The Sudan Connection...And, Which Shoes Do I Wear Today?

God has opened our eyes and broken our hearts. We started feeling this way along the road from Nairobi to Bomet. While witnessing God's beautiful creation of the Rift Valley, we often passed herds of cows, led for miles on foot, by members of the Maasii tribe. They follow their cows, and the tribe members are not afraid of lions. (Talk about the road less travelled!). Our drivers, John and Jereld, were some of the first connections we made. (We rode with John, as Jereld drove the second van of guests). John is 30 years old and works for Samaritan's Purse. He has lived in Niarobi his whole life, with exception of the year and 4 months when he lived in Sudan. He said he thought his friend was joking when he told him he could apply for a job with Samaritan's Purse. Shortly thereafter, John got his CV to Samaritan's Purse and said he was told that they would contact him in a week or so. The next day, John received a call from S.P. asking him if he would consider going to Sudan and working in Bible Distribution! He gladly accepted, though he was worried. Not because of the political unrest, but because he has Sickle Cell Anemia. To get to Sudan from Nairobi (because of the bad roads), it would take 2-3 days by car, even though the two countries share a border. He was sent quickly by plane, and said he stayed in a tent for 2-3 weeks at a time because there was nothing there. It had all been destroyed. Ironically (or not?!) he witnessed the rebuilding of churches there, noting that the work was intense but so worth it! He said it took 2500 hand made (on location) bricks per church. (He actually has a blogsite from his experience there and we hope to share it back home, as our church continues to raise support for this mission). Our eyes were opened even further with the grace of God's people in Bomet. Cicilia, our house help, is the most amazing woman. She and her late husband (and 3 girls at the time) are refugees from Rowanda. They have been embraced by the Kenyans, and I will speak of her in more detail in blogs to come. She is kind and humble and grateful for her job. Another person we've connected with is a man named Peter. He is a very tall man and seems to be the "go-to-guy" for everything at Tenwek Hospital. He's not even employed by Samaritan's Purse. He rides his bicycle to the grounds, 4 miles (often in the mud), everyday. He has a wife and 3 children, and a work ethic like none I've ever witnessed. His smile lights up his whole face, is genuine and understood in a universal language. He's the fix-it guy, the "gopher," the gardener and the kids' playmate. He even whittled a sword for Hugh! The amazing thing is his humility. After about two days, I saw him carrying the medical supplies that Scottie had brought up to the hospital. I noticed that he's always barefooted. I asked him why and if he had any shoes and he said (with a smile) that he did but that they were size 10s. He thought he needed an 11, 12 or 13! He apparently starts each day in the size 10 shoes and by the middle of the day, they are off. When I told him I wanted to get him a pair, he humbly hung his head and nodded with a smile. The needs here are great and simple, and their dreams are big. Our second driver, Jereld, summed it up by saying he was on the "1,2,3,4 Plan ... One wife, two kids, three bedrooms and 4 wheels." To whom much is given, much is expected. We are so blessed. May He continue to bless us all. All Our Love, Ave, Scottie, Wallace, Glenn, & Hugh