Wherever He leads

Christmas in Kenya?!

2011-12-05T22:04:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Kenya.... yes, you heard me right! I am spending Christmas in Africa!! The journey begins tomorrow! Mama, Daddy, and I will be traveling to the Atlanta airport in just a few short hours so I can hop on a plane to Africa. :)

I ask that you join in on this great adventure with me! I will be attempting to blog alot more this trip, and I would love for each of you to follow along!!

I would also like you to pray for a few things...
1. Pray that this trip would be about nothing other than the love and grace of the Gospel.
2. Pray for safety as I travel.
3. Pray for opportunities that I may share the love of Christ.
4. Pray that in everything God would receive all the honor and glory.

Psalm 19:14 says, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer." I have been meditating on this verse for quite sometime and this really is my prayer- that everything I do would be pleasing to God. That is what I want this trip to be all about- completely pleasing to the Lord. Would you join with me in prayer for that?

I am so excited that God has given me another opportunity to be in a place that I dearly love. I am ready for the adventure. I am ready for the journey. I am ready to show the love of God in another place. Thank you in advance for all the prayer you are lifting up my way!!

Love you all!

The Final Call!

2010-07-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

Habari! Ninaitwa Chloe Mwende. Ninakaa Lucky Summer na familia ya

Wambua. Nimekuwa nchini Kenya kwa miezi mbili iliyopita. Mimi ni
mwalimu wa Highridge Baptist Academy!
Hello! I am called Chloe Mwende. I live in Lucky Summer with the
Wambua family. I have been in Kenya for the last two months. I am

a teacher at Highridge Baptist Academy!

The days I have dreaded to see are finally here. My time is up. Tomorrow

will be my last full day in my Kenyan world. Agh! Why so soon? When I left for

Kenya on the 31st of May I thought that two months would be LONG! I thought

they would go by rather slow and that I would be ready to come home. I was

very wrong indeed. My time here has passed by in a hurry. Two months was

not long enough. My home is here in Kenya, and well I am just not ready to

head back to the states- a place that I feel like a visitor.

I know I haven't written a blog in quite a while, but I was very attimate in not

missing anything in the last few weeks. I wanted to soak up as much of this
place as I possibly could. Because I have missed telling you a lot, I could be

writing this blog for hours sharing with you all my many stories. Let me just

share what has happened in this last week, and I will tell you about the rest

when I see you! ;)

This week has been full of excitement, joy, sadness, and tears. I taught at my

lovely school on Monday and Wednesday. On Tuesday I went to the Massai

Market with my friends Maluki, Walter, and Maureen. It was SO MUCH FUN!

After taking them to a delicious lunch of chicken and chips (french fries), we

headed to do some shopping! The Massai Market is an outdoor market. People

sell all kinds of things, and of course they love selling to muzungus! Walter and

Maureen were concerned with my bargaining skills. They didn't really believe that

I could do it, but boy did I prove them wrong! I would go up to a sales person,

introduce myself in Swahili, ask them how they were, and then go on to buying

things. The people selling things would look at me funny, and begin spatting

off in Swahili, "Darn, this is no muzungu! This girl acts like a Kenyan." That brought

joy to my heart! They realized very quick that they could not sell things at a price

they would normally sell to a muzungu. I talked one man down from selling me things

at a price of 8,500 to a price of 2,500. I talked a lady down from 10,000 to 1,500!

Walter and Maureen were impressed! ha. They told me I was better than they were!

They even told Mama Joe when we got home that I truly had to be a Kenyan.

On Thursday I met with Jack and Bert Yates (the IMB missionaries who helped

me to come here). It was so wonderful to see them, share with them, and listen to

their advice!

After meeting with Jack and Bert, I went to teach at another local school. It's called

Lucky Shamir and they teach around 350-400 students from Baby Class-Class 8.

It was so neat to see another school and how it was run. The kids at this school

arrive around 7 a.m. and don't leave until 6 p.m. Can you imagine if I told an American

student they had to stay at school that long!

So today, Friday, was my last day at school. My last day at Highridge Baptist Academy.

