Reagan Michelle

I'm not sure how many people will still be checking this, but I plan on using it to keep others updated on my life and prayers, and such.

It's been a great couple weeks being at home. I've been to lots of baseball, the beach, Heidi's wedding, celebrated my 21st, experienced a sprinkler going off in a hotel room, and had lots of quality down time at home with my family. As you know, my cousin and his wife welcomed Miss Reagan Michelle on June 28. Since then, she's spent about 5 hours total at home, and quickly returned back to the hospital where she has spent the past 3 weeks. God willing, she will be able to go home next week, but she will have a feeding tube for the food she's not able to take through the bottle still. There have been really good times, and also a few really scary times. It's been really awesome to see my family's constant dependence upon the Lord throughout this very trying time in their lives. My cousin and his wife have been staying at the hospital and are in charge of the normal caretaking as if they were at home, but she's still connected to many tubes and such. So they sleep there, and take care of her while older brother, Blake stays with Grandma and Grandpa most of the time. He's been handling it all very well and loves his baby sister very much. She's going to have a procedure for the stomach tube on Friday, and if that procedure goes well, then hopefully she will be able to go home next week. Please pray that it would go well and that they would all be able to return home.

She went through a bout of fluid in her lungs, but has seemed to have gotten over that; although it was quite the scare at first. She's back up to her birth weight, but still has a rough time with eating.

Here is a picture of Tammy holding Reagan and Blake looking on. He really loves little Reagan, and cannot wait for her to come home again!



She's so precious, and I can only have faith that God will send her home soon. Please join with the family and me to help her be healed!

Last Full Day in Kenya!

I definitely can't believe it, but I'm also definitely ready to come home. I got to talk to my mom last night, and it was great to say that I would see you in 2 days! We've had some crazy adventures this week, and it's been a great way to close out our time here. Last night (Friday) we had the opportunity to go to Nick's Aunt's (kinda) house to enjoy a home-cooked Kenyan meal. Her name is Aunt Jedi, not pronounced JEDI like in star wars, but we had a fun time saying it like that. She's possibly the craziest person I have EVER met. She has lived so many different places in the world, so she has a very unique accent. It's Irish, Kenyan, Southern (like american Southern) and English. But the Irish was the most dominant because she's married to an Irish man.

That was definitely the most exciting thing that happened. Tonight, we are having a farewell party with the students, so it will pretty much be our last time to hang out with the majority of them! I'm excited for it! It should be a fun time. It's just so exciting that I'm going to be home!

Some other news that I wanted to share with everyone is some stuff that's going on at home with my family. Last Sunday, June 28, my cousin Phil and his wife Tammy had a beautiful baby girl..Reagan Michelle Janeski. She was born about 3 weeks early, but seemed to be health weighing in at 6 lbs 1 oz, and only 18.5 inches long. She was doing well and was able to go home on Sunday. But that night, she wasn't feeding well and began screaming inconsolably. When she finally stopped, she was wimpering, so they were very concerned. They called their on call nurse, and they told them to take her to the children's hospital in Charlotte. She seemed to be very cold, so they had the heat on the entire way to the hospital. When they got there, her temperature was only 93. The doctors told them that they would do what they could, but it really didn't seem promising. They discovered that she has a heart issue called Coarctation of the Aorta. Basically, her aorta is narrowed, and wasn't able to pump enough blood to her extremities. They had to stabilize her before anything could be done, and they thought they would be doing a surgery on Friday to repair it. She stabilized earlier, and actually had the surgery on Wednesday. They said that the surgery went well but there's still a long road ahead of her. She's no longer on a ventilator, but is still requiring a small amount of oxygen.

My mom told me that if they had not gotten her to the hospital when they did, she probably would have died. It's scary how much she's gone through when she's only 6 days old. They're doing more tests to see if there are any other issues that she was born with. Those tests will take about a week to come back. She's been more alert, occasionally opening her eyes and moving a small amount. She is their second baby, and is absolutely precious. I'm hopeful that she will be ok, but right now the family needs your prayers. I know they will appreciate it all, and I will do my best to keep you in the loop, even when I get home!

She's so precious, and looks just like her older brother, Blake! Please pray for the family, I know they appreciate it! Love you all! Be home in 2 daysss!!!!

T-Minus 7 Days

I can't believe that it has come down to our last week. I'm very excited to come home, but am going to miss the students and staff here sooo much. This weekend we had our training program. We had spent a lot of time coming up with a schedule and preparing workshops for the students to ensure that they really learn a lot and were able to experience the Presence of God while they were there this weekend. Our theme verse was Colossians 2: 6-7 - So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. It was really encouraging to see how much the students were excited about the weekend - not only the fun parts, but also growing in their faith.

