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.
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.
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;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;