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
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Week 4: A Rough Week
Saturday 20 June 2009
Today we went into Kibera and led a VBS for over 100 kids. We sang songs and then read/acted out the story about Jonah and the Big Fish! The kids are on midterm break… yes the kids in Kenya go to school Monday through Saturday. They are in school for 3 months and then out of school for a month… yes parents YEAR ROUND SCHOOL! They get the months of April, August, and December off. William and I had planned on doing crafts for the kids as part of the four rotations (Bible Study Explained, Games, Songs, and Crafts) but the Lord had bigger plans for us. William and I soon learned that we would just be doing crafts with the youngest kids (2 and under for the most part) for the entire 2 hours. We had at least 50-60 kids in our room. IT WAS AMAZING! Teacher Abigail told me at the very beginning to retell the story with her translating to the little ones, which I did. None of the kids I was playing with spoke English so that was FUN! Haha. PTL for all the teachers and faculty that came out and helped us! We passed out coloring sheets for all the kids and one crayon. They LOVED it! Then we fed the kids because for some it would be the only food they would have to eat until school lunch on Monday. Lunch was butter and jelly sandwiches, which Kenyans love. Throughout the morning the kids almost doubled. It was VERY loud but so much fun! It was such a success and glory be to the Lord! Plus Pastor told us that we would be taking Monday off for a day of much needed rest!
Sunday 21 June 2009
We went back into Kibera this morning for church service. Jacob shared his testimony with the older youth Sunday school class and we sang “Amazing Grace”. Joshua gave the sermon today in church. It was on How to Be a Christian and it was very good. The best English sermon I have heard since arriving in Kenya! Haha. A little girl fell asleep on me during service. Have I mentioned there is NO such thing as personal space in Kenya? There is NO such thing as personal space in Kenya. Kids constantly want to touch you because you are white and hairy. They love to pull or touch your arm hair. It fascinates them. We are reading LOTR out loud as a team. It is so much fun and a good bonding experience.
Monday 22 June 2009
YAY for a day off! I bought orange mango juice at the Nakumatt Karen yesterday after church and I had some for breakfast this morning. It was SO good. Mangos are just awesome in Kenya. A lot of things taste so much better here. (It is because most things are made with pure sugarcane in Kenya.) I have lost my voice a few times already and am beginning to get sick again. I know it is from all the dust, smoke, and exhaust that my body is just not use to. I rested and read off and on all day.
Tuesday 23 June 2009
I didn’t sleep at all last night because my body was hurting so much from all the coughing. I went to the doctor this morning and he confirmed that is from all the dust and such. I started taking 3 medicines which included a cough syrup. Every single time I swallow it hurts. My chest is congested and I have had a fever off and on for four days now. My ears are killing me from sinus pressure and drainage. I am truly miserable but I know this is where God wants me to be. Lydia stayed behind with me today. PTL for a great mentor. I’m physically tired from the lack of sleep but rest is so hard to get when you are coughing every 5 seconds. I continue to pray that God will allow me to be content and give me peace about being sick while I am here in Kenya to serve. Some days I truly feel more like a burden to my team than a blessing but I know that is Satan whispering lies in my ears. All afternoon there was a goat outside my window that would NOT be quiet! Plus I had a rooster that apparently has NO sense of time. lol. Nothing too exciting happened today.
Wednesday 24 June 2009
So another day of me not going into Kibera with my team. I didn’t sleep again last night so I really didn’t have the energy or strength to go today. My chest doesn’t hurt as much today. My nose is running a lot and I am coughing a ton. I think my ribs are starting to bruise because of all the coughing. My body feels so limp and weak. However, I got my package from mom today and it lifted my spirits greatly. I still don’t understand why Sarah sent me cat fur… but it’s the thought that counts right??
Thursday 25 June 2009
I am finally starting to feel better, PTL! Amen. I stayed behind again today. The power was out at the convent most of the day. Lydia stayed back with me again today to keep an eye on me. I finally fell asleep around 8am and slept until 1130am. IT WAS SO AWESOME! It rained today. I am continuing to trust God throughout all of this. We have scheduled our safari for July 17-19. I thought about the Gummy Bear Song today, ask all the kids who went to Strength to Stand or my mom. At the end of the day, I am feeling much better. I am still coughing but other than that I am feeling okay.
Friday 26 June 2009
Today is the team’s day off. I’m feeling much better after a full nights rest. I am still coughing a whole lot. We rode to Mount Longonot (about a 2 hour drive). The team hiked up the mountain. It was very beautiful. It was so nice to see another part of Kenya. We finished the first LOTR movie tonight as a team. It was SO much fun! Thanks mom! The sisters even brought us popcorn and ASKED TO WATCH THE MOVIE WHEN WE WERE DONE! Haha.
Saturday 27 June 2009
THE HALFWAY POINT! Today marks four weeks of being in Kenya. I have 4 weeks and one day until I get on the airplane that takes me back to the states. Time has really flown by lately. I am really going to miss Kenya. It is so beautiful and so different from home. The people are mostly Christians and are so full of joy and helpful. I walked to the Nakumatt in the morning to buy more juice. Lydia, Josh, and I took a Matatu back and it had 25 people in it! IT WAS INSANE! When Pastor came HE BROUGHT MAIL! I received 6 letters! Thanks so much guys! Today we led a football (soccer) Bible camp for kids 12 years and older. We played soccer for an hour (well ½ the team did along with all the kids). Lauri, Joanna, and I helped Caroline and Purity make butter and jelly sandwiches. Then we sang songs. Then we split into guys and girls to have a time of Bible study. Lauri shared part of her testimony with the girls. Then it was food time for the kids. Afterwards we got everyone in a circle to pray (about 80-90 kids). After prayer some of the guys ran into the middle of the circle hitting jugs with sticks and making music with their hands. They sang “Happy Birthday” to Pastor Makuku who turned 49 years old today. It was so much fun to be with my team again.
Sunday 28 June 2009
Neema: Grace
Imani: Faith
Mungu: God
Shetani: Devil
Upendo: Love
Tumaini: Hope
Those are the words I learned in Church this morning in Kibera. I don’t know if I have mentioned this but Pastor says the way they worship is very Pentecostal but they way they preach is very Reformed and that is SO true! Joanna shared her testimony with the older youth Sunday school class. Jeffery preached today so of course I didn’t understand a single word for the most part. I know he preached from Judges 7. I had pizza for lunch and the girls switched roommates today. (We switch every 2 weeks) Nothing too much has happened. I am still feeling well but coughing a lot. Sometimes breathing takes a lot of energy. My asthma is having a rough time, but God has been giving me strength each and every day He chooses to. God willing I will not get very sick again.
