Read the MCF Easter Update
Hot off the press! The February 2010 newsletter is going out in the mail this week with our 2009 tax receipts. Read it here and pass it along to your friends:
During the North American Safari tour, MCF was responding to severe drought in East Africa. The water rivers and wells dried up and the crops died. Millions lacked adequate food and water and we thank all of you that helped us provide relief food and water rations to thousands of families in the community. Thank you!
We are happy to tell you that since the tour there has been rain in Kenya! Please read our latest update from the field from MCF Founder & CEO, Dr. Ev. Charles Mulli:
Update from the Field – Jan/Feb 2010
October 2009
January 2010
MONDAY, DECEMBER 14
Monday was our last day of the tour – one school and one evening performance is all we had left before the MCF choir would start to prepare to return home to Kenya.
We started off at Collingwood school, a private school in West Vancouver. It was the last school of the whole tour and a great one to end on! Over 700 students packed in to the gym for the assembly. They gave a boisterous standing ovation, with the added touch of stomping on the bleechers. It was the perfect ending for the MCF team. The Collingwood parents association presented MCF with a cheque and Esther’s receiving speech was so beautiful it had all of us in tears!
After the assembly, we headed into the library for a snack and some interaction. It was great to speak with Headmaster Rodger Wright, as well as Bob Corbett, Samantha Cressey and the other teachers, staff and students. The students were getting along great!
They started an arm wrestling competition and even the headmaster and Mommy Esther were cheering them on!
The arm wrestling competition escalated into a backflip competition (still in the library!), and everything was going great until Wycliffe did one too many flips and sliced his leg open on a table! After hundreds of shows without injury it was one silly backflip in a library that took out one of our key acrobatic artists.
A teacher took Mueni and Wycliffe to emergency for stitches and we picked them up after lunch on our way to the Capilano suspension bridge. Many of you may wonder what a typical lunch on the road looks like for us… well, if we don’t have the luxury of having a meal prepared by the loving hands of our friends and supporters, we end up eating lunch with Wendy, Ronald, or the King! Here, let Dennis show you….
The kids were disappointed when they found out that in fact, Ronald was not my father… sorry guys!
Like every strong young man, he held strong and insisted on participating with his team the rest of their last day. Caution: the following photos don’t begin to show the sheer terror I felt on that bridge!! Or how high up we were! Or how far down the fall would be…! Don’t ever go on a suspension bridge with a group of fearless teenagers! eek!
Our last evening show of the whole tour was at Unity Church in Vancouver. The weather was terrible by Vancouver standards, so many couldn’t make it out, but we had a blast anyway! We were one man short (Wycliffe was indeed missed), but it was still a great show and the boys even threw in a few acrobatic moves I’ve never seen before! Makes me excited for “next time”… ! Our good friend Laurenne Emond and her team of volunteers prepared a great dessert reception afterward and nearly everyon in attendance came down and joined us for a bite to eat. Thank you Laurenne for making our last night a great one for the whole team. We appreciated having that basement area to gather together with friends and fans one last time.
As we drove back to the hotel that night, it was hard to believe that that was it… that it was over… that we wouldn’t wake up the next morning and head off to a school for another assembly.
It was a fantastic safari and we are so thankful for all of you who made it possible! This was a huge team effort to bring the whole team here and look after them for a couple months while they went full-out blessing Canadians all over this great contry! Thank you for your servants hearts and willing hands. God bless you and your families this Christmas season!
Until next time… oooaaaaaee! (“peace”!)
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13
We made a whistle stop in Chilliwack on our journey from Kelowna to Vancouver, and the drive was not so pretty! We were driving through “the Coq” in pretty scary conditions. All we saw were the bases of what looked like very large mountains, and then whiteness all around. The roads were covered and slow, but we made it just in time at Chilliwack Central Community Church. We were warmly greeted by Henry Esai and his team. The weather kept some folks home, but all the important people were there and we had a great time sharing with our new friends in Chilliwack. Thanks to Henry Hamm & Henry Esau for arranging the stop in Chilliwack. We really enjoyed our brief few hours with you all and hope it’s no the last time we see you!
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 9 – SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13
The drive to Kelowna was…. well…. scary!! We left Grande Prairie around 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 9. The roads looked great at first, but they got progressively worse as we headed into the mountains. The snow was falling heavy and covering the roads, leaving a narrow and slippery path along the steep mountain side. We had a very close call with a transport truck which clipped our mirror off. It was a bit of a jolt for all of us. Charles got out his video camera and taped some footage of the storm with very animated commentary, including a close up on Jim’s weary face and the shattered mirror. When it was safe to stop, we pulled over, pulled out some good ol’ duct tape and some acrobatic tricks and fixed the mirror, Mully style! Jim, our fearless transportation manager hopped atop Justus’ shoulders to fix the mirror.
