THURSDAY--MARCH 3, 2011

SUNRISE AT BABY CENTRE

THATCHED ROOF HUTS ALONG ROAD

SPEED BUMPS IN HIGHWAY TO DETER SPEEDING

HERDED SHEEP ADJACENT TO HIGHWAY

HERDED CATTLE ADJACENT TO HIGHWAY

GIRAFFES GRAZING NEAR ROAD ON SAFARI

GIRAFFES GRAZING NEAR THE ROAD ON SAFARI

EATING WITH TEAM MEMBERS-JEREMY, LAURA, VICTORIA, ALEXANDRA

SEEING ZEBRA WHILE ON SAFARI

THOMPSON GAZELLE

ZEBRA AND WARTHOG

IMPALLA

IMPALLA

FIRST VIEW OF ELEPHANT AT DISTANCE FROM MUTATO

WATER BUFFALO

WATER BUFFALO

ELEPHANT ON MOVE

TEAM MEMBERS-LEONNA, KASEY, SHEILA- IN MUTATO

WARY LEOPARD IN THE BUSH

ANOTHER ELEPHANT

LION KEEPING WATCH ON WATER BUFFALO KILL

WATER BUFFALO KILLED BY LION

MOTHER CHEETAH LEADING FAMILY OF SIX

SIX YOUNG CHEETAHS

HERD OF ELAND (LARGEST ANTELOPE)

WARTHOGS AMONG ZEBRA

DIK DIK (SMALLEST ANTELOPE)

MUTATO DRIVERS--JOSEPH AND STANLEY

HERD OF ELEPHANTS PASSING OUR MUTATO TOWARD WATER

GUINEA BIRDS

Oh, my, what a day of travel we had.  Following prayer for our journey with Pastor Wycliffe Keter, Staci, and Eliana, Staci gave us tearful thanks for coming and said her good-byes.  At 7:00 am we departed the Baby Centre on our way to Sentrim Mara in the middle of Masai Mara.  We had two brief rest stops arriving at 1:30 pm.  Half of the way the road was paved.  The remainder of the trip was on rocky, rutted dirt roads.  Because of the British influence the driver is on the right and is driving on the left.  However, sometimes the smoothest place to drive is on the right.  When there is an oncoming vehicle in its correct lane, travel can be a bit scary.  A portion of the paved road had many holes.  So, much of the distance was traveled with two tires on pavement and two off to the side.  In a few places we left the paved road entirely.  We arrived safely to be greeted by drums and staff singing greetings to us at the entrance.  We also received moist cool cloths for wiping the face, hands, and arms followed by a refreshing drink of apple juice.  We were taken to our rooms by an employee who also took our luggage.  I was told this was a tented resort.  Wow!  This is not my idea of sleeping in a tent.  I have a cabin to myself, but it could sleep four.  Part of the cabin is constructed of split logs with a thatch roof.  The other part is a fancy tent with zippered walls to the balcony and zippered window covers.  Near dusk, a housekeeping employee closes everything with the zippers to keep out insects, turns on a light and drops the mosquito netting around the bed.  What service this is!  We have had two buffet styled meals already today.  This is far more food than I need.  But, we continue to need to consume a lot of water.  On the way and during our first safari near sundown we saw the following animals (spelling may or may not be correct):  Masai giraffe, common zebra (Graves’s zebra not in this area), wildebeest, warthog, eland (largest antelope), dikdik (smallest antelope), topi, hartebeest, elephant, Thompson gazelle, Grant gazelle, impala, lion, water buffalo, leopard, cheetah (mother plus six kits).  This is truly an unforgettable experience!  This resort is very eco-friendly being run on solar power and wind mill.  Each cabin/tent has solar panels on the roof for heating water.  The wind mills above the reception are for electricity with a generator for back up.  A couple days ago, I listed the other names I have been called while in Kenya.  I now remember a third.  In addition to Babu and Big Daddy, I am also called Papa John.  With the arrival of the last two children, the Baby Centre population is at fifty.

WEDNESDAY--MARCH 2, 2011

JOHN HOLDING ELIANNA KETER

ELIANNA KETER AND JOHN

WATER FILTER IN OUR KITCHEN

MUCH OF THE NEWLY PAINTED FENCE

ONLY A FEW BOARDS LEFT TO BE FINISHED

ENJOYING OUR LAST SUNSET AT BABY CENTRE

We are nearly finished with the fence.  The Kenyan workers are having difficulty with the electric drill.  The

bit gets dull so fast and they must change it for a new one.  Today, we finished priming the new boards.  So, as soon as they are bolted onto the framework, we paint them red, yellow, green, or blue.  We are tired!  We are looking forward to the next phase of our trip.  But, we are also a little sad to leave the Baby Centre.  We must pack tonight for an early morning departure tomorrow at 7:00 am.  Next stop is Masai Mara for a couple of days with maybe as many as four safaris.

TUESDAY--MARCH 1, 2011

RACHEL AND HEATHER (WGM - VIA) IN THE FIRST ENCLOSED PLAY AREA

RACHEL SPIEGEL AND HEATHER LORING (WGM - VIA)

HEATHER PAINTING THE NEW FENCE

RACHEL ORGANIZING CLOTHING IN BABY CENTRE STOREROOM

KENYAN WORKERS UNLOADING BOARDS FOR NEW FENCE

JOHN AND HIRAAM MWANGI

BABY CENTRE CHILDREN RETURNING FROM SCHOOL

CELEBRATING JEREMY'S TWENTY-FOURTH BIRTHDAY

World Gospel Mission has a program called Volunteers In Action (VIA).  Two VIA girls have been here with us.  They are Rachel Spiegel from New Albany, OH, and Heather Loring from Philadelphia, PA.  Today, again, some of the team played with the babies.  Many concentrated on painting the fence.  We are nearly caught up to the place where the Kenyan workers are bolting the boards on the frames.  We continue from day to day to have someone who is having trouble keeping hydrated while working out in the hot sun.  Most days the temperature is about eighty-five degrees with little cloud cover.  Although rain would be welcome, rain would greatly interfere with the progress on the fence project.  I have acquired a couple of new names while here in Kenya.  “Babu” means “grandpa” in Swahili.  The babies who are old enough to speak, call me “Babu”.  Since I am the oldest person here, the Kenyan adults call me “Big Daddy”.  I now have too many names to remember!



