Since my last blog quite a bit has happened with me. I have officially left Gatundu and I am now living in Nairobi working as a youth director with the Nairobi International Lutheran Church. While I did love the school, students, teachers and town we all know the 11 hours of work a week was quite difficult for me to handle. So a long story short I am finally in a place that I love completely.
Nairobi International Lutheran Church is where I had been volunteering my time on my time off from school e.i. Christmas break and various weekends. This church has felt to me like home ever since I arrived. I don't mean home in the sense of the United States but more in the feeling of a place where I belong. I feel welcome and loved by all people there. I thoroughly enjoy working and programing for all the youth. I even planned and lead a youth retreat for over 50 people. It was fantastic.
For the first time since I have been in Kenya I am not looking forward to being back in the states. I look at my countdown and go . . . I only have that many more days left and I become a bit sad. I begin to wonder for the first time in my life if maybe the states isn't where I belong anymore. I will go back to the states come July but there is a part of me that wonders if that is were I will be for the rest of my life. I guess time will only tell.
On a different note, my dad and Audrey came to visit me last week. It was so very wonderful. I can't even begin to describe how amazing it was to have both of them here. I can say it was a nice break from my current reality. I was spoiled to say the least. We spent 4 nights at a wonderful hidden gem in Nairobi where we were fed well and drank well. We visited every thing I could think of and by the end of every day we were exhausted. But every night they had a campfire all the guest sat around and talked. It was so wonderful to meet people from all over and a few people even from the states. :) We then went to the Masai Mara to go and visit the animals. What a wonderful experience to have with my family. It was amazing. (Only downside was Carolyn not being there.) They both left on Thursday night and it was back to reality to me. It was veggies for dinner, not 4 course meals, and my nairobi water electric heater shower, which decided to not work, not a central heated well water shower. But I do have to say if these are my only complaints about coming back to reality life is pretty GREAT! Love y'all!
-Ellen
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
But she out of her poverty gave everything . . .
So I know I have not written in quite a bit so I am sorry. I have had a bit of writers block but now feel like I have something to write about. So I hope you enjoy.
Today is Ash Wednesday, the day after Mardi Gras. Most of my friends are nursing both food and drink hangovers, while I am spending a beautiful day in Africa. For the past few years I have spent today attending SCAPC's Ash Wednesday service. I have not attended a service today but for the first time I really feel like Ash Wednesday makes so much sense.
Back in the states I felt a sense of pride because I went to get my ashes to wear on my forehead. While I am aware of the purpose of lent I can't say I ever really embraced it. I have always tried to give up something for every lent but never mange to make it the full time. I begin to wonder what does that mean for me that I can't even sacrifice something for my faith for the small amount of lent. (Note: Presbyterians do not always observe giving up something for lent but I always attempt it.) I never questioned this until I came to Africa and met a few people here. The faith of God's people in Kenya is something that I aspire to have one day.
I spent most of December helping out at the Nairobi Lutheran International Church and while I was there I was really shown what it is to give to God and his people. I have the pleasure of knowing one great family. While I will not give there real names, I will use fake names to tell their story. There is a man at the church called "Josh". He is a very faithful amazing man and is married to an equally amazing woman named "Judy". Josh's 1st wife died after a short illness, which no one could explain and left him a widower with a few children. He then met Judy and got married and had several children together. Josh works as much as he can as a tailor but does not make a lot of money so their family lives in a small room in one of the slums in Nairobi. Both Josh and Judy fell deathly ill at the same time and were admitted into the hospital. They were both told the devastating news that they were both HIV + and that was the cause of the illness. Luckily none of their children are HIV + and they count their blessings everyday. They have since devoted all they can to help with the AIDs outreach that the church runs. What little money they do have left over they use to make clothing of the AIDs orphanage the church also runs.
This is just one example of the amazing people I have seen in Africa. They already have so little but give so much of there time and what little money they have to help others. Isn't that what we should all be doing? In reading Mark 12: 41 - 44 I felt Josh's story is a real life example. Here is how it reads:
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”.
What would the world look like it we gave all we could knowing God would provide for us all? I think we all say we give all that we can but is that true? Do we give all that we can to make sure that we still live comfortably? Do we give as much of our time to God and his works or are we too busy doing our own things?
I ask myself all of these questions and this year I am struggling with what will I sacrifice to our loving God? I feel as if I have given so much this year to focus on my faith but is it really enough? What is enough and when do we know? I hope that you all will take some time out of your day to ponder on these questions and figure out what you are really doing to further yourself spiritually and God's work!
God Bless,
Ellen
Today is Ash Wednesday, the day after Mardi Gras. Most of my friends are nursing both food and drink hangovers, while I am spending a beautiful day in Africa. For the past few years I have spent today attending SCAPC's Ash Wednesday service. I have not attended a service today but for the first time I really feel like Ash Wednesday makes so much sense.
Back in the states I felt a sense of pride because I went to get my ashes to wear on my forehead. While I am aware of the purpose of lent I can't say I ever really embraced it. I have always tried to give up something for every lent but never mange to make it the full time. I begin to wonder what does that mean for me that I can't even sacrifice something for my faith for the small amount of lent. (Note: Presbyterians do not always observe giving up something for lent but I always attempt it.) I never questioned this until I came to Africa and met a few people here. The faith of God's people in Kenya is something that I aspire to have one day.
