mosaic designs items for sale

mosaic designs items, a set on Flickr.

Here are just a few of the items that will be for sale at the Freedom Fest this weekend!

Home At Last

The Kenya team has arrived safely back in PA and hopefully we are all now in the comfort of our own homes spending time with family and friends. We left Kitale on Sunday and drove to Nairobi. We had a lovely Italian dinner out in town (thanks to the Roches for treating us all) and then headed to the hotel for one more night of rest before the big travels begin. Monday morning we headed out on a 5 hour safari at the Nairobi National Park where we saw monkeys, giraffes, zebras, lots of birds a rhino, gazelles, and more.

We began flying around 5:30 Monday night after a quick delay due to technical difficulties. I am always so thankful for those at home praying. It always makes me a little nervous when they say a plane has technical difficulties and then we are in the air in that plane a couple hours later. :| We made it safely to Dubai, and then boarded a 13 hour flight to JFK. There were some medical emergencies on the plane that caused some commotions and a bit of confusion. When we landed in NY they had us wait on the plane while a medic team came and removed the young boy who had a seizure on the plane. I am always so grateful for God's protection over our travels.

We all made it through immigration and headed out into the stifling HOT weather. It took about 3.5 hours to get back to PA but we were all excited to get back into town. Hopefully we are changed forever. I know it will look different for each one of us, but I truly hope that each one of us had an encounter with Christ that has drawn us closer to His heart. It was a privilege to serve together. We will post photos soon once we get them loaded onto computers.

Bless you all. Thanks for praying and following our journey.

Not Goodbye....See You Later

The past two days have been so busy wrapping things up with various work projects and saying our goodbyes. I have found myself more emotional than I anticipated. Having been coming here and investing in some of the same lives for the past 4 years, I have found that many of the girls and some of the staff have become like family. It is hard not knowing when I will get to share life again. I am so incredibly proud of the Neema girls and their staff. Yesterday late afternoon, the girls had finished working but they were still here waiting for their taxi. I was just returning form town and I heard their giggles in the back yard. Penny and Hayley were playing a game with them and they were loving it.....even mama janet joined in the fun. I decided that it was time to join the fun. When leading a team I often find my time is scattered between leading, directing, overseeing....I can sometimes miss out on some of the "fun" times. We spent the next 45 minutes playing "Big Booty". While the game itself is simple and silly, I loved seeing the girls personalities coming out as they got to be girls. It is such a difference from the shy girls I met 4 years ago. They are gaining confidence and feel safe enough to have fun. I find myself going from tears to smiles when I reflect on everything that has happened the past several days.

Yesterday the team parted ways:

• AJ worked on the building project for the new NEEMA school
• Seth and Nate went out on home deliveries with Anne (the TI social worker)
• Eileen, Bob, Lori and I stayed here to work with the girls and watch the Shimo girls children
• the rest spent the morning at In-Step hanging out with Jeff and Carla and all the kiddos

It felt like a busy day. We spent the afternoon playing with the girls and their kids and then had a gathering with all the workers and paid them for their work. I was so excited to hand them the money they earned after working this week. I hope that we can somehow provide ongoing funds for these awesome girls.

Today, we headed out to the Veronica Home for one last day with Ben, Virginia, and all the children. We all took a walk up to where the school building for the Neema Project is going up. They completed so much this week. I am thrilled that the guys and some of the girls from the team got to help Adam and the Kenyan men build it. We spent alot of time raising funds for the school and now to see it with windows and doors......I can only imagine how it will feel when the classrooms are set up and the girls are sitting in their learning. We played, took photos, ate lunch, and then came more farewells. :(

We came home as the neema girls were finishing up their sewing projects. I could hardly believe everything they had gotten done. After they cleaned up I gathered them together and talked with them for a bit about how their life has changed since going through the neema project. I thanked them for all their hard work and as I went on to talk with them about how proud I am of them the tears began to fall. I am not ready to leave them so soon. Not yet, not now. Sharon (one of the girls) suggested that Rick (my husband) come here with me to buy land so that we can have a home here. She even said she would take care of our babies one day. :) Oh how I adore that fiesty gal.

