Hello friends,
          Merry CHRISTmas!  Well, it was yesterday, but I still want to wish you all a very Merry CHRISTmas.  My parents and brother have been here for the past 10 days spending time with me in Kenya and I have absolutely loved the experience of having them here.  Furthermore, it was great to have them here for CHRISTmas.

Merry CHRISTmas from the Quirings:

From Family Visit

Merry CHRISTmas from the Kenyan YAVs:

From Family Visit

          Our spare Blair has finished her overtime as a YAV from last year and the beginning of this year and we had a going away party for her the night my family arrived.  May God bless you and keep you, Blair.

From Family Visit

          Below is a post from my mom and another from my dad.  Next week I will put up more post from them and my brother about our time in Kenya.  I felt like leaving the blogging about Kenya to them for the time being, but I still have a few insights to share.

Here is short video of my family arriving at the Kenyan airport:



          First, family.  Wow is family important which I have known for a long time, but this morning as I saw my family off at the airport I once again realized how amazingly blessed I am and that I wouldn't see them for 8 months.  I just started praying for them without the thought of, "I should pray" but it just happened.  Kind of cool.  Any who, I love my family and am glad we got to spend the last 10 days together.  May Jet Lag cause you many fun memories...

          I got pretty sick last week and am still getting over whatever it is.  It was nice to have my mom down the street instead of half way around the world during this.  The situation reminded me of a woman that I visited with several times this past summer during my hospital chaplaincy.  She was 83 and talked with me about how every time she gets sick she wants her mother to come and take care of her.  I had many other people tell me this in less direct ways, but I think it's true no matter how old you get you want your mom when your sick.  So, I was glad that I had mine readily available.

Mom cooking dinner after the power went out one night:

From Family Visit

          I have been thinking a lot...about my childhood, teenage years, college, and seminary.  The whole shabang.  Memories that I haven't thought of since they were formed and others for years have popped back in my head as I have been with Kenyan children and thought back on how my childhood was different and so on and so forth with teenage years, college, and seminary.  You get the picture.  Any who, there have been a lot of e-mails to parents and friends.  "Hey mom, thanks for taking me to swimming lessons when I was young."  You know, the typical e-mails you get from a 25 year old male...

          I've also been thinking a lot about a funny predicament.  When I am home on the couch in Broken Arrow (my happy place) watching Cash Cab or Man vs. Wild I want to be in NYC (where Cash Cab is) or whatever exotic place Man vs. Wild is taking place.  However, when I make it to NYC or the exotic place, I want to be back on my couch in Broken Arrow.  Make up your mind, Robert!  This goes along with my problem of not wanting money, but at the same time wanting money.  So, it has been fun to sit and ponder these predicamentss under African skies for the past 4 months.

Welp, that's enough for now.  Until next week with more family posts.  Have a relaxing break for those who get one and a good end of 2008!
RTQ