Blessed MAF!
I'm forever facinated by MAF's work. However, it is rather difficult to describe it - where does one start? The ministry is huge and comprehensive. MAF in Loki is like a pulsating vein. A seemingly endless flow of pilots of different ages and nationalities overnight in our compound. Sweaty and tired after a long day's flying they often pause for a moment on our veranda to use the wireless Internet, have a cup of tea or just chat and share news from Nairobi or Sudan. Early in the mornings I sometimes hear or even see them purring away just at the crack of dawn for another busy day in Sudan or towards Nairobi in the south. Adjacent to our airport office we have a freight room where goods are stored waiting for the next flight to various destinations. It's exciting to read sometimes on the labels: "Medical equipment for CMA in Lankien", "Cement to the AIC school project in Nagashot", "Generator spares for SPI in Boma", "Dry food supplies to the Medair team in Melout" or "The printed version of the Jesus film for children in Loki". Without MAF, many of these items would perhaps never reach their recipients!
We're also excited to hear from Anders Korswing, the MAF-Sweden Director about several Swedish candidates ready to join the MAF ranks as pilots etc, as soon they have enough of financial and prayer support behind them.
Following a story that could fill half a book, we're so pleased to finally have our Toyota Landcruiser here. The two day journey of 900 kms from Nariobi went without the slightest hick up despite having no armed escort! It was exciting to travel through the semi-arid wide stretch of land between the mountain range north of Kitale and Lodwar. The vehicle is already serving many needs here apart from ourselves. Francis, my faithful interpreter and co-worker, was radiant when we pulled up with the car and exclaimed: — Praise God for "our car"!
Today 20th March about 360 of more than 500 wall elements and 35 of 76 pillar are molded. Everything is done by hand, not seldom in 45º scorching sun and there are no electrical tools to speed up the work. KeA has a group 8-10 men who work for 3$ a day and the foreman gets another couple of dollars. We're thankful for the sponsors of these small salaries, without which we wouldn't have gotten the work done at all. We'll be running short of this support before the project is completed. Anyone out there who would like to pitch in to allow these men to help finishing the school?
Together with a local smith, KeA has fabricated the steel molds for the construction. James, is very thankful for the extra business and insight in more precision work than he's normally used to as well as the experience gained as he has worked with KeA. Smilingly he told me the other day that people now call his garage the "Muzungu Garage”, the white man's garage!
We were so thankful for the flexible bladder tank which was installed on top of the container, but unfortunately it blew off one day in the strong wind and it ripped open (it was held in place by rubber bands). But KeA managed to order a rigid tank of 5000 lit for a reasonable price and this one now simplifies the work enormously as we only have to fill it maybe once a week from a very tatty looking water bowser.
A reality all so frightening!
Welcome reinforcement!
The 8th of April we will get several extra hands for the construction as 3 builders from our church in Sweden will come out for 2 weeks. We're so thankful for these three who will invest time and money to help us erecting the school building. Pray with us that their trip will go well in all aspects (health, heat, etc.) We're also expecting to hear shortly whether we will get a couple of students from my school in Sweden, who have been raising the support for this project. They would then be accompanied by a close relative as well and will possibly come early May for 10 days. Finally we also hope to have my former principle and her husband, Margaretha and Jan Lindéh out for the inauguration. Our Swedish ambassador in Kenya will also be invited for the event.
When Turkana children are weaned many end up with health problems in the village. The reason being lack of proteins and vitamins. The are mostly fed "relief food" , maïs and beans. Traditional food is rather blood, milk, some meat and various berries and herbs growing on the vast plains. An it makes a nutritious mix. But moving from the nomadic life style to semi permanent often creates a deficit in essential nutrients. Through the children's offerings in our church's Sunday School at home in Sweden I have a chance to buy a treat for the "children under the tree" every week. I wish you could be there when we distribute the goodies. As soon as they see my car, the rise up, clap their hands, dance and shout. Carrots, bananas and apples are some of the treats. Many had never tasted a banana when I gave them the first time, and some put their teeth right in the peel before I could show them how to peel a banana, and they are African kids!. We pray and hope that these supplements will add some essential vitamins etc.
Gabriel
Yesterday night there was a blessed rain which continued throughout the day. The dust settles and suddenly the air feels pure and fresh. It feels cooler and my swollen feet appear to be almost normal again. The water systems fill up and the Turkana's cows, goats, donkeys and camels will get fresh grazing for some time. I got so excited when I saw when I saw these little creatures crawling in our garden after the rain. Our children use to gather them in tiny glass jars when we lived in Chad in the 80s.
Speaking about our children!
On 5th April our Baby-Jo (Jonathan!) is coming to visit us for 5 days together with his girlfriend Magdalena Sjöberg. Magdalena is doing 4 months internship at a nursery school in Tanzania and Jonathan will first visit her and then they will come together to see us. Wow! We are looking forward to it with great excitement and we are also looking forward to soon get our 7th grandchild. Anton and Natalie’s baby is duing on 1st April and it can't be a joke because today we got an mms showing Natalie with quite a seizable stomach.
During 1 ½ week I was celebrated by a number of surprises initiated by my dear husband: travel to Lamu (a historical and beautiful island at the Kenyan coast) staying for five days (a gift from our children and their families and other close relatives), visiting a tea farm at the outskirt of Nairobi with guiding and a delicious lunch in a gorgeous garden, surprise party set on by our MAF-family at the MAF compound in Nairobi (decoration in yellow and blue, beautiful cake decorated by the MAF wifes, ABBA-music softly playing in the background and presents and flowers) and on the D-day an awesome dinner in a nice restaurant together with some of our "old" MAF-friends from the time we lived in Nairobi in the 90s. Talk about being spoiled! Furthermore, just the fact to have reached 60 is big. There are many who never get that old. I am very grateful for my sixty years on this earth.
Many blessed greetings from