CAN YOU GUESS HOW MUCH IT COSTS?

We thought it would be fun to have a little contest for you the reader.   We have posted several pictures of things from Nairobi that are similar to what can be purchased in the USA.  The difference is the cost of the following items which are relative to availability and resources of the country of Kenya.

The winner(s) who is closest to the actual cost of any of the items will receive a small prize from us.   We will disclose the winner(s) several weeks from now.

Oh yeah, this competition excludes those who currently live in Kenya (aka: missionaries, former missionaries, students/interns) or those who have may have visited Kenya past or present.   :)

Item #1:

Coffee

Item #2

2012 Toyota Prado

Item # 3

1/2 gallon of milk

Item # 4

1996 Toyota Forerunner

Item #5

Family Size Box of Rice Krispies Cereal

Item #6

2007 Hard Top Land Cruiser

Item #7

18 cubic feet LG Refrigerator


Item #8

A generic brand 2 slot Toaster

You may submit your guesses in the comment section below this post.

Happy Guessing!!

Home!!

We arrived home safe and sound!!  All flights went very well!!   We are glad to be back home and reunited with our kids who missed us but did just fine in our absence!  Thank you to all who were praying for our family!   We will post more later, but for now...time to go to bed!!  Its been a LONG day!  :)  

Greetings from Sunny Kenya

We are doing well!   We want to give a brief update on what we have been doing over these last six days.

First of all, we have been enjoying the warm sunny weather here in Kenya.  It has been averaging about 70-75 deg every day.  A very welcome break from the winter and cold.  That’s been nice!

All our travel/flights to Kenya went very well.  It was actually very relaxing traveling with only ourselves and not 20+ other people!  :)

Upon arrival, we were met at the airport by Dan Germo and Jason Witt, our future team leader and colleague.  After gathering our belongings we headed to the Germo home where we will be their houseguest for the next two weeks.

Much of what we have done throughout each day involves time and traveling.  The time to do either the errands, kids school and activity pickups/dropoffs, groceries, meetings with various individuals, or just getting from place to place takes time.  Interestingly enough, what would really irritate us in the states - like having to wait for things which then seems like such an inconvenience.  But here in Kenya, you really come to expect and accept that is just the way of life here and you either go with it and be flexible or you will become an extremely irritated person.

The positive of that is that it has afforded us many opportunities to talk, to share, to ask questions and to work through the schedule of topics that we have and helping us to prepare for our life changing move to Kenya.

So far, we have had the opportunity tour the school our kids will be attending next fall and to meet with staff and start the enrollment process for our kids, “window shopping” and price comparison for vehicles, furnishings, and basic setup necessities, eating multicultural foods such as Chinese, Ethiopian, Australian, and Kenyan, attending church service at Madaraka (and yes Tim and I were asked to give a customary greeting from our church), attended an international Mom’s in Touch meeting,  and many more day to day stuff.

We’ve also had several meetings to specifically discuss topics everything from how to shop/cook, care for a family, to immediate arrival set up details, expectations, culture shock and adaptation for our family, balance in personal expectations and for us as a family, to safety protocols.  Tonight we will have our first official team meeting where we will all get the opportunity to get to know each other and to begin building that dynamic and function as a team!  Later this week we hope to walk through a few houses to get an idea of where we want to live and what would fit the needs of our family.

The realization that life will dramatically change for us in so many ways has hit us in so many ways and at various times.  Our emotions are varied and rise and dip in waves, as I’m sure that this is just only the beginning.  Our emotions and feelings will change on a consistent basis and fail us every time.  But one thing has not changed and that is the knowledge that we are EXACTLY where God wants us to be.   And that God will remain FAITHFUL to us.  He promises do what He says He will do and for that we will cling to and trust Him at all times!!

We are extremely grateful for the Germo’s, the Witts and the rest of our team for the wisdom they are and will continue to impart, modeling grace, living by example, and sharing their life and ministry experiences, good and bad with us.  We know that they will be there to help us through the adjustment, through the mistakes we make all the while also allowing us to grow and learn at the same time too!   

Thank you our prayer and financial support team for enabling us to do this!!  We cannot even begin to do this on our own!!  We know and feel your prayers and so greatly appreciate your support and encouragement!  Keep it up!!!

Please also continue to keep us in your prayers as this next year will be full of many changes, challenges, and victories.

 Our next post will be fun for you the reader!   So, keep checking in and hopefully you all will enjoy the little “competition” we have coming up!

Blessings!!

“Up, Up and Away!!”

Tomorrow, Tim and I will be getting on a plane and flying to Kenya!! We are embarking on a two week survey trip to prepare for our family to move to Kenya, come this summer, Lord willing!    