One major thing that we had to get used to was that the schedule was used only as a rough estimate for the weekend. But - we're pretty much used to it by now! Sacha, Greg and I did a workshop on witnessing and fellowship. At times it seemed like the students were paying much attention, but I think they can multi-task a bit better than we can; they absorbed a lot and were able to remember a lot also. We had really fun times when we played soccer, frisbee, volleyball, and just played with the guitars and such! We also had a massive bonfire in which we made s'mores for the students, and they LOVED them! It really was a great weekend. A highlight for me was when we were sharing our highlights in our small groups. The girls were one group, and we were all sharing with eachother. We had all gone around once and shared what we had learned, when I really felt like I needed to share the progress that I had seen in the students as a whole. Of course, I got choked up and started to cry. That was one of the first times I had really realized how much I have come to love these students. I've loved being part of their lives and helping them in their walks with the Lord. I can only pray that they continue to be rooted in Christ, and develop their ministry as a whole. I'm going to miss all of them so much, but I know that I will always have multiple homes, here in Kenya if I ever want to come back!

We've got a busy week planned, and I know it's going to fly by. Pray that we can spend as much time with the students as possible, and love them as best as we can while we're here the rest of the time! Also, begin praying for safe travels; we'll be coming back without Chris and Greg, so pray that everything runs smoothly for Nick, Brett, Sacha and I! I miss you all, and am very excited to see everyone so soon!! love, Hiliary

Highlights

I can hardly believe that, as I write this, I only have 10 days left. It's a complete shock to me, even still. So much has happened, in the past week and even things that I have forgotten about in my last post. I'll try to update with as many details as possible.

about 2 weeks ago, we had the opportunity to go to the Kibera Slums. It is the biggest slum in Kenya, holding about 1.5 million people. We first went to a school for young children - 2-7(ish) years. We took some soccer balls as well as cookies with us to give to them! They loved all of it. Then we just played with them for about 2 hours. It was so much fun, yet heartbreaking to see the children. We made such an impact on their day, and really were able to give some joy to them. After this, we went to an orphanage. There are 90 children that live there, and about 250 that go to school there during the day. We didn't spend much time there, but we will be going back next week. I can't even put into words the living conditions there. As we walked through the slums, the children would yell "how are you?" because often that is the only thing they can say in English, and most of the time they don't even know what it means. They just know that's what you say to a mzungu. Then we got to see an overlook where you can see the whole slum, or at least most of it at once. When we went through the gate to get there, there was a swarm of children that ran up to us, and would not let go of us. One little boy grabbed y hand, and wouldn't let go. He melted my heart. At that moment, I considered stealing him and bringing him home. :(
It was a great experience and I'm excited to go back and see all the children next week and take them some more supplies.

Another MAJOR highlight of the last week or so is that we got to visit with a team of students that spent 10 days in Rwanda. They had a very long lay over in Nairobi on their way home, so we got to spend an entire day with them. We rented out a 29 passenger bus that we used for the day! We got to the airport right as they were coming out, so we took of running. It was soooooooo great to see them and catch up with all of them for a while. As we were leaving the airport, we saw some giraffes. Right there, in the city - so crazy! Then we just hung out at the Y for a while before heading into town. We took them to JAVA to get some coffee, then to City Market to experience a Kenyan market. Then finallyyy it was time for dinner. We went to a restaurant called Carnivore. You pay a flat rate for a meal of many crazy kinds of meat. We had ostrich meat balls, lamb chops, beef, chicken, turkey, crocodile, and each had its own accompanying sauce. It was so delicious. They would come around with a slab of meat and use a machete to cut it off right on your plate. It was something I have never experienced before, but such an awesome experience. Sadly, after dinner we had to take them back to the airport. Leaving so late at night and coming back to the city, was like deja vue of our arrival. It was an odd experience.

Early in the week, we were also able to go to two of the students' homes for a meal! We got some home cooked kenyan food, and were able to meet some of their family members. It felt really great to be in a home again, as the Y is not so homey. Butttt, it was lots of fun, and also came with lots of adventure!

This weekend coming up, we have our training program. We will be going away for the weekend with all of the students and staff for a retreat. We will have a key-note speaker that will be speaking three different times throughout the weekend. The program will be called Deepening Roots, and based off of Colossians 2:6-7. It is our desire that the students really experience God this weekend and are able to deepend their relationship with God. As a team, we will be doing 2 different workshops. I will be helping with the one on fellowship and witnessing. They are two different aspects of our walk that are both very important, and we hope to convey to the students why they are important based off Biblical reasoning as well as personal experiences.

