Quick Update

Hello friends,

Brief update on the happenings of the last week or so.

Last Friday we left Nairobi for Kilgoris through Monday. When you imagine Africa, this experience is probs what you think. Red dresses, gaping holes in their ears, holding hands and dancing and singing, beads all up their arms and around their necks and on their heads, the works. We drove up to the small village area then walked the rest of the way so that they could give us a ceremonial welcome. It was a little invading but so amusing regardless. The three days there were spent mingling with the Maasai people, playing with the kids at an orphanage, painting a classroom in the school, slaughtering a chicken (I got to perform this!), slaughtering a goat, drinking cow blood w/o hurting the cow, star gazing (the stars are way bigger and brighter in Africa!), home visits, church (that started over an hour late since time is meaningless here), delicious food- rice, beans, potatoes, unsanitary meat- unstable beds with two inch padding, no electricity, no toilets or mirror or showers. A wonderful experience altogether. Seriously though, it was a little more than roughing it but an extremely enjoyable weekend.

On Monday we left for the Mara, quite possibly the highlight of the trip to date. Monday afternoon and all day Tuesday was spent driving through the safari looking for animals. I had the impression that animals would be all over the place, not so much the sitch- we would see a bunch then go two hours without seeing anything. We saw zebras, giraffes, gazelles, water buffalo, elephants, hippos, crocs, cheetahs, hyenas, lions, everything but a leopard and a rhino. So many elephants that by the end of the safari we would see an elephant and think Meh, I already have 75 pictures of that, nbd. I'm at 2,300 pictures right now- eek!

Wednesday was a day of travel, making a pit stop for the night and onward to visit a World Vision team on Thursday. The first site we visited sponsored by them was an animal orphanage- wild animals that can't make it on their own. We got to walk inside the elephant barracks with the elephants, I got within inches of cheetahs with only a thin wired fence in between, and we saw rhinos! The big 5 complete.

Next they took us to another Maasai village were we stayed the night. This village is intended to help women who are more or less neglected by husbands, and also educating women about FGM. This stay involved more dancing and chanting and hugging and hand holding, high elevation so cold nights, bushes for bathrooms, dinner at 9:30p, but also great adventures like rock climbing with the baboons, bead making with the women, and being shown some of their survival traits like their herds, plants, making fire from sticks and stones.

Tomorrow morning we head to Navisha to stay at an orphanage through Monday. Monday night will be back in Nairobi and Tuesday we board to come home. Looking forward to these last few days filled with a lot of exciting things, but I'm ready for home!