I spent most of December helping out at the Nairobi Lutheran International Church and while I was there I was really shown what it is to give to God and his people. I have the pleasure of knowing one great family. While I will not give there real names, I will use fake names to tell their story. There is a man at the church called "Josh". He is a very faithful amazing man and is married to an equally amazing woman named "Judy". Josh's 1st wife died after a short illness, which no one could explain and left him a widower with a few children. He then met Judy and got married and had several children together. Josh works as much as he can as a tailor but does not make a lot of money so their family lives in a small room in one of the slums in Nairobi. Both Josh and Judy fell deathly ill at the same time and were admitted into the hospital. They were both told the devastating news that they were both HIV + and that was the cause of the illness. Luckily none of their children are HIV + and they count their blessings everyday. They have since devoted all they can to help with the AIDs outreach that the church runs. What little money they do have left over they use to make clothing of the AIDs orphanage the church also runs.
This is just one example of the amazing people I have seen in Africa. They already have so little but give so much of there time and what little money they have to help others. Isn't that what we should all be doing? In reading Mark 12: 41 - 44 I felt Josh's story is a real life example. Here is how it reads:
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”.
What would the world look like it we gave all we could knowing God would provide for us all? I think we all say we give all that we can but is that true? Do we give all that we can to make sure that we still live comfortably? Do we give as much of our time to God and his works or are we too busy doing our own things?
I ask myself all of these questions and this year I am struggling with what will I sacrifice to our loving God? I feel as if I have given so much this year to focus on my faith but is it really enough? What is enough and when do we know? I hope that you all will take some time out of your day to ponder on these questions and figure out what you are really doing to further yourself spiritually and God's work!
God Bless,
Ellen
Monday, December 27, 2010
Merry Christmas!
So I have begun so many post in last month but none of them have really been what I have wanted to post. I still don't know if this will be exactly what I want to say but here it is . . .
It is December 27th which means it is 2 days after Christmas. In the past week I have gone though every emotion I have ever had. I have been extremely happy, sad, nervous, and grateful. There really didn't seem to be an in between on my emotions in the past week. I was warned before we came to Kenya that Christmas would be the hardest time here in Kenya. I guess I didn't really believe that it would effect me so much but it really did. To be honest I still don't really feel like Christmas has passed. I guess that is good in it's own sense. I tried really hard to get into the Christmas spirit but it is quite hard here in Kenya and most of the Yavs here would agree. It was the first time in my life I really wished Christmas would just pass by without me knowing.
You might ask well why would that be? For me Christmas isn't about the presents but about the people I get to spend my time with. It is spending Christmas eve with my Dad, sisters, Step-family and the Booths. It is waking up on Christmas morning and eating breakfast with my family and then heading to my moms house. Its spending the rest of the day with all of my aunts and uncles. That is my Christmas. Its never really been about about the Christmas music or the decorations. While I missed both of those things, I missed my Christmas most.
While it was not the Christmas I love, it was a decent Christmas. I had been working for 3 weeks to put together a Christmas pageant for a Lutheran Church here in Nairobi. I have really begun to love the church so much. They are a group of amazing Christian and a great group of youth that I get to work with. The pageant went up with great success. We had live animals too. We had a cow, 2 sheep and 2 CAMELS!!! Never in my life did I think I would have camels in the Christmas pageant. It was awesome. Unfortunately, I found out that my phone had been stolen out of my bag at church so that put a damper on the day. But after church, Rev. Sam and his wife Cindy invited us over to their home for some food. We all had the best time. They are such great people. I can say that was one of the few times it really felt like Christmas. We then left to go eat dinner as a YAV family. What a wonderful Yav family I have! God truly blessed me with these 5 wonderful people that I get to share this experience with.
Christmas morning was spent going to church and getting on the Internet with Grace. The afternoon was spent at our site coordinator, Phyllis', house. She cooked us a fantastic meal and we sang Christmas carols. All in all a pretty good day.
Now that Christmas is over I hope that the rest of the time goes by much more quickly. I have quite a bit to look forward to like going back to school, my birthday, Ben coming to Kenya and my dad and sister coming in April. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and may your new year be filled with soo much Joy and Love!
It is December 27th which means it is 2 days after Christmas. In the past week I have gone though every emotion I have ever had. I have been extremely happy, sad, nervous, and grateful. There really didn't seem to be an in between on my emotions in the past week. I was warned before we came to Kenya that Christmas would be the hardest time here in Kenya. I guess I didn't really believe that it would effect me so much but it really did. To be honest I still don't really feel like Christmas has passed. I guess that is good in it's own sense. I tried really hard to get into the Christmas spirit but it is quite hard here in Kenya and most of the Yavs here would agree. It was the first time in my life I really wished Christmas would just pass by without me knowing.
You might ask well why would that be? For me Christmas isn't about the presents but about the people I get to spend my time with. It is spending Christmas eve with my Dad, sisters, Step-family and the Booths. It is waking up on Christmas morning and eating breakfast with my family and then heading to my moms house. Its spending the rest of the day with all of my aunts and uncles. That is my Christmas. Its never really been about about the Christmas music or the decorations. While I missed both of those things, I missed my Christmas most.
