So I'm back from Mombasa. It was amazing! The Mombasa story is coming soon. It could not have worked out better though.
So i had all these ideas of people I wanted to message and such so I decided I would spend some quality time at the best internet cafe in Gong. Seriously it has the fastest internet I've encountered in the past 2 months. You actually have to wait for a computer because everyone knows it's the best internet. It's the only internet cafe where I don't feel like kicking the computer. Anyway I made my way to this great internet cafe and waited 20 minutes for a computer. I finally get a computer and of course the first thing I do is log into facebook because I'm pretty much addicted. However facebook missed the memo that I'm in Kenya with limited internet access and decided to chose this chuck of time to perform maintenance on my account. I'm really mad. So i wasted a bunch of time checking email and reading blogs waiting and hoping it would stop it's maintenance but no such luck.
In other news I came home to a full (fuller) house last night. There were four new family members. I figured they were just visiting as there are always people visiting, but it turns out they are living with us for the next month at least! So now there are 10 people living in the house. It's fun. The new family is Milka's brother and wife and two kids, lucy (6) and Stanley (1). They are so cute. It definitely adds a lot more nose but nothing I can't handle.
well keep your eyes open for the Mombasa post. Maybe I'll venture to this amazing internet on Monday and hope facebook has stopped it's ridiculous non-sense.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Looking Up
The Path
[disclaimer: I hate my camera. It takes horrible pictures in Kenya and I every time I play with the settings it makes it worse. In this case it really is true that the pictures don’t do the real thing justice, not even close]
As you know I live on a big hill. So most days I walk up this….all the way to the top.
Sometimes when I’m coming from town I take an alternate route up the other side of the hill. There’s path that goes along the hill and eventually comes out at my house.
This is not an ideal path. It’s rough, uphill, uneven, dirty, and has lots of protruding thorn bushes. Before the rainy season the ground was incredibly dusty and loose and now after the rain its incredibly muddy and sticky.
So much so that this is what happens to your shoes when you attempt to walk it in the rain.
Before the rains came, a few weeks ago, I was walking this path. I was having a hard day, drowning in loneliness, homesickness, self doubt, and my inadequacy at "changing the world." The dirt was so loose and dusty and I struggled with every step as it sunk beneath my feet. I had to focus on the ground and the path as not to make a wrong step. However, eventually I loss my balance and I fell down hard. As I stood up I started crying and through my tears and frustration I asked God, "Is this really what you had for me?" As I looked up and out I got my answer…
Yes this is hard, yes I’m lonely, yes I feel powerless. Yet there is also so much beauty in this experience. There is beauty in the faces of the children I encounter everyday. There is beauty in the independence and strength I’m gaining. Beauty in realizing my powerlessness, that I can not "fix" everything. There is of course beauty in drinking chai tea at all hours of the day with wonderful Kenyans :-]
This life is beautiful…I just forget to look up and see it.
It’s true of this country as well. It’s so easy to just focus on the muddiness. Yes there is a lot of corruption, yes there is a lot of poverty, yes there is a lot tragedy. But there is also so much beauty to be found. I don’t say this to make light or lessen Kenya’s problems, but to remember that there is more to Kenya, more to Africa. Much, much more.
So I encourage whenever you are to remember to look up…
[disclaimer: I hate my camera. It takes horrible pictures in Kenya and I every time I play with the settings it makes it worse. In this case it really is true that the pictures don’t do the real thing justice, not even close]
As you know I live on a big hill. So most days I walk up this….all the way to the top.
Sometimes when I’m coming from town I take an alternate route up the other side of the hill. There’s path that goes along the hill and eventually comes out at my house.
This is not an ideal path. It’s rough, uphill, uneven, dirty, and has lots of protruding thorn bushes. Before the rainy season the ground was incredibly dusty and loose and now after the rain its incredibly muddy and sticky.
So much so that this is what happens to your shoes when you attempt to walk it in the rain.
