They Might as Well be Birds!

My title is in reference to the enormous flying bugs that we have in North Kinangop. Picture this: I wake up at 3 am to the sound of wings trying to get out of somewhere, I jump out of bed, scramble to find my light switch and then my glasses and a shoe, and then I swat with my whole body practically all over my bedroom trying to kill a bug that might as well be a bird. Upon succeeding, I realize that the creature is actually a stink bug. I then go back to bed with my head completely under the covers and my earphones in to drown out any more buzzing bugs.

But this has only happened about 3 times, thankfully. =)

In Nairobi, the case was a little worse one night. Lindsey & I woke up about every 20 or 30 minutes because of mosquitoes buzzing in our ears; even the earphones didn’t tune those out. After the night of no sleep & an abundance of mosquitoes, we were able to get a special plug in device with a scented woodchip inside it that actually just kills mosquitoes. So the next night before we turned off the light, we actually watched a mosquito fly around our room, land on the ceiling, and then just drop to the floor. We slept much better that night. =]

It’s true when they say in Blood Diamond, This is Africa. (although I haven’t even seen the movie)

Valentine’s Day
In my previous blog, I mentioned our plans for Valentine’s. It turned out to be SO FUN! We really had a great time. For a reminder, we had a Valentine’s celebration with the teenage girls. We made heart-shaped chapatti and let them spread red plum jam on it, and served it with chai tea and hot chocolate. They loved the bookmarks we made them, and the rest of the evening was full of dancing and taking fun pictures. Africans in Africa dance just as well as Africans in America. So imagine this southern girl trying to dance like a Kenyan. Oh gurl…I won’t be posting those pictures on facebook. Haha! Okay maybe one. =p It blessed us to get to see these girls who are normally the caretakers for the younger ones just having fun being teenagers.

People have been informing me that the economy at home isn’t doing very well…so…If there are any teachers who read my blog and you hear about an opening at your school, send an email my way! =) Since I can’t personally take my resume to school principals this year, I’m emailing my resume and letting them know when I will be back in town. I am certified EC-4 and Special Ed. I plan on getting my Middle School Certification when I get home so I can teach either 5th or 6th grade, too. I’ve applied to Fort Worth & White Settlement, and I plan on applying to Mansfield, Arlington, and probably Eagle Mtn./Saginaw when I go back to Nairobi (March 13-16). =)

The library was making great progress but has some hold ups…we’re still looking for a place to put our bookcase. We thought we had a room, but we’re not sure. So, now my prayer is just that it gets set up somewhere, someday. But, hopefully that will be before I leave!

I have a cold, so as I’m writing this I’m listening to everyone outside cheering at the soccer match. I’m in my bedroom, it’s maybe the windiest day since I’ve been in Kenya and I’ve learned my lesson before regarding wind and a cold. =( But it sounds like everyone’s having so much fun! We have some TALENTED kids here at Tumaini…future soccer stars, all of them. =)

Our water came back on for a consistent 5 days, praise the LORD! It went off again a few days ago, but we developed a little system for getting water from the kitchen. Keep praying for rain! Every time it rains, it fills the pipes again so we can have running water for little bit. It is dry season, and rainy season begins in April, so we will have plenty of water soon, I’m sure.

“One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life.” – Psalm 27:4

It is good to be in the house of the LORD!!!

ps: we're traveling to Nairobi the weekend of March 13, so I should be able to post again then!

Our sign! It's at the end of the road to Tumaini.

Sweet teenage girls with their bookmarks on Valentine's Day. I love these girls!

On the way to a soccer match between the Tumaini soccer team and another school's team. A lot of the kids from the other school never see wazungu's (white people), so for most of the game, Jennilynn, Lindsey, and I were surrounded by little African faces staring at us. Just staring. haha!

Update coming soon!

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. ~2 Samuel 22:31

I will say it again, Rejoice!

Hellooooo!!!

Ok I'll write a longer post this week & send it, but really quick I wanted to say hello! A lot has been going on that I want to write about, but it's midnight here and I'm falling asleep. We had our Spiritual Life Conference last weekend, it was wonderful - and I think I gained like 10 lbs eating the yummy familiar food...donuts and muffins at tea time? Fantastic. Getting to know missionaries who have lived here for years? Even more fantastic.

