Sharon, Ken, and I arrived in Omaha shortly after 11 pm on Wednesday, February 24th. We were an hour late leaving Chicago because of having to wait for the plane to be de-iced . . . it started snowing in Chicago around 8 pm.
Apart from being tired from the long flight home, we are healthy and safe. It was wonderful to have Heather at the airport to welcome us all home. A special THANK YOU to Pastor Jerry and Solo for picking us up at the Omaha!
It's 2 a.m. and probably need to think about going to bed!
Love,
Arlene
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Hello from Paris
We arrived at the Paris airport at 5:15 a.m. this morning, Wednesday, February 24th, and our flight for Chicago leaves at 12:50 p.m. Originally, we had thought we would go into the city, but we decided not too, especially after being told to be careful if we do. As it turns out, we really would not have had enough time to do so. It took us 45 minutes just to get our boarding passes from Paris to Chicago, not to mention how looooooong it has taken us to get through security.
It is very cool here . . . 44 degrees when we landed. Cold compared to where we have been but not as cold as what we are returning to! :-) It is overcast and rainy in Paris.
Hope the snow all melts before we get home!
Love to all,
Arlene
It is very cool here . . . 44 degrees when we landed. Cold compared to where we have been but not as cold as what we are returning to! :-) It is overcast and rainy in Paris.
Hope the snow all melts before we get home!
Love to all,
Arlene
Monday, February 22, 2010
Heading Home!
Hi, Everyone,
We've just had supper with Jon & Molly & family and a time of worship and prayer. The presence of God was so rich!
It's hard to believe our time in Africa is up . . . for this time, at least! We leave tomorrow night (Tuesday). I've had trouble with the modem, or maybe it was Mombasa, so will post more info and pics when I return home . . . probably one of the mornings I will be wide awake at 3 a.m.!!!
This past week, we have driven to Nakuru, flown to Mombasa, and flown to Kisumu! Abigail, we have pics of Wycliff! You should see how big he is and how well he is doing!
We arrived back in Nairobi at 10 a.m. this morning (Monday) and then went straigth from the airport to Ruiru. It's been a whirlwind, but we've loved every minute of it. As we have touched lives, they have in turn touched and enriched our lives.
We thank you all for your faithfulness to pray for the team. Please continue to pray as we travel home.
We love all of you and look forward to seeing you all . . . especially Princess Sweet Pea and Daniel . . . Heather, Dustin, Christina, and Andrew, too!!!
Love,
Arlene (Ken and Sharoni, too!)
We've just had supper with Jon & Molly & family and a time of worship and prayer. The presence of God was so rich!
It's hard to believe our time in Africa is up . . . for this time, at least! We leave tomorrow night (Tuesday). I've had trouble with the modem, or maybe it was Mombasa, so will post more info and pics when I return home . . . probably one of the mornings I will be wide awake at 3 a.m.!!!
This past week, we have driven to Nakuru, flown to Mombasa, and flown to Kisumu! Abigail, we have pics of Wycliff! You should see how big he is and how well he is doing!
We arrived back in Nairobi at 10 a.m. this morning (Monday) and then went straigth from the airport to Ruiru. It's been a whirlwind, but we've loved every minute of it. As we have touched lives, they have in turn touched and enriched our lives.
We thank you all for your faithfulness to pray for the team. Please continue to pray as we travel home.
We love all of you and look forward to seeing you all . . . especially Princess Sweet Pea and Daniel . . . Heather, Dustin, Christina, and Andrew, too!!!
Love,
Arlene (Ken and Sharoni, too!)
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Buddy, The Baboon Bandit
Hello, Everyone!
Sorry, I've not blogged as often as I had hoped to. We either have been on the go from sunrise to sunset or have not had access to a computer. On Tuesday, we did buy a 3gm remote but did not have time to use it. We arrived in Mombasa around 10 am on Wednesday, dropped our luggage at our hotel, and then set out on errands and meetings, arriving back at the hotel at 6pm . . . a very long and HOT, HUMID day!
We had lunch with Meleckson, Mwangi, and Joseph, the Planning Director for Tana Delta River District, where the property is located. The surveying of the land should be completed this week. While on the property, Meleckson asked if we could apply for more land, say 10 acres. Joseph said no. But during our lunch meeting with him and asking about us drilling a borehole, he said he had an idea. Joseph stated that we are doing good things in the area and need more than 4 acres and said we should apply for 10 acres!!! Also, the lawyer in Nairobi said Basket of Hope can be registered in Kenya as Basket of Hope Kenya Branch and BOH can own the land. Another answer to prayer!!! PTL!!!