MONDAY--FEBRUARY 28, 2011

OFFICE STAFF AND TEAM MEETING FOR MORNING PRAYERS

OFFICE STAFF AND TEAM MEETING FOR MORNING PRAYERS

OFFICE STAFF AND TEAM MEETING FOR MORNING PRAYERS

PLAY AREA BEING FORMED BY WHITE PRIMED BOARDS

HEATHER LORING (WGM - VIA) WITH BABIES

RACHEL SPIEGEL (WGM - VIA) WITH BABIES

LAURA WITH A BABY

SHEILA WITH BABIES

JOHN WITH BABIES

BABY CENTRE CAREGIVERS WITH BABIES

LEONA WITH BABIES

JOHN WITH BABY

LEONA WAS FIRST TO PAINT COLOR ON NEW FENCE

JOHN PAINTING ON NEW FENCE

ALEXANDRA PAINTING ON NEW FENCE

SHEILA AND KASEY PAINTING ON NEW FENCE

KASEY PICKING UP ROCKS

PROGRESS AT END OF DAY ONE OF PAINTING

PASTOR MESHACK HABIB, TEHILAH (MEANS PRAISE GOD-HEBREW), KATE HABIB

Each week day the office staff of the Baby Centre and any visitors begin at 8:30 am with prayers.  A devotional is read by someone, and then we share prayer requests and praises before prayer.  Again, Jeremy went with Meshack to the IDP Camp to check on the progress of the water tank installation.  Since the center of the foundation is wet concrete, it dries slower than the exterior.  Water is poured on the top to keep it moist so that it won’t crack before the center is dry.  It will probably be about a week before the concrete is dry enough to position the water tank on top.  We held and played with the babies and toddlers at the beginning of the day.  Again, our electrical service has been spasmodic.  Most of the day we will have no electricity due to scheduled repairs.  Thankfully, our electric ovens are topped with gas burners for food preparation.  Mwangi has adjusted the work day to tasks not requiring electricity.  We began painting the bright colors of red, yellow, green, and blue on the inside of the play area boards.  Pastor Meshack Habib and Kate, his wife who is the Baby Centre accountant, have invited the entire team to their apartment for supper.  There were nineteen present for a Kenyan meal.  Just as we all arrived and were about to be served, the electricity went off again.  We ate by candlelight. This afternoon, baby number fifty arrived.  A police station on the far side of Nakuru called asking Staci to come to get a boy.  It is estimated that he, who was well dressed in T-shirt, collared shirt, and shiny two piece suit is a lost, but not abandoned child.  Judging by size and limited vocabulary, he is about two or two and half years old.  Police stations do not have telephones other than individual cell phones.  There is no interconnecting computer system.  The boy was kept with Staci's family and Pastor Meshack's family for observation and conversation (very limited) to try to gain information from him.  Staci will go to the police station of report tomorrow to determine if anyone has reported the boy missing.  Shortly after a cold shower and going to bed the electricity came back on.

SUNDAY--FEBRUARY 27, 2011

YOUTH CHOIR SINGING AT NGATA AFRICA GOSPEL CHURCH

PASTOR PAUL MAINE MAKING ANNOUNCEMENTS AT NGATA AGC

MUTATO HIRED TO CARRY US TO NAIROBI FOR LUNCH

ELIANNA, SOLOMON, STACI, GIFTON, WYCLIFFE KETER AT LUNCH

LEONA HARLIN, LYNNE SNITKER, SHEILA ENGLERT

AT LUNCH AT MIDLAND HOTEL RESTAURANT

KASEY ENGLERT, ALEXANDRA KEISTER, HEATHER AT LUNCH

VICTORIA HENDERSON, LAURA NELSEN, JEREMY NELSEN AT LUNCH

SIGN AT ENTRANCE OF LORD EGERTON CASTLE

LORD EGERTON CASTLE

ACACIA TREES GROW WITH FLAT TOP

LARGE BIRD LIKE HAWK OR FALCON LOOKING FOR PREY

Today, we worshiped at Ngata Africa Gospel Church.  The service was a combination of Swahili and English.  Some of the songs we already knew.  Since the words were on the wall at the front of the church, we could actually stumble along singing the songs in Swahili.  When Pastor Meshack spoke in English, Pastor Paul Maine would interpret in Swahili.  We rode in a matatu (large van for fifteen for hire) to Nakuru where we ate lunch at Midland Hotel Restaurant.  We ordered from a menu.  I ate one-fourth of chicken (leg and thigh), vegetables (green beans, carrots, peas), and irio (potatoes with pumpkin leaves), and spinach along with ginger ale.  Everything was very tasty.  We continue to have a mixture of American and Kenyan foods for our meals.  We walked to nearby Lord Egerton Castle which I estimate to be about three miles round trip from the Baby Centre.  The roads are not paved.  They are hard packed dirt and very dusty, especially when vehicles and mopeds pass.  When the rainy season comes, the road will be very muddy.