Sad News

God answers prayer, but not always as we would like.

We want to thank everyone who has been praying with us for Ava's adoption. For nearly two years we have been blessed with the gift of Ava and our hopes of returning to Canada to introduce her to all of her great big family and friends, but the frustration of the Kenyan adoption system and all its inefficiencies has been a great struggle. The saga continued today at about 5 pm with news from our lawyer that we have been bumped, with a large number of other families, from tomorrow's high court proceedings. The news only got worse as he told us that the back log in the family court (which only meets on Fridays) pushes us at the earliest to the end of April. Given the reality that the subsequent hearing would be a month later and followed by another two week wait for the adoption certificate, we won't be able to begin the work of obtaining travel documents for Ava until the middle of June at the earliest. This has been a terrible disappointment.

Given our frustrating situation with the courts, returning to Canada is no longer an option for us in 2009. This has been a sad decision to make for all of us. Please continue to hold us in prayer.

Totally Spies

Emma and Tristan all dressed for

Rosslyn Academy's Spiritual Emphasis Week

Better and better!

A group of young girls from the Eastleigh Community Centre's primary school dropping in for a drink of water at the Eastleigh Pottery ministry this morning.

Throughout the morning, we enjoyed seeing several children slip into the pottery ministry for peek at what we were up to and for a drink of water. Along with the traditional pottery and new ceramic beading project, Eastleigh Pottery has been very busy with producing and distributing ceramic water filters to families within Eastleigh and greater Nairobi. Throughout March, the women of Iftin will be learning about the importance of proper hygiene and clean drinking water as a first defence against common water born illnesses that are especially killing young children in places like Eastleigh and Mathare Valley. We are deeply thankful to the many churches and individuals who are contributing toward the purchase of water filter systems through The Sharing Way. Your gifts are providing clean drinking water to hundreds of people in Eastleigh! Every member of the Iftin self help groups will receive a water filtration system and be trained on how to properly use and maintain their filters over the next two months. Coming from Canada, water seems like such a common thing. But for most of the world, clean drinking water is a rare and highly valued commodity. We want to thank everyone who is making these filters a reality in Eastleigh!

Better beads!

Meanwhile the Eastleigh Jewelry enterprise continues to move ahead with Erica and the pottery crew improving their bead making day by day. We will soon be ready to move into the glazing and finishing steps of the bead production phase. Once we have the complete process ironed out, the Somali women will begin their five week training with Erica and the pottery staff.

Erica and James working on finding the best glazes.

So far all of the raw materials for the beading project have come from Kenya. The one component that we are lacking is the glaze. Kenya produces materials that create a wonderful grey and brown glaze (in fact the pottery ministry has produced some beautiful glazes of its own), but this does not satisfy the range and pallet of colour needed for jewelry. We will be experimenting with glazes that we must import from England. While we await the arrival of these glazes, we will be using some of the Eastleigh Pottery's supply.

In Prayer:

* Please keep our family in prayer as we return to the High Court in Nairobi this Friday for Ava's adoption. We are praying that everyone who needs to be there will make it and that we are not bumped from the list.

Spiritual Emphasis Week 2009

It is Spiritual Emphasis Week at Rosslyn Academy: Each afternoon the Elementary School is taking part in a program of "Spies in Space" as they have fun learning about what it means to follow God.

Emma is in the Spiritual Emphasis Worship Team this year and she is having fun leading the songs and teaching the actions to her fellow students.

Erica and I are volunteering each afternoon as leaders of an activity station. The children are decorating T-shirts with us to help them to remember that "The Bible helps us to know what God wants us to do to follow God's path." Through the week Erica is teaching twelve different groups about what it means to "Follow God" and to follow the steps of painting their shirts.

"Obey me and I will be your God

and you will be my people. Walk

in all the ways I command you

that it may go well with you."

Jeremiah 7:23

Some of the freshly painted T-shirts drying in the sun

If you give a kid a paint brush, you never really know what to expect. Here are just a couple of cases in point! (They are two works of art that just put a smile on our faces this afternoon -- enjoy)


"Follow God ... fool"

"Follow Gob"

We are blessed to be able to be apart of this week with our children and the students at Rosslyn Academy!

New directions!

Mr. Ehud Gachugu, director of the Eastleigh Community Centre, speaking with over forty of the women from the Iftin ESL program at today's vocational skills training seminar.

