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Dow's Kenya

Project E.A.R.T.H. Interational

(Part 1)

ONLINE JOURNAL

Tuesday - December 30

JOHANNESBURG, SA (Airport) 1:40 PM - I was up by 4:30 this morning and making sure I had everything ready

or when the combi arrived. A misunderstanding left the combi driver waiting for me in town when I thought he was

going to pick me up at Fika's house. When we called him there still wasn't an understanding that he was to come

and get me. Finally we got it worked out and he arrived about 6:20. The rest of the journey to the airport was a

good one. They had bottled water and snacks for me in the combi. We made a stop at a really nice place for a

restroom break about 20 minutes from the airport. Attendants at the airport had a wheelchair for me and helped

me with my bags. There were very strick about the amout of baggage and weight because the plane going to

Kenya is a 737 and smaller than the Airbus that comes from the USA. I was over weight with all my bags and I

had two carry-ons (as usual). They wanted to charge me roughly $450 USA extra for those bags. I was literally in tears at the prospect of losing that much money for excess baggage. There was nothing I could do but pray and ask GOD to change their minds. Though it took nearly an hour and going through several superiors - GOD blessed me with victory and they allowed everything to go for FREE! We immediately began singing praises to GOD. (My attend- ants were Christians too. They were also praying).

This was one of the roughest flights I've ever been on. At one point I was convinced that the plane was going to crash. I didn't panic. I said to a very frightened looking man across the isle - "are you 'born again' and he said yes. I said let's pray. We did and in a moment the rough weather ceased. Two more times during the flight we had extremely rough conditions. I was thankful to arrive in Nairobi safely. There were people waiting to assist me at the airport and they were very nice. When we came out, we didn't see Greg waiting so I described him and one of the attendants went looking for him. In a few minutes he came with Greg and we were on our way. Nairobi is huge! I was amazed at how Greg knew his way through the whole city to the guest house where we were spending the night before the long journey to their place tomorrow. The guest house is amazing.

There may be a lack of photos for a while till I see if the upload will work with the dial up connection we use through a cell phone from the Dow's. I am not sure what will be available in Eldoret. We'll see. GOD bless you! PRAY!

NICARAGUA

SWAZILAND

SWAZILAND

PART 1 PART 2 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 PART 5

DEC 05 - 13 DEC 14 - 21 DEC 22 - 29 JAN 14 - 20 JAN 21 - 27 JAN 28 - FEB 8 FEB 9 - 16

Wednesday - December 31 - OUR GOD REIGNS

The last day of the year, possibly the hottest day of the year thus far in Kenya. The good news is - it's cool at night. So cool I actually used a sheet and blanket last night without the windows open. Two nights in a row with weather like this after sleeping in a pool of sweat every night in Swaziland is a very welcome development. We were up early today and as soon as someone was available so we could pay for our room we were on our way to the Dow's. Not without a little trouble. We were stopped by the police on the way out of Nairobi at a "check point". To shorten the story, they were looking for a way to make some money. (Common in 3rd world countries). I began praying for Greg while he was talking with the police who had us detained for a while there. Finally, the policeman when Greg told him why he didn't have money to pay the "fine" (because they are spending all their money taking care of orphan children) decided to let us go. PRAISE THE LORD! Within minutes we were stopped at another check point but this one after looking at the paperwork let us go on our way. Several other check points on the way just waived us through. It was about a 4 hour journey on some of the roughest roads I've been on. I was so happy when we finally arrived. The children all came running to greet us. 18 orphans now in the care of the Dow's and their 6 kids. We met up with two of their boys in town on our way out to the Dow's home. It's really amazing what GOD has blessed them with. Not without some personal sacrifice. I will be sharing their story with you during the next two weeks. Please take time to read it and share it with others. PEI's next newsletter is in the works and will soon be available in .pdf format alhtough I am not sure when I will be able to upload such a big file since the dial-up connection we are using probably can't handle it. Also, I still going to have to see when I can add pictures for this part of the journey. You'll really want to see those.

Shortly after arriving I sang a little bit for the children and we watched a slide show Mary Rose made for Greg using the song: I Can Only Imagine. It was awesome. Then Greg gave me a tour and told me about the work that has been done to this point. It's expensive getting to KENYA but oh how they need a work team to come here and help with some of the things they would like to do here. PRAY ABOUT IT! One of the goats had a baby recently and it is really cute. When dinner time rolled around we had beef with onions, carrots, mashed potatoes, and beats. Then there was goat! YES, the goats are not pets. The Dow's also have a cow that is providing milk for them, they have a nice garden providing fresh vegetables, and several chickens that aren't laying many eggs so they will be providing some nice meals for us in another way! After dinner I was battling a headache so I took a nap and that really helped. I've been blessed with a huge bedroom/bath which is very private and a new mattress which is quite comfortable. They are spoiling me. My room even has a desk for me to do my work. I'm blessed. I downloaded pictures off the cameras tonight and I am preparing some for the webpage when it comes time to add them they will be ready. I found out my Swazi cell phone will work here as soon as I get a sim card for KENYA (less than $5.00 and I will give you the phone number in case you want to bless me with a call. Well it's now near midnight and I want to pray in the NEW YEAR so I'll go. HAPPY NEW YEAR from KENYA. I love you guys.

