Finally at Tenwek Mission Hospital

Hello everyone. We've have been without internet for a while so this is our first opportunity to let people know what is happening. On our return to Kenya we stayed with the Senior Leisters for a few weeks at Tumaini Children's Home. We had a great time celebrating an early Christmas together to remember the Joy God has brought to our world.

This is Tekoa and some of the kids enjoying the festivities. As any group of toddlers would, they love to get loaded with sugar and go crazy. Of course the balloons are always a favorite. Each child was also given an inflatable microphone and noise maker to complete the chaos.

It was a miracle to see all 25 of the little ones sit and eat a meal together. It's a big family and a wonder to see God working in all of them. We are so blessed to be a part of something so beautiful as the family of God.

Before our move to Tenwek Mission Hospital Tekoa and I finished working on his fish bed. One piece of plywood goes a long way to make a child happy. We started to make a simple bed with boring sides, but Rachel's creative ideas kept flowing and the fish bed was created.

This is the final product sitting in Tekoa and Eliza's new room. This is the first time they have had to share a room but are getting through it well. Eliza going to bed first and Tekoa about an hour later is the current working schedule. Rachel has also learned to do it with out me around as I am often working later in the evenings at the hospital. What an amazing wife and family I have.

Speaking of my amazing family, I am again humbled by their ability to adapt to any situation. This is our new home. A two bedroom apartment on the ground floor of a three story complex just across the ally from the hospital. It's our first home since we left Kisumu in August. Though it is half the size of our last home and still no yard for the kids to play in it has blessed us tremendously since the alternative was a one bedroom apartment.

This is a shot from the living room/dining room into the kitchen. These pictures are from the first few days we arrived so the house isn't quite set up yet. It's a blessing to have a dinning table for the first time in a year. Once we get two more chairs we can have meals together again. The opening into the kitchen makes food prep and watching the kids a much more manageable event.

Now the hall from the living room shows two bedroom doors on the left, a closet at the end and a toilet room, shower room and wash room along the right. The wash room is a great gift as we didn't have one in our last house.

The kitchen isn't huge but has much more storage then our last house and is very functional with two small kids. We have finally got an oven since we took this picture so cooking is wonderful and Rachel can bake anytime she has the urge. It's all gas so the electricity use is significantly reduced.

Tekoa and Eliza made a ginger bread house with the help of their mother. One of the missionaries had a house party where kids and parents came together to build such beautiful and edible works of art. Some how the house still stands today but the little candies are disappearing slowly by slowly.

Merry Christmas! This is the first year we have actually decorated our house. We have a giant 3 foot fake tree with flashing lights and some great home made ornaments along with four stalkings hanging from some kitchen cabinets. The kids really enjoyed the decorating and the sugar cooking making.

We actually opened gifts on Christmas Eve because Christmas was to be a very busy day. Tekoa and Eliza didn't mind opening gifts a day early. What a blessing to see the excitement as they play with their new toys. We are having a great Christmas. I have my first weekend off since starting at the hospital 3 weeks ago making it a memorable Christmas. We hope that everyone reading this would, as we have, find the hope and joy God has expressed through is son Jesus as they celebrate all over this world. May His light continue to shine bright in all who believe and confess his name.