My Journey

What is a Champion?  Of course, I have my own ideas of what a champion is as I am sure you do too.  So let's see what the dictionary says. 1.  a person who has defeated all opponents in a competition or series of competitions, so as to hold first place: the heavyweight boxing champion. 2.   anything that takes first place in competition: the champion of a cattle show.   3.   an animal that has won a certain number of points in officially recognized shows: This dog is a champion.   4.   a person who fights for or defends any person or cause: a champion of the oppressed.   5.   a fighter or warrior   It is this 4th definition which I want to talk about today.  A person (or persons) who fights for or defends any person or cause.  I have found the "cause" and I am hoping to convince many of YOU to become CHAMPIONS for this cause.  The cause is Chimala Mission.  The hospital and outpatie

Yesterday, the Wagner's and I attended church at a village called Matebete.  This is a Masai Village.  The area was very pretty and the church was really nice.  Church started a bit late because many of the church members were still milking cows, but it filled up very well. This little one cried the first time one of us attempted to talk with her.  Now she is beginning to get a little curious. This is a picture of all who attended church.  I really enjoyed the service and the visiting afterwards. One of the young girls allowed me to try on her tribal necklace.  It was actually a little heavy.     One of the attendees was the "chairman" of the village.  During our visit, we were informed that we could stay for a small lunch and then the masai would dance for us!  WOW, what a surprise....an exciting surprise.  What will follow is several pictures of them dancing.  You won't  get the full effect without hearing them chanting, but I hope

Today is Laura Wagner's birthday.  She is the second-born child of Renee and Chad.  Today is number 16 for her.  A Big day for anyone that age.  But Laura decided today would not only be her sixteenth birthday, but her NEW BIRTH day!  She decided to put on Jesus Christ as her Savior in baptism.  Hallelujah!! She and her sisters picked out a place in the river where they though would be a good place for a baptism.  Laura invited me to be join them in this important event.  The girls informed me that we would take a short hike to the river and back.  It would be fun! So a few minutes after 11am, we took off down the path which runs along the water ditch which supplies water from the river to Chimala. Since it is rainy season, the water ditch was full to the top!  In places, the water was actually breeching the ditch a little and the ground was soggy mud!  So gooey to step in and I am wearing my good tennis shoes! (actually, they are my only tennis shoes!)  We walk

I took a trip to a BIG rice farm in our area which is run by some South Africans.   It was a really nice trip.  We talked with a couple of the South Africans and then took a brief tour of the plant and farms.  We are hoping they will work out a contract with us for rice at a good price.  As you can imagine the mission purchases a lot of rice each month. You will see many rice paddies in different stages of development.  The land in each paddy has to be very flat and even in order to flood the field and all areas receive adequate water supply. This farm has water rights for several miles.  They have a huge irrigation canal which runs along side many of their rice paddies.  Then their are irrigation ditches off of the canal into each paddy which they can open and shut as needed for each paddy. I wasn't certain why, but some fields were being worked by many people and others were being worked by few. This is the rice plant and big storage areas.  We toure

"African squirrel".  What is an "African squirrel".  Well I have yet to see anything that remotely looks like a squirrel in America.  But I have decided that these are my "African Squirrels".  I could sit for hours watching play.  Of course, I am too busy to actually do that, but I do manage a few minutes here and there to watch them. The trees in my yard and across the roadway from me are often full, and I do mean full, of these tree monkeys.  Many times when I see them, I do not have my camera handy.  However, this one day I did manage to get several pictures. The baby monkeys are so cute and soooo fast.!  I have seen some really young babies recently and too many to count. They roll around and wrestle just like kids do.  Chasing each other around the trees and up and down just like squirrels.  And they can even be a little mean....they will throw things at you and I have also heard they will steal things and take off with them. You hav