Prayer Requests

Today we are writing with some prayer requests for our family and also for the Carlines. Tristan and Aaron have both been feeling sick for almost a week now. Tristan was starting to feel better on Sunday, so Aaron and I headed to Garissa with Paul and Sam Mutisiya for Sharing Way meetings; Tristan and Emma stayed home with Kelly. Aaron started to feel worse when we arrived in Garissa. We decided then that we would only stay until Wednesday and not Friday as planned. On Tuesday afternoon we received a call from Kelly saying that Kenan was in hospital and Tristan was not feeling well again. So we loaded the car and headed back to Nairobi with Paul and Sam. The hospital kept Kenan overnight and discovered that he had a bacterial infection. He is home now and Kelly says that he is improving. Aaron and Tristan went to the doctor this morning; Tristan has a throat infection and Aaron has bronchitis. They are both on antibiotics. Please pray for our two families; for healing and for God's strength.

Rift Valley

Pictures do not do justice to the beautiful panorama of the Great Rift Valley.

A group of children climbing the steep valley wall and making their way to worship.
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On our way back to Nairobi from the Rift Valley, we stopped by a roadside duka (shop) for a chance to stretch our legs and take in the view. We watched children climb the winding clay paths along the steep cliffs on their way to worship. Many sang in Kiswahili and one young woman carried a large drum that she beat as they walked. What a wonderful experience of praising the Lord of all creation!

Today we have spent some time with Andai working on our visas. Please pray that everything comes together well in this tedious process. Our work in Eastleigh is going strong. Our language helpers are fantastic. On Tuesday, we had the joy of visiting the family of one girl's. She lives in a small apartment with her mother and eight siblings (her father remains in Somalia). As the second child, she carries a large share of the work in caring for such a large family. It is a blessing to be so welcomed into their lives.

Monkey Business

This mother spotted my bread and took it gently from my hand with her baby watching on

After our visit with the Michael and Bernardine Steeves at Rift Valley Academy, we continued on to Lake Naivasha where we met hippos in the dark and fiesty monkeys during the day. We picked up an elderly woman and her grandson from the Rift Valley and drove them to Naivasha. They became wonderful guides teaching Emma and Tristan some new Swahilli words and helped us find our way.

Kijabe Hospital

The main entrance of the Kijabe Hospital

Diane and I check out the birthing room

On Friday we had the opportunity to visit the Kijabe Hospital. Diane Bannister gave us a tour as she used to work there. There were large lines of patient Kenyans and Somalis. Because of such high need the hospital has continued to expand over the years creating a maze of corridors connecting the many wings. With the increase of Somali patients, the hospital is looking at building a Somali guesthouse. One of the highlights was being able to see the nursery.

Twins

Seeing double? This is Erica and Emma on the way to school last Thursday morning.

Rosslyn was closed on Friday for a teacher enrichment day, so we had a long weekend to visit Rift Valley Academy with the Bannister's, visit with the Steeves family and explore the Kijabe area.

Happy Valentine's Day 2007

Happy Valentine's Day!

This was the view from our dining room window this morning just before sunrise, as we were enjoying coffee and breakfast.

Yesterday our session with our new language helpers went fantastic. Three of my students ( Moxamed, Abdalla, and Abdullahi) and one of Erica's students (Zahra) joined us over coffee to work on our Somali pronunciation. They were patient, focused, and so encouraging. What an answer to prayer! We will continue meeting in Eastleigh together and we are looking forward to having them over to our home soon. Please pray for our "langauge helper team", they are all searching for God's direction. We are so thankful that the Lord has brought us together.

Last night, Tristan and Emma were very busy finishing up their homemade valentine cards for their classmates. Today we picked up bouquets for their teachers and caramels for their class Valentine parties. Tristan wasn't so sure if he wanted to give a valentine to the girls in his class; eventually he did but he dropped the "love" stuff and opted for just signing his name.

We hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Love, Aaron & Erica

Notice the Flat!

It was great to have Diane Bannister stay over last night while she was in the city. We had just returned from picking up the CBM mail and were able to enjoy the latest issues of MacLeans magazine. Not only that, but we recieved our first Canadian mail -- Valentines from Nana Clark and Grampy & Grammie Kenny! Tristan and Emma were very excited to open mail.

After our sunrise pancake breakfast, we got ready for school and work only to discover that Diane's van wasn't so ready for the new day (notice the flat). We are now on our way to Eastleigh to work with a new group of language helpers. We pray the rest of the morning goes well. God Bless!

Laura Ward

On Sunday afternoon, we had the pleasure of hosting Laura Ward for a sleep over while she was in Nairobi with a delegation from Rwanda. Laura has returned to East Africa as a consultant with Canadian Baptist Minstries: She is working with The Sharing way and our East African partner churches in strengthening sustainable community development. On Monday morning, Laura traveled with us to Rosslyn to drop of the kids for school, and then we had a chance to meet Titus, from the African Brotherhood Church (ABC), and the Rwanda group. Laura acted as translator for us as we greeted the pastors and development leadership. They are benefitting from the success and experience of the work of the ABC and Guardians of Hope (our Sharing Way ministry to orpans and victims of HIV/AIDS) here in Kenya.

