Let the Goodbye's Begin...

 Well I wanted to give a last update being our last week here. Although, I won’t technically be “home” until the 28^th due to debrief—I will be flying into Atlanta on Sunday evening. Thank you for all of your prayers, I have really seen God moving this summer and it’s been incredible.

Yesterday, we spent the day on the land just doing laundry and finishing up our last stuff before we leave. Today we went into Kibera as usual and helped with our classes. I was with my pre-unit class. I love them so much! They call me Quinnie, which is just too adorable. My Kenyan name is Wamboi, so one of the younger guys will say “Nakupenda Quinnie Wamboi” Which means I love you. So cute! I really love them and it’s going to be so hard for me to leave.  I also helped to teach P.E. today and then helped with music club, which is so ironic, because I’ve never picked up a recorder/anything musical in my life. So I think the kids got more laughter than helping after that, but it was definitely a lot of fun.

Tomorrow will be our last day in Kibera as far as teaching goes, and then Thursday will be our last day in Muthega, the slum that the Reformed Church of Kibera works with.  And then Friday, we are going to be spending our last day with the translators and then having a party with the workers on Friday night. We’re going to be buying a goat and having it stay on our land tomorrow, and then Friday the workers and some of the guys are going to slaughter it. It should be really fun. Saturday we will be doing a VBS in Kibera and saying goodbye to the kids, and then going to the girls home Saturday evening. We will be flying home Sunday morning. Pastor Imbumi is going to fly back with us, and stay with Mama Elmer (Martha) and the boys who are already in the states.

I think the biggest thing I am struggling with right now is being fully present. We have begun talking about home, and begin our last week have begun thinking about leaving. I’ve been thinking about how different it’s going to be, how my life has changed, changes I want to make when I get back, and having to leave all of the relationships I’ve built over these past two months. Please be praying for me to be able to be fully present while I’m here this week, and that God would give us an incredible peace over this week to be able to say goodbye.

God has really taught me to lean on him for all things. I have gone to Him constantly in prayer and he has definitely provided. His ways are so much higher than mine and so much better. I’m in awe of His greatness, and how much he is working in both Kenya and America. Thank you for your prayers! See you soon!

From Bucket Lists to Buckets...

Hey Everyone!

 I always get so encouraged when I see all of your sweet comments on my blog. Thank you so much for the prayers. Our team of 10 people hasn’t really had any major conflicts and I really believe that is because we are covered in prayers—so thank you.

On July 2^nd, we had a July 4^th party with all of the girls at Shunam. It was so fun! We all were so encouraged, because even though we planned for it, only God could have brought the genuine fun and smoothness that the party went into! We had hot dogs wrapped in Kenyan Chipati and some other American foods. It was really fun. We did a water balloon toss while singing some African songs we learned, and ending it with a good old fashion game of Kenyan football/soccer. 6 to 30, not good odds! We definitely lost but had a lot of fun doing it! It was such a sweet time, and probably one of my favorite days so far.

We had a July 4^th party on July 4^th with the workers that live on the land in Kisserian with us. It was so much fun, and it was a great time of dancing, celebrating, and praying with them for both America and for Kenya. It was so cool to feel so united from such different areas of the world.

We were blessed with the opportunity of going on a Safari this past weekend and it was incredible!! I absolutely loved going and God richly blessed us with a wonderful place to say, and all of the animals we prayed to see, God provided. We saw rhinos, elephants, cheetahs, leopards, lions, baby cubs, hippos, crocodiles, and so much more. We went on a game drive on Friday evening and another one on Saturday morning. It was amazing, and words can’t even describe how incredible it was!

When we woke up on Sunday morning, all of the guys were sick except for Justin. We think we may have gotten some food poisoning on the Safari. One of our guys, Corey, had to preach that morning. Even though he was sick, he felt like he was feeling well enough to preach. It was an incredible story, the Holy Spirit worked through him to deliver his sermon—on the Holy Spirit. It was so amazing to see how God used him to preach the word even though he was feeling so awful. It was such a testimony to God working in and through him in his weakness.

3 of the guys stayed back and the rest of us went. On the way, Rachel got sick, and then during the service I got really sick. I’ll spare you the details, but getting sick in Kibera—one of the worst experiences. It was horrible, and this week we’ve been taking it a little easy to recover.

We have a few more days left in Kibera, with a youth event on Saturday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and then a VBS the day before we leave. Please be praying for us, because it has already hit me how hard it will be to leave the relationships I have built here. Please be praying for us and for our team, I’m starting to feel the pressure of having to say goodbye and it’s really sad.