We are beginning to be very warn out. We seem to be tired all the time, regardless of the amount of sleep we've been getting. And, as this weekend approaches, we fear that we will continue to be tired. Please pray that we will feel rested, and be able to give our all for our last week and a half here. We want to finish strongly and be able to invest full-heartedly in the students, but it is very difficult when we are so exhausted.

It's going to be a very crazy, and busy week and a half, but I'm so excited for it! And I'm also excited to be home! Thanks again for all of your prayers and updates! miss you lotsss

Harambee Stars 2, Mozambique 1

So there surely has been a lot of exciting events since my last post! But, by far, the best thing was attending the Kenyan National soccer game. Their team name is the Harambee Stars! They had been on a 2 game losing streak, but (due to our attendance, haha) they were able to pull out with the win yesterday! It was so exciting to see the commodore around the game! It seems that everyone in Kenya is a futbol fan! for some reason, they only sold 6,000 tickets for the game yesterday, even though the stadium holds 30,000. So due to this, the stadium was very empty, butthe people that did attend were very into the match. Many fans paint their entire body and have very loud noise makers. Because I'm not a huge soccer fan, I didn't really know what to expect. BUTTT I had a great time none the less! Kenya ended up winning 2-1, in a thrilling match! We were video-taped at one point because we were some of the only mzugus there. They love talking to us, and "welcoming" us to Kenya! The tickets were so cheap; if any tickets were that cheap for professional (or college) games in the US, I would be at every single game. I paid 300 shillings which is equivalent to about $4 US.

As far as the ministry goes, it's going well. I still haven't had the opportunity to meet with my girls because they've either been out of town or too busy with exams, but now they're done! So we'll have much more time with them, and we already have been having more fun with them! Friday night we got to hang out pretty late with a group of the students, and we had so much fun getting "chips" and ice cream. It's going to be a tiring 2 weeks that we have left, but I'm so ready for it!

Maasai Village!

I almost forgot! I mentioned the Maasai Village and the people there, but forgot to go into detail about that. The afternoon on Wednesday, we were able to visit a village. They live completely in the wilderness, and usually raise cattle, sheep or goats for a living. The village we went to had 250 people living in it, with one chief. The men, called Maasai Warriors, dress in red to show their warrior status. The boundaries of the village are multiple branches of trees that have been gathered - the men do this job. The women are in charge of building the homes, which take 2 months to complete. They are built out of sticks and cow "dung". Yes, it's for real. There is one tiny hole in the wall to allow air into the building. There are usually 4 rooms - one for the children (usually 3), bedroom for the parents, a room for the fire and cooking, and a room for the family goat or cow. Room is a loose term; they are all connected and bedroom just means a place to sleep - there aren't actual beds or anything. In the center of the village is the cow ring. This is where the herd of cows stays over night to be protected from any intruders - like lions! They kill one cow for the entire village, everyday! They use the cows for their main means of nutrition - milk, meat, and BLOOD. And no, I'm not kidding. They poke a hole in an artery of the cow, and then drink it, straight from the cow. They say this helps build up their immunity, I say it's gross. Then, they are only allowed to kill any other animal if it has made its way into the village. Sometimes a lion will get into the village, and then they can kill it.

The men and women also have special dances that we were able to participate in. The women's is much less interesting than the mens, and I'm still not sure what we did when we danced with them. The men was cool. They go around in circles singing and chanting then they have a jumping contest. They can jump sooo HIGH! The guys got to jump with them, and they did alright, but the warriors could all jump much higher. The kids there melted my heart. They were so cute, but it was difficult to see them covered in flies. There were so many flies there because everything was made out of cow dung. Some had flies all over their faces, and they wouldn't even care. It was also cute to see them jumping as the men were dancing. It wasn't the most enjoyable experience, but it's definitely something that I'm glad I had the opportunity to see.

Wow --- Safari!

That's the best I could come up with for the Safari. I honestly think it was the coolest thing I have ever done. And - (thanks to the girls) - we had the opportunity to stay at a very nice lodge. I'm not even sure where to begin, honestly.

