Feb. 23, 2007 - Check Out This Site For Techie Information

I recently came upon this tech site and I think you might enjoy it too. Lots of helpful tips! Enjoy!

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Feb. 21, 2007 - Orchid Show in St. Louis

Once again, I've taken a ride into the city of St. Louis, heading for the Missouri Botanical Gardens. This time it was to view the orchids and camillias that are in bloom.

What a great way to shed the hard freeze and cold of Winter and get a breath of Spring! The colors and varieties of the orchids are amazing. I took so many photos that my camera batteries gave up! Lucky too, that I had some spares. I was off and running again.

One of the great things about being a member of the Garden is that I had free entry to the show AND a 20% off ticket for any purchase in the Garden Gate gift shop. Parking is free too! Kids of all ages enjoy the gardens.

Upon leaving the orchid exhibit, I headed outside to the Linnean green house where all the camillia's are in bloom. Some of those were disappointing though, as their heads drooped after having been watered. Still, some had such large flowers, they could easily fit in your hand.   
Then, since it was such a nice day, I headed to the Climatron, where all the jungle type plants are located. Mostly it was greenery in here, and just a few flowers. Right away, my glasses steamed up and I had to take those off to see anything! It's nice here too, as they have benches where you can sit and watch the people or bird watch too. Just plain enjoy the warmth and soothing green colors.

After the tour (by myself), I went back in to the main building. They had some special paintings on the walls that were of different types of plants. Some were so realistic that you thought at first that they were real. I especially liked the ones of the dried fall flowers. The leaves looked as though you could easily crumble them! Just inside the building they also had the Boehm porcelain sculptures of birds and flowers. They are amazing to view. They had a huge life size eagle and then the tiniest of bird, the humming bird, lots in between. What a talent that man had for seeing the details!

As you may surmise, I had a great time there and can barely wait to go again. They do change out the orchids and add new ones. You can also purchase them here as well as purchase some of the artists botanical paintings. 

Come to visit! We have one of the best Botanical Gardens around.

Feb. 21, 2007 - Time Passes and Life Education Continues

Krystle and I are continuing with our ministry work which is all basically
the same as I’ve been telling you so I don’t want to bore you with the same
stories. But I do ask you to pray for us as we are trying to "wrap" things
up by the beginning of March so we can have the last 2 weeks to see people
and say our good-byes. CCP has released us – we are done with our work
their. We continue to stay busy with the profiles for TULIP and I’ll be
teaching a class on "managing money" to the youth at Lifespring in to the
2nd week of March (just on Thursday’s for 2 hours).

I must be a target for pick-pocketer's. Not once, not twice, BUT 3 times
they attempted to steal from me and only the first time were they
successful. I think I shared with you the first two…the first one when they
stole my phone, the second was in Mombasa when they tried to steal my
camera. This third time was in a matatu (where I was a target before I even
got in). It went something like this: 1 guy was sitting behind me, then a
guy on my left and one on my right – they arranged it that way making me
move in the middle so at that time I said, "you better not be trying to pick
pocket me!" The two on the side had "briefcases" that are empty that they
probably use to store their stolen goods and the one behind me continued to
pull at my seatbelt trying to distract me. I was concerned about the
valuables in my pockets so kept them covered where as my backpack on my lap
just had some paper work and hand sanitizer. I kept getting my seat belt
tugged so I turned around, shoved the guy and yelled, "this is my seat
belt…get off!" The very next second the guy next to me had his "briefcase"
over my bag so then I began to fight him off by shoving him and his
briefcase now to discover my backpack just magically opened on its own. I
gave this guy a piece of my mind as well almost crying when I was done
yelling! This all happened in less than 90 seconds. As the 3 thieves were
alighting I yelled, "Nice try!"

There is an 8 year old racist Indian girl in our estate. Some time early
last week I was walking in to the front gate as she approached me and said,
"My friend told me to tell you that mzungus smell like mafi." So I asked
her what that was and she quietly whispered, "Mzungu smell like poo-poo." I
was so shocked and kind of mad so I just replied, "Tell your friend to come
tell me himself." One or two days later the girl approached Krystle saying
the same thing, and the day after that approached another mzungu - Canadian
Christie living with us. Once we all discovered she had been saying the
same thing to us I told the girls we should poop in a bag and give it to
the girl. That would show her! We didn’t do it.

Friday Krystle and I were craving a hot fudge sundae. So we went to
Nakumatt where they have an upstairs restaurant and cyber. First we got our
ice-cream and then checked our email. Then we discovered "Mexican" food on
the menu and ordered a beef chimichanga. It tasted like mongollian beef. I
have stocked up the carbs here staying away from the meat as much as
possible. At home I don’t eat much meat anyway, but when I get home, Shad
please cook me a steak and when I eat that one, please bring me another one!

