for a bit, seek his advice on a few matters and meet with the girls. It’s hard for me to come all the way to Tanzania and not see my girls!
By 2:00 we were all hungry so we ordered lunch. We’d been at this constitution stuff for like 3 hours now! So I ordered Chicken Kiev. That chicken stuffed with spinach and garlic butter then lightly pan-fried. It came with mashed potatoes. It was delicious. Well all except for the fact that it was stuffed with green beans rather than spinach! Maybe it’s not in season or something…who knows.
Anyways, we finished up our discussions, much of which will have to be discussed again and again. On the way out we stopped and talked to Chris and Kayci some more. We looked at several of the rooms that they offer at Tunza Lodge and got prices for the upcoming trip. It would be much different than Hotel Kingdom, but might be worth the experience. We’ll see.
Side note…we did ask Chris about bringing Oscar over here, and just as I thought he would, he advised against it. Then he told me that Duncan died. Oh my gosh…I wanted to cry right then and there! I was so exciting about seeing Duncan. He died of cancer Chris said. So sad. Brian was not happy at all to hear Chris’ advice but knew that it was a possibility that he would say that. Chris told us that its best case scenario to bring dogs under 6 months old. So I’m gonna have to find him a puppy around here for us to call our own.
After lunch and all we headed back towards town and dropped Dad, Brian and Samuel Ezekiel off in Nyakabungo to teach at the weekly Wednesday night Bible study. Mom, Pendo and I headed to the market by the Shinyanga hotel to search for material that a fundi is going to use to make purses and wallets for us to sell as a fundraiser for Anza Imani. While we bargained (with a very difficult woman I might add) for the material Limbe headed into town to find some boys and girls that were in need of school uniforms and supplies. He came back with three boys: Abdallah, Bahati and James.
The boys then led us to a shoe market. Well, they led us through what I would call the “slums” of Mwanza…and that’s saying a lot, concerning the state of poverty most of Mwanza is in. But I think I would have followed these boys most anywhere. There was something so sweet about walking with them. And although we cannot communicate very well yet, because of my lack of Swahili, we were definitely on the same page at those moments. I cannot wait to give them home.
Once we reached the market we began bargaining for shoes, shirts, shorts, socks and backpacks. Altogether we spend around 120,000Tsh which is about $75 USD. We got three very nice pair of black leather shoes, 3 khaki shorts, 3 short sleeve oxford shirts, 6 pair of socks and 3 very nice backpacks. I don’t think we could have acquired all of that for $75 in America. I would not have traded a single second of that time together with them for anything in the world. If that was all I did these two weeks in Africa this trip would have been worth it. That is what I was made for…this time…this place…these boys.
We left them with some small bills for supper and sent them on their way. It’s always hard to let them go off alone. But I’ll take that image of them today with me forever and it will drive me back home to be their advocate…their voice. We HAVE to build this home and I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.
On the way home from the market I quickly stopped at U-turn and grabbed a few diet sodas and fruit juices for our room. Then we headed back to the hotel. We parted with Limbe and Pendo because they needed to go home and be with their girls.
After Dad and Brian and Samuel returned from teaching at Nyakabungo we decided to head to Yu Long’s Chinese Restaurant out on Rock Bay for supper. It’s one of my favorites! Brian and I split Sweet and Sour Chicken, Sizzling Beef and Vegetable Fried Rice. Yum. Yum. Yum. After enjoying time together as a family we headed back to Hotel Kingdom to this moment when we are getting ready to hit the bed. Long meetings tomorrow ahead of us. I pray the Lord sings over us tonight.
Usiku mwema.

Well I hope you were able to imagine being here with us. I hope all of you can come one day if you've never been. We are dreaming big for the church trip in May!

Love you all.
I'll post some more in a few days.

Mungu aku bariki sana.

bringing it home

2011-05-18T12:22:00.001-07:00

Well I have officially been the world's worst blogger to date! Internet connections were awful this time around in Mwanza and as team leader I honestly didn't find a whole lot of time to put into it. But now we are back in Nairobi and things are slowing down for the night. We order pizza in to the Hampton House, I sifted out mine and Mallory's rice we bought in Mwanza (yummy!) and now I'm sitting in my bed trying to put into words for you what we as a team have experienced over the last week and a half in Tanzania.

For starters, let me just say, this team has been an awesome one! So many different gifts and talents that have been used for His glory. Yep, unique definitely qualifies it! Everything that I said previous to the trip has either been different or non-existent. I've never had to turn on the water heaters at the Hampton House...had to this time, internet is usually bearable in Mwanza...pretty awful this time, usually have electricty for a lot of the day...power rationing in Tanzania this time around, animals aren't usually aggressive on the Serengeti towards us...got chased by a hippo this time, don't usually hear animals REAL close to the rooms...hippo about 10 feet from the windows growling at night, usually really, really dark in the rooms on the Serengeti...moon was awfully bright this time.....I could go on and on and on. This team has definitely kept me on my toes!

We have seen God do some miraculous things. Seeing a woman experience true freedom for the first time in her life...first from demon possession then from sin itself. A daughter of the devil, now a child of the King! And while some were ministering to her, others were discipling members of her family in a nearby village, not aware of what was going on in her life! God did some crazy cool things! We spent some good time with the boys Monday-Friday every afternoon sharing stories from the Bible, encouraging them in the Word, teaching them that God has a very specific plan for each of their lives but that it was their choice whether or not they would follow that plan. On Friday Mom did an excellent job of presenting the Gospel to them, and many made decisions for Christ. We were able to leave with each and every boy, a bag with a Bible of their own, some toys and candy that the team collected for the trip. They were all very happy! Each day we had the Mama Mchungaji (pastor's wife) cook lunch for the boys and we gave them soda and a big bottle of water to take with them. Many days we would meet with them on the streets in town and they would run up to our car and say hello...it's so sweet to hear them call you by name. Now begging for food from you, but just a simple smile and a wave because they are happy to see you.

I would ask that you pray for the boys. Living on the streets causes them to learn survival techniques that are not always good. There were several times when we had to break up some squabbles and fights over small things even. We told them over and over again to cease from fighting, that they should treat one another like brothers, because thats what they are!

We are able to go out to Kitongo on Saturday to visit with the girls of JBFC. They all were doing very well. I always love arrival there, because I know there are 42 girls waiting with open arms for big hugs and sweet smiles to greet me :) And this time was no different. Brian and I spent some time talking with Chris about how to do some things for the boys home, and just catching up. They had a dedication of the water project while we were there because there was also a team from Chris' home church in Tulsa working there. It was encouraging to see that most of the team were senior adults. Two were walking around with canes! One of the gentlemen was the one who began the project for water there so it was a sweet time for him to get to see the girls and to dedicate it in the name of Jesus. He spoke to the girls about how this would give them clean drinking water, but about how we should always remember that we drink from a much deeper well that is neverending...the Living Water of Jesus Christ.
It was encouraging to get to see the Mamas there. Mama Tisila was so excited because she was wearing one of my TShirts and skirts and flip-flops that I had left for her on a previous trip!

Sunday most of the team spent time at Bwiru Baptist Church where Samuel and Pendo are attending now. Dad preached the church kindly fed them lunch. Brian and I had the opportunity to go to Nyakabungo Baptist Church, where I have been two or three times. It is Samuel Ezekiel's home church and very dear to us. Brian got his first opportunity to preach in Africa! He did an awesome job. The people were very encouraged by the Word and it was personally one of my favorite memories on the trip :) After church we had to say Goodbye to Samuel Ezekiel. He headed back to Gaita to work in the mines. We are hoping he will be able to return to Mwanza for good in July. He is very much a brother to me and has been for many years. He calls me Dada which means "sister" so he now calls Brian "shemeji" which means someone who marries into the family!

Monday we headed to the Serengeti. I'll post pictures on Facebook soon. It was definitely one of my favorite trips there. Definitely saw the most lions I've ever seen in one trip!
You'll have to ask the team about all the funny stories!

Today we finished packing, went by TCRC (Tanzania Children's Rescue Center--which is a boys home in inner city Mwanza) and visited with Meka (the director) and he showed up around. We spent some time with those boys and encouraged them in the Word as well. Meka put it well when he said, "the need of the street boys is like a very large pitcher of tea and we are just a small amount of sugar in it. You can barely taste it, but it beginning to do its work." TCRC and Anza Imani are bits of sugar in that tea.

Saying goodbye to the Limbes, to the boys, to Mwanza is always extremely heartbreaking for me. My heart is always torn in so many directions. Mwanza is very much home. Brian definitely enjoyed his time here and is looking forward to a future here one day. Our prayers now are that the Lord would show us very clearly what that future looks like. As we drove to airport I tried to breathe in deeply the smells of Mwanza, I watched people on the streets very closely, waving to a little old lady whose job was sweeping the streets, yelling back "Tanzanian!" to a small child yelling "Mzungu!" at me, breathing it all in. Moment by moment listening to God's creation calling out to Him. His Spirit is moving here and we go where He moves. There is still much work to be done. We are one step closer in acquiring land. One step closer to starting to build. One step closer to seeing His vision for Anza Imani unfold. And I am so grateful that He chose us to do His work here. For the last few weeks. For the rest of our lives.

God is good all the time.
All the time God is good.

Our journey home starts tomorrow night, but I pray our hearts will remain turned to Him. I pray He continues to guide our steps to Mwanza, as we begin to dream about the next time we will come. May His Spirit sing over us tonight as we sleep and may He be glorified in the work that has been fulfilled for such a time as this.

Usiku mwema (Good night) na Mungu aku bariki sana mi rafikis. Tunapenda sana. (We love you very much)

See you soon.

Africa mimi nakupenda

2011-05-11T05:04:00.000-07:00

Pole sana (I'm very sorry) for the delay in writing!
It's been a whirlwind trip so far. My responsibilities on this trip are much greater than they have been in the past, so time has been crunched for me most days. But I am loving it! This team is awesome!

We have already been blessed in so many ways and God is most definitely at work! Your prayers are felt and I ask that you still continue to lift us up continually.

Each day since arriving in Mwanza we have been travelling to the land site (where Dad, Limbe and Brian are negotiating and investigating) and spreading the Truth of His Word to the people of Igombe. Yesterday we encountered a demon-possessed girl named Linda. After extensive prayer and calling on the name of Jesus the demons have left her body and she has given her life to Christ. Bwana Jesu asifiwe sana! Once a child of the devil, she is now a daughter of the King! Our team saw a lady named Benedita come to Christ in her home. She told us she has been attending a catholic church but has not ever received the Truth and felt the Spirit was calling her to salvation so we led her to Christ yesterday as well! Several men that Limbe, Dad and Brian have met with have come to Christ too! It's been awesome to see the harvesting taking place and the transformation in each team member as their boldness grows.
After being at the land we went and met with the boys. Two of the team shares a story each day, we do a craft when time permits, sing with them and then each day we are feeding them a meal and providing them with water. The boys are so sweet...well, most of the time :) They are still little boys that fight with each other over glue sticks and scissors! The Gospel is going out and we cannot contain our excitement!

Today we went back to the land and gave Bibles to those who accepted Christ and anyone hungry for the Word. It's so awesome to see His Word being planted among people who may have never heard the name Jesus. Many of these people are telling us that they have heard His Name but they don't truly KNOW Who He is.

The Lord has much in store for the next two days.

I just wanted to give you an update.

These are things specifically that we need you to pray for:

*Team health (Mom is feeling a little under the weather and a few others have had a bit of stomach upset but things are definitely looking up)
*Openness to the Gospel
*Students at Mwanza Baptist Academy that we will meet with tomorrow
*Tender hearts of the boys who need Christ - Gospel will be presented on Friday
*Discipleship in the village of Igalagala (in Igombe) where we have seen MANY come to Christ

Thank you for holding the rope for us.

I will write again as soon as time permits.

Mungu aku bariki sana mi rafikis.
Tunapenda sana.

leaving on a jet plane....again

2011-05-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

Well today has already presented itself with some craziness!
We are all checked in and have a full belly now. Loving some Starbucks this morning!

We had a sweet time with the families as we departed the church this morning. Neal drove us to the airport...not too much traffic. Upon arrival we moved hastily to the check-in, got everything covered and headed to security.

We all got our Starbucks breakfast and are now settled into the waiting area at the gate. Plane has been delayed an hour. Just means we have to put on our running shoes in Detroit. I'm not worried about getting to the plane on time...more or less worried about the luggage getting to the plane.