We set out early Tuesday morning, returned back to Nairobi on Thursday ~ 2:30. The journey included a 5 hour drive to the Maasai Mara, where we set out for 3 different days worth of game hunts. On the way there, we were able to stop at a lookout for the Great Rift Valley. This spans across 5 countries (I think) and it is absolutely breathtaking. Then we continued on our way. The road is a fun place to start. For a period of time, it was smooth (mostly) and then we hit some dirt. It was so crazy how bumpy it was. They also do not feel the need to stay on their side of the road, unless completely necessary, meaning there is oncoming traffic. If there is smoother road on the wrong side, then they will drive there, and wait until the last minute to move back to the correct side of the road. As we traveled, we ventured through many different villages and found the people to be very friendly. We could practically wave to everyone, and we would receive a wave in return. Of course, it was my favorite when the children would wave to us, and get so excited when they would see a white arm flailing out the window. The closer we got to the Mara, the more Maasai people we began to see. They have a very unique lifestyle that is very much...not modernized, to say the least (more on that later). Before we even got to the Mara, we saw some wildlife. I think we saw wildebeest, zebras and some giraffes. This was sooo awesome, I can't even describe - don't worry, I took a lot of pictures! When we finally got to the Mara, we began to see more wildlife. We saw some elephants, and more of the same things we had seen previously. We finally got to the lodge, and had a few hours before we would be setting out for our evening game drive. It was just in time for lunch, so we ate and then perused the area. The meals were all buffet, and we probably ate enough to keep us satisfied for 5 or 6 days. We were in love with the food there. Then, we went to see the hippos. Behind the lodge, was a hippo pond. There were so many! After this, we enjoyed the beautiful pool! We were able to rest and relax while soaking in some rays. The lodge was so nice, it was exactly what we needed. Sacha and I got to share a king size bed that had a canopy style mosquito net. The floors were all slate, and the walls were all wood. The bathroom was also fantastic, not to mention the fact that we could get hot water whenever we wanted!!! On the first game drive that evening, we saw so much amazing stuff. We saw so many elephants, and antelope and that sort of stuff, but the coolest (by far) were the lions we saw. They are usually pretty rare, and difficult to find, but we didn't have any issues. There was a whole pack of them that were hanging out. There were two males that were leading the group. They had previously killed a buffalo (probably 2 days before) but were still in the process of eating all that they could. While one male kept watch for any scavengers, the other one laid on top of the carcass, with a very full belly. It was quite the sight. Then, we went up further on the hill, and found about 7 more lionesses and cubs. They were all so full from eating the buffalo! It was so awesome be to so close to the lions!

Other than the lions, we saw soo many elephants. By the end, we really wanted to see a rhino and a leopard so when we continued to see the elephants, we were getting annoyed. It was so much fun though, and I continued to be in awe from God's majesty. I don't think I've been in a situation like that where I've been able to see just how big God really is. It was awesome to see the sunrise, and the sunset two different times each. The classic picture of Africa with the Acacia tree in the foreground was just so beautiful. (and yes mo, I took lotssss of pics of it)!

the whole trip was the perfect length and provided us with an awesome opportunity to get out of the city (much needed).

now that we're back in the city, i think things are going to be easier. We've spent some time in the city, and just hanging out and resting up while the students are taking exams. We've begun the planning process of a training program that will take place next weekend, our second to last weekend here. I'm very excited to see the students grow and just have a very fun weekend with them, sharing in the love of Christ and helping equip them in their walks with the Lord.

I almost forgot some major event. Last Monday, we were able to meet up with Courtney, Corey and Kaitlin who were preparing to go home after their time in Nyeri, Kenya. It was SO great to see them, and have a little taste of home. We spent the afternoon/evening together as we took them to the Arboretum to feed some monkeys and then had a great dinner and dessert with them before saying our farewells. I loved seeing them and just sharing a bit of our trip with them as well as hearing about theirs.

I really think it's going to be an awesome 3 weeks that we have left. It's crazy to say that we've been here for 25 days already, as the beginning seems so far away. After we got back from the Safari we had a meeting with Naftali. It is always very encouraging for us to hear about our work from him. In this meeting he told us that we had already accomplished 6 weeks worth of work in the 3 weeks that we had been here so far. He told us that he doesn't want us to have an agenda when meeting with the students, but just to spend time with them and form relationships that will last. I think that was something very important for us to hear, as it can be difficult for us to see the progress. To us, the progress seems so small, but to him it's so much more than he could have imagined. It was a huge reminder that I cannot put a measure of success in this trip of my own standards. I have to constantly remind myself that I am doing the Lord's work, and that I cannot mess that up. He's the one doing the work by using the Holy Spirit in my life.

Please keep in your prayers:

• time with the students; that we could share in our lives and not feel like we are working when we are with them
• continued rest - i have much more appreciation for the staff now than i ever have before - i'm exhausted all the time!
• continued patience with the students and time, but also with each other
• a sincere appreciation for the country, and the people here

Just a Quick One!

