Sunday, April 29, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Don, Ellie. and Tim
United 967, arrives LAX Sat. April 28 at 7:20 pm
Friday, April 27, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Kenya
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Electricity in Kipkaren, AIDS campaign and more
When the team got back from Sudan on Wednesday, they were happy to take showers and drink lots of fresh water. Wish you could see them devour the ice cold watermelon I gave them as they were heading to take showers... Later, we sat on my porch and chatted about their experiences. You'll want to ask them MANY questions when they get home. They have lots of stories to tell!
The team had both shrunk and grown. Micah, Kevin and Jen had gone straight to Nairobi, and Tammy joined the group from LA. She arrived on Wednesday night.
On Thursday morning, we headed to Kipkaren. They were welcomed by the Kipkaren children, after which they had tours of the centers. They were in Kipkaren on a historical night: The first night ever that there was electricity in the area! (Other than that from generators or solar panels.)
On Friday morning, we headed out bright and early to a nearby town for an AIDS campaign. It was in a small village where people are still very afraid of talking about HIV/AIDS, so the crowd was a bit smaller than usual (maybe 1500 as opposed to 3000+). More than 400 people got tested, of which 7 were HIV+.
The afternoon's events were interrupted by heavy rains, but about 30 minutes later, the soccer team was back on the field and the crowd back in their positions, cheering. Then followed the prize giving, after which we headed home. The Salvation Army Band from Kitale was still playing their hearts out by the time we pulled out and headed back to Kipkaren. (A band from Nairobi was also present, but not the usual band we have. They didn't play as much since it seemed like the very rural crowd enjoyed the Salvation Army guys more than they enjoyed the city boys!)
The band from Nairobi had a concert for the kids from the children's home after dinner (ask the team about it--I headed home for some down time), and then, BAM! there was a massive thunder storm and heavy downpour. It was wonderful! But the lightning hit something, and now there's no power in Kipkaren again... Power should be back soon!
Today, the team had some much-needed down time. They came to Eldoret to walk around the market, buy postcards, relax at Poa Place (poa means "cool"), the local hang-out for families. (It's a swimming pool and playground for kids.) I was not with them since I joined Laban and Angelina Rono's 25th wedding anniversary celebrations, followed by a birthday party for 35 of our kids in Ilula.
Tomorrow, the team will participate in church activities in Kipkaren, then go for some home visits. On Monday, they'll come to Ilula where they'll visit the ELI Drug and Alcohol Rehab Center. Jervaun leaves on Monday evening. The team will spend the night at Ilula and will try to connect via e-mail at that time.
On Tuesday, they'll head back to Kipkaren, see the ELI clinic, and on Wednesday, they'll get to be a part of a Children's Ministry event at Kipkaren.
Thursday's back to Ilula. They fly to Nairobi early Friday morning to spend the day in the city (shopping & seeing touristy things), and then they'll be off, home-bound!
Please keep them in your prayers this week. I'll upload photos to my Flickr account later this week. I just realized that the USB cable for my camera is in Kipkaren... Sorry you can't see photos right now.
Cattle Camps
This is what they call the “The cattle camps.” We walked for a couple hours to get there. Many of them have never seen white people so a lot of the children where watching from afar. But they eventually came around. I did not know the camera was in the black and white mode; sorry about that.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
African Hunter
After interviewing the children we saw some vultures about fifty feet from us so I gave the camera to Tim and decided to be “African Hunter.” Then I was thinking, “What kind of animal did this and why is it only 500 ft from our tent?”
Sunday Afternoon
After church we were walking back to the children’s home during the mid afternoon. During the afternoon, we were going to rest, but crowds of children showed up, so Ellie, Jervaun, and Jen spent the afternoon entertaining them.
The Ladies are dancing!
