Zeba 2012 Thursday

Evening all,

    Its been a pretty packed week for all of us up here.  We had a very successful week of VBC and some sad good byes today between all the kids.  Tuesday we climbed up Falls River Fall and went up to Copper Harbor for an evening of shopping and fish cookout. Wednesday we stopped by the local Indian Cemetery and learned a little more about the local history, held our 2012 Zebalympics and had our traditional camp fire and "talent" show.  Today after our final day of VBC we went cliff jumping-- no worries it is only about 10 feet high and we always send Bob first :).  This evening we are attending the local pre-jamboree Jamboree, and listening to the locals perform Finnish folk music.

 

The youngins have been pretty tired out each night but are very excited for Mackinac Island tomorrow.

Zeba 2012 Monday

Afternoon parents and followers, now that we have established a strong internet connection we'll catch  you up on recent events.  After arriving safe and sound Saturday night the troops were roused early Sunday morning to attend church at the L'Anse methodist church.  We spent the afternoon splashing in lake Superior and planning for Mondays VBC.  It has been a little cloudy so no sign of the Northern Lights yet.

 

This morning we started our first day of VBC, the kids, young and old, had a great time. We have stopped at our usual spot for lunch, exploring the town and in a little bit adventuring up the river. 

 

We'll let you all know how the rest of the day goes tomorrow when we once again have internet.

Wesley Students in Chicago

Hi Friends,

Greetings from the not-so-windy city, where the weather has been amazingly nice for this Spring Break Service Project. All and all, things are going very very well here. I have a few minutes with a laptop and access to the internet so I thought I would just check in. The team really has become a team and there is a great spirit in the group. The folks at Lincoln UMC and La Familia Latina Unida (immigration advocacy and ministry with immigrant families) have been extraordinarily welcoming to us. (Among other things, amazing worship and food.) Today the students and I worked on the Lincoln Church as well as aiding in the GED and ESL programs. Yesterday following service we had two families with a family member fighting deportation share some very heartbreaking stories. We have learned a lot about related issues in these first three days and had a variety of eye-opening experiences. Many stories to share after we return.

Gotta run, but continue to keep us in prayer.

Love & peace, Bob

Kenya: Thursday, Afternoon

Dear Family and Friends,

Greetings on this beautiful Thursday afternoon in Kenya!

Our days and evenings have been quite full and blessed with many opportunities to connect with our Kenyan brothers and sisters. In addition to our daily schedule of visiting BLISS and the primary schools, we spent Tuesday evening at the Kithoka Amani Children's Home. It was an inspiring evening with Dr. Karambu and the 25 children there. We learned much about their efforts to improve the plight of women and children in Kenya, and her very thoughtful approach to peace and justice in the world we live. This was one of many highlights on the trip.

We celebrated Ash Wednesday at Mwanika Church with Rev Agnes their current pastor. She kindly spoke in both English and Kimeru in a very meaningful worship service including ashes and communion. Drew assisted in communion and shared a special greeting and reflection.

There have been many opportunities to get to know the students and teachers. There was even an opportunity to explore cultural differences and lifestyle choices with BLISS students in a small group setting.

Each morning we participated in morning prayers at a different school with different youth from our team sharing. We enjoyed hearing the Kenyan students sing and share a devotion also. We also sang as a group for the students and were better this morning than earlier in the week.

The week has gone by quickly! We are all feeling blessed to be here. There is much exciting progress to report. I will keep this short as the Internet connection is intermittent and cranky.

Know that we are all well, think of you often and appreciate your prayers deeply.

God is good all the time. And all the time God is good!

For the rest of the team,
Gary

Kenyan Mission: Monday, February 20

Dear Family and Friends,

Another beautiful and amazing day in Kenya was filled many blessings and learnings!

Today was our first day of being in service at BLISS and Kithoka Primary and Gichunge Primary Schools. Our day began with school devotions at BLISS with the BLISS band greeting us, followed by words of greetings and welcome from principal Moses. The Kenyan students shared a devotion. Then Lydia Kline and Rachel Metz from our team shared words of devotion and their interests. It was a wonderful time to be together.

