Good morning! It is a beautiful morning in Kijabe as I look out over the Rift Valley and see the mountains off in the distance. We were up and dressed early this morning as new friends from Alberta, Canada who were visiting our neighbors left for home and we wanted to say good-bye. I think that hellos and goodbyes are a big part of missionary life and often very difficult. As one wife told me, life here changes every 3-4 months. You just get to know someone and then they leave. Of course being apart from family in another part of the world is also a difficult reality. I can’t help but think of how the internet and satellite communication has changed life for missionaries! My mind often wanders and I imagine what life was like here 100 years ago when the hospital and school were established. Or what it was like to travel here then. The flights seem long now but are nothing compared to the voyages that took months. I can remember as a young girl that we would have going away “parties” for missionaries who were leaving and everyone would cry as we sang, God Be with you Till we meet again and for good reason, because we did not know if and when we they would return. The courage that these people of God showed is awe inspiring to me. I know that this thought really dates me, but I can’t help reminding myself of the sacrifices they made and now we are seeing the fruits of their labor.
Last night we enjoyed dinner with Warren and Miriam Rich who are from Wilmington NC and have served here for 24 years! Warren, who grew up in Winter Park Presbyterian Church , has established a very busy dental practice here over the course of those years that takes care of the Kenyans, the other missionaries and the students at the RVA. He has trained Kenyan dentists who are now ready to take over the direction of the clinic and so God willing Warren and his family will be leaving here in July. Their plans for the future are still indefinite and they are praying for guidance. Their other prayer request is a bit unusual. Two years ago an abandoned baby girl came into their family which already consisted of 5 children. (3 of whom are now students in the US; one at UNCW, two in Chapel Hill) They had not planned on adopting Hope, but the Lord had other plans for this family. Hope is now a bright, darling 2 year old and very much a part of the Rich family. However, they are having trouble completing the adoption because of some complicated arrangement the US government has with the Hague. Adopting children in Kenya is difficult even if you have lived here for 24 years! Only 800 Kenyan children among the 2 plus million orphans have been adopted this year. Because of this dilemma (Hope has no visa) the Richs are unable to travel to the US as a family. They are currently working with the US Embassy and hope for some positive decision very soon. Please keep this family in your prayers.
As a side note, the Richs have a Wofford College student living with them for a month during her interim and guess what John and Anna, she is from Mt. Pleasant and grew up in Hobcaw! She even swam on the club swim team for 9 years! Talk about a small world! We enjoyed sharing dinner with her as well!
Bye for now and have a good day,
Love and miss you a lot,
Mom and Dad, Nana and Poppy, Micki and Marv
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