There are several things you can pray for while we are gone.

1. Sensitivity to the Spirit's moving
2. Opportunities to share and the boldness to take those opportunities
3. Team cohesiveness
4. Physical well being
5. Energy for each day
6. Spiritual readiness in all situations
7. Ministering opportunities with the boys
8. JBFC girls
9. Limbe family
10. Samuel Ezekiel
11. Vincent (driver)

We thank you ahead of time for your prayers and for holding the rope for us.

We will write again upon arrival in Nairobi.

Love you all.
Mungu aku bariki sana mi rafikis (God bless you so much friends)
Tunapenda (We love you)

Africa Team 2011
Elizabeth Kornegay
Barry Kornegay
Paula Kornegay
Brian Meany
Kim Speorl
Selena Peters
Mallory McLendon
Tara Watts
Brittney Lamb
Esther Jeffers

home, home on the range where the deer and the antelope play

2011-01-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

Well today marks the last day in Africa...

Very bittersweet moments running through my brain right now. On the one hand, we're far enough away from Mwanza now that I'm totally ready to skip the next 24 hours of flying and just teleport myself home. On the other hand, it's been the hardest but most rewarding trip yet and I know how I'll long to be back again once I do return home. May can't come soon enough.

But all my feelings aside...there is much work to be done. Now I know even better the needs of the boys and plan on doing everything in my power to make sure that they are met as best we can meet them.

But before I talked a little more about the boys, I wanted to recap you on the Serengeti trip. Now that I'm back in Nairobi I can even include a few pictures for you!

We saw pretty much every major animal except the cheetah (which are almost impossible to find...we've only seen them like twice and they were by mere chance) and the rhino (they are only in the Ngorogoro Crater...haven't been there yet). But we definitely got our fair share of elephants (tembo), zebra, giraffe (twiga), leopard (chui), lions (simba), wildebeast (ugliest of them all...well comes close to the hyena!), 10 ft. long, 12 in. around python! (YES, I said very large snake!), even a little chameleon crossing the road. I could name a bazillion but I won't bore you with lists. Here a few moments I was able to capture.

Yep...there are about 100 more where those came from...just wanted you to have a sneak peek!

Now on to other topics.

Friday ( we got back Thursday night from the Serengeti ) we went to look at another plot of land. It's out in a place called Igombe. Igombe is about a 30 minute drive from Mwanza. And the land we looked at is another 10-15 minutes off the beaten path down a bit of a "goat's path" about the size for a bicycle to go down but somehow we maneuvered the car down the road. Our driver Vincent is a real pro! I am constantly saying, "Vincent, you da man!" I am in love with this plot of land. It's got a beautiful view and their even a bit of a mountain on it! I got lots of video and pictures. Limbe will be doing some investigating to see exactly how much it costs and what our options are. So begin praying for clear sight into the Lord's will for the land. I know many of you are already doing that. We will see what happens! It's all in His mighty Sovereign hands!

After we got back from the land we went to meet with the boys one last time. I knew this day would be hard for me. I fought back some tears when I was saying my goodbyes. Emotion is something that isn't shown much in Africa so I definitely didnt want them being confused by my sappy crying! But my heart was definitely breaking at the realization once again that when I leave they will remain there. It's rainy season now, and it's quite chilly in Mwanza. More so than I have ever experienced before and you could already see the chill on their bodies and the shivering was unbearable at times. I wanted so bad to be able to give them a warm bed to sleep in. My prayer is that we can do something as soon as possible. I worry more now about their health. We took one to the dispensary to get a stomach condition checked out. We got medicine for him. The doctor said it was a parasite. Several of the boys showed me their wounds on their sides from burns or beatings. How is this really happening and we have, for so long, sat back and done nothing?!? I am so thankful for this call on my life and the lives of the ones that I love. After finishing the meal and handing out the sodas, we made sure we took all the pictures we needed and headed out. On the way out we took one of the boys to a local school and attempted to get him registered. A sweet 9 year old boy from home gave $50 to go towards helping the boys and God laid this 9 year boy in Africa on my heart. So that money is going towards getting Solomon in school for at least this next year, buying him a uniform and all the supplies he will need. $50. Really? How many of us could spare $50 so a least fortunate child could experience quality education in their life. That is their most wanted desire...school. Bet our kids in America wouldnt say that!

Anyways.

There are SO many needs. I cannot wait to convey them to you, my friends and family, in hopes that we can see where the Lord will lead us to work. Begin praying about how you can be involved in rescuing a boy...reaching the city.

Saturday we got up, finished packing and walked (yes we can walk) down to Limbe's house. Took only about 15 minutes. It's always cool for us to get to experience things in the culture. A dala-dala (crazy 10, maybe, passenger van that they cram 30 into--kinda like a metro bus system...sort of) almost ran us over...quite the entertainment. As I greeted people going down the street, the looks are always amusing when they realize a mzungu (white person) is speaking their language!
We ate breakfast with Pendo and Samuel, prayer together with his family and started the walk back. Samuel hated the idea of us walking back, so he got us a taxi. I kinda hate the way they feel like we're that important. They are so much more important than us in so many ways. We are here to serve them and the reverse happens so often! Even when we got back to the hotel I went up and began dragging (yeah I think dragging describes it...our bags are super heavy--kubwa sana!) The manager was at the bottom of the stairs and he started yelling at me (in a joking manner) saying, "Don't you have phone in your room to call us and tell us to come and help you?" I said, "I really appreciate the help but I'm capable!" He didnt like that, but oh well. They serve us hand and foot and the price we pay to stay there is so low!

Anyways. I need to get off my soapbox again!

Long story short, yesterday was a bit of a whale of a day for me. Lots of craziness. Won't go into all of it.
God is in control and He's definitely teaching me to rely on Him and never trust myself. I definitely let self get in the way yesterday for a little while. Just lots of changes and crazy waiting and aggravating situations. But I'm learning to find joy in EVERY moment. Ashmill has been the greatest about having an awesome attitude on the entire trip. I am so thankful for her accompanying me. I told her I'd take her back to Africa anytime! We've had some not so pleasant food experiences, delays in schedule, and kinks in the agenda, but she's been a trooper the whole way through and a great encouragement to me.

Well...

We are just hanging out in Nairobi today...doing some last minute shopping...enjoying a good Italian meal (it's tradition) and doing some final packing and showering (thats a must!) before heading out at 11:30 this evening. We'll be home at 8:30 Monday night!

Thank you cannot describe how grateful I am to all of you for all your prayers.
God has won the victory on this trip but the battles are still being fought. Don't give up yet! There is still much "rope holding" to be done. We have so much work to do but I am so excited about the prospect of doing it.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May He make His face to shine upon you.
And may He give you peace.

Mimi na kupenda.
Mungu aku bariki sana mi rafikis.

See you all very soon!

living a day in the life of an African woman

2011-01-11T22:42:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the few days of silence.
It's been a whirlwind few days.

Monday we decided to make a "down day" or so at least we thought that's what it might be. I talked with Pendo early on and asked her if we could go to the market that morning and buy supplies for lunch and dinner and for her to teach us how to cook the way they do. You see for the most part there are no conventional ovens to speak of...only charcoal fire cookers. Pretty awesome actually.

We started the day around 9:00. We had to go check on our skirts that were being made first. The fundi (craftsman) that was making them wasnt there so we decided to go back later that night. So we headed to the market (Swahili-sokoni). We had started quite a list of things that we would we need. Once we got inside we started right into purchasing things. Rice, potatoes, cooking oil, spices, garlic, onions and ginger first. Then we proceeded on to mangos (embe), pineapple (nanasi), avocado, passion fruit, tomatoes, cabbage and other yummy veggies and fruits. THEN we had to get the meat. Our arms were already pretty loaded down! Next time I do this, I'm gonna bring a HUGE bag with really sturdy handles :) First we got the beef (nyombe=cow)...it really just hangs out in the open air and they cut from it then measure it...no refrigeration. There was even something hanging in the window that still had a tail! Pretty hilarious. I knew we were gonna boil the meat to death so I wasnt worried about e.coli or salmanella (sp?). After we got the beef we looking for the fish (samaki). Stinky, stinky. Now I'm used to fish..I LOVE to fish and I'll even clean them but thousands of fish laying out for the world to buy if just quite a different smell. We checked the color of their gills to make sure they were fresh and I let Pendo pick out two that she liked the most.
Well, after the fish the groceries had been acquired. I really don't think Ashmill and I could have carried anything else! Before Vincent returned to pick us up Pendo found two knives she needed so I got those for her too. They were only $1 a piece. I mean come on!
We took everything back to the house and Pendo prepared everything for us to get started. It's so funny how they think things have to be so perfect for us! I told her there was no need, but she insisted! So after she was ready we went out back and got started. Now let me paint this picture for you. Kitchen=large plastic mat thing with all the food in seperate baskets with trays to cut on and prepare each item, large bowls for cleaning the food and four little charcoal cookers hot and ready to go. Get the picture? I was SO excited to get started. Ashmill was camera ready. She took lots and lots of pictures. I wanted to remember every moment!
We started by cutting up the beef and preparing the green beans and peas. The following was our menu:

Roasted beef
Rice pilau
cabbage
peanut soup
fruit-mango and pineapple

We would have made juice for lunch but there was no electricity so we couldnt use the juicer. Long story, short, I now know how to make Secuma cabbage the right way. And if you've ever been to Africa you fall in love with Pendo's cabbage...by far one of my favorite food here! She taught me how to make rice pilau too. It had a bit of an Indian influence with lots of cumin, coriander, cinnamon and other yummy spices. I cannot wait to duplicate it at home. I want to have an Africa party out back once it gets a little warmer :)

Cooking lunch took us about 3 hours. Now what we had for lunch was definitely not typical but I wanted to learn how to cook several things so we decided to do it that way. Usually they would have maybe ugali and fish. Samuel was worried about us eating the ugali and being full. I would have eaten it but I would have asked if we could have beans with it. Its not my favorite...I have to be honest. After lunch cooking we were already pretty exhausted so Samuel suggested we take a nap. They again "prepared" a place for us. I slept in the bed with Lizzie while she napped too and Ashmill had a mattress of her own in the floor. We laid down around 3:30 and didnt get up until clost to 5:30. Lizzie woke me up poking me in the face. I just love that little girl. Can't wait to continue to see her grow into the beauiful young woman she is created to be.

After the long nap we went back to the market. The guy still wasn't there but they were able to find our clothes. My skirts were perfect but Ashmill's weren't done right so they told us to come back tomorrow morning. (Tuesday) Bummer. We went back to the house and started things for supper. Since we had such a large lunch we decided to have a bit of a snack supper. We made chapati (another favorite!), samaki, chips, and chicken soup. And of course we had more mango and pineapple. Pendo and I made avocado-passion and mango juices too. Quite fun.
Ashmill was feeling quite tired so I took her back to the hotel early before we started eating. I finished supper with the family and sang a few songs with Samuel for them. We prayed together and I departed for the hotel.
Ashmill didn't feel too great when I got back so I started her on some meds and she slept through most of the night.

Yesterday we took it real easy...spent most of the day in the hotel. We didn't really have any plans anyways. And plus, she needed to be well before making the trip to the Serengeti today! She is MUCH better this morning. Feeling more like herself again. Doctor Liv has been taking great care of her :) She's probably getting tired of me checking up on her!

Needless to say we are both stoked about going to the Serengeti today. It's going to be a great time to soak in God's creation, praising Him for the things He's done in and through us on this trip...reflecting on His Glory and His majesty...standing in awe of Him.

Stop today and say Thank You for Who He is in your life.

Thanks for the prayers.
The trip may almost be over but I'm confident that the Lord's work is just beginning.
We have one more day with the boys and may go Friday morning to look at another plot of land. The plot we liked the best isn't available. We are glad to have found this out now, but am looking forward to the plot He has picked out to be revealed to us. I was really hoping to find it on this trip. There is still time. But I am going to exercise some patience (a thing of which I don't have much of!) and wait on Him. I know and believe His timing is always perfect.

Will write again soon.

Mimi na kupenda mi rafikis.
Mungu aku bariki sana.

in the house of a little girl named Glory

2011-01-09T21:16:00.000-08:00

The past few days have been filled with lots of emotion for me. God has been touching my heart and moving me to tears on so many occasions. I want to tell you about a little girl I met yesterday but first let me share with you the awesomeness of Saturday.