Combi - Swaziland to Joburg Well used bed in Nairobi, Kenya Dow Family van is a miracle of GOD on wheels

(Photo Left) People purchase "live" chick-ens while bus is MOVING! This was an amazing sight. Believe it or not the guy outside the bus was running along side the bus and passed 4 chickens up to the passenger before the transaction was done. Amazing!

(Photo Below) Members of Masai tribe are riding in KENYA style

Though the picture below is not actually of a welcome it is typical of "Welcome Home Dad" when Greg arrives back from a trip. We were greeted by all 24 children when we arrived from Nairobi. It was amazing to see all the children and receive a special hug and greeting from them. We brought another American missionary home with us so she wouldn't be alone on New Years. She is in here late 60's and here alone working with children in the villages. She has also done some work in Uganda. I enjoyed talking to her. She has made some wonderful radio programs for children that you will hear more about later.

Thursday - January 1 - A NEW YEAR with NEW OPPORTUNITIES to serve the LORD!

When the clock struck twelve in KENYA, I was sitting on my bed praying and giving thanks to GOD for the past year and all He's done and all He's brought me through. I was thinking about Fika and Bo and the blessing they have been to me and how difficult life has been without them by my side. I am amazed at how GOD has given me the courage and strength to overcome things I didn't believe I could. He's an awesome GOD and worthy of our praise. I am so thankful for all of you who have helped us accomplish so much over this year. Together we have watched GOD move mountians in the lives of thousands of people through our prayers and ministry. It's been a year of many battles and many victories. What a mighty God we serve. After a good night's sleep and even needing to cover up again because it was cool I was grateful for how comfortable the Dow's have made me here. The children have made me feel so welcome and at home. Greg and Mary Rose have been awesome.

There was a lot of noise around this rural area last night as people were bringing in the New Year. At one point it sounded like there were many many people screaming. WOW! What an experience that was! As I wandered through the house early this morning I kept seeing the smiling faces of the little ones as they were waking up and getting ready for their day. I visited all of them and took pictures. Here are some of them. I am not sure just how many pictures I will be able to share with you because of using a dial-up connection to upload to the internet. If you are seeing pictures on this page at all it's a good sign.

Happy New Year 2009

Waking up happy Mary Rose with children outside their home Children after breakfast

We went to Kericho this afternoon to take our friend Norma Jane home and to do some grocery shopping for the family. It takes a lot of food to feed 24 children plus the adults. Also can you imagine how many pampers it takes when you have many children all needing diapers. WOW! Please pray that many people will help support this amazing ministry. Also Al (the oldest boy) worked and saved in the USA and has given much of what he saved to the ministry here. He bought a bike so that he will be able to ride to school and also to town for things so he doesn't have to have someone always driving him. It's a nice bike that came with some problems. (Not like the USA where you go back and tell them the problems and they fix it. The problems are his to fix, even though it's brand new.

When we got back Greg helped me to install the driver for the wireless modem so I can get on the internet and also, I now have a working cell phone in Kenya. From the USA dial: 011-254-716-283-919 . I called my mom in the USA last night and talked to her and my Aunt Diane. It was nice to hear a voice from home.

HIV/AIDS reality is all around us - it's very sad

Friday - January 2 - Only GOD can help

It's a problem everywhere. There is no escaping HIV/AIDS. This

morning while the sun is shining brightly, it's a beautiful day filled

with life for more than two dozen children living with the Dow's here.

But just down the rocky road from them are dear sisters struggling with

the reality of being infected with this disease. Davis (a friend of the

Dow's) counsels people with HIV/AIDS. He told us about two ladies

in the neighborhood that really needed our prayers. The things we

were on our way to do would have to wait while we took time to go

and pray for these ladies. (Photo Right) When the Dow's first came

here the lady at the far right volunteered to come and help them by

washing floors, doing laundry - any way she could. Time passed and

she didn't come anymore. She is quite sick and has lost a lot of

weight. The lady in brown plaid is 106 years old and so happy we

came to see them and pray.

