Hello friends and family! Well it's been a while since I posted. I feel like I say that every time I post. Sometimes I get a little busy and distracted and forget to write to everyone. I am joining a church here in Nairobi. It's called Immanuel Baptist Church. I like how international it is. I look forward to forming some new friendships. I went out with two singles from the church last week for lunch and had a really good time. This week we have a lunch on the grounds with the whole church and I'm looking forward to it.
I have 4 1/2 days of school left before Christmas break. I'm hoping the week flies by. My kiddos were quite energized last week so I can only imagine what they'll be like this week. I know that I need to stay on top of things even more this week because otherwise it'll be a zoo in my classroom. They are great kids but I can tell they need a break as much as I do.
Over the three weeks I have off I plan on seeing some sights around Kenya. I have a few day trips in mind. On January 6th-8th I'm going to Maasai Mara for a safari. I'm looking forward to it.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Ah-musing
These last two weeks have been packed with laughs.
It all started when I was driving to work one morning. My roommate and I were using the school car. We had kid/house sat the weekend before so we were in Karen, not far from the school. I pulled out of the driveway without any problems. As I drove for less than 10 seconds my roommate shouts out ‘WIRE!” There was a wire streamed across the road and I was going too fast to miss it. I ran over the wire and quickly came to a stop. Thankfully the wire was a dead wire or we may have gotten hurt. It was wrapped around the car’s front end and had somehow tied itself together so as to make a loop. There was a group of Kenyan ladies walking by that had stopped to watch us muzungus (Kiswahili for foreigner) try and get ourselves out of the fix we were in. We attempted to try pulling the wire out but were unsuccessful. We had not noticed but one of the Kenyan ladies had left. When she returned she carried in her hand a knife with a blade that was at least 9 inches long. She grabbed the wired and tried to cut it. By this point two Kenyan men on their way to work stopped. They took the knife from the woman because she was unsuccessful in cutting the wire. They then proceeded to try and take pull the cord out from under the car. The ended up having to cut the wire and then both get on the ground and untangle the wire from the underside of the car. We both laughed the entire way to school. It was quite the eventful morning for us.
I gave an English assignment that required the students to write three nouns of a particular topic in a series. One of the questions asked for three vegetables. One girl answered with cabbage, carrots, and sukuma. Sukuma weke is a collard green type meal here that is eaten with ughali (it looks like really thick grits and is made from white corn maize). I never would have gotten that answer in the States. Another amusing answer was to the question of three types of transportation. One student answered a donkey, car, and matatu. The next day I shared with them how much I like how we are different. They add spice to my life that was not there before. I can’t help but enjoy them and smile.
My roommate Amy and I went out to eat one evening and had a good laugh about our differences. We had gotten a few things at Nakumatt (a grocery store that’s similar to Wal-Mart) and then went to the food court at Westgate (a mall in Nairobi) to eat. After our food came we bowed our heads to pray. I quickly lifted my head before prayer and realized that Amy’s bags were sitting ungarded on the chair next to her. Her wallet was in one of them. My purse was in my lap. I said, ‘Amy, aren’t you going to at least put your hand over the bag with your wallet so it doesn’t get stolen while we’re praying?” She appeased me and placed her hand over her bag. After we prayed she pointed out how differently we think. She has grown up in the mountains of California where it is apparently safe to leave things lying around. I have lived in the city for the last eight years where you can’t always leave everything out in the open. I have to keep remembering that God is in control. I sometimes worry about her because Nairobi is generally not a safe place to live and she’s an extremely trusting and kind person.
On October 31st my students were in charge of chapel. We did a sports’ themed Chapel and talked about teamwork. They had a great time and learned a lot in preparation for it. Thanks to all who prayed with me for Chapel.
One of our teacher’s got in a car accident with the school car last week. The front end is completely smashed (so I hear). He got out of the accident because our go-to-guy Peter and the police officer are from the same place. He told Peter to give him a goat and it would be settled. So our teacher got out of a hefty fine for a goat. I hope your laughing right now because I am laughing yet again in writing this. Things don’t always make sense here, but my sense of humor has grown. It’s different but not wrong.
I hope you’ve gotten a couple of laughs out of my post. I’ll try to blog sooner than a span of two weeks next time. Love all of you and thanks for the prayers!!!
It all started when I was driving to work one morning. My roommate and I were using the school car. We had kid/house sat the weekend before so we were in Karen, not far from the school. I pulled out of the driveway without any problems. As I drove for less than 10 seconds my roommate shouts out ‘WIRE!” There was a wire streamed across the road and I was going too fast to miss it. I ran over the wire and quickly came to a stop. Thankfully the wire was a dead wire or we may have gotten hurt. It was wrapped around the car’s front end and had somehow tied itself together so as to make a loop. There was a group of Kenyan ladies walking by that had stopped to watch us muzungus (Kiswahili for foreigner) try and get ourselves out of the fix we were in. We attempted to try pulling the wire out but were unsuccessful. We had not noticed but one of the Kenyan ladies had left. When she returned she carried in her hand a knife with a blade that was at least 9 inches long. She grabbed the wired and tried to cut it. By this point two Kenyan men on their way to work stopped. They took the knife from the woman because she was unsuccessful in cutting the wire. They then proceeded to try and take pull the cord out from under the car. The ended up having to cut the wire and then both get on the ground and untangle the wire from the underside of the car. We both laughed the entire way to school. It was quite the eventful morning for us.
I gave an English assignment that required the students to write three nouns of a particular topic in a series. One of the questions asked for three vegetables. One girl answered with cabbage, carrots, and sukuma. Sukuma weke is a collard green type meal here that is eaten with ughali (it looks like really thick grits and is made from white corn maize). I never would have gotten that answer in the States. Another amusing answer was to the question of three types of transportation. One student answered a donkey, car, and matatu. The next day I shared with them how much I like how we are different. They add spice to my life that was not there before. I can’t help but enjoy them and smile.
My roommate Amy and I went out to eat one evening and had a good laugh about our differences. We had gotten a few things at Nakumatt (a grocery store that’s similar to Wal-Mart) and then went to the food court at Westgate (a mall in Nairobi) to eat. After our food came we bowed our heads to pray. I quickly lifted my head before prayer and realized that Amy’s bags were sitting ungarded on the chair next to her. Her wallet was in one of them. My purse was in my lap. I said, ‘Amy, aren’t you going to at least put your hand over the bag with your wallet so it doesn’t get stolen while we’re praying?” She appeased me and placed her hand over her bag. After we prayed she pointed out how differently we think. She has grown up in the mountains of California where it is apparently safe to leave things lying around. I have lived in the city for the last eight years where you can’t always leave everything out in the open. I have to keep remembering that God is in control. I sometimes worry about her because Nairobi is generally not a safe place to live and she’s an extremely trusting and kind person.
On October 31st my students were in charge of chapel. We did a sports’ themed Chapel and talked about teamwork. They had a great time and learned a lot in preparation for it. Thanks to all who prayed with me for Chapel.
One of our teacher’s got in a car accident with the school car last week. The front end is completely smashed (so I hear). He got out of the accident because our go-to-guy Peter and the police officer are from the same place. He told Peter to give him a goat and it would be settled. So our teacher got out of a hefty fine for a goat. I hope your laughing right now because I am laughing yet again in writing this. Things don’t always make sense here, but my sense of humor has grown. It’s different but not wrong.
I hope you’ve gotten a couple of laughs out of my post. I’ll try to blog sooner than a span of two weeks next time. Love all of you and thanks for the prayers!!!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Just For Laughs
One of my students had this tucked in their Tuesday folder. She addressed it to me and when I opened it I couldn’t help but giggle. What makes this note even funnier than it already is is that the girl who wrote it is a straight A student. Enjoy!