Mully mechanics 101
Once we hit the Okanagan valley, the snow disappeared and we were greeted by dry roads. When we arrived at our new home in Kelowna – the Manteo resort – we were welcomed warmly by Cheryl & Sid Molenaar and their team of volunteers from church. We were blessed with 3 condos – 1 for the girls, 1 for the boys, and 1 for the Mulli family. They stocked the condos full of groceries and we even had a view of the mountain and Okanagan lake – lucky us!
Thursday morning we got up early and headed to Kelowna Christian Middle School for two back-to-back performances, then over to Kelowna Christian Elementary school for another show. The students were fantastic and gave a very warm reception, even though Kelowna was unseasonably chilly! After the shows, the team got treated to an afternoon off at a sports complex, complete with a jungle gym, trampolines, climbing wall and ball pit. They had a great time but were quite exhausted afterward!
Friday was another school performance at Okanagan Mission School. Some of the students opened with a welcome dance for the MCF choir. It was rhythmic dance that blending two different beats of stomping of their feet and clapping their hands. It was interesting to watch and the MCF team gave them a well-deserved standing ovation! After leaving OKM it was back to the Manteo for a business luncheon. There were about 85 business leaders from the local area who came together to hear the children sing and share, and to hear from MCF friends Cheryl Molenaar, Henry Hamm, and of course the Mulli family. Cheryl did a great job organizing the event – thank you! Also, thank you to Starbucks for donating some African coffee for everyone to take home… I’m going to make some Christmas morning!
Friday was an evening off, and Michael and I decided to take the kids out to a movie! We went to see A Christmas Carol in 3D at the Grand 10 Theatre in Kelowna. We had a lot of fun, ate a lot of popcorn and had a lot of laughs.
So cool with our 3D glasses!
The choir sang a song for the movie-goers afterward and the general manager, Amela Cheng, offered to treat us all to another movie the next day if we were free. The next day just happened to be Kenya’s Independence Day and we thought it appropriate to take the kids to see Invictus – the story of Nelson Mandela using the national rugby team to bring the country together in post-apartheid South Africa. What an inspiring story! During the movie I was thinking about how I would have loved to be there in that rugby stadium, cheering on the team, being a part of restoring the hope of a nation! … and then I got to thinking – I am part of it! I’m part of the Mully Children’s Family – a family and an organization in Kenya that is fighting for forgiveness, reconciliation, hope, and restoration in the nation of Kenya. Like Mandela, Charles has sacrificed his life to secure a hope and a future for others. You and me are a part of this exciting movement! If you haven’t seen Invictus yet, I encourage you to go this Christmas!
To wrap up our time in Kelowna we had an evening show and two morning shows at New Life Church. Saturday night the sanctuary was packed with nearly 500 people. It was so great to chat with people afterward and hear their stories and their passion for wanting to get involved. We met a lot of terrific people Sunday morning as well. It really felt like an instant bond with folks in Kelowna and we hope it won’t be too long before we see you again – in Canada or Kenya!
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4 – TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8 – GRANDE PRAIRIE
Some highlights from Grande Prairie and their udderly successful Milk it for Mully campaign!
MOO-LY MANIA IN GRANDE PRAIRIE!
December 18, 2009 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
A RE-CAP FROM OUR GRANDE PRAIRIE GUEST BLOGGER, NATASHA HARMS.
It is hard to believe that it is over. The time with the Mully Children’s Family went by very quickly. The time although it was short was very fulfilling. Our whole committee was blessed by their coming and we are missing pieces of our hearts as […]
MILK IT FOR MULLY CAMPAIGN RAISES $43,000 FOR MCF!!!
December 18, 2009 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
This fall, a group of compassionate and committed friends in Grande Prairie organized a ‘Milk it for Mully’ campaign to raise $25,500 for MCF to drill a borehole, by collecting the recycling levy from used milk containers. The community rallied around the cause and raised over $43,000 for the Mully Children’s Family!
The campaign ran for […]
READY FOR MOO-LY MANIA IN GRANDE PRAIRIE!
December 4, 2009 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
We got up bright and early this morning to pack up and hit the road for Grande Prairie. It was sad to leave the Maureen and the whole Kehler family behind – as well as Jan, Wendy & Sheridan – our time in Calgary went far too fast!
On our way to G.P. we stopped quickly in Edmonton to get work done on […]
SNOW!!!
November 27, 2009 in Uncategorized | 2 comments
So we ARE in Canada afterall! We just hit snow near Gulf Lake on our way from Winnipeg to Calgary today – too bad it’s too dark to see and everyone’s sleeping anyway! We hear it’s pretty slippery in Calgary, so pray for us as we head into an ice rink!
Here are a few pictures […]
MP CHRIS WARKENTIN THANKS GRANDE PRAIRIE FOR SUPPORTING MCF
October 31, 2009 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
On October 19th, 2009 Grande PrairMember of Parliament, Chris Warkentin stood up in the house and thanked our community of Grande Prairie for supporting the “Milk It For Mully” campaign.
