kenya dig it?

i should have updated the blog after my time in nairobi. now you’ll be getting the condensed version…that happens a lot.

i enjoyed my day in kibera so much. it was such a delight to meet the children & to get to have an art class with them. on friday evening i got the opportunity to meet & have dinner mercy, a student from kibera. let me start off by saying, people here don’t have the same mindset when looking at schools or careers. dreaming is so very uncommon to see. people don’t think ‘what do i WANT to do?’..it’s more often ‘what do i HAVE to do?’ mercy’s more practical idea after secondary school was going to business college, but that’s not what she WANTED to do…that wasn’t her dream. mercy wants to be a fashion designer. so, despite the cost & despite coming from kibera, mercy set out to make fashion design school a reality for herself. she is the 1st student from kibera to attend this small school that happens to be the only one in east africa. what are the chances we would have a connection & be able to meet?! that’s pretty Divine, i’d say! it was so inspiring to hear her talk. i hope we are able to share ideas & continue to communicate. hopefully after transferring, i can get my department on board to help sponsor mercy & help get her through this costly school.

today i got the opportunity to visit a school for the deaf. it was an incredible experience! the school is set up quite nicely & seems to have a staff that is trained & really cares. the kids were excited to have a visitor & even more excited i could sign with them. the sign language here is a bit different from back home, but we were able to communicate for the most part. disabilities are often looked down upon here. there are few resources for them, & they are often times hidden by family members. it is so nice to see them being able to learn & grow in such a nice environment. there is absolutely no reason these children can’t be successful, and i am so happy they are being given the tools necessary to do so!

well i’ll be leaving kerugoya for good next week. it’s bitter sweet. i will miss my girls terribly, but i am also excited to see a few other ministries in nairobi & spend a bit of time there. i have enjoyed my time in kenya. it hasn’t been easy.  most days i would have gotten on a plane if one had landed in front of me. but, i have learned so much, & i have grown so much. i can see so many ways my life has changed, & have seen lives change around me. i am thankful God led me here & gave me such an opportunity to serve, & i am also thankful that He has given me a wonderful family & great friends that are waiting on me back home. i am so excited that it won’t me much longer before i get to see them again!

howdy.

so, i’ve slacked a bit on blogging. sorry friends.

but no worries. i’m here to turn that around. (;

well i came to nairobi today to see the flemings off to canada. i’m sad to see them go. after this i will officially be the only “not african” person living in kerugoya. haha

well i finished up painting the murals. it was nice to help out in a way that i enjoy so much. you’re definitely pushed to the limits & tested here. you’re asked to do a lot of things you would never normally even attempt. it’s nice to see God use you in ways you could never imagine, but it’s nice to find comfort in something close to your heart. i hope the kids enjoy them, & they help as learning aids. the girls have all started back to school, and believe it or not, they were all very happy to go back.

i got to spend the afternoon with 2 great people from close to home. i became familiar with an organization called bedouins international a while back through some friends. their goal is to use art & media to help others communicate their cause. click HERE to check out their page & to see what they’re doing & ways you can help. 2 of the people involved, stephen devries & jessie lambert, came to kenya for a project. they’re back in nairobi for stephen to fly out for a new project & jessie to fly back to the states. it was so nice to have conversation without language barriers…& with people with mutual friends, at that!

anyways, it’s nice to back in nairobi. i’m going to visit a school in the kibera slum tomorrow, and i’m excited about that.

i hope everything is good back home. as always…i miss you all. i can’t wait to see you! (:

gnats.

hi everyone.

i’m a bit behind on blogging. i’ve been a pretty busy gal.

