We are heading West!

We just wanted to post a quick update for anyone who might still be wanting to follow us on another adventure :)

Since we've been back in Canada, our lives have been very busy! We were able to get exactly the right car we needed - check it out! This is my first car, so I am kind of (or exactly)like a paranoid parent - poor Taryn probably thinks I've gone off my rocker. Since we got it, I've painted and eliminated her rust spots, done two oil changes, got the AC fixed, and got a rattling exhaust fixed ... I also ran fuel injector cleaner through her, and she purrs like a kitten. She is a great little car - and she'll be taking us from St Catharine, ON all the way to Dawson Creek, BC! That's right! Check out our trip plan here


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About a month ago, we got the call that both Taryn and I were accepted to teach at a small Christian school in Dawson Creek, BC! I will be teaching Music leadership, English and Bible studies. Taryn will be teaching Science at several grade levels. We also were blessed with a fully furnished house to rent! And hey, if we like it enough, who knows ... but we wont' go there quite yet.

Well, it's time to sign off for now. We also want to wish Harbour's May team 'good luck' as they journey to Kenya! We know you will be a blessing to all you serve

Harbour's Kenya May Team Slide Shows!

Here are three slide shows of Harbour's May team doing their thing at PACE!
Enjoy! If you can't see the slide shows, you might need to install Google Picasa 3, or you can click the pictures at the bottom of this post to see the collection of individual pictures.

Harbour at PACE June 2009

Harbour May Team - Maralal

Safari Njema!

We're home!

The past two weeks have been filled with excitement, blessings and anticipation as we prepared for the long journey back to Canada. As we posted earlier, we spent 3 wonderful days with the Harbour Team in the Masaai Mara National Reserve Park where we saw nearly all of Kenya's "Big 5" - elephants, lions, giraffes, rhinos and leopards. The only animal we didn't get to see was the elusive leopard, but Taryn was lucky enough to have already seen one when she went to the Nakuru Game Park Reserve with the January Team.

When we got back to PACE, we hit the ground running as Ryan had unfinished work in the computer department, and Taryn was busy organizing the school resources (especially for art and P.E.) and packing up. Last Friday, Taryn and the team from Harbour partnered with 30 women from Wachira's church for a trip to Maralal in Samburu province to build another church. The team thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and we imagine that they had some of the same feelings that we had the first time we experienced the amazing Samburu people! While Dave and Frank were busy hammering in nails, Taryn and Kathy danced and sang with the Samburu women. Poor Eddie wasn't feeling well, so he spent much of the day recovering in the van; Cam had a hoot playing soccer with the local kids.

(Dave and Frank: Two hard working men!)


(Taryn and Kathy: Samburu women!)


(Eddie and Cam: Going bananas over camels and kids!)


(The whole team and Sunday church service)

Before leaving PACE on Monday afternoon, the school held a sending-off ceremony for us and the team. We all shared how our time together had impacted us and we graciously accepted their parting gifts. Saying our goodbyes wasn't easy - some tears were shed - but we left with many fond memories that we'll hold on to forever.

Here are some of our favourite moments, lessons learned, and "God moments" from our 6-month journey to Kenya:

* Being welcomed and embraced by the PACE community as a brother and sister.
* Building friendships with some of the finest people we have ever met and we are already looking forward to the next time we will get to greet them in person!
* Our random trips to Nairobi - We would call our friend, Julia, and ask, "Do you have any plans this weekend?" And her response was always, "You should come and hang out for a few days." Julia is naturally gifted in hospitality and servanthood, and we were blessed by her kindness and friendship many times over.
* Wachira's many sayings and "Wachiraisms" - Anyone who knows Wachira should know what we're talking about. If you don't know him, you'll just have to go to Kenya to meet him!! He's more than just a person - getting to know Wachira is a grand experience.
* The mission trips to Maralal and Kakamega - While being some of our favourite experiences overall, these trips helped us forge friendships and gave us some important perspectives on both the diversity of the Kenyan people and of the tremendous spiritual and physical needs that exist in Kenya.
* The 12 hour bus ride from Nairobi to Nyahururu ... it was our first experience with the reality that time can be irrelevant in Kenya and that "life happens along the way." P.S. For anyone thinking of going to serve with PACE, it only takes 3 hours to get to Nyahururu - we just had an adventure with a bus that randomly lost both of its batteries along the highway.

Thanks for following along and supporting us in our journey!

Now that we are back in the land of speedy internet, stay tuned for more picture updates .... !

Safari Njema! (A Great Trip!)

After much anticipation, this past Monday evening the Harbour Team arrived. It has been such a blessing having them here and serving along side them. here is a picture from just before we left for Safari with the team and some other good friends of ours.

