We just wanted to post a quick update for anyone who might still be wanting to follow us on another adventure :)
Since we've been back in Canada, our lives have been very busy! We were able to get exactly the right car we needed - check it out! This is my first car, so I am kind of (or exactly)like a paranoid parent - poor Taryn probably thinks I've gone off my rocker. Since we got it, I've painted and eliminated her rust spots, done two oil changes, got the AC fixed, and got a rattling exhaust fixed ... I also ran fuel injector cleaner through her, and she purrs like a kitten. She is a great little car - and she'll be taking us from St Catharine, ON all the way to Dawson Creek, BC! That's right! Check out our trip plan here
View Larger Map
About a month ago, we got the call that both Taryn and I were accepted to teach at a small Christian school in Dawson Creek, BC! I will be teaching Music leadership, English and Bible studies. Taryn will be teaching Science at several grade levels. We also were blessed with a fully furnished house to rent! And hey, if we like it enough, who knows ... but we wont' go there quite yet.
Well, it's time to sign off for now. We also want to wish Harbour's May team 'good luck' as they journey to Kenya! We know you will be a blessing to all you serve
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Harbour's Kenya May Team Slide Shows!
Here are three slide shows of Harbour's May team doing their thing at PACE!
Enjoy! If you can't see the slide shows, you might need to install Google Picasa 3, or you can click the pictures at the bottom of this post to see the collection of individual pictures.
Enjoy! If you can't see the slide shows, you might need to install Google Picasa 3, or you can click the pictures at the bottom of this post to see the collection of individual pictures.
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| Harbour at PACE June 2009 |
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| Harbour May Team - Maralal |
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| Safari Njema! |
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
We're home!
The past two weeks have been filled with excitement, blessings and anticipation as we prepared for the long journey back to Canada. As we posted earlier, we spent 3 wonderful days with the Harbour Team in the Masaai Mara National Reserve Park where we saw nearly all of Kenya's "Big 5" - elephants, lions, giraffes, rhinos and leopards. The only animal we didn't get to see was the elusive leopard, but Taryn was lucky enough to have already seen one when she went to the Nakuru Game Park Reserve with the January Team.
When we got back to PACE, we hit the ground running as Ryan had unfinished work in the computer department, and Taryn was busy organizing the school resources (especially for art and P.E.) and packing up. Last Friday, Taryn and the team from Harbour partnered with 30 women from Wachira's church for a trip to Maralal in Samburu province to build another church. The team thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and we imagine that they had some of the same feelings that we had the first time we experienced the amazing Samburu people! While Dave and Frank were busy hammering in nails, Taryn and Kathy danced and sang with the Samburu women. Poor Eddie wasn't feeling well, so he spent much of the day recovering in the van; Cam had a hoot playing soccer with the local kids.
(Dave and Frank: Two hard working men!)
(Taryn and Kathy: Samburu women!)
(Eddie and Cam: Going bananas over camels and kids!)
(The whole team and Sunday church service)
Before leaving PACE on Monday afternoon, the school held a sending-off ceremony for us and the team. We all shared how our time together had impacted us and we graciously accepted their parting gifts. Saying our goodbyes wasn't easy - some tears were shed - but we left with many fond memories that we'll hold on to forever.
Here are some of our favourite moments, lessons learned, and "God moments" from our 6-month journey to Kenya:
* Being welcomed and embraced by the PACE community as a brother and sister.
* Building friendships with some of the finest people we have ever met and we are already looking forward to the next time we will get to greet them in person!
* Our random trips to Nairobi - We would call our friend, Julia, and ask, "Do you have any plans this weekend?" And her response was always, "You should come and hang out for a few days." Julia is naturally gifted in hospitality and servanthood, and we were blessed by her kindness and friendship many times over.
* Wachira's many sayings and "Wachiraisms" - Anyone who knows Wachira should know what we're talking about. If you don't know him, you'll just have to go to Kenya to meet him!! He's more than just a person - getting to know Wachira is a grand experience.
