We're in Kenya!

Friends,

God is good! Mungu ni Mwema! We arrived safely to Kipkarren yesterday with all our luggage and hearts eager to serve. We were very blessed to have safe and uneventful travel for the entire team. I, Steve Medley, arrived in Amsterdam an hour earlier than scheduled, which gave me the opportunity to watch the sunrise over the planes of Schiphol Airport. What an awesome artist God is!


The team met in Amsterdam and flew to Nairobi together. We ate well on the flight… the KLM flight attendants were serving us something different every hour!

Once we arrived in Nairobi, we spent the night at the Mayfield Hospitality House and then it was back to the airport for our flight to Eldoret. As we stepped off the plane, we saw 50 or so schoolchildren lined up along the runway. It turns out that these children were on a field trip to the airport, as many of them had never seen a plane before! As the children were milling around the airport, a large group asked if they could take their picture with us, the wazungu (white people). Talk about feeling like a celebrity!

Don Rogers, Founder and International Director of Empowering Lives International (ELI), met us at the airport and took us to Kipkarren. Our excitement increased as we saw the familiar ELI sign.


The warm welcome given at the Kipkarren River ELI Center is second to none! As we drove up, we could hear the joyful singing of the ELI staff and agriculture students. Our team leader, Doug, was given a pair of scissors to cut the flower-strewn line, allowing us into the Center.


The people of Kipkarren continued to sing and presented us with roses as we walked around the circle, receiving hugs and handshakes from each person. For those of us returning, it feels like returning to our second home. Don Rogers, David Taurus, and Peter Maru gave encouraging and welcoming speeches.


After lunch, we were treated to a tour of the ELI Center’s agricultural training areas. Isaac, an instructor of sustainable agriculture, took us around to the various gardens and explained a bit about the curriculum. Isaac has trained nearly 10,000 farmers in the community on sustainable agriculture techniques in the past six months alone!


God is using the agriculture program at ELI in big ways. Over a period of 9 months, the students learn farming and animal husbandry techniques that they take back and teach to their communities, thereby increasing crop yield. More importantly, though, the program places a huge emphasis on the spiritual development of each student, equipping them to share the gospel in their communities.

We are excited about what God has planned for us over the next couple weeks! This morning, Doug, Tim, and Tom are presenting agricultural and animal husbandry techniques to the ag students and community farmers from the “Farming God’s Way” program. Vickie is visiting the children’s home. H, Jenn, and Fred are visiting with Juli McGowan and the residents of “Living Room Ministries.” We look forward to sharing more stories of how God is at work in the incredible nation of Kenya!

Psalm 143:8
“Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.”

In Christ,

Tim Aman – 3rd trip to Kenya
Tom Hartenstein – 1st trip to Kenya
Doug Hoffman – 4th trip to Kenya
Vickie Martin – 3rd trip to Kenya
Jenn McCormick – 3rd trip to Kenya
Steve Medley – 2nd trip to Kenya
H Nelson – 3rd trip to Kenya
Fred Preston – 2nd trip to Kenya