Our Last Day

Wednesday, January 2nd
We were so excited to wake up this morning and realize we actually had electricity! We hurried thru breakfast as the girls were especially anxious to go down to the babies. After talking to their driver, the Jacobs decided to stay and go home when originally planned. They would not be able to travel to Tenwek because that would take them directly thru the towns where a lot of the trouble had been and was continuing. But if they went south and then west they would be able to go to the Masai Mara without any trouble. Dan was also wanting to speak to Mwangi and the other workers before their family came home.
About ten construction workers showed up today. There was a deep concern for them and if it was safe to have them work today. After a time of prayer with the men, Dan and Jamie decided to send them all home with pay. They were from different tribes, and while there would not be any trouble inside the walls of the baby center, it could cause trouble once they left, especially if it was starting to get dark. Mwangi was unable to come today and as we had not been able to contact him by phone, we were quite concerned and prayed God would protect him and his family.
We packed our things and tried to take advantage of the rest of the time we had here.
Margie came out today and it was good to spend time with her. The water truck also came today! PRAISE GOD! We had been praying for his safe passage and he was finally here. We all said we will never take water for granted again. My daughters even vowed to take shorter showers when we got home. I hope that lasts!
Although we didn't talk about it, we all were thinking about how the next day might go when we had to travel to the airport. We had heard from home that there was going to be a prayer meeting at the church today at 4:00pm Indiana time (midnight Kenya time). We were so humbled and excited that our congregation at home was gathering to pray for our safety. Although we were all wondering about what tomorrow might hold, we all felt peace and actually joy. The country we were in was on the brink of a possible civil war and we were at peace! Phillipians 4:7 says And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. And we felt that peace in a very real way. Of course there were times when doubt and fear entered our minds but God was faithful to remind us of His goodness and power. He also reminded us of verses we could hang on to. For me, I began to have a lot of fear after I had talked to my son. He saw on TV that the British Government told all of their citizens who were in Nairobi to stay in their hotels and delay their travel plans. I began to wonder if it was wise to take our group into Nairobi tomorrow. It especially hit me as I went to bed - what would I do if someone tried to hurt our daughters or the other two young ladies with us? I was having a hard time falling asleep until I remembered a verse Jenny Shaw had sent to me when Jamie went on his first mission trip. It was Psalms 4:8 - I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. I realized that no matter what happened the Lord would be with us and HE was our safe dwelling place not the baby center! I soon fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.