* The mission trips to Maralal and Kakamega - While being some of our favourite experiences overall, these trips helped us forge friendships and gave us some important perspectives on both the diversity of the Kenyan people and of the tremendous spiritual and physical needs that exist in Kenya.
* The 12 hour bus ride from Nairobi to Nyahururu ... it was our first experience with the reality that time can be irrelevant in Kenya and that "life happens along the way." P.S. For anyone thinking of going to serve with PACE, it only takes 3 hours to get to Nyahururu - we just had an adventure with a bus that randomly lost both of its batteries along the highway.
Thanks for following along and supporting us in our journey!
Now that we are back in the land of speedy internet, stay tuned for more picture updates .... !
When we got back to PACE, we hit the ground running as Ryan had unfinished work in the computer department, and Taryn was busy organizing the school resources (especially for art and P.E.) and packing up. Last Friday, Taryn and the team from Harbour partnered with 30 women from Wachira's church for a trip to Maralal in Samburu province to build another church. The team thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and we imagine that they had some of the same feelings that we had the first time we experienced the amazing Samburu people! While Dave and Frank were busy hammering in nails, Taryn and Kathy danced and sang with the Samburu women. Poor Eddie wasn't feeling well, so he spent much of the day recovering in the van; Cam had a hoot playing soccer with the local kids.
(Dave and Frank: Two hard working men!)
(Taryn and Kathy: Samburu women!)
(Eddie and Cam: Going bananas over camels and kids!)
(The whole team and Sunday church service)
Before leaving PACE on Monday afternoon, the school held a sending-off ceremony for us and the team. We all shared how our time together had impacted us and we graciously accepted their parting gifts. Saying our goodbyes wasn't easy - some tears were shed - but we left with many fond memories that we'll hold on to forever.
Here are some of our favourite moments, lessons learned, and "God moments" from our 6-month journey to Kenya:
* Being welcomed and embraced by the PACE community as a brother and sister.
* Building friendships with some of the finest people we have ever met and we are already looking forward to the next time we will get to greet them in person!
* Our random trips to Nairobi - We would call our friend, Julia, and ask, "Do you have any plans this weekend?" And her response was always, "You should come and hang out for a few days." Julia is naturally gifted in hospitality and servanthood, and we were blessed by her kindness and friendship many times over.
* Wachira's many sayings and "Wachiraisms" - Anyone who knows Wachira should know what we're talking about. If you don't know him, you'll just have to go to Kenya to meet him!! He's more than just a person - getting to know Wachira is a grand experience.
* The mission trips to Maralal and Kakamega - While being some of our favourite experiences overall, these trips helped us forge friendships and gave us some important perspectives on both the diversity of the Kenyan people and of the tremendous spiritual and physical needs that exist in Kenya.
* The 12 hour bus ride from Nairobi to Nyahururu ... it was our first experience with the reality that time can be irrelevant in Kenya and that "life happens along the way." P.S. For anyone thinking of going to serve with PACE, it only takes 3 hours to get to Nyahururu - we just had an adventure with a bus that randomly lost both of its batteries along the highway.
Thanks for following along and supporting us in our journey!
Now that we are back in the land of speedy internet, stay tuned for more picture updates .... !
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Safari Njema! (A Great Trip!)
After much anticipation, this past Monday evening the Harbour Team arrived. It has been such a blessing having them here and serving along side them. here is a picture from just before we left for Safari with the team and some other good friends of ours.
From left to right (top) - Muthiri, Eddie, Kathy, Njenga, Jeff, Jackson and Frank. (bottom) Dave, Ryan and Cam. (missing) Taryn - she was taking the picture ... as usual!
