Saturday 11 July 2009
Joanna and I worked on our Bible study that we are going to teach the older youth girls this afternoon during the morning part of the day. I have started to read a book called "Where Soldiers Fear to Tread". It is a relief worker's tale of survival in Somalia. It's really good so far. We went to Uhuru Gardens in the afternoon to play football (Soccer) and teach Bible study to the older youth from Kibera. The Bible study that Joanna and I led was about the 5 women mentioned in Matthew 1. It went well. Since Opal and Tom were here, they took us out to eat at this super fancy place for dinner. Dessert was the best though. I ordered fudge cake, which was almost like a giant swiss roll with fudge on top. Pastor's van had some issues throughout the day but at the end of it we figured out the true problem. (PTL!)
Sunday 12 July 2009
Not much happened today. The power was out this morning. We ended up being late to Sunday School. However, George preached on Suffering this morning and the sermon was excellent. The rest of the day I spent reading... nothing too exciting.
Monday 13 July 2009
HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY LITTLE SISTER! I found out today that tomorrow will be my last day in Muthiga. I spent most of the day with Nancy. I helped prepare the chai tea at Nancy's house this morning. She taught me how to grill corn like they do here. She showed me some of her pictures. I met Hannah (Wanyora) who has 4 children. The youngest being Martin who is possibly one of the cutest and smartest 2 yr. olds I have ever met. I met Bernerdate (Ngina) who is expecting her 1st child soon and Eunice. I am now a part of the Kikuyu tribe as well as the Luhya tribe. My Luhya name is Nelima which simply means born when people are tilling land preparing to plant. Kikuya is the main (only) tribe in Muthiga. Grace is Kikuya is Wega. But my Kikuyu name is Wairumu Njambi. Today was a day to remember. I love Muthiga.
Here are some more Kikuyu phrases:
Hello: Wimwega
I'm Fine: Nikwega
Friend: Murata
I'll see you soon: Tuonane
Praise the Lord: Mwathani Agoaoo
God Bless You: Ngai Akurathime
I love you: Ningwendete
Tuesday 14 July 2009
Today was my last day in Muthiga. I got to do home visits with George, Nancy, Tony, and Hannah. This time I was much better at it. God gave me strength and He stretched me. I got to see my little baby boy again. He has gotten so big. His name is Sendric Kiambuthi. His mom's name is name is Irene Nduta. One of the women I met today has only lived in Muthiga for 2 wks. She use to live in/near the Rift Valley but when the elections happened she and her family where chased out by other tribes. It is so amazing to see God at work here in Kenya. I saw Hannah's house today. It was beautiful. Saying goodbye today was really hard... but I try not to think of it as Goodbye but See you Later because I know one day I will see them again.
Wednesday 15 July 2009
We took a matatu to Kibera this morning after walking to Karen. I worked with Teacher Josephine. I taught Grade 1 Science (Air)... then Break with Chai Tea... Grade 5 English (Abstract Nouns). I practiced my Kiswahili afterwards. After we left Kibera, Pastor handed out mail! The days I get mail are the best! A BIG special thanks to everyone who has sent me something. It has meant more than you know!
Thursday 16 July 2009
10 days left in Kenya. Time has flown by this month. We went into Kibera again today. Teacher Josephine has me laughing all morning. I got to read a lot of my Grade 5 English papers that were about me today. They were so awesome. Teacher Josephine told them to correct their mistakes and I get to keep the final copies! I am so excited! I took quite a few pictures today! YAY! My Kiswahili has improved so much these past few weeks! The short term medical team arrives tomorrow. We watched The Lion King today in preparation for Safari tomorrow! (awesome I know)
Friday 17 July 2009 (SAFARI)
Today we loaded up and headed to Safari. It is a 4-5 hour trip plus we stopped to eat lunch. Before we even got to the campground we saw 4 giraffes on the side of the road! It was AWESOME! The campground is a lot nicer than I thought it was going to be. Each tent has 2 beds and the beds are huge! It has a small desk and a chair. It was GREAT! There were toilets that flushed too! After putting our stuff in our tents, we had about an hour and a half until we were going to leave for Safari! (too hot) Lauri and I are rooming together. Anyways then we headed out to Safari! I saw baby gazelles, baby elephants, baby zebras, wildebeasts, and all the big animals of the baby ones! AND THEN WE SAW 3 BABY LION CUBS ALL ALONE! Shortly afterwards, we found a male and female lion. It was AWESOME! The sunset was beautiful. O and the stars out here are incredible!
