Serving with joy

Francis sent the actual picture of Neil washing black feet to give you a chance to participate in the joy they experienced together. It was a still image from a video on Francis' phone, so we can't watch the video. I just couldn't get rid of the arrow or the lock icon when I posted the image.

Before Neil and Francis left Kaloleni, Neil purchased and gave that church the used keyboard Francis had brought along from Nairobi. The pastor was thrilled to receive it! The people there are so poor. They have had almost no rain for the past 2 years, and even the palm trees have dropped their huge fronds and are dying. 

Neil enjoys the night sky. He wrote on Monday morning, "I am sitting in front of our cabin as the sky is getting rosy and the birds are beginning to sing. There is a planet brightly shining in the sky. I am sitting with the Being who put that planet in place, started it spinning and revolving around the sun." The one wrinkle as they were leaving Kaloleni was that their clothes were still wet when they had to pack to move on.

Much has happened in the last 2 days as Francis and Neil visited small churches in and around Mombasa. They were able to get fueled up at the only gas station they found that was selling gas to autos in Mombasa. In 2022 Mombasa has an urban population of 1,377,772 according to one web site. They expected a long queue of cars, but they were able to drive right in and fuel up. Thanks for your prayers!

Neil's text messages are short, because they are traveling between churches now and busy when they get there, but 3 places were mentioned for those who like to look things up on Google maps, etc.: Mtwongwe, Mtwapa, and Mariakana. Mtwongwe is on the bay just south of Mombasa city proper. They had to take a ferry to get across the bay to Mtwongwe. Neil wrote, "It is blistering hot here. We are in a tin church with little ventilation. Francis is wilting, but I am not letting on that it is hot for me! Present plans are to minister in two churches in Mombasa, go out to Mariakani tonight, and hit the road to Nairobi at 4:00 a.m." [Wednesday].

Neil's text messages have been short, because they are traveling between churches and busy when they get there. Neil said it was so hot in Mtwongwe, they slung their wet clothes over the back seat of the vehicle to help them dry, and that seemed to be working --- somewhat.

Neil sent greetings to the text study buddies in Morris, a group of area pastors mostly from the Lutheran churches in the area who gather each Tuesday to study the Bible texts together for the upcoming Sunday. Neil was invited to join their group in 2018 and has enjoyed the fellowship and prayer support. Neil thanks them for their prayers for this trip, and for the prayers of all of you who are following his travel journal entries. He feels the prayers, and through your email messages to Ruth -- it is as if Neil is taking you with him on this trip!

Leaving Mtongwa they took the southern bypass road past the container docks. After they cleared Mombasa on the way to Mtwapa, for a stretch of road they were just half a mile from the water -- but no, they did not stop to go for a swim. Neil said this is not a pleasure trip. The Indian Ocean looks much like any other large body of water stretching as far as the eye can see. They did enjoy a refreshing ocean breeze. 

When they completed ministering in the churches Tuesday, they made their way to Mariakana, a short ways from Mombasa on the highway toward Nairobi. They stayed at a B&B out of the way where they each had very clean rooms for $15 each. However, during their night Neil texted me, so I asked if he was having trouble sleeping. He was being bit by some kind of insect that he could not see. He had slathered himself with bug repellant and set up a mosquito net, but . . . they were very small whatever they were. I prayed that he would not get sick from the bites. He was able to get back to sleep for a couple of hours.

They were on the road again at 4:00 a.m. After breakfast Francis let Neil drive for a couple of hours to give Francis rest. Francis had also been awake from the insect bites. Neil said Francis is a pretty good driver, but Neil isn't used to being a passenger. His philosophy is that when in a moving vehicle, it is better to be the "scare-er" than the "scare-ee". 

When they arrived in Nairobi, Francis brought Neil to a BBQ row that had 6 grills with chicken and goat meat. Neil said he could just stand by the grills and consume the smoke. Neil's tummy has been a bit off, so he is hoping the combination of goat meat and Imodium will be just what is needed. Please join me in prayer for Neil's tummy -- for those bug bites to heal, too, and not make him sick. 

Neil offers his sympathy to those in Minnesota experiencing snow today. It is a fabulous day in Nairobi. They are staying at Cosmas' old house. Cosmas has moved to another location, but kept his old house. I asked if Cosmas' new location is safer, and Neil said more dangerous. Cosmas has already been robbed. Please pray for the safety of Cosmas and his family. Neil and Francis' clothing is getting its final drying -- in the sun this time. They are leaving at 4:00 a.m. Kenya time (8:00 p.m. Minnesota time) tonight (Wednesday) for the Kisii District where they will begin visiting the churches and the children Outfitters for Adventure has been helping since 2004. 

Please join me in prayer for safety as they drive the Rift Valley road tomorrow. A stretch on that road has been classified by Kenya's highway department as the most dangerous in Kenya, and it is also one of the most dangerous in the world, evidenced by the flattened guard rails from trucks plummeting over the edge into the valley below. Am I over-exaggerating? Those who have joined Neil for the annual Kenya site visits agree with me. So your prayers are much appreciated.

Thanks again so much for your prayers!

Love,

Ruth Thielke