Just to prepare you, this will be a pretty long blog post. There is so much to show you and tell you about moving day yesterday. At the end of the photos you’ll also have a chance to read some of the stories about moving day.
Without further delay, well no delay on your part…I think satan was trying to frustrate me. It took me 2 hours to upload these photos (so PLEASE enjoy) and electricity went out during writing it. But he can’t cover God’s light!
Before I get into the move stuff, let me give you a few miscellaneous photos:
The shamba is looking so good after all the rains...yeah God!
This is how we have to unlock the office door at C4KK....tricky!
A bit of maintenance is done on the latrines...a "digestive" mixture is poured into the latrines.
Now for moving….when we arrived at C4KK our first question to Ann was, “are we going to move you in today?” She hesitated for just a moment then said “yes, the kids do not want to stay in the apartment one more night.” So the move was on after lunch and she was packed. First, though, Chuck and Bosco got the cooking gas refilled and hooked it up to the stove. Unfortunately the guy selling the gas told us our regulator would work…but surprise it leaked. When Chuck took it back the guy tried to tell Chuck it’s supposed to do that!!! I feel sorry for the other people who buy gas from him and believe him. We got our empty tank back and took it to Tala that night and got the correct tank and one that doesn’t leak! That means Ann will us paraffin until Monday when we take the tank back up there and hook it up.
Chuck and Bosco working on the stove
While we were getting the cooking gas I saw this sign….is fencing legal!?
Once lunch was done and Ann was (partially) packed we began the move:
Goodbye muddy apartments!
Ann continues packing and setting stuff at the door to be put in the truck
Side note: You are seeing James 1:27 lived out here…Ann is a widow, these kids have no parents (orphans) and Maria, also a widow, will be helping Ann with the daily duties and chores of washing clothes, feeding and taking care of the children.
Maria helps carry out items
Chuck and Kevin move furniture...Kevin was such a big helper!
Bosco (who can tie a knot better than anyone I know!) loads the truck, with Kevin's help of course!
One truckload unpacked, back for another
Bosco was so excited to have everything moved to C4KK that he didn't want to wait for the truck to take this last piece of furniture. He convinces Maria to help! She made it across the road then one of the guys helped.
this is the muddy road they had to cross carrying the furniture!
pulling in with the second truck load!
another truck load is packed
These two, one room apartments are now empty!
and the final load is taken HOME!!!
Now to give you a bit of perspective….
Ann went from this room (sharing a bunk bed with Jacinta and Doris sleeping on the couch)
Ann slept, cooked, ate and sat with friends all in this small room. In the corner at the end of the bed were her suitcases filled with her personal items and the hutch was filled with dishes.
To this….
Ann's new room is hers alone! We are picking up her new bed on Monday. She was overwhelmed by the space and that it was HERS!
The boys slept, studied, changed clothes and ate here (when it was raining and sometimes they ate in Ann’s room)
Bosco packs up the boys room
Now they have room to breathe! They have a covered veranda where they can eat and tables to sit at to do homework. Their bedroom is now spacious for everyone to move around without crawling over someone to get out of bed!
The boys got right to making their beds. The "stuff" here is everyone's personal items...that's everything for 7 kids and Ann!
The girls room is the same size as the boys and I told them they have enough room to dance in…that is until the rest of the bunk beds arrive on Monday to accommodate the rest of the girls coming!
Once the boys were gathered together Ann assigned beds. No more sharing for Daniel and Isaac, they get their own bed!
Chuck hangs a clothes line…no more hanging clothes on barbed wire fences!
not only do they have real clothes lines but they don't have to walk through the mud anymore to hang up clothes!
After everything is brought into their new home, the kids take a rest in their new dining, study and gathering area!
Yeah!!!!
Final picture of the day…I told the kids I would be showing everyone their picture so I wanted them to express how happy they were to be in their new home
Our new home!!!
Now for a few stories….
As Ann and I were leaving the apartments (for the last time) –
Me: well, Ann, you won’t have to deal with a landlord again.
Ann: I know, we are going to our permanent home.
While Ann was moving from room to room to get various items Chuck asked her if she wanted to sleep at the apartment that night since things were unsettled. She gave him a disbelieving look and said “no, no, we’ll stay here from now on!”
Once everything was at C4KK, I saw Ann standing in the kitchen just looking at her stove. I approached her with a smile and she just said “I have no words” to which I just gave her a big hug.
C4KK has windows all along the building facing the road. We will be putting up a fence so no one can walk near the windows and look in, but for now no one can seem to stay away from the windows. So when the Class 8 kids (Jacinta, Doris, Erustus and Edward) were coming home from school they were walking along C4KK’s building looking into the windows. I went to the door (on the same side of the building) with my “mom face” on and told them to not walk there. Since they were looking in the windows I asked if they wanted others to walk there and look in the windows…to which they replied “no”. And I also got to point to a fellow student following them and looking in the windows! Once I gave them my little speech they began walking by, to the apartments. I asked them where they were going. They all looked at me like I was crazy or something…they were going home. Then I pushed open C4KK’s door and said “karibu” and “welcome home”. They all looked surprised and shocked but also extremely happy! They were now home to stay. A home where no one would kick them out, a home where family is treasured, a home where God’s love will penetrate the walls, windows, beds, floors…every aspect of this place.
I can’t describe the joy I felt as the kids’ belongings were unpacked into their new home or watching Daniel and Isaac exploring the open area of the veranda, going from room to room. Knowing these kids have a comfortable living area now, a bedroom, a real kitchen, a place to sit to eat or study. Like Ann I have no words except to thank God for His providence and faithfulness to give these kids a home.
Love and prayers from a very proud Mom and Dad.
Love You