Many of you probably ask the same question we all asked when we first received our trip itinerary---what is Doha? In fact where in the world is Qatar??....well we're here in Doha, which is the capital of Qatar. It is quite the change from the poverty we witnessed in Kenya as Qatar is considered one of the richest countries in the world as it has the highest per capita GDP.
We woke up early this morning to head back to Brackenhurst and then Nairobi. We left the lodge a little after 6:30 and arrived back to Brackenhurst around 10. We packed up the luggage, said our goodbyes to Bailey, Taylor, and Heather who are staying in Kenya and then headed for Nairobi to catch our flight. Traffic en route to Nairobi is not ideal so getting to the airport was slightly stressful. We arrived at noon with our flight departing at 1:00. Thankfully we all made it through immigration and on to the plane in time. I think all of us were ready to head home but left a piece of our hearts in Kenya. Homeward bound though--first leg, 5 hours to Doha.
Here in Doha Qatar Airways has put us up in a hotel for the night because we have a 12.5 hour layover. The hotel shuttled us from the airport and during the drive we got some incredible views of the city. This place is insane. If you have ever been to or seen pictures of Dubai, this gives it a run for its money. The architecture, design, and lighting of the buildings is unbelievable. I took some photos that I'll share later but since it is night they don't show up as well. So just google image it...you'll see what I'm talking about. This is my first time in the Middle East and this city has not disappointed.
Our hotel is awesome as well. It is one of the high rise buildings in the middle of the city with a pool on the 26th floor where you can look out and see a lot of the cool architecture around. We had a buffet dinner here as well which was fantastic. A great variety of Middle Eastern foods and of course my favorite were the desserts--a berry cobbler-like dish that reminded me of my mom's dump cake, chocolate tart, and many other assorted sweets. I feel like eating is all I have done the past two days.
This post is short but thought I would update on where we are. We have to head to the airport at 5AM as the airline requires you to arrive three hours before a flight to the USA. We fly out at 8:45AM and are scheduled to land in DC 13.5 hours later at 3:30PM. Pray for safe travels and a quick recovery from jet lag. My goal is to stay up tonight so I can sleep on the flight and get back on schedule but we'll see how that works. Regardless, it will be nice to be back in North Carolina.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
And God Created Wild Animals
Genesis 1:24-25
God spoke: “Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind:
cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds.”
And there it was:
wild animals of every kind,
Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug.
God saw that it was good.
Today we got to experience His beautiful creation in one of the most remarkable ways possible. We went on safari at Lake Nakuru. We were able to see so much of God's creation here in Kenya--the vegetation, the landscape, and most people's favorite- the wildlife. Seeing these animals in the wild was breathtaking. Such a fun trip and such a blessing to see His kingdom on display.
Once we arrived at Lake Nakuru we were ready to start on safari. Our drivers popped open the top of our vans so we could stand up as we drove through the park. One of the first crazy sights we saw was the water level of the lake. The rainy season is ending now so the lake was out which Joseph said was not normal. The first animal we saw was an impala and a black crested eagle as soon as we entered. But that definitely was only the beginning. We all had hopes of which animals we wanted to see and were able to see almost all of them. We saw tons of buffalo and impalas. One of the funniest animals we saw was the warthog....aka Pumba! No sighting of Timon though. During our morning game viewing session we also saw lots of interesting birds, velvet monkeys, and a HIPPO! The hippo was one of the animals at the top of my list. He was at the edge of the water so we weren't all that close but you could see him well with the camera and binoculars. After the hippo sighting we headed to the lodge to check-in. We are staying a a game lodge that is absolutely incredible. It was weird arriving at the lodge and seeing all these white people....after a week with almost all Kenyans and few other mzungus it seemed odd. We had lunch as soon as we got here and it was a buffet feast. They served a wide variety of foods of which I tried most. There were things such as: pumpkin marsala, stir fry veggies, lamb curry, traditional irio, steak with thyme infused gravy, matoke in peanut and corriander sauce, tilapia with a lime and arrabiata sauce, and many fresh salads and fruits. The desserts were phenomenal as well....cappuccino mousse, korosho mramba, orange gratin (some what like a cobbler or bread pudding with oranges) and many others. The korosho mramba was like a pay day pie--so so good! After lunch we hung out around the lodge for a few hours. The view is breathtaking from here....we can see Lake Nakuru through the trees. And the fact the sun was out was such a welcomed thing.
We headed back out in the vans to find some new animals this afternoon. The animals are typically out early in the morning and at dusk when they are feeding. This run was even better. As soon as we left we went to find a leopard that had been spotted. Unfortunately the leopard had moved but as a trade off we found Simba!! There was a male lion lying in a tree. Camille asked me to bring her back a lion so I did my best and got some good pictures of him. We also saw two more lions later on but my camera...both my actual camera and phone had died...so I'm going to be stealing some photos from someone. These were a male and female lying in the grass asleep. We waited a few minutes to see if they would move and finally they did...they began to flirt shall we say. Again...such a cool thing to see. They weren't but about 20 yards away. Simba and Nala in their natural habitat. We also saw rhinos, zebras, baboons, and after briefly getting a glimpse of a giraffe early on we finally saw a giraffe up close on the drive back to the lodge. All such incredible creatures...fascinating to watch. Paul commented in our van that it is hard to see an animal like a rhino with the setting we were in, a lake and mountains for the background with sun beams coming down through the clouds and not believe there is a God. His kingdom is such a beautiful place and experiencing His creation is such an awesome opportunity.
Joseph gave us some cool facts about the animals throughout our drive. I wish I had a recorder with me so I could remember them all. Paul is supposed to remember them for me but since he's not around I'll tell the ones I remember. He said the giraffe's heart is the strongest of any animal--it pumps 20 gallons of blood per minute. When a lion dies the rangers often have to move the carcass themselves rather than other animals feeding on it as happens with most--the others fear the lion so much that they do not dare mess with it even when it's dead. He said the Maasai women used to place their children on the dead lions because they believed some of his courage would go into their children. When a lion gets old he loses his teeth which is his killing mechanism. So the warthog, or pumba as Joseph calls them, becomes his most common meal. The warthog has a very short memory...12 minutes. So if the lion is chasing him the warthog eventually forgets and then the lion sneaks up on him. There were several others that he told but between my own lack of memory and you probably not wanting to read my version of National Geographic, I'll leave it at that and share more when I see you. After the drive we came back to the lodge again where there was a dance performance and dinner. The dancers performed "traditional Kenyan dances" but it was not so authentic according to Joe and Caitlin. While it was entertaining....and they got Char, Joe, and Caitlin up on stage....it was not so authentic nor was it an award winning performance. Nevertheless though we were in a beautiful setting with a fire pit, some music, and wrapping up an unforgettable trip. After the dancing we had dinner which again was a buffet style feast. They offered a wide variety of international dishes again including some delicious alfredo, steak, red snapper, and the best naan I have ever had. They also served fresh fruit--I had some pineapple and passionfruit. The desserts were great again---a toffee chocolate cake that was awesome (Lester, you make a similar version). Needless to say I'm glad we're only here for a night because I'd otherwise gain so much weight.
So that's our trip. I plan on writing a follow-up once we're America bound and/or back home. I will say that while I'm going to miss Kenya like crazy and have enjoyed it more than I ever hoped, I am excited to get home too. I know my dad will be excited to hear that I'm back. Please keep us in your prayers as we make the trip back over the next couple of days. We leave the lodge at 6:30AM and drive out through the park....back to Brackenhurst to pick up our bags...and then Nairobi to catch our 1PM flight. We fly through Doha again where we have an extremely long layover...then an extremely long flight back to DC. It's going to be a long couple of days. I'm excited to see you guys when I get back and share more stories of God's kingdom and my experiences. Asante sana (thank you very much) for taking time to follow along on our trip here in Kenya.
And GO HEELS! I hope to see us still playing when I return! A big fist pump happened in Kenya when I heard we beat State. Beat those Bruins!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Let the Little Children Come
Each day just continues to get better and makes you want to leave less. God has broken my heart for this place again today and blessed me in more ways that I could ever express. Today was our last day actually serving with Uhuru Child as tomorrow morning we leave bright and early to go on safari and then back to the States on Saturday. As we were driving to work this morning it was hard to believe it was our last day to be with the people we came to serve. It all went by so fast. My family jokes with me all the time....especially before I left for this trip....that I was going to come home with a little African baby. That might be even more true after today. I got to play with kids and hold babies all day and it was one of the greatest God-moments of my life. I continued to think throughout the day of the scripture in Matthew 19:14 where Jesus says, "Let the little children come to me, and stop hindering them, for the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these." The spirit of these children and their laughter made everything else going on in my life seemingly fade....these little ones Jesus says, that's who Heaven belongs to.