We prepared to meet with the boys again. We paid the Mama Mchungaji (wife of the pastor) 50,000Tsh to cook for 60 of them and sent Vincent after sodas and big bottles of water. When we arrived there were only a few boys but we sent Semora and Yohanna out to gather them. After 15 minutes or so they began to arrive. While we were waiting, Ashmill, Pendo and I sorted through the salvation bracelet stuff Mer sent with us. In the middle of all that, Samuel came in and conveyed to me that of the 17 boys that were actually going to school everyday (from the streets, mind you) none of them had school supplies. So we set out into town to buy some for them. I think I spent about $50 on supplies for 20 boys...and another $2.50 a piece for a really nice backpack. A small price to pay for their education.
After we got back we began explaining the salvation bracelets again. We have told this story before but many of the boys we have been meeting with on this trip I have never seen. So I told of each color, and the story of Christ's redemptive plan. After I finished I told them they have a choice to make: deny Him or accept Him. I encouraged those that were already believers to pray. Samuel took the reins and ran it on home. He offered an invitation and initially probably 30-40 boys came forward but he began to push and tell them this was a call for first time believers and many of them sat down. To those he conveyed that maybe they needed to repent of some sin in their lives and come back to the Lord. We ended with 10 boys standing in front of me. The tears began to well up because at that moment, I would have given up the rest of the trip for those boys. This was why we are here. It is the epitomy of our mission statement...to share the love of Christ with the street boys of Mwanza, Tanzania. We prayed with them, prayed over them and began constructing salvation bracelets with them. I stressed to the boys the command to go and make disciples.
We continued on with several other activities, handed out the backpacks, fed them a meal and send them on their way with their big bottles of water in hand. We had some of the boys get upset because they didn't get a backpack, but they have not been faithful to STAY in school even when Samuel paid their way. Others cannot even afford it, so that is my next mission...to get them in school.

We ate dinner at the Limbe's that night and talked about the future. We are all SO excited about what God has in store. We planned out the last week of activities, ate together, and prayed together before Ashmill and I departed for the hotel.

Yesterday, we got up and headed to church at 8:30. We were going to a youth gathering at Buzurunga. Yohanna is a guy living with the Limbes who is a youth volunteer for the area, so he wanted us to go there, plus Limbe had to go across the way to Sengerema to meet with soe AIC(T) church elders.
We picked up Pendo and the girls and headed out. We arrived at 9:00 and discovered the next service did not start until 10:00 so we went back into town and ate some breakfast (more fried food and soda!).
It was a large church and many people attended the second service. Many choirs sang...some of the best I have heard. There was a sermon, an offering, elements of church that we are used to. We introduced ourselves in the middle. I'm getting used to introducing myself in all Swahili. It's pretty fun the way most react. I gave a short testimony of what God's been doing in my life then I sang a song in Swahili. It was "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever." Don't worry Mom, I started it in a much lower key than you would have! :)
After the service we took a group picture with some of the youth then headed back to the hotel. Ashmill and I took a quick nap...we are beginning to feel tired. This week is a bit slower than the last two but I'm confident we'll have the energy to move on!

At 4:00 we headed to a family's house that Limbe had told us about. And in the house we met a little girl that I will not soon forget.

That day we met Glory.

Glory is almost 4 years old. She is a beautiful little girl that has cancer. Her parents noticed some changed in her appearance some time ago but thought it was just some normalities that Africa children sometimes go through. When the facial swelling worsened they took her to several doctors. Long story short...4-5 doctors later and several trips to Dar es Salaam for testing, little Glory is dying of this cancer. Her head is very swollen and the area behind her right eye is pertruding outwards. They told us that the cancer has made its way to her liver so the doctors told them that chemo would not really help. The family told us the entire story and I listened with intent ears. My heart began to weep for this little girl and soon the tears made their way to my eyes. Ashmill and I both were quite emotional. We have both seen cancer face to face in family and in close friends. We both longed to be able to do something for her and her family but are unsure of what that may be. But we know above anything else we can pray. We believe we serve a God, Jehovah Rapha, our Great Healer. He is able to do things above what we could ever imagine or think.
I need you to begin to pray NOW. I believe in the healing of this little girl. But ultimately I believe in His will. So if He choosing not to heal her, I pray for the family that their faith would stay strong and they would remain faithful to Him. I cannot imagine the pain the little girl goes through. Some night she crys all night because she is in pain.

Please begin holding the rope for this family.
I plead to the throne on their behalf. We are going back there before we leave. I hope to already see improvements in her condition.

Pray believing.
Pray fervently.
Pray always.

I love you all and will write again soon.

Mungu aku bariki sana.

homeland bargaining, hardcore buying and hotel breakfast

2011-01-07T23:20:00.000-08:00

Well the past two days have been pretty awesome.
Mainly focusing on land searching...

Thursday, our day started at the pretty normal 10:00. Well we generally start getting up at 7:30. (You have to turn on the water heater then wait on the water to get warm...etc) We tried the hotel breakfast again and found it to be much more appetizing. Lots of pineapple (Swahili-nanasi) and fruit juice and other good stuff. They asked did we want sausage...we thought "why not?" So we said "Ndiyo, mbili." (English-"Yes, two.") Turns out sausage is basically a fried hot dog weiner. Mighty tasty though. We checked email as uaual and as 10:00 came around Vincent was right as time as he has been the whole trip!

We went toward St. Augustine University to look for land out past there. We didn't find much. The only plot available was too small and WAY too expensive. We went back out to the Tarmac road (which is the road to Shinyanga) and headed on out that way. We stopped after about 15 minutes or so and ventured off down a dirt "off the beaten path" kind of road. After about 30 minutes of hitting my head on the window or the ceiling (this is brining back many memories of driving from Nairobi to Mwanza two summers ago) we finally stopped and pick up this guy that said he had about 40 acres. We continued to travel down this goat's path kind of road and stopped. We would walk from here, the guy told us. Joy. How do we get a car there? There wasn't even a road! We ended up at a nice looking plot of land but it wasn't near 40 acres...maybe 10. So Samuel explained to him the dimensions of an acre. The guy understood.
While we were looking there were two men farming some land nearby and one of the them (who was walking with a crutch due to a leg injury) came over to us and said he owned about 20 acres across the way there. It was getting late, and I had just found out that I was going to be "preaching" at a youth service in a couple of hours, so we told him we would come back in the morning. Samuel arranged for us to be there at 7:00AM! Early rising for us tomorrow! But I got a gut feeling that we might like what we were going to see over there.

So we left "the middle of nowhere" and got back on the tarmac road and headed back towards town. Ashmill and I ordered lunch at the hotel (beef samosas and chips) and I got some studying in. I knew I was going to speak on Moses and the burning bush and God being "I AM" for him. It is my go-to African sermon when I'm in a pinch. We left the hotel at 4:00 and headed to an AICT church about 15 minutes from the hotel. (We stopped and picked up Pendo and a friend Johanna that would be helping in translating) We arrived at the church and were received with open arms. About 12 people gathered. They were supposed to be many more but some kind of school conflict came up. So I proceeded to lead what we shall call a small group Bible study. We worshipped in Swahili, prayed, I preached, we took an offering and said our formal goodbyes. (When you leave a church service in Africa, everyone shakes everyone's hand and we sing our way out...love it!)

We dropped Pendo and Johanna back at their house and headed to supper. We went to Yu Long's Chinese Restaurant on Rock Beach. I love the view and the food is pretty darn good too! Took forever to get the guy to take our order, but you'll learn very quickly that you don't get in a hurry about anything here. :)
We order spring rolls to start, sizzling beef, sweet and sour chicken and vegetable fried rice. I couldnt remember how big the rice portion runs so we ordered two. Yeah, one feeds close to three or four people! I'll remember that next time!!
I discovered a new soda I love...Sparletta Pine-Nut. It's a tropically pineapple coconut flavored soda...refreshing! Ashmill has fallen in love with Fanta Passion.
We took some silly pictures, finished dinner and Vincent picked us up to return to the hotel to get some sleep before waiting up at the crack of dawn the next morning...literally. The sun comes up at like 6:30 here. So I knew we'd be up for it would!

And I was right. We got up about 5:00 to kick on the hot water heater and were ready to go (sleepy eyes and all!). Vincent actually called me at 5 til to let me know he was waiting downstairs and Samuel was on time too! (well he wasnt where he said he was going to be but was on his way...so we'll give it to him this time!)
We headed back out Shinyanga road but road the Tarmac all the way this time! We were on paved road for about 30-40 minutes, then took the side road towards the land. After about 15 minutes of bumpy riding we arrived at the village center. Now let me paint the picture. This is a true African village. What you probably think of when you think of Africa...this was it. The people were very receptive and we picked up our new friend and rode for about 10 more minutes before stopping to continue walking about to the plot. When we got there (after our poor feet were COVERED in mud because it had rained the night before) I realized how beautiful this land really was. Ashmill and I both thought it was our favorite we've looked at. It has an awesome view of the lake. (It's probably about 500km away from the water) and it's surrounded by nothing but crop land. The plot itself Samuel calculated at about 18 acres. Now his calculations were him walking meters down the property but we both think he is pretty close. I'd like to have a professional measure it though. We took lots of pictures and video. I wish I could email them home now but we haven't found an internet spot that could handle the upload, so maybe once we get back to nairobi in a week. (WOW only one more week!)

Needless to say we love this plot. We actually sat down the guy selling it and some village committee members and discussed price and other things. The village officials are very much about what we are doing. They know that ultimately it will benefit them as well. The guy wants a little more than we want to pay right now but bargaining measures will be taken and discussions will be had. I'm hoping to maybe even go back Monday or Tuesday and talk with them again. Pray that God moves in their heart to work with us.

After we finished our land bargaining we headed back towards Mwanza. It started raining pretty hard on the way home so we had to postpone our market (Swahili-sokoni) plans a few hours. Ashmill and I ate lunch at the Pizzeria again...we are getting something different everytime if that counts! The pineapple was AWESOME! The rain was kinda yucky but soon let up and the sun came out again! We hung out at the hotel for about 2 hours and Vincent came back to take us to the market with Pendo and Semora (he is a guy that I think lives with the Limbe's too, but has been a HUGE help to us my past couple of trips) We started at the clothing shops. We found lots of stuff. I decided to just have some skirts made this time. I have lots of dresses and they kinda get hot. We found material for me three skirts and Ashmill two. She found a really cute pre-made dress. They are going to take it in for her because it was kubwa! (big!) Best prices I've paid so far too. If you come to Africa with me you'll quickly learn I drive a hard bargain! They see white face (mzungu) and immediately think rich...well I quickly change their minds about that!!!
We then headed to the inside market where I found mi rafikis (my friends) Jessica and Gilbert. We bought lots and lots of stuff. They wanted SO much from me. I have to remind them we are friends and buy from them everytime. Their tune changes over time :) After that it was going on 5:00 so we decided to call it a day.
We came back to the hotel and ordered dinner. We let Vincent off early.

We tried some new things on the menu. I ordered Spaghetti Bolagnese and Ashmill got some kind of Chinese Honey Chicken with rice. Both were pretty good. Never had real spaghetti in Africa before! We did some things around the room and gathered our supplies for today with the boys. We made some phone calls home. I'm missing my honey :( sad and sappy, I know! Just wish all of you were here with us now!

I am so excited about seeing the boys again. We are going to feed them lunch and give them soda and water again. We have some salvation bracelets to make with them and we are going to do a few more pictures and video things too.

Thank you so much for your prayers. I am totally pumped about finding that plot of land. We'll see if that is the one in the coming days. Things for the boys are coming together. Ashmill and I even took a few hours last night and began marketing strategies and other things she's totally great at, so we'd be a leg ahead when we got back.

We've passed several of the boys in the streets and they are remembering us. We've given out many of our snacks to them when they approach the car and are hungry. It continually breaks my heart! I hope that all of you will partner with us in putting a stop to their hunger and need. God is definitely moving and He is so much bigger than anything we could plan. I am just so grateful to be able to be used by Him.

I love you all very much.

Will write again soon.

Thanks for holding that rope.

