Hospital

A good friend of mine's eleven year old brother has been in the hospital for the past week so I decided to go visit him yesterday. I was not prepared for what I saw and experienced there. My heart broke immediately when we arrived. It was weird because I see sick kids and people everyday when i am in Kibera but this day, I wanted to weep when I saw the physical state of the children and adults alike. My friend Abby took me on a tour of the hospital. We walked down the children's ward where she said that up to three people will sleep in a bed at a time. She told me how people will arrive at the front of the hospital at 6am and wait in line hoping to get a place where they can get treated...often times they are turned away. My tour continued as we walked down the HIV/AIDS ward, one side for women, one side for men. Some of the patience were literally skin and bones...I have never seen anything like it...I smiled at them as they watched the only white person in the hospital walk by...I felt so small because I felt like they felt like they were on display...I wanted to run inside and hug them all...or fall on my knees and cry. There have been many times that I have wished I was anything but white because of how i have been treated, but I have never wanted to blend in more than i did that day! Throughout the visit, my friend would say, "Mikey (her brother) will be so happy that a Mzungu (white person) has come to visit him." I know she was half-way joking but it gets really old when you can't just be looked at for who you are. Even though you are put on an invisible pedestal, you really feel so small because your value seems to lay in the color of your skin...It is something that I battle with at times but i know that I can't live feeling like that because then you would always have a guard up and not let yourself be loved or love others.

Though yesterday was a tough day I was also blessed beyond reason as I watched my friends' family come together and fight for one another. It was amzing to see every generation there at the hospital caring for eachother as they all cared for Mikey. Abby's sister, Ann, had been staying with Mikey the whole week, sleeping in the same bed as him and staying awake all night doing whatever he needed in order to be comfortable and keeping his fever down. Abby said that even the nurses do not care! She said that when they arrived they just put Mikey on a bed with no blankets or anything. The family asked the nurses for a blanket and the nurses said it was not their concern! That broke my heart. It was beautiful seeing everyone gather around and praying for Mikey. It was sad though because there was this Mama and her sick one year old boy in the bed next to Mikey who had been there for 2 months and no had ever come to visit them! Abby and our friend Hyda talked about taking time to come and visit these people who do not have anyone. They want to bring them mangos and spend time just being with them. That impressed me so much and I really want to do it with them!

We are so thankful that Mikey is doing so much better! Hopefully he will be home soon. This entry may seem disjointed and for that i apologize but i wanted to be transparent about what has been going on in my heart lately!

And, just for fun, I wanted to include some pictures of my friends and I at this wedding we were able to attend last weekend. They are all short-term missionaries that are serving all over Kenya.

Conference

Thank you all for the possitive responses concerning the pictures. I am so glad that you are able to see some now!

I just returned from a five day Missionary Conference at Rift Valley Academy in the Rift Valley. It was a fabulous time! Every year AIM has a spiritual enrichment conference for missionaries all over Kenya. It is amazing meeting new people and catching up with old friends. it is also very encouraging getting to hear everyone's heart for Africa and seeing how God has gifted everyone differently to serve in a wide variety of ways, for His glory!

The speaker was an American guy who had done missions in Africa almost ten years ago for I think ten + years. He was also a pastor in Alabama for a number of years. He was beautifully transparent as he shared about all the mistakes he made on the mission field as well as full-time mininstry. He talked about how he was always doing things for his own reputation and never really truly had a surrendered heart to the Lord, seeking His guidance and power in the ministry. He shared how he would beat people over the head with the Law, thinking he was ultra spiritual and being puffed up with arrogance because he was "spiritual" and others weren't. The destruction that this mentality lead to was tragic to his marraige, parenting, ministry, and personal walk with the Lord.

The Lord did a major work on his life as He opened the eyes of his heart and broke down the walls that he had so strategically placed around his heart. The major theme of the weekend was about the idea of Sonship. He expressed that the same Gospel that saved us is the same one that sanctifies us. Often times we forget the Gospel and begin to do things on our own strength and for our own selfish reasons. We have been saved by grace and are adopted as sons and daughters of the Creator of the universe. It is with this concept that we must frame our lives! Everything we do is by God's grace and for His glory. I wish I could accurately express in more detail what he had talked about but I am still processing through much of it myself!