Thanks again for all the many prayers that you have lifted up. Continue to pray. My team is constantly at war with Satan and his demons. George, Jacob, and Lauri have been battling colds. Joshua recently found out that his best friend’s (Kate) dad has a brain tumor and another one of his very close friends is in a coma (He is serving in Iraq) and the doctors have given him 24 hours. Jacob is planning his wedding from thousands of miles away. Joanna’s brother just had major jaw surgery a week ago but is doing well. The devil is hard at work every day. He is constantly trying to pull us down. These are some of the many prayer requests. Continue to pray that we will Stand Firm. Pray that we will focus on Christ and not stray from His path. Pray that will we not feel guilt when we are sick and can’t go out with our team. Just PRAY! I miss and love you all and can’t wait to share many stories.
God Bless!
LG
PS. If you are sending mail, please don’t send anything after the 4th of July. THANKS!
Today we went into Kibera and led a VBS for over 100 kids. We sang songs and then read/acted out the story about Jonah and the Big Fish! The kids are on midterm break… yes the kids in Kenya go to school Monday through Saturday. They are in school for 3 months and then out of school for a month… yes parents YEAR ROUND SCHOOL! They get the months of April, August, and December off. William and I had planned on doing crafts for the kids as part of the four rotations (Bible Study Explained, Games, Songs, and Crafts) but the Lord had bigger plans for us. William and I soon learned that we would just be doing crafts with the youngest kids (2 and under for the most part) for the entire 2 hours. We had at least 50-60 kids in our room. IT WAS AMAZING! Teacher Abigail told me at the very beginning to retell the story with her translating to the little ones, which I did. None of the kids I was playing with spoke English so that was FUN! Haha. PTL for all the teachers and faculty that came out and helped us! We passed out coloring sheets for all the kids and one crayon. They LOVED it! Then we fed the kids because for some it would be the only food they would have to eat until school lunch on Monday. Lunch was butter and jelly sandwiches, which Kenyans love. Throughout the morning the kids almost doubled. It was VERY loud but so much fun! It was such a success and glory be to the Lord! Plus Pastor told us that we would be taking Monday off for a day of much needed rest!
Sunday 21 June 2009
We went back into Kibera this morning for church service. Jacob shared his testimony with the older youth Sunday school class and we sang “Amazing Grace”. Joshua gave the sermon today in church. It was on How to Be a Christian and it was very good. The best English sermon I have heard since arriving in Kenya! Haha. A little girl fell asleep on me during service. Have I mentioned there is NO such thing as personal space in Kenya? There is NO such thing as personal space in Kenya. Kids constantly want to touch you because you are white and hairy. They love to pull or touch your arm hair. It fascinates them. We are reading LOTR out loud as a team. It is so much fun and a good bonding experience.
Monday 22 June 2009
YAY for a day off! I bought orange mango juice at the Nakumatt Karen yesterday after church and I had some for breakfast this morning. It was SO good. Mangos are just awesome in Kenya. A lot of things taste so much better here. (It is because most things are made with pure sugarcane in Kenya.) I have lost my voice a few times already and am beginning to get sick again. I know it is from all the dust, smoke, and exhaust that my body is just not use to. I rested and read off and on all day.
Tuesday 23 June 2009
I didn’t sleep at all last night because my body was hurting so much from all the coughing. I went to the doctor this morning and he confirmed that is from all the dust and such. I started taking 3 medicines which included a cough syrup. Every single time I swallow it hurts. My chest is congested and I have had a fever off and on for four days now. My ears are killing me from sinus pressure and drainage. I am truly miserable but I know this is where God wants me to be. Lydia stayed behind with me today. PTL for a great mentor. I’m physically tired from the lack of sleep but rest is so hard to get when you are coughing every 5 seconds. I continue to pray that God will allow me to be content and give me peace about being sick while I am here in Kenya to serve. Some days I truly feel more like a burden to my team than a blessing but I know that is Satan whispering lies in my ears. All afternoon there was a goat outside my window that would NOT be quiet! Plus I had a rooster that apparently has NO sense of time. lol. Nothing too exciting happened today.
Wednesday 24 June 2009
So another day of me not going into Kibera with my team. I didn’t sleep again last night so I really didn’t have the energy or strength to go today. My chest doesn’t hurt as much today. My nose is running a lot and I am coughing a ton. I think my ribs are starting to bruise because of all the coughing. My body feels so limp and weak. However, I got my package from mom today and it lifted my spirits greatly. I still don’t understand why Sarah sent me cat fur… but it’s the thought that counts right??
Thursday 25 June 2009
I am finally starting to feel better, PTL! Amen. I stayed behind again today. The power was out at the convent most of the day. Lydia stayed back with me again today to keep an eye on me. I finally fell asleep around 8am and slept until 1130am. IT WAS SO AWESOME! It rained today. I am continuing to trust God throughout all of this. We have scheduled our safari for July 17-19. I thought about the Gummy Bear Song today, ask all the kids who went to Strength to Stand or my mom. At the end of the day, I am feeling much better. I am still coughing but other than that I am feeling okay.
Friday 26 June 2009
Today is the team’s day off. I’m feeling much better after a full nights rest. I am still coughing a whole lot. We rode to Mount Longonot (about a 2 hour drive). The team hiked up the mountain. It was very beautiful. It was so nice to see another part of Kenya. We finished the first LOTR movie tonight as a team. It was SO much fun! Thanks mom! The sisters even brought us popcorn and ASKED TO WATCH THE MOVIE WHEN WE WERE DONE! Haha.
Saturday 27 June 2009
THE HALFWAY POINT! Today marks four weeks of being in Kenya. I have 4 weeks and one day until I get on the airplane that takes me back to the states. Time has really flown by lately. I am really going to miss Kenya. It is so beautiful and so different from home. The people are mostly Christians and are so full of joy and helpful. I walked to the Nakumatt in the morning to buy more juice. Lydia, Josh, and I took a Matatu back and it had 25 people in it! IT WAS INSANE! When Pastor came HE BROUGHT MAIL! I received 6 letters! Thanks so much guys! Today we led a football (soccer) Bible camp for kids 12 years and older. We played soccer for an hour (well ½ the team did along with all the kids). Lauri, Joanna, and I helped Caroline and Purity make butter and jelly sandwiches. Then we sang songs. Then we split into guys and girls to have a time of Bible study. Lauri shared part of her testimony with the girls. Then it was food time for the kids. Afterwards we got everyone in a circle to pray (about 80-90 kids). After prayer some of the guys ran into the middle of the circle hitting jugs with sticks and making music with their hands. They sang “Happy Birthday” to Pastor Makuku who turned 49 years old today. It was so much fun to be with my team again.
