so I'm starting to truly look African...today I got my hair plaited and braided, complete with extensions! My hair is so long now, about half-way down my back. Amie had a girl come to the house and do it for Liz and I. We wanted it done before camp b/c I won't be able to shower all week. It took almost 5 hours to do it but only cost about $7! so cheap. My scalp is super white and probably going to burn; maybe sunscreen will help? All the Kenyans keep staring at me as I walk by. It's very uncommon to see any muzungu with braided hair. It's the first time since I got here that I haven't left the house except to come here. i practiced the tie dying we'll be doing at camp. i'm so happy that i got it to work. i'm really excited for everyone to try it at camp; i think it will be a success. It was wonderful not going to town today. i still got a lot accomplished at home, and got to relax a little. All the travel can become quite exhausting.
Yesterday was like that. It took forever to get home b/c we left during rush hour. And then Liz found out my converter that was in her bag got stolen yesterday, which no biggie, I don't use it much. It's just the idea of it. Ricky had his wallet stolen today too and Patrick thinks his sunglasses may have been taken as well. So last night we got home really late and found out there still wasn't water. We had no water left at all. All of our reserve tanks behind the house were empty. Liz and I wanted to wash our hair before we got it braided so we had about 5 minutes to get to the store before it closed to buy bottled water. I took a shower with 2 liters of water...that's a record for me I think. Then we found out last night that Eunice, our house girl, left. She's the one that cooks, cleans, and takes care of Baraka. The whole situation is wierd, and I'm not sure what to think. I really liked Eunice a lot and felt sorry for her too. She's only 17 and had so much responsibility. But Peter said that they had problems with her not telling the truth, and something happened with this yesterday when she went to buy water. Apparently her and Amie then got into a fight and then Eunice decided she was leaving. She lives about 8 hours away, so it was a big deal just to help her get home. so now we all have to pitch in with cleaning and cooking. This is fine, it's just difficult b/c we're never home, and when you do get home you're exhausted.
Today is the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy bombings in Nairobi. There was a special memorial service, and it's all over the news. The locals are still seeking reimbursement for medical expenses concurred from this catastrophe, and are basically saying it's the U.S. congress that needs to pay for this...yeah, like that's going to happen. What's wierd is that, the man who committed this crime hasn't been caught, but about 4 days ago he was found somewhere coming into the country or something. But somehow they weren't able to detain him. What in the world? Look this story up online and let me know what happened with this.
Anyway, some prayer requests:
Continue to pray for my grandma
Pray for Alex, the Kenyan who was shot during the violence this winter...his bullet wounds are bleeding; he went to the hospital for tests today
Water...yeah, we still don't have any
I love you all, and hope some of you are living up that last week before school starts!!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Prayer Request
Hello all. Today it is finally sunny and nice again in Nairobi. However, I was very upset today to learn that my grandma is ill. She had an artery rupture in her pelvic area and was losing a lot of blood. I believe she is currently in Good Sam. Hospital, and I'm not sure how she is doing. Please, please, keep her in your prayers, and keep me updated.
We have been getting organized for camp today, assigning everyone to tents and making nametags. So much paper work, but it must be done.
2 quick stories:
On Sunday, Patrick really needed to use the bathroom in Kibera, so he was going to use the bathrooms at the school we were at. Shortly later we found out he didn't go and we asked why. He said, there was no hole, and so basically you just go right there all over the floor. He said, um no i just couldn't do that. Wow...
On our way to church Sunday, this woman got really mad at our matatu driver and was yelling at him in Swahili b/c he didn't give change to these 2 other girls. then she grabbed his hat, and jumped off the matatu and flung his hat out in the street. it was kinda funny.
We have been getting organized for camp today, assigning everyone to tents and making nametags. So much paper work, but it must be done.
2 quick stories:
On Sunday, Patrick really needed to use the bathroom in Kibera, so he was going to use the bathrooms at the school we were at. Shortly later we found out he didn't go and we asked why. He said, there was no hole, and so basically you just go right there all over the floor. He said, um no i just couldn't do that. Wow...