We were in Nakuru Thursday, February 11th, through Saturday, February 13th. While in Nakuru, we stopped at New Life Home, where we saw Jerry (named after Pastor Jerry), Stephan, and Wilson – these boys are now 7 years old and in school. We were also able to spend 2 evenings with Solo's dad and mom and his sister Josephine and her son Scott. Greetings to Solo, Sarah, Judah, Belle, Luka, and Micah . . . we are bringing LOTS of hugs home to you!!! We met Solo' brother, Peter, for lunch at Java House Tuesday at Java House (in Nairobi) and will see Sam and Veronica at New Life Home “Open Day “ this Saturday (20)..
Now, the Story of Buddy, the Baboon Bandit . . .
We spent about 8 hours in Nakuru Game Park on Friday (12th), seeing lots of cape buffalo, zebra, a few flamingo, and a few twiga (giraffe). A panoramic view of Lake Nakuru can be seen from Baboon Cliff. While minding our own business – enjoying the scenery – a baboon tried to enter another safari van through the pop-up top. The baboon fled the van into a nearby tree/bush, where he posed for pictures!
Our team loaded into our van, our driver was getting ready to get into the van, and we decided it was snack time. BAD idea! Sharon, sitting in the very back row of the van, opened a bag of BBQ chips and passed them to Diane who was passing them to Ken when entered said baboon! He spanned the 2 middle seats, front hands on the seat Ken and I were sitting in, took the bag of opened chips from Diane and was looking and darting around the van for more. Deciding the baboon needed the unopened bag of chips I was holding more than I did, I decided to throw them out of the pop-up top, thinking he would follow the chips out of the van.
But no, we had a baboon who plays outfield and can catch anything flying by! By then, I had opened the side door and was out of the van!!! The baboon climbs out of the pop-up top on the side and proceeded directly to the back where he leaned way in and grabbed a white plastic bag containing one small bag of chips, a small box of cookies, a bottle of water, and 4 Cadbury chocolate bars (one plain and 3 with nuts)! How rude to take our chocolate after I sacrificed my chips! :-)
A couple of the team members were sleepy, but their adrenalin kicked into high gear after the baboon visit. It was very obvious that this was not the first time this baboon bandit held up a safari van!!! A new one, and hopefully a last one in this lifetime, for each of us.
Louis & Diane returned home to the States on the 16th. It's hard to believe we will return home in less than a week!
The forgotten people in the Tana River and Lamu Districts captured our hearts from our first visit in 2005. This area of Kenya continues to be the vision of Basket of Hope . . . to teach . . . to edify . . . to encourage . . . and to bring hope!
Love to all,
Ken and Arlene and Sharon
P.S. Below are pictures of the conferences in Tana River & Mpeckatoni
Sorry, I've not blogged as often as I had hoped to. We either have been on the go from sunrise to sunset or have not had access to a computer. On Tuesday, we did buy a 3gm remote but did not have time to use it. We arrived in Mombasa around 10 am on Wednesday, dropped our luggage at our hotel, and then set out on errands and meetings, arriving back at the hotel at 6pm . . . a very long and HOT, HUMID day!
We had lunch with Meleckson, Mwangi, and Joseph, the Planning Director for Tana Delta River District, where the property is located. The surveying of the land should be completed this week. While on the property, Meleckson asked if we could apply for more land, say 10 acres. Joseph said no. But during our lunch meeting with him and asking about us drilling a borehole, he said he had an idea. Joseph stated that we are doing good things in the area and need more than 4 acres and said we should apply for 10 acres!!! Also, the lawyer in Nairobi said Basket of Hope can be registered in Kenya as Basket of Hope Kenya Branch and BOH can own the land. Another answer to prayer!!! PTL!!!
We were in Nakuru Thursday, February 11th, through Saturday, February 13th. While in Nakuru, we stopped at New Life Home, where we saw Jerry (named after Pastor Jerry), Stephan, and Wilson – these boys are now 7 years old and in school. We were also able to spend 2 evenings with Solo's dad and mom and his sister Josephine and her son Scott. Greetings to Solo, Sarah, Judah, Belle, Luka, and Micah . . . we are bringing LOTS of hugs home to you!!! We met Solo' brother, Peter, for lunch at Java House Tuesday at Java House (in Nairobi) and will see Sam and Veronica at New Life Home “Open Day “ this Saturday (20)..
Now, the Story of Buddy, the Baboon Bandit . . .
