POWER!

Well now what an interesting couple of days we have had. The theme for the start of this blog is POWER! This is because we had a powercut which started at midnight on Sunday night and eventually came to an end at midnight on Monday night! That’s the story in a sentence. This is the story with warts and all. Lynda and I woke up in a complete sweat on Sunday night wondering why our fan wasn’t working and why the light from the bathroom which emits a comforting nightlight hue to our little children, had gone off. “Looks like a powercut” says I. (My application for Brain of Kenya probably needs a bit of work). Lynda was hyperventilating because of the heat and subsequently didn’t sleep. In typical male fashion I rolled over and tried to get to sleep which was a struggle and I was a raging insomniac for about 3 minutes. I woke up at about 7ish wondering why the power hadn’t come back on. Normally powercuts last for a couple of hours and are a minor inconvenience unless you are working at a computer and haven’t pressed the save button in a while, in which case it’s a global catastrophe on a par with the Wall Street Crash.

So we went through our normal morning routine , ‘Wait a minute – can’t have toast for breakfast – no toaster’ Never mind – cereal it is then! Halfway through breakfast I realise that we can’t wash up afterwards as the electric kettle needs something called electricity to work. So to summarise so far, no kettle, no fans, no toaster, no oven to cook Lynda and Mikey’s rolls, not allowed to open the fridge of freezer, no lights, no hot water, nothing to charge laptops for homeschool or kindles for reading. By this time our minds were starting to play tricks on us. I kept seeing the fan moving … only it wasn’t, it  was just that I had hoped it would. Lynda was not pleased at teatime because the water pump which pumps water into the apartment had died and so we just about managed to shower the kids with the remaining cold water.

And so with great British resolve we managed to cook a little bit of dinner and prepare candles for an evening’s lack of electricity. So feeling full and with the apartment looking like a Catholic mass we managed to resign ourselves to the fact that we were entertainment less and so we managed to use up the kindles power supply and read till the massively late time of 9pm. Then went to bed praying that the power would be back on later. We woke to the sound of the fan in our room going at midnight –and me singing another rendition of the Hallelujah chorus, albeit quietly so as not to wake our kids.

It really makes you appreciate something simple like an electricity supply. I’m not sure I can imagine a similar situation at home. School’s probably would shut, the economy would suffer, complaints would fire in – I’m sure it would be the subject of a Jeremy Kyle show. Then I got to thinking of all those people close to living to where we are now who have no electricity and no water all year round, those that want it but will never be able to afford it. You end up oscillating between chastising yourself for being selfish and trying not feel guilty for being brought up in the West. Anyway, we survived the blackout and when the power came back on we were truly thankful to God for something so basic as electricity. It was a reminder of all that God has provided for us in responding to His call on our lives in this place.

On to lighter things. We did our first baking today! Lynda and I made enough banana cake to feed the British Army. It was the nicest food I have ever tasted. This is a major break through as cooking can sometimes be a bit difficult. A cake, made to Delia’s standards with a hint of Jamie and frisson of Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall was topped with Lynda’s own brand of fudge icing. As you can tell from the description out tums are feeling decidedly better. Everyone knows the cure for an upset stomach is banana cake.  The upturned glass in a bowl of water is our ant defence system!

I have started to build relationships with some of the teachers who have been really friendly. It seems as though they are welcoming and I can’t wait to get a bit more stuck in. Getting your head round an education system which is so different will take some time but I’m up for a challenge. I was asked if I’d like to be put on the preaching rota for church. How do you answer that question without sounding like you can’t wait! I managed it though.

Youth Trip 29th January 2012

Just wanted to tell you all about how great it was to spend some time with the youth at Tumaini church. They led a fantastic service on Sunday which will live long in the memory. Some of you will know that the young people from St Luke’s our church back in Nottingham had raised money to the tune of approximately £270 on the Sunday before we left England. The idea was to give this money for the boys to use to bless/treat the young people of Tumaini.  We took them for chips and a soda at a café not far from here. There were 35 of us in all and we all had a great time. It was great to be able to explain that the young people at a church in Nottingham had raised money specifically for them. The amazing thing is that a couple of weeks before we arrived Maureeen Clayton ( Jane's Mum) was asking God to provide money as a treat for the young people. A year or so ago she had managed to treat the young people but as money had been so tight for the charity she couldn’t see a way to finance another treat. She was amazed when Lynda was telling her about the gift from St Luke's and wondering about the best way to spend it.  God answered her prayer through St Luke’s. We love stories like that and we love being a part of that story too.  Obviously chips and sodas did not use the whole amount so we will update you soon on how the rest is used!

There's a bat in me apartment, what am I gonna do?!!

