I want to Blog- Really I Do!

I want to Blog really I do! I like to blog, read blogs, and I love to write, but honestly these past few months I have been overwhelmed and oh so busy!!! It is so easy to get caught up in life here and forget that blogging is my lifeline to you all, so please forgive me for procrastinating on taking time to give you an update.

Honestly, most days here are just ordinary days of life in Kenya. Yet at the same time everyday is different and unique; we wake up thinking today we will get this accomplished and three days later we are still working on the same project. Life and tasks seem to take a little longer here. Going to the supermarket can become an all day process because of traffic or having to go to three places to look for a particular item. The past few nights the roosters next door have decided that they crow at midnight until dawn instead of just dawn so yes, just extra ordinary days here. Just this week I had to remind myself why I am here. It is so much more than bringing clean water. I am here to serve. And to learn and to love.

WE arrived back in Kenya in July. Since returning we  haven’t had many free days. We have hosted two teams already and are looking forward to hosting another small team next week. We always enjoy hosting teams from the USA, especially those who have never experienced life abroad. It always amazes us how so many things can be accomplished for the Kingdom when we all partner together using the gifts and tools God has given us. We are excited that we have several teams scheduled already for 2019. We are also excited that we will have our very first Male intern coming to live with us in 2019. You will hear more about him in the next couple of months.

When we first arrived back to Kenya we decided to do some much needed maintenance on our drilling rig. We thought it would take only a few weeks but it has taken much much longer. Not because the truck was in bad shape but the issues we did have we had to order parts and those parts are just now making it back to Kenya from India. This has been challenging and we are slowly learning patience. We have several well projects that are scheduled and funds are available to drill them so it has been very hard to wait. But as we wait God has been faithful and we have been able to be about His business in several other ministry opportunities. We love children’s ministry so reaching out to the children in Nairobi and surrounding areas has been an exciting opportunity. We have also been able to be apart of the local IPHC church here in Nairobi. Learning to love and serve.

As I write this Mike and the drilling crew are about 6 hours from Nairobi drilling a well for a local ministry called Evangelical Orthodox Church ST Mary’s Rangala  Parish. Thank you to Chris Bonds and his ministry Designs of Hope in the USA for sponsoring this well. Joseph and I are here in Nairobi keeping the home front safe and secure. ( This is Joseph’s senior year so we are here for him to go to school) Although Mike has been waiting for parts for the drilling rig we own we needed to drill this well so God made a way that we use another drilling rig for this project. We sometimes stand amazed at how God makes away where there seems to be no way!   I just received a text message from Mike while writing this that they had started setting casing in the well, a process done at the end of drilling; described as putting casing in the ground for the water to flow up from, and when they got 80 feet down the generator quit working. His exact words are “WE hope to find one in a town close by. Pray we do so we can get the casing finished today.”  The church is having a dedication service tomorrow over the well. WE know that this little hindrance is nothing for our God. The testimony of how this well will change this community and be an evangelism tool for this church will be shared soon.

Kenya is our home, we miss our family in the USA but we know that we are here because God called us here. We are not Kenya’s savior. Christ has already made a way for all of us, but we are just on a journey to make a difference. To allow God to use us to be his hands and his feet. Thank you for being a part of our journey. Follow us on facebook for photos and more daily insights. “Whatever your hands find to do, do with all your strength …..” Ecclesiastes 9:10 .

Already have a praise report : The team from the USA who is visiting this Parish, has an electrical engineer with them who is now looking at the generator.

Just use the tools God gives you!!

We are back in Kenya

We arrived in Nairobi a few weeks ago after spending the last seven months in the USA. We were welcomed home to Kenya with Chapati ( a tortilla like bread),  Dengu (lentils), and cold weather! While I write this it is 60 degrees F at 3:00 pm in the day. Although we are enjoying the climate change it is totally opposite from the South Alabama humidity and heat we have been accustomed to the last few months. In a few days I am sure we will all be able to adjust, but right now we are cold. There is a constant fire in the fireplace and we have had to purchase a couple of small electric heaters to keep at our feet. 

In our first few days in Nairobi one of the billboards I saw was one that reads “Frame Your Eyes”. Of course this is an advertisement for a local eye doctor, but the moment I saw it I was reminded of the scripture in Psalm 16:18 NIV “ I keep my eyes always on the Lord, with Him at my right hand I will not be shaken”. 

 We are here in Kenya following God’s lead and call on our lives to bring clean water to the people of Kenya who do not have clean water, and we are excited about what lies ahead in the weeks and days ahead; yet we can easily get focused on the work and not  on the one who is giving us the power and the strength to do what he has called us to do. This billboard reminded me once again that we can not focus on two things at once. It is impossible and it is overwhelming. There are so many needs here, for clean water and just basic necessities. If we get sidetracked  and keep our eyes fixed on the overwhelming needs we will find our selves in a ditch somewhere. God calls us to keep our eyes focused on Him. Focused eyes help us to understand He is the one who provides all good things, even clean water. 

The next few weeks we will be readjusting to the Kenyan ways. Just yesterday we were stopped for no reason by the local police. We were obtained on the side of the road for about 45 minutes. We were finally let go, after having to pay a small fine (bribe) to the officer. This in its self can be overwhelming, and it is the bad things like this that we unfortunately have to readjust to. There  are also many good things to readjust to it is just so different  from our lives in the USA and  culture shock does take over for a while. 

One of the first things we had to do upon returning was go before the immigrations board of Kenya. We are happy to announce that our work visas are renewed for two more years.  We will apply again in April of 2019 but we know that for now we are Kenyan residence. 

Joseph will be starting his senior year at West Nairobi School on August 8th. I am sure being his last year of high school he and I are going to be busy. We have several drilling projects that will be starting in a month or so. The next few weeks Mike will be busy doing some service work on the drilling machine and getting paper work, permits and other things in order to begin drilling.

Thank you for following us on this journey to bring clean water to Kenya.

The McRae’s