Thursday, June 9, 2011
Weiglein Advance Team
Catch up with Mike and Vail (who have already been in Kenya for a week) over at www.notagrainofsense.wordpress.com
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Here we go again!
Hey Kenya 2011 Team! We'll try to use this site to connect as we prepare to go back to Kenya -- in just 10 months!
Monday, August 4, 2008
The Parachute Movie
The important work of missions! One of my favorite video clips from the trip. What fun it was to play with these precious kids. --Timothy
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Home at Last
We are back home safe and sound. A long trip but it is great to be at home. Thanks to everyone for the prayers.
Many from the team should be in church tomorrow morning. We have many stories to tell.
God bless everyone that has been a part of this trip, team members, families that stayed behind, financial supporters, and everyone that prayed for us and God bless the people of Kenya.
Many from the team should be in church tomorrow morning. We have many stories to tell.
God bless everyone that has been a part of this trip, team members, families that stayed behind, financial supporters, and everyone that prayed for us and God bless the people of Kenya.
From Julie - Friday Evening at the Airport
Greetings to all our family and friends from Kenya! We are winding up our final activities here and our thoughts and conversations keep drifting back to you. We send you our love and look forward to being reunited with each one of you.
Yesterday, we spent the day on safari where we spied a leopard in the bushes, more wildabeasts than we could ever count and myriad other animals you have, no doubt,already read about. The day was pleasantly warm and we enjoyed our time together marveling at God's amazing creations. We stopped on the savannah for a picnic prepared for us by the lodge-tomato sandwiches, hard boiled eggs, and some fruit. Everything tastes better when you're picnicking!
After lunch we visited a Masai village where all huts are built around a central "yard" which serves as the cattle corral every evening. We were greeted by a show of dancing and singing by the Masai women. While the women sang, several young men jumped in the air as though they had springs on their feet! A few of our men joined the jumping team,but did NOT put the Masai men to shame (although Tim came close)!
We were invited to go into their huts to see how they live. They exist under the most meager conditions I have ever seen. Their homes, built by the women, are made mainly from cattle dung which is in abundant supply! The huts are very dark, incredibly tiny and the only "furniture" was a table and mats on the floor for beds. There were about 20 young children who sat in a line to greet us-they seemed intrigued, although they have seen many others like us before! We understood all the other children were attending a nearby Masai school.
The Masai are quite creative people who earn income by making and selling jewelry, wood carvings,and beautiful red woven fabric. (The red color helps keep them safe amongst the wild animals!) We were treated to an open air craft market just outside the walls of the compound-we got some good deals!
We headed back after a long hot day enjoying a real shower before gathering for dinner. As the hippos serenaded us to sleep, we prepared for a quick early morning safari before leaving this beautiful, intriguing land.
To bring this to a close, we began our journey back home, not really looking forward to our long flights, but excited to be back with our loved ones! Thank you all for your support, love, and prayers. We could not have made this wonderful trip without you. We look forward to sharing all of our Kenya adventures with you!
In His name,
Julie & Mom :)
Yesterday, we spent the day on safari where we spied a leopard in the bushes, more wildabeasts than we could ever count and myriad other animals you have, no doubt,already read about. The day was pleasantly warm and we enjoyed our time together marveling at God's amazing creations. We stopped on the savannah for a picnic prepared for us by the lodge-tomato sandwiches, hard boiled eggs, and some fruit. Everything tastes better when you're picnicking!
After lunch we visited a Masai village where all huts are built around a central "yard" which serves as the cattle corral every evening. We were greeted by a show of dancing and singing by the Masai women. While the women sang, several young men jumped in the air as though they had springs on their feet! A few of our men joined the jumping team,but did NOT put the Masai men to shame (although Tim came close)!
We were invited to go into their huts to see how they live. They exist under the most meager conditions I have ever seen. Their homes, built by the women, are made mainly from cattle dung which is in abundant supply! The huts are very dark, incredibly tiny and the only "furniture" was a table and mats on the floor for beds. There were about 20 young children who sat in a line to greet us-they seemed intrigued, although they have seen many others like us before! We understood all the other children were attending a nearby Masai school.
