Christmas Vacation

COUNT DOWN TO CHRISTMAS!!!

Third Week of Advent

This week, we begin our final two weeks of vacation time enjoying some fun with Ava who is already on her December School break (Tristan and Emma have only one week left to go!). On Sunday, we worshiped at the International Christian Fellowship and had fun helping Mommy with Christmas cookie decorating -- our kitchen has become Santa's workshop!

Daddy, Mommy and Ava enjoying a date day at

Amani Ya Juu's tea garden and sewing project

There were lots of little wonders to see...

...But our Ava was best of all!

Happy Fifth Birthday Ava!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AVA

Today we celebrated Ava's 5th Birthday

with some of our friends. Ava was excited

to have her buddies Njeri and Braydon

over to go swimming at a local pool

and celebrate at our home.

Ready to cut the cake!

Ava with auntie Mo and auntie Kerry!

Kerry, Mel, Erica, Whinny, Tom,

Ava, Cabbie, Njeri, Diana, Emma and Braydon

Skating with friends

Ice skating at the Solar Ice Rink

at the Panari Sky Hotel, Nairobi

Emma and Diana -- Cookie Elves!

After church today, we brought some friends with us for a picnic at the "Solar Ice Rink". Along with our sandwiches we enjoyed some super oatmeal cookies made by Emma and her friend Diana, who stayed up late together last night baking cookies.

Ava skating with the help of a penguin

Amanda and Emma

Our friend Amanda Lindhout also joined us for the picnic and skate. She is just back from a visit to Canada. Amanda and her organization, The Global Enrichment Foundation, is returning to Somalia this week for a second food convoy to the famine affected areas.

Tristan and Daddy on the ice

This was Aaron's first time back on skates after he cracked his ribs this past June. He was feeling very good, as he helped the kids around the rink.

Erica & Amanda

Michael Lower and Tristan

Diana Ojeda & Emma trying out their skates

Tristan, Ava and Michael on the ice

"Don't fall!"

Weekend Getaway!

Walking along the shores of the Indian Ocean

in front of the Bahari Beach Hotel, Mombasa

This past weekend, we enjoyed three nights away from Nairobi with our kids at the Bahari Beach Hotel, a small German resort on the coast of Kenya. With only a few weeks left in our kid's summer vacation, we were glad to get away and enjoy some fun in the sun.

Riding Tuk Tuks in Mombasa, Kenya

Along with riding Matatus, the local mini buses, we enjoy taking tuk tuks when getting around Mombasa. A tuk tuk is a little three-wheeled taxi motor bike. Given the way that people drive in Kenya, this style of public transport is a thrill!

Making castles in the sand at Nyali Beach, Mombasa

The high winds of this time of year can churn up the ocean, but our kids still had a great time digging in the sand and swimming in the hotel pool. It is wonderful to see how well Tristan, Emma and Ava look after each other. This was Ava's first time really swimming in the pool. She left her floaties behind and bravely swam with the big kids. We had lots of pool competitions and games, Emma still reigns as our family speed boat in the water!

Beach Babies!!!

April Showers

Directors Erica and Kim

in drama rehearsals at Rosslyn Academy

This is the fifth elementary drama production that Erica has directed with her friend Kim Remich at Rosslyn Academy. This Spring's performance is called Parablelooza, by Jimmy and Gail Getzen, it is a musical game show based on the parables of Jesus.

Emma and Josh Hyodo rehearsing their role as referees for the drama which plays on the evening of April 29th.

April has been a wet month in Nairobi, as we are finally receiving some rain. The grass is bright green and everything is growing in our garden. Along with work, we are enjoying some great family time in the evenings and weekends. For Aaron's upcoming birthday (which falls this year on Easter Sunday), we are planning a family camping trip in the Rift Valley.

We are looking forward to hosting Thomas Coldwell and Jen Fry, two students from Crandall University, for the month of May. Both Thomas and Jen will be volunteering as student interns with the Iftin Women's Empowerment Program in Eastleigh. A major area of focus will be supporting the stars of peace youth group which has been struggling over the past six months. Please be praying for them and the Iftin program.

