3 February 2018

Thursday and Friday(1^st & 2^nd) were the first YWAM National Leadership Team meeting of 2018 and the venue this time was YWAM Makwan’gani (formerly Shimba Hills base) where I was stationed from 1992-2002 and where Martin & Judy Heath are now doing community development.  The NLT now consists of 7 members—4 Kenyan men (Christopher, Baraza, Joram, Erick) and 3 westerners (Martin, Judy and myself) What memories surfaced for me, especially since the guest room I was assigned last week was also my final accommodation back in 2000-2002 before I moved to Mombasa.  I am now the most senior member of the NLT in both age and tenure and the only one remaining who was on staff during the halcyon days of Shimba Hills base.  Over the 2-day meeting, the Kenyan NLT members asked me quite a few questions about my time at the base and its history.  Several commented that I should write a book so that the history is not lost.  I will have to think and pray about that.

And speaking of history, when I was about 12, my brother Paul and I were riding bikes down a steep hill and, long story short, I fell and broke one of my front teeth. The resulting cap has served me very well but 60 years of wear have resulted in the cap standing out whiter and larger than the rest of my teeth, very obvious when I smile; which I am trying to do more.  I began toying with the idea of having the cap replaced and then in December, I had my teeth cleaned and was informed that I had a cavity on the back side of the other front tooth.  So, it seems the right time to have both front teeth capped.  Step one of that process happened this last Tuesday but somehow during the night one of the temporary caps crumbled and Wednesday morning I woke up with pieces of temporary cap coating my tongue so I had to go back again and have it replaced.  My mouth and gums are still very tender and I have not been able to eat much besides mashed potatoes (not really a hardship😊) and I have been rinsing several times a day with warm salt water.   Permanent caps should be ready within 2 weeks.