Kanyipola Cho Update

The cho (outhouse) project is going well. Today they should have the floor and the walls completed. The foondies told us it would only take 5 days to complete. To the right you see the design which was chosen. Considering the intricate architectural features, there may be some cost overruns. The foondies, however, have told us that the project will come in on budget.

This is the same pit that Shane was seen digging in a few posts back. It is shown here with a foundation ready for the floor.

Here the foondies are starting to build the concrete floor.

This is Shane a his best...sleeping in the church as the others work.

Hello from Kenya

Good morning to all our family and friends back home. It is Wednesday morning here which means it is Tuesday evening in Sactown. Want to start off with some good news!! At approximately 8:30 Tuesday evening Samantha Grace Phillips arrived and I am grateful to be blessed with my 9th grandchild. So Mike and Jessica have added a beautiful granddaughter into our lives and I look forward to meeting her when I get back. Yesterday one of the many things we did was go and visit Mama Cecilia to see how she was doing and bring her some food. She was lying in the sun when we got there and stood up on her own to greet us. It is good to see her up and walking this is a big improvement from when we first met her. The pictures you are seeing are of a typical corn grinder in Kenya,  her on her bed and her standing. We took about 75 pounds of corn to be ground and took it to her home. She also has her five grandchildren and her son living with her so this will help them also. The longer we are here the more we learn about the culture. The biggest thing we are becoming aware of is how many people we meet are HIV positive and how many of our new friends have lost loved ones to this disease. We will continue to update you as often as possible and things are going great. The next two weeks are going to be very busy with the things that Boaz and Joseph have planned for us. Thank you for all your prayers.
Your brother in Christ,Shane

A new day in Kenya

Hello family and friends, today was a good day in Kenya with me feeling 100% after being sick for two days from something I must have ate. This morning we went and visited Cecilia and she is improving but has a ways to go. We were then off to Pastor Joseph's church for his feeding program. They normally feed the kids on Monday, Wednesday and Friday but had no food this week until yesterday so they fed the kids today. Rice, beans and a cup of fresh water is what they give the children and I was surprised at how big the portions were and that these little ones could put it all away. It was a joy to see them enjoying life and singing praise songs before they ate. Tabitha is in charge of the feeding program and has gone from living in the dirt to being one of the most involved woman in the church. Her gratitude shines through as I watched her cooking and feeding these kids and loving every minute of it.

Tabitha is wearing the red skirt.

Hard at work digging the new cho.

We were also working on building a cho for Joseph at his church. Last year they told him if he wanted to have school at his building he had to put in a concrete floor, fresh drinking water and a cho(bathroom). He had everything done except the cho but had the twenty foot deep hole dug. So with the help of a few friends we will finish the bathroom before the rain comes and fills the hole with water. It felt good to be working on the cho after having sat on one for two days straight. Tomorrow Rick will will be speaking at Boaz's church and I will be speaking at Samual's church. The house is going good as you will see from Rick's pictures. The trusses are being installed and things are moving along at a good pace. Thank you everyone for your prayers and support.

Your brother in Christ, Shane+

Widow's Harvest, Miwani, Kenya

Shane asked me to post some pictures from our trip to Pastor Joshua's home. Joshua and Abagail run a 25 acre "compound" (as they say here in Kenya) that includes a big farm, primary school and church. I think they also have an orphanage, though I can't say for sure. Shane has the details, but he went home with a sick tummy...ahhh. So, even though I was there, I didn't really pay attention. These photos are from his camera, so don't blame me...

This is the church...

...and this is Pastor Joshua's house.

Housing update from the Chemelil Baptist compound

It's Thursday and I'm back at the Chemelil Baptist compound after spending yesterday scouting the "Widow's Harvest" in Miwani for another mission team in April. The work on Boaz's house is moving along well, and it is my professional opinion that it will be 99% done when it is our time to leave (February 15th.) So, as an update to you I have a few photos of the "crew" building trusses for the roof structure.

This is Pastor Samuel, our builder commenting to one of his carpenters about the wood. Please note how straight and uniform the boards are...he shouldn't be complaining, this seems to be the standard here.

The crew assembling the roof trusses...

Building trusses, with, yes that's right, a hand saw!












Well it looks like lunch and I have to sign off...I wonder what it might be, chicken?

Three days, two funerals...

Since Saturday we have attended two funerals. One for a 15 year old girl who committed suicide and the other for a woman from Chemelil. Luo funerals are very different then the typical one in America (at least the ones I've attended.) They are very lively, and seem to me much like a church revival meeting. There is music, singing, dancing, testimonies and preaching. Both funerals were at the grave site which was beside the home. Burial at the home is also a common Luo practice.

Every funeral requires a government official to be present. That could be anything from an MP (member of Parliament) down to a local chief. The funeral on Sunday had a chief, a county officer and the provincial Governor.The provincial Governor is shown in this photo. All of these men were "long winded" and the last one was cut off by the band starting to play. That was a polite way of ending the campaigning (elections are soon.)

Here is Pastor Boaz praying over the coffin (bottom center) as it is being placed into the grave. I have never been to a funeral where they actually lowered the coffin into the ground and buried it...this was erry to say the least. As the coffin was being buried the mood quickly changed and women began to wail loudly and passionately as they ran from the grave. I will not forget this experience!

Although I was told that I could photograph the funeral activities, and I did some, I felt uneasy about it. I am sure there will be several more during our stay (we have 3 weeks left.)

Your servant...and blogmeister

There have been several requests for a photo of me...maybe to prove I am actually here? Trust me I am here (he says slapping another mosquito)...working as you see in this pic, in front of Boaz's house...or as I am now on my bed under a mosquito net. After going over many photos of me here in Kenya I have agreed to upload this one. Most of them create an optical illusion which makes my head look small and my body look big (Shane says that's no illussion.)

So now you have proof...but usually I am behind the point and shoot camera documenting our safari.

Oh, yeah, Tabitha called Shane her "huge" elephant, not her "big" elephant.