Before the rains came, a few weeks ago, I was walking this path. I was having a hard day, drowning in loneliness, homesickness, self doubt, and my inadequacy at "changing the world." The dirt was so loose and dusty and I struggled with every step as it sunk beneath my feet. I had to focus on the ground and the path as not to make a wrong step. However, eventually I loss my balance and I fell down hard. As I stood up I started crying and through my tears and frustration I asked God, "Is this really what you had for me?" As I looked up and out I got my answer…
It was beautiful. It was as if God was saying, "yes this is exactly what I had for you." Sometimes I get so stuck in the difficulty of it all that I forget to look up and see the bigger picture.
Yes this is hard, yes I’m lonely, yes I feel powerless. Yet there is also so much beauty in this experience. There is beauty in the faces of the children I encounter everyday. There is beauty in the independence and strength I’m gaining. Beauty in realizing my powerlessness, that I can not "fix" everything. There is of course beauty in drinking chai tea at all hours of the day with wonderful Kenyans :-]
This life is beautiful…I just forget to look up and see it.
It’s true of this country as well. It’s so easy to just focus on the muddiness. Yes there is a lot of corruption, yes there is a lot of poverty, yes there is a lot tragedy. But there is also so much beauty to be found. I don’t say this to make light or lessen Kenya’s problems, but to remember that there is more to Kenya, more to Africa. Much, much more.
So I encourage whenever you are to remember to look up…
We have a Problem
We have a Problem. It’s a phase my host mom said a lot this past week. My poor host family. The beginning of the week Milka, my host mom, was feeling ill so she went to the doctor and turns out she has typhoid. A few days later Eric, my 10 month old brother, wasn’t doing so well so they took him in and he has malaria. They are on medicine and doing fine now, but it’s been quite the week.
We have also struggled with water and electricity this week. Tuesday we ran out of water and didn’t have any all day. Then Thursday the pump water got fixed so we had running water! (but still no hot water because it’s too expensive to turn the water heater on) But Friday we were back to no water. Then Friday the rains came and they came hard. El nino rains are no joke. It appears my life is going to involve a lot of mud the next month as the rainy season is officially here. So we lost electricity at about 7 last night and it didn’t come on til 10 this morning. So today we had water but no electricity. I’m told the power is very unreliable during the rainy season. It’s a bummer, since the power rationing just ended. I’m not sure if we are going to have running water again. Right now we go to the “river” (our water tank outside) and bring it in.
Sometimes I forget where I’m living. Life normalizes and the fact that I’m living in Kenya isn’t such a big deal. But then my host mom comes home with typhoid and the baby has malaria and the reality of where I am slaps me in the face. This is Africa and malaria and typhoid are part of life.
I was at Sidai four days this week. Unusually I only do three but since I’ll be gone next week I worked Friday this week. I’ve been doing a lot more computer work lately. I’m working on a newsletter and brochure for Sidai. To help as resources for more donors. I still get to play with the kids lots.
Mombasa is finally here. We leave Tuesday morning and set out on a 7-8 hour bus ride. I’m really hoping the rainy season has not hit Mombasa yet. I want sun.
We have also struggled with water and electricity this week. Tuesday we ran out of water and didn’t have any all day. Then Thursday the pump water got fixed so we had running water! (but still no hot water because it’s too expensive to turn the water heater on) But Friday we were back to no water. Then Friday the rains came and they came hard. El nino rains are no joke. It appears my life is going to involve a lot of mud the next month as the rainy season is officially here. So we lost electricity at about 7 last night and it didn’t come on til 10 this morning. So today we had water but no electricity. I’m told the power is very unreliable during the rainy season. It’s a bummer, since the power rationing just ended. I’m not sure if we are going to have running water again. Right now we go to the “river” (our water tank outside) and bring it in.
Sometimes I forget where I’m living. Life normalizes and the fact that I’m living in Kenya isn’t such a big deal. But then my host mom comes home with typhoid and the baby has malaria and the reality of where I am slaps me in the face. This is Africa and malaria and typhoid are part of life.
I was at Sidai four days this week. Unusually I only do three but since I’ll be gone next week I worked Friday this week. I’ve been doing a lot more computer work lately. I’m working on a newsletter and brochure for Sidai. To help as resources for more donors. I still get to play with the kids lots.
