Arrival in Nairobi

We arrived in Nairobi Wednesday evening, September 26, on schedule. We were thankful to see our luggage come through without a problem. It is a long ways from Dulles airport, Washington DC, to Nairobi, about 16 hours of flying, with a 1 and a half hour layover in Zurich to change planes. After we were met by colleagues at the airport, we were taken to the Mennonite Guest House where we will spend the next few days before we travel by road to Tanzania. There are some people to contact here in Kenya and it seemed best to do that while we are in the country, so we plan to spend about 2 weeks here. This weekend we are planning to go to western Kenya to talk with 2 Mennonite bishops about their leadership training needs, and then return to Nairobi.
The Mennonite Guest House is an oasis in a busy city, with birds singing, flowers, green grass, and good meals. Here is the front entrance:

 Gloria relaxing on the back veranda.

 A nice place to check email and write blog updates.

As in most large cities, security is a concern. This morning Gloria found reassurance and wrote this after reading Psalm 90: "Verses 14-15 jumped out at me. "Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love; let your work be manifest to us; and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us and prosper the work of our hands!' What reassurance, what balm for the weary, jet-lagged servants."

September 16 BBQ Fundraiser

Sunday evening, September 16, we hosted an outdoor gathering at our house that was envisioned and planned by our MST - "a barbecue fundraiser with an African twist." All the local Mennonite churches were invited and represented. We even had family members from out of state. A good estimate is that about 100 people attended. The weather was good, there was plenty of food (barbecued chicken and pork barbecue, many other side dishes), and a display with African items and information. Everyone seemed to enjoy being together. We are truly grateful for our MST who planned the event and for many other persons who contributed in various ways to provide food, setup/breakdown, and those who attended. There was opportunity to write notes of encouragement, and also money contributions. We appreciate the notes, and we are grateful for the more than $3,000 that was received towards our support.
The Delaware Missionary Support Team gathered for a picture.

We continue to be amazed, but also grateful, for the ways our needs are provided. The support and encouragement we feel from others around us is just amazing. We are now on our final weekend before leaving Tuesday evening, September 25. Our travel will take us through Zurich, Switzerland, where we have a short layover and change planes, then on to Nairobi, Kenya by Wednesday evening. East Africa is 7 hours ahead of US, so when it is noon in the US, it is already 7 pm in East Africa.
We look to God for grace and strength as we take care of the numerous details left to be done between now and Tuesday evening.

September update

We are so blessed and grateful for the ways you have shared your interest in our assignment to East Africa. We were required to have 100% of our financial support committed for our first 2 years before booking our flights, and we have reached that. So we are planning to leave Tuesday, September 25, from Dulles airport, Washington DC, flying to Zurich, arriving in Nairobi September 26. It has been a journey of faith, sometimes wondering if financial support will come together, but never doubting the love, encouragement and prayer support of many friends and family. So now we are in the final days of preparation. And we must say that we are eager to arrive in Kenya and begin making contacts with Mennonite church leaders there. We will remain in Kenya for about 2 weeks to consult with Kenya Mennonite Church leaders before traveling on to Tanzania. We are just finishing up a round of visits to our children and grandchildren in Durham and Charlotte, North Carolina. It has been a rich time of connecting more deeply than we can do in shorter visits, and we are so thankful for the opportunity. We invite your prayers for the final preparations and for safety in traveling. Thank you for standing with us and supporting the growth of the Mennonite churches in Kenya and Tanzania.