This morning I went around to each class to spend some time with them and tell them

goodbye. It was truly one of the hardest things I have ever done. Looking in the eyes of

the children that only wished I could stay. Telling these kids that I wouldn't see them for

a year or two. Listening to these kids sing all the many songs I taught them. Seeing

these kids begin to cry because their teacher was leaving them. One of my favorite

classes at school is Class 1. As I went to their class, half of the pupils couldn't even

look at me because they were sobbing so much. Oh how I hated leaving them! This

afternoon we had a staff party where we ate lunch and fellowshiped together. After I said

a few words to the staff as a whole, each staff member got up and shared a few words

of encouragement to me and how much I had meant to them. I hadn't realized how

effective my ministry here had been until I heard what they had to say to me. Teacher

Anne (she teaches the nursery class) told me that she had never seen anyone love

kids like I did. She said, "Chloe, you love these kids more than we do. You have shown

us the way we need to interact with these kids. You have given them more hugs than

they have gotten in a lifetime." She just went on and on, and all I could do was cry. Mr.

Mutemi (Principal Moses) said that I had brought unity among the staff because I treat

everyone the same and have shown them how to treat each other. I have become so

close with the teachers and staff at school, and leaving them is heartbreaking.

Some of them said some quite funny things, so I think I will break away from the

sadness and share them with you. :) David (he is the accountant at the school, and

one of my closest mentors) stood up and said, "This girl, Chloe, she is not like other

muzungus who come here. She is different. Her skin is white, but her soul is black!

She isn't Chloe, she is Mwende!" Mr. Mutemi began to tell a story. He said, "A long

time ago, some American farmers wanted some slaves to work their plantations. So

they came to Africa and took many young boys and girls to work for them. After years

of working, they finally became free men and women. Some of the slaves went

back to Africa, but some remained in America. Chloe, you must be one of those African

women who stayed in America, and now you are ready to come back to Africa!" hahaha.

Sophia (teaches in the salon, and walks me to school) began to sing to me, and then she

said, "Mwende, I am certain that you will be back here permanently in just a few years.

You know when you come back you will need a husband, and lucky for you we have many

single male teachers here. Girl, the ball is in your court! Take your pick! Oliver, Brian... and so

on." Then men then began shouting, "Oh YES. Amen sister."

After the teachers said a few words we began a time of singing, dancing, crying,

and praying. At the end of the day, it comes back to praising our Savior. When the

party was over, we circled up as a staff, held hands, and prayed together. Emotions

were high, but the comfort of God was near!

I didn't end up leaving school until 5:45! I could not exit the gate to walk home because

so many kids wanted to give me more and more hugs. The teachers finally had to run

the kids out of the gate to go home. As one of my Class 7 girls, Samiya, was giving me a

hug, she said, "Chloe, thank you for showing us the love of God." I began to cry because

that was an answer to prayers. My prayer for this trip was that I would share the love of

God with these students, teachers, and the people of Kenya as a whole. To hear one

of my students tell me the exact thing I had been praying for was too much. Wow.

Glory to God that my ministry was a success! Glory to God that I have been able to be a

part of His Great Redemptive Story!

I will miss my kids, my teachers, my family, and my Kenya. I will miss the sound of

kids snapping their fingers and yelling, "teacher," which sounds like, "cha." I will miss

my kids of Korogocho yelling, "Muzungu, how are you," as I walk from school. My kids' hugs.

The sound of my children laughing. Drinking tea with Maureen, and laughing at David's jokes.

I will miss walking into the staff room seeing my fellow teachers. I will miss jumping up

and down playing until I am covered head to toe in dust. My home. Cooking with Mama Joe.

Reading to Melissa. Long conversations with my Pastor. Going without water for sometimes

4-5 days. Not knowing when the electricity might go off. Hearing the rooster outside my

window every morning at 6:47 a.m. I will miss the dust, dirt, and mud.

I could go on and on, but well you may get tired of reading. All in all, I will miss my Kenya.

I have been blessed to be here, and I could never say thank you enough to my God

who has sent me here for a purpose. A purpose of making His name known. You know,

my mom called a few weeks ago and told me that if I thought God wanted me to stay

here in Kenya right now, then I could stay. She said that I needed to be where God

wanted me. You have no idea how happy that made me. I was jumping for joy at the

fact that I have parents who support me, my dreams, and the plans God has for me. As

much as I wanted to say YES to staying, I know that is not the path God is leading me

down right now. The day before I left for Kenya I got a scholarship for school that

equalled the exact amount I needed to pay for this next year. I am pretty sure that was

God saying come back home! At least for two years to finish school.

God has huge plans for my life. The journey has started, but the path is long. Being on

this journey to Kenya has taught me more than I could have imagined. I am not the same

person I was, and I hope you will be able to see that when I return. You know I hear many

people say, "I left my heart in Africa," but for me my entire self has been left here in Africa.