i left nakuru last thursday. i was wiped out and completely exhausted, to say the least, but i already miss my home there & 21 sweet, sweet babies. little moses & i had an especially hard time parting. i left there and headed for brekenhurst for spiritual life conference. i got to meet most of the sim kenya missionaries as well as the few we have in tanzania & uganda. it was a nice weekend of fellowship, good music, good messages, & good food. our speaker was stan key, a preacher from a church in up state new york. we talked mostly on the good kings of judah, and they were amazing, much needed messages. it was nice to see the friends i’ve already made here and be able to spend time with them.  yesterday i headed back to kerugoya. these past couple weeks have flown by, but i feel like i haven’t been here in forever. of course i was so happy to see my girls. purity lost her 1st tooth! some of the girls are still away, but now worries- i’ve still found a way to keep busy. i’m starting on some murals at a school tomorrow morning. please continue to keep the girls & the plan here in your prayers. please remember me as i transition back into life here. it is much more isolating and emotionally challenging. although, it is important for me to not let that loneliness turn into bitterness, but strengthen my relationship with God and dependence on Him.

i hope everyone is doing great back home. you are all terribly missed, & i can’t wait to see you.

cheese.

howdy.

i’ve had several people ask about pictures. it takes 10 years to upload them on here, but they are on facebook. however, most of the people asking don’t have a facebook. so, if you click on the pictures link at the top, you will find 2 links to the albums.

(:

happy easter!

i really should have blogged in between some things. now i have so much to write about!

well, my time in nairobi was wonderful. it was so nice to get to know some of the other missionaries & spend time with them. i went to a tea plantation last monday, & left early tuesday morning for masai mara. it was unbelievable. there really aren’t words to describe how overwhelmingly beautiful the land & life there is. i was in constant awe & thanksgiving of creation. we saw lions, giraffes, gazelles, impalas, zebras, elephants cheetahs, a black rhino, hippos, an alligator, monkeys, hyenas…& well, lots & lots of other things. we caught the lions on honey moon. they have no privacy policy. the mara is absolutely amazing. the sky & land seems like it goes on forever. we got to see the sunrises & sunsets…and of course, i love the trees. i really don’t know how anyone could see all of that & not believe there is a God who perfectly created it all & placed it exactly as it should be.

while in the mara, tabera & i went to visit a masai village. it is probably one of the most enjoyable experiences i have had since coming to kenya. they live in the plains, amongst all the wildlife, in tiny huts made from olive tree branches & cow poo. (& it actually doesn’t smell so bad, believe it or not.) they wear red clothing to scare away the lions. in the past, they had to kill a lion to be married. however, now most only kill in defense. they are one of the few people groups of kenya where the majority have stuck to tradition & kept their nomadic ways of life. they herd cows, & that’s all their diet consist of- meat, blood, milk. they asked us if we’d like to try their blood/milk combo. we passed. ha… they welcomed us with a dance & song/chant. then we joined them for dancing & jumping contest…i think we lost. (; the women showed us their jewelry & things they had made, & then i danced & sang with them. they were so friendly & welcoming, & i am so glad i got the chance to spend time with them.

as soon as i got back to nairobi, i was on the road again for my new 2 week placement. there are less children than i though- only 21…however, i don’t think “only” should be used to describe any amount of children all under the age of 3. most are 2 & 3, & there was a special surprise- newborn baby esther! (: i have officially made it over 24 hours. it’s nap time here, & i am already exhausted! it is constant chaos, but i love it! i can imagine it’s hard to discipline 20 toddlers, but geez…they hit & kick & throw & bite & spit like crazy! it’s a bit frustrating, but we have 2 weeks to work on that one. but, they are very sweet as well. they’ll grab my cheeks & lay big wet ones right on me! a couple of them have even decided to call me mommy, & i wish i could take them home with me! i usually have baby esther is one arm, a couple hanging on my legs & about 4 holding the other hand. it’s wonderful (: lets see if i can remember names…david, evans, charles, timothy, moses, 2 esthers, tabitha, tabby, (i don’t know how this happens when 1 person is naming them?) eluid, magy, rebecca, elizabeth, debra, mercy, freshia, merriam, alice, martin, & joshua! i have my hands full, but i am more then happy. i don’t know how anyone could even abandon these sweet faces, but i am so glad they have a good home. the managers are a very sweet & loving family, and care for these children so well.

i feel like there are so many more things i need to say, but my brain is on overload. oh yeah, check out the flor ala, una’s publication here. (:

i love you all. i think i need to squeeze a nap in too! (oh no. as i hit the exclamation mark, a shrill let out from upstairs. back to work! haha)

You make beautiful things out of dust.

