Kenya Trip Report – Part Two

(The first part of the trip report can be found by clicking this link)

Visiting Our Water Source from 2008

Uluru Spring, which I protected with a team in 2008
Uluru Spring, which I protected with a team in 2008

It occurred to me that it would be a good idea to go back to the spring that I protected with a team in 2008, my first trip to Kenya.  Mishael said it was very doable so we struck out on foot one morning for the site and made it there in 20 minutes or so.  What came with it was a flood of memories.  When we arrived at the spring, with it's plaque – Uhuru – we came upon a young girl, maybe ten, who was filling two buckets with it's yield.  It was good to see the spring was in good shape, and that it's usefulness persisted.  It had been seven and a half years since we did our job there.  Apart from a little faded paint and such, it continued to function as well as ever.  We took her by surprise, as we did most children in Kenya.  I think my skin looks fluorescent to them.  She was, nonetheless, good humored.  After a few pictures and the feeling that someone had just walked over my grave, we surveyed the nearby fields, trees and relatives in the area that Mishael has called home all his life.  To have had the experience of protecting this water source in the first place was a huge blessing, and certainly an eye-opening, life altering event.  To have been able to visit it again reinforced it's impact afresh.  It was almost like visiting a monument from a different age, at least in my life. Continue reading “Kenya Trip Report – Part Two”

Kenya2015 Trip Report

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Qatar in the distance…

Departure and Arrival

Israel arrived to Arlington after an overnight trip from Juarez.  It was great to see him, and the sense of anticipation went up a few notches when I grabbed him from his drop off point, just off I-20 a few miles from the house.  He was in pretty good shape even tho he had been on the road overnight, including the customary delays that come with catching a ride.

Vince came by to get us, arriving early, so we got to the airport in plenty of time to minimize drama.   His help was much appreciated, and it was good for he and Isra to see each other again. Continue reading “Kenya2015 Trip Report”

Prayer Request – Kenya2015 – Plus Small Update

Brother & Sisterhood, greetings!

Israel Juarez and I in Chihuahua, Mexico
Me and Israel Juarez in Chihuahua, Mexico

We are headed for Kenya on September 2nd, that is, Israel Juarez and I.  We will be on the ground in Nairobi, the capital, and Kihancha, which is a rural town very near Lake Victoria and the border with Tanzania.  We are going to visit my friend Mishael Sirima, a church leader with a number of congregations, and also to connect with the Hydrating Humanity leadership team, who will see briefly as we pass back thru Nairobi on the way out.  I am greatly looking forward to it, and would appreciate your prayer support.  We are covering a lot of miles, passing thru the Middle East to get to Africa, and have many connections to make. Continue reading “Prayer Request – Kenya2015 – Plus Small Update”

Juarez Field Notes

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West Bound on Interstate 20

We were briefly in Juarez, out to the remote mountains of Chihuahua, and back to Juarez, with breakneck speed.  Or so it seemed…  Vince Corcoran and I joined up with the guys at CasaTriunfo for their annual men's conference, held at El Rancho, four plus hours due west of town.  As a man, it was great to be among men, and can be high level motivation for starting a men's ministry! Continue reading “Juarez Field Notes”