Fifteen!!!

Me at 18 months
what a cutie!! 

My birthday was the 26th of March! I awoke with the most wonderful aroma you could ever smell...That's Right...Coffee!!! My daddy made me delicious pancakes and coffee for breakfast!! After breakfast we played a few games Settlers of Cattan, I won once!!! :o)  For supper I had enchiladas and caramel popcorn made by Emily! The next morning we went into Nairobi. First Mama and Emily got haircuts and then we went to the Village Market (a Mall) and window shopped! After that we went to a new restaurant, called Big Square. Wowzers, are those Hamburgers big! Then Home to play two more games of Settlers of Cattan! About time for prayer meeting, everyone grab your Bible! I found it such a blessing to end my birthday praying!  
By Sara Anne   

two soapstone hippos I got for my birthday

the front of the card that Winnie Rains made for me

the inside of the card

the back of the card

the card Suzy Rain made for me
don't you love the spelling of my name, Sahra 

The Midnight Drama

Kwanza, the overzealous protector

If asked whether or not we have any animals? I would tell you that we have two of the most adorable puppies... I mean viscous, mean, canines who won't let anyone get pass them... I hope. We keep dogs for security purposes (as we are informed by our dear and beloved father). We have called our dogs, puppies, since we got them and this name does not signify their size, our dogs happen to be pure African mutts (a mixture of German shepherd and another few things that we are not sure of).
 The other night I was rudely awaken by the hiss of a cat and the thunderous reply of two dogs who objected to having a cat on the wall of our back yard. It is not unusual for dogs to hate cats and I'm afraid ours are no exception. Twice we have found dead cats in the yard and once we had to rescue a cat from the clutches of the dogs. It being midnight and it being right outside my window I was the most concerned. I lay in bed praying that they would quiet down... they didn't. Soon dad came in to see what the dogs were up to. He even went outside to check out the back wall, but we could see nothing. So with admonitions to the dogs to be quiet, Dad went back to bed. So there I was waiting for the dogs to be quite. Finally while I was looking out the window I saw a cat scurry across the wall and into the neighbors yard. So peace finally came.
By Emily Swain

Kelele, the handsome dope

Kwanza

Kenyans

Silly Boys

This post is meant to give you an idea about what Kenyans are like.
Kenyans are very friendly and generous people. It is not unheard of for someone to stop their car right in the middle of the road just to talk to someone. Even on the roads they have their own etiquette...In Kenya we have a saying "No hurry!” but on the roads we have modified this statement to; “No hurry until you get behind the wheel of your car." Maybe this is the same in other countries and in the USA. But it seems like when driving everyone wants to be first! In a traffic jam a one lane road can turn into four or five lanes as everyone rushes to find the best path around the jam. Matatus (or public transportation vans) seem the most adept at this as they hurry to drive around on the shoulder, side walk or opposing traffic lane. Someone (we won’t name names) told me once that when she drives she gets so irritated with the other drivers that she is afraid of losing her salvation. It is impossible for you to lose your salvation. But it helps to demonstrate the kind of driving we have.

 If a Kenyan has you over they must feed you. They feel that if you are skinny you need a double portion and if you are fat you need the same amount. They just love to feed their visitors and they believe very strongly in doing it WELL. Kenyans are very "spiritual" people. In Kenyan schools they are required to teach religious education and 80% of the population would call themselves Christian. I've seen a Kenyan come in late for church, sit down, take a moment to pray silently to himself and  then start to participate in the service. Most Kenyans are pleased to be given a gospel tract and talk to you about spiritual matters. I've even had a Kenyan ask me for a tract after I had given one to a person nearby.  Wow, this is certainly not like it is in America...Why?
 "In 1929 the East Africa Revival started. It started among people greatly burdened about the nominal Christianity they observed around them. At the time it had become popular to "join the church," and so the churches were growing; but on the other hand, for many people this meant merely exchanging an old religion for the new.This kind of Christianity lacked depth and did not result in christian discipleship.
When revival came, it addressed this condition directly. The Holy Spirit led people into a deepening relationship with God in Jesus Christ and, second, a new awareness of the unity ought to characterize the people of God. This experience was marked by immediacy, intimacy, and consecration: walking daily in close and transparent relationship with Jesus and in the company of God's people."
Taken from: "A Gentle Wind of God"
Today you can still see the effects of the East African Revival. It is evident mainly in religion with every Christian denomination having some sort of Charismatic influence. Even the Catholics speak in tongues.
Kenyans still remember and long for revival. May our prayer be for revival.
 It is interesting how the Lord works. After writing the above my heart was very burdened about this subject of revival. And what would the Lord do but bring a sermon to me on this very subject.
By: Emily Swain

 How Does a Revival Look?

