2-9-10no pen

2-9-10
tuesday
20:33

i still don't have a working pen.
it seems like God is still confronting me with my fears.

2-4-10C...

2-4-10
Thursay
20:36

Benja just called me to tell me that his home/orphanage is completely out of food, and they didn’t eat today. Uhh…you could say...

(at this point in my writing, my pen died, I couldn’t manage to find another working one, and then I got Malaria, and a bunch of other stuff happened too).

2-4-10B oddgiftsbeautifultrying

2-4-10
Thursday
15:26
B

So, Benja had asked me to bing a Bible fro America for him. Earlier this week, I gave im and Peter the tow extra Bible I brought. When I did, nancy (the young orphanage mom) suggested that Peter and Benja share a Bible, so she could have the other. (it hadn’t occurred to me that she didn’t have one either.) LuAnn offered extra Bibles that Africa Connect brought to give away, so I have two Bibles to Nancy (one for her and one for the older kids at the home)… what a sweet gift it is that God let me be a part of getting Bibles to them!
You want to know what is beautiful? Little Esther has a great smile, and she holds my hand and she is getting food everyday and she is in baby class in preschool at Graceway/NEK/Neema (I can never get the name straight) (Esther almost died of malnutrition 2 years ago. Eva Joy and Caleb brought her to the hospital and saved her life) She is Beautiful.
So… last night, I fell asleep (…but wait there’s more), I woke up with a sore throat @ about 1:30AM, turned on a light, found a mosquito trapped IN my mosquito net, couldn’t seem to get rid of her or keep sight of her in the light (and my tiredness), gave up trying after a while, went outside to sue the “long drop” (deep pit toilet), noticed a giant (about 5 in leg span) spider at eye level (seemingly guarding the door), figured the “long drop” could wait till morning, went back inside, got in a different bed (with a different mosquito net)(this one without any malaria carrying mosquitos trapped inside), was exausted, couldn’t fall asleep, was really exhausted, really couldn’t fall asleep, finally fell asleep, woke up feeling refreshed and well rested, had some sweet time hanging out with God, had chai, chapatti, and gatheri for breakfast in town…that night was a tad trying though

2-4-10oddgiftsbeautifultrying

2-4-10
Thursday
15:26

Some things strike me odd, some as gifts, some as incredibly beautiful, some as trying. –Padre, sometimes You give me really annoying and trying times. There is probably a reason for this. Help me to look and pray for the reasons. Help me to learn them. I’m not doing extremely good on my own-
The odd: as I was walking home from town the other day, I ended up meeting the night watchman for a friend’s compound. As we talked, I asked him… (hmm I might be a little ADD, cuz I just got distracted and had fun projecting my beard’s shadow on the wall for the last minute or 2 [there is a heavy rain right now, and the electricity has been out ofr a while {oh, wait, it just turned back on} so I have been writing by flashlight])…(and now, I just had an extended pretend sword fight using my cane… maybe a little ADD)… about his family. He told me how many children he had, then he told me how many wives he had. That struck me odd. He only had 2 wives (I hear 3 is pretty common). I told him that I had 0 wives, and I was going to make a joke about him sharing, and giving me one of his, but I decided against it. He might not have thought it was as funny as I did.
By the way, do yo know what sound makes me feel a little happy? About 50-100 preschoolers chanting “Yetu Timo” (or something like that [“our Timo”]) while surrounding me and holding on to any square inch of arm that they can reach. That’s not bad. I don’t in anyway deserve it, but I am happy to receive it. (owht, no more electricity again) (ah, electricity is back)

1-31-10B the orphanage

1-31-10
Sunday
21:27

Futbol is just so much more fun to watch over here Egypt just beat Ghana in the Africa Cup Of Nations. Sweet game, intense. A couple of minutes after it ended Nancy calls me and just says “did you see the ball?” we both laughed as I said yes. Nothing more needed to be said. Who is Nancy you ask? (you know, I find that I am writing my journals while considering that I will be sending them as e-mails. I’m gunna try to stop) nancy is Evelin’s dauter (in her 20’s I’m pretty sure) (daughter d.a.u.. … wow I spell good) Evelin was the mom of the orphanage in Kipsongo that Benja and Peter sleep/stay. Evelin passed away I think about a year ago. Her last words to Nancy were “take care of the children” (as accurately as I remember what Nancy told me). Because of some reason or another, the little assistance of money support they were getting from America moved to another orphanage. So now, Nancy is working 6 days a week (long days) for not-much an hour. (thank God for her having a job) and tries to support, feed, clothe, care for medically, and council 13 children (7 girls, 6 boys [I think]) (a few are older [15ish + one that is 18], but most are very young). God has sustained them this last year, but the kids need food and clothing. I have 2 coats, they have none {Luke 3:11}. The other needs for the kids are school fees and counseling/teaching about God. Nancy had asked me if sometimes maybe I could come even just to talk to the kids and counsel/teach them (they don’t have parents that can do this, and Nanyc comes home tired from a ling workday and just wants to sleep sometimes.) oh, yeah, and the boys could use a matreess or so (the 6 boys are sleeping in 1 very small room, on the floor, with only 1 thin, bad condition foam mattress. I have 2 coats, they have none

1-31-10prayer eh?

