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!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
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!
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!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
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!
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!
Friday, May 22, 2009
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:
next post: FROM KENYA!!!!!
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
next post: FROM KENYA!!!!!
Friday, May 15, 2009
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!
Prayers for smooth and safe travels would be greatly appreciated!
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