Pce. & Blessings
Jess

Becoming a Native

Tomorrow we leave for the bush for 10 days, so I'll quick fill you in on the last week. So much has been happening that it would take me days to tell you everything so I'll keep it short to a few highlights. Friday, January 4: This day was spent mostly traveling- from Soroti to Kampala, then Kampala to Nairobi. We saw a lot of monkeys and baboons on our drive so that was fun. we did a lot of shopping and I got most of my souvenirs. The highlight of this day was waiting for our plane to board in Entebbe airport and the power went out- night time, completely black. I tried imagining that happening at Gerald R Ford and I doubt that's ever happened. The generators kicked on after half a minute or so, then maybe 30 minutes later the power came back. We boarded late but go to Nairobi safely and found the group easily. We go to our hotel and it's much nicer than I had imagined. Although I'm getting tired of all the creepy crawlies we're finding in our room. Saturday: We were all divided into small groups and walked about an hour into the city to explore. While passing the Israeli embassy, us four girls were of course taking pictures neglecting the large sign that reads "Photography Prohibited." Whoops! A police officer carrying and AK-47 quickly approached us and took all our cameras and asked for our passports. We didn't have them so he said he would be taking us to the station until Monday when we would be seen in court. We kept saying we were taking pictures of the flowers, not the embassy. But he would not listen. It took maybe 20 minutes to convince him, we showed him our student and state ID's and with the help of our guide, he finally let us show him the pictures and gave the cameras back. He was so angry I was afraid he was going to grab the gun and take us all out. Great start to this foreign country experience! Sunday: Today we worshiped in two churches, the first was an Anglican Church and was extremely conservative. It was a large church with terrible seating, so we weren't able to see the minister at all. A lot of it was also spoken in Swahili so it was hard to follow, too. The second church was a Baptist church and we attended the young adults service- quite similar to something at home. Familiar songs and a really good message. Services here are on average 2 hours long so it was a long day walking to church then to the next church. The rest of the afternoon was more exploring. Monday: We had lots of lectures today at Daystar University and the Anglican Church. It was a long day but we heard really interesting things about the Kibera Slums, and many lectures on HIV-AIDS. Instead of walking back with the group, I decided to tag along with Prof Mark and three other students and take a scenic run back. Thinking this guy is 65, I can do this! Forgetting a few things: elevation, dehydration, heat, all uphill, out of shape, and Mark was a Sargent in the army. 5 miles later though I made it to our destination. Tuesday: A day spent in the slums, a place I never need to see again. Desolate conditions, smells worse than I've ever experienced, homes that aren't even suitable for a dog. It was a great experience spending time with the kids though, and making friends with the pastor and his wife who run the Exodus Church and the school there. Today I had an experience I've never had before- a marriage proposal. Jeff, our armed guard escorting us through the slums, told me he is married but he wants me to be his number two. I told him I was dating but he said he would come to America with his gun and take care of that problem. Haha Giving me winks and blowing me kisses, he kept telling me I'm going to marry him. Then he got down on a knee with a beaded ring and put it on my finger. I haven't laughed so hard! I later gave the ring ring to a little girl :) Wednesday: Another long day of lectures, hearing from several politicians at the US embassy about foreign affairs, the US and Kenyan economy and how they relate with each other, the security in Kenya and how it is truly an unsafe place after dark- hence the reason we're in our gate by 6p every night. After lunch we traveled to a local missionary school and got to tour and hear about the academy. Sitting there I remembered a classmate from high school who was a missionary kid and attended a boarding school in Kenya. Late found out it was Rosslyn Academy, the school we were at- I was glad I could keep my Dutch bingo sharp even across the world in Africa :) For dinner we visited an Ethiopian restaurant. Props to myself for trying it, but there was a lot of spitting and gagging and washing down with water. Never again! Thursday: Today started with more lectures at the African International University. The purpose of all these lectures is to inform us on the politics, lifestyle, injustices, and general info on Kenya. After lunch at the university we drove to the Ngong Hills and hiked the mountains for three hours. It was a great workout and we saw an awesome view of Nairobi, the Rift Valley, and so much of Kenya. We even ran into a Kenyan native who was running the hills and so I stopped and talked with him for a while, asking him if he runs in Michigan- leading to the question if he's ran the riverbank run or not. Turns out, he has been to MI but in training for the Olympics. He runs an 800m in 1:47. That's a HALF MILE! Wowzas. So the next summer Olympics, look for a Kenyan track runner named Dan. I've met him! Tomorrow morning we leave for the bush (rural areas of Kenya)- staying with the Maasai tribe for a few days, painting a school, going through the Masai Mara safari, visiting WorldVision, and spending a couple days at an orphanage. I'm sure there will be many more surprises along the way, too! Pce. & Blessings. Jess

Broken & Blessed

Tuesday, January 8 2013

This post is only going to include our experience from today, visiting the Kibera Slum in Nairobi- the biggest slum community in Africa.

A girl in our group shared these lyrics tonight by Brooke Frazier: "Now that I have seen I am responsible." The question haunting all of us tonight after our trip to the slum is what now? How can we help?

