Life: A long series of Hello and Goodbye

So the time has come to say goodbye, and I am not good at “goodbye”.

Many of you have asked about the “princess party” and I must say I am excited to share a few photos with you! They were so adorable! And, the girls really enjoyed the night. I loved it that I got to tell them one more time how beautiful they are and how much God has in store for their lives. Still God amazes me that He would let me be a part of His work. Why would He choose me? Why did He want me to experience His love in this way? I suppose those are questions I will not be sure of the answer to until I meet Him face to face. (Oh Lord hasten the day that I may gaze upon your beautiful face.)

I left Bethesda Children’s Home last Thursday to return to Nairobi. There is a lot of paperwork and business things that must be taken care of here before returning home. It was extremely difficult to leave the girls. On Wednesday they had my favorite Kenyan meal and then we said our goodbyes. Of course I cried! I wouldn’t be my mother’s daughter if I didn’t. On Thursday I had to say goodbye to John and Janet (the guard and the house girl). They are some of the most wonderful people I have ever met! I will truly miss them. Mum (Grace) and I had one more day as I had to meet her in Nairobi on Friday to take care of a few more things for BCH. I will miss my mornings with her.
When I arrived in Nairobi, I was no where near ready to leave. I was really struggling with the idea and trying not to think of all that waits for me. However, God has continued to be faithful in His answering of my prayers and He has slowly softened my heart to the reality of re-entry. I know that I must go as the Lord as called me to another place right now. At the same time, the Lord has affirmed His calling on my life and I know I will be back. Debriefing in Nairobi has provided clarity about my purpose here and has also provided an opportunity to reflect upon what the Lord has done in my life and through my life. I look forward to sharing those things with you as you have so graciously trusted me to be your hands, feet, eyes, ears, and heart. As I sit to write this blog to you, I realize I am miles from where I was not 6 short months ago. The Lord has allowed me to see Him in new ways and has changed my heart. Satan attacked and God provided strength and power to triumph over Him. Danger arised and God faithfully protected me in advance. God brought me to Africa to fulfill His calling on my life but to grow me that I would be ready to serve long term. I could sing the praises of our Lord forever just because of how I have seen Him during this time in Kenya. I realize that many of you would get tired of reading, so I will spare you.

By the time many of you read this, I will be close to arriving in the States. Let us all hope that by that time the Lord has really provided closure and peace about the transition. I can not imagine being able to greet you all and thank you personally for all that you have done for me. It is so amazing to have a new understanding of the mission field which includes my understanding of the importance of your church family. I have been so fortunate have such wonderful, faithful support. The floor of heaven has been bombarded with your intercession and I can never thank you enough. As I re-enter the States, I ask that you pray for a smooth transition with little re-entry stress. I also ask that you continue to praise the Lord for all He has done and that He will continue to lead me. I know this is not the end for me in Africa….pray as the Lord directs to the next place and time. I love you all greatly and can not wait to share the wonders of our Lord with you!

“Now to Him that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we can ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to HIM be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” –Ephesians 3: 20-21

Preaching, Knitting, and Parties

I returned to Kerugoya a week ago and have been busy ever since. As is true for humans, we procrastinate. So, I have been spending the days having lunch and tea with Kenyans and the evenings with the girls. It seems everyday is packed with things to do and people to visit. Oh how I love last minute!

Since I have been back, I have soaked up every minute possible with the girls, had the opportunity to preach in a Kenyan church, and start/finish projects for BCH. There is so much to report on but I will save some for when I return. For now I will tell you of what the girls and I have been doing and will do before my departure from this wonderful town.

On Saturday, we spent the day doing some crafts. Most of you are laughing because you know I am not artistic but the Lord enables us to make the most of what we have. So, I've done exactly that. We used dried maize husk to make angles. It was quite interesting, I must admit. Even more so because they worked and the girls loved them! We also finally got the opportunity to use the coloring books that were sent from the church. Each of the girls got one and we spent the rest of the day coloring. Most of them insisted on finishing that day. They love to color so much. There has been a lot of knitting and I was able to get more wool for the girls so that they can learn to knit their own school sweaters. We will see what will come of that in the future. For now, the girls love to knit and it is something that could eventually provide some income. The systems that we worked on before I left in April needed to be reinforced but for the most part they were still using them. I will pray that they continue even in our absence. This weekend will be my last weekend with the girls and I hope to make is special. Tonight (Friday) we will have a movie night and knit. Tomorrow I have planned a "Princess Party". The story of Esther is one of my absolute favorites. I love that she was so bold in risking her life for her people. I also love the words of Mordecai, "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" I realize that the Lord can always use someone else if I am not willing to serve. Also, that so much of what we are given is for the use of His kingdom. However, the fact that Esther was an orphan and used for God speaks encouragement for the girls at Bethesda. So on Saturday night, I will make paper crowns, pretend robes, have fruit and tea, and decorate the room with candles and fabric. We will talk about Esther and I pray that the girls will understand that they too will be used for the King. Pray for this time. Pray that the girls will know that they are loved by the Most High God, they are special, and have a purpose in this life. I am really excited about the "party"!!!

