A great former missionary, the invincible Doug Dempsey, once told me `It’s not if, it’s when.’ The great scourge of all African missionaries, it strikes without warning. Whether it is the water, food that has gone south, or something in the air, it struck without warning, but much subsequent fanfare.

We had SIXTY-ONE kids in the infirmary with food poisoning on Friday. When you have a campus of five hundred kids, that means there was a LOT of sudden running. It also led to two of the greatest quotes I’ve heard in awhile.

Me: How are you doing?
Them1: Oh, it’s ok. I’ve been poisoned before.
Me: How about you? How are you feeling?
Them2: It was the chicken.
Me: How do you know?
Them2: My upper stomach hurts. If it hurt lower, it would be the milk.

The most inspiring part of all of it was that the more CREATIVE students started to see the trend, and they suddenly began to complain about great pains especially before a class with a test. There is nothing like seeing someone clutch the right part of their stomach, and minutes later be clutching their left side, to stir the voting members of the Academy to judge great performances. Truly inspirational, especially when recovery occurred in time for soccer practice.

We gave the SAT test on Saturday. The whole college thing is so stressful for all high school kids, but these kids have parents whose income would be considered poverty level in the United States, and high scores that produce scholarships are the best, and sometimes, the only shot they have to go to a good school.

There is one company in the whole of Kenya who handles the test, and the manager told us she would pick up the tests on Monday. She came out to campus on Monday, we greeted her, and she took the tests and drove off.

The problem was: she got carjacked right outside the campus. Six men, two with guns, forced her out and took off in the car.

She was badly frightened, but not hurt, and her car was recovered because they couldn’t figure out how to drive it. We were so grateful she was ok.

And the tests were not damaged. SAT is a rather anal type of company; I’m not sure how we would have explained that the tests were kidnapped.

We just got word that a family from RVA was in a head on collusion with a truck, and one of the children may be in serious condition. His name is Paul; will you pray for him?

Your pal

Steve Peifer