It has been a busy week, but soooo good. We spent a considerable amount of time this week preparing for what is called a Love Feast, held once a month on the last Friday. In the past year, most of the love feasts have been just a special meal, but for this month, one of the leaders really felt like we needed to make it more special. Therefore, we began preparing for this special time a lot earlier, and then reaped the benefits on the actual night. One of the things that we needed to make sure happened was for everyone to prepare their hearts well. There were some issues between the two schools with a few people, and God did some work through reconciliation. It was good to see some walls (not big ones) come down in people's hearts and for peace to reign.
The night itself was so beautiful. Yes, people, I cried. haha. I don't think anyone will be surprised. But at one point I just sat back and thought about how surreal I felt like it was. I will describe the night, but similar to any big occasion back home, there was a lot of preparation that went into the night on all levels, so keep that in mind. :)
Let's see.. where to begin. Maybe with the decorating, since we started with that around 1:30. Dinner was supposed to start at 5. We pitched in and got some really nice fabric for a tablecloth earlier in the week. We put out candles and flowers and had numerous comments about how it looked like a wedding. haha. I will have to get pictures from Janelle to show you. We decided to have it outside and prayed that the rain would wait until after dinner to come (we never stop praying for rain here, we just wanted it to hold off til later). So we set the tables with nicer plates (borrowed from some of the staff who live off base) and namecards that we wrote encouragements on. Did I mention that you can see the beach from the backyard? That is where we put the tables, and it was a magnificent view. And then we have these amazing flowers that seemed to come out of nowhere that we got to use too. The boys also helped get some sand and shells from their trip to the beach. It was so beautiful.
Meanwhile, people were cooking and preparing some awesome food. Fresh juice, SALAD!! (I haven't had fresh salad since I was home), CHICKEN! (chicken is super expensive here, so we have only had it one other time), fish, and ugali (ugali is this cornmeal thing. Lisa and Janelle said it was kind of like a super thick cream of wheat. I guess I can agree with them - but that it is really thick.). Oh, and we also had french fries, which took forever to make. ha.
Anyway, people sat down, and I thought it was even more beautiful with the people sitting there than it was just decorated. :) We had people dress up, and I wore my hair down. haha. Even though I felt like a lion, some other people thought it was great. I suppose it was similar to another special time in late June of last year. :)
As soon as the last person got food and sat down, it began to rain. haha. So everyone picked up everything and rushed inside to our plan B place. It was beautiful to see everyone helping each other. And, when we were all crowded inside the classroom and eating together again, that is when I sat back and marveled at how surreal the situation was, how beautiful it was, how perfectly God had planned the night. It could not have been any better, and I just felt like that fellowship was worship itself. Karen, the base leader, gave a short message about the theme verse (Proverbs 27:17) and then the PCYM speakers led us in some fun worship songs. We praised God for the rain and for His love. We also had previously put people in pairs and sat them together. We had each person write an encouragement on their partner's namecard and then we shared and prayed with our partners. I was with Karen, and her words for me were so encouraging. She is such a woman of God. We also had communion together.
Finally, as if the night could not have been even better, God decided to give a personal treat. We had ice cream and fresh fruit for dessert, and I decided to eat it all, including the ice cream. I have not eaten ice cream in 6 years due to lactose intolerance problems, but the leaders have been praying specifically for me about this, and I have been able to have the milk tea we have every morning. So, I decided to eat in faith that I was healed. And, miraculously, I ate the ice cream and had no issues. Yesterday I also had some of Lisa's milkshake and also did not have any problems. YAY!!!
So, Friday night made the entire week worth all the preparations. The only thing that could have made it even better for me is if you were all there with me. :) I read this quote yesterday that helps though:
"You can kiss your family and friends good bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart and your mind, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you." Frederick Buechner
I got a wonderful package from my beautiful parents yesterday, and included were some chopsticks. I must say, it was HILARIOUS trying to explain and show how to use them last night at dinner. We had ugali and scuma (which is kind of like spinach) and we laughed so hard. I am looking forward to trying them out with them tonight too. John also could not believe me this morning when he overheard me saying good night to my parents. It was hysterical for him that it is night time for people when it is our morning here.
Today was also a blessed time. We did some ministry with a nearby church on both Wednesday and Thursday (Thursday's was kind of fun because we went even though it was raining in the beginning. I wore a jacket for the first time that I've been here). Anyway, today was exciting because not only was the church time great (and they also served us a full lunch including our favorite chapati!), but two of the guys we met on Wednesday came and made a commitment to Jesus. It was so exciting to see them!