Mungu aku bariki sana mi rafikis.

savage lands, street lads and soapy laundry

2011-01-05T07:38:00.000-08:00

Well yesterday was out first "land searching" day. We started out around 10:00. Vincent arrived right on time to pick us up. I really just love Vincent. He's been my driver for the past several trips. He's been really good to us and is very flexible with our schedules and always has an answer for everything! He's totally fun to drive through the Serengeti with too, because he's super knowledgable when it comes to the wildlife and such.

Anyways...

We road north of Mwanza about 15 kilometers (which felt like a good 25-30 miles because of the bumpy road once we left the tarmac) to a region called Buswelu. Basically, I took Ashmill on a rollercoaster ride through the countryside of Africa :) We arrived at the first location Samuel had picked. We also had two other guys with us that have been helping him locate land here. We got out of the car and climbed a small rock mountain that overlooked the first plot. Because of the giant rock mountain thing in the middle of it, I don't think that first plot will work. So we rode around a little ways to view another portion farther off into the nothingness. We got out of the car and began walking towards the area. The path got smaller and smaller. Ashmill said, "I'm glad you've know Samuel for 10 years. I wouldn't trust just anyone to take us out here!" If that gives you a little bit of the picture. It was really quite a fun adventure. The next plot was between 30-40 acres of land. I took some video and pictures to send home and Samuel gave me all the specs. It has some good qualities but I still have some questions...so we will see.

We then made the trek back. We basically made a huge circle around Mwanza and ended up back on Airport Road. Kinda crazy, but still fun. Samuel sometimes forgets that we get hungry around 12:00-1:00 so I had to remind him we needed some lunch! We got back to Mwanza at about 1:30 so Vincent took Ashmill and I back to the Pizzeria for lunch. We then went back to the hotel to rest for a little bit.

At 4:30 we went back to Limbe's house for a Swahili lesson. I HAVE to learn this language. Because we (Limbe and I) are both a little A.D.D. we ended up talking about Anza Imani more than Swahili but I did learn a few more important phrases. Liz sat in my lap most of the time and played with my giant pen that Lauren (my lovely new sister :) gave me for my birthday! It was a lot of fun to get to spend some time with her again as well.

Ashmill and I headed to supper after that. We went to Hotel Tilapia...my favorite! We split an entree but ordered naan and spring rolls. It was super yummy!
We then retired to the hotel and did some journaling and such before going to bed. I didn't feet too great yesterday but today is proving much better. We both got a great night's rest last night. It's quite noisy in the mornings here. It takes some getting used to. And Ashmill seems to wake up with the sun...but not me! I can sleep through anything! :)

Today was our first day with the boys! Man was I excited to see them again. We started with about 25 but ended up with 60! We met with them at the local Anglican church. It was a great meeting area. I gave them the PlayDoh I brought from Sam's back home and told an object lesson about how God has a very special plan for each of them and He will mold them to be exactly what He has planned. I think it went over well. I shared the Gospel with them once more. I am unsure if there were any first time decisions but I am going to ask Limbe to communicate that with them the next time we see them. (which we hope is Saturday) We spent some time getting their names and taking pictures of each of them so we can now put a name with a face. I also videoed a few of them telling their stories so people in America can hear their heart wrenching stories of their way of life. It was really hard to not break down in front of them at times. There were about 1/3 that are in school and at least another 1/3 that want to go to school but cannot afford it. It cost about $50 to send a child to school for a year. I am going to try and make an effort to take care of that once I return home. I pray there are 25 people that would be willing to help with that.

We fed them lunch, gave them a soda and a big bottle of water. To feed 60 it only cost us about $90. That's less than $2 a child! And it was a big meal with a bottle of soda and almost a liter of cold water. It breaks my heart that we cannot provide more for them yet. My prayer is that the paperwork for Anza Imani would continue to move through the hands that it may be completed soon. Ashmill and I are both ready to hit the ground running.

That is all I have time for now.

There are many more stories to be told.

I love each of you very much and cannot wait to see what else God is going to do over the next few days!

Keep holding that rope tight for us. satan is fighting back.

Mungu aku bariki sana.
Mimi nakupenda sana.

OH! And our bathroom is currently covered in soapy laundry. Ashmill and I are truly living it up the African way!

Journey to Mwanza, JBFC Memories and Jamba Moments

2011-01-03T05:46:00.000-08:00

Well after FINALLY getting to Nairobi Friday morning at 6:00AM we went downstairs, got a visa (of which we REALLY won't use until the end of the trip...but whatever!), grabbed out luggage and headed out of the airport arrivals around to departures. Let's just say two American girls with two luggage carts weighed down with close to 150 lbs of luggage having to pick them up and down off the curbs is quite the entertainment! I hope nobody really saw us. Cuz I'm pretty sure they would have gotten a HUGE kick out of it.
We successfully checked in at the 540 Aviation counter and headed back upstairs to the Nairobi Java House. We were so excited to get on our computers and email home only to find that had taken the wireless internet out! Lord, are you trying to teach me patience?? After waiting a few hours we boarded our flight to Mwanza, finally heading home :)

*SIDE NOTE FOR MER* The flight was the smoothest ever...no worries!

Upon arrival we received our Tanzanian visas, our luggage and our sanity and headed outside to look for Limbe and Vincent. As you would guess, I saw neither! A very nice Tanzanian man came up to me and said, "Are you Eliza?" I said, "Yes, I am." He was from Serengeti Services...Vincent had a hold up. I called Samuel Limbe who said that he and Pendo has JUST LEFT the airport...someone had informed them incorrectly that our plane wasn't coming until later that day...whoops! He quickly returned and I did get to see him before we ran some errands in town. It was good to see my brother again!! He looked very good and healthy. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the family tonight.

After leaving the airport I had Samuel (our driver until tomorrow when Vincent will take over) take us to Kuleana's Pizzeria for lunch...yummy. We had Pizza Funghi with Nanasi (mushrooms and pineapple) and some chips (french fries). Ashmill tried the Fanta Passion and loved it. I had my Coca Light that I love here straight out of a glass bottle. We then ran to the U-Turn to grab some water, snacks and butter (for the dump cake that I brought supplies to make for Chris at JBFC).

Once groceries were acquired we headed out to JBFC. I love the drive there. You see so much of true African culture. I was excited for Ashmill to get to see it all too! The ride with the windows down, wind in your face (well smog sometimes!), and the awesome smells of Africa is really life changing :)

The girls ran out to greet us upon arrival. Pily was the first to give me the greatest hug ever! I saw Salome (my little angel) almost immediately. Oh how my haert rejoiced to see all the girls again! We met Chris and Torie up at Chris' house and I showed Ashmill around some. We got our stuff settled into the guest house and headed down to the dining hall to see the rest of the girls.

The next few hours were full of preparations for the New Years Eve DANCE PARTY! We put up three tents down by the dining hall for the girls to sleep in if they wanted to. We ate beef, veggies and mashed potatoes.

STOP. Funny story time :)

So we have a funny story I tell all first timers to Africa about my experience with chewy goat. Well, apparently, the beef is the same way :)
We were casually eating dinner (by the way the mashed potatoes were AWESOME!) and I look up at Ashmill and she's got this awful look on her face and her hand over her mouth. But she's trying to act like nothing's wrong. She was really struggling with her piece of meat (come to find out it was a piece of fat!). I got so tickled inside (and kinda chuckled outside too) and she finally revealed to me what the problem was. We have laughed about it quite a few times since. Good memories...good time.

OK BACK IN.

We hung out outside under the magnificent stars til 12:00 and celebrate New Years' with some dancing, and singing and Chris fired off his gun several times for good measure. The girls have this silly chant for New Years...In English is says something like "Those who stay up late tonight will eat well, those who go to sleep with eat ugali and beans!" Priceless.

The new two days were filled with games and pictures with the girls...time spent loving and making memories. We had a "photo shoot by Ashmill" yesterday with each individual girl as well as some boys that are currently staying with Chris.
The boys are adorable! It made me even more excited about seeing my boys. His boys' names are Sale, Jonas, Paul and Daniel. He still had Kidu most of the time too. All the children now call him Daddy. It's so sweet. I cannot wait for my boys to call me Mama and Brian Daddy...even if we're only there for a short time.

There are a million stories I can tell but time will not allow right now. My heart is full of joy and excitement for the future. Being in Mwanza today feels like home and I'm so excited that Africa is touching Ashmill too. We are here to dream big for Anza Imani. Our prayer is that God will open doors for His mission here. He owns everything we see and we just want to be good stewards of what He has given us.

There are a few things specifically you can pray for:

*Pray for strength and energy for us (jet lag really got me this time!)
*Pray for JBFC and its staff
*Pray for The Limbe family
*Pray for our efforts to minister to the boys
*Pray for wisdom in how to give
*Pray for opportunities to be His hands and feet

Thank you for your prayers thus far. They are definitely felt.
Thank you for holding the rope for us.

Mungu aku bariki sana.
Mimi na kupenda sana.

OH....almost forgot!

The jamba moments...well maybe you'll have to ask me what that's about ;)

distressed flight attendants, delayed flights and delicious fish and chips

2010-12-30T08:57:00.000-08:00

Well if you've already read Ashmill's blog on Facebook you've heard we are stranded in London.

Wow.

That's all I can say about the experience so far. This has definitely, by far, been the roughest travel experience of my life. I think traveling with Malaria doesn't even compare. Our first flight from BHM to DFW was pretty much ok. I was able to sleep through some of it due to the fact that I didnt sleep much at all because I was SO excited the night before! When we arrived in Dallas we checked our flight and noticed that we were delayed from 4:55PM to 5:20PM. Not too shabby...we thought.

We pulled away from the gate around 6:00PM and didn't arrive in London until 9:00AM. Our flight to NBO was due to leave at 10:10AM so we rushed to the ticket counter because the lady in BHM said we had to get our boarding passes here in London. By the time we got up to the counter it was hinging on 9:30AM. My heart was pounding with anticipation of what the lady was going to say. She looked at our e-Ticket and the worst thing EVER came out of her mouth..."YOU'RE TOO LATE." Deep breaths...deep breaths...I kept having to tell myself to breathe! It wasn't her fault but the selfish part of me wanted them to give us SOMETHING for our trouble...a pass to the lounge to sleep for a bit...a hot shower...a blanket. But we got nothing.

And so the 9 hour countdown began.

We ate the most expensive (but really the best I've ever had) fish and chips with a Coke (I had diet Coke!). We bought a month's worth of internet each. We tried to sleep for a bit, but I get nervous that someone will try and take my stuff. I looked pretty hilarious. I've Skyped a few people. Talked with my honey. And in the midst of everything I know it'll be ok.

I have to be honest...I let self get the best of me for a while. I was NOT in the best of moods. We were cold, sleepy, achy and ready to be in Africa. But really I know things happen for a reason.

God has a plan.

Someone put it like this: It's a 9-hour scavenger hunt from God! I am looking for the reason still but I know He'll reveal it in HIS time.

Self, get out of the way! Stay behind me!

Ashmill and I both felt like we needed to hug the flight attendants on the last flight. Maybe we'll get another opportunity on this one.

ON THE BRIGHT AND GLORIOUS SIDE OF THINGS:

The guy in front of us was able to share the Gospel with the guy sitting next to him (his name was Gideon..he's from Kenya. he has a son-Lincoln- with him) and he gave his life to the Lord! Awesome, huh? The guy sharing the Gospel is with a group from Waco, TX doing some church planting in Cape Town. We prayed for each other and he and his group will be praying for us.

So...bottom line...

Ashmill and I are doing well....even amidst the craziness.
We haven't killed each other yet :)
And we are SO looking forward to everything the Lord has in store!

Mungu aku bariki sana mi rafikis.
Mimi na kupenda sana.

Will write again soon....

Large pieces of Luggage, Long packing Lists, and Lots of pure Love

2010-12-28T19:20:00.000-08:00

I think we are packed and ready to go...minus a few items we will need to get ready with in the morning.

I wanted to let you know of a couple of things you can be praying specifically for.

In general:

Pray for God's glory to remain our focus and His renown to shine among us.
Pray for God's will to be done in everything we do.
Pray for discernment and wisdom in everything we do.
Pray for strength and energy to do His will.