We left out at 8AM this morning to head to the Jikaze shamba (or farm) where they have a chicken house and a 2.5 acre lettuce farm. Needless to say my dad would have loved this morning. And Mom probably cringes just at the mention of a chicken house. When we arrived at the shamba we got to meet Peter who oversees the chicken house and he took us into the house. The chicken farm is called Uhuru Cookoo. They have 12,000 chickens in this house...this is their second round of chickens. It is a pretty crazy operation as they only allow the chickens to sleep 2 hours, constantly keep them moving, use charcoal heaters to keep them warm, etc. etc. Someone is always in the chicken house with them. Peter, the overseer, had been in the house for a 24 hour stint minus 2 hours that he slept. After the chicken house we started on the lettuce. We were to plant 7,000 seedlings of lettuce. The farms help to provide scholarships for the school and also provide jobs for the people of Jikaze. Social businesses at work. Again, I encourage you to check out Uhuru's website www.uchild.com as this is an awesome organization with such a vision that God is working through every day. We planted several different types of lettuce. The process started by digging holes with sticks...followed by dropping a nitrogen product into the hole and mixing it in the dirt....dropping the seedlings....then covering up with dirt. There were no tractors...not even donkeys. No setters. None of the equipment Dad uses for tobacco setting. The workers seed the greenhouses too. I used to help seed our greenhouse (or just use it as a reason to get out of school) but they do it all by hand. So much respect for these workers. They use a drip irrigation system out of Israel. Dad will appreciate these details as I can remember him telling me about Israel having the best systems when we bought Pa a drip system from Christmas one year. But back to our actual day....we got the field fully planted and ourselves quite dirty.
After the farm we headed back to Jikaze to spend time with our families. I was able to see Sharon briefly at the farm but it was mainly work. They all came back with us on the bus to Jikaze. Once in Jikaze we had a couple hours to spend at our families' homes. It was just as special today as it was on Tuesday...and maybe even more. When we arrived to the house no one was home but soon after Jeremiah came with several kids. And we finally got to meet Sharon's daughter...her name is Federis (not Ferris as I think I put in my post on Tuesday). She was so precious. The dirtiest little face with the brightest smile and sweetest grin. Another little girl Mary came too who was a cousin. Sharon immediately started making chai for us again. I asked her if I could help and she took me outside and said "I teach you how to wash the utensils." I laughed and told her I wasn't that clueless in the kitchen. But she took me outside and showed me anyway as it was quite different from the way I do the dishes. I told her about how I used to love to do dishes when I was little with my grandpa. Paul, one of the men in our group. offered to help and she wasn't having that. Apparently men don't do any housework here. So she thought the fact I washed dishes with my grandpa was funny. We had chai and just before we did a toast and showed them how to cheers. The grandpa laughed and laughed at it as I guess it was something new. I really wish I could have understood him as he had to be saying some funny things. Sharon then started cooking for us. She made ugali for us. Ugali reminded me a little of cornbread...but it is maize meal and water mixed together and boiled and then it forms into a big loaf like thing. She served it with a mixture of kale and onions which is called sukuma wiki. We were able to pray with them before we ate which was a great time to share in our faith. The meal was just as delicious as the last meal! And Sharon was not going to let anyone leave without them finishing their food.
The kids were incredible. Federis immediately clung to me and wanted to hug me and sit with me. It was exactly what I had hoped for in meeting her after hearing about her from Sharon. I brought a kickball for them and as soon as I gave it to them they were so excited. They ran outside to play with it. Mary was quite the dribbler and Federis could catch. You all know I was in heaven playing ball with little kids in Africa! (Candice--tell Camille not to worry--she would love them too!) This time playing with these kids was one of those moments I can't really write about it words. You looked at them and your hearts broke for them but smiled for them all the same. The boys came back too...Benson and Ivan. Benson was a little standoffish at first but before we left he warmed up. Maybe because he got to play with the camera and have some sweets....but he had a sweet spirit and gave me a big hug. The boys also got to play with the ball and all the kids seemed to really enjoy it. A few other new kids came around too--one little girl was Margaret and she was so sweet. I also had some twizzlers that I shared with the kids but also with Jeremiah, the grandfather. It was hilarious to watch him eat it as he wasn't sure what to do with it. He seemed to enjoy it though.
For my softball family reading....I brought over a little DJP to share with Africa. DJP does Kenya if you will. I showed her to the family and the little girls LOVED her. As much as they loved her I couldn't bare to take her away. She was going to go on safari tomorrow and have her picture made with some lions but a little DJP will forever be in Jikaze with my new family in Kenya. And I couldn't think of any place I'd rather be. (The part I leave out is that her shoes/the base might have broken off during her time with the girls too. ....Sharon was so worried about them breaking it but I was sure to tell her that Coach Papa was their's to keep.)
Leaving is never easy. And it certainly wasn't today. Just as it was hard to leave the girls at the school yesterday it was maybe even harder to leave Sharon and her family today. After we ate lunch we were able to get a few (read as: lots) of pictures and then it was time to get back to the bus....and we were late again. Sharon and the kids walked us back which gave Sharon and I a few minutes to talk some more. She gave me her phone number and said if I wanted to call sometime I could. She asked if I would be back. And with that, I will be back to Kenya as soon as possible. Life is about relationships. God puts people in our life for a reason and I am sure he purposefully picked her to be my family. She is nothing short of a blessing in my life. I loved talking with her and learning from her. She might be younger than me but she has so much to teach me. And hopefully I was able to teach her a few things (or will be able to one day). A piece of my heart will forever be in Kenya now. As we left Sharon gave me a big hug and I told her I would be praying for her...she immediately responded and said "ok, I have and will be too." I am so grateful for meeting her and having the honor to go into her home and meet her family.
After Jikaze we went headed back towards Limuru to go to Angels which is an abandoned children's home. This experience too grabs at your heart and makes you never want to leave. There was about 15 orphan babies here. Each had a different story but I can tell a few of the ones I held and played with while we were there. Livingston was the first baby I picked up when we walked in the nursery. He was maybe 6-8 months but a big boy. He had the biggest eyes and lips. I didn't want to put him down and definitely didn't want to leave him. Then we were told that Livingston was left on the side of the road....and after that I wanted to take him with me even more. Another little guy was Solomon who was left at the hospital. He was 4-6 months and the cutest little guy. There was also an older one named Michael who loved to have his picture taken. He could walk and run around. There was even a little one month old who also was left on the side of the road. So many little ones, so precious, and yet abandoned. If God had not broken my heart many, many times already this afternoon broke it even more. When we were leaving Ron made the comment that he couldn't help but think that when Jesus returns His first stop won't be a big church or anything like that but will be a place like Angels. And I couldn't agree more. Jesus said, "Let the little children come...for their's is the Kingdom of Heaven."
Our last stop of this full day was Nairobi to go to the maasai markets and have dinner. The market was insane. It is complete bartering and for those of you who have never experienced this you need to. (Well maybe not all of you as you might be overwhelmed...but Carmen, you'd be great at it!) I was pretty proud of some of the deals I got. I'll leave show and tell for when I get home but there was some really cool stuff. I wore my bright, highlighter yellow shirt.....and Tadlock, you can take pride in knowing I got so, so many comments as I walked around, Kenyans loved the color! One guy even offered me anything he had for my shirt. I seriously considered it but then thought I might be pretty chilly.....and then I talked with him more and he seemed to take away his offer of "anything." Aggressive is an understatement when it comes to these people. They would come find you 30 minutes later and offer again on the item, grab you and pull you over to see their things, try to keep you from walking away.....but I loved it! It was so much fun to barter and get the price I wanted. It was definitely an experience.
We had dinner at ArtCaffe which is one of the restaurants that Uhuru Child sells lettuce. It was a very Western type cafe, but had really great food. (And the lettuce was awesome!) There's not a lot to tell about dinner, but it was nice to have a meal at a place we know has a part in the Uhuru Child mission as one of their customers.
So today was a very full day but a day full of blessings. I will ask that you join me in prayer today specifically for Sharon and her family again--that God will hold them close and provide for them and if it is His will He will bring me back to see her again. I also ask that you pray for the babies we were able to hold today--that He prepares a way for them and brings families to them that they might be loved and treasured here on Earth and that they might grow up knowing the love of their Father in Heaven. And pray for the ladies running this orphanage....as they truly are angels here on earth. Pray that they will have the strength to continue their good works, the ability to provide for these children, and love--for they have shown some of the greatest love.
Tomorrow we wake up bright and early to head out for safari at 6AM. We'll be there tomorrow night and then back to head to the airport Saturday morning. I'm super excited for the safari and will hopefully have lots of great photos to share.