I guess that's it for now. I will write more later and will be posting photos once we get home. Stay tuned for more information. We begin our journey home tomorrow morning with a drive across he country back to Nairobi. We will be back in the US, Tuesday at 7:45 and then we arrive back in West Chester around noon. We look forward to sharing so much more with you all in person.

Faith

Bridges

This afternoon a group of us walked with the Shimo girls to their village, a slum on the east side of Kitale. Every slum is known for something, and Shimo is known for a fairly potent beverage that many of the men drink. The village was set in a beautiful lush green valley with a river running through the it. Late afternoon rains caused our journey to be a rather muddy adventure. The Shimo girls helped us navigate a steep,treacherous rock stairway leading down to a wooden bridge that crossed the river. While passing we saw young girls and boys collecting muddied drinking water from the stream. We asked our guides about the water and were told that those who can afford clean water buy it in the town, but others must use the water from the river. On the other side of the bridge children lined the stairway and greeted us with shouts of “How are you? How are You?” which is a typical greeting Kenyan children use when they see white people. After greeting the children, we crossed back over the bridge and began walking through the village where, one by one, the girls left us to return home to their babies and extended family. Some walked off to cement block homes, yet many returned to houses made from mud and branches. As our group walked toward the compound, we fell silent each of us recalling the sounds of laughter and friendship we have built with these young women who face life’s challenges with grace and dignity. We have been blessed with the opportunity to build bridges of friendship and hope with these young mothers whom we will not soon forget.

Eileen & Penny

Questions asked by Nate

as a journalist, i love a good question. us guys here in kitale, kenya (and a few brave girls) have been constructing a school/office building at the veronica home the past week. and you can be sure there are just as many unspoken questions flying through the brains of the local kenyan workers as there are in our westernized thinkers. there’s a man in blue who doesn’t work too hard that is always staring at us and smirking. i can only imagine the questions running through his brain... “do these white people really glow in the dark?” “since when are women construction workers?” “why is there more hair coming out of the top of that burly white man’s shirt than from the bottom of his hat?” i am that burly man and i have some questions of my own... “why can’t the man in the blue shirt and all of his friends grow beards?” “why does that one guy wear work gloves but no shoes?” “why is no one in a hurry to do anything in this country except when they’re driving?” today during lunch i watched a malnurished puppy try to poop, but for whatever reason his excriment just would not break free from him. he scurried around the yard trying to dislodge it with incredible shame on his face during the whole process. it was hilarious and i think he knew we were laughing at him. but at the same time, i’m hoping this kenyan experience is like the turd that would not fall from my brain.... so to speak. i came here with questions and i leave with many more, but i think that’s a good thing. i will leave here in a few days inspired with both the first-hand realization that i’m a spoiled american and that i am blessed with far too much to just waste. and when i get home i will probably do my best to forget those convictions because i think i have everything i need there. and that’s not exactly the best place to be. so back to the dangling poo... i can only hope that what i’ve seen and what i’ve heard here will refuse to be shaken. i can only hope that the life i’ve lived for a short 10 days in africa will force me to ask questions to both myself, but especially God. i am blessed and i have far more than the people here, but too many times i smile and laugh and love far less. i guess the real question is... “why did i have to come all the way to kenya to figure that out?”

Nate

1 Selfless Couple + 103 Abandoned Children = In-Step

Hello Friends!

