the Kenyan Krusade

waiting

2009-02-10T11:36:00.000-08:00

If ever I prayed for patience, the Lord is granting that prayer at this time. I am patiently waiting for final approval. Here I sit...having gone through over a year of praying and processing that has brought me to this place of the inbetween and somehow the Lord has answered my prayers for patience and peace. I am surprised, but why? Does He not promise peace if we are in Him through Christ? Does He not promise that He'll grant us whatever we ask in His name? Lately, as the Lord answers prayers that I've been praying for years, I find myself cought off guard. I guess I've been praying for it for so long that I'm surprised that I don't have to keep waiting for it. I suppose that is a sign of spiritual growth when you get to a place where you are granted what you prayed for, yet would have been willing to wait longer. The Lord has been gracious to me. I praised Him before, but I praise Him also now for His ever existing provision in my life.

Now for a bit more waiting!

.:.peace.:.

2009-01-05T21:10:00.000-08:00

it is such a simple sounding word.

five letters.

none of them are flashy like the "x" in extreme or the "q" in quick, yet it leaves much to the imagination. some use this word when talking about stopping war or doing nice things for strangers and friends alike. not that i don't support that view at times.

i am drawn to this word

lately

because i deem it worthy to

seek.

i am keenly aware of the

conflict

that occurs in my heart. a constant

battle

it seems. this battle between my human nature and my spirit. this disunity is not conducive to peace. i cannot create it for myself.

tonight i am encouraged by this promise: "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." phillipians 4:7

i must constantly remind myself however, my action and attention is required. "rejoice in the Lord always. i will say it again: rejoice! let your gentleness be evident to all. the Lord is near. do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." phillipians 4-6

as i seek the Lord in order to find the strength to rejoice, to be gentle, to be thankful...i ultimately seek what i myself am unable to create in my own heart.

.:.peace.:.

long time no post

2008-10-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been quite a while since I updated. I'd like to get back in the habit of sharing things in this venue and reflecting on what the Lord has been doing! Life has been busy, exciting and full of blessings! Stay tuned for an update on the past few months and some plans for the future...including a trip back to Kenya!!!

Blessings...k

oh my aching knee!

2008-07-16T19:40:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a while. A lot has happened in the last few months and I'm not sure what to expect next! So here's a little rundown for ya!

First off we've got Hand Camp! This was so much fun! My former roommate Amy works for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas and they have camps for their kids and their families. This camp is for school aged children who have a hand difference. This picture is of the crew that was "in charge" for the weekend! A fabulous time was had by all!

Chelsea and I ran a fun race in early May. It was called Urban Dare and had the feel of TV's "The Amazing Race," complete with trivia questions and obstacles all over Dallas! It took us 3 1/2 hours and about 10 miles of running and walking to complete the race...it was a blast! Unfortunately I can pinpoint my knee issues to this very race. More later.

Soon after the race I had the pleasure of watching my favorite volleyball player play some very great games right here in Dallas! The whole James family came up for the tournament. We had a blast! And Abbie played GREAT!

In June Amanda and I attended the "Prom" that a group of our friends put on. It was a good excuse to get pretty and dance a lot! We had a great time!

I had a fabulous weekend with the Foster girls in June, complete with adventure, movies and yummy food!

In June I had to say goodbye to weekly meetings with my mentor, Sharond, and accountability partner Meredith. We had 4 fabulous months of meeting weekly for dinner, Bible discussions and prayer. I will dearly miss our time together.

Jamie came down early this month for a conference...or "workshop" as she would call it. We got in some good girl time in and even had the chance (thanks to the talented and beautiful Lauren) to catch the Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts concert! It was a blast! Thanks Lauren!!!

I had the pleasure of treating my father to a baseball game. It turned out to be the big 4th of July celebration at the Ballpark in Arlington and we were mesmerized by the big firework show after the disappointing Ranger loss.

Just last week I had the pleasure of joining Meredith for "High School Musical" right here for Dallas Summer Musicals. We had a great time and I'm pretty sure we were humming the tunes by the time we left! Thanks Meredith!

And now for the big news...knee surgery complete! Last week I went under the knife to repair a torn meniscus. Luckily it wasn't as bad as originally thought and I should be back to normal in two weeks...or so they say. It took about four days, but I'm now off the crutches and working hard to walk normally so people don't stare :-) Trust me...this is not a good way to look cool...all bent to the side. Ha!

Well...in a couple weeks I'll be visiting the James family and Lindie in Florida! I can't wait to get away for a few days. I'm also getting excited about the new role I have at my church, the Village. I'll have the pleasure of pouring into a few girls who lead Bible studies in homes across Dallas. I can't wait to get going on this new adventure of discipleship!

Have a fabulous July!!!

reflections

2008-06-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

I've found myself sitting back a lot lately and reflecting on what God has done in my life in the past, what He is currently doing, and what could be done in the future. There are many days where I long for past times because of the sweetness of His presence or the ease of prayer and the reading of Scripture. There are other days that I don't look upon as being so sweet, but as I live in their after-effects I am able to visualize a bigger piece of God's plan for my life than ever before. Being back in the States for longer than I was gone to Kenya has brought me to a place where it is no longer every hour that I remember the kids or the poverty or the spiritual battle. As it moves to 10 times a day instead of 24, I long for that dependence that I had upon the Lord for those months and I find myself in a place that I prayed I'd never end up again...where I allow doubts or distractions into my daily life and I trade grace, acceptance, strength, peace and forgiveness for the filth of this world. I am clinging desperately to this verse:

"He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken." Psalm 62:6

This is Truth. He IS my rock. He IS my salvation. He IS my fortress. Therefore, I CANNOT be shaken. Wow, what encouragement. Not only does this proclaim that I'm not alone, it also proclaims that I am forgiven, accepted, protected and provided for. I can see over these past few months how God's provision continues to shine through and how my unfaithfulness at times is simply a place where God will be glorified more when He gives the me strength to turn to Him and not something that is fleeting.

The other verse that I'm drawn to lately is one that speaks to God's rule over creation and my utter dependence on him. It has also reminded me that God hasn't just called me to be His daughter and sit passively, but He has promised that as He has called me to go and do in His name, I am given the blessing of being able to ask Him for help.

"You did not choose me, but I close you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."
John 15:16

I keep this verse on my mind as I search for God's desire and plan for my life. I feel that, as scripture says, I am not made for this World...and may not be made for life in the States either! Through this I am seeking hard after the Lord and requesting that He open doors where He desires, and close them where His hand shall not lead me. I ask that you join me in praying the following verse during this time of prayer, transition and seeking:

"Take CAPTIVE my thoughts, making them OBEDIENT to CHRIST."
II Corinthians 10:5

I am daily thankful for you and for the role that you play in my life. I am excited to see how the Lord will use you over the next several months to push me, exhort me, encourage me and love me! Thank you for that!

Alright...here's a little life update!

I have accepted a leadership position at The Village Church as a home group coach. In layman's terms this means that I will be leading the leaders of the Bible study-type groups that our church has in the areas where we live. This will include intensive training and then being given the chance to teach, exhort and love girls in my community. I am extremely excited to see how the Lord will use this in the lives of these girls as well as my own. There may also be an opportunity in the months ahead to return to Kenya by being part of a team from the church. I cannot wait to see what the Lord has instore!

A few short weeks from now I will be moving out of the house I've lived in since January and into an apartment alone. After much prayer and consideration I have found myself in a place where I cannot glorify God in my finances and live here at the same time. I've made the difficult decision to sacrifice amazing roommates and a beautiful living space for a God that is begging me to give up parts of me that are not glorifying to Him. While I will miss living under the same roof as Amy and Shannon, I am excited to see what the Lord will teach me as I follow in obedience.

In other news, I'm having knee surgery soon!!! It turns out after a long and extremely fun race with Chelsea, I've torn my meniscus and it needs to be repaired. I haven't scheduled surgery yet, but I expect it will be in July sometime and that I'll be out of work for a week or two. We'll see!!! For those of you who know me well, you know that I tend to have one bigger injury a year...looks like 2008 has been taken care of! Onward to 2009!

Have a wonderful week friends!

Amanda is alive and I've been busy!

2008-04-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been on the edge of your seats waiting to hear if Amanda survived her hospitalization in February. The answer is yes! I got to visit her in the hospital and have a few good laughs as we reminisced! She's doing Well!

We had a really fun reunion!
The next weekend I had short but sweet time with my friend Nathan! He was in town from San Diego visiting a friend and I got to steal a couple hours of their time together. It was fun catching up and then frantically rushing him to the airport to make his flight!

The next day we had a special visitor here in Texas! Daniel Lipparelli himself! Amanda and I were able to schedule in some time with he and Lauren...it looked a little like this: Mexican food (specifically queso), telling stories, laughing very hard, and playing cards (our pass time in Kenya on many nights). We had a fabulous time and miss him already!

Just this past weekend I had the joy of riding to Austin with my college roommate Chelsea (left) and meeting up with Marissa (right center) who drove in from San Antonio. We stayed with Jamie (left center) and all partook in the Capitol 10k this weekend. This was Marissa's first race ever! We were so proud of her! It rained almost the entire race, but we sure did have a blast!

Here we are last year! The costumes may have changed, but the smiles have remained the same! This has quickly become a tradition that we look forward to keeping.

Here are our ducks pre-race! We got so many compliments on our very 'timely' costumes. The goggles were a big help with all the rain, and we heard the 'rubber ducky' song from Sesame Street more times than we could count!

My Aunt and Uncle took us out to lunch at Shady Grove, one of my favorite Austin restaurants, after the race. I've been attending this same lunch for the past 6 years after the Capitol 10k. It has become one of my most treasured Austin memories!

My job continues to be a huge blessing in my life! I enjoy serving families at the hospital and love getting to know and work with a great group of co-workers and colleagues. Since my last post I have officially become a 'Covenant Member' of The Village Church and am looking forward to serving as a mentor of sorts for young adult women who lead small group Bible studies in my area. Perhaps the most exciting thing happening in my life right now are the two new relationships I've been building with my new mentor, Sharond, and our other mentoree Meredith. They have become a staple to my calendar on Thursday nights and it seems that God has placed us in this group because He has been plans. It has been exciting to see how the Lord continues to provide for each of us through the other two. Please pray that God is able to use each of us to minister to each other and those around us!

A little Kenya update: Things have settled down quite a bit since the first of the year. Most of the violence has subsided, but almost nothing is back to 'normal.' Hundreds of thousands remain displaced and in need of food, supplies, and shelter. As the government continues to map out their plan for governing, I ask that you continue to keep Kenya and its people in your prayers! Ask that peace would be restored, forgiveness would come easy, and that above all else God would be glorified.

I pray that you have a week full of the things of God! May you be blessed sweet friends!

prayer for amanda

2008-02-06T20:55:00.000-08:00

Let me start by saying welcome home to Amanda, Tmo and Aly! It is great to know that you are all back on American soil!

I wanted to send out a prayer request for our dear Amanda. Amanda is one of the only people I know that gets hurt as much as me...and well, she just has some bad luck following her around at times.

Amanda arrived in Texas on Tuesday after a long but fairly stress free trip back from Nairobi. Unfortunately just a few hours before leaving Kitale she sustained an injury on a peki peki (picky picky), or in English, a motorcycle taxi. With only limited medical care around she headed back to the States and prayed for the best!

Once home in Texas her injury was assessed by a family friend who happens to be a nurse...and made the decision to go to the ER at a near by hospital. Fortunately the doctors were able to quickly make a decision about her care and she was admitted for a round of two different antibiotics over the next few days.

Please pray for rest, peace, healing and purpose in this time for Amanda!

I spoke with her today via cell phone from her hospital room and she was sleepy but in good spirits and enjoying the pain meds while they last! She just asks that you join in and pray for her during the healing process!

I ask that you also keep Daniel in your prayers as he coordinates a big aspect of ministry in Nairobi this week. Pray for things to go smoothly, for doors to be opened and for God to be glorified. Pray that God gives him strength, direction and wisdom!

Have a most wonderful day sweet friends!

Kate

pictorial update

2008-01-19T22:24:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been home for over a month now...so I thought I'd give you a pictorial update of the last 5 weeks! It has gone by so fast and has been a lot of fun!

Here we go!

December 25th was spent at home with my family...we ate lots of food, laughed a lot and had an amazingly wonderful time!

Dad's ready for me to get in the kitchen!

Michael got a little sleepy after the gift chaos!

Me and my brother!

My cousin's precious baby, Brooks!

Family Portrait!

December 29th I went down to Austin to spend a few days with my favorite people! We ate great food, took out my braids, I got my hair cut, and got to share all about my time in Kenya!

Jamie learning a little Kenyan cuisine!

showing her how it is done!

Let the games begin!

my un-braiding angels!

Attractive, I know.

Vicki, Abbie, me, Nova, Bethany and Jamie!

"Before"

"During"

Thank you Hayley!

"After"

with Jamie and Abbie!

Beth Haddox is my favorite!

Dinner-O-Fun!

December 31st I got to stop off in Temple on the way back to Dallas to spend a couple hours with my friend Katie from grad school! Then I went to Emily and Mick's wedding with a bunch of friends to celebrate the New Year!

I love Katie K!

Amy, Lisa and I on New Years at the big wedding!

Curt, Nate and Billy

Roommates!

Omar...best dancer I know.

January 3rd was spent with a few amazing people! Lindie and her mom, Kathy, were coming through town, so I got to spend a few hours loving on them!

Kathy and her Lindie...they are amazing and wonderful!

January 10th was spent working at the new job, and bringing the night right! My small group took me to dinner for my pre-birthday night! They are wonderful and I love them!

My amazing small group girls!

Lauren and I got attacked by a bear...ahhh!

January 11th was my 25th birthday! It was filled with hugs, food and great friends! However, I must say, the highlight of the night was a surprise phone call from all my friend at the TI compound in Kenya...Love y'all!

Lauren brought my favorite food...queso...which promptly spilled ALL OVER her car! Thanks for trying Lauren!

Nate, Andy and Nick rockin' it on Rock Band

Michelle and me lookin cool

Sarah and Rachel!

Kyle, Mason, Mary Joe, and Sarah!

Shannon and Amy make me smile!

Girls!

Sarah, Missy, Omar and Rachel!

January 18th was spent with a few friends at the Dallas Stars game! It was very cold in there, but we all had a really good time! Stars won 3 to 1!

Me at the Stars game!

Go Stars!

Wes, me and Jonathan!

January 27th was a fun day! I got to hang out with my Mom this afternoon, greet at church this evening, and go to a really fun concert tonight! Quite a day!

Five Times August at House of Blues!

Wes, Me, Jonathan and Lori at the show

Well, that concludes our chronological photo diary of the past 5 weeks. I hope you enjoyed it and that you are all doing well.

I beg of you to continue praying for Kenya. People are still dying daily and the unrest does not seem to be slowing. Please utilize the websites listed on my last blog and keep up to date. Kenyans and all of the foreigners living and serving there are desperate for our prayers. Let's join together in the battle with them for a peaceful Kenya!

the run down

2008-01-16T16:51:00.000-08:00

I realize it has been weeks since I posted a blog...and to be honest even with all of this time to think about what to write, I continue to find myself not knowing quite where to begin. So much has happened in the past month in Kenya. Hundreds of people have been killed, hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes, countless business, homes, schools and churches burned to the ground and millions grieving and living in fear. With all of this going on it is difficult to think about yourself. It is difficult to be so far away from those who are hurting, asking why, and looking for something to have faith in. Perhaps the most difficult part for me is knowing that I believe in a God of love who desires to set people free from fear and hate...yet I'm not there to tell these people about Him. I ask that you continue to lift Kenya up in prayer. While the coverage of this volatile situation simmers here in America, continue educating yourself on the injustices happening all over the world, advocate for those being persecuted, and do the thing that God gave us power in...pray!

The update on the TI crew in Kitale and beyond. The entire North American team there has remained safe and has been able to get back to almost normal functioning. All of our projects are safe and have food. All of our Kenyan friends are in safe places and no one was physically harmed. Many of our friends have moved to safer places in their cities or in the regions of the country where their tribe is most prevalent. Overall we are able to share many praises that we weren't sure we'd be able to share...so thank you for fighting in prayer for our brothers and sisters! Now fight for those who don't know God's grace.

What happens next?

Right now Kenya is in day two of political rallies in key areas of the country. The cities to pray for are: Nairobi, Kisumu and Eldoret. Day one of the rallies was generally peaceful and police used force accordingly. Please keep day two and three in your prayers as well as all that follows.

Again, I encourage you to educate yourself on the situation in Kenya, pull friends, family and co-workers together and plead on behalf of this nation. Here are a few sources that have been particularly helpful for me in keeping up to date:

BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/default.stm

CNN http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/news/kenya.violence/

Daniel's Blog www.dlipparelli.blogspot.com

Meredith's Blog www.meredithlopez.blogspot.com

Amanda's Blog www.amandagoble.blogspot.com

Thank you so much for your emails, phone calls and concern. But thank you most of all for joining us in prayer for Kenya!

-Kate

Urgent Prayer Need

2007-12-30T15:30:00.000-08:00

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

Dear Family and Friends,

I come before you right now with a heavy heart. My team and friends in Kenya need our help. The presidential elections in Kenya have just ended and the new president has been announced. This has not come without much bloodshed and rioting around the country. My team members have been placed in dangerous circumstances and God has been their protection. I seek you out because I am counting on you for prayer. The team in Kitale and my friends Lindsey and Ryan near Nairobi are amongst the many on my long list to pray for. Please pray for their safety, for the stability of the country, for tribal clashes to cease, for no more blood to be shed and rioting to end, for honesty in the government, for all the adults and children in all of our projects that may be facing an unstable community, but most of all that God's Truth would be seen all over this nation.

The events of the last few days can be chronicled in the blogs located below. I ask that you take time to read them, to revel in God's grace, mercy and provision, and that you take them to heart, committing to pray daily for Kenya as a nation and the people who live there...remembering that not all are blessed with a peaceful nation as we are.

Thank you so much for your continued support of the Kenya people and thank you in advance for joining me in supporting the ministry of TI during this time. I place my trust in God's sovereignty and perfect will.

Grace and peace,

Kate

Daniel's Blog http://www.dlipparelli.blogspot.com/
Meredith's Blog http://www.meredithlopez.blogspot.com/
Amanda's Blog http://www.amandagoble.blogspot.com/

poetry night

2007-12-26T20:57:00.000-08:00

This has been a long anticipated blog post by those living in the compound in Kitale...but one that I've been a little anxious about. The main reason I've been anxious about it is because posting these poems causes me to alienate just about everyone reading the blog except for those who wrote the poems...since the poems are almost completely based on inside jokes and sayings that just don't make sense to those living in the outside world. But, I'm willing to risk it and post them because of my deep love and appreciation for the people who wrote the poems.

Explanation: A few days before I left Kitale Jared had the idea of having poetry night. I thought it was a great idea until he said that it would be on my last night in town...it wasn't quite what I had pictured my last night as. Moments later I got over myself and decided it was a great idea. Little did I know that Jared's idea was more complex than I could ever imagine. My last night began with a yummy Mexican dinner and then we all moved down to the fire pit to begin the poetry competition. I was "chosen" to go first. Next Eva went. I started to think that things weren't quite as I had expected when the title of her poem was "Everything I need to know, I mostly learned from Kate." This was my first clue...from then on all of the poems were about me and my life in Kenya. What a humbling experience. While most of the things said in them brought laughter to the circle, many words were shared that brought tears to my eyes and deep gratitude to my heart. Why on earth did I deserve to hear so many kind words, how did I earn such love and respect. That's when I realized that the love of God extends far beyond what we think or imagine that it will.

Here are a collection of poems from the TI, Kitale compound. Enjoy!

"Everything I need to know, I mostly learned from Kate"
by Eva Joy Senecal

Punctuality's important, but don't spaz if you're late.
If you grow out your hair, then grow it out big
And give it a style that Kenyans will dig
Give hugs that put the best mother to shame,
Talk about Jesus and love all without shame
Take correction well and be eager to grow
Be humble and open when it's hard to let go
Do what you love and learn it well
If you do it for God then others can tell
I.E. If you cook, give it all you got
And serve it joyfully whether appreciated or not.
Be a world traveller, but strong in your roots
Treat children like stars, not men with titles and suits.
Listen and learn and teach all who will hear
Stand on God's promises to conquer your fear.
His word is a fortress so don't make it fluffy
Be a lady with manners but never be stuffy.
Don't ever stop growing, thirsting and learning
Appreciating, singing, reaching and yearning.
Cause you'll never be done seeking God's will
Until your face to face before Him, abiding and still.
And trials bring joy no matter how tough
So everything I need to know, I mostly learned from Kate
I wish I'd learned sooner, but it's never too late
If we only had more time, well God only knows
What else I could learn but she's leaving and that blows
So whether in Texas or New England, I know we'll meet again
I love you, I'll miss you, kwaheri my friend!

"Kate"
by Meredith Lopez

K is for the Kind person that you are
A is for Amanda, your friend at your hip
T is for Texas, your happy home state
E is for Eating your yummy cheese dip

I is for Involved in all that you do
S is for Sexy with the braids in your hair

L is for Loving all of us in this house
O is for Outgoing and showing you care
V is for Volunteering your ear to listen
E is for Eager to help out with stuff
D is for Devastated that you have to go

So I'll try not to cry and I'll act all tough

But know that even though you're going
You are so loved by me
Although we are far away from each other
We'll be together again, you'll see.

I pray God is number one
In all that you do
I pray you'll always remember
How much I love you!!!

I'll miss you sweet Kate!!!

"Untitled"
by Timo

I wrote this Haiku
Because Kate is a good friend
I will miss her heart

"Straight from the Lord"
by Faith Hepner

Kate is a fabulous and talented girl,
She has some sweet African braids,
And love to love the world.

I found out Kate loves Napoleon Dynamite
And although the chapstick line is funny
That move just is not right!

Kate loves to dance and sing to the Lord
And if she's with you when baboons attack,
You'll never be bored!

Kate is from Texas and says 'y'all' a lot.
Although it doesn't fit in Africa
I'm sure the Texan men say 'that's hot!"