It was only nine months ago that we first met with young Somali women and mothers at the Eastleigh Community Centre to explore their perceptions and experiences of struggling to survive in Eastleigh. Among the many challenges that they identified that June morning, the ladies emphasized two of highiest priority, namely: a lack of English or Kiswahili (necessary for life in Kenya) and a need to provide a reliable income to support their hungry families living in poverty.

We had the pleasure today of announcing that the first IFTIN class to be receiving a "level one English certificate" will be taking part in the Vocational Training Centre's graduation ceremonies this Friday! As part of the celebration, the Iftin choir will be performing their own song. It will be a very proud day indeed.

We also had the joy of facilitating a vocational skills training seminar with about forty of our most advanced English students. The ECC director, Mr. Ehud Gachugu, spoke passionately about the importance of taking responsibility for one's destiny and of the opportunity for many of the Iftin women to be scholarshipped for practical vocational training through the VTC. Although the unemployment rate is high in Kenya, over 80% of the graduates of the VTC programs consistently find jobs or begin successful businesses. "It does not matter from where you have begun," said the director, "it matters where you end!"

Zahra introducing the program officer of the Eastleigh Community Centre's Vocational Training Centre (VTC), Mr. Joe Karithi.

The women heard first hand stories of the opportunities they have before them to improve their lives and become financially self reliant. "You can become a provider!" cheered Joe as he told the women about ways the VTC seeks to empower individuals to work together to overcome poverty and dependency.

Aaron also reminded the women how far they had come in such a short time. There are many voices of discouragement that each of these women are subject to day after day after day: None of them are free from either criticism or abuse. But despite many obstacles, they have shown their courage -- entering a "Christian" community centre; becoming a student; sticking with their studies; inviting non-Somalis into their homes; becoming friends with women of other clans and tribes; playing sports; talking about difficult issues; and now considering some very non-traditional trades and vocational paths.

Looking Ahead!

Among the responses shared by the women today, about twenty want to enter the ceramic bead training with Erica and the pottery ministry (Many of the women have already completed their scholarship applications and are excited to begin the training in mid March). Another fifteen of the women told us that they were interested in the fashion & design, hair & beauty, catering, and computer technology programs offered at the centre. To our great delight, four of the women shared a desire to enter non-traditional fields of metal work, automotive and electrical trade programs offered at the VTC -- amazing!!!

Please hold the women of Iftin in your prayers as they step forward into a future unlike any their families and community had ever imagined.

Women in Focus

Erica speaking with Tim Bannister and about half of the members of the "Women in Focus" group today at the Eastleigh Community Centre.

The women trying their hand at bead formation
during a short visit to Eastleigh Pottery

It was a great day with some new friends, as we introduced six members of the Canadian "Women in Focus" group to the ladies of Iftin and the ministries of the Eastleigh Community Centre. We were very interested in their observations of current trends in jewelry and ladies fashion back in Canada (Erica and I are a little out of touch). They made some helpful design suggests as we spent some time in the pottery workshop and gave them a chance to shape a few beads. Large beads in bright colours was their recommendation in a nut shell. We are excited to see the completion of our first jewelry line with the women of Iftin. We are very interested in any design suggestions that you might have as well. Please post a comment if you have any recommendations!

Our main focus with Iftin today was exercise: the Women in Focus participated with several of the Somali women in a discussion over the importance and the benefits of regular exercise. It was fun not only to hear the opinions and experiences of all the women, but to get active together -- singing, dancing, playing football, and yes... more dancing!


Two of the Canadian women
joining in on the football game.

Saying good-bye after a wonderful

morning together!

hand made

With our first batch of clay ready,

it was time to get rolling...

Erica and I shared the morning with our friends at Eastleigh Pottery perfecting our bead forming skills and selecting bead designs for our first production with the women of Iftin. The ladies will begin their turn at training in March as we begin the true production phase of the project.

How do they get that hole in the bead?

Knitting needles,.. of course!

The English Literacy program is also doing well; the second class has advanced quickly through their studies and will be writing exams early inorder to move into the new core curriculum with class three. We are very proud of the students and all their hard work!

Last Friday, we briefly met the "Women in Focus" STM upon their arrival from Canada. Part of the group will be joining us in Eastleigh in the morning as we talk about women and sports with the Iftin group. We are excited for the opportunity for the women to come together and share their perspectives on the importance and joy of physical recreation.

On Sunday, we are looking forward to meeting with Carmin MacMillan, the director of Short Term Missions (STM) for Canadian Baptist Ministries. We will be discussing opportunities for future volunteers to join the Somali outreach projects with us in Eastleigh. We are praying for people who will come and share their gifts and talents, and most importantly their love with the women and children of the Eastleigh Community Centre.