All in all, I was in awe a lot this week. :) I was really overcome with the love of God multiple times this week. The rain brought more mosquitos and bites, and Christine got malaria in the beginning of the week (she was better by the love feast), but these did not stop us from praising God and dwelling in His love for us. I hope you know how much God loves you. It's not just for us and not just for this time in Kenya. Oh, how He loves you, dear one.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
sunday extra
So I am trying to upload pictures, and am still unsuccessful. Sad. :(
But it is fun to be here on a Sunday anyway, and I will just give some other fun things going on. I forgot to tell the sushi story. So one night we had fish, which was a really exciting time because we do not normally have that. We also had green beans one day, which was also really exciting. Anyway, I tried explaining to Duncan and Lilian about sushi and sashimi, and they were absolutely appalled. I wish I could have recorded their faces. hahahahha. They are engrained on my mind, and you can imagine. :)
The roads are also an adventure in themselves. Yesterday the power went out at the internet cafe, so I walked the road to it more than the one round trip. There are no sidewalks in Likoni, so anything from cars, people, bicycles, the water guys with their carts of water and pieces of metal clanking on the sides to warn people that water is passing by (think of same concept as an ice cream truck), cows, goats, sheep, motorbikes, and these three -wheeled vehicles called tuk-tuk's can be going along the road at the same time. When you get closer to the main town, it is a lot more congested, and you can add onto the road the fly-ridden market places with people sitting in front of what they are selling. Because it is such an adventure every time, I don't know if I have gotten used to it. :) But it is fun. haha.
Some fun stories of our worship times. We have sung such fun songs. Most of the Kenyan songs have hand motions or some kind of dancing. We sang this one song at the end of last week where each country or tribe in the room is celebrated. The basis of the song is that God is praised in all of these places. And when they call out your country or tribe, those people had to go in front and show some kind of dance. It was great. Each tribe has their own style of dancing, and it was a lot of fun. For example, the Masai tribe, where John and Catherine are from, the tribal dance involves this really high jumping. It is incredible how high John can jump. And it was hysterical when our whole team tried to imitate. hahahahha. John was almost on the floor cracking up. haha.
We also sang this other song this week that is about how Jesus is alive in all parts of us. It is kind of like a "heads, shoulders, knees, and toes" song. It was a lot of fun too. It is a lot of fun to dance with the people here. We spend most of the time laughing.
And I will end with another story of my friend John. ha. His home village is near a lot of animals, and he tells these crazy stories of his encounters with lions, snakes, and elephants. Apparently, most Kenyans are terrified of elephants, saying that they and buffaloes are more dangerous than any other animal, even lions. When I told them that I once rode an elephant (at marine world, ha) they were appalled. Their immediate reaction was "that was not an elephant." haha. But I guess John was once in a field and saw an elephant completely trample a person, as well as proceed to throw the person through some trees. I can only imagine why they consider these animals to be so scary. But we were sharing last week about some times in our lives when we were thankful to God, and John told this story about how he was in a field and he somehow found himself only a few feet away from an elephant. But by the grace of God, it did not see him, and his life was spared. The way that John tells it is so much better, but you'll have to wait for me to come home for me to try and imitate his animated storytelling. :) In the meantime, I will try and get a video of his jumping. :)
Life here is by no means easy. But God is good. :)
Have a great and grateful day!
But it is fun to be here on a Sunday anyway, and I will just give some other fun things going on. I forgot to tell the sushi story. So one night we had fish, which was a really exciting time because we do not normally have that. We also had green beans one day, which was also really exciting. Anyway, I tried explaining to Duncan and Lilian about sushi and sashimi, and they were absolutely appalled. I wish I could have recorded their faces. hahahahha. They are engrained on my mind, and you can imagine. :)
The roads are also an adventure in themselves. Yesterday the power went out at the internet cafe, so I walked the road to it more than the one round trip. There are no sidewalks in Likoni, so anything from cars, people, bicycles, the water guys with their carts of water and pieces of metal clanking on the sides to warn people that water is passing by (think of same concept as an ice cream truck), cows, goats, sheep, motorbikes, and these three -wheeled vehicles called tuk-tuk's can be going along the road at the same time. When you get closer to the main town, it is a lot more congested, and you can add onto the road the fly-ridden market places with people sitting in front of what they are selling. Because it is such an adventure every time, I don't know if I have gotten used to it. :) But it is fun. haha.
Some fun stories of our worship times. We have sung such fun songs. Most of the Kenyan songs have hand motions or some kind of dancing. We sang this one song at the end of last week where each country or tribe in the room is celebrated. The basis of the song is that God is praised in all of these places. And when they call out your country or tribe, those people had to go in front and show some kind of dance. It was great. Each tribe has their own style of dancing, and it was a lot of fun. For example, the Masai tribe, where John and Catherine are from, the tribal dance involves this really high jumping. It is incredible how high John can jump. And it was hysterical when our whole team tried to imitate. hahahahha. John was almost on the floor cracking up. haha.
We also sang this other song this week that is about how Jesus is alive in all parts of us. It is kind of like a "heads, shoulders, knees, and toes" song. It was a lot of fun too. It is a lot of fun to dance with the people here. We spend most of the time laughing.
And I will end with another story of my friend John. ha. His home village is near a lot of animals, and he tells these crazy stories of his encounters with lions, snakes, and elephants. Apparently, most Kenyans are terrified of elephants, saying that they and buffaloes are more dangerous than any other animal, even lions. When I told them that I once rode an elephant (at marine world, ha) they were appalled. Their immediate reaction was "that was not an elephant." haha. But I guess John was once in a field and saw an elephant completely trample a person, as well as proceed to throw the person through some trees. I can only imagine why they consider these animals to be so scary. But we were sharing last week about some times in our lives when we were thankful to God, and John told this story about how he was in a field and he somehow found himself only a few feet away from an elephant. But by the grace of God, it did not see him, and his life was spared. The way that John tells it is so much better, but you'll have to wait for me to come home for me to try and imitate his animated storytelling. :) In the meantime, I will try and get a video of his jumping. :)
Life here is by no means easy. But God is good. :)
Have a great and grateful day!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
God sent the rain down in Africa!
