august12,2009

Sept - October - November - December - January - February - March - April - May - June - July

Dear Family and Friends,

July has been an amazing month. Every month has been though.

We have had fun telling you about our work here, but often our work and play are combined. This is happening more and more as those we minister to become our friends and those who minister to us are our friends. The Form Four students at Raila Educational Centre had a stressful month continuing to prepare for their final exams. With such stress, it was a pleasure to offer ways for them to relax. Lydia kept up the running club and doing aerobics with the girls. Lydia's brother, Stephen, played many games of soccer out in the schoolyard. Tyler got a chance to take the boys he's mentoring to watch Kenya's national soccer team play a match.

(Aerobics class!)

(Post workout snack and hydration)

This month was also characterized by speaking opportunities. Women's Bible studies, group counseling of secondary students, marketing seminar, preaching in church, women’s refugee support group. We didn't do all the speaking though. We put our visitors to "work." It was fun for Lydia and her brother Stephen to do a “tag team sermon” for the Women’s Bible Study at the school. Stephen also helped with group counseling and conducted a training with Tyler in the field with businesspeople. Deanna, one of Lydia's best friends from college, was all over the place at the school and she spoke to the women refugees.

(Lydia and Stephen team preaching)

(Tyler and Stephen teaching marketing principles)

(Deanna with the women refugees)

If any of you have traveled overseas, you know it can be difficult for you to pronounce various words and people’s names, and difficult for people to pronounce your name. Tyler has been actively working with a church in a slum near our home, Kawangware. Despite knowing the church very well, he was introduced one Sunday before preaching as “…this great man of God, Thailand”. He has also been known as “Tyra” “Taylor” and “Tyrel” J We really appreciate moments of humor like that!

(Tyler and his translator at the church in Kawangware)

In addition to the five week visit from Stephen and the two week visit from Deanna, we had some other visitors who blessed us with their presence. Volunteers for First Love, Charlotte and Bethany spent time in our home, friends from college, Andrew and Kally Strutzenberg, and friends from Washington D.C., Blake and Sarah Edwards.

(Lydia and Deanna with two adorable students)

We are also so excited to share with you that we're pregnant! Lydia is due to deliver a little after Christmas. We cannot be more thrilled about this gift. We will be heading to Kansas at the end of September. Tyler is going to return to Congressman Jerry Moran's office, but now working in Salina. Please be praying for this transition. It is going to be difficult to say "goodbye" to the people here. We are also working hard to make sure our projects and initiatives will be sustainable after we go.

We have felt God's provision through your prayers and support for a year now. We couldn't be more grateful. We hope you and your family are doing well, many blessings on you all!

With much love,

Tyler and Lydia

(One of the vehicles in our caravan home from Mombasa broke down in the middle of nowhere)

(Evidence of the extreme drought crippling Kenya)