Introducing the Tumaini Library!

   

My pictures came from Lindsey yesterday!  Bwena asifiwe!  There are so many I want to post on here...I'll figure out a way for you to see them.  Right now, the easiest way is on facebook.  Well, once I post them on facebook, then that will be the easiest way.  I can share my photo albums with you even if you're not on facebook, just let me know your email!  =)  

One of my favorite experiences in Kenya was putting the library together with the kids.  After a few weeks of grading 6th & 7th grade compositions, it felt wrong to be marking papers when the kids hadn't had any opportunities to improve their writing skills.  They could learn as many vocabulary words as possible, but without reading, how could they know how to create a sentence?  Or a paragraph?  Or 2 pages of an essay?  I realized that I could teach them correct grammar and spelling, but if you're not reading, it's pretty hard to know how to organize a sentence or a paragraph.  

The scoring is subjective, so with 2 teachers grading, it was kind of just "whatever you think."  No particular marks for anything.  Once, I scored the kids based on what they knew and how much each of their essays had improved (creativity, proper sentence structure, etc.), and another teacher thought my scores were too high so she went through and wrote a lower score on every essay.  Without reading them.  It was maddening.  Especially when it came to Samuel Ndungu, the one who has MR.  Since I was teaching him sight words and phonics, I KNEW where he had improved, so I didn't pay much attention to spelling.  He always got the lowest scores - 8 points out of a possible 40.  Oh it made me so sad.  But then so mad other days.  

So anyways, I knew the extra personal finances I had received were to be used at Tumaini, so I just decided to start a library.  I found out that a few people had talked about it in the past, but their ideas were either too expensive or there wasn't enough space.  It's just a basic little "starter" library for them...there's lots of room for growing!  It took months to finally start coming together, but here it is...successful & hoppin'!  

To God be the Glory!

 Some of the girls helping cover the books!

 Looking for a book to read.

 Just wanted to read right here!

 Checking out a book.

Cute Kids with Christmas Blankets

Here's a great blog to read...http://www.audreycaroline.blogspot.com/ . Angie (the blogger) is married to Todd from Selah, they have 3 super cute little girls, and one of their babies only lived for a few hours (read the story, it's so good). She recently visited India, and her last few posts from her trip to Calcutta made me teary-eyed!



Here's some pictures from Christmas that I didn't get to post...some of Lindsey's supporters made fleece blankets & dolls for every kid for Christmas. It was so exciting!



The girls all wrapped their dolls in their blankets - this is how Kenyan women carry their babies. It was adorable.



Howad & Monica Lydia Howad Sophia
Sammy Kairu Doreen
Benson Kevin

what it's like being home again

Some people have asked that I blog about how life is now that I'm back at home.

It's good. =)

Okay that's all, bye!

Doreen Chepkoech & Faith Cherono
Jaclyn

Just kidding. =] My debriefing in Charlotte really helped prepare me for re-entry back into the states. People have said that I'd probably experience reverse culture-shock, but I kept thinking..."really? I'll only be there for 5 months." I think because I've been living in a place where I tried so hard to adjust to a completely different culture, and I spent 5 months trying to be Kenyan, then it kind of makes sense that transitioning back into my usual life could be tricky.

This week has been full of rest, everything's like new again, and some things are new! Shopping wasn't hard like people said it would be. I needed clothes (thank you carbs), so I went shopping. I've had lots of fun catching up on stories that I missed with my family. I was wondering all week, "maybe because I was so prepared for 're-entry' that it's no big deal?" Just like how I wasn't shocked walking through Kibera (Nairobi's largest slum) because people prepared me for what it would be like.

Except yesterday morning, I woke up and realized that Karanja's a real kid who I don't see everyday anymore; Christabelle isn't gonna wake me up singing at 5:30 AM anymore, and Howad isn't going to come to my room asking for my "dustbin" anymore (the little girls would come and take out mine & Lindsey's trash bags...only they'd go through them looking for things that could be toys). I feel like I dreamt that I was in Kenya because it just FLEW by, and everything at home was so new that I didn't miss Kenya yet. It took about a week for it to hit me that I'm not just taking a break in Nairobi this time & will be heading back up-country on Monday, I'm on the other side of the world now.

