The Rogers' Family Neighborhood

Today was a really great day. As a ministry we value the teams that come and share the work and their lives with us to see lives empowered. Today a team of 8 from Salem, Oregon arrived safely at Eldoret airport and we drove them all to our training center in Kipkaren. Tomorrow begins the first of a two day workshop of farming God’s way. Farmers from the village and our own 9 month agricultural students will join the class. Next week is a pastors seminar and also a special CPR workshop. Tonight I shared a devotion with our two dozen agriculture students (2 Kings 4:1-7) and encouraged and prayed for them to face their challenges.

The past few days and even today we continue to make ministry plans and budgets looking ahead to 2011. Stephen Reech from Sudan is here in Kenya and we have spent significant time talking about this nation and the significant changes and challenges that they will face as the 6 year referendum ends with a national vote on January 9th 2011.  As a ministry we pray to be on the front lines to help people move forward spiritually and economically.

This next week we will have a Kenya board retreat and also a management retreat to pray together and discuss and embrace the vision God has called us to. We will be going over the proposed budgets that focus on our abilities to train and empower lives through various strategies and programs. 

I thank God for those who pray for and support this work and ministry.  Every day I pass someone who has been impacted by the work. Today I am praying for Michael who is in his second week of rehabilitation here at the Ilula Training center.  After drinking for 15 years – being separated from his wife and children for the past 9 years – he is starting on a new course of life that will need to be covered by a lot of prayer and determination.  He has not taken a drink now for two weeks. One day at a time.

Many people in Kenya do not know their actual birthday. Mothers who give birth in a village are glad simply that a life has been born healthy. I know very well the day when our “First Born” Joshua came into this world – and we choose to celebrate wherever we are.

Yesterday I discovered something unique and drove Joshua and three of his Kenyan friends that he has had for ten years to a viewpoint overlooking the Kerio valley of Kenya. When we had driven about 10 miles from their home one of the boys became quite excited and said “In all my life I have never been this far from my own home. Today I am on a new road and seeing places!” You can imagine how they shouted when we came to the dramatic edge of the Kerio valley which is over a 3,000 drop – an escarpment that shows the amazing wonder of our Gods creation. “Beautiful! Wonderful! This is a fantastic place!” were all comments from the boys. Though we have taken Joshua here before I could see that he was enjoying seeing and feeling the joy from his friends.

Then the big surprise! A restaurant built by a man from Belgium had imported a bounce house that made the boys (let me say – young men, because Joshua’s friends are 14-16) eyes open wide and their feet went into full motion to see this amazing “machine”. What a blast… to watch these three Kenyan young men and one American jump and bounce without inhibition. Soon they figured out what the bounce surface and their own abilities were capable of. There were daring leaps from the top of the “rock wall” and flying flips and just all around knocking around as boys will do. After they were exhausted we entered the Kerio View restaurant for some French fries and a soda.

We reached home just after dark – full of the kind of tired joy that you hope happens after a special celebration.

Today we will join the Children’s Home here in Ilula for an afternoon party where we will have several cakes (Thanks Amy!) and even more songs and games to celebrate ALL of the children and parents in the home who know that their birthdays happened in September. For those who do not know when their birthday was – we choose one together and celebrate it with all our hearts. After all – it’s not the day that counts but the fact that you are loved and God in His grace has given us life. Wishing you were here to join the party.

4964: Amy strengthens relationships with local women during training at Ilula Training Center.

4948; Ilula Orphanage house for teen age boys (“Launch House”) nearing completion!

4946: Ilula ELI Training Center Training Hall – Plastering of exterior wall nearing completion!

4930: ELI Training staff explain benefits of bees in Kipkaren ELI Training Center garden area.

4901: Large group from the village of Semit gather as ELI staff and team share encouragement and economic training. Don shares pantomime that tells of the message of Christ.

Today over two dozen women from Ilula, Kenya and surrounding villages walked, ran, rode on the back of motorbikes to be a part of a special workshop today here at the ELI Training center. Women are such a vital part of this nation yet are rarely thanked or recognized for the important role they have in this nation. Today Amy and a visiting team from Seattle, Washington along with Rhoda Teimuge and others from ELI staff hosted a unique workshop to encourage these women in life and in their walk with Christ.

PLEASE take a few minutes and have a look at the blog that Ryan (One of our current visiting team members) has posted today.  Here you will find some great photos and stories about the work we have been doing over the past few days. http://floodsac.com/africa/

Today Samuel Teimuge (Ilula TC director) and I met with Stephen Reech – ELI Sudan director for about 7 hours. We prayed together and talked about 2011 budget, priorities for the ministry, strategies to generate income for sustainability of the work, the ELI School repairs that took place from May through July, and many other things to strengthen the work of ELI in Southern Sudan.