As for me, as you might expect I still cannot imagine leaving. This is my life now. For the past 6 months this is what I have known as everyday living, and I am not sure how I will go back to the past. I realize that everything is changing when I return home and that probably makes it a little harder to deal with the return. Continue praying that the Lord provides peace in the transition. I do look forward to seeing you all.

Thank you for your prayers and support throughout this process. I will try to write again once I am back in Nairobi. I will be home in about 2 weeks. Love you all and see you soon.

Meg

No Other Name!

There is no other name, under heaven given to men by which we might be saved!
As I spent yesterday meeting with a M friend, I realized how similar our lives really are. We are both the same age, single, jobless, and waiting for all of the above. We sat having coffee, doing our fingernails with henna, talking about life. It is amazing to me some of the things she has been through. It is even more amazing to me how the Lord has ordained this friendship. The first day I met her, she has been excited to meet and share her life with me. I have been excited to meet, share my life, and share the hope of the gospel with her. It has been a slow process. As we talk about the differences in religion and faith, it always comes back to a choice. I take so much comfort in the fact that it is through God alone that salvation comes. Random, I know, but I remember when I was a kid and this "actor" sang at our church one Sunday night. He sang a song that I am sure I have heard again but some of the words stuck with me, "I am a willing vessel and that's all I need to be."

As I prepare to go back up country for the last 3 weeks of my time in this beautiful country, I realize how difficult it will be to say goodbye to the students at New Adventure and to my new close friend. It is my prayer that I have given all of myself in these relationships. Maybe the Lord used me to prepare the "soil" so that they would all be ready in good time to be moved from darkness to light!

Please join me in praying for protection and safety as I return to an area that has recently had a lot of turmoil and fighting. Also, pray that the Lord brings closure and a feeling of finishing for now. And, pray for Bethesda Children's Home as I move back in for 2 weeks. They have gotten use to not having me there and these two weeks will fly by. I do not want them to feel abandoned or left but simply loved because they are beautiful children of God. I pray that at the end of my time, someone (just one) has felt the love of our Father.

“He is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
(Acts 4:11-12)

That God Would Let Me Be A Part

I had another one of those moments today, one of those moments that humbles me to tears as I think, “this is why I came….this is why I love.” I left the LCA office at 1:00 to take four new SIMpacters to get food and skirts before they left for their ministry site. It was cloudy and sprinkling and of course the bottom fell out. We were soaked and had just begun walking. A couple hours later, we finished all of out shopping and had only one more stop. Now, I must explain something. In Nairobi there are street children that ask for money every 100 yards or so. However, there are also those children that the parents have put them to work. So… the girls and I had already been approached by several children who were not actually orphaned street children. We were making our last stop when we were approached by a young boy from the streets. I could tell immediately that he was starving and sleeping on top of a trash pile somewhere. My heart went out to him for some reason so I stopped to talk to him and his friends. (This is common, normally street children travel in a small group because they’ve become family.) I found out their names and ages. I don’t ever give money… so I asked my new friend, Mohammad, if they would wait right where they were so I could bring them some bread and milk. He told me YES! YES! And then out of no where threw his arms around me and hugged me. He hugged me twice simply because I was going to buy him some bread and milk! It was the sweetest, saddest moment. I knew that I loved this child and that God was loving them all through my hands that day, but I also realized it was only bread and milk. They were truly hungry. What could I offer that would make their lives better. The bread and milk would be finished soon and they would still be hungry. To tell them of the love of God is needed but will they remember my words when they crawl back onto the top of the trash pit that night? My new friends will probably never remember the Mzungu that stopped that day, but I pray that they never forget the five or ten minutes that someone cared about their lives. I know that that day… the Lord was providing for all of his children. He was just kind enough to let me be a part of it.

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
(John 6:51)

Dust

Another week has flown by in east Africa and I am becoming alarmingly aware of how little time I have left. I have officially changed ministries and living arrangements once again. And, have already been blessed with new friendships with the Kenyans I am working with.

This weekend I was able to go up to Karatina to help with some training and teaching. The seminar was on leadership and learning to run small groups. There was a video used in the teachings called “Dust”. It dealt with the phrase, “take my yoke” and “may you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.” I am going to try to explain it as it opened my eyes to some new truths.

The guy in the video starts off explaining that in the Jewish tradition that most boys didn’t get schooling beyond 10 and that only the best went on from there. Then from the next break only the best of the best. It ends up that only the very best students were chosen to be a disciple of a rabbi. When the student would go to the rabbi and ask to be his disciple, the student would be asked a lot of questions. If the rabbi thought you were good/smart enough to learn to do what he does then you could follow him. That means… that when Jesus approached James and John while they were fishing, they had already been rejected by a rabbi. So, when Jesus called out to them to follow him… of course they go running because it is every Jewish boy’s desire to be a disciple of a rabbi and these boys had already been rejected. It also meant that Jesus was saying .. he thought they had what it takes to do the things he was doing… to learn and follow him. He thought they were good enough… He believed in them. It is the same today… when the Lord called us, He believed we could learn from him and do what he called us to do. Why he would ever believe in me is beyond my understanding. I fail and mess up… I am weak and stubborn, I am a ragamuffin. But…still He called out to me and invited me to walk in his footsteps. Satan has begun throwing fear back into mix for me. As I see my time coming to a close in Kenya and this huge black hole of a future waiting for me as soon as I return, I become a little overwhelmed. I begin doubting who I am and if I have what it takes. The lies of the deceiver fill my mind and I must remind myself that the Lord is in control. For me, to know that my Lord believes I have what it takes is the most comforting thought. I only pray that I will follow so closely in His steps that I will be covered with the "dust of my rabbi."

