Prayer Needed for Tabitha & Eli

George's sister, Tabitha, is in need of prayer. She has had chronic throat problems and has been advised to have surgery for a while now. Now it's gotten so bad, surgery is needed right away. We are doing what we can to help her, but feel helpless being in a different country. George may be going to Nairobi to help out. Please pray for healing for Tabitha, funds for the surgery, finding the right hospital and wisdom for us as we decide how to proceed.

Eli is sick too and needs prayer. He has a fever, is vomiting and is lethargic. He tested negative for malaria, so it may be just a stomach bug or virus. We are hopeful it is something simple and are praying it passes soon.

(PS I am feeling much better. Thank you for your prayers!)

Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

I hate being sick! For that past five days, I have been sick and I am so frustrated! What illness in the land of malaria, typhoid and yellow fever has got me so worked up? A cold. Yes, a dumb cold. Most colds I have had go away after a day or two. This one is on day five and is unrelenting! I don't like to be slowed down and inconvenienced by illness. I am miserable and as much as I try to deal with it gracefully, I am afraid I have been a grumpy grumperson. I am pretty tough (I like to think, anyway! I have made it through malaria and natural childbirth so I get a few points, right?!), but this stuffy nose, heavy eyes and head and sneezing have brought me down. Being sick when it's so hot and there is no where to go adds to the misery as well. Along with the cold came swollen lymph nodes so some type of infection is going on too. I long for the days of being able to go to urgent care, doing a throat swab and getting a prescription. Here it's a guessing game and you pick up any medicine at a local pharmacy, no doctors note needed. Oh, and what I wouldn't give for a box of Kleenex with lotion in the tissue. This toilet paper here as rubbed my nose raw. And while I am dreaming... I would just love to lay in bed feeling sorry for myself with a bowl of ice cream... Thrifty's Chocolate Malted Crunch to be exact.

Poor George has been a trooper. He has been so great, covering for me while I have been down. The good news is that my lymph nodes are going down so my neck is less painful. It's a sign I am improving. Hopefully the rest of the cold symptoms will go away tomorrow.

Rant done.

New House Photos (Outside)

Here are a few photos of our new house. For now it's just the outside. Once we get more settled in and unpacked, I'll take photos of the inside.

The front of the house.



Nala looking at the gate from the patio.



Eli having fun exploring the back yard...



And running in the grass in the front



Enjoying a milk break with Dad



This place has lots of big lizards hanging around.



Out back, there is land where we hope to plant a garden and grow our own vegetables.



Across the street (on the other side of the hedges), there is a little duka (shop). So, if we run out of anything, we can just go there.

14 Months

Eli turned 14 months on Saturday. No drastic changes happened this month. He is just learning more and more each day. It's cool to watch him learn new "tricks." He knows certain body parts (eyes, mouth, nose, head, ears, feet, toes, arms, belly, belly button, hands and hair). He copies everything we do and surprises us when he does something we showed him only once. Of course, like all parents, we are convinced Eli is very bright! Here are some photos from this last month.



(He is obsessed with shoes and loves to put on others' shoes, especially George's.)



(Eli is constantly doing things he shouldn't and getting into things and places he shouldn't. Am I mean for taking a photo when he got stuck behind the couch?!)



(This picture contains two things Eli likes a lot - playing with kitchen utensils(in this case, the mortar and pestle) and pulling Nala's ears.)



(We usually walk somewhere everyday.



(I just love him in hats. My mom sent a couple really cute ones recently.)



(He is all boy and loves to get dirty. Much of me wants to say no to playing in the dirt or rocks to avoid getting dirty, but I usually oblige him if it's not hurting him or anybody else.)

Yum

Check this out...



Yep.... it's carne asada fries....in Moshi!

We are friendly with the owners of a coffee shop next to the main grocery store in town. They have a decent Mexican wrap and I thought with a few easy changes, they could offer carne asada fries. They have chips (fries)on the menu already so I suggested they put the contents of the wrap on the fries. They made it for me and the verdict was .... amazing! So they added it as a special on their menu and told me many people have ordered it since. It's no Albertos, but it satisfies my Mexican food craving.

Ministry Updates

Last week, George went to the village we are praying about for the location of the orphanage. He met with government officials who were excited and hopeful about the work we want to do. They told him what we need to do next in order to move forward with plans. We are still praying for the Lord's confirmation and favor as we proceed.

On Sunday, George taught about having a consistent faith. He did a great job. I was very much encouraged as I listened to him. We have been going through some stressful times and it was a good reminder to be faithful to the Lord and trust in God's plans even when we can't see what is coming next.

A few days ago we received two calls that blessed us. The first was from the team we worked with last August in the Kenyan medical camps. They were all together and wanted to say hi. That team was so special and it was wonderful to talk to them again. The Lord has really bonded us even though we only spent a week together. The second call was from the leaders of Africa Harvest of Hope. Although we talk and email frequently, it was still a blessing and God's timing when they called. Alan will be coming with a couple guys in December and we can't wait for their arrival.

Lots going on, but it's good to be busy and see what God is doing.

Moved

Tuesday was moving day for us. We were able to get all moved out of the old house and into the new one in a day. A few people from church helped us out which was a big blessing. They did a lot of the cleaning and entertained Eli so I could help with the move. We are slowly unpacking and getting settled in. Eli has done well with the transition. I will take photos of the new house this week. For now, here is a couple photos of our moving van and crew (aka a pick up truck packed like one of those trucks headed to TJ.). They were able to move everything in three short trips.

Writers Block

I'm sorry I haven't been writing much lately. My mind has just been blocked. I know there is a lot going on, but I haven't been able to put it in words. Right now we are feeling overwhelmed. So much has hit us all at once - ministry work, sickness, finances, moving and other life stuff. When it rains it pours! But, God is faithful. I will try to keep up on my blogging.

One big thing going on is we are moving to a new house. We love our current place, but there were some problems with the house (termites, ceiling falling) that the owner didn't want to fix. So, for a while we have been looking for a new place. Poor George probably saw twenty places! There was a lot to consider - low rent, safe neighborhood, close to town since we walk everywhere, water tank, etc. Finally we found one that met most of our needs. The good thing is it's in our same neighborhood so we can still walk to town and stay close to our neighbors. One big bummer is that it is not furnished (our current place is). Our furniture consists of a fridge, coffee table, Eli's crib and mattresses. Lord willing over time, we can get a bed frame, couch, chairs and a table.

We move in a week and are busy packing and prepping the new house. Once we get settled, we'll take photos.

Newsletter

Orwas Newsletter September 2013