Update

Hello Friends and Family!

We went to a conference this week called the Monday Church conference... It was about a new way of looking at the church... in that we should see our vocations, our callings as more than just a job...but where God has called us to be, and where ever our job is, that is 'OUR' church... that is where we minister to the people in OUR congregation... and then on Sunday's all of us 'pastors' gather back together to be equipped and filled and ready to serve. It's an interesting concept that really validates the fact that we are not all called to be pastors or church workers, and yet God has still included us in His plan for His Kingdom.

One thing that I REALLY appreciated about the conference as well is that the speakers really emphasized that our job is not just to 'save souls'...but to walk along side of people as they transform their lives and to live a life of service. Especially in the context of the poor, so many people believe in Jesus, and they are just waiting for the glory of heaven, relinquishing all hope for here on earth... yet in the Lord's prayer he says, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, ON EARTH as it is in heaven...”

It was just an opportunity for a renewed perspective that God has a calling on my life and those that I will be working with, not to just wait for heaven and not to just 'survive,' but to be LIVING here on earth .

On another note: Joel's birthday was yesterday and I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who sent a fun email his way! He has a lot of irreplaceable memories with many of you and I know that many of you have been a part of shaping him into who he is today... which is someone I'm very thankful for!

We LOVE to hear from you and what is going on in your lives!

Snapshots on life:

1. All cell phones here are 'pay as you go,' there are no long term agreements or plans... Nice :)

2. I'm reading a book called 'The Kite Runner,' right now. I'm just a short way into it, but it is VERY good so far, and I recommend it already :)

3. There is a house being built next door to us, and last night when we came home (around 9:00pm) there were probably at least 50 men all working together as one solid machine to combine the sand and rock to make concrete and then pour the roof. This process MUST be done all at once or the house will have a pour foundation to build any other stories on... It was AMAZING to watch so many people work as one unit to complete a job (in the dark!).

4. All around town there are people who are roasting corn by the side of the road... they put a seasoning on it and it tastes similar to popcorn... it's very good!! It's an African treat :)

5. When we walk through areas where they are not used to seeing white people, we will often hear one of two things:

   1. Mzungu!! Which means white person (or European)

      or

   2. How are YOU?! And the kids all say it the same where the 'how are' are in their normal voice and then the 'you' is emphasized and they say it for longer and usually with a higher voice

If you watched the Constant Gardener, there was a very short scene where Tessa is walking around Kibera, and the children are saying, 'how are you?!' and this is EXACTLY what it is like

That's all for now... I pray that these blogs provide insight for you... and if there's anything you want to know more about... don't hesitate to email us! We really hope that our time in Kenya will be educational for everyone, not just ourselves :)