Some things we hope to accomplish are: looking for a potential home to rent, “window shopping” for furnishings, necessities to set up a home, looking at vehicle options, visiting the school in which our kids will be attending (West Nairobi School) and meeting teachers, staff and getting them enrolled for the upcoming school year. We will also spend time with our team leaders, Dan and Nancy Germo defining and developing our ministry plan, finalizing our budget and beginning to orient our lives for when we hit the ground and begin ministering and living in Kenya. We will post throughout our trip over the next two weeks, and maybe even a few pictures too!   

Several prayer requests during this time would be:

1. For our children as they remain back here in the states, under the care of several friends and their grandmother.  Please keep our kids in your prayers.  Specifically for their physical protection and health, peace while mom and dad are gone, no fear or worries, harmony amongst each other, and God would begin to fill them with dreams, ideas and to reveal His plan for their lives.   
 
2. For us as we "see" Kenya through different eyes, this time around.   It is definitely won’t be the type of trips we have taken previously over these past 13 years. We believe and are confident that God is preparing the way for us, every step of the way.  

3. We covet your prayers as we continue to make important decisions, especially in regards to our new life there. We want God’s wisdom, His direction, His leading, His guidance and to be filled and equipped to do what He has called us to do!   


Thank you for your faithful prayers and support!  We are blessed by you!   

Blessings!

One Drawer At A Time

    Recently, I was cleaning out our junk drawer (you know, the one where everything goes into it, when you don't know where to put them).  My husband, asked me what I was doing and I replied: 

"I'm cleaning and sorting.  

One drawer at a time!"   

Several days later, a friend asked me, "How does a family of six, moving half-way around the world, ever begin to know what to pack or how to even start?"    

My response was: 
"One drawer at a time!"

   Moving down the street, across town, or even out of state seems fairly straightforward. Not too much thought has to go into it other than making sure you pack everything in a somewhat organized manner.  Then pack up the moving truck and move forward with your new life, with little to moderate changes to location, routines or schedules, friendships, etc...   

We KNOW!!  

We've moved at least 7 times throughout the course of our married life!

   Obviously, each time the packing and moving process took longer as our family expanded and as did our belongings and possessions.  Always asking ourselves that one question: "How come we have so much "crap"?  And WHY do we keep moving it from place to place???!!

   But what if you had to sort through all your wordly belongings, memory keepsakes, those things that you hold on to -  some dear and not so dear.  Having to make decisions as to the future outcome of those possessions.  Which box do they go in?  Give away, sell, long term storage, short-term storage, and take with .   

   Ok, so then throw in the element of not only are you moving, but the home to which you are moving to is totally opposite of what you have ever known especially when it comes to functioning in daily life and living requirements.  It has some similarities, as we tell our kids.  But lets face it...it will be different.  Anything from driving on the left hand side of the road - from the rightside of the car, different way of doing normal routines, different culture, different language, different currency, different electrical challenges, remembering not to drink the water from the tap, or to always lock your car doors as soon as you get in the car, to sitting in traffic for maybe hours at a time just to go 5 miles down the road.   All these things are not bad in anyway, just different.   

   Now, take it to the next level.  You are not simply packing your physical belongings.  You are beginning to "pack up" your emotional, spiritual, relational and psychological "belongings".  Which box do they go in?  It would seem to be so easy if you could sort them the same way that you do your physical stuff:  Sell, give away, long- term storage, short-term storage and immediate -take with.

   However, it doesn't work that way.  Sorting through the latter aspects, is perhaps the hardest part of the journey.  I can't exactly say that sorting through our life possessions is a walk in the park by any means.  There's a lot to go through!  And most days it seems quite daunting of a task and very overwhelming.  Then other days, its easy to face and to look at it as "It's only "stuff".  Things that eventually will fade away .  

 Matthew 6:19  says, " Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth 

where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.  

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "

   
   A couple years ago, I had written a post for our missions blog entitled "Before you pack your bags, prepare your heart to go"

Here is an excerpt from that:

"Often times, in the course of the preparation journey, I find myself getting quickly sidetracked and focused in on the organization end of it and while we can develop the game plan, carry out the ministry and travel logistics and what it is we will do; we, myself included, fail to prepare our hearts for what God wants to do in and through us. The challenge is to prepare our hearts so that we can:

1. serve in the most God-honoring way

2. to go as a humble servant

3. to go with basic cross cultural sensitivity

4. to go ready to be a team player

5. to go expecting God to change you.

...To prepare ourselves to go and ready to give God our very best. We will face obstacles, we will face spiritual warfare. We will battle against our flesh. The call has gone out....now, we know that before we pack our bags, We must prepare our hearts to go!!!" 

   So when we find ourselves beginning to question the sanity of it all.  While those "belongings" and details are all so important and necessary - emotional, spiritual, psychological, relational, and yes, even physical.  Before we pack our bags, or clean out another drawer;  We will prepare our hearts to go!!

Hear

Emotions

Always Obey

Respond

Trust

Prayer

Rest

Embraced

Peace

Aim for the Prize

Renewed

Emotions, Relations, Hearts, Spirits, Wills