Yes, that song is for Kevin and Arthur:) Imagining them singing right now brings a smile to my face and already delighted heart. haha.
But yes, we had rain this week! Thanks for praying, and keep praying! It was great! Before, it would rain or maybe just drizzle for like 5 minutes or a short time. But on Friday, it really rained! Like, the ground was soaked (inside and out, since the roof is leaking in the main building, ha). We were so excited, mostly because we had been praying for a lot of rain. With the drought and famine going on, this country really needs it. Also, Martin just planted a whole bunch of new vegetables and was spending a lot of time and money for watering the new plants. The rain was really helpful. Today it is back to the heat, but it was nice to really have that rain this week.
Our fun week began on Sunday with an awesome Easter Sunday. We went to Vipingo, about an hour bus ride north, to the church there. It was wonderful. The church and school were built recently (actually by a church from Wisconsin - everyone wanted to know how close that was to Ohio or California, since those are where Lisa and I are from, and those are the points of reference to America for our friends. I told them that Wisconsin is closer to Ohio than it is to California, and that the distance from CA to Wisconsin is actually longer than the width of Kenya. That was hard for them to believe. ha). Anyway, the school has about 170 children, and they are also in the process of building a bible college. We will be working with this church and school and village in June/July, and they are hoping the building for the college will be ready by then because that is most likely where we will be staying. It was really nice to be there, and to see this wonderful and beautiful place. A lot of the children come to this church as well, so it was fun to see all of their presentations. Great times!
When we came back on Sunday, we also had fun watching a soccer match between our Kenyan guys and the British soccer team that is here. This was their second and last week here, and it was great to see how they really bonded with some of the people here. We had a worship night together that the British led, and it was a lot of fun, and very heartfelt. I think their work with the soccer camp (let's keep in mind that they called it "football camp") for two weeks was really awesome too. I heard that they had 300 kids come out the first day, even though they could only really take 80. They took another 80 the second week, and are looking for ways to continue to reach out through Erick, at our base. They are hoping to come again as well. It was really exciting to hear their stories, as well as to meet some of the kids when we went to the soccer match. The kids were fascinated that I was Japanese, and taught me some Swahili in exchange for some Japanese words. funny. :)
We also went to another orphanage this week. This one is really close to our base, and we actually run past it every morning (we noticed the sign "Happy Rock Center" but never knew what it was). This one has 26 children, ranging from newborn to age 13, but what was really exciting was that some of the older kids come to the program on Saturdays, and they recognized me! We played limbo with the kids last Saturday, and so when we walked in on Tuesday to the orphanage, they immediately got a stick and began chanting "limbo, limbo, limbo!" It was so great. We told our base leaders how much we enjoyed it (one kid fell asleep in Martin's arms), and we're hoping to go back again.
We also went on more house visits this week. Our group (Paul and Lilian and I) keep meeting people whose names start with E (Esther, Edwin, Erica, Evelyn, Ede). It was quite funny when we realized it. Good times. :)
We concluded the week with Duncan's birthday on Friday. It was hilarious because the British guys found out, and decided to pull them out into the pouring rain at one point, and dogpile him. They were all completely soaked. It was hysterical. (Of course, after Duncan was completely drenched, he decided to pull Lisa and I into the rain as well. ha) But most touching of all was that after they all were dry, the British team presented Duncan with a real gift - a pair of soccer shoes. They said they had noticed that when they played on Sunday, that he was barefoot (most of the Kenyans were). The shoes fit perfectly, but it was great because Duncan had been sayign that he needed some new shoes in general. He only has some sandals (he calls them "my opens") and some church shoes that are too small for him. He doesn't have money to buy new shoes, and so this really was a perfect gift - probably more than the guys realized. We celebrated Duncan with a party on Friday night as well, and after we prayed for him, he told us that he had never celebrated his birthday before. This was his 20th birthday, and I am so glad. You would never know it - Duncan is probably one of the most joyful people I know. It was a really blessed night.
The week was great - I am physically fine (no rashes, few bites), and my heart is incredibly blessed. I am learning so much, mostly how to be content in all circumstances. This week was a huge blessing of learning, and I am constantly in awe of our awesome God.
Bwana Safiwe!
But yes, we had rain this week! Thanks for praying, and keep praying! It was great! Before, it would rain or maybe just drizzle for like 5 minutes or a short time. But on Friday, it really rained! Like, the ground was soaked (inside and out, since the roof is leaking in the main building, ha). We were so excited, mostly because we had been praying for a lot of rain. With the drought and famine going on, this country really needs it. Also, Martin just planted a whole bunch of new vegetables and was spending a lot of time and money for watering the new plants. The rain was really helpful. Today it is back to the heat, but it was nice to really have that rain this week.
