Holidays in Kenya!

Hello to all our family! We are well and on the way to recovery we pray here in what we are claiming is the Blessed country of Kenya! If you keep up with the Interntional news, decisions are being made, not all, but we again are claiming Jesus as Lord here and not the wicked acts of men. Josh is back with us and we are so happy, his flights were good, each one.

Keith Gafner and his family moved home on the 10th. They are feeling very safe there now and nothing was harmed on their property while they were gone, Praise God! We learnt alot from each other while they were with us, we are trying not to lose what we gained.

We went to church on Sunday and got to see many of the children that we have made relationship with. The Chege family, who pastor, called and said they were going" would we feel safe enough to come". So we did, God's presence was very strong and Pastor Chege gave all of us a strong message about Jesus' Peace not the worlds ( Jesus' peace: Actively cooperating in the purposes of God. ). He also spoke out of Isaigh 9:6 " For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given" it was a great word about each one of us having God's purposes already in us to do the work of God from the day we are given to this earth. All of us adults,( there were about 12 of us in the midst of about 75 children,) were wondering if the the children got all this because it was meaty. Not to worry, when Pastor Chege needed to know if they were following him he would switch to kiswahilli and by the response he got, we knew they understood what they needed to. They came hungry and tired, some had spent the last week running from place to place, in the middle of the night, just to be safe. What they got was the word and they recieved it like it was cake, it always amazes me! They are so precious in the sight of God!

We had a few other opportunities to reach out into the hurt in our area, we went to a refugee camp at a Catholic Church, Horace,I and our chidren got to pray and listen to people's experiences. Rachel got to use some of her nursing skills. We also got to give into the monies being collected to feed the children who are caught up in the whole displacement situation. Many as we saw at the church are hungry and malnutritioned. A feeding program was set up to make sure that the children got the food they needed and no one else. They had to hire armed guards to see to this, that is how hungry everyone is.

We are going to go in and get a foster certificate when the Children's Office opens up, they told us before not to bother because the goverment was going to stop fostercare after the 1st of the year. That now is out of the question , more children than ever are being abandoned by parents who are overwhelmed with what has happened. We are praying everyday that God will show us what we are to do, each day.
We know that all things are not as they were or even back to total calm yet but we do feel God has opened the door to the ministry that we were sent to do! Horace drove to Kambiri on Tuesday and got the Title Deed to the 4 acres, the Trustee Deed that will be attached to it will be signed friday. Horace and keith went out and planned where the wells, fences and tree coverage will go. We even got the surveyor to put in becons on the cornners of the property, so that no one could come and make us move fences, this was another thing that just was not happening. Keith came yesterday and brought the $ estimate on what all that would cost. Horace is talking with people who will supply the building materials, and have them hauled out to the building site before the rains start. A man we intend to hire as a farmer to raise food for the Children's Home was approched and he accepted. We are moving ahead and it feels so good!
The kids are back to school on Monday, this makes us feel more normal and our neighbors too.
Josh & Rachel are going ahead with their wedding plans. Not long now! The Schmidt Family & Lindley will be here the 6th of Feb., Jake Leister will be here the 15th, it will be so great to see family from the states and celebrate the beginning of Josh & Rachels exciting life together!
Well dear ones, thank you for standing with us through all of this, we could not have done it with out you! Please continue to pray for us and mostly for kenya to be the " Man of Peace " in east africa that God purposes her to be. May God's Blessings chase you down and catch you with all of Heaven! Love from the Leisters in Kenya