Hello good people! I was thoroughly disappointed when I came to the internet cafe last week and was unable to get online due to the extremely slow internet server...such is life though. But, because of not being able to update you last week, i have a lot to catch you up on. So, get ready, this may potentially be a fairly lengthy entry (i know, all my entries tend to get lengthy easily) but i hope you enjoy it!
After re-reading the entry i wrote last time, i got to thinking, " wow, these people probably think I am having a horrible time and am constantly in a state of discouragement." While, i want to be honest with you all about the challenges I come up against, I also want to be balanced. So, with that in mind, I want to take time to fill you all in on some of the highlights of my time so far and all the things i am exceedingly grateful for!
It seems like i have to think back as far back as 3 or so weeks ago because I do not even think I have told you all about the safari Elf and I were able to go on. About three weeks ago our supervisor had visitors from New Zealand here for about 10 days. They had planned on going on safari but since there were only 3 of them our supervisor asked if we would like to come along. We excitedly jumped on the opportunity! It was just a day trip up to a place called Nakuru National Game Park. Nakuru Game Park is known for the massive amounts of flamingos that cover nearly half of the the lake at the park. It was incredible! We were able to see animals like rhinos, buffaloes, lions, giraffes, and zebras; among many species of birds! Not only was amazing to see all the animals but it was just incredible to get away and be out in more of a country-like place. It was gorgeous! The roads getting there, however, were a different story. It really actually made me laugh how bad the roads are and how the drivers compensate for them, and for one another! It amazed me that there were not more accidents. It is interesting because even though it seems from the get go that people are impatient and just want to get where they are going no matter what, they are actually really considerate. I don't know, that might not make sense, but that is how i perceive it!
Another thing that Elf and I are so thankful for are the friends that God has allowed us to make through the family we have been staying with. It has been fabulous having various people to talk to, learn from, and get to know; even outside of Kibera. The friendships that have been being established I am confident will be ever growing ones. One of the things we were able to do with some of our friends the other week was to go ice skating! I know, I can honestly say that I didn't think I would be going ice skating in Africa! I barely go ice skating in the States! It was so much fun!! Again, it was just so great to do something out of the ordinary and get to know other people as well! The people we went with (mainly the kids of family we stay with) are so much fun and we all have a great time laughing and getting to know each other better! Please pray that our friendship with them would be continually built and grounded in the Lord!
Yesterday we had the opportunity to go to a wedding! We have been invited by our family to go to at least three but since we usually have to work all day on Saturdays we have had to decline every time. So, we re-arranged our schedules just so we could go because we have been wanting to go to one for a long time! The problem presented itself when we did an inventory of the clothes that we brought and realized that indeed, we are missionaries and have nothing to wear to a wedding! With that in mind, we had to do an emergency shopping session in which we had to buy "wedding appropriate" clothes on a missionary budget! Thankfully, we were able to pull something together, and I think besides the fact that we were two of three wazungu at the wedding, we fit in fairly well! It is amazing what a nice pair of shoes can do for a very plain outfit! We had a blast at the wedding! There was amazing food (MEAT!! which we don't get that often), great music, great company, and even though there was probably over 20 speeches (4 of them being for the cake cutting), the cake was well worth the wait as well!
We begin moving out this weekend and though we are so sad to be leaving our family, we are not far away from them and will plan on stopping by for chai at least once a week...we will miss them so much! However, we are looking forward to moving into our new place even though we have little time to move and so much to do for the process. I would have to say that the two main highlights of our new house is...drum roll, please...our coffee maker (that is already there) and our washing MACHINE!! I honestly did not think that they had washing machines here! It is a small one, but will most definitely do a better washing job on my clothes than my hands! Basically my hands just make sure they smell clean but whether they are clean or not, that is the question I choose not to answer myself:) We should be all moved in by Monday so please pray that we are able to get stuff moved in quickly and make the house a home! It is a bit cold and not very homey yet. We also pray that God would use it as a place of solace for all who enter it! We are also hoping that we can have many people over for chai and such. I am praying that we will not be so secluded that we miss out on all the relationships I long to see grow!
Lastly, we are going to the coast this next weekend with two gal friends we met through our family! We are thrilled! Our friend, Lynn's mom, is having her 60th birthday party and she has invited us to come along! I have heard amazing things about Mombasa so i will fill you in on all the details!
Hopefully soon, i will get over my computer illiteracy and get some pics on here, but we will see:)
I hope all is well! Miss you all very much and I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Oh, i want to start putting down my new favorite kenyan phrases. My one for the past couple of weeks is the word, "imagine." Basically, you would say it in like a, "can you believe it?" sort of phrase. But, you can also use it just about any time...for punctuation! It's pretty great!
Okay, that is all for now! I hope it was not too long-winded!
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Monday, August 6, 2007
Pictures....???
Hello!! Wow, I feel so loved when I get on my blog and see how many of you comment!! THANK YOU!! Sorry, though that i have not updated this in like a year! It really feels like that anyways! We are only able to get to an internet cafe once a week at this point and so I am trying to get around to emailing you all individually too and also write updates. It can take longer at times than anticipated because the internet can be slower at times than others.
So, I am going to attempt to post some long-awaited pictures today! Elf helped me to downlowd some pics to her ipod (she is much more computer savvy than me) so I am going to try and see if i can get them posted for y'all!
