h20 (hydration 2 others): Home Again, Home Again, Jiggedy Jig

Our mission team - Elise, Annelise, David, Zach, Gerald, Angie

The infamous giant, top heavy, super crowded bus.

We arrived home last Thursday afternoon. I'm sad that I didn't get to blog from Kenya near as much as I'd planned to. The trip was a whirlwind, almost like three or four mission trips all rolled into one. We had so many things to do: pastoral training, worldview training, crusades, kids programs, and Hydration 2 Others. The different activities and focuses kept us going non-stop.

We spent about three days in the village where the wells are being drilled. It's extremely unfortunate that I did not get a chance to visit well #1, nor the site for well #3. Time and transportation constraints kept me from being able to do that. We ended up traveling with a group of over 20 people, so the focus was not on my ministry.

Some of the school kids

Music during our time with the children

Games during break time

I did get to spend parts of three afternoons at the school where well #2 is being drilled. We had so much fun playing with and teaching the 350 kids there! They seemed to enjoy having mzungu [white people] in their midst. I learned some new games and got to meet the little girl we sponsor through Connection Ministries!

Beautiful Sophia, the child we sponsor

On Friday, June 8 [my 16th wedding anniversary!], we had a launch party at the school. Tom, Zach, and I spoke. The people and children were excited and enthusiastic to hear about the well. Not even the sudden downpour of rain could dampen their spirits!

Tom speaking at the launch party

Me speaking at the launch party

The drilling rig arrived on Saturday morning, but we were already gone. Tom met them to sign the papers. We have pictures of the well being drilled, but none yet of it complete. It's finished, though, and well #3 should also be done or close to done at this point!

Another fun part of our trip was when we had our own little water walk right there in Kenya! We grabbed some buckets, walked about ten minutes to a water source, filled the buckets, tried to balance them on our heads [fail!], and returned to the homestead with them. It was really cool to have that experience in Africa, after our water walk fundraisers here in the states!