And Now It Has Lifted!!

Oh Father, hasten the day that I might bow down at your throne and worship you in every tongue, every language. Yesterday, I had the joy of worshiping you in English, Kiswahili, Hindi, and Congolese. Many times I did not know exactly what the words meant. I only knew that your spirit was moving and at work in those who were gathered. As I listened to the Congolese refugees sing praises to your name I realized that I could hardly wait for Heaven. In Revelations 15:4 it says, “Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” What a joy and a privilege to worship with all nations!

This week starts a new phase of my time in Kenya. I will meet with 3 new ministries again to nail down what and when. I have moved into a new place in Nairobi and am learning contentment in living in the city. At times I miss taking baths from a bucket and hand washing my clothes. I don’t know that I thought that would ever happen. It is amazing how God moves in our lives to bring satisfaction and joy in our circumstances. I am hopeful for the last two months of my time in this country. I pray that the Lord reveals Himself in more ways. I pray that I will not hesitate to pour out all that I am for the glory of the cross.

I am so thankful for your prayers and support as the Lord has moved me and challenged my faith. I have struggled with love, contentment, forgiveness, and flexibility. The Lord has removed comfort and stability so that I might come running back to Him. It is always an incredible feeling when we rest in His arms once more. I remember the words of yet another song, “I am safe within your arms Lord, I’ve become a child again. I’ve come back to the source of love so healing can begin. Tough the world may say, I must be strong and prove my worth--- by what I do. I will run to you, in your embrace and find my strength in you.” Join me in praise and adoration of the gospel of Hope!

The Cloud Has Found Me

Today brings to a close my time in Kijabe. I decided I would take advantage of the view one last time to write this blog and reflect on my time in the hospital. It seems this month has brought about some tough lessons. It started with the blog about my loneliness. I spent the first two weeks in Kijabe completely alone in the afternoons and nights. The wind made so much noise at times I couldn’t sleep for fear. Other times it was so completely quiet, it was deafening. The time provided great times with the Lord as I was able to hear the “still, small voice”. Because of the loneliness, I spent most weekends in Nairobi at the SIM compound. I enjoyed the fellowship so much as it was something I do not have the opportunity for up country. Friendships were developed and strengthened and the loneliness was quenched. However, as I’ve heard… “Too much of a good thing…” became true.

This past week has rocked me. Emotionally and spiritually I fell apart. Since being in Kenya, I have been able to hold on to rational thoughts but this week that was no longer true. In this month, I have said goodbye to my mentor and her husband (my family in Kerugoya), my SIMpact friends, Kijabe, and more friends to come. And, received news that the opportunity of returning to Kerugoya is uncertain. Stability in my world was lost. I felt the Lord pull the carpet out from under my feet and this week has been the results of the long, unexpected fall. Today, there is perspective. (Praise the Lord). This month, I turned to friendships for support and stability. I looked to these relationships for joy to bite the pain of being alone. However, when those things end, as they all eventually will, we’re left with the same uncertainty and loneliness that we faced in the beginning. But, now it is magnified by feelings of being “left”.

The past two days the Lord has slowly been restoring my stability. Not in knowing the future, but in knowing who holds the future. My mother and I love to recite a song the choir sings, and it has been appropriate for my life this week. “One step He leads, and one step I”ll follow. He knows my needs and He will supply. I don’t know the future or all that’s in store, so I’ll take one step, one step, to follow my Lord.”

Yesterday as I was praying and questioning the next phase of this journey, I read Psalms 105. By no means did it really answer the questions but it provided clarity. “Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” (Psalm 105: 1-4). I was reminded that I have a purpose here. My time is not done and I am not ready to leave. Regardless of where I will be for the rest of the time, I will “make known among the nations what he has done.” When my focus turned from me and pitying myself, praises were free to pour forth. My heart was encouraged as I praised the Lord for this struggle. I will wait as He lays out the next step.

Definitely, So True

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” (2 Corinthians 2: 14-15)

