July 1, 2006 Update
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All the children of Tumaini come to church now in their new Sunday clothes which were made by the Sewing Department. The boys have gray striped trousers with matching vests and white shirts, the girls have lavender dresses with lace trim, and the young women have jackets and skirts. They all look smart enough to go to a reception at the President’s house. There are numerous festivals and competitions going on now in the schools, and the celebration of the 43rd anniversary of the Nyeri Presbytery is coming up soon, so we’re hearing lots of singing and reciting as the children practice for these events. Brian and Katie Thomas from Healy, Alaska have been living here in Tumaini since September, and have been teaching in the local schools. Their web site is www.briankatiethomas.freeservers.com. They are leaving soon and the children will miss them a lot. They taught some of the children how to play the keyboard and the guitars, and these lessons will end when they leave, so visitors with musical talents will be most welcome. Marilyn has been helping the youngest children to read bible stories in English – and to do some artwork. Our windows are decorated with play dough faces and watercolor paintings of rainbows from Noah’s Ark. And now they are making puppets to act out the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. Last week we ventured north of the equator (about 30 miles) to a Benedictine Monastery where the brothers have created a display depicting the “African Bible on the Ground”. Plaques, signs, stones, wooden crosses and huts are arranged along a winding footpath in the woods, and they show the relationship between Christian biblical teachings and African beliefs and customs. We spent several hours, in peaceful surroundings, viewing and discussing the work.
Dressed for Church
Guitar Practice
Daniel and Simbas
African Bible