I think my culture shock is coming slowly...things happen that I totally don't expect to affect me, but they do. Example - I got my hair cut & colored the day after I got home. bad idea. I kinda freaked out everytime I had to fix it, and I thought I was looking forward to fixing my hair! I got so used to not having to fix it, that something so small like "fixing my hair" threw me off balance. I'm happy with it now, don't worry. =)

I didn't think I'd changed much until I got home, either. I don't mind dirt or getting rained on anymore. I'm more relaxed about life because I trust that the LORD knows and will do. I got so used to greeting EVERYBODY, even people I didn't know, that when I see people I know out places, I subconciously expect them to greet me - or I wondered today if it was normal to go say hi to a girl I haven't seen in years & didn't know very well anyway, or was a wave sufficient? haha, it sounds silly, but I can't remember those kinds of things!

I miss my closeness with the LORD. It's still available to me, but I'm not relying on Him for everything everyday anymore...yikes. My pantry is full, I can shower whenever I want to because when I turn on the faucet, water always comes out. I don't have to say a prayer that there will be water anymore. My food is nutritious, I always have clean clothes, everyone understands my English. It's easy to see how people may believe they are self-sufficient. I'm thankful it's only taken 1 week to realize that even at home in America, I really need the LORD's grace DAILY, and life is lesser without His control.

Okay that's all the thinking & typing I can handle right now. haha! More later!

ps: i've been catching up with all my reality tv shows, and i might be in love with kris allen from american idol. oh wait, he's married. ok don't tell his wife that i'm in love with him.

pic-chas!

Back in Charlotte at the SIM offices. They have a sign pointing in the direction of every country where they work.

More of the library. I'm standing with Victor...in case you've heard about The Case of the Missing Retainer. =) Krista Sorrels, my old roommate, and her first grade class made those drawings and sent them to us, isn't that nice?!

The new Tumaini Library! Believe it or not, there's 270 books right there, minus some that were checked out already. The poster on the top right says, "To God be the glory." Amen!

My boy Karanja. He's my girl Teresiah's brother, I have to say "my boy Karanja" when I talk about him. This is at the top of Longonot, he had just finished walking all the way around the crater! He came back with lava rock dust on his face. =)

Christabelle, my girl Teresiah, and Agnes chillin' with me the morning that I left. I can't say Teresiah without saying, "my girl Teresiah," just like with her brother. I just love her. I wanted to take them home, except they still have a mom, so I don't think I could do that.

Margaret Kui and Linet Chebet in their dorm room. Only 2 of the girls' rooms looked like this, the rest only had 4 beds. They're pretty nice, eh?

My last meal at Tumaini, ugali (maize flour mixed with water) and green cabbage. This is Mary Wambui, iLOVEher.

You can see where my wet wipe cleaned my hand after climbing Longonot...and where it didn't. oh! and the thorns on the ground are from an Acacia Tree, what historians think Jesus' crown was made of. Funny story - Linds & I sat down right here with about 5 inches in between us, and then she noticed there was an Acacia thorn sticking STRAIGHT UP from the ground right in between us. whew, that was close! haha, we laughed so hard.

Homes in the Rift Valley, the tin on the roof is held on by big rocks.

Our kids at the top of Mt. Longonot! I'll post the group pic when I get it from Lindsey's comp. And ya, it was this steep. Linds & I nearly died. =)

I'll post more later, I skipped a whole bunch that I want to add. There'll be more on facebook soon.

...Still adjusting to life in the states, I forgot about strange things, like ice cubes and tap water. When I got to Charlotte, I wanted a glass of ice water, but I didn't know where to get the water. I couldn't remember if the tap was okay. =/ haha! I know it was only 5 months, but I still did forget. In case you're wondering, driving was like a piece of cake. Except I was super nervous until I pulled into the driveway, haha.

"The LORD will watch over your coming and your going..."

I’m leaving Kenya tonight, I’ve been in Nairobi for about 5 days. Nairobi’s a good transition place, there’s lots of familiarities from home, like pavement, stores, restaurants, etc. But even if it’s preparing me for surroundings like the states, I’m not ready to leave. I’m in a weird mood trying to deal with the giant change I’m going through, so bear with me. I’m actually just typing these thoughts straight onto my blog. It's kind of a Meryl Streep moment. (...in Africaaah.) =)

A few months ago and even a few weeks ago, I was ready to come home; things were so busy during my weeks at Tumaini that I didn’t have time to think, but since I’ve been in Nairobi, there’s been a lot of time for thinking.