On our way to church Sunday, this woman got really mad at our matatu driver and was yelling at him in Swahili b/c he didn't give change to these 2 other girls. then she grabbed his hat, and jumped off the matatu and flung his hat out in the street. it was kinda funny.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Bike Taxis
I forgot to mention this crazy thing that happened last week. I was walking home, and there's always bike taxis (one person bike and a person sitting on the back) nearby the route to the house. it's pretty dangerous b/c it's a normal size bike with an extra pad right behind the regular seat. anyway, one wrecked and a pregnant woman was riding on the back. she flew off and landed on her back in the middle of the street. She just lay there for several minutes. it was awful. she did finally get up and was walking around. i'm not sure what happened after that. but why would she be riding on there in the first place.
another day, several weeks ago, i was downtown and this woman came running out in the middle of the street and threw her phone down. she was screaming and crying in swahili. this huge group gathered around her. we later found out that someone had called her and told her that her son was dead.
on a happy note, last night all the MSTs cooked dinner. we made egg salad, pasta salad, and fruit salad...quite a salady meal. peter and amie thought it was the greatest thing ever calling it gourmet food. i was just extremely happy to eat something not fried and slightly familiar. i do like the food here, but a reminder of home is good.
on saturday night, i decided i didn't care if i looked ridiculous and that i would go running around the "neighborhood" where we live. it's very out of the ordinary to do this. but it was safe b/c the neighboorhood is small. all the kids playing in the streets had quite a time staring at me. but at least they didn't chase after me, which is what happened when the last MST went running. i was very excited to finally get some exercise, although of course i still am sore since it's been forever since i did anything.
we went to visit Lilian today, the girl with the young daughter, who lives in Kibera. It was good to just sit and visit, laugh, and show love to someone who probably desparately needs it. liz got to hold the baby the whole time and she is truly beautiful. we also taught the Blue House kids in Kibera about telling time today. i finally made paper plate clocks that they could use. and wow, do these kids need help. we worked with 3rd-6th graders and they mostly didn't have a clue about most of it. I'm pretty sure that one of the kids I helped has special needs. of course special ed. doesn't exist here, which is so depressing. it's already easy enough to fall through the cracks as it is. I was watching the news the other night and someone in charge of education in kenya was discussing the illiteracy problem here. she said kids need to learn to read for pleasure. this concept is almost non existent here with children. you see very few books here. even my host family, although they have many adult books, have only 1 or 2 kids books for baraka. i've never seen them read to him ever. it's just not important here. and when the students have reading in school, they only read stories from their textbooks. the stories are short and very boring. this whole school needs lots of prayer everyone. a lot of things need to change. i'm not sure if i'm in the position to be able to make that happen or not. it is very poorly run, underfunded, and the teachers are poorly trained. so keep this situation in your prayers. the kids are going on break till september, and i would like to have some sort of goal for the situation when break is over.
speaking of t.v. , in case you wondered, we do have a t.v. at our house. and they show lots of american things. like the amazing race from 4 years ago, the first season of so you think you can dance, 24, cold case, prison break (season 1 probably), etc. they also have the most lame spanish soap operas that have been dubbed over in english. the characters talk in really high pitched squeaky voices. and of course the news is on. it's nice b/c most things are in english. and about movies....everything is pirated here, and poorly pirated at that. we bought an american movie to watch the other day and it only cost $3. Here's why--we were only able to watch half of it, and then it started skipping like crazy and completely froze. we couldn't watch anymore. in no way do i think it's okay to buy pirated movies, but there aren't any other options. after this experience though, i think my movie watching days here are over.
another day, several weeks ago, i was downtown and this woman came running out in the middle of the street and threw her phone down. she was screaming and crying in swahili. this huge group gathered around her. we later found out that someone had called her and told her that her son was dead.
on a happy note, last night all the MSTs cooked dinner. we made egg salad, pasta salad, and fruit salad...quite a salady meal. peter and amie thought it was the greatest thing ever calling it gourmet food. i was just extremely happy to eat something not fried and slightly familiar. i do like the food here, but a reminder of home is good.
on saturday night, i decided i didn't care if i looked ridiculous and that i would go running around the "neighborhood" where we live. it's very out of the ordinary to do this. but it was safe b/c the neighboorhood is small. all the kids playing in the streets had quite a time staring at me. but at least they didn't chase after me, which is what happened when the last MST went running. i was very excited to finally get some exercise, although of course i still am sore since it's been forever since i did anything.