On Tuesday morning we began our journey to Masaai Mara (the Serengeti) for a safari. It was a seven hour drive to the National Park through beautiful and diverse landscapes that ranged from lush mountains to dry plains. We stayed at a camp outside the reserve since all the lodges inside are priced for Bill Gates and Donald Trump. But, we had a lovely camp site fitted with industrial tents, comfortable beds and great meals. On the first night, we went out for a sunset safari where we saw gazels, warthogs, and a rare Black Rhino! The next day we were in the park for the entire day and saw an amazing amount of animals - herds of giraffes (some of which were fighting), lions, a herd of elephants, dueling gazels, buffalo, hippos, alligators and tons of birds. Some of the team saw a lion during our walk to see the alligators - the (armed) guide said they were very lucky to see that! Between the 8 of us, we have lots of pictures ... we will post more later if we can. One thing of note: that lion below was nearly right beside us!!
One highlight of the trip was the Masaai women who tried to sell us souvenieres through our bus windows .. poor Frank fell victim a number of times (above), but we made sure he bartered a good deal :-)
Since we've been back to PACE, the team has been quite busy. We held a youth retreat (Jeff, Kathy, Cam, Eddie, Taryn and Ryan) starting Friday night and all day Saturday while Frank and dave worked on helping to build a new chicken coupe (which they finished up in under two days!). On Friday, Cam and Eddie ran a 2-hour gym class for the lower grades of the academy, and they also got the chance to accompany Irungu on a water run ... which turned into three or four water runs. All in all, to fill the PACE water tanks took slightly over three hours. It will be an amazing blessing once PACE has a well to draw water from instead of these trips to the river.
On Sunday the team will be preaching at 6 different churches and then will be helping with a family day event at the AIC church in town. Still ahead this coming week is time at pace, visits to orphanages, and possibly another trip to Maralal - we'll keep you posted :)
Well, this will about do it for this post - sorry for the brevity. We're pretty tired after a few long and busy days, but we promise to write more and post more pictures soon.
From left to right (top) - Muthiri, Eddie, Kathy, Njenga, Jeff, Jackson and Frank. (bottom) Dave, Ryan and Cam. (missing) Taryn - she was taking the picture ... as usual!
On Tuesday morning we began our journey to Masaai Mara (the Serengeti) for a safari. It was a seven hour drive to the National Park through beautiful and diverse landscapes that ranged from lush mountains to dry plains. We stayed at a camp outside the reserve since all the lodges inside are priced for Bill Gates and Donald Trump. But, we had a lovely camp site fitted with industrial tents, comfortable beds and great meals. On the first night, we went out for a sunset safari where we saw gazels, warthogs, and a rare Black Rhino! The next day we were in the park for the entire day and saw an amazing amount of animals - herds of giraffes (some of which were fighting), lions, a herd of elephants, dueling gazels, buffalo, hippos, alligators and tons of birds. Some of the team saw a lion during our walk to see the alligators - the (armed) guide said they were very lucky to see that! Between the 8 of us, we have lots of pictures ... we will post more later if we can. One thing of note: that lion below was nearly right beside us!!
One highlight of the trip was the Masaai women who tried to sell us souvenieres through our bus windows .. poor Frank fell victim a number of times (above), but we made sure he bartered a good deal :-)
Since we've been back to PACE, the team has been quite busy. We held a youth retreat (Jeff, Kathy, Cam, Eddie, Taryn and Ryan) starting Friday night and all day Saturday while Frank and dave worked on helping to build a new chicken coupe (which they finished up in under two days!). On Friday, Cam and Eddie ran a 2-hour gym class for the lower grades of the academy, and they also got the chance to accompany Irungu on a water run ... which turned into three or four water runs. All in all, to fill the PACE water tanks took slightly over three hours. It will be an amazing blessing once PACE has a well to draw water from instead of these trips to the river.
