Kenya 2015 update & Travels

Hello and Greetings to all from Miwani, Kenya!

My US colleague and I have just spent a very productive week with our Kenyan hosts and German leaders focused on the Nehemiah International ministry.  We have spent our days this past week, including today Sunday 3 May developing a long range sustainable plan for the future of Nehemiah Kenya.  The communication has been very good and a lot of cultural understanding has been accomplished.  Greg and I will bring this information back to the US board of Nehemiah and determine what projects and endeavors we can support in addition to our continued support of students.  The German team will, as God provides, support several primary and secondary level students with school fees, uniforms, shoes, supplies and transportation.  The US team will continue support of now 5 students in University training degrees of various stages.  It has been wonderful re-connecting with the students an hearing their hopes and frustrations, as well as their visions for the future.  Greg Livdahl and I will leave the farm tomorrow and thereafter be with Dr. Omoto until we return home - both of us just in time for Mother's Day!

While there is a chance I may do some more teaching on trauma topics, it appears our time may be filled looking at children's feet to determine the efficacy of the Jigger elimination project we helped fund back in December 2014.  We are set to visit 4 schools and take a close look at many feet!!  

The Jigger is a flea which once pregnant completes a part of its life cycle by burrowing into exposed toes (or fingers).  There the larva mature by feeding on our blood and oxygen, to erupt and find again dirty floors with moisture and debris, where they mature into adult fleas, whom for once mating has been accomplished  find their way back into our toes (the females anyway).  The project resurfaced concrete floors that had become dirt and dust, applied within the concrete an insecticide, and at the same time undertook resurfacing of the children's floors at home with a fresh smear of cow dung! and insecticide as well.  To provide shoes to the 40-60% of children without them is only temporary as the shoes will be outgrown, lost, worn out or simply not used.  We hope to find some evidence of eradication this week.

Beyond that, my 53 day journey from home is to end in 6 days.  I have been able to re-work my book, write new material and do further editing.  Hopefully have injected even more heart and soul into the book.  I will be sending a few sections off to my editor in 2 weeks.  Will see what happens - anything from a total re-write to further editing (fully expected) is possible.  But it has been an enjoyable process!  Hopefully I have begun to reflect the character of my wife in this new material, and shared more of the personal struggles we both endured.  Other voices and eyes will have to judge that.  I pray I can respond accordingly.  Writing has been not so much a cathartic or healing process for me, but perhaps of discovering more of who I am and of what my wife and family mean to me.  Hopefully that comes through in my writing.

All for now from south of the Equator and this side of the pond.

Blessings, and thanks for reading -

Ernie

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