We left out at 8AM this morning to head to the Jikaze shamba (or farm) where they have a chicken house and a 2.5 acre lettuce farm. Needless to say my dad would have loved this morning. And Mom probably cringes just at the mention of a chicken house. When we arrived at the shamba we got to meet Peter who oversees the chicken house and he took us into the house. The chicken farm is called Uhuru Cookoo. They have 12,000 chickens in this house...this is their second round of chickens. It is a pretty crazy operation as they only allow the chickens to sleep 2 hours, constantly keep them moving, use charcoal heaters to keep them warm, etc. etc. Someone is always in the chicken house with them. Peter, the overseer, had been in the house for a 24 hour stint minus 2 hours that he slept. After the chicken house we started on the lettuce. We were to plant 7,000 seedlings of lettuce. The farms help to provide scholarships for the school and also provide jobs for the people of Jikaze. Social businesses at work. Again, I encourage you to check out Uhuru's website www.uchild.com as this is an awesome organization with such a vision that God is working through every day. We planted several different types of lettuce. The process started by digging holes with sticks...followed by dropping a nitrogen product into the hole and mixing it in the dirt....dropping the seedlings....then covering up with dirt. There were no tractors...not even donkeys. No setters. None of the equipment Dad uses for tobacco setting. The workers seed the greenhouses too. I used to help seed our greenhouse (or just use it as a reason to get out of school) but they do it all by hand. So much respect for these workers. They use a drip irrigation system out of Israel. Dad will appreciate these details as I can remember him telling me about Israel having the best systems when we bought Pa a drip system from Christmas one year. But back to our actual day....we got the field fully planted and ourselves quite dirty.
After the farm we headed back to Jikaze to spend time with our families. I was able to see Sharon briefly at the farm but it was mainly work. They all came back with us on the bus to Jikaze. Once in Jikaze we had a couple hours to spend at our families' homes. It was just as special today as it was on Tuesday...and maybe even more. When we arrived to the house no one was home but soon after Jeremiah came with several kids. And we finally got to meet Sharon's daughter...her name is Federis (not Ferris as I think I put in my post on Tuesday). She was so precious. The dirtiest little face with the brightest smile and sweetest grin. Another little girl Mary came too who was a cousin. Sharon immediately started making chai for us again. I asked her if I could help and she took me outside and said "I teach you how to wash the utensils." I laughed and told her I wasn't that clueless in the kitchen. But she took me outside and showed me anyway as it was quite different from the way I do the dishes. I told her about how I used to love to do dishes when I was little with my grandpa. Paul, one of the men in our group. offered to help and she wasn't having that. Apparently men don't do any housework here. So she thought the fact I washed dishes with my grandpa was funny. We had chai and just before we did a toast and showed them how to cheers. The grandpa laughed and laughed at it as I guess it was something new. I really wish I could have understood him as he had to be saying some funny things. Sharon then started cooking for us. She made ugali for us. Ugali reminded me a little of cornbread...but it is maize meal and water mixed together and boiled and then it forms into a big loaf like thing. She served it with a mixture of kale and onions which is called sukuma wiki. We were able to pray with them before we ate which was a great time to share in our faith. The meal was just as delicious as the last meal! And Sharon was not going to let anyone leave without them finishing their food.
The kids were incredible. Federis immediately clung to me and wanted to hug me and sit with me. It was exactly what I had hoped for in meeting her after hearing about her from Sharon. I brought a kickball for them and as soon as I gave it to them they were so excited. They ran outside to play with it. Mary was quite the dribbler and Federis could catch. You all know I was in heaven playing ball with little kids in Africa! (Candice--tell Camille not to worry--she would love them too!) This time playing with these kids was one of those moments I can't really write about it words. You looked at them and your hearts broke for them but smiled for them all the same. The boys came back too...Benson and Ivan. Benson was a little standoffish at first but before we left he warmed up. Maybe because he got to play with the camera and have some sweets....but he had a sweet spirit and gave me a big hug. The boys also got to play with the ball and all the kids seemed to really enjoy it. A few other new kids came around too--one little girl was Margaret and she was so sweet. I also had some twizzlers that I shared with the kids but also with Jeremiah, the grandfather. It was hilarious to watch him eat it as he wasn't sure what to do with it. He seemed to enjoy it though. For my softball family reading....I brought over a little DJP to share with Africa. DJP does Kenya if you will. I showed her to the family and the little girls LOVED her. As much as they loved her I couldn't bare to take her away. She was going to go on safari tomorrow and have her picture made with some lions but a little DJP will forever be in Jikaze with my new family in Kenya. And I couldn't think of any place I'd rather be. (The part I leave out is that her shoes/the base might have broken off during her time with the girls too. ....Sharon was so worried about them breaking it but I was sure to tell her that Coach Papa was their's to keep.)
(Federis--Mary--and DJP)
After Jikaze we went headed back towards Limuru to go to Angels which is an abandoned children's home. This experience too grabs at your heart and makes you never want to leave. There was about 15 orphan babies here. Each had a different story but I can tell a few of the ones I held and played with while we were there. Livingston was the first baby I picked up when we walked in the nursery. He was maybe 6-8 months but a big boy. He had the biggest eyes and lips. I didn't want to put him down and definitely didn't want to leave him. Then we were told that Livingston was left on the side of the road....and after that I wanted to take him with me even more. Another little guy was Solomon who was left at the hospital. He was 4-6 months and the cutest little guy. There was also an older one named Michael who loved to have his picture taken. He could walk and run around. There was even a little one month old who also was left on the side of the road. So many little ones, so precious, and yet abandoned. If God had not broken my heart many, many times already this afternoon broke it even more. When we were leaving Ron made the comment that he couldn't help but think that when Jesus returns His first stop won't be a big church or anything like that but will be a place like Angels. And I couldn't agree more. Jesus said, "Let the little children come...for their's is the Kingdom of Heaven."
(Livingston)
Our last stop of this full day was Nairobi to go to the maasai markets and have dinner. The market was insane. It is complete bartering and for those of you who have never experienced this you need to. (Well maybe not all of you as you might be overwhelmed...but Carmen, you'd be great at it!) I was pretty proud of some of the deals I got. I'll leave show and tell for when I get home but there was some really cool stuff. I wore my bright, highlighter yellow shirt.....and Tadlock, you can take pride in knowing I got so, so many comments as I walked around, Kenyans loved the color! One guy even offered me anything he had for my shirt. I seriously considered it but then thought I might be pretty chilly.....and then I talked with him more and he seemed to take away his offer of "anything." Aggressive is an understatement when it comes to these people. They would come find you 30 minutes later and offer again on the item, grab you and pull you over to see their things, try to keep you from walking away.....but I loved it! It was so much fun to barter and get the price I wanted. It was definitely an experience.
We had dinner at ArtCaffe which is one of the restaurants that Uhuru Child sells lettuce. It was a very Western type cafe, but had really great food. (And the lettuce was awesome!) There's not a lot to tell about dinner, but it was nice to have a meal at a place we know has a part in the Uhuru Child mission as one of their customers.
So today was a very full day but a day full of blessings. I will ask that you join me in prayer today specifically for Sharon and her family again--that God will hold them close and provide for them and if it is His will He will bring me back to see her again. I also ask that you pray for the babies we were able to hold today--that He prepares a way for them and brings families to them that they might be loved and treasured here on Earth and that they might grow up knowing the love of their Father in Heaven. And pray for the ladies running this orphanage....as they truly are angels here on earth. Pray that they will have the strength to continue their good works, the ability to provide for these children, and love--for they have shown some of the greatest love.
Tomorrow we wake up bright and early to head out for safari at 6AM. We'll be there tomorrow night and then back to head to the airport Saturday morning. I'm super excited for the safari and will hopefully have lots of great photos to share.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Make A Joyful Noise, All the Earth
As Taylor and I walked back to the bus tonight I turned to her and could only say "what an awesome day!" She fully agreed and asked me if I was a little teary eyed. I certainly was. That was about the only way I could describe it.
In Psalm 98 David says:
Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!
This psalm has so much content to it today. God and His salvation are known throughout the world and we make a joyful noise to Him. He deserves all the honor, glory, and praise. We had the opportunity to have chapel with the girls at the school today and it was one of the most amazing experiences. I wish all of you could take part in this to feel their joy for singing and praising God. I have videos but these will not compare to the experience. It was even better than the first day when they taught us the song. Today we were able to sing and clap and dance with them as one body. They thought of us as friends. I have no doubt it was a more than joyful noise to the Lord.
But to rewind to the beginning of the day--a very full day. We began at the school to continue some of the work we started on Monday. Some of the group continued to sledgehammer the big rocks from the rubble of the toilet demolition which are being used for the driveway. My group worked more on the potholes in the driveway. We mixed 3 more bags of cement and poured it. The driveway has definitely improved some. It may not be the best cement job but it looks a little more smooth. Dwayne and Char came to help with our group today which was a lot of fun to have them with us. (If they are reading this, you guys are great and truly an example of a Christ-centered marriage. I have really enjoyed getting to know them over these past few days.) We worked at the school for a couple hours and then headed back to Brackenhurst to change.