This past weekend was packed with travel, excitement, laughter, sorrow, questions, love, and reassurance. On Friday, four other SIMpacters and I left on a 10 hour bus ride to Uganda. Our agenda was to arrive in Jinja, Uganda Friday evening, stay in a hostile type hotel, raft the NILE on Saturday, and return to Nairobi on Sunday. Most of these things happened without any problems but there were a few changes to the plans. We did arrive in Jinja on Friday as scheduled and had the opportunity to hang out at the rafting headquarters that night. This provided our first conversations with Ugandan citizens. They were two girls who were just hanging out after work and provided useful information about language, tribes, and history in Uganda. Hope and Charity provided our first knowledge of the feelings of Christian missionaries in their country. But, I will get to that. I must rewind a little to express what was already consuming my thoughts by this point. After going through customs, we began the 2 or so hour drive through Uganda to our destination. At first it appeared just like Kenya with less trash lining the roadside. However, as we continued inward, I felt as though we were bombarded with noticeably more poverty and hopelessness. Beautiful women and children appeared everywhere, half dressed with swollen bellies and no shoes. Most of the houses were mud huts or houses made with handmade mud bricks. Very few material possessions and most were probably hungry. I stared out the window of the bus feeling drawn to these people. Instantly, I wanted to give all I could to improve their lives and change the current situation but, simultaneously, knowing that I could not offer enough material possessions to ever change their world. It was frustration as I questioned the Lord and missions altogether. I wondered why. I began to think that nothing could ever change this for these people. I continued on through the weekend battling these thoughts and questions. I knew the answer was the gospel but I couldn’t reconcile in my mind what that would change in the present tense. Eternally, their lives would be changed forever, but my mind and heart was still struggling with the here and now.
On Saturday we headed off to white water raft the White Nile. We were standing around waiting to be assigned a boat and a guide when one of the guides, Juma, approached me and told me that our group was to get in his boat. As we pushed off into the water, the small talk began. “Why are you in Uganda? What are you doing in Kenya? Oh, you’re missionaries?” Juma began to make many missionary jokes. He even tried to switch boats saying that it was “company policy that he was not to take missionaries in his boat.” We laughed it off and joked back before the rafting began. Little did we know at the time that Juma had some missionaries rafting in his boat a few weeks prior to us that shared the gospel with him. During our lunch break, he began asking questions, serious questions. The Lord opened the door for us to share our hearts and the gospel again to Juma. We found out later that there was actually another man on the trip who had a book for Juma that was sent from the previous missionary. It is completely amazing how the Lord works all things together. Juma did his best to test us that day as he flipped our boat most every rapid. The rafting was incredible and bigger and better than any rafting I’ve done in the States. I was even scared at one point and dared asked to get out of the boat for just one rapid. However, Juma refused and I am so glad now. I would venture to say that the appropriate description of what we did on Saturday in the Nile would be, white water swimming. We definitely swam more of the class 5 rapids than we rafted. Praise the Lord for his safety and sovereignty.
This brings us to Sunday, the return back to Nairobi. As with everything in Africa, there is no hurry. “Hakuna Haraka Africa!” (There is no hurry in Africa). As Austin, Katie, and I waited for the bus to pick us up, we had a lot of time to talk. I posed my questions from earlier in the weekend to them. We talked about what we have seen in Kenya and Uganda and our role as we serve. They both have been in Kenya for 9 months now and I felt as if they had dealt with this question at some point. We talked about those answers in which my heart knew were true. The importance of confirming eternity for these people and the hope that eternity could provide. However, Katie said it best when she stated it this way. “If all we can do is love, at least we can provide moments of joy, glimpses of heaven, for these people.”

I may not be able to change the world, but I can burn my candle out providing “moments of joy, glimpses of heaven” by taking the love of Christ to the world.



[ I do ask that you continue to pray for this country as fighting continues in different areas. Currently, the area that I am usually in is struggling and living in fear. Pray that the God of all peace speaks out across the village. Pray for God’s protection over Grace and the girls as they are spread through out the district during school break.]

My Redeemer Lives

This Easter Sunday was celebrated by a sunrise service up at RVA (Rift Valley Academy). There is a beautiful view overlooking the Rift from the field and that is exactly where the service was held. Most of the people present were Mzungus who are serving at the hospital, the academy, or Moffat Bible College. I am always amazed to see the number of families the Lord has mobilized just for Kenya alone. Anyway, the service was held at 6:30 and positioned right at the pretties overlook when the sun appeared. ( In Kenya the sun doesn't rise and set, it just appears and disappears.) The service began with worshiping through music and I remember thinking... "Is this really happening, am i really celebrating Easter in Kenya?" I pray I will never forget. The message focused on the importanceof the resurrection. And, it drove home the idea that without the resurrection, the crucifixion is nothing more than death, it would never have counted as our sacrifice. It still blows my mind that millions of people move and leave their home to go and tell others about the events we celebrated this weekend. That millions of people all over the world are battling the powers of darkness on behalf of people in foreign lands. I still have trouble understanding, that because of the resurrection, people in countries all over the world will send their hard earned money to another land in homes of spreading the gospel.

After the service we went into the "fireside" room for a potluck breakfast. There was tons of food and I am still impressed that people were able to make some of those things in Kenya. I made homemade banana crumb muffins and they were divine! There was actually a fire burning, and I am certain that is the first time I've stood by a fire and chatted on Easter Sunday. The service was simple. No Easter lillies, crosses, or fancy dresses not even pews or chairs. I am learning what it is to be ushered into the presence of our Lord. Right there on that mountain side, I was able to sit at the feet of my Savior and friend. I missed the beautiful service this past sun day and I missed Handel's "Messiah" but I still joined you all at the throne of Jesus. I do pray that I might celebrate many more Easter holidays on this continent! Praise God, my redeemer lives!

Growing up is Hard to do!