It was a refreshing week. The desire of the coordinating commitee was that we would feel refreshed not only in our spirit's but also our bodies. They had min-massages set up that you could sign up for and they had someone doing manicures and pedicures. We had a lot of free time which was pivitol for some much needed time of quietness before the Lord and for being involved in a variety of sports and visiting with people.

I am so thankful for this week! So, tomorrow is back to work. I am looking forward to seeing everyone again because it feels like I have been gone for much longer than a week.

I hope all is well with you all! Miss you!

Promised Pictures!

Just wanted to let you all know that my dear friend Elf has taken it upon herself to set up her own blog by which she is taking advantage of the fast internet in Australia and posting a ton of pictures of our time in Kenya! I am so thankful that she so brilliantly thought of this. So, for those of you interested in seeing pics, just visit her blog. She said she will do her best to fill y'all in on some of the things we have done here. It is: sister-elf.blogspot.com Let me know if i have somehow given the wrong address...

Love you all!

Badai (later)

The Latest...

Wow! I cannot believe it has been so long since I have updated you all. Let's just say, between being sick two weeks ago for three days and having issues getting logged into my blog, it has been difficult to write an update.

So, without further ado, I will try and fill you in...

As I said earlier, I got really sick about two weeks ago. I am thankful that it was the first time since I have been here that I have had to stay home from work because of illness. I would have to say, one sickness in three months is not bad! Apparently I had an ameba (sp?) but I do not know for sure because I didn't go to the hospital. My supervisor is a nurse and so she just diagnosed me via my symptoms (one of which was looking like I was 5 months pregnant! No lie!) and got me some meds which seemed to do the trick! The amazing thing about getting sick is that you realize how much you take being healthy for granted! The other thing I learned through being sick is that you become more aware of how little control you actually have over your life. There is nothing like being violently ill to make you feel completely out of control. It is comforting to know that the Lord truly is over ALL and He ultimately has the first and the last (and everything in between) say in our lives!

Besides being sick, things have been pretty normal. However, I am getting really sad because Elf is leaving to go home in two weeks! I know that her family and friends miss her (as she misses them too!) but selfishly I wish she could stay...or maybe another option would be to clone her! I have learned so much from that woman and God has used her in a mighty way to radically transform me. I am so thankful for her and I know that wherever she goes she will be a blessing and a vessel of TRUTH to all who come into contact with her. Please pray for me as I process her leaving...Also, please pray for Eva and me. The dynamics here will no doubt change as Elf leaves and so we need prayer to be considerate with one another and to adjust in a way that is unifying and glorifying to God. We will also be moving into another house at the beginning of December.

On a happier note, I have the opportunity to do a couple of really fun trips with Elf before she leaves. At the end of this week, Elf, Eva, our friend and co-worker Melissa, and I are traveling with one of our Kenyan co-workers to his up-country home for the weekend. Everyone in Nairobi has an up-country home, where they are originally from. I believe there are over 42 tribes represented in Kenya and so everyone has a home of origin depending on what tribe they come from. For example, our friend Dennis is from a tribal group called Luho (sp?) and his up-country home is about an 8 hour bus drive from here. It probably would not take 8 hours if the roads here weren't so bad. We are really looking forward to seeing a different part of Kenya and meeting our friend's family...and of course, eating all the guavas we can manage!

Once we arrive back in Nairobi, Elf and I leave the next day for our vacation! Elf really wanted to make sure she had an opportunity to travel a bit before she went home because there is no telling if she will come back to Africa. Originally we wanted our vacation to be Elf, our friend Melissa, and I but our supervisor did not want more than two of us off work at once. So, Elf decided that she wanted to go with me since it is my half way-ish point. We are going to a remote island, where there are no cars, called Lamu...feel free to Google it, it is such a cool place! We will be staying at a little hostel there just meters from the water. We are looking forward to relaxing on the beach, reading, exploring, and just spending some last-minute quality time with each other. It's weird because realistically speaking, this probably will be the last time I see Elf...ever. It's funny how life works like that. You meet people all over the world and often times they are just in your life for a season, yet their impact will last a lifetime.

