Practicality on the road

Jason and I LOVE being supervisors to the Bethany Interns here. Rebecca from Nebraska farmlands, Esther from Texas who loves adventure, Melissa from Washington who never stops smiling and always has something funny to say, Ashley from Arkansas who loves black and white movies and can knows everything there is to know about the Civil War, Laura from Michigan nickname on the team 8 mile, Jessica from Washington- youngest, quietest and smartest one on the team, Heath from Chicago aka Burger, and Warren also from Texas who like my Dad knows a lot of random facts about everything. We not only have mandatory fun nights with the team every other week (filled with worship nights by the bonfire, food, movies, Frisbee, Settlers, Transformer Risk, Cranium etc) but we like teaching practical things in life. A few months ago we had a cooking class where we wanted everyone to know how to not only just slaughter a chicken but remove all the feathers and all the insides and cut it up into the proper sections. Two weeks ago Jason taught them a basic auto mechanic class. They learned how to change the oil and put on a spare tire.












We were just returning from a retreat with the interns in Malindi when what do you know but our tire got a flat. Always when I pray to God when we about to travel a long distance on the African roads there are certain things I always mention. First of all is peace in the stomachs from all the bouncing around due to the many potholes. We often joke that "Oh there is a little bit of tarmac in this pothole". Then I pray that we would have no vehicle complications but if we do we will be protected and that there would be a quick resolution. We found out that the day before we left that one of the buses returning to our home area had flipped over killing 15 people. It is easy to hear this and have fear make way inside until I remember who God is and how He is watching over us.

"I even I, am He who comforts you.
Who are you that you fear mortal men,
the sons of men, who are but grass,
that you forget the Lord your Maker,
who stretched out the heaven
and laid the foundations of the earth,
that you live in constant terror every day
because of the wrath of the oppressor,
who is bent on destruction?
For where is the wrath of the oppressor?
For I am the LORD your God,
who churns up the sea so that
its waves roar-
the LORD Almighty is His name.
I have put my words in your mouth
and covered you with the shadow of my hand-
I who set the heavens in place,
who laid the foundations of the earth,
and who say to Zion, 'You are my people' "
Isaiah 51: 12-13; 15-16

Jason put on the spare in about 10 minutes and we were on our way home again. The last thing I pray when traveling is that the children will be flexible and calm with the many hours they have to sit in the car. They are amazing kids not getting out of there car seat once on the way to Malindi and only getting out for those 10 minutes on the way back. I try to non top feed them most of the way and also sing as many kids songs I can think of since the car radio, cassette, cd players is non-existent. Some songs include "Where is thumpkin", "The wheels on the bus go round and round", "Jesus loves me", "I love Jesus better than ice cream", "Father Abraham", and "I'm in the Lord's Army". Yes I do all hand and body motions while sitting in the car. We have had a few birthday parties recently(Nevaeh and Jason's in August) so of course we have sang that song a lot. A mixture from this and our car rides Righteous now sings "Happy Daddy, Happy Daddy" over and over again. Two days ago I heard Nevaeh also sing "Happy Daddy".