Here are some impressions from Soysambu:

on our way to Soysambu

 in Soysambu

on one of the game drives, close to the sleeping warrior

 prayer time

 Game drive

 some of the many zebras

My first Christmas in Kenya and a couple of other adventures

It's already been over 6 weeks since we've arrived in Kenya. A lot has happened and we're in the fourth location in Kenya.

So after being in Ringa and Oyugis for 3 weeks we moved to Mt Moriah Childrens Home close to Nyahururu (highest town of Kenya) and are now on Soysambu conservancy. So that is where I am now. But everything in between has been quite adventurous. And it has had it's ups and downs.

So in Ringa/Oyugis we finished off with an open air crusade in Ringa. It went from Wednesday evening to Satursday evening (we only did about 3h per day). It would be worship first, then sermon and or testimonies and then worship again, sometimes also inbetween. We had a couple of people that came everyday, and always a lot of little children watching. It was cool but a very different experience from what I am used to. The last day we had a little goodbye party where we said thank you to everyone who helped us and came close to us as a team.

Saturday morning was the day we took off to Nyahururu to go to Mt Moriah Childrens Home.

We took a public Bus there - it was quite an experience but it still was cool and - I enjoyed it a lot. And were then picked up by Daniel and Kenia (the couple in charge of the Home) in Nakuru. We must have been a crazy picture - all these white people + asians + one black person with their huge backpacks waiting at the Mall in Nakuru.

After Daniel and Kenia came to pick us up we drove about 1.5h to their place Mt Moriah Childrens Home. When we arrived there I felt a very deep peace about that place and only later realized why I probably had had such a hard time back in Ringa and Oyigus.

The first Sunday we were there the Pastor wasn't able to come - because he had hurt his arm the day before. So Samuel and I ended up preaching that Sunday - it was the first time for both of us .Margret, the pastors wife, interpreted for us and it was amazing to listen to her, you could just see and feel how it touched her and how she was and is filled with the Holy Spirirt. The next weekend we split up in two groups - girls and boys because Kenia was  having her womens meeting and obviously only women were allowed (the boys went into town for Stefans birthday). This day was great I enjoyed it a lot and I will keep it in good memories.

Kenia organized someone to paint all the ladies toenails so all of us got our nails painted and Kenia shared something great about being thankful. Also Lisa and I washed all the ladies feet before they got their toenails done, and that was a great expierience! After all of this I had the opportunity to talk to Margret and I was able to get to know her a little bit better. This woman is amazing and I loved speaking to her and she was a real encouragement to me!

In the evening we played some games to celebrate Stefans birthday as a team. For one game we had to form two groups and then each group had a bag filled with something to eat and the team who finished the fastest would win. The winners got chocolate and a free massage from the team that had lost (my team). After that we had a little cake and soon went to bed.

The next day we went to a waterfall in the close by forest. On the way there Daniel told a joke that was more a story then a joke. The scenery was beautiful but I didn't really feel like I was in Kenya. It could have been somewhere in Europe or North Amarerica as well. The waterfall in the end was quite great and it the&joke& couldn't take away from it either. Some of us also went into the water and &swam& - after getting used to the cold water I to dared to go in the water. After crossing the river/creek I went toward the &pool& on the bottom of the waterfall. At first I tried going down on the sides of the clif, but I couldn't go down completly but Iwent on the rock that was stuck inbetween the to cliffs that were sourounding the creek, so I was able to stand &on top& of the waterfall. That was kinda cool. After climbing up the otherside again and going around again I got to the bottom of the waterfall and joined the others in the water. It was a nice day and will definitly stay in my memories.

At Daniel and Kenias place we did a lot of practical work. We split into little groups to do different things. Some of us cut down a bunch of trees, others were helping with emptying a container of a missionary couple that moved back to the states and the husband then suddenly pased away, some of us also painted a tree in the comunity/church area, others were creating a &thank you wall& and in between all of that we had fellowships, backed bred and could be a blessing to them. We also went into the womens and mens prison, ran a two day VBS (of which I missed one day - but that's another story - I'll come back to it later on) and we helped with the sundayschool at Mt Moriahs church.

For Christmas, Katrin and Sarah came up with a Christmas play that we played in church the sunday before Christmas. We had a bunch of fun times while practicing for sunday on sunday itself we tried to incooperate the children from the sundayschool - which worked for the most part. When we then finally presented the play to the church it was great and the church enjoyed it. For Christmas itself we all prepared one dish from our home countries. So on the 24th we started to prepare the meals for our internaional dinner on the 25th. I could prepare my dish, a polish desert because of how we always celebrate Christmas at home. In the eveing we had a BBQ, some of us went on short motorbike rides and we all then played a game called &White Elefant& where we had a little gift exchange. Later on we watched a movie and just enjoyed ourselves. On the 25th I was able to talk to my family and to a couple of friends. In the evening we had our dinner and we wrote little encouragements for each other also we got a little letter from frinds from DTS and that really touched me.

A  couple of days later we already had our last full day at Mt Moriah. It happened to be Daniels birthday, so we as a group decided that we wanted to give him and Kenia some time alone. So Sarah, Elliot and some others prepared a big lunch and created a little treasure hunt. It was a lot  of fun to watch them (Kenia and Daniel) searching for the hints. All in all our time there was great and I enjoyed it a lot! Daniel and Kenia were a huge blessig to me and I was able to have some really good talks with them. On top of this amazing couple we had amazing housing - we each had a bed, real  toiletts and were able to havea warm shower and wash our cloths in a loundry machine. Also Kenia and Daniels house was a crazy blessing! They have a great kitchen, living/TV room and couches.

