The first project to reach completion was the beds we were making for Caleb and Bethanie. For our first few weeks here we had both their matresses balanced on a single rickety bed frame, with sheets that didn't fit properly. Now thanks to Deborah's fitted sheets and Justin's new bed frames, putting them to bed is much less stressful than it used to be!
The house has raced through its different stages of construction - week 3 was spent on the ring beam, trusses and fixing the zinc on the roof. Here's a picture to prove that I have done some work (though I think I only slow things down when I get involved!)
As you can see, by the end of the week, the extension looked substantially complete.
There has been plenty more action on the sand pile too. We had great fun one Saturday making a sand fort, complete with draw bridge and river crossing. We finished up cooking fish (leaves) on our camp fire...
I was able to return to Gasmalah to preach again two Sundays ago. It was good to make some time for this in the midst of all the building work. The rain kept me guessing about how to travel and whether to take the family - in the end it was just me and I got a lift on the quad bike half way there and walked back in the blazing sun - 1 hour 15 minutes, phew!
This is a lovely picture of an old chap reading his Mabaan bible after the service.
And here are all the men talking and eating, which is what they like to do...
Caleb has enjoyed a few good times playing with the children in the next door compound (which belongs to Joseph our night guard). This picture was taken at the end of a session colouring in sticks and stones with chalk.
Week 4 on the house saw Rob and Emily move out and us bashing big holes in the original house as we moved doors and windows around.
Meanwhile, Deborah continued to do a fantastic job of doing school for the kids, keeping the tukel clean and organised, and keeping us amazingly well fed. Here's them busy with school, making music with Pepsi bottles (I'm a Coke man myself...)
Deborah has nobly taken on organising Lunch Club while Vicki is in Nairobi. Here's a picture of her helping a stand-in cook prepare lunch one day last week.
The house has also gained a rather lovely kitchen verandar somewhere in the past 2 weeks - we think it will be a real bonus to have this space outside.
The cildren have kept Daddy company quite a lot as he works on the house, making concoctions out of sand, mud, cement and anything else they can lay their hands on. Caleb has built his own little brick house and has been having a go at plastering along with Reuben and Leman. Here's Bethanie enjoying an improvised see-saw!
Sadly we had to say a rather sudden goodbye to Reuben last Sunday. Our flight schedule has been severely disrupted by one of our main carriers being grounded, so we took the chance to get him on a flight a few days earlier than planned. As well as doing a brilliant job on the house, he has been a much loved addition to our family these past four weeks. We will all miss him very much.
To celebrate the near completion of the house and thank Reuben and Leman for all their hard work, we ate out in the market on Saturday - my first experience of eating at a genuine market stall. It was very tasty!
And here are all the men talking and eating, which is what they like to do...
Caleb has enjoyed a few good times playing with the children in the next door compound (which belongs to Joseph our night guard). This picture was taken at the end of a session colouring in sticks and stones with chalk.
Week 4 on the house saw Rob and Emily move out and us bashing big holes in the original house as we moved doors and windows around.
Meanwhile, Deborah continued to do a fantastic job of doing school for the kids, keeping the tukel clean and organised, and keeping us amazingly well fed. Here's them busy with school, making music with Pepsi bottles (I'm a Coke man myself...)
Deborah has nobly taken on organising Lunch Club while Vicki is in Nairobi. Here's a picture of her helping a stand-in cook prepare lunch one day last week.
The house has also gained a rather lovely kitchen verandar somewhere in the past 2 weeks - we think it will be a real bonus to have this space outside.
The cildren have kept Daddy company quite a lot as he works on the house, making concoctions out of sand, mud, cement and anything else they can lay their hands on. Caleb has built his own little brick house and has been having a go at plastering along with Reuben and Leman. Here's Bethanie enjoying an improvised see-saw!
Sadly we had to say a rather sudden goodbye to Reuben last Sunday. Our flight schedule has been severely disrupted by one of our main carriers being grounded, so we took the chance to get him on a flight a few days earlier than planned. As well as doing a brilliant job on the house, he has been a much loved addition to our family these past four weeks. We will all miss him very much.
To celebrate the near completion of the house and thank Reuben and Leman for all their hard work, we ate out in the market on Saturday - my first experience of eating at a genuine market stall. It was very tasty! The same flight that took Reuben away also brought a much delayed Birthday present for Caleb - thanks Jon & Ruth and family, we got it in the end!
.jpg)
