A Full Week

Hello friends, 

It has been a busy week. 

Several days a week, I have been trying to devote time to the study Spanish.  I've also been scouring used book shops for good dictionaries and phrase books.

I purchased this small phrase book of Latin American Spanish, a book of verbs and a small dictionary.  If I continue to spend time in self learning I will expand the Spanish language resources I have.

My Spanish teacher is from Mexico.
Thoughts and prayers are with the people of Mexico right now.
They have just experienced one of the strongest hurricanes on record on the Pacific Coast. Many of us have thankfully never had to experience a hurricane and I can only imagine the horror of it all.
For some of you this will hit closer to home if you have friends visiting the country or family living there.

I've said before that Fall/Autumn season is my favourite time of year. Each year I try to get some photos of the Fall/Autumn colours but it has been so very busy this past 6 weeks and I missed many of our beautiful sunny days and photo opportunities.


Believe it or not, I spent many of the earlier sunny Fall days decluttering and organizing. I did a significant amount of work then got busy with other things. Once the weather gets rainy again, I will get back to my decluttering and re-organizing exercise and finish what I started.

The two photos (above and below) of Fall/Autumn leaves were taken one rainy day earlier in the week.

I love all the variations of red and orange in the leaves.

Mid-week I had the pleasure of hosting the members of the Kenyan Boys Choir to dinner at Simba's Grill in Vancouver.

I thought they might be homesick for some African food as they have been on the road for more than a month and are only part way through their tour.

The choir was performing at the annual WeDay Conference here as well as at many schools and other venues around the city.
The young men are always a big sensation.

The choir members are ALL wonderful ambassadors for the country of Kenya.

Each singer has his own style and strengths and together they blend and harmonize in one terrific sound.

If you get a chance to hear them you will find out what I mean.
They work incredibly hard each and every day to give the best possible performance to a wide variety of audiences.

If you haven't heard them yet, please do check them out on YouTube and support their work and mission when they come to a city near you.

You can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook or purchase their music on ITunes.

Mid-week, my brother and I spent some time together going to a movie. We seldom spend time together outside of family meals and duties but it was his birthday earlier this week.  We went to the advance screening of the newest movie starring Bill Murray and Kate Hudson. It may not appeal to everyone but I found it entertaining. I won't give away the story.  If you like Bill Murray or Kate Hudson you can check out the movie trailer here.

To close out the week, I had a foot care appointment.  The nurse noted an improvement in the way my nails are growing and that is welcome news as it has taken about a year of specialized foot care to get to this point.

After my appointment, I went downtown to English Bay with my camera in hand as it was a beautiful, sunny day.

I took a lot of photos along the waterfront.

I missed so many photo opportunities earlier in the season so I was making up for it.

  It really was such a perfect afternoon.

Although the water was very choppy there was a lot of  traffic on the water (more on that in a future post).  There were plenty of people walking or sitting along the waterfront areas: soaking up the sunshine, people watching and enjoying the sound of the surf. I easily spent a few hours enjoying myself and taking photos.

The first photo looks north west toward the West End.  The famous Stanley Park is beyond the highrises.

The next two photos feature an Inuksuk.

The houses on the hillside are part of British Properties neighbourhood, an exclusive part of the city.

An Inuksuk is a landmark made of stones and built by the Inuit people of the far north to help them find their way over the vast and flat tundra.

This Inuksuk has graced the beachfront of Vancouver since the Winter Olympics of 2010.

The first bridge in the photo is Burrard St., beyond it is Granville St. bridge and the Fairview Slopes neighbourhood.

While I was taking photos of the waterfront I heard a lot of commotion in the air.

I looked up and saw a swarm, or rather several swarms of birds. It was quite the sight to see. and hear. I can't share all the photos today so there will be more in a future post.

Another most important activity this week has been praying for, and liaising with, the Missions of Hope in Kenya.

In an earlier post, I shared that the team went to western Kenya to deliver food aid to the Pokot people and to evangelize.

While they were there they were called upon to rush a young woman in delivery distress to the nearest hospital.

The closest hospital was in a small town just over an hour away.  The journey was tense as the woman's water had already broken before the journey commenced and time was of the essence.