I’ve started to think about what God has changed in me these past two months, and while I have a few things I will definitely be taking home with me, part of me thinks I won’t really see some of the change until I get back home. I definitely want everyone to see what Christ has done this summer. Please be praying for us this next week as we have to say goodbye, and please be praying for me and my team, that we will be humbled and know that it is not what we did this summer, but what Christ has done in and through us.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting.”

Bwana Asifiwe! (Praise the Lord!)

Thanks for reading!

I’ll Follow You into the Homes of the Broken.

All the sweet notes you have written me!
Hanging up in my room! 

Sorry it has been so long since I’ve posted. Last Friday we did not have an opportunity to stop and get internet, and this past week a team from MTW was here, so we were taking other transportation.

All that to say, a lot has happened since I’ve posted last!

Last Tuesday, when we got into Kibera, I had the opportunity of doing home visits. I was very nervous. Since I’ve been going into Kibera, I have stayed away from the realities that these kids and people face. I chose not to think about there home lives, where they were living, and what that meant to them. When we walk into Kibera, it takes us about 10 min of jumping, climbing, and stepping in sewage to get into the church. And once we are in the church it is a safe place. I normally go into my regular routine of teaching my Pre-K class of 19 with Teacher Hope on both Wednesdays and Thursdays. But last week, the kids were in exams, so I had the opportunity of joining the teams that go on house visits.

            On Tuesdays, the church has a support group for HIV/AIDS. I joined a team with Corey, Purity, Rebecca, and myself. We got into our first home and I was faced with the reality of what it means to live in Kibera—there was no running from it. This woman’s nephew goes to the school at the church. She has AIDS but is in denial and not willing to accept help from the church. She lost her twin boys last year, both had AIDS and were four years old—they died within a month of each other. Her husband is in need of work, and she is dealing with her health issues. My heart was breaking. As I prayed for her and gave her words of encouragement, I felt so weak. I have not even begun to experience that kind of pain or suffering. God really showed me that I had to trust and rely on Him, and believe that what he says is true, even in the midst of this suffering. I encouraged her with 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” But as I was saying it, God really showed me that I had to believe what I was saying. It was challenging and heartbreaking for me. But the Lord answered my prayers, and gave me a spirit of dependence on Him, because that’s the only place I had to run to. He knows this woman’s situation more than I do, and He is faithful to provide. And His provision over her and her family’s life doesn’t necessarily look the same as mine would, but His plans are so much better than mine.

            We went to two other houses after that, and both times we prayed and encouraged these families that were in need of jobs, health issues with their kids, had malaria, tuberculosis, and many other serious problems. One of the ladies in the church said that we had no idea what this meant to these families—for us to go into their homes and show them that they are important to us. It was encouraging to hear this and to be able to know that Christ is using us in their lives.

My Pre-Unit class doing the Monkey Face!

            On Wednesday, because of the exams, I was able to do home visits again. Lauren, Justin, Pastor Wycliffe, and I were on a team. We went to probably 6 or 7 different homes. Justin is going to be a doctor, so we went to different homes with medical needs. One man was beaten earlier that morning with a footstool, and the cut was so deep on his head that you could see his skull. Justin and pastor tried their best to bandage it up and to clean it out. Pastor had past by it on his way to the church this morning and broke up the fight, but then we came back with our team to help bandage it up. It was really hard to see this kind of helplessness. If we had not come, I’m not sure what kind of medical attention he would have gotten. At home, it’s so easy—you get hurt, go to the doctor. It was a completely different world. It was emotionally draining Tuesday and Wednesday, but God worked so much in my heart on those days. Please be praying for our team as we are seeing things that I can’t even begin to describe. But more than that, please be praying for Martha and Pastor Imbumi, that they will gain their strength from the Lord, as they are constantly living a life of service here.

            Thursday, we did a VBS in Mothega, the other slum that the church in Kibera partners with. Then, on Friday we went into downtown Nairobi. It was such a fun day. We rode on public transportation, which was an adventure, and spent a lot of time with Pastor Wycliffe, Caroline, and Purity.  Caroline and Purity are the two house moms at Shunam, as well as helping out in the church in Kibera. They are so wonderful, and I’m so blessed to be able to know them.

            On Sunday, the team from MTW came in—Dr. Paul Kooistra, his wife and neice, and Opal. It was so fun to see Opal and to get to spend some time with her. One of the girls at Shunam and I have been memorizing passages in scripture together, so we both recited Psalm 91. The Lord really placed on my heart the importance of memorizing scripture and keeping it in your heart. Then, on Tuesday we were able to have dinner with Opal. It was so encouraging to see her and to be able to talk to her. 

I'll be working on some more updates, as far as the funny stories and different things that have been happening. Thank you for your prayers, and thanks for reading!