Saturday 18 July 2009 (Safari)
TODAY IS DAY 50 IN KENYA! I have been in Kenya for 50 days. That is so Awesome! The wind was awful last night so I didn't sleep much. Breakfast and then back to Safari land! Today I saw warthogs, hippos, cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, gazelles, buffalo, and more lions! I took pictures until my camera died. Safari was one of the coolest experiences ever. It was so beautiful. I saw the sunset again today. (totally awesome)
Sunday 19 July 2009
So I woke up this morning to find out that there were elephants RIGHT outside my tent last night. Apparently the night before we arrived, an elephant attacked a woman so the park rangers had to shot it. (12 shots) So all these elephants were going to find the "missing (dead) elephant". This morning Lawerence and Kennedy, 2 Maasai Warriors, took Jacob, George, Joahuya, and I on a hike. Kennedy had a spear and Lawerence had a bow and arrow. (totally cool I know) We were going to see the remains of the elephant but there were a bunch of other elephants at the sight surrounding the dead one and burying it. So after Lawerence told us to leave (because it was too dangerous), Kennedy lead us away quickly and quietly so we wouldn't be stomped on by elephants. Apparently, elephants bury and then lay sticks over a dead elephant. Then they get hungry and mean... so that's why we left. There are black mambas around where we camped... I could have gone without knowing that. lol. I saw more giraffes today while we were on our hike. (about 10-12) When they run it looks like they are running in slow motion. It is so funny to watch. Lawerence almost shot one of them with his bow and arrow. We saw baboons on the drive home. We didn't get back in until around 8pm. The short term medical team was in the dining hall when we arrived but they were busy so we didn't bother them.
So that is about it for Week 7. I probably won't update about Week 8 until July 31 after I get home. Keep the team and I in your prayers as we will be leaving soon and have to say goodbye. Pray for our travels as we fly home. Pray that we will adjust well once we get back to the states. Pray that we will be able to share our story in a way that glorifies God. I miss ya'll and I can't wait to see you again!
God Bless,
Grace
Monday, July 20, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Week 6 (A Hard Week)
Monday 6 July 2009
This week we were back in Kibera. Today I helped Teacher Josephine teach Grade 4 Math. Then it was time for lunch. In the afternoon, I graded English for Grade 5. It was a very good day. Teacher Josephine is just so much fun. She taught me more Swahili today.
Nina Furaha (I’m happy)
Mrembo (Beautiful)
Hapa (NO!)
Penda Mungu, Penda Watu (Love God, Love People)
Keti Chini (Sit Down)
Jina langu ni Grace. (My name is Grace.)
Tabasamu (Smile!)
Rudia (Repeat)
Ninakukosa ( I miss you)
Tuesday 7 July 2009
I realized today how funny it is going to be when I get back to the states and greet people in Kiswahili. As I was walking into Kibera, I noticed how the smell seems to be getting worse. I think it is because of the broken pipe. Honestly, I can’t imagine what is must be like to live in Kibera. My cough was worse today but at night and early morning is when it bothers me the most. I PTL for that because that allows me to spend time with my friends in Kibera and for that I am grateful. I taught Grade 4 math again today. They are learning Perimeter. I assisted Teacher Josephine with Grade 1 Science. (Sound) I continued with my Grade 1 Kiswahili lessons. (You have to start somewhere!) I’m getting better and Teacher Josephine said I am a good student. Haha. The past two days the teachers have been asking where my sweatshirt is but to me the weather isn’t too cold by that time of day. July is the coldest month is Kenya. Most people are bundled up. The temperature here is mid-50s in the early morning and at night and around 75 during the day. So it feels pretty good for the most part. I have almost finished reading The Bondage Breaker. I would recommend it for EVERYONE! It is a great book.
Heko! (Congrats!)
Ninakufurahia (I’m happy for you)
Mimi (I)
Ndiyo (Yes)
Mtu (Person)
Wacha mapenzi ya Mungu yatimizwe (Let God’s Will be Done)
Kazi nzuri (Good Job!)
Mama (Mother)
Baba (Father)
Dada (sister)
Ndugu (Brother)
**Note: In Kenya, within a family mothers are called Mama (insert Firstborn’s name). So my mother should be called by other family members and close friends… Mama Grace.
Wednesday 8 July 2009
Not too much happened in Kibera today. I hung out with Teacher Josephine. I had two cups of chai tea. Ugali was for lunch. I continued to learn more Kiswahili from Teacher Josephine. Opal arrives tomorrow. That was about it. It was just a fun day to hang out with my friends and teach some school.
Tuonane kesho (See you tomorrow)
Leo (Today)
Jumapili (Sunday)
Jumatatu (Monday)
Jumanne (Tuesday)
Jumatano (Wednesday)
Aihamisi (Thursday)
Ijumaa (Friday)
Jumamosi (Saturday)
U hali gani? (How are you feeling?)
Mwalimu (Teacher)
Samawati (Blue)
Kijani Kibichi (Green)
Hali ya anga ikoja? (How is the weather?)
Kuna baridi. (It’s cold.)
Kuna joto. (It’s hot.)