  This medical  mission was not part of the plan or budget but it was very important to the community that the mission team help this young mother to be and she needed urgent help.

The team drove the young woman to the hospital and she delivered a healthy baby.
However, the young mom had been circumcised causing problems in delivery.

She needed more urgent care and ended up having to be transported by ambulance to a larger city centre (Eldoret) for surgery.

Doctors there saw that she had lost a lot of blood.  She has been in hospital all week getting and recovering from surgery, getting blood transfusions and being treated for infection.

Church service in Western Kenya

The newborn baby had to go with her and so a young missionary woman from the community escorted both mom and newborn. She is helping with translation between mother and medical staff and also looking after the baby.  She didn't have time to prepare for the trip to hospital because the decision to transfer the young mother was made very quickly. Basically she just took a change of clothing and they have already been at hospital for a week.

It  has been an incredibly challenging week for everyone involved, especially the missionary, the young mom and Jonah from the Missions of Hope.


The missionary woman is a single woman and has never had to look after children let alone a newborn.

The young mom, the baby and the missionary are all far from home and it has been difficult living in the hospital accommodation all week with no fresh air, no familiarities of home and inadequate clothing and hygiene supplies.  My friend Jonah has also felt the added responsibilities of trying to help the young mom get the help that she needs and medical care in Kenya is expensive.

To conclude, the woman is ready to be discharged from hospital.

She can be discharged once the bill is fully paid.

Only this financial expense was not anticipated. 

We covet your prayers and any help you might give.
Don't feel pressure or discomfort in reading these words.
I am simply sharing the needs and the realities of real people in another land.
Some of you will know as a result of travels to Kenya yourself. For many more of you, all this kind of thing is very new.

We wait to hear from anyone who feels a leading to assist.

Linking today with

 Skywatch Friday

&

Saturday's Critters

Thank you to all the hosts of these great memes!

Sending my readers lots of love, laughter and wishes for a great weekend.
Be kind to one another and to yourself.

Skies Over the Pokot

 My friends who live in the highlands near Kericho, Kenya are once
again on a humanitarian mission and have sent me some photos to share.

The first few photos show the beautiful, blue sky with wisps of cloud.
I have been to some Pokot communities but not nearly as far north as my friends often travel.

They travel to different areas of Pokot country in Kenya every month, or every other month,  whenever they can get enough donations to to buy food-aid and petrol.  The vehicle they drive is borrowed from the church but if something happens that requires repair they must repair the car before they return it to the church.

Considering these believers from Kericho are not wealthy, they take on great responsibility to make sure they minister to those that are less fortunate. The people they minister to are called the Pokot and I've written about them before.

The northern and western areas of Kenya, where the Pokot people tend to live is very arid and the people are going hungry on a regular basis.  The evangelistic and humanitarian team are zealous in their care and concern for the Pokot.
They remind me of the scriptures which say:

"But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
Acts 6:4

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." 

 John 13: 34-35

 My friend Jonah always travels with several others volunteers from his church. They often go on a 2-3 day journey but this trip is a bit longer.

In the photos above, Jonah is standing by a granary or the storehouse where food is kept.

Right now the store houses are empty.

Can you see the camel in the shade of the tree?
Camels can survive without water for a long time in the desert heat.
Humans cannot.

The man in the photo eagerly drinks the bottled water that has been provided because the water is clean and he won't get sick from drinking it.

 Water is a luxury in many places of Kenya; especially clean and pure water which does not carry disease.

In these far flung places the people do not own cars.

If  a person wants a ride they generally hire a boda boda which is a motorcycle taxi. In a larger centre you can ride a matatu (shared van taxi).

It is not uncommon to find huge loads on a boda boda. You can also find up to 5 and 6 people riding on a boda boda in addition to the driver. Generally they are not wearing helmets.

These are interesting picture because you can see how useful a boda boda can be. In these case, they are transporting chairs.

The chairs are being delivered to the church without walls where the people are gathering to worship and to receive a blessing.   Many will have to stand as there are not enough chairs.

I love to see the looks on the faces of the children wherever my friends minister in Kenya.