“all this pain…

i wonder if I’ll ever find my way.

i wonder if my life could

really change at all.

all this earth

could all that is lost ever be found?

could a garden come up from this ground

at all?

You make beautiful things.

You make beautiful things out of the dust.

You make beautiful things.

You make beautiful things out of us.

You make

me new,

you are making me new.”

-gungor, beautiful things

one month ago i stepped off a plane into nairobi. this wasn’t anything like home. the people were different. everything was dirty. everything was loud & confusing…and everything was SO african. a few days later i got dropped off in the middle of no where, africa where i was the only little, white girl. i had to relearn how to do everything. nothing was familiar. i felt like a walking freak show…but, i had 13 little girls that needed me to be strong & to give them every bit of love i had. God gave me the strength to get through it, & gave me more & more love for them every day. yesterday i left my little girls for the next couple of weeks. it wasn’t easy, but i could hardly believe the progress we’ve already made! i rode into nairobi, & i could hardly believe my eyes! this was the cleanest, grandest place i had ever been to. it’s funny how your perception can change. i got to spend time with my mentor, then have dinner with my new flat mates. i’m staying in the ‘single gal’ house with sarah from oregon, cordula from germany, & evelyn from switzerland. i can’t tell you how nice it was to sit back & just have a normal conversation with people who understand a lot of my struggles & joys of kenya. i can’t tell you how exciting it was to have a hot shower, or see a washing machine…or a chocolate bar. i am so thankful that this is changing my heart & my priorities more & more every single day. i am so thankful that when i said, “God, use me,” He did….and when i told Him, “maybe i wasn’t right for the job,” i am so thankful that He didn’t give up. one of the things that i have been trying to explain with some kenyan friends is the purpose of trials. they think you must have done something wrong to be enduring something unpleasant, and they can’t see the good things that come after. i’ve made no secret that there have been some really hard days for me here. it feels like walking through fire a lot of the time…but, when we walk through fire God won’t let us be burned, & in the end the only things left are what’s of worth. if we let Him, He will make beautiful things out of us.

here, there, everywhere.

during a nightly devotion, i read to the girls the story from luke about Jesus helping simon & filling his net with fish. i made a net out of paper , & they each colored a fish or two, & we hung them in our net. our memory verse was psalm 124:8, “my help is in the Lord, maker of heaven & earth,” to remind us God is our provider & everything we need. He’ll provide for us like He did for simon. reading the story & talking about it with them, i was able to see it’s importance in my own life right now. God asked simon to cast out. simon reminded Jesus he had caught nothing all night, but still he said, “okay…with Your help, i will.” God said go, & i reminded Him, “i don’t have $7,000, & i don’t exactly know what i’m doing…but okay, i trust You.” when simon saw the miracle that Jesus had provided, he fell at Jesus’ feet, and asked him to leave because he was so ashamed of his sinful nature. when i got here, i fell down on my knees. i was ashamed at everything i had taken for granted, and didn’t know why God would want ME, of all people, here. but then something really awesome happened…He told Simon to get up & follow Him, and simon did. he left everything & followed Jesus. I thought when i said, “okay God, i’ll go to kenya,” that i was taking my big step in following Him. after arriving, i still held on to fear and to my own guidance & understanding. i hadn’t dropped everything! i was still trying to carry a lot of my own weight. so, telling the girls that God is our provider & to fully trust in Him, i was reminding myself of the same. God led me here, & if i trust in Him, He’ll not only bring me through this, He’ll use little, ole’ me in a big & special way.

