Ok, a few more words on Kenya and the Garden team. I still could write a book from what all happened and what will continue to come from their time here. But I'll just say a tad more on here. So if you want to see their video they made of their trip then....
If you want to listen to testimony from Denmark and Kenya, you can go to this link and click on the one that says: All the praise- Kenya/Denmark 2012. Here's the link:
And if you watch the video, lemme give you a little history on the part about Mattaw. Restoration, baby. That's what happened. A little fire ball family from the boon docks of west Texas, joined us when we first came back to Kenya after Bud and I were married. Lauren, also known as Mama Lala (not to be confused with the swahili word for sleep), and Cliff helped us buy the land and establish the beginnings of Mattaw. And what the enemy tried to destroy, God redeemed. He is faithful and His ways always prevails. Always. SO, after the past couple years of heart ache, miscommunication, and all that jazz, the Lord untied our hearts again, stronger than ever. And I didn't get a picture of us four! But oh well, Ill see 'em in November. (more on that later) The only pic of Lauren and I from recently that I could find was from us in Denmark....
We laughed A LOT on that trip and while they were here. So I guess its only appropriate I'd put this pic up. Anywho. So back to my story. This story is a long one but to sum it up so the video makes a bit more sense, if you watch it. Lauren and Cliff, always there for us, wedges came in. They let us go. God brought us back. The vision of what they saw when buying the land 6 years ago, the hope they saw, was there when they got to come back to Mattaw a few weeks ago. We worshipped and danced with all our staff and children while Lauren was a sloppy good mess and Cliff held her up, just soaking up God's goodness and seeing a vision fulfilled and hearts reunited. At the right time, for the right season. Did I mention how GOOD and FAITHFUL our God is?! Well, He is. Ok. Not much more I can say on that without going into my novel. Oh... we love you Lala and Cliff. That'll do it!
I didn't take hardly any pictures while they were here so I just now snagged some off other peoples Facebook. Here's a pic of Lauren, Brandy and I about to board the plane to Eldoret. This was right when the Garden team had come into Africa. Still trying to figure out how to jump into this picture and hug you both!
Eldoret is where a good friend of ours, Linda, is from. She has been part of the Garden for a few years now. You can actually scroll way down on this blog and look on the left column and see a picture of Linda and our son Elisha when he was a baby. That picture was taken when Linda first moved to Texas from Kenya. We had helped get her to America by traveling with her and teaching her a thing or two. She had volunteered at Mattaw and lived with us before moving there. Now she is a nurse in Texas and just doing awesome. SO good to restore that relationship too. I tell ya, restoration of relationships, its what Jesus likes to do if you let him! We got to spend some time in Eldoret with Linda, her family and the Garden team as well. One morning we spent some time in Linda's mom's traditional kitchen. Just found these pictures hilarious. This is how some Kenyans like to pose in pictures. Make sure your face is serious, you sometimes hold hands with someone, usually crouching down, and someone is giving the thumbs up.
Here's what a traditional kitchen will often look like. This one is a nicer one, it had cement in the mixture to form the oven and stove.
Linda, Keela, Jessica and Anna
Then when we had the commissioning service on the last day, we also got to bring up our three Kenyan sons and pray for them. That was a pretty darn special moment for us. I love our boys!
Ok, cutting this off... Time to go make some salad for a missionary barbecue tonight... then we're staying up late to watch the opening ceremony of the olympics!
Cheers!
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