Growing up has become a process of lessons to I have had to learn. And, at times it seems I revisit some of the teachings. Being in Kijabe this past week, has pushed some of those issues into the forefront of my mind. One of those issues is loneliness. I have always been pretty independent and even hated that at times. But I realize now without the ability to travel through events and days alone, I would have never made it in Kenya. Not because everyone who comes is “Independent” but because the places and task that God has called me to in Kenya have forced me to rely on “Christ Alone”. So maybe a better definition of me has become dependent on the presence of our Lord. However, there are still times when the realization of being in a foreign country alone comes crashing things to a halt. A lot of times it the idea that there is no one to share your experiences with directly. If I see or hear something in a day, I can’t go home and tell someone. Or the fact that I am scared of the dark and have had to face many nights in Kijabe alone wondering if the noises I hear are just caused by wind or worse.

The worse experience was on Sunday when I was leaving Nairobi. I was blessed enough to be able to spend the weekend with a SIM family from Georgia. It was completely spontaneous but turned out to be a really encouraging time for me. As I sat on the matatu heading back to Kijabe I realized that no one in Kijabe would be waiting for me to return. In a flash, I sunk into serious self pity. It became easy to think of how it would be back home and who would be waiting for my arrival in Senatobia (i.e. Mother!). Tears came to my eyes and I was dreading returning to Kijabe. It was extremely strange because I loved my week at the hospital and had no reason to not want to go back. I began to pray that the Lord would forgive me and remind me of his presence, that God would remove the fear and lies of satan so that I could hear clearly. Within the hour, the Lord had removed the cloud of darkness and reminded me of the joy to be found in all stages/places of life. I have been amazed at the answering of prayer. Either, I have never prayed like this before, or I’ve been too busy to stop and notice the response of the Lord. Either way, I pray that my eyes will be forever opened and that my heart would become lost in the heart of my Father.

Up, Down, and All Around

So much has happened since the turkey story, I am not even sure where to begin. This past weekend, I took a trip into Northern Kenya. The place was called Isiolo and is the last place north you can drive safely. After Isiolo, you need a police escort on the road due to the number of bandits. Isiolo is considered dry country and has heavy Islamic presence. There are several tribal groups present in the North that are also present in southern Ethiopia. Once you make the turn to head into the village, the bumping begins. The roads are all gravel or sand and pretty rough. Also, camels and thorny bushes become the norm on the side of the road. It is definitely hot there but it is dry heat so it still doesn’t have anything on Mississippi in July and August. Humidity is not something I have missed! I loved the people and area. The women are beautiful and there is such a need for medical care.

On Monday, I relocated to Kijabe. Kijabe is a village located on the slope of the Rift Valley, so it overlooks the valley and is beautiful. It is also cooler here due to the wind and elevation. I am living in a guesthouse within walking distance from Kijabe Hospital where I am working each day. I am just helping with a database in the nursery. I will be here throughout the month of April helping and hopefully I’ll get to observe some. The children go back to visit relatives during their school holiday in April. I am extremely interested in learning what medical missions looks like so this was a great opportunity. Also, any information that I can gather to better educate myself is a plus. It amazes me, every time I enter into a hospital ward, how eager I am to start school so that I can be the one at the bedside talking about treatments and “how to proceed”. I never realize how much I love it, until I’m in it. At Kijabe, medicine is even more interesting because you are treating patients from a country you will never belong to, and you’re working next to individuals from all over the world. It’s such a testament to the family of Christ.

Well… I have halfway through my time here in Kenya and can believe the first half went by so quickly. Of course, I would not have realized it was the halfway mark if my mother and Pam had not taken upon themselves to mark the very day on the calendar! I would like to say thank you again for all your prayers and support. I have been encouraged daily by the calendar so many of you filled out. And, the letters and emails from home have been such a blessing to my spirit. You will never understand how much it has meant to know that I have a group of believers completely behind me, halfway around the world. I look forward to what the Lord has in store for the next half of my time and pray that I will be obedient to the leadership of the Spirit.

Winner, Winner, TURKEY dinner!

I am aware that the question on most people’s mind is… “What happened to that crazy turkey?” Well, I am here to report that I did have a meat meal yesterday! And yes, it was turkey! Now, I am sure you are wondering, “Who killed that turkey?” As you may guess, there is not a meat processing plant down town where you take your animals, leave for a few hours, and return with beautiful butterball turkeys with thermometers in them. Nope, you have to kill it, de-feather it, and gut it yourself. Once again, please keep in mind that I am not from a farm area. So, on Wednesday we set out to prepare Tom for dinner the next day. Luckily, Mr. Mike had removed a few “necks” before so he took the liberty of making the first chop. I joined in to remove the feathers and the “middle”! I must admit that the experience was… well… interesting. If I am ever present at a Thanksgiving celebration that does not know how to remove the feathers or prepare a turkey, I’ll be ready. Once the meat inspection was over and the turkey was deemed “good enough to eat”, I proceed to have a biology lab class for John. You guessed it, this included walking through the anatomy of the bird, hands on of course. I am so thankful to the Buddingtons who gave me the initial experience. And, Dr. Buddington if you are reading this you will be glad to know that I asked what shape the colon took in the bird and everyone (including the vet) looked at me like I had three heads.