So last night, we went to the student center to see Gloria dance. She's in a Christian dance group, and they were performing at a club they were having on campus. Of course, we were the only white people there...and the only open seats were in the front, right in the center. When the main guy was preparing to sing one of his songs, he was telling the audience one part that they would have to sing out when it came to that. Then he wondered what it would be like for us to sing, so he came up to us and had us sing it in front of everyone there. Of course, you can imagine how red my face was, but I did it. We all did - and then he gave us Swahili names, which he couldn't remember afterwards when he came to talk to us (lame, I know!) haha, but that was just a fun memory that happened not long ago that I wanted to share! more to come after the SAFARI!!!!

A Full Week!

Since the last time I wrote, much has happened. After the sleepover, we had some down time which we spent in the city, and then made it back to the Y for the evening. Sacha and I passed out. We were trying to read, but ended up falling asleep due to the amount of sleep we got at the sleepover. We slept for 4 hours, and then decided to shower and wake up for a bit so we could sleep the rest of the night. The guys were playing cards, so we decided to play with them for a while. Then we went to be around 11 and slept through the entire night (Thank God!). Monday is our day off, so we were able to sleep in before spending a day in the city. We started the day of with (what else?) Java House. The waiters and waitresses are getting used to seeing our faces there multiple times a week (Although we might have found a competitor). Throughout the rest of monday, we walked around the city looking at various shops throughout and just hanging out as a team. It was a National Holiday here in Kenya, so a lot of the city was shut down. It was fun to have time in the city with just the team, and nothing else to worry about.

Tuesday morning we decided to check out another coffee shop in town. We went for breakfast and I was able to get FRENCH TOAST. I love french toast, and everything about this place reminded us of home. It was great to go there for our team Bible Study which we are reading a book called One Thing You Can't Do in Heaven. It's all about the importance of sharing your faith with non-believers, because once you are in Heaven you won't be able to do it since everyone will already be believers. Through this book, and even just being here in Kenya, God has really been showing me the importance of sharing my faith and how little I do this. We spent about 2 hours in Savanna, this newly discovered American Coffee House!! After that we walked around town a bit and went to another Market - the Maasai Market. This market is much bigger, and the people there definitely surround you as you walk in, and they didn't leave us the entire time despite our insisting they did. Greg and Chris bought a set of warrior things - a shield, 2 knives and a spear (which they're regretting now), but they bargained so much that they felt like they had to do it. Tuesday is BOGO day for Pizza. We decided we would order pizza before heading to campus for the small and large group meetings that night. We told Naftali - our leader here - what pizzas we wanted. We were going to get 4 pizzas total - 2 full price, and 2 free. He misunderstood us and bought 8 pizzas total. Luckily, we were able to give the leftovers to the students when we met them later on campus. We hung out, waiting for the students to arrive, and we sung songs and had a good time. Then we split up into our small groups to lead our first Bible Study with them. Sacha and I shared the Bridge Illustration with them, and showed them the importance of Jesus Christ in making it to Heaven someday. Then we discussed our study,but found that we ran out of time, as we didnt get to discuss everything. The discussion was good though, and I was glad that the girls had the input that they did.

Wednesday was a very long day. We started the day with going to the Arboretum again for prayer and planning time. When we got to our usual spot, there were so many monkeys. We fed them all, and had a fun time learning about them. The little baby monkeys are my favorite! We spent some good time in the word and praying before we had a planning meeting. It seems like these meetings take too long, and don't accomplish much. By this time, we had to have lunch then have a meeting with our guides for the Safari that is coming up next week. Again, not much was accomplished with this, but we're learning to be more relaxed and get used to their culture here. After this, I met with both of my girls for my one on one times. Zembi is a great girl and she's very easy to talk to. We talked for almost 2 hours. I wish we had been able to talk more about her quiet times and what we was learning in the word, but we are still getting to know eachother before we can share that personal information. Then I met with Valary, and the same thing happened. She's much quieter, and the conversation is a bit more difficult. But, she can be very funny when she's feeling comfortable. After this, we were exhausted and needed some down time. We spent the rest of the evening reading and eating dinner here at the Y and just soaking up the down time. It is draining, both spiritually and physically to do so much in one day, and to do it nonstop.

