Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Fun surprise, good food, and play time!


God is so good and inspired me with this project! A friend of ours opened a restaurant "hotel" as they call it here in Kenya. The hotel is located in a row of shops where you can't tell what is what! God was like why don't you make a sign for him? I got so excited and could not wait to get started!!😊
I started sketching in my journal and soon had what I wanted for the sign! God you are marvelous!!
Here is the finished product with some royal blue shadowing! Such a fun project!


I wanted to wrap the sign to give it to our friend Francis Kemboi because in Kenya you don't get many gifts except for special occasions like getting engaged or married or the like.
As you can see from his floured right hand he was in the middle of making something when we came in! He was surprised and thankful for a sign for his hotel.
Thank you Jesus for this fun project to put my creativity to use to help someone! 
Zion, Lily, Mercy, Moses, Lucy and Levi came to celebrate the sign going up! We even brought a hammer and nails so we could put it up right away!


Last night Tuesday, February 21, 2017 was special supper night! We have it every Tuesday and Saturday. It is where we change up the supper menu of ugali and cabbage or collard green to eat spaghetti, green grams, and some bread type item like chapati (a flatbread), mandazi (triangle shape sweet fried bread) or pancakes (circular shaped doughnut). We are all so thankful and excited for a change of menu on these days.

Some of us enjoy eating outside!



Some of us prefer to eat inside!

Today: Wednesday, February 22,2017
Here are some of the children that attend our school Grace Family Educational Centre! We have doubled in number of students since last year! God is so good!

Have I told you how much the kids love to push around tires here!? It is a great upper body work out! So many kids here have 6 packs...solid abdomens!



"Take a picture!"

Levi is finally coming around and loving playing with the school kids! They were running all around the field with this rope ... Ends tied together pulling each other around!
So much laughter and fun!

God " will yet fill your mouth with laughter 
And your lips with shouts of joy." Job 8:21

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Happy 2!!

Little Lucy turned 2 this weekend!
One of her favorite things to do is put on her older sister's clothes! She loves Lily's socks and pants!
One of Lucy's favorite morning routines is pointing out pictures in books and saying what animal or thing it is! She has quite the vocabulary!
Lucy and each one in our family got some sweet presents from my parents! Such thoughtfulness!
An awesome new bonnet to protect from the blazing Kenyan sun! From ub2.com
Sweet loving on Baba as he had been away on business for a few days before Lucy's birthday! We are so thankful for his hard work and sweet love!
Sweet new baby from my parents! She loves all the accessories that can with her to dress and feed baby!
Any Mama knows that feeling when it seems the baby is not drinking fast enough! Haha!
Auntie Lily helping with her sister with sweet baby.
All set for a trip with baby!
So that sweet circle bonnet is reversible with a little deer print on the other side!
We visited David's sister, Lydia, yesterday and these two are a year and three days apart! Lucy is a year older but Victor her cousin is almost as tall as she is and definitely weighs more!
 We are thankful for our spunky, adventurous little one!

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Family pictures!

 Salutations from our large family! Thank you for being patient with us as we play catch up and update you on our lives in Kenya! These pictures were from about two and half months ago when everyone was home from school for break! We all had so much fun dressing up and getting ready for family picture day! We pray you enjoy.
Here is our picture of the whole family that also our dog, Rosalind wanted to be in! 
 All the guys starting from the back left- Zion, Hillary, Ian, Alex, Dan, Rashid (our watchman), Vincent
Bottom row- Victor Kirwa, Dennis, Victor, Allan Kipchumba, Gideon, Moses, Levi, Derick and Timothy
All the girls- Lucy, Christine, Winnie A. Sharon, Naomi, Winnie K. Brenda, Ednah (no longer the matron here)
Bottom row- Mercy and Lily
 Alex Korir would love to be an electrical engineer!
 Duncan "Dan" Kibet would like to be a doctor to help sick people in hospitals.
 Hillary Ndoli would like to join the Military.
 Ian Kipyego would like to be an Electrical Engineer.
 Vincent Kipkorir would like to join the Army.
Christine Tsindoli would like to become a doctor.
Naomi Jepchirchir would like to be a banker.
Sharon Jelagat would like to be an Accountant or a Teacher.
Winnie Awino would like to become a professional runner!
Allan Kipchumba wants to  be a Race car Driver
Brenda Kiptoo would like to be fashion designer or a banker.
Gideon Kiplagat would like to be an Engineer.
Dennis Kipkurui would like to be an Engineer
Derick Kiplagat would like to become a Pilot
Moses Kipkoech wants to be a Race car Driver.
Levi Kiptoo would like to be a Train Driver.
Lily Jeruto would like to  be a ballerina or a restaurant worker.
Lucy Jelagat would like to work with animals.
Mercy Jerop would like to be a dancer, singer or a doctor.
Timothy Kipchirchir would love to become a Pilot!
Victor Kirwa wants to be Taxi Driver.
Winnie Kiptoo would like to be an Engineer.
Victor Kiplagat would like to become a doctor.
Rashid Lebo (watchman)
Zion, Lucy, Lily, Levi and Soti
Zion, Moses and Hillary



Winnie K., Winnie A., Naomi, Sharon

Some days there are fights just like all sisters have but they
 have a special bond and love for each other!
Dennis and Alex

Levi, Winnie A. and Lily
Winnie the Pooh cares so much for the younger kids and has such an infectious laugh!
Lily, Brenda and Mercy

Winnie A. and Naomi

Victor Kiplagat

Sharon and Winnie K.

Moses, Levi, Naomi and Mercy

Lily and Winnie K.

Winnie A. and Sharon

Levi, Naomi and Lily

Lily, Winnie K. and Mercy

Kirwa
Always ready to ham it up!
Moses, Winnie A. and Levi

Mercy, Brenda and Lily


Ian, Moses and Hillary

Derick

Levi and Moses

Winnie K. and Winnie A.

Brenda and Sharon

Moses and Lucy taking a selfie!

Kirwa, Naomi, and Victor

Winnie A. and Hillary

Dennis

Winnie K. and Levi

Lily and Mercy

Ian and Kipchumba

Alex and Moses

Winnie K., Ian and Naomi


Brenda, Lily and Sharon

Derick and Winnie K.

Levi, Naomi and Kipchumba

Winnie A.

Brenda and Lily

Winnie A., Sharon, Naomi and Winnie K. 

Mama and Lucy selfie! 
Zion and Soti would like to thank you for your prayers and help through transitions, projects, children heading off to high school, teenage years and just having this big family God blessed us with. God is refining us and growing us. He is challenging us and helping us to fully rely on Him for wisdom, grace and overflowing love.

REMEMBER: No matter what you are doing in your life, whatever season you are in, "God...has put His hand on you for something special." 1 Thessalonians 1:4 (MSG)