Going home will be tough, and when you see my crying hopefully you can understand why.

Rhianna wrote me an e-mail that said, "Chloe, I know you love us here and

you love being with us, but when you hang out with us, you seem to not be totally there. Your

are physically here, but emotionally and mentally you are in Africa. When you get to speak

about Africa, your joy begins to shine. When you are in Africa, I know your heart has been

reunited with its love." Ree is right when saying this. I love you all, but I believe God has

greater purposes for me. Greater than being in the U.S. Greater than living an American

life. My desire is to live a Kenyan life sharing the love of God all around me.

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

Well, my blog has come to an end. I can't thank you enough for all the many e-mails,

messages, and written cards you have sent this way. Thank you for walking this journey

with me and for praying with me each step of the way. I love you so much, and I will see

you in just a few short days.

Mimi si Muzungu! Mimi ni Mkenya!!!

2010-07-03T07:17:00.000-07:00

If you stay in Kenya for too long.... they may try and make you Kenyan!
It's a good thing I am perfectly okay with that! :)

The last week has been full of busyness and excitement! In one of Miss
Kim's notes she left me she gave me some words of wisdom. "Don't deny
your quiet times and don't deny your rest. You will be of no help if you
aren't spiritually on top and plenty rested." Well in order for to obey
that advice, I had to give up something. I decided to give up the blog!
Blogging takes awhile, and well it was causing a lot of tiredness!!

At the start of the week, Sunday, I did wear my
new Kenyan dress! :) Everyone told me I looked so
"smart," which is their way of saying pretty. They also
assured me that I am becoming more Kenyan each
day! Pastor even gave me a new name. Because
his family is from the Camba tribe, he game the
Camba name, Chloe Mwende. Mwende means
someone who is loved! :) :) I now introduce
myself as Chloe Mwende. :)

On Monday, the kids at
the centre had a holiday which
meant that I also got a holiday!
My job for that day was to take
Melissa's cousin, Stacy, to the
barber shop to get all her hair
shaved off! I did not want her to
shave her head, but Pastor insisted!
He said that he doesn't like seeing
her cry when she has to get her hair
braided, so he said shave it off!
When we got to the barber shop,
Stacy started to get a little scared.
She said, "Chloe, can we just go
home and wait until my daddy can go
with me?" I felt bad but I made her get
it shaved right then. I knew that if we
went home and Pastor saw that her
head wasn't shaved, then it would be
me that got in trouble! ;) After she got it
done, she ended up liking it!

Tuesday and Wednesday I taught at the centre all day!
I taught Math, English, Science, and CRE to 6 classes!
Tiring.....yet so rewarding! Many Muslim students attend
the centre. It's been so neat ministering to them, and
seeing God change their hearts.One of the girls told me that
God was going to punish me because I have put too many
holes in my ears. As much as I wanted to laugh, I was able to
refrain myself. Instead, I just love on each child and try to show
God's love. Many of the older girls have come to me and have
really opened up in sharing their lives. We have shared many
laughs and even more tears. God, may you continue to show
yourself to these girls. Please pray that God would continure to
use me to share His grace with these girls!

On Thursday, Pastor, Mama Joe, Mama Grace, and me headed to their rural home in
Mwingi. It is SOOOO NICE! It's crazy to me that Pastor Wambua came from absolutely
nothing but because of his faithfulness to God, God has chosen to richly bless him! I
told him and his brothers to write a book! I enjoy hearing all of their stories! I admire
Pastor more each day. His entire life is a ministry, which is what I desire for my own
life. This first picture was his house when he was youger. The second picture is his
new house!

Pastor and I went for a walk around his land. He had the best view!! On his land he has a small

shamba where he grows beans and maize. We piced some maize, roasted it, and then ate it!

It was SOO YUMMMYYY! Mom, lets roast corn when I get home. K?

Funny story from Thursday:

So I wne to use the squatty potty. Oh squatty potty's....... Anyways, I was a little nervous

going out there because Pastor's house is in the bush and it was night time, but I grabbed my

flashlight and headed to the potty. I made it out there, closed the door, and used the potty.

Well, when I got finished I turned around to open the door, but the door would not open!

It was completely stuck!! I pushed on it, kicked it, and even tried to run into it. Nothing

would open that door. I began to cry because I was starting to get scared. All I could think

about was me being stuck in a squatty potty in the middle of the African bush at night time

and no one being able to hear me. Finally about ten minutes passed and Mama Grace found me.