we went to visit Lilian today, the girl with the young daughter, who lives in Kibera. It was good to just sit and visit, laugh, and show love to someone who probably desparately needs it. liz got to hold the baby the whole time and she is truly beautiful. we also taught the Blue House kids in Kibera about telling time today. i finally made paper plate clocks that they could use. and wow, do these kids need help. we worked with 3rd-6th graders and they mostly didn't have a clue about most of it. I'm pretty sure that one of the kids I helped has special needs. of course special ed. doesn't exist here, which is so depressing. it's already easy enough to fall through the cracks as it is. I was watching the news the other night and someone in charge of education in kenya was discussing the illiteracy problem here. she said kids need to learn to read for pleasure. this concept is almost non existent here with children. you see very few books here. even my host family, although they have many adult books, have only 1 or 2 kids books for baraka. i've never seen them read to him ever. it's just not important here. and when the students have reading in school, they only read stories from their textbooks. the stories are short and very boring. this whole school needs lots of prayer everyone. a lot of things need to change. i'm not sure if i'm in the position to be able to make that happen or not. it is very poorly run, underfunded, and the teachers are poorly trained. so keep this situation in your prayers. the kids are going on break till september, and i would like to have some sort of goal for the situation when break is over.
speaking of t.v. , in case you wondered, we do have a t.v. at our house. and they show lots of american things. like the amazing race from 4 years ago, the first season of so you think you can dance, 24, cold case, prison break (season 1 probably), etc. they also have the most lame spanish soap operas that have been dubbed over in english. the characters talk in really high pitched squeaky voices. and of course the news is on. it's nice b/c most things are in english. and about movies....everything is pirated here, and poorly pirated at that. we bought an american movie to watch the other day and it only cost $3. Here's why--we were only able to watch half of it, and then it started skipping like crazy and completely froze. we couldn't watch anymore. in no way do i think it's okay to buy pirated movies, but there aren't any other options. after this experience though, i think my movie watching days here are over.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
The Constant Gardner
One more thing I forgot to add, for all of you adults (b/c this is not a movie for kids), if you want to have a better picture of what it's like here, you might rent "The Constant Gardner." It's a recent movie , from the last 3 years maybe??? and a big chunk of it is actually filmed in Kibera. I watched it a few months before coming, so i can't remember precisely how closely it reflects what's actually going on, but i think it would give you a better idea.
A Day in Kibera
I have to say that yesterday was the most humbling day maybe of my life. It began rather low key. 3 MSTs and Peter went to a school to talk about camp. It was funny b/c Patrick thought we were just going to a meeting (we never really know what's going on) and when we walked into a room of 200 students, he suddenly got very self conscious about his muddy shoes that he hadn't cleaned (remember Africans polish their shoes daily.) Anyway, afterwards, we decided to go to Kibera. We helped serve lunch at Sara Junior and then stayed to clean up. They get out of school early of Friday. This school is also a church so all the tables and chairs have to be moved on Fridays. Liz had worn flip flops that day b/c we didn't expect to be in Kibera. It was the muddiest day I've experienced yet, and a challenge to walk around anywhere. So of course her feet were just covered in dirt. Nirea, the cook, insisted that she help clean Liz's feet. And then she tried to get Liz to take her sneakers instead. Liz almost started crying b/c of course this is the only pair of shoes that this woman has. People here are amazingly generous. (And to think I winced a bit when I gave away my last packet of Swiss Miss to someone in the house)
Afterwards, we went with Po Po to visit some people at their houses. Virginia did this while she was here, so we felt we should follow up. At the first house the woman had basically nothing in her house. She has 3 small kids and her husband has no job. Basically we just talked with her and prayed with her for needs she had. Imagine that this house is built with sticks and mud and maybe 2 rooms, but nothing is in it. The second house, there was a mom and 6 kids. the mom was out working at her vegetable stand but dropped everything to come into the house and talk with us. this house is only one room. there was a bed, and small couch like thing (more like a chair b/c it wasn't very cushioned) and a chair. All those people sleep in there, some on the floor and several on the bed and furniture. there were 5 of us visiting and we could barely sit, so i can't imagine trying to sleep there. the mom really values the education of her children, which is amazing b/c you have to pay for high school here. she was paying for 4 girls to go through school even though she has little money. we prayed for her too as she isn't sure how to pay her rent and keep the kids in school. today the other MSTs and i were discussing ways to help these people. it's hard to know what to do b/c if you just give them money, they could be in the same position next month. how do you empower people? we decided it would be better to allocate money to the school or something so that money goes directly where it should. realizing how little people have and live on was so humbling, sad, and discouraging.