The Masai are quite creative people who earn income by making and selling jewelry, wood carvings,and beautiful red woven fabric. (The red color helps keep them safe amongst the wild animals!) We were treated to an open air craft market just outside the walls of the compound-we got some good deals!
We headed back after a long hot day enjoying a real shower before gathering for dinner. As the hippos serenaded us to sleep, we prepared for a quick early morning safari before leaving this beautiful, intriguing land.
To bring this to a close, we began our journey back home, not really looking forward to our long flights, but excited to be back with our loved ones! Thank you all for your support, love, and prayers. We could not have made this wonderful trip without you. We look forward to sharing all of our Kenya adventures with you!
In His name,
Julie & Mom :)
Friday, July 18, 2008
Heading Home
We are in Heathrow Airport London after an 8 hour flight from Nairobi. Everything looks good for BA flight 265 and on time arrival at Dulles around 12:45.
I think everyone is excited to be heading home.
Julie wrote a blog entry for yesterday but it looks like I'll need to wait until I get home to post it.
-Dave
Thursday, July 17, 2008
from the Mara Safari Club
16 July 2008, Masai Mara
God made the wild animals according to their kinds...and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
- Genesis 1:25
Today started on a somewhat sad note as we said good bye to our drivers Boniface and James who have transported us around Kenya the last two weeks safely and with good humor. We have been thankful for their friendship as they have navigated us not only on the highways, but through some of the finer points of the language and culture as well. Boniface helped us particularly by letting us know how "terrible" the Matatu drivers are (Matatus being Toyota vans that carry up to 14 people and serve as taxis all over the country). According to him they behave worse than the baboons. He really doesn't like them. These two have been a gift to us in a country we don't know much about.
After they dropped us off at Wilson airport we boarded a plane for the Masai Mara in the Western part of the country to go on Safari for a few days. A few of us (I may or may not have been a part of this) rushed ahead to get window seats so we could have a great view of the African countryside for the 45 minute flight. As a result we were somewhat dispersed throughout the plane and ended up sitting with people we didn't know. This led to many conversations about why we were in Kenya and our faith in general. It's funny how God uses even something as silly and selfish as trying to get window seats on plane. Another cool part of the flight was being able to see Masai villages along the way. The Masai are a cattle herding tribe in the area who always wear red and have distinctive village set-ups. We plan to visit one of their villages tomorrow. Apparently the Masai are also good businesspeople and will be more than happy to take our money when we visit.
After we touched down on the dirt landing strip we were driven to our accommodations at the Mara Safari Club. About halfway to the club our drivers pulled over to the edge of the river so we could watch a herd of Hippopotamus napping in the water and mud, not to mention the crocodile hanging out nearby. This was just the beginning of a spectacular day of watching wildlife. The first thing we realized is that the Mara is what most of us westerners picture in our minds when we think of Africa. It is so wide open and beautiful. Another nice aspect of being on safari here is that our drivers are not restricted to roads and will drive straight up to the animals we want to look at. One highlight of the day included being within ten yards of a pride of lions that included several cubs. We came upon this find early in the trip and it was exciting for everyone as lions are on the shortlist of animals we all want to see. We came across more lions as we were headed home in the early evening and they were headed out on the hunt. This included seeing two male lions (we hadn't seen any of them before) and also some female lions stalking a group of Wildebeest. We thought about sticking around to see what might happen, but it was getting dark and our driver said it may be hours before there was any action as lions are patient hunters. We also came within yards of a herd of elephants, apparently somewhat rare this time of year as they stick more to the trees in the dry season. Probably the biggest treat of the day was finding a leopard! Once again we were very close. Leopards tend to be reclusive and stay in the woods, so this was a rare find indeed! Even our drivers were excited.
Other animals we saw today - an ostrich, wildebeests, gazelles, impalas, zebras, giraffes, topis, a hartebeest, a jackal, a hyena, a warthog, buffalo, dik-diks, some sort of monkey, and many varieties of birds. It is a privilege to be in such a wonderful part of God's creation. We have been asked throughout our time here if we were going to go see the wildlife, as Kenyans are very proud of this aspect of their country and want to share it with visitors. I can see why. Tim commented on how great it is that Kenya's national treasures are the creations God has placed here as opposed to any man made monuments. Well said Tim.
