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!