Their home is so clean and nice and the outside is so nicely land-

scaped with flowers and clear cut smooth path. The photos I've taken

of this area are so beautiful. I hope to show them all to you one day. It's hard to choose which ones

I use in this journal.

(Photo Right) Greg Dow is praying with another lady who is very sick with HIV/AIDS. If you could

see how clean and nice this home is, in the midst of her struggle it would amaze you. I am so glad

that we paused from the other work planned to be with these two ladies and pray for them. We know

that GOD could choose to heal these two ladies and we didn't hesitate to ask our heavenly Father to

do that for them and their families. Now it's up to Him.

Among other things on the agenda today was a trip to see how the new beds are coming along

for the boys! The Dow's have a great design - not getting someone else to catch the vision was not

going to be so easy - well maybe. The first set of beds is looking really good and although Greg is

able to build the beds himself, for a little over $10 over the cost of materials he can have someone

else make them. His time is to valuable to be spending all of it making beds. This also supports a

local business which is a ministry in itself. The beds have become the talk of the town as he has

prouding put it on the lawn in front of his business for everyone to watch as they put final touches on

the beds. Another set is already being built.

We went to Kerciho this afternoon to go to the bank and do a few errands. We also had a nice

meal at a little place there. I had the toughest piece of chicken I've ever eaten but it tasted good.

I got a mirror - so I can shave and I will leave it for the Dow's when I go home. The kids enjoyed the

mirror when we arrived. They don't use mirriors here. (I think the cost as something to do with it.)

Greg also took me to a place where I could get a wireless internet card for my computer so that I will

have my own access when I go to Eldoret. It also helps to have it here so I can use it without having

to keep asking Greg and keeping track of the cost. I will be able to use it in Swaziland next time too

and it will be a great blessing. It's cheap and works from almost anywhere and the speed is pretty

good.

Tonight we met down in the dining room with the kids and danced and had fellowship. It was

really fun. I danced some but spent most of my time holding one of the babies and really enjoyed

that. The children are so happy and healthy thanks to this ministry. I am overwelmed by the sac-

rifce of this family to make the lives of these children possible. Several of these kids would most

likely not be alive if the Dow's hadn't taken them when they did. One little girl is 3 years old but if

you saw her you'd think she's about 1 year old. GOD BLESS YOU! KEEP PRAYING.

Saturday - January 3 - "There's no place like home?"

It never ceases to amaze me that GOD made such a beautiful planet and no matter how far you travel you can always find a place that reminds you of home and people who look like others you know. Not far from the Dow's I took this picture and I can take you to a place near where I grew up in PA that looks almost exactly like it. Today is visitors day (the first Saturday of the month). Relatives of the children who live here can come and visit the children. About 14 visitors came todaya nd the children were blessed to see them.

Greg and I went to Kerciho again today to see the folks at Tellkom about the technical difficulties we experienced and to pick up a cheap cell phone I can use to load minutes onto my modem so it will work for me while I am here. It's amazing just how cheap all this is. We also picked up a phone for him that can double as a phone and modem in case something should happen to the one he's been using as they are changing the way they make these things in Africa and he can't use a PCI card with his computer for some reason. With my runny nose and soar throat I'm battling - I've backed away from the children so they don't get sick. I am taking Zicam and it's helping. This is the same thing I was fighting while in Nicaragua. I've been getting emails from my "son" Daniel in Nicaragua and that's a blessing. We continue to make plans for the mission trip to Nicaragua - July 31 - August 11.

LAUNDRY DAY

When you have 25 kids - laundry day is

worthy of mention. You can imagine the

amount of dirty clothes there are. I did not

add my laundry to the stack. I've been doing

the best I can to keep that to a bare minimum

while on this journey.

NEW BED DAY

It's quite a job coming up with beds for this

many children. One of the new bunks beds

arrived today. For now three of the boys will

sleep on the bottom bunk and two on the top.

The boys are small and the beds are huge

so there's plenty of room. Even 10 boys this size could sleep in this set of bunk beds but another set

is on the way and eventually each boy will have a bed. The new bed came with KENYAN assembly

instructions! (Better known as two guys who came with the bed to assemble it). That was a nice

touch. The whole family was excited for the five boys who will have a new sleeping experience

tonight. So, visitor's day, laundry day and new bed day have made this a very busy place. Tomorrow morning church will be held here. I'm speaking. Pray!

The Beauty of KENYA reminds me of home

Continue the Dow's Kenya Journey here >

Sunday - January4 - The Heart of Worship

When you have a family the size of this one it makes sense to have church at home and invite the neighbors to join you, so that's what we did. It was nice to see many of the neighbors join us at the Dows. Greg turned the service over to me after a brief introduction. I lead worship and then asked the children to share a couple songs with us. Davis (with a harmonica) was joined by his family, Pastor David on guitar, and some of the children in two more special songs. Then it was time for the message. I used the same message I preached

last Sunday in Swaziland as the Spirit was leading me to talk about "Unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace."

