Dandora Church - Compassion Visit

An amazing day, yet a very eye opening experience.  Went through the Dandora Project to attend church.  We then also had a fabulous time with our sponsored Compassion children.

Quite the reflection when we got to see the slums and where our lovely WEEP women and their families live as well as the the communities of our Compassion children.  It's hard to believe in 2012 people live this way and this is their normal.

Paradise Lost Park

We started the day off and running.  Today was a first day of "work" as we met over at Paradise Lost Park to meet the WEEP (Women's Equality Empowerment Program) women and their families.  This event is a once a year opportunity for these ladies.  Most do not get to experience a park as a casual thing they do.  They look forward to this event every year and so do their children.  It's a way to meet the ladies and give them an opportunity to relax and have time to enjoy themselves, while their children play games, do crafts, and stay out of their mom's hair.

Such a fabulous opportunity to meet the women and their children.  We also had the most beautiful singing and dancing.  We were welcomed in song and sent off in song.  A wonderful day indeed!

The Travel Adventure Begins

Thursday morning we were off to Kenya! So exciting to think in a relative short period of time we would be 1/2 way around the world and have been in three continents! After checking 21 bags, then having to rearrange/lighten loads in carry-ons, we were off to board the giant KLM plane.

First leg of flight left from San Francisco airport to Amsterdam.  Flight was about 10 1/2 hours.  That is a lot of bum time sitting there! Some of us were doing laps around plane, stretches in back of plane, or just waiting for the next meal. :) It felt like we were being fed every couple hours, and it was confusing to have daytime, night time, then day and night again.  Which day is it and what time is it??

We had a very brief pit stop in Amsterdam before we headed off to the second leg of trip to Nairobi, Kenya.  This leg was about 7 1/2 hours.

When flight time was all completed we finally were on Kenyan ground at about 8:15 pm.  Phew!  A long day with some brief shut eye after we arrived at the lodge to prepare us for the busy park day at Paradise Lost.

Can't wait to share the park day experience tomorrow as we are excited to love on those women and their kids and truly celebrate them.

Please make sure you check out the individual team blogs that members are working on as well with the links up on top left of this blog.  More detailed reflection and sharing will be shared there.

Packing Party!

Countdown to GO time is for real! The team gathered this past Sunday to get our work on to get all the gear and supplies ready to go.  The supplies were laid out and ready.  Organizing, packing, and weighing we did.

Each bag can only weigh 50lbs and we can only take ten, so we had to come up with some strategic plans and puzzles to master manipulate all of our goods.

A little more here, take some out there, repack here... Phew! It can truly be an art in figuring out how to best pack everything.

Our friend and enemy, the SCALE!

The worker bees!

Sometimes you just need some man power and muscles to get it to work.

Done! Packing accomplished!  Now to pack our own personal bags before departure in 10 days. The team is a little anxious, a little nervous, a lot excited, as we continue to prepare our hearts and minds for this amazing journey.  Please pray that we will be at peace with God's plan as we prepare to do His work.

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Team Kenya 2012

Go Time! Preparations Finalizing

It's GO time! 2 1/2 weeks and we will be on our way.  The team has been working hard at finalizing everything needed for the trip.  It has all come together wonderfully and we cannot wait to bring some love and encouragement to these women and their families!

We will soon be posting the final itinerary of trip details so you can have a heads up of what each day brings.

Our team looks forward to sharing the journey with you!

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Team Kenya 2012