Habari za asubuhi - good morning my rafikis. And if it's not good morning, well, I don't know how to say good afternoon yet. I have the day off so I thought I would take a moment to update you guys.
We are going on our 4th week now…it is definitely going by fast. I still struggle with some things but am doing my best to "get out of self" and make the most of this blink of an eye, 6 months moment. I guess it's natural to struggle with homesickness, feeling insufficient (as this is my first time doing anything like this) and just trying to understand the difference in a vastly different world. I just don't want that to be my focus. God is teaching me a lot through these struggles and I pray that I keep them with me here and when I return. For example, it is frustrating to me the inconvenience of everything here, vs. the states where if you want anything you can basically have it at any moment. And in this, maybe I have been replacing God with those things…I would have a relationship with God at my convenience, and not going to Him for everything. I hope this makes sense.
The places we are going to each week are starting to take some shape. At TULIP, the girls are really starting to open up to us. I am helping tutor them, although I think it's more the other way around. 3 of the girls are preparing to take a really big test in Nov. to pass high school, I believe. They are really bright, and I just basically guide them in their studies. And sometimes we help with lunch, lead devotionals and hang out with them when they are sowing (doing life skills)…I now have a life skill, I made a bracelet. Out of 6 of the girls, I believe 3 or 4 have lost a parent or both. And some have even lost some siblings. There is a lot of hurt in that house, but there is also a lot of hope. You can see they are glad we are there…some of them even thank us. Part of my frustration is being places and not feeling able to help…feelings of "what am I doing here, I don't know how to relate or help." A few people have encouraged me that maybe I'm here to offer love, smiles and hugs. I do pray I make a difference here, that these people would see Jesus and be encouraged that He loves them.
I had a sad experience last week with CCP. I went out with a social worker and the first house we went to the mother had TB, along with another child (so in my head I'm thinking, don't breathe, don't breathe) and then her 1 year old son had been sick for about 4 days. We took him to one of the clinic's (it's like a miniature hospital, very miniature) to get some help. He was so dehydrated he was sleeping with his eyes open as there was no fluid to help him close his eyes. I do not know if he is alive today. We then had to go to the other clinic (a bigger one), both of these are in the slum. And there were tons and tons of sick people waiting…looking very sick and worn down. Grace, the social worker I was with said that most of them probably had Aids.
On a lighter note, I saw the "great rift valley" last Saturday. I went with Pastor Bob and his friend to see Sande and Ladoma compete in their last cross country meet. As we drove, we were above the rift valley, then in it, then above it again. It was beautiful. I even saw some zebras, and I think gazelle. It was about a 4 hour trip, one way, and a big chunk of that time was spent on horrible dirt roads while your body is bouncing all over the place. I also need to mention that they have speed bumps on those roads. Quanini? Why???
I got my phone pick-pocketed last week. I thought it just dropped out of my pants in the matatu, but after speaking to some Kenyans I have come to accept that most likely it was stolen from my pocket!!! Krystle and I, it's quite funny actually, were in a serious conversation on the matatu. We passed our stop and ended up in the middle of "South B." We knew where it was, just never been there. As soon as we got off the mat, I was like, "where is my phone, where is my phone." And Krystle looked at me then took off running for like 3 seconds and then figured she couldn't save my phone. These guys on that mat were overly friendly, helping us with directions of where we needed to go, and kept switching seats with me. I'm thankful it was only a cheap phone, and not anything important. Getting on a matatu or citi hoppa (bus) is quite humorous. Yesterday as Krystle and I were waiting to get on a hoppa - it truly was a challenge. Imagine over 50 people, all black and then 2 Muzungu girls, pushing and pulling their way on to a bus, sometimes as it's moving. There is no "girls first here." It's "better luck next time" if you don't catch it. And the day before that we were catching a hoppa (minus all the people) but it was moving as we were getting on, Krystle knocked the conductor in the head with her bible as I got slammed in to the door behind her. I wish we could send a video of it all!
Another humorous story…we were on our way home and are waiting to catch a mat in "South C." As I'm writing this I can see some of you being concerned about the names of these places and sounding ghetto. It's just the name of an area of town on either side of Mombasa Rd…it's not ghetto at all :o) So we caught a mat and it was backed up with traffic…the worst I've seen it. So this chizi Matatu driver is going around traffic, facing oncoming traffic, driving on the sidewalk, everything. In my head I'm thinking "Yes, keep going around all this traffic!!!" I think I even turned around to Krystle and said, "This is my type of driving!" Honestly, I wanted him to keep going around all the traffic, even though after a while it was seeming a bit dangerous, especially when people on the side walk were dodging this chizi man! Then we caught another mat, and these guys had a system in the mat and bumping it with a neon green light inside. The guy running the mat (the one that collects our money) let me hang out the sliding door with him for a few seconds. It's what they do, so I wanted to experience it for myself :o)
Oh, and also a lady was trying to get her chicken back in her purse as it kept trying to get out. I have one thing to say…only in Kenya! :o) So we finally got to our destination, YaYa (it's like a mall), and all the stores were closed, well, almost all. So we got what we could and left and were hurrying home as it was getting dark.
We ran in to a guy, Jared, and to make a long story short, he accepted Christ that night :o) I've never seen anything like it and was just totally reminded of how big God is and how his timing is so perfect and precise. So please pray for Jared and that he would get connected with some good Christian men.
At Lifespring, I am assisting to organize/plan a camp for the youth. I am excited as I've already been able to give some input with my experience at camp before (thanks UCYC)! :o) And I am also supposed to be in charge of going to an orphanage on Christmas with gifts for the children…these would be donations for the kids that people from the church contribute.
Krystle and I got really excited to watch March of the Penguins so if you would like to send us some mail I'm sure that would be quite entertaining for us :o) I feel like I have so much more to write…words cannot capture what happens here. The funny things, and the sad things. This letter is getting quite long now so I'll be going now.
Mungu aku Bariki - God bless you.
Please let me know how we can be praying for you…we are praying for our friends and family on Thursday's.
Love always, Megan
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