1-31-10
Sunday
15:46

Prayer eh? I was just talking with a man who is in the process of moving to Kitale. He had been here before, but God told him to return home until he learned to pray. I don’t really completely now what that means, but I want to. Yesterday, I visited Jeff and Carla’s baby home/orphanage. Amazing! The miracles God has done, the prayers he has answered. God has a heart for the children. He takes care of the needs of those who are caring for the ones He loves (which is everybody) (but I thin God really likes kids.) right now, I am just waiting for Peter or Benja (street kids) to bring me to there orphanage.

1-29-10schooljailGod

1-29-10
Friday
21:08

-Good Lord, hahaa! You make me laugh; both because of Your sence of humor and because you fill me with joy.- Eiee, so much is happening so fast. There are many changes at the school. Some exciting, and some good, but sad, and some I don’t know. We went to the school today. Wow those kids!... so beautiful, and so happy and excited to see us. I was amazed at how many of the ids remembered my name. every time I heard “Timo” (tEE-mO’) my heart was refilled with happy, content excitement again and again. To see Faith, little Faith, little Esther, so many others. Over the last 2 years, some of them have grown so much that I’m not sure at first if they are who I thin they are. So good to see Susan, Isabel, Gladys, and the rest. I walked away from the school already looking forward to coming back to it again.
So… even as I have been writing this journal entry after my prayer, I have been waiting to write this: after I left the school with Caleb, I met Peter (the kid) in town. We went together to the other jail in town. When we asked about him, we were told that he went to the court that morning. We went to the court, and they said that he was going to be set free after they finished the paperwork at the end of the day. We were directed to where we could see him in his cell in the courthouse. Man, it was good to see him. He was so happy to see me, even on the other side of the cell door. So…as I was waling away with Peter, I told him about my desire to spend time with the two of them, teaching and learning about God and His Word and His Love and His Law. Peter just says “a Bible study? We could meet every week.” He said “this is a very good idea” and later he added “we could meet on Mondays and wednesdays” Holy ngombe (cow)! Wow! Sweet! You want to now another crazy thing? Bob had talked to pastor Peter about the street kids, and Peter said the best thing is to meet regularly with them to talk with them about God and the Word, cuz if you just befriend them and feed them, they will still end up in the same place as they would otherwise. Coincident?...sure.

1-28-10answers

1-28-10
Thur
22:41

I saw Kefa, his wife , and his 5 month old baby boy today (their first baby had gotten sick while I was in Kenya 2 years ago, and died soon after I had left). Kefa said that God had blessed them and wiped away their tears. –Father, when I am in pain, I want to never question Your love for me , and never diminish my love for You. Build and grow me into such a man-
-Lord, keep Benja’s body and heart from harm- One of the things I had a heart to do here is to mentor and teach some of the street kids about truly following Christ and understanding God’s heart and law. I especially had Benja in mind. I was so looking forward to seeing and hugging him. Today, I saw Peter the street kid (Benja’s best friend). Peter told me that Benja (who is 17 I think) has been in jail for a week because a corrupt pastor falsely accursed Benja of threatening him. The only thin I know for sure is that Benja is in jail because of a problem with a pastor. I went to the jail, and after they looked for him several times, they told me he was at a different jail in Kitale. I will try to visit him there tomorrow.
Before I came to Kenya, I prayed that Benja and another man who I love would be put through hard times if that’s what it would take to make their hearts softened enough to grasp for God alone. I didn’t expect to find that both were answered on my first day here. Now is the hard and sad time. I pray that God brings True Full Life out of what now looks only like death –Lord, not for nothing, but it would be nice if You answered some of my prayers in more cheerful ways. I truly thank You for Your answers, but these last couple of weeks have been a little on the rough side. Than You though, cuz I know that You have way better plans than I do-

1-27-10arrival

1-27-10
Wed
21:26 (Kenya time)

“The Lord has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; and the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God (isiah 52:7-10)” {Psalm 18 + 1 Kings 8:27-53 + 1 Kings 9:3 + 1 Cor 3:16} when I arrived in Kitale this afternoon I felt the deep happiness and excitement of returning home. At every street and building, I wanted to tell stories of my memories that happened in and on and around them. I am so excited to see my brother Jared tomorrow! I’m staying with the team (Caleb, Sue Cochette [I should find out how to spell her name], Cindy Love, Bob, and LuAnn) at Karibuni Lodge. I was almost overwhelmed with how nice it is here (by Kenyan standards)(Beautiful too), but I soon felt much more comfortable when all the electricity in the area whent out. My peace and joy were completed wheni was welcomed and embraced by Bob and LuAnn (when LuAnn huggs me she squeses out any doubts or concerns that may be playing in mind at the time.) Then, my peace and Joy were overfilled when Hellen, the flower lady, showed up at the door. She somehow seems even younger than she was 2 years ago. Her smile! The beauty of her smile is more true and constant than the beauty of the roses we bought from her (aa makes shift vase of which are besideme now). She said, someone who does not forgive is someone who has forgotten what Jesus did for them (Mat 18:23-35). I thin that it is only the Love of God that makes her smile. Pastor Peter and Sarah ate with us tonight. It usually inspires me to shut my mouth when Peter or Bob are sharing wisdom or vision. Como se dice sweet!