News of Violence in Kenya

Hello Friends
We have News from Inside Kenya

Thank you to all, who have expressed your concern for our friends who are living amidst the recent violence and crisis in Kenya.
For those who pray for the school, children and the village... you're prayers have not fallen on deaf ears. The village and school escaped the damage of a huge fire that devastated much of the surrounding area. Entire streets of homes, business and buildings just one block away from the school were entirely burned to the ground, yet the village was spared from the enormous blaze. Most of the places where we shopped, ate, spent time or did business with, were lost in the fires. We share the sadness and loss these friends are feeling at this time.


Although the school and village are still standing, riots remain to terrorize the people and families who are confined to their huts. Starvation is now the biggest threat to the village as food supply is limited and transportation halted during the worst week of crisis. The most updated news of our friends from the tribe who has been under attack is not good as they have lost thier homes and business but managed to escape with their family and only the clothes on their back. They are staying safe and in hiding until the worst is over.


Good news...All schools were ordered to remain closed during the crisis, but as of yesterday the doors opened to Amani School and children filed back into class. We hope they find security and normality behind the walls of their school. The people in the village are trying to put the tension aside and take care of their families needs. New talks are scheduled in Kenya today and the world watches and prays for a peaceful resolution to the political situation. It is a very unstable time for the entire country and we do our best to share information as it comes to us. Current reports on Kenya can be found on your favorite news sources including BBC, NPR, and CNN.



REMEMBERING LITTLE THOMAS

We regret to share more disheartening news, but wanted to take the time to remember little Thomas from Amani School. He has died of an infectious disease. Little Thomas was featured in a writing on our blog called "Just another day in Paradise/Justify Violence?" It was an especially difficult loss to take, doubled with the previous news of his guardian grandmother's death, just one month before. She was a friend to us and a symbol of strength that we continue to draw from. We remember both their smiles and the life they shared with us.



Please remember to love your friends and family, hold them tight and appreciate all the ways they make you feel more alive... today, tomorrow and the next.
Sending warm hugs to all our friends and family,
Love to all,
Brian and Brenda


Regarding sponsorship of children at Amani:
- Sponsorship of the children is up for renewal this month. Please consider if you would like to continue supporting their education, and health needs.
- If you would like to begin or continue a sponsorship, please contact me to discuss the current situation of your individual sponsored child/children at the school.
- Do not send mail or packages to the children at this time as the post office was burned down in the fire. Wait for more updated news.
- We have not worked out the best way to transfer funds to Kenya at this time, but are working on a solution. Please contact us for more information.

Baby Atlas Luzader Payne

We want to introduce you to our newest family member and our second grandchild,

Atlas Luzader Payne

Born: November 27, 2007

Ashley, Jason, Boulder and Atlas are doing great. The little boys are growing into their great big names.

And here's Boulder playing in the Artic

Summer in Alaska

On Top of the World

While standing on top of the world, I hummed the song,
“I’m on… top of the world… looking, down on creation... And the only explanation I can find, is…humph?” Explain how I got here?
A year ago, I was looking up from Australia, ‘the land down under’ and now in Alaska, I’m peering down the vastest and most desolate valley I’ve ever seen.
We had just left North Pole, and were driving up a steep winding gravel road called Top of the World Highway. We were pioneering a visit to family through the Last Frontier coinciding with our next volunteer building project.

[Camping through Canada and up to Alaska with our daughter Carly, her friend Matt, and the two granddogs. We now have camped over six months of this trip. And I remember saying a year ago, “I never really liked camping.” And this has not changed.]

[Freedom of the open road. (And there was no ‘free’ in this freedom) Driving a personal vehicle for the first time in over a year was shocking with the cost of fuel, insurance, maintenance and then constant vehicle repairs.]


[Mt. McKinley, the Canadian Rockies, the Alaskan,/Al-Can Highway, the Yukon, the Klondike, the Glacier Fields and the North Pole. Brrr, now searching for Hot Springs, to warm our aching equatorial bones.]







































[One must keep a keen eye on the highway at all times… Where the buffalo and everything else roams. While driving or camping, watch out for moose, caribou, black and grizzly bears, reindeer, rock sheep, wolverines, fox, minks, elk and so much more.]

[Gold Rush towns sent us searching but we found instead crystal clear rivers, silver glacier runs, tumbling waterfalls and mountains of wildflowers.]

The Project:

After spending a year volunteering in third world countries, we decided to bring some social responsibility back to our own family.

A bit north of Anchorage, in the small town of Wasilla, there are ten acres of wooded property, a TeePee and our daughter Ashley with her family.

Our recent project is helping build her and our son-in-law Jason’s first home. Our goal is to get a structure built and to weather before the first snow falls.

Construction with 20 hours of daylight made for good progress, despite our meager three member crew. Our assistants included a two year old grandchild for entertainment and a pregnant daughter for building supply runs. (However Boulder's idea of entertainment is drowning our tools in buckets of rain water while empting cans of nails down stairs. Not to mention Ashley who is now ‘growing a human,’ requires naps and weight lifting restrictions.)

[Blending work with play is the best part of our day.]

Building and living without power or running water would normally seem difficult but after previous volunteer adversities in third world countries, we hardly felt the compromise. Our challenges were instead building and camping in cool weather and rainy days without a roof over our heads. Warming ourselves at night, we gathered around a warm TeePee fire sharing stories and catching up on years of lost time. Baby Boulder:

After living above the Arctic Circle and in the tundra, Boulder has been deprived of a few childhood wonders. He has discovered that rocks and dirt are his new favorite toys. (Therefore appropriately named) He is a constant joy, an all-around easy child and loves the great outdoors. The New Grandbaby Boy is Coming Soon and due in November. Awaiting the namesake?

Wrapping things up and leaving the ‘Biggest State in the Union’ we sang,

“We’re on top of the world, looking down on creation and the only explanation I can find, is…

The love that I found every time you’re around…

Your Love puts us…

On Top of the World.”

Thanks to our family for enduring the long years away and to our friends for such a warm welcome home.
We will be in the states until Christmas and then head overseas again