In African you learn you just have to make do
So Kate joins right in in the farts, burps
And talks about poo!

Kate like to say things like "that's outrageous" and "that's so weird"
And she encourages the kids to call Todd "Chuck Norris"
Because of his beard

I'm thankful for Kate in so many ways,
For her kindness and happiness
And servant hearted ways.

Although I'll miss her when she goes home, I'll rest in the fact that I know,
That she'll be happy in Texas With her
New job, country music and queso!

"One Fine Day"
by Daniel Lipparelli

One fine day, as she sat, with bills to pay
She pondered, she wondered, what more is there?
I want more to care,
To see life for all that there is, for all that it has,
Adventures to live, to play, to be as...

Just then her inbox chimed, she read
"I'm going to Africa, go to this website, more info you'll find."
That was enough for her, a few clicks, it didn't take long.
Before she knew it, she found herself on TI.com
The application was a bear,
Even though 15 pages long, she didn't care.
She pulled an all nighter,
She's a true fighter,
And before the sun came up,
She clicked send, took one more sip from the cold coffee cup.

She said a quick prayer and fell fast asleep
And was awoken a few hours later by another inbox beep.
"I got your app, it all looks real good,
I'll send out some references and hope you join us in the hip hoppin'n Kitale hood!"

She said some last good byes, friends, dad and momndo
Last burger with some fries, she wasn't going to the Rio
It was no time at all, she was on a plane
Headed to Kenya, with soon to come blogging fame.

She arrived safe and sound,
Watching the luggage on the belt going round and round.
There they were, her 5 million bags,
EKO marked on all the tags.
She gathered them one by one
And headed out to meet Daniel, who was waiting for hours and thought he was done
A quick hug to greet,
They headed out to town, to rest, she was beat.
They arrived late at night,
At the Grand Holiday, what a sight.
She guarded the bags at the bottom of the stairs
As Daniel hauled them up one by one, she dodged his glares.
She didn't know, he didn't mind
A rare strong man, is hard to find.

The next morning came all too soon
They ate, haggled a taxi, and boarded a bus for the trip of doom.
Roads like these, she had never seen
She thought she was a traveling feign
9 hours later, bumped and bruised
They got on another taxi and along they cruised
To the TI house, what an amazing spot
Not another one around could be rented, stolen or bought.

Now the days to come, that's another book
But for the full story, go to Kate's blogspot and take a look.
However, a few things need to be said
Or the writer of this poem might end up dead.

Things we will always remember about Kate,
Well first, she was never once late
Also for a true fact to start,
She has a servant's heart
She is a master chef and cooks real well,
Any baked good, she could surely sell
And if she sees something in your hair,
She will pick it out, she wants all to look good, it's only fair
And about that one big bag,
Well, it's full of gel, that's no gag
And if you want to make her happy and won't have any peso
Just give her some tortillas and a big bowl of queso.

She put up with all my jabbing and jokes
I know she thought I would give up, at least she hopes
But I didn't, I kept on going on and on and on
Because I care so much for her, I'm not a fake, not a con
she endured "yonga," "that's what I'm talking about" and "the fact of the boda boda,"
But if I remember correctly, she did guess the mole and won a soda!

My favorite memory of EKO
Was the picture of her friends on the fridge, the ones from Sudan you know.
It traveled from place to place, almost ended in a huge billow
But in the end, for one week, it rest under my pillow.
God got a hold of her hear in many new ways
4 months have passed leaving behind many days
Kate's not the same person she was, some well spent time she pay
She's not the same person she was from that first fine day

Kate, as you go from here, to what adventures lay ahead
You have a family, a band, a body who loves you no matter what is said
We will stand with you and pray for you and love on you through all time
Even if it's said, through this dorky rhyme.

Now, we part, we say good bye, we go each one, their own way
And we meet again, on another, one fine day.

"Untitled"
by Aly

I just met my friend Kate,
I don't know you very well,
But going at this rate,
I know you're really swell!

All the kids love you,
They're going to miss you lots and lots
But I hope you don't feel too blue,
Because you got to meet so many tots!

Seeing your love for these kids,
It's really, really sweet,
Especially when you let them paint your eye lids,
And it doesn't come out so neat.

God will take care of you,
On your journey and when you're at home,
He will continue to guide you to
Wherever else you may roam!

"Kate in Kenya"
by Amanda Goble

You are my friend
To you, a hand I will lend.
You are so weird,
Our friend Todd has a really sweet beard.
Together we went to the coast
Every morning you eat toast
Once you went to Sudan
Jared often has long sits on the can.
You really like t. u. (for the record...my school is called UT -Kate)
Too bad they played like poo.
we met again at the Village
Kenya has a lot of hill-age
I am so so glad you aren't a man
Or super girly like Dan
You really like queso and mac'n'cheese
Your curly hair blows in the breeze
You and Jared have all kinds of matatu fun,
it takes a while before the ride is done.
our friends Eva Joy and Caleb got married super quick
I like when you have an afro, you should wear a wicked pick.
The Herrings came and made things loud,
they left behind Timo who floats on a cloud.
The wazee gave us lots of helpful talks
It was harvest season and they cut down the maize stalks
Too bad while you were here you couldn't date.
It is sad because you have a cute friend named Nate.
Before you had to leave you met Faith and Aly,
We had another girl named Jessica, but never a Sally.
Thank you for putting up with all of my farting,
This is going to be such a sad sad parting.
I need to finish this before its too late.
Goodbye and I love you Miss Emily Kate!

"You" (We We)
by Jared Gordon

Before reading, this poem requires explanation. Jared explained it like this: "I wrote the poem so it would rhyme, but went back and added things in parenthesis to explain myself." Now you know!

You called me poor and sweet (before we even met!)
Then made us all great things to eat (like Mexican night)
You laughed at me when I committed an offense (juice spilling)
Then lightened the mood when it was tense (told a funny joke)
You out ran me all the time (by the time I got up you were already back)
Then made queso, said some was mine (good times)
You would poke me once in a while (uncalled for)
Then help me clean a juice stained tile (thank you)
You would come second at most games (only Amanda could beat you)
When things got messy you'd take the blame (sabotaging the volleyball net)
I would try to beat you to town (via boda boda)
Somehow you'd be faster, I felt like a clown (disappointing)
You tried to make me a longhorn for life (with T-shirt propaganda)
Even though you're a champion, that's bee too much strife (self explanatory)
I saved your life going down a river in Soy (a proven fact of science)
Then you had the nerve to call me a boy (I cried...seriously)
I did a bad job of protecting you from a matatu dude (I'm a failure)
So hopefully you don't kill me/or are still in a bad mood (fingers crossed)
Congratulations on your masters degree (a big deal)
Perhaps you'll figure out T.F.O.T.B.B over tea (the fact of the boda boda)
According to your confession you've had more than one boyfriend (maybe 20?)
But due to TI law, that has come to an end (no comment)
You never did get to have a baby chick (Juanita)
But since I've been here you never got sick (who did you pay off?)
Even though you didn't like capture the flag (no worries)
You were an amazing prison guard, a fast tag (you caught me)
You were a part of the core nexus (of doom)
The dynamic duo, all the way from Texas (interesting theory)
I've never been to your state (t.dot)
So please forgive me Kate! (Emily)
Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday and all that Jazz (New Years too)
I no know a superstar called Kate with lots of pizazz (goodbye)

"Oh the things that happen in this house"
by Kate

Oh the things that happen in this house,
Sometimes there is fun and sometimes a mouse

There are girls and there are boys
But none without their joys

Some of us are happy and single
Ready and waiting to mingle

Others are quickly wed
Under beautiful sunsets of red

We have the dogs, Kusko and Raisah
And read people of the Bible like Elisha

The females wash and paint their nails
While the men dump water pales

There are guards that do their part
And even Violet to make us look smart

We put our thumbs on our forehead
Playing cards until it is time for bed

Jared teaches us about the facts of life
While others cut the cheese, not with a knife

We laugh and we love
And are awakened by birds above

We cry and we hug
And we don't go a night without killing a bug

Oh the things that happen here
Just don't let D see you drinking a beer

We're silly and we're fly
And now it is time to say goodbye!

I hope you've enjoyed this special part of my time in Kenya! To all of my sweet poetry writing friends, thank you for the laughter, the tears, the sorrows, the joys, and the memories! I love you and miss you!

planes and trains and cars...oh my!

2007-12-23T05:56:00.000-08:00

Well, I never actually traveled by train this week, but I did travel by: bus, taxi, plane, shuttle, plane, shuttle, plane, and Mom's SUV. I think that makes the above title appropriate-ish.

So, I made it back to Texas from Kitale, but not with a little adventure and some close calls! I said goodbye to the crew at the compound. Not an easy task, but somehow I held in the tears. I arrived at the bus station to find about 10 of the street kids there to see me off. What a joy to hug them one last time! I loaded it all on and the driver pulled away.

our group at the TI compound just before I departed

the street kids saying goodbye

The 8 hour trek was rather uneventful except that arranging a taxi in advance without your own phone is quite a task! I borrowed a phone and thought I had it arranged, just to find out that the taxi ended up at my destination, not my origin. So, a random nice lady felt sorry for me as I stood on the curb with my three giant bags and arranged one for me at a very good price. I loaded up and was on my way!

I arrived at Lindsey and Ryan's home a little while later. There is something very comforting about spending time with them. The idea that we can sit down and share our trials and successes about living in Kenya and knowing that the other person understands and has been praying for you all along...it is just what siblings in Christ ought to do for one another. Anyway, we did all kinds of fun things over the next two days including: long morning walks, times together in prayer, shopping at Village Market which is similar to any really nice shopping center you can think of in the States, having really amazing coffee and Java house and/or River Cafe, watching movies on the lap top, and making one last Nakumat run for plane snacks before I loaded onto another taxi and headed for the airport.

Lindsey and I at River Cafe

After one driver change downtown I finally made it to the airport about 20 minutes after Luke. I lugged in my three bags and began praying once again that they would be under weight and that the third bag would be affordably taxed. Much to my surprise my check in was painless and free! Not only did they not charge me for my over weight suit cases, they didn't charge me anything to have a third checked bag! I was ecstatic! Luke and I got through security and passport control without any problems and headed to Java House for a little snack before boarding. Luckily we had plenty of time to shop as well and found some amazingly high priced souvenirs to gawk at. I found a necklace there that matched the one I was wearing exactly. I paid $11 and they were asking $45. Note to all foreign travelers...'Never, never, never buy anything at the airport." Yes, you can quote me on that.

We loaded on the plane, got settled, and away we went. My movie choice was The Last King of Scotland...scary and appropriate for leaving Africa. Afterwards I slept...a lot! We both woke up about an hour before landing, just in time for the breakfast service. Scarfed it down and headed for land. Once we arrived we realized we would be leaving from different terminals. Not wanting to spend the next 4ish hours along wondering in the freezing cold airport that is London Hethrow, I opted to accompany Luke to Terminal 1 for a little window shopping. We had a blast playing the 'how much do you think this costs game," and Luke actually tired on a leather jacket at the Timberland store that we later discovered cost over 1,000 USD. Crazy! We took fun pictures, got a little snack at a cafe and then I decided to pull out my itinerary and check my flight time to confirm the 10:20 departure time I had in my head. It was 8:00 and my flight was at 9:10...and I was a the wrong terminal. I suddenly went white and Luke asked what was wrong. I checked the time again and simply said "uh, I gotta go!" We rushed over to the shuttle bus stop and said our good byes. I boarded and began praying that I wouldn't miss my flight.

Luke with the guard

me with the tree

Luke's yummy frozen coffee

my smoothie!

goodbye Luke...I'm late for my plane!

Once I arrived at Terminal 4 I rushed upstairs and found my gate without any problems. They were boarding the plane, so I walked right on. We left about 20 min. later with me on board! I watched 2 1/2 movies on this plane (it had more movies that I had heard of than the last flight...that's what happens when you leave for 4 months...you don't know the movies anymore) so I watched: Blood Diamond (also a good one to watch after Africa, not before), a movie who's name has escaped me, and 1/2 of High School Musical 2 (a Disney movie that Nova's daughter Abbie...11...loves to watch). The plane had individual screens for movie viewing...not abnormal...but the coolest part was that they were touch screens. You could go from the main menu to the list of movies with just a couple of finger touches. Way cool! Can you tell I've been in African for a while?!?!

I made it to Detroit without any problems and through customs with my bags. At this point they should take the bags back and transport them to my plane...but no...they made me transport them. Luckily I had a cart to use all the way out into the SNOW where the shuttle bus picked up. (I was wearing a light pull over and my chaco sandals...not a good choice) They driver was a little annoyed that he might have to help me get my bags in, but once he saw the braids in my hair his mood lightened! Gotta love getting to the States and having everyone look at you like you're a hippie! I arrived at my terminal and actually got inside with all three bags and no cart. That's when I realized there was only an escalator. Is it legal to not have an elevator?!?! What if I was in a wheel chair? Anyway, I pulled it all onto the escalator and prayed I would make it to the top without squishing the 20 people behind me. I did and was fine until I made it to the American Airlines desk where I held my breath as they checked my bags in. Turns out my flight number had changed, so the nicest lady ever rewrote the number on all of my tags, overlooked the weight and the fact that there were three of them and sent me on my way! God's grace is amazing!

I spent the next four hours in shock. The moment I saw a Starbucks and Quizno's I had a mini breakdown. I wish I'd been happier to see them. But instead I was sad, knowing that the land of materialism was still in full swing. I got on the phone and talked to Mom, Nova and Lindie. Mom checked on my flight times, Lindie told me she was praying, and Nova shared the pertinent news that Brittany Spears sister is pregnant. Wow!

I boarded the plane with my energy sinking and found myself next to two Christian men. One was about 70 and the other 25. They kept me awake with stories of ministry and silly jokes. Turns out the 25 year old knows a friend of mine. I arrived with a smile on my face and bolted for baggage claim. Dad is the first person I saw when I came around the corner. What a comfort! We found my bags and headed outside to find Mom, who was circling in the car. After loading up we went straight to Uncle Julio's...one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, where we met my brother! Our family dinner was a blast, but we were all ready for bed once we returned.

On Thursday Mom, Dad and I took a little trip north of Dallas to my favorite BBQ place (one our family has been going to since I was probably a toddler, that is located 10 minutes from where our farm used to be). It brought back all kinds of good memories as I slurped down a glass of ice tea bigger than my head and saw a piece of chocolate cream pie with eight inches of meringue. We even drove by the farm on the way back! It was a great way to spend the day!

Texas country!

at Warren's...otherwise known as Clark's BBQ

Tioga, TX

at the Farm with Dad!

That night I headed over to my house in Dallas for a little get together put on my by roommates. It was so exciting to see everyone, tell stories of God's power and grace and see a renewed since of belonging to the group! Afterwards I picked my college roommate, Lindie, up at the airport and we headed home with smiles on our faces. On Friday we met up with Julie and drove to Ft. Worth to meet Chelsea on her lunch break for our annual Roommate Reunion. There's just a joy that I feel around these girls that cannot be matched. We had a fabulous time!

back to Dallas I go

Lindie, Julie, me and Chelsea at Chilli's!

Julie, me and Lindie at the house

When I arrived in Texas it was about 70 degrees...yesterday that all changed and it got down to below freezing last night. I will be bundled up in doors for weeks to come...I'm sure of it!

So, that brings us up to date for the most part. Over the next few days of Christmas prep I'll be reflecting on my time in Kenya. Check back for one last blog. Also, I added pictures to the blog about the trip to the coast...enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

saying goodbye

2007-12-15T05:33:00.000-08:00

There's never an easy goodbye when you leave a place after 3 months of investing in it. It is never easy to leave behind what you've worked towards or the relationships that have formed in the midst of it. It is not easy, but it is necessary and a part of life.

When I arrived in Kenya I thought it seemed like such a long time to stay. I would say to myself, "wow, 3 1/2 months is quite a while, are you sure you can do this?" Well, today I can say that 3 1/2 months is no time at all and that I could only do it with Christ lighting the way. There have been times of brokenness, joy, fruit, struggle, pain, happiness, and restoration...but most of all there has been God, moving, working and providing every step of the way.

I don't yet know how it is that God will choose to use what I've learned here or when it is that I'll find out, if ever. What I do know is that I've never been in a place where I have felt more at home, at peace and fully where I was supposed to be. I'm not sure if Kenya for me will be a place just for a season or will end up being for a lifetime, but I rest knowing that God will lead me wherever it is I should be.

One of the hard parts of leaving a place are the things that you'll miss when you're gone. Here are a few things I will miss: the kids faces, the tears, my house and the community that has been cultivating there, our friends and fellow missionaries, the yummy Kenyan food, laughter and late nights with card games and jokes, nights in prayer by the fire, God moving in abundant ways every day, answers to prayer on a more than consistent basis and the way that love can be pored out here on all that you meet, without anyone assuming you have other motives. Luckily many of these things can translate into my community in Dallas. Here are some things I am looking forward to in the States: seeing my family and friends, eating Mexican food as often as possible, having a church body that I feel a part of and that I buy into, hearing live sermons on a weekly basis (instead of podcasts), having people around you speak your language, and my bed...oh how I love my bed!

I'm blessed. God has given me great peace about the next step for me. I will begin a new job in January in Dallas and am looking forward to the new challenge. I'm excited about what God has for me at home and for where He will take me in the future. Transition times are good...and full of growth. I pray that mine is one that is God centered and full of grace.

Today I said goodbye to the kids in Kiminini. I held it together enough to say goodbye, but my bus ride to Nairobi alone tomorrow will be a very different story. Maybe then, with strangers all around, I'll take time to grieve what I'm leaving behind. I will be spending two days in Nairobi visiting Lindsey and Ryan before flying out on Dec. 18th and returning home Dec. 19th! I look forward to seeing all of you who have prayed for me so diligently. I can honestly say that I couldn't have done any of these things without your prayers.

Thank you so much for going on this journey with me. You are a blessing to me more than you can ever know!

Please pray that God continues to move in me, protect me, provide for me and guide me on the journey home.

the kenyan coast

2007-12-15T05:05:00.000-08:00

Last week Amanda and I boarded the Crown bus line to Mombasa. The seats were roomy, had tons of leg room and even leaned back. They gave us free water and we were off! Daniel had mentioned that the road to Mombasa, a large city on the coast of the Indian Ocean, was a really nice road. Lindsey had mentioned that at least the first hour of hit was horrible. "Who should I believe" I thought as we sat in Nairobi traffic for an hour before making it out of town. "Lindsey" I said...out loud, in the bus...after the first three minutes of the worst road in Kenya. Amanda thought I was crazy, but then I explained. Half way through we stopped for lunch and Amanda pointed out the portable Mosque that was set up at the bus stop. Definitely a new sight for me. The Kenyan coast is inhabited by a very large population of Muslims. Two hours later we hit pavement. Thank goodness! Without our seat belts on we would have hit the celling for sure...you think I'm kidding...I assure you I am not! After 10 hours in the bus we arrived in Mombasa...that 7 hour estimation was way off!

We were greeted by a fun new friend, Cynthia! Amanda and I met Cynthia in a Dallas REI store two days before coming to Kenya. We quickly discovered that we all went to the same church and that she would be coming to living in Mombasa in October. All of us agreed to stay in touch and did! Cynthia and her team member Jill picked us up in their car and we went back to their apartment on the other side of town. The first thing I noticed about Mombasa was how stinking HOT and HUMID it was! We spent the evening greeting their friends, watching You've Got Mail and making connections! Funny enough, a guy that had been there just two weeks before, also from the Village (my church in Dallas)! Even funnier, I know his sister, Beth! Crazy how people across the world can be connected!

Jill, Amanda, me and Cynthia

pretty bird!

The next day we did a little shopping in town and then headed up the coast for Watamu. Watamu is 2 hours north of Mombasa and is know for the Italian influence and beautiful beaches! We stayed at a place called Karabella, about 50 yards from Blue Lagoon. Yep...couldn't wait to tell you I'd been to Blue Lagoon. Anyway, our room had a large bed, terrible mattress, small kitchen, fridge, real shower with stone walls, and a lounge area on the porch. We went to the grocery store and bought some things. We cooked most days while we were there...but found 2 favorites in town: pizza and Italian ice cream. The first night we met a guy named Don, an American, who had opened an Italian ice cream shop a stones throw away from our hotel. We went no less than once a day and enjoyed flavors like: chocolate, pineapple, mango, lemon, strawberry, peach, and the list goes on! Yuuuuummmmmm! We also found an authentic pizza place with good prices and pigged out twice on really good pizza!

Our Hotel Room

Enough about food...the second day we went on a tour of Watamu and surrounding areas. We visited the Gede ruins and learned a lot about how far back Islamic roots were here in Kenya. We were taken by Turtle bay and then to a cave that the community use for various religious worship services. Afterwards we laid on the beach and got some sun! Unfortunately, SPF 50 was not enough for sweet Amanda and she was crispy by late afternoon. Somehow, with the same SPF, I was fine.

The next day we went snorkeling!!!! It was a ton of fun and the most beautiful fish I've ever seen! For the first time I actually saw a fish that looks exactly like Dorie from Finding Nemo. Very cool! We had a great time and had thousands of fish swimming around us at the reef. Even saw a HUGE eel. I'll pass on eels...for the record!

Hi Mom!

on the boat

The last day we spend exploring the pools of water with sea creatures that are formed when the tide goes out. We saw all kinds of things...like live star fish for example! Lots of fun! That afternoon I got a call from Lindsey and Ryan who had just arrived at Turtle Bay and were staying at a nice resort. They invited us over and we spent the rest of the day on the beach, boogie boarding (way way fun...you should all try it!) and the highlight- watching a sea turtle get released back into the ocean! So cool!

Each night we would get home before dark and be finished with dinner pretty early...this left us with a LOT of free time. We decided that playing cards was a great way to fill time and got really good and two person card games like: war, speed, and go fish. Ok, go fish was a struggle...have any of you played recently? Do you remember all of the rules? Anyway, it is more complicated than it sounds...or should be...but fun none the less!