To put a picture in your mind of what the slum is like, let me describe through the senses.
-Sight: Dirt roads infested with water, urine, feces, trash, dead animals. Tin homes composed with small and large sheets of metal screwed in place with bottle caps and nails. Streets filled with people, some "well" clothed and some in need. Children running about with what looks like no parental guidance. Markets filled with rotten fruit, poorly looking food, clothes shoes beads, anything that they can make money from.
-Smell: A lot of burning- food, trash, fires to mold resources. Body waste, walking past latrines is by far the worst stench I have ever experienced. Body odor. Car emission fumes.
-Sounds: People trying to sell things, people running around and screaming "Mzungu! How are you?" Children playing together. Cars and trucks and motorcycles. Dogs, goats, chickens. Some babies crying at their first sight mzungu's.
-Tastes: I tried to keep my mouth closed as much as possible since the air isn't even clean. For food though, I was able to avoid lunchtime and run to the market with a professor for drinks.
-Feelings: Dirty. Jumping over streams and shuffling through alleys I didn't even feel comfortable touching the walls for support because of what could be on there. Sitting with the kids, I watched others give them kisses but I couldn't even dare. Showers are not a necessity, they are a rare luxury. Clean homes and dishes and clothes are next to impossible. Everything is covered in filth.

We spent about six hours in the slum today, walking to the Exodus Church in the middle of the slum. I imagined a beautiful church in the midst of despair. Instead I was surprised (as I daily am) to walk into a dark cement building with a hole-filled tin roof. The church is without electricity as the whole slum is. It is extremely small, maybe 20'x20'. There are about 75 people who worship each Sunday, but during the week it is the home of the Kara Kibera Kids School. We visited with the kids all day- they put on a program for us, we fed them lunch, played with them, took so many pictures and watched their enthusiasm when they would flip through the pictures. The children loved seeing us, and we loved seeing them. They are so purely joyful and truly content with what they have- a soccer ball made of banana leaves, a rubber wheel and some string to entertain them, a rock, a ratty old doll. All the kids I know are constantly in front of an LCD screen playing video games, watching movies, listening to their iPod. Even with all of that they aren't content.

Tonight during our debriefing we shared the emotions we are feeling. Angry. Sad. Encouraged. Blessed. Guilty. Confused. Inspired. Mad. Responsible. Broken. Shocked. Grateful. Unsure. Called. Disconnected. Invested.

It's tough to understand how some people can live in such horrific conditions and we can leave the same horrific places and go back to our hotel and shower and clean off, put on clean clothes, enjoy a delicious meal. They cannot. Soon enough we will fly 17,000 miles home to places where we have big rooms, filled refrigerators, nice cars to take us anywhere, beautiful malls and supermarkets, places of entertainment like movie theaters, baseball games, concerts. All things we don't need but yet we think we do. How is it fair that I was born into my family instead of a slum-stricken family in Africa? In my family, I have been given everything I've ever needed, anything more I had to work for. It is so easy to look around me and see all the things my friends have given to them, no work involved. I am always looking up the economic ladder, wanting more thinking I need it. Today has inspired change in me. Walking in the shoes of these natives, I'm looking up their economic ladder. I have it SO good. God has blessed me. How can I think He hasn't? A nice home in the beautiful countryside, a loving family who care about me even when I'm a terrible person to them, a great church that blesses me not just on Sundays but every day, an education- much more a Christian education, food that I never have to worry about receiving, enough clothes to clothe the entire school plus more that we visited today, health. This is way more than they have. It shows me how selfish I am. And really, how selfish everyone I know is.

A verse that kept coming to mind today was Colossians 3:2 "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things." Why do I measure wealth in the things I have? In truth, the people here are much more wealthy than me. Their dependence on God is so much greater than mine. Their faith in God is so much greater than mine. Their wealth is so much greater thank me, because material possessions are an incorrect measure of wealth. Listening to prayers here, they plead to God to provide their next meal because He is truly the only one who can deliver such a request. I have never once had a concern about where my next meal is coming from. Their prayers for healing are filled with tears, begging God to restore strength in their son or brother or wife because medicine cannot be afforded so the only healing that can take place is through our Healer's hand. I've gotten sick, broke an arm, hit my head, needed surgery. So my mom get me medicine, took me to the doctor, arranged countless appointments, paid for surgery. Again, I have never had a concern about getting the treatment I needed. They truly depend on God. I do not. THEY are wealthy. I am not.

