En-Gedi Mission Trip Update #2
We slept well and were fed a delicious breakfast of eggs, sausages, toast, and more delicious fresh fruit - mostly grown here at En-Gedi! There are mango, avocado, passion fruit, guava, loquat, casava, lemon, orange, papaya, and banana trees growing here, as well as lemongrass, kale, sweet potatoes, spinach, onions, sugar cane, and corn. We genuinely enjoy the Kenyan COFFEE - what a blessing!
After devotions (and more coffee), we saw and loved on Margaret’s En-Gedi children! They call her “Mom” and delight in her presence and attention.
The three ladies who had been here before (Karen, Brenda, and Diane) recognized many children. Several new precious children have been rescued and are now part of the En-Gedi Family! There are a total of 25 children.
We sang songs like “This is the Day that the Lord Has Made” and “Jesus Loves Me” with the children who were able! Many joyful voices and hands praised God however they were able!
The smiles on each child’s face show how happy, well-fed, healthy, and comfortable he or she is. We were privileged to help feed some of the children their noon lunch. Wouldn’t you know, NOT ONE CHILD complained, grimaced, or turned a head to his/her food!
After more interaction with the kids, it was time for their afternoon naps. They sleep for about an hour and a half each afternoon. We enjoyed a late lunch of flatbread, rice, vegetables, beef, and fruit. Our cooks, Rose, Winnie, and Katherine, feed us well!
We enjoyed a little downtime and got some sleep. We had heard some older En-Gedi kids talking about and asking Margaret for the “boom-boom.” As it turns out, the kids LOVE to dance and clap to Christian music with some bass and a good beat! The “boom-boom” is a boombox! There was a lot of head-nodding, clapping, and dancing in wheelchairs! One of the older boys occasionally dances himself right out of his chair! We burned a few calories and worked up a good sweat dancing with the kids!
We helped feed some of the children their evening meal and walked with one of the En-Gedi guards, Puis, on the roads near En-Gedi. We met some friendly neighbors and families before enjoying our evening meal. We are treated SO WELL here by the staff and cooks! What friendly people we are encountering!
Written by Diane Westenberg
