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)!