While it was not the Christmas I love, it was a decent Christmas. I had been working for 3 weeks to put together a Christmas pageant for a Lutheran Church here in Nairobi. I have really begun to love the church so much. They are a group of amazing Christian and a great group of youth that I get to work with. The pageant went up with great success. We had live animals too. We had a cow, 2 sheep and 2 CAMELS!!! Never in my life did I think I would have camels in the Christmas pageant. It was awesome. Unfortunately, I found out that my phone had been stolen out of my bag at church so that put a damper on the day. But after church, Rev. Sam and his wife Cindy invited us over to their home for some food. We all had the best time. They are such great people. I can say that was one of the few times it really felt like Christmas. We then left to go eat dinner as a YAV family. What a wonderful Yav family I have! God truly blessed me with these 5 wonderful people that I get to share this experience with.
Christmas morning was spent going to church and getting on the Internet with Grace. The afternoon was spent at our site coordinator, Phyllis', house. She cooked us a fantastic meal and we sang Christmas carols. All in all a pretty good day.
Now that Christmas is over I hope that the rest of the time goes by much more quickly. I have quite a bit to look forward to like going back to school, my birthday, Ben coming to Kenya and my dad and sister coming in April. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and may your new year be filled with soo much Joy and Love!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
My own happy place in Kenya . . .
About a month ago our wonderful neighbor in Gatundu told us he wanted to take us somewhere on Nov. 20th. Kathyrn and I both agreed to go even though he refused to tell us where we will be going. We kept tying to get out of him for about a month where we were going, but he STILL refused to tell us. As many of you know, I can be quite persistent, but he never broke. So we just had to wait until November 20th to find out.
Well it was now November 20th and all we knew was we were to meet him downtown and he would get us the rest of the way. So Kathryn and I headed to the city center and met up with Anthony. We got on a Matatu and after an hour and a half of the most amazing views we finally reached a small city and hoped on yet another matatu and headed to the small city of Kiambu where we went to a primary school. Needless to say Kathryn and I were super confused.
As it turns out our good friend Anthony is the national coordinator for a group called Agape Touch for the Aged. To say that this was exactly what i needed in my life was an understatement. They are an organization that runs medical camps for the aging population. They get doctors to volunteer their time and get medicine to be able to give to those who can not afford it, which is a lot of people in the communities.
Most of the people in the smaller villages are mostly uneducated and work in service positions or are farmers. All of which do not offer retirement plans or really the opportunity to save money. So most of the aging population is being supported by their children or trying to fend for themselves. Some are even taking care of grandchildren whos parents have died due to AIDS or other reasons and have no money to take care of themselves.
On this day they had 2 doctors, one pharmacists, and 2 eye doctors to be able to help serve this small community of people. We saw well over 100 people and all of them where in great need of a medical doctor and medicine. While I have no medical degree I was still able to help by talking all of their heights, which was a feat since I speak only 4 words of Kikuyu(the local language).
about half way through the day, Anthony grabbed us from our jobs and asked us to go with him to deliver porridge to some people who can not make it to the camps. For the very needy cases they deliver a porridge that contains peas, beans, milk, wheat, and many other ingredients, which create a full meal in one cup. This was amazing to go and do. The first home we went to was for a woman who was over 100 years old and her husband who was about 120 years old. When we walked in she was doing her own laundry. The woman is over 100 years old and still doing her own laundry. She was so fail and seemed to have a hard time, why is she still doing it. It's crazy but she was so thankful for the porridge we brought to her and her husband. Next, we went to visit and elderly woman who was 105 years old and she was the cutest. She was so happy that the "white people" came to see her. It was very sweet. Lastly we went to the house of a man who was also over 100 years old. He was "taking care of" his grandchildren. I really think the grandchildren where mainly taking care of him. As we were leaving the house he yelled in Kikuyu to his eldest grandson to make him a cup of porridge. It was awesome.
One of the other really amazing parts of this organization was that it is fully funded by the people who run it and volunteer there. All of the volunteers are under the age of 35 and the fact that they are not only giving there time but also their hard earned money to help the aging population touches me so much. They are truly amazing people and I am so grateful to call them my friends now.
I think if anything this day solidified my future and that I really do want to pursue my Social work masters with a specialty in Gerontology. So wish me luck as I fill out my grad school applications and hope that the GRE goes well for me this month! Miss you all so much.
Nakupenda,
Ellen
Well it was now November 20th and all we knew was we were to meet him downtown and he would get us the rest of the way. So Kathryn and I headed to the city center and met up with Anthony. We got on a Matatu and after an hour and a half of the most amazing views we finally reached a small city and hoped on yet another matatu and headed to the small city of Kiambu where we went to a primary school. Needless to say Kathryn and I were super confused.
As it turns out our good friend Anthony is the national coordinator for a group called Agape Touch for the Aged. To say that this was exactly what i needed in my life was an understatement. They are an organization that runs medical camps for the aging population. They get doctors to volunteer their time and get medicine to be able to give to those who can not afford it, which is a lot of people in the communities.
Most of the people in the smaller villages are mostly uneducated and work in service positions or are farmers. All of which do not offer retirement plans or really the opportunity to save money. So most of the aging population is being supported by their children or trying to fend for themselves. Some are even taking care of grandchildren whos parents have died due to AIDS or other reasons and have no money to take care of themselves.