Leaving today, I was talking with my professor, Cal, and sharing my feelings. I surprisingly don't feel guilty for the life I have been given, but I have turned to God in gratitude. I have really seen how good He has been to me- I have many material blessings in my life, what I don't have is a deep rooted appreciated for these things. A deep rooted appreciation would instill in me the fact that God has provided everything for me, I have not. I pray that I will now start to become a wealthy person- with a mind set on a relationship with God dependent on Him, not on earthy things.

Kibera still needs help, though. So what can we do to help these in need? Pray. Pray for the people here, that they continue to rely on God to provide for them as He faithfully does. Pray for teachers to be called to these places to educate these children, pray for doctors and nurses to be called to provide medical attention to these people, pray for carpenters to be called to help construct livable homes, pray for preachers to be called to spread te word of God. Prayer is a way to stay connected when we're not together. God will hear our prayers. They will feel our prayers.

Today we were supposed to be a blessing the the habitants of the Kibera Slum. Today the men and women and children blessed me and everyone else more than they will ever know. I hope one day you will have the chance to be changed through a life of a wealthy slum-living brother or sister who will rock your world. I challenge you to place yourself in such a vulnerable position. You won't regret it.

Next stop: Kenya

The new year started with a day spent in Tiesenga's home village, Pamba. We walked around a bit visiting with the natives there. I was able to see the inside of people's homes then, and really see how different living really is here. The first home was Catherine's, a square hut that is considered a very nice place. She lives there with her husband, Joseph, and their two children Aaron (8) and Kerin (6mo). Their hut is about 10'x10', and divided by a curtain. On one side she has a sewing machine- her occupation is a seamstress- there is a basket of material, and a small plastic shelf that holds her dishes and spices, the only things her family really owns. On the other side is two mattresses, one for Joseph & Catherine, the other for Aaron & Kerin. There is also a small pile of clothing, and that's it!

The next place we visited was a square of homes that were much less than Catherine's place. There are four buildings that create the square, and on the "inside" of the square are hanging clotheslines for their laundry, and where they do all there cooking all day long- pots on charcoal. Each building contains 5 "homes", and each home is extremely small. The only way I can describe it is the width of one twin mattress and the length of one and a half twin mattresses. SMALL! There are holes in the corners where the rats come in and out, there is no light, and the homes are so hot so the body odor just sticks in the air. It is truly terrible! We went to visit Christine, Tiesenga's house helper. She lives in one home with 7 other people- because it is so small she sleeps on the concrete floor. Her sister lives with her and has a brand new baby girl, so we got to visit with them, too. We spent most of the time outside in the shade, since there is more room there and it is much cooler. Nearly everyone is outside all the time here. 

Later on Monday we went to Amacet, a YWAM run orphanage where Tiesenga's got their new daughter, Kate. There were about 15 boys and girls there, most of which they hope will go back to their homes or a family member, but they are in the orphanage's care right now because most of them are malnourished. The first baby I picked up was such a sweet looking boy, Michael, who looked fairly healthy. As soon as I picked him up, though, I realized he had some issues. I found out that he as cerebral palsy, sickle cell disease, and other defects, too. He is actually one of the very few that will not go back home because no one wants him because it is a shame to have a baby with issues. He was the cutest thing though and I fell in love with him!