Sunday 28 June 2009
Neema: Grace
Imani: Faith
Mungu: God
Shetani: Devil
Upendo: Love
Tumaini: Hope
Those are the words I learned in Church this morning in Kibera. I don’t know if I have mentioned this but Pastor says the way they worship is very Pentecostal but they way they preach is very Reformed and that is SO true! Joanna shared her testimony with the older youth Sunday school class. Jeffery preached today so of course I didn’t understand a single word for the most part. I know he preached from Judges 7. I had pizza for lunch and the girls switched roommates today. (We switch every 2 weeks) Nothing too much has happened. I am still feeling well but coughing a lot. Sometimes breathing takes a lot of energy. My asthma is having a rough time, but God has been giving me strength each and every day He chooses to. God willing I will not get very sick again.
Thanks again for all the many prayers that you have lifted up. Continue to pray. My team is constantly at war with Satan and his demons. George, Jacob, and Lauri have been battling colds. Joshua recently found out that his best friend’s (Kate) dad has a brain tumor and another one of his very close friends is in a coma (He is serving in Iraq) and the doctors have given him 24 hours. Jacob is planning his wedding from thousands of miles away. Joanna’s brother just had major jaw surgery a week ago but is doing well. The devil is hard at work every day. He is constantly trying to pull us down. These are some of the many prayer requests. Continue to pray that we will Stand Firm. Pray that we will focus on Christ and not stray from His path. Pray that will we not feel guilt when we are sick and can’t go out with our team. Just PRAY! I miss and love you all and can’t wait to share many stories.
God Bless!
LG
PS. If you are sending mail, please don’t send anything after the 4th of July. THANKS!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Week 3
Saturday 13 June 2009
So today was a good day. I woke up to a monkey eating an avocado in the tree outside my room. The team went down to the Nakumatt. I got pizza from a place called Tangerine. Then I got a chocolate milkshake. They were both AWESOME! After being there for a few hours, we went to the Shuname Shelter. I helped a girl named Susan get the greens ready. In Kenya the girls make doing all the cooking… and preparing greens includes washing them and then cutting them using your left hand as a cutting board as you shred the greens with your right hand. It is very difficult to do without cutting your finger/hand. However, the girls have been very patient with me and I am trying to learn how to do this before the end of the summer. So instead of cutting, I was in charge of pulling all the leaves off the stems and washing them. It took probably 30 minutes to an hour. Then it was time for songs and prayers. My health is so much better now and I praise the Lord for that! Dinner was chapati and I have discovered that putting sugar and butter on a hot chapati is one of my new favorite Kenyan desserts. It was REALLY awesome. Chapati days are the best! The Lord has allowed our team to only grow closer and I praise Him for that. The night ended with amazing rain on tin roofs and beautiful HUGE Kenyan rainbows. It was overall one of my best days in Kenya.
Sunday 14 June 2009
Today instead of going to Kibera for church, the team went to an English speaking church. The name of the church is Nairobi chapel. It was so very different from Kibera. (and not just because the service was in English) There were lots of upbeat songs, skits that the children did about how awesome Sunday school is, and an interview session with one of the church members about how she works with the poor. Almost 2 hours later, the sermon started. Later, Martha told us that a lot of middle class and wealthy Kenyans attend that church. It helped us all understand the importance of the interview session during church because that left a lot of us really confused. The church was like this HUGE permanent white tent. It had a projection screen and sold the sermon on CD/DVD after the service… it was VERY different from Kibera. After church, we walked to the Nakumatt Junction (a different Nakumatt) to eat lunch. I ate at Wimpys, which is a hamburger joint. Then we took a bus back to Nakumatt Karen and we walked home. The rest of the day was spent in the Word, prayer, and lots of fellowship.
Monday 15 June 2009
There is a short term team here from MTW, so we (the interns) will not be working in Kibera this week. So we spent the day in a different slum, Muthiga. The slum is in the country. It is by far the smallest and “tamest” slum that MTW works in. The area is very rural and there are hills and fields in every direction. The church is actually on the top part of the hill and the slope/bottom holds the slum. The slum is very different from Kibera because most of the houses here in Muthiga are made entirely out of tin. (instead of mud, waste, and garbage) The homes are mostly freestanding one-room shacks with a fence around it and a little piece of land. The church there is the African Evangelical Presbyterian Church. The main focus in Muthiga is door to door evangelism which we haven’t done yet. The morning was spent on another piece of property that the Church has recently bought in Muthiga to build a school on. We spent the morning digging holes for trees and hedges around the fence. We also started clearing out the land using our bare hands to pull weeds and such. At one point, a huge rat came out from a plant (we had been hearing it make noises). Its back looked like that of a chipmunk. It was once of the craziest creatures I have seen so far. All the new flowers, trees, plants, and animals continue to amaze me. I get to see the Southern cross every night and I know that is something I will miss once I am back in Alabama. The stars shine so bright here and you can see so many of them here. It is truly beautiful, like Pastor Makuku would say, “It is a little piece of heaven for you.” After digging, we walked down the hill into the slum and ran a short Bible club for the younger kids. We told the story of David and the Giant. We even acted it out. Then we sang songs with them and played games. It was tons of fun! Today I got my first mosquito bite. I guess that about sums up the day.
Tuesday 16 June 2009
Another day in Muthiga. We worked on the property. Today was another day of pulling weeds, grasses, and thorns with no gloves. I’m going to have some rough hand when I get home from all the manual labor. Haha. Today was a shorter day. We didn’t do a bible club and we arrived back around 3pm. Day 2 of peanut butter sandwiches for lunch. I tried Mango for the first time today. It has intense flavor but was overall very tasty.
Wednesday 17 June 2009
Today was filled with insects. I found a praying mantis. It was so beautiful. It was green but also had stripes that held colors of the rainbow. Then I found the darkest toad I have ever seen in my life. There were tons of bright blue and neon green beetles in the dirt I was working in. There were different kinds and colors of ants and spiders as well. I am slowly becoming one with the earth. These are the things you learn when you pull up grass and such for hours… well that and mud fights. It rained last night so everything was VERY muddy today. Everyone was pretty much covered in mud by the end of the day. After working the property, we walked down the hill and ran Bible club again for the kids. The story today was Daniel and the Lions Den. We had chapati again for dinner so it was another good day.