We headed back on the morning of the 9th and spent our day in Mombasa waisting time until Cynthia and Jill were back in town. We ate a late breakfast, sat in the internet cafe for a few hours, and then ended up at a cafeteria type place for a couple hours at lunch...where we met two Americans and a Canadian that are staying in a town South of Kitale. We ended up talking for a while and they invited us to join them in exploring Ft. Jesus on the other side of town. We threw our stuff in their hotel room and walked on over. Ft. Jesus is cool...but not cool enough to pay $10 to get in. Residents pay about $1...so we knew we were getting ripped off, and they were closing in about a half hour. Instead we got a few pictures and headed down the hill to see the waterfront view. As we walked down we came upon a HUGE soccer game. There were literally hundreds of people crowded around a field less than half the size of a full field. They were loud and it was a blast to watch with Ft. Jesus in the backdrop! So fun!

Afterwards we got a hold of Cynthia and it turned out they had been in town all day but hadn't gotten our message. They met up with us and Jill took us to a really awesome gyro place! So yummy! I even got to snap a picture with the guy who was making Nan out front!

We loaded onto the night bus and got a thorough police check before heading out. I slept a good portion of the night, but not well. We arrived in Nairobi at 5:30 am and waited until 7 to visit Java House before tracking down a shuttle to Kitale. At the shuttle platform we were waiting for two more people before we could go, so I talked to our conductor and mentioned a new way of getting riders. He told me that if I got the last two passengers he would give me 50 shillings a head! Sweet! I was off...I walked around yelling 'enda Kitale, enda Eldoret' which means come to Eldoret/Kitale. Within seconds I had a lady talking to me, who walked me back to my shuttle...it was at that point she told me that she worked there and didn't know why I was yelling. Soon after I went back to yelling and ended up with three men talking to me about not yelling, one being a cop. Needless to say, I made them all laugh and hurried back to the shuttle just in time to see our last two people boarding. No 100 shillings, but still a full shuttle! Unfortunately we ended up changing vehicles in Eldoret...and in true Daniel style got in a huge battle with our driver who put us on a cheaper vehicle and tried to pocket our 20 shillings each. After 10 minutes of reasoning and insisting on a refund of our 40 shillings, he gave in and we won! This tells me that I can go anywhere in Kenya and take care of myself! No worries! We were very proud of the victory in principle and our 20 shillings!

We made it back just fine!

It was a great trip and there are a ton more details I've left off...but I hope you enjoyed the update anyway!

I'll add pictures as blogger allows! Have a wonderful day!

quick note

2007-12-12T00:45:00.000-08:00

Just a little hello from Kitale. We made it back safely and got a great nights sleep! I added a lot of pictures to the 'long road home' blog and will add the Soweto slum pictures when the internet decides to cooperate! I'll also post the blog on our time on the coast later this week!

A little shout out to those of you who love capture the flag in the dark. Last night's game was the best one yet. Definitely a passion I'll be bringing back to the States with me!

I pray that you are all enjoying the holiday season! May God bless you today sweet friends!

the long road back

2007-12-09T01:44:00.000-08:00

I'm currently sitting in a cyber cafe in Mombasa, Kenya. it is about 95 degrees. 100% humidity and all i hear outside are honking horns and vehicle engines. ahh...a typical day in Kenya!

Amanda and i have begun our journey back to western Kenya! we've had an amazing go of it here on the coast, and i must say that the beaches along the Indian ocean are the most beautiful I've seen!

since we've got about 8 more hours to kill before our bus to Nairobi, I'll go ahead and blog about the first portion of our trip! I'll have to add photos when we get back home.

the whole TI crew headed to Nakuru on Dec. 1st. We made it just fine and found our hotel quite quickly...Crater View Hotel...sounds classy, I know! I never saw the crater. We found it in a travel book, checked out the rooms when we arrived, and all agreed that for $3 a night it was do-able! (Let's just say that our standard for what is do-able has changed drastically over the last few months.) We had no water, but did have pillows and blankets and a lock on the door. All you really need as far as I'm concerned! Jared was anxious to find a TV to watch the Arsenal soccer game, so we all set out on a journey. I bought a fleece sweater on the way as I left long sleeves at home accidentally. for 100/= it was a good deal! (about $1.25) We asked a few people about places with TV's and finally settled on a really fun sports bar type place with amazing food! Pizza, mac and cheese, and fish...yumm! We had a great time, headed back to the hotel, played cards and hit the sack. Daniel was able to set us (Amanda, Faith and me) up with a great deal on a safari! We paid a total of about $40 and go our own van with pop up roof! Our guide was a ton of fun and found some great animals for us! We pulled up at the gate of the park and already saw about 40 monkeys! From there we entered and here's a list of what we saw (pics to come later): zebra, African buffalo, water buck, impala, flamingo, hyena, egret, ibis, marabou stork, wart hog, giraffe, Thompson's gazelle, grand gazelle, tony eagle, white rhino, bik bik, baboon, pelican, talapia (yep, we saw it jump in the water) and finally a guinea fowl. It was incredible!!!! But it had to come to an end. As we waited at the main gate for our ride back to town, we saw a few cute little monkeys. We had a little bread so we threw them a few pieces. Soon after one of them stole the bread back out of Amanda's sack....she'd set it down in order to dig out the camera. Seconds later we got a warning not to feed the monkeys. We complied, thinking...what's the harm. Then two of the small monkeys around us run away. We weren't sure what was going on. About a minute later the three of us are standing close together and out of the corner of my eye I see a large baboon running full speed in our direction. I stop and think "wow, this isn't good AT ALL!" So I yell "baboon!!!!!" and the girls turn around...we all start screaming and the baboon is circling us. Finally it rips a plastic bag from Faith's hand, sees that it is only water bottles, and runs away. In short, we were attacked by a baboon. Way scary, but a great show for all the locals that were standing around laughing at us. We asked if they would every bite humans and the response was "they wont' bite you, but they will scratch you until they get what they want" ...gee, great hope in that!

Me, Meredith, Jared, Faith, Amanda and Daniel at Taidy's for dinner and the game!

The rooms in Nakuru...so nice! ;-)

Monkey and baby

First cool bird of many...Jamie, I'm counting on you for the names!

bird

Flamingo...thousands of them!

Stork

Grand Gazelle

Those cliche African trees

Tony Eagle

Me overlooking Lake Nakuru National Park

Female Water Buck

African Buffalo

Impala

Zebra

Pelicans

Wart Hog

Mean, mean Baboon!

Rhino with 3 month old baby

Did you know the Rhino can run up to 55 mph?

Thompson's Gazelle

Giraffe

We headed out and on to Nairobi. Faith, Jared and I were squished into the back of the shuttle van. Probably one of the worst squishings I've had in Kenya...and such a terrible road. Either way, we made it! Only a few bumps and bruises! Daniel's brother Luke is in the country for a few weeks and he and girlfriend, Ruth, met us at the hotel and got us settled in. Another adventure was soon to follow!

The sky over the Rift Valley

Carnivore is an elite restaurant for eating wild game. We decided to partake! While nothing was too exotic (as that would be illegal) we did get our share of meat at this Brazilian steak house formatted dining facility. Here's a little list of what we ate: lamb, chicken, turkey (bigger than me and Faith's heads put together) beef, crocodile and ostrich. The ostrich meat balls were buy far my favorite! We even got yummy dessert! It was a blast and all of us were sooo full by the end! Definitely a must try for those world travelers out there!

Look at that meat!

The group! Me, Amanda, Faith, Meredith and Jared: the token male!

Daniel with his fanny pack. Just a little question for Larry and Danel: Is this what you envisioned your son growing up to be? Has home school done this to him? At least he's secure!

Luke and Daniel...matching...surprised?

We headed back to the hotel and I had the second worst night's sleep that I've had in Kenya...and this in a hotel that actually has water and towels. The morning was great though...we went to Nairobi Java House for breakfast and coffee! They have a yummy, fairly western, menu and the best coffee drinks in the country! My vanilla latte was to die for! Could be because I haven't had one in months...but I think it is just that good!

A little shift in pace...

Afterwards we headed a little ways out of town to meet with some friends who would take us to the third largest Nairobi slum, Soweto, with over 200,000 people inhabiting it. This was one of the most humbling experiences I've had in Kenya thus far. As we walked up there were children all around. Their little bellies were hanging out of their clothes and their eyes were sad. There is a stench there that is not matched anywhere else. The river we crossed over to arrive there had been lined with trash and the water was gray. We were told that the last three people who had drank the water had died within hours of it. Every few minutes we saw men with large barrels on make-shift dollies running down the street. It wasn't until later that we learned those barrels were filled with feces to be dumped into the river. If these things are not evidence enough of the condition of the world we live in I don't know what is. There are children as young as two staying at home all day alone as their older siblings are in a free school and their widowed or abandoned mother is out from dawn to dusk finding work to provide a couple bites of rice for dinner. Like I said, their eyes are sad. The children jump and yell at the excitement of us being there, but as soon as we loose their gaze their heads drop and the smiles are wiped away. Seeing us is a sign of hope, a sign that there may be change in the future. But this hope doesn't last...these children know that many others have walked through these streets before and nothing has changed. Their hope is fleeting and momentary. We heard of a lady with a sick child. We went into their home and prayed for healing. We were able to leave a little money with them, but how many more were there that we didn't hear of. How many more were suffering in the shadows?

There's an amazing lady named Mary who has begun the only free school in the Soweto slum. She had 103 students last term. A cell phone company here heard of what she was doing and built a cafeteria ( a long room with a ceiling) and a kitchen (not like your kitchen at home...but very functional in this area)...but there is no one to provide the food. If the children here eat at all it is only two or three bites of rice, a small cup of liquid that a few fish bones were boiled in, or nothing. Another problem in this area are widows and women who have been abandoned by the fathers of their children. Across from one building is another with many rooms. Some are used as classrooms and others are now used to house desperate women and children. This gives them a place other than the streets and a roof over their heads.

The situation is desperate.

TI is planning to begin working in this area. We plan to begin a feeding program at the school so that all of the students get at least one good meal a day. We plan to design a program that will assist these desperate women in getting on their feet. We plan to do a work that others are not willing to do.

My time in the slum that day was life changing. I walked away with a heaviness in my heart and a mission on the mind. Please pray for these who so desperately need to see a way out, a way that is hopeful and redeeming.

The school Cafeteria on the left

The hallway of the 10 room school

the baby of a widow who lives in the school

me with Kate (right) and her little sister

some of the sweet kids that followed us all day

the trash pile on the other side of the river, within feet of people's homes

a typical home in Soweto

We headed back to town and went our separate ways. Amanda and I stayed with my friends Lindsey and Ryan and took a bus to Mombasa the next day. I'll blog the rest of the journey when I return to Kitale. As for now we've got an 8 hour bus ride to Nairobi and another 8 hour ride tomorrow to get home.

Please pray for safe travel, hearts dependant on Jesus and a clear vision for my last week in Kenya.

hit the road jack

2007-11-30T21:28:00.000-08:00

This is just a blog to fill in the stories of what I left out on the last blog...and to add pictures before we leave on vacation! And just a little shout out to my Dad...HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! LOVE YOU!

On Tuesday we went to Kaibeyo, the children's home that Daniel and Meredith used to work at. We met all the kids, had some chi and then Amanda and I went to Eldoret to do her visa paperwork and so I could go visit Robert! It was a fun day!

Soldiers hiking through mud beside the road

The huts Daniel and Meredith lived in at Kaibeyo

The new litter of puppies at Kaibeyo!

Robert and his shop...where I buy souvenirs!

Amanda and I being silly!

Wednesday...Amanda and I went to see a bible school in Ivihiga (or way the heck out in the middle of no where)! We took a bus for about 2 hours, got off, took a boda boda about two min. down the road, and got on a matatu. We sat on this matatu for 30 min. (as it was empty) and watched all these people sitting outside. Then they all decided to get on and come with us! Sheesh! As they got on one of them handed me a baby...which was mine for the ride. Speaking of ride...I have never been on a matatu that was falling apart like this one was. There weren't seats behind the driver on that first row...only three in the back. People sat on maze bags, and to start the van four men had to push it down a hill so the driver could turn the key. Amazing! So, we made it to the next town and got on another vehicle for 30 more min. Once arriving in Ivihiga we were releaved as the pastor of the church and teacher of the Bible school, Andrew, found us! We thought, surely this place is close...we're almost there! Oh no! Wrong! Andrew was surprised that two white girls didn't have a vehicle...but we got on boda bodas anyway and off we went. 35 min. later, hill after hill...getting off, walking up, getting back on, and repeat...we finally made it! The facility was beautiful and placed at the base of a mountain. There were trees everywhere! The compound houses a church, Bible college for pastors, Bible classes for Pastor's wives, a medical clinic, maternity ward, tailoring school, and host site for mission teams. We had lunch, met the women and current mission team and then headed out. Five hours to get there and only time to stay for an hour and a half! Anyway...I was very impressed with their set up and with Andrew. It seems like God is doing a lot in this community and it was a blessing to get to see it!

So, we headed back...35 min. boda boda ride, 45 min. vehicle to the main road, and then another terrible matatu all the way back to Kitale. We had a great time...even with 10 hours of travel!

The Church

Church leadership...Pastor Andrew on the left

The rest of the compound

Baboons on the road

Once we returned home we headed over to a guest house called Karibuni Lodge for a women's gathering. It was pot luck and everything was sooo yummy! Best of all we formed friendships with women from all walks of life! We now have Muslim friends, missionary friends, and a brand new opportunity for ministry! Great night!

With Rhonda from Texas!!!! at Karibuni Lodge for Women's night!

On Thursday our sweet friends Rhonda and Katherine headed back to Canada. They are on the TI Canada board and are good friends of Meredith and Jared. It was so much fun having them with us! They are prayer warriors and blessed with the gift of encouragement! We'll miss them!

Rhonda and Katherine before they left us!

The rest of Thursday was spent getting my hair braided! I've been wanting to do this since I arrived and it finally happened! It took a short 4 and a half hours with 5 people on my head at all times to finish the job! My head was a bit sore and the hair really long...but I love it! You can let me know what you think!

Before!

During...ouch!

And after...with my full team!

So here they are!

Here's how I wrap them up at night! Attractive...I know!

Thursday night we had a girls dinner at Karibuni Lodge...and a dessert bachelorette party for Eva! This was easily the best meal I've had in Kenya- steak, baked potatoes, spinach, acorn squash, cauliflower, broccoli, really good gravy, and even sour cream (we've never seen that here)!!!! For dessert I had a brownie and lime sherbet...weird combo, but very yummy!

Bachlorett Party!

Wedding day was crazy but perfect! Our team was in Kiminini for the morning playing with the kids...then back at the house to help out! We all had bets on what time the ceremony would actually begin. The proposed time was 4pm...Todd won the bet with his guess of 5:30! The ceremony was simple and perfectly Eva and Caleb. Everyone came together and made it happen! We had dinner at the Boulevard...our fav! I'm so excited for them! Please keep them in your prayers!

Prayer before the ceremony

Caleb and Eva Joy Senecal!

Timo, Caleb, Eva and Janell

The girls at the reception!

Alright, that's it! I'm off to the house to finish packing, then it is on the road to Nakuru! I'll do my best to update as we go...but no promises!

Thanks again to Jamie, Nathan, Marissa, and Mom and Dad for the packages and letters this week! I'm sooooo spoiled!

LOVE Y'ALL!!! Pray for safe travel and REST!

an oh my gosh kind of blog

2007-11-29T06:45:00.000-08:00

This has to be brief as we've got a big dinner tonight. This has been the most crazy week of my time in Kenya. Monday I went to the dentist, Tuesday we all went to a children's home a little over an hour away and then Amanda and I went in to Eldoret to run errands and do some shopping. Wednesday morning Eva Joy told us that she and Caleb are getting marred. Then Amanda and I went to look at a Bible college outside of Ivihiga which was a 5 hour trip each way. Once we returned we attended a women's dinner at a cute place down the street and met all sorts of amazing women. (this makes me even more sad to leave...there's a built in ministry right at our fingertips!). Afterwards we found out the wedding date for the love birds is FRIDAY...yep, I said Friday! Today we sent Rhonda and Katherine off, I got my hair braided (those tiny braids, all over...pretty sure I look like a hippie!), then did shopping for the wedding. Tonight we'll throw Eva a little shin dig! Tomorrow we're spending the day out at Kiminini and then heading back for the wedding in the back yard, followed by a reception at our fav. restaurant. Saturday morning we leave for Nakuru for a safari, then to Nairobi the next day, followed by the coast.

As you can see things are a bit chaotic around these parts! But God is good! Please pray that I would take time to slow down, listen to the Lord's guidance, and obey!

Also...just a little note: First, Saturday is Dad's birthday...Happy Birthday Dad! and Lastly, my friend Bonnie is likely having her baby this weekend! Please keep her and her husband Riad in your prayers!

OH!!!!! And totally got QUESO in the mail 2 times this week!!!!!!!! Mom, Dad and Nathan...y'all are amazing!

three weeks to go

2007-11-26T03:18:00.000-08:00

I only have three more weeks here in Kenya and time is running short! I'm trying to take advantage of every moment and soak it all in as much as possible!

This is the beginning of a crazy week! Today I had a most interesting experience...a Kenyan dentists office! I decided that getting my teeth cleaned here was a good, cheap option! The office was very clean, the dentist very professional and with good credentials, and the payment hundreds less than the States. I got a cleaning and sealant on two teeth for less than $40...not bad! Getting my teeth cleaned is one of my favorite things! I love that slick feeling when you walk out the door!

We've welcomed three more people into our home. Rhonda and Katherine are friends of Meredith's and on the TI Canada board. They are here for a week. We also have the priviledge of having Faith with us from Reno for the next month or so. They've all brought a joyful spirit to the house and it has been a ton of fun getting to know them.

Tomorrow we're all going out to Kai Beyio, Meredith and Daniel's former children's home, to see the kids! A few of us will run in to Eldoret for a few errands, then it is back to Kitale for dinner.

Wednesday Amanda and I are heading to Vihiga. This is a small town a few hours away where the grandparents of my friend Nathan have a Bible college. We'll be spending the day with the Kenyan leader of the school and seeing how the ministry works! We're very excited!

Thursday a group is taking Rhonda and Katherine to the airport, and the rest of us are hanging out with the street kids all day!

Friday I'm doing something I've been waiting to do since coming to Africa...get African hair! That's right...in less than a week I'll have the tiny braids that I see all around me. I'm guestimating this will take close to 10 hours. I'll keep you posted.

On Saturday we're leaving for a little vacation! The first stop is Nakuru for a safari! Then on to Nairobi to see the new project in the Soweto slum area (more on this later). The team will head back to Kitale after this, but Amanda and I will be heading onward to the coast! We'll likely spend one day in Mombasa and then a couple days in Watamu at Turtle Bay. Indian Ocean here I come! This will add to the growing number of oceans and seas I've swam in! We're told that the Watamu area is where Brad and Angelina like to vacation...woohoo! Can't wait!

This past weekend we visited our children's home in Kiminini and I got a bunch of great pictures! As the internet is cooperating today I thought I'd load some for you to enjoy!

Brian, Johnston and Lodwa in their house of sticks!

Beautiful Lavinda!

Molongo and Jackie in their shelter

Molongo

Me and Mwongi! He's got the best smile!

Lavinda, Jackie and Molongo

kids!

Me and Mwongi in the shelter they built!

Johnston, me and Molongo

The kids singing

Carolyn, me, Molongo and Mwongi

Mwongi's pretty eyes!

Me and the girls!

tying my boda driver's shirt so it would quit hitting me in the face!

the boys with the toys they made: bamboo, plastic bottle caps, and a piece of wire

Amanda, Mwongi, Lavinda and me!

Dude! It's fall in Africa! Cold weather approaching!!!!!

Just kidding...this is a tree we found that is all red...
this is as close to fall as we're gonna get!

Have a wonderful week! I miss y'all!!!!! Pray that God will continue to move as we continue to lay everything at His feet!

game day!

2007-11-23T03:37:00.000-08:00

Today is the Texas vs. Texas A&M football game! Biggest football day of the year in my house back home...So, in honor of the big game, Amanda and I decided to take a couple pictures of the chaos that is our house today:

My Dad has promised to email quarterly updates...too bad it will be around 3 am here when the game finally ends! Sheesh!

Also wanted to update you on the last week. On Saturday we had Jessica here with her friends Shirley and Dan. They came with us to Kiminini to see the kids...and we even got a new TI staff picture!

Me, Amanda, Jared and Jessica

TI '07:
Daniel, Me, Amanda, Jared, Jessica and Meredith

We had girls night on Sunday at our Texas friend Rhonda's place! We soaked our feet, had coke floats, and watched a chick flick. It was so much fun! Here are the highlights:

Soaking our feet

being silly

Rhonda is so much fun!

Janell after toooooo many coke floats!

Eva and Mer!

Yeah for girls night!

I also realized this week that I didn't have any pictures of the Africa Connect group that lives with us...what on earth have I been doing for 5 weeks! Anyway, Monday was Luanne's birthday, so we got a group picture before they headed out to dinner! They are way fun and we love them so much! I also got a classic picture of Bob the day before...this explains a lot!

Africa Connect '07:
Bob, Timo, James, Caleb, Luanne, Janell and Eva

Doesn't he look like the 'money' guy in Oceans 11?

Lastly, I had my last couple days at Shimo Primary School this week. On Tuesday we talked about respecting people around us and respecting ourselves. On Thursday I mixed things up! We played a 'remember what Kate has taught you so she can feel like she's made a difference' game! I asked them questions about past lessons, they answered, and I gave them candy! They also each got a cookie to celebrate finishing exams! Here's a picture of part of my class!

My class!

Coloring their pictures

They I had each of them draw a picture of their family and where they live. Then they wrote an essay answering questions like: what do you want to be when you grow up? Why do you go to school? If you could change something about your life, what would it be? What are two things you are willing to change to make your life better? What have you learned in this class?

The answers were phenomenal!

Teaching

Today I went back for our last Bible lesson. I taught them the song that goes "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart, where, down in my heart...." It was so much fun! I even got a video of it! Then we talked about how accepting Jesus means we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts and that the Holy Spirit is what makes us able to talk to God in prayer. Afterwards we discussed what it means to make disciples and how they can begin their life with Jesus by praying, reading God's word, going to a church that teaches the Bible, fellowship with other believers, and telling others about their decision to follow Jesus. They were great! They soaked up every moment of it!