we all hold on to things or relationships or what’s familiar for some amount of safety & purpose. i know we don’t all the opportunity to to have that all jerked out from under us to help us understand, and maybe some need a bigger illustration than others. in a culture where it’s all about ‘do it yourself’,  it’s easy to forget that we actually can’t. i love these lines from Jesus for President – “who needs a Creator when we can sculpt mountains? who needs a Great Physician when we can heal ourselves? who needs Providence for food when we can clone animals for food? who needs a Savior when we have a four hundred billion dollar defense shield? who needs a Deliverer when the empire has become a democracy? who needs a God when we are worthy of worship ourselves?” i urge you to think about who or what you turn to first? is it God? is it always?

wow- i can honestly say that i was going to just give some upcoming details…then, as ed newton says, God just dropped a message in my inbox.

there’s a lot of moving around in the next couple of weeks. i’m leaving thursday for nairobi. i’ll be there a couple days. then, i’m heading to masai mara for a few days, and hopefully i’ll see some animals!(: then back to nairobi, then off to nukuru. i’ll be in nukuru for two weeks working at a baby home..where i hear there are endless amounts of babies…oh joy(: (the bethesda girls are on holiday for most of april, so they are sent to remaining family or any sort of connection so that they might have ties in a community later.) after nukuru, i’ll be heading to brekenridge for a conference for a few days, then back to kerugoya on the 18th of april. so it will be a busy few weeks, full of change, but i’m looking forward to it. i can hardly wait for a hot shower…or a shower period…in nairobi!

also, just got a call & one of my best friend’s is in labor! i am so excited, but i am so sad i’m missing it! i can’t wait to see you, piper elliot anderson!! (: congratulations chris & heather. i love you guys, & i know you’re going to be such amazing parents!

harvest time

howdy.

it’s 8:00 on a friday night…and you know what that means? ….almost bedtime! thank goodness!

it’s harvest time here, so there’s a good bit of  ’decorneling’ of the corn. boy, have i got some mighty fine blisters to show for it! i also milked a goat yesterday. i’m glad to have had the experience, but i may never drink milk again. haha

i’m really starting to love baby school. the kids are getting more interactive & not in just complete confusion on how i got out of the tv. they’re getting quite defensive too…a new kid came today & he pointed at me and said, “muzungo!” about 25 angry, little children yelled, “auntie maggie!” haha even though they know very little english, they can recite several verses in english and their ‘before lunch prayer’ is said in english. it’s so hard not to laugh, but it’s so sweet…they say, “oohhh Gaaahhhhhd, bless theees foooood and bless us tooooo. in Jeeeeeesus naaame, aaamen.”

last night when we were having devotion, susan was reading us a story. i saw purity pick up a bug off the floor & begin to play with it. i gave her this ‘ew gross, don’t play with that’ face…but she kept on playing, of course. so, i went on listening to the story…it’s not going to hurt her, right? but then i heard a smack. i looked back, & she wasn’t playing with a bug anymore. i motioned for her to show me her hands- no bug. i opened my mouth. she opened hers- bug! …just laying on her tongue. so i immediately began shaking my head & mouthed ‘no’. she spit it out…but about a minute later, guess where the bug was back? in purity’s mouth. that little girl….haha

we’re in about the 64373 blackout of the week, and so i’m having to flashlight around everywhere…which they think is hilarious because they have excellent vision & can see in the dark!

well, keep praying for these little gals. …& pray i don’t kill the neighbor’s loud cow! (;

can’t outrun a Kenyan!

hujambo!

i hope everyone is doing well. things are going good here. the days are slowly by slowly getting easier. the past couple of days have kept me busy with little time to think of homesickness. grace (aka mama phillip, aka mum …the woman who runs bethesda) has been out often, so it’s been the girls and me. try keeping up with 13 children…who speak little english in the midst of black outs and everything else!