Mombasa is finally here. We leave Tuesday morning and set out on a 7-8 hour bus ride. I’m really hoping the rainy season has not hit Mombasa yet. I want sun.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
This is Africa
TIA is something I find myself saying quite often here. The phase This Is Africa helps keep me sane. I say it when the power unexpectedly goes out as i'm about to Skype people I love, or when I find three huge spiders in my room in one night, or when I see the ugliest biggest cockroach making it's way across my floor, or when I open a cabinet in the kitchen and see thousands of ants crawling on the pots I eat out each night, or when there are live "things" swimming in the water I'm washing dishes with, or they shove 20 people in a matatu meant for 12.
This is Africa. And I love it.
This week has been a turning point for me. I'm finally getting to a point where I feel really comfortable here. I feel like I'm through the adjustment phase and I can now enjoy things. .
Like the mornings here in Kenya. I live on top of a huge hill and every morning as I step out of my gate I'm greeted by the most amazing view. It's breathe taking.
My homestay is still great. They are teaching me so much. One of my favorite times of the day is after dinner when we take chai tea and sit and talk. I look forward to it. Oh the chai is so good.
My internship is still challenging, but I love the kids. They are precious.
I was sick last week. I had a intestinal bacterial infection. I was also having asthma problems. It was not fun. But a 17 dollar trip to Zam Zam (a private clinic here in Gong) and four different drugs, I feel great.
We are for sure going to Mombasa on the 20th so I'm looking forward to that.
sorry this is short. hopefully i'll write something more intensive and insightful soon.
This is Africa. And I love it.
This week has been a turning point for me. I'm finally getting to a point where I feel really comfortable here. I feel like I'm through the adjustment phase and I can now enjoy things. .
Like the mornings here in Kenya. I live on top of a huge hill and every morning as I step out of my gate I'm greeted by the most amazing view. It's breathe taking.
My homestay is still great. They are teaching me so much. One of my favorite times of the day is after dinner when we take chai tea and sit and talk. I look forward to it. Oh the chai is so good.
My internship is still challenging, but I love the kids. They are precious.
I was sick last week. I had a intestinal bacterial infection. I was also having asthma problems. It was not fun. But a 17 dollar trip to Zam Zam (a private clinic here in Gong) and four different drugs, I feel great.
We are for sure going to Mombasa on the 20th so I'm looking forward to that.
sorry this is short. hopefully i'll write something more intensive and insightful soon.
Monday, September 28, 2009
LIving the african life...
So i had a post all ready to put up but I can't post it so this will be short but hopefully I can get to better internet sometime this week.
We didn't go to Mombasa this weekend. OUr plans didn't quite work out but we're hoping to go in a couple weeks.
I love my homestay! They are wonderful people. So kind, generous, and funny. We spend the evenings in the kitchen together waiting for the food to cook and just talking and laughing. It's my favorite part of the of the day.
I'm truly living the African life. No running water (we have water it just doesn't pump into our house. No refrigerator, stove top, oven, microwave, or tv. But it's fun. There have been days this last week that I really wished for a hot shower or regular flushing toilet but honestly I'm loving living where I am with the people I'm with.
The internship is also going well. It's challenging. I love the kids. It's impossible not too. Sidai just faces a lot of financial struggles. Like last week we didn't have enough money for food. We got the money but Sidai really needs consistent donors. We almost have a website up so I'll be sure to past that along to you all.
I hope you all are doing well. I miss you all and think about you often!
We didn't go to Mombasa this weekend. OUr plans didn't quite work out but we're hoping to go in a couple weeks.
I love my homestay! They are wonderful people. So kind, generous, and funny. We spend the evenings in the kitchen together waiting for the food to cook and just talking and laughing. It's my favorite part of the of the day.
I'm truly living the African life. No running water (we have water it just doesn't pump into our house. No refrigerator, stove top, oven, microwave, or tv. But it's fun. There have been days this last week that I really wished for a hot shower or regular flushing toilet but honestly I'm loving living where I am with the people I'm with.
The internship is also going well. It's challenging. I love the kids. It's impossible not too. Sidai just faces a lot of financial struggles. Like last week we didn't have enough money for food. We got the money but Sidai really needs consistent donors. We almost have a website up so I'll be sure to past that along to you all.