10 Reasons Why I Don’t Have My Homework:
1. My little sister ate it.
2. I was mugged on the way to school, and the mugger took everything.
3. Our puppy toilet trained on it.
4. Some creatures from outer space borrowed it so they could study how the human brain worked.
5. I put it in a safe but lost the combination.
6. I loaned it to a friend, but he suddenly moved away.
7. Our furnace stopped working, and we had to burn it to keep from freezing. (WE LIVE IN KENYA ☺)
8. I left it in my shirt, and my mother put it in the washing machine.
9. I didn’t do it because I didn’t want to add to your already heavy workload.
10. I lost it fighting with a kid who said you weren’t the best teacher in the school.
I hope that you got a good laugh out of this note. I know I did. Might I say again how much I’m enjoying my students? They are wonderful!
10 Reasons Why I Don’t Have My Homework:
1. My little sister ate it.
2. I was mugged on the way to school, and the mugger took everything.
3. Our puppy toilet trained on it.
4. Some creatures from outer space borrowed it so they could study how the human brain worked.
5. I put it in a safe but lost the combination.
6. I loaned it to a friend, but he suddenly moved away.
7. Our furnace stopped working, and we had to burn it to keep from freezing. (WE LIVE IN KENYA ☺)
8. I left it in my shirt, and my mother put it in the washing machine.
9. I didn’t do it because I didn’t want to add to your already heavy workload.
10. I lost it fighting with a kid who said you weren’t the best teacher in the school.
I hope that you got a good laugh out of this note. I know I did. Might I say again how much I’m enjoying my students? They are wonderful!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
School Times
I have several fun things to share from this last month. The first will have to be about a cultural blooper. I was teaching history and I was talking to my students about sugar cane. Well I started to talk to my kids about the sugar cane plant in my hometown in Louisiana, and I mentioned how much it stunk up the town at certain times of the year. My students, even my American ones, looked at me with baffled eyes. The ‘deer in the headlights’ look quickly told me something was not right. After a few probing questions I realized they all assumed I was talking about a literal plant and not a factory. We all had quite the laugh at both our blunders.
As I was riding home one day with some of my fellow teachers we had to stop to let the cows cross the street. You’re probably thinking, “That’s no big deal.” We live in Nairobi, the largest and most developed city in Kenya. To have cows cross the street in the city is pretty amusing in my book.
Another day on the ride home one of the teachers noticed a monkey on someone’s gate. I’m saddened to report that I was not able to view the monkey because I did not look up in time. I hope to see one soon though.
One Friday night thirteen of us teachers all went out to a fabulous Chinese restaurant called ‘For You’. This place is so great that my roommate would eat there every day if she could afford it. We all got to the restaurant much later than we anticipated. A drive home that normally takes about twenty minutes took us almost an hour and a half because traffic was so backed up due to the Nairobi Fair. Well Nairobi can get quite cool in the evenings. The later you’re outside the more you need to bundle up. Getting to the restaurant later meant that we would have a chilled dining experience. The restaurant does supply jikos to keep you warm when you dine outside. Jikos are basically little pots with burning coals. This night was probably the most eventful that we’ve had. The electricity went out before we ever got to order our meals. The workers came out with candles. The electricity came back on inside the restaurant but not outside the restaurant the rest of the evening. We ordered and later after we’d eaten a waiter brought out a lantern to help us keep warm. The waiter who had given us the lantern apparently had it turned up too high and after a few minutes the glass around the lantern cracked. While the cracked lantern made some of us weary it made others intrigued. One of the teachers started playing with all the little knobs around the lanterns base. He eventually tired of it and stopped. Well it started to give off a smoky smell and this same teacher proceeded to blow out the filament at the top of the lantern. We all thought we were in the clear until all of a sudden the lantern caught fire. We all ran away from the table. We thought for sure that the teacher sitting directly in front of it got burned but thankfully he was not harmed. The same waiter who brought the lantern to us ran to the kitchen to grab a towel so he could smother the flame. That was definitely one dining experience that I will never forget. I did take a picture but only got the towel wrapped around the lantern. I couldn’t get my camera out fast enough to capture the lantern engulfed in flames.
Today I was told about a woman named Agnes who lives in the Kibera slum. We have students at our school whose parents work in a school in the heart of Kibera. The wife learned of this woman because her daughter is in their school. The daughter went from first in her class to twenty second in a short amount of time. As a teacher you know something is happening at home when such a drastic decline in academics occurs. When this wife went to visit the family she learned that the mom, Agnes, had been burned and that is why she had not been able to stay on top of her daughter’s schoolwork. Agnes was stepping off a matatu (public transport vehicle; minibus) when her ex-boyfriend doused her with gasoline and lit her on fire. She had to have surgery for her burns. The hospital that she went to did not do a very good job. Apparently her body is like a patchwork doll because they took pieces of skin from all over for her grafts. They also didn’t explain to her certain measures she needed to take for proper care of her burns. The only person she had to take care of her after her accident was her little nephew. Due to lack of physical therapy her burns tightened and her mobility was limited. This missionary wife found her and offered her help. She took her to a better hospital. The first doctor who saw her was honest and said that he could not help her. The next doctor was honest and said that he didn’t know exactly how much he could do but he would try his best. At present she is recovering from her second surgery. The missionary wife and her husband have helped to find Agnes a more sanitary home because the one she was living in before had dirt floors and infection was more likely to occur. Agnes is also an orphan. She became an orphan at age fifteen. I get to meet Agnes some time next week and I’m thrilled to meet her. As most of you reading know I lost my mom at thirteen and a half, and I lost my dad three days after my fifteenth birthday. Also, thirty percent of my body was burned and I had to have skin graft surgery at age fifteen. The missionary wife was telling me that Agnes is having a hard time seeing God’s hand in all of this and I’m so excited to have the opportunity to share with her my story and the confidence I have in knowing that God’s hand has been in it all. Please pray for Agnes.
I have another prayer request. My class is in charge of chapel on October 31st. I’m quite nervous because I’ve never put on a chapel before. I’ve seen just about all of the other elementary classes already and they’ve been really good. Pray that I would have clarity of thought as I’m preparing for this with so many other things on my mind.
Thank you everyone for your prayers. Some days I know that prayer is all that carries me through. Also, please continue to pray for a car. I still have not found one.
I love you all and praise the Lord for your wonderful support!!
P.S. Some of you may not be aware but earlier this month I cut 13 inches off my hair!!
As I was riding home one day with some of my fellow teachers we had to stop to let the cows cross the street. You’re probably thinking, “That’s no big deal.” We live in Nairobi, the largest and most developed city in Kenya. To have cows cross the street in the city is pretty amusing in my book.
Another day on the ride home one of the teachers noticed a monkey on someone’s gate. I’m saddened to report that I was not able to view the monkey because I did not look up in time. I hope to see one soon though.
One Friday night thirteen of us teachers all went out to a fabulous Chinese restaurant called ‘For You’. This place is so great that my roommate would eat there every day if she could afford it. We all got to the restaurant much later than we anticipated. A drive home that normally takes about twenty minutes took us almost an hour and a half because traffic was so backed up due to the Nairobi Fair. Well Nairobi can get quite cool in the evenings. The later you’re outside the more you need to bundle up. Getting to the restaurant later meant that we would have a chilled dining experience. The restaurant does supply jikos to keep you warm when you dine outside. Jikos are basically little pots with burning coals. This night was probably the most eventful that we’ve had. The electricity went out before we ever got to order our meals. The workers came out with candles. The electricity came back on inside the restaurant but not outside the restaurant the rest of the evening. We ordered and later after we’d eaten a waiter brought out a lantern to help us keep warm. The waiter who had given us the lantern apparently had it turned up too high and after a few minutes the glass around the lantern cracked. While the cracked lantern made some of us weary it made others intrigued. One of the teachers started playing with all the little knobs around the lanterns base. He eventually tired of it and stopped. Well it started to give off a smoky smell and this same teacher proceeded to blow out the filament at the top of the lantern. We all thought we were in the clear until all of a sudden the lantern caught fire. We all ran away from the table. We thought for sure that the teacher sitting directly in front of it got burned but thankfully he was not harmed. The same waiter who brought the lantern to us ran to the kitchen to grab a towel so he could smother the flame. That was definitely one dining experience that I will never forget. I did take a picture but only got the towel wrapped around the lantern. I couldn’t get my camera out fast enough to capture the lantern engulfed in flames.