Thursday is the day when Sacha and I go to the Navheadquarters to have lunch with Mary. Before this, we went to Savanna again to have a real breakfast and enjoy the American atmosphere (sometimes, we just need a break). For lunch with Mary, we have to catch a bus or matatu to get there. That can be a little nervewracking as they are always crowded and we're still not able to do it on our own, but need a chaperone to go with us. The time with Mary is good, and we get to use the internet for free at the Navheadquarters (which is a major plus because it is much faster!) Then later, Sacha and I went to do evangelism in the dorms with Valary and Gloria. They each shared the Bridge Illustration in one room, and they did a great job. In doing this, we were trying to help build their confidence. They had some questions afterwards,b ut overall they did a great job. We spent the rest of the day hanging out at the Y. The boys wanted to go out to eat, so they did, and then Sacha and I enjoyed some time together eating at the Y.The boys brought us back some ice cream (which is definitely different) but it was very thoughtful of them to do that for us. We played some games the rest of the night before finally heading to bed.

This morning - Friday - we were supposed to go to Java to have a team meeting. It was definitely God that planned the rain that kept us around the Y to have the meeting. It was great time for us to share in the things we have been struggling with, and definitely a time of encouragement to the other team members. We spent time praying for the students and the ministry and loving each other. It really was a great time to spend together, and as soon as we were done the sun came out.

Coming up next week, the students will be very busy, and less available. It is the first of 2 weeks of final exams. It was decided that it would be the perfect time for our Safari. We will be heading to the Maasai Mara Tuesday morning for 3 days. I'm very excited to get out of the city, and see what else Kenya is like. I'm hoping it can be a time of rejuvination and rest as we take a break from the ministry. ALSO...Courtney and Corey will be spending most of the day on Monday with us before they head home on Tuesday. I'm SOOOOO excited, as we thought we might not get to see them since we're leaving for our Safari, but they decided to come a day early so we could see them. I think it will be a great day, and I can't wait to catch up with Courtney!!

Please keep us all in your prayers. There are things that are continually frustrating, and we know that our attitudes can only be changed through God, and constant prayer. Pray that we would be able to be encouraging to our fellow teammates, and to always remember that we are here working for God, and it will not be in vain (regardless of visual progress). Pray also for the students - that they would have a desire to make the Lord a priority in their life, and that they would be disciplined in their quiet times. Many of them are at this point, and need a lot of prayer. Also for the ministry - pray that the leaders would have the wisdom they need in order to fulfill God's will. They are at a major point of transition, and a firm foundation for the ministry is crucial at this point. Pray that others would want to come to the University of Nairobi, and that they would know, love, and equip the students as disciples of God. We pray daily for them, and only through prayer will these things be accomplished. I appreciate all your prayers so much! Thank you all for following my trip with me.

Monkeys and a Cheetah!!!

Well, I know it's been a few days since I've written last, so I will do my best to catch you all up on the activities of the past 4 or 5 days, or so.

So, Tuesday evening we were finally able to meet the rest of the students that we had not met yet. We gathered in a dorm room, and ended up being packed in, to the max. It was very hot, but also very encouraging to see all the faces. We had been told to expect ~16 students. There were 26 people there total, so it was awesome to see the way God was working already. We split up into our small groups and I'm very excited to be leading a group of about 6 with Sacha. They have always had mixed gender studies, so I'm very excited to share this experience with these women, and be able to go a bit deeper in the study. I also met the girls that I will be meeting with: Zembi and Valary. They are both very strong in their walk with Christ; my role will be helping them develop further leadership skills and want to take charge of their role in the ministry and be the leaders they have the capacity to be. We will also be working with them in evangelism in the dorms. This is a major area that Naftali would like to see the ministry grow in, so we will be doing door to door evangelism once a week with the students. This is something I'm nervous about, but God really has been showing me the importance of sharing my faith with those around me.

Wednesday we started the day off by going to the Arboretum to have prayer time individually as well as as a group. This is where we saw the MONKEYS! They were all over the park, similar to that of the squirells at PSU. They came right up to us and we fed them --- starbursts. They absolutely loved them. The students couldn't believe that we fed them becuase they do not see them as being cute little monkeys; they are the annoying animals that always steal their food when they are eating at the park. In the afternoon, we had some free time in which we spent hanging out at the Y; we read, hung out and even took a little nap. We decided to go downtown for dinner instead of staying at the Y so we went to Java House. At that point there was nothing better than having a nice cheese burger! :) In the evening there was a concert at the University. It was a variety of rap and hip-hop artists; some even being Christian. It is an event that takes place only once a year, and we were fortunate enough to be there for it. After the concert, they all stay there to watch the UEFA soccer championships game. We got rained on, but it was a very fun time to hang out with the students, just having fun. I feel like I'm really connecting with Gloria, even though I am not meeting with her. I'm excited to form a friendship with her, and the other students.