David! One of my favorites! (can teachers have those?)

My class hanging out before school

Kids in the widows!

I'm so sad that my time there is done, but it was purposefully and fruitful! I'm so thankful that I had the time I did with them, and that I was able to see the fruit of everyone's prayers back home! Thank you again for your prayers and support! These kids wouldn't have heard about Jesus the last few weeks without it!

Y'all have an amazing weekend...and Hook 'em Horns!

P.S. I added a bunch of pictures to the thanksgiving post so check 'em out!

happy thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T02:27:00.000-08:00

Just a note to say Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I wish you could be here to celebrate with us! We had an amazing meal yesterday and I've now posted the pictures!

Today I'm missing time with family, my Mom's sweet potatoes and Dad's layered salad. I'm also missing the anticipation of left over turkey for the next three days! Yesterday we had mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, homemade mac and cheese, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes (which are white) with marshmallow (which are pink), and steak! Turkey here would have cost close to $40...I think not! The steak was great! The power was out all day and we had to go find a kitchen with a gas oven...luckily the power came back around 4 and so we split up and got it done!

I'm also missing my Thanksgiving tradition with my college roommate, Chelsea. We have run the Turkey Trot for 3 years in a row...this being year 4. But...I'm happy, knowing that her husband Dane is running in my place (wearing a special shirt in my honor)!!! Great work Chelsea! And Dane I'm so proud...pink and all!

I wish all of you an amazing holiday! You're all in our prayers and thoughts! Here are a few pictures from the big day!

Oops!

There we go!

Pumpkin Pie

Cooking in Kitchen #2

A 10 min. old baby chick! (at the house of kitchen #2)

Kitten at Kitchen #2

The cooking crew and all our food!!! Yumm!

turkey and trash talk

2007-11-18T01:06:00.000-08:00

The turkey and trash talk has begun! This morning we planned our Thanksgiving menu. No turkey will be eaten, but steak, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, stuffing, and tons of gravy will be had by all! The other half of the excitement is the stirring up of the Texas vs. A&M rivalry in the house. I here by commit to wear a UT shirt every day this week! Amanda has committed to calling my school TU for the week. I think it is a good match up in the house...but I'm confident that UT will pull it out in the end!

I'll be sure to post you a photo journal of the week as we go! As for now...just a note:

The eyes of Texas are upon you

All the live long day

The eyes of Texas are upon you

You cannot get away

Do not think you can escape them

At night or early in the morn'

The eyes of Texas are upon you

'Till Gabriel blows his horn!

Hook 'em!

Sunday

Bud and Kim know what's up!

Monday: Even Daniel got in on the action! (well, not intentionally)

Tuesday

sex, abuse and God

2007-11-13T22:52:00.000-08:00

I knew I'd get ya with that title!

There are all kinds of things going on around here.

Let me start with a little update on my teaching time at Shimo last week. I told you a while back that I'd be doing sex education with them. Well, let me tell ya...that was interesting! Me, just little ol' me, sitting in front of 60 Kenyan teenagers talking on a subject that is as taboo as homosexuality in most American churches. I began the lesson by having the kids yell the word 'SEX' about 6 times. I felt that would loosen things up a bit...no pun intended! We began having a dialog about how they think about sex in their community. Is adultery accepted...yes...is it ok to have premarital sex...yet. These answers were what I expected, so we moved on to risks and physical, emotional and spiritual effects of sex outside of marriage. We discussed God's view of sex and what they thought about it. The climax of the discussion was when I asked them what the purpose of a condom was. The first two answers were expected...prevent STD's...prevent pregnancy. The third took me a little off guard and made me bite my cheek not to laugh..."to reduce friction." Well, sure...I guess reducing friction is one purpose or benefit of a condom...but the real question here is 'why do you know that'...the answer came from a 14 year old boy. Classic! Anyway...we had fun! They heard about how God views sex and some food for thought the next time they are caught in the middle of something they never wanted to be in in the first place.

Let me go back to the Tuesday before when I taught on abuse. We discussed types of abuse: physical, emotional, sexual, financial, mental, spiritual...they were great towards the end, coming up with ideas about how to stop abuse in their communities and what to do if you're being abused. But what really struck me were the questions they wrote on their cards for me to answer for them. The most difficult for me to read was the one that said "my name is Nick and I have a question. Last night my Dad came home drunk and beat my Mom worse than ever before. Then he chased us kids away. What can I tell my Mom to do so this won't happen to my family anymore?"

Please pray for Nick and his family.

God has been doing really amazing things within our group and all around us. The city has only pumped water to us 4 times, for an hour each, since I've been in Kenya. This was fine when it was still raining every day because we collect rain water...but that isn't the case anymore and we've been sending a truck with containers to buy water a few times a week for the past month. This ends up costing close to 500x what we would pay if the city water pumped. And while we're complaining about it I can't help but think what this is doing to poor Kenyan families...we can afford to buy our water...can they? We decided that calling the water company daily wasn't solving anything...so we resorted to prayer. I'm not sure why we didn't think of this earlier... Daniel and Jared prayed on Sunday night for water. On Monday morning the city water was pumping...4 hours later it was still pumping. It got more than 3/4 full on Monday and then pumped again on Tuesday. It is full to the top and we're able to fill our containers for a reserve. God is so amazing! We pray for water and He provides it. I guess all He wanted was for us to give up trying to do things on our own, give Him our full attention, and He gave us what we needed.

God has also been doing some incredible things in my heart. I've begun realizing how much insecurity I have. Being insecure has caused me to find my identity in things like praise from others and achievements instead of finding my identity in Christ. God has begun a great work in me. He is tearing down the tick walls I've put up to keep from being vulnerable. He is showing me how to let go of my desires, my fears and my unbelief. He's teaching me what it looks like to submit to His authority in my life and lay myself at His feet. I'm overwhelmed by the way I am starting to hear His voice, the way I'm able to view His gift of grace and how easy it is to be filled with joy when I'm giving these things up. This is how it is supposed to be I suppose. We give up the things we have a closed fist around and He shows us Himself. How did I miss this for all these years.

Please pray that I continue to submit to His will...His direction...His majesty.

Like I said before...all kinds of things are happening around here. I wish all of you reading could be here experiencing what we are...but since you're not, know that you're being prayed for daily!

This week we have implemented a new plan of action, prayer! Every night we have a fire and sit around it worshiping God through song and prayer. It is amazing how when you pray God answers your prayers. We are seeing prayer after prayer answered. Today we are fasting. We are seeking God's face for things in our personal lives, things on the compound and all the things going on in our projects. I seek your involvement in this time. I ask that you join us in prayer and seeking the face of God.

Kakamega Rain Forest

2007-11-12T03:23:00.000-08:00

just a note before i begin telling you the adventure of the weekend. the keyboard i'm using is terrible and making letter capitalized it difficult. so i apologize for the poor grammar you are about to read :)

oh where to begin...amanda and i got on a bus with daniel on friday morning. we were getting off about 2 hours in and he was going on to another city a little further away. our bus ride was complete with squawking chickens a few rows up and a preacher screaming at people to repent. oh such a joyful way to begin! as we rode we passed a town, wembuye, that has a paper plant. have any of you ever been close to a paper plant before? for the record, don't go! it is the most horrible smell...and that coming from someone who is around non-deodorant using kenyans most of the time! so, we arrived in kakamega and said goodbye to daniel. this is where the adventure begins!

we happened to see a supermarket as we came in on the bus, so we stopped to buy bread, cookies, chocolate peanut butter (didn't know that existed), marble pound cake, and water. afterwards we used our amazing swahili skills to ask someone where the vehicle stage was for shinyalu, the city we needed to get to (half way to the forest). the person we asked spoke english and physically escorted us to the stage. we got in the back of a pick up. mind you, it is enclosed...with benches on either side. so, with the capacity of 11 we got 19 in and were on our way. i even bought extra batteries for my head lamp from a guy selling stuff through the window. i'm sure they are great quality. once we arrived we got on a boda boda, paying half of what they asked and twice as much as the real price, and went on to isechino (our destination in the forest). the boda drivers dropped us at the turn and we began walking. fortunately a woman named emily (great name) was also walking and introduced herself to us. she works at the place we were trying to find and escorted us the rest of the way.

we stayed at a 'guest house.' i'm not sure what you picture when i say 'guest house' but it probably isn't quite the same. this was an all wood building raised 20 ft. off the ground. it had 4 rooms with 2 beds each and private bathrooms. there were holes to the outside, but don't worry, they were filled in with news paper to keep the bugs out. but, there were open windows above the door with metal thatch work and no small screen...so the bugs get in anyway. regardless it was do-able! so we took a little rest on our beds for a few minutes before going on a walk. during our rest we heard rustling in the trees outside. we went to look and saw no less than 15 black and white colobus monkeys playing and eating in the trees.

after resting our guide, nicholas, took us for a 2 1/2 hour walk. we saw big trees and really cook plants! there are a bunch of trees that the locals use the bark from to treat sicknesses like stomach problems, headaches, etc. there's a small plant with tiny red flowers that when ground up can keep cuts from being infected. we even saw the tree that was recently discovered to cure prostate cancer. so cool! nicholas took us to a look out that reaches to the mid level of the forest. it over looked an open field that used to be a swamp. it was found that the dirt there is acidic and plants won't grow. scientists have studied a small spiky plant that grows at the edge of the forest here that actually neutralizes the soil. it is believed that eventually, the forest will cover this area because of the soil's neutralization. nicholas also showed us more black and white colobus monkeys and explained that the word colobus means 'with a problem.' these monkeys actually have only 4 fingers and no thumb. then we headed back and took a little nap before dinner

at dinner we met about 15 wazungu (white people). all of them were from sweeden but were in a group of 3 and 12. the group of 3 were our age and living just south of the forest. we ended up eating our beans and rice with them and they began an amazing conversation. one of the girls found out we were christians and started asking us questions about what we believe. we got questions from 'what if someone believes all his life and at the end of it doesn't believe anymore, and what if another person doesn't believe his whole life but does believe at the end, who is saved?' to 'how can you believe that god is good when children are starving and dying all around you?' we answered the first with the conversation jesus had with the two hanging next to him on the cross and the one getting saved...and the second with an explanation of how satan asks god for permission to cause godlessness in our world. the conversation was deep and stimulating. as we were finishing up the answer to one question we discovered that the entire other group of sweeds was also listening in, and 3 of them decided to enter the conversation as well. it was great and we couldn't help but conclude that this was the reason we were brought to the forest!

unfortunately neither one of us slept well (we didn't have pillows) and had to be awake by 4:15am for a sunrise walk with nicholas. we walked for 1 1/2 hours with our head lamps on in the dark forest before reaching a very steep hill to climb for the sunrise view. by the time we made it to the top we had decided that the long walk we'd wanted to go on was unlikely to be possible and asked to switch to a shorter one. in the mean time we sat, took a bunch of pictures, and just simply enjoyed the splendor of god's creation. from the top of his hill we were completely surrounded by rain forest. we could see mt. elgon (close to where we live in kitale) in one direction, and the sun in the other. it was beautiful!

we then slowly made it back down most of the hill when nicholas suggested we go into a cave. we took our picture outside the cave and then headed in to check it out. after about 10 steps amanda and i decided that the only way we'd make it any further was by holding hands. within a minute we could hear bats and feel them flying around our heads. we tried not to look at the walls as they were covered in spiders and other icky things. i pulled out my camera and got a few shots. mind you...it was not zoomed in...so the bat really was that close to us! with much persuading we made it just about to the end of the cave before turning around and high tailing it out of there. this was for sure, without a doubt, the most terrifying part of the entire trip. but...we can now say we've been in the bat cave. can you say that?

>

nicholas then asked if we'd like to walk to the river. knowing we'd told him we wanted a short walk we agreed. over 2 hours later we arrived at the river. good grief! we never thought we'd make it! most of the walk was on a road and not in the forest...but the last part was full of steps and slippery hills. we saw a blue monkey on the way...he was sitting in a tree at eye level and we got about 5 feet from him. the river was huge and had tons of white water. we decided that it was definitely not a good place for swimming, took a few pictures, a rest, and went on our way. 2 hours of walking up and down slippery steps and over old, scary, wooden bridges we made it back to civilization and took another 30 min. or so to make it back to the house. in total, for the two days, we walked over 20 miles of the kakamega rain forest...and we'd just like to say we're very proud of ourselves for making it. may i not mention the fact that we could hardly walk once we got up to our room. we arrived back by about noon after close to 6 hours of walking.

that afternoon we met an american named thomas who was staying in the room down the way. he was nice and even had lunch with us. after lunch we had food left over. we noticed that some blue monkeys were on the ground at the base of the trees, so we decided to see if they liked chipati. we threw a few pieces and they started coming towards us. amanda ran to get the camera as i tired to keep them attentive and close. as i turned around to see a small monkey come in the covered area a larger monkey stole the two chipati sitting on the wall. amanda made it back and the fun began. for the next 45 minutes we had no less than 12 blue monkeys catching the food we threw them and running all around us. we got lots of amazing pictures...but none quite so amazing as the ones of a monkey litterally eating out of our hands! all we could think was ' now this is africa!'

the three of us joined a group with a camp fire that night. it was 3 american medical students and their 3 kenyan friends. by the time we got there, around 8, they had been drinking for a while. we chatted for a bit and decided to head to bed. the next morning they offered us a ride to eldoret, a town about an hour from kitale that we know well, so we accepted. the 6 of them, their dirver, and the 2 of us piled into their suv and headed to town. on the way we palyed an intense game of catch phrase! amanda and i's team won...of course! in eldoret we got pizza, stoped at the store to get things we can't get in kitale, and headed for home. we got the front seat of a van and didn't get ripped off on the price. we arrived home in time for dinner and were asleep by 9:15.

what an amazing trip! we are feeling refreshed, sore, and full of energy to get back into ministry here in kitale! please pray for the sweeds we met and for the street girls program task force meeting today!

have a great week!

pictures anyone?

2007-11-07T00:13:00.000-08:00

It has been so difficult as of late to post pictures on here...so I've gone back and added a ton to the "what doesn't kill you makes for a great blog" post and here are a few more that I've been meaning to post! They are random, but fun!

Kiss the Cook? Gross, he's my boss!

Grandmother who has 35 orphaned grandkids

Simon and me! So great to see him two weeks ago!

Molongo's new clothes! He's such a heartbreaker!

The kids in there new clothes!

Jackie in her new dress!

(Just for you Chastin!)

Boda Boda

Me with kids at Kiminini on the grass

Kids on the pot at the baby house!

Eva, really excited! Can you tell?

Daniel and Brian

Have a happy happy happy day friends!

our happy place

2007-11-05T00:33:00.000-08:00

Here's three random pictures for you! Enjoy!!!!

Here's the weird animal that Salverios found in the yard after the dogs killed it...yuck! It is a cross between a possum and a raccoon.

These are the 485 children that go to Shimo Primary School where I teach!

Well, this was the only other picture I was able to upload today. This, for those of you who can't already tell, is Amanda and I's happy place! On the couch, quiet all around, wrapped tight in our fav blankets, in the afternoon...and right after a good foot soak! Now you know what we do when we aren't with kids! Ok, ok...we also play capture the flag in the back yard with glow-stick flags and dressed in all black with the rest of the crew...and we play power uno on the rug...and eat Velveeta shells and cheese with ground meat in it when no one else is home so we get all of it...and we laugh about how much weight we are gaining from all the amazing food we've learned to cook...and we tell stories from home and our days here in Kenya...we make up nick names for all the people we meet...we sit in our beds and either watch a movie on the lap top or read theology out loud...we gather all the girls together and sit on Meredith's bed and talk about our problems or questions, laughing and crying...we plan pranks (like yesterday's with Daniel...where we got all of Jared and Timo's clothes they hadn't put away and clothes pined them to the rope on the radio tower)...but most of all the time we spend away from the kids is spent thinking about the next time we will be with the kids.

There's just something about our house that makes since. It isn't that there are 12 people from all different backgrounds, or that everyone has their own definition of clean...there's more. After a long, hard, day we walk in the gate of the compound and we're home, we're at peace, and we're ready to drop the walls we've been putting up all day so we don't get too attached and too emotional. When I walk in the door I can usually smell something cooking and hear people laughing. It is safe. It is the one place where we can fully be ourselves...where every need is met. We are the body of Christ. In the new testament church we see a picture of needs being met, of vulnerability between believers, of love and forgiveness. This is where I live. I live in a house where I am forgiven for my faults and loved exactly the same...where I can tell my secrets and know that I am accepted...where I can ask for help and it has already been provided.

I'm so thankful for our home here in Kitale.

On another note...I need a little break! Amanda and I were talking this week and realized we haven't had more than about a half a day off of ministry in the last two months...so we're taking advantage of a slow weekend and getting away! We're heading to Kakamega for two days! We plan to visit a Bible college there and then spend two days outside the town in the rain forest! Yep, rain forest! I cannot wait! There are over 300 species of birds, and tons of different kinds of monkeys! So pray that we find some rest, rejuvenation, and God! We're excited to see what's in store!

So please pray this week for: the street girls program, my time teaching at Shimo on abuse today and Bible classes Friday, and a safe journey for Amanda and I on our trip!

I miss all of you and love you very much! Happy Tuesday!

what doesn't kill you makes for a good blog

2007-11-04T00:36:00.000-07:00

As I sit here at the internet cafe I hear the blaring music of a church who meets close by and the screaming cry of a baby next to the widow who was removed from the church so as not to be a distraction. Such is Kenya. I love it, but I may go crazy! Today I can definitely say that there's no where else I'd rather be! Now...don't get me wrong, I miss everyone at home...but there is just something about being here that feels right, good, and perfect! I just pray that all of you can experience the same feeling wherever you are right now.

We've been really busy this week and thus updates have been lacking...but here I am! Let's do this!

First, let me comment that for whatever reason blogspot has decided to delete the spaces I put between paragraphs. I have no idea why this is happening, but soon I will get to the bottom of it. I'll keep you posted. I'm sure you're on the edge of your seat!

Thursday was a really good day! It began with Swahili lessons at the house with our teacher Daniel Juma. He's got an amazing heart for street kids, orphans, and all of us who speak Swahili like babies! He spends an hour with us on Thursday mornings these days, and we do our best to soak it all in. I learned a few new words this week...Hodi! That means, can I enter. it is a greeting. You respond by saying Karibu...welcome! I also learned a nicer version of come here. Instead of saying Kuja we now say njoo...like in-joe :-) And when I want someone to leave me alone I can say La...which means NO! or I can say Kwenda....Go! It is good to know more words so I can communicate and for protection from the random creepy people! After lessons we had lunch in town and spent time with the street kids behind the market. For the first time I got to go into the slum there and see the businesses and how people live. Nothing less than devastating. We brought a good group of street girls with us to the feeding program and are really starting to see them open up. One of my favorites, Nafula and her son Tony, were there. Nafula was sick...so I'd love for you to pray for her. It is probably Malaria. Unfortunately we can't be in the business of giving every sick person medicine. If only there were the funds for something like that...hmmm...pray on that!

Friday was another good day! We spent about 4 hours with another missionary, Jeff, seeing his children's project. He's building a great house for kids/missions teams/and his family. It was great to see what else God is doing in our area and gain insight through his model. Please pray for Jeff and his family as they are often the brunt of spiritual warfare. Afterwards we went to the Agricultural show! It has been the talk of the town for weeks, and finally started this week. The showground area is on our way home from town...so it has gone from empty to swarming with people in a matter of days. There are school buses there from all over this side of the country and all kinds of people showed up. While we were there (in the evening when the crowd had died down) we got yummy ice cream, saw pretty cows...yep there can be pretty cows, especially when you see the ones that walk by our gate on a daily basis...pigs, geese, and all kinds of other stuff. The seed company here had many displays using different kinds of fertilizer and the plants were huge! The cabbage alone was twice the size of my head! Crazy! We also had some fun...not that looking at large plants and farm animals isn't fun...Amanda and I rode a camel! Yep...a huge camel! I'm pretty sure the last time I did that was at the circus when I was 5 or 6 and there it must have cost $10 or more. Here it cost less than a dollar! We rode around, waved at everyone, and screamed every time the humps shifted. We were quite a spectacle! Amanda and Meredith got their face painted and we even saw a mermaid from the coat region of Kenya. Not sure if the mermaid was real...but I did pay 10 shillings (less than 10 cents) to see her. Ha! She had polka-dots and was in a basin. I will say, I didn't see her tail...so I can't really judge :-)

Collins, me and Nelson at the Showground

Amanda and I at the Simple Pig House...still not sure what that is, but the pigs were cute!

Collins and Nelson with another street kid! I just love them...they crack me up!

Amanda and I with the Camel we rode! Holla!

Saturday was so much fun! We gathered some things together and headed out to a project we help support in a town called Soy...about an hour away. We had a great ride there and when we arrived we went swimming with the kids in a near by river! SOOOO FUN! I didn't realize how much I missed swimming until I was there in the water. It was freezing, full of rocks, and only came up to my thighs...but it was great! Jared and Daniel took their time pepping themselves up enough to get in...but Amanda and I got in as soon as we could! When Amanda and Daniel got out Jared and I decided it would be fun to go down stream a bit where the rapids were. Why, why,why? The water got more and more shallow and I found myself crab walking on the rocks as the current tried to force us down river faster than we wanted or was safe. Praise God I had my chacos on...if you don't know what those are you should look it up and invest in them! They are really great hiking sandals which apparently saved me in the river...Jared got washed away and ended up doing a flip on a rock...not pretty! Thankfully he warned me of the spot so I could carefully go over it...but not without a little scraping of my hands. We got out...decided that was a bad idea...and joined the group on dry land. Daniel always says, what doesn't kill you makes for a good blog. So there ya go!

Amanda and I at Soy

Our group at Soy

View from the top of the Hill

Jared and I preparing for our adventure!

The crew swimming in the 3 foot freezing water!