Our fun week began on Sunday with an awesome Easter Sunday. We went to Vipingo, about an hour bus ride north, to the church there. It was wonderful. The church and school were built recently (actually by a church from Wisconsin - everyone wanted to know how close that was to Ohio or California, since those are where Lisa and I are from, and those are the points of reference to America for our friends. I told them that Wisconsin is closer to Ohio than it is to California, and that the distance from CA to Wisconsin is actually longer than the width of Kenya. That was hard for them to believe. ha). Anyway, the school has about 170 children, and they are also in the process of building a bible college. We will be working with this church and school and village in June/July, and they are hoping the building for the college will be ready by then because that is most likely where we will be staying. It was really nice to be there, and to see this wonderful and beautiful place. A lot of the children come to this church as well, so it was fun to see all of their presentations. Great times!
When we came back on Sunday, we also had fun watching a soccer match between our Kenyan guys and the British soccer team that is here. This was their second and last week here, and it was great to see how they really bonded with some of the people here. We had a worship night together that the British led, and it was a lot of fun, and very heartfelt. I think their work with the soccer camp (let's keep in mind that they called it "football camp") for two weeks was really awesome too. I heard that they had 300 kids come out the first day, even though they could only really take 80. They took another 80 the second week, and are looking for ways to continue to reach out through Erick, at our base. They are hoping to come again as well. It was really exciting to hear their stories, as well as to meet some of the kids when we went to the soccer match. The kids were fascinated that I was Japanese, and taught me some Swahili in exchange for some Japanese words. funny. :)
We also went to another orphanage this week. This one is really close to our base, and we actually run past it every morning (we noticed the sign "Happy Rock Center" but never knew what it was). This one has 26 children, ranging from newborn to age 13, but what was really exciting was that some of the older kids come to the program on Saturdays, and they recognized me! We played limbo with the kids last Saturday, and so when we walked in on Tuesday to the orphanage, they immediately got a stick and began chanting "limbo, limbo, limbo!" It was so great. We told our base leaders how much we enjoyed it (one kid fell asleep in Martin's arms), and we're hoping to go back again.
We also went on more house visits this week. Our group (Paul and Lilian and I) keep meeting people whose names start with E (Esther, Edwin, Erica, Evelyn, Ede). It was quite funny when we realized it. Good times. :)
We concluded the week with Duncan's birthday on Friday. It was hilarious because the British guys found out, and decided to pull them out into the pouring rain at one point, and dogpile him. They were all completely soaked. It was hysterical. (Of course, after Duncan was completely drenched, he decided to pull Lisa and I into the rain as well. ha) But most touching of all was that after they all were dry, the British team presented Duncan with a real gift - a pair of soccer shoes. They said they had noticed that when they played on Sunday, that he was barefoot (most of the Kenyans were). The shoes fit perfectly, but it was great because Duncan had been sayign that he needed some new shoes in general. He only has some sandals (he calls them "my opens") and some church shoes that are too small for him. He doesn't have money to buy new shoes, and so this really was a perfect gift - probably more than the guys realized. We celebrated Duncan with a party on Friday night as well, and after we prayed for him, he told us that he had never celebrated his birthday before. This was his 20th birthday, and I am so glad. You would never know it - Duncan is probably one of the most joyful people I know. It was a really blessed night.
The week was great - I am physically fine (no rashes, few bites), and my heart is incredibly blessed. I am learning so much, mostly how to be content in all circumstances. This week was a huge blessing of learning, and I am constantly in awe of our awesome God.
Bwana Safiwe!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
happy Easter!
Jambo! (Hello!) Bwana Safiwe (Praise the Lord!)
Habari yako? (How are you?)
Mzuri Sana (Very well.)
Asante (Thank you.)
These are some common expressions that I either say or hear multiple times a day, from anyone and everyone. (and for those of you wondering, I also find myself saying "hatari," which means "danger." haha)
I hope you are doing well. It has been quite an eventful week. Here are some highlights:
- On Sunday we went to the children's home (orphanage) where some of the teens (from our ministry on Sundays) live. It was so fun. We had an awesome time playing with all of the kids. They range from a few months old to 19 years old. There are 56 children, and on that particular day, we also had some other kids from the church come, as well as some neighborhood children who came by to see what was happening. The director's wife was telling us that many of the surrounding neighborhood children are quite poor themselves. One nearby family is made up of a man with 6 wives and 26 children. WHOA. Anyway, the day was called Family Day, where they invite the extended families of the children who live in the home. The director's wife explained that though the children no longer have parents, they see it as very important for them to stay in touch with extended relatives like aunts, uncles, and cousins. Not too many of the relatives came, but it was quite touching to see the reunions that did happen, and the pride of the children who had someone come just for them.
Anyway, the day was quite fun. We had a time of worship, full of exuberant dancing and singing - SO FUN, and then our group did a short skit and our leader gave a message. It was good. Then we spent time eating and playing with the kids. We played a lot of games with them, and watched them play a lot of games as well. Oh these children - they are so beautiful!! We stayed a long while, but every second there was well worth it. One of these days I hope to get some pictures up for you to see. :)
- The week back at the base was so full that no one could believe it when Friday came. We had a wonderful speaker who came with his whole family. They have a ministry in a village near Kisumu (another city in Kenya), where they have ministry for widows and orphans. The area where they live has a high prevalency for AIDS and HIV, which is why there are so many widows and orphans there. The ministry is cool though- they really are helping the village see transformation, with various projects going on and more envisioned. They are helping the widows get back on their feet - building houses, and providing other things, but also helping them build responsibility by taking care of sheep. It is really amazing to hear the stories of what was going on there. Fridah said that the team went there once, and at the end of their time, one of the widows wanted to bless the team, so she came out with 5 mangoes. It was all that she had and she gave it all in thanksgiving. How humbling is that.
