As was mentioned in the previous blog, Christine, Omar and the boys were here for the first week of the term. One of the things they wanted to do before leaving Kenya was climb to the top of a dormant volcano, Mt. Longonot, that is a few kilometers from RVA. I invited John Karanja, who works with me in the Arcade along with his son to join us for the climb. His son Earnest is close to the boys' ages and they became good friends during the climb. Debbie stayed at home to nurse her back which is gradually improving every day. She still is not up to par and covets your prayers.
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| At the rim of the volcano |
Most to the girls in the dorm have heard back and been accepted at various colleges. I know at least two or three students who will probably be attending Houghton and also Wheaton. This has been an anxious time for them as they make choices and decisions about their futures. Many of the students have lived in Africa for most of their lives and will transition into what is really a foreign culture to them in the States. Please pray as they make choices about which college to attend, and that leaving their families and homes here in Africa will be an easy transition for them and also for their parents.
Once again I am involved with teaching one of the tenth grade boys Sunday School classes.We had an Iron Man competition between several of the tenth and ninth grade classes. It was great fun for the boys as well as lessons in teamwork.
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| Pulling a bus up hill |
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| One on one combat |
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| Trying to go through a spider web without touching |
On another weekend we took the boys for a service project and camp out with a Maasai community. The boys put in a very hard day of work in the sun to lay a cement floor for a Maasai school building. This included breaking up stones with sledge hammers, mixing all the cement on the ground by hand and even carrying some of the water by hand. After working we traveled to the campsite on Maasai land where the local tribe's families prepared a meal for them. We camped out on the ground with the hyenas coming near during the night to investigate. In the morning we were again fed chai and Mandazi.
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| Mixing cement |
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| Goat for dinner |
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| Inflating goat lungs |
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| Examining the goat head before cooking it. |
Our dorm girls have had a very busy first part of the second term also. Besides applying and interviewing for colleges, they have been preparing for one of the big events of the year, and that is Junior-Senior Banquet. The boys asking the girls turns into a very big production and very unique invitations. This usually means flowers, singing, entertainment, dinners by moonlight, light stick decorated trees, and the list goes on. It is a great time for all and this year the invitations were strung out over a couple of weeks. In any case, the dresses have been bought or sewn and inspected, and the Juniors and their parents have completed the decorations of the banquet site; corsages are being made and the banquet will take place this Friday. We will try to have pictures on the next blog.
Debbie and I took our dorm girls, including some of the station girls who hang out here all the time, to a swimming outing in a nearby resort called Enashipai on Lake Naivasha. All the girls seemed to have a great time swimming and eating at the poolside restaurant.
During midterm Debbie chilled out with one our dorm girls who remained on campus and I went camping and trout fishing with two other staff members in one of the local National parks.
Kenyan elections will be coming up in March. Please continue to pray for peaceful elections for the Kenyan people. Also pray for one of the students whose father has had a heart attack and is in serious condition. Pray for God's healing and peace for the family. She is flying out to see him today. As always we covet your prayers that the Lord will use us as we serve here and seek support to stay another year.
