Wednesday 4 June 2014

Our time in the bush bush


Lukas and Bethany leading song and dance at the Pokot kids’ camp
Bethany writes: The first week in Pokot was amazing!  We did the kids camp which took 110% of our energy.  There turned out to be 600 kids and 100 youth (plus an unknown amount of women who came along with the kids), instead of the 400 we estimated.  Things were constantly changing so we had to remain, "flexible, but stable" as Joram (the Kenya DTS leader) says.  Many of the kids accepted Jesus and were really touched!  I was helping with the song/dance station which was really fun!  We got to write Pokot songs to teach the kids, and we could hear the kids singing them 24/7 (literally)!

Here’s a video of our celebration at the end of the camp:


The second week we went to another area of Pokot.  It was extremely dry and hot so it was difficult to do things during the day.  Several people felt sick and so survival was a bit of a struggle in and of itself.  However we were still able to minister to the local people through preaching to them at the well, evangelizing at the market, visiting the chief's house, showing the Jesus film, etc.  I had an unforgettably amazing 20th birthday this week!
Women listening to the Pokot audio Bible that we brought with us
Bethany’s birthday
Hagin, our Kenyan teammate, praying for rain in dry river beds 
Local Pokot people at the well

The third week we had a change of plan and had to leave Pokot for various reasons.  We went to a town near Kisumu where we stayed with Paul (our leader/guide/programmer from the base) and his family.  We did door to door evangelism, went to pray for people in a hospital, and ministered at a couple different schools.
Our idyllic surroundings at Paul’s family home. We had to cross this river on stepping stones every time we went into town. 

Kids at one of the primary schools we visited

The luscious green of Paul’s town was accompanied by lots and lots of mud
Finally, last week we went to the beautiful Maasai Mara.  We did door to door evangelism, preached in church, preached in the local villages, and ministered at a school.  We also got to go on safari, and see lots of cool animals! 
Kimie with some Masai women at a traditional “boma” (village)

Lukas on his birthday with Wilson, our Masai safari guide

Spotted

A family we visited in the village where we stayed

Monday 2 June 2014

From camping in the Kenyan bush to camping the English to a house of our own in Cambridge

Sorry for the lack of promised updates. We arrived back in the country on Friday afternoon after spending an unplanned, but delicious, lunchtime in Charles deGaulle airport. From Heathrow we we're whisked off to Nuneaton where we spent two nights camping at the YWAM England gathering at the King's Lodge. I think we all found it spiritually refreshing and were challenged by Mariette Lowe's direct teaching on being dependent on God ( the 80s disco and gourmet food were also much appreciated ;) ). Now we're back in Cambridge, blessed to be staying in the Rudducks' gorgeous Oak Villa in Madingley.
Thanks again so much for your support and prayers during our time away and stay posted for more stories and photos of our time in the bush.