I think this will work!

Follow these links to see pictures on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007425&l=4724a&id=1344525117

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2006858&l=bc0d5&id=1344525117

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2006857&l=e2574&id=1344525117

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2005679&l=a490e&id=1344525117

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2006657&l=635dc&id=1344525117

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2006016&l=2d15a&id=1344525117

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2003246&l=24b06&id=1344525117

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2002264&l=fa8bf&id=1344525117

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004838&l=106c8&id=1344525117

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2001716&l=a29bf&id=1344525117

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2003244&l=8e937&id=1344525117

Kenya Politics

Going through the Kenyan election was rough. Now going though the American election with a "Kenyan" running is even rougher. I am approached frequently and asked who I will be voting for. It is difficult to answer this as the only "correct" answer is of course Obama (or Obamer on BBC with the accent!). Things get a bit tricky here. I usually try to dodge the answer with some small talk. Finally if pressed, I tell them that I am unsatisfied with the economy and with the war in Iraq, but I still feel I have to support McCain. When they ask why, I have to answer because of his social policies. Some let it go at that, but most push. I tell them that he supports gay marriage and partial birth abortion. If they continue to persist, I explain what partial birth abortion is and the conversations usually end abruptly with people not believing that such a thing exists let alone some one would actually think that is okay.

They are blinded by the fact that they feel that Kenya will benefit from Obama in office. If McCain does win, I fear a little for safety. The population might lash out at white people. So please as the elections come close, add us to your prayers. We may not be there, but the elections still have a great impact on us!

Riots, Violence and Clashes OH MY!

I have received a lot of questions about how the violence affected us personally. I am not sure if, in writing, I can relay the feelings, emotions and experiences, but I will try.

We had just moved into our new home. We timed it right before the elections, just in case there were problems (what Godly wisdom from our team leaders). Unfortunately we did not have a stocked pantry. Just a few items. So, I went out with the girls to the market to buy beans, sugar, flour, rice and maize meal. Staple items. It took over 2 hours, the lines were worse than Wal-Mart at Christmas. We were already stressed. The elections had been over and it had been almost 2 days and the results were not announced. It was tense. I drove home, in the dark, almost shaking because of the fear. There were people everywhere. Just random. Outside, waiting for some news.

The results came the next day and panic ensued. The violence closest to us was mostly in Kibera, the largest slum in Africa, second largest in the world. We could hear it mostly and not see things. If we needed food (or internet) we would sneak out at between 7-8 am and try to do things. Walk if possible, vehicles were being burned right and left. I thought of thoughts I never thought I would. If I was in the car with the girls and couldn't get Katriel out of her seat, am I capable of running over people? Who wants to think that? It was really a struggle for me.

The scariest night is actually funny now. We went to bed. You can't really sleep with the on/off adrenaline rush. It was about midnight and shooting started. It was from all directions, there was yelling, screaming, dogs. So noisy and close. It was everywhere. We turned on the radio "Happy New Year!" It was fireworks. We were up and dressed in about 30 seconds. Had an evacuation plan. We were ready to go. And it was a celebration. In the midst of the chaos.

Why did we stay? I have often heard, and will say again, "the safest place to be is in the middle of God's will". This was so true for us. I am sure only because of your prayers and ours, the peace was so overwhelming. After a few days, we were able to sleep at night. Function during the day. There was no more terror. No fear. My "Be fearless" bracelet was a constant reminder to me. It was astonishing really what peace there was. Not that it was easy, but there was peace.

Being forced to stay in our house for a few months enabled us to unpack, what else was there to do? The electricity was fairly constant, so we read, watched movies. We had extra people at our house, so always someone to visit with. When someone drove in the compound, we were quick to go and ask questions about the condition of the city. Live broadcasting of news was illegal during this time, so this was the only way to get news.

Prices tripled. Eggs, milk, meat anything fresh was really hard to get and expensive. All other things were severally restricted. The roads were all blocked by violence and no trucks were passing, so no deliveries. Commodities were hard to get. Our ovens all run on propane tanks, like BBQs. No propane for days. When there was, it was expensive.

We also were buying furniture for our house. Beds, etc. We snuck out on "safe" days to do this. We went to team meetings, talked about evacuation, the US embassy and where to go? Is driving to Tanzania safer than trying to cross the city to go to the airport? We packed 72 hour kits and had them by the door ready. What happens to the dog? The house help? The house? If we can't get out, will the US embassy help us?