From left to right (top) - Muthiri, Eddie, Kathy, Njenga, Jeff, Jackson and Frank. (bottom) Dave, Ryan and Cam. (missing) Taryn - she was taking the picture ... as usual!

On Tuesday morning we began our journey to Masaai Mara (the Serengeti) for a safari. It was a seven hour drive to the National Park through beautiful and diverse landscapes that ranged from lush mountains to dry plains. We stayed at a camp outside the reserve since all the lodges inside are priced for Bill Gates and Donald Trump. But, we had a lovely camp site fitted with industrial tents, comfortable beds and great meals. On the first night, we went out for a sunset safari where we saw gazels, warthogs, and a rare Black Rhino! The next day we were in the park for the entire day and saw an amazing amount of animals - herds of giraffes (some of which were fighting), lions, a herd of elephants, dueling gazels, buffalo, hippos, alligators and tons of birds. Some of the team saw a lion during our walk to see the alligators - the (armed) guide said they were very lucky to see that! Between the 8 of us, we have lots of pictures ... we will post more later if we can. One thing of note: that lion below was nearly right beside us!!








One highlight of the trip was the Masaai women who tried to sell us souvenieres through our bus windows .. poor Frank fell victim a number of times (above), but we made sure he bartered a good deal :-)

Since we've been back to PACE, the team has been quite busy. We held a youth retreat (Jeff, Kathy, Cam, Eddie, Taryn and Ryan) starting Friday night and all day Saturday while Frank and dave worked on helping to build a new chicken coupe (which they finished up in under two days!). On Friday, Cam and Eddie ran a 2-hour gym class for the lower grades of the academy, and they also got the chance to accompany Irungu on a water run ... which turned into three or four water runs. All in all, to fill the PACE water tanks took slightly over three hours. It will be an amazing blessing once PACE has a well to draw water from instead of these trips to the river.

On Sunday the team will be preaching at 6 different churches and then will be helping with a family day event at the AIC church in town. Still ahead this coming week is time at pace, visits to orphanages, and possibly another trip to Maralal - we'll keep you posted :)

Well, this will about do it for this post - sorry for the brevity. We're pretty tired after a few long and busy days, but we promise to write more and post more pictures soon.

Kenyans Serving Kenyans In Kakamega

Day 1: Early Tuesday morning, about 30 PACE staff boarded PACE's blue school bus and began the long journey to a remote rural town outside of Kakamega. Our goal was to build a house for the mother of one of our staff - in just three days! As it turns out, we only needed two days because many neighbourhood kids came to help (in exchange for a free meal). The ride was very enjoyable, as it took us through sections of tea fields and big cities like Kisumu, and it also gave us the chance to see mud hut villages and beautiful mountain ranges. We even made a short stop at Lake Victoria, and some of us took a rather rocky boat ride in search of hippos. We reached our destination around 5pm, and quickly set up camp before the rains came - some of the group slept in a church, others in a house, and still others (like us) slept in tents. Conditions were very basic ... outhouses (only squatting - no sitting!), cooking over the fire, sleeping on the floor/ground, and sponge baths (or river bathing for the more brave).




Day 2: After breakfast (mundazis and tea) and a devotional by Ryan, everyone found something to do. Some were busy in the kitchen, others made their way to the river to collect water, others began carting materials to the work site, and still others began plotting the new house. Before we knew it, teams were digging and putting in posts, the entire frame was up, and the wall separators, which are used to hold the "mud" were nailed into place. During some R&R time that day, an accident occurred during a soccer match and one of our team members was taken to the hospital with a leg fractured in two places. Not good - but, he's now home getting some TLC.





Day 3: While the team worked hard to complete the house, we made our way to Uganda to renew our visa. The three and a half hour journey by matatu was beautiful as we passed more lush forests and sugar cane fields. Crossing into Uganda was easy, but getting back into Kenya a few hours later wasn't so easy. We had some trouble at the boarder and as a result we could not get a renewed visa, so we still have the same flight issues as before. Please pray for us for strength as we sort this out; for God to remove any worry from our souls (a solution will come at the right time); and for patience, peace, wisdom and discernment. We will use this time and experience to grow closer to the heart of God.




Day 4: With the house as complete as we could get it (the mud walls have to dry for several more days before windows and doors can be finished and the exterior beautified), we all enjoyed a day of rest and sightseeing in and around Kakamega (a large city nearby). A real treat for us was finding popcycles at the Kakamega market - oh boy, it is unbelievably HOT in Eastern Kenya! Before we departed for the tour, Wachira dedicated the new home to Walter's mother - what a beautiful thing. Wachira reminded us all that people can build a house, but only a house where God is welcomed can become a home. How true. Just before supper, the rains returned, but this time in torrents! We had become used to the spectacular daily thunder and lightning storms, but this one was different - it lasted for hours and the super-soaked ground threatened to swallow our tents. When the rain finally stopped, we could have gone swimming in the puddles that had been formed. To our surprise, though, our tents stayed mostly dry.




