Saturday 2-9-08

[I'm writing this at 4:45 AM Sunday Morning. Seems my sleep clock isn't adjusted yet, but still had 5 good hours of sleep] Busy day. We went to the downtownfresh meat and vegetable market first; bought fresh fish, beef, chicken, goat, lamb. Yes, I said goat. Here is Clementine and JP bargaining for the price of the fish and chicken...it is the way it is done. By the way, here is a picture of the kids, Victoria (Vickie-2yrs)and Samuel (Sam, Sammy, and 'dude', the name given by Joe Davis, whom they affectionately call Granpa Joe).

I treated the kids to ice cream after the shopping so they are endeared to me for life now!

JP and I met with the Africa Area Director for WORLD CONCERN in the afternoon. It is amazing to learn that once the crisis of setting up relief is over, the politics start and we spent a long time learning what was going on currently as JP had be out the last couple of weeks. Between the UN, Int'l Red Cross,WR and WC, food is being distributed for the most part as needed. There are over 200 camps, ranging from a few people (handled mostly by churches)to 10,000+, handled by Red Cross, supposedly. Sounds like there needs to be clarification over who is really doing the work vs. who is getting the funding. We are meeting today with one of the key pastors to start plans for dealing with all of this Monday.

In the evening JP and Clementine hosted 2 wonderful ladies from WR hdqtrs, Debbie, who is the Int'l Director of Health and Gail, who is the Executive Assist. the president of WR, Sammy Mah. We went to a brazilian type restaurant and got enough protein for the month in our tummies. Aligator and Ostrich meat balls were new for me. Came home and crashed at 11:00 PM

We are leaving at 6AM to drive to a nat'l park just 15 minutes from JP's house, in time for the animals to be out feeding. it is a place where you drive through! it should be very interesting. We go straight from there to the Nairobi Chapel church for 10:30 services, meeting with the Pastor afterwards, and then lunch I assume. I'll be moving into my studio apartment this afternoon; visited yesterday to see what was needed. It is effecient, and perfect for the occasion. Only one drawback: it is 4 stories up, and there is no 'lift' (elevator). So i will get my excercise, for sure!

Pray for our meeting today...it is critical on some other issues...and for the ones to take place next week, including one with the government colonel in charge of security and authority for the IDP camps, the UN, the World Food Program, WC, and the council of churches.