MILK IT FOR MULLY
October 8, 2009 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
The cowntdown to the Moolly’s arrival is on and our friends in Grande Prairie just can’t wait! They’ve alraedy kicked off the Milk it for Mully campaign, collecting cleaned and crushed milk cartons to raise funds for a borehole at MCF to help provide clean drinking and irrigation water to help them get throug the current […]
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27 – THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2
Some highlights from our time in Calgary – links to previous posts:
BEHIND THE SCENES
December 3, 2009 in Uncategorized | 1 comment
As we wrap up our last day in Calgary and prepare to head north to Grande Prairie tomorrow, we thought we would give you a sneak peak behind the scenes so you can see what glamorous tour life is like when we’re not at presentations. We are so thankful for Maureen Kehler, her husband Thomas […]
WORLD AIDS DAY
December 2, 2009 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Today the North American Safari recognized World AIDS Day in Calgary, Alberta. This morning the team went just down the street to Rundle College for an assembly and a chance to chat and interact with some of the students afterward. All the students at Rundle, as well as the whole MCF team were wearing red […]
ANOTHER WINTER DAY IN CALGARY
December 1, 2009 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
We made it through another snowy and slippery day in Calgary, Alberta!
I arrived at the Kehler’s home to find all the girls busy in the kitchen preparing a traditional Kenyan lunch of ugali, sukuma wiki, and tomatoe stew – yum!! We were all too busy enjoying it that I didn’t take any pictures…!
After our tummies […]
GREY CUP SUNDAY
November 30, 2009 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Another great day in Calgary! Did I mention we can see the mountains from the place we’re staying at and we all can’t wait to be IN the mountains very soon!
This morning we boarded the bus for a stop just around the corner at Rockpointe Church at Ambrose University/College. The team sang a few songs to kick […]
FIRST DAY IN COW-TOWN!
November 29, 2009 in Uncategorized | 1 comment
We just wrapped up our first day in Calgary and boy was it fun! Maureen & Thomas Kehler hosted a yummy lunch at their house for the team, then it was off to the Temle B’nai Tikvah for a recording session and an evening performance with the Cantare Children’s Choir. The choir recorded for a […]
SNOW!!!
November 27, 2009 in Uncategorized | 1 comment
So we ARE in Canada afterall! We just hit snow near Gulf Lake on our way from Winnipeg to Calgary today – too bad it’s too dark to see and everyone’s sleeping anyway! We hear it’s pretty slippery in Calgary, so pray for us as we head into an ice rink!
Here are a few pictures […]
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19 – THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26 – WINNIPEG
On Thursday, November 19th, the team packed up all their things and shoved them onto the bus. It was a small miracle that everything fit. Before leaving Toronto, the team made one last appearance at Havergal – a private girls school at Avenue & Lawrence. From there it was off to Winnipeg… well, after a couple days of driving out of Ontario!
Check out our blog updates from WINNIPEG:
PROVIDENCE COLLEGE
November 26, 2009 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
We returned just a few hours ago from a terrific event at Providence College in Otterburne (just south of Winnipeg) this evening. Students, staff, family and communit members all came out to see the choir and learn more about MCF.
We are so thankful to Augustus Konkel, President of Providence, for hosting us in the school! Again, we […]
IT’S A NEW DAY & KING’S SCHOOL
November 26, 2009 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tuesday morning was another early one, this time it was off to the It’s A New Day studios to film some footage for Willard Thiessen’s morning show. The team was videotaped doing singing, dancing, acrobatics, karate and sharing their stories of hope and transformation. We’ll keep you posted as to when the two-part series will air!
After the […]
RISE & SHINE
November 26, 2009 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Monday morning we were up bright and early with 8 members of the MCF choir, Arvid, Mueni and Dickson and off to the radio studio that hosts both the CHVN & Ignite stations in Winnipeg. It was a very early morning, but I was personally excited because the morning show hose of CHVN is a personal friend, and […]
SUNDAY IN WINNIPEG!
November 25, 2009 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Sunny and warm are two words I never thought I would use when writing about our time in Winnipeg, but that’s exactly what it’s been! The kids were well prepared with their toques, mitts, scarfs, coats, but they’ve barely had need for them. We are so thankful for warm weather!
Sunday morning we hopped on the […]
A VERY CANADIAN EVENING IN WINNIPEG
November 23, 2009 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Yesterday we crossed the border into Manitoba and were bracing ourselves for what we heard would be “Winter-peg” but when we arrived we were thrilled to be welcomed by unseasonably warm weather.
The weather sure wasn’t Canadian, but our evening was! The team sang the Canadian national anthen for a packed arena of 11,000 at the Manitoba Moose hockey game – does […]
THE SAFARI IS WEST-BOUND!
November 20, 2009 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
After a performance at Havergal College and a surprise visit to our friends at KPMG, we headed out on our journey to Winnipeg! We arrived safe and sound in Sudbury, Ontario a few hours ago for some R&R in the Comfort Inn. Tomorrow we’ll travel about 13 hours to Thunder Bay and then from there it’s […]
MCF's North American Safari Tour 