What I am Thankful For

Kenyans don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but luckily I am in Nairobi now at a guesthouse for missionaries. We will have a traditional turkey dinner over lunch time.  Believe me, I will eat my fair share of food.  Later today I will be connecting with Steve and Judi before they fly out to the U.S. and some other friends later tonight. I will have to wait until Friday afternoon to watch a replay of the Cowboys Thanksgiving Day Game.

I started out writing the top ten things I am thankful for, but there is so much to be thankful that I kept on going to 15 and still left out many.  So here are some random things that I am thankful for (in no particular order)...

1. having the best parents in the world
2. good health free from malaria, worms, amoebas and any other bug
3. a great, reliable vehicle that can carry almost an entire football team and also has a cooler box (even thogh I don't even have a fridge at home)
4. wonderful brothers, sisters-in-law and 4 great nieces and nephews that I miss a ton
5. lake flies (God tells us to give thanks in all circumstances, and that includes nasty, annoying swarms of lake flies)
6. sports- what would life be like without competition?
7. a safe home with solar power, a nice napping couch and a cozy bed
8. a purpose and mission in life with a clear calling from God
9. friends- Kenyan friends who are so warm, friendly and hospitable, and U.S. friends who continue to support and encourage me and are always there for me
10. friends and family who set such a great example for me as they help to advance God's Kingdom in the U.S. and throughout the world
11.  working for a ministry like CGA that takes the downtrodden and disadvantaged children and gives them a hope for this life and for eternity
12. consistent rains throughout East Africa that give some relief to this region that has been suffering from drought and famine which has caused skyrocketing food prices
13. God's faithful provision which gives me the opportunity to serve Him in Mbita
14. to see students and players growing and maturing academically, socially, physically and spiritually
15. A God who loves us so much that He would send his own son to suffer and die on the cross to free us from the bondage of sin and death and give us a new life!  

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

From Teacher to Nurse

A former CGA volunteer teacher graduated from Tenwek School of Nursing this weekend. Mourine Ooro had worked at CGA as a volunteer from 2006-2007 after she had finished secondary school. There was a time she considered going to teacher training college so she could be a trained teacher, but felt God leading her to study nursing. She joined Tenwek in 2008 and has worked diligently to achieve her dream. In August, she passed her National Nursing Exam and has been employed at Tenwek Hospital.

I stacked Mourine’s family (parents plus 4 siblings), along with six other friends into my landcruiser and we travelled together to Bomet on Friday to share with her on her Graduation Day. They had a special banquet on Friday night for the graduates and their families. The graduation ceremony was highlighted by a great a wonderful message from Pastor Meshack Habib about overcoming obstacles. All of Mourine’s friends and family enjoyed a nice meal down by the dam and shared a few moments together before departing.

Mourine has personally been a very good friend of mine since she first started working at CGA back in 2006.  I am proud of Mourine’s achievement and wish her the best as she takes the love of God with her in ministering to her patients.

National Trials

One of our Suba Laker Girls received an invitation to attend the Under 19 National Ladies Team Trials in Nairobi this weekend. Caren Akeyo travelled eight hours to reach Kenya's capital city for the first time in her life. Seventy players from across the country were invited for the tryouts. The twenty five players selected will represent the country during a tournament in Lesotho which is near South Africa. The players camped at a very nice hotel called Sabina Country Inn which is where the National Youth Talent Academy is currently calling home. They conducted the tryouts at Nyayo National Stadium.

After the first day Coach Florence Adhiambo made cuts and sent twenty players back home. Caren survived the first cut but wasn't so fortunate on Sunday. She didn't make the final cut, but the coaches were impressed with her ability and asked her to come back in two weeks for the under 17 tryouts they will be having as they prepare a team to compete in The Netherlands in December. Caren is only 16, but shined while competing against some of the best players in the country.

Looking Ahead to Secondary

Our ten Standard 8 students finished their National Exams on Thursday and are now anxiously awaiting their results which will be released at the end of December. We are hoping and praying that they will do well and have the opportunity to continue their education in secondary school if they pass and God provides the funds for them.

Four of those students were invited to a secondary school for a tryout this weekend. Our club chairman, Paul Onundo, and our team manager Eunice Oluwanda, and myself (Joe Peterson) were able to drive Raisha, Alicent, Lydia and Leah to Siaya County to visit Jera Mixed Secondary School. Jera is a powerhouse in girls football winning the Nyanza Provencial Championship 11 times in the 14 years since the province began competing in girls football. This past year they won the province again and made it to the National Semifinals with mostly 1st year students before getting defeated by the eventual national champions. One of their first year students from Jera was one of two girls in the country selected to go for a special training with Manchester United.

The school was a little bit far from Mbita. After crossing the ferry, it took us two more hours driving before we reached. Upon entering the school gate we were greeted by their players who were ready to give us a tour of the school. It is a medium sized school with around 500 students. Each grade has three classes of around 50 each which is a good size for a Kenyan school (most have more than that in each class). The staff and students were very friendly and helpful to all of us. It seemed like a big family with the way they interacted.

After the tour, the girls filled out an information sheet and then they were given a uniform to change into. It was the same uniform that Jera was given when they qualified for Nationals. The Jera players took the girls through warm-up drills before they started playing.

Playing in front of all the students and staff of the school, our girls didn't show any nervousness and competed hard, mixed in with the regular Jera players and other girls trying out. Alicent scored a goal within the first ten minutes and the others also displayed their talents, while playing very good team ball. They played three halves which gave the coaches enough time to evaluate the players, but tired the players out; especially since the ones trying out have not been training very much over the past few months while they were preparing for their national exams. Alicent closed the games with the final goal. After practicing their penalty kicks, they did some stretching and talked in a group for a while. The program closed with a great meal and speeches by various teachers from the school and the special guests.

Overall, we were very impressed with the friendliness of the staff and students. We liked how organized they were. The school's academic performanceis above average, but they really try to focus on holistic education by helping their students develop their talents and abilities in many areas. It is obvious their coach really knows football and how to train a football team. He is an honest man who interacts very positively with the girls.

Once the results come out in late December they will offer some of these players an opportunity to come to their school for a reduced school fee. We were grateful to Jera for giving our girls the opportunity to come and tryout.