Busy Last Days

Hey everyone!!

Want to thank you once again for all of your prayers and support in the past three months.

We have gone through this week without any babies in Isolation!! Praise God :) I am feeling much better this week, and am healthy aside from a runny nose, which is no biggie. We still have no water in our rooms.....its been a week now, but it wouldn't be an experience if we had water right?! That's what I keep telling myself anyways....haha

Before I explain my weekend coming up, I want to let you all know.....
FOUR MONTHS FROM YESTERDAY I AM GETTING MARRIED!!!!!
And I am a little excited about it :)

Anyways, this last week and weekend is busy. The past couple of days I have been getting in lots of baby time and last minute pictures!!! This afternoon I am going to "House Church" with a family from Rev. Peter's church. Not too sure what to expect but I am sure it will be interesting. I am hoping to go to Juja Farm on Friday and then the other three volunteers and I are going out for supper. Saturday we are feeding the babies and then heading into Nairobi to go to lunch, the market and look around. Sunday is church with a mom named Dorcas. I have been to this church once before, and it is a very Pentecostal church, which is different for me, but she wanted me to come again before I left so I will go. Hopefully I won't be gone all day, so that I can spend time with the babies. I think I will be going back to Kicheko Slum on Monday morning and being with the babies and kids in the afternoon and evening. Early morning on Tuesday I will be boarding a plane for home.

It is super crazy that my time is coming to a close so fast. I am trying to make the most of my time left, but at the same time I think I am in denial that I am leaving. I am excited to see everyone at home and to start volunteering again, but at the same time I wish everyone at home could come here to visit me so that I could stay here. But I suppose that God gave me this amount of time for a reason, and it is time to move on to a different season of my life (the wedding planning season!!!).

Please pray for me as I complete my time here and prepare myself for leaving. Also if you could please pray for my flights home; I go from Nairobi to Amsterdam and wait two hours. Board another plane to Toronto and wait another two hours. Then board my last leg of the trip into Winnipeg where I will be landing at 11:55pm on Tuesday April 23rd!! Please also pray for Erik as he drives into the city to pick me up.

I feel like I am running out of things to blog about...I hope this is interesting for you!!

Thank you for reading and praying.
Love: Rach :)

Eight more Sleeps

So the last few days have been interesting, to say the least. We haven't had water since Thursday morning....which means I am super ready to be clean!!! Haha

And I only have seven full days left in Kenya, which is super bitter-sweet. I absolutely LOVE these babies to death and leaving them is going to be a sad time. I took lots of pictures of them today!! It was awesome. They are super cute and I wish I could take them all home.

Sophie: the Baby Duck :D 

Isn't this face adorable?! I waited a while to get this pout :) 

Tai

Ray 

Tendai 

Edward 

And I learned how to be a Kenyan mom today!! 

Lamuel; dressed for Manitoba weather today!!!

Leanne 

Precious 

Trevor 

Jude: the Baby Dinosaur :) 

Joannah

 

 

Aren't they lovely!! Man, I love these kids :)

 

It was a good day chilling with them today. And we even got another volunteer today, Iker from Mexico City and one on Saturday night, Brigitte from CANADA!!!

Funny story:

This morning, Rosemary came into Infant A while we were feeding and said we were getting another volunteer today and she would be sharing a room with Brigitte. I asked, for some reason, "Are you sure the new volunteer is a girl??" Rosemary assured me she was. I turned to Brigitte and said "Well that's good that we know for sure your new roommate is a girl." Then later Kenya (volunteer from New Zealand), Brigitte and I were having guacamole and chapati for supper and we heard the sound of luggage clumping up the stairs. We were all excited to meet her so I went out to introduce myself!! I look into Rosemary's office and see a guy.....well this is awkward!! I introduced myself and I looked at Rosemary, who gave me a "I'm just as surprised as you!!" look. It was hilarious because I specifically asked earlier!! Either way, they each have their own room which is good.

 

Ended the day with a baby feed and my homemade mandazi!! I have turned into a Kenyan woman, except for the color :)

 

See you all soon!!!

 

Love: Rach :)

 



Prayer Updates

Hello Readers :)

Thank you once again for stopping by. I am sorry it has been so long since my last post, we had no power for two days, which means no wifi. During that time I was sick with the flu, so I was stuck in bed anyways. Yesterday I was still recovering from being sick, and also said goodbye to two amazing volunteers; Andy and Mari from California. Got to have supper with them and see them off at the airport which was cool. My stomach feels much better, and yet I don't quite feel like myself.