On Sunday the team will be preaching at 6 different churches and then will be helping with a family day event at the AIC church in town. Still ahead this coming week is time at pace, visits to orphanages, and possibly another trip to Maralal - we'll keep you posted :)
Well, this will about do it for this post - sorry for the brevity. We're pretty tired after a few long and busy days, but we promise to write more and post more pictures soon.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Kenyans Serving Kenyans In Kakamega
Day 1: Early Tuesday morning, about 30 PACE staff boarded PACE's blue school bus and began the long journey to a remote rural town outside of Kakamega. Our goal was to build a house for the mother of one of our staff - in just three days! As it turns out, we only needed two days because many neighbourhood kids came to help (in exchange for a free meal). The ride was very enjoyable, as it took us through sections of tea fields and big cities like Kisumu, and it also gave us the chance to see mud hut villages and beautiful mountain ranges. We even made a short stop at Lake Victoria, and some of us took a rather rocky boat ride in search of hippos. We reached our destination around 5pm, and quickly set up camp before the rains came - some of the group slept in a church, others in a house, and still others (like us) slept in tents. Conditions were very basic ... outhouses (only squatting - no sitting!), cooking over the fire, sleeping on the floor/ground, and sponge baths (or river bathing for the more brave).
Day 2: After breakfast (mundazis and tea) and a devotional by Ryan, everyone found something to do. Some were busy in the kitchen, others made their way to the river to collect water, others began carting materials to the work site, and still others began plotting the new house. Before we knew it, teams were digging and putting in posts, the entire frame was up, and the wall separators, which are used to hold the "mud" were nailed into place. During some R&R time that day, an accident occurred during a soccer match and one of our team members was taken to the hospital with a leg fractured in two places. Not good - but, he's now home getting some TLC.
Day 3: While the team worked hard to complete the house, we made our way to Uganda to renew our visa. The three and a half hour journey by matatu was beautiful as we passed more lush forests and sugar cane fields. Crossing into Uganda was easy, but getting back into Kenya a few hours later wasn't so easy. We had some trouble at the boarder and as a result we could not get a renewed visa, so we still have the same flight issues as before. Please pray for us for strength as we sort this out; for God to remove any worry from our souls (a solution will come at the right time); and for patience, peace, wisdom and discernment. We will use this time and experience to grow closer to the heart of God.
Day 4: With the house as complete as we could get it (the mud walls have to dry for several more days before windows and doors can be finished and the exterior beautified), we all enjoyed a day of rest and sightseeing in and around Kakamega (a large city nearby). A real treat for us was finding popcycles at the Kakamega market - oh boy, it is unbelievably HOT in Eastern Kenya! Before we departed for the tour, Wachira dedicated the new home to Walter's mother - what a beautiful thing. Wachira reminded us all that people can build a house, but only a house where God is welcomed can become a home. How true. Just before supper, the rains returned, but this time in torrents! We had become used to the spectacular daily thunder and lightning storms, but this one was different - it lasted for hours and the super-soaked ground threatened to swallow our tents. When the rain finally stopped, we could have gone swimming in the puddles that had been formed. To our surprise, though, our tents stayed mostly dry.
Day 5: We were all up early to complete our packing, but before we left around 9am the men had some magic to perform on the bus, which refused to start. We jacked the bus up on one side, tied a rope to a tire and about 10 of the men pulled to rotate it while the bus was in gear ... wa la la, it started!! About 5 minutes enroute, we got stuck in the sticky mud along the road, so the men got out again and pushed with all their might. After the hard work, they still all had to run to catch up with the bus, which couldn't slow down for fear of getting stuck again. We were told that the route we would be taking home was longer, but with better roads (to cater to our fallen friend Ndegua and his leg). Unfortunately, much of the roads were under construction and the trip took nearly 12 hours as opposed to the 8 hours it took to get to Kakamega! One 147 km stretch of road from Eldoret to Nakuru was so torn up that it took five hours to traverse!! It felt as if we were never going to get home. But we finally got in at around 8pm - and we hit the sack shortly after.
As we reflect on this mission trip, our hearts warm as we think of how God works through people to bring hope to others. We witnessed a group of people - usually divided by department - come together and work in unison as Christ's body to miraculously erect a 3 bedroom house in under 2 days. While building, we also met an old man who had been neglected by his family and so his hands and feet had been infected with "jiggers" .... fleas were laying eggs inside of him, which immobilized him and caused him great discomfort. But Irungu, Mathenge and Kamau sat at this man's feet - washing them with disinfectant, removing tens of egg sacs, and cutting his nails. If Jesus would clean the feet of his disciples, would He not also do this as well? These actions brought great comfort to the old man as he slept soundly that night, which was something he hadn't done in a long time. To show him even more love, Irungu gave him his sandals and blanket and set up someone to continue with the disinfectant and sac removal process after our departure. Even now as we think of their generous love, our eyes begin to water. If only we were all just a little more like Jesus ...
