the name "katie" means "sit down" in kikuyu

hiiiiiiiieeeee!!!! i've been writing bits & pieces of things on my computer, so i'm just pasting them on here. if you got my newsletter, some of the same details might be on here. but, some are different. thanks so much for your prayers & comments!!!

aunt donna or aunt linda (can't remember who asked) - i think we are actually 9 hours ahead of you right now. it's 8:48 am here, & it's 11:48 pm there.

patty - thank you, exercise programs will keep her dopamine levels up & hoppin. =D have fun!

The ride up here was absolutely beautiful. I mean I felt like I was looking at a painting. The Great Rift Valley is just magnificent; it’s like looking at the Grand Canyon, only it’s green & there’s farms & villages instead of striped rock and sand. My ears popped during the whole trip. We drove through little African villages, & they really made me feel like I was on a movie set…it’s almost surreal to be here! It sort of reminded me of when you drive the backroads thru Texas instead of taking the highways, & you come across all those little towns that are still old western style….the drive to North Kinangop is kind of like that, only African.


I got to meet some of the kids when I arrived, some came to see Lindsey & meet me. The facilities here really are nice. Tile floors & the same kind of toilet & sink that we use at home. [sidenote: I just saw a bug fly into my suitcase full of clothes. ::sigh:: ] Anyways, I was in a maaajor culture shock for about the first hour or 2, until 3 girls came in to Lindsey’s room (she has a little living area) & we all looked at Lindsey’s pictures & played with stickers & little toys. That simple little hour was the grace I needed to feel like I’m where I need to be. Because honestly, at first I thought “where am I & how did I get here???” haha! This area of Africa is not at all how I pictured it. Yes, I saw Lindsey & Katie’s pictures online (there’s another Katie at another orphanage), but it’s so much greener & more mountainous than I expected. The land here is beautiful, it’s just scenery out of a novel or a movie. AND THE STARS! Oh moly, we’re so high up in elevation that you can see a bajillion stars. The 2 brightest ones were on either side of the moon when I first looked up…it looked like a smiley face in the sky. : ) Kinda like that.

Every night, the kids have “Fellowship.” They all gather in their big room & sing praise songs in Kikuyu & English. One of the teenage girls leads the worship songs, one of the boys (about 10 or 11 years old) sort of facilitated, & different kids in the room lead prayers. So I sng with them as much as I can, Lindsey introduced me & I said a few little words about myself, & then all the kids had prayer time. They all pray out loud to the LORD, individually, but still all at once. What a beautiful sound.

Lindsey has been so helpful! I’m so thankful that she’s been here awhile & can teach me about everything. The first night we cooked meat & rice on a burner someone gave us. We had some cosmic brownie Debbie snacks for dessert while we watched a hallmark Christmas movie & decorated our little Christmas tree. Lindsey’s mom sent her a Christmas package with a little tree & some ornaments & a nativity. It was a good December 1st thing to do.

There is so much “new” for me to learn & process here. I learned to brush my teeth a new way today to use less water. I just might do it that way forever. I liked it. =) My nighttime routine will need to be shortened (and that’s a very good thing) because I walk outside to the sink & it’s really cold here at night. I’ve said before that I could live out of a suitcase if I had to….the next 5 months will either prove me right or wrong. I do have a good sized table in my room & there’s hooks to hang some things! My blankets are very warm, there’s a big thick wool one.

The kids are PRECIOUS....soooo sweet. They're happy to teach me Kikuyu & Kiswahili. I'll include their story later about how Tumaini began. Many of the kids have only been here for about a year. Being somewhere completely new and foreign has made me cling to the LORD for peace. He gives it freely everyday. I should be clinging to Him no matter what, but it's been easier for me to see Him in Africa. Hm. I'm still working on what my role is here, the kids are a lot more self-sufficient than I expected. Right now I'm leading devotions at Fellowship & just loving on kids the rest of the time. When school starts back in January (it's holiday right now), I'll be teaching some.

I had no idea I was such a city girl until I moved to Africa. =)

Pictures may have to wait until I'm in Nairobi again...we're going there for Christmas.

lata!!!!
kt