Thursday we had the majority of the day free, or atleast open to meeting with students. I had the morning to spend in the Word, and then Sacha and I went to the NavHeadquarters to have lunch with Mary. We will be doing this once a week so that she can help keep us accountable in our quiet times as well as be a resource for us throughout our time here. I'm excited to learn from her as well as form a relationship with her. After this, we wanted to go into town to use telephones so we could call home. It was about 4 pm here, but 9 at home. Lady - I know how precious your sleep is, butttt I figured it was worth it to call and wake you up on your day off! It was great to call home and talk even though we got SOAKED in the rain on the way there, and on the way back (I think my jeans are still drying - ha!). Then I had my first meeting with Zembi. I learned so much about her and her family. She's a lot of fun, and has a ton of energy. Later that evening, Sacha and I went with Zembi to a study that she was leading in her hall. She is in medical school and has really reached out to her fellow classmates. It was encouraging to meet the girls that came, and be involved in her study this week. All of the women had a lot to offer, and really showed evidence of walking strongly with Christ.

Friday was another day that we had the morning free. This is often the case most days. We though it would be a good idea to go into town and walk around a bit before getting something for lunch (surprise, at Java house)! We decided to see what the city market would be like. The people bombard you when you walk in. They want the mazugos (white people) to come to their place and buy something so badly that they often get in your face and nearly force you to come to their booth. One guy even offered me money for my sweatshirt. Then we ate lunch and hung out at Java for a while. We left and went to walk around some more. We went back to the market and I went to get my camera out...and it wasn't in my bag. I had a little spaz. I knew I had it out at the Java house, so we walked quickly back and luckily the people sitting across from me saw that it was still there and told the waitress. They had put it back in their safe so nothing would happen to it. THANK THE LORD! Then I met with Val - she's very fun, and I'm excited to get to know her as well. We went to Journey later which is like a big worship service but a fair amount of people that go are non-Christians. It's a great outreach opportunity.

Saturday we went on a Safari walk AKA a zoo. I thought it would be more of a scene of being in the wild, bt it definitely was not. There were fences and it was very similar to a zoon in the US. EXCEPTTT we got to pet a cheetah! There is another place to go that allows this as part of the fee, but we did not want to pay for admission to both places. So our tour guide pulled some strings for us, and we were able to pet the cheetah. It was such an awesome experience. Later, we had planned to have a sleepover at Diane's house. She lives with her Aunt, and it was awesome to meet her and be in a true Kenya household. Sacha and I went early to help cook. We made chapati ourselves as well as learned how to make ugali. It was so much fun to help cook and learn the ways of a traditional African household. We ate very late and ended up staying up late playing lots of games with all of the students. There were about 30 people there altogether. WE didn't get much sleep, but it was definitely worth it.

Well, that about gets you up to date with my life, so I think that's going to be it for today. I can't wait to tell you about my expriences even more as they continue.

Please pray for additional patience, as time doesn't mean much to them. Love you all, and talk to you soon!

Details, Details, Details!

Well, today is Tuesday. We have already had lots of great times. Yesterday, we went to the Navigator headquarters and were able to learn about the Navigator program throughout Kenya as a whole. It was awesome to learn about the different Universities and how different the program can be in each place.

Many fun things have happened thus far; the drivers in Kenya are...crazy, to say the least. We have only had two different rides in a matatu (Swahili for van - typical safari vehicles). Our driver's name is Muau (mwow), and he definitely gives us a good time when riding around. Oh, and they drive on the opposite side of the road then we do, so that's confusing - especially when crossing the street. Then we had some down time later on, when we played some soccer and met a few students. We met two of the main students on campus: Arnold and Gloria. They gave us a tour of campus and a little of the town where there is a park that is close to the Y. Gloria is very fun and outgoing; I'm very excited to talk to her and get to know her better. Tonight (tuesday) we will be meeting the rest of the students. I will meet the girls I will be discipling as well as the other girls and guys. I'm very excited to meet them because they are the reason we are here. We will have a large group meeting as well as a small group meeting to get to know the students a little better. Sacha and I will be in a small group together with about 5 other girls and a volunteer staff person, Diane. We met Diane at the airport when we first got here, and she seems very fun and outgoing also.

I know many of you are wondering what the food is like here. So far, most of what I have tried is fairly normal. At the Y, breakfast is included with our stay and they have the same meal every morning: eggs, sausage, mandazis (sort of like donuts), porridge and coffee. For lunch and dinner they have three different options, and sometimes others too. They have chicken, beef stew (most frequent purchase), matumbo (beef intestines- I haven't tried, but some of the guys have...some like it, and some don't). It is served with rice, chapati - tortilla like stuff, or ugali - sacha likes to call this corn paste; there isn't much taste and it kinda looks like potatoes. Other than that...I've had pizza, chicken, fries...all that good american greasy stuff - haha. I'm excited to try other native foods though.