Naked sunbathing on the rocks...yep, only a Kenyan can get away with that...see, they blend :-)

The way home from Soy was the most terrible matatu ride I've ever had. Not only were we cheated with a really high price for riding, but the conductor was rude and inappropriate. I was glad Jared was there to keep me safe! Once we got back he and I walked straight to our friend's house down the street to catch the second half of the Manchester United/ Arsenal Football game. European football that is. What an exciting game! It ended in a tie! But the whole thing was stressful and exciting! This was the only taste of college football action that I've had since being in Kenya...I was so thankful! Soccer here is HUGE and jerseys are cheap, so everyone wears them around town. It's a lot of fun!

In other news...got a package yesterday from Nova, Abbie and Allen! SoOOO fun! I didn't know they made sour pez, but it is really good! Abbie picked out a pez dispenser that is modeled after the squirrel character in the movie Ice Age. She put a note on it that said it reminded her of Africa! I love it! They also sent some good stuff like oatmeal and a new sudoku book! The most useful part however was the Juanita statue that we've been sending each other for two years now. She's delightfully tacky...and now in about 5 pieces. Not to worry! They do have super glue in Kenya :-) The best part though, were the 5 matching University of Texas t-shirts for our TI team! We love them Nova! Thank you!

Pez, Pictures, Sudoku and Cotton Swabs...can't beat that!

Juanita Died...I'm sad!

The AMAZINGLY GEORGEOUS UT t-shirts!

Hook'em Horns!

Daniel trying to be fly!

So, I realized the other day that I only have 6 weeks left in Kenya. I can't even believe it. It has gone by much faster than I would ever have imagined. While I've done so much since I arrived, it feels like I have yet to accomplish what God brought me here to do. So I'm praying that I'll be given the discernment to do what God desires for me to do during my time left. I'm continuing to go to the school for counseling and Bible class, to spend time with the street children and at our children's home...but I don't want to miss out on something the Lord has for me...so pray with me that every moment is taken captive and that I'm open to being led by the Spirit here in Kitale.

Only about 3 weeks before more people come! Other TI intern, Faith, will arrive along with 2 Canada board members, Daniel's brother, and another member of the Africa Connect group. Life has been crazy at the house and will only get crazier! Love it!

Hope you have a wonderful week! Please pray for my time left, Nafula to be healed, the kids at Shimo Primary school, and our work with the street girls!

Love ya!

the children cry out

2007-11-01T02:22:00.001-07:00

The world is full of children. Some come from rich families and some from poor families. Some are good in school and others not. Some have two parents and some have none. Some eat dinner before bed and some survive only on a small meal at lunch time to make it through the day. Some sleep in beds with blankets and pillows and some sleep in fields with little more than the torn clothes on their backs. But no matter the comfort level of the life of the child, each one is unique, gifted, beautiful and a gift. It is our role as someone who sees the value of each child to give them a voice. Today I'd like to do just that.

On Tuesday afternoon I went to the Shimo primary school down the road from us to begin counseling with 60 of the oldest children in the school. They ranged in age between 13 and 17 years and all of them live in the slum that is a stones throw away from the school. This is the same school where over 400 students accepted Christ last week. I began my time with them by introducing myself and laying some ground rules for our time together. The topic of the day was self-esteem. We discussed what behaviors we do when we aren't feeling good about ourselves: insulting others, separating ourselves from friends, making bad choices, etc. Next we talked about what behaviors we do when we feel good about ourselves: laughing, being with friends, making good choices. Last we discussed what things we can do to increase our self-esteem. The children came up with this list: respect yourself, be faithful to yourself, have self control and be humble. What blew me away was how forthcoming they were by the end of our session. They were raising their hands, giving lots of answers and were even willing to explain why they chose each answer. At the close of our time together I gave everyone the opportunity to write down a question they wanted answered on a note card that I would be taking home and looking over before the next lesson. A few of them came and got a card, giving it to be before they left.

I have been greatly impacted by the questions they are asking and wanted to share some of them with you. I hope you too will have your heart and mind opened to these kids as you read the kinds of things on the minds of young teens in Kenya.

Here we go:

My name is Amos, I don't like going to church, so what advice can you give me? And, sometimes I feel like being lonely and I don't now what to do. God be with you

My name is Nick Carter. I myself am not satisfied in my performances at school and it is one of the things that we said people don't like. I have tried to make a lot of practices but I have not seen any change. What will I do next? Since I was born no one has sent me a gift. This shows me that I have nobody who cares for me. This is making me feel that I have no sense of worth. This is really annoying me. But does this show that I am worthless? Self control is a valuable thing in this world, but I don't have anyone to show it to me. What do I do to start controlling myself?

Why did God create other pupils to be bright and others not?

How will you be respectful to yourself?

How will you be honest?

According to the Bible, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is three, but it then it says that it is one. And when you tell the teacher in class that it is one, he will cain you. What do you think?

My name is Michael. How can we as children be humble? I would like you to pray for me.

1. What can we do so that we can be good children?

2. What can we do to become a true Christian?

3. How can we become faithful to others?

I want to know the meaning of self-esteem.

I have a friend who likes insulting other and is proud of it. And I myself don't like that and think to separate from her. But, my hear encourages me not to do so. What can I do? Encourage me.

My name is Martin. What church do you worship? Did you finish your primary and secondary education? What is your name? What State do you come from?

1. What can I do so that I can control myself?

2. What is self-esteem?

My name is Diana. I have a question to ask, how can I escape myself from being separate and lonely? What can I do not to be annoyed every time? Help me advise.

What is good about where you come from? Who is the leader of your country? What do you export to other countries? What is the capital city of that country? How many years would you have to be to be a voter?

My name is Rachael. I would liketo know how I can be faithful to teachers and pupils. What is the best thing I can do to improve my living standard?

My name is Sammy, my question is about how I can overcome girls and give my life to the light of the world.

My performance is not good in class, but I can read and read and read and no change in my mind. So what do I do to change so I will not fail.

1. What is the meaning of self worth?

2. What is the importance of self-esteem?

3. What if you have self control and you fail to have it one day?

4. What if you are faithful and someone doesn't believe you?

5. What is the meaning of selfish?

As you can see these children have more on their minds than we give them credit for. I ask that you pray for these students as I work towards answering their questions about themselves and God.

May you be blessed today sweet friends!

SUDAN PICTURES!!!!!

2007-10-29T23:32:00.000-07:00

After weeks of trying I've finally been able to upload some pictures from Sudan! Get excited! There are still a few more from Sudan and a bunch from Kitale...but this is a great start! They are completely out of order, just a warning!

Thank you for your prayers and support! Enjoy!

Me and my GIANT walking stick!

The view at sunset

The ladies in the wedding dresses we brought over

The rainbow after 4 people accepted Christ

Steve, me and Michelle at Nairobi Java House

The Church...pews and all!

Lake Victoria from land

The Terrible Sudan roads!

The Nile River from the air

Old women shelling peanuts

lots-o-peanuts!

Me sharing the Gospel with a cute baby pig! Ha!

The plane we flew in from Entebee to Moyo

Chaplin and me...he's really sweet and a very good dancer!

my roommate and great friend, Michelle!

Mike and David, our fearless leaders!

The morning view from the backyard

Pastor Edward and me on his motorcycle on the way to the church

Kampala, Uganda
(sorry it is soo small...I'm a dork!)

My really awake and attractive Kenya team before I left

Lake Victoria from the air

Danger, land mines! Ahh! That's pretty scary!

The vehicle for the week!

Kari and Chastin sharing the Gospel with kids at the airport

The goats I pet!

A sweet little girl and her little brother

Congregation at the church...they meet for church under four trees

inside our 20 seater plane from Entebee to Moyo, Uganda

Shower on the left, bathroom on the right...

My translator, Duku, and me at the church

Hughie the bathroom roach!

Ants in a line...crazy!

Ahh! Roach in the bathroom!

Me with the 10 children who accepted Christ the last day!

for the love of life

2007-10-28T02:18:00.000-07:00

So, Sundays are typically a day where the internet cafe is close to empty and the connection speed is fast. This is clearly not our week...it is as slow as Christmas today. It has taken me close to an hour and a half just to get this blog page open long enough to type something. Sad thing is I really don't have much to write...I simply want to add pictures! I have such a backlog forming here after so long without any.

In the mean time I'd just like to make a little note about a few birthdays...Eva had her birthday this week and we had fun throwing water balloons at her...just for her to find the stash and start throwing them back. We're taking her to a great place tonight to celebrate! Next week there are two big birthdays...first is my college roommate, Lindie's birthday! Happy birthday Lindie- from very far away! Second is our friend Todd's birthday. We've decided to throw a costume birthday party...only it will be called a Masquerade party since costume in Kenya means underwear or a bathing suit. yep...they literally say swimming costume. Anyway, we're excited! For all of you who have had birthdays that I've forgotten please know that I'm so sorry! As facebook, my one source for keeping track of birthdays, is hated by Kenyan computers, I am stuck missing them and feeling bad about it...so for all of you who have had a birthday in the past two months...or will in the next two months...consider this your Happy Birthday wishes from me! Enjoy it!

Now, on to serious business. Packages. Many of you have been asking what you can put in a package for me/my house of peeps. See...if you send a food item, I should let you know that most of the time the whole house is involved in the enjoyment of that food item! They say thank you! Here are a few things we have thought of in case you are feeling inclined to send something...which many of you have mentioned :-)

Velveeta Cheese
Rotel Tomatoes
Kool-aid (the little packets were you add sugar)
Stuffing for Thanksgiving
Brown gravy mix
Guacamole mix
Peanut M&M's
Pop-tarts
#2 pencils for the school age kids
Taco seasoning
Seasoned salt...Lowery's of course
Notes from friends and family
Chocolate chips
Brown sugar
Random t-shirts/hats/socks
Stickers
Christmas Music
CD's
DVD's
and whatever else you are just dying to send us! as if we're picky!

Well...I give up on all that is the internet for the rest of the day! I love you and am so thankful for you each and every day!

Please pray for: the counseling and Bible teaching time at Shimo this week (Tuesday and Friday), for our friends to return safely from Uganda on Tuesday, my friend Chastin and her family back in the States, moving forward on the street girls program, clear direction and purpose amongst our team and the joy that God promises!

kitale update

2007-10-26T02:25:00.000-07:00

Our time with the Canadian team has come to an end...but not without some amazing stories to tell! On Saturday all of us and their team woke up early and started working. Our entire 2 car garage/storage area was converted into storage for about 40 bags of beans and 90 bags of maize (like corn). Each bag of maize weighs 90 kgs...close to 200 pounds! So, with close to 100 families and two locations to feed we needed to be organized. We each had a job! Some people carried the bags out onto the grass, some used buckets to move maize and beans into smaller bags, some sewed up the tops of the bags, and I labled all of them with the families names. It was quite a site to see all of us working on a job we thought would take 3 hours which took 7. It was such a long day, but we were very productive and everyone felt accomplished by the end of it.

On Tuesday morning we woke up early and loaded a huge truck, called a lorrie, and headed to the first location. Most of us rode in the back of the truck while the other few took a taxi. About half way there our truck broke down. All I know is it was something about a universal joint. Whatever that is. What I do know is that you can't drive with out it! So...as we waited for a small pick-up to come and get the load little by little, we had our own fun. The top of the back part of the truck is bars so that the load won't fly out. So I decided it would be funny to use the bars like a pull-up bar. Caleb and Amanda videoed while I pretended to struggle to do pull-ups...thought I was standing 3 feet higher than the bottom of the truck, on top of the maize. With all of my grunting to help me get all the way up...we all had a good laugh and got some great video! One of these days we'll figure out how to load video on here!

Soooo...we made it to Maili Saba, the first location, and everyone was waiting inside a church. As the last load was being delivered, the whole group started to sing and dance, praising God for providing this food for them! What an amazing site! We had everyone move to one side, we organized the bags of food. Each family got beans, maize, and a proportonate number of blankets for their family. Once they were outside each family was prayed for and greeted! It was an absolutely amazing morning for us! Over 200 people from this location will be fed for close to 2 months because of this food!

That afternoon we had everything taken to a slum close by...Shimo la Tewa. 52 families were to be picking up food. We greeted all of them and one by one they were given their portion. The smiles on the faces of these desperate families was the greatest gift of the day. From a 7 day old baby to a woman over 70 years old (looking like about 95) everyone was filled with joy! And...God kept the rain away long enough for the entire distribution to be completed!

The remaining time with the Canadian team was great! We'd been cooking huge meals and helping them to feel at home. It was so much fun listening to their stories and telling our own. I think we learned a lot from one another. Many of them joined us for morning devotionals each day and their leader even reported that two of them had decided to return to the church when they got back home. It is a great testimony to setting an example, loving people, and serving them above all else. What a great week!

They left us on Thursday around lunch time. We were so sad to see them go! But, to comfort us they gave us an early Christmas gift...a brand new microwave!!! Woohoo! You Americans have it good I tell ya! Try going a couple months without a microwave and let me know how excited you are when you get one again! We are very excited...clearly! In addition, this team has also committed to doing fundraising for a program we have been praying about for a few months. I may have mentioned in the past that there are many girls living on the streets here in Kitale. They are a difficult population to reach because the street men do not let them roam free like they smaller boys. The girls are kept behind a market and out of site. Since we have been visiting that market area on a weekly basis we have formed new friendships with close to 15 street girls, many of them with small children in tow. Our vision is to begin a rescue and rehabilitation center for the street girls. This will start with identifying 6 girls to take into the program. Purchasing land and building a house for them to live in. They will begin the detox from the glue they sniff, begin school at home, and have technical training in tailoring. After some time they will be trained in a technical school and finally, relocated to a city where they can find a job and start a new life. It sounds like a lot, and it is! There is so much yet to plan and think on...but the foundation has been established. And without any persuasion or fundraising of our own, this Canadian team has committed to raising the funds to support the entire street girls program! I cannot tell you what an amazing encouragement this has been to our team! We are soooo excited about the opportunity to move forward with this vision and take the steps needed to make it a reality for the girls in this city. Praise God!

This morning was a GREAT morning! I mentioned in my last blog that I'd be teaching a Bible class at the school that serves the Shimo la Tewa slum area today. I thought our soical worker, Anne, would be joing me for my first lesoon, but she ended up being busy. So with the rest of our team at home I headed down to the school for my 8:20 lesson. When I arrived I saw all of the 485 students around the flag pole raising the flag. They greeted me and even sang me an amazing song! The week before I had been told that only those that identified themselves as Christians and Catholics would be joining me for the lesson, while the Musslim students would be departing for their own lesson. Much to my surprise, every student stayed to hear what I had to say. Because I will be coming weekly for teaching it was important to me to being by laying a foundation. I wanted to start with sharing the Gospel so that the other lessons would build on it. The Word of God says that we are to make disciples, not converts. The goal was not to get ever kid to say they belive and then just leave them...it was to share the Truth with them and then stick around to make sure they are discipled with Truth and not the lies of the churches in this area. Sooo...that said, I began to share my testimony. I talked about growing up in church, going every week, but never really understanding that I had to make a choice for myself to believe. I pulled out my good ol' evangecube and went for it. I shared the Gospel and they all listened attentively. It was amazing to see all of them just looking at me waiting for the next words to be spoken. When I got to the end I asked if any of them wanted accept Jesus and be with God for eternity. No joke...almost every single child raised their hand! Meaning, more than 400 were saved this morning! I almost fell over and weaped. How overwhelming to see God work in such an amazing way! So, I talked with them for a few minutes about what that decision means, prayed with them, and then talked about what living the Christian life looks like. The first things were the opportunity to pray and talk to God always, the importance of the Bible and how God uses it to teach us about himself, about being around other believers and encouraging eachother, and about the need for us to share with those around us that God has changed us so that they too can be changed from the inside out. It was an amazing time! I cannot wait to go back next week!

Last night the Herring family and rest of the team arrived. They are with another organization called African Connect and are part of a preschool in a slum across town. They will be here for 6 weeks, and will leave one behind for a little longer. It is so much fun to have so much laughter in the house! They are fun already! I'm looking forward to getting to know them over the next few weeks.

Please pray for: the Canadian team as the finish their work in Kenya, the Herring group as they settle in here in Kitale, all of the children who accepted Christ this morning, and that God would continue to open doors for me to share the Gospel!

Thank you so much for your continued support! It is so humbling to know that though you are at home, you are very much here through prayer!

with much delay

2007-10-26T02:16:00.000-07:00

I wrote this blog about a week ago and am just now getting to post it. We've been having lots of issues with electricity and with very slow internet...so, here's the one from before and I'll try posting another one in a bit! Still working on the Sudan pictures unfortunately! There are so many and it takes more than 20 min. per picture! Sheesh!

The last week has been quite hectic around the compound. After getting back from Sudan I’ve spent time with the street kids at Oasis of Hope and at our weekly feeding program. Last Monday Amanda and I ran across a 6 year old boy who was living on the street. We’d never seen him before and he looked hungry, so we got him a soda and some sort of hard bread…it was all the stand had at the time. We discovered that he’d only been on the street for about a week and reported to have left home because his stepmother was beating him. After a heartbreaking week of seeing him here and there today our social worker, Anne, is going to visit his parents’ house to try and get a full story. Once we have a better idea of the full picture we can discuss proceeding with finding an alternative to the streets for little Jeff! Please pray for him and for direction in knowing how to proceed.

On Thursday we had a team of 6 from Canada arrive! They have been a joy to have around the house! No one is under the age of 50 and they have been blessed so much financially that tomorrow we’ll be helping them deliver food to 2 areas and feeding over 100 families for about two months! They’ve also given over 800 pairs of flip flops to a school close by and given us enough to supply every child in our program! We’ve also been blessed with other amazing news from this group…but I’ll fill you in at a later day! Looks like God is moving in HUGE ways! What a joy it has been to sit and listen to their stories and share some of our own! It has been quite interesting going from cooking for 7 of us to cooking for 13…but the fun doesn’t stop on Thursday when they leave. A few hours after they depart Eva Joy’s family and friends arrive! The whole group will be here for 6 weeks, then one will stay behind. We’re very excited about having them…Thursday is also Eva’s birthday! Happy almost birthday Eva! She’ll be old and decrepit before we know it…well…maybe once she’s older than 27 J

Friday we went to Eldoret, a larger town close by, to do a little shopping for our children’s home! We bought trousers (yep, not pants, trousers, pants in this culture means underwear and that’s just not something you talk about...ha)! We’ll be taking them to the kids on Saturday!

We’ve got a busy week ahead, but God seems to be opening some major doors! I’ll likely be teaching my first Bible Class on Friday morning…prayers would be great!

Please pray for: food distribution on Tuesday , teaching time on Friday, continued unity amongst our team, safe travel for the Foster group and Herring group, and for God to continue opening doors!

the sudan files

2007-10-16T04:59:00.000-07:00

"If God has fit you to be a missionary, I would not have you shrivel down to be a king."
-Charles Spurgeon

Let the games begin! I'm going to warn you now that this is going to be a VERY long post! This post is not for the faint of heart, or the tired of eye. I'll be breaking this up into three sections so you can come back to it later if you need to and read the next one! Section one is the trip there, section two my time in Sudan, and section three is the trip home. Here we go!

(I'll add a BUNCH of pictures in the next couple days...so check back for sure!)

Section One: The Trip There

The day before leaving I began to really sense that God had a big work to do through me and in me during my time in Sudan. I was excited, scared, and ready to begin! The trip there began early on a Saturday morning. I woke up, called my mom, and finished packing. The whole Kitale team woke up and prayed over me! Daniel lugged my bag to the boda boda stage and he sent me off. I took the bus from Kitale to Nairobi. Stopping in Nacuru for a bathroom break and lunch and then heading on to the final stop. Soon after the stop I saw an entire herd of Zebra on the side of the road! How cool is that! As soon as we got to Nairobi I knew this was going to be an adventure. I started to see orange shirts from all angles. People walking, running and pushing through the large crowd of people all around. Turns out there was a political rally going on in the city center. Kenya is in the middle of a huge presidential campaign, with elections coming up in December. The orange party, ODM was having a rally here, about 50 ft. from where the bus was now parked! We sat there for about an hour, but finally moved on and made it to the bus station. (Back when I was in Ukraine, there was a presidential election going on and one of the parties then was the orange party...how does this color always follow me?). Once off the bus I hoped in a taxi and made it to the airport. I figured out how to get my ticket and went inside. Once I checked in and began looking around for the group I was meeting. I had asked to sit next to Mike Congrove, so I knew that at least on the plane I would find him! It was at that moment that I realized, again, that I had no idea what he or the rest of the group looked like! So after a snack the flight began boarding. It was getting late, so I decided to go on and board so I wouldn't risk being left. Praise God, my group was already on board...well, three of the seven of them were. The other four, I found out later, were stuck being re-routed through Dubai. Who knew! Anyway, there was Mike (who was sooo glad to see me, fearing he'd lost another person from the team) and we were off! We arrived in Entebee, Uganda (about 45 min. from Kampala and located on Lake Victoria) and headed to the hotel, a bed and breakfast about 10 min from the airport. We all go acquainted and I met the other two team members, Steve (Dallas) and Michelle (Atlanta/soon to be Chicago). After a little prayer time we went to bed! By morning we were ready to travel on. Mike decided to stay in Entebee and wait for the rest of the group, arriving later. Steve, Michelle and I went on. We flew in the smallest plane I've ever been in, a 20 seater! I saw the Nile river from the air! It is HUGE! We landed in Moyo, in northern Uganda literally on a field. Nice! David Kaya, the country coordinator for Sudan (with e3partners) and our national representative. He's the director of a bible school, and shepards all the pastors of the churches we are planting. He's amazing! We were in great hands!

Section Two: My Time in Sudan

Let me start this section by giving you an idea of the purpose of our time in Kajo Keji (pronounced ca-joe kay-gee). There are two existing churches in this area and we planted a third. We were doing evangelism in all three areas as well as discipleship/teaching. Our team of eight were joined by a team of close to 50 nationals. All of the nationals were believers, many of whom could translate for us, and many who were church members.

The last chapter of Matthew tells us that we are to "make disciples of all nation, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." This is precisely what we set out to do!

