August '08 | September '08 | October '08 | November '08 | December '08 |
Thank you Leslie and Mike for caring for our home where we were away – and thank you too Brenda and Tony and sons for leasing our Roton Point unit. You all helped a lot to make our trip to India and Kenya possible.
We celebrated our 18th anniversary quietly, on the 6th. Then on the 8th, we rejoyed with friends at Noroton Presbyterian Church for the wedding of Katy and Rod.
It was great to see Rev. Ed Danks there, and for us to remember our wedding in the NPC chapel, at which Ed officiated. Thank you Ed for being there for us then. And also thank you for helping to build Tumaini Children’s Home and for inspiring us to work with children in Kenya.
The next weekend, we celebrated at NPC again – this time for Connie and David Jordan-Haas’ 17 years of caring ministry. As Pastor Sam, said “It’s a bittersweet time – a time to embrace and a time to let go”. We miss them – and pray that they will love their new life in Viena, VA.
Russ Brine spent a weekend with us. He is Manager of St. John Bosco Rehabilitation Centre in Kitali, Kenya which serves destitute street children. Their families came to Kitali from the arid Turkana region in Northern Kenya, out of desperation, to flee from extreme poverty and hunger.
Rescued children are invited to live at the Centre and to participate in a two year program of rehabilitation from street life. They receive informal education that prepares them for enrollment in formal primary schools. Currently, over 200 children are being served. After rehabilitation, the children return to living full time with their families – and the Centre continues to sponsor them in primary, secondary and vocational schools.
Russ attended all six masses at St. John Church in Darien, and told parishioners the Bosco story. St. John Church has been sponsoring four Bosco students, and will, we hope, sponsor more in 2009. Thank you to all those who have already contributed. If you would like to help, please contact Marilyn at parkerma@juno.com
One Thursday, we served hamburgers and chips (viazi in swahili) at Norwalk Emergency Shelter – home to many needy and homeless men, women and children in South Norwalk.
And one Wednesday afternoon, we went to the Goodspeed Opera House on the Connecticut River to see “Big River” based on Mark Twain’s "Adventures of Huckelberry Finn". We loved the music – we’re still humming our favorite song. It is sung as a duet between Huck (blue eyes) and his friend, the slave Jim (brown eyes).
(Roger Miller)
I see the same stars through my window
You see through yours
But we’re worlds apart, worlds apart
I see the same sky through brown eyes
That you see through blue
But we’re worlds apart, worlds apart
Just like the earth
Just like the sun
Two worlds together are better than one
I see the sunrise in your eyes
That you see in mine
But we’re worlds apart, worlds apart
I see the same stars through my window
That you see through yours
But we’re worlds apart, worlds apart
And you see the same skies through brown eyes
That I see through blue
But we’re worlds apart, worlds apart
I see the friendship in your eyes
That you see in mine
But we’re worlds apart, worlds apart
Together, but worlds apart
And a mockingbird sings in the ol’ yonder tree
Twaddle-ee ah dee dee dah dee dee dee
Katy and Rob
Ed and John
David and Connie
Russ Brine and The Cagninas