Jennilynn, our new teammate, arrived on Monday! Lindsey & I stayed in Nairobi with her to help her get oriented to Kenya and prepare her for living up-country at Tumaini. She's suuuuper sweet, reminds me of my cousin Jadrien. We're so glad she's here.

We have lots of little projects to work on at Tumaini, and more have come up! Fun stuff - I'm going to teach someone piano lessons (and so will Jennilynn, she knows chords and I don't, yay!). There's a boy here with Special Needs...I'm about 95% sure he has Mental Retardation, and I found out recently that he isn't reading on a Grade 7 level like the rest of his peers. He's about 15 years old. I read with him last week, and now I have a good idea of what he needs. And praise the LORD - my mom sent me a package with this little flash card/word game in it that will be perfect for what he needs to practice.

This Saturday for Valentine's Day, we're having a girls' night with the teenage girls. We made them personalized bookmarks that we laminated in Nairobi, and we're cooking heart-shaped chapati. If we can, we'll try to get some chocolate for them to spread on their chapati (sweet bread). The bookmarks have a pretty picture of them on it with the verse Psalm 23:6. "Surely goodness and love with pursue Mary all the days of her life, and she will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." I'm not sure what Bible version that is from, but we liked it that the word "pursue" was in there. I'll take a picture and post it when I can. Jennilynn thought it would be fun if we all took spiritual gifts quizzes that night, which is perfect because they expressed interest in knowing their spiritual gifts. They've never done something like that, so I think it will be fun. We didn't know they celebrated Valentine's Day in Kenya until we came to Nairobi and saw all the Valentine's stuff in stores. Maybe some people do and some don't? I don't know.

I do have some funny stories to tell and some more details about what I've been up to lately to write, but I'll have to continue later!

lata!
kt

Hi!

I came into Nairobi for the weekend. I know I’ve only been at Tumaini for 3 weeks, but I’m so glad I spent this weekend in Nairobi. Ryan leaves for America tomorrow, and 3 of the SIMPacters left for Ethiopia today. So, Lindsey wanted to come in to tell them by, and I came along, too. I wanted to spend time with them, too, but, I also needed a break. Missionary life in a foreign country isn’t glamorous, it’s hard. It’s draining, and now that I’m teaching, the days are routine; every school day is the same, every Saturday consists of school and laundry, and every Sunday is the same – church until 2ish, lunch, and just hanging out. It’s fun no doubt, but I’ve found that the LORD is where my sweetest delight is, where I get my best rest. In his presence, I am refueled, refreshed, and made ready to give again. During the weeks when I am mentally drained from trying to understand the Kenyan accent, or from trying to simplify and describe the meanings of my English words, or even from being “smiley” even when I have no idea what the other person is talking about…I’ll come to my room, say a prayer, and I’m recharged. The joy of the LORD is my strength. My own strength just doesn’t cut it. As tiring as things may get sometimes, I'm so glad I'm here and experiencing it all. =)

The LORD knew I’d be in Nairobi this weekend, even if I didn’t decide to come until the day before I did. The lady I’m staying with has lived in Kenya for 31 years, and she’s moving home to Switzerland in May. She just had eye surgery, so she’s been in the house a lot. She has made me coffee and had sweet raisin bread that we’ve shared for breakfast every morning, and she’s shared REALLY COOL stories about her ministry and how she got to Africa. The ministry she’s currently doing started in the early 90’s, and has grown to reach 129 places and 30,000 kids every year. It started with one week of Vacation Bible School in a town full of street kids. And it’s grown that much… She seems a lot like me, too, just in personality and how we’re each wired, so just hearing about her life has been tremendously encouraging. Kenyans are suuuper laid back. If something doesn’t get done one day, there’s always tomorrow. Which is fine, it seems stress-free. Except…my personality is not quite that way. I’m adjusting, but there are some things that I really value and want to get done sooner than “tomorrow” (which often turns into never).

So please pray that
a) a library happens
b) weekly prayer among the Tumaini staff happens
c) teacher meetings happen
d) and that above all, the LORD is glorifed and exalted, sought after and trusted.

