Captain Davies with our children

Here is our adventures at Captain Davies with the Joplin team and our children and staff. It was a really fun day for everyone. Daisy and Geoffrey were the only children that had been before. It wasn't the most fantastic safari walk ever but I think being with the children and watching them experience it what made it fun for all of us. And then of course there was the ostrich riding which who can say they've rode an ostrich in Africa?! Not many. Most of the team got on the ostrich and they also convinced the oldest woman in the group to ride. (take note I said old-EST, I did not refer to her as being old! just the old-est of the group!) Not real sure how but I know a free dinner at Cheddars was involved! Captain Davies is at the foothills of Mt. Elgon. It was about a 30-40 minute drive from Kitale. We hired extra vehicles to take all our children, Isaac, Vivian, Humphrey, our two teachers- Rebecca and Lydia, and Georgina. Ill let the pictures tell of the day...

Starting out we walked through the animal santuary. There was hundreds of gazelle, 7 zebras (used to be more but they were killed during the violence last year), cool birds, 2 rhinos and the largest species of a gazelle . Hollie and Alicia walking with some of the children, a zebra straight ahead.

Here we all are treking across the middle of no where Africa in the dessert heat.... maybe it wasnt exactly like that

Daisy in front of the rhinos. The momma rhino is 1 yr 8 months pregnant and about to pop.

Elisha in front of the rhinos. Not sure if this is a look of shocking fear or sheer boredom.
Isaac and Vivian, house parents

Petting the largest type of gazelle. His name is john and he only has one horn.
Our little family with Mt. Elgon in the back
Me riding with Noah. He is such a quiet little boy but he chatted and smiled most of the time we rode the horse.

Bud riding with Eunice. She loved it!Elisha learning to be a cowboy with his dad. I think they got the basics covered that day.

Sharon and Daisy riding horses. The children got to chose between riding an ostrich or a horse. They all chose the horses. Most of the staff chose the ostrich.


Georgina riding an ostrich. The name of this ostrich is "red neck". Haha, fitting.We also celebrated Obadiah and Eunice's birthday. Obadiah's was last month when we weren't here. We ate french fries and had soda first, then sang and blew out candles, and then ate the very kenyan hard rock cake. (i didn't have time to bake one myself, which i usually do) french fries and soda are a real treat for them.

And I must say these children are the most patient children I know. I forget how different from American kids they are. The food wasn't ready until about an hour after we had sat down at the tables. The children sat there quietly the entire time and no one asked about having cake or getting up to play. After we ate, Eunice and Obadiah sat there quietly until we told them to blow out the candles and open their presents. Eunice getting a new doll... and its black!

The Joplin Team

"Bye Andrea" -Noah

This week has been wonderful for Bud and I. We've been able to get a few things done around Nairobi. One was to get Elisha's dependence pass for his passport so that we dont have to keep paying for a visa. I mean really, why does a baby need to pay to get into a country. It should be like getting into Disney world where ages 2 and under don't have to pay. They wont remember the enjoyment of visitng that country. Anywho. Bud also took care of some other business and car business. Yesterday we decided to go enjoy the afternoon by a pool at a hotel. It was so great and relaxing. We didn't realize how much we needed that. Anything grows here in Kenya and so the place we went to was like a tropical rainforest. We then went and ate sushi for our date. There's a new place at one of the malls that has opend called Onami. If you like sushi and Japanese food then I recommend this resteraunt to you. The prices were very resonable too. It was quite the risk to take with eating sushi in a third world country but it was well prepared! The owner is Italian and the cooks were japanese. So strange. The waiters were Kenyan though. I was surprised how much Bud enjoyed it. We've turned into those weirdos that like sushi and tofu. It's been a good week of being refreshed in our love for one another and our love in the Lord.

We picked up our friend Todd from the airport today. He made it in from Iraq. He has been there for the past 10 months and felt a huge call of urgency from the Lord to get back to Kenya. I know he is being blessed by his obedience to God. Bud is off praying with him and fellowshiping together. I know they both need that, that brotherly kind of fellowship in the Lord. We've talked about how much we yearn to have fellowship with christians. And how it is not by chance that a group of us are in Kitale from different denominations and ministries. Though we have different ministries and backgrounds, we're called to build up the same Kingdom and love the same Lord and each other as ourselves. Pray that we would unite as the body better than before. The enemy knows what power there is in us all coming together to love and encourage one another. People have been separated by different doctorines, view points, feeling judged, gossiping, or simply not making the time so we want to push through all of that and be the body of Christ together more than we have been. These problems have existed for many years and they exist all over the world but instead of complaining we have to just go and be and do. It takes the outpouring of love from God to unite His people. I can give all I have to the poor and I can have the best giftings but without love I am nothing. (1 Cor. 13) I can call together a group of people and encourage them all, have great bible studies, we could even confess sins and sing great worship songs but unless it is all done in love it is worthless and empty. Reading in Phillipians 1:9, paul prays earnestly for the chruch that love would abound more and more in knowlege and in all judgement (discernment). That we would approve things that are excellent in the sight of God and sincere of heart with no offence, being filled with the fruit of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God. (you like how I am getting all preachy on here?!) I could really get caught up in talking about the problems in the church with people judging one another not in love and people getting offended so easily towards each other but my focus and point I am trying to make and learning of the late is that we must put aside all differences and offenses and love. Love has to be the ultimate thing we seek. We all desire those that are truly sincere and real. We have to stop looking at others though and look up. God is sending me through a refining fire right now. Ouch, but its good. There is some major pruning on my heart that is needed. Some pride and yuckiness needing to go so that His love can replace it. Holy Spirit is such a gentleman. He dosn't push in and make me go through restoration and refining. He comes when I ask and meets me where I am. We are all on different walks and sometimes we tend to judge others for not being on the same "level" as us. Why do we expect God to be so gracious in our weaknesses but we can't show it to others? Love is patient. So what does that kind of love look like towards your neighbor? When a friend messes up or is not growing in the Lord at a fast pace, I am patient with them and love them no matter what. I don't know, this might not make sense but it's all rattling in my brain. God is reminding me that there is always more love and new levels of it. My understanding of His love is often immature and needs to be deepend and renewed. I just realized it's 10pm and I have to get up early. Learning to truly love and allowing Jesus to love me.