Today I was told about a woman named Agnes who lives in the Kibera slum. We have students at our school whose parents work in a school in the heart of Kibera. The wife learned of this woman because her daughter is in their school. The daughter went from first in her class to twenty second in a short amount of time. As a teacher you know something is happening at home when such a drastic decline in academics occurs. When this wife went to visit the family she learned that the mom, Agnes, had been burned and that is why she had not been able to stay on top of her daughter’s schoolwork. Agnes was stepping off a matatu (public transport vehicle; minibus) when her ex-boyfriend doused her with gasoline and lit her on fire. She had to have surgery for her burns. The hospital that she went to did not do a very good job. Apparently her body is like a patchwork doll because they took pieces of skin from all over for her grafts. They also didn’t explain to her certain measures she needed to take for proper care of her burns. The only person she had to take care of her after her accident was her little nephew. Due to lack of physical therapy her burns tightened and her mobility was limited. This missionary wife found her and offered her help. She took her to a better hospital. The first doctor who saw her was honest and said that he could not help her. The next doctor was honest and said that he didn’t know exactly how much he could do but he would try his best. At present she is recovering from her second surgery. The missionary wife and her husband have helped to find Agnes a more sanitary home because the one she was living in before had dirt floors and infection was more likely to occur. Agnes is also an orphan. She became an orphan at age fifteen. I get to meet Agnes some time next week and I’m thrilled to meet her. As most of you reading know I lost my mom at thirteen and a half, and I lost my dad three days after my fifteenth birthday. Also, thirty percent of my body was burned and I had to have skin graft surgery at age fifteen. The missionary wife was telling me that Agnes is having a hard time seeing God’s hand in all of this and I’m so excited to have the opportunity to share with her my story and the confidence I have in knowing that God’s hand has been in it all. Please pray for Agnes.
I have another prayer request. My class is in charge of chapel on October 31st. I’m quite nervous because I’ve never put on a chapel before. I’ve seen just about all of the other elementary classes already and they’ve been really good. Pray that I would have clarity of thought as I’m preparing for this with so many other things on my mind.
Thank you everyone for your prayers. Some days I know that prayer is all that carries me through. Also, please continue to pray for a car. I still have not found one.
I love you all and praise the Lord for your wonderful support!!
P.S. Some of you may not be aware but earlier this month I cut 13 inches off my hair!!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Lessons
This was the entry of my devotional book for the morning of the 8th:
Accept each day exactly as it comes to you. By that, I mean not only the circumstances of your day but also the condition of your body. Your assignment is to trust Me absolutely, resting in My sovereignty and faithfulness.
On some days, your circumstances and your physical condition feel out of balance: The demands on you seem far greater than your strength. Days like that present a choice between two alternatives – giving up or relying on Me. Even if you wrongly choose the first alternative, I will not reject you. You can turn to Me at any point, I will help you crawl out of the mire of discouragement. I will infuse My strength into you moment by moment, giving you all that you need for this day. Trust Me, by relying on My empowering Presence.
Psalm 42:5 “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”
II Corinthians 13:4 “For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.”
Jeremiah 31:25 “For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.”
These are my thoughts from my personal Bible reading:
This morning I was reading about King David. In the passage that I was reading, David was not king yet. Saul was king and Samuel went to Saul and declared that the Lord has chosen another and Samuel said that he would not see Saul again. He kept his word and he did not go to Saul again. Samuel went in search of God’s chosen. He goes to the house of Jesse and inquires the Lord of each son for the next king. The Lord answers no so he asks if there are any more sons and Jesse says one. When David comes in Samuel knows that he is the chosen of the Lord. Samuel anoints David and the Bible says that at that moment the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul. An evil spirit came upon Saul and he needed comforting. David was called upon to play the harp for him. At this point Saul was not aware that Samuel had anointed David. David on the other hand had full knowledge of what had occurred. He knew that he would be king. He didn’t know when that would take place but he knew that was the Lord’s plan for him. After receiving the knowledge of what God had for him things didn’t get easier. They got more difficult as time went on. Saul became jealous and angry toward David. He sought to kill him and tried when he got the chance. Saul’s son on the other hand had more integrity than Saul did. Jonathan loved David as a brother and sought to protect him every chance he could.
David is my favorite person to read about in the Bible. It wasn’t because he was perfect. If you read even a little about him you will realize that he was not without fault or sin. The Bible says that he was a man after God’s own heart. It wasn’t that he didn’t sin but that he was contrite about his sin. He may have enjoyed the pleasures of sin for a season but when he realized his sin and need for restoration with the Lord he repented readily. You see throughout the Psalms how in one psalm he praised God’s name and in the very next was seemingly in the depths of despair. He was real. He didn’t put on a front and try to be someone that he was not.
For years he lived with the knowledge that he would be king and I’m sure at times, especially when Saul was seeking his life, he questioned whether Samuel heard the Lord accurately. Even through the rough times God’s hand guided him and protected him.
As I’m in a foreign country and get discouraged at times I know that it is God’s hand that is leading me and protecting me. I may not be grandiose in appearance or manner of speech. I may not even be called to a position with admired authority. I am called to share God’s Word with children and adults who are seeking Him and some who don’t even realize that they are.
I see God’s hand daily in my life and the lives of my students. I wish I were expressive enough to write a word picture of what God has done so that anyone could visualize it and rejoice with me. I daily see him at work.
Since being in Kenya I feel like I’m a different person. I don’t mean that in a good way either. There’s a saying that when a tea bag is put into hot water its contents seep out. I’m dismayed by what I see in myself since being here. Attitudes that I never had in the States seem to be a daily struggle. I was very frustrated with being confronted with my sin face to face. In the States it’s easier to hide our sins even from ourselves. Life is easier back home. If I was tired I could pop something in the microwave. I could simply rinse fruits and veggies before eating them. Here I have to prepare every meal. I do not have a microwave at home. I have to soak fruits and veggies for 15-20 minutes before they are useable. Here I do not have the luxury of my own transportation yet. Things simply take longer here. Even grocery shopping is sometimes a fiasco. I hope never complain about Wal-Mart again. Through all these frustrations the Lord is teaching me valuable lessons. I have to die daily to myself and live daily to the Lord.
If someone had explained certain things about Kenya to me in the States I would not have understood. I read and got as much information as I could before arriving here. It was great but none of it prepared me fully. The thing most valuable to me here is my relationship with the Lord. He has never failed me in the past nor will He fail me in the future. He has been my constant for the last 10 ½ years. No matter what circumstances come my way or how my feelings change I know that He is with me wherever I go. He promises that He will never leave me nor forsake me. He’s growing me and although I’m not moldable at times I’m thankful for the hard times just as much as the easy ones. He is refining me with fire and I praise His name for it!
Accept each day exactly as it comes to you. By that, I mean not only the circumstances of your day but also the condition of your body. Your assignment is to trust Me absolutely, resting in My sovereignty and faithfulness.
On some days, your circumstances and your physical condition feel out of balance: The demands on you seem far greater than your strength. Days like that present a choice between two alternatives – giving up or relying on Me. Even if you wrongly choose the first alternative, I will not reject you. You can turn to Me at any point, I will help you crawl out of the mire of discouragement. I will infuse My strength into you moment by moment, giving you all that you need for this day. Trust Me, by relying on My empowering Presence.
Psalm 42:5 “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”
II Corinthians 13:4 “For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.”
Jeremiah 31:25 “For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.”