We were also back in Eastleigh today, where Erica and I have continued teaching. We will be going back tommorrow to work with some prospective language helpers. The students were very happy to see us after a week of no classes.

God Bless,

Aaron & Erica

Emma's Tea Party

This weekend was Emma's Tea Party for her friends in her Kindergarten class. Erica and Emma had the apartment beautifully decorated in pink hearts and roses. Six of her friends arrived in pretty dresses and enjoyed a Saturday afternoon of tea party games and sweet treats. The big game was "I would never marry the frog!", where the kids giggled through a circle song trying to escape the awful fate of becoming a frog's bride -- the afternoon was happily free of nuptials.

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Eastleigh Centre

We share the centre with many community groups including a kindergarten.

These are some of the children in the kindergarten class at the Eastleigh Centre enjoying a break by the water catchment in the central courtyard.

Family Picture

Locals continue to tell us that this has not been a typical summer in Nairobi. The rains which usually end in early December have continued and along with them brisk winds and cool temperatures. It is not uncommon for us to see Kenyans in heavy sweaters and even winter jackets. Last week, we visited an ACC&S church where we were greeted by half a dozen preschool children, bundled in layers of wool with smurf like wool hats pulled down over their ears. And here we Canadians are, in short sleeves and loving it.

Along with the cool weather, the usually heated approach to national elections seem relatively relaxed. In fact, Kenyans in general seem relaxed. The economy has never been stronger, and people on the street are happy. On our commutes through the city we meet smiling people who are glad to have work. It is no wonder that Kenya is such an attractive place for many of the displaced people of East Africa. And they are coming!

In relatively the same distance from us as Halifax is from Montreal, people are struggling for their lives in places like southern Somalia, Sudan, and Ethiopia. One of the young men in my advanced class fled from Ethiopia's zone five, the Ogadan, after his father and two elder brothers were shot and many of his family imprisoned as the Ethopian authorities siezed their property. For him the cool summer of Nairobi is a place of healing away from the intensity of a home he may never return to. He is very angry at the injustice and inhumanity of his persecutors. Please pray for him and for the many others like him who feel angry, hurt and powerless. Only the Lord can provide the peace they seek, He is our shade and our strength.

Summer in Kenya

Emma and Mommy after worship at the Rosslyn International Christian Fellowship

This weekend, we took Tristan and Emma to the Rosslyn Carnival and had the Gilmers, another Rosslyn family over for a sleepover. It was a lot of fun. On Sunday, we returned to the school where we worshipped with the on campus fellowship. There is a great Sunday School program for the kids and a contempory service for teens and adults.

This week our plans have changed as our trip to North Eastern Province has been postponed until the end of the month. We continue to stay in close contact with our Eastleigh students who all have cell phones -- they love text messaging.

Tristan at the Carnival

Healing

In the Great Rift Valley, the Kijabe hospital treats a steady influx of Somalis from the poorest of the poor to the wealthy and political elite. With over fifteen years of conflict, there has been a predictable brain drain of medical workers and specialists within the country of Somalia. Throughout this time, Kenya has been a primary destination for critical health care services.

This past week we met a friend of the Carlines, Yattani, a Borona chaplain who serves in Kijabe. Coming from a muslim background himself, he has a beautiful love and appreciation for the Somali people and a deep understanding of cultural nuances that we Canadians would miss. Of the sick and injured cared for at the hospital, 40% would be Somali refuggees coming from the warzone. One such patient is a man named Issac, who was brought in months ago and found to have cancer. Doctors preformed surgery removing his lower jaw in hopes of saving him from any further spread, but they were too late. Unable to speak and a world away from any friends or family, Issac's only company is Yattani who visits each day to play music and pray with him. Yattani knows that Issac will die in this hospital, and in some ways wonders if it would have been better for him to have died with the dignity of speach and the comfort of his family near him. And yet, he prays that perhaps this is part of God's plan for Issac's life. That the love of Christ and the hope of His good news might fill the life and heart of Issac as this life ends and he encounter's our Lord in the life to come.

We pray for Issac and people like him who are searching for hope in desperate times. And we thank the Lord for fellow servants like Yattani seeking to care for our Somali neighbours with compassion and grace.

Blessings,
Aaron & Erica

Mango Tree

After school, Tristan and Emma love to play in the playground with theur school mates. Yesterday, they were able to stay extra long with their buddy Kenan Carline while we chatted in the playground with Kelly. There is this large mango tree in the middle of the elementary school that they have been eyeing for quite some time -- this was the day to climb it! Tristan was very proud to be the first one up. It is very cute to watch Emma and Kenan play, everytime they are together they are holding hands.

Eastleigh Graduation

Aaron and some of his students
Erica and her students

proud student

Erica and her language helper Ido along with Diyaa and ZamZam

Today, we celebrated graduation with around 70 students at the Eastleigh Centre. There were lots of laughs as we played games and tons of clapping as we handed out certificates. We ate together and got to try a favotite Somali dish, Xalwa (sugar, cardomon, cinnamon and garlic, mmmmmmm!) It is brown and sticky and words can't really describe the experience! It was a great day and we are so glad that we could be a part of it.