The speaker was awesome and we had a wonderful time each day learning.
Anyway, it was pretty funny when the family came to the base. The wife is Filipino and Chinese, and multiple people asked me if she was my sister. haha. But she was great to talk to (as well as the three kids and our speaker of course). She told me that because of the stereotype that Asians are good at martial arts, some people are scared of Asians. HAHA. She told me this story about how she was at the market once in another city, and someone came to steal her friend's bag. She said that she just shouted "NO!" and held out her hand in some kind of karate chop, and the person ran away scared. HAHA. I laughed so hard. Yes, many people have asked me if I can show them some Kung fu or something, but I just laugh. In the mornings we have done some kickboxing after our run, and that is enough of a highlight for some of the Kenyans to see. haha.
Oh, speaking of funny things for Kenyans to see, I have been meaning to write out some once in a while. For one thing, contacts are something so foreign for Kenyans to see. Most don't even wear glasses, so I suppose they would not need contacts either. I don't wear them that often, but the first time that I did, my friends freaked out. haha. I can still see Lilian's face as she was appalled when I took them out of my eyes. She had this look of horror and yet interest. She then wanted to watch me put them in the next time (only to turn away at the sight of my finger getting close to my eye. ha) Duncan asked to keep the contact (I wear daily contacts, so I just throw them away after anyway). So funny.
Okay, back to highlights of the week:
- So I am continuing to learn that the answer to complaining is just finding things to be thankful for. I had to go to the hospital clinic this week, but I found plenty to be thankful. Here is the story: On Wednesday night, my hands broke out into a crazy rash, that started to spread onto my arms. By the time I got into bed, it had spread all over my entire body, including the bottom of my feet. It was incredibly itchy and uncomfortable, and as it was later and later (I still have yet to sleep through the night), I just laid there and prayed through it. I found that I was really thankful that we even have skin! hahaha.
Anyway, in the morning, I got up after a couple of hours of sleep, and then as soon as I got out of the bed (I now sleep on the top bunk), the bed broke! I just laughed, because I just thought about all these attacks on my sleep, and how this was really the last thing that could happen. I was also so thankful because Lilian, who sleeps in the bed under mine, was already up and out making breakfast, and I was also not in the bed when it broke. Jeremy (one of the leaders) also fixed it relatively quickly, and it was fine by night time.
Back to the rash, by the morning, it had mostly gone from my back, so I decided I wasn't going to let the rest of it make me miss class or the exciting things God had for the day, so I went. During class, the rash only got worse, and by lunchtime, it was all over my face and head, not to mention every other inch of my body. I was really trying to be thankful and talked to Judy about working hard to not complain no matter how uncomfortable or itchy I was. It really took the grace of God working in me - not by my strength at all.
After lunch, the leaders decided it was time for me to go to the hospital clinic, so I went with Janelle. The doctor was SO KIND, and I was so thankful for his wisdom, a clean clinic, and no wait! Though my time in the office was short, when we were finished, the waiting room was full. Basically, we narrowed it down to a pretty high chance that this was a major allergic reaction to the water cleaner chemical that had recently been changed in the drinking water at the base. We have a filter for the drinking water, but apparently that broke, so the staff added a water cleaning treatment to the filtered water to drink. However, something in that treatment was not so good. Anyway, the doctor gave me an antihistamine (I think) injection in my hand, and some medicines to take throughout the week. He also said not to drink the treated water for a week. So, I am drinking the untreated water (even though they said the filter broke, I haven't noticed too much of a difference from before), and taking 2 different meds. You can pray that I don't get sick, as the meds supposedly lower the immune system, and I don't know how clean the water is. I bought some bottled water when I went to the store today, but it's not enough for the whole week. Anyway, I am sure I will be fine with the Lord. I have been drinking the untreated water since Thursday evening, and I have not had any problems. Praise the Lord!
I'm thankful because the rash did go away on Thursday after going to the clinic. It came back on Friday twice during the day, and is on my arms a bit right now, but each time it is less and less, and I think it is just getting out of my system. I was so thankful to have a chance to go and see the medical clinic, that it was not too expensive, and to have a chance to pray for the hospitals and doctors in Kenya. It is such a good ministry. I sometimes wish I could do medical work to be able to help people in this way, but as I heard the cries of three little ones getting shots that day, I remembered why I am not in this profession. :)
- On Sunday night, our electricity was cut, and ever since then, we have been having some kind of power outage every day. I'm not sure what happened, but again we are trying to be thankful and find the good in it. We have found fellowship around lanterns and flashlights, and I have enjoyed using my good ole' headlamp! :) Oh, and also on Sunday night, something really made me laugh so hard - it brought out the unstoppable Takei laugh and was quite funny. Good times. :) One of the English pastors said that he had never seen a Japanese woman laugh before. HAHA.