These are my thoughts from my personal Bible reading:
This morning I was reading about King David. In the passage that I was reading, David was not king yet. Saul was king and Samuel went to Saul and declared that the Lord has chosen another and Samuel said that he would not see Saul again. He kept his word and he did not go to Saul again. Samuel went in search of God’s chosen. He goes to the house of Jesse and inquires the Lord of each son for the next king. The Lord answers no so he asks if there are any more sons and Jesse says one. When David comes in Samuel knows that he is the chosen of the Lord. Samuel anoints David and the Bible says that at that moment the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul. An evil spirit came upon Saul and he needed comforting. David was called upon to play the harp for him. At this point Saul was not aware that Samuel had anointed David. David on the other hand had full knowledge of what had occurred. He knew that he would be king. He didn’t know when that would take place but he knew that was the Lord’s plan for him. After receiving the knowledge of what God had for him things didn’t get easier. They got more difficult as time went on. Saul became jealous and angry toward David. He sought to kill him and tried when he got the chance. Saul’s son on the other hand had more integrity than Saul did. Jonathan loved David as a brother and sought to protect him every chance he could.
David is my favorite person to read about in the Bible. It wasn’t because he was perfect. If you read even a little about him you will realize that he was not without fault or sin. The Bible says that he was a man after God’s own heart. It wasn’t that he didn’t sin but that he was contrite about his sin. He may have enjoyed the pleasures of sin for a season but when he realized his sin and need for restoration with the Lord he repented readily. You see throughout the Psalms how in one psalm he praised God’s name and in the very next was seemingly in the depths of despair. He was real. He didn’t put on a front and try to be someone that he was not.
For years he lived with the knowledge that he would be king and I’m sure at times, especially when Saul was seeking his life, he questioned whether Samuel heard the Lord accurately. Even through the rough times God’s hand guided him and protected him.
As I’m in a foreign country and get discouraged at times I know that it is God’s hand that is leading me and protecting me. I may not be grandiose in appearance or manner of speech. I may not even be called to a position with admired authority. I am called to share God’s Word with children and adults who are seeking Him and some who don’t even realize that they are.
I see God’s hand daily in my life and the lives of my students. I wish I were expressive enough to write a word picture of what God has done so that anyone could visualize it and rejoice with me. I daily see him at work.
Since being in Kenya I feel like I’m a different person. I don’t mean that in a good way either. There’s a saying that when a tea bag is put into hot water its contents seep out. I’m dismayed by what I see in myself since being here. Attitudes that I never had in the States seem to be a daily struggle. I was very frustrated with being confronted with my sin face to face. In the States it’s easier to hide our sins even from ourselves. Life is easier back home. If I was tired I could pop something in the microwave. I could simply rinse fruits and veggies before eating them. Here I have to prepare every meal. I do not have a microwave at home. I have to soak fruits and veggies for 15-20 minutes before they are useable. Here I do not have the luxury of my own transportation yet. Things simply take longer here. Even grocery shopping is sometimes a fiasco. I hope never complain about Wal-Mart again. Through all these frustrations the Lord is teaching me valuable lessons. I have to die daily to myself and live daily to the Lord.
If someone had explained certain things about Kenya to me in the States I would not have understood. I read and got as much information as I could before arriving here. It was great but none of it prepared me fully. The thing most valuable to me here is my relationship with the Lord. He has never failed me in the past nor will He fail me in the future. He has been my constant for the last 10 ½ years. No matter what circumstances come my way or how my feelings change I know that He is with me wherever I go. He promises that He will never leave me nor forsake me. He’s growing me and although I’m not moldable at times I’m thankful for the hard times just as much as the easy ones. He is refining me with fire and I praise His name for it!
Monday, September 8, 2008
This entry may be my longest yet. I kept a list during the week so that when I finally had time to blog I could write out my entry and not forget quite so much as I normally do.
This last week I looked down at my feet and saw my tennis shoes. They were rusty looking. When I bought them they were bright white. The dirt on our soccer field is this color. I’ve only seen pictures of red dirt and of course seen it in Anne of Green Gables on Prince Edward Island. I quite enjoy looking out over our soccer field. The red dirt against the green grass, with the blue sky above, and varied green trees behind makes for a beautiful scene. I run around this field twice a week. My students have PE on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the end of the day. While they are out for PE I take the opportunity to get a little exercise in. It’s a great release for the culture stress that sometimes tends to build up.
One night week before last one of the guy teachers came over to use our water so he could take a shower. His water had already been out for a week at his apartment. Well he rode his bike to our place. While he was in the shower we heard a light knock at the door. I opened the door and one of the girls in our apartment complex stood before me. She leaned forward and pointed to our friend’s bike. She simply said, “Can I have that bike?” She was 100% serious! I said “no honey you can’t have our friend’s bike.” She shrugged her shoulders and cheerfully said, “ok.”
My roommate Amy and I took a taxi for the first time last week. We shared it with Amber and her daughter Abbey. Amber’s husband teaches at the school. It was quite the experience. It was raining and we were stuck in serious traffic. We were coming from a shopping center called YaYa. YaYa is a four-minute walk from our house but it was late at night and dangerous to walk home. People were driving in the wrong lane to get around the traffic and were causing more traffic problems. People were driving along the ‘sidewalk’. The sidewalks here are not nice cement ones. They are basically dirt paths. There are also no stoplights here. While waiting in the taxi another taxi driver turned in the middle of the street to go the opposite direction and yelled out to us about ‘the manic driving’ in Kenya. He was quite amusing and we got a kick out of him.
Coming back from school one day the car Amy and I were riding in with Peter and his family got stuck in traffic. It was extremely backed up. The driver, Peter, takes his car off the main road and onto the ‘sidewalk’ with a stream of cars already flowing in that direction. We skipped so many cars that we probably saved twenty minutes. In the States we would have gotten a hefty ticket but hey this isn’t the States. Good thing because it was quite fun and exciting dodging people.
My birthday was this past Tuesday. I turned twenty-six years old. It turned out to be a great day. I went out to dinner with some of the teachers at a restaurant called ‘The Rusty Nail’. Don’t let the name fool you. It was definitely a classy little restaurant. The weather was perfect to eat outdoors and the scenery was lush and green.
The school year is in full swing. I struggle with wanting to do my best and not burning out. I realize that the expectations here are not as great as teaching in the States, but that doesn’t lessen my eagerness to do my best for the Lord. After four weeks I’m finally beginning to get adjusted to the curriculum. We took a break from school and had a retreat to Lukenya Getaways. It was very relaxing. I read almost an entire book while there. I was able to lounge in the shade with beautiful surroundings. On the way to Lukenya Getaways and back home I saw giraffes, zebras, impalas, gazelles, and wildebeests. The way home was just as bumpy as the way there. When we got to Nairobi people were between the cars in traffic selling things. Several people on the bus bought items from them. Behind me were two of the teacher’s daughters. They were listening to an ipod together and were singing and laughing. It carried through the whole bus and made for lighthearted fun.
We had devotional times during the retreat. There was a visiting pastor who preached to us. On Friday morning he gave us a message about disappointment that was very convicting. He talked about expectations and how we all come with them and when we get here we can sometimes get discouraged because of them. He also made the statement ‘it doesn’t take long to get over culture shock, but you live every day with culture stress’. That statement is very true. I’m accustomed to seeing people openly urinating on the side of the road and goats wandering around aimlessly, but I come home exhausted every day from life being harder here. There aren’t all the amenities that the States offer. Even with the culture stress I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world. I’m right where God wants me to be and He is my strength and rock. I have more time to spend in His Word and talk to him. I don’t have the distractions that I had in the States. My relationship with my sweet Jesus grows sweeter with each passing day.
This last week I looked down at my feet and saw my tennis shoes. They were rusty looking. When I bought them they were bright white. The dirt on our soccer field is this color. I’ve only seen pictures of red dirt and of course seen it in Anne of Green Gables on Prince Edward Island. I quite enjoy looking out over our soccer field. The red dirt against the green grass, with the blue sky above, and varied green trees behind makes for a beautiful scene. I run around this field twice a week. My students have PE on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the end of the day. While they are out for PE I take the opportunity to get a little exercise in. It’s a great release for the culture stress that sometimes tends to build up.
