Monday Oct. 1st, 2012

Yesterday was a very emotional day for all of our team.  We drove into the Dandora slums to go to church yesterday morning.  The contrast between the trash dumped everywhere and people going through the trash looking for things to sale was hard to grasp not counting the smell!  The other things we noticed was how clean and well dressed people were.  That againest what was around them was hard to get your brain around.
We attended a church service at a building our church had sent funds to help finish a year and a half ago.  In fact this is the building that Bonnie's husband Paul had come to Kenya to help get the floor started on in March 2011.  Walking into the building and seeing what a difference the floor, walls being finished and glass in the windows made for these people was overwhelming.  They treated us as honored guests and we were seated in the front two rolls.  Worshiping with them you realize they are just like us trying to make a better life for themselves and their families.  We were greeted as sisters & brothers in Christ and felt very loved.
After the 3 hour church service we came back to the lodge and met our Compassion children we support.  They were here for 3 hours with their interupters.  We talked with them, had snacks and played jump rope and soccer / football.  It was great to meet these kids and see what a wonderful job Compassion does to help these kids get health care, spirtual instruction, and an education.
It was a long day and we were all exhuasted!
At dinner we found out there had been a bombing at a church in Nairobi not far from where we are staying.  The church we had attended had a guard at the only entrance to the church grounds, but we did not think to much about it at that time.  We feel very safe where we are staying and the H.E.A.R.T. staff is taking very good care of us.
I had hoped to be able to add photo's to my blogs, but I have not figured out how to get them from my IPad to the blog, so may have to wait till I get home.  A little tech challenged!
Thanks for all your prayer we feel them each day!

Saturday Sept. 29, 2012

We arrived at the Kenya airport Friday night about 8:30 pm Kenya time.  We had 26 pieces of checked luggage to claim and customs to go through, so it was about 10 pm when we got on the bus to head to the H.E.A.R.T. lodge.  The bus driver placed all but 6 of the pieces of luggage on top of the bus!  We were amazed as every bag was at the maxium weight of 50 lbs!
The ride to H.E.A.R.T. lodge was quite an experence to say the least.  The driver sits on the right side of the bus and drives down the left side of the road.  There are very few stop lights mainly round abouts where no slows down!
Today Saturday we met the ladies and their children at the Paradise Lost Park about 10 am.  The ride to the park there were coffee bean fields and lots of greenery along the road.  When we arrived at the park some of the ladies and their children were waiting for us.  The minute we pulled up they started waving to us.  The kids were so excited to be there and look forward to this day all year.  The mother's had a devotional with a couple of our team members and the rest of our team took the kids  to make different crafts, jump rope, and swing on swings.  One of our crafts was taking pipe cleaners and placing beads on them to make bracelets.  They really got into this as they came up with ideas that we had not thought of to make rings and eye glasses out of the pipe cleaners!  We then had lunch of hamburgers and baked potato's with warm soda.  They loved it because it is a real treat to have soda and hamburgers.  Then we sang songs with hand motions.  The treat was boat rides and camel rides.  I will try to post photo's tomorow.

Two days till we leave for Kenya!  Last Sunday we had our commissioning with our families and four of our pastors'.  Some of us spoke of how God had brought us to this mission trip and how it has affected our lives so far.  We all have our own fears and at the same time are excited to see what God has in store for us as we go to be His hands and feet. 
Pray that all of our bags will be packed and under the 50 lb limit!
Pray for the 8 ladies on our team who are leaving children behind with their husbands.  So many details to take care of before Thursday morning!
Pray that I be able to understand how all the tech stuff works, so that I will be able to "face time" with Darrel while I am gone.
If you want to email me while I am gone please use this email address.
arlenebillups@gmail.com

One week from today our Kenya Mission Team will be leaving for 11 days!  Please pray that we will each be God's hands and feet, and that what breaks God's heart will break our as well.  Pray for peace for our spouses and children that we are each leaving.  Thank you for your support it means so much to me and our team.

Our Kenya team photo!

Wow in two weeks from today we will almost be in Kenya to start our mission work!  Getting all the last minute details put together Praise God!  Pray that God will bless us with great packing skills, so we will not have to leave anything behind!

Two weeks from today off to Kenya!

I cannot believe that it is less than 3 weeks till we leave for our mission trip! 
Vaccinations done!
Malaria RX ready to start!
Now to get clothes in bag and keep it under 50 lb.  That is my project for today!