I am glad I was able to fill you all in what has been and will be happening. I won't be back in Nairobi until the 11 of November, so it might be a while until you hear from me. However, after going up-country and to the coast, I will have much to share in my next newsletter! Please pray for safety on the roads and for health so that we can fully enjoy these once-in-a-lifetime experiences! Thank you so much.

Until next time!

Signs, Phrases, Isms and Comic Relief!

The girls and I have been wanting to write down all of the funny signs we have seen throughout our time here. There are also so many different phrases that we have come across that mean one thing here and then mean a completely other thing back home! So, Elf, Eva and I sat down and compiled a list of random, funny things that we wanted to share with you all back home! The list is not exhaustive but I hope you have fun with them!

1. "A test you will never forget."- Found on a menu in an Ethiopian Restaraunt describing an item of food.

2. "The Exciting Hotel."- A name of a hotel we saw on the side of the road.

3. "Flashing." For example, "Flash me."- A phrase used when you call someone and hang up. This technique can be used to give your friend your number but is most often used when you do not have any credit on your phone and so you call your friend, hang up and then they will call you back...this way your friend has to pay for the call and you don't.

4. "The Scrape Shop."- A store in Kibera that sells questionable goods!

5. "Sorry." -What people say to you in just about any adverse circumstance. It is especially used if you are walking on the street and you trip. Everyone around you will say, "sorry." It is kind of nice because though it is completely pointing and laughing worthy, no one does!

6. "Take Care."- Advise given just after you have hurt yourself or if there is the potential that you might hurt yourself.

7. "Poa" (Po-ah).- A shang (slang) phrase that apparently means "good" but is definitley an appropriate response to any question or greeting. When in doubt, say, "poa."

8. "Jolly Escort."- Name of a matatu (public transportation) we saw on our trip to the safari. All matatu's have names across the front of them. They are very personalized to the driver. Here is my question for the day, "If you were a matatu, what would your name be and why."

9. "Maybe I like that."- A phrase that one of our good friends uses to mean he really likes something. He never says definite "yeses" to anything but now we know he means, "yes" when he says, "maybe."

10. "Missionary Fashion".- When Elf and I first arrived we made it our goal to reach the highest level of missionary fashion. This ever-growing, envy of all, fashion is characterized by ankle-length skirts, over-sized t-shirts with no brand names, knee high athletic socks, and tennis shoes. Elf and Eva achieved the highest level of this fashion last week when they purchased straw hats equipped with an elastic chin strap and flower! They purchased them in order to keep the sun off thier faces and the chin strap was necessary in case the wind were to make them fly off thier heads! The key to missionary fashion is always to remember function over fashion!! And of course, don't forget your petticoat (slip that you wear under your ankle-length skirt)! You too can join the many missionaries around the world by bringing this fashion to your own home town! You will be the envy of all of your friends and do not be surprised (if you are single) if you recieve endless proposals for your hand in marriage!

I believe i will stop there! We hope that you enjoyed a little window into our lives here in Kenya. I promise you, if we could not laugh, i think we might go crazy! I am so thankful for these girls that never cease to keep me laughing!

As Requested!

Here are some pictures! I tried to upload more than this but it was just taking too long! These are just some random pics of some random times with friends and kiddos! I know there are not a ton but i hope you enjoy them! I'll try and put some more on later!

Lessons in the Storm!

Contemplation has been the state of my heart and mind lately as I have been processing much of what the Lord is teaching me…about myself and others. I wanted to share some tidbits with you all.

I want to share one story and tell you a couple of the things that I have been learning.

You will find that the story explains the title of this entry. It was a Wednesday. On Wednesdays we have what is called School Evangelism. This is when we go to different schools (secondary schools) and have a chapel-like meeting. We sing worship songs, the youth do some presentations/testimonies (I am finding this to be a regular occurance in any church-based youth gathering), and then someone from our program shares from the Word. We arrived around 4pm and not too long after that it started to rain. Rain in Nairobi is on a whole other level than anything I have ever experienced. You do not even see it coming and then, out of nowhere, it absolutely pours! More often than not, the rain leaves just as abruptly as it came. So, for it to begin raining out of nowhere was nothing we are surprised of.