On Sunday late afternoon the ladies wanted to come over to teach our ladies to dance. Jennifer had a swarm of children around her while Jervaun and Ellie danced. Understand this, it is still over a hundred degrees outside! “Ellie’s Sudanese moves”
Walking to church
After church we were walking back to the children’s home during the mid afternoon. During the afternoon, we were going to rest, but crowds of children showed up, so Ellie, Jervaun, and Jen spent the afternoon entertaining them.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Just landed: VIDEO
We are home
Friday, April 20, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
We are on our way home
Wednesday morning we left Sudan and arrived in Kenya in late afternoon. It was very sad for me to say goodbye to some great friends that I made. It was very exciting, however, to get on the plane and be given a small bottle of cold water! We dropped most of the team off in El Doret, including Ellie, then we flew to Nairobi. We are staying at a missionary guest house called "Mayfield." It is similar to a bed and breakfast and we've met several interesting missionaries from all over Africa who are here for a rest. We will fly out late tonight and arrive at LAX Friday afternoon. We will continue to update the blog with information about the rest of Ellie's trip and video clips from our trip. Kevin and I will be sharing about our trip during the Sunday services. Thank you for your prayers for this trip, and continued prayers for the rest of the team as they minister in Kenya.
Not for a 1000 cows!
Please continue to pray for Ellie as this coming weekend she will be working with the Empowering Lives teams at the tri annual aids screening weekend. This will be a full weekend as well as a emotional time for a lot of Kenyans as they will find if they have Aids. Either answer is emotional. Paul you need to be PROUD of Ellie she is a trooper.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Last Night in Sudan
(About 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Sudan)
This is our last night in Sudan. We'll be flying out tomorrow.
We've met lots of the orphans. We had a good time teaching the kids at the school yesterday.
Today, we visited a cattle camp, and also spent time with more kids.
It's been very hot. The temperature for the past two days was 118--it was 105 in the shade. We're very tired, but feeling good. It's been a great trip. I'm sad to leave.
________________
PLEASE PRAY:
1) For safe travels on the trip back to Los Angeles
2) That Kevin and Jennifer will be able to make all their plane connections, and that their travel will be smooth
3) That God will give them wisdom as they think about their experiences, and will provide them good words to share with everyone
300 Cows for Ellie? Tempting, but ...
From Kevin, via satellite phone:(About 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Sudan)
A personal message for Ellie's dad, Paul:
Ellie received three marriage proposals today. The three would-be grooms are offering you up to 300 cows for your daughter's hand in marriage.
Paul, if that's OK, I will do the wedding tomorrow, and then you'll receive 300 cows. (laughs)
It seems like a lot of men have been proposing to Ellie--I think she's getting tired of it!
Seriously, Ellie's doing really well. She's been enjoying her time here.
Sudan Update: Finishing up
Today held a day full of activities at the Empowering Lives School. If you can, imagine all of the children meeting under a large roof, no walls, no desks, no classrooms separating the children... The teachers have separated the children into groups then the teachers walk around the large area with chalk boards teaching the children. There was a segment of time that ELI staff Dan Davis took the teachers to another area and had discussions with them and a time of encouragement.
The rest of the team had all of the children during this time playing jump rope, games and using parachutes. They loved the parachutes! To end the team's time at the school they had a great time of prayer with the teachers.
After lunch there was a break for anyone who needed some rest time to rest. A few joined in on the construction at the children's home. Tomorrow (Tuesday) will be the team's last full day in Sudan. We will be getting up early to hike to the local cattle camp. Some of our children that attend the school live in the cattle camp. The team will be able to gather some of the stories and see the reality of these children's lives.
Monday, April 16, 2007
"Sweet" Sudanese Dancing; A Marriage Proposal
(About 8:30 a.m. Monday in Sudan)
We had a great church service yesterday. We had a women's meeting; three women from our team shared, and a nurse talked about some women's health issues. Then we had a great afternoon playing with the kids. Some randomly showed up here while we were resting. We had a lot of fun.
The weather here is very hot!
The ladies here taught us how to dance Sudanese-style yesterday. Ellie has learned, as one person describes it, "some sweet Sudanese moves." Ellie is making a lot of friends and having a great time. Some men offered 100 cows for her! (laughs) We turned them down. Most of the men on the team have had women offer to marry them, too.