Specifically:

We will be at JBFC from December 31-January 2. Pray for needs to be met for the girls and the Gospel to go out in Kitongo.
We will be in Mwanza from January 3-11 working with the street boys. Pray for the Gospel to go out among us and lives to be changed for God's glory and the furtherance of His Kingdom. Pray for wisdom in discerning the next steps for the Anza imani Rescue Foundation. Pray that work here in the States for the foundation will continue so that we can be non-profit by February and begin fundraising efforts for the Anza imani Rescue Center.
We will be in the Serengeti January 12-13. Pray for refreshment and revelation from the Lord. Being in His creation is always awesome. May we praise Him for His awesomeness.
We will have one more day in Mwanza on January 14 to finish up any more business that needs to be done and head back to Mwanza on the 15th.
We begin out flight home on the night of the 16th and get back to Birmingham on the night of the 17th.

Thank you in advance for holding the rope for us.
Ashmill and I are SO excited to be leaving and cannot wait to see what God is going to do in us and through us!

I love you all.

Mungu aku bariki sana.

See you in 20 days!

Well it's that time again...

2010-12-23T07:32:00.000-08:00

It' time to get this show on the road. In roughly 6 days, plus a few hours, My friend Ashmill and I will be taking off on a runway at Birmingham International airport with our sights set on Africa. Really our sights are already there...we just have to endure the LONG flight. God always seems to show me crazy things on these flights. Now, I don't mean crazy loony, but crazy cool, awesome things that only He can reveal. Several trips ago He placed in my heart a desire to go and spend extended time at JBFC (www.jbfc-online.org). A few trips after that He began birthing within me the dream for the Anza imani Rescue Foundation, which is nearly in non-profit status and soon we will be able to begin fundraising efforts to see it come to fruition. He is so faithful to show us exactly what His plan is in HIS time...not ours.

I am praying on this trip He continues to unwrap His plan for Anza imani and shows us what the next step for us will be. For those that may not already know, I am engaged to be married July 16, 2011, to the man God had picked out for me a long time ago. I have been praying for Brian for all of my life and He came exactly when I needed him the most. The story is the same for him. We both knew we would spend the rest of our lives together after just a few days of dating. It was no coincidence that He asked me out after a missions celebration here at church where I was able to share my heart for Africa with our church family. He has such a heart to love people and share the Gospel with a lost world. He and I are both praying for God's guidance in our part of Anza imani. Please pray for His will for us and our wisdom to know what that will is and the strength to stay right in the center of it.

Ashmill is a photographer (www.ashmillphotography.com) and I am so blessed to call her my friend and sister in Christ. Her heart for the Lord is unmatched and I cannot wait for her to experience everything God is doing in Africa. She has never had the opportunity to go and is super excited about this trip. My prayer is that God would allow her to use her gift of photography to touch lives here and there and He would continue to give her the boldness to share with these people about the loving sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

My heart is full of joy right now. People have sacrificed so that this trip is made possible for us. Thank you Thank you Thank you. God is going to bless you for your heart of sacrifice. He is going to use your gifts to further our efforts in getting these little boys off the streets of Mwanza, Tanzania and into a loving environment where they will learn of Jesus and His awesome plan for each of their lives.

Continue praying.

We need you to hold the rope.

Mimi na kupenda mi rafikis. ( I love you my friends )

Mungu aku bariki sana. ( God bless you very much )

Hotel kingdom + a very Hot shower = 1 very HAPPY queen

2010-06-28T23:55:00.000-07:00

Oh the joys of hot water...
After cold showers for 11 days the blessed water heater at Hotel Kingdom came through for me.
It's such a simple joy but makes oh the world of difference for a tired traveler :)

Enough about that...

I wrote a LONG blog in Kitongo but I never was able to post it because the internet connection was no good. So let's recap the last week and a half briefly.

First let's talk Serengeti.

God's creation never ceases to amaze me. I cannot wait for you to see my pictures. Hopefully when I get back to Nairobi tomorrow I will be able to upload them to facebook so you can enjoy them too. We saw so many amazing things. Even with the "bumps" (pun intended) along the road we were still able to worship God through the beauty of His creation.

On a side note in case you didnt hear I got the awesome privilege to preach again. I have to say this time it was a lot of fun. Chris was able to translate for me so I was very comfortable and he knew the story very well too so he was able to help if I got "lost in translation." The people were very attentive and expressed sincere gratitude for me teaching them that day. I spoke on Moses and the burning bush.

Now let's talk of VBS at JBFC.

It went VERY well. We had between 100 and 120 kids everyday. We ran it Monday-Wednesday due to a scheduling conflict with some school English classes. So they had VBS in the morning and then we were able to help them in their English classes in the afternoon. Even in that opportunity I chose to use things like The Lord's Prayer and other Scripture to teach them English. It was pretty awesome. AND they taught me the Lord's Prayer in Swahili which is recited in most every church service I have attended this time.
Day One was about David and Goliath. We talked about David's call to be King at such a young age. And then about his courage and faith that God would be with him and would give him the battle against that present giant. We talked about giants in our lives and how God will prepare us for each one and equip us with the tools we need to defeat them. And how important it is for us to always give God the glory for His victories in our lives.
Day Two was about Moses and the burning bush. We talked about Moses life before the bush, God's call on Him to remove his sandals (the things which seperated Him from complete fellowship with God-an act of obedience--thanks Mer!) and Moses life after the bush. How God used him to do awesome things for His glory.
Day Three was about Zaccheus and I also went more in depth into the story of salvation. We talked about the change in Zaccheus' life and how God sought him out and knew him by name before they had ever met. The theme for the VBS was "I Am Somebody." So I really used this day to drive home the fact that God has created each of them unique and granted them each with a specific purpose for HIS glory and fame. I prayed with each of them. I am honestly not sure about decisions made. Most were encouraged to go and tell someone else about their experience with Christ. Chris and I talked about it afterwards and he said there are even some Muslim students at the schools so hopefully he will be able to do some follow-up and discipleship with the students.
To God be the glory for all that was done.

Now on to the rest of my time at JBFC...

The girls, mamas, staff and Chris hold such a special place in my heart. JBFC is a place of ministry and outreach to the street girls of Tanzania. In July they are receiving 16 more girls. I saw the finished new dorm on campus that these girls will be living in. It's pretty remarkable to see the growth from December to now.
I did a lot of new "firsts" this time around as well. I got to help cook a WHOLE meal. Chris loves to cook so he and I cooked a downhome Southern meal last Friday (which was also Mer's birthday). We totally celebrated for you, Mer! We made Chicken Fried Steak (African adapted), Mashed Potatoes and gravy, Greens and had Mango-Pineapple Dump Cake. Oh wow, was it delicious!!
We also did some cleaning out in Chris' house on Sunday afternoon...cleaning the pantry and we totally came across a SNAKE! It was not REAL big but still very unnerving. We did finally kill it. :)
We had Chips Mayai (my FAVORITE!) for dinner and movie night with the girls. We watched Hercules. It was a blast!
Chris and I were able to sit down a talk a lot about the future and where they are going. He is also teaching me about how he has done everything he has done. If I haven't told you by now, I am going to build my own foundation for the street boys of Mwanza. I guess I could reveal the name to you now. The actual center is going to be called Anza imani Rescue Center...or "the ARC." Anza imani means "the start of faith." I cannot express to you how excited I am about it all. I am spending today with Samuel Limbe dreaming BIG about the future and how we will see this all come to fruition. God is giving me SO much. There is much work to be done. I am going to need ALL of your help. #1 is prayer. I want all this to be done in God's perfect timing, not my own. I have to be careful not to speed ahead in excitement but to wait on His say so.

I must go for now, Samuel is here to pick me up.
I hope you all are going to begin to pray for these efforts here and begin to dream of how you can be a part of Anza imani Rescue Center. May God use you to do awesome amazing things.

Mungu aku bariki sana my rafikis.
Mimi na kupenda sana.

Serving Him by serving them,
Liv

Lions, little girls and lots of FUN

2010-06-19T23:52:00.001-07:00

First let me say the Serengeti was an adventure. I'll just leave it at that for now. :)

Pole sana on the lack of blogs lately. The last few days have been a bit of a whirlwind. Mom and Dad and the rest of the group should be on their way to Amsterdam now…then on their way to Birmingham.

The last few days here at JBFC have been awesome. Spending time with the girls…learning new Swahili words…sharing the love of Christ with the people here. Even the wazungus.

God is opening so many doors for ministry. Guess what! This morning I get to preach again ☺ I am going to use Mer’s study on Moses and the sandals. Hopefully it will reach their hearts in the way I intend it to. Preaching is not my forte but I am happy to do whatever He calls me to. Chris approached me on Friday and asked me about it and I just didn’t think and said Of Course! I think God’s teaching me something here…to fully rely on Him and not on my own understanding. Proverbs 3:5-6 is speaking volumes to me right now.

My awesome best friend left me a giant “word of the day” BOOK and her words have been pretty right on. Friday was PEACE. Yesterday was REFUSE. Today’s is HEART. Friday I needed some peace. I really want to see more discipleship among the girls. I was able to see one of the girls sitting alone Friday afternoon reading her Bible that we left here last summer. It gave me tremendous peace to know that God is at work in their lives. I am going to try to implement some sort of discipleship program before I leave. Yesterday I learned to REFUSE to miss a moment. God is always working and I know that there were moments yesterday that I would have missed if I have not ceased them. Moments to share with seeking souls…moments to show His love…moments to learn something new about Him and His awesome plan for my life. Today is HEART. Open the eyes of our heart Lord. Open the eyes of the hearts of these people to receive your Word. To See You.

Lord we want to see you.

Continue to pray for me as this week unfolds. I will try to update as often as I can. Internet is scarce here. Just know that God is at work and satan is fighting back with all his force. I am feeling great so I know the Lord is protecting my health. May He continue to protect my body, my mind and my heart. I know He has great things I store for VBS this week. May He prepare the hearts of these children to learn about His love and His AMAZING PLAN for their lives.

Mungu aku bariki sana. (May God bless you very much)

Mimi na kupenda kwa sababu Jesu ananipenda. (I love you because Jesus loves me)

JBFC, Jethro Gibbs rules and "Jambo or Jamba?"

2010-06-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

Well today was a very interesting day. We started the morning at the market. Most of the ladies got a new African dress made. Yep. Mer got a blouse AND a skirt AND she bought a dress already made. Pretty sure she's turned over a new leaf. :)
I took the ladies through the town market to meet my rafikis Gilbert and Jessica that I buy from every time that I am here. I had to help most of them bargain. Samuel Limbe will tell you that I bargain better than most any Tanzanian. I get that from my mom I think. Been watching her do it for years!
We had lunch at the SalmaCone. We had samosas, fries and milkshakes. Kevin wouldnt be too happy with me, but what can I say? I did WALK to the grocery store after that instead of riding in the car. When in Africa, do as the Africans do.
We saw many of the street boys in town and my heart just rips in half every time I see them. I cannot wait to see where God opens doors for me to build them a home. I hope it happens quickly once I return to the states.

About 1:30 we headed to Kitongo to JBFC. My heart was racing. I was so excited to see the girls again. After an hour car ride we FINALLY reached the home. The girls came running out to meet me and they all came with open arms. They gave big hugs and had even bigger smiles waiting. Wow. Such an amazing feeling to reunite with these children. Chris wasn't there today because he's heading back from Shinyanga. He's looking at a third plot of land there for a third home. We will meet up with him tomorrow.
After we did introductions for the rest of the team and got the tour from Tori (she stays there in the summers) for the rest of the group that had not been there before, we did tie-dye bandanas and butterflies with the girls. Then I sang with them. I taught them "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever" in Swahili at Christmas and they sang the whole thing for me. I have to admit I got a little teary eyed then. Pretty awesome experience. We sang several more than they sang one of their songs for us. We took them outside and played for a bit then came in for dinner. RICE AND BEANS AND CABBAGE AND FRUIT!!! My favorite! I was in heaven! After dinner we did prayer time with them. Penny shared the story out of the Bible of Jesus and the children. We sang several songs in Swahili, did prayer requests, then we sang "I Love You, Lord" for them in English. That's been our favorite song to sing everywhere we go. Mama Esther Jeffers sings as well so we have at least 4-part harmony which is pretty awesome and the girls loved it. They want me to teach it to them in English when I am there....I said OF COURSE! :)

Tomorrow morning we will head back to Kitongo. We are going to do some door-to-door evangelism in the village and spend some more time with the girls. Pray God moves through the village tomorrow and we are able to lead more hurting people to the Lord. We are taking some of the girls with us to help teach them how to share the gospel with the people around them. We are so excited about getting to help in making disciples.