Thursday 18 June 2009
I don’t think I have mentioned the fact that George has been reading Lord of the Rings out loud to the team every day. It has been a bonding experience for the team and a great read! I made French toast again this morning. (I have had French toast for breakfast for about 7-9 days now but I am still loving it!) Then we left to go to Muthiga again. Today we planted trees and cleared more land. I am getting to be a pro at using the machete. I found a stick bug today which was AWESOME! I also formed and popped my first blister. *sigh* Lunch for the 4th day in a room was a peanut butter sandwich. Haha. O I forgot! This morning some women stopped by the property when we first arrived and told us they were giving us some food to eat with our tea. Tea time is an every day thing in Kenya. (Hot Tea) So at tea time, we discovered what the food was. It was arrowroot. It was grayish purple in color. The best way I can think to describe it is a cold soggy French fry without salt or a cold baked potato with NOTHING on it. It really could have used some salt. Haha. We did another Bible club with the kids in Muthiga, which meant another long but fun day. I got my hair braided by I think 4-5 girls. It was intense.
Friday 19 June 2009
Have I mentioned that there are fences and gates EVERYWHERE in Kenya? Well if I haven’t there are fences and gates EVERYWHERE in Kenya. Every place has a fence… businesses, houses, churches, etc. Today was my day off again. Around lunch I went to the Nakumatt Karen. I had pineapple pizza at Tangerine that was AMAZING. Pineapple is my FAVORITE thing to eat here so far. It is just so fresh and juicy and amazing. Then later on in the afternoon around 3pm, Carol, Purity, and Wycliffe came and we walked to the Shuname Shelter. I love going there. It is just such a relaxed setting and just a time to talk, laugh, play, and learn. I practiced my cutting using my hand as a cutting board again today. Then I talked to Susan again. It is such a joy getting to know the girls there. Wycliffe has decided that I am Kalenjin, which is one of the 50 tribes in Kenya. When I asked him why Kalenjin, he told me because they are all tall and thin like me. Haha. Then he told me that tomorrow he will figure out what my new name will be. So I will post that next week. Well it is time for me to ruminate with my team and have a short bible study so I must end this.
I pray that each of you are doing well. God Bless!
Until Next Time,
LG
So today was a good day. I woke up to a monkey eating an avocado in the tree outside my room. The team went down to the Nakumatt. I got pizza from a place called Tangerine. Then I got a chocolate milkshake. They were both AWESOME! After being there for a few hours, we went to the Shuname Shelter. I helped a girl named Susan get the greens ready. In Kenya the girls make doing all the cooking… and preparing greens includes washing them and then cutting them using your left hand as a cutting board as you shred the greens with your right hand. It is very difficult to do without cutting your finger/hand. However, the girls have been very patient with me and I am trying to learn how to do this before the end of the summer. So instead of cutting, I was in charge of pulling all the leaves off the stems and washing them. It took probably 30 minutes to an hour. Then it was time for songs and prayers. My health is so much better now and I praise the Lord for that! Dinner was chapati and I have discovered that putting sugar and butter on a hot chapati is one of my new favorite Kenyan desserts. It was REALLY awesome. Chapati days are the best! The Lord has allowed our team to only grow closer and I praise Him for that. The night ended with amazing rain on tin roofs and beautiful HUGE Kenyan rainbows. It was overall one of my best days in Kenya.
Sunday 14 June 2009
Today instead of going to Kibera for church, the team went to an English speaking church. The name of the church is Nairobi chapel. It was so very different from Kibera. (and not just because the service was in English) There were lots of upbeat songs, skits that the children did about how awesome Sunday school is, and an interview session with one of the church members about how she works with the poor. Almost 2 hours later, the sermon started. Later, Martha told us that a lot of middle class and wealthy Kenyans attend that church. It helped us all understand the importance of the interview session during church because that left a lot of us really confused. The church was like this HUGE permanent white tent. It had a projection screen and sold the sermon on CD/DVD after the service… it was VERY different from Kibera. After church, we walked to the Nakumatt Junction (a different Nakumatt) to eat lunch. I ate at Wimpys, which is a hamburger joint. Then we took a bus back to Nakumatt Karen and we walked home. The rest of the day was spent in the Word, prayer, and lots of fellowship.
Monday 15 June 2009
There is a short term team here from MTW, so we (the interns) will not be working in Kibera this week. So we spent the day in a different slum, Muthiga. The slum is in the country. It is by far the smallest and “tamest” slum that MTW works in. The area is very rural and there are hills and fields in every direction. The church is actually on the top part of the hill and the slope/bottom holds the slum. The slum is very different from Kibera because most of the houses here in Muthiga are made entirely out of tin. (instead of mud, waste, and garbage) The homes are mostly freestanding one-room shacks with a fence around it and a little piece of land. The church there is the African Evangelical Presbyterian Church. The main focus in Muthiga is door to door evangelism which we haven’t done yet. The morning was spent on another piece of property that the Church has recently bought in Muthiga to build a school on. We spent the morning digging holes for trees and hedges around the fence. We also started clearing out the land using our bare hands to pull weeds and such. At one point, a huge rat came out from a plant (we had been hearing it make noises). Its back looked like that of a chipmunk. It was once of the craziest creatures I have seen so far. All the new flowers, trees, plants, and animals continue to amaze me. I get to see the Southern cross every night and I know that is something I will miss once I am back in Alabama. The stars shine so bright here and you can see so many of them here. It is truly beautiful, like Pastor Makuku would say, “It is a little piece of heaven for you.” After digging, we walked down the hill into the slum and ran a short Bible club for the younger kids. We told the story of David and the Giant. We even acted it out. Then we sang songs with them and played games. It was tons of fun! Today I got my first mosquito bite. I guess that about sums up the day.
Tuesday 16 June 2009
Another day in Muthiga. We worked on the property. Today was another day of pulling weeds, grasses, and thorns with no gloves. I’m going to have some rough hand when I get home from all the manual labor. Haha. Today was a shorter day. We didn’t do a bible club and we arrived back around 3pm. Day 2 of peanut butter sandwiches for lunch. I tried Mango for the first time today. It has intense flavor but was overall very tasty.
Wednesday 17 June 2009
Today was filled with insects. I found a praying mantis. It was so beautiful. It was green but also had stripes that held colors of the rainbow. Then I found the darkest toad I have ever seen in my life. There were tons of bright blue and neon green beetles in the dirt I was working in. There were different kinds and colors of ants and spiders as well. I am slowly becoming one with the earth. These are the things you learn when you pull up grass and such for hours… well that and mud fights. It rained last night so everything was VERY muddy today. Everyone was pretty much covered in mud by the end of the day. After working the property, we walked down the hill and ran Bible club again for the kids. The story today was Daniel and the Lions Den. We had chapati again for dinner so it was another good day.