We've met five of the orphans so far. We're going to meet more today. Today, we're going to the school to work with the teachers and the children.
_________________
PLEASE PRAY:
1) For opportunities to meaningfully interact with the orphans
2) For the team's continued strength, good health, and energy in these final few days in Sudan
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Another update from Don via Amy:
Team Shares at Sunday Services; Temps Hit Triple Digits
(About 2 p.m. Sunday in Sudan)
We just finished our Sunday morning services. The services average about four hours! Everyone from our team--including Jennifer--had the privilege of speaking in front of the members of this Sudanese church. [Jennifer's a bit shy about speaking in public.]
Jennifer spoke at a women's ministry and shared her testimony with women after the service. They had a great time--she did a wonderful job. The other women on our team also shared.
We had the privilege of meeting some of the orphans. We're going to meet the rest of the orphans on Monday.
It's now 98 degrees in the shade and 104 in the sun. We are exhausted, so we're taking shelter in a barn. It's 98 in here with a slight breeze. Please pray that we'll continue to keep our strength up in this hot weather, and that we'll continue to stay hydrated.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Beautiful Weather, Beautiful People
(About 11:30 a.m. Saturday in Sudan)
It's Saturday morning. We're in Sudan. We had a little trouble getting here; our flight couldn't land because it was raining and the landing strip was too muddy. So we landed about an hour away.
We were very impressed with how the people there greeted us. They took us to a compound where we could stay until we were able to get a ride back to the area where we're staying.
The weather is perfect: It's been in the 80s and overcast, which is wonderful. Kevin got a good night's sleep for the first time last night, so he's feeling much better today.
An update from Ellie: She's says it's very much like her time in Ethiopia. She's really enjoying it.
We're all doing a lot of spiritual processing. Right now, we're going to a meeting with 20 pastors from the area. Many of them walked a long distance to get here this morning for this meeting. They're very excited to have us here.
We're going to be meeting with the orphans later today, so hopefully we'll have an update on that tomorrow.
The people are very welcoming and open. It's just been amazing how the people have welcomed us. They've given us tons of food; we don't have any lack of food and water. We're having a great time!
They're in Sudan!!
Hi there, everyone,
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Jambo!
That is Swahili for “Hello.” Wow! We haven’t even made it to Sudan yet, and it’s already been an exciting trip. As hard as the enemy is trying to keep us out of Sudan, we are excited to see what God has in store for us there! There has to be a reason the devil doesn’t want us there. From flight delays, lost baggage, migraine headaches, and Kevin’s mysterious illness, it has been amazing to see God’s hand at work. The team has not become discouraged through it all, we have had positive attitudes, and I know at least for myself, I have learned to depend on God like I never have. So, here’s the story so far:
I think the reports of our plane delays have already been made, so I’ll skip ahead to our flight from London to Nairobi. Praise God that because of our flight delay on Sunday, we had to change all of our connecting flights so all five of us were on the same flight from London to Kenya, rather than Kevin and I flying to Amsterdam then to Kenya. About an hour into the seven hour flight, Kevin was asleep and suddenly began throwing up. We managed to get him to the back of the plane where the flight attendant made room for him to lie down on the ground. During that process, he never really woke up, and still doesn’t remember any of it. The flight attendants were wonderful, one even stayed with us the whole flight – I don’t think she ever took a break. As he was lying on the floor, he continued vomiting. As soon as we would give him a sip of water or ginger ale, he would immediately throw it back up. After about 45 minutes of this, they brought out the emergency kit and gave him a pill to stop the vomiting. As soon as it dissolved in his mouth, he threw up again. They waited awhile and tried again with the same results. During all this time, he would wake up occasionally and ask, “What happened?” Then he would immediately go back to sleep. (I should add that he had taken a sleeping pill, so we weren’t sure if he was so “out of it” from that, or some kind of illness.) Also during this time, another flight