Sorry I’ve been away for a few days.  Our visitor, Bobbie, arrived Friday night.  She had an hour delay from London and another hour to get her luggage so we finally pulled into the compound around midnight.  Of course we went right to bed…yeah right, we stayed up until 3 am talking!  We did however sleep in Saturday morning then just hung around the house so Bobbie could settle a bit, meet Bella and we talked and got to know each other.  It was great and we had an immediate connection!

Then I got to open up our suitcase that Chuck’s parents so graciously packed for us and Bobbie offered to be the “pack mule” for it!  What a treat!!

Read the personal letter?  Look at the photos?  Nope I opened the chocolate covered raisins right away!  But it was a beautiful letter and I loved the photos (I had put on our list of items to send Tarrin, Justin, Mark & Amanda so dad said the photos were the best he could do!  I love it!  Thanks mom and dad and my mom for sending homemade diapers – they will be given as gifts to needy moms)

That night we headed to the Academy for movie night:

The kids got soda and by the time we finished handing it out and getting the kids settled for Lord of the Rings the first kids had already drank theirs!  Oh well guess they’ll have to learn to ration their soda next time.  Bobbie said our closing prayer and she is so good with the kids!  Thank you Lord for her passion for Your children!

Sunday we listened to Pastor Ray from Desert Breeze Community Church on iTunes..older sermon because we are having a hard time downloading anything new (yea that’s a hint for our DB peeps!) then it was off to the Academy for some play time (Bobbie taught the little ones how to kick the soccer ball), crafting (Bobbie is quite crafty-ok had to say that but it was a very simple craft and she says herself it’s her type of craft!) and chatting (Bobbie loves telling the kids how beautiful they are and how very much God loves them-the perfect words for them to hear!):

Monday we spent at the Academy handing out uniforms, which Bobbie helped raise funds for…thanks! 

Tuesday – first I drove us to the market!  Yup I’m driving on the left!

and I bartered for things again…I’m feeling so local!

Then Bobbie spoke to Form 4 (12th grade) students at Pauline’s school, Father Herron.  Plus she got to teach them a new song!  (Sorry no photo)

After that we visited the kids at Mercy Child Foundation.  When we arrived Annastacia (house mum) was in bed still sick.  Bobbie prayed with her and gave her a gift:

I gave Bobbie the tour, introduced her to the kids and she taught them a song!  They love music and I bet they will remember her songs…I’ll have to ask them the next time I see them!

Wednesday we spent at Nice View Academy for the last day of school and their closing program.  The kids did skits, poems, songs and dances for us and guess what?  Bobbie taught them a song!  I’m hoping to put a video up in a few days of a beautiful, passion filled monologue by one of the students.

The kids were pretty relaxed for the last day.  They were supposed to be picked up by around 5 but several were still there around 6:30pm so they’ll stay at the orphanage and see if someone comes to pick them up tomorrow…pray these kids are not forgotten.  We love them and pray for safe travels home and during the break.

After the closing ceremony we visited a students family, Ruth.  We held kids, talked and Bobbie read a story: 

That brings us to today, Thursday.  Spent the morning reading and talking while Bobbie checked her flight status…we leave tomorrow for Nairobi at 4am!  Then we headed to the Academy and found no kids!  That’s a good thing since some of them, as I mentioned above, weren’t picked up Wednesday night so everyone is gone and the compound was extremenly quiet.  As we were leaving Bobbie mentioned that it was her last time leaving the Academy and I told her it was easier since no kids were there. 

Please pray for the students, teachers and families while break is on.  May the students and teachers all come back rested and ready to work for another term!