FINALLY!!!

I have been so frustrated at blogger because they have gone and changed everything on me... and clearly i don't handle change well.  ;o)  I kept signing in and it was redirecting me with a different email address.  Any way, I've had SO MUCH to say and NO WHERE to say it!

Thomas and Noah have been working nonstop on their new house just up the road. I love to go up there on my run/walks to see how much further they are. It's so amazing how fast they have turned this stable into 2 homes! Thomas and Zippy should be moving in THIS Friday!

Please pray for Meshack.  He has been very sick for 2 months now.  Tests have been inconclusive and we are getting frustrated because of course we want answers.  He has lost quite a bit of weight, had general weakness, no appetite.  There are questions about his liver having hardened areas or spots on it.  He is in Kenyatta hospital now.  We are planning to visit with he and Beatrice tomorrow.

The boys are well.  James continues to be home schooled by Deo.  Nicolas and Dan are being interviewed Wednesday for their placement in Hope Academy.  We also plan on seeing them tomorrow as well, it feels like forever since I seen them! We wanted to go tonight but the road flooded. We've been told this is the worst rainy season in 30 years.

We have begun the first phase of our transition back to the US.  That is: narrowing down all our junk into 5 cases. Not as easy as it sounds.  God has been so so good to us though.  Honestly, I haven't felt stressed at all.  His peace has completely covered me this whole time.  I've been laid back and relaxed, grateful that he brought us here, even if for just 4 short years.  

We are mostly packed up and the Chancey's moved in today.  I think the most difficult thing about packing and others moving in is having Ezra get into EVERYTHING.  That kid certainly keeps me on my toes.  I walked outside to help Chris yesterday and came back in to check on Ezra.  When I left him he was playing happily with some spoons on the floor.  As I came back 60 seconds later, he was gone.  I look to my left and there he is, halfway up the stairs! Yikes!  In the photo below... he might have gotten into the fireplace...

Today I had some tortilla chips I gave the Chancey kids to snack on.  Ezra was crawling behind them and eating up all the chips that were dropped on the floor.  He thinks everything on the floor must be food and must be for him.  Which I guess is good timing because we had to say our goodbyes to our sweet Wallace- the most amazing English Mastiff ever.  He went back to Tanzania to live with his sister and our dear friends the Helsby's.  I'm so glad they were able to take him back with them.  They live at Mavuno Villiage who has 250 acres on Lake Victoria.  Now, if he can just start getting along with the other dogs....

I was packing our cases in our room today and Zippy came after class to entertain Ezra.  She said to Ezra "What am I going to do without you?  I won't even know want to do when you and your mom aren't around."  To which I replied "Let's not go there right now, Zippy.  We aren't gone yet!"  I feel like I'm going to be the one that is lost without here.  That woman keeps this A.D.D. Mama seem a bit more put together.  ::sigh:: And have I mentioned my son LOVES that woman.  Zippy was holding Hero, the Chancey's 7 month old today, and he was NOT happy about it.  He was so jealous.  So naturally he leapt out of my arms and into hers to let Hero know Zippy was his territory.  

Zippy recently has 2 job offers.  Hmmm.... which one to take? She is so excited about graduating from cooking school in a couple weeks. One job would really utilize her cooking skills, the other not as much.  I think if she could work out the hours she could have a job and a half if she wants it!

Lucy seeing the house for the first time. 

2 very tired and hard working men.  

Noah in front of his freshly laid cement floor.  

As always- we had an amazing time with these crazy people

Katie was so proud to pick out Ezra's clothes.  :)

A camping we will NOT go...

This is by far the most difficult rainy season we have experienced here in Kenya...BY FAR.  With the Michigan team here, we'd planned to take them, along with the Saint Boys, camping.  We had done our big grocery trip and were basically packed up, then we got a call from the guy that lives in Juja.  The yard was a complete LAKE!  There was no where to set up the tent.  Not to mention it would have been miserable.  So instead, the Michigan team and Chris took all the boys to see a movie, eat KFC, planet yogurt, and come spend the night with all of us here at the house.  We had such a great time!

We all walked to Thomas and Noah's soon to be home and chicken farm.  The next day the boys were excited to go and help them do some work there and they earned a little money... which may or may not have already been spent on sweets and mandazi's! ;)

James, Ezra, and I were off to Kijabe hospital at 7am Friday morning.  The MD that did his surgery had moved back to the US, but the normal American doc was there.  He looked in his ear and said that everything looks good.  He is to start his antibiotic ear drops and take them until they are finished.  This MD will go back to the US for a few months and return in January, which is when his next surgery will be.  So James could go for a check up with the Kenyan MD in 3 months, but he won't even be the one to do the next surgery, so there's really no point.  Dr. Boeve said to just return in January unless he has any problems before then.

We've not had much power this past weekend so everything in the freezer has basically thawed out.  So I need to get to
cooking so nothing gets wasted!  We're praying that rainy season ends SOON!  My heart just hurts so bad for these people in the valley part of Kibera.  I can only imagine that sewage must be overflowing into their homes.  I just can't help but think about the people that are in these little cold, leaky mud shacks.  I'm so grateful that our boys have somewhere warm and safe to live and, through God's grace, they are not on the streets.  But even greater than that is knowing that they now have the knowledge of a Savior who loves them.





I love that Brian gave Ezra his cookie, and even more than that- he kept giving Ezra kisses on his cheek.  They all act like they are the proudest big brothers!

Finally saw it with their own eyes...

We just had some long time friends and supporters come over for 2 weeks to see what all the hype is about over here in Kenya.  Sam and Debra really enjoyed the country and its people.  We always enjoy 

having people here who have been a part of the journey for so long.  It's fun for us to watch them see with their own eyes what it is they have been investing in.  Here are a few pictures from their trip:

For some reason I cannot get the video of the boys' new home to upload.  I have tried and tried. Chris said he may try and take a shorter video.  I suppose it's too big, but I'm not sure. 

This Friday Ezra, James, and I will travel back up to Kijabe for a post op check up on James' ear.  Graig Austin's team of youngins' come in this evening.  Friday night we take G's team along with our boys and we will go to Juja camping.  They are out of school all week this week.  (This will be Wallace and Lana's new home) Acres upon acres.  Also Meshack Chitiavi will be joinging us to do some biblical teachings.  I could sit and listen to him all day... on wait... I have!  

I will try and post photo's and reports from this weekend early next week.  

Yesterday, Mama and Deo invited us over to hang out with the boys and have lunch.  Their house looks so nice and cute. Ezra enjoyed Mama's beans, while the boys enjoyed my butterscotch cookies.  (They promise not to miss my cookies/sweets as much as they'll miss me!)  The boys just love their new place.  Chris found out some disturbing news- they have bed bugs!  Eeeek! Yes, it's disturbing, but not surprising.  When you live among sewage and in the conditions of the slum, bed bugs are really the least of their worries.  We made them throw out their mattresses and bought new ones.  But in order to get the new ones, they had to thoroughly wash and clean their beds, blankets, sheets etc along with all their clothes.  We had to get those eggs killed.  They worked very hard yesterday so that they would have a good night sleep on comfy mattresses.  

James is doing well- keeping that ear dry and not jumping around.  What a great listener!  :)