Some of the team stayed at BLISS and were introduced to the teachers. Team members were matched by interests and then planning for the week began. One team was sent to each of Kithoka Primary and Gichunge Primary Schools. Crafts, stories and music were shared with a classroom of primary students at a time. Scissors and craft projects were a new experience for most of the students. There were many smiling faces! Building relationships with these schools in this way provide an avenue to understanding the goals and needs of the schools and children.

There was electricity at BLISS today! Monday is typically power grid maintenance day, which means no electricity. Not today. So computer lessons were taught to many eager students. Other classes were visited by team members to understand Kenyan teaching styles and curriculum.

Band music lessons were taught by Jerry Robbins and several team members. The band received the attention of so many capable musicians on our team today. There was much excitement and energy.

All in all, it was full day. We had a wonderful dinner at Thiiri Center this evening, followed by a time of devotions and small group dialog.

Again, I must say everyone here would agree that we learned more from our Kenyan sisters and brothers than we provided them. It's really not possible to communicate the depth of new and meaningful friendships that were started or renewed today. If a map were created of connections and relationships today, it would show an amazing image.

Everyone is doing fine. and There is not much time to write email, so don't be concerned if you don't hear from someone individually. They know I am writing for them.

Even though poverty here is acute, there is an amazing human spirit and God's presence that is witnessed by each one of us. We have been moved deeply today.

You are in our thoughts and prayers! We have deeply appreciated your prayers and support.

God is good ALL the time and ALL the time God is good!

On behalf of everyone here,
Gary

Note: If the Internet connection is working, you will receive this in a timely manner. If it is postdated that is why.

Greetings from Kenya on Sunday, February 19

Greetings from Kenya on this beautiful sunny Sunday that the Lord has made! 

We have just returned from Mwanika Church and the dedication of the Church Hall. It was a combined Sunday worship and dedication ceremony. Many choirs sang, including the Ann Arbor choir (smile), hymns sang, and all the many contributions to the church hall were recognized. Rev Drew preached with Kimeru translation provided by Moses. The message was well received and drew applause several times. His message that it's important to learn from children in addition to teaching them.  The service was overflowing (~600) and followed by a church dinner. A dedication plaque was unveiled and listed the 7chapters (neighborhoods) of Mwanika, including Ann Arbor. It was humbling to be recognized as part of their church. 

We were there about 5 hours! We were GREATLY blessed today!!

Yesterday we journeyed from Nairobi to Meru and had a pleasant drive enjoying the beautiful countryside after leaving the congested roads of Nairobi. Kenyan drivers  are quite creative on the road, the driving we witnessed in Nairobi was both thrilling and amusing. We were so glad to be in the hands of experienced Kenyan drivers. It's good to have a sense of humor also. Lunch was at the Trout Tree restaurant in Nanyuki. Colombus monkeys were overhead in the trees, and trout were being raised in the ponds below. 

We have a FULL day. It is now after 8 PM and have devotions and group time. Everyone should sleep well. We are excited about our first day at Bishop Lawi Imathiu Secondary School (BLISS) in the morning. The school principal, Moses,  spent some time with us this evening in preparation.

The Internet connection has not been very reliable today. My email to you was lost in cyberspace when there was a network issue. I will continue to write as time and the Internet connection permits. 

Everyone here sends their greetings and love. 

God is good all the time. And all the time God is good.

On behalf of the Mission Team,

Gary

Greetings from Kenya

Dear Family and Friends of The FUMC Kenya Mission,

Greetings from Kenya! We have arrived safely and in good spirits. Our flights arrived early, though airport processing was slow, all of our luggage and 34 tubs and duffels of mission supplies arrived with us intact and without customs duty. We are thankful to be here and to represent our church as ambassadors of Christ.

We arrived at the Methodist Guest House by 11PM last night. We are meeting for breakfast at 7 AM and will begin our journey to Meru by vans at 8:39 AM. We should arrive at the Thiiri Center in Meru by late afternoon.

It's almost time for breakfast. So I will write more later.

God is good all the time and All the time God is good.

On behalf of our Your Kenya Mission Team,
Gary

Kenya Mission Updates

Jambo! (Hello) Family and Friends of the Kenya Mission Team,

Your name has been added to this distribution list by yourself or a member of the Mission Team. The purpose of this email list is to keep you informed of the journey of this year's team while in Kenya.

This particular message is being sent to test the list for address errors. Future emails will provide details of the Mission Trip itself.

Keep us in your prayers!