VISITOR'S BLESSINGS

A few weeks ago, my only sister, Miriam Bender, and a cousin's daughter, Marlene Miller, came to visit us in Kenya. (Marlene's father Howard Miller, is a year younger than I and we grew up together.) What fun we had showing Miriam and Marlene the sights, sounds and smells of Kenya! Only previous visitors and missionaries understand why we include the smells. :) Like many others before them, they discovered the time was a just a little too short....other than joining us in our regular routine, we did some visiting, a baby was born in church during their stay, they even helped us do our Spring house cleaning.

MARLENE MILLER AND THE 2 ORPHANS SHE SPONSORS

After being here over a week, Marlene rather casually mentioned that she sponsors some orphans in Kenya somewhere; a boy and a girl named Joshua and Quintor. After checking with Martin Bender, the director of the orphans, we discovered the children live close by in the Lela area. We decided Marlene can't come all the way to Africa without meeting them! We asked Puis, a Lela church member, to arrange a meeting. He was happy to work it out. The children were delighted and pleased (though speechless) to meet Marlene. Relatively few in the orphanage program have the opportunity to meet their sponsors.

MATTIE AND MIRIAM WITH BABY SARAH ESH OUKO

Do you remember the young couple that married in August soon after we arrived? Jack and Norah Ouko were blessed with a beautiful baby girl in May. Norah is only 17 years old, but very mature and capable. During labor, I was in the hospital to drop off water for Norah and to encourage her. Like days of old, husbands aren't allowed in the ward. Toward evening, Jack called me to come in to the hospital to stay with Norah and upon arriving I had just missed the birth by 6 minutes. The baby girl was very much alive and kicking. Next to her little bed, was a quiet, still form abit bigger than baby Sarah. It was wrapped in a plastic bag. As our daughter, Miriam, and I stood admiring the antics of a newborn, an older lady came in with a big purse accompanied by a nurse. They wrapped the stillborn baby in a leso and stuffed into the purse and left. You couldn't help but wonder.......whose heart was broken...but so thankful for Sarah's life. How different it could have been! Jack and Norah asked me to come in the next day to bathe the baby but when we arrived with all the water and supplies, I disappointedly discovered it had already been done. We then took the happy and relieved couple home to their little mud house.

BLIND RISPER ACHIENG AND SON JOSEPH AND DAUGHTER ANGELINE WITH PASTOR SAM

A widow lady named, Risper-42, lives in a small mud house within the church compound. She has a 19 year old son Joseph and an engergetic 9 year old daughter named Angeline living with her. Risper is blind! She has a happy, bubbly personality even though she has experienced much difficulty in her life.Growing up as a child, her father had two wives. Risper was very active and talented and the source of much jealousy from the co-wife and her children. Risper speaks English very well and related how she could gather firewood much faster than the others and it made them angry. One day, at age 13, when Risper was walking home from school, someone jumped her from behind and beat her on the head. They poked out her eyes, chewed off part of her ear, chewed her cheek and left her unconscious body for dead in the sugarcane patch. When she awoke she was being carried......Risper said, "I spent many days in the hospital that first year. I discovered I was blind and I wanted to die! But my mother didn't let me." She went through much discouragement and depression the next few years.Eventually Risper did marry and had 4 children. Morris, the second son, became deaf through measles. He is now about 18 and attends deaf school. Risper said it is very difficult conversing with him. She is blind and he is deaf! Angeline had a twin sister named Esther. At age 4, Esther died one day after becoming ill in the morning and passing away that evening. A few years ago Risper's husband became ill and couldn't seem to get better. He decided to go back to his homeland to recover. He left and Risper never heard from him again. He was from another tribe and Risper had never been there. She had never met his family and they never met her. They don't even know where to contact her. Risper said she doesn't know if he died or what! Because of this hardship and not being able to support herself and her children, she ended up in the house at the church. Son Joseph is very active in church and keeps looking for someone to give him a job. Jobs are scarce in Kenya......we keep praying and know God will provide.

MIRIAM WITH ANGELINE

One day last Fall when we visited Risper, I noticed Angeline playing with a doll, I guess what was left of it. It had no arms or legs, the hair was torn off, the eyes were poked out and it was wrapped in what was left of Joseph's tattered old shirt. But how she cuddled it! My heart was touched by the piteous-looking doll. Since the compound seemed to be constantly strewn with trash , I told Angeline if she keeps the grounds clean, I'll give her a new doll. Her face lit up! The next few months, she diligently kept after the litter doing cartwheels meanwhile. When sister Miriam arrived, she gave her a doll, one that cries and makes sucking noises. We couldn't decide who was most delighted, Angeline or her mother. They both laughed and laughed and clapped their hands! We also gave Angeline a dress Beth Beiler sent over from the sewing circle. Thank you! I wish you could have seen her face.

Former missionaries, Jonathan and Lavonna Martin are happy to announce the birth of their third son, Tristan Jon! They left Kenya less than 6 weeks ago and we miss them. Congratulations to you! It would be so interesting watching Jackson and Kaiden interact with their new baby brother.

Tommy and Marji Wagler and family of 4 children left for their 2 month furlough last Friday evening. The house next door is quietly deprived of childish noises. We hope they will return refreshed and renewed!

In 2 weeks, our family is eagerly anticipating the visit of Sam's brother and wife, Amos and Sarah Kauffman. Also coming are a nephew and niece, Chad(21) and Cheryl(17) Stoltzfus. Alvin Stoltzfus, an AMA board member, is an uncle.

This past weekend, the Lee Fisher family from Nakuru joined us for the weekend at Kajulu. We spent Saturday evening supper by Lake Victoria. It's so encouraging to have visitors from other units. Thanks for coming, Lees!

Mattie Kauffman