After arriving Moyo the three of us rested at a restaurant with a soda until David had done all the shopping. We hoped back in the Land Rover (best car ever!) and headed for Sudan. As we crossed the boarder we talked with lots of people and passed our passports around to those in charge. After a few stamps and hand shakes we went on our way. David showed us exactly where the boarder was...which we can now point out as well...the road goes from drivable to completely ridiculous! A drive that would only take about 10 to 15 min. in the States took over an hour in Sudan. When I talked in an earlier post about Kenyan roads having holes big enough for a family to bathe in...I hadn't seen Sudanese roads! I would say that you could bathe and entire village in these holes! I've never seen anything like it! It was crazy...that's for sure!

We arrived at the house and rested for a few min. before eating dinner and heading to a local soccer game. The game was tons of fun! Michelle and I moved into our room and we had a hot first night's sleep. The next morning the three of us went with David to greet the county commissioner and around lunch time the rest of the team joined us after chartering a private flight from Kampala straight to Kajo Keji! That afternoon we had our first taste of ministry in Sudan. We all (Mike-the leader, Steve, Michelle, Mike and Chastin, Jonathan and Kari, and me) headed to one of the church sites and began evangelism after meeting the national team. We walked from house to house (tukle to tukle- their word for mud hut) and shared the love of God with all of those we met! There were quite a few that accepted Christ that first day! Michelle and I were together that day and in one tukle grouping I held a very little baby. When we were leaving they actually named the child after us. What the heck! This would never happen in America, so you can imagine our surprise when they said the would name the child Kate Michelle...ha! Once we returned back we found the church area filled with women and children singing praises to God. They had a drum, their voices, and some amazing dance moves! All of us girls learned how to African dance and sang along to the words "I love you Jesus, you are my Savior." What a sweet melody!

Back at the house we were greeted by all the bugs that had decided to join us in the living room because of the light. Speaking of light, this requires power, clearly, but there is no power in our entire county, so the pastor has solar power on his roof to power the lights and sockets in the house. Genius! We enjoyed the light, but not the bugs! Guess you take what you can get huh?!?!

A little note about the bathrooms and shower before we go on. The bathroom was newly constructed, as was everything else, and had a cement floor around the whole in the ground. It was also fitted with our very own HUGE roach! Kari kindly named him Hughie. He died and came back to life many times over the course of the week. The shower was what one might call a star shower. It was open to the sky and if you were taller than Chastin, then you could see over the top...meaning all of those walking by could see your head! We each got a bucket of water, a towel, and a bar of soap. It wasn't much, but it was the best feeling in the world after a long, very hot day outside!

Moving on to ministry day 2! Michelle, Mike and I were back at the first sight to help strengthen the church (the church consists of a shaded area underneath a grouping of trees, the pews were logs that were raised off the ground, and the musical instruments were our voices and two small African drums...not at all like the picture of a church we conjure in our heads after a life lived in the western world) and the rest of our group split up and went to the other church and the church plant. Michelle and I had an appointment to share the Gospel at a school down the road. So we got our translator and headed over. When we arrived we noticed another man had begun preaching to the children. Once he was finished we got up there and shared the Gospel with all 500 children using the EvangeCube (www.simplysharejesus.org). After a rough presentation of the Gospel I awkwardly asked if any of the children wanted to accept Jesus. A few began raising there hands while their peers began giggling. I began to explain that the Bible teaches us that when we make a decision to follow God we are making a decision to commit ourselves to God and that sometimes this means doing it without the support of our friends or our families. God clearly spoke to so many of these children with these words as about half raised there hands at the end of my thought. 250 were added to our number that morning. Praise God! How exciting it was to show up, teach on the saving grace of Jesus dying on the cross, and actually get to see children being drawn to the side of God! It was amazing!

Michelle and I split up for the rest of the day. We shared the gospel in all the homes we came to and saw about 20 more come to Christ that day. Afterwards we didn't have any new people come to the teaching time, so we went back out to evangelize before heading home.

On the third day of ministry I saw some intense spiritual warfare! The Anglican church in this area has a huge stronghold. They hold beliefs like paying money to have their name in a member book, and that book being the list of the only ones who will be accepted into heaven. There is much talk about a 'prosperity gospel,' a teaching that says that if you are 'saved' you will be blessed financially and thus will give a lot to the church. We see this sometimes in America and I cringe every time I hear it...it simply isn't the Word of God! Nothing in scripture supports this kind of teaching, and thus I don't either! So clearly this was a frustrating day! I ran across many of these people and could feel the pull of Satan in this area. In the mean time, I met a woman who had been suffering from head aches for years. She is in constant pain. I was asked to pray for her that she would be healed. In scripture we are told that Christ (God) has the power to heal. So, we who have Christ in our hearts have access to this same power. This doesn't mean that God chooses to heal everyone that we pray healing for, but it does mean that through our faith in Christ we have access to this power. So, with this faith, I prayed that this woman would be healed. (The next day we saw here on the road. My translator, Duku, asked her if she was still having the head ache. She shared that she had not had a head ache since the time I prayed for her the day before. How incredible is that!!! I actually experienced a person being healed!!!) This just isn't something we see much of in America...Africa just seems to be a different type of place, a place where people are more sensitive to the workings of God and where there is much less distraction-that keeps us from hearing that soft voice of God...I never thought I'd see anything like this! There is nothing about me that makes me more spiritual or closer to God than any other Christian, there is nothing that I do or don't do that gives me some sort of privilege to see something like this. It is simply the grace of God, transcending all expectations, that something of this sort could happen through me! I'm still amazed!

This is an example of why being a missionary is not a sacrifice at all. I feel like staying at home and not seeing these things is the real sacrifice!

I also saw a man known as a drunkard come to Christ on this day. His family laughed with they heard the news, but when I came back the next day his entire demeanor had changed, he was joyful and able to work for the first time in years.

The end of day three Michelle and I led a teaching time with Pastor Edward. He's a professor at the bible school in town and pastor of the church located near by. Michelle began with teaching about Baptism. We discussed how in scripture when we see people accept Jesus as their Savior, that they are immediately baptized. We shared how baptism is a symbol of the death of our old self and the new life we have in Christ. They learned that we get baptized after we have accepted Christ, as obedience to God. They also learned that every instance of baptism in the Bible is of a person being completely submerged in water. Those at the teaching asked great questions about the difference between John the Baptist's baptism and that of Jesus. It was a great lesson! I taught on Love. I discussed that as believers we have been shown the greatest love of all through the forgiving of our sins, and that it is this forgiveness that spurs us on to love, serve and forgive others. I asked each person to find someone to serve before our next meeting. Pastor Edward enjoyed asking difficult questions...of which I will share one with you. It is important to note that this area of Sudan was a place where civil war destroyed the entire area. Entire families were killed, the whole town was burned to the ground, and all the animals killed as well. Edward asked (and it was translated to the people) "let's have a local example. Let's say that your entire family of 7 were killed by the bombs in the area and you are the only one left. Are you, Kate, saying that we should forgive the person that killed our family?" Wow, what a question! Here's a short note on how I answered...I'm thinking it may encourage some of you reading...I began with what the Lord has done for us. We were DEAD in our sins! Dead! Then the moment we accepted Christ we were cleansed of these sins and literally given a new life. Taken from death to life through our faith in Christ. Then I explained that as we were forgiven we are also to forgive. I talked about how when sin entered the world through Eve and then Adam, that our expectation of good things in this world was interrupted. Because sin has extended to all parts of our lives and world, we cannot have the expectation of good. The good we do see and experience is simply the grace of God! I explained that scripture teaches us that when we break one part of the law we break the whole law. Thus a liar and a murderer are held to the same standard in God's eyes, no matter the difference in earthly consequence. All of this said, yes, we are to forgive even that person who killed our entire family. For we are now alive and we once were dead. This love, this grace, this forgiveness that we have experienced was not deserved by us, yet we have it. We shall share it all the more! Two and a half hours later they had asked their last question and we finished our teaching for the day.

At home our friend Mike told us a story of what had happened in their village that day. He said that a crown of sick people had been brought for him to pray healing for. When he arrived at this sight a small boy (4 yrs old) saw him and began screaming and running away. He did this for the next hour. (typically small children, 2 yrs and younger, will cry when they see us because we are white. But they always warm up to us and shake our hands by the time we leave). This boy did not. When it was time for Mike to pray the boy wouldn't come near, so he prayed for him from afar. Mike was told that the boy had been cursed by a witch dr. when he was a baby. The baby had a spell put on him that said as a child he would get sick and die. The witch dr. even put a very noticeable mark on the back of his arm as a symbol of this curse. After praying Mike went to a home to pray for one more person and as he came out of the home to begin walking to the road, the little boy ran up to him and held his hand. As they walked to the road a relative began looking for the mark on the boys shoulder. The mark was gone. He has been healed.

The fourth day of ministry was an amazing day for me. Duku (my translator) and I began walking down the road. We were headed for the place we had left off at the day before, about a 40 min walk. No more than 5 min. down the road 10 kids from the school passed us and said hello. They continued walking, but one turned back and yelled in Koko (the local language...yep, like coocoo for cocoa puffs) "hey, we want Jesus." My translator stopped and told me what they had said. We asked them to come over and I shared the gospel with them to make sure they understood what they were asking for. I explained that God is perfect and holy. That nothing bad can be around him. I explained that we sometimes do things that are bad, and this causes us to be separated from God. Then that God loved us soooo much that he wanted to make a way for us to get to him, that he sent Jesus to live on the earth. That Jesus lived a perfect life and that he died on the cross for our sins. He was buried and three days later God performed a miracle and raised him from the dead! I explained that scripture teaches us that Jesus is the only way to God, then I shared that we each have a choice. We can choose to remain in our sin and be eternally separated from God, or we can choose to accept Jesus into our lives, confessing that we have sinned against God, and we can be joined with God for eternity, being forgiven of our sins! I nervously asked the question "do any of you want Jesus today?" As they began to raise their hands, one of the older ones spoke up, "yes, we all want Jesus." In shock, I smiled, and Duku led them in a prayer to God, giving them the opportunity to confess that they had sinned, ask Jesus into their lives, and thank God for saving them. 10 were added to our number in that moment! Just a moment later, two people sitting near by asked to hear what we were talking about. I shared the Gospel with them too, and both of them accepted Christ! Afterwards we continued on to our original destination...what an amazing stop we had!

That afternoon we taught again, this time Chastin joined us. We taught on giving, prayer, and discipleship. We discussed giving of our talents and things that we have. They asked great questions about churches that had taught unbiblical things about money and we pointed them to scripture...telling them that any church that isn't preaching and teaching what the Bible says, is not a church they should attend. For the first time in their lives the lies they had heard about salvation being through giving to the church were put to rest and God's Truth was taught! The freedom I saw in their eyes was worth every drop of sweat on this trip...and there were a lot!

A few stories for ya before I move on to section three. One, I chased a chicken..but didn't catch it. I found a huge stick and made it my walking stick...had to have been 10 or 12 feet tall...awesome. I helped the ladies make lunch and dinner, stirring rice and learning recipes. I pet a goat...I also poked one with my stick, he didnt' like it, so I stopped. Michelle and I realized on night three that our window had been closed every night...probably why we would wake up in a pool of sweat all the time. The huge Land Rover got stuck one day...getting it out was an ordeal, but only one that lasted 20 minutes and included a bunch of rocks, logs, and people to help. I saw a man riding a bike with a bag of maize (like corn) on the back...along with it was an EvangeCube strapped to the back of the maize...cracks me up! On the last night the ladies that had been cooking for us at the house asked if they could braid Michelle and I's hair...of couse we said yes! It was a ton of fun and we got to know them really well! I used a satellite phone, costing $1.30 a minute, to call home one night...it was great to hear Mom's voice, and weird to have a phone in the middle of the African bush. Speaking of the bush, the grass there was litterally taller than my head. I've never seen anything like it. You can't see though it very well...so when a goat or chicken is wrustling around in the bushes your heart jumps for a sec. before you realize what it is! We saw a GIANT spider that JUMPS! Who knew that spiders could jump! Not I, not I!

Alright, Alright...

Section Three: The Trip Home

After saying goodbye David took us back to Moyo and we all few to Entebee. We said goodbye to Mike and Chastin and Jonathan and Kari as they headed to Nairobi for a day with friends and the rest of us, with David, went to the hotel in Kampala (a huge city...the capital of Uganda) and settled in. While the guys napped, Michelle and I explored the city and even found a place with great pizza. We all had dinner with a new friend, Isaac at a local mall. My cheese burger wasn't as good as I hoped, but was a great American meal! We had gellato on the way home, and slept really good. The next day Isaac took us to craft markets all over town, we showered and headed to the airport. The flight from Entebee to Nairobi was great. I sat next to a man who owns a nice restaurant below the food court we ate in the night before. I learned about his family and a lot about being a butcher and chef. Maybe one day I'll let you know my secrets! After arriving we went to the end of the terminal and I got a chocolate milkshake from THE Nairobi Java House...it's a famous place here in Kenya! Sooooo good! I said goodbye to everyone and took one last picture. I headed out through customs, got my bag, haggled for a good taxi price and headed to meet Ryan and Lindsey at village market! We stayed up late, shared stories, ministry plans, and laughter! Ryan gave me a receipe for salsa and jar of jalapenos (we don't have those in Kitale) and I was off to bed. The next morning they took me to the bus station on their way to church and the long sit began. Only 8 hours later I arrived in Kitale, met the team and church, and went on home for a good night's sleep!

For those of you who made it down this far...you get a prize! You get to hear about one of my happiest moments (well...non spiritual moments that is). The first thing Michelle said to me that first night in our hotel room, was "you know I got the good right?" oh boy did she! Velveet and a can of Rotel! Talk about a very excited and thanful Kate! So, last night (Monday) I made tacos, queso, guacamole and salsa for the team...not without the help of the talented tortiall Queen, Amanda! It was great!

Second prize...but equally as amazing...got a package from Amy and the Dallas crew in the mail yesterday! Sooooo exciting! I loved all of it...except maybe the Texas A&M bracelet that was stuck in there. I'm still tracking down the culperate!

Ok...so, to sum it up. Sudan was amazing! Life changing! And in God's perfect plan! We are safe! People god Saved! God was glorified!

Prayer requests: please please please pray for all the follow up that is going on at the churches in Sudan. The workers are few, especially considering the huge harvest! Praises for those who are now believers! All 587 of them...can you believe that! Pray also that the team made it back to the States ok and that my time here in Kenya would be filled with a renewed since of purpose!

Thanks for sticking it out to the end of the longest blog EVER in the world...I'm proud of you!

live from kampala

2007-10-12T22:41:00.000-07:00

HI!!!!! I'm happy to be able to post a little note today! The team made it out of Sudan after an incredible week of evangelism, discipleship, church planting and strengthening. We walked through the bush of Africa and we've made it back to Uganda just fine! Everyone is in high spirits, good health, and is ready for an adventure today in the market. I'll be back in Kenya tonight and staying with good friends, Lindsey and Ryan...then it is back to Kitale on Sunday to rejoin the team! Thank you so much for your prayers along the way. God was glorified this week and I can't wait to tell you all about it! So prepare yourself for the longest blog post ever!

Please pray for safe travel and continued movement of the Spirit in Kajo Keji!

here i go

2007-10-05T01:58:00.000-07:00

I figure that the next week of my life will be full of some of the best adventures I ever have...well I hope that's not true, because I really like adventures...and those of you who know me know that I'm always looking for the next great story to share! Thanks everyone for the amazing prayer support! I know that the battle ahead will be intense and I'm glad to know that I've got back-up on the home front! I will not likely have access to email and internet while in Sudan, but I'd love for you to follow along with the journey. Our leader, Mike Congrove, has a blog (click there) I invite you to read along and keep on praying! If you'd like to receive email updates please email SudanPrayerCaptain@e3partners.org.

Here's a little prayer schedule for ya!

5th - Travel Safety - Psalm 91
6th - Glorify God - Eph. 3:21
7th - Set Them Ablaze - 2 Tim. 1:6b-7
8th - Help Them Stand Their Ground - Eph 6:11b-12
9th - Peace at Home - John 14:27
10th - Set Them Free - Acts 26:18
11th - Extend Your Grace - John 1:12
12th - Ignite Their Lives - Romans 1:16a
13th - Safety - Psalm 91

Daily Requests:
God to be glorified, clear guidance form the Holy Spirit, Spiritual warfare against the Enemy, Many open doors for the gospel, Boldness and clarity in preaching Christ, Development of the leaders and vision, Many people to be saved, New churches to be firmly established, Unity, good attitudes, humility, Good health, safety and protection, Communication (esp. cross cultures), Protection and care for family at home!

I'll be back in Kitale on the 13th.

I'm leaving in the morning on the bus to Nairobi! I'm so excited! Thanks again for praying and I look forward to sharing the journey with you when I return!

sudan it is!

2007-10-04T01:21:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a journey to make it to where I am, but the Lord has been faithful! I've been planning on going to southern Sudan since I knew I was going to Kenya. As the time got closer I was feeling a little uneasy. I found out how much the trip would cost and didn't have peace about spending that much money to travel when it could do so much here. As soon as I gave it up to God and had planned on not going He immediately gave it back to me. Daniel said it well "you were holding on to it, making plans on your own. As soon as you let it go, the Lord gave it back to you. He wanted you to surrender it before you could have it." What a great lesson for us. Matt Chandler, our pastor in Dallas, said in a sermon that we start to get in trouble when we close our hand around the things we want, making them non-negotiable. It is when we open that hand and lay the things in it at God's feet, that He is then willing to do a great work! All of my funds for Sudan have been taken care of...by the power and might of the Lord! I'm so humbled.

I leave for Nairobi by bus on Saturday morning. I arrive Saturday night and hop a plane with the team from Dallas to Uganda. The next morning we take another plane to some down in northern Uganda and then a bus over to Kajo Keji, Sudan. I'll be there until the 11th and then heading back to Uganda and on to Kenya. We'll be sharing the gospel with the community and villages outside the town. We will spend time discipling community members and plan to leave them with materials and scripture so they can start churches there. I'm really excited about what the Lord is planning on doing in the lives of the people there and in my own! Please pray for safety, open hearts, and peace of mind for my team and everyone back home.

In other news...I've got some less serious things to share with you. First and foremost tomorrow is Meredith's birthday!!! Woo! We're having a huge bash, complete with a whole goat, potato salad, cake, cookies, and fun party games (thanks to Amanda)! We ended up buying 44 eggs this week to cover dinners this week and the party...we're down to 13 and will have to buy more. Can you believe that 6 of us could eat that many eggs in one week?!?! Crazy!

I FINALLY got my Mom's package! There's all kinds of great stuff in here like Sloppy Joe mix and yummy cookie mix! I love it!!!! Only took 3 weeks and 420 shillings from customs. Not bad! I also got an amazing letter from Faith this week! Thanks Faith for the encouragement! I can't wait to have you here too! It will be a blast!

A couple nights ago we had family game night. Amanda brought Clue with her so we busted it out! Though we were missing the knife and used a real one (huge in comparison to the others) we had a great time! Amanda won and the rest of us sadly congratulated her. Much fun was had by all.

I have decided that the ONE thing that I am REALLY really really missing from home is QUESO! For those of you who know me...I'm sure this doesn't surprise you. I'm a QUESO connoisseur and am in major with drawl! We don't have anything close to Velveeta here...so I'm praying that the Sudan team will have enough room for a block of cheese and Rotel for me! You can pray for that too :-)

Today is a BIG day! It is the opening day of the restaurant, Boulevard! This is a sister restaurant to our favorite one...Twigs! Mer and Daniel have been waiting for months for this! We've invited all our friends and can't wait to chow down on roasted chicken and chips (fries). So good!

Amanda and I are getting skirts made. We're really excited! We took our fabric by today and go measured. Of course one of my two skirts is burnt orange. Perfect! We'll let you know how they turn out!

So, please pray for: Safety in Sudan, safe travel for Jared (we'll be passing each other in buses on Saturday), peace for everyone at home, and for God to move in BIG ways!

Thanks sweet friends!

poor sweet jared

2007-10-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

Poor, sweet, Jared is still in Canada and in desperate need of prayer! In case you have forgotten, Jared is the new TI intern who was supposed to arrive in Kenya on Saturday morning. The Canadians, however, are cheap!!!!! They told him at the airport in Canada that his passport was too dirty and he couldn't get on the plane! What the heck! Anyway...with grace, he emailed us and let us know that the Lord had a different plan. So...I'm asking that you pray for him as he works on getting a new passport today and getting on a plane later this week!

Eva Joy and Caleb on the otherhand arrived as scheduled and have been a most wonderful addition to our little house. They sing, they dance, they make us laugh. We've decided to keep them :-) They are here with an organization called Africa Connect and are working with a school ministry here in Kitale called Grace Way. They'll be here for 6 months. We'll even be blessed with Eva Joy's family joining us for a week or so next month.

If you've emailed me in the last week you probably have seen how long it has taken me to get back to you. The internet in town has been down for 6 days and our power at home is off and on at the mercy of the weather. Well...I should say at the mercy of the power company. They are lucky to get a call from Daniel every single time the power goes out. You'd think they'd learn by now! Sheesh!

Yesterday brought two very great things to our little compound. Number one...Amanda and I got to tan in the sun. This consisted of two matresses in the yard, tank tops and shorts, along with the BLAZING sun! We were so hot that 15 minutes was as much as we could take. And I must admit...I'm not any tanner. If anything, just pink. Secondly I must ask you to think back to 6th through 8th grade. Picture the tall white athletic socks, the bad hair, terrible social skills, and crushes. Now that you're back there...do you remember the game MASH? You know...where you put down the names of who you're going to marry, where you will live, how many kids you have...etc. Raise your hand if you remember this game! Ok...so we played it last night. Daniel and Caleb were first. Looks like they are going to have quite full lives...with lots-o-kids. Anyway, it was silly and juvinial...but so much fun!

Well, this is another busy week! We made a delivery today to a mom who has AIDS and her three kids. We had small children from the community following us around as we walked and talked. It's so fun to see every child from all around in one place. They are precious! We even saw a kid being bathed on the front pourch. Thank you mom for not doing that to me! How embarrising!