These young and innocent faces express all kinds of emotions.

I often wonder what these young eyes have seen.

A bit of a dicey situation arose late Thursday night (Kenyan time).

The ministry team was summoned by the midwives to help an expectant young mom in distress.
Her water had broken and the baby was in a breech position.

My friends rushed her to clinic in the 4 x4 just in the nick of time.  The clinic is 47 kilometres away so it took awhile to get there and the situation was tense.

Can you imagine what would happen if there was no vehicle?

My guess is that in desperation, they would have tried to get the woman to hospital on a boda boda.

Fortunately my friends were there.  Otherwise I shudder to think what would have happened to the young mom and her unborn child.

Jonah and the team have now returned to the community where they will be ministering until Sunday.

The young mom was left behind at the clinic.
She will be kept under observation and given care to ensure that complications like fistula do not develop.

The missions team is giving thanks that they were able to play a practical role and a spiritual one in saving at least two lives.

As always we covet your prayers for the missions to alleviate the suffering of the Pokot people.

Joining with with Skywatch Friday

Travels in Beautiful BC and Kenya

Hi everyone,

I trust you all had a great weekend and are looking forward to the week ahead. I have a little of this and that to share with you today. It has been a busy time in so many ways.

My niece was here visiting me in Vancouver, British Columbia, all last week.  We had a very nice visit together and managed to make it out to a few scenic spots in town where we enjoyed the scenery and beaches, went to the movies, visited her brother and had a small birthday party with pizza and cake. She always looks forward to the birthday cake.

Downtown in the West end of Vancouver near Davie St.& Beach Ave. People everywhere were enjoying ice cream. There was a nice breeze at the beach.

A view from the beach to the west. There are ships and sailboats everywhere!

The Honda barge being readied for the Celebration of Lights (Fireworks) competition which begins July 25/15.

 Saturday we travelled home together and I had a chance to visit with my mom for a few hours too.

On my last visit with mom I took her one full slip but she needed a few more. I finally got around to making them and two long flowing dresses last week (I didn't get any good photos).  These will take her through the Summer and into the Fall seasons though I will probably make her another dress and a few more slips before winter arrives.

 We also took her a mini CD player. It was hard to find one that was just the right size and which came with a remote control. My brother finally went across the border to Bellingham, Washington to find one.

On the map you can see Bellingham in relation to Vancouver, and also Kamloops to the north where we travelled on Saturday.

The skies were overcast and very gray when we started our journey.  Our final destination was Kamloops which takes between 4-5 hours driving one way (this includes restroom stops and lunch or dinner stops).
The temperature was about 24 degrees Celsius on departure.   By late afternoon in Kamloops the temperature had soared to 34 degrees Celsius.

I'm posting a few scenic photos taken from the moving car. We travelled on the Coquihalla Highway

Big farm and silos in Chilliwack.

 I've posted scenes of this route before in several other posts.

 I always find the scenery very beautiful and ever changing depending on light of day and the seasons of the year.

Cornfields of Chilliwack. Hot weather is playing havoc with this year's crops.

Rocky mountain and babbling brook between the City of Chilliwack and the town of Hope.

Getting close to the town of Merritt. The landscape changes to sand and desert spaces.

Leaving Merritt and a view of the lake to the east.

Getting closer to Kamloops

The descent into Kamloops

View to the north.  I brightened this photo a bit so you can see the town better.

I took a few photos of the flora and fauna along the way. I think this photo was taken between Merritt and Kamloops.

This is actually a view from the mountains on the highway travelling south to Vancouver just after dusk.

While I was travelling a few hours north to see my mom,  one of my Kenyan friends was also travelling north in Kenya.

This was Jonah's monthly missions trip to the Pokot people.

The volunteer missions team makes a quick weekend trip to these people in the very dry desert area of Kenya.
It takes about 12 hours one way travelling from Kericho to Marsabit area.

I found a map which doesn't have too many places marked on it so you can easily find the start of the route and the destination.

The drought in northern Kenya is very bad this year and the people are very hungry. 

 I am sharing these photos and a short video in hopes some of my readers will feel inspired to help with the regular missions to these dear ones in Pokot country.