IN PRAYER:

* Please continue to uphold our family as February 27th draws near. This will be our third attempt at going before the high court for Ava's adoption. We pray that we will NOT be bumped from the list again.

* Please keep the Iftin women in your prayers. They are, in many respects, breaking the rigid mold of expectations placed upon them by tradition, wagging fingers and scornful eyes. Already some of the girls have been criticized for their involvement in everything from school to the Friday football club. We anticipate further criticism as the women gather this coming Tuesday for a vocational skills training expo that we are having with the Vocational Training Centre (VTC). Many of the women have expressed interest in extremely non-traditional jobs for a Somali women, including automotive and journalism. We pray that God will protect these women as they step forward and in many ways step out before their community.

It only takes a little...

IFTIN's firstever FOOTBALL team

GO IFTEAM!

The English Literacy classes of Iftin run each week from Monday to Thursday at the Eastleigh Community Centre. On Fridays, the women are free to stay home or take part in any number of things from field trips to workshops. Zahra and Nelius came up with a great idea that builds on our current focus on nutrition. Each woman was asked to come with "Only ONE healthy thing" for a stew (or they cold bring a few shillings to contribute). Together the women brought vegetables, meat, and rice to make a huge Somali stew for the days lunch. The also contributed the jiko stove, the charcoal, the pots, bowls and stirring spoon. They worked together to clean, cut and prepare the meal. "It only takes a little!" smiled Nelius.

Zahra challenging the ECC girls varsity

team to a match with our Iftin girls.

We lost ... but we had fun.



Zahra giving the girls a pep talk

Way to go Iftin!!!!

A few boys running the football pitch for PE class.

Step by Step

James Odera, manager of Eastleigh Pottery,

tests the consistency of the new clay body recipe

for making ceramic beads.

The ceramic bead and jewelry production project is moving forward step by step. Today we completed the first batch of our new clay body after nearly six months of research and planning. The pottery staff gathered together at 7:00 am to begin the long days work of mixing, sieving, and preparing the clay for use.

Some of the pottery staff pouring the clay into mess bags. Rather than waiting several weeks for the clay to thicken in the sun, the pottery team are experimenting with hanging the clay in heavy cloth bags where it will shed water much faster than sitting in the usual drying boxes.

A bag of freshly made clay hanging to dry next to a pile of 7 tons of raw clay that our team purchased from Nyeri, near Mt. Kenya.

The project's objective is to provide skills training and employment to vulnerable Somali women in Eastleigh. We hope to begin the training phase of the project with ten women by the middle of March. Until then, we will be taking training ourselves with the pottery staff from a local ceramic beading expert. We are excited to see this enterprise reduce the number of Somali women living in extreme poverty.

New Uniforms

Our Somali friend Nesteho

and her classmates in the preschool class

at the Eastleigh Community Centre

One of the costs that parents face in getting their children to school in Kenya are uniforms. For many of the children at the Eastleigh Community Centre, their school uniform is the best outfit they own. They do their best to keep it clean and in good repair. They are very proud of their uniform!

Thanks to special gifts from friends like Don & Joy Hepburn, and Pastor Nancy and the kids at Brunswick Street Baptist Church (Fredericton, New Brunswick) as well as other donations also given through The Sharing Way, many Somali kids have been sponsored for school uniforms this semester at the Community Centre.

On behalf of these kids, we share our deep appreciation for the contributions that people have made to "The Sharing Way" for Somali Ministry in Eastleigh. Your generous gifts have made the projects and ministry that we are a part of possible!

Erica with Zahra's sister Najmo

proudly wearing her new school uniform

The Sharing Way

Erica, Aaron, Yattani, Salomi, and Brian in the Eastleigh Community Centre's Assembly Hall

On Friday, we spent the day in strategic meetings with our Somali ministry colleagues the Carlines and the Gollos, along with Malcolm Card and our Sharing Way colleagues Sam Mutisya and Brian Malcolm.

Today, we brought the Gollos and Brian into Eastleigh for them to see the community centre and some of the ministry we are involved in there. The Gollos will be returning to Garissa where they are setting up there home. We pray for them as they establish themselves in Garissa and begin the important ground work for building new ministries in the capital of Northeastern Province. They are beginning a new chapter in a long legacy of Somali outreach in NEP.

Brian has been a great encouragement to us as we begin the jewelry enterprise with the Somali women and work to strengthen the development initiatives among the vulnerable Somali community of Eastleigh. Brian leaves for Rwanda tomorrow where he will be working with the Cards in other Sharing Way programs. With the help of The Sharing Way, we are working to help the most vulnerabe Somali households in Eastleigh to overcome extreme poverty, injustice and enjoy the visible signs of God’s kingdom through a participatory, integrated approach to sustainable long-term community development.