Today we had the privilege to visit In-Step. This is a children's home that houses 103 beautiful children, all of whom we got to play with. Jeff and Carla (who are the house parents that started In-Step) house about 25 babies and the rest mainly under the age of five. As soon as we pulled up into the children's home, all of the children were there waiting for us screaming in excitement and anticipation to play with us. As soon as we were given the okay to go play, there were already three children clinging to my legs lifting there arms up to be held. At one point we took out bubbles and as soon as the first ones were in the air, the children flocked over and the next thing I know was I was surrounded by 10 toddlers all yelling the same thing. "Na mimi! Na mimi!" Was being said out of the kids mouth which means 'even me' as I tried to give each one of them a turn to blow bubbles. One child that really struck me was Ronnie. Ronnie was about three years old and even though the other children would come and move on to the next person, Ronnie clung to my side the whole time. I would throw him up and spin him around just watching his face as it lit up with joy. Thats when I knew how much I loved these children and bringing smiles to their faces, even if for a short amount of time. Ronnie was abandoned at six months, and his grandmother who was the next relative to take care of him was dying herself, so that's when she contacted In-Step. This is just one story of a 103 children in this home, all of which tares at your heart. When I brought Ronnie in for lunch, I could see his big brown eyes start to well up and I promised him I would come back when he was done. I didn't know how hard that was until I walked away and felt like I was a mother dropping her child off in daycare for the first time and might of had a little separation anxiety as well.

We left In-Step around two when all of the children were taking their naps and myself as well as two other teammates and Faith went into town to get a few things. Not too long after we got there and three street boys were already following us asking for money and food. Even though none of us had the money of food to give them at the time, we showed them love by asking their names and ages as well as where they stay. From then on they continued to walk with us until we left knowing we couldn't meet their physical needs but were able to spend time with them and acknowledge their presence. This trip has been such a blessing to all of us and it has been awesome to put what we've learned here into practice and I can't wait to bring this home.

For more information about IN-Step go to: http://www.rehemainstep.com/

In Christ,

Hayley Gerrard

The One Who Showed Mercy

What does it mean to love those who live in poverty?

We started our morning talking about how we are to love people who are the poor in our community and in our world. There are children who are starving and people who have no home. We are to love them, but how? Acknowledge them personally, comfort their broken spirits, and give wisely.

The ladies spent our day working with the girls sewing and beading. It seems so simple, we sit, we string beads onto a string, but this small task saves the girls from a life of selling themselves. Seeing one girl with her son Darlington, knowing that he will not go hungry and she can live with dignity. Knowing that he will have another option than life on the street.

The girls and their teachers work so hard each day they have come here. They serve, they work, they care. They struggle to let us serve them in almost any way. It was a beautiful picture to see these women finally allowing us to serve them. Weathered skin, relaxing, and soothed. Some girls massaged aged hands, others painted nails. Such a blessing to serve.

We had our daily, afternoon thunderstorm. The deep blue sky, rolled in, the thunder shook the ground as we laughed and embraced.

We are allowing these snapshots to change our hearts and create room to love more and to love deeply. Seth reminded us this morning to carry these snapshots with us when we return home and these snapshots we have to share with you. I can only hope that they change your heart, opening it up to love more and more.

Alison

Mazungus Go to Church

So, if anyone in America-land has any fear about riding on the back of a bicycle taxi (or as Kenyans call it: Boda Boda) driven by a Kenyan..fear no longer; 6 of us ladies chose this mode of transportation as we were about to experience a legit Kenyan church service. The ride on the Boda Boda was exceptionally amazing. I wish everyone could have this (among others) experience in this beautiful place. It seems like something that should cause some nerves to stir but surprisingly I trusted this taxi driver (rider?) so the only thing left to do was enjoy the ride.

Eventually, we arrived to the Kitale Christian Worship Center bright eyed and excited to be a part of this unique cultural experience. First things first, as anyone can imagine..these Kenyans can certainly dance. The worship music I have to admit I was not sure how well we would be received at church but that quickly subsided as we were greeted immediately upon entering. The church body was extremely welcoming and took the time to allow our friend Mark (a TI staff member) to introduce each of us. The services are much longer than what we are used to (close to 4 hours!) but you hardly notice the time because the room is full of such a unique energy and people who love the Lord. We are all so grateful to have had this opportunity to experience the Holy Spirit in an entirely different culture with our Kenyan brothers and sisters. It is difficult to put this experience into words but I can tell you if anyone is interested in learning some new dance moves I am willing to give lessons. We miss you all and have taken about 4,000 pictures already and can’t wait to share them! Until next time, my friends!

love! love! love!,

Lori

faithwise2010's photostream

faithwise2010's photostream on Flickr.