She started laughing. I did not find it funny at first, but now that I think about it, I guess

it is pretty funny. How often do you get stuck in a squatty potty in the middle of nowhere?

hahahaha. :)

Friday after breakfast Mama Joe and Mama Grace headed outside to put somechemical

on the beans and maize from last year's crop. Before they could put the

chemical on the beans, they had to throw the beans in the air and let the wind carry

away the chaff! They even let me help! It was soooo neat. I couldn't believe the way

they use the simple things like the wind to do the job. After finishing putting the

chemical on the maize we had to carry it back into the house. At first, Mama Joe

wouldn't let me help because they bags were so heavy, but I finally talked her into

letting me help. :) By the way, the food that Pastor and his brother's grow is not

sold for money. They have chosen to give it away to people who need it instead!

Like I said, his whole life is a ministry.......

Who new that donkeys could be used for something?!?!?! haha. In Mwingi, everywhere

you turn you will see many donkeys with water

jugs on their backs. It is so dry there; therefore, there is no water. People have to travel

for miles and miles to find water. Some people even dig

15 feet or more in the dry

river beds to find water! We definitely take it for granted the fact that we can just turn our faucets on and have plenty

of clean water.

We came home from Mwingi today around 4! I was able to get a long massage from the

drive. It was so BUMPY!

So, that is about all that has been going on over here! I can't believe a month has

already passed. :( It feels like I just got here. :( :( :( :( If one more kid asks me to

stay, then well, I may just have to stay. Mama Joe told me today that I was not

leaving! Mom, looks like you have some competition! haha. I love you all! I

hope you have had a great week!

Happy Birthday to Mama and Bubba!!! :) :) :) Eat plenty of birthday cake for me!

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!

2010-06-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

BLOGGING TAKES FOR STINKIN EVER!!!!!!!
I am so sorry that I have done such a terrible job with keeping you guys updated!
Blogging is hard for me, though, because it takes time and well there are just so many
other exciting things to be doing!! haha. I am going to try a lot harder now to keep you
updated! I promise!!

Because I talk a lot about the food to you all, I wanted to show you a few pictures!! The
first picture is Somaki (fish). IT IS SOOOOO GOOOD!!! The second picture (well there was
supposed to be a second picture. Sorry it's not there!) is Kachambaru (avocados,
tomatoes, red onions, carrots, cilantro, lemon juice, and cucumbers).
YUUUUUMMMMMMYYYY!!! These two food have been my favorite! :) If you can't tell,
this next picture is sugarcane! I had my first experience of eating it on the way to Mwingi.
Pastor Wambua and I were driving along and as we entered a town, he stopped on the side
of the road and people began to crowd around the car! They all had different things in their
hands-oranges, bananas, peas, tomatoes, and sugarcane- that they were trying to sell us.
Pastor bought a large amount of sugarcane and we began eating it! I have you know, I only
ate a few pieces, but he ate two whole bags!! haha. :) I had trouble biting it because my teeth
aren't near as strong as a Kenyans. I made more of a mess than anything!

Like I said on facebook, riding motorcycles is the way to go!! Charles, me, and my best

buddy Saul! They are a little scary because of all the bumpy roads, but definitely fun!

Who says

we can't

be father/

daughter?!?

At the

church in

Kumowongo

(not sure if

I spelled

that right),

each team

was asked to

plant a tree.

One from

America,

South Africa,

and Nairobi.

I was so excited when Pastor askedme to plant

the tree

from Nairobi!

This blog wouldn't be complete if I didn't post some pictures of my beautiful children that I get to spend

each day with!!These are all my boys!! Yes, I am claiming ALL OF THEM! These older boys like to make

fun of the way I talk. They continually try and copy my accent! They have learned, though,

that if they make fun of me too much I will chase them down and tickle them! haha.

This picture is my dearest little boy, Bilal.

He is my helper inclass one!

Yes, that is an extremely big beetle. He thought it would be funny

to throw it on me. I didn't laugh. ;)

Well, I hope this blog will allow you to take a step on this jouney that I

have been on. I am truly having an amazing time! I wish I could express

to you just how great it has been!

By the way, the dress making class finished my African dress today!! :) :)

It's SOOOO pretty! I am going to wear it on Sunday, so I will post pictures

then! Maureen took me shopping in the city today for accessories, and boy

was it fun! Maureen says I look more and more Kenyan each day. All I

have to do now is paint my skin with some charcoal! hehe. :) I hope you all

are doing great!! Thank you for the prayers and all the comments you have

beenleaving! They help me not miss you so much!

