 Wednesday,
April 22nd
Hi all - Jay did a video call just now.
He looked good as did Jan who stuck her head around to the camera, and Doug
who tried to send me a picture file, but will have to reduce the size of
the pics in order to send. (editorial comment: they are having
trouble getting a web connection good enough to send via email
but were able to send them to us with Skype - message and pictures below.)
Jay said they were doing very well. All seem in good spirits,
though a few are "close to the queasy edge." He asked for patience
and openness to what will happen with the new congregation in addition
to the prayers
on the devotion sheet they left with us.
Kinda strange looking at and talking to your loved one who is a world away.
Pretty cool, too.
Barbara
Hi,
Today was a day of fun. The group went to the animal orphanage for
close encounters with elephants and a rhinoceros, then with giraffes at
the giraffe center. Livie was kissed by a giraffe (jealous Colin?) The next
stop was
the Kizuri bead factory; they were glad to see us. Finally lunch out
and a trip to Nakumatt, the Kenyan Wal-Mart. There was more souvenir
buying opportunity here in the compound from Gilbert and David. Later we
heard
from the travel agent for the Safari and had a wonderful cookout at the
home of Stu Ross.
I had an enjoyable day at work. Chapel, followed by ward rounds, then
the rest of the day in the operating room. I taught one of the Doctors
how
to improve
his arthroscopic skills, helped on a total hip replacement and then operated
on a femur fracture that hadn't healed.
We apologize for the lack of pictures (and size) because of very spotty
internet connection. Skype works all the time fortunately.
Group Picture
Group at the Equator
The group is off to Nikuru to build the church tomorrow.
Our prayers are with all of you at home,
Doug
Devotion for Wednesday
Today is a relaxed day in the town of Karen,
a chance to visit the Giraffe Centre, Animal Orphanage and Kasuri
Bead
factory. The town is named after Karen Blixen,
about whom the film “Out Of Africa” was made. We
will see her home and the church that are part of the movie.
In 1894 a small group of Scottish missionaries
arrived in Kibwezi village in Kenya to share
the gospel. Most of them died of malaria. The Rev. Tom Watson,
a physician, was
one of the few who survived. He went back
to Scotland, recruited another group of missionaries, and moved
the mission station to
higher ground in Kikuyu. Eventually this
band of missionaries joined forces with an ecumenical group
of missionaries from the
United States who had started a mission station
north of Kikuyu. “The
Americans volunteered after a meeting in Connecticut at which
an African American woman pleaded with the assembly to send missionaries
to Kenya. She donated all she had, five cents, to begin the effort,” write
mission workers Terry and Lyle Dykstra. The combined efforts of
the Scottish and American Presbyterians laid the foundation for
today’s African-led Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA),
established in 1945. This church now has
a membership of millions of Kenyans.
The Kenyan PCEA administers three hospitals, two
teachers colleges, and about sixty-five elementary
and secondary schools. The Dykstras say, “We
are privileged to teach and work at the Presbyterian
College, which trains young African men and women
for the ministry.” Soon the college will make
a much anticipated transition to a university. Seventy-four
percent of qualified young people now seeking to enroll
in a university are turned away because of lack of
space. The Dykstras conclude, “As disease and
death from HIV/AIDS stalk the land, orphanages, street
children, poverty and crime are on the rise. Environmental
degradation contributes to drought, floods, and famine,
and the abuse of women is rampant. The church is intensifying
its efforts to educate a multitude of ethically trained
professionals to deal with the challenges facing Kenya.” (2006
Mission Yearbook of the PC(USA), November 28)
Thank God that those who went before us
and listened to God’s call to share
the Good News in word and deed.
Pray, thanking God for the team’s opportunity
to be part of this exciting work.
Pray
for Art D. specifically today.
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