Have I mentioned before how people generally arrive late? On my way to
Lifespring I have to take 2 matatus. On Thursday to my first connection it
took about an hour because of a jam (later I heard they had some roads
closed due to a shooting some where) and it should have taken me no more
than 5 minutes. Then I crossed the road to get my next mat and traffic
wasn’t even moving. So what did I do? I decided to go in to Nakumatt, eat
breakfast (the place where we got our Mexican Chinese food). By the time I
came out about 40 minutes later the jam had gone. I got to Lifespring about
2 ½ hours late. So if I come home and am SLOW or late, please be patient
with me.

I keep mentioning how fast the time is going by but it’s so true. Imagine,
I used to say "6 months is too long" and now I’m saying it is not enough.
Please continue to pray as time is ending and am feeling many things. May
God bless you and all you are doing! I can now count to 20 in Swahili. I
won’t count for you but don’t have any thing else good in Swahili to share
with you – "uma shiba?" Are you full? See you’s…

Feb. 13, 2007 - February 2007 in Africa

It has been a while…there’s lots going on. Happy February to you all. 1
month down in 2007, 11 to go. Can you believe January has already come and
gone?

Sunday, Krystle and I were treated to a new Thai restaurant inside a posh
hotel in town. I went to use the restroom before we ate so I could wash my
hands. I was shocked with happiness as my hands were touched by hot water.
We have hot water at the house, but only in one place…when you turn the
water heater on to take a shower. Otherwise you boil the water if you want
it hot. I was just so surprised I had forgotten about hot running water
from a sink and how much I enjoyed it.

There have been many birthdays in the house. Yoland’s was the end of
January. We mostly just hung out at the house and me, Yoland and her mom
went to the fish market. Fish is really expensive and a real treat so
Yoland’s parents were treating everyone for her birthday. I used to pass by
the fish market almost every day because it is in Ngumo, the first place we
lived. And every time I passed it I would hold my breath. Now I want you
to imagine the fish market in Seattle. And imagine this fish market here is
nothing like it…ha-ha! It’s at the beginning of all the kiosks to Kenyatta
Market (where all the yummy fruit is), the floor is dirt, the dead fish are
staring at you and they are being deep fried (so much food here is deep
fried… "chips" are very popular). For those of you who know that fish and
sea food is my favorite thing to eat (sike) I was rude and didn’t eat it…but
I did try it.

I was having pain with a tooth in the back of my mouth and was referred to a
dentist. She told me I was brushing too hard, blah blah blah and something
about my roots or nerves being exposed AND that "we can take care of that
right now." WHAT? I didn’t have any time to prepare myself for a needle
being stuck inside my mouth, plus all that screeching, unbearable drilling
sound. During the "procedure" she asked me if I was nervous because that sucky
thing that sucks out your nervous saliva was sucking nothing, because my mouth
was so dry. YES, I WAS NERVOUS! I didn’t have time to prepare…in the States
it’s, "okay such and such is wrong so make an appointment for next week and
we’ll take care of it then." They give you time to prepare for all that
scary tooth stuff they do…but not here. But one thing is for sure, you can
actually afford the work done with out going into debt over one tooth!

James the gecko came to visit me. I told you before about the geckos in our
old house. Well, they live here too AND they are all related and look out
for each other (I knew that mama gecko wasn’t happy I moved in and threatened
her baby). One night I was in the kitchen washing out my dish and out of
the blue something lands on my hand. Before I could finish the thought,
"what is this", I realized it’s a gecko flying through the air to attack me
and I shook it off as fast I could (I think while jumping back) and freaked
out. I now have a sign on my door that says, "no gecko’s allowed…everyone
else karibuni." (welcome)

We are busy with a new project which I am asking for you guys to pray about.
Krystle and I want to "take TULIP back with us." We got the "go ahead"
from the directors at TULIP to present their ministry to a church at home in
attempt to fund raise and get sponsors for these girls to go to school. It
would be something like compassion child, with Krystle and I being the
middle person between TULIP and a church. This is obviously just in the
"dream" stage and don’t know where it will go, but we are praying God will
use us and raise support for these girls to go to school. Please pray for
us…Where to start and how to go about doing such a responsible and dedicated
task?

That’s about it from here. At CCP we are finishing up some documentations
and putting together some paperwork and presentations for their home church
in California. Things at Lifespring are still in process with the life
skills training. Right now I am just trying to take it one day at a time,
otherwise I find myself mourning my departure. 5 weeks will be here what
seems like tomorrow, but I want to make sure I cherish every last moment and
spend time with the loved ones dear to my heart.

Thank you all for your continued prayers – I know God is listening and is
blessing me tremendously. I pray He is blessing you as well and you are
aware to them all. Take care and God bless.