On this day they had 2 doctors, one pharmacists, and 2 eye doctors to be able to help serve this small community of people. We saw well over 100 people and all of them where in great need of a medical doctor and medicine. While I have no medical degree I was still able to help by talking all of their heights, which was a feat since I speak only 4 words of Kikuyu(the local language).
about half way through the day, Anthony grabbed us from our jobs and asked us to go with him to deliver porridge to some people who can not make it to the camps. For the very needy cases they deliver a porridge that contains peas, beans, milk, wheat, and many other ingredients, which create a full meal in one cup. This was amazing to go and do. The first home we went to was for a woman who was over 100 years old and her husband who was about 120 years old. When we walked in she was doing her own laundry. The woman is over 100 years old and still doing her own laundry. She was so fail and seemed to have a hard time, why is she still doing it. It's crazy but she was so thankful for the porridge we brought to her and her husband. Next, we went to visit and elderly woman who was 105 years old and she was the cutest. She was so happy that the "white people" came to see her. It was very sweet. Lastly we went to the house of a man who was also over 100 years old. He was "taking care of" his grandchildren. I really think the grandchildren where mainly taking care of him. As we were leaving the house he yelled in Kikuyu to his eldest grandson to make him a cup of porridge. It was awesome.
One of the other really amazing parts of this organization was that it is fully funded by the people who run it and volunteer there. All of the volunteers are under the age of 35 and the fact that they are not only giving there time but also their hard earned money to help the aging population touches me so much. They are truly amazing people and I am so grateful to call them my friends now.
I think if anything this day solidified my future and that I really do want to pursue my Social work masters with a specialty in Gerontology. So wish me luck as I fill out my grad school applications and hope that the GRE goes well for me this month! Miss you all so much.
Nakupenda,
Ellen
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
SOOO over Perma-Camping and Bugs . . .
Hello All! This blog will not be a blog so much about what I am doing in Kenya but more about what I am feeling in Kenya. I wanted to share all of my experiences with you and this is just a bit more personal of one. It may not make the most sense but here are my thoughts.
In my first blog post I talked about not having fear. While I would like to say I stuck to that, it would not be the truth. I have a lot of fears. While I try to put them in the hands of God I find that I have a really hard time doing so. I have so many fears here in Kenya and not just for personal safety(read blog before).
Many of you may know that I have been doing more "being" in Kenya than actual work. I have been having a lot of struggles with this. While I love being with people here I find my motivation and enthusiasm for Kenya is slipping away. Don't get me wrong the best part of my week is when I am teaching English with my Form 1's (9th graders), but that's for and hour and a half a week. I tend to start creating a list of all the things that I miss from the states and I have found myself questioning if this was the path that God had planned for me. Usually when this happens, I begin to read the bible and just pray.
Today was another one of those days and as I was reading my bible tonight I came across Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight." I have heard and read this verse so many times in my life but for some reason tonight it just stood out above all of the rest.
Trust. The first word is Trust. Trust is not something that comes easily for me. Maybe that's why I tonight it stopped me. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart", our entire relationship with God is based on trust and putting our whole heart into that relationship. "Wait just a minute", my mind says, "you mean your whole heart. You can't hold on to just one little piece". My heart answers, "yes, that is what is so great about God's love. He takes care of the whole thing." My mind and heart obviously don't agree.
"And lean not on your own understanding", this is about where the mind goes, "ohh right." So often I tend to try to take things into my own hands and figure my own way to take charge and make things better. This can often lead me more and more away from God and I tend to often misinterpret his message. This is why I begin to question why I here in Africa.
"In all your ways acknowledge him"- So many times, I also forget to acknowledge all the great things God has blessed me with in Africa. It is hard to remember sometimes when you eat the same meal almost everyday, have a freezing cold shower and a huge bug problem but He really has blessed. While I miss so much about home I need to remember that this is also God's great place and he has given me this great opportunity to just "be" with all of his great people and enjoy the beauty here.
"And he will make your path straight"- When I give my full heart to God, I find that Kenya is exactly where I need to be right now.
I am always amazed (though I shouldn't be) about how much scripture can really help put my life back into order. I always try to control my life and when I do I find it completely falls apart for me. The moment I turn to scripture and finally hand over my whole heart and mind to God my life all falls into place and I am at peace.
I think my main purpose of this post was both for me, but also for all of you, to remind you that we can't control anything even if we try so hard to do so. It is not until we surrender all and TRUST in God that all is right.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:4-7
In my first blog post I talked about not having fear. While I would like to say I stuck to that, it would not be the truth. I have a lot of fears. While I try to put them in the hands of God I find that I have a really hard time doing so. I have so many fears here in Kenya and not just for personal safety(read blog before).
Many of you may know that I have been doing more "being" in Kenya than actual work. I have been having a lot of struggles with this. While I love being with people here I find my motivation and enthusiasm for Kenya is slipping away. Don't get me wrong the best part of my week is when I am teaching English with my Form 1's (9th graders), but that's for and hour and a half a week. I tend to start creating a list of all the things that I miss from the states and I have found myself questioning if this was the path that God had planned for me. Usually when this happens, I begin to read the bible and just pray.
Today was another one of those days and as I was reading my bible tonight I came across Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight." I have heard and read this verse so many times in my life but for some reason tonight it just stood out above all of the rest.
Trust. The first word is Trust. Trust is not something that comes easily for me. Maybe that's why I tonight it stopped me. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart", our entire relationship with God is based on trust and putting our whole heart into that relationship. "Wait just a minute", my mind says, "you mean your whole heart. You can't hold on to just one little piece". My heart answers, "yes, that is what is so great about God's love. He takes care of the whole thing." My mind and heart obviously don't agree.