Some photos from our first day with the neema and shimo girls making jewelry and sewing bags.

A Day of Rest & Reflection

So, it is Sunday morning in Kenya. Some of the team are off to visit a traditional Kenyan church and some have stayed behind at the compound for a day of rest and quiet. I chose to stay behind and sit in silence because I don't have a voice. I am so disappointed! I was hoping to wake up this morning with the ability to speak, but it has only gotten worse. It is hard to lead a team when you can't speak, but the team is doing great and people are stepping up where they need to.

As I sit here, I realize this trip has only just begun and the work the Lord is doing is far from finished. Having been here many times, I see some distinct differences this year. For several months I have been waiting for Friday to arrive, the ay when I would greet my Kenya girls from the Shimo project and the Neema Project. I adore them and the women who teach them and love them. I could barely stay in my seat during devotions when I heard some of them laughing outside waiting for us. They all responded so well to the team. I was sick and losing my voice, but I was not going to miss a second of time with them. The team rallied around them and played games and learned names. I met with Joyce (the seamstress teacher) to figure out a work plan for the week.

During my walk to town with Joyce, we had an opportunity to talk about life and family. She told me that I feel like a real friend because I keep coming back when I say I will come back. She said at first she always wondered if I would really return, but now she knows I mean what I say. Those were kind words coming from her. We shared about our families, she asked me about my new marriage....it was a time of chatting and sharing about life more than we ever have before. She asked me why I wanted the girls to make more bags and I told her that we sold out of all the ones we made before. I shared with her that we gave the money we made from the bags toward the construction project for the new school for the neema/shimo project. She began to share with that God will honor the work of the hands of those who have right intentions. She said that it would be hard to sell the bags to people if we didn't have right motives. I was able to talk with her about all of us being partners and each having a role to play. We talked about our love for the girls and the way their lives are changing as they choose a different path.

Those conversations with Joyce were a highlight for me. I am beginning to really feel like I have friends here in Kenya. I received bigger hugs than ever before. I saw pride and dignity on the faces of these young women who are given a name, who are taught respect, and who are learning to receive love. What an honor to be a part of all of this! It is a privilege to serve here with Transformed International. They are an incredible staff of men and women! They serve us well and allow us to partner with them in the work the Lord has placed before them.

Thanks to all of you at home who make this possible for me. I do not take a single day for granted! Thanks to all of you who have offered up your spouses, children, friends, family members to serve here and to those of you who provide funding and prayers to make it all possible. You are just as much a part of this work as those of us who are here in Kenya.

Hope you each find rest and are able to delight in simple joys today!

Faith (for the team)

faithwise2010's photostream

faithwise2010's photostream on Flickr.

the ladies learned to cook from two kenyan mamas.

Our Day at the Veronica Home

Greetings from Kenya!