attendant was on the phone to British Airways medical staff who recommended that he see if there was a doctor on board. They made the announcement, and thank God, there was a pediatrician from Vancouver, Canada. He came back and checked Kevin, took his blood pressure, which was very low, and recommended another pill to stop the vomiting. Again Kevin threw up as soon as he took it. However, he was able to answer the doctor’s questions about his name, who I was, where he was going, etc. so that was progress. Eventually, they moved Kevin to a bed in first class. Thankfully there was only one other person in first class, so there was plenty of room for him and the doctor could examine him better. After examining him, and finding that his stomach and side were very tender and sore, the doctor told me he believed Kevin was having an appendicitis attack. It was decided that there would be an ambulance waiting for the plane to take him directly to the hospital. Kevin was also very dehydrated and the doctor felt he was going into shock. He still could not keep even the smallest amount of liquid down, so the doctor decided to put an IV into him to get some liquids into his body. You can imagine how difficult that was for the doctor, between Kevin’s tremor and the plane bouncing around. It took several tries in both hands before he was able to get it in. He also broke 2 needles trying to give him a shot of medicine to stop the vomiting. He did finally give him the shot, and although the vomiting did not stop completely, it did lessen. Throughout this whole flight, the rest of our team on board was praying and I would go give them updates, and then we would pray again together. I was very nervous about landing in Kenya, getting into an ambulance and going to a hospital where I did not speak the language, or even have the correct kind of currency to pay. I also was unsure of how they would handle the situation of getting our visas, picking up our luggage, and going through customs. Also, because we were on a plane, we had no way of contacting Don Rogers, who was picking us up, to let him know what was going on. As I was praying I really had a sense of peace from the Lord that somehow everything was going to work out. In my mind, I couldn’t image how, but I was trusting God that he had it all worked out. Just like he had it worked out to have us on the same flight as a doctor, before we even knew we would need one. By the time the plane was ready to land, Kevin looked much better. He was awake, aware of what was going on, his blood pressure returned to normal, and he even joked about knowing how to get free upgrades to first class. The pain in his side all but disappeared, and he vomited once during landing and that was the last time. The doctor and other flight attendants who had been helping us were amazed at how well he was doing. Because they had written a report, he still had to see a doctor to get a letter that he is well, or they would not allow him on another British Airways flight. The doctor was still concerned that it could be his appendix and recommended that he still go to the hospital. When we landed, one of the ground crew came on board and let us use his cell phone to contact Don, they had a nurse come onboard to examine him, and since the ambulance was not there, they were going to call for a taxi to drive him to the hospital. However, while talking to Don, we learned that there were 2 vans there to pick us up, so Don said he would take Kevin and I to the hospital in one while the others went in the other one. The workers there at the airport were so helpful. One man pushed Kevin in a wheel chair through the whole airport while holding his bag for the IV in the air for us. They took our whole team to the head of the visa line and got a supervisor to come and then let Kevin and I go through while the rest of our team got our visas for us. They also picked up all the luggage and took it through customs with no questions asked. (Except for 3 pieces of our luggage that were missing.) It was truly a miracle how everything worked out. Don, Kevin, and I went to the hospital in Nairobi, where everyone, and I mean everyone, spoke English and were so helpful. As soon as we walked into the emergency room, I went up to the desk and the man did not even question me, he just told us what room to go to. Imagine walking into an ER in LA at midnight and being put directly into a room, with a doctor following you, and no waiting to fill out paperwork. The doctor and nurse (who was a Christian) were very friendly and efficient. They immediately started another IV and the doctor did an exam. His diagnosis was that it was probably food poisoning, although Kevin had eaten the same as the rest of us. But