Saturday, February 15, 2014

Midterm , Winter Storms, Raspberries and Protests


Hello everyone,

We wanted to drop you all a note to let you know that we are praying for you all as you endure this harsh winter and the hardships that it has brought your way. We have been following the storms, your posts and tweets and we are glad to be missing the weather but it also brings back thoughts of how much we miss you all.
                                                                   

We have reached the mid-term break of term two here at RVA. This second term is compacted into 11 weeks of rock-n-roll action. We will bring you a few of the highlights:
                        
                                                    Dorm Birthday
Second Term the girls all returned healthy and with a better understanding of what is expected from junior high students. This has led to a more harmonious dorm-life where they have settled into their dorm responsibilities and school work with more determination. Second term also means SOCCER season for the girls and they were all so excited to play!
Uncle Steve cheers the girls on!
 
Second term also means teaching Sunday school for Janine and I. We currently have 14 boys in our class and we are enjoying getting to know them as we teach the Armor of God.
                                                     Sunday School Class

Second term also means BANQUET for Julia. The junior class is busily preparing to host the seniors for what is the biggest event of the year! All students in the junior and senior classes will attend after they walk-up through the campus to the delight of all the remaining students and the entire staff. We will be sure to post pictures of Julia’s big night shortly after.
                                                    Julia and friends

Second term brings more freedom for Janine as she is more comfortable with driving here now and can go to town with the ladies and enjoy some time with them.

Second Term brings INTERIM TRIPS. The junior and senior classes are led by staff members on trips to explore different areas of Africa as well as different cultures. These trips take place just a month from now. Julia will be heading to Zanzibar to see this coastal part of Tanzania. She will experience the life of those who live by the sea as well as the Muslim culture that is well established there.  Pray for Julia and those on her trip that they will experience this culture and come away with a heart to reach these people for God’s Kingdom.

As a staff leader, I will take 11 students and two other staff members on a cross country drive to Uganda. The trip will take approximately twelve to thirteen hours if we have no problems. We will work with missionaries there as we experience there ministries to the Ugandan people. We will spend two days on an island in the center of Lake Victoria ministering alongside the staff of a Ugandan school located there. Lastly, we will experience the Nile river by rafting the four star rapids. Pray we all remain healthy as malaria is prominent here and that there are no substantial injuries from our rafting excursion. Pray also that we all experience the powerful ministries of our host missionaries and come away with a global perspective of God’s plan for this continent.
Second term also means raspberries and strawberries! The local farmers export their fruits to Europe. There problem is they cannot pick the fruits fast enough to guarantee a shelf life of 7 days so that they can be exported. We are more than happy to assist with that problem as they donate hundreds of pounds of fresh fruit weekly to our school. We are  becoming experts in preserving and altering recipes to utilize this bounty.
Second term has also brought heighted security alerts and protests to Kenya. The heightened security alerts are courtesy of our own American Intel warning the Kenyans that further terrorist attacks are imminent! Security in all public places has been increased especially at the airport where an IED has previously been deployed. The Kenyans are protesting publicly due to a higher cost of living and what they believe to be a lack of representation in government. Sound familiar?

We are now counting down the days until Lizzy returns! She will arrive back in Nairobi on May 10th. We are excited to have her return for an extended stay!

Well that concludes our mid-term update.
 
 “The Lord bless you and keep you;
 the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
 

 Steve, Janine Julia and Lizzy too.