Aaron's Update from Kenya

Aaron is with a group from a church in Kansas, and I read this with joy on their website today:

UPDATE FROM AARON REID
Wednesday, 30 December 2009 11:29

Jambo from Kenya. It has truly been an excellent experience thus far. God has been good to our group in bringing us safely to Africa, and the stories are already starting to build.

I want to share a Scripture that has been real to me: Psalm 139:7-10 "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even Your right hand will lay hold of me."

His presence has been with us here, just He has been with all of our families over there.

Today we experienced raw Africa. We traveled to a remote village on Mt. Elgon about 9,000 feet up. The road was not good because it rained all night and there was alot of mud. Our vehicle only got stuck once, and it took about 10 Kenyan men to lift the back of it up and back onto the road.

The village was singing and dancing when we arrived and we had about a 2 hour church service, followed by a vintage Kenyan meal. We were the first white people who had ever traveled to this village, and there are always crowds of little kids that smile and watch us with joy wherever we go.

One funny thing so far is that several times when someone realizes I don't speak Swahili, they will say Obama! and smile very big.

These people are amazing with the little they have to survive with. It is truly primitive conditions clothed in Western fashions. The sanitation is heart-breakingly bad. We have already seen some small things that we could do to help the Kenyan people to help themselves in the future.

More to come from others; with love and grace,
Aaron Reid

Ain't No Sunshine When He's Gone...

As we get ready to travel to Ohio for Christmas, my husband is packing for another adventure: a missions trip to Kenya.

Thankfully, my Mom will be helping while he's away, but I will miss him desperately.

Please pray for his safety and for God to use him in mighty ways.

And the award for Entertainer of the Year goes to...

Tonight I witnessed something that was beyond all description. I could only post it here for you and let you make your own conclusions.

This is our youngest son, Jonathan at our church's Christmas program. He is four years old. And yes, he has great rhythm.

Bentleyville - This place is amazing!

Boys in front of the nativityK and Granny brave the cold

Here's the website (in case you're in the Duluth area :) -- www.bentleyvilleusa.com --

Greg collecting reindeer hoof prints: It's right in Duluth, next to the Aquarium and Bayfront Park. It used to be in Cloquet, MN, but got too big, so they moved it here. It's a huge park of Christmas lights and music to walk through and enjoy. They provide free cookies, hot chocolate and coffee. Only paid for parking!

Daniel and Cupid

Keeping Hope happy :)

** I have recently become a member of the Hearts at Home bloggers group and here is a message from their office! **

Everyone loves a good sale, Right? Well, let me tell you about a great one:

It’s a Hearts at Home Black Friday after Black Friday Sale Dec. 7-11

Did you sleep in on Black Friday? Did you drag yourself out of bed, but still miss out on some awesome deals because you were standing in line too long at one store? Do you still have shopping to do, but dread the crowds, traffic, and cost? Let Hearts at Home help!

Their Black Friday sale has been extended to the week of December 7-11. Shop in the convenience of your own home and receive an unprecedented 25% off all of Hearts books and merchandise. They have great gifts for everyone in your family.

Find gifts for friends, teachers, bible study leaders, bus drivers, and everyone else on your list. You may even find something for yourself. This is a great time to stock up on all those Hearts at Home books you’ve been wanting to read.

Let your family know how much you would love a Hearts at Home gift certificate so you can use it for your Hearts at Home conference registration and/or Mom’s Night Out tickets.

Go to Heartshoppe.com, choose your gifts, and enter code “HEARTGIFT” upon checkout. You will receive 25% off your total purchase (before tax and shipping).

I also want to fill you in on a couple of other great opportunities!
Be sure to check out Jill Savage's blog this month (she is the founder and CEO of Hearts at Home). She is doing one giveaway A DAY through Christmas.

And, if you stop by the Hearts at Home blog December 8 - 11, you will have an opportunity to win a Heart's at Home prayer journal. The prayer journal is a brand new resource from Hearts at Home.

Merry Christmas from Hearts at Home!