Our vision:
Making more effective health services possible in East Africa.
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Dear friends,
July 6th was a long-awaited day for many here in Kenya, as the government decided to reopen the borders between the counties after more than three months! We took the opportunity to spend the last few days on safari in the beautiful Masai Mara. The scenery is simply breathtaking, and you can really get a sense of what the Garden of Eden must have looked like.
International flights are also allowed to depart from Nairobi again starting August 1st. We will be in Austria from August 5th – God willing – for about two months! We are incredibly happy about this; you can't imagine how excited the girls are to see their family and friends again and to meet their new cousins.
Covid aid
Thank you to everyone who helped fund the distribution of protective equipment and food! We've heard some encouraging stories from people who are opening up and starting to talk about their emotional struggles. For example, a former soccer friend called his coach in the middle of the night and said he "wants to welcome Jesus into his heart." Moving.
What the young women (with whom Lisa met regularly) have accomplished in recent months is also truly wonderful. They've organized themselves and take turns preparing presentations on a wide variety of topics. (Last week's topic was forgiveness!) My friend Judy says it's become a place where the women can openly discuss their big questions and brainstorm ideas for ways to earn some extra money. Currently, they bake a sweet treat each week, which they then plan to sell. What a fantastic initiative, especially considering that the crisis has led to a rapid increase in teenage pregnancies and domestic violence.
Big decisions
Since the Kenyan government has decided that all schools may only operate virtually until January, and we can't imagine another semester of "isolated learning" for our children, we've brought some decisions forward. We want to try to change our residence and school to a place (Kijabe) an hour away. One of our main motivations for this is a better social environment for our girls, as many families live there and the school is also considerably more affordable. Normally, it's very difficult to find a house, as all the land belongs to the hospital or the school. However, because houses are now available due to the pandemic, this is a chance for us to get our foot in the door.
Thankful…
- that David and his team were able to use the Corona period well to improve their services and relationships with the clinics.
- for the families who have found new hope through the food distributions
- that we were able to assist the SIM "Member Care" and "Crisis Management" teams and thereby get to know valuable people.
- that the girls were able to laugh again and again despite difficult conditions
Hopeful…
- that the children will cope well with online school next semester
- that Judy is learning more and more how to guide the female coaches
- that the right doors open so that we can continue our work in Kijabe
- that time spent in Austria serves for refreshment and encouragement
Since the last few months (and three flight cancellations) have taught us that you can't plan much in advance during certain phases of life, we're now more cautious about making big travel plans. We'll still try to see as many of you as possible and are really looking forward to it. The best way to reach us is via WhatsApp: Lisa +43 650 8427724, David +43 670 2028850
All love
The Miners