Next stop was going into the town of Limuru which isn't far from Brackenhurst. This was one of the most cultural experiences of the trip. We started our visit by going to Bata Shoe Outlet. This is a shoe company based out of Switzerland that has factory outlets in many parts of the world, except the US. Those of you that know me could probably guess that I had to buy a pair...and of course mine have laces. Several of us actually bought similar shoes. And they were super cheap...as in under 20 American Dollars. It was awesome!
After leaving Bata we walked through the middle of the town where the markets are. Here they have a fruit and vegetable market and on Wednesday they have a clothing market. Both were eye-opening. Minority is probably an understatement....we were the only white people there. Which was so cool. It was so interesting to see how they do life here. There were so many stands with bananas, papayas, and all other kinds of fruit and other stands with all kinds of beans and tea leaves. There was even a section with live chickens for sale. And so, so many adorable children around. I wanted to take pictures of them all but we were asked as we walked in to stop taking photos which was understandable. Many of the vendors were very friendly. We got many "oohh mzungus" (which for those of you that don't know means "white people") Once we left the fruit and vegetable area we had a short walk over to the clothing market. We stopped to talk to a man on a motorcycle. He makes his living by driving people around on the motorcycle which is a common job here. He wanted to know about where we are from and shake everyone's hand. The clothing market is full of used clothing. Everything you can imagine--from just socks, to shoes, to all sorts of tops and bottoms, to underwear. There was an area that had actual booths with tables set up where the vendors had a wide variety of items. Many others though just had a blanket on the ground with their items laid out. Again, we were the ONLY white people there so everyone noticed when we walked by. Some asked us to buy but many simply smiled and said Hujambo. The smiles on these Kenyans' faces can truly change your life. They have the most beautiful smiles and sweetest eyes. I know I have written this several times but it can't be said enough. The beauty of God's people has been on display. A few people bought woven bags from one of the last stands we walked by and at the very last stand 2 women were on the ground weaving the bags. For a few shillings they allowed us to take a picture and it was a beautiful one. (I'll have to share it later as it was taken on my phone and that's dead.) At the end of the market we all stopped to snap some photos and give everyone time to catch up with the group. Just behind the market there was what looked to be a primary school--tons of young kids running around playing. They all came to the fence to look at us and again were so cute!
After the markets we walked to the grocery store which is called Clean Shelf (although I'm not positive on the name but something close). Here we purchased gifts for our resource families in Jikaze. We each got our families two bags of flour and a large bag of rice. I can't wait to take it to Sharon tomorrow! This was a cool experience too to just see how they do daily living. There was a bridge leading over one of the main roads that led to the shopping mall where the grocery store was. We all stood there for a few minutes just observing before going to the store. It was both a humbling experience and a culturally enriching experience. The world we live in is so much bigger than what we live day-to-day.
Once we left Limuru we headed back to Tim and Jody's house to help with lettuce cleaning and packaging again. We did the same thing as yesterday but it was great to see the girls again. I got to talk to Doug and Lynn (a couple in our group) for quite a while about our families and life back home. They too are an awesome couple and it's been fun to get to know them.
It is hard to choose one particular favorite part of each day because every moment of every day has been such a blessing. Today though, the time we spent at the school that I briefly mentioned above was one of the biggest blessings I think I've experienced. Between those few hours and my time with Sharon and her family yesterday, God has truly answered prayers in a way I never imagined. We did crafts with the girls first thing. There were three rooms with three different crafts which we all split up into to help. I was in the room making paper ballerinas. (For my friends and family reading this--go ahead and laugh.) This was our time to really get to spend some quality time with the girls. These girls are beautiful people inside and out. The first girl I worked with was Gladys. Gladys had the best laugh and was so easy to talk to. We hit it off instantly and in fact made a fantastic ballerina. But our conversation and laughs were so good that it took us a little longer than everyone else. Gladys is from about 1.5 hours from here. She told me she loves school and soccer. She wanted to know about me and where I'm from and what I do. I showed her a picture of Pilot Mountain and she just laughed. She asked if I was married or had a boyfriend so I showed her a picture of some guy Korey that I sometimes hang out with :) ....she squealed and said "ohhh he's so cute." We laughed for a while over that. (Korey, don't let it go to your head.) I later found out Gladys's mom has HIV or AIDS but it's looking more like AIDS and has very little. Her family lives in an IDP camp and still in a tent. Again, my heart was broken. She is such a beautiful soul and from what Caitlin said she is very bright. God is certainly at work in her and I pray that His promise is made true in her life--that every good work He has started He will bring to completion ....I also worked with Mary. Mary was a Form 1 so a little younger but just as awesome. Mary and I bonded over sports. She said she LOVES sports and LOVES to compete. My kind of girl. She plays volleyball, soccer, and basketball. She told me she would teach me to play soccer when I come back. Mary's family lives in Limuru now where we went to the market today....but before that her family too was in a displacement camp. Both my girls came from so little but are so full of life. They in fact have filled my life...through them God has put a new joy in my spirit.
After crafts we went to chapel with the girls. Chapel started with a time of praise and worship. These girls can worship like I have never experienced. You looked around the room and none of us mzungus could help but have a huge smile and join in with them. We sang and clapped and danced. Again, bringing a joyful noise to the Father. One body, worshipping our Savior. What a beautiful picture of the Kingdom of God. Caitlin then brought the message. They are learning about the life of David and today it was on 1 Samuel 17--the story of Goliath. She did a fantastic job--God has truly blessed her with a gift to share His word with these girls. Several of the girls were so knowledgable, it was amazing. The message was on trusting in God's plan and how we often are like the Israelites--fearful of what is to come rather than relying on the promise God has made to us and trusting in His plans. Gladys (a different Gladys than the one I worked with earlier) closed us in prayer. Never have I been more blown away by a prayer. It was so heartfelt and full of the gospel. She prayed for us, the volunteers, that God may bless us--what an impactful moment. Here we are coming to serve them and wanting to do all we can for them thinking they're the ones that need us--and she prays for us a very strong, bold, and heartfelt prayer. The Kingdom of God on display again.
Leaving was the hardest part. We all shared some more laughter and took lots of pictures. A few of the girls asked to be friends on Facebook. They're getting wireless at the school soon so hopefully we can stay in touch often. After many, many photos....including several with my girls Gladys and Teresia with Andrew (they LOVED him!) ....and many hugs and smiles it was time to go. Several asked me if we would be back tomorrow and if not how about Friday....sadly I had to tell them no, this was goodbye for now until I come back. It was very tough to leave them. Even after only a few short hours they already felt like good friends and girls I want to mentor and watch grow up and most importantly walk beside them with Christ. Their spirits are incredible. One thing that really impressed me and made me smile was the dreams they have for their future. Mary wants to be an accountant (so I told her about my mom) and Rochelle wants to be a lawyer. Rochelle and I talked for a while about law school and her plans for university and then law school. She was very interested in my life and my experience. But how awesome is that--they are planning for their future and dreaming big and I have no doubt God is going to use them in mighty ways if they trust in Him. So I ask you to join me in bold prayers for these girls. That they will trust in His plans, that God will guide their paths, and that He will use them For His Kingdom's Cause. God has certainly already used them for His Kingdom's cause in impacting my life in an unbelievable way. And I continue to pray that through my inadequate words you all back home may see a glimpse of His great works here in Kenya and be blessed. He alone deserves all the honor, glory, and praise---and the joyful noise we made for him today as we experienced the goodness of God with 21 beautiful Kenyan girls.
And one last thing I definitely can't forget....Freeman has painted a mural on the wall in the dining hall at the school. It is absolutely gorgeous. And the girls LOVE it!! He spent so much time on it and definitely deserves to be applauded for it. As with most things here, the picture does not do it justice. So our hats off to Freeman--he has certainly provided a blessing to these girls!
In Psalm 98 David says:
Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!
This psalm has so much content to it today. God and His salvation are known throughout the world and we make a joyful noise to Him. He deserves all the honor, glory, and praise. We had the opportunity to have chapel with the girls at the school today and it was one of the most amazing experiences. I wish all of you could take part in this to feel their joy for singing and praising God. I have videos but these will not compare to the experience. It was even better than the first day when they taught us the song. Today we were able to sing and clap and dance with them as one body. They thought of us as friends. I have no doubt it was a more than joyful noise to the Lord.
Next stop was going into the town of Limuru which isn't far from Brackenhurst. This was one of the most cultural experiences of the trip. We started our visit by going to Bata Shoe Outlet. This is a shoe company based out of Switzerland that has factory outlets in many parts of the world, except the US. Those of you that know me could probably guess that I had to buy a pair...and of course mine have laces. Several of us actually bought similar shoes. And they were super cheap...as in under 20 American Dollars. It was awesome!