Thursday 18 June 2009
I don’t think I have mentioned the fact that George has been reading Lord of the Rings out loud to the team every day. It has been a bonding experience for the team and a great read! I made French toast again this morning. (I have had French toast for breakfast for about 7-9 days now but I am still loving it!) Then we left to go to Muthiga again. Today we planted trees and cleared more land. I am getting to be a pro at using the machete. I found a stick bug today which was AWESOME! I also formed and popped my first blister. *sigh* Lunch for the 4th day in a room was a peanut butter sandwich. Haha. O I forgot! This morning some women stopped by the property when we first arrived and told us they were giving us some food to eat with our tea. Tea time is an every day thing in Kenya. (Hot Tea) So at tea time, we discovered what the food was. It was arrowroot. It was grayish purple in color. The best way I can think to describe it is a cold soggy French fry without salt or a cold baked potato with NOTHING on it. It really could have used some salt. Haha. We did another Bible club with the kids in Muthiga, which meant another long but fun day. I got my hair braided by I think 4-5 girls. It was intense.
Friday 19 June 2009
Have I mentioned that there are fences and gates EVERYWHERE in Kenya? Well if I haven’t there are fences and gates EVERYWHERE in Kenya. Every place has a fence… businesses, houses, churches, etc. Today was my day off again. Around lunch I went to the Nakumatt Karen. I had pineapple pizza at Tangerine that was AMAZING. Pineapple is my FAVORITE thing to eat here so far. It is just so fresh and juicy and amazing. Then later on in the afternoon around 3pm, Carol, Purity, and Wycliffe came and we walked to the Shuname Shelter. I love going there. It is just such a relaxed setting and just a time to talk, laugh, play, and learn. I practiced my cutting using my hand as a cutting board again today. Then I talked to Susan again. It is such a joy getting to know the girls there. Wycliffe has decided that I am Kalenjin, which is one of the 50 tribes in Kenya. When I asked him why Kalenjin, he told me because they are all tall and thin like me. Haha. Then he told me that tomorrow he will figure out what my new name will be. So I will post that next week. Well it is time for me to ruminate with my team and have a short bible study so I must end this.
I pray that each of you are doing well. God Bless!
Until Next Time,
LG
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Update for Week Two
Friday 5 June 2009
So it was actually Purity and Pastor Wycliffe (another pastor who works in Kibera with the Makuku’s) who took us to downtown Nairobi. We rode our first public Matatu. It was kind of crazy. I am pretty confident now that Matatus are what at least half of the vehicles are around here. We basically just walked around Nairobi and then ate at an authentic Kenyan food place for lunch. It was a time to relax and sightsee. Downtown Nairobi was VERY clean (no trash on the ground) and so is most of Kenya. Fridays are the most relaxed day because the team pretty much decides what we want to do. =)
Saturday 6 June 2009
Around 230pm Pastor Makuku and his wife took us to the Shuname Shelter. It is the girls’ (and 2-3 boys) home that is led by Caroline and Purity. (and the Makuku’s) In case you didn’t know Shuname was a resting place in the OT. We just hung out with the kids for the most part… playing football (soccer), Frisbee, and guitar/singing. At the end of our time together, we all gathered in a circle and sang different Swahili and English songs. Once we got back to the convent, we practiced our songs for church service tomorrow. That was about it. Another pretty relaxed day in Kenya.
Sunday 7 June 2009
The weather was GREAT today. We went to Kibera for church service again this Sunday. The church didn’t feel like an oven like last week, which was such a blessing. George shared his testimony during Sunday School with the older youth kids. (something all of the interns will probably do before the summer is over) The team sung for Sunday School and church service today. (No autographs please! Haha) The church in Kibera had even more energy and excitement this week than last. It was so lively and encouraging. I love the way the Kenyan people worship. It is so moving. There is singing, drums, clapping, and dancing! Pastor Makuku finished last weeks service today. It was talking about how you can spiritually murder your brother without physically harming him by being angry with him. I had the same translator as last week which was a blessing as well. The smell in Kibera gets worse every time I walk in I think, but I just try to ignore it the best I can because I know my time here is short. I also know that the Kenyans are constantly watching us as we walk in and out of Kibera. The paths we walk are their front porches… their yards. I still can’t imagine what they must be thinking while we are walking by so many of them. I can’t believe a whole week has gone by! My stomach started hurting off and on today but God is good and I know He will take care of me. We ate lunch around 3:30-4pm, which was late even in Kenya. lol.
Monday 8 June 2009
I woke up still not feeling well but I went out to the property to finish digging the holes for the fence. After the team had finished digging the fence holes… we kept digging but this time they were tree holes. (which are about twice as big) Nothing too exciting happened today. I saw a lot of donkey carts, cows, goats, sheep, chicken, etc. O yeah and Coke is HUGE over here. There are a ton of advertisements for coca cola over here… Pepsi does NOT exist. (Life is Good.)
Tuesday 9 June 2009
I am not getting better but I am continuing to trust the Lord for I know that He is good in all things. By the time we arrived in Kibera I felt horrible. Then I got to walk into Kibera which I found out use to be a lake I think… but if you can think of a lake that was turned into a landfill and then people decided to build houses on this land… that still doesn’t even begin to describe Kibera. Once we arrived at the church, I had to lie down. I listened in on the AIDS support group meeting. I had a fever so I ended up spending the rest of the afternoon resting in the office. I know God will strengthen my body when He wants me to be strong but until then I will rely on God’s strength and do the best that I can while I am sick. We left to go pick up Lydia at the airport around 6:30pm (Lydia is our mentor and my roommate for the summer). Martha told me to take tomorrow off and rest. Once we got back to the convent we tried to get Lydia all caught up and had some Kenyan tea. Then it was time for bed.
Wednesday 10 June 2009
"But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds," declares the LORD Jeremiah 30:17I took the day off like Martha told me to. Today was the worst so far as far as being sick. I started having chest pain and it took almost all my energy to just breathe sometimes. I spent the day in bed and for most of it I just slept and prayed. The spiritual warfare in Kenya is strong. I could feel the devil trying to pull my spirit down because I was not well enough to go into Kibera and serve the Lord like the rest of my team. I will be content whatever the circumstance. I feel like I have grown so much in the past week and a half and I LOVE IT! God has been so good to me and I know that He is in control. I will not lose faith.
Thursday 11 June 2009
So Lydia went with me to the doctor today. I have a chest infection. By the afternoon I was already feeling much better though I hated keeping Lydia behind and not being able to go to the property. The property and Kibera are polar opposites by the way. By nightfall, my chest was doing much better and the stomach pain wasn’t as severe. I am not going to lie, the past few days have been HARD… but that is the Christian life… the Christian walk is meant to be HARD… the Bible NEVER says it is going to be easy. This is just another trial for me. Thanks so much for all the prayers.