"And lean not on your own understanding", this is about where the mind goes, "ohh right." So often I tend to try to take things into my own hands and figure my own way to take charge and make things better. This can often lead me more and more away from God and I tend to often misinterpret his message. This is why I begin to question why I here in Africa.
"In all your ways acknowledge him"- So many times, I also forget to acknowledge all the great things God has blessed me with in Africa. It is hard to remember sometimes when you eat the same meal almost everyday, have a freezing cold shower and a huge bug problem but He really has blessed. While I miss so much about home I need to remember that this is also God's great place and he has given me this great opportunity to just "be" with all of his great people and enjoy the beauty here.
"And he will make your path straight"- When I give my full heart to God, I find that Kenya is exactly where I need to be right now.
I am always amazed (though I shouldn't be) about how much scripture can really help put my life back into order. I always try to control my life and when I do I find it completely falls apart for me. The moment I turn to scripture and finally hand over my whole heart and mind to God my life all falls into place and I am at peace.
I think my main purpose of this post was both for me, but also for all of you, to remind you that we can't control anything even if we try so hard to do so. It is not until we surrender all and TRUST in God that all is right.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:4-7
Sunday, October 31, 2010
There is always room for one more . . .
So I have made it back from my almost 3 weeks in Gatundu with almost no Internet and a lot of boredom. Well I survived, obviously, but not without a few bumps along the way and a few joys too.
On the same day I last updated, I began my trip back to Gatundu with Kathyrn, my roommate. We took a matatu(over crowed mini-bus) to Center City where we were meeting our neighbor, Anthony, so he could help us get back to Gatundu. We arrived about 30 minutes before Anthony arrived. While we were waiting for him to arrive a man yanked my silver cross of my neck and ran away with it. We have been told to never run after anyone or create a scene so I have no idea what to do at this point but I start crying. So i should probably state the obvious that as a white female I stick out in Kenya like a soar thumb but now I am a crying muzungu(White person). I realized quickly for my safety I should probably not draw anymore attention to myself. Probably on of the hardest things since I felt so violated and so unsafe. Soon Anthony arrived and I have never been happier to see a friendly face in my life. We began to walk through the city to where we would catch the matatu to Gatundu and as we neared the gathering place we hear a few gun shots and people running in the opposite direction. Kathryn and I throw each other very concerned glaces and say," Toni, were those guns shots???" He answers, "I think so." Oh great my day just keeps getting better is all I keep thinking. Eventually we make it back to Gatundu and I think Anthony feels so bad for us that he takes us out for dinner to get some chicken. It was an amazing meal and Anthony made us(mainly me) feel a lot safer and glad to be back home in Gatundu.
Flash forward about a week and Kathryn and I are on our normal walk into town, which is quite the treck. We are just talking and we realize that there is someone walking behind us, which is quite normal for the area since a lot of people walk to town so we don't think much of it. We are just talking and as my legs are longer than kathryns I sometimes get ahead of her and before we knew it the man behind us tried to seize the opportunity to steal Kathryns purse out of her hands. Luckily, Kathryn had a tight grip on her purse and was able to hold on to it and the man just continued to run. We then made it safely into town after the encounter.
I have to say with those encounters I am quite a bit more afraid to go outside of our school gates but I am trying to get better about it.
So that all being said there are some many other great things that I have done and so many great people. Last friday we went out on the town in Gatundu with 3 teacher friends for the first time. We had such a fabulous time. I ate Goat fry, which was interesting. The fry part was great the goat part was ok until I ate one bad piece and couldn't eat anymore. I learned that Kenyan pool is played so much differently than how we play in America but I still beat our teacher friend, Jack, at Kenyan pool.
There is also, Tyson, who runs a little shop in town. He is just the sweetest and we stop by 2 a week just to say hello and talk to him. At his shop, he has 2 kittens and a momma cat so its nice to be able to see them. his shop is small but sells so many different things. Its kinda like a general store. That is the closest I can compare it to.We also love to visit Mama Carol, who is the market lady we go to twice a week. She is always so excited to see us and usually greets us with a hug. we are also starting to become regulars at the Rhino Hotel, which is a restaurant that serves fried( not like in America but still good) chicken. All of these things we look forward to when we go into town.
So on a different note Kathryn and I discovered that during the raining season, which we are currently in, you do not want to keep you Kitchen light on at night. Why you might ask would that be? Well as it turns out bugs like to get through any crack in a window or door to get out of the rain and go towards a light. I wish I was exaggerating when I say we had about 100-200 flying bugs in our kitchen one night when we left the light on at night. I felt like it was the coming of the Locus (except they weren't locus).
Last night, the crew of YAVs with Phyllis went out to celebrate the birth of our beloved Benjamin. We ended up going to a Japanese Hibachi restaurant and had the most delicious meal. We were all so stuffed after the meal and the whole time together we just laughed and laughed.
Today is officially Halloween and in Kenya no one celebrates it so it is just another Sunday here in Africa. I am very happy though because our neighbor in Gatundu, Anthony, went on a search and found us a great pumpkin that Kathryn and I can carve tonight and place out for the girls during preps, as long as we get back to Gatundu at a decent hour. Also, I bought candy for the girls so they may have a piece or two to help us celebrate Halloween.
