We are still in Kenya with no plans to relocate due to the pandemic. We are under many restrictions, as I’m sure you all are. The restrictions don’t all make sense 🙄 the boys’ (8th & 1st grade) private school is closed along with every other school in Kenya. They’re doing online learning. Grace is homeschooling, so the big change for her is the higher volume in the house and distractions from brothers; also the SAT was cancelled (she’s a Junior)!

We all must wear masks as soon as we leave our house…EVEN IN OUR OWN PRIVATE VEHICLE! It is now not permitted to use your car at over 50% occupancy- meaning even with our 8 passenger land cruiser, it’s illegal for us to go anywhere in it as a family (5 of us).

There is a Nationwide curfew between 7pm and 5 am/ you could get a fine of $200 or 6 months in prison for violating curfew. By the way, I used to visit a womens’ prison with our church, but the country banned prison visits mid March.

All International flights cancelled, except for some embassies wrapping up chartered repatriation flights; including possibly the last one departing Wednesday (April 22)for Washington DC. Two co-worker families plan be on it, having to pay $2000 per person just to DC!

AIM AIR gets lots of flight requests for medical evacuations and for supplies for missionaries in isolated areas- many made so much more isolated by the crisis. One team in South Sudan said their tribe’s chief has forbidden the missionaries from receiving any airplanes as they believe the plane will carry the virus and the tribe is now somewhat distrustful of these Western missionaries for possibly being responsible for the pandemic (in many African countries westerners are seen as suspicious and suspect); though we have not experienced any of that personally.

Currently AIM AIR can fly CARGO ONLY flights internationally, ex: Kenya to South Sudan or Uganda or Democratic Republic of Congo- all flights we normally do; as most International flights are banned. Each flight request requires lots of government permission letters that take time to acquire. Regulations tend to Change frequently here with the changing situation. Jerry’s role includes receiving calls and email flight requests, seeing if they’re logistically possible with all the restrictions and figuring out how to do so without the pilot having to spend 14 days in a government quarantine facility (having never left the airstrip) when he/ she returns to base!

Each flight or change to a flight requires a stamped letter to each countries aviation authority, and then a wait for approval in the form of a stamped letter back. One of our pilots spends a lot of his days going back and forth to the civil aviation offices hand carrying letters and pleading our case for each flight.

Last week we had a medevac request for a missionary’s daughter in South Sudan who possibly had appendicitis. Jerry spent much of the day conversing with both the US consulate in Juba and the US Embassy in Nairobi to see if she could be flown to AIM’S mission hospital at Kijabe. With the latest restrictions to border crossings, it is almost impossible for non citizens to be allowed entry into Kenya. Fortunately, there is a new hospital in Juba and they have the ability to do surgery and have a cat scan machine set up. Praise the Lord, she was able to fly there and receive treatment less than 48 hours before all passenger movements were closed for the whole country. Pray she will be able to have permission to return home and join her family without waiting for the 3 week restriction to be lifted.

We’re all feeling fine and at peace; the boys mostly feel like they’re on an extended spring break. We do church online and Bible study and school online and Jerry seems to have nonstop zoom meetings. We are fortunate to live on a compound right now with 7 other missionary families and their kids as our boys’ playmates. There are two playgrounds and a long enough drive and grassy area to get exercise.

I still go to the grocery store about once a week- with my mask on. Every store and shopping center has the requisite hand sanitizer. There is plenty of toilet paper stocked here 😉. We can get groceries or restaurant food delivered, but with the curfew, most restaurants are closed by 5 (no dining out allowed), so you have to plan waaay ahead.

Please pray for opportunities to show God’s love even when we’re mostly at home!
Also please pray for Kenyans that live in closely packed slums with scant running water or plumbing and no possiblity of social distancing in one room homes.