As for other interesting news, last night was quite the…celebration? Around mid-night I was startled by the booming sounds of explosion. My heart immediately started pounding and preparing for the war cries. I was just taken by such surprise that I had no idea was the noise could be. It was shaking the house! I was at Mrs. Terry’s and turned to ask her what it was. We proceeded to go outside (why, because we’re just like white people in scary movies!) to check out the situation. In the near distance, we could see fire explosions and hear the boom. We watched for about 45 minutes as every speculated to what the cause could be. The original idea was that they were fireworks from the Asian community that might be having a celebration of some kind. This made since to the locals because that had happened before. However, I kept asking if fireworks look like FIRE! Eventually, we learned that a government building that has gas containers in it for the use of the government had exploded. Somehow the building caught on fire and all the cylinders begin to explode at random after that. Oh but wow, the commotion. I really felt like I should have been writing the star-spangled banner from the safe distance of shore as I watched the explosions, smoke, and horrible noise rise up.
Once the excitement settled down, we took the moment to look up at the stars. The night is so dark in Kenya and the stars are absolutely beautiful. They seem to extend from the highest sky to the point of connection between sky and ground. It’s Amazing! Some things never cease to amaze me, “as I consider all the worlds thy hands have mad

Turkey Circus

I must begin with a misclaimer! I am from Senatobia which is not exactly a metropolitan city, but I did not grow up on a farm or around a lot of farm animals. So, the only chicken I’ve ever held was dead or the small chick at my friend’s farm. I’ve never personally milked a cow, or gathered eggs from the coop.

Now for the narrative: Grace, Susan, and I are on our way back from a place called Embu. We are on a matatu, which is extremely dangerous and stressful. Grace turns to me and says, we need to stop in Kutus to get a Turkey. Huh? “There is a lady in Kutus who wants to give us a one of the Turkeys she’s been raising.” Oh, well that makes sense, right? Naturally I ask, “Is it dead or alive?” She responds as if there is only one answer… “ALIVE”. OH, okay… no big deal! Ha! Now image with me you hop off the matatu and walk about 2 kilometers to a little dirt road. We turn onto this dirt road and it is covered on both sides with banana trees, flowers, and all kinds of vegetation. It is absolutely beautiful! We walk and walk and wind and walk until finally we reach this lady’s shamba. We sit and have lunch chat until it’s time to go. Grace turns to me and says, “How are we going to get this turkey back?” At this point there is one choice, we’re going to carry it. I immediately phone Mr. Mike to see if he can meet us on the main road because no matatu would dare pick us up with a live turkey. He agrees and we gather our things to head to the road. Sweet Nancy decides she’ll let me pick out the turkey she is going to give her. Now listen, my only experience with a turkey is one that comes processed in a package labeled deli meat or one that my dad has deep fried for the holidays. I laughed and said, “Well, since I have to carry it, please not a huge one.” She chases it down in a display that quickly makes me aware of the challenge before me. She hands it to me to hold so she can bound it’s feet. So here I am in Kutus, Kenya holding a turkey under it’s wings getting read to carry it about 2 miles. Turkey’s are not light!!! And their neck is very flexible making it completely possible to peck at your hand while you are carrying it. I walked faster than I ever have to get to the road to get this turkey in the van. However, once in the van, the crazy bird had to be held down so he didn’t go psycho during the trip. We finally arrive at BCH after a detour for the camera because Mr. Mike was dying to have a picture of me carrying this turkey. I wrestle it out of the van and during the process knock the binding off its feet. While I’m holding the turkey up, John reties its feet together. ( I’m calling it, it because I have no idea if it is a him or her!) I go to put it down thinking, well, it will flap its wings for a second but will stop when it realizes it can’t go anywhere. Then we can put it in the cage that was made. WRONG!!! That turkey had his feet unbound within 3 seconds flat and was off! In all my wisdom, I access the situation. I quickly reassure everyone that turkeys can’t fly so it’ll be fine. WRONG!!! Turkeys can’t fly but they sure can move. He moved right through the hedge into the neighbor’s shamba. John and I take off to capture our dinner. He has moved beyond their yard into the back neighbor’s land. So, John and I quickly make our way through the barbed wire as Mr. Mike joins us with the camera. That bird took us all over the place and just enjoyed his freedom the entire time…Until, it all ended dramatically with Grace coming out of no where to catch the bird by the neck. She caught it and handed him up to the professional turkey carrier! HA! It was hilarious! One of those moments I thought, I am really in Kenya and yes… I am really carrying a live turkey! Don’t worry… most of it was caught on camera!!

Practice of the Presence of God

The whole world seems to me no longer real; all that my outward eyes behold pass like fantasies and dreams. That which I see with the eyes of the soul is what alone I long for, and to be not yet in the possession of my heart’s desire brings to me sorrow and drooping of spirit. On the other hand dazzled by the brightness of the Sun of Righteousness, the Scatterer of the shades of night and, on the other, with eyes dimmed by my own sin, I feel at times as if I were beside myself. And yet, I make it my ordinary business to abide in the Presence of God with the humility of a useless, though a faithful servant.

-Brother Lawrence-

Free Willy!!

