Thursday, July 29 - Dear faithful prayer warriors, the team is back in Nairobi at the cooperative college guest house, after two amazingly wonderful days on Safari! Thank you so much for your prayers against motion sickness...none of our team members experienced any motion sickness, even Vicki! Robyn shared Vicki was prepared with motion sickness patches, but we give credit to the Living God! This is especially wonderful, because the planes aren't very big to begin with (maybe 75 - 100 seaters, -ish). Robyn shared that the plane they took on the way back from Safari literally sat 12 people!!
The team had a wonderful time out on the Masai Mara. They saw all of the "Big 5" animals except the rhinocerus (the "Big 5" are - lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffalo). The leopard and the rhino are very rare, and last year our guide said he hadn't seen a rhino in three months. We did get to see her last year, and she had a baby with her! This year the team's driver took them very close to the leopard (still a safe distance, don't worry), breaking the "rules" to do so. The leopard was up in a tree, and had that morning's kill up in the tree with it. Robyn said it was amazing!
They visited a Masai village, where they got a lot of sun. They walked all through the village, and when it was time to head back to the lodge, many Masai women walked with them. What an experience!! Now I'm going to teach you the one Masai word I know...it's actually the name of a butte lining one edge of the Masai Mara, and I asked our Masai guide last year, Nicholas, its name. It's fun to say! "Olololo" (pronounced "Oh-low-low-low". Isn't that fun to say? :o) It means, "zig zag", or "Wavy", because the butte is long and forms a wavy zig zag. I walked around the lodge last year saying it over and over. Ok so I'm weird. I was a Languages major at University, so these things delight me :o)
Robyn said they spent way too much money in the Masai village, but that they're loaded with treasures they can't wait to show everyone back home! Now the biggest challenge is how to get everything they've got to fit into their bags to come back home! They're not able to use carryon bags - they've got to put those inside checked luggage, because otherwise Ethiopia airlines wants to charge them $150 per carryon. So, pray for creativity in packing, and for everything to arrive undamaged (we all know how rough baggage handlers can be...)
Tomorrow, they will head over to GCC Langata and spend the morning with the kids, one last chance to love them and speak words of life to them until the next time we return to Kenya. I say "we" because I'm not missing the next one!! We always need men on the team, because the Nakuru & Langata boys need male role models. So if you feel God tugging at your heart, whether you're a man or a woman, after reading these blogs, I encourage you to put feet to your faith and sign up for the team next time we go (which will probably be in 2012). If God is calling you, He WILL provide. Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase. You will be stretched and grown beyond your wildest expectations, and you will never be the same again.
Tomorrow after spending some time with the kids the team will have lunch at the Java House, an American-style cafe where they can have hamburgers and milkshakes, then they will head over to the airport for the long journey home.
Pray for amazing sleep tonight, an annointed and blessed time with the kids tomorrow, that the kids will know how precious they are to Jesus through the love our team lavishes on them. Pray for no indigestion or other digestion problems with lunch tomorrow, as they've been eating Kenyan food for two weeks and they're about to get on a plane, so American food could potentially be a shock to their systems...pray for good digestion! Pray for safety as they arrive at the airport and safety during their flights. Pray for favor with the Ethiopian airport officials who will be handling their luggage.
Elizabeth and Robyn asked me to pass along that both of their cell phones are dead, as they didn't bring their chargers. Lynn, I got your message and yes I will definitely post plane arrival information on the blog tomorrow, as I don't have that information here with me today.
Bobby, I think it's safe to expect to discover a baby or two in Vicki's suitcase, if she's successful in hiding them there :o) Just kidding, but I think Robyn will be checking her suitcases just in case :o)
Tomorrow's blog will be my last, but will be very short with only arrival information as today's phone call with Robyn was our final call. It has been my very great pleasure to share team updates with you, praying with you on behalf of our team and our precious kids in Kenya. Please continue to pray for Kenya as you feel led. Pray for the upcoming constitution, that the expected rioting and violence will not even happen, that the change will occur peacefully. Pray for the people living in the different slums in Kenya, especially the women and children - for their protection and provision, and that God would raise up His mighty warriors and His hands and feet to care for these precious people. Pray for abundant provision for Christian Ministries in Africa, that God would continue providing all their needs on behalf of the precious children He has brought to CMIA, and on behalf of the church planting and school planting that has been birthed from CMIA's ministry.
May God richly and abundantly bless You for your obedience to Him.
Much love in the Lord Jesus Christ,
Tara
206-406-9604
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