One night week before last one of the guy teachers came over to use our water so he could take a shower. His water had already been out for a week at his apartment. Well he rode his bike to our place. While he was in the shower we heard a light knock at the door. I opened the door and one of the girls in our apartment complex stood before me. She leaned forward and pointed to our friend’s bike. She simply said, “Can I have that bike?” She was 100% serious! I said “no honey you can’t have our friend’s bike.” She shrugged her shoulders and cheerfully said, “ok.”
My roommate Amy and I took a taxi for the first time last week. We shared it with Amber and her daughter Abbey. Amber’s husband teaches at the school. It was quite the experience. It was raining and we were stuck in serious traffic. We were coming from a shopping center called YaYa. YaYa is a four-minute walk from our house but it was late at night and dangerous to walk home. People were driving in the wrong lane to get around the traffic and were causing more traffic problems. People were driving along the ‘sidewalk’. The sidewalks here are not nice cement ones. They are basically dirt paths. There are also no stoplights here. While waiting in the taxi another taxi driver turned in the middle of the street to go the opposite direction and yelled out to us about ‘the manic driving’ in Kenya. He was quite amusing and we got a kick out of him.
Coming back from school one day the car Amy and I were riding in with Peter and his family got stuck in traffic. It was extremely backed up. The driver, Peter, takes his car off the main road and onto the ‘sidewalk’ with a stream of cars already flowing in that direction. We skipped so many cars that we probably saved twenty minutes. In the States we would have gotten a hefty ticket but hey this isn’t the States. Good thing because it was quite fun and exciting dodging people.
My birthday was this past Tuesday. I turned twenty-six years old. It turned out to be a great day. I went out to dinner with some of the teachers at a restaurant called ‘The Rusty Nail’. Don’t let the name fool you. It was definitely a classy little restaurant. The weather was perfect to eat outdoors and the scenery was lush and green.
The school year is in full swing. I struggle with wanting to do my best and not burning out. I realize that the expectations here are not as great as teaching in the States, but that doesn’t lessen my eagerness to do my best for the Lord. After four weeks I’m finally beginning to get adjusted to the curriculum. We took a break from school and had a retreat to Lukenya Getaways. It was very relaxing. I read almost an entire book while there. I was able to lounge in the shade with beautiful surroundings. On the way to Lukenya Getaways and back home I saw giraffes, zebras, impalas, gazelles, and wildebeests. The way home was just as bumpy as the way there. When we got to Nairobi people were between the cars in traffic selling things. Several people on the bus bought items from them. Behind me were two of the teacher’s daughters. They were listening to an ipod together and were singing and laughing. It carried through the whole bus and made for lighthearted fun.
We had devotional times during the retreat. There was a visiting pastor who preached to us. On Friday morning he gave us a message about disappointment that was very convicting. He talked about expectations and how we all come with them and when we get here we can sometimes get discouraged because of them. He also made the statement ‘it doesn’t take long to get over culture shock, but you live every day with culture stress’. That statement is very true. I’m accustomed to seeing people openly urinating on the side of the road and goats wandering around aimlessly, but I come home exhausted every day from life being harder here. There aren’t all the amenities that the States offer. Even with the culture stress I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world. I’m right where God wants me to be and He is my strength and rock. I have more time to spend in His Word and talk to him. I don’t have the distractions that I had in the States. My relationship with my sweet Jesus grows sweeter with each passing day.
Monday, August 25, 2008
School Fun
Hello Family and Friends!
I have a couple of fun stories to share. One story is about one of my girl students. Her name is Wangari and she’s a doll. On the roster it said that her name was Nora. At the beginning of the year I give my students a little card with my name and a pronunciation key with pictures on it. Well a few days into the school year she gave me a homemade envelope. On the outside she had ‘Miss Pourciaux 5th Grade’ with a piece of candy taped to the front. On the inside she had two pieces of paper. One piece of paper said ‘Miss Pourciaux, I’d rather be called Wangari instead of Nora’. The other piece of paper had her name with a pronunciation key of her name. It was absolutely adorable.
Another story was of one of my male students Navraj. My students came in from lunch and I was teaching in the front of the room. Every time I went to one side of the room I smelled old man’s cologne. When I paused and wrinkled my nose students started giggling. I said, “Ok, so what’s the laughter for?” One student with a huge smile on his face said, “Ask Navraj.” So I asked Navraj and he said a bottle of cologne in his bag spilled. Then he points to another student, Rak, and says that Rak put some one too. I had Navraj take the bottles, yes bottles because he had not one but two, outside. Days later he had me smell his bag of chips. The cologne smell was so strong in his bag still that the outside of his chips smelled like old man’s cologne. I do say I have a bunch of goof balls.
We have had quite a bit of fun in class. This past Tuesday we had Open House. I got to meet several parents that I had not met yet and see several that I’d already met. One of my students is a Downs Syndrome child. She only comes to my class for lunch, recess, any specials, and Science and History. The first week of school I taught on cells in Science. I made a cake and carved out a chunk of it to review plant cells. In the chunk I used different candies for the parts of the cell. On Tuesday Madison’s mom said that she came home raving about the nucleus being in the center of the cell. She said the nucleus was a chocolate ball. I used a Roche as the nucleus. I was thrilled because I knew that if she didn’t get anything else she understood that one thing. She’s a bright girl and I look forward to getting to know her better.
I want to say thank you to everyone for your prayers. I have had some neck trouble this last week. I had to be out of class for a few hours and get a massage because I was in so much pain. For two days straight I had a hard time getting around because of my neck. After the second day I started e-mailing friends and family asking for prayer. Each day after asking for prayer the pain eased more and more. By Friday I was exercising with my students while they were at P.E. I have no doubt that I felt better because of prayer. Medicine wasn’t helping and the massage only gave temporary relief for about two hours. I have found a chiropractor and hope to see her this next week. Her practice is walking distance from my house. The Lord is so good!
If you’d like an e-mail update for when I post new blogs please send your e-mail information to jewls4god@yahoo.com or julieinkenya@gmail.com.
I have a couple of fun stories to share. One story is about one of my girl students. Her name is Wangari and she’s a doll. On the roster it said that her name was Nora. At the beginning of the year I give my students a little card with my name and a pronunciation key with pictures on it. Well a few days into the school year she gave me a homemade envelope. On the outside she had ‘Miss Pourciaux 5th Grade’ with a piece of candy taped to the front. On the inside she had two pieces of paper. One piece of paper said ‘Miss Pourciaux, I’d rather be called Wangari instead of Nora’. The other piece of paper had her name with a pronunciation key of her name. It was absolutely adorable.
Another story was of one of my male students Navraj. My students came in from lunch and I was teaching in the front of the room. Every time I went to one side of the room I smelled old man’s cologne. When I paused and wrinkled my nose students started giggling. I said, “Ok, so what’s the laughter for?” One student with a huge smile on his face said, “Ask Navraj.” So I asked Navraj and he said a bottle of cologne in his bag spilled. Then he points to another student, Rak, and says that Rak put some one too. I had Navraj take the bottles, yes bottles because he had not one but two, outside. Days later he had me smell his bag of chips. The cologne smell was so strong in his bag still that the outside of his chips smelled like old man’s cologne. I do say I have a bunch of goof balls.
We have had quite a bit of fun in class. This past Tuesday we had Open House. I got to meet several parents that I had not met yet and see several that I’d already met. One of my students is a Downs Syndrome child. She only comes to my class for lunch, recess, any specials, and Science and History. The first week of school I taught on cells in Science. I made a cake and carved out a chunk of it to review plant cells. In the chunk I used different candies for the parts of the cell. On Tuesday Madison’s mom said that she came home raving about the nucleus being in the center of the cell. She said the nucleus was a chocolate ball. I used a Roche as the nucleus. I was thrilled because I knew that if she didn’t get anything else she understood that one thing. She’s a bright girl and I look forward to getting to know her better.
