ry

On Christmas Eve we went to an open house at one of the missionary's houses, they do this every year and have this little manger scene with the children dressing up and this year they had a cow, a sheep and a lamb! From there we walked down to the hospital to sing Christmas carols on the wards. Our group was assigned the men's ward which was very full with men's beds lining the hallways. We all had candles and sang and then prayed for the patients. It is a very moving way to spend Christmas Eve (and also scary with candles in the hands of very young children!)

Pets

We are babysitting the rock hyrax "Crazy Train" again for two days! We are excited to have him back and as you can see he was glad to see Gary! While he was gone we started feeding this little kitty at the front door. His name is "Smokey" for now and he is just starting to let us touch him! We miss our pets at home but are doing the best we can to keep from missing them too much while we are here!

Christmas Eve party at Kijabe hospital/ gifts of blankets

For the past few years the chaplain at the hospital has invited us to help with a little Christmas party for the pediatric unit at Kijabe hospital (this is the hospital where Gary is working). We joined another missionary in making blankets for the babies and children. It takes a long time to get the moms and babies to come out and join the party so we go with Jean into the unit and sing and motion for them to come out. Mercy (the chaplain) talks about the birth of baby Jesus using a baby doll and a laundry basket for the manger! Then we sing some more and this year she asked the girls to do some Irish dancing so again they did a little dance to "Jingle Bells" on the accordion! We handed out blankets and some other people handed out some stuffed animals and candy. I think the ladies were pleased and the babies slept through most of it! It was a fun start to celebrating Christmas in Kenya.

Making Christmas cookies

The past few years we have had a lady come a few times per week to help with cleaning and do some cooking and ironing. Her name is Keziah and she has a daughter named Olive. The girls made Christmas cookies with her last year and continued the tradition this year. Olive is 10 and last year would barely speak a word of English. This yearshe is going to a private school and is speaking lots of English and wants to be an engineer when she grows up! We have been to Olive's house and there is no oven or stove or running water so it is a treat for her to make cookies and it is always a treat for us - even turning the oven on is an experience in Kenya!!!

Christmas party for the vegetable ladies

Every year this missionary lady (Grandma Jean to us) does a little Christmas party for the vegetable ladies who sit in this little market area every day trying to sell their vegetables. They used to come to the door to sell them but were getting a little too forceful and knocking on doors very early in the morning ( and also having to carry these big bags of vegetables and fruit on their heads) so now we go to them! So every Christmas Jean (and now the 3 Bray girls) make

cookies decorated with their initials on them and bring juice and walk down the street to the market. We all sing Christmas songs (they join in both in English and Swahili) and then we serve cookies and juice. This year Jean asked the girls to do a little Irish dance for them to "jingle bells" on the accordion, the ladies loved it! Jean prayed with each of the ladies and we tried to buy one thing from each of them, not an easy task as they are putting 6 tomatoes in a bag and saying "you take 6" as we are saying "we just need one"!!

Wells of Joy church in the Lunga Lunga slums Nairobi

Sunday morning we hired a driver to take us to the Lunga Lunga slums in Nairobi to visit a church that was started by Pastor Geoffrey. We visited this church last year and Pastor Geoffry invited us to worship with him again this year. Last year we went with some friends, this year it was just us! We arrived safely and he met us and led us through the slums to where the old church was which is now his office( and the new preschool) then to the new bigger and better church that has a concrete floor! The service lasted from 11a.m. to 1p.m. with a lot of dancing and singing and then a message in Swahili which Pastor Geoffrey's wife translated into English

and then a Christmas anointing (with vegetable oil) and a healing service where people fell on the floor (and stood up after of course). It was a great service and afterward we all went to Java House for lunch!!

The church congregation posing in the front of their new building.

The "streets" of the slum.

Children at the church enjoying lollipops and getting their pictures taken.

They love to look at the picture on the little screen afterwards;

they see themselves, and just laugh and laugh!!

Girls in the streets of the slum.

Rock Hyrax

Our ministry here in Kenya is a little different than expected. We are now babysitting a rock hyrax for our missionary friends while they go on vacation. He is the cutest little thing, and his name is Crazy Train. He hops around the house and squeaks a little. Crazy Train is even toilet trained! Sometimes he even snuggles up with you (he particularly likes Gary!).