Thursday 9 July 2009
I’ve been in Kenya and working in the slums for 40 days now. God has continued to show me how He provides. He has taught me to rely on Him and not on my own strength. He has taught me that He is a big God. He takes cares of us and loves us just like He takes care of and loves the children and people in Kibera and Muthiga. For the past 5 weeks, I have seen the people not the poverty. However this week, I have seen the poverty. My heart has been broken this week. It really hit home when Teacher Josephine pointed out her house to me today. I didn’t realize she lived in Kibera until then. Then, later that night I realized that most of the teachers live in Kibera. My friends are living in a place that is so horrible, I can’t even describe it. However, I have learned how much you truly need to survive. (It isn’t much) Even though I came to a lot of realizations, today was probably one of my favorite days in Kibera. I spent a lot of time talking to Teacher Josephine. I taught and worked out more math problems about Perimeter for Grade 4. I love teaching Grade 4 Math. Then it was tea time! Then we hung out in the teachers lounge for a bit. Then I taught Grade 5 English. I taught Present Perfect Tense and how to write a good composition paper. Then Teacher Josephine told Grade 5 that they needed to write a paper for their homework. The topic? “Write a paper about your new teacher Grace.” Haha. I can’t wait to read them! Then it was lunch time. After lunch, I helped teacher Josephine teach CRE. CRE is Christian Religion Education. In Kenya, every student chooses what religion class they want to take (Christian, Muslim, Hindu, etc.) CRE today was about not pretending. I have been taking pictures with each of my classes this week. (Grade 1, Grade 4, and Grade 5) After class, I took a picture of all the teachers. I am really going to miss Teacher Josephine. I am going to miss my Kiswahili lessons! We have shared so many stories, pictures, and laughs this week. Time has flown by.
Mbwa (dog)
Paka (cat)
1 Moja
2 Mbili
3 Tatu
4 Nne
5 Tano
6 Sita
7 Saba
8 Nane
9 Tisa
10 Kumi
Njoo Hapa (Come Here)
Rangi niipendayo ni samawati (My favorite color is Blue.
Nenda Kaoge (Go Bathe!)
Maua (Flowers)
Gari (Vehicle)
Nyanya (Grandmother or Tomato)
Nyoka (Snake)
Ishi. Cheka. Upenda. (Live. Laugh. Love.)
**Note: Teacher Josephine is from the Luhya tribe. Her Luhya name is Awinja which means Updenda (love.) She gave me the Luhya name Nelima. It means born when people are tilling land and preparing to plant. My nickname became Sarah (Sara in Kiswahili).
Friday 10 July 2009
Only 3 days until my baby sister turns 16. Only 16 days until I leave Kenya! Today is my day off. Bwana Ashiwe. (PTL!) So I will continue my story about how this week has been hard on my team. We started hearing personal stories from our friends. We found out that some of the youth boys actually live in the church. One of them lives there because when he parents found out he was a Christian, they kicked him out. Some of the members did home visits in Kibera yesterday. Their stories were even more heartbreaking. Even through all the sadness, I know the God I serve is good. I know He is a just God. I know He renews all things. I know one day all things will be made new. I know that God’s will is perfect and good. I have seen firsthand how God is working in Kibera. I have seen joy in the people there that is a joy that only God can give. Most of the time, the people that have the most joy are the people that have had some of the hardest lives. I pray that I will not feel guilty about the blessings that God has given me. Guilt is from the evil one. I pray that God will continue to show me how to love my Kenyan brothers and sisters better. I pray that He will show me how to encourage them. I remet a man from Sudan today. His name is John. He is one of the lost boys. He was a child solider. (around 10-12) His dad was a police officer who was murdered during an attack one day. A few years ago he was reunited with his mom after not seeing her for over 10 years. He is attending school in Kenya. He is 28. I don’t know much else about his life, but even that is horrifying to me. The team talked with Opal and Tom about how Africans don’t show much emotion and how they don’t complain when bad things happen. Opal thinks it is because Africans expect bad things to happen, so they aren’t phased much by them when they do. However, when good things happen they Praise God and are very thankful. Americans are the opposite. We expect good things to happen. When bad things happen to us, we try to figure out what went wrong or what we did wrong. My heart is broken. It has been a rough week. There are so many horrible situations that are affecting my friends: wives being raped and beaten, children starving, child soldiers, tribalism, extreme poverty, HIV/AIDS, polio, sewage problems, unsafe drinking water, debt from getting an education, etc. The list goes on and on. It is no longer statistics to me. I have a face and a friendship to put to those numbers.
**So continue to pray for our team. And thanks for all the prayers you have already said.
Mungu Akubariki (God Bless You)
Ishi. Cheka. Upenda. (Live. Laugh. Love.)
Until Next Time,
Nelima
This week we were back in Kibera. Today I helped Teacher Josephine teach Grade 4 Math. Then it was time for lunch. In the afternoon, I graded English for Grade 5. It was a very good day. Teacher Josephine is just so much fun. She taught me more Swahili today.