Tuesday was a fun day to the village of Tiesenga's landlords, Peter & Helen and their 6 children. Their village is a little over 1 hour away, and we spent most of the day there. When we got there around noon, they served us tea time, which is like an entire meal. There was obviously tea, hard boiled eggs, bread, potatoes, and g-nut paste which is like really thick peanut butter. It is offensive if you do not at least try everything served, so I was forced to be polite. After tea time Peter gave us a tour of their village then we came back for lunch, which is where their youngest, Rebecca (4), became my best friend. When we left several hours later she even climbed in our van to come with us because she said she liked her new friend :) Presh! For lunch, they older daughters came around with a basin and pitcher of water and we all washed our hands. It is such an honor to have mzungu's come to your village, so they serve you the whole time and never eat with you. It feels very awkward but it is their culture. Lunch was all horrible things, but I at least gave it a try. My saving grace was rice- I think I will never want to eat rice after this month is over. There was irish potatoes, goat intestines (which I did not eat, because I have been telling everyone I am vegetarian and do not eat meat- it's the only way to get out of situations like this. ha), etoppy (which is unexplainable, except the only adjective I can use to describe it is gross), greens (I don't really know what that was, either), and of course rice. The rest of the afternoon was spent visiting, where Rebecca sat on my lap most of the time, or played games with me, colored for me, or grabbed my hand and would take me places. 

Tuesday night was the hardest night to fall asleep because after informing Drew and Troy that I heard noises under my bed last night, they told me "yeah, that's just the mice and frogs and anything else." Steve and Tanya agreed and said I have no clue what is living in the guest house with me. I want my Michigan bedroom so badly right now!

Wednesday was a more boring day for me, I like life fast paced and that is not how the Ugandans roll. Today was Ashley's 13th birthday, so we spend most of the day back at Catherine's sewing headbands and more visiting. Joseph and Catherine made us lunch today, so I got more (or less!) African food. However, they came over for dinner tonight which was pizza and they did not like it, so now they know what it is like to eat foreign food. Also while we were at Catherine's, a few neighbor boys who are Drew & Troy's friends, were hanging around and offered to make a slingshot for me to take home to Tad. They think it is so cool that the slingshot is for a boy in America, which I found funny. They even asked why I didn't take him along- because I don't have an extra 4,500,000 shillings just laying around. Later in the day, Steve, Alli, and I went to Soroti to get a few things to take home to the states with us. Because their van was in the shop getting repaired before our long drive to Kampala tomorrow, we had to take a taxi into town (it's probably close to 2 miles from Pamba to Soroti). We got bike taxi's- there is a cushion over the back tire and you sit sideways (because I was in a long skirt) all the way there. On the way home we took piki's (motorcycles) and so I got to ride my first motorcycle ever in Africa. Without a helmet. Sideways. On dirts paths. With a random guy I didn't know. My dad would be so thrilled! 

Tomorrow morning we leave early to make the long trek to Kampala. We fly out at 7:50p and should be in Nairobi around 9p. Pray that our trip to Kampala and our trip to Nairobi goes well, and that the Calvin group gets there safely, too, so that Alli and I are not stranded alone. Kenya elections are also approaching soon, so there is a lot of political unrest. Some Ugandan's told us today to be careful because it is not safe right now, so please pray that this will not affect us. 

This is Christine's square. Less than any home we have ever seen in Grand Rapids.

You sit on mats, and just hang out in the shade. Here I am holding baby Ashley- just 12 days old.

Roda.

Pamba, Soroti, Uganda, Africa. 

Near Christine's square.

Michael @ Amacet.

Uganda has the best oranges ever! Yes, they're green oranges.

Rebecca :)

My helpings are small, but this is still considered polite :) And Sue, I am getting my protein so don't worry! On the bottom left is greens, bottom right is Etoppy, top right is Irish potatoes, and top is rice.

A wild monkey!

Troy's festive African-wear.

Sewing headbands on Ashley's birthday.

 

This is the street corner right outside Tiesenga's yard in Pamba.

Joshua 2 (he made Tad's catepult), Troy, Aaron, and Joshua 1

Making the slingshot.

Enjoy!

Pce. & Blessings.
Jess