Stardom

It has been a pretty busy week here in Kisumu. My kids have been involved in a children's crusade that our friends (Daniel and Lindsay) put on. Cassie and Zach and two other kids (Paul and Dani) did the puppet show portion of the crusade. It was so much fun to see them excited about ministry, although by the end they were all pretty wiped out. It's amazing how many people attend outdoor crusades here. The first afternoon there were about 2,000 people and that number grew as the days went on. The kids were pretty scared that first afternoon, they thought they were going to be doing a little puppet show for some church kids. When we arrived at the sport grounds we were all shocked to see the crowd. I was proud of them as they went up on the stage, I don't know if I would have. I thought for sure Paul wasn't going to go up. He looked at me, right before he climbed the stairs, with terror in his eyes. I patted him on the back and said, "you'll do great." He followed the person in front of him until he ended up in the puppet booth. I like to think that my three word pep talk gave him the courage to go forward, but I somehow doubt it. After the first night was over they were old pros, no sweaty palms or butterflies in there tummies any more; they were famous, who has the time for nerves. As the days progressed and the crowds grew, the puppet masters got a taste of fame, it was reminiscent of Beatlemania. Kids screaming and chasing them, they had to be escorted to their vehicle, and once safely inside, the driver made a mad getaway. They just want to live normal lives, it's stressful living in the limelight. They, like everyone else, put their pants on one leg at a time. They never asked for this kind of fame, but they'll ride this wave as long as it lasts. After all they are at the top of their game.

Our big blue dream has turned into a big blue nightmare. For those of you that don't remember "Big Blue" was the name of the car we were trying to buy. As it turns out we tracked down the owner in Florida (an American missionary) and he had no idea his car was being sold for the price that the dealer was selling it to us for. I don't want to say the dealer was going to steal anything, but I'm so glad the Lord brought this all into the light before we wrote a check. We are back to car shopping, I think we might have one in the works, but I have learned that in Africa one can never be too certain.

In just a little over a week I will get to see my parents and my in-laws. We are all giddy with excitement. That is all we ever talk about, it will be here before we know it. This week is going to be a week of getting rooms ready and planning meals. I hope they like the cuisine, it does take a little getting used to.