Dear Saints:

We've arrived safely in Kenya. Our flight was a couple hours late leaving Detroit, but fortunately we had a three hour layover in Amsterdam so we were able to make our flight to Nairobi.  When we arrived, we had a welcome team who had arrived at 7:30 pm to pick us up.  While our plane landed on time at 8 pm, it took about 2 1/2 hours for us to acquire a visa and get our luggage, so those poor folks waited patiently for 3 hours for us to emerge from the terminal. 

Guest House

After getting to our rooms a little after 11 pm, we had a good night's sleep before getting a tour and orientation regarding the many ministries taking place on the site where we are staying.  Ruth, the director of Joy Village, which is home now to 41 orphaned boys and girls, stopped by to give us an update on the Village.  The children living there are under the loving care of several house moms.  These moms have made a long term commitment to care for the 8 or 9 children living with them.  Last year I met four of them and was so deeply touched and impressed by who they are and what they do.  Since I was here last year, Joy Village has added another 8 children and hired another mom.  Eventually they will have around 60 kids and 7 mothers.  We will be heading there on Saturday, spending the night, and returning on Sunday afternoon.

Children in the tea fields

After Ruth stopped by, Michael, the director of the Holy Family medical clinic came by and gave us some information about the work they do.  The clinic provides care for over 4000 people with HIV.  The care they provide includes making home visits to patients to monitor their compliance with their treatment programs.  

Later, Vinton, one of the pastoral counselors at Nazareth Hospital gave us a tour of the hospital and grounds, including the Alamano school, where children attend whose parents make a living earning $2/day picking tea leaves in the nearby fields.  After that we had the afternoon to ourselves for napping and then taking a long walk through the tea fields. 

At this point, we are so grateful for the deep generosity we have been showered with.  Tree of Lives ministries has surrounded us with great care by arranging to have Nicole Lock, an ordained minister from the Atlanta area, here with us to tend to our practical needs.  Vinton also arranged to take two weeks of leave from his job at the hospital so that he too can help in any way he is needed. Sister Clara, the head administrator at Nazareth Hospital, was at our guest house last night at 11 pm to greet us.  Other folks from First Presbyterian Church in Norfolk, Virginia, including pastor Jim Wood and Rudy and Kate Miller did a lot of work organizing our schedule while we are here.

Kenya Mission Team

So our first day draws to a close with all of us feeling deeply blessed and grateful for the welcome we have received.   Tomorrow we begin our work, with Keith, Beth, and Dawn doing hospital visits and Lisa, Yvette, and I going on home visits with the Holy Family Clinic.
We are grateful for your prayers and sense that we are being carried by the grand mercy, grace, and love of God.

In Christ,

Bryan