Let me start off by thanking everyone for all of your prayers and support, we're all so appreciative. Everyone working with Transformed International is so nice and are making us all feel at home. We started off our day by loading into a few taxis and headed out to the Veronica Home. The Veronica Home is a house that invites HIV positive orphans to live there. Ben and Virginia are the house parents who care for 9 children along with 4 of their own. Before today's visit to the home, I was beginning to become a little discouraged. I started to question whether I was really supposed to be here or whether I chose to come on this trip out of simply just wanting to. I had expected to experience all of these amazing things the second I arrived in Africa. Don't get me wrong, it has definitely been a totally new and cool experience but it just wasn't that 'life-changing-Africa-experience' that everyone always talks about. As soon as we arrived at the Veronica Home, I knew this day was going to be a little different than expected. Before we knew it, our cars were surrounded by little children, waiting as patiently as they could, for us to get out. Once out of the taxis, the children ran towards us with big smiles and outstretched arms. I could barely even walk a step without having a child cling to me. Talk about feeling welcome! We were then given a tour of the home and they proudly showed us where their bedrooms, kitchen and area that the guys from our group are working on were. Throughout this tour, Joyce, one of the little girls who lives at the home, kept her arms wrapped around my waist, hugging me. Virginia generously cooked us a delicious Kenyan lunch consisting of rice, beans, potatoes and cabbage (yes Mom, I ate cabbage and enjoyed it!) and the day was spent playing with the mazungu's (white people) hair, getting owned in soccer, painting nails and just hanging out. Towards the end of the day, the children all began to line up on the side of the house. I thought that they were doing this so we could take a group picture of them but before I could really tell what was going on, they all began to sing. Right then, I knew for a fact that this is where God wanted me to be, He wanted me to witness this. I had so much emotion inside of my that the only thing I could do was just cry. As the children were singing, I was able to study each of their faces (I had time because they sang about 4 songs and each gave a little presentation). I noticed one thing about each of them; they all had so much joy in them. This was the joy I was searching for. I could tell by their faces they were so loved and cared for by their two parents. In Kenyan culture, it is common that children are mistreated and fathers rarely ever show any type of affection towards their children. Ben, on the other hand, stood beside his children as they proudly sang their songs and danced with them. Throughout the day, you could see how much he loves and cares for these children. Ben and Virginia are two amazing parents who are clearly living servant lives for the Lord. I was blown away by the way God reminded me of why I'm here in Kenya. I keep replaying a line from one of the songs that seems to be stuck in my head which says, "we are so happy to be with you...life is so happy,". Little do these children know that they are the reason for my current joy and sense of peace. They have no idea how just being in their presence is an amazing, unexplainable feeling that nothing could ever replace. The memories I have of these beautiful children with their contagious smiles will always be in my mind. The experience I had today was the life changing experience I wanted so badly, the kind I will never be able to forget. I'm so blessed to have this opportunity, God is so good.

In Christ,

Lauren Spiller

First Days from Steph's Perspective

Day 1-2.

I realize I'm starting this blog on the 3rd day, but given I've been in transit for over thirty of the last fifty-something hours, I think I get a free pass out of internet obligations.

After a three hour drive to JFK Airport in New York City, we boarded an airplane to Mumbai, India. We then waited two hours, only to board a flight to Nairobi, Kenya, followed by a short stay in the city.

The unmitigated hell of airborne transit was softened only slightly by my access to a few hundred movies, none of which seemed engaging enough to keep me awake.

In the end, I survived on pretzel goldfish and World War Z, a novel documenting the oral history of the zombie war.

The city of Nairobi proved as potentially dangerous as it was awe-inspiring. Filled with gorgeous buildings from a smattering of eras, the large city featured a unique traffic system, unprecedented in confidence.

In short: Cars do not stop.

Not for one another.

Not for reckless bike messengers.

Not for two-ton buses.

Not for clueless American pedestrians who may happen to stray directly into their path.

The chaos of the traffic system was rivaled only by the steel-gutted bravado of our mercenary cab drivers. While charming and entirely personable, every driver who were happily acquainted with proved as willing to usher us into their vehicles as they were to risk our lives among the screeching tires and blaring horns of the immense city.

Our resident lodgings, The Parkside Hotel, featured glamorous drapings about each bed known as Malaria-preventative Mosquito Nets. All the same, there was much talk of the princess-worthy effect they added to each room.

We dined that night at the Nairobi Java House, which, contrary to popular belief, had little to do with actual java.

My entire table, including myself, ordered Mexican food.

It was pretty spectacular.

So much, in fact, that I didn't even think to snap a photo beforehand. The following image documents the surviving remnants of our dinnertime rampage.

After a pleasant night's sleep, interrupted only by a siren suspiciously similar to the hotel's fire alarm and the wailings of a phantom woman, we boarded a bus.

We were going to ride eight hours to the village of Kitali.

I was given the delightful opportunity of sitting next to our team leader, Faith, a veteran to both Kenya and Senegal. Her knowledge of Africa was rivaled by her lucklessness with seat partnering.

I proceeded to coo over sightings of baby sheep and pester her about the lack of pet dogs in the city for the next six hours.

