Massie Update

We finally have internet connection in Moti.  All of us have been sick over the past week.  We have all had Giradia and I (Shalene) have had walking Pneumonia.  We have these diagnosis because of a missionary doctor here that has faithfully seen us and helped us get the right medications.  We are very thankful for Dr. Philip and Linda Byler.   They allowed Abigail and I to stay with them for a night and helped take care of Abigail while I rested.  That was a huge blessing!  They had a new grandson born the night we stayed with them, so it was neat for Abigail to be a “stand in” granddaughter for them to hold.  We were rejoicing with them as they received the news!

Kevin has continued to stay busy helping coordinate clearing of the land and building the fence around our compound.  We took a walk yesterday and he showed me the perimeter of the fence.  It is a lot of land!  He has been pleasantly surprised at how quickly the men have cleared the land. 

My days consist of cooking in our new outdoor kitchen, cleaning, washing diapers, taking care of Abigail, bathing her to keep her cool, and visiting the cooks on the compound.  I am beginning to learn some Arabic from them.   

Abigail is crawling and has her two top teeth coming in.  She loves to play with the musical cards her Grandmother Young bought for our birthdays.  She opens them up and looks up at me with a grin and waits for me to dance and then joins in.  It is so much fun!  She also loves to see the chickens run around the compound.  She looks at them and then at me.  I say, “Chicken, bawk, bawk,” and she laughs and claps.   She loves to go for a ride in the land Cruiser to Torit, which is about 3 ½ miles from Moti.  The rode is VERY bumpy and she squeals and laughs until the rocking puts her to sleep.  The best way for me to carry her is in the Ergo carrier so I can hold her head and brace myself over the bumps.  We could  use the car seat, but that would be to easy and not near as much fun!

Eugenio, our taxi driver friend from Nairobi, visited us for a few days.  He wanted to see what he helped us buy supplies for.

Here we are in front of our Kitchen with our tent in the background.

We have enjoyed having Matt McGowen, our new MWP staff member here.  He is visiting for about 10 days.  He helped Kevin make our bed frame and “re-roof”/ tarp our kitchen just in time for a big rain storm.  The previous day it rained and the kitchen got pretty wet from leaks.  The rain was unexpectedly early.  What a blessing!  It really cooled the air. 

A picture inside our tent.

 We are thankful to be connected again so will be able to send more updates!

Much love and blessings,

Kevin, Shalene, and Abigail

Massie Update

Hello!

Here is a little update from our life here.  We do not yet have internet access, we are visiting some missionary friends and using theirs.  We will be getting it soon.   We are having some problems with our e-mail sending.  I have some e-mails sitting in my out box since Nairobi.  So, if I haven't responded to your e-mail, that is why.   Face book is a great tool to communicate right now!

We are SLOWLY getting settled.  Everything here takes much longer to do than normal.  Kevin was able to get a shelf set up for me in our bamboo kitchen.  It is a BIG step up from balancing our cook stove on a wheel barrow with a small sliver of shade beside our tent.  We now have a good shelter and a big ground mat for Abigail and some of our cooks children to play under.  I love our little kitchen.  It is wonderful to spread out our food and kitchen items and get unpacked.

Kevin has been VERY busy with the laborers on the compound staking out the lines for the fence for the orphanage, and coordinating many other tasks and people around the compound.  They will be putting up the fence soon.  Our bath house a latrine were just completed yesterday.  We are very thankful to have a place to bathe and "squat".   We also installed some wiring and lights yesterday.  So, last night we were able to sit around our tent and kitchen without bugs swarming our faces from our headlamps, and were able to see well!  We were very thankful for these little miracles!

We are excited about having Kimberly, Fred, and Matt (our team and Directors from Make Way Partners) coming to visit us for the weekend!  We also have our taxi driver friend from Nairobi that hopped on a plane we had coming for an unexpected visit.  It is nice to have visitors.

Continue to pray for our adjustments.  Abigail is starting to get adjusted to the heat.  It has been very hot.  The locals say that means the rains are coming early.  Pray for relationships and communication with the workers.  Pray for God's spirit to fill our compound and community!

Blessings and peace,

Kevin, Shalene, and baby Abigail

Massie update from Torit, Sudan

Hello family and friends,

We have arrived safely to our new home in Torit!  Our truck has also arrived safely.  Hallelujah!   We were greeted at the airstrip by Phil and Linda Byler who are missionaries here.  They graciously gave us a place to stay for a few nights.  It has been nice to begin building community with them.  They are very excited to have a “granddaughter” here now. 

It hotter than normal here, but we are faring well.   Abigail seems to be adjusting.  I have to keep her well hydrated. 

Kevin, Romano, and some local men worked hard yesterday dragging our two 20ft. shipping containers off of the truck that we will use as storage.  They also worked hard unloading a 1 ton block making machine off of a truck.  In Sudan, there are no cranes.  So, we have to be creative using trees, manpower, and pullys to move heavy equipment.  It takes much longer than if we were to have the proper equipment, but they always find a way!

Today, we hope to begin setting up our tents and building shelter for some shade. Abigail and I hope to make our way to the market and buy food to cook our first meal on the Hope for Sudan compound.   

We are glad to be here and are very thankful for you all keeping up with us and praying! 

With love,

Kevin, Shalene, and baby Abigail