After leaving Bata we walked through the middle of the town where the markets are. Here they have a fruit and vegetable market and on Wednesday they have a clothing market. Both were eye-opening. Minority is probably an understatement....we were the only white people there. Which was so cool. It was so interesting to see how they do life here. There were so many stands with bananas, papayas, and all other kinds of fruit and other stands with all kinds of beans and tea leaves. There was even a section with live chickens for sale. And so, so many adorable children around. I wanted to take pictures of them all but we were asked as we walked in to stop taking photos which was understandable. Many of the vendors were very friendly. We got many "oohh mzungus" (which for those of you that don't know means "white people") Once we left the fruit and vegetable area we had a short walk over to the clothing market. We stopped to talk to a man on a motorcycle. He makes his living by driving people around on the motorcycle which is a common job here. He wanted to know about where we are from and shake everyone's hand. The clothing market is full of used clothing. Everything you can imagine--from just socks, to shoes, to all sorts of tops and bottoms, to underwear. There was an area that had actual booths with tables set up where the vendors had a wide variety of items. Many others though just had a blanket on the ground with their items laid out. Again, we were the ONLY white people there so everyone noticed when we walked by. Some asked us to buy but many simply smiled and said Hujambo. The smiles on these Kenyans' faces can truly change your life. They have the most beautiful smiles and sweetest eyes. I know I have written this several times but it can't be said enough. The beauty of God's people has been on display. A few people bought woven bags from one of the last stands we walked by and at the very last stand 2 women were on the ground weaving the bags. For a few shillings they allowed us to take a picture and it was a beautiful one. (I'll have to share it later as it was taken on my phone and that's dead.) At the end of the market we all stopped to snap some photos and give everyone time to catch up with the group. Just behind the market there was what looked to be a primary school--tons of young kids running around playing. They all came to the fence to look at us and again were so cute!
After the markets we walked to the grocery store which is called Clean Shelf (although I'm not positive on the name but something close). Here we purchased gifts for our resource families in Jikaze. We each got our families two bags of flour and a large bag of rice. I can't wait to take it to Sharon tomorrow! This was a cool experience too to just see how they do daily living. There was a bridge leading over one of the main roads that led to the shopping mall where the grocery store was. We all stood there for a few minutes just observing before going to the store. It was both a humbling experience and a culturally enriching experience. The world we live in is so much bigger than what we live day-to-day.
Once we left Limuru we headed back to Tim and Jody's house to help with lettuce cleaning and packaging again. We did the same thing as yesterday but it was great to see the girls again. I got to talk to Doug and Lynn (a couple in our group) for quite a while about our families and life back home. They too are an awesome couple and it's been fun to get to know them.
It is hard to choose one particular favorite part of each day because every moment of every day has been such a blessing. Today though, the time we spent at the school that I briefly mentioned above was one of the biggest blessings I think I've experienced. Between those few hours and my time with Sharon and her family yesterday, God has truly answered prayers in a way I never imagined. We did crafts with the girls first thing. There were three rooms with three different crafts which we all split up into to help. I was in the room making paper ballerinas. (For my friends and family reading this--go ahead and laugh.) This was our time to really get to spend some quality time with the girls. These girls are beautiful people inside and out. The first girl I worked with was Gladys. Gladys had the best laugh and was so easy to talk to. We hit it off instantly and in fact made a fantastic ballerina. But our conversation and laughs were so good that it took us a little longer than everyone else. Gladys is from about 1.5 hours from here. She told me she loves school and soccer. She wanted to know about me and where I'm from and what I do. I showed her a picture of Pilot Mountain and she just laughed. She asked if I was married or had a boyfriend so I showed her a picture of some guy Korey that I sometimes hang out with :) ....she squealed and said "ohhh he's so cute." We laughed for a while over that. (Korey, don't let it go to your head.) I later found out Gladys's mom has HIV or AIDS but it's looking more like AIDS and has very little. Her family lives in an IDP camp and still in a tent. Again, my heart was broken. She is such a beautiful soul and from what Caitlin said she is very bright. God is certainly at work in her and I pray that His promise is made true in her life--that every good work He has started He will bring to completion ....I also worked with Mary. Mary was a Form 1 so a little younger but just as awesome. Mary and I bonded over sports. She said she LOVES sports and LOVES to compete. My kind of girl. She plays volleyball, soccer, and basketball. She told me she would teach me to play soccer when I come back. Mary's family lives in Limuru now where we went to the market today....but before that her family too was in a displacement camp. Both my girls came from so little but are so full of life. They in fact have filled my life...through them God has put a new joy in my spirit. 
After crafts we went to chapel with the girls. Chapel started with a time of praise and worship. These girls can worship like I have never experienced. You looked around the room and none of us mzungus could help but have a huge smile and join in with them. We sang and clapped and danced. Again, bringing a joyful noise to the Father. One body, worshipping our Savior. What a beautiful picture of the Kingdom of God. Caitlin then brought the message. They are learning about the life of David and today it was on 1 Samuel 17--the story of Goliath. She did a fantastic job--God has truly blessed her with a gift to share His word with these girls. Several of the girls were so knowledgable, it was amazing. The message was on trusting in God's plan and how we often are like the Israelites--fearful of what is to come rather than relying on the promise God has made to us and trusting in His plans. Gladys (a different Gladys than the one I worked with earlier) closed us in prayer. Never have I been more blown away by a prayer. It was so heartfelt and full of the gospel. She prayed for us, the volunteers, that God may bless us--what an impactful moment. Here we are coming to serve them and wanting to do all we can for them thinking they're the ones that need us--and she prays for us a very strong, bold, and heartfelt prayer. The Kingdom of God on display again.
Leaving was the hardest part. We all shared some more laughter and took lots of pictures. A few of the girls asked to be friends on Facebook. They're getting wireless at the school soon so hopefully we can stay in touch often. After many, many photos....including several with my girls Gladys and Teresia with Andrew (they LOVED him!) ....and many hugs and smiles it was time to go. Several asked me if we would be back tomorrow and if not how about Friday....sadly I had to tell them no, this was goodbye for now until I come back. It was very tough to leave them. Even after only a few short hours they already felt like good friends and girls I want to mentor and watch grow up and most importantly walk beside them with Christ. Their spirits are incredible. One thing that really impressed me and made me smile was the dreams they have for their future. Mary wants to be an accountant (so I told her about my mom) and Rochelle wants to be a lawyer. Rochelle and I talked for a while about law school and her plans for university and then law school. She was very interested in my life and my experience. But how awesome is that--they are planning for their future and dreaming big and I have no doubt God is going to use them in mighty ways if they trust in Him. So I ask you to join me in bold prayers for these girls. That they will trust in His plans, that God will guide their paths, and that He will use them For His Kingdom's Cause. God has certainly already used them for His Kingdom's cause in impacting my life in an unbelievable way. And I continue to pray that through my inadequate words you all back home may see a glimpse of His great works here in Kenya and be blessed. He alone deserves all the honor, glory, and praise---and the joyful noise we made for him today as we experienced the goodness of God with 21 beautiful Kenyan girls.
And one last thing I definitely can't forget....Freeman has painted a mural on the wall in the dining hall at the school. It is absolutely gorgeous. And the girls LOVE it!! He spent so much time on it and definitely deserves to be applauded for it. As with most things here, the picture does not do it justice. So our hats off to Freeman--he has certainly provided a blessing to these girls!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Love Thy Neighbor On Display
In Mark 12:29-31 Jesus gives us the greatest the Greatest Commandment followed by the second greatest. In this He says, "Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” I experienced this firsthand today as we visited the Jikaze community and went into their homes.
But first we'll begin with our drive to Jikaze. It is about a 45 minute drive. As Lydia (who is an amazing woman from Kenya who is an employee of Uhuru Child) explained to me it normally is a 45 minute drive but with traffic you never know. We traveled on a highway which is used to transport goods from the ports to other East African countries. It was full of trucks and maybe one of the scarier drives I've been on. Fortunately Peter was driving for us. Jikaze is located in the Great Rift Valley and where we are staying is in the mountains so in order to get there we had to drive down the mountain. The roads here as I mentioned yesterday are not in great condition, no guardrails, and very narrow. On top of that it was a very foggy morning. So the drive to Jikaze was an adventure in itself. We were told by Tim that it normally is a beautiful view into the Valley but with the fog we could barely see a few feet in front of us (as you can see from the picture). After seeing several tractor trailers turned over on the side of the road and Lydia telling us that was a common sight we were definitely happy to arrive safely in Jikaze.
Jikaze is one of several resettlement villages in the valley. These people were displaced from their homes during the 2007 post-election violence. There is so much I could tell about Jikaze itself and the work going on there. I will invite you to check out Uhuru Child's website...www.uchild.com. They are working to create social businesses in this community and provide jobs through these so they might become self-sustaining. They have several greenhouses here where they grow tomatoes along with other vegetables as a business. Other groups of volunteers in the past have helped to build these. Community members oversee the greenhouses and it employs 13 members. We were able to see these today and meet many of the workers.
