Catching You Up
It’s been too long since we posted on the web, I know, we are truly sorry for the lack of communication coming from Kenya, and will now, therefore, attempt to catch you all up on the activities of the Enns’s.
So… where to begin…
Well, let’s start with Wes who always seems to be in the thick of things and generally generating the most activity around here. Basketball season – with it’s 4 days a week of games and practices – ended the second week of March with a league championship win (it’s the biggest thing going here, no divisional, regional, or provincial type stuff). It was a big win in his first year of coaching (albeit assisting,because as Wes says ” I don’t have a clue what I’m doing out there!”). A short reprieve and now… volleyball! Most of you know how much Wes and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to play, watch or otherwise enjoy this most poetic of sports and so it was with some degree of uncertainity that we sized up the concrete, grippy multi-surface that is the gym floor. I, myself, still have a scar from the first time my unsuspecting knee touched down to get a pass – and that was 5 months ago! Well, the tryouts were grim and dim with half of the varsity team never having played the game before. Wes is now attempting to coach the group in the basic fundamentals of the sport – a far cry from the intense arena he just left at MBCI where volleyball is king. Not all is lost, however, since there is almost no expectation to win and only gratitude for anyone who will endure the 8 week season. Our hope for the team is that Wes will be able to elevate the status of volleyball from it’s current position on the floor to just above the ankles – baby steps!
Also, a fantastic opportunity for Wes to pursue a masters in leadership has come up. He is taking the course at a local college in affiliation with Trinity Western University in BC. It is intense learning in small chunks of time. Class #1 is done and class #2 begins on Monday, April 11th. They are evening classes 3 days a week for 3 weeks. Also, there is an internet forum/learning/teaching component which will be interesting and require no travel but a dependable internet connection – here’s hoping! He will have completed the course by Christmas 2006.
There was also a mountain climbing experience over spring break that I will let him fill you in on. Wes here: well, I don’t want to end up repeating over and over again the same words of wonder, amazement, and pain as I tell you about this most interesting and difficult of physical challenges I’ve ever faced, so I’ll keep this short. Together with 2 other Rosslyn guys, I climbed to the top of Mount Kenya! Lenana is the name of the peak we trekked up and down, and I experienced all of the 16,800 ft above sea level! Pictures will be on the blog as soon as physically possible, for you to get a glimpse of it all, and to prove that I climbed a mountain. A lot of ‘UP’, hoping to breathe, and resting from endless shale sliding steps was my Modus Operandi – and then, a lot of ‘DOWN’, with legs slowly becoming rubber bands. It was a truly magnificent experience as we looked with awe at God’s amazing and beautiful creation, and wished to just be at the top. I had some footwear issues, but all worked out well as the summit was reached, and all got down without injury or serious issue. I’m not chompin at the bit to get on the mountain again any time soon, but, the painful memories fade as I see the pictures and relive the memories. Who knows? Mount Kilimanjaro might be next! And now, back to Jean…
Some excitement around here as the new teachers for fall have been hired and a former MBCI collegue – Mike Neufeld and family- will be joining us here in Nairobi. Wes is pretty jazzed about his teaching compatriot and I’m excited to connect with Heather and continue a friendship that was just starting up when we left Winnipeg last July.
The boys are involved in the regular kid type stuff – Ezra with kindergarten and the anticipation of a day off, Isaiah with me as we resolve to give form and reason for each day. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings we help with the Kindergarten accelerated reader program (basically go to the library and listen to the kids read – it’s great fun – really!- and Ezra is a reading machine!). Isaiah and I joined Ezie’s class on a field trip to Amani Ya Ju in January and I was moved by the genuine warmth of the women as they taught the children how to do various forms of sewing and design (some pics on the blog of that cool experience). On Wednesdays we attend BSF where Isaiah has been trying to convince me that he hates it, but where I see a young guy developing all sorts of confidence and understanding about the God of the universerse – I wish you could have seen him singing for us with his class (I forgot my camera that day). Then too there is the constant need for food which entails some form of going to market and the time consuming process of sterilizing all produce for consumption. I’m not getting to Hawkers as much lately, but frequenting Lucy and Amara’s (sisters) stand on the corner of Red Hill Rd and Limuru.
I have agreed to train for a 10K father’s day race to be run with some or all of my sisters in Saskatoon when we come to visit this summer. This is great incentive to rise with the sun and get the job done before the day takes off, encouraging and enabling me to work on my own discipline as a human being. It is quite something that I am able to accomplish this 6 am rising as most of you know what a committed sleeper I am. The flip side of it is that I am physically unable to stay up beyond 10pm. Early to bed early to rise has become my life.
We’ve also been informed that we will stay in our current house for another year and so I am initiating Operation Enns Home – some painting, curtains, a new patio, planting, etc. We want to complete it all before we leave so that we can “come home” in August.
Well, as usual I am going on a little too long. The hope is that the discipline of writing more frequently would also take hold so I -or Wes- wouldn’t have to talk your ear off on these catch up sessions. To summarize… we are fine, good even. The anticipation of our visit to Winnipeg and Saskatoon is strong as we envision all sorts of hugs and coffees and play dates and generally just being together again.
Until next time… this is Jean, signing off.