After another week of chores, all of the girls had improved! So… they got to watch a movie, Free Willy. As we were all sitting there watching, I almost forgot where I was. Then it hit me… I’m in KENYA, watching a movie with 12 wonderfully, beautiful orphans. WOW! I choked back the tears that are coming so freely now. It seems I finally realized how crazy life is, a paradox, I suppose. I have more than my share of a loving, caring family, and these girls still questions whether or not they belong anywhere. I’ve questioned this week if my expectations of love are unfounded scripturally. Is it wrong to expect them to hug, kiss, and actively love on the girls? I have decided the answer is no! In John’s writings alone, the love of Christ is emphasized continuously. And time and time again, the Father’s love is expressed in actions of love. It’s not cultural, it’s Christian. Oh, if only I knew how to teach that or express that without offending. I pray, Lord, that you offer wisdom in breaking the mold, that I may be empowered by your strength against resistance, and above all, that your love for me may overflow in abundant measures into the lives of those around me.

The sweetest moment came at the end of the movie, when I turned the lights on and found tears on Jane’s cheek. Her sweet, tender heart! Thank you Lord for glimpses of you in these children!

No STIMA!!

This post will come out of frustration with the electricity for the past 3 days. As is usual, on Monday, the electricity is off all day. It goes out around 8ish and remains off until around 4:30 or 5:00. However, this Monday it was off till about 8. For white people this is a problem. The Sun goes down around 6:30 or 7 and there is no light. It so much darker here. Even worse, Kenyans have an amazing ability to see in the darkness. So they find it quite funny when a Mazungo (white person) is eating by the light of a flashlight. Monday... I dealth with the problem and made arrangements in the work I needed to do. Tuesday I wake at 5:00AM to wake the girls for school. The sun is not up yet. I step to the wall to turn on the stima (electricity) and to my pleasant surprise.... NO STIMA!! I thought... well how wonderful. This should be a challenge waking the girls up. Maybe it will come back on soon. Wrong... it was off until about 7:30 AM. At least it was on during the day. That night it went in and out for a little bit. So.. Wednesday comes around, the alarm clock goes off and I think.. please Lord let there be light! HA! He answered and there was electricity... till about 6:15. Then the electricity went off. My thoughts.." It isn't Monday so I am sure it will be back on in a little bit." Twelve hours later the electricity came back on for 30 minutes. It went out again until about 9:00.

As I wanted to become really frustrated with the situation, I realized that no one else in Kerugoya cared that the electricity was off. They all went to work, did what was possible and if there was no work, they chatted with a neighbor or a friend. I laughed as I thought what would happen in Senatobia if the electricity was off 2 days every week. I don't know that people would even bother going to work. Maybe with a generator. But, as you can imagine those are very costly for this area. The good news is... the Lord really provided some good time with the girls last night. Because the lights were off, and I was the only one with a flashlight, I was able to read to the girls for about an hour! A lady with SIM gave the "Little Pilgram's Progress" and we started reading on Sunday. The girls love it and they sat quietly in the dark last night listening. It was wonderful and I really enjoyed the time! So... instead of my frustration I should end my thoughts on electricity in praise to our Lord who always is present and offers His grace for every minute of the day!

A Spiritual Retreat

I have spent the last 4 days in a village called Tigoni at the Brackenhurst Baptist Retreat Center. SIM was having its annual Spiritual Life Conference for all missionaries. The area is absolutely beautiful and the weather is, somewhat, chilly. It was such a great time for me. I was able to build some relationships with other short-term missionaries and meet some of those individuals who have served for 30 years here in Africa. The speaker we had was an African man who is known here in Kenya due to his work with a Bible college. His weekend lesson dealt with grace and all the times in our lives that grace is poured out upon us. The food was very “Western” and there were hot SHOWERS!! It was a good time. I also had the opportunity to learn more about other ministries and find out what other short termers are doing at their orphanages. I returned to Bethesda with tons of ideas and a new desire to get started in the work. I can tell there will be challenges with what I am to do. I am here to love on the children and offer them some opportunities they may not normally have. However, another part of my work is working with Mama Phillip on the accounting books and records. There is much to be done on the computer which will require some computer lessons so that the work can be continued when I leave. Also, small changes in the day to day routine will really help improve the situation at Bethesda, so I am to help with that as well. The problem is, no one likes change! So, slowly and patiently I’ll set about accomplishing the task before me. On a personal ministry level, I really hope to be able to do some discipling with the older girls. Maybe, take them each aside and get them to open up about their lives and their hearts. I can only pray that the Lord will provide this opportunity.
On a fun note, I got kissed by a giraffe!! On Thursday morning the Flemings took me and one of their friends to a giraffe park before we headed to the SLC. We were able to pet the giraffe and feed it and then you can place one of the food pellets between your teeth and the giraffe will lick it off. So…down side is your face gets covered in giraffe slobber but it makes for a really neat experience! Oh, I almost forgot, I saw wild zebras, warthogs, and monkeys on the side of the road on Wednesday while we were traveling!!! Africa is so AMAZING!!!