Nina Furaha (I’m happy)
Mrembo (Beautiful)
Hapa (NO!)
Penda Mungu, Penda Watu (Love God, Love People)
Keti Chini (Sit Down)
Jina langu ni Grace. (My name is Grace.)
Tabasamu (Smile!)
Rudia (Repeat)
Ninakukosa ( I miss you)
Tuesday 7 July 2009
I realized today how funny it is going to be when I get back to the states and greet people in Kiswahili. As I was walking into Kibera, I noticed how the smell seems to be getting worse. I think it is because of the broken pipe. Honestly, I can’t imagine what is must be like to live in Kibera. My cough was worse today but at night and early morning is when it bothers me the most. I PTL for that because that allows me to spend time with my friends in Kibera and for that I am grateful. I taught Grade 4 math again today. They are learning Perimeter. I assisted Teacher Josephine with Grade 1 Science. (Sound) I continued with my Grade 1 Kiswahili lessons. (You have to start somewhere!) I’m getting better and Teacher Josephine said I am a good student. Haha. The past two days the teachers have been asking where my sweatshirt is but to me the weather isn’t too cold by that time of day. July is the coldest month is Kenya. Most people are bundled up. The temperature here is mid-50s in the early morning and at night and around 75 during the day. So it feels pretty good for the most part. I have almost finished reading The Bondage Breaker. I would recommend it for EVERYONE! It is a great book.
Heko! (Congrats!)
Ninakufurahia (I’m happy for you)
Mimi (I)
Ndiyo (Yes)
Mtu (Person)
Wacha mapenzi ya Mungu yatimizwe (Let God’s Will be Done)
Kazi nzuri (Good Job!)
Mama (Mother)
Baba (Father)
Dada (sister)
Ndugu (Brother)
**Note: In Kenya, within a family mothers are called Mama (insert Firstborn’s name). So my mother should be called by other family members and close friends… Mama Grace.
Wednesday 8 July 2009
Not too much happened in Kibera today. I hung out with Teacher Josephine. I had two cups of chai tea. Ugali was for lunch. I continued to learn more Kiswahili from Teacher Josephine. Opal arrives tomorrow. That was about it. It was just a fun day to hang out with my friends and teach some school.
Tuonane kesho (See you tomorrow)
Leo (Today)
Jumapili (Sunday)
Jumatatu (Monday)
Jumanne (Tuesday)
Jumatano (Wednesday)
Aihamisi (Thursday)
Ijumaa (Friday)
Jumamosi (Saturday)
U hali gani? (How are you feeling?)
Mwalimu (Teacher)
Samawati (Blue)
Kijani Kibichi (Green)
Hali ya anga ikoja? (How is the weather?)
Kuna baridi. (It’s cold.)
Kuna joto. (It’s hot.)
Thursday 9 July 2009
I’ve been in Kenya and working in the slums for 40 days now. God has continued to show me how He provides. He has taught me to rely on Him and not on my own strength. He has taught me that He is a big God. He takes cares of us and loves us just like He takes care of and loves the children and people in Kibera and Muthiga. For the past 5 weeks, I have seen the people not the poverty. However this week, I have seen the poverty. My heart has been broken this week. It really hit home when Teacher Josephine pointed out her house to me today. I didn’t realize she lived in Kibera until then. Then, later that night I realized that most of the teachers live in Kibera. My friends are living in a place that is so horrible, I can’t even describe it. However, I have learned how much you truly need to survive. (It isn’t much) Even though I came to a lot of realizations, today was probably one of my favorite days in Kibera. I spent a lot of time talking to Teacher Josephine. I taught and worked out more math problems about Perimeter for Grade 4. I love teaching Grade 4 Math. Then it was tea time! Then we hung out in the teachers lounge for a bit. Then I taught Grade 5 English. I taught Present Perfect Tense and how to write a good composition paper. Then Teacher Josephine told Grade 5 that they needed to write a paper for their homework. The topic? “Write a paper about your new teacher Grace.” Haha. I can’t wait to read them! Then it was lunch time. After lunch, I helped teacher Josephine teach CRE. CRE is Christian Religion Education. In Kenya, every student chooses what religion class they want to take (Christian, Muslim, Hindu, etc.) CRE today was about not pretending. I have been taking pictures with each of my classes this week. (Grade 1, Grade 4, and Grade 5) After class, I took a picture of all the teachers. I am really going to miss Teacher Josephine. I am going to miss my Kiswahili lessons! We have shared so many stories, pictures, and laughs this week. Time has flown by.
Mbwa (dog)
Paka (cat)
1 Moja
2 Mbili
3 Tatu
4 Nne
5 Tano
6 Sita
7 Saba
8 Nane
9 Tisa
10 Kumi
Njoo Hapa (Come Here)
Rangi niipendayo ni samawati (My favorite color is Blue.
Nenda Kaoge (Go Bathe!)
