Abide Renewed

Mambo! I have just returned from our Abide Renewed summer camp that we put on for the youth of Nairobi. So I have been living in the bush for a whole week, sleeping in a tent. It was a pleasure to not have black snot for a while and to live without a mosquito net too. Well, how to explain this week...so much to tell. We left on Sunday morning, and we were supposed to leave the city at 10. Instead, we sat on the sidewalk for about 3 hours. I think we maybe left around 1:30...TIA (this is Africa). But we were able to get there in enough time to put up all the tents and arrange everything. The campers then came on Monday. I stayed in a tent with 4 other Kenyan girls. Each morning the counselors got up before 6 to have an hour of prayer and devotions. And even though I was tired, it was incredible watching the sun rise over the Savannah and being able to praise God for the beauty of His creation. The morning typically consisted of breakfast, then worship, then a speaker who presented a Christian message, then debriefing groups where we led campers in discussions. Then we had lunch and then the kids did art and played sports; then dinner, then more worship. Then we had various things at night...movies, preaching, and gala night. That was last night, and my favorite part was when they had all the muzungus come up front and dance. it's pretty hilarious b/c all the locals are really good dancers, so we all look so goofy. especially richard, the british MST. he has this really deep voice and is pretty awkward at dancing and knows it. but he's such a good sport about it, and all the kenyans crack up. I'm excited to tell you that the art part of the camp that i was in charge of went soooo well. they loved tie dying bandanas. everyone wore them all week, and the dye was some how better than anything i've every used at home. the colors were so vibrant. i also had them make picture frames with bible verses in them, bracelets, and books. they really loved all these things, and i thought maybe it would be too kiddish for them, since we had people who were my age too. but they really loved it since they never do anything like it. it was such a God thing b/c i just kinda let it happen and didn't worry at all. i'm learning to go with the flow and relax more even though it is so against my nature.

i spent a huge part of camp washing dishes. it is very humbling to wash f0r 150 people several times a day...that's a lot of bowls and spoons my friends. i even starting singing the spoons song today (mom, you will understand). patrick and i started making a game out of who could wash the fastest. oh, and i ate goat (nyoma choma) last night. they actually brought 3 goats in the trunk of a car to the camp and slaughtered them right there. it tasted really good though. and then we left the goat heads in this pan and a guy from camp is going to make stew out of them. lovely.

i think the campers were really powerfully impacted by God this week. For many of them it was the only chance to be out of the slums and they didn't want to go home. one crazy thing that happened is that one day a lady spoke about relationships and what they should look like from a biblical stand point. apparently, wife beating is a huge thing here...seriously people think this is okay. and so they had this whole discussion about it and she said some things were traditions but they weren't biblical. i was so surprised to learn that this is such a major issue here.

i've gotten to spend time with some ugandans now too...they were helping at camp and are staying with us tonight. and we have another american, anna-lise who just came, and another british girl. so my room is completely full of people again. lots of excitement. i know that there is more to tell, but i need to process and think about what just happened, so more details to follow.