Update and an email from Kenya

This past weekend we got a surprise visit from my brother and his family. It was so great to see them all again! I'll have to put up a few pictures next time when I have my camera with me. Elisha enjoyed getting to play with his cousins again. We do realize we have one of the most laid back but into everything babies. He goes anywhere and plays with anyone. Yesterday we went to Brock to speak at a new church called the Gathering. We were very blessed to fellowship with them and get to share our heart about what we do. They just jumped on board to support us and Mattaw children's village! Very exciting! Hopefully they'll be bringing a team with them to Kenya this year. Elisha just made himself at home in their church. He found the kids part and gladly stayed in there to play, forgetting mom and dad were in the other room. The church, or the gathering, started this past year. The pastor started out by saying to let any preconceived ideas about "church" leave your mind and let the Lord lead you to be the church that Jesus has called us to be. They hardly know us but loved on us, prayed on us and encouraged us... what the church is supposed to do! It was refreshing. I think this will be a long term relationship with them. Brock is a little outside of Weatherford. Bud grew up and graduated high school from another little town outside of Weatherford called Peaster. After church we went and ate with one of his best friends from high school and some of his family, who was Bud's second family. It was great to see them and Elisha quickly warmed up to them. He sure loved the attention of sweet Texas women that love to hug and kiss on him! This wasn't supposed to be this long of a post, the main reason I wanted to write was to post an email we recently received from our social worker, Humphrey. Here is it.... Anything in parenthesese is me writing to explain.

Hi guys, so sorry for the delay in replying your mail. We're doing okay apart from Noah who has been having a cold but he is healing. Yesterday i gave him my phone to listen to the ring tones. So he holds the phone, puts it on his ears like he is receiving a call, and starts walking around the house and outside.....like Bud. To him when on the phone you have to be in motion... like Bud.
School is going on well,it's picking up well. We got our second teacher from around the village-Maili Saba. She is good with the kids,they have normal classes during the morning hours and then extra tutoring the afternoon. I told them about the weak points of the kids and suggested to them to be working on that during the afternoon classes. We're trying this and then evaluate this after one month or so. I will be sending you the financial update tomorrow morning. I just bought the text books and the exercise books and some shoppings and i try as much as possible to record everything to the last cent. To be honest I didn't you guys work this much but now I understand what it all means. Were you trying to reach me yesterday? I was on my bike going home and so I couldn't hear. So sorry.
Kimberly, there are around nine widows around Marura area, I was thinking you could start meeting with them when you come back. Isaac has started meeting the others in Taito area,and they're meeting on mondays so he told me to inform you about that.
I went to Marura last weekfound Rukia she was almost giving up.... she wanted to go work as a maid in town but stopped her,talked to her,told her the importance of going to school. (she is 14 yrs old, we wont be putting her into Mattaw home but home to find a sponsor for her to go to high school) The other children in that area that we've identified are doing well, just waiting to join our home. (they are the children we've found for house two, Humphrey goes and checks on them)
Georgie has been sick. He has been having stomachaches till yesterday,i was with Violet yesterday. I talked to Julius today and he said that he had improved at least. I think it was change of diet which is normal to an infant. The body is fine ,no other complications. The others are doing fine. Fred and Grace's language are improving, no abusive language. Their physical appearance has really changed for the better, Georgie's too.Nelima is doing well, quiet as usual, though she is starting to talk. (Fred, Grace, and Nelima are Georgie's brothers and sisters that are going to our school but havent come into the home yet. They're waiting for us to get back to start house two at Mattaw) The other kids are good though sometimes they show signs of missing you people.... THEY LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU SO MUCH.
Thanks i'll write you more tomorrow. God bless you,praying for you and your people. Continue the good work, Humphrey

Thats it for now! Linda is doing great and somewhat getting adjusted. I love having her around and will have a hard time leaving her here! Today we go to figure out her social security. In case I haven't explained, she has her permanent residency in America. It was like a lottery she won. Many Kenyans or foreigners want this. Many get short term visas or student visas but hers is pretty much permanent. She can reside here for 10 years and then can decide if she was to be a citizen or go back to Kenya. For now she says she wants to get her degree in college and then she'll decide. She is very determined and focused!
Much love to you all,
Kimberly