After a detailed overview from Lydia and Tim of Jikaze, its people, and the work and mission of Uhuru for this village we were able to go walk through the village to the greenhouse to see the work that has been done. Once we had done this we split into groups and met our resource families. This was one of those life-changing experiences. I know this phrase is often thrown around but this is one time I truly mean it. God's hand was on this moment and prayers were answered. As I wrote in my first post, one of my deepest prayers for this trip was that He breaks my heart for what breaks His. Getting to meet this family today those prayers were answered. The girl we met to begin with was Sharon. She works in the greenhouses and led us to her home. At first she was kind of quiet but her smile and laugh was heartwarming. She is 22 and when I told her I was about her age she didn't seem to believe me. I'm not sure if she thought I was older or younger, but nevertheless she kind of laughed. When we walked into her home it was so warm. While some of this may have been due to the chilly temperatures and rain outside, a lot of it was due to the overwhelming sense of love in the home. She was so welcoming, asking us to sit down and immediately wanting us to meet her grandfather. He came out of the back room with a big smile. His name is Jeremiah and he is 87 years old. Sharon also brought two young girls into the room to meet us--Lucy and Margaret both 11 years old. They were the most adorable little girls. Both were very quiet and shy but grinned from ear to ear with every question I asked. Margaret would barely speak but had the most beautiful face. It was so much fun asking them about their favorite color and what they liked to do for fun. Lucy told me she liked to play basketball and football so I may have to challenge her to some hoops :) Sharon also has a little girl who is 3 but she was at school. While the primary school was out and the kids at home the village has what seems to be like a day care and Ferris (which I believe was her name...but I'm going to have to double check when we return) was there for the day. In total there are 9 people living in this small house...Sharon, Jeremiah, and 7 children. There are several stories I will save for when I get back about my time with the family just to save you from reading a novel.
One thing I must share though is what I mentioned earlier of how "love thy neighbor" was displayed in such a phenomenal way. This family with so little wanted to share so much. Sharon made us tea as soon as we arrived. Typically I'm not the biggest fan of chai tea but this was awesome. Later she made us lunch and insisted we stay until we could eat. The portions she gave to us were huge and she refused to let us take any less. You could tell in her eyes, her smile, and her voice that she was so honored to have us there and be giving us something. Based on our group debriefing tonight this was how it was in each home. They were overjoyed to have us there and truly considered us friends. Sharon and I were talking about me coming to Africa for the first time and how it was great to come make a new friend and even said next time I come back she wants me to know Swahili. In everything we talked about and all she did for us I could feel the presence of God and the love in all of it. She exemplified love your neighbor in a way I have never experienced. This blog does not do it justice and I can't wait to get back and share with you all in person, but even then it will be hard to explain. ---But back to lunch...one of the best parts was Sharon asked me to help her with it. I helped peel and cut potatoes for the meal. I walked outside to play with some little boys (Ivy, Benson, and Jeremy) and shortly after she came out and asked me to come back inside so she could show me how to cook. She fried the potatoes with cooking fat and onions then added water and rice and cooked it for several minutes until all the water was cooked out. It was so delicious. I was not sure I could finish the entire bowl as she gave me so much, but I had to because it was so good and I wanted her to know that. We were only able to spend a few hours there and I would love to spend a few days. Sharon is definitely a friend now and I look forward to going back later this week. I hope to be able to play with the kids more and talk with Sharon more about the Gospel. We were able to talk some about church and we all sang the Wa milele song from yesterday but I look forward to more conversations on Thursday.
We were able to see on the drive back and it was gorgeous...picture doesn't do it justice.
This afternoon we went to Tim and Jody's house to help with the lettuce production. This is one of the social businesses Uhuru Child has started. During the production the lettuce is washed, picked through, dried, and packaged. They produce many different types of lettuce which they sell to local restaurants in town. Today we helped with American Iceberg, red romaine, green romaine, and buttercrisp. There are four girls from the village that help with this along with Francis who is a local Kenyan employed by Uhuru Child like Lydia. I worked with Alice this afternoon. I helped pick through the Buttercrisp which means getting the bad parts off the lettuce. I also helped her with it during the packaging phase. She was a very funny girl as she tried to teach Taylor Swahili. She often laughed at Taylor as she tried to speak it. Alice is 18 and has finished high school. She plans to go to university to study for a bachelor degree in commerce and wants to work in banking. It was amazing to hear her plans and dreams. She said she scored a perfect mark in math so I told her she could teach me since I don't really do math. She laughed at me. Once we were finished we were able to pray as a group with the girls. It is just a humbling experience to pray with the people here in Kenya and a needed reminder of what an awesome God we serve. He is Lord of all. The God in America is the same God in Kenya and the same God all across the world. It reminds me of one of many verses in the Bible that says every knee will bow--Romans 14:11 "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.'" And one day all that believe will bow together before the Lord and we will all sing praises to Him as one body. Being with Sharon and the family today and then with Alice and the other girls this afternoon was a small glimpse of what this might be like one day and I praise God for the opportunity to be here and enjoy His people.
(Alice is on the far right)
Again, I have made this post a lot longer than you probably wanted to read...many of you probably didn't read it all. But I hope that the length is a testimony to all that God is doing right now. There is so much more I could say and I hope I can remember when I return. Christ is at work here in Kenya, at work in our group, and at work in my heart. I asked that He break my heart for what breaks His and He is answering that prayer. I wish you all could experience the greatness of God here and the joy of these amazing people. I pray that my inadequate words can give you a glimpse of that. I don't want to disregard the need here though....there is a need for poverty alleviation that also can only truly be understood by being here and seeing it. And I pray that through the work being done here more than anything lives will be changed eternally and people will be reconciled in their relationship to God. For the Gospel is the ultimate message and one that guides all our works. We want to love because He first loved us and serve because He came to serve us.
Thanks again for reading!! Today I ask that you be in prayer for Sharon and her family--that they may continue to experience the joy of the Lord, that her work at the greenhouse might continue to grow and bring development to her family, and that our relationship might grow even in the short time we have left together that God might use me to be a blessing to her just as she has been to me.
A few fun Swahili phrases for you....
Habari?--How are you?
Jina lako ni nani?--what is your name?
Nakupenda--I love you
But first we'll begin with our drive to Jikaze. It is about a 45 minute drive. As Lydia (who is an amazing woman from Kenya who is an employee of Uhuru Child) explained to me it normally is a 45 minute drive but with traffic you never know. We traveled on a highway which is used to transport goods from the ports to other East African countries. It was full of trucks and maybe one of the scarier drives I've been on. Fortunately Peter was driving for us. Jikaze is located in the Great Rift Valley and where we are staying is in the mountains so in order to get there we had to drive down the mountain. The roads here as I mentioned yesterday are not in great condition, no guardrails, and very narrow. On top of that it was a very foggy morning. So the drive to Jikaze was an adventure in itself. We were told by Tim that it normally is a beautiful view into the Valley but with the fog we could barely see a few feet in front of us (as you can see from the picture). After seeing several tractor trailers turned over on the side of the road and Lydia telling us that was a common sight we were definitely happy to arrive safely in Jikaze. Jikaze is one of several resettlement villages in the valley. These people were displaced from their homes during the 2007 post-election violence. There is so much I could tell about Jikaze itself and the work going on there. I will invite you to check out Uhuru Child's website...www.uchild.com. They are working to create social businesses in this community and provide jobs through these so they might become self-sustaining. They have several greenhouses here where they grow tomatoes along with other vegetables as a business. Other groups of volunteers in the past have helped to build these. Community members oversee the greenhouses and it employs 13 members. We were able to see these today and meet many of the workers.
After a detailed overview from Lydia and Tim of Jikaze, its people, and the work and mission of Uhuru for this village we were able to go walk through the village to the greenhouse to see the work that has been done. Once we had done this we split into groups and met our resource families. This was one of those life-changing experiences. I know this phrase is often thrown around but this is one time I truly mean it. God's hand was on this moment and prayers were answered. As I wrote in my first post, one of my deepest prayers for this trip was that He breaks my heart for what breaks His. Getting to meet this family today those prayers were answered. The girl we met to begin with was Sharon. She works in the greenhouses and led us to her home. At first she was kind of quiet but her smile and laugh was heartwarming. She is 22 and when I told her I was about her age she didn't seem to believe me. I'm not sure if she thought I was older or younger, but nevertheless she kind of laughed. When we walked into her home it was so warm. While some of this may have been due to the chilly temperatures and rain outside, a lot of it was due to the overwhelming sense of love in the home. She was so welcoming, asking us to sit down and immediately wanting us to meet her grandfather. He came out of the back room with a big smile. His name is Jeremiah and he is 87 years old. Sharon also brought two young girls into the room to meet us--Lucy and Margaret both 11 years old. They were the most adorable little girls. Both were very quiet and shy but grinned from ear to ear with every question I asked. Margaret would barely speak but had the most beautiful face. It was so much fun asking them about their favorite color and what they liked to do for fun. Lucy told me she liked to play basketball and football so I may have to challenge her to some hoops :) Sharon also has a little girl who is 3 but she was at school. While the primary school was out and the kids at home the village has what seems to be like a day care and Ferris (which I believe was her name...but I'm going to have to double check when we return) was there for the day. In total there are 9 people living in this small house...Sharon, Jeremiah, and 7 children. There are several stories I will save for when I get back about my time with the family just to save you from reading a novel.
