Lacey with Childhood Friends - Enkaiye, Melita and Ekaiyo

Ngoto Namwata - Woman Who Is Hosting Moose & Lacey

Lacey & local village kids

Moose & Oldemati - our former watchman

Moose's Bed

Lacey's House - Inside & Out!

Not The Same Place

Upon arrival to the village in the picture, we were received as nothing short of the welcome the prodigal son must have experienced. The Elder of the village came out of the gate and walked to us as we were coming. Greeting us with tears and hugs, the rest of the village followed suit. No fatted calf, but two goats and lots of sour milk, AAH, the good life! The saying goes in Maasai "melakua ang inchu" (translation: "Home is not far away, if you have life.") It was definitely true, as there was much praising of God.

In the joy of this uniting, there was also great sadness as well. This village, which had been so dear in our hearts, had become run down...almost as if it were abandoned. The reason, an availability of alcohol at the town across the lake. The men, as well as the women, and even the warriors, were all drinking and drunk. The women have suffered at the hands of these men as they bore the stripes of alcohol on their backs.

There was joy as well, as we were able to find that a group of believers are continuing to meet each Sunday. We had a chance to experience it and it was exciting to see all different age-sets there, and both men and women. While in that area, we were also able to attend a celebration of the warriors as they were in search for the one who would serve as the voice of their age-set. A good time and a good walk.

As for the research project, after lengthy explanations as to what I am here for, some of the men are beginning to grasp what I am trying to do. In these discussions I thought I would find more clarity of what I wanted to get, but instead I have had more questions arise. Please Pray for more clarity as I gather the stories.

God is so Good

I know that it has been a while since you all have heard from one of us directly.... One thing that hasn't changed at all since we were here last is that internet is still a luxery for some of us!!

You are going to have to forgive me though, becuase I believe that my English has gotten worse while my Swahili and Maa have gotten better!! And some of you are well aware of the fact that my English suffered before I ever left!!

God has shown Himself so faithful in everything that we have done since we got off the plane in Nairobi. Everyone of our needs have needs have been met beyond anything that we could ever put together within our own strength, I can't even begin to recount all of the right now, but I can say that my journal is full of limitless testimonies of my experience and the experiences of so many people that I love!

We will be posting more specific experiences in the days to come....

Where is Moose and Lacey?

Some of you may be wondering why you haven't heard more from Moose and Lacey. Let me explain...imagine life without electricity, telephone, computer, email or transportation. This is the life they are living right now. Moose and Lacey left on Saturday, May 17 for the "bush". They traveled by sokol car (a small pickup truck) loaded down with huge bags of rice & corn & beans, miscellaneous pots and pans, plates & cups, blankets, and other goods to sell. The small pickup is like a smaller version of an S-10 pickup here in the States. It is usually very old and worn out, and held together by bailing wire. Besides all the supplies it is loaded down with, it also serves as a "taxi service" for people wishing to "ride" in and out of the bush, rather than walk. It is also more normal than not, for the sokol car to break down or get stuck in the mud (during rainy season) going into the bush and again coming back out. The trips are hard, long, dirty and exhausting. And yet...it is an adventure; it brings a sense of camaraderie that a smooth trip down a black top road does not. When you finally lift yourself off of whatever bag of rice you are sitting on, you are covered in dust, dirt and/or mud; you are sore, stiff, grumpy and thankful for reaching your destination. And the first thing you do is hug your companions, pat each other on the back and talk about the joy and adventures of the journey just finished. But most importantly, you walk away with new friends and relationships...many of which will last a life time.

This adventure reminds me of a verse found in Galatians 6:9, "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." These trips in and out of the bush can grow weary. They are exhausting and uncomfortable, but the relationship that are built in the end can last for a life time. So be encouraged if you are riding on a "sokol car" right now. At the end of the journey, you will reap the benefits of remaining faithful.

SURREAL!!!

Lacey & Moose have made it! They left Chicago on Tuesay, May 13; arrived in Nairobi on Wednesday, May 14; and went on to Arusha, Tanzania on Thursday, May 15.

Surreal! is the word that keeps popping up in our conversations. They just can't believe they are actually there. Lacey's words were, "it doesn't feel as if we ever left."

They have had some exciting reunions with friends in both Nairobi and Arusha. They will be leaving for Gelai and Maakat tomorrow morning.

Here are a few of Lacey's thoughts over the past few days:

• how little water there is in the toilets;
• how there are so many HUGE signs along Uhuru Hwy in Nairobi;
• crazy drivers (it never bothered me before, but I think that I notice more now because I drive);
• a new immigration building in Namanga that has webcams and computers;
• a TON of advertisements in Kenya that feature women;
• how everything feels so familiar that is is way easy to take things for granted because it feels like I never left;
• the road from Nairobi to Arusha is TERRIBLE!!
• why I like to be "rocked" to sleep...because the bumpy roads put me to sleep straight away;
• how the sun goes behind the horizion right at 6:30 pm;
• that Cathy has a beautiful accent;
• and lastly, Salome still gives the best hugs!!!

So Tired

The past days have been full of final papers, final exams, final meetings, and final good-byes. If there is one thing that is true about living in a college community, it is that the only thing that stays the same is that everything changes.

Every year the same routine takes place.
You spend time with people you have grown to love...which means,
You get behind a bit in your course work,
You have to work hard to catch up,
You neglect to spend time with people you love.
Then you realize that everyone is leaving,
Some for good, some for a week, some for a few months,
But you start to feel a little bit sad and that you are being torn in a million little pieces.

This time it feels harder than it has before. I don't know if it is because I have so much more to get done before we leave and therefore, I really don't have time to give people I love an adequate good-bye. Or maybe it is because I am leaving a place I have grown so comfortable in and I know I am in for a big change myself.

I don't know.
(lacey)

25 Days According to My Calender

Well, According the to countdown I have in my planner, it is 25 days unti the day before we take off. I am not sure why I omitted the day before from my count down. I am pretty sure it might have to do with past experiences of knowing that I usually don't sleep because I am too excited or because I have left too much to do!

All that I really know is that I am so ready to be home again. I am beginning to smell the smells again. Desiel and burning trash in town. Rain on dusty ground. Sheep fat mixed with oker. Fire wood smoke and dried manure.

I can smell everything right now.

(lacey)

Not the same mountain

When I opened the blog I realized just how much the place will have changed as we return. The mountain that you see in the picture above has changed drastically since my last post. The mountain "Ol doiyo le Enkai has erupted and has left the residence fleeing for there lives and that of there animals. I had heard the stories from the old ones about what it was like when it erupted back in the '60s. Here is a link if you would like to see its progress and current situation.

http://www.mtsu.edu/~fbelton/latestnews.html I think that things will have changed a great deal more than just the mountain.
Moose

Down to 2 months.

Wow, It is hard to believe how quickly the time is approaching. My mind is racing ahead and my gut is panicking. I am thinking about the intercessory work that needs to go on before and continue while there. Sometimes, I wonder how my mind could conceive of such a task, once again the reminder that it is not about me or a class or paper, but about the fact that Christ is calling people unto himself.

Welcome

Hello All!

We just got this blog up and going today. We will be posting over the next 60ish days before we depart for Tanzania on May 13th to keep everyone updated on how things are coming along. We are so excited for this opportunity to go back home and see old familiar faces of friends and loved ones, so please join us along the journey!