- This week has also been full of people, even though the pastors left. There is a team of English soccer players here for two weeks, running a soccer camp. It has been fun with them here, and even more amusing was their first night here, when we had ugali and scuma (a spinach-like vegetable) to eat. The look on one of the boys' faces was priceless. :)
- Finally, on Wednesday, we went to visit some neighboring houses and just meet the people nearby. It was great. Our little group (Paul, Lilian, and I) met some people building a support for a well, and two other families. The second one had a little girl named Purity. :) It was an awesome time, and the stories from the other groups were also extremely encouraging. In Lisa's group, God spoke the same thing out to the people through Lisa, Philip, and Hillard, but in three different languages without any of them knowing until Philip translated. How exciting!
Tomorrow is Easter! We will be going to a church where we will be spending our outreach in July. I'm excited to just be in that place, and being able to see it physically! We will be doing a presentation, and it will be great.
I hope you have a blessed Easter. Jesus is risen!
Kristy
Habari yako? (How are you?)
Mzuri Sana (Very well.)
Asante (Thank you.)
These are some common expressions that I either say or hear multiple times a day, from anyone and everyone. (and for those of you wondering, I also find myself saying "hatari," which means "danger." haha)
I hope you are doing well. It has been quite an eventful week. Here are some highlights:
- On Sunday we went to the children's home (orphanage) where some of the teens (from our ministry on Sundays) live. It was so fun. We had an awesome time playing with all of the kids. They range from a few months old to 19 years old. There are 56 children, and on that particular day, we also had some other kids from the church come, as well as some neighborhood children who came by to see what was happening. The director's wife was telling us that many of the surrounding neighborhood children are quite poor themselves. One nearby family is made up of a man with 6 wives and 26 children. WHOA. Anyway, the day was called Family Day, where they invite the extended families of the children who live in the home. The director's wife explained that though the children no longer have parents, they see it as very important for them to stay in touch with extended relatives like aunts, uncles, and cousins. Not too many of the relatives came, but it was quite touching to see the reunions that did happen, and the pride of the children who had someone come just for them.
Anyway, the day was quite fun. We had a time of worship, full of exuberant dancing and singing - SO FUN, and then our group did a short skit and our leader gave a message. It was good. Then we spent time eating and playing with the kids. We played a lot of games with them, and watched them play a lot of games as well. Oh these children - they are so beautiful!! We stayed a long while, but every second there was well worth it. One of these days I hope to get some pictures up for you to see. :)
- The week back at the base was so full that no one could believe it when Friday came. We had a wonderful speaker who came with his whole family. They have a ministry in a village near Kisumu (another city in Kenya), where they have ministry for widows and orphans. The area where they live has a high prevalency for AIDS and HIV, which is why there are so many widows and orphans there. The ministry is cool though- they really are helping the village see transformation, with various projects going on and more envisioned. They are helping the widows get back on their feet - building houses, and providing other things, but also helping them build responsibility by taking care of sheep. It is really amazing to hear the stories of what was going on there. Fridah said that the team went there once, and at the end of their time, one of the widows wanted to bless the team, so she came out with 5 mangoes. It was all that she had and she gave it all in thanksgiving. How humbling is that.
The speaker was awesome and we had a wonderful time each day learning.
Anyway, it was pretty funny when the family came to the base. The wife is Filipino and Chinese, and multiple people asked me if she was my sister. haha. But she was great to talk to (as well as the three kids and our speaker of course). She told me that because of the stereotype that Asians are good at martial arts, some people are scared of Asians. HAHA. She told me this story about how she was at the market once in another city, and someone came to steal her friend's bag. She said that she just shouted "NO!" and held out her hand in some kind of karate chop, and the person ran away scared. HAHA. I laughed so hard. Yes, many people have asked me if I can show them some Kung fu or something, but I just laugh. In the mornings we have done some kickboxing after our run, and that is enough of a highlight for some of the Kenyans to see. haha.
Oh, speaking of funny things for Kenyans to see, I have been meaning to write out some once in a while. For one thing, contacts are something so foreign for Kenyans to see. Most don't even wear glasses, so I suppose they would not need contacts either. I don't wear them that often, but the first time that I did, my friends freaked out. haha. I can still see Lilian's face as she was appalled when I took them out of my eyes. She had this look of horror and yet interest. She then wanted to watch me put them in the next time (only to turn away at the sight of my finger getting close to my eye. ha) Duncan asked to keep the contact (I wear daily contacts, so I just throw them away after anyway). So funny.
Okay, back to highlights of the week:
- So I am continuing to learn that the answer to complaining is just finding things to be thankful for. I had to go to the hospital clinic this week, but I found plenty to be thankful. Here is the story: On Wednesday night, my hands broke out into a crazy rash, that started to spread onto my arms. By the time I got into bed, it had spread all over my entire body, including the bottom of my feet. It was incredibly itchy and uncomfortable, and as it was later and later (I still have yet to sleep through the night), I just laid there and prayed through it. I found that I was really thankful that we even have skin! hahaha.
Anyway, in the morning, I got up after a couple of hours of sleep, and then as soon as I got out of the bed (I now sleep on the top bunk), the bed broke! I just laughed, because I just thought about all these attacks on my sleep, and how this was really the last thing that could happen. I was also so thankful because Lilian, who sleeps in the bed under mine, was already up and out making breakfast, and I was also not in the bed when it broke. Jeremy (one of the leaders) also fixed it relatively quickly, and it was fine by night time.