Well I hope all is well and everyone has a GREAT Halloween. Stay safe! :)
On the same day I last updated, I began my trip back to Gatundu with Kathyrn, my roommate. We took a matatu(over crowed mini-bus) to Center City where we were meeting our neighbor, Anthony, so he could help us get back to Gatundu. We arrived about 30 minutes before Anthony arrived. While we were waiting for him to arrive a man yanked my silver cross of my neck and ran away with it. We have been told to never run after anyone or create a scene so I have no idea what to do at this point but I start crying. So i should probably state the obvious that as a white female I stick out in Kenya like a soar thumb but now I am a crying muzungu(White person). I realized quickly for my safety I should probably not draw anymore attention to myself. Probably on of the hardest things since I felt so violated and so unsafe. Soon Anthony arrived and I have never been happier to see a friendly face in my life. We began to walk through the city to where we would catch the matatu to Gatundu and as we neared the gathering place we hear a few gun shots and people running in the opposite direction. Kathryn and I throw each other very concerned glaces and say," Toni, were those guns shots???" He answers, "I think so." Oh great my day just keeps getting better is all I keep thinking. Eventually we make it back to Gatundu and I think Anthony feels so bad for us that he takes us out for dinner to get some chicken. It was an amazing meal and Anthony made us(mainly me) feel a lot safer and glad to be back home in Gatundu.
Flash forward about a week and Kathryn and I are on our normal walk into town, which is quite the treck. We are just talking and we realize that there is someone walking behind us, which is quite normal for the area since a lot of people walk to town so we don't think much of it. We are just talking and as my legs are longer than kathryns I sometimes get ahead of her and before we knew it the man behind us tried to seize the opportunity to steal Kathryns purse out of her hands. Luckily, Kathryn had a tight grip on her purse and was able to hold on to it and the man just continued to run. We then made it safely into town after the encounter.
I have to say with those encounters I am quite a bit more afraid to go outside of our school gates but I am trying to get better about it.
So that all being said there are some many other great things that I have done and so many great people. Last friday we went out on the town in Gatundu with 3 teacher friends for the first time. We had such a fabulous time. I ate Goat fry, which was interesting. The fry part was great the goat part was ok until I ate one bad piece and couldn't eat anymore. I learned that Kenyan pool is played so much differently than how we play in America but I still beat our teacher friend, Jack, at Kenyan pool.
There is also, Tyson, who runs a little shop in town. He is just the sweetest and we stop by 2 a week just to say hello and talk to him. At his shop, he has 2 kittens and a momma cat so its nice to be able to see them. his shop is small but sells so many different things. Its kinda like a general store. That is the closest I can compare it to.We also love to visit Mama Carol, who is the market lady we go to twice a week. She is always so excited to see us and usually greets us with a hug. we are also starting to become regulars at the Rhino Hotel, which is a restaurant that serves fried( not like in America but still good) chicken. All of these things we look forward to when we go into town.
So on a different note Kathryn and I discovered that during the raining season, which we are currently in, you do not want to keep you Kitchen light on at night. Why you might ask would that be? Well as it turns out bugs like to get through any crack in a window or door to get out of the rain and go towards a light. I wish I was exaggerating when I say we had about 100-200 flying bugs in our kitchen one night when we left the light on at night. I felt like it was the coming of the Locus (except they weren't locus).
Last night, the crew of YAVs with Phyllis went out to celebrate the birth of our beloved Benjamin. We ended up going to a Japanese Hibachi restaurant and had the most delicious meal. We were all so stuffed after the meal and the whole time together we just laughed and laughed.
Today is officially Halloween and in Kenya no one celebrates it so it is just another Sunday here in Africa. I am very happy though because our neighbor in Gatundu, Anthony, went on a search and found us a great pumpkin that Kathryn and I can carve tonight and place out for the girls during preps, as long as we get back to Gatundu at a decent hour. Also, I bought candy for the girls so they may have a piece or two to help us celebrate Halloween.
Well I hope all is well and everyone has a GREAT Halloween. Stay safe! :)
Monday, October 11, 2010
Simplicity . . .
Well the past two weeks or so have been quite an adventure. I was suppose to leave for my placement in Gatundu last Monday, Sept. 27. We were on our way to Gatundu when we got a call from Phyllis (Our site leader) to turn around and head back to Nairobi because the headmaster had been removed from the school and they had no idea we were coming or who we were. After a long week of doing nothing (something I have a VERY hard time doing) staying at the Baptist Guest House and quite a few ups and downs we eventually were back on our way to Gatundu to Iciciri Secondary School.
After a very pleasant Taxi ride with our favorite driver,Chris, we arrive in one of the most beautiful areas of the world I have ever seen. Gatundu is so different than Nairobi. They are almost complete opposites of each other. While Nairobi is crowded and fast paced, Gatundu is laid-back and, while still crowded, no one is pushy. It is set in the hills/mountains in the Central Province. It isn't dirty(besides all the dirt) the air is clean and fresh. The night sky has to be the most beautiful thing about Gatundu. I am so blessed to be able to see this great openness.
We arrived at the school in the middle of the school day. You would have thought we were movie stars by the way we were received. All the girls saying hello and giggling. It was very weird to experience. Everyone at the school has been more than welcoming and nice to us. We have had very little to do so far but the hope is that life in Gatundu will pick up.
Our apartment is cozy with 2 bedrooms and a separate shower and toilet.The shower is ice cold so showers are short and when we get out we have to snuggle in all of our winter clothing to get warm again. The drain in the shower apparently doesn't work really well and we learned the hard way and flooded the apartment on our second day there. I think it was a blessing in disguise since it forced us to clean the floors in the process. We tend to lose power at least once a day but at night the school runs a generator until about 10 o'clock so we are able to do things around the apt.