Kuja pamoja!

Kuja Pamoja means "coming together" in Kiswahili

and today was a time for the children of Rosslyn Academy to

come together with children of the Eastleigh Community Centre

The two first grade classes of Rosslyn Academy loaded into two buses and followed Erica and I into work this morning to join the primary classes at the community centre for a time of reading and learning together. As part of their visit, the first grade students from RA each brought a favorite book to read to a younger primary student.

A group of Rosslyn and Eastleigh students quite interested in the fiery red "spider ants" -- some things are just universal!

The elementary science teacher, who organized the visit with Erica, also had the students visit the pottery ministry where they are having their own little pots fired in the kiln. James, the director of Eastleigh Pottery, showed the children the process of making pottery and introduced them to the water filter project. After the official visit, many of the Rosslyn students had a chance to play with some of the Eastleigh kids.

Tutaonana!

"See you again!"

Welcome Nelius!

Mike Arnold and Michael Waddel sharing with some of the women of Iftin (Michael's presence certainly set Tunis, one of our friends, giggling)

On Monday, the Midland team joined us in Eastleigh for one of the English literacy classes with Iftin and a tour of the ministries we are a part of within the Eastleigh Community Centre. During the class time, the guys had a chance to hear about the difficulties facing Somali women living in Eastleigh. The ladies enjoyed getting to know our Canadian friends!

On Tuesday, we returned to Eastleigh with Michael Waddel for another ESL class and to go on a home visit with one of the mature students. It was a good opportunity to walk the dusty streets of Eastleigh and to enter into a more intimate setting. The woman we visited lives with her five children, a cousin and her mother in a small two room apartment within one of the many bee hive structures that fill Eastleigh. It was difficult to hear the woman's struggle with deep bitterness and anger over her situation as she struggles to hold on to hope. We pray for tangible ways to encourage her and her family as they face issues of poor health, unemployment and lack of education. We believe that God is in the business of restoring lost hope!

This is also the first week for our new teacher, Nelius! She will be helping us in our growing English Literacy program as we expand to more classes and community development projects with the Iftin group. We are so thankful for God's gift of Nelius as she will bring a new set of skills and her sincere love for vulnerable women into Iftin.

Late Tuesday afternoon, we joined the Carline family for a good-bye pizza picnic at Rosslyn Academy to say farewell to Alden, Bryden, Michael and Mike. It was a time to be thankful. The Midland team had a full and diverse time of ministry, but they all seemed tired and excited to return to see their wives and families. We pray for their safe arrival in Halifax tonight as they will be coming home to a snow storm. Please join us in pray for their journey!

hip hip hippo!

A hippo yawning at us in Lake Naivasha

Michael with us on Cresent Island

On Sunday after worship at the International Christian Fellowship, we took Michael on a hippo safari on Lake Naivasha, about an hour north of the city. It has been a great few days of catching up with Michael (and staying up way too late!). The kids have enjoyed playing games with Michael and teaching him some of their favorites.


Tristan and Michael bravely walking amongst
a herd of zebra, wildebeest, and waterbuck

Flamingos on the fringe of the lake

R & R

On Friday, we enjoyed some down time with our friends Michael and Mike at the Acacia Camp. We were blessed with a second encounter with the lone male lion on the reserve.


As we were driving along a trail, we spotted him sitting in the open. After a few minutes of watch each other, the lion stood and moved in for a closer look. We weren't sure what he was going to do, but it was a relief when he stopped about 20 ft away from us and went on his way.

Around the camp fire, catching up with Michael and Mike on their experiences in Uganda.

Diane Bannister with Connie Smith

(Connie was visiting from the Congo for a little R&R)

On Saturday, we left Acacia and went with Michael to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi. Along with the orphaned elephants, we were thrilled to meet a three and a half week old black rhino.

The rhino was very affectionate! Both Erica and Tristan were covered in mud from cuddling with him. He was basically in Erica's lap... What an experience!

Michael making a new friend!

A highlight of the day was a visit to the Giraffe Centre where Michael fed and hugged the giraffe -- but wouldn't kiss them (You've got a faithful man there Melanie!).

He also had a chance to experience a Kenyan market. We walked the narrow rows full of people bartering for a deal amongst the hundreds of shops.

Emma inspecting the tilapia

(fried fish that look at you while your eating them)