Update #6

We have just concluded devotions. Moffat shared his experience with the
tractor yesterday. It is not easily translated via email, but it is
truly by the grace of God that he and the tractor made it to the dam
site. Last night, on the way home, I overheard a nice little tidbit from
Chris regarding the dam. The dam crew is not only building a dam, but an
entire reservoir for the community as an outreach to it! Wow!  I mean
seriously...we thought we were going to be "fixing a fence". We are SO
blessed to be able to serve in so many ways!

I can't believe I forgot to share two huge things. There is SO much
going on here that it's hard to remember everything. By the time afternoon
arrives, we feel a week has transpired as the days are so fast and
full.  But really, these are kind of big events for me to forget. I am
fried....

At our first "welcome day" filled with performances for us, we were
expected to reciprocate. We were not quite aware of the expectations of
that day until we were announced.  We spent lots of time prepping for
tomorrow, Saturday, the day we have all day with the kids, and for Sunday
in the churches and to do some open air crusades. But not necessarily
for this.  So when we were called to the "stage", Marshan pulled off a
quick improv session. He turned to us, whispered with that anxious grin
of his and asked us to stand, smile, look like we knew what we were
doing and loving it! So we did. He started with Ana, Pat, Nicole, Cindy,
and Hillary doing an a capella song.  The Zulu one, I think. Then he
tossed Jared with his guitar to the audience. With grin nicely set, Jared
rose to the occasion and those who knew the songs sang and the rest of
us hummed. *Note we've all made for the next team: allow the Light
House team to learn "Big Church" songs and visa versa. Then we all did an a
capella repeat song: Hail, Hail, Lion of Judah. And finally Cindy
signed the "Pour out your Power and Love" song while we all sang and signed
along. She encouraged the children to do it as well. They did so well.
It was really sweet. So we did present something. We wished it could
have been so much more, I have a feeling that it was appreciated
nonetheless.

The other thing I forgot to mention (sheesh) was a milestone in my
life.
I can't believe it. I mentioned how our VBS theme was 'faith'. I went
to bed thinking about that theme and how I could help take VBS another
step deeper in their understanding. I woke up yesterday at 4:30am with
pretty much the same thing on my mind, and the lord put Romans 3:23 on
my mind for some reason. It's a verse I worked on with the boys 2 years
ago. So I waltzed over to the mess hall in the dark to find the cooks
working away, boiling water for our showers (sponge baths) and preparing
our breakfast. I sat in the large room with my headlamp reading and
thinking about Romans 3:1-30 (I think it was 30.)  After about an hour I
spent the next 2 hours constructing that darned email I erased so
easily later in the day. Aaargh. Slowly, people started arriving for
breakfast. When Jeff entered he said "Oh. By the way, your group will be doing
the devotion this morning. (We were about ready to pile into the bus
to leave shortly). Marshan stood in stunned silence, wheels churning,
trying to come up with a plan.  Someone suggested something, I can't
remember what.  Then I piped up, "I've been studying Romans 3:23 this
morning. It's what I would like to bring to the homes I visit. Do you
(notice the 'you' in there) want to do something with that?". Now, I should
know Marshan well enough to know not to pipe up about ANYTHING if I
don't want to be involuntarily volunteered! Fast forward about an hour to
Jeff introducing me to "take over" in the devotion. Our team was neatly
seated at our _-Shaped table on one side of the little church, and the
staff, pastors, some children and project moms were on the other side.
Lights, camera, action! (Cut me some slack....John WAS right opposite
me with camera pointed right at me. Yikes!   Right on cue, I could feel
my face and chest turning red, heat escaping my shirt, rising up past
my face. "Good morning!" I began. I got a response. Whew! That helped me
carry on.  I did a little intro on some thoughts I was about to share,
went to prayer before reading the word, read the aforementioned verses
with as much clarity and passion as I could muster without going
overboard, tied The Word to my experiences,  our differences, our
commonalities, etc. At one point I guess something really cool must have come
across because everyone said loudly, "Amen". While that was so neat, it
totally threw me for a loop. So my neat little analogy I was about to
share got lost into oblivion, I wrapped things up lickety split,
introduced Nicole to sing an Amazing Grace solo, to be joined by everyone the
second time around and end in prayer. I held up a sign I made with all
the words written on it. That worked well, as the voices around me
sounded beautiful, able to sing along. Whew! I can't believe I made it
through such a frightening, challenging thing. The Lord was with me preparing
me all the way. And the support I got from the team was such a
tremendous blessing. After that experience alone, I am again a changed person
in another way, due to this trip. There is no looking back. On a
lighter note, Marshan and I are two artsy, creative people who very much
respect one another's ability to communicate clearly, succinctly and
honestly. To the core. So moments after he asked me to take the devotion and
run with it, he gently approached me and asked, "Hey Ro. Are you okay?
You don't feel pressured by me, do you?". I stopped, looked at him like
he was from Mars and said "That is the most stupid question I have
ever heard. I mean DUMB! You ARE pressure. You EMBODY pressure. It's your
mission ...your calling. OF COURSE I felt pressured by you. When don't
I?". He threw up his arms, yelled "I LOVE you!" And we have been
laughing ever since. 

Friday, August 15th:

Breakfast: pancakes! Yum!  Watermelon, sweet potato, taro root, sweet
white cake (like a dry pound cake)


The boys are patching up their blisters with moleskin and tape
preparing for another day in the field.
The garden girls (Pat, Danielle, Laurin and I) watered our seedlings. 

Now some of the ladies are doing kitchen duty and others are doing
Tie-Dye outside. Yesterday th sisters had their hair braided. Today Ana and
I are sitting side by side in the stimulation room getting it done.
Please please pray for our health. There is a sick little boy coughing
all over us for 2 hours! When we are done we are doing a mad dash for
some airborne, emergen-"c", whatever we can pile into our bodies!  Only 3
are at the dam/reservoir today. Later...VBS, then more home visits!

We are all excited to get the email from Maina (the African Shirt guy
here in Kenya) sent to Eunice who passed it to Diane, who forwarded it
to Tracy who diligently passed it onto me, who ran it over to Ana, who
jumped for joy in her bunk at the news that we are ready to be fitted!
Woo Hoo!   

They promise "lunch on-time" today. "American-time". We all laughed! 

Sending off now. More to come.

Blessings from the (beaten-up and loving it!) Kenya team.