She was saved from my incessant querying only by my swift, jetlag-induced, coma-like sleep and my desire to capture a music video moment by listening to folk music while staring at the countryside flying past.

The following are my three favorite sights:

-A four-year old boy, hot on the heels of an 800-pound cow

-An entire vanful of local travelers, all joyously drinking strawberry milk

-A group of Kenyan preschoolers, excited and overjoyed beyond comprehension, playing with a pile of tires.

I couldn't fathom the happiness I saw on so many faces as we passed them on the road. So many local people faced both work, road, and each other with smiles and peace the likes of which is unseen in American cities. I understand the impoverished status of this country, but when confronted by the attitudes of the people I have watched, I can't help but feel a sense admiration: amidst chaos, corruption, and need, they encounter joy in every day.

Team Perspectives

There are a few others keeping blogs while we are here in Kenya. Feel free to check out their blogs:

Stephanie: http://steph-in-kenya.blogspot.com/2011/07/day-1-2.html

AJ & Tina: http://mountainmovers.blogspot.com/

Schooled in the kitchen

We were schooled in Kenyan culinary arts today! Peeling, chopping and shredding take on new meaning when cooking Kenyan style with large knives outside over an open flame. Rachel Ray could take a few tips from our talented teachers. We truly experienced the "Joy of Cooking" with our beautiful warm, kind and extremely patient Kenyan friends, Janet and JoAnn. While we were preparing lunch for the group the rest of the team were making new friends with the Neema and Shimo girls playing frisbee, kickball and Kenyan style hide-n-seek. After play work began. All were impressed with our Kenyan friend's mutual respect, discipline and extreme professionalism which resulted in 70 unique beaded necklaces and over 15 beautifully sewn shoulder strap bags. All that has been invested in these girls over the years is very obvious and extremely rewarding to observe. Our guys spent the day working hard at the construction site of the new Neema girls school house. The evening ended with an amazing meal made by Ashley, Daniel's wife, who skillfully handled feeding a crew our size while dealing with a 7 hour power outage. Good day! May God be praised and may He receive all the glory.

Thanks for your prayers.

Blessings,

Eileen and Melinda (for the team)

Honey, We're Home!!!

After 31 hours of planes, buses, taxis and more buses ( very bumpy bus rides I might add) we FINALLY made it to home sweet home in Kitale, Kenya!!! On our bus ride here we experienced some interesting things....going to the bathroom in holes in the ground, especially. As we rode along we saw villages and tons and tons of people, lots of livestock, zebras, monkeys, baboons, sheep, donkey, antelope, flamingos and gazelles! One of the super cool things we also got to see was the Rift Valley...it was ah-mazing! As a team we are all bonding quickly and are super excited for what is to come :)

We made it to NYC and have boarded the plane to Dubai!

Travel time.....

For those of you checking in on us, here's the scoop for our travel over the next few days. We will be 7 hours ahead of you once we arrive in Nairobi for those of you that were curious. Keep that in mind once you see our timeline. If you are a family member and want specific flight info we can email that to you.

Here is a general timeline for our travel until Thursday.

JULY 5th

• 5am: leave west chester, pa to head to nyc
• 11 am: 13 hour flight to Dubai with a 2 1/2 hour layover

**we jump ahead 7 hours here

JULY 6th

• 10:45 am (Dubai time) leave for 5 hour flight to Nairobi
• 2:45 pm arrive in Nairobi
• spend the night in Nairobi

JULY 7th

• spend the day traveling across the country by bus and arrive in Kitale around dinner time

Pray for us over these days of travel. Pray for safety, health, and REST. It is often exhausting, yet sometimes still challenging to sleep. You will hear from us once we get to Kitale on Thursday evening. We can't wait to be reunited with our Kenyan friends (and our american and canadian friends who live in kenya)!

Faith

Meet the Team

On JULY 5th, we will be heading to KENYA.............together, just the 16 of us!