I want to say thank you to everyone for your prayers. I have had some neck trouble this last week. I had to be out of class for a few hours and get a massage because I was in so much pain. For two days straight I had a hard time getting around because of my neck. After the second day I started e-mailing friends and family asking for prayer. Each day after asking for prayer the pain eased more and more. By Friday I was exercising with my students while they were at P.E. I have no doubt that I felt better because of prayer. Medicine wasn’t helping and the massage only gave temporary relief for about two hours. I have found a chiropractor and hope to see her this next week. Her practice is walking distance from my house. The Lord is so good!
If you’d like an e-mail update for when I post new blogs please send your e-mail information to jewls4god@yahoo.com or julieinkenya@gmail.com.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
First Week of School
This week was my first week of school. I enjoyed my class very much. The week started as a half day on Tuesday. I have a total of twenty-three students on the roster. I had five students absent. I am learning this is common because I was not the only teacher with that many students absent. One of the absentees arrived on Thursday and another arrived on Friday. One is in the USA until September when his parents are able to get their work permits. Two others are in Korea. I was told that they are probably still there because if they leave in the next week or two the parents can save hundreds, if not thousands, on airfare. Ah but this is all the life of missionary school.
My class this year is different than any of my classes over the last three years. I say different in neither a good way nor bad way. Usually I can tell in the first two days whether I click with my class or not. It took three and half days until I realized I had won them over. Even writing this now I wonder if I truly have won them over yet. They were not as readily accepting of me as my students in the states were.
One thing that has profoundly affected me is my student’s lack of Bible knowledge. While teaching in a Christian school in Florida each year many students came to my class with solid Bible knowledge. They had this knowledge regardless of whether they applied it to their lives or not. On Thursday I asked my students a basic Bible question. I asked them, “How many ways can you get to heaven?” Many could not answer. I also asked them, “Who can save you from your sin?” Many could not give me a direct answer. I read to them basic Bible truths from the book of Romans. After reading them many of my students responded as if they’d never heard it before. I also gave my students an assignment on Wednesday to write out their testimony. One student very boldly stated on her paper, “I’m too stubborn to become a Christian.” Most of the class stated that they were Christians but when asked how they know for sure their answers were completely works based. My what a mission field! I have no doubt that God has placed me specifically with these kids. It’s both humbling and scary to know that many of my students’ Bible knowledge will come from what I teach them in the classroom. I am thrilled to shepherd these kids!
My class this year is different than any of my classes over the last three years. I say different in neither a good way nor bad way. Usually I can tell in the first two days whether I click with my class or not. It took three and half days until I realized I had won them over. Even writing this now I wonder if I truly have won them over yet. They were not as readily accepting of me as my students in the states were.
One thing that has profoundly affected me is my student’s lack of Bible knowledge. While teaching in a Christian school in Florida each year many students came to my class with solid Bible knowledge. They had this knowledge regardless of whether they applied it to their lives or not. On Thursday I asked my students a basic Bible question. I asked them, “How many ways can you get to heaven?” Many could not answer. I also asked them, “Who can save you from your sin?” Many could not give me a direct answer. I read to them basic Bible truths from the book of Romans. After reading them many of my students responded as if they’d never heard it before. I also gave my students an assignment on Wednesday to write out their testimony. One student very boldly stated on her paper, “I’m too stubborn to become a Christian.” Most of the class stated that they were Christians but when asked how they know for sure their answers were completely works based. My what a mission field! I have no doubt that God has placed me specifically with these kids. It’s both humbling and scary to know that many of my students’ Bible knowledge will come from what I teach them in the classroom. I am thrilled to shepherd these kids!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Karibu!
Karibu! Welcome! This is a fun Swahili word that is used often here. I hope you are enjoying my entries. As usual this entry was not written today but last evening July 7th.
These last few days have been busy! We are all getting ready for school. We start August 12th. Our Welcome Picnic is this Saturday. It is at this event that we get to meet the majority, if not all, of our students and their families. I have already met two of my students. They are my special needs children that will be out of my room for all their core subjects. One of them is Madison. She is a downs syndrome child but very high functioning. The other is Simon. I, along with the other new teachers, had dinner at Simon’s house tonight. He is a remarkable and charming little boy. He was born at 22 weeks and spent pretty much the first two years of his life in the hospital. He is a miracle child. His parents are wonderful Christian people who give all glory to the Lord for Simon being Simon. Simon also has an older brother who is a wonderful brother to him. This family moved to Kenya 7 years ago when Simon was 5 years old. His mom was telling me how God has blessed and provided all that Simon needs being in Kenya. How blessed I am to be here! Already I see God at work in the lives of my students and their families. Please pray for those students that I will have that are not yet Christians. I am praying that the Holy Spirit will move them to action. I am also praying for those that are Christians in my class that they would step up to the plate and wholeheartedly live for Christ.
Please pray for a little Muslim girl in my apartment complex. I have only seen her and spoken to her a few times. I am praying that the Lord would give me an opportunity to talk to her and then eventually to her family. Her name is Hanna. I’m not sure if I’m spelling her name correctly, but the Lord knows who she is.
Today it hit me exactly how poor the people here are. The corruption is remarkable. I have not yet visited a slum but I see the people who live in them walking along the streets. Nairobi is an extremely diversified city. Walking along the street you see both the well-dressed businessperson and the one with well-worn clothes barely able to survive. After living in this place for two years I know that I will never be the same again. Already my heart is completely here with these people. I know that I am already changed. I remember thinking before I left that I would have some neat experiences and cultural shocks, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be moved the way that I am. The thought has crossed my mind as to why God would choose to place me in a country such as America, and another is born into poverty to live out their entire life that way. I am reminded from God’s Word that He is in control. Even when I don’t understand why some things are the way they are, He sees the big picture, as I am not able to. I am shaken to my core. I keep thinking to myself – Why me Lord? When there are so many other people much more qualified to carry out your work – Why would you choose me? I count it an honor and privilege that will all my faults and failures God would choose to use me. I love that he uses ordinary people like me with no extraordinary talent or way with words.
Thank you dear Lord for you are Jehovah and you are Almighty God!
These last few days have been busy! We are all getting ready for school. We start August 12th. Our Welcome Picnic is this Saturday. It is at this event that we get to meet the majority, if not all, of our students and their families. I have already met two of my students. They are my special needs children that will be out of my room for all their core subjects. One of them is Madison. She is a downs syndrome child but very high functioning. The other is Simon. I, along with the other new teachers, had dinner at Simon’s house tonight. He is a remarkable and charming little boy. He was born at 22 weeks and spent pretty much the first two years of his life in the hospital. He is a miracle child. His parents are wonderful Christian people who give all glory to the Lord for Simon being Simon. Simon also has an older brother who is a wonderful brother to him. This family moved to Kenya 7 years ago when Simon was 5 years old. His mom was telling me how God has blessed and provided all that Simon needs being in Kenya. How blessed I am to be here! Already I see God at work in the lives of my students and their families. Please pray for those students that I will have that are not yet Christians. I am praying that the Holy Spirit will move them to action. I am also praying for those that are Christians in my class that they would step up to the plate and wholeheartedly live for Christ.
Please pray for a little Muslim girl in my apartment complex. I have only seen her and spoken to her a few times. I am praying that the Lord would give me an opportunity to talk to her and then eventually to her family. Her name is Hanna. I’m not sure if I’m spelling her name correctly, but the Lord knows who she is.
Today it hit me exactly how poor the people here are. The corruption is remarkable. I have not yet visited a slum but I see the people who live in them walking along the streets. Nairobi is an extremely diversified city. Walking along the street you see both the well-dressed businessperson and the one with well-worn clothes barely able to survive. After living in this place for two years I know that I will never be the same again. Already my heart is completely here with these people. I know that I am already changed. I remember thinking before I left that I would have some neat experiences and cultural shocks, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be moved the way that I am. The thought has crossed my mind as to why God would choose to place me in a country such as America, and another is born into poverty to live out their entire life that way. I am reminded from God’s Word that He is in control. Even when I don’t understand why some things are the way they are, He sees the big picture, as I am not able to. I am shaken to my core. I keep thinking to myself – Why me Lord? When there are so many other people much more qualified to carry out your work – Why would you choose me? I count it an honor and privilege that will all my faults and failures God would choose to use me. I love that he uses ordinary people like me with no extraordinary talent or way with words.
