Midterm
is here! After 6 weeks of intense on-the-job training as dorm parents
among a few other roles we've played at RVA, we have had our first
official breathing time. The dorm girls went to Tanzania, Uganda, and
other parts of Kenya for a five day break. Many staff also expressed
a need for a break. We left for Nakuru National Park with two other
new families at RVA, as well as a student teacher from Minnesota.
There were seven adults and seven children ranging from preschool to
Grade five. We headed for Nakuru Saturday. It took three hours
driving on vibrating road with endless potholes. The main highway
across Kenya is a two lane highway which is theoretically paved but
in reality is far rougher than most dirt roads. There are many slow
trucks and vehicles are continuously passing each other. Passing in
Kenya is an art form with disaster always a few seconds away. Seeing
cars approaching in your lane is normal. I must say I am getting use
to it...a bit. Due to the bumpy roads, one of the youngest girls was
sick on the way. On the way back, the student teacher was extremely
ill possibly due to side effects of malarial medicine. We had to stop
several times.
Regardless
of the stress we endured for the night away, we can not forget the
thousands of flamingos along the edge of the lake. If we hadn't gone,
we wouldn't of witnessed the beautiful pink sunset over the lake. Our
children couldn't even remember being at Lake Nakuru four years ago.
It was the other children's first safari. They got to see their first
well-known African animals like the giraffe, baboon, rhino and zebra
in the wild. The trip also helped the families get to know each
another better.
On the way home from a far-from-perfect safari, it occurred to me that our safari was similar to our overall experiences working at RVA. As we work here we experience a bumpy road with pot holes and numerous obstacles coming directly towards us. With the dorm girls, we have dealt with homesickness, fear of the unknown, jealousy, stealing, minor health issues, spreading possessions all over campus and failing tests. On the flip side, we have seen them become more responsible as they adjust to grade seven. They have learned to have concern for each other, including how to forgive and truly forget. They are learning to study ahead of time and pass tests due to their extra efforts. They are learning that their actions have consequences.
The Canadians of Kijabe got together for a Thanksgiving meal before mid-term. There were about 45 of us there. It seems so different not to have leaves changing colour and the cool autumn days! We are thankful that we are supporting the work of so many missionaries, and have the opportunity to see some of the marvelous beauty of Africa. Thank you for standing behind us.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 107:1
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Michael
and Bernadine Steeves P.O. Box 80 Kijabe, Kenya 00220 phone: 011-254-20-32046-101 cell phone: 011-254-735-317094 steeves@kijabe.org www.kijabe.org |
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Africa
Inland Mission 1641 Victoria Park Ave. Scarborough, ON M1R 1P8 (877) 407-6077 (Toll Free) www.aimcanada.org |
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Canadian
Baptist Ministries 7185 Millcreek Dr. Mississauga, ON L5N 5R4 (905) 821-3533 www.cbmin.org |