I know some of you are probably wondering...why the crazy blog titles? We try each day to come up with three things starting with the same letter to write about. Today we went to JBFC. My Dad and I LOVE NCIS so we've been making up our own "Jethro Gibbs rules" for a team leader and their team, AND Jambo means hello. Jamba means fart. We've had a few slips of the tongue so its been quite the entertainment. Maybe you'll get a laugh too. we DID have beans for supper so some really have struggled with the jambas :)

On a more serious note, Thank you for your prayers. God is still moving and we are so blessed to be a part of it.
Pray specifically for Diane. She ran a slight fever tonight so she stayed back. We are praying she has enough strength to go tomorrow. She wants to so bad.

We love you. Will blog tomorrow night.

Usiku mweme. Mungu aku bariki sana.
Good night. God bless you very much.

Bibles, boys and bandanas....communion, Cokes and chaos

2010-06-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

Due to getting in very late last night from fellowshiping with dear friends I was unable to blog about yesterday so you get two for the price of one today!

Yesterday...

We started the day by heading out to do a few things in town...exchange some money, settle some bills and buy Bibles. Diane Glover (who was able to come with us last year) raised over $2,000 for Swahili Bibles to be used in our ministry this year. Bwana Asifiwe! (Praise the Lord!) We went to the local Bible book store and bought as many as we needed. We will be distributing them as the Lord leads through the next several days.
Then we headed out to meet with the street boys. For those of you that know me well, you know that these boys hold a very special place in my heart. God has given me a long-term vision for these children. I plan on spending several days at the end of my trip here with Samuel and Pendo Limbe planning and strategizing how I can build them a permanent home here in mwanza. The Limbes are going to be a crucial part of that vision. We made tie-dye bandanas with the boys, and construction paper sheep. Penny told the story in Bible the shepherd leaving his 99 sheep to go and look for the one that was lost. We explained to them that Jesus loves them THAT much and each of them is so special to God. We gave them salvation bracelets and shared the gospel with them and challenged them to go and study the card that explains the bracelet in Swahili. We fed them a meal and gave them each a soda.
After lunch at the pizzeria we came back to the hotel for about an hour (so of us took a little power nap) and then headed to St. Augustino University to meet with some college students there. We got to be a part of a worship service on campus. It was a sweet time of worship and we were able to pray for these students and encourage them in the Word. Dad preached a short sermon on Jarius' daughter and the woman with the issue of blood. He told them of the meaning of the hem of His garment and a little about Jewish culture. If you havent heard that story from Dad you need to get him to tell you sometime. It's pretty awesome. We sang a few songs for them in Swahili and in English and then we had a worship time at the end with them. They sang "Come, Now is the Time to Worship," "When the Praises Go Up" and "Hosanna in the Highest." They were all in English. It was pretty awesome to worship together with African brothers and sisters in Christ.
We ate dinner at Samuel and Pendo's again and enjoyed time with them.

Today...

We started today at Lumala Baptist Church. Mr. Mwakenemela (headmaster at Mwanza Baptist Academy) attends church here and had asked Dad to preach. For those of you that think our church services are in any way long...come to Africa. We started around 9:30 and we walked out at 1:00. Yeah...it was awesome. Their choir sang like a bazillion songs and danced, the youth choir sang and danced, then they had US sing for them. There's nothing like church in Africa. We also had communion...that was a first for me. Not real sure what the "wine" was. Pretty sure it was non-alcoholic. We had lunch at a church member's home. WONDERFUL food. We were able to leave a case (40) of Bibles with the church and give to their building fund so that they can continue to build on to their present church. They are growing and we want to give to those that are growing in the Lord.
We then headed back to the hotel and gathered things to go BACK to the street boys. We shared the gospel with them, Limbe prayed with them and then we were each able to pray over all the boys. We fed them again, got them some Cokes and were just able to spend some quality time with them. I truly love these boys and hearing them tell me "Mimi nakupenda Elizabeth" was truly humbling and emotional for me. Now I HAVE to do everything that I can to help them.

Continue to pray for us as we prepare to go to JBFC tomorrow and meet with the girls.

That's all for now...gotta go to dinner.

Love you all.
Thank you for your prayers.
We came back to the hotel

airplanes and atomic bombs...

2010-06-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

We are finally home in Mwanza. The flight from Nairobi was delayed by two hours so it was a little later than we had thought but I guess we can say now we've all been to Bujumbura (the capital of Burundi)...well at least we saw the airport from the runway.
We had dinner at Samuel and Pendo's house tonight...let's just say Mer and I have been waiting 6 months for that meal! Sumaki (fish), rice, Secuma cabbage and cooked bananas (which remarkably taste like potatoes when they are cooked) then the most AWESOME pineapple and watermelon for dessert.
Tomorrow we will meet with the street boys in the morning, have lunch at maybe the pizzeria and then head to Nganza High School to minister to the some students there. I think we might make it to Mwanza Baptist Academy too. Most of the schools are closed but Samuel has arranged for us to meet with quite a few students.
We are totally excited about getting to see the street boys tomorrow. We are going to make tie-dye bandanas with them and sheep out of construction paper with cotton balls. It is a simple craft but they LOVE to make things. We will leave them some soccer balls with samuel for them to play with.
Mwanza really is home. There is something about this city that captured my heart a long time ago. Seeing Samuel Ezekiel again was so great too. He will be spending several days with us helping us minister. God allowed our paths to cross many years ago and He is still using him in this ministry today. I got to see little Elizabeth tonight. I think she remembered me :)

Continue praying for God to move amongst us. May he enlighten our paths and create opportunities for us to share His gospel with these people. They are hungry for hope...searching for satisifaction...living for love. May we love them as Christ loved the church. May His love abound in us. May they see us and know that He sent us. May we be HIS disciples tomorrow and in return make new disciples for HIS glory.

We love you all.
Thank you for your prayers.

Usiku mwema.
Mungu aku bariki sana mi rafikis.

By the way...the title is an inside joke...maybe I'll tell you later. :)

dirt, do's, and ditsee

2010-06-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

Today was another awesome day. Much like yesterday we were able to share the gospel with over 1,000 children. So over the past two days close to 2,100 children have heard the good news of Christ. Some were already believers, some did away with doubts of their salvation and some met Jesus for the first time. This morning, after fighting the awful Nairobi traffic we met up with our friends from Ruiru Baptist Church and headed to the FOCUS orphanage. The children were so excited to see us. I was able to reconnect with Mari. I cannot explain the joy in my heart that that child brings. If I could take him home with me I would in a heartbeat. Tricia shared her story the kids and Dad led them in a prayer of salvation. We then did some crafts with them and they played with a new soccerball that Diane and Tricia gave them and we pulled out the bubbles and jumpropes and frisbees. Just to see the smiles on their faces was enough for us.
Next we headed to a primary school in Ruiru. There were over 500 students at that school alone. I had been to this particular school in 2005 with a group from Little Flock in Kentucky. I remember the school vividly. It seemed to have grown even more from then until now. Ditsee the clown was able to share at this school. She did an AWESOME job. The kids loved her outfit and makeup. Janie has a gift and I am so thankful that God allowed her to use it on this trip.
After that school we went to one more primary school in Ruiru. There were about 200+ children at this school. Most primary schools in Kenya are nursery age-8th grade. The school systems are set up much like ours in America. Sometimes the ages can vary though.
After we gathered for lunch we headed to Thika to visit the Blind School. These children hold a special place in my heart and I know they touched everyone else's heart today. They are excelling in their studies and they are so joyful. It's hard to think about ever having a bad day when you spend just a moment with these children. They have a choir that is competing at a district and soon national level. It is one of the most beautiful things I have EVER heard. I cannot listen to them without the tears welling up. God gifted them with something so special and they are using it for His glory.
We ate supper together and we have repacked everything for our journey to Mwanza. After tonight the blogs with probably be every other day if not every couple of days. Internet is more scarce in Mwanza. We do have it at our hotel but sometimes it is super slow and doesnt connect very well.

Thank you for your prayers. God is definitely moving and I am sure of the fact that He is changing each one of us as well. Hearing Penny talk to her family tonight was awesome. Hearing her share with them stories of the past two days was refreshing and humbling. God is doing mighty things in each of us. I hope all of you will make it Africa one day. God's Spirit is moving here and that is exactly where each of us want to be.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY. GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!
Bwana asifiwe! (Praise the Lord)

Mungu aku bariki sana. (God bless you very much)

Usiku mwema :) (Goodnight)

A-B-C, easy as 1-2-3

2010-06-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well we've made it through Day One. We hit the day running around 8:00am. Not sure what the day would hold, we headed out to Ruiru. Ruiru Bible Baptist Church has been a partner in ministry for several years now. I have been able to minister with members of its congregation on many different occasions. Their youth pastor, Allan, helps run the FOCUS orphanage that I'm sure many of you have heard us talk about. Allan and Mark Juma (yes, this is Charles' brother) lined up 5 schools for us to go into today as well the FOCUS youth resource center. The gospel was shared with over 1,000 students today. The gospel was presented in a different way at each school...whether is by with the evangeBALL, a salvation bracelet or the ABC's of salvation. The students ranged from nursery age to high school seniors. We had a young man by the name of Steven who helped in lining up the schools that is going to head up a mission to see that these new Christians are discipled and not left without growth in their new lives. It was pretty amazing to see Steven's drive in sharing the gospel and the love in his heart for his people. Students were challenged but also encouraged in the Word.
By about 3:00 the team was pretty worn out but we pressed on to two more schools and wrapped up ministry in Ruiru around 6:00pm. For those that are here for the first time a 10-hr day was probably a bit of a suprise but everyone did really awesome and we are now all getting ready to go to sleep to start an even earlier and longer day tomorrow.

We are praying for God's Spirit to continue to move as we visit 3 more primary/high schools, FOCUS orphanage and the Thika School for the Blind tomorrow. We should come in contact with close to 1,000 students again tomorrow. Would you pray that God will continue to refresh us and give us the words to say. His Spirit is moving among us and we only want to be His ambassadors.

Thank you for your prayers already and thank you for continuing to hold the rope for us.

Always in His arms,
Liv

It's that time again...

2010-06-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

Well tomorrow will start our long trek back to Africa. My heart is jumping inside my chest with excitement. It doesn't even seem real yet. I look back over the last several months of planning and realizing this trip and yet it still feels so funny that we're actually leaving tomorrow. The next two days are going to be full of tiring travel. Plane to plane we'll board and exit. But I know that our hearts are already in Wednesday's work.

We are so excited about all the different places we will get to minister this year. We will be centralizing our ministry with the street kids and orphanages in the different cities we will be in. When we get there Tuesday we'll sleep up for Wednesday where we'll get to go see how we can be used at the FOCUS orphanage in Ruiru. For those of you that might not know, FOCUS flooded a few weeks back. They lost pretty much everything and the kids are all contracted different diseases because of the filthy water and lack of sleeping area. So we are praying that God will give us a door to helping in that restoration.

On Thursday we'll be going to Thika to work at the Blind School. This is a special place in my heart, for this is where we met Irene. You can see in a previous post about Irene and her adaptive learning process.

On Friday we head to Mwanza. I don't want to give you ALL the details so I'll be blogging about Mwanza once we get to Nairobi and go to the Sarit Center (which is a local mall where we use their internet cafe).

Please pray for the following in the coming days:
*Energy for the team
*Unity amongst the team (we have an AWESOME group of ladies...and Dad isnt too bad either) :)
*Countless opportunities to share the gospel...even before we reach Africa
*Holy Spirit guidance in all that we do and the Godly wisdom to discern HIS will
*Allan and Mark (leaders working with us in Ruiru and Thika)
*Samuel, Pendo and Elizabeth Limbe (the AMAZING family working with us in Mwanza)
*Chris Gates and JBFC

The team members are:
Barry Kornegay
Paula Kornegay
Liv Kornegay
Meredith Cleveland
Penny Mahon
Janie Davis
Diane Glover
Tricia Franklin
Esther Jeffers

Your job as a prayer warrior is of utmost importance. We could not do this ministry without you. You are holding the rope for us while we are gone. Hold on tight because Satan has already begun attacking and as long as GOD is getting the glory he will not stop trying to break us down. Don't let him. Stand firm.

Thank you Thank you Thank you.

To God be the glory for all that He's done, and all that He is going to do.

a Christmas to remember...