I hope you all are doing well. I miss you all and think about you often!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Birthday Post
Happy Birthday to me!
I remember telling Atara last week that all I wanted for my birthday was a homestay and an internship and amazingly I got that and much more.
So here’s the run down:
Internship: A week and half ago, I just started searching the internet for children’s homes in the area where Atara lives. My plan was to set out and locate one of the organizations and ask them if I could work there. I ran the list past Atara’s host mom Nkita and she actually recognized one of the homes( it‘s associated with her church). She was kind enough to take us out last Sunday night and show us where it was. So last Monday Atara and I set out to visit the home. The organization is Sidai Children Rehabilitation Centre and it’s in Ngong. The center is right next door to a large slum area. Sidai provides food, clothing, education, and shelter to children that would otherwise be on the streets. Not all of the children are orphans. Many of children have parents they see, but the parents can not afford to feed, house or educate them.
I still have a lot to learn about Sidai. I’m going to be helping teach the kids (and there‘s few other things I‘ll probably help out with). There are four classes at Sidia. When I visited last week I helped with what they call the baby class which is 2 to 5 year olds. There’s a lot of challenges teaching and working at Sidai. These are at risk kids and most of them are extremely behind. One six year old little boy I was working with can’t recognize his numbers or letters at all. It doesn’t help that my Swahili is horrible. It’s going to take some creativity and work to teach these kids, but I can already tell I’m going to love working there. I start officially Tuesday.
Homestay: Lucy is the founder and mama of Sidai. She started the home in 2000. She has three grown children who help run Sidai. I’m going to be living with her daughter Milka. Milka and her husband David have two boys, a 10 year old and a 9 month old. Eric, the baby is so cute! The family is great and Milka is so kind and funny. I’m excited to be living there. Their house is really close to Sidai which is nice. The only thing is, it’s a top this huge hill! I’ll be fit for sure after three months of walking that hill everyday. I move in tomorrow!
Birthday: My birthday has been great. It’s been a whole weekend thing. Atara and her family are incredibly kind and generous and I’m so lucky to have them. On Friday Sue took us to get our nails done. A pedicure and manicure. It was amazing. My feet were definitely disgusting, but now they are beautiful. Well, see how long that last!
Friday night we went out on the town with a Atara’s host brother and his friends. It was a lot of fun.
Today we went to church and came home and had a great lunch. After lunch Atara and her parents surprised me with chocolate cake! It was so good. And Atara’s dad brought me plain chocolate m+m’s from South Africa! He was there last week for a pastor conference.
Looking forward to…
I’m excited to finally have a sense of purpose and be busy! The last month gone by so quick and I’ve barely done anything so I know the next few months will go by super fast.
On Thursday Atara, and I are going to Mombasa! For four days of beach and sun. There’s a lady from Atara’s church that has a beautiful house that she is going to let us stay in. I’m super
excited to see the coast and the beach. I'm not looking forward to Atara leaving in a month though. I will miss her so much.
So that’s my life. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to update before we leave but there will definitely be an update next week.
I remember telling Atara last week that all I wanted for my birthday was a homestay and an internship and amazingly I got that and much more.
So here’s the run down:
Internship: A week and half ago, I just started searching the internet for children’s homes in the area where Atara lives. My plan was to set out and locate one of the organizations and ask them if I could work there. I ran the list past Atara’s host mom Nkita and she actually recognized one of the homes( it‘s associated with her church). She was kind enough to take us out last Sunday night and show us where it was. So last Monday Atara and I set out to visit the home. The organization is Sidai Children Rehabilitation Centre and it’s in Ngong. The center is right next door to a large slum area. Sidai provides food, clothing, education, and shelter to children that would otherwise be on the streets. Not all of the children are orphans. Many of children have parents they see, but the parents can not afford to feed, house or educate them.
I still have a lot to learn about Sidai. I’m going to be helping teach the kids (and there‘s few other things I‘ll probably help out with). There are four classes at Sidia. When I visited last week I helped with what they call the baby class which is 2 to 5 year olds. There’s a lot of challenges teaching and working at Sidai. These are at risk kids and most of them are extremely behind. One six year old little boy I was working with can’t recognize his numbers or letters at all. It doesn’t help that my Swahili is horrible. It’s going to take some creativity and work to teach these kids, but I can already tell I’m going to love working there. I start officially Tuesday.