Friday 12 June 2009
Another day off for the team. I am almost back to my 100% feeling better self. I know God will continue to heal my body is that is what He chooses to do. Around 11am or so, Caroline, Purity, and Wycliffe came and picked us up. We took a Matatu all the way to the Village Market (which is farther than downtown). There were a ton of white people!!! It was HILARIOUS! lol. So we ate lunch. I ate some PIZZA, which was a GREAT change. Haha. My stomach can only take so much Kenyan food I think. Then we got to go bargain with the locals. It was SO much fun! O yeah and I saw a British army vehicle today with a British army guy in it! The short term (2-week) MTW team will come in tonight and then our team will have a meeting with Pastor Makuku about what all is going to be going down the next few weeks. PTL I am feeling better and have recovered so quickly! The Lord has been so gracious to me.
I miss Alabama. I miss my family. I miss my church family. I miss my friends. But do not fear, for I will see you again soon! I will continue to pray that God is working in your life as much as He has been working in mine. God Bless!
Until Next Week,
LG
So it was actually Purity and Pastor Wycliffe (another pastor who works in Kibera with the Makuku’s) who took us to downtown Nairobi. We rode our first public Matatu. It was kind of crazy. I am pretty confident now that Matatus are what at least half of the vehicles are around here. We basically just walked around Nairobi and then ate at an authentic Kenyan food place for lunch. It was a time to relax and sightsee. Downtown Nairobi was VERY clean (no trash on the ground) and so is most of Kenya. Fridays are the most relaxed day because the team pretty much decides what we want to do. =)
Saturday 6 June 2009
Around 230pm Pastor Makuku and his wife took us to the Shuname Shelter. It is the girls’ (and 2-3 boys) home that is led by Caroline and Purity. (and the Makuku’s) In case you didn’t know Shuname was a resting place in the OT. We just hung out with the kids for the most part… playing football (soccer), Frisbee, and guitar/singing. At the end of our time together, we all gathered in a circle and sang different Swahili and English songs. Once we got back to the convent, we practiced our songs for church service tomorrow. That was about it. Another pretty relaxed day in Kenya.
Sunday 7 June 2009
The weather was GREAT today. We went to Kibera for church service again this Sunday. The church didn’t feel like an oven like last week, which was such a blessing. George shared his testimony during Sunday School with the older youth kids. (something all of the interns will probably do before the summer is over) The team sung for Sunday School and church service today. (No autographs please! Haha) The church in Kibera had even more energy and excitement this week than last. It was so lively and encouraging. I love the way the Kenyan people worship. It is so moving. There is singing, drums, clapping, and dancing! Pastor Makuku finished last weeks service today. It was talking about how you can spiritually murder your brother without physically harming him by being angry with him. I had the same translator as last week which was a blessing as well. The smell in Kibera gets worse every time I walk in I think, but I just try to ignore it the best I can because I know my time here is short. I also know that the Kenyans are constantly watching us as we walk in and out of Kibera. The paths we walk are their front porches… their yards. I still can’t imagine what they must be thinking while we are walking by so many of them. I can’t believe a whole week has gone by! My stomach started hurting off and on today but God is good and I know He will take care of me. We ate lunch around 3:30-4pm, which was late even in Kenya. lol.
Monday 8 June 2009
I woke up still not feeling well but I went out to the property to finish digging the holes for the fence. After the team had finished digging the fence holes… we kept digging but this time they were tree holes. (which are about twice as big) Nothing too exciting happened today. I saw a lot of donkey carts, cows, goats, sheep, chicken, etc. O yeah and Coke is HUGE over here. There are a ton of advertisements for coca cola over here… Pepsi does NOT exist. (Life is Good.)
Tuesday 9 June 2009
I am not getting better but I am continuing to trust the Lord for I know that He is good in all things. By the time we arrived in Kibera I felt horrible. Then I got to walk into Kibera which I found out use to be a lake I think… but if you can think of a lake that was turned into a landfill and then people decided to build houses on this land… that still doesn’t even begin to describe Kibera. Once we arrived at the church, I had to lie down. I listened in on the AIDS support group meeting. I had a fever so I ended up spending the rest of the afternoon resting in the office. I know God will strengthen my body when He wants me to be strong but until then I will rely on God’s strength and do the best that I can while I am sick. We left to go pick up Lydia at the airport around 6:30pm (Lydia is our mentor and my roommate for the summer). Martha told me to take tomorrow off and rest. Once we got back to the convent we tried to get Lydia all caught up and had some Kenyan tea. Then it was time for bed.
Wednesday 10 June 2009
"But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds," declares the LORD Jeremiah 30:17I took the day off like Martha told me to. Today was the worst so far as far as being sick. I started having chest pain and it took almost all my energy to just breathe sometimes. I spent the day in bed and for most of it I just slept and prayed. The spiritual warfare in Kenya is strong. I could feel the devil trying to pull my spirit down because I was not well enough to go into Kibera and serve the Lord like the rest of my team. I will be content whatever the circumstance. I feel like I have grown so much in the past week and a half and I LOVE IT! God has been so good to me and I know that He is in control. I will not lose faith.
Thursday 11 June 2009
So Lydia went with me to the doctor today. I have a chest infection. By the afternoon I was already feeling much better though I hated keeping Lydia behind and not being able to go to the property. The property and Kibera are polar opposites by the way. By nightfall, my chest was doing much better and the stomach pain wasn’t as severe. I am not going to lie, the past few days have been HARD… but that is the Christian life… the Christian walk is meant to be HARD… the Bible NEVER says it is going to be easy. This is just another trial for me. Thanks so much for all the prayers.
Friday 12 June 2009
Another day off for the team. I am almost back to my 100% feeling better self. I know God will continue to heal my body is that is what He chooses to do. Around 11am or so, Caroline, Purity, and Wycliffe came and picked us up. We took a Matatu all the way to the Village Market (which is farther than downtown). There were a ton of white people!!! It was HILARIOUS! lol. So we ate lunch. I ate some PIZZA, which was a GREAT change. Haha. My stomach can only take so much Kenyan food I think. Then we got to go bargain with the locals. It was SO much fun! O yeah and I saw a British army vehicle today with a British army guy in it! The short term (2-week) MTW team will come in tonight and then our team will have a meeting with Pastor Makuku about what all is going to be going down the next few weeks. PTL I am feeling better and have recovered so quickly! The Lord has been so gracious to me.
I miss Alabama. I miss my family. I miss my church family. I miss my friends. But do not fear, for I will see you again soon! I will continue to pray that God is working in your life as much as He has been working in mine. God Bless!
