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!