And this morning I was praying and talking to God, and I had the urge to blog and ask for more prayer. And then I thought "Man, I have asked for a lot of prayer in the last little while, how much more should I really be asking for??". But then I opened the Sword of the Spirit (the Bible)  and read this:

And pray in the spirit on all occasions

with all kids of prayers and requests.

With this in mind, be alert and always

keep on praying for all the Lord's people.

~ Ephesians 6: 18 ~

And right there, I realized that there is no such thing as "asking for too much prayer". God is amazing, and shows me things when I need them. So if you could please pray for me, I am struggling with a few things. First of all, I am ready to be home now, so I am trying to figure out God's purpose for the last twelve days of my adventure because clearly I am not home yet for a reason. Also, all of my joints are stiff and sore and I have no idea why; they have been this way for about four days now. I am not really my usually energetic and happy self, and it bothers me because even the mom's notice and ask what is wrong because I am not chatty and bubbly. I am not too sure what is up with my body, so I am trying to seek God in that.

As for the babies, most of them are doing better. Cathy lies in her crib flailing her arms and legs which is a blessing because her limbs were very floppy last time I posted!! Thank you Lord :) Sophie is doing better although she is still coughing. Trevor is doing sooooo much better!! And I am not too sure the status on Jewel; her face looks cleared up yet she is still in Isolation, so I'm not too sure what is up. Hannah and Tai have now also been admitted into Isolation for sever coughing. We now have six babies in Isolation and only five in Infant A... not a good thing. Please keep these babies in your prayers!! They need them a lot right now.

I am just going to have some breakfast and then go down to see the babies!! I saw them a little yesterday, but I wasn't really feeling up to it. But today is a new day and I feel awesome because My God is with me and He is going to heal me :) Being sick not only sucks because I am sick, but it also means I don't get to see the babies and I definitely miss them.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for looking back for updates all the time, even when there are none. I appreciate it.

Love: Rach :)

Ps. an update after doing two feedings: Cathy, Sophie and Trevor are out of Isolation!! Praise God :)

Sick Babies

 

Trevor and Cathy in the Isolation room 

Sophie in Isolation

 

and Jewel also in Isolation.

I love this picture of her!! She looks like she is contemplating life :)

 

 

Please keep praying for these sick babies.

Prayer is Powerful

Hey guys,

I have been learning how to pray more so that I connect with God in a new way, and I love it!! Prayer is sooo very important and I think I forget that sometimes. Thank you all for your continued prayers for me and for these children. I know sometimes we pray at the start of the mission trip, but as time goes on, we forget to pray for those who are away. Please keep praying!! Each one of you is a warrior for Jesus Christ. Satan will try to tear you down and place excuses in your heads, but STAND UP!! Please keep praying.

I have some prayer requests that are urgent at this time. We have way too many sick babies at this time. Ranging from colds to the flu to pneumonia to asthma. These poor babies can't catch a break.

• Cathy has pneumonia, for the second time since I have been here
• We were trying to feed her and she coughed so much she puked up all of her milk
• I was feeding her water but she was coughing so bad, for at least ten minutes straight.
• She has fallen asleep now, so please pray for her as she sleeps!!
• Sophie also has pneumonia
• Her symptoms are not nearly as bad as Cathy's though
• Trevor has asthma they think
• He can barely drink his milk because he is so clogged up everywhere.
• And he coughs like crazy
• Jewel has a rash on her face, that is going away, but please pray that it won't come back.

And for all the other babies as well who are in the same room as the sick ones. Please send up a chorus of prayers to our Heavenly Father on behalf of these children. And spread the word!! I want this prayer to be contagious instead of the baby's sicknesses.

Love, Rach :)

Pictures :)

 David

Mama Rachel (left), Mama Dorcas (middle) and Mama Phoebe (right)

They were praising God because "if we don't, the rocks will cry out!!" I was told :) 

Freddy and Daniel

 

Patrick; my son and pretty much my favorite! 

 

Whit 

Naima 

Edward

 

Lamual; three weeks old, our youngest baby and newest arrival

 

 

The past couple of days have been good. Nothing too much is new. Hopefully we can go to Juja Farm tomorrow!! Then I will be able to post some pictures of the kids that are there and give you an update on them. I hope all is well with you, and thank you for stopping by!!

 

Love: Rach :)