When Jaden started school again mid January, that was really scary for me as a mother. I had to put her on a bus to travel across town (where the school is, was really safe, it was the drive only). The principle would ride the bus route on his motorcycle each morning and give us an okay or a no-go. There were days canceled, or late start. It was a time of faith. It was hard to talk about all this with Jaden. She knew somethings because of us talking, but we have no TV, so knew little. After she went to school, she learned a lot. An entire church was burned down with 100 people in it. How do you explain this to a six year old? It was really a time of stretching for both of us.

So to sum it up, it was a time of peace, intense boredom from staying home interspersed with short spurts of terror.

Thanks again for your prayers.

What DO we DO part 2…

After language school. December of 2007 the plan was to move to Nairobi and continue with studies a little less formally. On December 26, the day before the elections we moved. Our home is in a complex, like town homes with 8 units. There are two six-year old girls for Jaden to play with and a three year old boy for Katriel. They all get along as well as kids do. Unfortunately, a week after our move, Kenya fell apart. We had plans and schedules to continue with language, Matthew to take a class, continue to take trips to learn about culture, etc.—but this was not too happen. School for Jaden was postponed. We hid in our house. Little food and water since we just moved. We snuck out in the early morning hours when we thought things would be safe to buy food, there were runs on the markets with sugar, flour and beans. It was a crash course in a riots and clashes. Now when I hear these words on the news, I
have a real appreciation for what that country is going through. We had emergency team meetings, discussed emergency plans, evacuation plans, reassured everyone in America (and Canada), and did a lot of praying.

This is when we had two Internally Displaced People (IDP) move in with us. Our house help also moved all of her belongings to our home as she received a letter that she had 72 hours to move or her home would be destroyed. These were times of great fear and hopelessness, but the people that we knew and loved in Kenya were so strong and faithful. The things they have seen, I can’t write as some were so gruesome, but I also heard stories of some of the perpetrators receiving Christ at the road blocks. That pretty much encompasses January through March. Things would calm down for a few days, then riots again. Everyday I would listen to the news, find out if there was school and pray as I put my six year old on the bus to travel 6.5 miles to school. I was scared. But still that peace that surpasses was there. Especially at night. I remember looking at the clock. 5:00pm. 6:00am in America. Okay, people are starting to wake up, get breakfast, they are going to see us on their fridge and pray. I will be okay.

In April we tried to start again. Matthew was finally signed up for a class which was a requirement for him in Kenya. Lisa started a bible study that got her out of the house. Jaden & Katriel continued with their school.

So that is where our lives are now. Matthew is in class Wed & Friday. Jaden is out of school for the summer and this week is at VBS with Lisa. Katriel is on the Kenyan school schedule so she will be in class until August. We have a small group at our house Tuesday nights. Matthew attends Chapel at a school in Karen. He is in another small group on Fridays. Lisa is at Bible study Wednesdays.

Part of cultural lessons were to spend time away in a rural setting seeing how people live. That was scheduled June 6-10. Katriel had sudden high fevers at the last minute and Matthew and her stayed home. Lisa, Jaden, Millicent (house help) and Jack (IDP) went to a small village by Lake Victoria. We set up tents in Millicent’s parent’s yard and had a wonderful time with no electricity, running water, vegetables, or fruit. Fish, chicken, eggs, bread and tea. There was little English spoken. Jaden played with all of the kids for about three days, on day fur she was getting a little tired, it was hard to play when you can’t communicate with people. We went to Lake Victoria and saw some huge fish, and flies, oh the flies! I have never seen so many.

Here are a few pictures from the trip:

Jaden with a goat.
















Millicent and her father, Agutu











Millicent's mother

















The kitchen












A view of the property












The house














Thank you again for walking this walk with us. If you would like to know more information about us, just ask! Stay tuned for the next blog about upcoming plans now that our first year is ending!!!

What DO we DO?

The question that I get the most is: “The animal pictures are really nice and all, but didn’t you go to Kenya to be a missionary? What do you actually do?”

For the first year, we are forbidden – is that the right word? Yes, I think so forbidden from participating in ministry. The first year is to set you up for success in your missionary career. Language acquisition and culture learning. So what does that mean?

We spent the first four months in language school. We lived there, we had little contact with e-mail, Skype, telephone. There was no TV, no cable, no hot water. Just a big farm. We were surrounded with Kenyans and things happened almost every day where we had to learn a cultural lesson.

