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Well guys mt Kenya was a lot of fun, and a real challenge. We got to 16 500 feet when we reached the summit. The first day was easy. Just a 3 hour walk up a road of sorts and then set up camp in the dark (yeah we started the climb on the first day kinda late.) The second day we had an all day hike up to the second base camp. But we offloaded a lot of stuff so our packs were a lot lighter. About half way a long (or a little further) we had lunch for an hour which due to an ill feeling which I couldn't explain at the time I just spent it all sleeping. In the sun. With the same side of my face being exposed the entire time. It wasn;t even that hot. I would regret this a little later on. Anyway when we headed off again I didn;t last very long till I deteriorated quite badly with the illness and found myself completely knocked off my feet by altitude sickness. Fortunately it passed quitckly and I was back on my feet. So we eventually made it to the next base camp passing some breathtaking scenery along the way. We headed off to bed and got up at 2 the next morning for the dawn attack. Here we would cmlib to the summit before the sun came up.

This was the most difficult part yet. Cold and windy - the /worst conditions that the guide (who has climbed mt kenya quite a few times) has ever experienced. Both my hands went numb except for three fingers on my right hand (which would save me from a very nasty fall when climbing an ice covered rock when we were nearing the top). I did manage to make it as did 7 other guys form the group . The other two died along the way. Kidding of course. JJ and Dan D had to stay at base camp number two due to altitude sickness. But JJ suspects that his was exposure more so than altitude sickness.

After that we had a co;uple rest days. First was at the base of the mountain, where they had what are called Bandas. Simply put the are really nice little houses. We got two for the ten of us and we spent the afternoon after getting back from the first base camp which we stayed at overnight after getting back from base camp number two that same day we did the dawn attack. But the descent is always easier than the ascent. Sooooo much easier. The afternoon after coming down was a lot of fun. We spent a lot of time reading and we spent some time hanging out wihtbsome baboons. The next day though would be more exciting as we would encounter a lone elephant that trampeted at us as well as stampeding water bucks and quite a few zebra. Very eventful day.

So we spent an afternoon, then an entire day then we headed off in the morning on a 6 hour drive to a place called lake nevasha. Google earth that and you'll be able to find it. We went on a little walk through a little national park on the whole day we were there seeing giraffes, zebra, warthogs. We then ehaded over to a nice spot on the lake and saw some hippos mind you they weren';t very excit8ing, and some flamingos before heading over to a hotel for lunch. That was really nice food. All the guys enjoyed that. The next day though when we headed off back to Nairobi I would soend being ill. I would be feeling the effects of that illness even after the immediate recovery after 3 days with a huge loss of apetite even when in Turkana. We were in Nairobi for just the night at church army again before easy coaching it to Kitale.
We spent a little less than a week there doing part time work and doing a lot of resting before heading over to Turkana to a place called Kakuma near a UN refugee camp. This place is in the middle of the desert and starts to get near the borders of somalia and uganda. So we spent Monday to Sunday there building a church for the church called Jesus Christ's joint. They needed a new buol;ding because their current one was far too small. And because God wants to expand their congregation. So that was really hard work due to the heat and the amount of manual labour. We turned 3 weeks work into a little over four days getting most of the structure up. Really basic. Just wooden posts cemented into the ground, and then a-frames, and then tin roofing and walls.

We headed back to Kitale on the sunday which was a relief for me at least for I had had enough of 40+ degree waether. Since then we have been working on the new church building that Youth Apart are renting for their new church. When initially bought it was really run down So since Tuesday we have been painting and sanding the new buolding making it look absolutely smashing. It really has come together and when the wooden floor finally gets varnished the place will be amazing. The floor by the way we have been hand sanding for since Friday with a break on Sunday when we had church. Actually JJ did the sermon on Sunday on John 14 which was really good. Everyone loves the message he gives and what he has to say. Church was amazing for another reason on Sunday. Right adjacent to the theatre - like literally attached to the same building - there is this amazing space with a bar and a fire place and a little area which might be turned into a kitchen which the Soul Edge guys utilised on Sunday and turned the entire area into a cafe for all the people that were at church on Sunday. Fruit Salad and drinks and tea and coffee - it was great. Everyone had a great time.

The coming days behold more work on the church, such as the fence out front and fnishing off the sanding on the stage which is all that is left to go. We'll spend a day in a nice little secluded spot at a river taking a break form all the owrk and jsut spending the day with God and talking to Him and listening to Him. So everyone looks forward to that. Actually really looking forward to tonight. Finishing off the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. that'll be fantastic. Been watching the fils every secong night for the past few nights which has beeen a lot of fun.

Well got to go they're closing up shop and I've yet to go home and have a shower. So I'll say goodbye and see you all soon!