Thank you!!!

On another note, there’s a new girl coming to Tumaini! Her name is Jennilynn, we’re not quite sure how to pronounce that. Jenny Lynn? Maybe? I’m excited. =) She arrives the day Lindsey & I go back to Tumaini from our SIM Spiritual Life Conference. The conference is from Thursday through Sunday, we’ll head back up-country on Monday. Jennilynn arrives at Tumaini on the 12th or 13th. Yay!

And on a COMPLETELY different note, I love Nickel Creek. I hope they get back together someday. I never get tired of their music. Has anybody checked out The Punch Brothers? I heard their stuff on their website, but I didn’t get the cd at the time. It sounded just as awesome as Nickel Creek, minus Sarah Watson. But I heard she’s doing her own thing maybe?

Hope the superbowl was fun. I forgot to ask you to eat some hot wings for me. =p

Ciao!

still here!

just writing really quick to let you know i'm still in Africa! haha! i haven't had time to write a long blog lately...

i'm teaching class 6 & 7 english, 7 science, & 6 computers.
i was here by myself last week while ryan & lindsey traveled to visit some friends on the coast; it was a good time to be alone with the LORD.

here's some prayer requests...thanks for your prayers SO MUCH!!! i felt lifted up last week, i wasn't going on my own strength, it was awesome. thank you!

- communication among the Tumaini staff
- team unity
- pray that satan wouldn't discourage us, and that'd lindsey & i would be reminded that God has placed us here specifically (thanks for the encouragement from everyone by the way!!!)
- meaningful conversations with the kids and teaching staff
- that i would keep in mind that i'm here for the glory of the LORD! it's easy to focus on tasks, but i want to remember that i am here as a Light
- that i have wisdom to know where to apply to school districts. i know it seems early to think about it, but with limited internet, i don't want to apply to 4 or 5 districts, applications take sooo long.


thank you thank you thank you!!!!

we have a spiritual life conference next week, feb. 5-8. =) ryan goes back to texas next week, we're going to miss him!

k bye! =)
kt

School Days & Kibera

Hello! I forgot to mention in my last post that I visited a church in Nairobi with my friends, and we took communion; the whole congregation (about 50 or 60 people) stood in a big circle, and on my left was a woman from India, and on my right was a man from The Congo. And I was from America. But we were all in Kenya. It was so cool.

I am back at Tumaini now; the kids have a new schedule. They’re in school until 5 pm, have about 1 hour of free time & have a schedule to follow until bedtime. I’m praying for wisdom on how to go about meeting with the girls to begin discipleship…I don’t know what to do. They have school on Saturdays until lunch time, and study time for 3 ½ hours on Sundays. There’s a new girl here, a Kenyan, whose job is to be here for the girls as a counselor and guide. She will be really helpful I think. =)
Since the kids have school on Saturday, there’s not really a weekend. So tonight, Lindsey & I are making hot chocolate and watching Gilmore Girls dvd’s to have our weekend time. =)

I started teaching this week, mostly classes 5, 6, & 7 because they understand English better. Here are some notes about the school here…
- There’s a different schedule everyday.
- 10:20-11:00 AM – all staff and students have a “porridge break” (surprisingly, I like it!)
- 1:00-2:00 PM – lunch
- 3:30-5:00 PM – games/music/drama/studying (all the teachers participate in the outdoor exercise & games…)
- Planning is not as big of a deal, things are much more laid back & flexible. So, I don’t really know what I’m teaching tomorrow. And everyday when I get into class with another teacher, I don’t really know what I’m teaching.
- Learning is mostly auditory because of lack of materials. Most of the teaching follows exactly what the Teacher’s handbook reads.
- Students are very well-behaved.
- To teach the digestive system, the teacher related some parts to “you know when you slaughter a hen, and you find the…” It’s true that people learn better when something’s relevant.
- Teachers switch classrooms in between classes, not the students; it’s opposite in America – the kids are the ones who change classrooms.
- Because teachers don’t have their own classrooms, they don’t do any cleaning/re-organizing/setting up at the end of the day unlike in America. They also share all their materials.
- When a student wants to answer something, he raises his hand and snaps repeatedly, saying “Teachah! Teachah!”
- Teachers only record grades at the end of every month. We’ll give grades all the time, but nothing is recorded until the end of the month – in America, we do this daily.
- Saturday school is a normal thing.

