Hello from the Hill!!!!
We are closing up our first month here at the Oasis
Children’s Home in the Trans Mara region.
Megan has been back in
Sheboygan
for over two weeks now and is getting adjusted back at school, work, etc…
We miss her and are really looking forward to
having her return in the beginning of May perhaps with some other college aged
girls who feel led to come to the Hill for a month to work in different aspects
of the ministry.
We are looking forward
to helping to get a few new things started this month in the spiritual
development and other areas.
James
started the Oasis Kids CD recording this past week with the eight older kids
who are leaving for high school very soon. The time with them in Bible study,
science, and other fun has been great and we are really going to miss them.
They really rocked hard on Our God!
During the first week in May, while the high
school kids are home for the presidential election, James wants to have all the
kids record the songs in Swahili they choose to be on the album.
We are visiting our friends, the Smiths, in Kijabi this
weekend for some R & R- some wonderful conversation in English and warm
showers!!!
Matthew is looking forward to
a visit to a smaller airport in
Nairobi
tomorrow to meet with a few African Inland Missions aviation pilots to talk
“mission pilot stuff”- we are very thankful the God has made this awesome
opportunity for him.
Sarah has made some
very good friends during these weeks and has had a gaggle of smaller kids
following after her in the afternoons. She found a puppy, or the puppy found
her, which has helped with some home sickness- praise God for Little Joe!
We have even managed to fit in a little bit
of school in each day. All of us are pretty tired when we head home each night
after devotions with the kids-fairly treacherous walk after those late
afternoon rain storms- the Maasai guards are kind to walk us back in the dark
with their very impressive bow and arrows. I would not want to mess with those
guys. Had an opportunity to preach last weekend at some point of the end of the
three hour church service. There is no lighting in those dug and mud small
buildings- I had prayed that God would help me to see my notes- waiting for the
words to be translated into Swahili gave me a few extra moments to decipher my
chicken scratch. Scott is up on the preaching docket next weekend!
Please pray for doors to open for development of the
wholeness program for the kids in the home-we are praying for many salvations
and even baptisms in this month!
Even
though this month has in many ways been the longest month we have experienced
for a while, we know that God wants to work in His timing in powerful ways
in us and that we are thankful for this
time.
Time with the kids is just icing
on the cake!
Last week, I (Kathi) had been still struggling with this
stomach “thing”.
After our afternoon preschool
time with the little ones, one of the youngest little guys needed some holding
time as he was tiring.
Another little
one year old boy wanted to be picked up- it was then that I first smelled, and
then saw, diarrhea running down his legs puddling on the dirt.
I quickly took a few steps away, with my
little friend still clinging to me, before retching- what fun!
I sat down on a step and didn’t realize I
must have had tears running down my face.
This precious little boy put his sweet face very close to my face and
began to wipe away my tears.
It was that
I recognized that he was singing a song we have worked on for over three weeks,
Jesus Loves Me- even some words in English.
He then began doing the sign language to the words while staring
directly into my eyes.
What a beautiful
gift from my Father through this beautiful little boy!
No cultural or language barriers during this
moment- just a connection made only because God loves us both.
Ten to fifteen minutes later, he was asleep
in my arms- I pray that I will never forget this gift from the Lord- with Him,
there are no barriers of any kind- Yes!
We have so very much to learn- with Jesus there is victory
in all!
In Christ,
the Derse Family