But, first, i will give a quick update. Things have been really good here. Today is the first week of our new schedule. We have decided to take Mondays off, so that means we will basically have all of Sunday and all of Monday off. Let me tell you, it has been wonderful! It is amazing what a day off can do for the body and soul! I am so thankful that we are beggining to look at what our schedule will look like. Since Elf and I have different areas of focus we will be trying to work out a schedule that will be convenient for everyone. For example, we are not allowed to walk into Kibera alone so we have a member of the staff come and pick us up and walk us in, so, now, with our new schedules we will have to find a way to make it convenient for him so he is not going back and forth all day long.
I am thanking the Lord because now that I am becoming more familiar with Kibera and the people there, I am seeing so much beauty there! I love being down there with the people! It has been incredible getting to know people and to be able to see people you know when you walk down the streets. We visited an orphanage on Saturday for HIV/AIDS orphans that is run by a Kenyan woman we know and that was incredible. I broke down! I can't explain it, God has been giving me an overwhelming love and passion for children lately...especially the orphans. Both Elf and I are hoping to be involved there at least once a week. Elf, doing some health eduacation for the mom's (there are some mom's that live there with thier infected children) and I will probably just help wherever the need is; playing with them and loving on them!
One thing that has been difficult being here, and it really hit me when i was in the orphanage is the whole idea of America being the place that can solve all your problems and that has all the money to make all your problems go away. This idea has been suttle and not-so suttle since i have been here as we get called Wazungu (white people) all day long and often asked for money. It really hit me hard when we were at the orphanage and the children were singing us songs, led by the Kenyan who runs the orphanage. They started singing this one song and I thought I was hearing the words wrong at first because it said something like, "America, America...a very happy place...America, America...where all your dreams come true." That is a paraphrase but that was the jist of it! I wanted to throw up! It is just difficult because this is such an erroneous mentality but it has been engrained from so far back, so I know it is not thier fault! It is hard because as a Mzungu, you sometimes feel as though people talk to you because of what they think you have to offer, money wise or even a ticket out and to America. I really have to pray through this because I know the Enemy would want to use this to bring division and leave me distracted to the task at hand and that is CHRIST...PERIOD! I need to love regardless of how i think people are percieving me because if i let this mentality filtrate into my being, I will miss out on growth as a result of and with those people who do not feel this way! And, hopefully by building relationships I can help to eleviate this cycle! Please pray for me!
So, there is an update! Now, I will attempt to post some pictures..they might be title-less for now but I will explain more later!!
UMMM..YEAH...I cannot figure this out...I have serious problems! I am so sorry! What will probably need to happen is that I will have to take my laptop to an internet cafe closer the house we will be moving into in 2 weeks. I know how to do it that way! Sorry to get your hopes up, I was all excited too! Thanks again for the comments, I treasure them because I treasure y'all!
Until next time, Kwaheri (Good-bye)!
So, I am going to attempt to post some long-awaited pictures today! Elf helped me to downlowd some pics to her ipod (she is much more computer savvy than me) so I am going to try and see if i can get them posted for y'all!
But, first, i will give a quick update. Things have been really good here. Today is the first week of our new schedule. We have decided to take Mondays off, so that means we will basically have all of Sunday and all of Monday off. Let me tell you, it has been wonderful! It is amazing what a day off can do for the body and soul! I am so thankful that we are beggining to look at what our schedule will look like. Since Elf and I have different areas of focus we will be trying to work out a schedule that will be convenient for everyone. For example, we are not allowed to walk into Kibera alone so we have a member of the staff come and pick us up and walk us in, so, now, with our new schedules we will have to find a way to make it convenient for him so he is not going back and forth all day long.
I am thanking the Lord because now that I am becoming more familiar with Kibera and the people there, I am seeing so much beauty there! I love being down there with the people! It has been incredible getting to know people and to be able to see people you know when you walk down the streets. We visited an orphanage on Saturday for HIV/AIDS orphans that is run by a Kenyan woman we know and that was incredible. I broke down! I can't explain it, God has been giving me an overwhelming love and passion for children lately...especially the orphans. Both Elf and I are hoping to be involved there at least once a week. Elf, doing some health eduacation for the mom's (there are some mom's that live there with thier infected children) and I will probably just help wherever the need is; playing with them and loving on them!
One thing that has been difficult being here, and it really hit me when i was in the orphanage is the whole idea of America being the place that can solve all your problems and that has all the money to make all your problems go away. This idea has been suttle and not-so suttle since i have been here as we get called Wazungu (white people) all day long and often asked for money. It really hit me hard when we were at the orphanage and the children were singing us songs, led by the Kenyan who runs the orphanage. They started singing this one song and I thought I was hearing the words wrong at first because it said something like, "America, America...a very happy place...America, America...where all your dreams come true." That is a paraphrase but that was the jist of it! I wanted to throw up! It is just difficult because this is such an erroneous mentality but it has been engrained from so far back, so I know it is not thier fault! It is hard because as a Mzungu, you sometimes feel as though people talk to you because of what they think you have to offer, money wise or even a ticket out and to America. I really have to pray through this because I know the Enemy would want to use this to bring division and leave me distracted to the task at hand and that is CHRIST...PERIOD! I need to love regardless of how i think people are percieving me because if i let this mentality filtrate into my being, I will miss out on growth as a result of and with those people who do not feel this way! And, hopefully by building relationships I can help to eleviate this cycle! Please pray for me!
So, there is an update! Now, I will attempt to post some pictures..they might be title-less for now but I will explain more later!!
UMMM..YEAH...I cannot figure this out...I have serious problems! I am so sorry! What will probably need to happen is that I will have to take my laptop to an internet cafe closer the house we will be moving into in 2 weeks. I know how to do it that way! Sorry to get your hopes up, I was all excited too! Thanks again for the comments, I treasure them because I treasure y'all!
Until next time, Kwaheri (Good-bye)!
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