We are now back in Nairobi for Mid-Term break, which is about 5 days. We head back to Gatundu in the morning and I never thought I would say this but I am very happy to be heading back there. One thing I have learned to appreciate the small things now. I never knew that a hot shower would mean so much to me and I would be so grateful for one. I appreciate every moment I have to talk to Mom, Dad or Ben on the phone, the facebook messages and emails from friends, and all the great simple pleasures that God has placed in my life. So today, for me, look for some of the simple pleasures in your life and remember just how many amazing blessings God has given you!
Miss y'all and Happy Columbus Day from Kenya!
After a very pleasant Taxi ride with our favorite driver,Chris, we arrive in one of the most beautiful areas of the world I have ever seen. Gatundu is so different than Nairobi. They are almost complete opposites of each other. While Nairobi is crowded and fast paced, Gatundu is laid-back and, while still crowded, no one is pushy. It is set in the hills/mountains in the Central Province. It isn't dirty(besides all the dirt) the air is clean and fresh. The night sky has to be the most beautiful thing about Gatundu. I am so blessed to be able to see this great openness.
We arrived at the school in the middle of the school day. You would have thought we were movie stars by the way we were received. All the girls saying hello and giggling. It was very weird to experience. Everyone at the school has been more than welcoming and nice to us. We have had very little to do so far but the hope is that life in Gatundu will pick up.
Our apartment is cozy with 2 bedrooms and a separate shower and toilet.The shower is ice cold so showers are short and when we get out we have to snuggle in all of our winter clothing to get warm again. The drain in the shower apparently doesn't work really well and we learned the hard way and flooded the apartment on our second day there. I think it was a blessing in disguise since it forced us to clean the floors in the process. We tend to lose power at least once a day but at night the school runs a generator until about 10 o'clock so we are able to do things around the apt.
We are now back in Nairobi for Mid-Term break, which is about 5 days. We head back to Gatundu in the morning and I never thought I would say this but I am very happy to be heading back there. One thing I have learned to appreciate the small things now. I never knew that a hot shower would mean so much to me and I would be so grateful for one. I appreciate every moment I have to talk to Mom, Dad or Ben on the phone, the facebook messages and emails from friends, and all the great simple pleasures that God has placed in my life. So today, for me, look for some of the simple pleasures in your life and remember just how many amazing blessings God has given you!
Miss y'all and Happy Columbus Day from Kenya!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Lines . . . Just a suggestion!
Hello All. Sorry It's been so long since I last updated. Since the last time I blogged I went to Mombasa. Mombasa was absolutely beautiful. I think everyone should try to visit at some point in their life. It felt like home, I mean literally felt like home. It was hot and muggy and I was sweating the whole time. It was great! While I would love to give you the play by play of Mobassa, it would take too long and internet is fairly expensive. But some of our highlights were going to the Gedi Ruins, Fort Jesus, Snorkling in the Indian Ocean, going to Bombolulu (a differently-abled communtiy), and enjoying the fellowship with my fellow YAVs.
The bus ride back to Kenya was quite an experience. Drivers in Kenya use lines on roads as more of a suggestion than an actual law. So our drive was constantly driving in the other lane of the 2-lane highway and passing every car on the road. When the road was block he just made his own road on the side if it. I can say we all did not sleep well that night(it was an over ngiht bus ride). I felt bad for my friend Ben as he was siting next to me on the ride so he had to be the one to calm me down after a near miss of the truck heading towards us. All in all we made it safely and had a great time but I think we will all think twice about using the same busline again!
We I have been talking Kiswahili lessons the past few weeks and I can kind of say things in Kiswahili. I can atleast count well in Kiswahili. Moja, mbili, tatu, nne, tano, sita, saba, nane, tisa, na Kumi. That is one thru 10 in Kiswahili. Unfortunately they speak Kikuyu in Gatundu so it's not going to be that helpful but hopefully I will learn Kikuyu and all will be well.
We all moved into our placements on Monday (except Steven but thats a long story). I am very excited/nervous to move to Gatundu. I am ready to stop living out of a suitcase and move into my place but I have no idea what is to come there. SO wish me luck and until next time, Kwahari!
The bus ride back to Kenya was quite an experience. Drivers in Kenya use lines on roads as more of a suggestion than an actual law. So our drive was constantly driving in the other lane of the 2-lane highway and passing every car on the road. When the road was block he just made his own road on the side if it. I can say we all did not sleep well that night(it was an over ngiht bus ride). I felt bad for my friend Ben as he was siting next to me on the ride so he had to be the one to calm me down after a near miss of the truck heading towards us. All in all we made it safely and had a great time but I think we will all think twice about using the same busline again!
We I have been talking Kiswahili lessons the past few weeks and I can kind of say things in Kiswahili. I can atleast count well in Kiswahili. Moja, mbili, tatu, nne, tano, sita, saba, nane, tisa, na Kumi. That is one thru 10 in Kiswahili. Unfortunately they speak Kikuyu in Gatundu so it's not going to be that helpful but hopefully I will learn Kikuyu and all will be well.
We all moved into our placements on Monday (except Steven but thats a long story). I am very excited/nervous to move to Gatundu. I am ready to stop living out of a suitcase and move into my place but I have no idea what is to come there. SO wish me luck and until next time, Kwahari!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Karibu (Welcome) to KENYA!!!