what really got to me was on the way back to town Po Po told me about his life. About his many sisters/brothers from many different dads (one mom). and how his parents divorced and his dad came to take his brother, Alex, and him away. The dad was a pastor and remarried. the step mom proceeded to abuse Po Po and Alex by not feeding them and burning their arms with a hot spoon when they did something wrong. And to think this dad is a pastor!! the mom finally got them back. but it has been a struggle. Po Po said on Thursday he came home and there was no food, so he went to bed hungry and asking God why this was happening. But then he read through Jeremiah, and thought about the part where it says God "knows the plans he has for you; plans to prosper you and not harm you..." and realized that God has a plan for his life. He said he woke up feeling happy and rejuvenated. and then he got a text later in the day to come audition for a advertisement. he is into acting, and was going to get paid 1000 shillings just to audition (that is huge for kibera). so it was an amazing day for him. then he told me he needed me to pray for him. i expected it to be for help for his family with paying bills, etc. but instead he said, " i don't know how to forgive my dad. everytime i get on my knees to pray for him, i can't." this was so huge to me...b/c imagine you have no food, no consistent job, etc. and your biggest concern is that you forgive the person who inflicted so much pain in your life. Po Po really encourages me b/c his faith is so strong and so focused on living out his faith and trusting that God will take care of him.
on thursday, i got to go to an art gallery, for free i might add. i can't tell you how therapeutic this was to my soul. it was very contemporary, abstract art too...something that you would see in the U.S. i love that styles of art cross cultural boundaries. so basically we can all be unified across nations by Christ and by art!
Afterwards, we went with Po Po to visit some people at their houses. Virginia did this while she was here, so we felt we should follow up. At the first house the woman had basically nothing in her house. She has 3 small kids and her husband has no job. Basically we just talked with her and prayed with her for needs she had. Imagine that this house is built with sticks and mud and maybe 2 rooms, but nothing is in it. The second house, there was a mom and 6 kids. the mom was out working at her vegetable stand but dropped everything to come into the house and talk with us. this house is only one room. there was a bed, and small couch like thing (more like a chair b/c it wasn't very cushioned) and a chair. All those people sleep in there, some on the floor and several on the bed and furniture. there were 5 of us visiting and we could barely sit, so i can't imagine trying to sleep there. the mom really values the education of her children, which is amazing b/c you have to pay for high school here. she was paying for 4 girls to go through school even though she has little money. we prayed for her too as she isn't sure how to pay her rent and keep the kids in school. today the other MSTs and i were discussing ways to help these people. it's hard to know what to do b/c if you just give them money, they could be in the same position next month. how do you empower people? we decided it would be better to allocate money to the school or something so that money goes directly where it should. realizing how little people have and live on was so humbling, sad, and discouraging.
what really got to me was on the way back to town Po Po told me about his life. About his many sisters/brothers from many different dads (one mom). and how his parents divorced and his dad came to take his brother, Alex, and him away. The dad was a pastor and remarried. the step mom proceeded to abuse Po Po and Alex by not feeding them and burning their arms with a hot spoon when they did something wrong. And to think this dad is a pastor!! the mom finally got them back. but it has been a struggle. Po Po said on Thursday he came home and there was no food, so he went to bed hungry and asking God why this was happening. But then he read through Jeremiah, and thought about the part where it says God "knows the plans he has for you; plans to prosper you and not harm you..." and realized that God has a plan for his life. He said he woke up feeling happy and rejuvenated. and then he got a text later in the day to come audition for a advertisement. he is into acting, and was going to get paid 1000 shillings just to audition (that is huge for kibera). so it was an amazing day for him. then he told me he needed me to pray for him. i expected it to be for help for his family with paying bills, etc. but instead he said, " i don't know how to forgive my dad. everytime i get on my knees to pray for him, i can't." this was so huge to me...b/c imagine you have no food, no consistent job, etc. and your biggest concern is that you forgive the person who inflicted so much pain in your life. Po Po really encourages me b/c his faith is so strong and so focused on living out his faith and trusting that God will take care of him.