Maua (Flowers)
Gari (Vehicle)
Nyanya (Grandmother or Tomato)
Nyoka (Snake)
Ishi. Cheka. Upenda. (Live. Laugh. Love.)
**Note: Teacher Josephine is from the Luhya tribe. Her Luhya name is Awinja which means Updenda (love.) She gave me the Luhya name Nelima. It means born when people are tilling land and preparing to plant. My nickname became Sarah (Sara in Kiswahili).
Friday 10 July 2009
Only 3 days until my baby sister turns 16. Only 16 days until I leave Kenya! Today is my day off. Bwana Ashiwe. (PTL!) So I will continue my story about how this week has been hard on my team. We started hearing personal stories from our friends. We found out that some of the youth boys actually live in the church. One of them lives there because when he parents found out he was a Christian, they kicked him out. Some of the members did home visits in Kibera yesterday. Their stories were even more heartbreaking. Even through all the sadness, I know the God I serve is good. I know He is a just God. I know He renews all things. I know one day all things will be made new. I know that God’s will is perfect and good. I have seen firsthand how God is working in Kibera. I have seen joy in the people there that is a joy that only God can give. Most of the time, the people that have the most joy are the people that have had some of the hardest lives. I pray that I will not feel guilty about the blessings that God has given me. Guilt is from the evil one. I pray that God will continue to show me how to love my Kenyan brothers and sisters better. I pray that He will show me how to encourage them. I remet a man from Sudan today. His name is John. He is one of the lost boys. He was a child solider. (around 10-12) His dad was a police officer who was murdered during an attack one day. A few years ago he was reunited with his mom after not seeing her for over 10 years. He is attending school in Kenya. He is 28. I don’t know much else about his life, but even that is horrifying to me. The team talked with Opal and Tom about how Africans don’t show much emotion and how they don’t complain when bad things happen. Opal thinks it is because Africans expect bad things to happen, so they aren’t phased much by them when they do. However, when good things happen they Praise God and are very thankful. Americans are the opposite. We expect good things to happen. When bad things happen to us, we try to figure out what went wrong or what we did wrong. My heart is broken. It has been a rough week. There are so many horrible situations that are affecting my friends: wives being raped and beaten, children starving, child soldiers, tribalism, extreme poverty, HIV/AIDS, polio, sewage problems, unsafe drinking water, debt from getting an education, etc. The list goes on and on. It is no longer statistics to me. I have a face and a friendship to put to those numbers.
**So continue to pray for our team. And thanks for all the prayers you have already said.
Mungu Akubariki (God Bless You)
Ishi. Cheka. Upenda. (Live. Laugh. Love.)
Until Next Time,
Nelima
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Week 5
Monday 29 June 2009
We are back in Muthiga this week. When we got to the property, we pulled some more weeds. Then we combined a bunch of the piles so there were only 3 piles. Then we started burning all the piles… which was hard because it had rained the day before so a lot of the stuff was wet. That was pretty much the whole morning. I did my best to avoid the smoke because I am still coughing. Then in the afternoon we did a bible club for the little kids. Today was the first time I took pictures of the Kenyan kids. I don’t remember if I have written this already but photography is a BIG deal in Kenya so Pastor has asked us to limit it. So no I don’t have a lot of pictures. You have to be careful when taking pictures. You always must ask permission first. Some of the older generations still think if you take a picture of them… you are stealing their soul. Some think you are only taking pictures to sell to magazines when you go home. So it is very important that you make relationships with the people you are taking pictures of BEFORE you take their picture. Not too much happened other than that.
Tuesday 30 June 2009
I can’t believe today is the last day of June! That is so crazy to me. Time has flown by lately. Even if I could write down every single thing I have seen and every person I have met since I have been in Kenya… it still wouldn’t be accurate or good enough. I don’t find Kenya to be good or bad, just different. I mean yes some things in Kenya are bad: living conditions, tribalism, rape, lack of food, etc. However, some things are good. Every child in Kenya knows how important and valuable a school education is. Nothing is taken for granted. Kenyan Christians that I have met has been some of the most bold, straight-forward Christians I have ever met in my life. Most people are so full of joy and are so hospitable to complete strangers. (us) Almost everything is shared… clothes, food, tools. Today we prayed for our friends and family who have lost their way in sin or just haven’t been following Christ to begin with. I think so many times we forget to pray for them. One of the things that I have taken for granted in the past that I had never thought about before I came to Kenya is the fact that in America there is SO much food variety. Let me just let you in on a secret… in Kenya most families eat the same meals every week if not every day. So food variety is definitely something I won’t take for granted anymore. We were in Muthiga again today. I lifted buckets of dirt out of the pit latrine hole that the guys (and Lydia) have been digging. It has to be 25 feet deep. It is probably one of our biggest tasks. Then I got to help Alice (a friend) go and pick fruit. I started sharing my Peanut M&Ms yesterday with my Kenyan brothers and sisters… and they LOVE them. So I shared again today. Nancy (one of our translators and Alice’s mom) showed me her home today. It was the first “slum” Kenyan home I have been in. It was so incredible. The outside of the house is made completely out of tin. (including the roof) It has a wooden fence around in. I walked into the main room. There were two benches with blankets on them (like couches). There was a small table in the middle of the room. There were a few calendars and posters on the walls. It felt like a home. After I visited at her house, we walked to meet up with the rest of the group. Then we led another Bible club for the little kids. We told the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. We gave out hard candy to the kids today and they LOVED it. That was pretty much my Tuesday.
