Crossing the color barrier...

Okay all you people who have been impatient.... here is your blog :) :)

The last few days have been good! I got sick to my stomach on Friday, and had to leave

the centre early. It did not make me happy, but I needed to rest. And now I have a cold!

Pastor Wambua has said "Bless You" to my sneezes more times than I can count. Satan is

going to do anything he can to keep me from loving on people, but I refuse to give in!

So, I was trying to decide what I wanted this post to be about. I could tell you every little

detail of what's going on, but instead I want to tell you what's on my mind. I am pretty sure

by now you have all figured out that I love this place. It is actually fun to wake up each

morning for a new day. I enjoy going to work because I get to work for my Lord and Savior

doing something I can't get enough of- teach kids who want to be hugged and loved on and

you know I can do that!!

Something that has really been on my mind for the last week is just how much I want to

overcome the barriers of this white/black thing. You know, every day I walk to school and

what happens? I get stared at. Yes, I realize that being white is kind of odd in a predominately

black country, but why else do I get stares? I wonder what goes on in the minds of the people

staring at me. I wonder if all they see is my white skin and the money I spent to come here, or

do they see my God?

I've been pretty overwhelmed with all the kids at the centre. They bring me so much joy! I

have even learned a ton of their names! One thing that I have loved is that most of them no

longer see me as this crazy muzungu, but most of them see me as Chloe- their friend, their

hug and love for the day, and their teacher. They are starting to see "me" not just my skin.

I'm sure

you are

wondering

what the deal

is with the

pictures of

the hands,

but I just want

you to look

closely. I want

you to see

more than

just the hands.

In these pictures you see my white hand and my little girl's black hand, but is that all you see?

For me I don't look at the differences between our skin anymore. Does the difference in our skin

really make us different?Take the picture on the left for example, look at my hand with

the blue bandaids (I'm okay, just rubbed a few blisters on my hand! My skin is not quite as tough as a Kenyan's), do the blue bandaids change what my hand is? No. My hand is still a hand. So, does

the color of my skinmake a difference in what my hand is or does? NO. I'm a precious child of

God just like these Kenyan children are. We are different colors, but really we are the same.

Meet my beautiful sister Melissa! Can't you

see how much we look alike?!? This little girl

and I have soooooo much fun together.

Graceface, being with her makes me not miss

you so much :( Melissa is 10 and full of life!!

She plays with myhair everyday, she chases

little kids to tickle them with me, and she has

the best sense of humor! I love my little sister!

One thing that has meant so much to me the last few days is that Pastor Wambua has

now started introducing me as his second daughter. I am no longer a guest, but I am a

member of their family. :)I am not just a white girl to them, but their daughter. Why does

color matter, right?

This is my little girl...yes I did say that. She is my

little girl at least for a little while. Her name is Jennifer

and she is 3 years old. One day I will have one just like

her! Everyday when I getto the centre she runs to me

and gives me a huge hug! She thenholds my hand until

I have to leave her. Hint Hint... she is the hand in the

pictures above! We play together, she knows my name,

and we even tell each other "I love you." My sweet little

girl :) :) :)

I won't go into lots of details about the last few days, but Saturday Pastor, me, and Joab

went to see my brother, Jeff, at boarding school. It was about 3 hours away and in a completely

different side of Kenya. We drove through the mountains! Mama Joe and Melissa visited my

other brother, Joe, at his boarding school. After a long day of visiting we left to pick up a

group of 7 people from North Carolina at the airport. They will be here for 2 weeks along

with a missionary family from South Africa. They will be doing a lot of the same things we

did last year. Today at church one of the men preached and Bosco translated. All I could

think about was when Daryl preached at Baptist Chapel! Good times :)

Well, it's been quite a long few days. I am going to get some rest! I have a busy week! I will be

teaching at the centre Monday-Thursday. Wednesday Pastor Wambua is letting me take a

motorcycle to school! YIPPEE! Thursday afternoon I will be leaving with this group of Americans

to Mwingi (another part of Kenya) to work at some of Baptist Chapel's mission churches

until Sunday!

I hope you all have a fantastic next few days! I hope to post again maybe mid-week!

My prayer this week is that as I go from place to place here in Kenya, instead of seeing the color

of my skin people would see the glory of my God. I want them to see my Jesus.