"To Kenya"

A box in our storage room is marked "To Kenya."  It overflows with our favorite Christmas items that we want to take with us. As we packed up our Christmas decorations, it was interesting to see what ended up in that box.  It wasn't the most expensive items, but the things that we have made or things that have fond memories associated with them.  We packed our advent calendar that we made last year, our two favorite nativity scenes, as well as some of our favorite (non-breakable) ornaments.  I realized that we have way too much stuff and most of it really isn't important.  Our dining room now holds several boxes of Christmas decorations ready to go to Goodwill.

I'm sure there will be many trips to Goodwill over the next year as we eliminate the junk we've filled our house with.  It is strange to think that in several months our belongings will be reduced to a small number of suitcases marked "To Kenya."

We are so thankful to have friends and family that are supporting us in our adventure and we value your friendship!  If my "To Kenya" box was big enough I would love to pack you all up to take with us!  Instead, we will enjoy communicating with you from afar and will cherish your prayers and encouragement!  We'd also love visitors!!!

A

Sign Up for our Email Newsletter

Many of you have asked about receiving email updates from us once we are in Kijabe so we have set up a form that is located under the tab that says Newsletter Sign-up that will allow you to sign up for our email newsletter.  We hope to send regular emails to update you on our ministry and life in Kenya.

Where We are Headed

About a year from now, our family will be living in Kijabe, Kenya.  Erik and I had the privilege of visiting Kijabe in May and were amazed and excited by the people, the hospital and the beauty of the country.  Kenya is in East Africa on the coast of the Indian Ocean.  The national language of Kenya is Swahili, but the official language is English.  Apart from Swahili and English, each of the more than 40 tribes have their own tribal language or dialect.

 

Operation World is a favorite website of ours and has a wealth of information about Kenya, the role of missionaries there, as well as information on how you can best pray for Kenya.

Kijabe is about an hour northwest of Nairobi and sits on the edge of the Rift Valley. Kijabe houses one of the largest mission stations in the world which includes Kijabe Hospital, CURE Hospital, Rift Valley Academy (a school for missionary kids), and Moffatt Bible College.

Kijabe Hospital is owned and run by the local African Inland Church and provides excellent medical care, training for medical professionals as well as spiritual care for patients and their families.  Kijabe hospital also offers the only accredited pediatric surgery fellowship training program in East Africa.  

We are so excited and eager to join in the work that God is doing in Kijabe, Kenya and are thankful for your prayers and encouragement.
 

Kids Can Tour the World

I recently discovered a great website called SIM Kids that allows kids to take an internet tour of the world.  It features countries in Asia, Africa and South America and offers fact sheets, biographies, games, puzzles, crafts, stories and recipes from the various countries.  The website also shares information about how kids can be missionaries and how they can pray for missionaries around the world.  Of course, we are most interested in the information about Kenya, but I really could have done without reading the story of the boy whose dad nearly stepped on a spitting cobra when he went to the bathroom one night! 

Welcome

Welcome to our blog.  We created this blog in hopes that our friends and families will follow us as we journey to Kijabe, Kenya at the end of 2010.  We have been accepted into World Medical Missions' Post-Residency Program and Erik will be serving as a pediatric surgeon at Kijabe Hospital.  We are so excited about what God has in store for us and hope that you will pray for us as we prepare.