Lodwar to Nairobi

June 29, 2016

Yesterday was quite an emotional day as we said 

goodbye to the place we called home for the last three weeks.  

last ride in the truck to the airport in Lodwar

Our flight was smooth and we even got to be on board with our good friend Agnes Lodepe Nakara who was also heading to Nairobi.  I got to sit next to a beautiful woman from the Congo who had lived in Kakuma Refugee Camp and who had been given a scholarship to study in the US. Having just been to that refugee camp, it was remarkable to hear her story.

Bijoux whom we met on the plane 

with Agnes when we arrived in Nairobi 

We arrived in Nairobi and we were greeted at the airport by Joshua Matuu Matuku, a dear friend we have known for 12 years. He brought his children (Emma (age 11), Grace (age 18) and Emmanuel (age 20) and it was a sweet reunion indeed. They came with us to the retreat center and we were able to visit with them and catch up on our lives (as we have not seen them since 2009).  Their family has gone through some very difficult times over the last 4 years as his wife Lisper has been in and out of the hospital.  The medical bills wiped their family out and they lost just about everything and yet the joy that exudes from their family is extraordinary. 

Taylor, Emma and Anna 

Taylor and Emmanuel 

Grace, Anna and Joshua taking a selfie :) 

As we sang this song last night back with the students, I certainly think that Joshua and his family live this out better than anyone I know:

“Blessed be your name in the land that is plentiful

Where your streams of abundance flow, blessed be your name

Blessed be your name when I’m found in the desert place

Though I walk through the wilderness, blessed be your name.

Every blessing you pour out, I’ll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say…

Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord- blessed be your glorious name.

Blessed be your name when the sun’s shining down on me

When the world’s all as it should be, blessed be your name

Blessed be your name on the road marked with suffering

Though there’s pain in the offering, blessed be your name.”

-Matt and Beth Redman © 2002 Thankyou Music

We are so very grateful that we still have a little over two weeks here in Kenya. Brian made the comment last night in our meeting that this time is just as important (if not more so) than the time we have had. I look forward to the ways God will continue to water us and grow us more into the people he created us to be as we soak this all up. 

Anna and Dani