We hope that you have a wonderful Easter and that spring has found you where ever you are this April!

God Bless,

The Kennys

The boys on the way out to a friends barbecue with...

...the girls!

"HAPPY EASTER"

Zombie Invasion...

Attack of the Zombies

We knew that our kids were "dead tired" after a long sports day in the hot sun, but we had no idea how bad it was. Once we got home from the Rosslyn sports day, they disappeared to Emma's bedroom only to return in a strange condition.

"Brains! Brains!"

Naomi Godwin was transformed into this creature of terror!

The zombies corning poor frightened Erica...

...Beware of the Zombies!

Christmas Vacation!

Boxing Day Battles!

We are enjoying a great Christmas vacation with our children; after such an intense fall it has been so nice to play together at home without having to think about our next trip or ministry assignment. The kids have been enjoying all of the attention.

On Boxing Day, we had a great water war in our yard, setting up large buckets for our water blasters. We also brought a slip n'slide back with us from Canada this summer, which has been a great source of fun!

Careful "Agent M", the evil TK

is sneaking up on you!

We've appreciated all of the Christmas greetings and emails over the past few weeks. We are so blessed to have so many great friends and family thinking and praying for us and the ministries we are a part of here in Africa. We'll have lots to write about in the coming year, but for now please excuse us for their is another battle brewing in Tristan's bedroom.... a video game maybe?

Baby Susan's first Christmas

We've also been blessed by little Susan who has been sharing Christmas with us. Please remember her, and thousands of orphans like her within Kenya. Presently the Nest Children's Home has about a dozen infants who need a loving family.

Little Goose!

Ava -- Our Silly Goose!

This morning Ava's kindergarten class at Potterhouse ended their fall semester with a part in the annual Christmas performance. Ava was very excited to sing her songs and dress up with her friends.

Ava and her classmates celebrating

a great performance!

Now... It's Christmas Vacation!!!!

Campfire Season

Campfire Season

With the end of the fall rains (which didn't amount to much unfortunately), our family marks the beginning of Advent with campfires in our backyard. It has been a fun tradition to share in as we approach Christmas, singing Christmas carols around the campfire and lighting our Advent candles within the wreath.We kicked off the first campfire with our friends Mel and Kerry who joined us for a hot dog roast.

Last night, we also had a great evening with our friends Amy and Sammy, their families and wedding party as we had a rehearsal party campfire at our home. We are excited for their wedding this Saturday.

Tristan firing up his dog

Emma and Kerry

Melanie and Erica

Fun around the fire!

Feeling Better!

Yahoo!

Tristan, Emma and Ava up and ready for school

after a long week at home with illness

Ava was very excited to go school and show her friends her new purple hair extensions that our friend Carol gave her on Sunday afternoon.

Erica with our friend Atalie in the Iftin Literacy Class

This is a festive week in Eastleigh as the Somali and Oromo community prepares for three days of celebration around Eid. Although the number of students in the English literacy classes are down, there is still much activity going on within the Iftin Women's Empowerment Program as the Self Help Groups work on strengthening their micro enterprise development initiatives and 30 of the Iftin women have begun community based skills training courses in computer technology, tailoring and hair dressing.

Please be keeping the Iftin women in your prayers, as they prepare for a Women's Empowerment Conference coming up in December. This will be an opportunity for the Iftin members to share all that they have been doing with their community and local leaders, and a chance to encourage the women to keep moving forward as they hear from local and international leaders who will be coming to spur them on.

Atalie getting to know the girls in class three

What do women wear?

Atalie and Tunis at the front of the class exchanging Somali and English words for common women's garments in Western and Muslim culture. Anyone wear a gorgorad, hijab, or dira lately? Along with these Muslim terms, the ladies have some wonderful slang expressions as well -- a face covering that only shows the eyes -- a "ninja"! Leggings -- "Skin tights".

What they are: a gorgorad is a petticoat, hijab is a headcover, and a dira is a flowery dress.