Day 2: After breakfast (mundazis and tea) and a devotional by Ryan, everyone found something to do. Some were busy in the kitchen, others made their way to the river to collect water, others began carting materials to the work site, and still others began plotting the new house. Before we knew it, teams were digging and putting in posts, the entire frame was up, and the wall separators, which are used to hold the "mud" were nailed into place. During some R&R time that day, an accident occurred during a soccer match and one of our team members was taken to the hospital with a leg fractured in two places. Not good - but, he's now home getting some TLC.
Day 3: While the team worked hard to complete the house, we made our way to Uganda to renew our visa. The three and a half hour journey by matatu was beautiful as we passed more lush forests and sugar cane fields. Crossing into Uganda was easy, but getting back into Kenya a few hours later wasn't so easy. We had some trouble at the boarder and as a result we could not get a renewed visa, so we still have the same flight issues as before. Please pray for us for strength as we sort this out; for God to remove any worry from our souls (a solution will come at the right time); and for patience, peace, wisdom and discernment. We will use this time and experience to grow closer to the heart of God.
Day 4: With the house as complete as we could get it (the mud walls have to dry for several more days before windows and doors can be finished and the exterior beautified), we all enjoyed a day of rest and sightseeing in and around Kakamega (a large city nearby). A real treat for us was finding popcycles at the Kakamega market - oh boy, it is unbelievably HOT in Eastern Kenya! Before we departed for the tour, Wachira dedicated the new home to Walter's mother - what a beautiful thing. Wachira reminded us all that people can build a house, but only a house where God is welcomed can become a home. How true. Just before supper, the rains returned, but this time in torrents! We had become used to the spectacular daily thunder and lightning storms, but this one was different - it lasted for hours and the super-soaked ground threatened to swallow our tents. When the rain finally stopped, we could have gone swimming in the puddles that had been formed. To our surprise, though, our tents stayed mostly dry.
Day 5: We were all up early to complete our packing, but before we left around 9am the men had some magic to perform on the bus, which refused to start. We jacked the bus up on one side, tied a rope to a tire and about 10 of the men pulled to rotate it while the bus was in gear ... wa la la, it started!! About 5 minutes enroute, we got stuck in the sticky mud along the road, so the men got out again and pushed with all their might. After the hard work, they still all had to run to catch up with the bus, which couldn't slow down for fear of getting stuck again. We were told that the route we would be taking home was longer, but with better roads (to cater to our fallen friend Ndegua and his leg). Unfortunately, much of the roads were under construction and the trip took nearly 12 hours as opposed to the 8 hours it took to get to Kakamega! One 147 km stretch of road from Eldoret to Nakuru was so torn up that it took five hours to traverse!! It felt as if we were never going to get home. But we finally got in at around 8pm - and we hit the sack shortly after.
As we reflect on this mission trip, our hearts warm as we think of how God works through people to bring hope to others. We witnessed a group of people - usually divided by department - come together and work in unison as Christ's body to miraculously erect a 3 bedroom house in under 2 days. While building, we also met an old man who had been neglected by his family and so his hands and feet had been infected with "jiggers" .... fleas were laying eggs inside of him, which immobilized him and caused him great discomfort. But Irungu, Mathenge and Kamau sat at this man's feet - washing them with disinfectant, removing tens of egg sacs, and cutting his nails. If Jesus would clean the feet of his disciples, would He not also do this as well? These actions brought great comfort to the old man as he slept soundly that night, which was something he hadn't done in a long time. To show him even more love, Irungu gave him his sandals and blanket and set up someone to continue with the disinfectant and sac removal process after our departure. Even now as we think of their generous love, our eyes begin to water. If only we were all just a little more like Jesus ...
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