on thursday, i got to go to an art gallery, for free i might add. i can't tell you how therapeutic this was to my soul. it was very contemporary, abstract art too...something that you would see in the U.S. i love that styles of art cross cultural boundaries. so basically we can all be unified across nations by Christ and by art!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Passing out Shoes
Today we went to the juvenile home and took with us 113 pairs of flip flops. We were quite a site in the matatu with 2 guitars, 11 oranges for a game we were playing, and all those shoes. Anyway, we did a lesson with them on fear and how it is normal to have fears but that we shouldn't be consumed by them but rather trust God to help us through them. I think this was much more successful this week than last b/c we had someone translate into Swahili. I liked telling my story of how fearful I was getting off the plane in Kenya. I was super nervous with my heart pounding and wondering if I would be stranded there. Until I saw people holding a sign with my name...a very good feeling. Anyway, we played some relay games afterwards, and I was quite amazed that we were able to put all the boys into lines. Then we passed out the shoes before we left. One of the teachers got all the kids together afterwards and started thanking us. His voice seemed to quiver and I thought he might start crying. He said, "We are so grateful b/c this has been a huge need for a long time. And God showed you that need, and you answered." It was very touching and made me want to cry too. Then they all did this clapping cheer for us. It is so muddy at this place, and so I can't imagine never wearing shoes. There's a random cow walking around too--not really fenced in, and this cow dung, and yeah, you just really want some shoes.
I realized today that all of the MSTs are now the oldest child in the family. Some of you know that I'm obsessed with birth order traits...you should really read some research about this if you've never heard of it. As oldest children, we tend to be leaders, stubborn, and organized. I think for me this is almost becoming a hinderance at times to what I'm doing. It's very hard to step back and know how to work together as a team. We all have very different backgrounds and ideas, so meshing them can be a challenge. Please pray for us, and me especially, that I would be a better listener and flexible to everyone's ideas. Love is patient!
In positive news, I've been very inspired by Velvet Elvis. Part of it talks about missionaries and reads, "The issue isn't so much taking Jesus to people who don't have him, but going to a place and pointing out to the people there the creative, life-giving God who is already present in their midst." Isn't this so true--God is in the joy that we experience being with friends, in the sunset you watch before going to sleep, and in the smile I see on the children's faces in the schools of Kibera. God has put good and wonderful things and experiences in our midst and we much reach out and cherish them. I'm continually amazed by the amount of faith and trust that many Kenyans have in God. They are so pleased in their humble circumstances...without material things to get in the way, perhaps it is easier to embrace the small acts of love, joy, and peace surrounding us. So look around you today, see where God is at in your world, and praise Him for it.
I realized today that all of the MSTs are now the oldest child in the family. Some of you know that I'm obsessed with birth order traits...you should really read some research about this if you've never heard of it. As oldest children, we tend to be leaders, stubborn, and organized. I think for me this is almost becoming a hinderance at times to what I'm doing. It's very hard to step back and know how to work together as a team. We all have very different backgrounds and ideas, so meshing them can be a challenge. Please pray for us, and me especially, that I would be a better listener and flexible to everyone's ideas. Love is patient!