I wanted to plan a trip to visit Su.dan and another very rural part of Kenya where SIM has some missionaries, but I didn’t. I figured while I was on the continent, I might as well get as much exposure as possible. Oh well.

Even if I’ve missed my family and friends, I’ve learned that the LORD fills all voids. When I really missed them, the LORD’s grace was available and present.

Spending time with families and people who have lived in Kenya for years makes my 5 months seem like a blink. And really, considering that it takes at least 2 months to adjust to the culture, the time I had to freely serve and make things happen was even shorter. Everyone who had been overseas for an extended time had very strong opinions about staying longer than just a few months – I understand why now, and I agree with them. It takes awhile to get used to a lifestyle that’s completely different from what you’re used to. (eek, ended that sentence with a preposition). America is always on a quick timeline; most of the rest of the world is not. So if there’s an idea for pioneering something, it can’t just be done in a week or even in a month. Things take time here.

With the kids, it takes time for them to open up and trust a random white person who comes to live with them. So many have had such tough, rough lives that I wouldn’t have even imagined, so when they do strange things like running away without explanation, I realize that it takes just as long for these kids to be restored as it would anybody. Just being given a home, food, school, and family isn’t enough. They need a Father who can meet their every need, and who can literally transform their hearts, minds, and lives. If you’re wondering how you could help cross-culturally, children’s homes desperately need counselors.

I’m glad to be going home, but it’s hard when I’ve wanted to work overseas for years, and I finally did, but now I have to leave. It’d be awesome if I could keep going from here – like, just head up to Egypt, then over to India, Thailand, just to see what the LORD is doing in other countries. Then come home, haha. Not likely to happen. =]

I'm so thankful for getting to live and serve here. And I've had a great time in Nairobi the last few days. Bwena asifwe!

The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad!
=)








Chik-Fil-A, here I come!

Long Time No Internet

Long time no internet:

It’s been a long time, no internet. That’s why I haven’t posted a blog. I wrote one to post on march 31st, but our internet modem stopped working. So 3 ½ weeks & a bazillion (great to read though!) emails in my inbox later…….here I am! Hiiiii!!!!

I planned on just showing you a few pictures from our Easter celebration, but all my pictures are on Lindsey’s computer (because mine’s been on its last leg for a few months), and her computer stopped working on April 15. =/ We’re praying everything can be recovered when she gets home on May 2. So, it will be awhile before I can post any more pictures. But! Please stay tuned, because I will post some! And I’ll continue to write more specific posts.

For now, just know that I watched a sheep get slaughtered for our Easter feast.

And Lindsey helped deliver a cow, and I filmed it. (I couldn’t touch it, ew, I can hardly handle a small cut).

We got to climb Mt. Logonot, a lone-standing mountain with a crater on top in the Great Rift Valley. We took all the kids who are ages 14 and up. It was a blast! AND our kids made it all the way to the summit and all the way around the crater, 10 km...we were so proud of them!!! Lindsey and I were afraid we were gonna fall of the mountain, so we just stayed at the top of the crater and took pictures. =)

The new Tumaini Library is a success and was officially up and running on April 7!!! Bwana asifiwe! Praise the LORD!

The rains finally began on March 27, and one week later our water returned! But then the next day it stopped. Oh well, I’ve come to enjoy bucket baths…sorta. =p

I held in all my tears today until the car started driving away from the home. I didn’t want to make the kids sad. They wrote me the sweetest letters, and this last week has been just wonderful. My taxi driver was really understanding. =) Karanja wrote me a letter that said I made him feel like he wasn’t an orphan. Melt my heart, Karanja.

And I’m only one week away from the land of enchildas and free-flowing strawberry applesauce (2 foods I’ve missed the most). =)


I'll be in Nairobi until the 22nd!

Mzungu! how are you? (repeat 25 times)

Hi Everybody!

Things have been so busy over here at Tumaini!! And I’m loving all of it…even the ever-present new things to process about living in another culture.

