Animals

We were able to go to the Animal Orphanage recently. They take in baby animals whose parents have been killed. Lexi and Nate really enjoyed it. When we were walking with our tour guide, he asked us if we wanted to get into the cheetah cage and pet the cheetahs. Silly me, I thought he was joking.

They let us into the cage with 3 cheetahs, and we got to pet them while they were laying down. We also got to go see the brand new baby cheetahs that they have. The babies were a little more aggressive and playful the big ones (which were only 18 months old) had been around people their entire lives. Nate and Lexi thought the babies had "scratchy tongues."

We were also able to visit the Giraffe Centre. The kids got to feed the Giraffes (it is possible to do it by holding the food in your mouth, but none of us was interested.) Because we are now residents of Kenya, the price was very inexpensive.

For lunch, we had meat stew and ugali (which is maize meal that looks deceptively like mashed potatoes). The meat stew was complete with stomach - Lexi and Nate did a great job of trying everything. We brought some fresh fruit with us. It was very good.

Here are a few more pictures than usual.

Happy St. Valentine's Day

Some things never change. In Nairobi, just like in Illinois, the price of roses went way up for Valentine's Day. The price today was 5X what it normally is! So instead of paying $2.50 for 20 roses, they were going for a little over $12.50 for 20! Lucky for us, the kids and I bought them early for Nicole.

We recently got to see miles and miles of greenhouses where they grow roses. (Most of them are shipped to Europe). Most of Kenya enjoys 3 growing seasons. On a recent trip out west, I was explaining to the men in the village that where I am from we only have 1 growing season, and it is very short compared to Kenya. They were shocked to hear that, and wondered how we were able to have so much food. (I wish you could have seen their faces when we were talking about seedless fruit - they no doubt still think I was joking.)

For all of their growing seasons, food has been in very short supply here lately. The price of maize meal (corn meal) has more than tripled in the last couple of months. It is a staple food here for much of the country, so many people are starting to go hungry. Many children have been forced to leave school to help their family forage. Last night we saw two little boys, late at night walking home with bundles of firewood - they probably spent their day collecting it. Lexi prayed a beautiful prayer for them as we drove.

Love and compassion are curious things. Nicole and the kids have been helping out at an orphanage whenever they can. We take a little girl to soccer games with us, and she has spent the day at our home - just to give her a little extra love.

We have recently "adopted" a local family who have some desperate needs. The father was seriously injured in a car accident. The oldest boy is mentally handicapped pretty severely. We are helping to provide clothing and a little bit of food each month to help them survive.

Whether it is giving flowers, food or extra attention, I am convinced that showing even small amounts of love to others makes a huge difference in this world. We love you all!

It's been awhile!

Sorry it has been so long since we had an update. Our internet connection at home has been terrible lately - not sure what the problem has been, but it seems better today. Sometimes you just have to shrug your shoulders and remember you live in Kenya.

We have been extremely busy lately. Jason was gone to western Kenya (Kisii) for 5 days to help with a Habitat for Humanity build. We are getting back into the routine of school after a great Christmas break. The church where we pastor has been going great, but has kept us busier than ever. Life seems to have been full of zig-zags lately, but we just wanted to check in with everybody and let all of you know that we are doing fine. We will get back to some regular postings as often as we are able.

Jason got to visit RVA (Rift Valley Academy) recently. It is a boarding school for Missionary Kids. He was excited to see a cornerstone that had been laid by Theodore Roosevelt - a big thrill for a history "nut" like him.

Foundations matter in buildings and life. As crazy as things have been lately, we are glad our lives have been placed on a good foundation.