Hello to all from the Derse’s!!

 

We will be finishing our first week on the Hill and we are slowly starting to feel a bit more comfortable in our new surroundings.  We have been overwhelmed by the welcome and the love we have been shown by our Kenyan friends and are SOOO thankful for the grace that they have extended to us as we try to learn and absorb everything we can about their culture and ways of living.  Day by day, I am continually awed by the beauty of this country.  We arise to a cacophony of sounds every morning.  These range from the crowing of the roosters, bleating of lambs, and the ever-present (but somehow comforting) soft clang of the cowbells on the cattle.  It is awesome to see the sun rise slowly over the Rift Valley and see how the many shades of green on the surrounding mountains blaze forth.  I wish one were able to convey this in words or even in a picture, but I have come to realize that is not possible.

 

Our work at the Hill is going great!  Kathi, Matthew, Sarah and Megan have been spending 2 hours with the preschool children every afternoon doing activities and Bible stories.  We also have been able to spend time with the 8^th grade students doing Bible study daily on the book of James.  I also have the opportunity to teach science class to them and we are doing dissections of fish and frogs.  It is so refreshing to see young people who are actually hungry for knowledge and who take their education so very seriously.  In the evening, we return after dinner for devotion time with the children and to say goodnight.  Despite all of their struggles and difficult life circumstances, we are humbled by their enthusiastic praise and worship to our Lord. 

 

We would like to ask for prayer for the following areas.  Pray that we would be able to continue to develop the trust and build relationships with the staff, children and the community.  Pray that the deep water well would soon be repaired (it has been broken since October) and that it would again supply abundant, clean water to the children.  Pray for travelling mercies for Megan as she travels back to the US next Wednesday to complete her spring term.  Please pray that God will continue to help us get adjusted to our new surroundings and to love these children and see them as He sees each one of them.  Pray that we will continue to have good health and the stamina to do the work that God wants us to do here.  And lastly, please pray for the children here and that God would continue to raise them up to be strong, Godly individuals in their communities.  Thank you for your support!!

 

Blessings,

 

Scott, Kathi, Megan, Matthew, James and Sarah