Friday, March 26, 2010

New Beginnings

Several young Kenyans joined us in mid-March for the start of a six month internship. Here's our group at Church Army Africa:


Can you spot a hippo?

A few miles outside of Nairobi:


Night Lights

The sky over Nairobi lit up with bright colours the other night. Is this the Aurora Borealis?


1st Anniversary

Dave and Lucy recently celebrated their first anniversary. Here's a couple shots from St. Julian's Guesthouse in Limuru, Kenya:




Learning at Light and Power

The children's programme continues to run each Saturday at Light and Power. Here's a shot of the matron, Beatrice, serving children porridge after the games and activities have ended:


Missionary Exchange

Conn Thieman joined us early this year as a missionary intern. After finishing his final semester at Penn State he is getting some first hand experience in mission work serving alongside Dave and Lucy in Kenya.


Here is a recent shot in front of our Theological Training Centre, Carlile College:


Tenancy Issues in Kibera

One of the churches we work with at Church Army has encountered some tough going in Kibera. In the region of Mashimoni there have been a lot of challenges related to building ownership and tenancy. After the post-election violence, several local politicians encouraged tenants to no longer pay rent in Kibera as the landlords were charging too much. This has not only affected local landlords, but also churches and NGOs involved in development work who are seeking to purchase or develop structures for ministry purposes.

Above is a building that was purchased by Patmos Church in 2008 for use as classrooms for their primary school. Unfortunately, the tenants have refused to leave or pay any form of rent for the past two years. Several "vicious" policies are normally used for eviction in the area: 1. physical removal of the doors of non-paying tenants, 2. forceful expulsion by hired gangs, or 3. peaceful consultation and a decision to leave. Unfortunately, the police have very limited influence in the area. The church is worried that the structure may be burned down by angry tenants if they do not proceed carefully. We are praying for a peaceful resolution to the conflict so that the 63 children of Patmos School do not have to cram into one small room.
Mashimoni is a difficult area. Here is one of the paths through the village:

In the Hood


Mzee Jomo Kenyatta

Here's a shot of the first President of Kenya: