Work has begun!

Hi everyone!
I hope everyone is doing well in the States as the school year wraps up and summer begins. We are doing great here in Malindi!
On Monday we visited several sites where the medical camp is going to be. We checked out the set up and what facilities we would be working with.
We also visited one of the schools I would be working with. The village recognized the need and built this school themselves. It is a mission school and their goal is to give a quality education to their children. The children are all taught in English. The school feeds the students lunch. For the majority of students, this is their only meal they get because of their poverty. Many are orphans as well. The school is made up of mud huts and concrete buildings. The school is trying their best and doing a wonderful job. The teachers have so little material to work with. For a while only the teachers had a textbook and none of the students. The teachers use cardboard to make flash cards. The school hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. It has a nursery school up to 8th grade. There are around 200 students. The school provides training in different occupations so when the students leave they will have a trade they can use. This will help them be more productive adults. I feel this would be a wonderful ministry to support and help. The school has trouble finding enough money to help buy all the food for lunch. E-mail me if you would like to donate. I am going next week to help out and give my supplies I brought. It will be a small donation to what they really need.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Courtney and I went with Margerent to visit single mothers. Margaerent works for Caris Foundation. She is a 60 year old woman who loves working with people and sharing with them the joy of Christ. She is amazing and inspiring. We visited an elderly man who had lost his 9 bedroom home and now lives in a mud hut. He was very depressed. We tried to encourage him and we prayed with him! I had never been in a mud hut. It was very humbling. We have so much in America- if fact too much. Here was a man who lost everything and is now living in a mud hut with nothing. I feel the need to give more to the people on this side of the world. It was amazing that this man could still smile. I know many people who have more material things than this old man but cannot smile. This man could smile because he has the Lord! I want to challenge and encourage you to give more both physical and spiritual! You might think you have nothing to give but you do! You have more than you know. So thank God for how blessed you are and pray that He may bless the old man.
We also visited a single mother with 7 children. Margerent gave her a spiritual assessment test. She does this to get background information and to see where help is needed. What an experience to be in the African bush experiencing their daily life with them. I saw a woman making corn flour. It was very hard work. I can not even wrap my mind around how different my life is from an African. Margerent goes and encourages these women in the rain, traveling hours just to see one single mother who lives far out! Margerent was a wonderful person to see working and I hope I can be like her. She taught me more about Jesus' love for all people. We also started language learning Wednesday morning. Chad is awesome at learning language is already way ahead. It takes me much longer but we are learning! The people love it when you practice with them.
We plan to go to another small school Thursday and Friday.
We have loved being here. It has made us think more about our life styles and what it means to act like Jesus. It has tested our faith and I know we are growing as Christians. I feel we are making differences in the lives of children we come in contact with, the single mothers and the old man we prayed with. I am excited to see God use us more and more. I pray we are VERY tired by the time it is ready to come home!
Please pray for our health- we have started to get tummy aches because of the different food. Pray that God uses us and gives us many opportunities to share His love, power, and hope. Pray that God gives the right words to say to people! And just pray that God is with us always!
I decided to do a Life in Africa section as we learn more about the culture, so here is another:
1. Always take off your shoes when entering a house. It is so you don't track in dirt.
2. It is common to burp after a meal. It is sign that you are full. (We haven't done this yet)
3. There is no ice for drinks.
4. African time is completely different from American time. In America, if you say you are going to be somewhere at 9 a.m. you are there and if it is after 9 a.m. you are late. In Africa, you can say you will be there at 9 a.m. and not show up for another hour. That is normal. It is a much slower pace of life as well.
5. When it rains, we have learned you do not drive on dirt roads unless you have 4 wheel drive. The boys had an experience with rain and dirt roads. Lets just say we were all glad they made it back safely!
6. We have learned toilets are a luxury. Most "toilets" here are what we call: squaty potties. No toilet...just a dirt hole. :) Welcome to Africa!
Chad spotted the first snake. It was on our roof- but harmless. We are still watching out for the bad ones.
We love you all!
Blessings,
Chad and Whitney