We spent about 8 hours in Nakuru Game Park on Friday (12th), seeing lots of cape buffalo, zebra, a few flamingo, and a few twiga (giraffe). A panoramic view of Lake Nakuru can be seen from Baboon Cliff. While minding our own business – enjoying the scenery – a baboon tried to enter another safari van through the pop-up top. The baboon fled the van into a nearby tree/bush, where he posed for pictures!
Our team loaded into our van, our driver was getting ready to get into the van, and we decided it was snack time. BAD idea! Sharon, sitting in the very back row of the van, opened a bag of BBQ chips and passed them to Diane who was passing them to Ken when entered said baboon! He spanned the 2 middle seats, front hands on the seat Ken and I were sitting in, took the bag of opened chips from Diane and was looking and darting around the van for more. Deciding the baboon needed the unopened bag of chips I was holding more than I did, I decided to throw them out of the pop-up top, thinking he would follow the chips out of the van.
But no, we had a baboon who plays outfield and can catch anything flying by! By then, I had opened the side door and was out of the van!!! The baboon climbs out of the pop-up top on the side and proceeded directly to the back where he leaned way in and grabbed a white plastic bag containing one small bag of chips, a small box of cookies, a bottle of water, and 4 Cadbury chocolate bars (one plain and 3 with nuts)! How rude to take our chocolate after I sacrificed my chips! :-)
A couple of the team members were sleepy, but their adrenalin kicked into high gear after the baboon visit. It was very obvious that this was not the first time this baboon bandit held up a safari van!!! A new one, and hopefully a last one in this lifetime, for each of us.
Louis & Diane returned home to the States on the 16th. It's hard to believe we will return home in less than a week!
The forgotten people in the Tana River and Lamu Districts captured our hearts from our first visit in 2005. This area of Kenya continues to be the vision of Basket of Hope . . . to teach . . . to edify . . . to encourage . . . and to bring hope!
Love to all,
Ken and Arlene and Sharon
P.S. Below are pictures of the conferences in Tana River & Mpeckatoni
Thursday, February 11, 2010
We arrived back in Nairobi on Tuesday, after 10 days of ministry in the Tana River and Lamu Districts, where over 60 women leaders and pastors attended one of two Leadership Conferences. God met each one of them, as well as each one of us! There is much we can write about, but we want to share with you about the brick making machine, purchased in Nairobi and shipped to Itsowi in Tana River, and about one of the women leader's shamba (garden).
Brick Making Machine . . .
The women leaders and the pastors were given hands on teaching on how to make a brick, including mixing the dirt, cement, and water and then putting the mix in the machine and making a brick! (See pictures below.) This machine will allow them to make bricks for the new conference center (to be built on land being donated near Itsowe), for schools, for churches, for homes, as well as brick to sell . . . and they are ready to begin NOW! The first bricks will be made for the new conference center. This conference center will be called, “Basket of Hope Mission Center!”
Near Garsen, we visited a shamba of one of the women leaders. A Living Water Pump, aka KickStart Pump, is used to water the garden from the Tana River. The Living Water Pump allows easy and abundant water to each plant, producing food for her family and food to sell. In her garden, she grows rice, tomatoes, green beans, watermelon, and sugar cane. The severe drought the past 3 years had dried up the Tana River. But thanks to January rains, the Tana River now has a skeleton of water in it.
We ask for your continued prayers for the team . . . for health and safety and for God's plan to be accomplished!
Love to all,
Ken and Arlene and Sharoni!
Brick Making Machine . . .
The women leaders and the pastors were given hands on teaching on how to make a brick, including mixing the dirt, cement, and water and then putting the mix in the machine and making a brick! (See pictures below.) This machine will allow them to make bricks for the new conference center (to be built on land being donated near Itsowe), for schools, for churches, for homes, as well as brick to sell . . . and they are ready to begin NOW! The first bricks will be made for the new conference center. This conference center will be called, “Basket of Hope Mission Center!”
Near Garsen, we visited a shamba of one of the women leaders. A Living Water Pump, aka KickStart Pump, is used to water the garden from the Tana River. The Living Water Pump allows easy and abundant water to each plant, producing food for her family and food to sell. In her garden, she grows rice, tomatoes, green beans, watermelon, and sugar cane. The severe drought the past 3 years had dried up the Tana River. But thanks to January rains, the Tana River now has a skeleton of water in it.
We ask for your continued prayers for the team . . . for health and safety and for God's plan to be accomplished!
Love to all,
Ken and Arlene and Sharoni!
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