Monday, July 30, 2012

July in pictures

Hello from Kenya! I just wanted to check in and let you all know that we are doing great. Tons of fun stuff has happened since our last post. Check out the pictures and captions below to see! Thanks for all the prayers and support and expect to see our newsletter in the mail soon! If you are not on our physical mailing list and want to be just email us! Also, thanks to all of you who have sent packages...we love them!

SEND Center Ground breaking!!!
3 Share board members, Taylor, Sammy (director of Share Int.) and Dalmas  (Share Int. leader)

Visiting with our friend Mike Jones. He was part of STORM 2012 and from Ruston!

We loved having the Erbs as house guest during STORM.  
Hair cut from a STORM team member that is a stylist! 
more hair cuts....


and more hair cuts!

Harvesting bananas from our tree with the help of a few STORMers

We inherited a trained guard dog from our friends that moved away. "Kubwa" is her name, it means big in Swahili.

Even guard dog needs a break and a picnic. She is wonderful with the girls.

Lainey turned five on July 16th. 
Cake and friends.
This chick was born on Lucy's birthday...she named it "Flowers".
Lucy turned 4 on July 24th. 
Cake and friends.
HOT WATER! After months of cold showers we installed an electric, heating shower head. We love it!!! Oh how we have missed hot water. Of course, it is only available in the shower...no other faucets.  

Friday, June 22, 2012

Lately...

Hi there! Ok, so to catch you readers up on what we have been doing here in Lodwar since our last post. Our friend Tyler Waters come from U.S. to see us! It was an awesome visit and he had a chick named in his honor. We were out of electricity due to an exploded transformer on our property for two weeks. We ran the freezer and fridge on the generator. Not fun, but all is fine now that we have rewired the house and got the hand built,customized transformer from Nairobi. Taylor is renovating his office on the SEND site and we are hoping it will be done this week. It looks great! He also built a few temporary structures for the STORM team to use for teaching when they come in just a few days.We also headed up a clean up day on the Share Compound and called it "Share Saturday". We all had a great day of hot, dusty work picking up litter, trimming trees, clearing brush and planting a few trees. We finished off the afternoon with a Kenyan feast of goat, ugali, sacuma, potatoes and chipati. We went as a family with Taylor to the remote Lopong'o Village. It was a difficult trip off road through the bush. Quite an adventure! Taylor spoke about the SEND center and encouraged this Share Int. planted church family to give to the center. He also dedicated some benches. We passed out flip flops and were so happy to be with the village church and worship with them. So cool! We began the 2 hour trek home with our new rooster "Lopong'o" in tow. He was a gift along with 2 watermelons and several pieces of jewelry. A sweet symbol of gratitude from the Turkana church.

The bananas trees in our yard are ready for harvest! Yummy!

Tyler Waters just landed in Lodwar!

movie night

Stoping to climb termite mounds on the way to Lake Turkana

Camels on the way to Lake Turkana

Eliye Springs on Lake Turkana

Lucy at Lake Turkana.

Andi at Lake Turkana.

Lainey at Lake Turkana.

Tyler and Taylor picking papaya from our yard. It is a two man job!
Lucy in her "frog uniform" she wears at least 4 days a week and "Tyler the chick".

Fine dining in Lodwar. Goat, sacuma, ugali and chipati
                         


Lainey

The gals!

Share Saturday clean up. I love Lucy harassing the goat in corner :)

Agnus 

yep, even the kids were working.


Yes, he used a machete.


"Mamas" preparing the meal.


Lunch is served!

Planting banana trees. SEND center will need some shade and green!
Lucy and Micah helping plant papaya trees on SEND site.
Lopong'o village church. Pastored by Joseph, a Share supported missionary.
Dalmas (Share Int. new team leader!) and Taylor passing out shoes we brought. Thanks Beehive!!!
Gift exchange! Never go to a village empty handed. 
Too bad, the camera man just missed my Turkana dance moves. Notice everyone laughing.
The girls and our new rooster, Lopong'o. He is doing well and adjusting to "city  life" in our hen house :)

                         



Monday, May 14, 2012

Nairobi Trip

 Hello All! We arrived back to Lodwar safely. The girls and I almost missed our flight and I held two frozen chickens in my lap on the plane...but that is another story. We enjoyed our time there, but were ready to come home. Pictured below are some of our favorite things we did. Not pictured below are the trips to doctors and x-ray places (Taylor had lung and kidney infections) and hours sitting in Nairobi traffic:) 





Andi holding a 2yr. old baby crocodile...no tape on the mouth!!!
Lucy, so brave.

The Giraffe Center. We got to hand feed "Lynn" the giraffe. This was so exciting. My kids afraid...never.



Lainey and "Lynn" blue tounge and all!



Camel ride anyone???


David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (elephant orphanage)


We were so close! Loved it!

The tiny babies were very interested in the girls.

Just a rope between us and them. 




They drink human infant formula shipped in from UK. 

Very cool, black Rhino.