Thank you dear Lord for you are Jehovah and you are Almighty God!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Sight Seeing
This post is from August 1st. I seem to be a day or two behind in posting my entries. I don't have easy access to the internet.
Today we went to the giraffe center. I got to pet several giraffes. I even put a food pellet in my mouth and let the giraffe take it from me. It was pretty gross. I had giraffe slobber all over my face. Yuck! We also saw warthogs. They really are ugly animals. I got some pretty good shots of them with my camera. They were better at posing for the camera than the giraffes were.
Les and Karen Ommen are living in my director’s home while he is in the U.S. with his family until January. The guy who works for them asked them for something yesterday. Now before I tell you what they asked for I should let you know that we were forewarned that we would be asked for things by Kenyans. Four days later and here is a guy who’s already asking. The guy asked for shillings toward his circumcision fund for his three sons. He’s trying to raise 3,000KSH for his three sons to get circumcised. This would be around $46-$47 in the states. It’s odd for me to think that someone would ask for money for his or her child’s circumcision but truth has proven me wrong.
I got to work in my classroom for the first time today. It was good to have a few hours to get a little organized. I have a wonderful view of the elementary playground, soccer field, and Ngong Forest from all my windows. I would venture to say I have one of the best views in the entire school. West Nairobi School has a beautiful campus! It’s not flat like I’m used to traveling around on, it has hills and steep sidewalks. I’ll get a pretty good workout just walking around school everyday.
For dinner tonight I went to a family from the school’s home. Their name is the Kirby family. They are a sweet bunch. They have been in Kenya for over 10 years. Joel and I were the two teachers chosen to go to their home. The other teachers were each paired in twos and sent to other students’ homes. Joel and I had a good time. I was pretty tired from getting up at 5:40 this morning and so I was glad that Joel carried the majority of the conversation. I actually asked him if he would do most of the talking as we approached the Kirby’s door earlier in the evening. I was thankful that he took me at my word.
I must share with you a verse that the Lord spoke to me with today. The verse is I Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
Today we went to the giraffe center. I got to pet several giraffes. I even put a food pellet in my mouth and let the giraffe take it from me. It was pretty gross. I had giraffe slobber all over my face. Yuck! We also saw warthogs. They really are ugly animals. I got some pretty good shots of them with my camera. They were better at posing for the camera than the giraffes were.
Les and Karen Ommen are living in my director’s home while he is in the U.S. with his family until January. The guy who works for them asked them for something yesterday. Now before I tell you what they asked for I should let you know that we were forewarned that we would be asked for things by Kenyans. Four days later and here is a guy who’s already asking. The guy asked for shillings toward his circumcision fund for his three sons. He’s trying to raise 3,000KSH for his three sons to get circumcised. This would be around $46-$47 in the states. It’s odd for me to think that someone would ask for money for his or her child’s circumcision but truth has proven me wrong.
I got to work in my classroom for the first time today. It was good to have a few hours to get a little organized. I have a wonderful view of the elementary playground, soccer field, and Ngong Forest from all my windows. I would venture to say I have one of the best views in the entire school. West Nairobi School has a beautiful campus! It’s not flat like I’m used to traveling around on, it has hills and steep sidewalks. I’ll get a pretty good workout just walking around school everyday.
For dinner tonight I went to a family from the school’s home. Their name is the Kirby family. They are a sweet bunch. They have been in Kenya for over 10 years. Joel and I were the two teachers chosen to go to their home. The other teachers were each paired in twos and sent to other students’ homes. Joel and I had a good time. I was pretty tired from getting up at 5:40 this morning and so I was glad that Joel carried the majority of the conversation. I actually asked him if he would do most of the talking as we approached the Kirby’s door earlier in the evening. I was thankful that he took me at my word.
I must share with you a verse that the Lord spoke to me with today. The verse is I Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
Friday, August 1, 2008
More Adventures!
This was written Thursday July 31st. Happy Reading!
Today was yet another exciting day in Africa! We most definitely drove on a sidewalk today. The bus started moving and one person says, “Why is that person walking right in the middle of the street?” Then we all quickly realized that that person was walking on the sidewalk and we were not on the street. It was quite amusing. Each new staff member has a great sense of humor. I have thoroughly enjoyed touring the city with them.
Today I couldn’t help but smile when I saw a car that had their license plate number on both the bonnet, which is the hood of the car, and on the side of it. Now in Kenya parts get stolen off cars all the time. One of the teachers just got their side view mirrors back from the shop. They were getting their license plate number posted on them because just last week their original ones were stolen when they were stopped at a roundabout. It’s different to see cars with their license plate number posted all over parts of their car.
I found out that we should be moving into our apartment on Monday. Amy Polhemus and I are the 'we' I am talking about. Our house help also starts on Monday to clean our apartment before we move our things in. I did find out that we are on the ground level right by the guard’s stand. We are going to make the guard our best friend so that if ever we have trouble he will protect us quickly and readily. I think I’ll like having house help. She will come twice a week and sometimes she will come on Saturday if we need her. This will take some time getting used to because I am accustomed to doing everything on my own. I’m sure after a couple of weeks of school I will have so much on my plate that I will no longer feel the urge to ‘help’ her. I don’t remember her name because it is definitely Kenyan, but I do know that she is very trustworthy and has been working with missionaries for fifteen years now.
Tomorrow we go to the Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe center. After that we will eat in Karen and head to the school to start setting up our classrooms.
Today was yet another exciting day in Africa! We most definitely drove on a sidewalk today. The bus started moving and one person says, “Why is that person walking right in the middle of the street?” Then we all quickly realized that that person was walking on the sidewalk and we were not on the street. It was quite amusing. Each new staff member has a great sense of humor. I have thoroughly enjoyed touring the city with them.
Today I couldn’t help but smile when I saw a car that had their license plate number on both the bonnet, which is the hood of the car, and on the side of it. Now in Kenya parts get stolen off cars all the time. One of the teachers just got their side view mirrors back from the shop. They were getting their license plate number posted on them because just last week their original ones were stolen when they were stopped at a roundabout. It’s different to see cars with their license plate number posted all over parts of their car.
I found out that we should be moving into our apartment on Monday. Amy Polhemus and I are the 'we' I am talking about. Our house help also starts on Monday to clean our apartment before we move our things in. I did find out that we are on the ground level right by the guard’s stand. We are going to make the guard our best friend so that if ever we have trouble he will protect us quickly and readily. I think I’ll like having house help. She will come twice a week and sometimes she will come on Saturday if we need her. This will take some time getting used to because I am accustomed to doing everything on my own. I’m sure after a couple of weeks of school I will have so much on my plate that I will no longer feel the urge to ‘help’ her. I don’t remember her name because it is definitely Kenyan, but I do know that she is very trustworthy and has been working with missionaries for fifteen years now.
Tomorrow we go to the Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe center. After that we will eat in Karen and head to the school to start setting up our classrooms.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Cultural Differences
Well it’s been a few days in Kenya and there are definite cultural differences. Probably the first thing that stuck out to me was the roadblocks. Police officers do not have cars and so to slow people down they have these two by four looking things with huge nails sticking up out of them. They leave only a small space between two of them for your vehicle to pass through. I say this is the first thing because my drive from the airport at 9p.m. was full of these roadblocks. The funny thing is that some streets have no streetlights and the others are poorly lit so it was quite amusing to come upon them unexpectedly. The roads themselves are interesting to say the least. I don’t know if I’ve quite ever experienced the constant jolts from so many potholes. I’m quickly adjusting to everyone driving on the left side of the road and the driver being on the right side of the car. I quite like the roundabouts. I hope to get the hang of them quickly.