Day 5: We were all up early to complete our packing, but before we left around 9am the men had some magic to perform on the bus, which refused to start. We jacked the bus up on one side, tied a rope to a tire and about 10 of the men pulled to rotate it while the bus was in gear ... wa la la, it started!! About 5 minutes enroute, we got stuck in the sticky mud along the road, so the men got out again and pushed with all their might. After the hard work, they still all had to run to catch up with the bus, which couldn't slow down for fear of getting stuck again. We were told that the route we would be taking home was longer, but with better roads (to cater to our fallen friend Ndegua and his leg). Unfortunately, much of the roads were under construction and the trip took nearly 12 hours as opposed to the 8 hours it took to get to Kakamega! One 147 km stretch of road from Eldoret to Nakuru was so torn up that it took five hours to traverse!! It felt as if we were never going to get home. But we finally got in at around 8pm - and we hit the sack shortly after.


As we reflect on this mission trip, our hearts warm as we think of how God works through people to bring hope to others. We witnessed a group of people - usually divided by department - come together and work in unison as Christ's body to miraculously erect a 3 bedroom house in under 2 days. While building, we also met an old man who had been neglected by his family and so his hands and feet had been infected with "jiggers" .... fleas were laying eggs inside of him, which immobilized him and caused him great discomfort. But Irungu, Mathenge and Kamau sat at this man's feet - washing them with disinfectant, removing tens of egg sacs, and cutting his nails. If Jesus would clean the feet of his disciples, would He not also do this as well? These actions brought great comfort to the old man as he slept soundly that night, which was something he hadn't done in a long time. To show him even more love, Irungu gave him his sandals and blanket and set up someone to continue with the disinfectant and sac removal process after our departure. Even now as we think of their generous love, our eyes begin to water. If only we were all just a little more like Jesus ...

You Asked ... We Answered!

Thanks to everyone who took part! This was fun, and some questions really made us think!

Best question winner .... you're all winners! Prizes will be distributed when we return :)

1. Are you coming home for sure at the end of May?
We head back in the beginning of June. We fly out on the 3rd and will land on Canadian soils some time on the 4th.

2. What was the most rewarding experience during your time in Kenya?
As a whole, the most rewarding thing for both of us has been the relationships we have developed throughout the past 5 months. In terms of experiences, though, the mission trip to Maralal tops the list.

3. Is there a child that you have connected with that you wish you could take him/her home with you? Why?
There is a part of us that would like to fill many suitcases with many children! So many of them have touched us … they’re just adorable. But, in reality, we really don’t want to bring any of them to Canada permanently as we’d rather see them thrive in their own culture.

4. If you had unlimited funds what would you do for this community that would matter most for their future?
Our first choice would be to support Christian, quality education.

5. What can others do for this community without having to travel to Africa?
Become educated on where the needs are (which are many). Then pray and support the causes that God leads you to support. You can also support and encourage missions in your local church.

6. Are you settling down now in Canada or where is God leading you next?
We are planning for Canada (that’s where we’re looking for jobs) … but only God knows :)

7. Any surprizes not told yet? Maybe a new addition to the family on the way?
Our neighbour lives 4 feet away from us….

8. Do you have any good Kenyan recipes you could share?
Try this with your coffee or tea: use boiled/steamed milk instead of cold milk (2% or higher) – and use lots of it. We also love the mundazis and chapattis …. but we haven’t received cooking instructions yet (Taryn only has experience rolled out the chapatti dough).

9. Who are the boarders you talk about?
The boarders are students from the academy, high school and vocational college. Most of them reside here because their homes are too far away. Last term, there were about 40 boarders.

10. What is your house like?
We have a small bachelor apartment – 1 room, but we’ve divided it with a large sheet and set up the living area in a way that lets us functionally have a living room, office, kitchen and bedroom. There are also low crossbeams that Ryan still - after four months - hits his head on … ouch!

11. Often when God sends us out to do a work for others in service to Him we end up being the one to benefit by personal blessing, learning a deep life lesson and growing spiritually through the experience – have either of you sensed that from a particular situation/person in Kenya? And if so can you share it?
Truth be told, we feel as though God has used this time to bring us closer together and to make us a better team. We also feel as though this experience as a whole has given us more direction for our future.

12. What have been your favourite moments in Africa?
Some of our most favorite moments have come from hosting dinners for our friends and PACE staff – they have been a great way for us to get to know individuals and the Kenyan culture. In fact, we had the entire maintenance staff over for dinner the other night and they were a total hoot! And for Taryn, we must add to the list her creative arts classes … very little can beat entering a classroom and having a room full of students cheer!