Wednesday 1 July 2009
I can’t believe I only have 25 more days in Kenya! I miss being at home… BUT I will also admit that I love the spiritual growth I’ve experienced since I have arrived in Kenya. God has shown me so many things. God has emptied me this summer and every day He fills me with His spirit. I have learned that all things work out for the good. I have learned to completely rely on God’s strength not my own. In Muthiga, we just worked the land. I got to be the one who climbed the fruit tree with Alice. It was so much fun! So yesterday Josh sprained his ankle playing football(soccer)with the kids after Bible club so he didn’t join us today. Our team so was worried about Josh that we ended up forgetting a ton of stuff that we usually bring into Muthiga. We forgot Peanut Butter (so we ate plain bread), the buckets and rope we use to pull out the dirt, and work gloves today. However, the Lord showed us how to be flexible. Our translators ended finding some more rope and buckets… so we still got a lot of work done. It was a short day.
Thursday 2 July 2009
Today we did home visits in Muthiga. We split into 3 groups and each group had a translator. My group was Jacob, Joanna, and me. Our translators were Nancy and John. One of the first houses we visited was a mother who had 2 children… a 3 year old and a boy who was 10 days old. While we were sharing with the mom, I got to hold the little boy. He was so adorable and had a head full of curly black hair! When we go on home visits, we introduce ourselves… we asked how we are pray for them… we share an encouraging verse from the Bible… and then we pray. I had 2 and ½ cups of chai tea and I had my first cup for chocolate tea? It was just hot water with grounded up coco. So it was kind of like hot chocolate. Kenyans only drink it in July because July is when it is the coldest in Kenya. I can already tell the difference in the weather from when we arrived to now. It has definitely gotten colder. In the morning, I am usually in a sweatshirt. I wonder if it is that cold in Alabama! Haha. After all the home visits, we came back to the convent. Around 530pm we walked to Denny’s house. Denny is a missionary from OK who has been living in Kenya since 2005. It was the first time I have had REAL American food in Kenya. I had carrot sticks, RANCH, grapes, chicken pizza (that was AMAZING), and COOKIES! Denny has a 4 year old girl who is adorable. We watched Open Season with them and then we came home. It was SUCH a fun night! Then it was “Grace Time”. The team has been taking turns sharing their testimonies and struggles… one person every week. So tonight was my turn. I probably talked for an hour. It was nice to be able to share. I felt more understood afterwards. My team is getting closer every day and I LOVE IT! I am the youngest by at least a year from everyone else… so I am the “little sister”, which is weird for me since I am the oldest child. However, I now understand a little bit about being the youngest. (I like being the oldest better!)
Friday 3 July 2009
Hooray for days off. We went to the Village Market again. So I did some more shopping. My cough got worst in the evening. I thought my head was going to explode with every cough. Joshua bought Kenyan bracelets for the whole team… so now we all match kind of on a daily basis. Nothing too exciting happened. It was just a day of relaxing and having fun.
Saturday 4 July 2009
HAPPY 4th OF JULY! So the team kind of had the day off today because in the states it is a holiday. Around 2pm, we went to the Shuname Shelter to celebrate the 4th with the girls. It was basically a huge party. It was so much fun. That is where my new Facebook profile picture comes from. Today marks 5 weeks of being in Kenya. Only 3 weeks left to go! Susan (one of the girls… and also Nancy’s daughter) showed me (well started to) how to clean cow stomach so you can eat it! It was fun getting to take group pictures. The day was filled with fellowship, American songs, American food, Balloons (closest we had to fireworks… popping them), and a time of prayer IN ENGLISH! Lauri cooked a lot of the food. We made BBQ chicken sandwiches, potato salad, baked beans, jello, cookies and pineapple. (well we didn’t make the pineapple but we brought it) Once we got there… Joanna helped Purity make Red, White, and Blue Chapati. All the girls said something good about America. When we got home… Joshua led us in a time of prayer. We prayed for our country, its leaders, the Church, etc. I learned a lot of new Swahili words and phrases today from Martha.
Mungu Anakupenda (God loves you)
Bwana Ashiwe (Praise the Lord!)
