Mombasa
5 years ago, a visit to the Indian Ocean was not on my bucket list but since we found out we were coming to Africa, I have been very excited about seeing it. I was not disappointed, it was beautiful!
We began our journey early on Friday morning...not early enough to miss the Nairobi traffic but that is okay. We knew it would be a long day and we were prepared. The road was in very good shape but there was a lot of traffic, mainly big trucks. I know I talk about roads and traffic a lot but it has become a big deal of daily life, in America, I never thought about road conditions, I just assumed I would have good roads...one of the many things I took for granted.
The most disturbing part of the drive for me were the mosques. Every town and village had a mosque and they were all located on the main road. It did not matter if there were just a few houses, a small village or a large town, there was always a mosque. When we were in Zambia, we visited a mosque in the village and learned a few things. That particular mosque had a borehole that anyone in the village could use, you did not have to attend the services. They were also building a secondary school on the grounds for the village children to attend. They were providing a physical need for the villagers. It makes me sad to see Satan working in such obvious ways. I know the Lord is not surprised by these things but I ask for each of you to desperately cry out to the Lord for the people of Africa. Pray for the Truth to be revealed to each person whether in the city or the village. Pray for the followers of Jesus Christ to join together to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of the Africans.
Once we finally arrived in Mombasa, we were surprised to find the entry to the city to be a very narrow 2-laned road with A LOT of big trucks going both directions and lots of dust flying around. Mombasa is the 2nd largest city in Kenya and is the country's major port. After going through the city, we arrived at our hotel which was beautifully landscaped. The kids immediately got on their swimsuits and we went to the beach.
The sand was very white and the water was warm. There was a lot of sea grass in front of our hotel so the kids had to wear their shoes in the water, as the sea urchins like to hide in the grass. They did not seem to mind though.
The next morning the children were up very early and ready to get out to the water. We made them wait until after breakfast though! Once we got to the beach, we were amazed at the site. Where the tide had come up very close to our hotel the night before, in the morning, the tide was out about a mile. The kids had so much fun "walking on water", there were small pools to explore and they had a great time.
The Lord amazes me with His creation. He reminded me over and over that He is the one who tells the waves where to stop. As I stood there looking at all of the sand, I was overwhelmed to think that His thoughts are as numerous as the grains of sand...there was a lot of sand with the tide out! The Creator of all things is beyond my understanding, but He does not ask me to understand Him, He simply asks me to believe in Him.
Later that afternoon, we went on a boat/snorkeling adventure which the kids really loved. There were a few issues with snorkeling, Nicholas did not want his life jacket on, which I had a difficult time letting go of...we were in the middle of the ocean! And Nicholas completely terrorized Katie about sea urchins. She was so scared that when she saw one she wanted to get out because he was going to call of his friends to attack her...BROTHERS!!!!
Overall it was just the break we needed. We spent Sunday just lounging by the pool. The last 6 months have been really scheduled for us so it was nice to relax and do nothing.
We began our journey early on Friday morning...not early enough to miss the Nairobi traffic but that is okay. We knew it would be a long day and we were prepared. The road was in very good shape but there was a lot of traffic, mainly big trucks. I know I talk about roads and traffic a lot but it has become a big deal of daily life, in America, I never thought about road conditions, I just assumed I would have good roads...one of the many things I took for granted.
The most disturbing part of the drive for me were the mosques. Every town and village had a mosque and they were all located on the main road. It did not matter if there were just a few houses, a small village or a large town, there was always a mosque. When we were in Zambia, we visited a mosque in the village and learned a few things. That particular mosque had a borehole that anyone in the village could use, you did not have to attend the services. They were also building a secondary school on the grounds for the village children to attend. They were providing a physical need for the villagers. It makes me sad to see Satan working in such obvious ways. I know the Lord is not surprised by these things but I ask for each of you to desperately cry out to the Lord for the people of Africa. Pray for the Truth to be revealed to each person whether in the city or the village. Pray for the followers of Jesus Christ to join together to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of the Africans.
Once we finally arrived in Mombasa, we were surprised to find the entry to the city to be a very narrow 2-laned road with A LOT of big trucks going both directions and lots of dust flying around. Mombasa is the 2nd largest city in Kenya and is the country's major port. After going through the city, we arrived at our hotel which was beautifully landscaped. The kids immediately got on their swimsuits and we went to the beach.The sand was very white and the water was warm. There was a lot of sea grass in front of our hotel so the kids had to wear their shoes in the water, as the sea urchins like to hide in the grass. They did not seem to mind though.
The next morning the children were up very early and ready to get out to the water. We made them wait until after breakfast though! Once we got to the beach, we were amazed at the site. Where the tide had come up very close to our hotel the night before, in the morning, the tide was out about a mile. The kids had so much fun "walking on water", there were small pools to explore and they had a great time.
Morning - tide out
Afternoon
Walking out to the boat
Family Snorkel Time
Later that afternoon, we went on a boat/snorkeling adventure which the kids really loved. There were a few issues with snorkeling, Nicholas did not want his life jacket on, which I had a difficult time letting go of...we were in the middle of the ocean! And Nicholas completely terrorized Katie about sea urchins. She was so scared that when she saw one she wanted to get out because he was going to call of his friends to attack her...BROTHERS!!!!Overall it was just the break we needed. We spent Sunday just lounging by the pool. The last 6 months have been really scheduled for us so it was nice to relax and do nothing.
Tim feeding the monkeys breakfast
Coconut harvest - Tim tried to pick this bunch of coconuts up and couldn't, this little boy was working the pulley to get the coconuts down to the ground.
Nathan helping guard the beach...he can make a friend anywhere.
Oh my gosh!! How fun!!! Miss you so much, but so glad your family is growing together and making memories that will last a lifetime while serving our Savior!!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! How fun!! Miss you so much but so glad to see you making family memories that will last a lifetime as you serve our Lord!
ReplyDelete