2nd update

We are at the National GOA Children's Conference - where everyone is a servant. There are 450 children here from all over the country of Kenya - Eldoret, Marsabit, Samburu, Nairobi, etc. We have 100 adults who are cooking, leading children in small groups, worshipping, praying, playing sports, putting children to bed, getting children up, and doing all the things you do to nuture, love and help a child change themselves to change the world. That is the theme of this year's conference. - Changing You to Change the World. And it is printed on the back of 520 t- shirts.

         All the 450 children, with their leaders

The children are colorful with all of them in either a red, green, blue or yellow t-shirt. The games divide the children by color so the children wear the colors to organize for games. And every child received a colorful soft back pack and a bandana. They have mostly tied the bandanas on their heads!
There are forty group leaders who stay with their group of 10-14 children all the time - meals, large sessions and small groups. That is where the change happens - In the intimacy of these small groups.
               Photo of one of the small groups in session
The children are happy, thanks to the kitchen crew who make more ugali than you can imagine and feed the children five times throughout the day .The children are not hungry. They are warm at night thanks to the extra blankets we bought. Even though children were asked to bring their blanket not every child could do that. In the Samburu families, sometimes four children sleep under one blanket. If the one child coming to the conference took the blanket three would be left without.
The children are wonderful - happy, smiling all the time and no complaining even when dinner is delayed because chopping that much cabbage takes a long time!
I am sitting surrounded by about 30 children who just suprised me as they started to read out loud as I was typing on my Blackberyy. When I asked them where they thought I was sending I heard a little voice say say to Beth Casey - and it was Charles. Beth Casey is his friend in America. He was right and I told him it also goes to many people in the United States who love them and pray for them.
The children asked me to tell you when you are praying for them they are praying for you.
How good is God to connect us through prayer.
So very blessed to be at the GOA children's conference, Connie, Kimberly and Lorri.


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