Homestay: Lucy is the founder and mama of Sidai. She started the home in 2000. She has three grown children who help run Sidai. I’m going to be living with her daughter Milka. Milka and her husband David have two boys, a 10 year old and a 9 month old. Eric, the baby is so cute! The family is great and Milka is so kind and funny. I’m excited to be living there. Their house is really close to Sidai which is nice. The only thing is, it’s a top this huge hill! I’ll be fit for sure after three months of walking that hill everyday. I move in tomorrow!
Birthday: My birthday has been great. It’s been a whole weekend thing. Atara and her family are incredibly kind and generous and I’m so lucky to have them. On Friday Sue took us to get our nails done. A pedicure and manicure. It was amazing. My feet were definitely disgusting, but now they are beautiful. Well, see how long that last!
Friday night we went out on the town with a Atara’s host brother and his friends. It was a lot of fun.
Today we went to church and came home and had a great lunch. After lunch Atara and her parents surprised me with chocolate cake! It was so good. And Atara’s dad brought me plain chocolate m+m’s from South Africa! He was there last week for a pastor conference.
Looking forward to…
I’m excited to finally have a sense of purpose and be busy! The last month gone by so quick and I’ve barely done anything so I know the next few months will go by super fast.
On Thursday Atara, and I are going to Mombasa! For four days of beach and sun. There’s a lady from Atara’s church that has a beautiful house that she is going to let us stay in. I’m super
excited to see the coast and the beach. I'm not looking forward to Atara leaving in a month though. I will miss her so much.
So that’s my life. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to update before we leave but there will definitely be an update next week.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Things are coming together!
I have much to say but I'm in an internet cafe with the slowest internet ever. And the loudest music ever as well.
I will be brief but I have really good news! I found an internship today. I'll be working at a children's home in Ngong. I'm really excited about it, because there are so many oppertunities there. They are still in the beginning stages of substaining and establishing thier home so it will be exciting to be apart of it.
I'm meeting with a possible homestay today. As far as I know it's going to work out and it's also in Ngong so hopefully close to my internship.
Everything just came together today! I've been praying so much and the Lord is so faithful!
Funny Story: I was in a car accident yesterday. I'm fine, just hit my leg hard on the seat. Atara and I were taking a matatu home and seriously the driving here is some of the craziest I've seen. I didn't see exactly how it happened as I was sitting in the back, but I think we were trying to pass a car and didn't make it back into our lane fast enough and an on coming car hit the front side of our matatu. Luckily, we were putting close to home so we walked the rest if the way. I'm told these type of accidents are not uncommon and often worse and I believe it. Thankfully Atara and I are fine!
I don't think I'll have internet this week. But next sunday is my birthday and we're going to Atara's dad's house to use the internet, so if you have skype be sure to be on Sunday morning! And I'll post sunday a more detailed update!
Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers!
I will be brief but I have really good news! I found an internship today. I'll be working at a children's home in Ngong. I'm really excited about it, because there are so many oppertunities there. They are still in the beginning stages of substaining and establishing thier home so it will be exciting to be apart of it.
I'm meeting with a possible homestay today. As far as I know it's going to work out and it's also in Ngong so hopefully close to my internship.
Everything just came together today! I've been praying so much and the Lord is so faithful!
Funny Story: I was in a car accident yesterday. I'm fine, just hit my leg hard on the seat. Atara and I were taking a matatu home and seriously the driving here is some of the craziest I've seen. I didn't see exactly how it happened as I was sitting in the back, but I think we were trying to pass a car and didn't make it back into our lane fast enough and an on coming car hit the front side of our matatu. Luckily, we were putting close to home so we walked the rest if the way. I'm told these type of accidents are not uncommon and often worse and I believe it. Thankfully Atara and I are fine!
I don't think I'll have internet this week. But next sunday is my birthday and we're going to Atara's dad's house to use the internet, so if you have skype be sure to be on Sunday morning! And I'll post sunday a more detailed update!
Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers!
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