(Sharon and I in her home)
One thing I must share though is what I mentioned earlier of how "love thy neighbor" was displayed in such a phenomenal way. This family with so little wanted to share so much. Sharon made us tea as soon as we arrived. Typically I'm not the biggest fan of chai tea but this was awesome. Later she made us lunch and insisted we stay until we could eat. The portions she gave to us were huge and she refused to let us take any less. You could tell in her eyes, her smile, and her voice that she was so honored to have us there and be giving us something. Based on our group debriefing tonight this was how it was in each home. They were overjoyed to have us there and truly considered us friends. Sharon and I were talking about me coming to Africa for the first time and how it was great to come make a new friend and even said next time I come back she wants me to know Swahili. In everything we talked about and all she did for us I could feel the presence of God and the love in all of it. She exemplified love your neighbor in a way I have never experienced. This blog does not do it justice and I can't wait to get back and share with you all in person, but even then it will be hard to explain. ---But back to lunch...one of the best parts was Sharon asked me to help her with it. I helped peel and cut potatoes for the meal. I walked outside to play with some little boys (Ivy, Benson, and Jeremy) and shortly after she came out and asked me to come back inside so she could show me how to cook. She fried the potatoes with cooking fat and onions then added water and rice and cooked it for several minutes until all the water was cooked out. It was so delicious. I was not sure I could finish the entire bowl as she gave me so much, but I had to because it was so good and I wanted her to know that. We were only able to spend a few hours there and I would love to spend a few days. Sharon is definitely a friend now and I look forward to going back later this week. I hope to be able to play with the kids more and talk with Sharon more about the Gospel. We were able to talk some about church and we all sang the Wa milele song from yesterday but I look forward to more conversations on Thursday.
This afternoon we went to Tim and Jody's house to help with the lettuce production. This is one of the social businesses Uhuru Child has started. During the production the lettuce is washed, picked through, dried, and packaged. They produce many different types of lettuce which they sell to local restaurants in town. Today we helped with American Iceberg, red romaine, green romaine, and buttercrisp. There are four girls from the village that help with this along with Francis who is a local Kenyan employed by Uhuru Child like Lydia. I worked with Alice this afternoon. I helped pick through the Buttercrisp which means getting the bad parts off the lettuce. I also helped her with it during the packaging phase. She was a very funny girl as she tried to teach Taylor Swahili. She often laughed at Taylor as she tried to speak it. Alice is 18 and has finished high school. She plans to go to university to study for a bachelor degree in commerce and wants to work in banking. It was amazing to hear her plans and dreams. She said she scored a perfect mark in math so I told her she could teach me since I don't really do math. She laughed at me. Once we were finished we were able to pray as a group with the girls. It is just a humbling experience to pray with the people here in Kenya and a needed reminder of what an awesome God we serve. He is Lord of all. The God in America is the same God in Kenya and the same God all across the world. It reminds me of one of many verses in the Bible that says every knee will bow--Romans 14:11 "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.'" And one day all that believe will bow together before the Lord and we will all sing praises to Him as one body. Being with Sharon and the family today and then with Alice and the other girls this afternoon was a small glimpse of what this might be like one day and I praise God for the opportunity to be here and enjoy His people. 
(Alice is on the far right)Again, I have made this post a lot longer than you probably wanted to read...many of you probably didn't read it all. But I hope that the length is a testimony to all that God is doing right now. There is so much more I could say and I hope I can remember when I return. Christ is at work here in Kenya, at work in our group, and at work in my heart. I asked that He break my heart for what breaks His and He is answering that prayer. I wish you all could experience the greatness of God here and the joy of these amazing people. I pray that my inadequate words can give you a glimpse of that. I don't want to disregard the need here though....there is a need for poverty alleviation that also can only truly be understood by being here and seeing it. And I pray that through the work being done here more than anything lives will be changed eternally and people will be reconciled in their relationship to God. For the Gospel is the ultimate message and one that guides all our works. We want to love because He first loved us and serve because He came to serve us.
Thanks again for reading!! Today I ask that you be in prayer for Sharon and her family--that they may continue to experience the joy of the Lord, that her work at the greenhouse might continue to grow and bring development to her family, and that our relationship might grow even in the short time we have left together that God might use me to be a blessing to her just as she has been to me.
A few fun Swahili phrases for you....
Habari?--How are you?
Jina lako ni nani?--what is your name?
Nakupenda--I love you
Monday, June 17, 2013
We're In Kenya!
Hujambo! This means hello in Swahili.
We're in Kenya!!
We left Doha at about 2:30AM this morning. We all boarded with our bodies not sure what time it was. It was still extremely hot outside even at 2 in the morning and completely dry heat. Once boarded we all thought we would be ready to pass out. I ended up watching a movie and probably ended up getting about 2.5 hours of sleep but many people were able to sleep most of the second flight. We landed in Nairobi around 7AM. It is difficult to describe the feelings that I had when we landed in Africa. While I do not want this trip to be about me at all I have to say that I was overwhelmed with emotions as I felt a dream I have always had was coming true. More importantly though I believe those feelings were more about the Holy Spirit reminding me that God placed me here for a reason. I also had feelings of thanksgiving that God had provided for safe travel and the opportunity to serve Him. As I mentioned in the first post, I am so unworthy to serve Christ but I am so grateful for His abounding love and grace in making me whole in Him and being able to serve through that.
Walking off the plane it was kind of chilly and cloudy. It's winter here right now so the weather is cooler. Today was nothing like what many back home think of Africa. It was probably in the 50's and very cloudy. We were ready to be off a plane for a while. We all got our Visas and Praise the Lord that all of our luggage arrived. I had a brief fright as my bag wasn't with the rest of the group bags when I first got to baggage claim, but it just had not been picked up off the belt. Tim and Jody Jackson met us at the airport. Tim and Jody are members of the Summit who moved to Kenya in January and are on staff with Uhuru Child. They had a bus to drive us to Brackenhurst where we are staying for the week. Our luggage was loaded on top of the van and we were ready to head out into Kenya. It was interesting that one of the first things I saw as we walked into the parking lot was a Bible. There was one in the front window of one of the cars. If nothing else this certainly showed that the Lord is present here.
Our drive to Brackenhurst was by far one of the most interesting experiences of my life. To begin with the traffic was insane. It took us over an hour to drive what might have been 2 miles. The roads are not the best with narrow lanes and large potholes and drivers are definitely defensive. There were buses and Mercedes off-roading on the shoulder. Many people walked the road (and probably beat us to wherever they were going) as well as biked. Once out of the traffic we began to see the city of Nairobi. There were many restaurants and bar combos, a ton of car washes, butcher shops, hardware stores, and other small shops. I have never seen anything quite like it. While a part of me thought how fortunate we are the bigger part of me noticed the smiles on the people's faces and my arrogance in thinking that they are "in need." While they certainly have material needs, as I have been reading through When Helping Hurts I have come to see that reconciliation in relationships is their biggest need. A few interesting observations were the number of people sitting around outside the stores--jobs appear to be the need much more than material things, the animals roaming around were interesting to me as well. Having cows in my backyard growing up and experiencing chasing the cows back into the pasture it was strange to see cows and donkeys and goats on the side of the road. Another interesting observation were the size and number of nice large houses. You could see the enormous disparity just in our hour drive. While there were shacks all along the way with these fruit stands and trash piles and animals roaming free there were also large houses on the hills just beyond. Many of these houses were gated and had great detail in their exterior. We also passed tea fields along the way which isn't something you see in North Carolina. 
We arrived at Brackenhurst Convention Center and had a few minutes to change and eat lunch. Most of us are staying in the Team House here at Brackenhurst. There are several rooms within the house with small bunk-like beds, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room/common area. Brackenhurst also has private rooms which a few of the married couples are staying in and a nice lodge with a gift shop, cafe, dining room, and common area. The common area has a fireplace which we are all congregating around right now as I write this. It is an awesome place to stay. Showers were a bit of a challenge because the water only trickled down, but Mr. Ron Meece played handy man and fixed the shower head.