This video of the women singing and dancing really touched me.
I know the harsh conditions they live in and yet they can sing and dance in the sweltering heat.

Photo & Video Credits: Pokot photos & video by Jonah, Kenya Missions of Hope

Joining in with Lady Fi and others at Our World Tuesday

Thank you for your visit.

As always I love receiving your comments or hearing from you about the missions.x

 ~~~~~~

If you can help, kindly send your donations via Pay Pal to kerichojoy[at]gmail[dot]com 

 You can write also write me at the same address if you have any questions,
or if you have any problems viewing the video.

A Good Report

 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.

Matthew 10:42 (NIV)

Hello friends,

I hope this post finds you well and in good health. I also hope the weather is agreeable wherever you are. It seems the weather is so unsettling in many places around the world. These days you never know what to expect.

I reported just over a week ago about the abundance of hail we had here in Vancouver. Pictured below is the hail which had accumulated around my newly planted lettuce. Since that day, the lettuce (and other plants) seem to be fine.  However I find the lettuce doesn't grow that fast despite our sunny and very warm weather.  That might just be normal. I haven't grown lettuce for several years and I can't quite remember much about the experience.

The main purpose of today's post is to give you an update about missions work in Kenya.  Many of you have been following the plight of Angel Baby Fidelis pictured in the photo below with her advocate, Joseph Wanjau and the baby's mother.

Joseph has been raising the funds for Angel Baby Fidelis travel to Canada for surgery to remove the growth on her face and brain.  The baby also needs reconstructive surgery.  I am so thrilled to report that through Joseph's efforts and through the support of people near and far, the family is now able to travel to Canada!

Joseph is just waiting for word from the hospital as to when they will be ready to perform the surgery so that travel arrangements can be made.

I ask each of you to continue to pray for this family.  They will be far from home in a foreign land.  They will need to remain in Canada for 4 months for the surgery and recovery process.  I am grateful that they will get to make the trip during Canada's warmer months and not during winter. I only hope they will cope well with the humidity levels in Ontario.

Let us pray they will adapt and that they will have good success in surgery and recovery. Let us also pray for Joseph who is tirelessly working in Kenya to support orphans and to support disabled children and their families through the Hope Foundation for Orphans.

Photo Credit: Joseph Wanjau, Hope Foundation for Orphans ~ L to R, Joseph, Baby Fidelis & her mom

In other news, my good friend Jonah has continued to make his evangelistic outreach and humanitarian visits to the Pokot people of northern Kenya. These people are the Plains Pokot as they live in the dry, infertile plains herding goats, cows, sheep. Often it is too dry to keep the livestock watered and fed properly and the people also go hungry.

It takes a full day of travel to reach these people from home base in Kericho in the Highlands of Kenya. My friend Jonah has a huge heart for the Plains Pokot and has made many missions trips to reach them with the good news of the gospel and with practical food aid.  He does whatever he can and travels with other volunteers from his church about once per month or as funds allow.

You can see the people are very happy to receive their flour.

Some of the local men help to distribute the aid.

Jonah also likes to try and bring treats and fun to the people.

Here you can see them enjoying the succulent watermelon. I can only imagine how good it must taste when you are thirsty in a dry land.

In my last photo you can see the woman having fun blowing bubbles.

Perhaps it is the very first time she has ever experienced the childlike joy of blowing bubbles.

[Photo credits:  All photos of Pokot mission courtesy of Jonah of Missions of Hope, Kenya]

 I can certainly remember how much fun I used to have a child blowing bubbles.

As a grown up I love opportunities to buy bubbles for children just so I can watch them have fun and squeal in delight at such a simple pleasure.

In closing, I want to say that we value your faithful readership and as always we covet your financial and prayer support for the ongoing work to help the Pokot peoples

If you can help donation can be sent
to
kerichojoy[at]gmail[dot]com

via Pay Pal  

Donations to Hope Foundation can be made at their website.

Thank you.

If you have any problems or need any assistance with making your donation let me know and I will try to help you.

In the coming near future  I will let you know about another great initiative from one of my readers who is very keen to help raise funds for ongoing needs in Kenya.