"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

-Ephesians 6:10-17

            Sometimes it is hard to find hope when you are surrounded by poverty, desperation and brokenness day in and day out. Yet God always gives me a glimpse of his plan, of his redeeming power. This week it came in the form of a little boy named Atoka. He is one of the children I see each time we visit Smile Africa, and he has captured my heart entirely. When we visited in January I met this little boy, naked, with a bloated, mal-nourished belly. He was so sweet but needed so much. After leaving, I thought that I would never get the chance to see him again, but God is good.

            On returning to Smile Africa, I looked around and finally found Atoka. I can't even begin to describe the change in this beautiful little boy. First off, he was clothed and his belly was much smaller. He was more nourished, much healthier looking, and so happy. And beyond that, he remembered me! When I saw him, he ran into my arms and stayed there for the remainder of the day. Sometimes I think that what we are doing isn't making an impact on anyone, and then God gives me a gift like Atoka. 

            He is simply put one of the happiest, most beautiful little boys I have ever met, inside and out. Though we don't speak the same language, we have come up with a way of communicating with smiles, facial expressions and pointing. We play, tickle, and at the end of the day, he is asleep in my arms. I would stay in Africa for him, that is if I couldn't just wrap him up and take him home with me, never to be separated again. Yet I have to trust that God will continue to provide for him and that if it is His will, to bring us together again someday. Until then, I will enjoy every smile, every hug, and every funny little moment. Please pray for my little Atoka, the little boy who has captured my heart.

Atoka Last January

Atoka this April, what a change!  Praise God!

Safari in Maasai Mara! Truly one of the coolest vacations I have ever been on. I will attempt to put this experience into words, but the pictures and images in my head tell the true story.

            On our travel day to Maasai Mara, we got a wonderful welcome from our African wildlife friends, the first we had seen all day. First it was only gazelle and wildebeest which I was excited enough about, but then we saw a lion chasing down a gazelle. Mind you, we were just driving down the road, this wasn't in a reserve or park or zoo, just out in the wild. SO COOL!! We also saw tons of zebras, which were just beautiful, standing right alongside the dirt road we were traveling down. But my favorites were the giraffes! We only caught a glimpse, but they were so uniquely beautiful. One stood at the road and watched us drive by while many others grazed on trees. It was like they were welcoming us to our vacation and giving us a taste of our coming safari day. I just couldn't wait! The scenery on the drive was amazing also. Miles of open land covered by trees, green grass and wildlife with Maasai shepherds here and there tending to their flocks and herds. As much as I want to put it all into words, I simply can't. It is beyond anything I have ever seen. It is Africa.

            On safari day we rose early, loaded into our safari land rovers (we can't seem to escape the land rovers here in Kenya!) and headed down the African plains as the sun began to rise. Though we were cold and tired, nothing could dampen our spirits or excitement for what our day held. Our Maasai guides asked what we wanted to see to which we replied EVERYTHING! Well, everything it was.

            To start our adventure off on the right foot, the first creature we came upon was the king of the jungle, our very own simba, none others than a pride of lions! Lying on the field were female lions watching over their cubs that were playing in the grass. Lying in the middle, watching us, was a young male lion that hadn't yet gotten his mane.   They didn't seem too bothered by us; they just continued lazing in the morning sun, strolling around with a majestic and distinguished air. They essentially rule this place and we weren't even a blimp on their radar. After a long gaze at one another the female and male lions rose and ushered the cubs along to an Mzungu free zone where they could enjoy their morning in peace. After months of being a spectacle to be stared at, I didn't much blame them.

            We drove on and saw topis, wildebeests, antelopes, dik diks and gazelles of all shapes and sizes, some with horns that were long and straight, some that elaborately curved, some without horns, and many that I recognized form my Uncle Bob's wall. J Don't worry little antelope, this Texan left her gun at home. What was most striking about them all was their detailed coloring and markings. One of the larger ones was tan with dark brown markings on his legs along the muscles. When he ran, the muscles rippled under his sleek, shiny coat. It was beautiful to watch. The others gracefully leapt across the plains, allowing the sun to catch the golden hue of their coat. I thought the antelopes and gazelles would be a bit boring, but they captivated me.

            The next group of animals that we saw were possibly my favorite. We came across a herd of giraffes grazing on tall trees. I had no idea the wonder of this creature, the beauty and majesty, the simple dignity that God created in them. They are so graceful for such huge creatures. When they walk it is beautiful to watch, and I laughed at the sight of them running after each other, especially the young ones. Once we got closer, I could make out the elaborate details in their markings, and I just fell in love with these beautiful creatures! I could have watched them for hours.

