Welcome to Africa

Today is Thursday the 17th. I needed to keep telling myself that, and that it's not Wednesday as it feels due to being upside down. 

Today Sam and I woke, showered, and joined the group for a good breakfast at the dining room. Not American, but we are flexible!  Sam tried out the swing.

Mike gave us a trip briefing, and Sam and I worked a little on our devotional work from a workbook Mike put together.  Then we left to meet the Assistant Bishop of the Africa Gospel Church, and organization that Heart of Africa is partnering with, at the Good Shepherd School. Unfortunately we hadn't heard that their main office wasn't there--it had moved to the other side of town. There was little time to get over there so we didn't go.

Although not planned, Sam and I happened to throw a soccer ball and a pump in my backpack, and asked if we could deliver it to the kids. Let's just say that it was well received. Here are some pictures that tell the story. 

Mike and Martha worked at this church when they were here with Joe, Kathy, and Laura years ago.

The kids still played with the tires after the ball came out, but it was amazing to see how universal kids kicking a ball is.

We made it back to Amani Gardens where we are staying and had lunch, a short rest, and then afternoon activities.  I didn't expect that lunch conversation would include a discussion of disruptive technologies, which I happen to be investigating.  Daniel has a printing background and is involved in a new technology that allows small batches of high quality print publications to be made in a short time.  Sam and I joined Daniel and Timothy (a lithographic printer whom we just met today) to visit Tim Keller and his wife, Christy, who are missionaries in Nairobi running the Publish4All system.  Sam got to meet and hang with the Keller's nice boys, and we both got a tour of the printing system.  More on that later in the trip.

Here we are examining the products from the printing system.

Dennis Tongoi is a man who has need of the P4A's capabilities and economics.

The next photo I snapped outside the car window on our way back to dinner.  We were just a few miles away but the drive took about 45 minutes.  We got home in the dark and just made dinner at Amani.  

Sabina briefed Amy and Hazel on the slum ministry and we shared some brief stories of our day's adventures.

Martha and Sam played a round of Five Crowns.