Friday, May 26, 2006 - Week 5 of 10 in Garissa

Still no rain – it is now very late – perhaps we must say ‘another year of drought’ – Poly (sorry)

Dear Family and Friends
We praise God we continue to be well, happy and definitely BUSY. Each week we say “this week there will be time for
contemplation, for doing small things, for real visits with Garissa friends” but it is not happening. This is Bobby writing to
begin. Frank is at weekly three-hour Pastor’s gathering where he imparts whatever he can to answer questions,
challenges and to enter into prayer for one another. It is very demanding on Frank but also, such a privilege and honour
and he says he feels so very humbled by their faith and commitment every time he returns home.

On Monday mornings I teach mathematics for four hours at the same school, as before, and on Wednesdays it is English for four hours. They do not have substitute teachers so when a teacher is away; they just double up the classes. That means 58 children in two of my classes yesterday – Wednesday – the same for the other four teachers as they have six teachers and only four there and me – how good God is in that I was able to be of a little help, giving them a bit of a break – they had to teach all pm too which I did not.

On Tuesday we had distribution as well as regular clinic at Rhya. 194 people were given dry foods to take to their dogas,
provided through Simaho Clinics begging for food from various NGO’s; Ibrahim, the nurse saw 5 pre-natal moms, 24
children with their mothers, 6 women and 4 men from 10am to 2pm – I helped dispense what drugs we had – we had run
out of at least 20 different medicines we needed and oh yes, the regular feeding program for the children was ongoing
not only at Rhya but at Altheylia as usual. We can hardly wait until Bob’s team brings the four huge boxes of meds as
promised. Simaho has also run out of money for drugs and transportation but they never quit making proposals to NGO’s.
It is so painful to turn people away when we know what would help. We praise God for a plentiful supply of aspirin and
ferrous and malarial tablets. Everyone needs the mosquito nets but they too are not available. The two nurses to Rhya
now go out on the Matatu (bus) as we no longer have to drive out water with the wonderful cistern and tank
constructed and filled by monies from TSW (The Sharing Way – Canadian Baptists). That is the fund our church, White
Rock Baptist was donating to when we left – they and others are gifting the Water Fund in faith it will be used for these
kinds of projects. You too can give.

Today our truck is having an overhaul. We thank God it served us well this last five weeks, back and forth to Rhya, it
now needs care. Also, we need a special certification inspection, which has been missing for all these weeks, but we
now have time to get. These trips took four hours a day and did not leave much energy or time over the very bad roads
to fit in the inspection.

Most unfortunately, one of the original camels went blind – the vet did not know why. It was sent to the butchery at a great loss. Also, it is very sad for all concerned.

Frank here. I thought you might be interested in how we spend our spare time. The heat starts to cool off about 4:30 pm.
We like to sit outside in the front yard, where there may be a soft breeze, sip a soda and look out over the small
compound where we live before the sun goes down at 6:30. Especially interesting was watching the chickens across the
way climb the tree that led to the roof of their owner’s house. Yes, chickens do climb trees. It seems they thought they
were safe to roost up there, even if the eggs were not. The other night, there was a great commotion. And then sounds
of a machete chopping wood. In the morning the tree the chickens climbed had been chopped down. It seems that some
form of wildcat got into chicken coop and killed the mother of 7 chicks before the owners responded to the noise. The
cat took refuge in the tree, the tree chopped down and the cat disposed of. Now we watch the seven little chicks, each
evening as they scurry from our yard to theirs at bedtime.

We often talk about the desert in which we live but have never told you what it looks like. First of all, it is flat with no
sand dunes. There is bush, lots of it, acacia bush and thorn bush, probably no more than 6-8’ tall. Provides good cover
for the wildlife, gazelles, dik dik, guinea fowl, wart hogs, camels, goats, donkeys; squirrels and closer to the river giraffe,
as the trees are taller there. The sand is red, just like the soil of P.E.I. The bush is very dry and harmful. Branches of it
are used for walls of living dogas and for fences.

When we came we used the shampoo in the shower room, to use it up. Bobby and Monica were making a shopping list
yesterday and Monica wrote shampoo on Bobby’s instruction and asked ‘what kind?’. Bobby said the same as in the
bathroom. Monica said “there is no shampoo in the bathroom.” Bobby went and got the big jug that both of us had been
using and saw the label, “Rug shampoo”. I had been happy about my hair being under control for the first time in my life!
Frank was the guest preacher at a one-year-old church of about 70 last Sunday. It is called Glorious Restoration Church
and it lived up to its name. We had a marvellous SS lesson, much singing, praying and then Frank preached. The Holy
Spirit was there the entire time. Oh what joy! By the way it is Monica’s church and she was very nice to us too.
Went and purchased two more live chickens last Saturday, got them all ready in the backyard again and had our
neighbour Hassen and two of his daughters, for chicken dinner Sunday night. It was an excellent visit. His wife Fadia
comes home a week Sunday with the third daughter and the new son. I’ll be so happy to visit her again.

Trusting God is blessing you all on the other side of the world, like he is us here in Garissa, NEP, Kenya.
Warm (and we mean warm) fuzzies,
Bobby and Frank

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