2009-12-31T05:14:00.000-08:00

Well it has been a while. I apologize for the lack of updates. Internet connections were not very good in Tanzania. Plus we were just SO busy...it was hard to get online. I'm sure you understand :)

Where to start...

First, thank you to all for the prayers and comments on Facebook. They are so encouraging. We had the BEST time in Mwanza and at JBFC. This Christmas was life-changing for me and for Mer as well. It's the little things that we will never forget. Eating Christmas Eve dinner by kerosene lamplight with the girls, singing Silent Night in Swahili and English, stuffing their stockings with what we might consider small things but mean the world to them, swimming in the rice patties together (will explain more later), the hugs and tears as we departed. We got to spend Christmas with 75+ people at Chris' house. We even got to kill our own chicken!! Mama Tisila (the head matron) got a good laugh out of me and Meredith doing that! It was in Mer's words..."Quite the entertainment." You know, we could have gotten so aggravated with the bugs, the rain, the freezing shower everyday, or the language barrier, but instead we chose to find the joy in every situation and God blessed. He has been so faithful on this trip. I thank Him for allowing me to make it through the entire trip with no real bumps in the road. He has proven Himself so faithful as He always does.

If I had to count I would say we saw probably 100-150 kids in total on a close basis and we were able to see over 50 receive Christ. Most may not consider that a huge number but if it had been for only one, it would have been worth giving up our Christmas at home to show them and teach them about our Light Who left His home to come here and spend Christmas on this earth with us. They say, "Home is where your heart is." Our hearts were always here. Sure, we miss our families dearly but God provided comfort and joy and we both walk away from this experience with a new look on life and new dreams to see come true.

We have so many stories to tell. I would be here for days if I were to include them all, but know that God has been SO good. I want to share with all of you. We will be home in two days. We cannot wait to hug you all!!

Mungu aku bariki!! (God bless you!)
See you soon!

All the love.

Liv and Mer :)

another day...another dirty face wipe

2009-12-23T08:45:00.000-08:00

Well it's day two at the JBFC. We are having SUCH a blast with these precious girls. Chris has been so great too. It feels like home here. We just put up the Christmas tree with the girls. Charlie Brown would be proud. Its a mango tree in a bucket with water and rocks with a kanga as a tree skirt. LOVE IT...I wish we could post a picture. You'll just have to wait. They also have stuffed stockings made of kanga material as well. It's really awesome.

These girls are SO precious. We have so enjoyed spending time with them and loving on them. JBFC is located right on Lake Victoria. We walked up to the well site yesterday (rather we climbed a nice rocky hill) and the view was so breathtaking. God's hands are all over this place. Chris has such a heart for the Lord and desires nothing more than to see these girls grow in Him...in His nurture and love. Thank you to all who had a part in purchasing the shoes and dresses. They are awesome! The girls are going to be SO happy. We are having dinner with 75+ people on Christmas Day and are so excited about that. We are even having Roast Chicken and Dressing!!! Thats what we get to staying with an American missionary :)

Until next time...thank you for your prayers, God is definitely teaching us some things and we are so excited to see Him move.

Love you all. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Liv and Mer

market and Mabatini

2009-12-21T08:22:00.000-08:00

Well this day has proved to be another great day here in Mwanza! This morning we started by doing a little shopping at the market...one of my favorite things to do in Africa :) It was a little overwhelming for Mer for the first little bit but I think she got the hang of it! I run a hard bargain. I just tell them "I am Tanzanian" and they understand I've been here before and not to swindle me! We got lots of cool things to bring home.

After a quick market trip we headed to Mabatini. We climbed a bit of a mountain to reach the church building where we were greeted by 45 kids, their teacher, the pastor's wife and a church evangelist from AICT Mabatini. The children were probably between the ages of 3 to 8 or 9. Limbe told me that most of them cannot afford to go to school so the lady who is their teacher is trying to help them learn to read and write. She just lost her husband 5 months ago. Please be in prayer for her. We sang some songs with them, Mer shared an object lesson on God's love and I was able to share the salvation story with them through the EvangeBag that Paul Colburn gave us to use. 24 of them raised their hands in response. Bwana asifiwe!!!

After our Mabatini experience we headed BACK to the market to finish shopping and even had African dresses made for us! I'm trying to get Mer to wear her's to church Sunday...we'll see how that goes. :)

Thank you for your prayers. God is working. We head to Kitongo tomorrow for the girls home. We are both so excited about spending Christmas there! Pray that we will be able to share with them about the true story of Christmas and love on them as much as we can!

Love you all. Miss you lots.

Liv and Mer

street kids and sermons...

2009-12-20T06:59:00.000-08:00

So sorry for the delay in updates. The internet connection here in Mwanza is much slower than expected.

Yesterday we had some delays with our flight to Mwanza...it turned out to be the longest day EVER! 4AM to 11:30PM. Too long for us...but we finally reached Mwanza and were greeted by my very dear friends Samuel and Pendo Limbe as well as our driver Lamech. This is home to me. The people are completely different here in Mwanza.

Yesterday afternoon, even after we missed our first meeting with them, we were able to meet with the street boys. There were 39 of them with us. We gave them the gifts we brought them and played soccer, volleyball and frisbee with them. They were so excited to see us. We fed them a meal and shared the gospel with them. 10 prayed to receive Christ for the first time! Bwana asifiwe! (Praise the Lord!) I took LOTS of pictures...I wish you could see them all. Unfortunately I will not be able to upload pictures until we get back to Nairobi on the 30th and 31st...then we'll see how it goes there :)

This morning proved to be a morning of "firsts." Meredith got to do her first African children's church...and I got to preach my first sermon. Yes, you heard me, I preached...well thats what they called it. Pretty sure it was about 20 minutes long. I'm working on my length. Church was a lot of fun. It is always a little picture of what heaven is going to be like...I cannot wait until we get there and we all speak the same language. They sang "Stand Up Stand Up for Jesus" in Swahili. It was pretty awesome to know the tune and be able to sing along in English with their Swahili. My dear friend and brother Samuel Ezekiel was there and he helped me with the Swahili. Be praying for him and his family. He lives a long way away from home right now working as a mechanic and he came just to see me this week. It has been a blessing to have him with us helping. He has such a heart for the Lord and loves to do His work. He did let me know that his younger brother is still not a believer and wants nothing to do with Christ. Pray for his salvation.

We are getting ready to go eat dinner with Samuel and Pendo. Tomorrow we are doing a little shopping in town in the morning...then we head to Mabatini to work with some children there. Pray for us as we go tomorrow. Pray for opportunities to share as we travel up the mountain and good communication when we get there. This is one of my favorite places. ( I have a lot of favorite places here ).

Thank you for your prayers. We both look forward to sharing more stories with you.

Usika nwema. (Goodnight)

Liv and Mer

seeing through their eyes...

2009-12-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our first day on the field. We went to Ruiru, Kenya and spent the day at FOCUS orphanage, a place that is very dear to my heart. We have been visiting and ministering to these kids as long as I've been coming to Africa. These children are orphaned by AIDS and sickness or poverty. The local youth pastor and youth in the area run the orphanage from day to day. The children spend the day there are sent to "host homes" at night to sleep. They are happy children and are being cared for as best they can. We were able to leave them some fun Christmas gifts and a monetary contribution to help with food. But most importantly we were able to leave them with a reminder that we are all God's children and He cares for them more than we could ever dream of doing. We let them know how much we LOVE them but most of all how much Christ loves them.

Day One: getting off on both feet

2009-12-16T23:41:00.000-08:00

Well, we successfully made it to the Sarit Center on foot without getting lost...check. It really is over a mile to get there...my trainer would be so proud!
We got to chat for a few minutes with Tyler and his wife Jennifer. God is so cool! We both slept really well last night...got a hot shower this morning (for those of you that have been to Africa, you know thats a blessing all on its own)...and are getting settled into our surroundings...taking care of all the detail stuff before heading to Ruiru in the morning.
Thank you all for your prayers. God has already been so good and we cannot wait to see what He does next.

We'll talk again soon.

All the love.

well...we made it to Paris...check

2009-12-15T23:07:00.000-08:00

We finally got to our gate to wait to board the plane for Nairobi. Found out a good friend from Clanton and his wife and family are staying at the SAME place in Nairobi...they are preparing for her to have their second baby. God's cool like that :)

We have about an hour before we leave again. Begin praying for the hearts we encounter in Nairobi.

We love you! Thanks for holding the rope for us!

Liv and Mer

Leaving on a jet plane...

2009-12-15T06:55:00.000-08:00

Well it's here! We're getting ready to drive to Atlanta to board the plane and head to Africa. We'll be arriving in Nairobi at 7:55PM tomorrow night.

We are so excited!

Please begin praying now if you have not already!

We love you all!

Merry Christmas! We'll see you soon.

Love,
Liv and Mer

I thank my God upon every rememberance of you...

2009-06-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite songs says it best...

Africa, I came to change you but instead you changed me
And I confess, I came to frame you in a photograph
But you showed me why, you turned this heart ariound
And I see your smile, how can it be
So much brighter than me
Your silent eyes, they scream of hunger and meaning
And eternal dreaming....Africa
Africa, we smile at you from behind the glass
And without reserve, whiter than snow
You smile back at us
You showed me Who, You turned this mind around
And I see your hands reach out to God
So much higher than ours
And your silent eyes, they scream of hunger and meaning
And eternal dreaming....Africa
Africa mimi naku penda (Africa I love you)

Well, it's been a few days since we've returned home and I think I'm finally starting to get back on my American schedule...finally.
Waking up at 3 AM is just not working for me :)

I didn't want to leave you all hanging...so I'm going to try and put in a nutshell what all happened...although I fear it is really a daunting task...so it's gonna a be a large nutshell.

FIRST...

I told you of Irene, but I wanted you see her picture.
Irene was such a miracle set right before our eyes. A remarkable young child who is making her own dreams happen. She is truly living the motto of the Thika Blind School.."Disability is NOT an inability."

SECOND...

I wanted to tell you a little about the JBFC. I was sick on the night that the team went to minister there but I think I've been told enough that I can share it with you. Chris Gates, a 23 yr. old from Oklahoma started this foundation in 2006. It is really like a small community to shelter the street girls in Mwanza. He is able to care for around 25-30 girls at a time and the foundation is continually growing. He hopes to build a Primary School by January 2010 and a Medical Clinic as well. You can check out all his projects on his website (www.jbfc-online.org). He is a Christian who had a dream and a vision for the street children of Africa and has definitely made it come true. I am planning on returning very soon to help minister there.

THIRD...

Not only are the street girls of Africa a big part of my heart now but the boys have a special place there as well. We have an African counterpart in Samuel Limbe and his wife Pendo. They were able to introduce us to the "street boys of Mwanza" during this trip. We were able to leave Hoover soccer jerseys, toothbrushes, and other crafts with them. The frisbees that FBC Milan gave us were used there and we left many of those for them to play with but most of all we were able to share the love of Christ with them. We, as a family, have committed to sending them money weekly to help with the cost of feeding them. These children live IN THE STREETS. They have places each night that they are given permission to sleep, whether it be in the corner of the street or under a bridge or in the alleyway of a shop. During the day they set out and beg for food or money to buy food. Samuel told us that as he got to know these boys better (there are over 200 of them in Mwanza alone) he came to realize that they are a community and they all know each other. When a boy gets sick the others will beg for money and instead of eating they will take that child to the doctor or buy medicine and care for him until he is well. How my heart aches for them. How blessed are we.

LASTLY...for now :)

Another place that touched my heart was Charles' parent's home. Charles with the help of some churches here in America has been able to build a home for his parents where they are out of harm's way. But this community is still in need of two things. They presented Charles with two wishes...a church and a well. They are in need of living water in a spiritual sense and a physical sense. His parents have a cistern that is able to catch rain water but it is not always reliable. The people in that community will walk for miles to reach a nasty hole in the ground with muddy, disease-ridden water and will drink and die with no aid. I want you to see his family and remember that our work there is not done. It is only beginning.

Bwana asifiwe for all God has done and all is going to do. More stories to tell...I'll try to update once a week for while. I don't want you to forget that it's over.

IT'S ONLY BEGINNING!!!