Can I please stay?!?!

2010-06-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

I hope you are all doing well! I know you are all praying for me, and I just
want to say thank you for that! Things on this side of the world are great!
Oh how I love it here........ Well, just so you all know, I cried for the first time
this week. How will I ever leave this place?!? Hmm....

The past few days have been good! The team from North Carolina is here
and have been doing a VBS at the youth centre. I have also been helping them.
To be honest, it is a little weird to have other muzungus around. I was pretty
much getting used to being the only one! haha.

Anyways, we are currently in Mwingi which is about two and a half hours east of
Nairobi. We will be doing ministry here until Sunday!

So... here are the exciting things I have done in the last few days.
1. I have ridden a motorcycle 3 times in the last 2 days!!! SO MUCH FUN!
2. I have been cooking with Mama Joe. We have made ugali (flour and water
mixed together), chipati (kind of like a flour tortilla but better), somaki (fish),
kachambaru (a yummy to my tummy kind of salad dish), and many other Kenyan
dishes! I cannot wait to fix all these dishes for you guys at home!
3. The dress making class is making me an African dress!!!! I got to pick out the
fabric and design, and the class at school is going to make it! :) Sophia is also
going to take me shopping for some shoes and jewelry to wear with it! :) YAYA!
4. I met with Jack Yates on Monday. If you don't know who that is, he is an IMB
missionary here in Kenya. He has been here for 30+ years and helped me to get
my school to sign off on this trip here so that I can use it for school credit! He is
such an amazing man! He gave me the best advice, and has invited me to stay
with him and his wife for a night next week!
5. I have found another kid I want! haha. His name is Nathan!!! I think he makes about
the 100th kid I want! hmm.... how many kids can I fit in my suitcase?!?
6. We have pretty much decided that I am no longer a muzungu, but I am a Kenyan!!
My skin may be of a white person, but my heart is of a Kenyan! I am fitting more and
more into this culture everyday!

I will try and post a few pictures tomorrow! I hope you all understand just how long it
takes to do that! It could be an extra hour just to load pictures.

I hope you all have an amazing rest of the day! I love you to the moon and back!

Crossing the color barrier...

2010-06-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

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.

My Kenyan Birthday....and life for the past couple of days

2010-06-06T05:14:00.000-07:00

Let me just apologize for not posting the last few days! Not only have things been crazy busy

here, but when I wanted to write a blog either the internet wouldn't work or the power was out;

therefore, I could not post! So I am sorry! This next blog may be a little long, but I want to update

you all on the past few days.

So....here it goes!!! Let's start with my birthday!

I could not have asked for a better 19th birthday!! I don't think there could be anything better

than getting to celebrate my birthday in a place I absolutely love. I missed you all, but thank

you so much for understanding why I need to be here! Also, thank you for all the many birthday

cards :):):) They were sooooo sweet!

So my day started out very early. Joab came to get me around 7:30 a.m. to go to the city. We

decided to volunteer at New Life Christian Home (the orphanage we went to last year) and

volunteer for half of the day. It was so much fun! This orphanage takes in abandoned babies

that have HIV/AIDS. Seeing the sad faces of the kids when they come in and then the happy

faces they have after a few months is amazing! Mama and Daddy, I found a baby girl I would

like to adopt! She is 6 months and her name is Hope. I told her that I could be her mommy :)

Can I have her for my birthday? Please! haha. I know that one day I will have the chance to

adopt a beautiful African child. I will just wait for God's timing, though.

We were able to play with the toddlers and then help feed the babies. Can I just tell you that

I got spit up on, thrown up on, and a bowl of baby food dropped on me. I would say that it was

a successful morning!

When we got done at the orphanage, Joab took me to eat pizza! It was definitely a nice change

of food! It even tasted like American pizza! YUMMY!

After a long day of being in the ciy, we came back to the house for dinner. Melissa (my lovely

little sister), Mama Joe (my Kenyan mother), Mama Grace (my Kenyan Aunt), Sophia (my

friend- she also walks me to the centre every morning), and Joab (my brother and best friend)

all ate supper with me! Afterwards, they surprised me with a cake and sang Happy Birthday

to me!! IT WAS WONDERFUL!!!

Kenyan traditions for birthdays are very different. After singing to me, Mama Joe gave

me a knife and let me cut the cake. I then had to get a piece of cake and cut it in many pieces.