Until Next Week,
LG
Friday, June 5, 2009
Update for Week One
30 May 2009
I finally arrived in Kenya after spending over 24 hours on planes and in airports. I rode my first double decker plane from Amsterdam to Kenya. The Kenya International Airport is bigger than I expected. The most chaotic part was trying to get your luggage. It was insane. Pastor Makuku came and picked us up and took us to the convent where we are staying. It was dark when we arrived but you could still see the many flowers and trees that are in bloom here. The guest house that I am staying in is beautiful. I didn’t think about the cars though. The driver seat is on the right side of the car and they drive on the left side of the road. A lot of things here are like they are in Britain since Kenya was once ruled by the British. The sisters had dinner ready for us when we arrived here. Dinner was rice, green beans, Bananas from Uganda (which tasted like potatoes!), and some beef. That was my first night in Kenya.
31 May 2009
“We need to emphasis what God emphasizes” –Pastor Makuku
I don’t even know where to begin. I ate breakfast around 8am which was toast and honey for me. The bread here is twice the size it is back home. Pastor had told us he would pick us up for church around 10am. After breakfast our team decided on a song to play/sing at church service. George played guitar and the rest of us sang “Trading My Sorrows”, which happens to be one of my favorite songs. Pastor had asked us the night before to have a song ready to sing at church service. Pastor and his wife Martha came and picked us up for church. Everything here looks SO different in the daylight. Most of the roads we took were nothing but clumps of dirt. Kenyan roads are not made for people who get carsick! lol. The site of Kibera is something that I can’t even begin to describe to you. Once we parked the vehicle, we starting to walk into Kibera. There was so much to see that you go into “sensory overload”. When you walk in, you have to hop across on clumps of what you are hoping is mud and have to be extremely careful not to slip and fall. I saw the biggest pig I have ever seen in my life. Kibera is a maze. The “safe” parts to walk on are the piles of garbage and mud. (well you pray it is mud) I can honestly say I have never seen anything like it in my life. After walking for a few minutes, we finally made it to the church. I found out that the MTW teams are the only white people that go into this part of Kibera. The kids practice their English by saying “How are YOU? How are YOU?” as you walk past them. It is almost a chant. The church service was around 3 hours long. Church in Kibera is so very different than church back home. Everyone pays attention here even the kids. The kids (for the most part) come by themselves, parents don’t make them. People are randomly called up to share a word of encouragement or a testimony. The service is very interactive. We had translators so we would know what was going on since the service is NOT in English. The music is INCREDIBLE here. Everyone loved our song that we sang. People were thanking us as soon as we sat down. The sermon was on “Thou shall not kill.” Deu. 5:17. Everything seems so much more relatable here. We went out to lunch at the Java Hut. When we arrived back at the convent, we decided to explore. Lauri found a chameleon. Everyone took turns holding it. That was pretty much it.
1 June 2009
Today is a holiday in Kenya. It is the day they got their independence (so it is like our 4th of July) So we didn’t have any plans until 2pm. After breakfast the team headed into town. It was about a 20-30 minute walk. My new favorite store is the Nakumatt (which is like Walmart but better) Around 3pm Pastor Makuku came and picked us up. (Time doesn’t really matter here) We went to his house, which is SO beautiful. Kenya has so many barn animals (cows, goats, sheep, donkeys pulling carts, etc.) I had my first cup of hot Kenyan tea today. It was AMAZING. We talked about the importance of prayer, our fears, and our expectations while we were at Pastor’s house. God has been so good to me. I’m so thankful for my time here in Kenya and so grateful for all the people who made this experience possible.
2 June 2009
After breakfast Pastor and his wife picked us up to go back into Kibera. We met all the staff and teachers today. Then Jeffery (the Head Master) took us around to each classroom to meet all the students. The students are so eager to learn here. After that we went to the AIDS support group. It is actually called the Neema group, which means Grace Group. The women were all so joyful and willing to help us Americans understand what was going on. Josephine picked me after lunch to work with her. Each teacher got to choose a team member to assist them with their classes. She is so very sweet and funny too. I graded a lot of math problems for her and helped her teach the Apostles Creed. After school was over, Pastor brought us back to the convent. I feel asleep early.
3 June 2009
Today was another day in Kibera. Today I helped teach Grade 1 Science. The lesson was on Food. Chapati and Ugali are Kenyan foods. Chapati is AWESOME! I have already had it 2-3 times since I have been here. Ugali is the staple food for most Kenyans and for some it is their only food. (It is like a cross between mashed potatoes and grits) I am now called Teacher Grace by most of the kids. After I assisted with Grade 1, I went into the church and listened in on the Bible Study. Then it was lunch time. The kids taught me the Chapati song. Then the whole team helped wash dishes. The art of washing dishes in Kibera: 2 buckets filled with cold water, a sponge with soap, scrub in the 1st bucket, rinse off in the 2nd bucket. That’s it. I could have gone without knowing that but the team just keeps praying the God will keep us safe from sickness. As we were leaving Kibera, I saw my first slum cat. Then at the end of the houses, there is a “stream” of sewage with a “bridge”. In the “water”, on my left was the HUGE pig that we saw on our first day in Kibera and on my right were 4 BIG baby pigs. We played Apples to Apples when we got back to the convent. We have been taking turns leading Bible Study each night. My team is super awesome and each day we are becoming closer. PTL!
4 June 2009
I don’t know if I have mentioned it or not but the statement that was made before I left about Kenyans being very modest except for men urinating publicly and women nursing is SO true! I have seen both on many occasions already. Today we went out to the Church’s new property where we dug around 80 holes with VERY simple tools. The girls removed the dirt from the holes after the guys had broken it up with their tools. O the day in the life of a mole. lol. Lunch was Peanut Butter and Plum Jam sandwiches. It was very good. I got a little sunburn, nothing too bad. It is the worst on my neck. I have learned that most Kenyans live a very simple life. A lot of the time it seems the Bible is so much more relevant here in Kenya because it’s like OT times. There are over 50 tribes in Kenya, which are all represented in Kibera. They eat to live (they don’t live to eat). Kibera Reformed Presbyterian Church’s staff is so strong ion their faith and so are their members. My prayer is that I will see and love God the way so many of these Kenyan women do! Their faith is so unshakable no matter the circumstance. It is a true blessing to be around the women here. I am learning so much. I saw the Ngong hills (which have 7 peaks) and the Hill of the Buffalos (which I thought was a mountain). You can see both from the church’s new property. The property is SO beautiful.
5 June 2009
Today is the team’s day off. Around 10am we will go sight seeing with Caroline and Purity. (two of the Kenyan women) I CAN’T WAIT!
Thanks for all the many prayers. I hope that this letter gives you a little insight on what I have been doing and seeing since I arrived in Kenya. Continue to prayer for my team and I that the Lord will strengthen us each and every day. Spiritual warfare is very alive and well in Kenya. Pray for the Kenyan people as well.
God Bless!