After the service we had a time of fellowship and I spent most of my time talking with Pastor David and Davis.

They had many questions about ministry in the USA and Swaziland and how life in those countries compares to

Kenya. It was nice to get to talk to them.

Thanks to Brian Ingram (RPC Ephrata) the children all enjoyed a cross shaped lollipop that he donated. They

really loved this special treat. The adults had tea and some mondazzi.

Mary Rose made chili for lunch and she made a special dish with hamburg and potatoes for Greg and me. I

was happy to see that. It was really good. We also had diced tomatoes and onions with it and I really enjoyed

it. After lunch I retreated to my room to do some work on a special project to raise awareness about the ministry

the Dows are doing here in Kenya. I also took a brief nap. I get tired very quickly here. I think the air is much

thinner than I am used to in the USA.

I continue to kill spiders in my room. Some are harmful some are not. Rather than try to figure out which one

is which - they all must die. One of the small spiders can jump. (Really far). They are a challenge to kill but I

am becoming a master at it.

I went down to the kitchen at what seemed like 11:00 pm and it was only 7:30. Al was making some Ramen

noodles and offered to make me some. I enjoyed my time sitting with him and just talking. We were joined by

Greg, Mary Rose, Hannah and Peter for some nice conversation and bacon! That's one of my favorite things to

eat and although it's not as good as the bacon from the USA it's not bad. I then retired to my room to do some

more work on the computer project and make a couple calls to the USA. I hate voicemail! I most times don't

leave a message because of the cost of the wait through the message . If you get a call and your phone rings

3 times and stops, it's me! i do that and then recall and let it ring 3 times. If no answer by the 3 ring I hang up. Calvin enjoying his cross shaped lollipop

"I'm coming

back to the

heart of

worship. It's

all about

You. It's all

about

You . . . "

Mary Rose teaching the children about JESUS Singing a special song at church Pastor David plays guitar

JESUS!

Answered prayers - make our

children very happy!

Answered prayers - make our

children very happy!

(ABOVE) 9 of the Dow's 18 children pose in their new school uniforms. They are:

Calvin, Bud, Dennis, Daisy 1, Daisy 2, Mercy 1, Mercy 2, Judith and Faith.

(Right-back row) are; Peter, Al, Marianna, (Next row) Rose Alice & Winifred Mary . . .

Monday - January 5

Yesterday we were talking about the big kids getting ready for

school. The younger set of twins (Rose Alice & Winifred) and

Peter would be starting school at Soma Christian Academy. The

older set of twins (Al & Marianna) would start school at Ngeret

Secondary School tomorrow. There were now 9 other children who we were praying could also go to school. It would take a

miracle to come up with the money. Greg went and met with

the headmaster at Soma and he agreed to let the other 9 come

if we could get them proper uniforms, shoes and socks. To us in

America the whole uniform thing can seem silly, especially as

these people are so poor but, it's the way it is. PEI with your

help totally funded the project.

I wish you could have been with us as Mary Rose was fitting

the girls and buying things for the boys. A crowd gathered at

both (Left) the uniform shop and (Right) the shoe store. Both

stores mere holes in the wall on the crowded streets of Litein.

While I waited a group of little guys gathered around me and

were making fun of my size. I didn't let that discourage me from

making friends with them. Soon (Bottom: third from right) David was my pal and translating for me. I told them about JESUS and his great love for them. Then I asked if any of them went to church. David and a few of his friends did. I then sang the Swazi song I always teach people "There's None Like Jesus" and offered to pray from them. When I asked who wanted me to

pray for them they all raised their hands and bowed their heads. It was pretty amazing since literally hundreds of peoole were watching me pray with them.

Just after the prayer a drunk man came and began harrassing Greg and make lude jesturing and almost challenging him to a fight. Silently I was praying he would go away. After I would pray he would leave and come right back. Finally I said the

name of JESUS out loud to him and he took off. It was an awesome experience.

When we got home (3 hours later) it was time to try on all the

The kids were all excited about the new things but the girls had the afternoon to be there first hand buying the things. The boys nearly came unglued with

excitement when they saw everything. Each child got: Shirt, Sweater, Shorts, Belt, Socks and Shoes. Greg and Mary Rose are praising God for all he has done to provide for the kids to go to school. Now Mary Rose has another challenge as she has 10 kids at home alone. Greg will be home schooling their youngest daughter. So, now we need to see what God has in store for the ones at home. Mary Rose needs some help!

Dow's KENYA

Dow's KENYA