It's the song of the redeemed rising from the African plain...

baby wipes and bandanas

2009-06-04T07:24:00.000-07:00

Well...I am so sorry its been almost a week but its been one CRAZY week! I have to say this is the crazy trip I've ever been on! But the Lord has been so good to us and we've all been changed forever. Its so hard to believe that we'll be getting on a plane tomorrow night headed home.

Mwanza was amazing. I was truly reminded of how I love that city. I know for sure now that God has those people in my life for a reason and a much greater purpose than just a two week trip. There is still SO much more work to be done and I am praying that He will use me to help get it done. We stayed at a new place this time in Mwanza. It was really nice. The hotel manager was so impressed with us that he made an "appointment" to talk to Charles on the veranda and right there he accepted Christ. God used the salvation bracelets in so many ways too. We were able to give them out at schools and neighborhoods and we knew of people using them long before we had even gone. How awesome is that! Seeing Samuel Limbe again was greater than words could describe. We were finally able to meet his wife and ministry partner Pendo and their beautiful baby girl Elizabeth :) (Yeah, they named her after me...seriously!) Samuel is doing some awesome things there. We were able to minister to the street boys. They will truly break your heart when you see pictures. God knows each of them by name and truly has them in the palm of His hand. The next day we went to church and I came down with a bug so I had to stay back while the rest of the team was able to go to the "girls home". An American guy named Chris Gates (who by the way my mother thinks I'm destined to marry) started a girl's home to get them off the streets and out of the grasp of forced prostitution and slavery. He's only 23 and God is using him in awesome ways. They said it was such a blessing. Really its been too much to take in over the span of 11 days! We've done SO many things!

The trip to the Serengeti was awesome too...I'll have lots of stories when we get back. God's creation is in its truest form there and sleeping in the middle of it is quite the adventure.

We are now back in Nairobi making the final preparations to come home. Your prayers have been what has been keeping us going. When the water ran out and we didnt get a shower it was God's hand that kept our attitudes to that of "whatever it takes Lord". When we didnt feel the best, we pressed on. When Satan tried so hard to trip us up, it was your prayers that helped lift us back up and helped us to stand in the face of adversity.

We'll be home soon! Although its really bittersweet :)
Love you all!

In his hands...

drive by evangelism

2009-05-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

SO...its been a few days but we are doing so well. Let me just say when Jesus called us to go to the ends of the earth, we definitely fulfilled that command yesterday! It was so awesome to reach people who have NEVER been reached before. We were able to see over 2,000 students at the schools yesterday. The local government official in Kisumu was able to get us into 6 schools..more than we've EVER been able to get to in a day. We worked from 9AM-8PM. It was a true missionary's day. I want to tell you more but we are on our way out. I will try and get on here tonight when we get back from dinner.

We are now in Mwanza...Satan is really not happy we are here so continue to pray that the armies of the Lord will continue to go before us defeating any evil scheme he may try to put before us. I know we will prevail.

God is great and He is moving. People are coming to know the Lord!

Most important thing I almost forgot! We've been able to give out MOST of the 2,000 salvation bracelets ALREADY! We have been rolling the explanations up inside of them and throwing them out of the car windows! It has been so awesome to see people grab them and WANT them and read them and understand them!

Thank you for your prayers. We can't wait to share with you the stories of what God is doing and will continue to do.

Bwana asifiwe! Will write again soon!

getting our feet dirty...

2009-05-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

Well, if you didn't already know...we're all made it here. Now for some funny news...MY luggage did not. :( God definitely has a sense of humor. I had just finished reading one of my new favorite books called "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan...particularly the chapter on living with less and loving Christ more. It was about as Americans how we are so blessed and how people across the world live with nothing and have so much more joy in their hearts and lives. I guess this was a true test for me! I had to literally "live out of a ziploc bag" today but I made it. Yeah, Mer...All those notes and no luggage...how sad. Well, don't fret..it comes in on another flight in the morning!

Ok...so enough about that stuff. I have a couple of stories to tell you.

First...
We went to the Thika school for the Blind this morning and just let me tell you if I was unable to do anything else while we were here, it would have been enough just to see them this morning. Wow. What determination and drive they have. We could never compare. They have more faith and joy than most Christians I know. We went to minister to them and they in return ministered to our hearts. We wanted to help with some needs there. Thank you to the Choir at FBCPelham and all others who helped to raise money to help. They have many needs and we are going to try and meet as many as we can. We were able to make tambourines with the nursery kids and the older choirs sang for us. Let me know just say, they put the BEST of the BEST to shame. There is no sound like the voice of an African child. I can't wait for you to hear it.
We got to meet a very special girl named Irene. Irene has a condition where she cannot use her fingers. She takes her Braille test by using her lips and her tongue to feel the holes to punch through. Her letters and sentences are leaps and bounds above the others. We were able to sing with her and her classmates and pray over them. Nothing can stop her from learning. Doesn't it motivate you to get up and do something!

Second...
We were able to minister at the Ruiru Focus Orphanage this afternoon. What a blessing! I cannot put into words the refreshment and renewal my heart feels even now. I wish I could have all of you here with us right now. I have cried a lot today because my heart is broken for Africa. The kids at the orphanage have such a joy about them. We showed them how to play with the parachute and we blew bubbles, made angel necklaces and we helped them decorate their visors. Kelsey was able to give them all a Mississippi State soccer shirt and we left a soccer ball there for them to play with.

Words really cannot describe what all we have seen today. Many accepted Christ at the orphanage today and above all God was glorified. His name was lifted up and He drew all men to Himself. Bwana Asifiwe!! We gave out over 500 salvation bracelets today and even before we left each spot they were already sharing them with others around them.

God is moving...He's moving through all the earth. I am praying for our brothers and sisters in Ecuador as well. I pray God is using them in mighty ways and that HIS GOSPEL is preached unto every ear willing to listen. Praise Him for all He's done today and will continue to do tomorrow. We will be heading to Kisumu in the morning and will be there for the next two days. Pray for travel mercies but also pray for our attitudes to always be "whatever it takes Lord!"

We love you and will share again soon!
Mungu a bariki! (God bless you!)

Half-way there!

2009-05-24T22:26:00.000-07:00

Well, we're in Amsterdam!
One more 8 hour flight to Nairobi. Its Midnight at home and we're feeling it. Lauri conked out with an Ambien and is very chipper right now! :)

We need to stay awake so we'll sleep when we get there. Two more hours til boarding....waiting....waiting...

Keep praying...We love you!

Leaving on a jet plane...

2009-05-24T04:57:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say "BWANA ASIFIWE!!! (this is Praise the Lord in Swahili)

We'll be boarding in about 3 hours...and it's off to Detroit, then Amsterdam, then Nairobi. We'll be there by 9 or 10 tomorrow night...but it'll be about lunch time for ya'll.

Thank you again so much! I can't wait to write back with the awesome things that God is going to do! He is GREAT and GREATLY to be praised!

2009-05-23T16:34:00.000-07:00

This is our team.
Back row: Barry Kornegay, Paula Kornegay, Diane Glover, Lauri Williams, Clift Daugette
Front Row: Kim Speorl, Emily Berry, Kelsey Kitchings, Liv (that's me :) )

24 hour countdown

2009-05-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

Well I've hit the 24 hours countdown. I cannot put into words the excitement that I'm feeling right now. I told Meredith last night, it's almost like its still not real in my mind some moments but IT TOTALLY IS! I cannot get over that we'll be getting on a plane for AFRICA tomorrow...less then 24 hours from now. In two days, I'll be on another continent...really!
First of all...I want to say THANK YOU to you for praying and supporting us as we go on this journey. But I also want to say that YOU are going too. This has been the craziest time getting ready to go...worrying about where we'd get the money...if I would remember everything...watching out for Satan's retaliation on what God's doing...and trusting Him to be in control. God IS IN CONTROL. Always.

I wanted to share two stories with you about how God has provided and the awesome things that have happened as a result of it. You know when GOD begins to move like this I'm getting outta the way and letting Him push me where He wants me cuz there's gonna be an explosion of His glory!

Story #1...Laura's Gift
this was retold by Kim Heard...a member of our choir...this is her account of the story
Overseas mission trips require a great deal of money because of airfare and other extra expenses. Each member of the team had been raising money through yard sales and other extra activities. They all were anticipating a great trip in which God could use them to reach many people. They were also excited about what God was already doing and would be doing in their lives through this trip.
A couple of weeks before they were scheduled to leave, they were still $2300 short of meeting their goal. Even though they were trusting in God to meet the needs, it is understandable that they were getting a little nervous about getting enough money in time. Paula shared her concerns with our pastor and a few others, asking them to pray about the situation and for guidance in making the right decisions. Paula needed the peace that everything was handled and that they would be able to carry out their plans. She wanted the team to be able to focus on the trip and not to worry about the problems about the money. Paula and others on the team looked for things they could sell and they were able to raise small amounts of money here and there. It wasn’t enough, but every little bit helped and they were happy about the increase.
Another person she talked to was her sister’s husband,David. He was a pastor of a small church in Red Bay and has always been happy to pray with Paula. He often shared concerns with his Church as the needs arose. He promised to ask his congregation to pray. He also promised to send some money from his family to contribute to the mission fund. He knew that the members of the church were struggling financially. Many had lost jobs recently and were experiencing many needs themselves. Still, he felt led of God to share the needs of this mission team and asked them to give an offering to help.
Among the members was a teenage girl named Laura. She had special needs and her family did to have the money to contribute to this Mission trip. Yet Laura felt burdened for the group of people that were going to be ministered to and wanted badly to help. She told her pastor and his wife that she wished she could send money, but she couldn’t, so instead, she wanted to send her Bible. Sending her Bible was what God wanted her to do.
David called Paula and told her what had happened. Paula was overwhelmed by Laura’s desire to serve God in this way. She knew that if everything had been paid for well ahead of time, the blessings of this gift would have been missed. Laura’s Church would not have experienced the magnificent example of a young girl’s sacrifice to help others. Our church would have missed the lesson of how God can work through such circumstances to meet needs. The people to whom the Mission team will be ministering would not see the lengths to which God’s people will go to reach out to those who need God. Whoever receives the Bible would miss out on the Bible and the depths of love that was sent with it. The young woman who had been away from Church for a while would not have received the touch from God urging her to give Laura a nice new Bible to replace the one she had given away.
When the money form the offering was counted, David discovered that the small struggling church had donated $1525 for the Mission trip – That was another blessing from God.
That evening, one the members of the mission team received a love offering from his home church as well.
Through the offerings from both churches, the Mission trip fund gained more than enough money to meet their goal.
God had worked a blessing in the lives of those involved with this Mission trip. Their needs were not met by their own hands, but in prayer and in trusting in God.
God still works miracles!

Isn't that awesome! I was totally blown away and was reminded once again that if we continue to press on with our eyes fixed on the Author and Finisher of our Faith then He will meets our needs according to HIS riches and glory in Christ Jesus.

Filled up yet? Well here comes Story #2...Diane's Blessing

We have a member of our church who was supposed to go on this trip with us, Steven Maharrey, but has since had to drop out for medical reasons. His mother-in-law Diane Glover, IS going with us. Steven even said on the phone last night..."you know SHE was always meant to go..not me this time." Diane is a sweet blessing from above. She has such a kind and loving spirit of servanthood. Diane goes to church a good ways from here but has been faithful in what the Lord calls her to do. Not only has Diane, along with HER church as well as her son's church, put together over 2,000 salvation bracelets, but others in her church are sending an additional $1700 for ministry in the different communities and orphanages. God is GREAT and greatly to be praised. I could tell story after story and they would all be the same. God's glory is spreading like a wildfire and I know that when His people stand and commit to missions HE is glorified and HE is moving and HE is always faithful.

I just wanted you to see that it's not about OUR team going to Africa...it's about the people of God working together as one body...one mind...one bride...to bring about God's will to reach a lost and dying world. He is moving...are you following?

I'll update this as much as I can. Be looking everyday for new stories and blessings from on high. Don't stop here though...tell others in your community about the awesome and never-ending love of Jesus.

One last things I'll leave you with...this is what our team shirt says:

Have you heard HIS story?
The gospel of Jesus Christ...
in Europe...it's forgotten
in America...we've forsaken it
in Asia...it's forbidden
but in AFRICA...it's FOUND.
Bwana asifiwe! (Praise the Lord!)

Be ready...revival's coming...

I love you all...don't stop marching on the gates of hell...for we are the army of the Lord.

Pressing on,
Liv