This is the day that the Lord has made, and we shall rejoice and be glad in it.  I woke up at 5:00 AM this morning to the sounds of worship, blaring from every direction.  It appeared as though every home around me had their radio volume at maximum level.  Kenya is an interesting country.  It has a well-defined rhythm that rarely varies from Monday to Saturday, but come Sunday, there is a sharp shift. 

Monday to Saturday flies by at a harried pace.  The capital city, Nairobi, and many of the other major cities are packed to capacity with bodies.  Some in well-tailored suits heading to the office and others in sweat-stained, dusty clothing selling absolutely everything on the streets.  When I say everything, I mean everything.  If you need it, you will find it.  The streets in the main cities are also peppered with opportunists who are ready to snatch your purse or briefcase in a heartbeat.

The villages are busy too.  The hustle out here is real.  If you don’t work, you will not eat.  There are hundreds of three-wheeled motor vehicles called “Tuk-Tuk,” vying for road space with motor-bikes, bicycles and minivans (known as “matatus”).  Any pedestrian crossing the road must be extremely agile to get to the other side of the road safely.  There are no zebra crossings in the village.  It’s all an act of faith from dawn to dusk.

But come Sunday, and life suddenly slows down to a crawl, other than the deafening sounds of competing worship songs.  Most people head to church, with services beginning as early as 5:00 AM and ending at noon, (you guessed it! Nah, Nah, Nah! I didn’t make the 5:00 AM service.)  I was busy counting my blessings.  A warm bed to sleep in; food, shelter, clothing….and of course, the joy of completing two-thirds of our mission.

Rahab has returned to Nairobi to attend a meeting, but I am proceeding solo to Narok in two days, laden with applications, biographies and pictures of our Esther’s Hope Class of 2018 from Kolanya Girls’ Secondary School (Busia County) and Cardinal Otunga Girls’ Secondary School (Bungoma County).  I will be visiting Ole Tipis Girls’ Secondary School (Narok County), to complete the last leg of our 2018 student recruitment.  I’ve never been to Narok, so I am looking forward to the experience and to seeing all the young faces whose lives will be changed through Esther’s Hope Ministries. It has been grueling work as we’ve labored physically and spiritually, but today I’m taking a breather from our fast-paced week to celebrate this day, which God has made.

I am grateful for wifi.  It is spotty out here, but we’ve managed to make it work.  I am grateful for electricity too.  It can be unreliable, but God has provided electric power when I needed it most.  I am not sure what the communication situation in Narok will be, but I hope to stay in touch for the last leg as well.  Till then, "this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24)."