But always after some time there isa time where you have to say &See you later&. So we took off for Soysambu the day after Daniels birthday. On the way there some of us stopped in Nakuru. And I was in that group because I needed to get my bank card because it was taken in by an ATM machine and I neded to get it back to be able to get out money again. And this is where the crazy part starts...So as I wrote earlier I missed one day of the VBS. I missed it because I went to Nakuru with Katrin so I could help her with translationin case she needed help at the doctors. And to get there takes around 1.5 hours from where we were staying so it pretty much took up the whole day to go to the doctors and get everything we needed to buy. So after the first doctor we (Kenia, Daniel, Katrin and I) all went out for lunch and then splitted to go to the second doctor and then get everything we needed. Kenia and I stayed in Nakumatt to do all the shopping, shopped for everything and then just wanted to sit and drink something small. And this place was close to the ATM so I figured I'd try to pull out some money (for the second time because the first time I forgot one zero)...and this is where the bank story begins, so at first the ATM told me I was to slow and asked me if I needed more time so I pressed &YES&, then pressed on the amount of money I needed. But then I only got a receipt which said &withdrawl unsuccessful& and didn't get my bank card back. We tried to reach someone from the bank, but they all seemed to not understand what we wanted and it just didn't work out. And that is why I was in Nakuru again on the way to Soysambu. So once in Nakuru, Douglas and I start to go to the Bank - and to be honest that was pretty hard to find, we needed to ask 3 different security guards and some locals to be able to find the bank. At the bank, we needed to wait again and after the lady at the customors help desk made a few phone calls she send us to G4S (security in charge of the ATM) close to the Mall. So Douglas and I started to walk there when we arrived there 1.5 hours had already passed, it was hot and I was all finished because I just didn't want to be send around anymore. So by the G4S they told us it would take another 20 minutes untill the guy comes - we're in Africa so probably longer - aventually Douglas and I decide to ask if we could go to the mall and just wait there so we could at least grab something to eat. Just as we arive at the mall the rest of the team arrives, so all of them go to eat and I decided that I'd wait untill the guys from G4S come. after waiting and waiting they finally come. I ask for the guy whom they told us to ask for at the office - and he tells me to wait, they're going to check in the ATM. Well while they're checking I notice that they're not really fining anything. So I decide to check my wallet for the receipt on which stood &withdrawl unsuccessful&. At this point they had told me that they would go back to the bank to ask for permission to give me my card back, or I would have to go to the bank myself - so I was quite unhappy and I knew that we still had to drive quite a bit to Soysambu. So when I look in my wallet I suddenly find my bank card in the plastic - which was empty the last time I had it in my hand - in my wallet. So after explaining everything to the security people and them probably thinking I'm completly crazy I went up to a different bank to finally withdraw some money and then get some food. I think this is the most crazy expierience I have had with God so far and I can testify he still is a mirical working God.

So we all finally arrived in Soysambu. Soysambu is a conservation owned by Lord Delamere and his family, it is around 48.5 acres big and there are around 13 small villages, and 3 of the big five ad a couple of other animals. So we decided to go on a game ride the same day. It was really nice and definitly not the last time for us to drive in the bush.

Since we arrived here we did another 2 short VBS - which was more just playing with children not really telling them to much about God, we did a bunch of practical work again and we helped with the missionary meeting on the first of January. New years was nice and laid back, we sat around a fire, ate some hot dogs and did some worship. We had some fire crackers, and just chilled for the most part. In the first couple of days here I was able to talk to the twin daugthers of the missionaries here. Both of them are really amazing and I enjoyed it a lot to talk to them. At the missionary meeting we were able to meet a lot of cool missionaries and we were able to be a blessing to them. And this is where I would ask you to pray for us as a team. Because our plans to go into the tribes have droped we now have all of January to fill with ministry. At the missionary fellowship we were able to make some new contacts and were asked to go to some places to be a blessing. It would be  great if you could pray for us that our leaders make wise decisions on what to do when especially that God will speak to them clearly on what to do.

By now we were already able to go into some villages to give out medicine against worms, were able to celebrate the baptism of Samuel and we were able to pray for this place and what they are planning to do here. We are going to go to the West qa<Pokot tribe (I have no idea how you write the tribe correctly) on the sixth for a total of 6 days with travelling there and back to do some ministry. This is in the middle of no qwhere in a very dry area. It would be great when you could pray for safe travels there and back and that we can be a blessing and that we will bring everything we need there.

Also this past week I have been batteling a pretty strong cough which at times is also quite painful. It could be because of alergies but also something else, it would be great when you would pray for complete restoration. Also I have decided to not go on Wifi until the end of jenuary so I can use my whole time here to focous on God and what he want to tell me.

Here are two links so you can still see what we are doing here and also see the videos from past weeks. The first one is from Kobie, she has been posting one vidoe for each week since we have been here. Follow this link to see the videos: Outreach Videos von Kobie or http://burstforth.org/kenya-welcomes-us/

And Kimberly and Lisa have been writing newsletters which they post here: our team blog in which two of the team write an update almost every week