Tuesday, August 18, 2009

crescent island















This past weekend we took a trip to Crescent Island... a hour drive to Lake Naivasha and a 15 minute boat ride to Crescent Island for a walking safari. We debated about taking a traditional safari to Masai Mara game park but figured this probably wasn't the best season of life for a driving safari. Crescent Island was a perfect fit for our family... cheap and plenty of room for the kids to run and explore without the fear of being eaten! In the 80's animals were shipped to Crescent Island for the filming of "Out of Africa". There are no predators and the animals are fairly accustom to visitors so it was the perfect place to spend the day walking. We packed a lunch and met some friends for a play date after our hike. Wonderful day!

lake naivasha & crescent island






Sunday, August 16, 2009

new favorite















One of my personal favorite traditions in the "mission community" - the cookbook. Standard in every kitchen... a compilation of favorite tried-and-true from scratch recipes. Some of you are familiar with my famous "African carmel corn"... straight from Kigoma, Tanzania. I think I found my new favorite from the Kijabe cookbook. Both recipes below...

Carmel Corn (from Kigoma cookbook)
10 cups popped corn
1 1/2 cups peanuts
1/2 cups margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix together pop corn and peanuts in a large bowl. Melt margarine in large saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in soda and vanilla. Quickly pour over popcorn and peanuts, toss until coated. Spread out in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 250 for 20 minuets.

French Bread II (Carolyn Masterson kindergarten teacher at RVA)

1 Tbs dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 Tbs soft margarine
4 cups flour
1 Tbs salt

Dissolve yeast in warm sugar water... let it sit until yeast is bubbly. Add margarine, 2 cups of flour and salt. Beat. Gradually add remainder of flour until you have a soft dough. Knead well. Let rise once; shape. Slash tops with knife. Let rise again on pans. When double, bake until brown in 400 degree oven. If soft crust is desired, brush with melted butter right after it is out of the oven.

Variations: I rubbed olive oil and salt on it before I baked it... thought it was really good that way... also great for pizza crust.

inspiring people



















Josiah is one of the inspiring people we have met along the way... On the weekends he works as a taxi driver, during the week he is an accountant at the hospital and in the evenings he drives an hour to Nairobi to go to law school. Several years ago he and four friends recognized the need for lawyers that would practice the kind of law that stamps out corruption (rather than perpetrates it). They decided to go back to school to get their law degrees and have established an organization of Christian lawyers that share their vision for Kenya... as he drove us past the IDP camps (internally displaced people... from the post election violence) I felt encouraged knowing that there are rising stars on Kenya's horizon... vision, determination, and a strong desire for good. I asked him if he had ever heard of International Justice Mission (http://www.ijm.org) and he hadn't... what a great addition he would be to the work they are doing!

Another inspiring person from Kijabe, Kenya... 2008 CNN Hero Award recipient Steve Peifer. Watch his story at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=451a94jO5I4


Friday, August 14, 2009

new friends















One of the best things about being here is the people that we have met along the way. Amazing people that are fully committed to loving others the way Jesus did. It has been humbling and inspiring... There is a unique community here - more welcoming than I ever could have imagined! We will be leaving Kijabe with a new group of friends that we will never forget.

vacation bible school















We had an opportunity to help out at vacation Bible school one day this past week. I was truly amazed with how well behaved the students were. Their attention span and desire to learn was remarkable. I am glad that I snapped the above picture when I did... because Max and Maggie lasted about three minutes before they started disrupting the class and we had to find something more "entertaining" for them to do... I think the swahili was throwing them off a bit too.

vacation bible school pictures