I took one bite and then fed each person in the room one bite. It was so neat. I felt united with my

family! Also, no one can have a piece of cake unless I say so!! HAHA..

Ha! My cake was pink :) :) :)

As I was thinking about this coming year as a nineteen year old... all I could think about was

what else I could do for God. How else can I bring glory to His name? As I was reading my Bible

for the night, I came across Psalm 19:4 which says, "May the words of my mouth and the

meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, My Rock, and My Redeemer." I am

making this my prayer for the next year. May everything I do be pleasing to my Lord! I am

praying that this next year be even better than the last! I am thankful for life, and I pray that

God would use me in such BIG ways to better His Kingdom!

So... the next thing I want to tell you about is this picture below....

If you know me, you know that I LOVE CHICKEN!! Any kind

really... I could eat it every single day for 3 meals a day. Well,

I had never seen a chicken die so it didn't hurt my feelings to eat

it, but now I have seen the light! I have seen a poor innocent

chicken be happy and alive for one minute and then get caught

and have its head sawed off. This chicken was my neighbor's pet,

but not for long!!! Hmmm.... it was really sad :( I even teared up!

I feel like this whole trip so far has been a lot about chickens.

Today, I picked up a little chick because remember I said that

no animal is scared of a human here. Not even a muzungu

(white person) Hahaha. So I picked this little chick up and all

I could think about was the hen I saw yesterday that got its head

taken off. I don't think seeing this is enough to make me not eat

chicken again, but it will make me think twice about eating it!

For the past two days (Monday and Tuesday) I have gone to the youth centre to teach.

Monday I was with grade 4 and today I was with grade 1. I LOVE IT!! Monday I got to teach

English and Spelling. It was wonderful. Maybe one day I will end up living here and teaching

at the youth centre! Today in the 1st grade I read them some Bible Stories, played a million

games, and sang many songs! I also sat in on a Swahili class. Since I am not advanced in this

language, I have been invited to sit in everyday with grade 1 so that I can learn the language.

can already say many sentences and many common phrases. The kids love it when I try to

speak Swahili, and they LOVE teaching me new words to say! At the end of both days, Saul (my

best friend at school) and I filled water balloons for both classes. First we had a water balloon toss

which they loved. Then, we filled some extra balloons and threw them at the kids! It was a surprise

attack! Today, Saul threw balloons at the teachers! The kids and teachers both loved it! Miss Kim,

I think they were a hit!!!!

Don't these kids just make you happy?? I get so excited to tell the children tuo nane kesho (see

you tomorrow) at the end of everyday! They have truly stolen my heart!

Well, I LOVE YOU ALL!! I hope that I have not tired you with this long blog, but you know me...

sometimes I just have quite a lot to say! Kwaheri (Goodbye) :)

So you can see life from my eyes....

2010-06-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that I have finally been told that I am eating like a Kenyan! When I got here

Tuesday, I took very small bites, but now I can fill my spoon and put the whole thing in my
mouth!! haha. I am sure you all wanted to know that... I am really starting to enjoy the food!
At first, I didn't know if I would be able to eat 3 meals of heavy food (so many vegetables)
and 4 cups of hot tea a day, but now I know I can do it!! I am actually starting to love it. I
have realized that the reason people eat so much heavy food is because they walk so much
and work so hard. The last two days have made me very hungry! Last night's meal was my
favorite. We had mashed potatoes, rice, stew (meat, carrots, onions, beans, and cabbage),
bananas, and greens! This morning for breakfast I had Kenyan pancakes with my mammaw's
strawberry jam! YUMMY!

My two days at the youth centre have been amazing!! It is a little different being the only
muzungu (white person) around. All the children flock to me! I am surrounded constantly by
at least 50 kids all who want to lay a hand on me. I have been pinched and rubbed more times
that I can count. I have tried to tell them that my skin will not come off and it will not change
colors!! A lot of them do not understand that, though beacause many of the children (especially
the younger ones) do not speak English. Today I let the hair and beauty department at the centre
braid my hair! I have been reminded that Africans pull very hard! OUCH! My head still hurts.

Yesterday, I was a little upset because I was told that the reason everyone stares at me is not just
because I am "white." Yes, I am a different color, but a lot of them stare because they are hurt. They
are hurt because I spent thousands of dollars to come here and many of them cannot even afford to
give their children food each day. I was very emotional yesterday. I cried and was teary eyed all
day long. These people are right. I did spend thousands of dollars to come to this place, but what I
want them to see is that I came FOR THEM! I am here because I love them. I love them so much
I am here because I think that what I have to offer is much better than money. I want to share the
Word of God with them. Oh I pray that before I leave, these people would see that. May they see
that these earthly things will pass (including food), but if they have Jesus Christ they will continue
to live!