            Next up, hippos, finally!! After all our failed ventures to see them at the base, our nights camping out only to never see a single hippo close up, we finally had success!! They were just chilling in the water, dipping their heads in and out, spinning their ears (loved watching them do this) but finally they decided to move up river and I was shocked to see how quickly they moved!! Now I see why we had to be so cautious at night at SEEK. I was a bit scared that they were heading for us. While they look like a funny cross between a cow and water pig, they are extremely territorial and dangerous, so we booked it back to the safety of the Land Rover.

            We continued on spotting African foxes, hyenas, Cape buffalo, grey herons, crocodiles and wart hogs which they actually call pumbas! Thank you Lion King for all the useful knowledge you bestowed upon me. The wart hogs are hilarious, and really much bigger than I imagined. When the run, they stick their tails straight up in the air, just too cute. Then came the real treat. Our guides spotted a pair of cheetahs a ways off, so we sped off to see them. We had been riding on top of the roof of the land rover in metal seats with our feet inside the sun roof opening, so when we raced off, we held on for dear life! It was worth it to see a female cheetah with her cub out in the open. This is very rare since the lions hunt the cubs. Yet there they were, walking through the tall grass on the African plains. The female was spectacular, so slender, muscular, and sleek, a beautiful creature to behold. She would walk a bit, stop, look back at the adorable cub, and talk to it (a bit like a meow...but very different at the same time) then continue on their way. Just so fantastic to see! Later that day we saw an adolescent male cheetah with a bit of a bulging belly with apparently meant it had just hunted and eaten. Our guides told us we were very lucky, that it is incredibly rare to see even one cheetah, much less 3 including a cub. Thank you Lord!

            More animals, too many to name, ostriches, storks, grey herrings, swallows, baboons, the list goes on and on. But the final exciting one, the animal we had been looking for all day, we finally spotted elephants! Not just a few elephants either, there were dozens of them! They were huge, so baggy and wrinkly, but they had a certain beauty about them, especially the babies. They were magnificent but I certainly wouldn't want to come up against one of these guys when they were in an irritable mood. When we got to a swamp, one of the elephants was spraying the water and tossing its head and trunk around. Just surreal.

            Near the end of our day, we came across an elephant carcass surrounded by hyenas, vultures and jackals. All that remained was skin and bones, but the sight and smell were a bit overwhelming.

 I'm sure I'm leaving something out, but all in all it was an incredible day! 11 wind blown, sun burned, exhausted, yet extremely happy mzungus headed back to the hotel to dream about the day we had just had taking in God's spectacular creation.

My gorgeous teammates on vacation!

As I sit here in a hostel in Nairobi, Kenya, I can't help reflecting on the whirlwind that the last week has been.  

Our Children's Fun Day was a hit, though a bit chaotic in my opinion.  The puppet show was a hit, though it seems that a lot is lost when a translator is needed.  Face-painting, crafts, all crazy but the kids really had a wonderful time and that is truly what matters.  Lunch was the craziest part of all! Well over 500 children to feed and not nearly enough dishes, so for about 3 hours straight we washed dishes, sent them back out, and kept the cycle going.  Never again will I complain about doing dishes in America!! While it was a long, hot, exhausting day, it was a day that the children will fondly remember

Now for the big news. Our host, Paul, has resigned from SEEK due to many reasons. Lately we had also been having some struggles with the management there and since Paul was our host, not SEEK, that left us in a tough spot.  We spent time praying over it, as did our leaders in America, and felt that staying once our host was gone was not a good plan for our team.  AIM doesn't have a contact at SEEK, so it would lead to many communication and possibly other problems.  So we are moving back to Uganda (not Busia, don't worry) to work with True Vine Ministries in Tororo, an organization that we worked with for a week in January and LOVED!! That was during the period when I was on bed rest with my hurt back, so I was sad not to have been able to take part in the entire ministry. I longed to return, and now we get to!  We initially wanted to go there left Busia, but that wasn't God's plan at the time.  While I am sad to be leaving Kenya early, I am grateful for the time we had there. Working with Joy and Prisca, doing the girl talks, all of it was a blessing for me, yet it feels like the time is right to go work with True Vine.  The majority of our ministry in Kenya was working with schools, and they are on vacation now until we leave which lead to an open gap in our ministry.  After lots of prayer and some very difficult goodbyes, we packed up and left for vacation. We are not returning to Mbita when we leave vacation, just driving straight through to Uganda.  See, whirlwind!! Thus is the life of a missionary.