Alright, we're off to the house to get dinner on the stove! Please pray for the Lord to open doors this week with families in Shimo for us to love on! Pray for Jared and his passport, and for us as we finish getting over our colds!

Love y'all!

this and that

2007-09-27T05:32:00.000-07:00

Me with Kids at Kiminini

It is only Wednesday and we have had a busy start to a crazy week! Anne and I went to visit Simon and his family on Monday after our staff meeting. I held my breath as we rode up to his house on boda bodas. I was so afraid that he wouldn’t be there, or that he would and things wouldn’t be going well. Much to my surprise, and God’s delight, the first face I saw as I came through the door was Simon’s…with a huge smile! We brought him a few books to read and some new shoes. He seemed shocked to see us and even said that he didn’t believe that we’d come back. What a joy it is to keep a promise in this culture of broken promises! His grandmother was just as happy. It seems there has been a complete 180. Simon and I had a chance to talk and he said things were going well. Anne and the grandmother talked and we discovered that there is no food in the house. She has been without work for a few days and with a growing boy at home it is difficult to keep food. We assisted them with a little food money for now. And…the most amazing thing happened! I got to hold a baby chicken!!!! I know it doesn’t sound that exciting, but I’ve been wanting to hold one since I got here. Simon caught one for me and we even snapped a picture! What a great day!

Speaking of chickens…we are going to be chicken farmers! Yep, chicken farmers. Daniel is going to build a chicken hut and we will have chickens laying eggs around the clock! Amanda and I even talked him into getting us a baby chicken that we can have fun with! We’ve already decided on a name: Juanita! Juanita the chick! Perfect, don’t ya think? (Thank you Nova for such a novel idea)!!!!

Moving along. There are a couple of random things I need to share. Hopefully these will give you a little chuckle as you sit and stare at the computer screen. First off…Dr. Pepper!!!!! WE HAVE DR. PEPPER!!!!! Well, the white…yes, white…grocery store in town has started ordering Dr. Pepper! We found out about this through the Youth Apart leader, Daniel. He asked us after the prayer meeting on Thursday if we liked Dr. Pepper. Of course we said yes! He said they had just gotten some in at Soy…(which means white…and it is a grocery store). That afternoon we trecked over and asked about them. The store owner told us that a white guy, fitting Daniel’s description, had bought the entire case of them the day before. We immediately sent him a text reaming him for telling us they had some, having bought every last one! Later that day at the feeding program he popped one open and drank it right in front of us! So cruel! By Monday morning Soy had gotten in a bunch more…thus, we now have Dr. Pepper!

Here’s a few funny things…first off, I find it very odd that every time I get into a Matau people think I want to buy spoons. No lie, every time I get in one there is ALWAYS someone trying to sell me a spoon. Do I look like I need a spoon? What is it about me that shouts, “hey, this girl could really use a spoon” “ how about 10?” Anyway, I find it odd. Secondly, I learned a new word. Mafrika. This means African. So, I’ve decided that every time someone says “mazungu” (meaning white person), I’m going to say “ahhh, mafrika!!!!” And see what happens. Daniel does it from time to time and it is always hysterical when all of the onlookers burst out laughing! I love it. Thirdly, I learned another new word, umpia. It means new. So Meredith always laughs when the street kids swarm around a new white person and says to the remainders...”ahh, mazungu umpia!” The kids laugh and say “oh Mary, you know us too well.”

Speaking of Meredith…I have yet to put a picture on here of Meredith…so here ya go! Here she is with Molongo at the children’s home.

This has to be told. (especially because I promised Daniel’s Mom a full report) On Monday afternoon Amanda, Daniel and I were goofing off. We decided to do pirouettes in the living room. Once we had all done enough to make us dizzy Daniel decided to play his African drum. For some reason I asked him if he thought he could balance it on his head. I’m not sure why, but he tried it! It went well for about 5 seconds…to be followed by a yelp, and large knot on his nose. Amanda, Mer and I almost peed ourselves we were laughing so hard. So, next time you see Daniel, ask him about that bump on his nose:-)

Also, last week when we were making a delivery of corn and beans to a needy family a cow litterally ran into the truck we rented. It was on a little embankment and slid down/jumped off hitting the truck. The head, horns and all were only about 6 inches from me! Scary!

Lastly…little update. Anne and I met with a teacher at a school serving the slum (Shimo) close to our house. Joan met with us and gave us a tour of the area. We will be doing food distribution in this area when a team comes in late October. I will also be given the opportunity to do a few things in the school. I will be doing some sort of teaching/counseling on Tuesdays, and Bible classes on Fridays. These times will be with 50+ students, so I’m praying that I’ll have the opportunity to form a few smaller groups for counseling and discipleship purposes in the coming weeks! Please pray for me as sex ed is the first on the list of Tuesday topics! Ahhh!

at Kiminini

This is our Team!!! Todd, Amanda, Meredith, Me, Daniel, and Jessica (Miss you Jess)!

Ok, prayer requests: Eva Joy, Caleb and Jared all arrive this week! The first to get to Kitale tomorrow afternoon, and Jared will come with Daniel on Saturday. Please pray for safe travel and health! Pray for my time at Shimo, that doors would open for individual relationships to be formed. Praise for Meredith and Todd’s work permits, which have been approved and completed! Pray for Daniel as he travels in Nairobi for meetings and to meet our newcomers! One last request: pray that I get well! I’ve been sick and running a fever for a few days now and could sure use the prayers!

Thanks all! Happy Wednesday!

blog title here

2007-09-23T01:09:00.000-07:00

I tried to think of a title for this blog and drew a blank...so this is what you get. I've recently been able to spend a lot of time with the Lord. It has been amazing to see how different walls I've put up around my heart are beginning to break down. As I am daily faced with the insurmountable struggles of an impoverished country like Kenya, I must constantly fight the feeling of hopelessness. It is easy to get wrapped up in how many needs there are and what little I can do about it. Today I was reading scripture and God gave me a revelation. What an amazing place to be in...in mind and spirit. What a blessing to be in a state of brokenness for the people that I so desperately serve. This place of brokenness is precisely where the Lord desires us to move to and stay in. It is in this place that I find rest for my soul, for I do not have the power to evoke change here. I do not have the power to change hearts, lives, desires, or desperate situations. It is only through the Power that I claim in Christ that anything good can be accomplished in a place where children are starving, cast aside and forgotten, where widows are pushed away by society, where rape and prostitution are common place, where stealing is a survival tactic, and where corruption in the government and church never cease to amaze me. Praise God that I don't have the power to change these things. Praise Him that He is bigger than any social problem, empty tummy, and broken heart. Praise Him that He is the one who restores, protects, judges, and saves. It is in this place, of acknowledging the Lord's might, that I find peace, joy, strength, and hope! For in Him all things can be accomplished!

Please pray today for restoration and revival in Kitale and in the hearts of our team! Pray that we may experience joy, hope and passion! Pray also for Caleb, Eva Joy, and Jared as they travel to Kenya this week to join us!

simon

2007-09-19T06:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of the hardest yet for me. I wanted to give it a night to think over before sharing this story with you so I can convey the burden on my heart for a boy named Simon.

This is a picture of Daniel with Simon just a few days ago on the streets.

I met Simon my first time in town. He is a street boy like so many others. Just in our city of Kitale alone there are over 1200 children living on the streets. Simon, like most of these spends the day begging for spare changed in order to purchase some candy, bread or milk to eat. The other option for the money collected is to buy shoe glue to sniff. These children walk around the city with a bottle of glue stuck under their noses or in their mouths. They sniff it all day long as a way of escaping their past and their present.

Simon is 11 years old. He has an older brother, 13, and a younger sister, 5. Prior to living on the streets he lived with his grandmother and sister in a town about 45 minutes away, Matunda. Simon shared that he has only been on the streets for about 3 months. In street children world, this is very new. Many of the kids have been out there for multiple years...sleeping in potato sacks and getting high. Simon seemed different. There is a brightness to his eyes and he has a heart-melting smile. He is rich in hugs and is always protective of us Mazungu's (ma-zoon-goo...it means white people). There are many of us that hold him dear to our hearts.

Last week we discovered that Simon still had a grandmother where he could live. Ann and I decided to see if he would go with us to meet with his grandmother. We hoped to come up with a plan for having him back in his home, and supplying food for the family to increase the stability of the home. As Ann talked with Simon, he had two conditions for going with us...1) that we would return when the conversation was finished, and 2) that I would be there with him. We agreed to both and boarded a matatu headed for Matunda.

Simon and I talked most of the way. I asked him about his family and he sared that his father had died when he was 7 years old and that he'd been living with his grandmother since that time. When I wasn't asking him questions he was clinging to me, making me promise to bring him back to the streets when we were finished. As a way to build trust with the street kids, it is important to not force them to do things, as well as keeping your word to the T.

When we arrived at the house he wanted to leave. We talked with him and decided to enter the home to chat with the grandmother. Simon sat in the corner of the room away from his grandmother, Susan, and between Ann and me. He hardly spoke. Susan shared many things, eyes welled up with tears. While I didn't understand the conversation in Swahili, I could see the love for him spread across her face. I could read on him that he was ashamed for having left, and even more ashamed for coming back. During this time we discovered that Simon had been stealing from people in the town and children at his school prior to his leaving. One day he was on the road alone and a mob of people came and beat him nearly to death because of the stealing he had been doing. When he was almost healthy again he ran away.

He is scared. So scared. I am scared for him. He is not allowed in any of the public schools in the area and wouldn't want to go even if he was.

As he walked out with Ann and I, she pleaded with him one last time to stay there with his grandmother. She said, don't go to school right now, just stay in the house and stay safe. She asked him if he would be willing to do this on a trial basis and he agreed. He asked for us to come back on Monday to see how things are going. We set a date and left him there.

My heart is broken for Simon. I couldn't sleep last night because God has firmly put it on my heart to intercede on his behalf. I ask that you join me in praying for Simon. Pray that God will convict him of the sins he has committed. Pray that he will come to an understanding of needing God to survive. Pray that he will remain safe this week, that I will not see him in town on the streets and that we will find him on Monday at his grandmother's house.

Thank you for the part that you play as you join me in prayer! It is such an encouragement to know that I have warriors on the other side of the world fighting in this spiritual battle here in Kenya. You are needed and appreciated! I love you!

this week in kenya

2007-09-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

It has been a few days since I last graced you with a blog…for that I apologize. I’ve gotten word that many of you are on the edge of your seat awaiting the next update. Well, wait no longer…it has arrived!

Molongo and me in Kiminini (Ryan and Marge...this is your kid!)

Let’s play catch up on the past week and the events that have transpired. Last Monday we had a staff meeting in the morning with our social worker, Ann. (She is amazing by the way)! Monday afternoons = shopping!!! Get excited! This is our crazy day of running all over town getting all of the items we need for the dinners we have planned out for the week. We typically go to at least two grocery stores, and the market (veggies and fruits only). This is also a day that we are likely to run across one or two of the infamous street men. (more below). On Tuesday Amanda, Daniel and I built bunk beds for the “man shack”…yep, that’s the official name. After two hours of blood, sweat and tears…ok, maybe just sweat and laughter…we finished! Here are the during and after pictures!

Wednesday we went out to a small town called Maili Saba. In October a team from Canada will be joining us and have graciously planned a food distribution for that time. Ann met a woman named Rebecca who does work with the poor, orphaned and widowed of this area. This day we went to meet with her so she could introduce us to many of the families that will be receiving food. In just 2 ½ hours the four of us met 33 families and heard their stories. What an incredibly humbling way to spend our morning. Here’s one story: A woman’s husband died and left her with five children. He had been a business owner until his death, and his wife was unable to keep the children and the business. Now that she has no income, she has turned to prostitution as a way of providing milk and bread for her kids. She sees no way out…I pray that we can show her the way out, through a relationship with the Living God!

Thursday began in the “prayer room” at 7am followed by a food delivery to a family near by. After lunch we did something new. We sat on some steps that lead to a ghetto in the city. This is a place where local moonshine is brewed and sold, prostitution and violence run rampid, and the only place in town where we can meet street girls. (the boys are all over, but the girls remain hidden, and thus are unreachable…until now). Daniel didn’t tell us until later, but he was fairly nervous about taking all of us there. In the past they have not felt very welcome by the people. God has changed this. As we sat, street dwellers just came up to us. It was amazing to have conversations with these girls and guys for about an hour. One girl, Ellen, is 18 and has a 2 year old daughter. She, like most of those living on the streets of Kitale, is addicted to glue…the drug of choice. Ellen and quite a few others walked with us to the Fire Place (our church) the site of a feeding program on Thursday afternoons. This is a time where people hear about Jesus and have their hunger taken away for the evening.

Friday Amanda and I painted Meredith’s new room! It is purple…her favorite! We love it…and have a new appreciation for American painting supplies.

Saturday is one of our favorite days of the week…out to Hope Bright Future Children’s Home in Kiminini. These are 20 kids from an existing children’s home that TI supports. Every Saturday we go play with the kids. It is the best 5 hours of my week. Here are a few pictures from this week. Meet Jackie and her twin brother Molongo (Joseph). They are seven years old and come from a neglectful home. Jackie has been at Hope Bright for about a year, and Molongo for only 3 months. I’ll share their story with you on at a later date.

the rain

me with some of the beautiful children

the new children's home...just a couple months from completion!

Sunday is church. I love our church. It is at the Fireplace. The ministry that started this church is called Youth Apart. They do all kinds of ministry all over Kenya and the world. Here in Kitale they have quite a few interns, own the building where the prayer room is, have build on a coffee shop (still in construction faze) to the church, and have services on Sundays. I’m sure they do a ton more, but just these are already making me tired to think about.

A quick note about food. Amanda and I are turning into quite the cooks! We’ve made pizza! (dough and all)

We’ve also made tortillas, crescent rolls, chicken and dumplings (thanks Mom and Dad for the recipe), and all kinds of other things. Learning to cook from scratch will be quite a skill to have for the remaining years of my life. I’m sure my future husband won’t mind that I can whip up just about anything on the spur of the moment. Ha! We’ll see! As for now, every time Amanda and I eat something somewhere that we like, we discuss the possible ingredients, and then declare that we could make it. It’s a fun new way to live!

Oh…here’s the note on the street men as mentioned on Monday’s description. Meredith and Daniel have worked out a system for describing these men in order to keep track of what stories they are telling. They each have a nick-name. Here we go…first up, BFBG. What’s a BFBG you might ask? Well, I’ll tell you. This is the Big Friendly Bag Giant. He is the blackest man I have ever seen…and yes, we are in Kenya where everyone is black. He literally wears a stack of bags on his head…black plastic ones. He also has bags attached to his person…and on his feet as shoes. Daniel has discovered that at night he sells drugs. Great…great…I know. Next up, “half naked man.” You guessed it…he’s half naked. I’ve only seen him once and he was wearing a shirt…way to go…and had a potato sack tied around his waist…nope, nothing underneath. Last, but certainly not least, “sword man.” I just got a glimpse this week…but here’s what I’m told. He has a wooden sword…yep, wooden…hanging at his side. He’s also been seen at times with a wooden gun, and wooden grenade. Who knew they made those? Not I. But wow, very useful indeed. This guy walked around yelling really loud. And if you are sneaky, you can find out that he’s yelling codes to tell people where they can buy drugs. Nice…I know.

Well….that’s it for today. My fingers are tired and I’m sure you’re ready for this to be over. As a parting gift, here is a one last picture...this one is free! If I haven’t mentioned before…it rains a LOT here right now…so here’s our rain gear after walking a friend home. Yes, I’m wearing a head lamp. I like it! Lay off!

Tomorrow I’ll tell you the story of Simon. As for now…please pray for God to open doors for ministry this week, for ministry plans to be set in place, and for God to continue breaking down my heart for the sake of these incredible people. Thanks!

P.S. A roach crawled on me tonight. This is not a happy Kate…not a happy Kate. Bugs are bad. To make up for it…I saw a toucan and some baby chickens. Love those. Also, Daniel busted out the archery gear tonight. I'm sure we'll all be experts by the end of next month.

not bad, just different

2007-09-11T11:58:00.000-07:00

I thought I’d take a little time to share about what life is like here in Kenya. I realize I’m only a few short days into this journey, but there are just things about this place that must be shared in order for you to better understand. One of my mottos in traveling anywhere that isn’t my home…Texas that is…I always say “it’s not bad, it’s just different.” I feel that this is the best way for me to express my lack of judgment and complaint while still making the point that something just isn’t the same as I’m used to…or is logical in any way, shape or form. So, here’s my take on a few Kenyan things thus far…

1. Roads- actually, this is a bad one to begin with…because well, the road are bad. Not just different. Ha! Any American you ask will say the same thing. However…it is just something you get used to. Getting places on roads with holes big enough to bathe a large family mean that it is going to take a while to get where you’re going…so get used to it!

2. The concept of time. This is an interesting thing because different people here see this differently. Over all, this is a slower culture. There is typically no need to rush, except when the bus is leaving you behind!

3. Personal space. This does not exist, and if this concerns you, then maybe Kenya isn’t the place for you. I explained this when talking about the bus rides to and from Turkana…but this is also evident in all public transportation, the market, etc.

4. Transportation options. There are many options for transportation here in Kenya. I’ll hit the highlights on the public choices as we do not have a car. Let’s begin at the bottom of the chain (you’ll even learn a little Swahili here).

a. Boda boda- (bode-a bode-a) this is a bicycle with a seat on the back. You told on to two handles just below the drivers seat. This cost about 10 cents…well, maybe even less.

b. Tuk tuk (took took)- this is a scooter or motorbike that has a hard shell around it. It carries anywhere from 3 to about 6 people. I haven’t had the joy of riding in one of these yet, but I’ll let you know when I do :)

c. Matatu (ma-tot-too)- this is a van that seats 14 people and a driver. You get very squished…but they are typically a little quicker than taking a bus a long distance. The cost depends on how far you go.

d. Bus (bu-us)- surely you know what a bus looks like. These are the big charter buses with two or three seats on a side. Sometimes a million people stand in the isle too…and there are people who hop on and sell things in the isle too. The 8 hour trip from Nairobi to Kitale cost about $12. Not bad!

e. Taxi (tax-ee)- to get from town to our house in a taxi that was produced about 15 years ago, will cost about $1.50. They typically have a bit of an unpleasant odor, but are a great way to travel if you’ve got the funds.

f. Yo feet. Pronounced Y-O F-E-E-T. We walk most of the time. Who knows what amazing muscles I’m going to have after all of this.

5. Bathrooms. Cho (ch-O) Most bathrooms at bus stops, the children’s homes, various restaurants and such are holes in the ground. Yep, that’s it…lots and lots of holes in this country. Typically are pretty dark stinky…but all of this makes me really appreciate the beautiful thrown we have here at the house!

6. Dirt. There is a lot of dirt/mud here. I am learning how to be dirty, but clean. Yeah, you figure it out.

7. Proposals. This is a daily occurrence. In Kenyan culture, the man you are with is either your husband, or is in charge of you. Meaning, us women are either taken, or available and must be asked for. Every day men ask Daniel (apparently he owns us…or something like that) if he can have one of us girls as his wife. They typically will offer things like cows, goats, etc. in exchange for a wife. I even had a lady on a matatu over the weekend ask Daniel if she could introduce me to her brother. When in doubt…tell them Daniel is your husband, and they’ll leave you alone. Thank you Daniel for being a stand in husband for all of us ladies. I feel much safer this way :)

Well, that’s a pretty good overview thus far! Hope you enjoyed a little taste of Kenya!

Please pray that the Lord will go before us this week as we expand on a few of the ideas we have about how Amanda and I will be spending our time as interns. Pray that the Lord will provide for the opportunities we feel led to, and that we will respond!

Love y’all!

the turkanan adventure

2007-09-08T22:52:00.000-07:00

We made it back safely from Turkana on Saturday morning at 3:30am. I'm not really sure where to begin in describing this experience, but I'll do my best to give you the highlights and hopefully they'll make you smile.

We got on the bus Wednesday morning to leave for Kakuma a larger town in Northwestern Kenya. If you look at the Kenyan map in the top left corner there's a little block where Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia come together on the boarder of Kenya. We were in that little block...30 min. from the Ugandan boarder, 1 1/2 hours from the Sundan boarder and 3 hours from Ethiopia. The bus ride began with a sea of people swarming the bus platform. As we tried, emphasis on tried, to get on our bus we encountered many road blocks. Not only do Kenyans tend to take their time in deciding what seat is there's or in standing outside waiting for the bus to leave and at the last minute deciding to get on, but there were also men selling things inside the bus. As in, walking down the middle isle with buckets of random things like hard boiled eggs, candy, water, peanuts, clothing, watches (either all on their wrist, or inside their jacket...not kidding)...and the list continues. You physically could not move to get to your seat. I now know that this is completely normal and I need to get used to it. So, about half way to Kakuma we stopped for lunch and bathrooms. At this point all of us who had purchased a seat (yes, physical seat) on the bus got on, then they filled the isles with as many people they could fit...meaning you for sure have a person's butt or at least the bags they are carrying in your face for the next 4 hours. Nice. The only other interesting thing from this bus trip was that at one point the road actually goes through a river. Yep, a river. So, we drove down a big hill, through the river, and out the other side. On the way home on the night bus we sat for 45 minutes at this same spot as two trucks were stuck in the mud on the other side of the river. You can just imagine the stress of it being our turn to cross and all the prayers that we would make it. We did...without a hitch.

On to Kakuma. Kakuma is a town that is build around a UN refugee camp. The town is able to thrive as a result of the items given to the refugees that can be sold to the community. We stayed just outside the town in the home of a pastor known to our organization. He and his wife were out of town so we had the house to ourselves. Now, don't get your hopes up by hearing the term house...this is now and forever more a relative term. This house was build with stones, it had a roof, and a floor...it also had mice, roaches the size of both of my thumbs put together, and really huge ants. When we walked in the first night and I saw the ants, thank you flashlight (nope, no electricity, or running water) I thought to myself "self, why did you turn this flashlight on...why know that the ants are there...why not just think you're stepping on pieces of dirt." The bathroom, as is true in most places in Kenya, was a whole in the ground. The shower was you standing in a bucket of water. Please do tell me how you can get all the soap out of your hair while standing in the bucket of water. Anyway, we lucked out and the weather was reasonably cool at night...so sleeping was good! Us girls slept inside the first night as the ground was wet from rain, and the second night Amanda and I slept outside...freezing, but we did it! We slept outside in Africa. I almost can't believe it myself.