In positive news, I've been very inspired by Velvet Elvis. Part of it talks about missionaries and reads, "The issue isn't so much taking Jesus to people who don't have him, but going to a place and pointing out to the people there the creative, life-giving God who is already present in their midst." Isn't this so true--God is in the joy that we experience being with friends, in the sunset you watch before going to sleep, and in the smile I see on the children's faces in the schools of Kibera. God has put good and wonderful things and experiences in our midst and we much reach out and cherish them. I'm continually amazed by the amount of faith and trust that many Kenyans have in God. They are so pleased in their humble circumstances...without material things to get in the way, perhaps it is easier to embrace the small acts of love, joy, and peace surrounding us. So look around you today, see where God is at in your world, and praise Him for it.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Cutting Patrick's Hair
So we did cut Patrick's hair last night...it was quite the excitement for the day. I only did a little at the beginning and then Liz mostly took over, which is good. I think the last person's hair I cut was Kelly's and we were outside, the wind was blowing, and it looked terrible. In any case, the cut actually looks pretty good on Patrick and he seemed satisfied. I was nervous at the beginning b/c he was being really picky and telling us how to do everything, but it worked out. Amie (my mom) was upset that he cut it b/c it takes the Africans so long to grow out their hair--she's been growing hers out for 8 years, and it's barely longer than mine. peter said it's good we did it though b/c the barber's here would not know how to layer it and such--muzungu hair is so different.
And speaking of hair, on Sunday i had my hair pulled back in a ponytail and pinned up. Amie asked if I just washed my hair. "No, this is day 3," I said. Then she was so curious about how it was so slick and shiny. i told her it was oil. she said, "oh, you put oil on it?" b/c that's what the africans have to do to their hair since it's so dry. then i told her my hair just naturally makes the oil and grease. she thought that was great. i thought the whole conversation was hilarious. basically you can go days without washing your hair and no one can tell.
I have to tell you the story of this girl in Kibera. Virginia did a lot of home visits while she was here and met someone named Lilian. Lilian's parents both died recently from AIDS. then she was raped by her step father and proceeded to get pregnant. But she decided to keep the baby b/c she felt like it was the right thing to do and that the child was not at fault. We were able to visit her, and the daughter is beautiful. But Lilian is really struggling b/c she has no source of income. So Virginia asked Po Po if it would be appropriate to have the girl do our laundry. I know this would be an insult at home, but here it's not. And actually it's an amazing help for us. I never have any time to do laundry b/c i get home too late and it takes a good 1 1/2 hours of scrubbing. So we paid Lilian to do it. I hope this becomes a regular thing, as it would be a good way for her to make money I think. It's ridiculous though how cheap things are...we gave here 200 shillings each, about $3 for a bag of laundry. Victor says that's the best rate anyone would get, so it's very culturally appropriate, just seems like nothing to me.
i woke up at 5:45 today to get to the american embassy on time, and this time they tell me that they're closed the last wednesday of the month...um seriously do these people ever work? fortunately we were able to find many materials for camp and we bought 110 pairs of flip flops to pass out at the juvenile home tomorrow. 110 shows for $60...super cheap.
And speaking of hair, on Sunday i had my hair pulled back in a ponytail and pinned up. Amie asked if I just washed my hair. "No, this is day 3," I said. Then she was so curious about how it was so slick and shiny. i told her it was oil. she said, "oh, you put oil on it?" b/c that's what the africans have to do to their hair since it's so dry. then i told her my hair just naturally makes the oil and grease. she thought that was great. i thought the whole conversation was hilarious. basically you can go days without washing your hair and no one can tell.
I have to tell you the story of this girl in Kibera. Virginia did a lot of home visits while she was here and met someone named Lilian. Lilian's parents both died recently from AIDS. then she was raped by her step father and proceeded to get pregnant. But she decided to keep the baby b/c she felt like it was the right thing to do and that the child was not at fault. We were able to visit her, and the daughter is beautiful. But Lilian is really struggling b/c she has no source of income. So Virginia asked Po Po if it would be appropriate to have the girl do our laundry. I know this would be an insult at home, but here it's not. And actually it's an amazing help for us. I never have any time to do laundry b/c i get home too late and it takes a good 1 1/2 hours of scrubbing. So we paid Lilian to do it. I hope this becomes a regular thing, as it would be a good way for her to make money I think. It's ridiculous though how cheap things are...we gave here 200 shillings each, about $3 for a bag of laundry. Victor says that's the best rate anyone would get, so it's very culturally appropriate, just seems like nothing to me.
i woke up at 5:45 today to get to the american embassy on time, and this time they tell me that they're closed the last wednesday of the month...um seriously do these people ever work? fortunately we were able to find many materials for camp and we bought 110 pairs of flip flops to pass out at the juvenile home tomorrow. 110 shows for $60...super cheap.
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