13. What will you miss most when you leave?
We will miss: 10 o’clock tea and mundazis; the carefree and slow pace of life; the overall happiness of the children; the focus on relationship building

14. What do you think I (others) would love most about Kenya?
We think you would like the serenity of the rural countryside and the slow pace of life we have here. You would also like the mountains that create the backdrop of Nyahururu and the friendly nature of the people.

15. What were the hardest things to adjust to?
Probably the hardest thing is always standing out in a crowd - it’s impossible to go for a quiet walk because people (especially children) are always trying to greet us. Another difficult thing is that many assume all foreigners have lots of money. As a result, we are regularly asked for money or things, and some people assume that we will pay for things. At times, it has also been hard seeing the cultural gender roles of men and women – which we realize resemble how gender roles probably existed for our grandparents and great-grandparents.

16. What's the biggest thing you've learned from the experience?
We’ve learned that cross-cultural ministry requires a lot of cooperation, understanding, compassion, and love between locals and foreigners. More importantly, we have acquired a greater understanding of the importance of keeping Jesus at the center of our lives (and ministry). We also learned, on a practical level, how God can use difficult circumstances to refine something in us, and draw us closer to Him.

17. Do you think you'll ever return to Kenya?
We hope to. There is just something very inviting about Kenya and its people.

18. If you had to pick one more country to do missions work in, which would it be?
Hmm… tough question. We both feel pulled to Central America and Africa, so we’d probably (unless God pulled us elsewhere) head in that direction.

19. If someone was going to do a mission trip in Africa, what do you suggest should be required for preparation?
Here are some of our suggestions: know your spiritual gifts so you can determine where you can serve best; learn as much about the culture as you can before departing; learn the native language; transition to the new culture with the help of someone (your church, a sending organization, a local, etc) that is familiar with both cultures; be flexible and open to creating new relationships; understand your worldview and know when to set it aside

20. I’d like to know what quality stands out the most that you have each learned from the Kenyan people that you hope with God’s help, you’ll be able to maintain long term once you are back in our culture again.
Kenyans are a very social people, and what we’d like to bring home with us is their idea of “taking time for people and relationships” amidst the busyness of life.

21. What are some things you will appreciate most when you get home?
Bathtubs; fully stocked kitchens (with fridges, ovens, microwaves, dishes, etc.); fully-stocked grocery stores with things like freshly baked bread and skinless, boneless chicken breast; personal space in vehicles; televisions; cheap phone calls to family and friends; cold drinks; long summer days (the sun sets in Kenya around 7pm – 365 days a year!); not having to wear skirts everyday; returning to Harbour; throwing dirty clothes in a washing machine instead of washing by hand; clean tap water (thank goodness for water filters!)

22. What has been a pro and a con of serving with PACE?
Ryan: The answers are almost the same – pro: never a shortage of work and anything done is appreciated; con: there’s so much to do that without time management and boundary setting, it can be overwhelming
Taryn: pro: getting the kids excited about school activities; con: jumping into an unfamiliar school system without much guidance
Both: pro: new friendships; con: lack of privacy and the spiritual formation isn’t what we thought it would be

23. Describe the church services.
They are very different from what we’re used to at Harbour! For one, they are much longer – we’ve been to many that approach two hours in length (and a couple longer ones, too). Each service starts with something called “presentations” where children, youth and adults are asked to come up to sing or share a testimony or verse. This usually lasts about an hour. Interspersed in this is congregational singing (the hymnals are from the 1950s). Announcements and the sermon conclude the service.

24. How hot is it in Nyahururu?
Surprisingly, it isn’t very hot. In fact, the mornings and evenings are usually quite cool – sweaters are a must! From what we’ve heard, it gets colder when the rains come. The afternoons are usually quite warm, but there is no humidity so it is always comfortable (only on a couple occasions have we felt really hot). Not what most would expect in Kenya, right?

25. How do you relax?
Watching movies that we borrow from other missionaries; reading; listening to sermons; playing guitar (Ryan); getting out of the area (to Nairobi or Nakuru) when we get a chance

It's raining, it's pouring ....

OK, we realize that we said earlier in the day that our next blog post would be Q & A ... but that was before the rains came! And, we're not talking about the usual thunderstorm and dark clouds followed by a three-minute shower - it is pouring "cats and dogs"! What a glorious site!

What has amazed us the most in the last couple months of drought is the sheer faith these people have. In fact, we happened to mention the lack of rain to a store owner just about an hour ago and this response came without hesitation: "God will provide." If only we could all have such a strong faith - especially during the hard times.

We have a plaque in our living room that reads: "Don't measure the size of the mountain - talk to the one who can move it." Very fitting for times like these!

Here is a picture of the PACE bus ...you probably can't see the rain drops, but you can't miss the puddles!


He said to them, "... if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." (Mat 17:20)