There’s a lot of differences, it’s really interesting. I take notes whenever I can just so I’ll remember. There’s a lot more day-to-day pressure on teachers in America I’m realizing. Today after school, one of the kids said, “Teachah katie, give me 5 minutes & I’ll teach you Kiswahili.” So on my journal, he wrote a bunch of words that I would use inside the classroom, in Kiswahili! Things like “do you understand?” book, pen, desk, please, “what does this mean?” etc. isn’t that sweet?

Kibera

Last week in Nairobi I spent a day touring Kibera, the largest slum in Nairobi (and largest in the world). I went with one of the SIM staff members who lives there & 2 girls that were visiting Kenya (one worked in Nairobi for a year). It was about a 20 minute walk to get to Kibera from where I stay, not very far at all. The staff member took us first to his house where his wife had chai tea, popcorn, & bread with butter prepared for us. =) She said we needed energy to walk through Kibera. They live closer to the beginning of Kibera, which looks just like a miniature town. While we were walking, he said, “Katie, don’t be shocked. This is their way of life, where they’ve grown up, & they love it here. This is their home.” He was talking about the community of Kibera. I think because he said that, I wasn’t very shocked, I was just prepared. It’s kind of hard to describe. You know how some places in America have houses or lofts all connected? Like in the Northeast or in California? Well, just about every house in Kibera is connected, but the walls may not be cement; they may be used tin. After seeing the villages in Maasai Mara, this didn’t seem too bad. Some Maasai build their homes out of cow dung & sticks. The closer to the major road, the nicer the houses were (with cement walls). It really is a little miniature town…like, looks miniature. The streets are narrow and lined with little dukas (shops).

After our first stop at his house, we went to a school where one of the girls with me used to teach. She said the improvement at the school was unbelievable. They were adding a 2 story building of about 4-6 classrooms, & the kids had desks instead of big rocks to work on. When I say school, I mean 3 rooms with chalkboards & a little dirt yard in the middle. It was exciting being there during construction. Next we walked for about 30-40 minutes. The views from the hills in Kibera are amazing, overlooking either more of Kibera or more of Nairobi. Houses look like they’re stacked sideways instead of on top of each other, does that make sense? There is nowhere for trash to go, so for a lot of the time, we just walked on trash. Next we visited a school that had a library! It was the first day of school, but most of the kids didn’t go. Our friend informed us that that’s typical at that school on the first day…very different from home! Then we walked on for about 5 minutes & came to Joyspring, a school that’s run & funded by a church in Nairobi. About 300-400 students attend, there are 3 little school buildings (one is 2-story), and the entire school is on property a little smaller than the typical Chik-Fil-A building. 3 of the teachers didn’t show up on the first day of school, so my friend there said the headmaster & his wife (the secretary) were a little stressed. Matatu prices (taxi) were raised right after the holidays by at least 1000 ksh (shillings), so a lot of people were stuck up-country and couldn’t come back yet. Also, some teachers were “stolen” by another school…I’m not sure why, I imagine because of better pay? Lindsey & I joke that sometimes we might be on another planet because some things are just so different. Not in a bad way, just, super different. Even though Kibera is a slum, for some reason I wasn’t as “shocked” as I imagined I would be. It wasn’t that bad, just lots of trash & very small homes, schools, and shops. It did make me sad to see kids walking around the slums without shoes, though.

You can read Ryan’s thoughts on Kibera on his blog (on the right of my page…Kenya Mission). He has a picture. My computer is being suuuper slow…I have a feeling it’s because it’s 5 years old…=/ it’s makin’ me nervous! So I’m not uploading any pictures until I delete some things. I’m praying it lasts until I get home!

