Highlights!

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!