Since my last post…

We still don’t have running water. But it’s really okay, it’s just caused us to get more exercise. Okay, for the band nerds and my family…remember how after playing the mellophone in marching band for awhile, I got these weird muscles between my neck and shoulders that I didn’t even know existed? Well, carrying full buckets of water up a hill and stairs has done the same thing. We hoped for more ways to get exercise when we came back from our conference in February… =] We really have been fine with limited water.

Bishop Thagana, who started Tumaini and GOA (http://www.goaweb.org/), came to visit with his family after he returned from America a few weeks ago. I discussed some of the library plans with him, and after a conversation with him and our social worker, I really didn’t think it was going to happen. We don’t have much space here, and between needing room for kids and for computer space (the kids are learning about computers this year), it wasn’t looking like a library would happen while I’m here. But I really felt like the LORD wanted that to happen! On his last day, Bishop visited Mama Cecelia’s old office because she’s going to be working from her house now, and he decided that should be used for the library!!! Praise the LORD, bwena asi fiwe! So, things have been a whirlwind as we collect the books and make final notes and documents. It’s so exciting! I REALLY believe reading will a) improve these kids’ scores, b) expand their knowledge, and c) stretch their brains. And, I really think once they start reading, some will realize how much they enjoy it.

…kind of like how half of these kids didn’t know they were athletes until given the opportunity to play sports. The past 2 days have been SO MUCH FUN! The schools around our area have put together soccer teams, volleyball teams, and netball teams (like basketball), and we have spent the last 2 days at all the competitions. Lindsey & I have been talking about how much we love it that everyone gets these days to have fun and be kids. This is the first sort of tournament they’ve ever had, so we realized after watching one game that the “spectators” didn’t know their job was to cheer and support their team. Haha! Our social worker got them together and promised them “maandazi” (Kenyan donuts) if they would cheer. I think they would have cheered even without the maandazi once they knew they were supposed to…plus, they had fun doing it! Some of the kids at the other schools aren't used to seeing "wzungus" (white people), so they crowd around us & stare. It's a bit awkward, but it makes us laugh. It reminds me of when we see zebras here & yell "zebras! wooowww!" and we stare for as long as we can and take pictures. That's kinda how the kids are with us, haha! They yell at us "mzungu! (white person!) how are you? how are you? how are you? etc." The "how are you's" continue until they can't see us anymore. It's so funny. We yell back "fine, fine, fine, fine, etc." They ask "how are you?" with this really high pitched, nasally voice. I guess they think we all talk high pitched and through our noses, which compared to the Kenyans, I guess we kind of do. haha, anyways, it's hilarious. I need to get a video of that.

During the boys’ soccer game, I was cheering for James and noticed that the only adults they had cheering were me, Lindsey, and some of the teachers. There were no parents. It gave me tears in my eyes, there were so many times yesterday that I felt like a mom taking her kids’ to their ballgames, holding their sweaters and cheering for them, and I prayed that they would understand someday that the LORD is proud of who they are. He’s the One that made them, took care of them on the streets, rescued them, and is providing for them, so of course He is proud of them. I hope people tell the kids they’re proud of them after we leave. I know the LORD will take care of them.

It’s also been fun to see the teachers and staff out at the ballgames, coaching, supporting, and having fun. Authority is taken very seriously here, I mean, very seriously. You don’t rebel or there’s big trouble coming. So I’ve loved watching the teachers turn into cheering, supportive, fun coaches!

I have exactly four weeks left at Tumaini, and time is going by faster than it has in my whole time here. I’m getting sad to leave…I adore some of the kids and I want to take them home. But, the LORD’s grace is prevailing still. I’ve been reminded that He fills voids when people are gone, there’s a time for going and a time for leaving, He understands our thoughts from afar, and He has good plans for our future. I’m sure it will be tough when I bake a cake and wish Teresiah or Margaret could eat it with me, or when I get in my car to go to church and think about these sweeties walking 45 minutes up a hill to get to church. But I am excited to see everybody again, as much as I enjoy it here, I do miss home! I am also excited to continue walking alongside the LORD and to see what He has planned. He is worthy to be praised, that is definitely one thing I’ve learned from living in Kenya!