Well after 24 hours of straight travel and a few stressful situations in the beginning I have now made it safely to Kenya. The travel was filled with lots of laughs and a little crying but all and all a great experience. While Immigration took us about an hour to go through, customs we just walk through. Crazy huh?
Nairobi was nothing like I had imagined not that I really had imagined it too much. I can't really describe it at the moment but it is nothing like anything I have seen before. Most of the housing here have guards at their gates and everything seems to be pretty fortified. I am sure it is needed for safety. It has a very distinct smell of diesel and burning trash. That being said Nairobi is amazing thus far.
We (the girls) are staying currently, and the rest of the month, with our site leader Phyllis and her family. I have never felt so welcomed into someone else home in my life who wasn't my family. We have laughed so hard together in the past 2 days we have been here and I love my new Kenya Brothers and sisters.
This afternoon we start our orientation to Kenya by beginning our home stays. I will be staying with an older couple in Nairobi and am pretty excited to learn a few things from them. They speak the language of the village I will be living in and I am so excited to begin to learn the language. I will give y'all a full report when I can about my home stay.
Things to look forward to hearing about in the next month. A trip to Mombasa (the coast), a trip to the Rift Valley, Ellen taking Swahili lessons, and much more.
I miss you all very much and can't wait to see you all in a year!
Nairobi was nothing like I had imagined not that I really had imagined it too much. I can't really describe it at the moment but it is nothing like anything I have seen before. Most of the housing here have guards at their gates and everything seems to be pretty fortified. I am sure it is needed for safety. It has a very distinct smell of diesel and burning trash. That being said Nairobi is amazing thus far.
We (the girls) are staying currently, and the rest of the month, with our site leader Phyllis and her family. I have never felt so welcomed into someone else home in my life who wasn't my family. We have laughed so hard together in the past 2 days we have been here and I love my new Kenya Brothers and sisters.
This afternoon we start our orientation to Kenya by beginning our home stays. I will be staying with an older couple in Nairobi and am pretty excited to learn a few things from them. They speak the language of the village I will be living in and I am so excited to begin to learn the language. I will give y'all a full report when I can about my home stay.
Things to look forward to hearing about in the next month. A trip to Mombasa (the coast), a trip to the Rift Valley, Ellen taking Swahili lessons, and much more.
I miss you all very much and can't wait to see you all in a year!
Monday, August 2, 2010
3 Weeks and counting . . .
Welcome to my Blog! For the next year I will be writing my about my thoughts and life as I embark on my journey to Kenya. I will try my best to make it grammatically correct but I make no promises. To start off my blog I will just write a bit about what it feels like to be exactly 3 weeks away from my leave date.
To say that I am stressed would be a big understatement. When I began this journey almost a year ago, all I thought about was what a great opportunity it was to show the world how amazing God's love for us is. Currently all I can think about is how much I have to do and the fear of moving to a new place. Don't get me wrong I am very, very excited to go but the reality of it all is definitely here and leaving NOLA is definitely something I am not ready to do.
So I looked up the word fear in the dictionary and this is what I found:
1. Feeling of anxiety: an unpleasant feeling of anxiety or apprehension caused by the presence or anticipation of danger
2. Frightening thought: an idea, thought, or other entity that causes feelings of fear
Yep those both describe it about right!
Two Sundays ago I attended church at Metairie Ridge Presbyterian. When I sat in the pew, I looked into the bulletin and saw the sermon title was "Don't Worry". Given my current state of being all I could do was laugh a little and just continued to read the rest of the bulletin. While I was a bit skeptical of the title of the sermon, it actually quite inspired/reminded me of my greater purpose. The verse, which I will share with you was Matthew 6:25 - 35. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
After hearing these words read out loud to me, all I could think was, " Wow! God you sure know when I need you the most!". How amazing is verse 34"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." How often I forget to just put it in God's hands.
Today I am not going to worry about tomorrows troubles. I need to remember that there is another definition for fear 3. reverence: respect or awe for somebody or something. This is the fear I will have from here on out. The fear of the Lord.
To say that I am stressed would be a big understatement. When I began this journey almost a year ago, all I thought about was what a great opportunity it was to show the world how amazing God's love for us is. Currently all I can think about is how much I have to do and the fear of moving to a new place. Don't get me wrong I am very, very excited to go but the reality of it all is definitely here and leaving NOLA is definitely something I am not ready to do.
So I looked up the word fear in the dictionary and this is what I found:
1. Feeling of anxiety: an unpleasant feeling of anxiety or apprehension caused by the presence or anticipation of danger
2. Frightening thought: an idea, thought, or other entity that causes feelings of fear
Yep those both describe it about right!
Two Sundays ago I attended church at Metairie Ridge Presbyterian. When I sat in the pew, I looked into the bulletin and saw the sermon title was "Don't Worry". Given my current state of being all I could do was laugh a little and just continued to read the rest of the bulletin. While I was a bit skeptical of the title of the sermon, it actually quite inspired/reminded me of my greater purpose. The verse, which I will share with you was Matthew 6:25 - 35. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
After hearing these words read out loud to me, all I could think was, " Wow! God you sure know when I need you the most!". How amazing is verse 34"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." How often I forget to just put it in God's hands.
Today I am not going to worry about tomorrows troubles. I need to remember that there is another definition for fear 3. reverence: respect or awe for somebody or something. This is the fear I will have from here on out. The fear of the Lord.
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