Asante (Thanks)
Karibu (Welcome)
Habari (Hello! How are you?) Mzuri (Fine)
Lalasalama (Good Night)
Mzungu (one who goes around… aka a white person)
Wazungu (Plural of Mzungu… aka many white people)
Pole (I’m sorry that happened to you)
Baba (Father)
Mama (Mother)
Sawa Sawa (okay)
Sunday 5 July 2009
So today we went to church in Kibera. We walked in through a different route because of Joshua. The route we usually take is flooded at the moment because of a busted pipe. So we would have had to jump across on rocks… which with Joshua’s ankle wasn’t possible. So we walked on another route. In Sunday School, Lauri shared her testimony with the older youth. It was very encouraging. Lauri has become kind of my older sister because she is the oldest and we share the same birthday. Yes the oldest and the youngest on the team share the same birthday… we are that cool. She is 5 years older than me. Anyways… we sang Mighty to Save during church service. Pastor Wycliffe preached today. It was mostly in Swahili so I didn’t understand a lot of it. I know he preached on Matthew 5: 43-48. I can’t believe we have 3 more Sundays in Kenya and that is it. The last Sunday will be the Sunday I fly home. That is so crazy to me. It doesn’t seem like almost half of my summer is over. Well until next week… leave some comments!
Here is a word of Encouragement for you.
Naweza mambo yote katika yeye anitiaye nguvu.
( I can do everything through Him who gives me strength) Philippians 4:13
God Bless,
LG
We are back in Muthiga this week. When we got to the property, we pulled some more weeds. Then we combined a bunch of the piles so there were only 3 piles. Then we started burning all the piles… which was hard because it had rained the day before so a lot of the stuff was wet. That was pretty much the whole morning. I did my best to avoid the smoke because I am still coughing. Then in the afternoon we did a bible club for the little kids. Today was the first time I took pictures of the Kenyan kids. I don’t remember if I have written this already but photography is a BIG deal in Kenya so Pastor has asked us to limit it. So no I don’t have a lot of pictures. You have to be careful when taking pictures. You always must ask permission first. Some of the older generations still think if you take a picture of them… you are stealing their soul. Some think you are only taking pictures to sell to magazines when you go home. So it is very important that you make relationships with the people you are taking pictures of BEFORE you take their picture. Not too much happened other than that.
Tuesday 30 June 2009
I can’t believe today is the last day of June! That is so crazy to me. Time has flown by lately. Even if I could write down every single thing I have seen and every person I have met since I have been in Kenya… it still wouldn’t be accurate or good enough. I don’t find Kenya to be good or bad, just different. I mean yes some things in Kenya are bad: living conditions, tribalism, rape, lack of food, etc. However, some things are good. Every child in Kenya knows how important and valuable a school education is. Nothing is taken for granted. Kenyan Christians that I have met has been some of the most bold, straight-forward Christians I have ever met in my life. Most people are so full of joy and are so hospitable to complete strangers. (us) Almost everything is shared… clothes, food, tools. Today we prayed for our friends and family who have lost their way in sin or just haven’t been following Christ to begin with. I think so many times we forget to pray for them. One of the things that I have taken for granted in the past that I had never thought about before I came to Kenya is the fact that in America there is SO much food variety. Let me just let you in on a secret… in Kenya most families eat the same meals every week if not every day. So food variety is definitely something I won’t take for granted anymore. We were in Muthiga again today. I lifted buckets of dirt out of the pit latrine hole that the guys (and Lydia) have been digging. It has to be 25 feet deep. It is probably one of our biggest tasks. Then I got to help Alice (a friend) go and pick fruit. I started sharing my Peanut M&Ms yesterday with my Kenyan brothers and sisters… and they LOVE them. So I shared again today. Nancy (one of our translators and Alice’s mom) showed me her home today. It was the first “slum” Kenyan home I have been in. It was so incredible. The outside of the house is made completely out of tin. (including the roof) It has a wooden fence around in. I walked into the main room. There were two benches with blankets on them (like couches). There was a small table in the middle of the room. There were a few calendars and posters on the walls. It felt like a home. After I visited at her house, we walked to meet up with the rest of the group. Then we led another Bible club for the little kids. We told the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. We gave out hard candy to the kids today and they LOVED it. That was pretty much my Tuesday.
Wednesday 1 July 2009
I can’t believe I only have 25 more days in Kenya! I miss being at home… BUT I will also admit that I love the spiritual growth I’ve experienced since I have arrived in Kenya. God has shown me so many things. God has emptied me this summer and every day He fills me with His spirit. I have learned that all things work out for the good. I have learned to completely rely on God’s strength not my own. In Muthiga, we just worked the land. I got to be the one who climbed the fruit tree with Alice. It was so much fun! So yesterday Josh sprained his ankle playing football(soccer)with the kids after Bible club so he didn’t join us today. Our team so was worried about Josh that we ended up forgetting a ton of stuff that we usually bring into Muthiga. We forgot Peanut Butter (so we ate plain bread), the buckets and rope we use to pull out the dirt, and work gloves today. However, the Lord showed us how to be flexible. Our translators ended finding some more rope and buckets… so we still got a lot of work done. It was a short day.