There were “handymen” or fundi who came by to try to fix the hot water, water overflowing, electricity stopping, or any other number of things. A lot of them had limited English skills. Trying to get through what you need with a limited knowledge of the language is frustrating at best. The lessons that we learned we huge. They disappeared for a month with no word only to find out that there had been a death in the family of the boss and he had to go up country to attend the service and mourn. I am as an American need, no demand information. I need to know. I was so frustrated, had this man just told me… Is that really the important part though? It didn’t change the fact that he was gone and wouldn’t be back anytime soon. They were right, for Americans, knowledge is power, but not everyone buys into that logic.

We learned how to drive while in school. On the other side of the road, missing donkeys, people pulling carts, people who have no idea how to drive. In the fog. This was another cultural lesson. In a cultural that is sporadic and unpredictable the driving is like the culture. Another American thing I have is logic and order. The progression of things. Once something starts, it will predictable end in X, Y and Z. I didn’t realize this was American.

This is common sense right? Come on. Help me justify myself here. No?!? When you live in a country racked with disease: TB, AIDS, Malaria, Polio. 1 out of every 10 children don’t make it to see age 5. The women who give birth have a 1 in 39 chance of dying in childbirth. Life is not predictable. Accidents happen. Often. There is no logic and order. People get hit by cars, they get burned and die from infection. How can there be predictability?

We began the process of learning to barter for goods. Not easy when you are haggling over 2¢. Just pay the 5 shillings and move on right? Nope. This is an important part of the culture. We learned which people to go to buy things for good prices. We also learned what “skin tax” is. Some things cost more because we are white. After a month in the market, it was easy to know who these people were because we had a good idea of the prices. We chose not to shop with those people. One day I was trying to buy a sheet from an older women. I was using my beautiful Kiswahili trying to find the base price to start with. She didn’t understand me. I was lost. I know I was saying the right thing, why was there a problem? She called a man over and talked to him quietly. She talked to me in English and he and I finished the transaction. I realized as I was walking away, she didn’t know Kiswahili or English, only her mother tongue!

To be continued…

Packages

To mail a package to us, we request that you use an envelope, Flat-Rate Envelope (9.5" x 12.5"). They do not go through customs and this saves us a lot (!) of money ($1.20 minimum and I have paid up to $12.00)

Go to http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/il_013.htm#ep1635594 and look for first class international for rates. If you choose priority mail, this gets the package to the US border quickly, but after that, there is no guarantee of speed, so first class is just as good and a lot cheaper!

Prohibited items: Coins; banknotes; currency notes (paper money); traveler’s checks; platinum, gold, or silver (manufactured or not); precious stones; jewelry; and other valuables. Firearms and articles resembling deadly weapons. Radioactive materials. Used clothing, bedding and other similar items, textile and fabrics. Articles bearing Boy Scout or Girl Scout insignia.


Ideas of what to send:
Cards written from you and your friends
Pictures of you
DVD movies
Spice packets (ranch dips, chili mix, taco seasoning, etc)
Kid's candy (no M&Ms here, I have even heard of boxes of Jr. mints and milk duds making it okay)
Magazines (reader's digest-even old ones, we have been gone 9 months!)
Stickers
Hair do-dads for little girls
The packet of cheese from a Mac & cheese box
Marshmallows
Puzzles (cut of picture from box and put pieces in a ziploc)
Toothbrushes
I am looking for a purse sized 2008 calendar
Articles of interest from local papers
Books (Christian fiction, children)
Lexmark printer cartridges #31, 32 or 33
Also you can look online for more ideas:
http://www.missionary-blogs.com/missionary-care-package-ideas.html

Most of all, know that we are not without. We are very content and need nothing. That being said, getting notes and packages of love from you all is a big event here, we all gather around open the package (looking for personal notes first to read aloud.) and can feel the love you put into the package, so thank you!!!

Lisa Abbott
P.O. Box 76037
Nairobi, Kenya 00508
East Africa

Kenya Cost of living

People were wondering with the costs increasing so dramatically in the US what we pay for things here in Kenya. I am a bargain hunter, so these prices are the cheapest end of the range.

Diesel $ 5.30 gallon
Milk $ 4.04 gallon
Unleaded $ 6.06 gallon
air time $ 0.27 1 minute
soda $ 1.97 2 liters
Bread $ 0.53 cheap loaf
Can of Tuna $ 1.32 each
Cheap movie $ 6.33 each
Coffee @ Java $ 3.17 each
Corn Flakes $ 6.58 average bag
Eggs $ 1.44 dozen
Internet $ 83.33 one month
Olive Oil $ 8.33 liter
Pringles $ 3.25 each
Shampoo $ 6.67 each (cheap)
Tea $ 2.65 pound
Toothbrush $ 3.33 each
TP $ 0.30 each
Almonds $ 6.80 pound
Apples $ 1.36 pound
Beans $ 0.68 pound
Beef $ 2.27 pound
Brown Flour $ 1.06 pound
Butter $ 5.30 pound
Cashew $ 3.79 pound
cheese $ 4.55 pound
Chicken $ 2.65 pound
Fish $ 3.33 pound
Flour $ 0.91 pound
Maize Meal $ 0.45 pound
Onions $ 0.45 pound
Oranges $ 1.52 pound
Popcorn $ 0.75 pound
Rice $ 1.59 pound
Sugar $ 0.53 pound

Prayers urgently needed, again.