OKay.. On to the pictures!!

This is my BESTEST friend Joab! He comes and visits
every night for dinner and to keep me company! This picture
was taken in a very loud, obnoxious, and hot matatu
(public transportation)! Their were about 15 people in this van.
Joab has helped me so much here in Kenya to fit in! If he wasn't
here then, well, I don't know if I could've adjusted so quickly. He
has taught me everything from the proper way to fix tea to being a
confident muzungu among many Kenyans!

My lovely bed and mosquito net :) :) It is so nice that they haven given me my own room! And man, this bed sleeps good!!

Well, Jacob tells me that I attract farm animals! All of you
know how much I want a goat! Since my dad says no, I guess
I will have to keep one while in Kenya!! When I picked this
little guy up, the momma was not very happy with me..... One
thing that I love about the animals here is that none of them
are scared of humans! I have already gotten to randomly pet pigs,
goats, and well.... chickens. They run throughout the streets.

I knew all of you who went last summer would appreciate this
picture :)

I couldn't believe it when I saw the school! It looks like a whole new school from when we came last summer. There are now 3 floors, and an underground level. The underground level has a staff room and a library! Yes, a library!! Hundreds of books were donated to the centre! I have started reading one childrens book to my friend Saul each day. Yesterday I read him Green Eggs and Ham and then today I read him There's a Wocket in my Pocket! He loves Dr. Seuss, but had never read any of those books. The 1st floor has 6 classrooms, and the 2nd floor has 5 class rooms and a huge office for Principal Moses. The 2nd floor also has other administration offices and the youth classrooms. They are down to only 8 youth at the moment, but are hoping to bring more in. The third floor is a HUGE assembly room. Complete with a stage and ceiling fans. It will also have tile floors! The school looks amazing. I was very impressed! I think having a nice school to learn in brings hope to these students.

This..... is why I am here. I love each and
every child. Currently there around 295 kids
at the youth centre. I hope to learn each ones
name. It is a big goal, but I can do it :) I am
also learning swahili by the way. Principal Moses
is teaching me, and he said I could take classes
with the younger children!! He has even given
me homework. He says by the time I leave, I
should at least know simple Swahili.

Well, I am going to say goodnight! I just spent two hours doing this blog! Uploading pictures takes
FOREVER!! I love you all :)

2010-06-02T05:55:00.000-07:00

I AM IN KENYA!! Woohoo!

The flight here wasn't terrible. Long... but not terrible. While at the airport
in Atlanta I was able to meet 4 college students all going to different parts
of Africa to do missions. We all ended up having the same flight, so really
I wasn't alone at all! One of the girls even went all the way to Kenya so we
helped each other at the airport :) I think God knew that I needed friends.
Ya know I did get my mom's mouth so me and not talking don't go well
together. haha. (mama, you are laughing right now reading this-I just know it!)

My bags did make it to Kenya, but were SO DIRTY! Miss Kim, one of your
duffel bags ended up with a hole in it as well. SORRY! I will pay for it!

After getting my bags, the excitement started to really role in! I knew that after
I exited the doors, I would be in a place that I love. A place full of adventure! I
was so happy to see Mama Joe (Jane, Pastor Wambua's wife), Philip
(Wambua's brother), and Joab (my bestest Kenyan friend who came to
surprise me!!). Joab also brought me flowers!!! 15 orange roses :)

After we got my bags loaded in the car, we made our way to Wambua's
house in Lucky Summer. I guess I had forgotten how crazy Kenyans drive!
I thought we were going to die!!!!! ha. Philip laughed at me. He said,
"Klowie no like my driving?" He says my name funny. I tried to spell it the
way he pronounces it!

So, things to note on my first day in Kenya. Well, really only half of a day.
1. It's not smart to go without sleep for two days before making it to Kenya.
2. Fifteen orange roses make things A LOT better (you should all take
note to that! hahaha)
3. Make sure to eat two plate fulls of food or Kenyans get angry!
4. Getting called a muzungu (white person) is really starting to go to
my head! I like feeling like a celebrity!
5. stop for hot coffee or tea at least 4 to 5 times a day or you will be sorry.
6. bathing out of a bucket is really not as bad as it sounds. I kind of liked it :)
7. squatty potty's.... gotta love em'!
8. make sure you plug the right adapter into the wall then plug in the
blow dryer. A small burst of
fire and a whole Kenyan home losing power because of you is no fun!
9. I love my mosquito net that hangs from the ceiling over my bed! It kind
of makes me feel safe
and secure!