Once at True Vine, we will jump into ministry.  We will be working with an organization called Smile Africa a few times a week.  This is an aid organization that feeds over 400 starving children a day.  We worked there in January and fell in love with the children and Pastor Ruth, the wonderful woman in charge.  We help distribute food but mostly we play with the children who are absolutely gorgeous.  I am so looking forward to returning to Smile Africa! To find out more about the organization, go to http://www.smileafricaministries.com/.  We will also be helping at the on-site clinic, doing whatever may be needed.  Most likely we will assist the doctors with patient paperwork, help in the pharmacy, etc.  One thing I am most excited about is our "Family bible studies" each evening with Robert, one of the staff.   We did these every evening while we were there and I absolutely adored them!  Someone different led them every night, and we would share what God was teaching us, encourage one another, etc.  So our last 3 weeks will be back in Uganda, crazy but true!  Pray for our transition and travels.

Vacation is wonderful!! Safari was amazing, great food in Nairobi, and looking forward to Mombasa beach tomorrow.  Only thing I don't like... African roads and transportation. Next time you are annoyed at construction on the roads, just be grateful that we don't drive on swiss cheese roads in America.  Not fun.

I will write blogs about vacation when we get to Uganda (never thought I would say that again)

Love you all!

Two nights, two times, I heard the same voice calling my name. The first time I assumed it was Nadia, who after I asked her what she wanted, assumed I was going crazy. She hadn't heard a thing. But i had heard it so clearly, my name, spoken in barely a whisper, "Kathleen," nothing more. I must be tired, surely I imagined it all. Yet the next night, I am the only one awake and I hear it again, "Kathleen." I ask myself if I am going crazy, should I be scared, but a peace comes over me, a peace fills me, a peace...

Is this, perhaps, how Samuel felt each time he ran to Eli's bedside, knowing with absolute certainty that he has been called, only to be told to go back to bed? He didn't recognize the Lord's voice right away, but the Lord was persistant. 

                I spent lots of time praying over this during our team solitude. Is that you, God? Are you calling me and I'm not listening? What is your will? The following is an excerpt from my journal during solitude, an answer, though an unexpected one.

___________________________________________________________________________

12:20pm

Have I really been trying to change the world for the better, for you Kingdom's glory, or was I simply trying to change it into my idea of how things should be?

When was the last time I prayed before talking back to peopple, whether it be my teammates or the staff here?

I see such stubborness and pride in my remarks to others, arrogance and superiority. Where love and joy once stood, hardness is taking place. This isn't me, this isn't my heart, tis isn't who i want to be, who you have called me to be. "Guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." That comes through patience, obediance,and prayer. Guide me in you will, Father.

4:30pm

Silence? But yes, that seems to be your will. Time to listen, to others as well as to you. Is it complete silence? Not quite, but words shall only follow prayer. Teach me to guard my heart, Father, not from the things I normally consider that to mean, but from all the schemes of the enemy. Guard me from arrogance, hardness, pride, stubborness, and selfishness. Teach me to pray before reacting, to not jump to sassy remarks aimed to hurt, but to speak out of your love.

I will continue this season of silence and listening until you call me out of it.

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So a season of listening rather than talking has begun. He did indeed call me, but I must learn to listen. I think I am ready, but I'm not certain if I'm prepared for what he will call me to, what he will speak. Yet I trust in the Lord's provision, he will prepare my path. I feel that there is more to come, that there is more for us in Africa, if only we would listen. "Speak, for your servant is listening"

James 1:19-20

Proverbs 4:23-27

Since being here in Kenya, it has taken some time for John and Joshua, Paul and Erin's twin boys, to warm up to us. Yet the more time we spent with them, hanging out at the house, baby sitting, or just playing while they ride in the Land Rover with us, they have begun to take to us. They call us all Auntie and Uncle these days, which I love. This past week before outreach, I had one of my favorite John moments.

                Earlier in the week, John (on our team) and Paul were playing with the boys so that Erin could take a much needed, relaxing shower. They decided to play with bubbles, always a fun past time. All of a sudden, Erin heard John shout, "No! John, don't! Oh my gosh, Paul, he drank it all!" Yep, little John had drank the entire bottle of bubbles in one gulp, so quickly that no could move quickly enough to stop him! Turns out it wasn't such a good idea after all, and he promptly threw up. You live and you learn.

                Well, fast forward to my visit with them. After reading some books, eating ugi together, and waiting patiently for Joshua to wake up from his nap, the four of us decided like bubbles would be fun. We got them out and Erin blew a few bubbles which the boys excitedly chased and popped. Then John dipped the wand into his bottle, only to find that no bubbles came out. After a few more failed attempts, he looked up at me with sad eyes and said, "Auntie, no more, I drank it all!" I had to choke back a laugh because he was so serious about it. I just love these two little guys!!