saturday, 29 december

5.00pm local time
Nairobi, Kenya

Just a quick update from a country at a bit of unrest at the moment. First of all, we are all well and safe. Baby Sally has been very good and relaxing today, which is a huge PRAISE!

The Kenyan elections were on Thursday (27th), and they ARE STILL COUNTING!!! :-) The people are angry that they are still counting and the country is reacting to it -- not so favorably, either. Things started to fall apart today, but there is a bit of calm this evening. There have been many pockets of violence, out in the Western Province (look for Kisumu, Kakamega, Eldoret on the map) and some here in the City in the slums (most notably Kibera and Mathare). Some of the clashes have turned ethnic, but most is just out of anger of not getting the results.

Please just keep us in your prayers as we all -- missionaries, ex-pats, many people of Kenya -- are laying low, staying home, and simply trying to avoid all of the problems.

Things have been so peaceful the last few days, that Rod, Cristiana, Jen [Rod’s sister] and her family all went up north for a day trip to one of our favorite restaurants (Trout Tree, for those of you who know) and then a jaunt to the Equator a few kilometers further north. All of that is a three-hour drive away. When they were finished with lunch, the decision was made for them all to stay at one of our favorite places up there (Naro Moru River Lodge, NMRL). They will stay overnight, and reassess things in the morning if it is safe to come back into the City. The main problem is that most every road into the City is surrounded by the slums, or is too close to an area where there could potentially be problems.

I am here at the house, with our Rottweiler Osa:-), and on the compound with others. There is no fear in that, or of the rest of them being up north. I think we will all sleep well, and be fine! I have had so much more peace since the decision was made for them to stay north, than to try to come home through something that could be bad.

I am very thankful for the Lord’s peace that He has given me today! (By the way, I did not join them since I have been on partial bed rest, otherwise we would ALL be up there.) Rod did say that having a vacation up at NMRL is different than “needing” to stay there. Please pray that they all sleep well. They did not pack ANYTHING to take for an overnight! We’ll see how well the kids do, C without a nightlight, and all of them without warm pjs. There are plenty of blankets, and of course each other, to keep warm. It will be an adventure to say the least! :-)

Thanks for your prayers for us, and for this country as things are figured out over the next few days. And, please know that we are truly okay here. I just wanted you all to know and to pray.