But now to the BEST part of the day! We went to the Uhuru Academy, the all-girls boarding school started here in Uhuru. We spent the afternoon there doing work on the school. When we first arrived we met the 21 girls at the school and then took a tour. Once we had toured the school we split into 2 groups and started to work. We were all extremely exhausted at this point but with it being such a short trip we did not want to miss the opportunity to serve. One group used sledgehammers and worked on demolishing a toilet (an entire bathroom...not just one single toilet :)). The rest of us worked on repairing the long driveway up to the school. As I said earlier, the roads here are pretty bad and this was no different for the driveway. There were huge potholes all along the drive and in fact our bus got stuck on the way up. We had to mix the cement with shovels. We had a huge pile of sand, a pile of gravel, and 4 bags of cement mix. We mixed the cement in a pit area and then poured it with a wheelbarrow into the potholes. It was no easy task (nor was the demolition going on with the other group). I am sure I will wake up tomorrow with some soreness in my back and shoulders...and a few blisters. We were able to fill many of the rough spots, but it could use a little more work. It was a great experience though as I got to spend time with our group leader, Darin and the Uhuru Child staff member, Joe. Joe and Caitlin live here in Kenya and run the school. They both seem like awesome people and Joe was really fun to work with. About halfway through the cement pour the "foodstuffs" arrived and the vehicle could not get up the hill due to the wet cement. This meant we carried these bags up the hill to the kitchen....bags of potatoes, vegetables, flour, and such. After that we all felt we had gotten in our workout for the day.
My favorite part of our day at Uhuru Academy was spending time with the girls. These are high school age girls--freshmen and sophomores--or Form 1 and Form 2 as they call it here. We sat in on their music session and it was so much fun. You could see God's love on each of their faces. I talked with a few of them before we got started--one's name was Rochelle. She had the biggest smile that made my day. They led us in learning a song in Swahili. We clapped and sang together. It was a song about how good God is. The lyrics are: "Wamilele, wamilele mungu wa, baraka ysu nani." After teaching us this song they chose a song to sing to us as a gift. It too was incredible. They were so passionate, with drums and cheers. They also taught us to clap as they do. It was so cool to hear us all sing praise to God in their language. Our God is the God of the world, of all people. So often I get caught in my little bubble and fail to recognize how big the world is and how powerful our God is. He rules over all the world and all the world bows at His feet and praises His name. What a might God we serve and how awesome it is to come together with 21 girls all the way in Kenya to sing a song to Him.
We headed back to Brackenhurst for the night after the music session. It has been a LONG day. Or more like a LONG 3 days. We're all exhausted and ready for bed. At this point almost everyone has headed to bed as I wrap up this post. Sorry again for the length....there was so much to tell about our first day here in Kenya! We head to the village of Jikaze tomorrow and get paired up with our family for the week. I ask that you continue to pray with my to work in the heart of the people here, the hearts of our group, and that He be glorified through it all. God is here in Kenya, He is present, and He is at work in alleviating poverty here by His name.
(There are many more photos to show when I get home...but I wanted to share a few here)
Sunday, June 16, 2013
12 hour flight down....5 hour flight to go.
When we first got on the plane it was like a sauna. I always say a prayer just before takeoff and I made sure to include "please let this plane cool off because otherwise it is going to make 12 hours seem like an eternity." And that prayer was answered. I was in a middle seat, but it wasn't so bad. Marian and Andrew, two of our group members, were on either side so it could have been worse. I think most of us were able to sleep on the plane....some more than others. I watched a couple movies and slept on and off. There was a baby that did not seem to enjoy the flight...the last hour in particular which made it less enjoyable for all of us, but overall it was a good flight.
It was a cool descent into Doha since I have never been anywhere near the Middle East. I was sitting right over a wing so I couldn't see much to begin with but the sky was very hazy from the dust as we descended. Finally when we were able to see the ground it was of course desert terrain. It was very dusty. We were able to see some neighborhoods around the airport.
We landed around 6:00PM local time. Doha International Airport is under reconstruction so when we got off the plane we had to board a bus that shuttled us to the departures terminal. And that's where we are now. Sitting in the airport waiting for our next flight to finally get to Kenya! The food choices here also are limited...a couple coffeshops, A&W, and TCBY. We're all hanging out though...Marian, Taylor, and Heather are trying to decipher the Arabic newspaper's political cartoons. It is providing for some great entertainment. We leave here at 1:30AM local time so 6:30PM back home. And next stop will be Kenya!! I am so excited to get there. God has blessed us with safe travel thus far and everyone is still in good spirits and I pray he continues to do so the rest of our journey there. In only a few hours we'll be there and we get to work shortly after we arrive, ready to invest in the people and serve them. Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Pre-Departure Reflections
Today is the big day.
Kenya awaits. I can’t begin
to describe my excitement. I
definitely feel God at work, preparing me for him to open my heart and eyes to
His great creation and to serving His people. He has already revealed so much to me during my quiet times
leading up to today. I am
continuously brought back to two particular song lyrics and two particular
verses. The title of this blog is
“for your kingdom’s cause” which comes from the lyrics of “Hosanna” by
Hillsong:
“heal my heart and make it clean, open up my eyes to the
things unseen, show me how to love like you have loved me, break my heart for
what breaks yours, everything I am for your kingdom’s cause, as I walk from
earth into eternity.”
While I was in
Australia attending Hillsong Church Christ worked in my life and my heart in
incredible ways. One moment I
remember most from that time came while we sang this song during worship. As I prepared for this trip God
continued to bring me back to these words. It is my deepest prayer that God will break me and heal my
heart, show me how to love as He loves us, and that all that I am will be to
glorify Him. Uhuru Child gave each
member of our group the book When Helping
Hurts and encouraged us to read it before going on this trip. I will discuss this book more in a
later post, but the basis of it is how to serve and help the poor without
hurting them more than we’re helping.
It discusses our view of poverty and how it should be viewed from a
Biblical perspective. That we all
are in need of God to alleviate our brokenness. As I read through some of this book the same lyrics kept
running through my head. We read
in 1 Corinthians 1:27-30--
“But God chose
what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the
world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world,
even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human
being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ
Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and
redemption, so that as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the
Lord.’”
God calls the weak,
the poor, the despised. He loves
those that are the lowest. And we
are to love and live as Christ does.
Therefore it is my prayer during this trip that this will become more of
a reality for me. That God will break
my heart for what breaks His and that He will make all that I am be for His
kingdom, serving His people, living out the Gospel. I am just as desperate for Him as those I am going to serve
and it is only through that brokenness and realization of my need for Him that
I can be used by Him to relate to others and serve them.
I also keep coming back to the lyrics of “Worthy Is The
Lamb":
“Thank you for the cross Lord, thank you for the price you paid, bearing
all my sin and shame, in love you came and gave amazing grace…..worthy is the
lamb seated on the throne, crown You now with many crowns, You reign victorious.”
As I reflect on my desire to go serve God's people in Kenya I am reminded of how unworthy we
all are. God has answered my
prayer and began to break me down.
The fall of man happened with Adam and Eve and it is only through Christ
that we can be reconciled. So
often I see myself as superior…I live in the United States, I am a Christian,
and I come from a middle-income family.
But none of that makes me any more worthy than the poorest people in the
world. Christ is the reconciler
and sustainer….as we read in Colossians 1: 16-17--
Nothing that I do makes me worthy. It is only in what Christ has done for me. And for that I am grateful and humbled. It is only by His grace and strength that I have this opportunity to go to Kenya and serve His kingdom. So again I say “break my heart for what breaks Yours, everything I am for Your kingdom’s cause.”
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible
and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things
were created through him and for him.
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
Nothing that I do makes me worthy. It is only in what Christ has done for me. And for that I am grateful and humbled. It is only by His grace and strength that I have this opportunity to go to Kenya and serve His kingdom. So again I say “break my heart for what breaks Yours, everything I am for Your kingdom’s cause.”
In wrapping up the pre-departure post I want to say a big
thank you to all of you who gave donations, words of encouragement, and most of
all prayers. God has certainly
answered prayers with fundraising and I am grateful for that. More than the money though, He has revealed
himself in my relationships. I
have been overwhelmed by the support you all have shown to me and reminded of
what amazing people I am surrounded by back home, in Chapel Hill, and all
across the country. We were
created for relationships (which will likely be another post later today or
tomorrow during our long flight/layover) and I have been blessed in my
relationships with each of you.
Please know that I love each of you, you are important to me, and I am
grateful to have you in my life.
You all are in my prayers that God will be at work in your life and I
pray He can use me, my experiences in Kenya and this blog to be a blessing to
you. Thank you again for all your
love and support! A special shoutout to my parents--Mom and Dad--don't worry! God's got this! And a big thank you because without you none of this would be possible!
We’re headed to DC in just over 2 hours. Our flight leaves at 10:55PM tonight
and 12 hours and 45 minutes later
we will be in Doha, Qatar. We have
about a 6 hour layover there and then fly to Nairobi, Kenya. I’m sure I will post again before we arrive in Kenya. Please pray for safe travels, for
fellowship within our group, and for preparation of our hearts and the hearts
of the people in Kenya. Above all
else pray that God be glorified through it all.
Thanks for following!! I'll try to keep posts shorter so you don't feel like you're reading essays every time :)
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