Thursday 2 July 2009
Today we did home visits in Muthiga. We split into 3 groups and each group had a translator. My group was Jacob, Joanna, and me. Our translators were Nancy and John. One of the first houses we visited was a mother who had 2 children… a 3 year old and a boy who was 10 days old. While we were sharing with the mom, I got to hold the little boy. He was so adorable and had a head full of curly black hair! When we go on home visits, we introduce ourselves… we asked how we are pray for them… we share an encouraging verse from the Bible… and then we pray. I had 2 and ½ cups of chai tea and I had my first cup for chocolate tea? It was just hot water with grounded up coco. So it was kind of like hot chocolate. Kenyans only drink it in July because July is when it is the coldest in Kenya. I can already tell the difference in the weather from when we arrived to now. It has definitely gotten colder. In the morning, I am usually in a sweatshirt. I wonder if it is that cold in Alabama! Haha. After all the home visits, we came back to the convent. Around 530pm we walked to Denny’s house. Denny is a missionary from OK who has been living in Kenya since 2005. It was the first time I have had REAL American food in Kenya. I had carrot sticks, RANCH, grapes, chicken pizza (that was AMAZING), and COOKIES! Denny has a 4 year old girl who is adorable. We watched Open Season with them and then we came home. It was SUCH a fun night! Then it was “Grace Time”. The team has been taking turns sharing their testimonies and struggles… one person every week. So tonight was my turn. I probably talked for an hour. It was nice to be able to share. I felt more understood afterwards. My team is getting closer every day and I LOVE IT! I am the youngest by at least a year from everyone else… so I am the “little sister”, which is weird for me since I am the oldest child. However, I now understand a little bit about being the youngest. (I like being the oldest better!)
Friday 3 July 2009
Hooray for days off. We went to the Village Market again. So I did some more shopping. My cough got worst in the evening. I thought my head was going to explode with every cough. Joshua bought Kenyan bracelets for the whole team… so now we all match kind of on a daily basis. Nothing too exciting happened. It was just a day of relaxing and having fun.
Saturday 4 July 2009
HAPPY 4th OF JULY! So the team kind of had the day off today because in the states it is a holiday. Around 2pm, we went to the Shuname Shelter to celebrate the 4th with the girls. It was basically a huge party. It was so much fun. That is where my new Facebook profile picture comes from. Today marks 5 weeks of being in Kenya. Only 3 weeks left to go! Susan (one of the girls… and also Nancy’s daughter) showed me (well started to) how to clean cow stomach so you can eat it! It was fun getting to take group pictures. The day was filled with fellowship, American songs, American food, Balloons (closest we had to fireworks… popping them), and a time of prayer IN ENGLISH! Lauri cooked a lot of the food. We made BBQ chicken sandwiches, potato salad, baked beans, jello, cookies and pineapple. (well we didn’t make the pineapple but we brought it) Once we got there… Joanna helped Purity make Red, White, and Blue Chapati. All the girls said something good about America. When we got home… Joshua led us in a time of prayer. We prayed for our country, its leaders, the Church, etc. I learned a lot of new Swahili words and phrases today from Martha.
Mungu Anakupenda (God loves you)
Bwana Ashiwe (Praise the Lord!)
Asante (Thanks)
Karibu (Welcome)
Habari (Hello! How are you?) Mzuri (Fine)
Lalasalama (Good Night)
Mzungu (one who goes around… aka a white person)
Wazungu (Plural of Mzungu… aka many white people)
Pole (I’m sorry that happened to you)
Baba (Father)
Mama (Mother)
Sawa Sawa (okay)
Sunday 5 July 2009
So today we went to church in Kibera. We walked in through a different route because of Joshua. The route we usually take is flooded at the moment because of a busted pipe. So we would have had to jump across on rocks… which with Joshua’s ankle wasn’t possible. So we walked on another route. In Sunday School, Lauri shared her testimony with the older youth. It was very encouraging. Lauri has become kind of my older sister because she is the oldest and we share the same birthday. Yes the oldest and the youngest on the team share the same birthday… we are that cool. She is 5 years older than me. Anyways… we sang Mighty to Save during church service. Pastor Wycliffe preached today. It was mostly in Swahili so I didn’t understand a lot of it. I know he preached on Matthew 5: 43-48. I can’t believe we have 3 more Sundays in Kenya and that is it. The last Sunday will be the Sunday I fly home. That is so crazy to me. It doesn’t seem like almost half of my summer is over. Well until next week… leave some comments!
Here is a word of Encouragement for you.
Naweza mambo yote katika yeye anitiaye nguvu.
( I can do everything through Him who gives me strength) Philippians 4:13
God Bless,
LG
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