Barely live from Kenya

Hello friends...before you get alarmed, I simply mean to say we are wayyyy tired! At dinner I was too tuckered to cut my meat selection, so I just gave it to Stuart and had some taters (they looked a lot like pillows to me). :)

Today I feel like we drove all over Kenya to visit orphanages and talk about their bedding needs.
In each, all the kids giggle like crazy when they see me touch my tongue to my nose. It's really fun to see their bright pink tongues come out and try to touch their dark little faces. Well, fun except for when the ones with super runny noses come along. I try hard to not do my trick around those kids but it's not always easy. :)

One of our stops today was at an orphanage called El-Shadai Center. When we walked through their gate we were welcomed outside by little girls who acted like we were long lost relatives. They ran over to us and one girl named Priscilla threw their arms around me. She's about 13 and is as cute as she could be. She told us all sorts of stories including that today was Sunday and they were worshipping God.

I think we heard the names and shook the little hands of each of the 135 children there. Good names like: Mary, John, Peter, Elizabeth, Joy, Peace, Miracle, Faith, Genesis, Exodus, Lev.....oops...sorry....that's not right.

Priscilla was showing me some banana trees when I happened to turn around to see this precious little 2-3 year old girl with chubby cheeks and braided pointy hair wobble/walk over to Stuart. She had on a pretty pink sweater and little jeans and went right up to him and reached for his hand. She was quite taken with him--it was fun to watch. Later we learned that she was HIV positive. Several of the children we were having fun with have HIV. Maybe that's part of what has me somewhat quiet today.

Eventually the director/pastor came and took us inside for worship. It was a delightful experience. They sang songs that were great to watch and hear. Then he had us talk. And talk. And talk. He was so funny. I asked the children if they could sing their favorite praise song. They sang SO loud I thought the roof would blow off! The funniest part was this one little girl in the first "row" who was asleep the entire time. I'm not sure how she could have slept through that, but she wasn't a stirrin'.

Speaking of sleeping....that potato I'm looking at now really IS my pillow and it is calling my name.

As I leave you, I'll tell you that all of the 12 orphanages we've been to have very, very real needs for beds and bedding. For some, as little as 5 bunk beds would change lives.

First thing tomorrow we fly to Mombasa in southern Kenya where we have an insanely busy day planned out for us. As you pray for our energy and health, please also pray for God to direct you in how to respond to what you are reading.

And when you do pray for direction, email me at jennifer@sweetsleep.org to share your prayers with me and I'll add my prayers to yours. My own prayer is for a mighty response from our blessed friends so that we don't continue to have to end each visit with, "We hope to help. We will continue to pray for God to provide so that we can provide beds for your children." I want our praise to be, "God has moved and His people have provided. Your children will have beds next week!"

Mmmm......sounds like something to dream about.

See you in the next blog,
Jen