Back to the rash, by the morning, it had mostly gone from my back, so I decided I wasn't going to let the rest of it make me miss class or the exciting things God had for the day, so I went. During class, the rash only got worse, and by lunchtime, it was all over my face and head, not to mention every other inch of my body. I was really trying to be thankful and talked to Judy about working hard to not complain no matter how uncomfortable or itchy I was. It really took the grace of God working in me - not by my strength at all.
After lunch, the leaders decided it was time for me to go to the hospital clinic, so I went with Janelle. The doctor was SO KIND, and I was so thankful for his wisdom, a clean clinic, and no wait! Though my time in the office was short, when we were finished, the waiting room was full. Basically, we narrowed it down to a pretty high chance that this was a major allergic reaction to the water cleaner chemical that had recently been changed in the drinking water at the base. We have a filter for the drinking water, but apparently that broke, so the staff added a water cleaning treatment to the filtered water to drink. However, something in that treatment was not so good. Anyway, the doctor gave me an antihistamine (I think) injection in my hand, and some medicines to take throughout the week. He also said not to drink the treated water for a week. So, I am drinking the untreated water (even though they said the filter broke, I haven't noticed too much of a difference from before), and taking 2 different meds. You can pray that I don't get sick, as the meds supposedly lower the immune system, and I don't know how clean the water is. I bought some bottled water when I went to the store today, but it's not enough for the whole week. Anyway, I am sure I will be fine with the Lord. I have been drinking the untreated water since Thursday evening, and I have not had any problems. Praise the Lord!
I'm thankful because the rash did go away on Thursday after going to the clinic. It came back on Friday twice during the day, and is on my arms a bit right now, but each time it is less and less, and I think it is just getting out of my system. I was so thankful to have a chance to go and see the medical clinic, that it was not too expensive, and to have a chance to pray for the hospitals and doctors in Kenya. It is such a good ministry. I sometimes wish I could do medical work to be able to help people in this way, but as I heard the cries of three little ones getting shots that day, I remembered why I am not in this profession. :)
- On Sunday night, our electricity was cut, and ever since then, we have been having some kind of power outage every day. I'm not sure what happened, but again we are trying to be thankful and find the good in it. We have found fellowship around lanterns and flashlights, and I have enjoyed using my good ole' headlamp! :) Oh, and also on Sunday night, something really made me laugh so hard - it brought out the unstoppable Takei laugh and was quite funny. Good times. :) One of the English pastors said that he had never seen a Japanese woman laugh before. HAHA.
- This week has also been full of people, even though the pastors left. There is a team of English soccer players here for two weeks, running a soccer camp. It has been fun with them here, and even more amusing was their first night here, when we had ugali and scuma (a spinach-like vegetable) to eat. The look on one of the boys' faces was priceless. :)
- Finally, on Wednesday, we went to visit some neighboring houses and just meet the people nearby. It was great. Our little group (Paul, Lilian, and I) met some people building a support for a well, and two other families. The second one had a little girl named Purity. :) It was an awesome time, and the stories from the other groups were also extremely encouraging. In Lisa's group, God spoke the same thing out to the people through Lisa, Philip, and Hillard, but in three different languages without any of them knowing until Philip translated. How exciting!
Tomorrow is Easter! We will be going to a church where we will be spending our outreach in July. I'm excited to just be in that place, and being able to see it physically! We will be doing a presentation, and it will be great.
I hope you have a blessed Easter. Jesus is risen!
Kristy
Saturday, April 4, 2009
It has been a quick week and I can hardly believe it is the weekend already.
I still can't believe that it has been just over a month since I have been in Kenya. I have adjusted to a lot of things, but not everything. I have been learning to not assume anything, because I am often wrong when I do that. I have learned how much my perceived "needs" are actually more like "wants," such as having a functioning shower or a cold cup of water. I am grateful just to have water for drinking and cleaning. We found out last night that the first month of our outreach (June) will be in a place that there is not a lot of water. There is high potential for us to be walking about 40 minutes one way to get any water at all. We will find out more when we get there, but it was a good reminder to be thankful here, in all things. I have NO complaints.
And for those of you who have been asking, my bites are SO much better. Thank you for your prayers and concern. What a huge difference from last week. I am so blessed. My ankles are also back to normal, and God also sent rain again at the exact time we were praying for it. It is good, because there is a big drought here in Kenya - which means a lot of hungry people in this country. We have spent a lot of time this week praying especially for rain. The rain only came for about an hour, so we continue to ask.
Let's see.. what can I say about this week? Well, it was a lot of fun with the pastors on base. They were wonderful to talk to and laugh with. One of the women (she was someone's sister, but I don't know if she was also a pastor) wanted to take my picture, and I found out later it was because she wanted me to be her daughter-in-law (yikes!). haha. But all in all, it was a delightful week.
I should comment here on the responses of people when they see me for the first time. It happened a lot this week. First of all, the walk to and from town on the ferry always brings a lot. I have had people speaking to me in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, in addition to the normal English "Hello, how are you?" I also here the calls "China" or various sounds. At least one person yells out "mzungu" (non-Kenyan) every time. I usually smile and pass by. But I also get a kick out of introducing myself. Usually, when I tell people I am from America, I either get a weird look or even a "but you don't look American." My favorite this week was "And what is your descent?" Sometimes their response to me comes with a story. One of the English pastors this week decided to tell me his experience with Asian food, particularly kimchee. It was hysterical.
