Who would have thought?

Who would have thought that we'd be able to go ice-skating in Africa?  And what are the chances that we'd turn out to be with a qualified ice-skating coach?!  It's been just one of the little ways that we've felt God's love for us as we settle into Nairobi and learn to call it 'home'.  

In November we'd taken Caleb & Bethanie to a rink in the UK that had been set up in a park for Christmas, but it was closed and we thought, 'oh well, they will have to wait a few more years before they can give it a try'...

...you can imagine our surprise when we learnt that East Africa's first ice skating rink was operating in a hotel in Nairobi!  We took along two Canadian team-mates to give it a go...

 The penguins were cute but coach Christiane felt they weren't really helping

These 'zimmered' you along a bit better

 But under Christiane's expert tutelage, soon props were not necessary

 Here she comes :)

 And on the way home we saw a camel going past, as you do!

 Warming up in the sun

Justin's trip to Doro

Here are some more photos from Justin's trip back to Doro at the end of January through to early Feb. The main purpose was to see how the water team was getting on and to identify sites for the next round of borehole drilling, particularly with the refugees in mind - 20,000 had recently arrived in the area from across the border.

Welcome lunch with the water project team in the project compound...

The scene that greeted me at the SIM clinic water system - thousands of refugees are now taking water from our borehole (IOM have added an electric pump and tap stands).

Refugees are building their homes under the trees all around Doro

Refugees arriving from Blue Nile state hang their possession in the trees away from animals. This could be all that they have been able to save from their homes.

The Uduk refugees have these great home-made wheel barrows for carrying water. The wheels are carved from a block of wood!

The enterprising Uduk have also set up a new market near the clinic

Some of Caleb and Bethanie's friends from Doro church 

Pot-luck supper with the Doro team

Dau greeting the Doro church

 The water project office - the team had it looking really nice for my return

 Morning devotions with the team

Having coffee with the church families who live by the office

Discussing borehole locations for the refugee camp with Uduk community leaders

After lots of discussion and consultation with different organisations a stake finally goes in the ground to mark the spot - a great moment!

Dau fitting an overflow to the high level tank at the clinic, above the heads of the refugees

Abel teaching people about safe drinking water while they wait at the clinic. We open this "Water Stall" every Tuesday and Thursday morning and sell dilute chlorine, settlement powder and soap.

With the SIM team in the compound.... Bob & Karen in the house we used to live in...

... games night ...

... eating pancakes - Neil and I cooked together for the 2 weeks I was there.

On the road to look at more locations for boreholes... what happened here?!

This village had been completely abandoned because their two boreholes had failed. The church has asked us to make this one of our two locations for boreholes for the community this year.

The newly built mosque at Bounj

Visiting Abel's home with Dau and meeting baby Justin!

Abel, his wife and four children

 Rob, Nancy, Bob and Karen heading off to church in style!

Joseph who used to work with the water project. I was glad to catch up with him when I went to Gasmallah to visit the church.

Pastor James welcoming Karissa back to Gasmallah

Showing photos - always a big hit!

It was good to enjoy Sudanese coffee again...

More hospitality.... in the water compound, with Protus the borehole driller...

... with Hiakie and Rangte in the SIM compound...

... in the market with the water team. Left to Right: Abel, Protus, Joel, and Dau (John missing)

And on the way through Juba, Justin met up with Francis whom Deborah had first got to know 15 years ago in Uganda and we have been corresponding with ever since. It was great to finally meet him!

Jan 2012 - new year, new school, new home and new jobs

It was the view out of the window that sold it to us - but our new home is also perfectly located for C&B's school and only 20 minutes walk from the office - good exercise!  It's also quiet, safe and just near our friends the Crowders - we couldn't ask for more!

This is our nearest fruit shop

We're ready for school!  The two newest members of the Little Scholars Academy.

The school tie is an essential fashion accessory for the modern child...  And packing boxes are certainly an integral part of these two children's lives!

First night in our new house - hooray for pizza :)

First morning in our new house, third morning at school - but today we can walk!

It's also a working week which started in a lovely way with the chance to present on behalf of the team a late Christmas/early 10th wedding annivesary gift to Chris Crowder (Director of SIM Sudan) and his wife Beverly (Health Coordinator).  

The team had given them a weekend away (without kids) and they are quite excited about this!!

Furnishing an unfurnished flat from scratch takes quite a bit of shopping...
It's harder than you might imagine to find second-hand stuff in Nairobi - but here is one place...

And this is 'fundi row' where local carpenters will make just about anything you can give them a picture of (one even brought out the Argos catalogue for us to choose what we would like made!!).  You have to haggle quite hard to get a fair price though, especially if you are a muzungu.  

Flowerpots anyone?

And this is where to relax after a busy week - the Rusty Nail restaurant out in Karen.  The desserts are amazing.

And the gardens are lovely.  It special to catch up with Karissa who was on her way home to the States for Christmas after being evacuated from Doro.

And here are two lovely children who are very happy in their new home.