After a long working day the last thing you feel like in a very hot place is to cook but needs must!  So as I reach for the stock cubes they are full of ants.  As I reach for the measuring jug it is full of strange winged beasties... but I persevere in a v ungracious grumpy fashion to cook a meal that will v soon be straight out our delicate digestive systems anyway!!  As we finish the power goes off, I try to see the positive that at least we are all fed and John tries some ingenious method with water bottles and sand to get some candlelight - certainly not of the romantic variety!! As we are scraping the leftovers into the bin (by torchlight) 2 dogs appear at my legs.  To say I nearly died would be an understatement and the scream inside was something to behold... so we manage to shower the boys by candlelight and just as we think the kids can settle down in bed a bat comes into our lounge.  The balcony doors were wide open, but it was the only way of keeping cool with out a fan... David screams and I scream, so much for a calming maternal influence!  Finally John appears and sternly assures us to stop being so silly as it is only a bird.  Regardless David and I retreat and lock ourselves in the toilet.  A few minutes later as the creature continues to circle round and round the power comes back on so we think it is safe to come out.  At this point the power has switched the fan back on so the creature hits itself on the fan. John then says it is a bat and he had only said it was a bird to keep all calm so the boys and I all scream again, run into the bedroom, the quickest the boys have ever got into bed as they jump under the safety of the mossie nets.  I close the door and am immensely grateful I can leave the creature to John's capable hands.  There are times it is most certainly good not to be a man... John has to do nothing as the creature has concussion from the fan and falls into our laundry basket.  John tips it over the balcony and I finally creep out to John doing the Hallelujah chorus as he closes the doors and we can all breathe again...

A Birthday with a difference - 22 January 2012

Mikey was very excited to celebrate his 10th birthday in Kenya.  He loved getting cards from home and of course some presents.  We began with church which was great, the sound and sight of so many Kenyans praising God does your heart good.  So good to see friends we made in the summer.  Following that Mikey got a good soaking - a great tradition here for birthdays which he loved!

We all went to a lovely hotel to have lunch and then Mikey and David went Camel riding which was a real birthday treat! Mikey said it was like an impossible dream coming true!

We shared birthday cake upstairs in the kids home so there were many happy faces.  I loved seeing Mikey and the kids so happy but found it so hard to enjoy cake when I had just heard of a beautiful lady in the village who had come to ask for food.  Her husband had died last year leaving her with 4 kids under the age of 10.  For 3 days none of them had eaten anything and because the mum had been sick the kids had to look after her so couldn't get to school.  Thank God that Education for Life is here...  

Trip to the Farm 20th January 2012

As John was still not safe to be too far from a toilet Lynda took the boys on their first home school trip out!  We were driven by 2 great guys, Fundi and Dennis to a farm not far away to get some fresh milk. A bit different from nipping out to the co op!  We passed a lot of cows on the way but not ones that we would want to get milk from as they had massive humps on their backs.... the boys described these as cowmels!!

 These cows are real jersey cows, yes I did say jersey and yes we are in Kenya!  The boys were v excited to feed them paw paw.  The farm also had many fruit trees so we were happy to look around - bananas, paw paws, limes and even massive green oranges that are pink in the middle, they look like a giant marshmallow cake inside but don't taste quite as sweet.  The milk still had to be boiled but tasted good, a nice change from the usual UHT we have here...

Arrival In Kenya

Thankfully our journey couldn't have gone more smoothly with no hassle about baggage, customs or visas... as David said people must have been praying right then! We had a lovely welcome from Mister Austin who is the smiliest man in Kenya and was so kind to us.  However after the heat, the reality of trying to sort banking and negotiate grocery shopping we have to be honest and say on our first night our over riding feeling was what on earth have we done?  After a long sleep and some much needed relaxation for a couple of days we began to adjust.

 Sadly all four of us were smitten with food poisoning and felt dreadful so as we arrived in our new home in the dark to a power cut we were in quite a state!  Jane's mum, Maureen, has been very kind to us and we have been so comforted by the prayer army back home that we do feel a lot better now.

 Today the boys have had a great play with their African friends and after a few meaningful conversations with people here we are reminded that we are in the right place and we know we will adjust.  The boys had their first home school today and really loved it, their Dad enjoyed it too as they were hungry to learn and well behaved!  This table on the balcony is where home school took place.

 David has had some very sad moments missing his friends at home but he has enjoyed unpacking his things and reorganising his drawer over and over again.  He said it made it feel more like home.

.  One lovely thing about life out here is that John and I have enjoyed much more time together.  John hasn't transformed into a ninja but is enjoying a "coolit"  to keep himself cool - def in the temperature way rather than the looks!