Yesterday we drove to the school. On the way we saw a guy relieving himself on the side of the road. Thankfully he was facing a building. We rode along a street that was somewhat of their Home Depot and Target. Merchandise is rarely on display in a building and so most everything was out in the open. We saw many nurseries, pots, lumber, furniture, produce, and much more being sold along Ngong Road.
I miss family and friends, but I have no doubt that this is exactly where the Lord wants me. Today was a bit overwhelming with all the information that was given to us. We went shopping. One shopping center is within walking distance of our apartment (which by the way is bright orange and yellow). I think I’ll very much like my new life in Kenya. The people are friendly and hospitable. I’m anxious to get into my classroom and start setting up. My classroom is a very nice size with large windows. I’m excited to meet my students and their families. One thing that I’ve already learned is that not many things are predictable or reliable here. For instance, I’ve already experienced a power loss twice today. One was at Nakumatt, a shopping center, and the other was at Mayfield, the mission house I’m staying at.
The Lord is stretching me and causing me to depend more on Him. This morning I was complaining to Him about how frustrated I’ve been with living out of suitcases for the last three months. I’m ready to be in a home again that I can call my own. He very gently reminded me that I am only a sojourner in this land. Heaven is my home and not this place. He brought to mind Psalm 17:8 that says “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings.” All day I have been reflecting on this verse. How wonderful the Lord is to bring to mind what we need simply from His Word that we’ve hid in our heart! Please continue to pray that I would place my full trust and security in Him and Him alone.
Thank you everyone for your prayers and support!! I will post pictures once I am able to make it to an internet cafe with faster internet connection.
Yesterday we drove to the school. On the way we saw a guy relieving himself on the side of the road. Thankfully he was facing a building. We rode along a street that was somewhat of their Home Depot and Target. Merchandise is rarely on display in a building and so most everything was out in the open. We saw many nurseries, pots, lumber, furniture, produce, and much more being sold along Ngong Road.
I miss family and friends, but I have no doubt that this is exactly where the Lord wants me. Today was a bit overwhelming with all the information that was given to us. We went shopping. One shopping center is within walking distance of our apartment (which by the way is bright orange and yellow). I think I’ll very much like my new life in Kenya. The people are friendly and hospitable. I’m anxious to get into my classroom and start setting up. My classroom is a very nice size with large windows. I’m excited to meet my students and their families. One thing that I’ve already learned is that not many things are predictable or reliable here. For instance, I’ve already experienced a power loss twice today. One was at Nakumatt, a shopping center, and the other was at Mayfield, the mission house I’m staying at.
The Lord is stretching me and causing me to depend more on Him. This morning I was complaining to Him about how frustrated I’ve been with living out of suitcases for the last three months. I’m ready to be in a home again that I can call my own. He very gently reminded me that I am only a sojourner in this land. Heaven is my home and not this place. He brought to mind Psalm 17:8 that says “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings.” All day I have been reflecting on this verse. How wonderful the Lord is to bring to mind what we need simply from His Word that we’ve hid in our heart! Please continue to pray that I would place my full trust and security in Him and Him alone.
Thank you everyone for your prayers and support!! I will post pictures once I am able to make it to an internet cafe with faster internet connection.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Journey to Nairobi
I wrote this entry on July 27th, but I have not been able to post it until now. I hope you enjoy the read. The Lord is so good and so faithful!!
Today I was given a devotional. During my layover in Detroit I opened the devotional to the page for July 27th. As God always does, He reassured me once more of His plan for me. This is the entry I read:
Hope is a golden cord connecting you to heaven. This cord helps you hold your head up high, even when multiple trials are buffeting you. I never leave your side, and I never let go of your hand. But without the cord of hope, your head may slump and your feet may shuffle as you journey uphill with Me. Hope lifts your perspective from your weary feet to the glorious view you can see from the high road. You are reminded that the road we’re traveling together is ultimately a highway to heaven. When you consider this radiant destination, the roughness or smoothness of the road ahead becomes much less significant. I am training you to hold in your heart a dual focus: My continual Presence and the hope of heaven.
As I embark on a new chapter in my already full life God lifts my chin and whispers words of wisdom to me as He always does with His children. While I have not encountered trials recently I know they are to come. I am thankful to my loving Father for encouraging my heart and adjusting my focus prior to their arrival.
Today I was given a devotional. During my layover in Detroit I opened the devotional to the page for July 27th. As God always does, He reassured me once more of His plan for me. This is the entry I read:
Hope is a golden cord connecting you to heaven. This cord helps you hold your head up high, even when multiple trials are buffeting you. I never leave your side, and I never let go of your hand. But without the cord of hope, your head may slump and your feet may shuffle as you journey uphill with Me. Hope lifts your perspective from your weary feet to the glorious view you can see from the high road. You are reminded that the road we’re traveling together is ultimately a highway to heaven. When you consider this radiant destination, the roughness or smoothness of the road ahead becomes much less significant. I am training you to hold in your heart a dual focus: My continual Presence and the hope of heaven.
As I embark on a new chapter in my already full life God lifts my chin and whispers words of wisdom to me as He always does with His children. While I have not encountered trials recently I know they are to come. I am thankful to my loving Father for encouraging my heart and adjusting my focus prior to their arrival.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Friends
I am blessed with so many friends!!! The Lord has been so good to me in giving me such wonderful, godly people in my life. I love that I can share prayer requests with them and pray with them. I am overjoyed when they share with me how God is working in their lives. I am also honored when they come to me in full confidence and share where they are struggling. I count it an honor and privilege to be a listening ear and prayer warrior on their behalf. Neither myself nor my friends are perfect but we all follow a Savior who is. In most peoples' lifetimes they maybe have one or two great friends. I am blessed with many more! In Job it says "The Lord giveth, he taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." How true that verse is! The Lord has given and He's also taken away but His name is still to be praised! I don’t always verbalize how much the people in my life mean to me. If you are reading this you are most likely my friend and I want to say right now that I appreciate you and your friendship! My life is rich because of those that are in it. I am excited to make even more friendships in Kenya and I am sure I will share those new friendships with all of you. I love you guys and please forgive me if I do not keep in touch as much as I should while I'm overseas.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
PFO
I just got home from attending PFO (Pre-Field Orientation). During the two weeks I was in Southaven, MS I learned more than my brain could process. We started our day at 8:00 a.m. Lunch was served from 12:00-1:00 or 1:30 depending on the day. We went back to class after lunch until anywhere from 4:00-5:30. I learned many helpful things during those many hours of class that will help me once I am overseas.
The best part of PFO was meeting the other teachers and their families that are going to Nairobi, Kenya as well. We went out several times as a group. Les Ommen will be our assistant principal. His wife Karen will also be coming and helping around the school as well. Peter Kim will be our athletics director. His wife Amber and their little girl Abbey and son Noah are coming too of course. They are such a sweet family! Amy Polhemus will be teaching elementary p.e. along with other things, Kate Weiant will be teaching high school English, and Amy Keyser will be teaching first grade. Amy has already been in Kenya for a year. Joel Dixon will be teaching high school Math and Science. We are a fun bunch!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Summer Vacation
I just spent one and a half weeks in Louisiana with family. I had such an amazing time! I was able to see all four sisters and two of my four brothers. The other two brothers are in Florida. I am hoping to see them in about three weeks. Each year my nieces and nephews grow so much. The older ones don't change much in appearance but in life situation. Two nieces are due this year with little boys. My how the years have flown. I remember all of us playing barbies and talking about crushes. Now Rebekah and Cassie are both pregnant with their second babies. Wow! My nephew Scott has also been married for about two years and their trying for a baby. Yikes! I remember when he was a snot nosed kid that I used to beat up LOL. Going home brought back so many pleasant memories of rollerblading for hours, picking blackberries in the spring and pecans in the fall, having family get togethers every week, sitting on the front porch, laying on blankets at night looking up at the stars, and many other sweet memories of family and closeness. As I look ahead to my new adventure in Kenya it is those memories that I will probably think of on lonely days. It is also those memories that will keep me close to them so many miles away.
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