(2 Kings 22:1-23:30)

1. Concern for the low spiritual condition of the Saints. (2 Kings 22:3-6)

2. Conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit through Preaching of God's Word. (2 Kings 22:8-11)

3. Confession of sin and seeking for God's forgiveness. (2 Kings 22:12-20)

4. Commitment of submission and Obedience to God. (2 Kings 23:1-25)

IBCM Chapel Sermon by Dr. Mestler on March 20, 2014.

What's Unique About KENYA?

                        What's Unique About KENYA?

So what is Kenya like; how is it different?

Without seeing the country for yourself, you may not get a clear picture of what it is really like, but I'll try to give you a little insight into the adventures we have in Kenya.

     I'll start with the word "Mzungu". That is what all of us, white folk are called by Kenyans. The word means, the people who never stop working, or who are always going in circles. No,I do not spend my day going in circles. We have gotten so used to hearing that said about white people, that now whenever we see a white person we say, "Hey look there is a mzungu."

     Shopping is one of my favourite things to do.Hey, they say, shop till you drop, right? We have quite a few large supermarkets in Thika like: Nakumatt(like the Walmart of Kenya), Tusky's, Leens, Mathai (the best place to get doughnuts), and Naivas. Most of our main shopping is done in these stores, but as for fruits and vegetables, we get those in little "dukas"(little stands selling only fruits and vegetables). 
I left my favourite for last, how do we buy clothes, or most of them? Out door markets. They are like a maze to get through;  mainly just little stands or tables where all the clothes are hanging up or all folded and stacked in piles. I find it a lot of fun. Enough about shopping.

The outdoor market

Mathai

Tusky's

a little "duka"

       Swahili, the language most Kenyans use to speak with each other. It is kind of like a go - between language, because of there being around forty different tribes, all with their own languages. Swahili therefore helps us out a lot. It is a pretty easy language to learn, and I  was able to learn it while I was in school.

      The word school reminded me of another topic, and that is the school system here. From first grade until fourth grade I went to a private Kenyan school here in Thika, named St. Davids. I enjoyed it and am glad I went ,mainly, because of learning Swahili and making many friends.The kids are taught all the usual subjects as well as Swahili. Instead of nine months of school and three months off, here we do three months of school and  one month off. Once you get into the higher grades like,seventh on up  you have to do school from 6:00am to 6:00 pm. That's a long day of school and there's homework to take home as well. High school ,which is mainly boarding, keeps an even tighter schedule of waking up at four A.M and going to bed at ten P.M.

on a field trip

waiting in line

my siblings in their class

     What do we do for fun in Kenya? I thought I'd add this one in because I know it's probably interesting. Well, we just got a new mall around twenty minutes drive from us ,and we love going there. It is complete with bumper cars, food court(pizza too), tons of little stores, and my siblings favourite, the play area. We love to go camping; our favourite place is near Lake Naivasha. We have gone on many safari's to see animals as well; I love going shopping, but for others in my family it's probably not what they call fun.

camping fun

As I am writing this the electricity just went out, and our large supply of candles comes out. 

There you have it, in a nutshell, what Kenya is like. There is probably many other things you may want to know or maybe I covered the lot of it.Anyway, I hope this long description has not bored you too much. 

See how much fun we have as an MK in Kenya? 
By - Ashlyn Elaine.

17!!!

Wow! I'm seventeen. A kid told me that she couldn't wait until she was a big kid. Okay whats new about that? I think every one has an age that they are waiting for. You might be forty but in your mind you think of yourself as twenty-eight. Well I might be seventeen but I think of myself as sixteen...not really I'v thought of myself as eighteen since I was ten...just kidding.
 I had a wonderful Birthday! Yes the day is over. As I write this my clock says it is 12:00 pm for you guys States side.Well, what did I do? Friday night we had the Rains girls (Ashlyn, Winnie, and Suzy) over for a sleep over. We went to bed with no electricity and woke up with no electricity. I had Suzy and Winnie sleeping with me and once Suzy and I positioned Winnie so she wouldn't snore we had a good night. I was awaken by a certain "little person"/Suzy who decided that 6:30 am was late enough to sleep in. I tried to get this "little person" to give me a birthday back rub but unfortunately the only kind of back rub she knows how to give is the kind where you "crack" the persons back. So we gave up on that idea. Since Suzy and I were the only ones awake we decided to play with the doll house until everyone woke up. (yes even at seventeen I can play with doll houses.) Dad made me birthday pancakes which we all enjoyed heartily. (I had to put that in just in case he reads this.) We entertained ourselves until around 1:00 pm when the electricity came back on. At 2:30 pm we went out on visitation.(What a great way to spend your birthday.) We had several good witnessing opportunities. We came back to church and went to a restaurant across from church to wait for Pastor Rains. While we were going into the restaurant, an older man, who sometimes comes to our church stopped to talk with us. When he found out that we were going into the restaurant just to wait for Pastor Rains he told us to go in and get a soda and put it on his bill. I was so touched. Here was a man who barely knew us and was doing something kind without expecting anything in return. It really was a nice touch to my day. When we got home Mom and Dad had a nice Steak dinner waiting. Last year my father took us to "Nyama Choma Ranch" for my birthday. It was there that I had my first taste of Crocodile, Ostrich, and Camel. All of which was good, but when dad marinates steak there is nothing better. So ends a very Happy Birthday.
By Emily Swain (a very Happy Birthday Girl)

New Born

Me 9 months

Me and My Daddy

To Be Shy or Not to Be!

