Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Letter from Joseph in Kenya....


Today all our students spent the day at Catherine's home splitting firewood, fetching water and doing other chores. That's the solidarity within the TGD family. As from tomorrow, it will be in turns; We are splitting them into two groups. One in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Spending the night at the funeral is on voluntary basis, at least for today, tomorrow and Thursday. Friday will see the whole team spend the night at the funeral for the evening service and night vigil. Burial is of course on Saturday ( as usual, infront of the house next to the late Mr. Lihanda. Cemeteries are considered 'sites for the rejects' here in the rural. You've been in Kenya and I guess you know this.)


Catherine looks strong and composed. I thought it's because of the sizable presence of mourners who seem to give her and her siblings a feeling of , but just remembered that Catherine has always been strong. The sting of losing a mother is such a painful one, especially at such a tender age when Catherine is hardly 22 yet the eldest of the three. We pray that the hollowness, that ugly lonely spirit, will not rear its head once the morners have gone back to their homes leaving the family to face the future alone, without any parental love.



Away from the funeral. Yesterday we visited Truphosa in her school. She is at Lunza Secondary School, a high school with a population of approximately 500 students. I hadn't taken keen interest in Truphosa's academic progress ealier won. Yesterday's case was an eye-opener. To begin with, Truphosa actually received a calling letter from Butere Girls High School (where Jane is studying). Since she didn't have a sponsor by then, we had little to do about her, let alone enquiring about her academic nitty-gritty. Plus the confusion that was sorrounding her grade (remember the conflicting information about whether she was in Grade 6, 7 or 8?) So the truth is, on realizing that she couldn't raise the enormous Butere Girls' High School fees, her guardian resorted to taking her to Lunza Secondary School, which is a day school. She commutes from Imanga to Lunza (cant tell how many miles those are, but it's a long journey). In that condition, she managed to be position 15 out of 106. The most interesting bit is that she isn't alone. There is this student in the same class with Truphosa who scored very high marks - Jane had 333 and this particular girl scored 349 marks, all out of 500 - in her Kenya Certificate for Primary Education. She was also supposed to join Butere Girls High School but fate landed her in Lunza Seondary, a mixed high school of boys and girls, all because of the state of her family (well, she's never known who her father is and her mother has been remarried FIVE TIMES!) Ok. There she was, in the same class with Truphosa. She beat Truphosa by one position. She was position 14. The most encouraging thing is that fees in such a school is very affordable. They pay approximately US$150 for the whole year in fees alone. Other expenses like uniform and school shoes are to be bought separately. Tht's where our Truphosa goes to school. Oh! Her class teacher, Mr. Songa. A very sober, level-headed and rational man. He explained to us in details about life in Lunza Secondary School.

Friday, May 06, 2011

I have my computer up!!

No more living off my phone--hallelujah! It's been difficult, but I am SO thankful for the Iphone, which has made moving to another state more of a blessed experience. I can type something into the MAP application using my "current location" and it will give me directions to nearly anything. I can access my EMAIL and facebook. I can get texts and calls from friends. I have music and sermons by the pastors at Austin Stone, by John Piper, by puritan John Owens and weekly scripture memorization from FIGHTER VERSE (although I have not memorized this week's---I mostly know it: Set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your heart on things above and not on earthly things for your life is hidden with Christ.----------------see? that was close. Col 3:1-3) and that has helped me because earthly things could dominate my thoughts. Or physical pain. My hands and wrists are killing me. My knee is not too fond of how many times I am going up and down these stairs.
But yay! I even have my bank address stuff turned over to my new home and today we fedexed the papers and faxed them. They will go by the fax since they have a tracking number for the official documents and our buyers---with TEN CHILDREN will get to move in since all their stuff comes TODAY!  That will be one happy family! God bless them!

Thursday, May 05, 2011

Made the move

Ok, so we are really not in Texas anymore. I still have no computer set up - so I am texting on steves iPad. Tap tap tap with my pointer finger.
Penelope pooped on the rug again. I try to tell myself that God wants to mold my character yet I have a very hard time with poop in the house. At least the weather is nice and she can go out many times a day. We have a giant yard-- like an acre of lush grass , but no fence and dogs all around! They have the "invisible fence" system here but Penelope is rude. I cant trust her to stay in boundaries! This little dog has very poor character-- but she is so cute. She is just openly greedy or manipulative. We can't tell her that she is not fooling anyone. She does obey, though--- mostly. Not with the poop.

Anyway, my house in Texas sells tomorrow and I am so happy for the new owners getting such an awesome house!! I have a pretty cool new house here. All the interior doors are wood! they used flat paint on the walls though and I am not a fan. I like semi-gloss. I don't want to paint after painting all of the Texas house, but....my bedroom walls are slate and my bedroom rug is light blue and caramel. Paint is cheaper to change!

A big thank you to the Godwins and Pilands for getting me out of a bind with extra stuff in the house. Muchas gracious! Asante sana! Thank you so much!

Today I went to the Barrington village municipal building to set up trash removal. One woman dismissed me with a wave-- that's LAKE Barrington! End of conversation. Thankfully, another woman saw my bewilderment and told me I needed to go elsewhere. She gave me an address which I put into my IPhone. I drove there and it said "village of North Barrington." an ominous sign, but I sheepishly inquired. Nope. Still needed LAKE Barrington....just down the road. Um...ok. So I drove there nearly missing it.
Well....this had to be it. What? No? The nice lady tells me I am in the Cuba township.
Hmmm. Cuba? Is that in our country? Do you have the number?
I called.
Oh...I am in the unincorporated part. This one asks me, "Who do your neighbors sue for trash?"
I am new. My neighbors have not come near me (wisely.) so then she gives me the number to Waste Management. I call them to see if they service my street. No. "is there anything else I can help you with today?" ( I could give her a list if she means it.) "No, thank you." My stomach starts to hurt a bit .... because I am so kind although it's not true Holy Spirit fruit. Rather, I am faking it to spare others from the effects of my weakness and sin. So I called Steve. It was difficult to believe I did all that work and accomplished zero. Death to flesh perhaps. Steve emailed the seller who gave us the info. Grout. That's who picks up our trash. Tomorrow I contact grout. I want to be ready to overcome anything..... Tomorrow.