Church in Kenya

This shall be "a house of prayer for ALL nations." Isaiah 46:7

I must admit that this Sunday's worship service was much different and easier for me to worship the Lord. I guess the distractions during last week's service, coupled with the home-sickness made it difficult to really focus and present myself in worship. This week we attended Kerugoya P.E.F.A church. It had concrete floors and the sound system was not blarring. Even though the language was still Swahili or Kikuya ( not sure), there was reference and an earnest desire to bring an offering of praise before God. I have learned that Kenyans are constant in their praising of the Father. They understand His faithfulness to provide because there is by no means enough food in their country to feed them all. It's been a lesson to learn. I don't know that I am there yet. I have also learned that many Kenyans do not plan ahead. At the orphanage, I am trying to teach them to eat smaller portions. Right now they have food because the community has supported very graciously. I pray this continues but what if it doesn't. Is is bad to learn to eat smaller portions so that food last longer. I fear that some of the children overeat when they do eat. I don't know if it's fear that they don't know when they will eat again or if it's just culture. I feel I will "see clearly" in due time. There are so many things that are culturally different. I spend a lot of time trying to explain certain illnesses and dealing with misconceptions about health. I must constantly remember that change is slow and I am not in America anymore. I am trying now to find the balance between change that needs to occur because of health and things that can be left alone because it's just life in Kenya. Oh, that God will grant wisdom in loving and teaching. I hope the super bowl turned out in favor of everyone's desired team. Although, I know already some are not pleased! Try explaing the super bowl to Kenyans... it's a difficult task.

Settling into Kerugoya!

I should apologize for the delay in my updates, but settling in has taken some time. I am in Kerugoya and have been for the last 5 days. It is so different from Nairobi, that I don't even know where to start. For starters...Most of the roads are dirt here which makes for a mess on rainy days like today. The living situation is taking faith and patience. It is definitely different than I imagined. But I am learning to get over myself. I have experienced some days of "culture shock" and the thought of.. "Wow Lord, are you sure I'm going to make it six months?" But there have been days when I am so overwhelmed with these wonderful children that I can not imagine leaving. Right now, I am trying to find my place. Where do I fit in the mix and what is it that God would have me do while I"m here. I am trying to be proactive in starting ministries while I am here and praying that the Lord leads and blesses those attempts. Tomorrow morning I will have my first prayer/ devotional time with the Mama Phillip, the gardener and housekeeper. Hopefully, this will be a time of encouragement for them and a time that we can go before the Lord together with a common bond of love for God's children.
There have been some challenges already.
1. The children are out of school due to a teacher strike country wide. This means there is a lot of time during the day with the children. I am trying to provide some structure so today I actually had a make shift school for the children who could handle it. It was somewhat successful and I will continue doing this until they are back in school.
2. The language is a struggle and they speak two different languages here. Kiswahili is one but most prefer their mother tongue of Kikuyu. I am one of three white people in about a 100 mile radius. That means most people stare and laugh. Luckily, I am okay with this right now. I just pray that the devil does not use it against me later.

Overall, I am doing much better now. The Lord has really provided some comfort and encouragement the last couple of days. Thank you all for your concern and constant prayers. I look forward to the next update!

Hello all from Nairobi!!! I did arrive safely yesterday morning in Nairobi, Kenya. I never knew how bad jet lag could be until I experienced it yesterday! I was able to sleep it off during the day and night and woke up today feeling much better. I want to say Asanti Sana ( Thank you very much) for your prayers about my journey and customs. Both went smoothly. Actually, customs was nonexistent for me because I arrived early and no one was there to check! So, God really answered prayers. I did loose a bag during the trip but the airport called today and supposed we can get it tomorrow so another praise. I feel as though I have learned so much in the two days I have been here. I can only imagine how much more the Lord is waiting to teach me. I love the area here. The weather is wonderful and the people are so very friendly. I will be here till Friday when I will leave to go to Keruguya for the Bethesda Children's Home. I look forward to that transit so I can finally meet Grace and the girls! Love you all and look forward to updating you more. Thank you again for all of your prayers and encouragement!

Well, tomorrow is the BIG DAY! I leave for sub-saharan Africa tomorrow afternoon at 5:00. After a few days of orientation and the "what ifs" I have played out, what I believe to be, every possible scenario. (I am sure there is something I have not thought of yet!)
Currently, I am concerned about getting through customs in Kenya. Please pray for an easy transition through customs and that the right worker would be there to intercede for me. Pray that I escape without them asking for bribes and requiring lots of duty on items that have to get to other missionaries on the field. I will be moving through customs at about 9:30 PM (Mississippi Time) if that helps. Thank you in advance for your prayers!

I have arrived in Charlotte for Orientation!! Today was pretty touch leaving behind my family and friends. My brother says everyone is crying like I"m not coming back. But, I'll be back in 6 months! Tonight I will meet some of the other short term missionaries with SIM and have a session or two. Tomorrow starts the long days of conferences and meetings. It should be exciting to finally know a little more. Thank you all for your prayer of safe travel to Charlotte. I will update you later when I have a little more to say!

Quick Update

It's Sunday and tonight is the commissioning service at church. I leave in 3 days and it is beginning to seem surreal. I can not believe I will be in Africa in 7 days!! That being said, there are a few updates to mention. I have raised all my support and then some. About 4000 over the needed amount. The orphanage is great need of some essentials and the extra money will be used to provide those things ( i.e. a water purifier, a water trap, school fees, etc.). I am still a little uncertain about my specific duties but I am trying to remain open to whatever the Lord would have me do. I have added a webpage link of a short video about the Bethesda Children's Home and can't wait to add more pictures and information about the ministry. Thank you all for joining me in prayer for the work of our Lord.