I remember as a four year old, someone stating, “You must be the shy one.” As a four year old who was clinging to my mother’s skirt I was horrified. Why? Maybe I just didn’t know what it meant. But the question comes up, Is it OK to be shy? As a very sensitive and shy girl this is a very important question to me.  A pastor once said that those who are shy and let it get in the way of sharing the Gospel with those around us are just plain selfish. At the time I wanted to disregard his statement since the man who was speaking was an extremely “friendly” person. But it made me wonder, When I let my shyness get in the way of sharing the gospel, am I disobeying God’s Word?  Mark 16:15 says, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” According to this verse God says “GO” He’s not saying that “if you are shy don’t worry about it, let those who are ‘friendly’ do it.” NO it is a command for all of us. And this is just one verse from the Bible. Every time we disobey a command from the Bible we are sinning. I’m not saying that I’m perfect in fact I’m far from perfect (as Ashlyn could bear witness every time I say we should talk to this person and then I push her forward and let her do the honors.) But it should be something that we are working on. Sometimes I feel like I’m doing a “hit and run” job. I shove a track at them and tell them to read it, and then I run.  I’m always amazed at what the Lord does when you are least expecting it. Last Saturday Sara and I were knocking on doors and I had just told Sara that IT WAS HER TURN, when this man came to the door. So Sara starts telling him that we are from Light House Baptist Church…and he asks, “What are the distinctive of Baptists?” Well Sara was at a lost so she turned her big brown eyes on me which kind of let me know that she needed some help. Thankfully I’m in the middle of taking Baptist Polity from Pastor Rains. That doesn’t mean I gave this man the whole BAPTIST acrostic, but I did remember Saved, Baptism, Church Membership and got to share with him what Salvation means. Even though I didn’t get the chance to lead him to the Lord he heard and has a Gospel tract which Lord willing he will read.  And just to prove how shy I am I didn't even get his name.

By Emily Swain

Sunday School

watching a puppet show

                               



          Emily, Sara, and I enjoy sharing the teaching of the kids Sunday school class at Lighthouse Baptist Church. We had been praying for many months that we would see ten kids come to Sunday school and have seen God answer that prayer many times.  Now there is usually around eight to twelve kids who come every Sunday.  Most of them do not come on time but trickle in over half an hour.  The faithful kids are Meli (4 yrs. old and loves to follow me everywhere I go), Brian (2 yrs. old and an absolute cutie), Christian (almost 2 and quite a chubby little guy), Moses (12 yrs. old), Sharon (8 yrs. old), my siblings (Winnie, Zach, and Suzy), Josiah (almost 2 and has just learned how to say my name), Jasmine (4 yrs. old and a little spitfire) Patrick (9 yrs. old and rather quite) and I think that is everyone.
         Our class usually starts around 10: 15 , and we start by singing some songs. Finishing songs, those who can say their memory verse get to put a sticker on their chart. We then start the lesson and go till around 10: 45 and after that we let them color until 10:55. Than the kids line up and we head down stairs to where the parents classes are. The kids love running up to their mother and showing her their papers or shoving them in her purse. That's what a mother's purse is for, right?
          I hope the kids remember all the truths and verses we learn in Sunday school, and yes, even I as I teach the lessons I learn so much. Probably more than if I were in the class. 
So now you know about our Sunday school class.
BY Ashlyn Elaine,

Brian

Christian and Sara

Meli

          


       

The Positive Thinking Scam!

Last time I saw Annabelle

Everyone says, “just think positive.” But does it really work? I really really wanted one of Ashlyn’s kittens. I even imagined what she would look like before she was born and I had named the little kitten, Annabelle. I hoped, I prayed and I never took ‘no’ for an answer. Then one day, the day before Valentines Day, Ashlyn called to tell me that someone was coming to take Annabelle, my kitten, that my parents never let me take home. That’s when I realized… It’s a SCAMMM!!!!!

By Sara Anne

Annabelle-2 weeks

4 weeks

demonstration of true positive thinking

Animals

Hi! We are here to tell you about the adventures of an Mk's life in Kenya and the joys of serving God. 

 Living in Kenya can have its joys. One of the biggest joys would be seeing the animals that God created.

 Giraffe in the sunset

       

 Lion feasting on his prey

 Beautiful Elephants 

 Zebra