Well, this is my first day all summed up! You can just imagine the details!
I'm WAYYY too tired to write them all in.

Today started very early. Although I took a day of rest, rest was not really on
my priority list. I WANTED TO EXPLORE, and explore is what I did. I
needed to go into the city to exchange some money so Joab and I traveled
Kenyan style! We walked about 20 minutes to a place where the matatu's
(vans used for public transportation) pick you up. We then got in a matatu
and rode 15 minutes to the city. Boy, that ride was CRAZY!! Kenyan drivers....
boy oh boy. It is definitely going to take me a little while to get used to them!
When we got into the city we had to walk another 20 minutes to catch a bus
to the other side of town. We rode the bus for 15 minutes and then walked
another 15 minutes to get to our destination. A lot of walking, but I loved it!
Joab took me to exchange some money and then he took me to where he
interns. It is a place called TMA (Transforming ministries Africa- I think that is
what it stands for). I LOVED IT THERE! It is a Christian organization
whose goal is to love on Kenyans and share the Gospel with them. They
want to share the Word with Kenya so that Kenyans will share with the rest
of Africa. Joab says I will be working with them some while I am here. One
thing Sandy and Lee (the Americans who run TMA) told me helped them when
moving to Kenya is that their culture is not wrong, it is just different.

After a very long day of visiting and seeing the city, we finally made our
journey back to Lucky Summer, and then to Baptist Chapel for a service.
It was wonderful!

Funny story: On the way back to Lucky Summer there was a motorcycle
and a chicken (kuku) coming straight at me. Well, Joab is trying to make me
Kenyan so he told me not to be scared because neither would hit me. I basically
played chicken with a real chicken. Needless to say, the chicken got very excited
because of the passing motorcycle. Instead of running across the road, it ran/flew
at me and hit me in my face!!!! I wanted to tell that thing...."Chicken, do you
know that I will eat you!!" Joab and all the rest of the Kenyans around me
died laughing. I was so embarrassed!

I am loving Kenya so far! It is a whole new/different/exciting trip from last
summer. I am definitely seeing a whole new side of the Kenyan culture. I
asked Joab to make me as Kenyan as possible in the next two months! I
want to see life like they do. They are so loving and truly have a servant heart.
Mom and Dad.... I may decide to stay in Kenya :) :) I know you will be okay
with that! hahaha.

I love you all and I am so thankful for all the encouragement! You people who
hid all the cards in my bags- you are very very sneaky! I appreciate each one!
I wish I could go into more detail now but Mama Joe says I need to go to bed!
hahaha. It will be a busy day tomorrow. I will start teaching at the youth centre
which means I will be getting up at 6 a.m. and walking 30 minutes to get to the
school! Thank you so much for the prayers! Pray that every part of me would
display Christ. I want His light to shine from my life!

On your mark, get set, GO!!

2010-05-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

Kenya, HERE I COME!! Right now it is about 10:00 p.m. and my flight leaves in just a few short
hours. :) I wanted to let everyone know that I may not have internet until Thursday or Friday
so be patient with the blogging! I am going to try and update as much as I can, so bear with me!

As I spend these last few hours getting ready to leave, I couldn't help but be reminded of my
theme verse. Romans 10:14-15 says, "How, then can they call on the one they have not believed
in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear
without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is
written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'" The one question everyone
seems to ask me is why I want to go overseas so bad. Well, this verse says it all. I want to share
the Gospel overseas because these people might never have a chance to hear otherwise. I want
to be used by God more than anything. I feel that the best way for me to be used by Him and
give Him glory is to do what I am good at, which is loving on other people. My prayer for this
trip is that God would let me be His vessel in sharing His Word.

As we go on this adventure together, I hope that we will see the urgency in spreading the Gospel.
I pray we would get back to the roots of our faith, and that we would see Christianity as God
designed it. Lets go into all the nations!

Thank you all so very much for the prayers and support you have given me. This trip would not
have been possible without you! I love you all!

:):):):)

Let the countdown begin!!

2010-05-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I will officially be in Kenya in 6 days! The long awaited trip is finally almost here....
START PRAYING NOW, please :) :)