today after baby school, i decided i wanted a coke…really bad. i was willing to walk to town to get one. so i put my big girl panties on & started walking. each time it’s not as bad. i’ve learned how to handle harassers politely, and can now even pull a joke out of it, get a laugh, & then be left alone. i think my street cred points are increasing big time (; i was, however, proposed to by about a 60 year old man to which i respectfully declined. haha… i went to maguna andu where all the prices are marked, so that i don’t get the muzungo price, to get paper for the girls to color on and extra spoons. (they’re less than 10 cents in US dollars, but somehow there isn’t enough here & the girls are sharing at dinner…if they’re not eating with their hands.) it is amazing how much people, especially the girls and the babies at baby school, can eat here. the quality and price of the food they eat is cheap, but they sure can put it back! i’m sure that when it’s harvesting season and there is food available, they eat as much as they can. we’re lucky at the home because many locals will bring what they can spare from their shamba for the girls. i’m not used to eating in large portions & my stomach can barely take it, but until i clean my plate, they say, “eat! eat!” so, i may come back from africa increased in width! what a thought! haha but, if i can get away with it, i usually divide out the rest of my food for the girls. my favorite foods so far are chapati & secumaweeki…don’t quote me on that spelling.

today, there kept coming loud banging from the shed. i figured it was the goats, & janet kept say, “obama, obama.” since she doesn’t speak much english, i assumed it wasn’t. but..nope! apparently our male goat’s name is obama! haha people here love obama, and usually ask me about him.

well it’s bed time for me! i usually end up the day  exhausted, covered in dirt & dinner & spit up & tears…but it’s all worth it to tuck in every sweet girl & get a goodnight kiss & an, “i love you.”

no daylight savings?

first off, thank you so much for all your prayers. i have had people i don’t even know tell me they are praying, and i know my family & friends are too …and it’s working! this has been a much harder transition than i could have ever imagined, and it’s easy to get down. but when i do, i know God’s grabbing my hand & saying, “hey, we’re in this together. remember?”

i’m starting to fit into all this a bit better. i’m learning the girls’ individual personalities and more about them. i can tell when they have had a bad day or when they need that extra bit of attention. the older ones are opening up, and the little ones run as hard as they can from the gate to me after school. i’m learning to cook some african dishes. i have found a ‘day job’ while the girls are at school working at a baby school. i teach english to 3, 4 & 5 year olds and help feed toddlers at lunch time. it’s becoming routine to get a bucket of water to bathe with in the mornings and to wash my clothes by hand. i’m over the fact that i get stared at everywhere i go. i’m trying to look on the bright side, and think it is kind of cool that i may be the first white person some people may have ever seen. …& my swahili is getting better.

john & janet, the family who lives in the tiny, 2 room, concrete building in our yard have to be 2 of the nicest people i have ever met. their cheerfulness has been a bigger blessing than they will ever know! janet speaks little english, but she always has a smile on her face & always seems like she couldn’t be any happier to see me! they are so giving, even though like most, they have so little. john always wants to know things about geography or history or art or america. he is very eager to learn & to share what he knows as well.

i will probably be placed somewhere else at least the first couple weeks in april. the girls have holiday from school, & they are sent to aunts or grandparents or any family that they might have, so that they might have ties in community when they are older. i will go to spiritual life conference in the middle of april with all the missionaries from SIM in kenya. i am really looking to that fellowship. please pray for discernment for the following months. mike & terry, the only other ‘muzungos’ in this area, are going back to canada at the end of april, & i don’t know where that leaves me. maybe i can find another placement or maybe my time will be cut short this go around. i wish i could be heroic & say i could do it without having them close by, but pride isn’t usually best. for emotional & security reasons, it works well to have a support team down here on earth as well. i can only pray that whatever happens, it will be a good situation. well it’s almost 9, & these days that means it’s a book & bed time.

i miss you all beyond belief.

be blessed- mb