As much fun as we are having now, I know we all miss the kids at Tumaini and wish we could still be with them. I know for me it is weird to still be here and not be with them. We also recognize that the trip is winding down and we are only here for two more days. We look forward to returning home to see everyone we love and miss.
Thank you for all your prayers and please continue to pray, especially for the different ministries we have worked with here. They are making big impact on the people and communities they touch.
Grace and peace in Christ -
Mike
God made the wild animals according to their kinds...and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
- Genesis 1:25
Today started on a somewhat sad note as we said good bye to our drivers Boniface and James who have transported us around Kenya the last two weeks safely and with good humor. We have been thankful for their friendship as they have navigated us not only on the highways, but through some of the finer points of the language and culture as well. Boniface helped us particularly by letting us know how "terrible" the Matatu drivers are (Matatus being Toyota vans that carry up to 14 people and serve as taxis all over the country). According to him they behave worse than the baboons. He really doesn't like them. These two have been a gift to us in a country we don't know much about.
After they dropped us off at Wilson airport we boarded a plane for the Masai Mara in the Western part of the country to go on Safari for a few days. A few of us (I may or may not have been a part of this) rushed ahead to get window seats so we could have a great view of the African countryside for the 45 minute flight. As a result we were somewhat dispersed throughout the plane and ended up sitting with people we didn't know. This led to many conversations about why we were in Kenya and our faith in general. It's funny how God uses even something as silly and selfish as trying to get window seats on plane. Another cool part of the flight was being able to see Masai villages along the way. The Masai are a cattle herding tribe in the area who always wear red and have distinctive village set-ups. We plan to visit one of their villages tomorrow. Apparently the Masai are also good businesspeople and will be more than happy to take our money when we visit.
After we touched down on the dirt landing strip we were driven to our accommodations at the Mara Safari Club. About halfway to the club our drivers pulled over to the edge of the river so we could watch a herd of Hippopotamus napping in the water and mud, not to mention the crocodile hanging out nearby. This was just the beginning of a spectacular day of watching wildlife. The first thing we realized is that the Mara is what most of us westerners picture in our minds when we think of Africa. It is so wide open and beautiful. Another nice aspect of being on safari here is that our drivers are not restricted to roads and will drive straight up to the animals we want to look at. One highlight of the day included being within ten yards of a pride of lions that included several cubs. We came upon this find early in the trip and it was exciting for everyone as lions are on the shortlist of animals we all want to see. We came across more lions as we were headed home in the early evening and they were headed out on the hunt. This included seeing two male lions (we hadn't seen any of them before) and also some female lions stalking a group of Wildebeest. We thought about sticking around to see what might happen, but it was getting dark and our driver said it may be hours before there was any action as lions are patient hunters. We also came within yards of a herd of elephants, apparently somewhat rare this time of year as they stick more to the trees in the dry season. Probably the biggest treat of the day was finding a leopard! Once again we were very close. Leopards tend to be reclusive and stay in the woods, so this was a rare find indeed! Even our drivers were excited.
Other animals we saw today - an ostrich, wildebeests, gazelles, impalas, zebras, giraffes, topis, a hartebeest, a jackal, a hyena, a warthog, buffalo, dik-diks, some sort of monkey, and many varieties of birds. It is a privilege to be in such a wonderful part of God's creation. We have been asked throughout our time here if we were going to go see the wildlife, as Kenyans are very proud of this aspect of their country and want to share it with visitors. I can see why. Tim commented on how great it is that Kenya's national treasures are the creations God has placed here as opposed to any man made monuments. Well said Tim.
As much fun as we are having now, I know we all miss the kids at Tumaini and wish we could still be with them. I know for me it is weird to still be here and not be with them. We also recognize that the trip is winding down and we are only here for two more days. We look forward to returning home to see everyone we love and miss.
Thank you for all your prayers and please continue to pray, especially for the different ministries we have worked with here. They are making big impact on the people and communities they touch.
Grace and peace in Christ -
Mike
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