One afternoon just the girls ventured off to a nearby church where they were having service outside. It was in Likoni, not too far from the base, but I'm not sure if some of the people there had ever seen a "mzungu." But it was fine and we ended up just worshiping and dancing with them. :) A little tiny girl came and held my pinky finger. It was a precious moment.
And I am also reminded of some tender moments on the ferry. One day we went and this beautiful little girl with a green headdress was standing in front of her kneeling mom. The mom was wiping the little girl's face, and then she looked up at me with these beautiful eyes. When the ferry stopped, the mom stood up. She held the girl in her left hand, a huge bag in her right hand, and (no joke) a HUGE bag of potatoes on her head. I am not kidding, this bag was bigger than the 20 pound one we bought for Mutunga. I was astounded.
We continue to laugh and sing at the base. Songs are just coming out of nowhere, and at all times. It is quite fun. Judy says I remind her of her daughter, who also sings all the time. haha.
Here is one of my favorites:
Jambo, Jambo sana
Habari ghani, Mzuri sana
Wagheni, wakari bishwa
Kenya etu, Hakuna Matata. :)
(It is basically a welcome to Kenya song, saying hi, how are you, welcome to Kenya, there are no worries.)
I just came back from time well spent with a ministry called King's Kids. They meet every Saturday morning at our base, and there are two classes. The class I taught had children from 9-13 years old. What a blast! I walked with two of them here (because they live close to the Internet) and we had a delightful walk, talking about planets and football (soccer). Oh how I love their laughter and their thinking. I told them of my fourth graders. :)
okay, that's all for now. Thank you!
I still can't believe that it has been just over a month since I have been in Kenya. I have adjusted to a lot of things, but not everything. I have been learning to not assume anything, because I am often wrong when I do that. I have learned how much my perceived "needs" are actually more like "wants," such as having a functioning shower or a cold cup of water. I am grateful just to have water for drinking and cleaning. We found out last night that the first month of our outreach (June) will be in a place that there is not a lot of water. There is high potential for us to be walking about 40 minutes one way to get any water at all. We will find out more when we get there, but it was a good reminder to be thankful here, in all things. I have NO complaints.
And for those of you who have been asking, my bites are SO much better. Thank you for your prayers and concern. What a huge difference from last week. I am so blessed. My ankles are also back to normal, and God also sent rain again at the exact time we were praying for it. It is good, because there is a big drought here in Kenya - which means a lot of hungry people in this country. We have spent a lot of time this week praying especially for rain. The rain only came for about an hour, so we continue to ask.
Let's see.. what can I say about this week? Well, it was a lot of fun with the pastors on base. They were wonderful to talk to and laugh with. One of the women (she was someone's sister, but I don't know if she was also a pastor) wanted to take my picture, and I found out later it was because she wanted me to be her daughter-in-law (yikes!). haha. But all in all, it was a delightful week.
I should comment here on the responses of people when they see me for the first time. It happened a lot this week. First of all, the walk to and from town on the ferry always brings a lot. I have had people speaking to me in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, in addition to the normal English "Hello, how are you?" I also here the calls "China" or various sounds. At least one person yells out "mzungu" (non-Kenyan) every time. I usually smile and pass by. But I also get a kick out of introducing myself. Usually, when I tell people I am from America, I either get a weird look or even a "but you don't look American." My favorite this week was "And what is your descent?" Sometimes their response to me comes with a story. One of the English pastors this week decided to tell me his experience with Asian food, particularly kimchee. It was hysterical.
One afternoon just the girls ventured off to a nearby church where they were having service outside. It was in Likoni, not too far from the base, but I'm not sure if some of the people there had ever seen a "mzungu." But it was fine and we ended up just worshiping and dancing with them. :) A little tiny girl came and held my pinky finger. It was a precious moment.
And I am also reminded of some tender moments on the ferry. One day we went and this beautiful little girl with a green headdress was standing in front of her kneeling mom. The mom was wiping the little girl's face, and then she looked up at me with these beautiful eyes. When the ferry stopped, the mom stood up. She held the girl in her left hand, a huge bag in her right hand, and (no joke) a HUGE bag of potatoes on her head. I am not kidding, this bag was bigger than the 20 pound one we bought for Mutunga. I was astounded.
We continue to laugh and sing at the base. Songs are just coming out of nowhere, and at all times. It is quite fun. Judy says I remind her of her daughter, who also sings all the time. haha.
Here is one of my favorites:
Jambo, Jambo sana
Habari ghani, Mzuri sana
Wagheni, wakari bishwa
Kenya etu, Hakuna Matata. :)
(It is basically a welcome to Kenya song, saying hi, how are you, welcome to Kenya, there are no worries.)
I just came back from time well spent with a ministry called King's Kids. They meet every Saturday morning at our base, and there are two classes. The class I taught had children from 9-13 years old. What a blast! I walked with two of them here (because they live close to the Internet) and we had a delightful walk, talking about planets and football (soccer). Oh how I love their laughter and their thinking. I told them of my fourth graders. :)
okay, that's all for now. Thank you!
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