he saw no signs of appendicitis or any other disease. We were there for about an hour while he got the IV, and I was able to get 3 prescriptions from the doctor filled right there at the hospital. All of this cost only about 1500 shillings which is somewhere around $30! Because of all this drama, we decided not to go to Sudan on Wednesday morning. Thankfully the Missionary Aviation Fellowship was very understanding and worked out a flight for us on Friday to Sudan. Since we had 2 extra days, on Wednesday morning, we drove about 7 hours north of Nairobi to the ELI training site. That is another blessing that came out of all this, because according the original schedule (our schedule, not God’s) Kevin and I were not coming here, the rest of the team was coming after we left from Sudan. I am so glad we were able to come here. First, we got to see beautiful scenery on the drive up, including orangutans and zebras. It was an interesting drive on barely paved roads. It was the bumpiest ride I’ve ever been on, and it is amazing how they drive, making up their own lanes, passing whenever, even if another car is coming straight at us. It was another lesson in trusting God for protection! But we made it safely. Upon our arrival, and having only a few hours notice that we were coming, they had a beautiful welcoming ceremony for us. All 190 orphans, the “parents,” and the staff were lined up to greet us, singing and giving us each a bouquet of roses. We went through and shook each child’s hand as they continued to sing and welcome us. It was a very moving experience for me. The children are beautiful, and the most well-mannered, respectful children I have ever met. They were so happy to see us, and they don’t even know most of us. They did remember Kevin from last year and were especially glad to see him again. They had a wonderful dinner prepared for us, and rooms ready for us. Kevin and I are staying in a house build by a former staff member and we have our own indoor bathroom, with a shower and hot water! It is much more than I would have expected. Thursday we toured the training site where they train local people on how to grow crops, take care of cows and goats, and produce things to sell. It is fascinating and I wish I had more time and room to describe everything. But it really does “empower” the people to make their own lives better and not rely on others. Then we toured the orphanage and met all the children again. There are about 12 children in each hut, 6 sets of bunk beds, and a large table in the middle. They each have a drawer for clothes and a shelf for shoes and books. Each set of parents has their own hut in the middle and a hut for girls and one for boys. There are 4 sets of parents, so there are 4 boys’ huts and 4 girls’ huts. They are the cleanest children’s rooms I have ever seen. They really take pride in taking care of their “stuff.” I visited each hut, sang songs, read stories, and just talked with the kids. Then, before dinner, Kevin did some magic tricks with the kids and I led the evening devotions for 2 of the “families,” about 48 kids, then we helped serve their dinner. They were so happy to have us there and were so attentive to the lesson. Their knowledge of God’s word put me to shame! Then we had our dinner with the team and staff here, a devotion time of our own, and a really focused prayer time for Sudan. Then we repacked our bags for Sudan (and yes, our missing luggage showed up and British Airways had it transported up here to us and we received it today.) Tomorrow morning (Friday) we fly to Sudan where we will stay until Wednesday, then fly back to Kenya. The rest of the team will go on to visit other sites, while Kevin and I will fly back to Nairobi and on Thursday fly home. We have many ideas of what we want to do and accomplish in Sudan, but we have certainly learned that God may have his own, very different plans for us.
We don’t know when we’ll be able to update again. The satellite phone has not been working all the time, and we will not have any more internet access after tomorrow morning. Thank you for your continued prayers. Kevin is feeling much better, we are all well rested and excited to see what God has for us in Sudan.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Landed in Kenya
On the next leg of the trip, Kevin became extremely ill. He was vomiting , and a doctor was called. The doc was trying to treat him for seven hours, and couldn't determine the cause of Kevin's illness. He was taken to an emergency medical center in Kenya. Doctors still weren't able to identify why Kevin had gotten ill, but the symptoms have passed.
Kevin is feeling better now. Jennifer and Ellie are both fine. They are now trying to arrange flights to Sudan.