LG
I finally arrived in Kenya after spending over 24 hours on planes and in airports. I rode my first double decker plane from Amsterdam to Kenya. The Kenya International Airport is bigger than I expected. The most chaotic part was trying to get your luggage. It was insane. Pastor Makuku came and picked us up and took us to the convent where we are staying. It was dark when we arrived but you could still see the many flowers and trees that are in bloom here. The guest house that I am staying in is beautiful. I didn’t think about the cars though. The driver seat is on the right side of the car and they drive on the left side of the road. A lot of things here are like they are in Britain since Kenya was once ruled by the British. The sisters had dinner ready for us when we arrived here. Dinner was rice, green beans, Bananas from Uganda (which tasted like potatoes!), and some beef. That was my first night in Kenya.
31 May 2009
“We need to emphasis what God emphasizes” –Pastor Makuku
I don’t even know where to begin. I ate breakfast around 8am which was toast and honey for me. The bread here is twice the size it is back home. Pastor had told us he would pick us up for church around 10am. After breakfast our team decided on a song to play/sing at church service. George played guitar and the rest of us sang “Trading My Sorrows”, which happens to be one of my favorite songs. Pastor had asked us the night before to have a song ready to sing at church service. Pastor and his wife Martha came and picked us up for church. Everything here looks SO different in the daylight. Most of the roads we took were nothing but clumps of dirt. Kenyan roads are not made for people who get carsick! lol. The site of Kibera is something that I can’t even begin to describe to you. Once we parked the vehicle, we starting to walk into Kibera. There was so much to see that you go into “sensory overload”. When you walk in, you have to hop across on clumps of what you are hoping is mud and have to be extremely careful not to slip and fall. I saw the biggest pig I have ever seen in my life. Kibera is a maze. The “safe” parts to walk on are the piles of garbage and mud. (well you pray it is mud) I can honestly say I have never seen anything like it in my life. After walking for a few minutes, we finally made it to the church. I found out that the MTW teams are the only white people that go into this part of Kibera. The kids practice their English by saying “How are YOU? How are YOU?” as you walk past them. It is almost a chant. The church service was around 3 hours long. Church in Kibera is so very different than church back home. Everyone pays attention here even the kids. The kids (for the most part) come by themselves, parents don’t make them. People are randomly called up to share a word of encouragement or a testimony. The service is very interactive. We had translators so we would know what was going on since the service is NOT in English. The music is INCREDIBLE here. Everyone loved our song that we sang. People were thanking us as soon as we sat down. The sermon was on “Thou shall not kill.” Deu. 5:17. Everything seems so much more relatable here. We went out to lunch at the Java Hut. When we arrived back at the convent, we decided to explore. Lauri found a chameleon. Everyone took turns holding it. That was pretty much it.
1 June 2009
Today is a holiday in Kenya. It is the day they got their independence (so it is like our 4th of July) So we didn’t have any plans until 2pm. After breakfast the team headed into town. It was about a 20-30 minute walk. My new favorite store is the Nakumatt (which is like Walmart but better) Around 3pm Pastor Makuku came and picked us up. (Time doesn’t really matter here) We went to his house, which is SO beautiful. Kenya has so many barn animals (cows, goats, sheep, donkeys pulling carts, etc.) I had my first cup of hot Kenyan tea today. It was AMAZING. We talked about the importance of prayer, our fears, and our expectations while we were at Pastor’s house. God has been so good to me. I’m so thankful for my time here in Kenya and so grateful for all the people who made this experience possible.
2 June 2009
After breakfast Pastor and his wife picked us up to go back into Kibera. We met all the staff and teachers today. Then Jeffery (the Head Master) took us around to each classroom to meet all the students. The students are so eager to learn here. After that we went to the AIDS support group. It is actually called the Neema group, which means Grace Group. The women were all so joyful and willing to help us Americans understand what was going on. Josephine picked me after lunch to work with her. Each teacher got to choose a team member to assist them with their classes. She is so very sweet and funny too. I graded a lot of math problems for her and helped her teach the Apostles Creed. After school was over, Pastor brought us back to the convent. I feel asleep early.
3 June 2009
Today was another day in Kibera. Today I helped teach Grade 1 Science. The lesson was on Food. Chapati and Ugali are Kenyan foods. Chapati is AWESOME! I have already had it 2-3 times since I have been here. Ugali is the staple food for most Kenyans and for some it is their only food. (It is like a cross between mashed potatoes and grits) I am now called Teacher Grace by most of the kids. After I assisted with Grade 1, I went into the church and listened in on the Bible Study. Then it was lunch time. The kids taught me the Chapati song. Then the whole team helped wash dishes. The art of washing dishes in Kibera: 2 buckets filled with cold water, a sponge with soap, scrub in the 1st bucket, rinse off in the 2nd bucket. That’s it. I could have gone without knowing that but the team just keeps praying the God will keep us safe from sickness. As we were leaving Kibera, I saw my first slum cat. Then at the end of the houses, there is a “stream” of sewage with a “bridge”. In the “water”, on my left was the HUGE pig that we saw on our first day in Kibera and on my right were 4 BIG baby pigs. We played Apples to Apples when we got back to the convent. We have been taking turns leading Bible Study each night. My team is super awesome and each day we are becoming closer. PTL!
4 June 2009
I don’t know if I have mentioned it or not but the statement that was made before I left about Kenyans being very modest except for men urinating publicly and women nursing is SO true! I have seen both on many occasions already. Today we went out to the Church’s new property where we dug around 80 holes with VERY simple tools. The girls removed the dirt from the holes after the guys had broken it up with their tools. O the day in the life of a mole. lol. Lunch was Peanut Butter and Plum Jam sandwiches. It was very good. I got a little sunburn, nothing too bad. It is the worst on my neck. I have learned that most Kenyans live a very simple life. A lot of the time it seems the Bible is so much more relevant here in Kenya because it’s like OT times. There are over 50 tribes in Kenya, which are all represented in Kibera. They eat to live (they don’t live to eat). Kibera Reformed Presbyterian Church’s staff is so strong ion their faith and so are their members. My prayer is that I will see and love God the way so many of these Kenyan women do! Their faith is so unshakable no matter the circumstance. It is a true blessing to be around the women here. I am learning so much. I saw the Ngong hills (which have 7 peaks) and the Hill of the Buffalos (which I thought was a mountain). You can see both from the church’s new property. The property is SO beautiful.
5 June 2009
Today is the team’s day off. Around 10am we will go sight seeing with Caroline and Purity. (two of the Kenyan women) I CAN’T WAIT!
Thanks for all the many prayers. I hope that this letter gives you a little insight on what I have been doing and seeing since I arrived in Kenya. Continue to prayer for my team and I that the Lord will strengthen us each and every day. Spiritual warfare is very alive and well in Kenya. Pray for the Kenyan people as well.
God Bless!
LG
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