Sept 11-13, 2009
LE WEEKEND,,,,,,,,that’s French for the weekend 
Friday took us to Dunga Beach,,,we try to spend every Friday morning there and people are getting to know that a bible study will happen connie with the women and me with the men and assisted by our good friends who interpret for us when needed
Dunga is a fishing village on the lake and just for your information there is no beach that’s too bad.
We choose a book from the bible and apply it to our peoples lives,,,,,,some people sit there and drink in every word while others fall asleep,,,,we try to get participation going and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t
A girl named Evelyn came to speak to us about her brother Jolyon,,,,,,he’s 19 yrs old and bed ridden,,,,,,,,a year ago he broke his leg and was admitted to hospital,,,a cast was applied to his leg and later removed when it was thought ready,,,,,,apparently his break had not healed and there is no money for further treatment
So he lays there all day every day,,,,his leg is swollen and he is in pain sometimes he get to eat and at other times he doesn’t
An old lady we had visited some weeks ago had died the night before ,,,,,her house was “around the corner”, and literally was around the corner,,,,,,usually when people tell you this the house is miles away
The lady was in Dunga support group and she had HIVAids,,,,,,,we went to commiserate with her family to find the lady was on the floor with a sheet pulled over her and a young girl was keeping watch,,,,,but didn’t know anything of the arrangements,,,,,,,,after praying we started to leave and bumped into her grandaughter,,,,,,,when asked about the arrangements she told us there was no money or land that belonged to the lady where she could be buried,,,,,,,,,to be ctd
Today is Saturday and the afternoon finds us at the district hospital, we were supposed to be visiting someone from ring road church but he wasn’t to be found,,,,,,,so while we were there we thought we would stay and pray,,,,,,,,,,
This is where we begin to cry,,,,,,,,,its always crowded but today instead of two sharing a bed there were patients on the floor,,,,,,one man was more dead than alive he was covered in vomit and faeces with flies all over him,,,,,,he was in a coma and his eyes were protruding from their sockets,,,,his lips were pulled back from his teeth and I could get no reaction from him,,,,,,,his body was emaciated and contorted and all that I could do was pray that he would die,,,,,,I lay my hands upon him and prayed to our merciful God to release him from his suffering
He was a prisoner and it seems that prisoners are not treated and so it begs the question why a hospital admission other than they are not wanted in the prison system,,,,,,there was another man beside him on the floor handcuffed to a bed leg also unconscious and there were ten other prisoners besides,
There are two wards full of men two to a bed all suffering,,,,some were hot to the touch and others cold and clammy,,,,,,some were alert but many were out of it ,,,by far the majority were young men with wives who could do nothing for their men,,,,,we started praying at one end of the wards and worked our way around until everyone had a received a prayer,,,,,,,,and everyone was so gratefull,,,,,,,it broke our hearts to see so much pain and anguish and yet we were able to leave,,,,,,,, and they couldn’t
We came home and fixed something to eat and they couldn’t, we could get on with our lives,,,,,,,, and they couldn't

Highlights of the week Purple Heart awarded to missionary wounded in action
On Wednesday we were on visitation,,,,,that is visiting the sick in the slums,,,,,,some houses in the slums are squeezed on top of each other and building codes are only vague concepts, of the past,,,,,as you walk through the neighbor hoods the children are forever calling out mazunga,mazunga,,,,,how are you??? At this Connie turned around to wave and call back and as she turned back to go the way she was heading she ran into the corner of a metal roof, BANG!!!!! The crash was enormous and reverberated throughout the district, everyone was frozen still even the bird’s stopped singing, the sudden silence was uncanny.
Connie was already feeling unwell and this just about took her out,,,, she now has a circular scar on her forhead,,,,, luckily her bangs cover up the worst of it,,,,,,,,

As part of johns immersion into the culture as well as his yearning to become anonymous,,,,,,he shaved his head,,,,,, connie just laughed,,,,,,, she said I had longer hairs growing out of my ears than were on my head, it was a bit of a shock but now many days later I think I like it,,,,,,,Grace who works in the kitchen at ring road says I look younger, she is currently my favorite at the moment

Water conservation,,,,,,,,we can have a full body shower standing in a regular bowl and not overflow it in the process then we take the bowl of water and use it to flush the toilet and we can get two wee’s for the one bowl,,,,how good is that?:)
We still have water issues so it makes you very careful
We are gradually furnishing the house and all of it is wicker,,,,,totally sustainable and locally made,,,,,,one chair = 500 ksh = $6,,,,,,,,perfect!
We have a mattress of memory foam,,,,,,,you lay in it over night and it leaves a hole that stays all the next day and is still there when you go back to bed,,,,,,,,great
Its nearly 8; 30 so its time to go to bed, God bless you all

With much love,,,,,,,connie and john