PLEASE PRAY:
1) For Kevin's full recovery, and for the health of the entire Sudan team
2) That Kevin, Jennifer, and Ellie will be able to quickly arrange flights, and that the rest of their travel will be smooth
Monday, April 09, 2007
We're out of here... I think
Last night we went back to the airport to try to rebook our connecting flight to try to get to Nairobi by Tuesday so we can get on the charter flight by Wednesday morning. So, after two hours at the airport here is a new itinerary: Monday United airlines #934 leaving Los Angeles 12:00 noon arriving London 6:30 am then we leave London 10:30 a.m. on British airlines flight #65 arriving in Nairobi 8:45 p.m. which gets in on time for the Wednesday charter flight. Now here is where the prayer needs to come in. United says that their people will go in the belly of the plane and re-label our luggage to go on the British air flight instead of the Kenya Air flight. All of the orphans’ letters and backpacks and clothes are checked in. Please pray that our luggage will arrive with us on the British airline flight.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
OK... maybe not
After taking this picture, talking on the cell phone saying good bye to family, telling them "I love you," we boarded the plane, fastened our belts, then the pilot says, "we have some bad news - the plane is leaking fuel!" So, we all deplaned and they said the plane should be fixed by 9:00 p.m. Ok there goes our connecting flight. An hour later the report was the plane cannot be fixed and now we will be leaving monday at noon. But, your luggage will stay on the plane. We are back home tonight... And will be leaving on Monday. But here's the deal: we had a 24 rest scheduled in Nairobi to adjust to the time change and to shower before we fly to Sudan. Please pray that our itenerary changes can be adjusted. The plane that we are flying into Sudan is a charter flight and it is scheduled to fly out Wednesday morning. Please pray that we can get to Nairobi by Wednesday morning or that we can change the charter flight for later.
We are out of here
Happy Easter!! Today is the day that we leave for Sudan. We just finished two highly charged services my prayer is that we honor our Lord. Please pray for our travels there and back Jennifer and I will be back to share in the service on Sunday, April 22nd. Ellie will return to share in the services the following week, April 29th.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Ellie has arrived in LA
I received a phone call from Ellie at 8:40 a.m. saying “I’m here” in a very tired voice. I parked the car walked over to baggage claim hoping she looks somewhat like the picture she sent us. And sure enough we recognized each other. After a few hours at our home we went to “Target” and REI for last minute shopping, then we took her the local diner “Ronnie’s” for lunch. We went to the church to get ready for tomorrow and Jennifer started packing and Ellie crashed!
Kevin
A note from Ellie:
I’m sending this in place of a formal good-bye to you my dear friends with the hope that you will provide your prayers for this journey. Together let’s ask God to see the suffering of His people and to add to our numbers those who are being saved. Praise Him for the opportunity to know first hand what is happening on the other side of the world and the power that He gives us to use love to bridge the cultural and physical differences between us. I want nothing more than to close my own eyes and see what I am about to see with His eyes. To cry because He is crying; to ache, because He aches and to love, because HE LOVES. This leaves me with great anticipation to see what it is really like over there and what exactly the God of all creation is doing about it. I know that He works all things together for good and I am convinced that many good things will come from the evil that has lived in Africa. I am blessed to see his work.
Ellie
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
update
Hi team,
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Where will we be?
We will be traveling three days before we arrive in Sudan. We leave from LAX to London then London to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Nairobi, and Nairobi to Padak, Padak to Sudan. You can click on the map for a bigger picture. We will be staying between Bor and Jonglei at the orphanage and school in tents.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Facts about Sudan
- They have suffered the longest continual civil war in the world – conflict for nearly 21 consecutive years and for 37 of the past 48 years.
- An estimated 2 million people have suffered war related deaths during the past 21 years.
- The people of
- The people of Sudan are struggling to escape one of the worst famines seen anywhere in the world in recent years—approximately 2,5 million people faced serious food shortages last year, thousands died.
- The 30 Million people of
- Virtually all of southern
- Many southern Sudanese people have lived an uprooted existence for 15 years or more. They have become vagabonds of their country’s war—forced to flee from one location to the next again and again and again. Many have been displaced a half-dozen times during the past decade.
- Daily life for uprooted Sudanese is harsh, with no margin of error. Stripped of their possessions, families struggle to feed and clothe themselves in strange new surroundings that feel remote and unwelcoming. Even as they go about the arduous daily chores of survival, individuals face loneliness, and gloom. Life they feel is passing them by.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
“Average Church Band”
Today we had a prayer time for Angela. She is the keyboardist and singer of the "Average Church Band." They were given the opportunity to entertain the troops this Easter weekend. Please pray for them this coming weekend. myspace.com/angelavicente 