Moving on. Sorry, this is soo long already...but it is describing 3 days worth of culture shock. I must go on. On Thursday we woke up, made breakfast (chi, bread and butter) and later headed to the camp. We walked down the main road for about two miles and finally came to the entrance to the camp. The camp is filled with typically three nationalities of people- Sudanese, Ethiopian, and Somalian. We have a friend in the food distribution center located in the Ethiopian section of the camp. We were able to take pictures only in the distribution center, not in the camp, as safety was an issue. Not many refugees have digital cameras ya know. In this section of camp 23,000 people are given rations of food two times a month. Over all, 63,000 people live in this refugee camp...some for years at a time. It was amazing to see the structures the families had built and the way they had started businesses within the camp. This was nothing like what I expected.

That night for dinner we ate a a bbq place. HA! Actually, what we ate was put on the grill...so that could constitute bbq. Basically what we ordered was 2.5 k's of goat. Do you have any idea how much meat that is. Daniel is consistently disappointed by how little us girls eat compared to him. Sorry Daniel, 1 lb. of goat is plenty for Kate.

Here's a short description of the Turkanan tribe. These are a people of witchcraft. They deal with the devil daily. The men and women typically only wear a large piece of cloth tied around their shoulder. The women wear necklaces (a lot of them) around their neck. The more you have the wealthier you are. White signifies married. They make their homes out of sticks. Yep, the entire home is sticks. Some of these homes will have a tarp on top, but typically they use plastic bags or other trash to keep out the sun and occasional rain. This area of Kenya is mostly desert. It is very hot and very dry. They don't like having their picture taken, but we found town women who said we could! These pics are below with the others.

Friday we took a Matatu (a van with as many seats as they can fit) to Lodwar for shopping and to catch a night bus back to Kitale. We bought large beautiful baskets in Lodwar and played cards at a restaurant to escape the heat. It was 1am when we got to the place where the trucks were stuck, and 3:30am when we arrived in Kitale.

This was an amazing trip! Mostly because of the way my worldview has been expanded. We watch national geographic or the discovery channel at home and there is a piece of what they show that doesn't have to be real to us because we don't see it in person. This was real. These people need prayer. Satan is at work constantly in these communities. Please pray for revival!

Turkanan women and a mud hut...not the same as their stick houses.

Here's a typical Daniel stance as we wait for the Matatu to get a new tire.

Here's our group, plus random kids, on our way to dinner...a little dark, but super fun!

Here are me, Jessica and Amanda with the Turkanan women.

The city we visited with a friend we met along the way.

Turkanan man with his village in the background.

Food distribution board at the refugee camp.

Our bus on the way to Kakuma...where we ate lunch.

Here's our camel!!!!

Cans of oil at the camp.

.:there are not words:.

Here's a little list I've come up with of the things we saw on the trip that I didn't include earlier:
1. Camels
2. More goats than people
3. Me feeding a goat...yep, out of my hand
4. Naked man walking around town-we've affectionately named him Adam
5. Small child pulling "it" out in town and peeing...right there...and then just leaving "it" out for a while
6. Men eating goat intestines...then offering some to Amanda...histerical!
7. Getting a flat tire on the Matatu
8. A woman poking Amanda with a stick through the bus window...she has the worst luck!
9. A man preaching on the bus for the first 30 min. of the ride
10. The use of cactus as a fence around someone's property

Please pray for Meredith...she's sick! Pray for Jessica as she heads back to the States, and also pray for the children we met yesterday at the children's home. I'll blog about that later on.

Love y'all!

open hearts

2007-09-04T12:27:00.001-07:00

So I thought I'd start today by mentioning the amazing night our team had last night. With the power out for an hour or two we sat in candle light and shared our stories with each other. We talked about good times and hard ones, but mostly about how Christ has restored each one of us in our own time and with our own unique journey. I cannot describe the power we have felt, knowing each other's hearts, and being taking to a place of vulnerability, trust, love and acceptance. It has been fabulous! (This picture is of Alice, me and Diana at Oasis of Hope)

This morning began with breakfast on the couch with one of the girls in our school program. Her name is Lydia and this morning she heard the Gospel. It wasn't fancy. It wasn't the first time she has heard it...but it was exactly the Lord's plan for today. As I sat there flipping the pages of the Bible telling her about God's plan for our Salvation I could feel this spark inside me ignite. I don't think I'd realized how long it had been since I had shared the entire Gospel...months at least. I feel it was as much for her as it was for me. Please pray for Lydia as she returns to school...that God would draw her near.

On a different note...today I saw burnt orange and a Texas LONGHORN in town!!!! A man in a Longhorns jacket was walking around, so of course I met him and got a picture. Hook'em!!! (Picture Below)

Today we spent most of our time at the Oasis of Hope Center for street children. We played with the kids outside, helped them inside with their school work, and loved them. They love to hold your hand, get a hug, and show off for you! They also LOVE to have their picture taken. We got a ton of pictures today. I posted a couple below for you to enjoy.

Tomorrow we are heading to Turkana. Please pray for safe travel (10 hour bus ride), broken hearts, thankful hearts and the gift of Salvation that we have waiting to be shared.

Thank you for your prayers!

Lindsey, Ryan and I at the airport in Nairobi!

Amanda, me and Daniel on our way to Kitale at the bus stop

The girls house!

My laundry...done by hand!

Our HUGE avocado! Yumm!

The guy I saw in town. Too bad he didn't even know that Texas was a University.

Lydia and me with the street children at Oasis of Hope

first impressions

2007-09-03T07:34:00.000-07:00

Like I said before, we made it! The flights were uneventful for the most part, always a plus! Amanda and I met up with my friends from UT, Lindsey and her husband Ryan (working with EV Free in Nairobi and Southern Sudan) and had a great time together traveling and making it through customs without any problems. We said goodbye to them at the airport and Daniel picked us up there. I cannot tell you how relieved I was to see him in the crowd waiting for us! Success!

We stayed the first night at a hotel in Nairobi, got some sleep under the mosquito net and had a great breakfast the next morning. We then got on a bus to Kitale. It left an hour late and was very bumpy. When I say bumpy, I mean for you to picture the worst road you've ever been on and multiply it by 1000...that's what I mean :-) I'll work on posting the video later. You will then understand.

So far I've seen the following animals: zebra, cows, goats, sheep, chickens, cows, goats, sheep, chickens, 'birds with long beaks' (which live in the yard), large ants, and there seems to be something missing from the list, but I'll add it later on.

We arrived on Saturday night, ate dinner and met the team. Daniel is in charge, along with Meredith. Todd is a staff person as well and does mainly construction projects. Jessica is another intern (she's amazing...and sitting next to me at the moment) but will be leaving next weekend. Amanda and I are having a great time getting to know the team, the culture, and the language.

Today I hand washed my clothes Kenyan style. My back hurts, my legs hurt, my arms really hurt...but my clothes are clean! It was a great experience. Today we also went to town for the first time. As we walk along people greet us. It is so fun that the team knows people all over the town! The market and grocery store were crazy today as the kids are getting ready to go back to school tomorrow. Personal space cannot be a pet-peeve of yours if you want to be in Kenya...they like to get really close! No worries...I've almost gotten over that at this point.

We sleep on bunk beds and live in the most amazing compound you've ever seen. I'll post pictures when I get a chance. We have two houses and an office. There's a large garden and more plants than I can name. We have two dogs, Napoleon and Pedra (because she's a girl). We also have a guard at night, gardener all day, and house keeper. Once we have a month of doing laundry she will do it for us...well, we will pay her to do it for us. This may sound lazy to have these wonderful things, but the reality is that we are providing a steady income for three people in this poor city.

Wednesday we will be heading to the Turkana region of Kenya. This is said to be the poorest region. We will visit a refugee camp as well as various villages. Daniel describes these places as being where National Geographic pictures are taken...the ones we see in the States that break our hearts. We are not allowed to bring cameras, but I'll do my best to shed light on the reality of this region when we return.

In the mean time, please pray for continue rest (jet lag is hard on the body), good health, for God to begin to reveal His will for us during this time, and especially for the growing unity within the team. Tonight we will be sharing our testimonies. I'm very excited about getting to know everyone better and opening myself up to accountability and love.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

i made it!

2007-09-02T00:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I made it to Kitale after about 40 hours of actual traveling. I'm excited to be here, safe, and now well rested! I'll update more when I get a chance later on. Thank you so much for your prayers and I look forward to sharing this journey with you! So far it has been most delightful!

Love y'all!

expectations and departure

2007-08-30T00:37:00.000-07:00

The time has come! I fly to Nairobi, Kenya today! I'm leaving Dallas at 12:30, going through Chicago, and London, then finally to Kenya! I'm very excited, very nervous, and very ready! Everything is packed and ready to go. I have called and emailed and tied up all the ends.

I thought it would be fun to write down a couple of my expectations about the trip and the culture before leaving and then come back to that list once I've been in Kitale for a while. So here we go...things I'm expecting: HOT weather, red dirt, to not like some of the food, for the language barrier to be a struggle, to be sick at least once, beautiful children, beautiful mothers and fathers, strong people, broken hearts, hopelessness.

Here's just a note about what I hope to do/see change during my time in Kitale: the binding of broken hearts, the feeding of all who are hungry, the restoration of hope, sharing the Love of Christ through servant-hood, and meeting every need the Lord has called me to meet.

Please pray today for safe travel, a peace filled spirit, a passionate vision, and a Christ centered heart!

I'll let you know when I make it!!!!

contact

2007-08-27T23:15:00.001-07:00

Quite a few of you have asked about where to email while I'm gone and/or where to mail things. Well here ya go!

kate.ousley@gmail.com

Kate Ousley
c/o Transformed International
P.O. Box 815
Kitale, Kenya

Thank you in advance for your prayers and support and I look forward to hearing from you often!!!

that broken place

2007-08-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

It seems to be a trend in my life that I am able to be very excited about things for quite a long time before the reality of what I'm doing sets in...usually at a much later date. Well, it is here. That brokenness that lets me know that there's not even a pebble sized hope that the work I do in Kenya will be of me at all. The great realization in this is the Lord must carry me, provide for me, and sustain me. No amount of preparation on my own can bring me to a place where I am ever fully ready for anything. The unknown aspect of the future keeps me from that readiness. What this does point to is faith. Faith in knowing I have nothing intrinsically to give but rather that I trust God to make it happen in spite of me always getting in the way. Faith that the gaps will be filled in with the Spirit of the Everlasting Lord.

I don't know what God will do in Kenya. I don't know how I will grow or what I'll see. I don't know how my heart will be broken, restored or flowing over...but I do know that I have a peace in me which surpasses all understanding. I know that this comes only from God and remains there only because of Him. I know that even when I am in danger I have a God who promises that His plan for me is good and perfect. I know that when I'm scared, brokenhearted, lonely, or in despair, that I have a God who not only conquered death to give me an abundant and everlasting life, but a God who keeps me safe, binds my broken heart, is always with me, and is ready and waiting to pour joy over me.

The way I see it, this broken place is exactly where we want to be...far from believing that we can do things on our own apart from the Lord and right in the middle of the faith part that tells us it has already been accomplished and all we have to do is trust. God is ready and willing to use me in Kenya...and He is also ready and willing to use you wherever it is that you have been called. I challenge each of us to take a moment to lay down the 'know-how' we have in our areas of life and ask for God to move. He desires nothing less.

Please pray today for this brokenness to be used by the Lord to bring me closer and closer to Him.

shopping and packing

2007-08-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I've gone from counting the weeks to counting the days! I leave for Kenya in 6 days and there's so much to do! I've been spending time with friends, shopping for supplies, and enjoying a little traveling before heading to Africa!

I've happily finished grad school and passed my licensing exam! I'm getting a chance to spend time with friends and say goodbye! It has been nice to get things wrapped up and start putting all my energy into preparing for Kenya. The packing has begun!

A couple prayer requests: the time to finish up all I need to before I leave, the ability to focus on how the Lord wishes to prepare me, the hearts and minds of those I'll meet and the peace that surpasses all understanding!

Mighty Provision

2007-08-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

"I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:
He said to me, "You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.

Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession."
Psalm 2:7-8

God has asked of me an obedience that cannot be fulfilled out of my flesh. He has asked of me a task that can only be fulfilled through the renewing of my mind in Christ Jesus. I have been comanded to obey. I have been drawn closer to Him as the way is made.

Today I am humbled. The good and gracious God of all creation has placed in my heart a desire for the people of Kitale. Only, the good news is that He did not stop there. He has provided opportunities to share of His work, pray for His people, and hear of His mighty hand moving. Today He has provided for me in a most visable way. I am filled with joy and humbled in having this opportunity to report to you that all of the funding to fulfill this call on my life is complete. Actually, not only complete, but flowing over!

I have talked with a few of you about an opportunity to join a team in Southern Sudan in October for a week of church planting and discipleship. With the additional funds I raise, I will be given the chance to learn and grow in this setting as well.

I thank you for your part in providing the means for this ministry to happen. I thank you for your obedience to the Lord in being part of the global Church. I am humbled by your gracious hearts.

I ask that you pray specifically for my spiritual preparation over the next three weeks. I have an official departure date of August 30th. I will be traveling with a few other Americans and will be met by the team in Nairobi before traveling on to Kitale. I ask that you lift up these people and prepare all of our hearts for the work the Lord is to do in our midst.

I praise Him today for you! Thank you for your faithfulness!

two weeks and 50%

2007-07-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

Well, it has officially been two weeks since the great news that I'd been accepted to intern in Kitale. As of today I have surpassed the 50% mark in fundraising. This means that I can purchase airfare and start working on the rest of the funding.

It is very clear to me that the Lord is continuing to open doors through His provision! I've had the great opportunity to talk with so many people about the work God is doing in Kenya and God's promise of joy and peace continues to grow in my life!

Over the next two weeks I ask that you pray for opportunities to share this ministry with everyone I meet. I seek prayer for discernment in decision making, patience in waiting, excitement about what God is doing and will do, for continued provision, and especially for obedience in all I do.

Thank you for your prayers, support, and constant encouragement!

"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:27

the African Widow

2007-07-24T13:08:00.001-07:00

I have taken this post from Transformed International's founder's blog. It is my hope that this will give you a picture of what life is like in Kenya, and cause your heart to pray without ceasing for these incredible people.

"Imagine being an African woman with 8 children, trying to make ends meet by living on the average Kenyan wage of $1 a day. Up by 4:00am building a fire to make tea for the kids. While the fire is gaining some momentum, she rushes to a neighbor’s house to buy some fresh milk. By 5:30am she pulls the kids out of bed, bathes them, gives them a cup of tea (no bread because she can’t afford it) then by 6:30 she sends them off to school. They have to leave so early because of the two mile walk and if they are there a minute past 8:00, they will be beaten and sent back home. After the kids leave for school, the African woman washes some clothes (by hand) then sets out walking from garden to garden looking for work, weeding, digging, anything that will bring that $1 so she can buy a meager amount of corn maize and vegetables so the kids don’t have to go to bed hungry like they did last night.

After a long days work digging, she gets a few shillings, enough to give the kids something for dinner. She arrives home at 7:00pm to find a small pile of wood the children collected on their way home from school. She builds the fire and cooks the food. By 9:00pm serves the children dinner. After the meal is finished, she washed the dishes and by 11:30pm, climbs into bed, exhausted, discouraged, hopeless. The only thing keeping her going is knowing that her children can’t survive without her. As she drifts to sleep, she dreams of the days when her husband was alive, when she didn’t worry about the 8 mouth’s to feed, when she enjoyed cooking for her family, when life wasn’t such a burden.

The story of the African widow is all to common. Everywhere I look, everywhere I go, I see her, struggling for her life and for the lives of her children. In most cases, as she was home caring for the children and preparing food for her husband, he was with another woman, unknowingly contracting HIV, leading to his death and leaving the poor African widow all alone with nothing…

My heart, my desire is not only for the orphans, but for the widows who are equally a victim of AIDS and poverty. This last week I went to visit Colleta and Eunice, two widows left with 5 and 8 children after their husbands past away. As I sat with them and told them that they have been chosen for our widows program, tears welled up in their eyes. These are two women who have been struggling for years, living the same story of the African widow, faced with one hardship after the other. These are also two women who know how to work and can make a micro business successful. I asked them what kind of business they could do and they both said that they want to sell second hand clothes in their local market. We discussed a working plan and put some number down. As we figured out all the costs, it came out that they need $45 U.S. each to start their business, a business that will provide for the needs of their family. I will go back in two weeks to train them in book keeping and basic business skills and will also bring the money they need to get started. From there, I will visit every 6 weeks to check up and help out. I don’t want to make the mistake many people have in the past of giving money and leaving all together, leaving the widow to fail. I want to be there with them, to see them struggled out of the hole of poverty.

As we finished our meeting in their small mud house, a since of pride came over them as they now had purpose and hope. A hope of being someone, something… other then the poor African women."

(Colleta left and Eunice right)

Online Donations

2007-07-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

I now have an online donation option set up on the right side of this page. Please keep in mind that Paypal charges 3% to use this service. If you are interested in donating and do not wish to do it online, please let me know and I'll email you my physical address.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Support

2007-07-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

You are receiving this letter because you have made an impact in my life and I desire for you to be part of the adventure God is calling me to. A quick update for those of you I haven’t had the joy of seeing lately… I spent the spring semester in Dallas doing an internship at a hospital there and attending the Village Church. I went to my graduation ceremony in May and am now just a few days away from finishing my final classes and officially receiving my Masters in Social Work.

For the last 5 years I have had a draw to Kenya but have never been able to go. So when I heard about an organization doing ministry in Kenya who were looking for interns my ears perked up! Transformed International (TI) does ministry in Kitale, Kenya with orphans, street children, widows, and refugees and in schools. They have been around for three years and have established a very strong ministry. Things have begun to fall into place in a way that could only be the Lord!

After an involved application process I have officially been invited to join the team beginning in September. The TI: Kenya team consists of 3 international staff members who will be joined by 4 interns in the fall. Once I arrive in Kenya I will spend two weeks in intensive cultural and language training. At the end of these two weeks I will choose a few ministries to focus my time and energy on. One of the reasons I have chosen TI is their commitment to using trained professionals to support their ministries. I will be paired with the staff Social Worker and will make home visits to access specific needs of our school children and orphans, with the goal of having the skills to do this on my own soon after. TI has identified many deficiencies in traditional orphan care and is working to create a community based model. (I encourage you to check out their website to find out more about this model). In addition they do great work with widows and others in the community who house orphans. By providing these adults with skills needed to start a micro-business, they are able to support themselves and their children without further American funding. It is creative and revolutionary ministry like this that has drawn the Social Work side of me, and it is the faces of the children and families that have drawn my heart.

As the Lord has called me to lay down everything and spend 3 months in Kitale, I suddenly have many needs. First and foremost I need ministry partners. Ministry partners are those who commit to being part of the ministry through various avenues. The most important avenue is prayer. I desperately ask that you consider committing to pray for me and the TI team for the next 4 months. The second way to be part of the ministry is to help support me financially. I have one month to raise the $3,500 needed to make this ministry a reality. This funding includes all travel expenses, room and board, and all ministry costs while I’m overseas. I cannot purchase a plane ticket or pay for my housing deposit until I have the funds to do so. My time is short but the Lord’s provision is abundant. I ask that you pray about supporting me financially. The final way to partner in this ministry is to donate items needed for ministry. There are various items like children’s clothing, vitamins, craft supplies, etc. that I hope to take over to share with those I am serving. If you feel led to give in this way please contact me for a current list of needs.

Finally, I ask that you check things out for yourself. The Transformed International website is www.transformedinternational.org. If you would like to keep up with how the Lord is using our team while I am gone please visit my blog: www.kenyankrusade.blogspot.com and subscribe to receive recent updates. I appreciate you and the impact you have made on my life. I will keep you in my prayers as I journey to eastern Africa.

Grace and Peace,

Kate

it is official

2007-07-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

Well, it is official! I am moving to Kitale, Kenya!

The wait has been purposeful and humbling and I am very excited to share that I will be serving with the amazing team of Transformed International for just over three months! I purchased my first two trip items today: a Nalgeen water bottle (with splash guard...clearly needed) and a pocket guide to Swahili!

All of this officially gives me right at one month to raise my financial support of $3,500. It is a daunting number to think about, especially as a poor graduate student, but it is exactly the amount that I feel the Lord is ready and willing to provide. I will be spending my last month in the States working diligently to contact anyone and everyone one I can who might be willing to partner with me in serving the people of western Kenya!

If you feel called to support me through prayer (most needed), finances or supplies please let me know so I can contact you with specifics!

In the mean time, send praises to God for His strong call on my heart and life. Pray for all arrangements to fall into place and for any fears to wane.

I look forward to the tales that will be told on this blog over the next few months and the glory God will be receiving because of it!

In His Service,

Kate

the visual

2007-07-16T14:59:00.001-07:00

to go or not to go

2007-07-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been a whirl wind. I went from filling out every job application known to man to praying intently about moving to Kitale, Kenya in September. Here's a little bit about the journey to a decision so far...

On a Friday I heard that a friend of mine was moving to Kenya for 6 months. My ears immediately perked up! The people of Kenya have been on my heart for the past 4 years. As my church has taken trip after trip the Lord simply wasn't ready for me to go. By Saturday I had emailed the director of the ministry and was working on the internship application. Hours later I finished and sent everything back. By Monday they had received most of my references and all there was left to do was wait.

So that's where I am, one week later...waiting to hear from the ministry if I have been accepted.

I began my consideration of this missions opportunity with the idea that 6 weeks would be enough for me. After much prayer and consideration, the Lord has helped me to settle on 3 months.

Ministries of Transformed International: orphans, widows, refugees, schools, construction, etc.

I ask that you join with me in prayer and petition before God as He directs my steps.

For more information on Transformed International please visit their website at www.transformedinternational.org.