Most of what I’ve learned about African culture is just about the opposite of American culture. Thus, I am still adjusting to living somewhere completely different. I am missing Fort Worth lately...=/ I’m still enjoying learning here, but the differences can be overwhelming sometimes; I think since school started, it opened up a whole realm of “new.” It was almost like culture shock all over again. And so, that’s why I’m missing Fort Worth lately. Instead of the newness being super exciting, it’s a whole lot to process because school here is so different from in America. It’s so neat though, I can tell people are praying for me. Really!!! I wake up with joy in the mornings, or I receive sweet text messages from other SIMPacters. Today I got a call from Matt! He told me his brother’s tumor is shrinking! The second thing Jackson asked me when I got back to Nairobi last weekend was, “Katie, how is your friend, Steven?” so I’m excited to tell him that the doctors are calling Steven’s progress a miracle!!!

If you go to the Ft. Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, eat a funnel cake for me. =]

Super long post, thank you for your prayers sooooo much!!!! Bless you!!! =)

World on Fire

I can't copy & paste right now for some reason, but I recommend watching "World on Fire" by Sarah Mclachlan on YouTube.

A lot has been going on since my last post! I am still in Nairobi. =) Lindsey & Ryan went back to Tumaini last Friday, but I stayed for a conference that's Wednesday through Friday; it's on Islamic traditions, beliefs & practices, it's fascinating.

The past week has been wonderful. The LORD is "pulling my heart strings" I guess you could say; He is faithful in saying "when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me." I want to do so much more. Now that I'm actually walking on this land, I want my feet to go to the places that need The Savior, and I want my hands to literally be the touch of Christ for people. There is so much freedom in Christ, I wish I could just joyfully shout that, and people would know it & believe it & receive it right away.

The SIM Sudan team was here this week for a conference, too, so I've spent a lot of time with them this week. I'm so thankful to have crossed paths with them!! My roommate was a doctor there, and her stories & pictures were amazing. I was a little sad to see them leave actually, but as soon as they did, I felt the LORD's grace kick in, & I was motivated & challenged & ready to go back to Tumaini and serve.

I will head back to Tumaini this Saturday, and I begin teaching Class 6 English Composition on Monday. They have a Kenyan teacher, but we are splitting the class because he carries some other duties in the school. I got to read my students' last essays they wrote, & it sure was fun editing those! haha! I actually really enjoy editing papers....I can't remember if I mentioned that a few posts ago. Plus, you really get to know people when you read what they've written.

I am also hoping to start discipling the teenage girls within the first 2 weeks! I found a book in the SIM Kenya library here that will help me plan & is full of scripture, & I'm bringing them pens & journals. Please pray that the girls would be motivated & committed to learning more about the LORD. They have lots to do during the week (homework, soccer, etc.), but I want them to know more about the heights & depths of our Savior!

Thank you x1000 for your prayers!!! Here are some things you can pray for specifically:

- unity among our little 3 person team

- effective communication within our team, between us & the staff, within the staff, and between us & the kids

- guidance in lesson planning since I don't have much access to materials or internet (any writing topic suggestions are appreciated!)

- wisdom in understanding what the LORD has planned for my future...there are other ministries I would like to visit while I'm here & I need to sort those out!

Thank you so much!

On another note, I may have re-developed an allergy to gluten. ::sigh:: Good thing the diet at tumaini is mostly rice, cabbage, carrots, & beans! No gluten there! it's already gotten better since I cut back on wheat products. I've been eating a lot of chinese food & peanut butter. but I have been eating bread sometimes...so I don't think it's siliac, just a little wheat allergy that I've had before. hakuna matata, no worries.

Here's some things I've been up to in case you wondered:

shopping - i've been looking for cushy sandals that i can teach in, and after 3 weeks, i found a pair that fits & is cushy & a little stylish for only 129 ksh ($1.60). playing apples to apples with funny people. saw "the day the earth stood still" with popcorn, kitkat, & coke for only 400 ksh ($5) - lame movie, i don't recommend it. eating peanut butter. eating peanut butter on bananas. eating peanut butter on apples. eating peanut butter on rice cakes. (shrimp on a stick, shrimp sandwiches, shrimp platters...). learning the dance to "we're all in this together" from high school musical. i mean, wait, what? we didn't do that, psch. sure. 23 year olds? nah.

...............

=]

coming soon on katiegoestokenya....

....my trip to the kibera slums, home to 1.5 million people & 2/3 of Nairobi's population.