Here we are:

I am Faith. Married to Rick for 9 of my favorite months in life so far! This will be the 3rd time team leading a team to Kenya, my 8th time traveling to Kenya since 2005. This place has stolen a piece of my heart and is a "second home" of sorts. I can't wait to see my friends.

I am Penny. I have a great family: wife to David and mom of Jeremy and Hayley.
I work for the West Chester Area School district.
I love working with kids and teens of all ages.
I follow Jesus.

This is Hayley. She is the daughter of Penny.

My name is Rebekah, a.k.a. Becka. I'm a senior at Elco High school. I'm a part of the ELCO Bowling and Softball teams. I am a part of The Fireplace Christian Fellowship, which also has an amazing Youth Group, my youth leader is Mosel. She is an awesome women of God, and a great example to us youth. I am planning on going to College to become an Engineer. I have two very weird younger brothers and one beautiful younger sister. I have amazing parents that are always there for me no matter what. My grandma passed away in February. A few months back when I told her about me going to Africa, she asked me to bring her back a wooden elephant. Even though she's no longer with us, I'm still going to bring her back a wooden elephant. I just want Gods will for my life.

I'm Alison McKenica. I'm really excited to be going to Kenya for the first time! I love travel adventures and experiencing new things. I know God is going to provide lots of unique experiences to serve and love people. The presence of God will be with us, ensuring no ordinary moments! Can't wait to share some great stories about it all!

My name is Nate. I'm just your typical house painter-journalist combo. I love football and playing games with Seth Windle. I've recorded two musical albums, and I prefer bathing suits that allow me to get a little sun on my thighs. This is my first trip to Africa, and I'm excited experience the different culture and see how God uses it in my life.

This is Seth. This will be his 3rd trip to Kenya.

This is Lori. This will be her first time in Kenya. She is happy!

I'm Lauren. I am currently studying Early Childhood and Special Education at Bloomsburg University. This is my first time traveling to

Kenya but something tells me it won't be my last. Helping people is my passion and I'm so excited to see what God has planned for this trip!

I am Melinda. Wife to David for 24 years, mother of four fabulous daughters, owner of (some times) way too many dogs. Puppy Educator for the Seeing Eye, recently involved with Canine Search and Rescue and currently training a dog for therapy work.
And most importantly, a daughter of the King and servant to all.

Bob: Child of God, Husband, Father, Brother, Servant.

Eileen: Married to Bob for 28 years. Fifth grade teacher with the Springfield School District for 26 years. Mother of two grown children, Jillian and Scott. This is my second trip ro Kenya with Providence. I'm looking forward to sharing the experience with my husband and visiting with the TI staff and Kenyan folks I met in 2009.

My name is A.J. and I am 28 years old. I have been happily married for over 4 years to Tina (who is also on the Kenya trip) but no children just yet. I am currently the production manager for an electronic design and manufacturing company called Nth Solutions. Some of my hobbies include snowboarding, fishing, and woodworking. I managed a pizza shop after college for about 6 years before deciding that the food business was not for me.

My name is Tina, and I am the proud wife to AJ, my high school sweetheart (the ridiculously good-looking man that's standing next to me in this picture). Whenever I find a moment to relax from the hub-bub of life, you can typically find me spending time with AJ or the Lord, lost in a really intense book, behind the lens of a camera, fishing on Marsh Creek Lake, baking unhealthy delicious goodies, or playing 'Scattergories-clean' over Skype with my sister in Florida (play a round of Scattergories, clean for five minutes fast,...repeat!). What? Who said playing games can't be a motivator to clean!

**NOT PICTURED**

My name is Steph, I'm eighteen years old, and I graduated from highschool five days ago.
I'm an illustrator and writer, and I will be spending next semester in Europe at Calvary Chapel Bible College. I plan to attend the Rhode Island School of Design, majoring in Illustration or Animation the following year. This trip to Kenya will likely be one of the highlights of my summer, and I'm looking forward to the service, the people, and cultural beauty.

My name is Jules Englund. I'm 20 years old and I am about to finish cosmetology school. I currently work as a makeup artist and at Avante Salon at Main Street Exton. And I love life:)