Pastors, Mamas, Chapatis, and Babies.

Where to start!  Goodness- we have been very busy these past few days.  We welcomed our first official guest to the Livingstone House on Monday.  He is actually on our Only Servants ministry board.  He has been away from his family and home for a month now as he has traveled through the Congo and other various places in Africa to hold pastor conferences.  He uses these conferences as an opportunity to teach pastors how to effectively evangelize their people.  This particular conference was held in Kibera Slums at Berith Church (connected to one of the pastors home).  

I got the incredible privilege of getting to know 2 of the pastors wives better through helping them prepare and serve meals.  The conference was free to the pastors (supported by Rev. Glenn Clark).  They were fed like kings.  The people apparently don't eat like that all the time.  It started Wednesday and ended Friday- 8:30am-4pm.  Since I was busy helping cook, drying dishes, and playing with wee ones- I can only tell you about my experience.  Chris will be writing more about the conference later today or tomorrow.  

I had such a blast with these women and children.  They taught me so much: how to make chapatis and real Kenyan tea, I learned some key Kiswahili words,  I learned many children songs- along with the macarena  (preschool style).  

This is Mama Toni making Chapatis.  Those things can't be good for you.  She put like 4 TBS of oil on each side of the chapatis.  Just before I ate one they told me that I was "not slim like in January." Yes!  I love gained lb's!  I mean- if they keep making me eat Chapatis- what do they expect?  

Mama Barnabas (or Beatrice) making the stew with baby in tow.  Man, he's so cute!  I took about 100 pictures of him.  (Please note the oil in her left hand... yea they put it in everything)  She and I laughed and laughed.  I think she may just be my African Soul Sista.  She may just be that national "good friend" I've been praying for.  Her smile is so contagious.  Her Husband is also one of the pastors that this ministry supports.  What a precious family!

Yep, that is a knife Barnabas is about to insert into my right thigh.  He was "helping" us cook, but I think it was just a ploy to snatch the knife and come after me.

He finally warmed up to me after playing cars with him for a few hours.  (He kind of reminded me a little of Sam Hearn- I mean obviously not the skin color.  I think it might be his big sweet eyes.)   

The ladies washing dishes.  I wish you could really see the charcoal grill thing under the wash pot along with the steam coming up from the pot.  I mean, if my hands had been in that dishwater I might have screamed like a little girl.  Thankfully I got to dry.  :)  

It's really cool how they call each other by their first born.  Like my mom wouldn't be Pat- she would be "Mama Matthew".  Beth would be "Mama Levi."  If you refer to some of them as their real name- others may not know who you are talking about.  They just call me "Auntie."

I will post pictures of the preschool kids and neighborhood children later- as this is getting rather lengthy.