As far as the ministry goes, we are at a unique position. The Nav ministry at the University of Nairobi has undergone some transitions. They are at a point of rebuilding and they are hoping that we can pave the way for the future of the program. This does seem like a fair amount of pressure, and at times we are feeling it. Although this is the case, we know that there is nothing we can do to make our time here more successful or less successful. All of that is in the hands of the Lord; He already knows how it will all turn out, we just have to be His hands and feet to make His will happen here in Nairobi. Things you could pray for would be that the students have the desire to grow in their walks with the Lord. Many of them are committed, but need encouragement within their walks, and we hopefully will be able to equip them properly. Another thing we are dealing with is the issue that right now is about two weeks before their finals week. This could make it difficult to spend a lot of time with the students as they are preparing for exams. Their exams are much more comprehensive than our's, as they cover material from an entire year, and all subjects. Their days are also longer - they have classes from8-5 everyday; although they are slowly down in order to have adequate preparation time for their exams.

The students we have met already are really eager to meet us, and are so glad that we are finally here. They have been preparing for us as long as we have been preparing to come, if not longer. They are all very kind, and I can't wait to get to know them even more, and learn more about their culture as a whole. Another fun cultural difference is the weather. This is their cold season, and we are all very warm. Today is a cooler day - maybe in the upper 60's, low 70's and they are all freezing. They say that 11 degrees Celsius is freezing to them...which would be about 50's for us. It's funny to see them all bundled and in winter jackets when we are in shorts and t-shirts! We also love learning the Swahili slang, and are constantly asking how to say certain things. Your continued prayers are greatly appreciated and I can't wait to continue to update all of you. It's an amazing city, and I'm excited to see the work God is doing in Kenya. I love all of you, and I'll talk to you soon!

WE'RE HERE!!!!

well everyone, I just wanted to let you all know that we are here, and have been for almost 18 hours. the flight was long, but everything went smoothly, and we had no issues at customs or anything. we got in, had some chicken and french fries because we were starving, then went to the YMCA where we are staying. I got a good night's sleep. I was too exhausted to be picky; but it definitely is different.

One awesome thing already was going to church on the campus. We haven't met any of the students except for one that we've been in contact with throughout the planning process. It was awesome to sing songs in Swahili this morning at church; and although I didn't know what it meant or what I was saying, it was awesome to be worshiping the Lord with others in their native language. And, for all of you that know my love of children --- they are everywhere, and SOO cute. It's very hard to ignore them when they come up to us begging for food or money as their parents have them do when they are homeless. Well, my time is about up on this computer, so that will be it for now, hopefully I can write more details soon!

Today is the Day!

Well, this is it; my bags are packed (to the max) and I'm ready to go. I head out with my team later today, around 4:30. The journey will be roughly 20 hours total (really not too bad, considering how far we're actually going!).

Last night we gathered at Chris' house, in State College, to pack some additional things we will be taking over for the students. We went over all the small details that Chris had organized and needed to remind us of. The Lord really has blessed us with a great leader, and I'm so thankful for all the work he has put in to plan this trip for our team. I'm thrilled beyond belief, and I think it might be starting to sink in, that this is actually happening. It's been a long time coming; after all, we have known we would be doing this since the beginning of November last year.

A few things you could be praying about:

• safe and smooth travels
• team unity and cohesion throughout the trip
• for the students; that they would be open and receptive to the Gospel, and that we truly would be able to form lasting relationships with them
• for the Navigator ministry at the University of Nairobi - they're very small right now, and much of what we do will potentially be how the ministry is run in the future; that we would be able to do what the Lord has planned for the ministry there, and that we would just be the hands and feet to get it started the way He wants it to be

Thanks again to everyone, for your continued prayer and financial support; I wouldn't be able to do this work if it weren't for the Lord placing you all in my lives. I love you all, and cannot wait to keep you updated throughout the summer!

next post: FROM KENYA!!!!!

One Week Away

Well friends, I was thinking a blog might be the best way to keep up with my upcoming trip to Kenya. I will do my best to update it frequently, but I'm not totally sure what the internet situation will be like; so bear with me. I'm currently spending time at home preparing for this adventure. I've gotten to spend time with my family and it has been really good. Now there's so much to do...it seems like my list is neverending! Butttt, good news is, is that tomorrow is a girls shopping day -- Morgan (my sister), Lady (my mom) and I will be shopping for the day getting most of my necessities for the trip. I'll do my best to keep you updated as often as possible!

Prayers for smooth and safe travels would be greatly appreciated!