I just finished making some promotional materials. How I want to promote our people! We have excellent Kenyan employees. We have 60 laborers working on the building. and now we have taken photos of nearly 200 orphans in hopes of reaching your heart. Todd (in the photo above) did a great job. I'm not sure a photo captures the hearts of these children--so I wish I had made more video.

For 25 a month, the family that has taken the child into their home will be able to buy food for all. This substantially improves the outcome for all of them and assures the orphan a family even in hard times.

I'm not sure what we consider as poverty--but this is it.
Assured access to clean water is limited. Food is possible, but perhaps they don't eat every day. Many people live above that and always have food and water. They may even have plenty of clothes (although there are many who do not have enough clothing)--but medical care is a problem.

What they DO have is abundant community. Not everyone loves each other, as evidenced by two recent killings. One young man of 19 walked by the sugar cane and pulled off a stalk to eat (nearly universal practice there) and the owner killed him.Another woman lost her husband but she had land through him. His brother wanted the land so he stabbed her to death. The children grow up in this atmosphere. It hurts me.

When I go there, I see only the good. Everyone rejoicing. I know it is not that way all the time. I want to commune with them---not just come in like a tourist for a week or two.
Soon. Soon I'll be there.

adorable

a pic here and pic there....nothing like being there.

OH Hallelujah

God is good. He so encourages me. Even when He doesn't seem to be there, He encourages me. and then I think--duh--You are always with me! You are within me! You hold everything together in the Universe. You know my thoughts. You watch over my ways. Hallelujah!

Thursday we are having a meeting to show Todd's amazing photos and tell his story. I will be there cheering, clapping, and crying. It was a great trip to see friends. They are wonderful. They have such joy and don't need all these trappings that I seem to need now. They remind me about how you have joy in pain and suffering. How you rejoice in Loss. How Jesus is everything you need.

and they remind me regular stuff, too. Like the pastor who got mad thinking that I had promised him a new church building (nope. never thought such a thing nor mentioned it) and so he was mad and thought the head pastor was stealing from him and he left the church.

well, the devil tore that brother down and I pray God build him back up and send him back. Let us embrace him. How often have we felt someone got something we wanted. it hurts.
but don't be an accuser of the brethren.
He was wrong.
No one mistreated him.
sad.

Oh I wanted to add a YOUTUBE video from my channel: stephanietexasrivers
I was on there sending the link to Medine the other day and Cheryl today (HI GUYS IF YOU MADE IT HERE!) and i wanted to post it again on here.

It is Pastor Bernard when he was just an associate pastor leading the youth singing this song,
Whom am I to say No?
and I love it!
It is sort of dischordant but they sang it that way on purpose. it was intended. and it captures my attention.

still, my fave is my girls dancing! woo hoo! and Josephs church is the most celebratory and I love them! (i love all the churches!)

I am studying for physiology and pharmacology right now and I can barely keep myself into it. and the exams are monday and tuesday. and I want to apply to nursing school in may.....so off i go. Lord Jesus, put that stuff in my brain. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for bringing it to my remembrance that I may do Your Will, in Jesus' name.
amen!

Orphans came to get their photos taken in hopes of getting sponsors. (girl in fushia/white dress is not an orphan)

Pastor Steve and wife Melab. The difference after preaching about displaying affection to your wife. I think he's got it down now! (above picture is the AFTER. below picture is BEFORE--when my husband told him to get close to his wife and show affection.....he just stood far off and stretched his hands towards her. My Steve said, "No, you look like you are praying for her...get closer." and Pastor Steve took one step closer and this is how that looked...)

I'm getting excited to return to Western Kenya, East Africa. I have tickets on hold while I check the dates. I'm taking Doug as a gift to my friend Cindy who passed away in March of last year. Cindy wanted to serve on the mission field. She wanted to become a doctor. She earned her Masters in Biology and was studying for the MCAT.

At the funeral, I told her son Doug I'd like to take him to Kenya with me as in her honor. Turns out Doug tells me he was called to Africa as a child. He's never understood it, so it is curious that now he will be going there. It is life changing, for sure.

I couldn't sleep last night. I was texting Titus (in Kenya) before bed. Steve wanted to know about buying a house in Kenya.

Steve is saying that he'd like a house where we could stay when we come frequently and a place where visitors could stay. I would like to have a washer and dryer, oven/stove top, refridgerator, shower, toilets, running water, electricity, and Steve wants all that and air conditioning.

So I was asking Titus about that and about the cost of a pick up truck. We would like to have an ambulance for the clinic and a way to have a mobile clinic that could go out frequently. He was texting back about the truck saying it was about 1,200,000 shillings ($16,000) and i thought he meant the house.

OH MY! we'd love to buy a house for 16,000! But that was too good to be true, of course. We could have a mud hut, I'm sure, for the low low price of about $2,400. But that is probably with a thatched roof---too tempting for the mosquitos though. So you need a tin roof, but that is so costly! It is about $2400 just for a bit of roof!

and you know, i'd rather build wells if I were going to spend like that.

but I also know that if I bring people over there, they will fall in love, like I did, and they will be so delighted and filled with joy to give to such wonderful and needy friends that an investment in a house could bring great rewards to the people of those surrounding communities.

I'd also like to set up some way for medical students to come and do internships with the hospitals there. They would learn so much about tropical medicine ---and be a great help in the process. Plus, their dollars for the priviledge would go back into helping the community.

I will be working on setting that up as time goes by.

There are so many plans in my head and I need to be thinking about physiology. I have a pharmacology exam on Monday and a physiology exam on Tuesday---and it is Valentine's weekend! Steve's taking me to Trulucks and the Ballet! Very exciting. but even better is taking me to Kenya for the summer!

I have a trip planned. Contact me if you are interested in going. It is worth the investment for the eternal rewards.