Kenya decided on a coalition government and this brought about a "tense peace" for a few weeks. The next step was to decide on cabinet members. This is brought yet another impasse to the government. Since there is the inability to make a decision on the cabinet members, the opposition party (ODM) is refusing to meet. If you would like more information on the news of this story, check out: http://africa.reuters.com/country/KE/news/usnL08783347.html

Because of this, yesterday, the riots began again. They were isolated to Kisumu and Kibera which were two of the worst areas in the violence that we had seen before. We do not feel any immediate danger to ourselves, but as we have seen before, things can go very bad, very quickly.

Please pray for
The hearts of politicians to be softened by the Holy Spirit, realizing that without this they cannot be good leaders.
Non violent expressions of dissatisfaction.
The work that has been done to not be undone. Reconciliation is happening one person at a time.
The safety of our team in Kenya, Kearbys, Gibsons and Abbotts.
Safety of our children as they travel by bus to school.
Freedom from fear for us as we minister to those who are hurt.
Safe travel for our staff as they travel to work each day, sometimes through these affected areas.

We thank you for joining us in this battle of principalities.


Ephesians 6
11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (NIV)

Problem with e-mail

We are getting your e-mails but are not able to send. We are well and safe, please no worries. Just technical troubles. I hope to have this fixed this week.

Msafara

As many of you know, Matthew had the opportunity to travel with a convoy of 300 people through out Kenya waging war of the spiritual influences in Kenya's recent clashes. Here is a tiny glimpse of that trip.

Prayer walking in downtown Nairobi.


Children in an IDP camp.




A drawing by a child. Notice the helicopter firing into the crowd of people.


More IDP.


A town that has been destroyed that they passed on their journey.

Out and About

Katriel's school, Logos Christian School, which is a Kenyan school had a sports day, can you pick her out of the crowd?


She enjoyed getting her face painted.


We also got the chance to ride a camel. The ride isn't bad, the getting up and down is quite scary though!

Nairobi National Park

This park is actually in the city of Nairobi. Easy to get to and a nice day trip. We saw quite a lot of game, but here are a few pictures.

I actually took this picture (sorry, a little bit of pride there, I usually don't take good pics, Matthew does). If you zoom in it, you can see the bugs eating out of the buffalo's ears. We were THAT close!


Giraffes really are silly looking creatures aren't they?


The girls had a great day!

Amboseli

Here are a few pictures to our recent trip to Amboseli National Park which borders Tanzania.

The first thing we saw after we entered the park - hyaenas with a kill. This was about 30 feet from the road.


About 10 feet from the car! Arg. I was scared!


Can you see the lion here? See how easy it would have been to drive right by?


Hippos! There are 3 in this picture.


We received this tent as a wedding present from Chris Smith, how wonderful to see it in Kenya!


This is Chandi's tent! Look girl, your tent is at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro! Thanks again for this blessing, you are so good to us!

Finally a safari!

The house where we stayed during the safari - it was built by a british ex-patriot, with all local materials. We were able to watch bricks being made, was really interesting!

These giraffe didn't even bother to get up!

There really was a lot of game!

Zebras - before they ran off.

I'm having a really nice day, really nice day, really nice day (If you don't get this, please watch "The Wild")

Secretary bird, called so because of the white shirt, black pants and high heels!

Giraffes are my favorite. I love this picture by Matthew!

Try to spot the hidden giraffe!

See him here too?

Our Dog Moshi.


Jaden was Mary in the Christmas play at school.


Matthew and Jaden share a moment at Christmas.


Telkom (telephone company) building on main road in Nairobi. This happened right after a tear gas canister that was thrown by police landed on a casket at a funeral that was representative of the peole that had died. Violence erupted and many places/people were hurt.

A nice Christmas for us and some classmates Suzanne & Lindsey in Limuru!


Class graduation photo. Sad/happy day for all of us.


How long my hair was before we cut a lot off.


George & Jackson, two "internally displaced people" who stayed with us.


The truck you all prayed for.