However, this Wednesday was a completely different story and we honestly had no idea what was in store! We made it through the songs and presentations without having to talk too loudly in order to be heard over the rain on the tin roof. It came time for the Word to be shared…it began to rain harder…and harder…and harder! Melissa, the girl who was sharing was literally screaming the message! It was a bit ironically funny because she was teaching on the passage where Jesus and the disciples where on the boat in the raging storm and Jesus was sleeping in the stern of the boat. The disciples were absolutely terrified but Jesus had to only raise His hand and the waves and winds ceased. I thought it was quite the realistic effect as she taught us about trusting Jesus…even in the storms…

Even after concluding the message, it was still raining like crazy! At one point, the wind was becoming so increasingly strong that the roof about blew off! The kids ran into the room next door, so fearful, hoping to find some better shelter. Admittedly, there was a point where I was really scared as well but I knew I had to stay calm. The storm became increasingly worse when we looked outside and saw HAIL!! I honestly could not believe it! I was dumb-founded as the water on the dirt-based streets came rushing down the hills like Niagra Falls!

After about 15 minutes of “waiting it out,” I began to see something in me that I was not particularly impressed with! As the Lord revealed it to me I became quickly convicted and to be quite frank, disgusted with myself! When it didn’t look like the storm was going to let up anytime soon, there started to be talk about us having to stay in Kibera for the night. Granted, it could have been in a joking way…or not…whether it was or not I’ll never know…but what I do know is what my initial reaction was to this statement. My mouth testified to my heart as I found myself blurting out, “No!” All I could think about was how badly I wanted to go home. Thoughts like, “I am hungry…I am wet…I am cold…I am tired…I just want to go home, I do not care how I get there…” began running through my heart and mind.

I could sense the Holy Spirit speak very clearly to me as these thoughts began to take over…”What if you did have to spend the night in Kibera?...What is wrong with that? Almost every person in this room lives here every day…They will leave this cold, wet, room and go to another one…Maybe they will eat tonight and maybe they won’t and all you can do is think about showering, getting dry, and eating chapatti (my all time favorite Kenyan dish!)…

I wanted to break down then and there!! How selfish could I be?!? I was broken! As God was internally rocking me, I could not help but look around and see the faces surrounding me…at this point, not worried about what would happen but instead enjoying one another’s company…laughing, chatting, and just being…

Eventually we decided to make the crazy trek back home. Our Kenyan friend, Dennis selflessly gave me his hooded sweatshirt to wear because I came completely unprepared. I had no idea of what the seemingly beautiful day would bring…a true gentlemen he was! You would not believe it if I told you what the walk back was like! I have never seen so much water…well, mud at this point…Elf and I were following Dennis’ footsteps, trying to stay as dry as possible but to no avail! As I focused on the ground, I could not help but notice other people’s feet. It was amazing that there were women in nice sandals and their feet were looking absolutely immaculate! I promise you, the Kibera residents must have feathers for feet because no matter what the weather is like, their shoes and feet always look like they have definitely NOT just walked through the mud! By this time, my heart was becoming lighter, especially as I managed to look up from my ever-so-focused walking to see smiles on everyone’s faces! It was if to say, “hey, we are all in this together, and it is not that serious!” I tell you, there is nothing like a storm (whether a physical one or a figurative one) to bring a community together! It was really beautiful! Unity and camaraderie at its prime! I would have to say that the highlight of my trip home was when we were walking up the hill to the main street and the water was literally forcefully rushing down, making a knee-high puddle at the bottom. There were people in a single file line on either side of the mud river, maneuvering around the shops that line the hill. Then, I could not believe my eyes, all of a sudden a man (one man) hauling a cart (one that they use to cart around water jugs, corn or pineapples) full of PEOPLE comes barreling down the middle of the water-fall like stream! There were at least 8 people in the cart that this man was carrying. Dennis told us that he will make a lot of money doing that. Supposidly, if he works for a half an hour he will make about 500 shillings (roughly only about $7.50). Work is work and you do what you have to do to make money. It was crazy!

So, there you have it…an insight into the mind and heart of Shayla…like I have said before, it is a scary place but it is a place that I long to be constantly changed and transparent in. It is my prayer that at the end of the day God will receive all the praise and honor! Thanks for taking the time to read, I hope your heart has been challenged as mine is every day!

Here is a PHOTO (I finally got it to work...it just takes patience!) of Elf, Dennis and I after we returned home! It is an awful photo but definitely encapsulates the day!