In the jungle...

Mondays are the days that the Nairobi team takes off during the week. We work Tues-Sun here so we make sure to enjoy our one day off. Well this Monday we did just that. Arie took his boys & us girls on a safari at the Nairobi National Park in our backyard. I've been on quite a few game drives since I've been coming to Africa. My favorite one was my first because it was in the world famous Masai Mara & I saw several male lions, 3 cheetahs, elephant, giraffe, zebra, ostrich…pretty much everything but the rhino. Plus we had the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen. This time around, however, was extra special. We witnessed a once in a lifetime event, 2 female lions right after a kill. They were laying under a palm tree & there were about 4 safari vans parked right in front of them watching national geographic unfold right before their eyes; It was probably the coolest thing I've ever seen! But we weren't quite satisfied just yet, there's something about a safari not being complete until you see a male lion. As we were driving quite fast down the dirt road we came to an abrupt stop because 2 males lions crossed right in front of us & walked into the brush on the other side of the road. One looked like it was probably the father & the other the younger. They were huge! About an hour later on our way back down the same path we saw the father laying literally about 6 ft. off the road. We parked in front of him & marveled at his beauty. What a day it was!

 

Male lion crossing in front of us

  




Acacia Forest





Lions eating their kill

Home Visits

Our time here has been rather slow, mostly because the children are on what they call “Holiday” (Christmas break) until after the new year. The church has been rather empty because most people leave town to go to “up country” (their hometowns). So we’ve been filling our time doing our studies, planning a VBS & going on home visits. This past week we took some time to go into the homes of some of church members that haven’t left for “up country”. Most of the members live in the slum behind the church called Nando. The homes are about the size of a bedroom, maybe a 10x10 room. They’re made out of sheets of aluminum with concrete floors. They have a small seating area & a bed sheet separating the seating room from the bedroom. In Nando there are quite a few small communities of these shacks. You usually see herds of sheep walking around, trash, drunks, and barefoot children playing in the dirt. We visited a lady named Eunice; she is part of the tea ministry at church. Every Sunday she and a few other ladies prepare chai tea & mandazis (deep fried pastries) for after service. She asked us to pray for her because she hasn’t been able to find work & her rent was past due. Her rent is 1,300 Shillings, roughly $18 USD. Another lady we sat with is Jane; she lives in the home with her 20 yr old son who just finished school. They are both looking for work to pay rent as well. She is suffering with TB & HIV. She told us that she was working at a night club cleaning the bathrooms after hours & the club owner treated her badly & refused to pay her because apparently they didn’t have a formal written agreement. She tried to wash some of the neighbors’ clothes to earn money but she was very weak from the illnesses. Her son goes out during the day to find work but most places in Nairobi make you pay them first before they hire you…corruption at its finest. Another lady we met is Beth. She actually has a job cooking for construction workers but during this season they too are on Holiday so she is struggling to pay rent. Finally, we met Nicholas & his new bride Phyllis. They were a happier story; Nicholas works at our church & is part of the Children’s ministry. He got married a few weeks ago & is still on his honeymoon. Him & Phyllis just moved into their new home in Nando & he was very proud it & his wife. He had a huge smile every time we asked him how married life has been. It’s really hard to hear these stories of people not being able to pay rent when I sit there with 1,300 Shillings in my pocket. Everything in me wants to hand them money, but Arie explained to me that we can’t just give money out like that. Most African’s have the mind set of turning to Muzungu’s (Westerners) for money instead of God. Always, my initial reaction is come to Africa & put a band-aid over all the problems. But really it’s only a temporary fix. The problems here need more than a first-aid kit…they need God.

Nando



girls playing in trash




Nicholas & Phyllis




Christina & Anna-Marie outside Eunice's house



From Islam to Christianity

Today we had the special privilege of meeting with some Somali ladies that have converted from Islam to Christianity.  Arie took us to a local church where his friend Bernard attends & is often on their radio station doing debates on the Muslim faith. Bernard has started a ministry of evangelizing to the Muslims here in Nairobi. He knows the Quran extremely well so him & Arie meet up once a week to teach each other; Arie teaches him the Bible & he teaches Arie the Quran. We met with him & a home fellowship group that has taken on caring for these 13 Somali women. We got to hear their testimonies of how they were led to convert to Christianity. All of them were kicked out of their families & have been beaten & or have had their lives threatened. They ranged from ages 15-50. They all still were their burkas & appear to be Muslim; but as we went around the circle introducing ourselves they all proudly proclaimed their love for Jesus Christ. I was challenged today by the ladies. To hear what they have sacrificed to follow Jesus causes me to take a look at what I have sacrificed to follow Jesus. I thought I was leaving a lot behind when I decided to come to Africa. It doesn’t even compare to what they have left behind. In July I get to go back to my family, my friends & my American life. But these women have nothing to go back to. I was humbled by them. One lady named Zahara has 13 children & has taken in 2 of the other girls to live with her in a 2 room house since they have been kicked out of their Muslim families. The women can not work here because they are not Kenyan. So they all take care of each other & rely on the Lord to provide their every need literally day by day. Please pray that these women would stay strong in their faith in Jesus and pray for their protection from their Muslim families.

1st Week in Nairobi

Life in Kenya has started out pretty slow which has been nice because it has allowed us to adjust to life here...you know…11 hr time difference, mosquitoes biting us in the middle of the night, random power outages, conserving water, etc. We live in a guest house with two other women, Natasha from Russia & Jamie from Southern California.  The other Far Reaching missionaries, the Ramirez family & Zavala family, live in the same complex as us. Next door to us a National Reserve (Safari Park)…how cool is that!?! You can usually find me standing at the window looking for animals. So far we’ve seen a giraffe, cape buffalo & gazelle!  

Our first Saturday in town we went to a wedding, Arie (our teacher) officiated the wedding & his son Jojo was the ring bearer. Apparently this particular wedding was more Westernized but they still included some tribal traditions which was neat to experience. 

Our schedule has been revealed to us along with our ministry projects. Our work week is Tues-Sun, with Mon being our day off. We start our day with personal devotion at 6:30am & then have breakfast. We are starting an audio study called “Growing in the Grace of God” by Bob Hoekstra. At noon we leave to go do ministry which varies from day to day. We come back to the house at about 5pm or 6pm & start our workout (P90X), then dinner, fellowship, studying & bed. Our main jobs here our going to be Bible teaching at the schools in the slums, two different women’s Bible teachings per week, home visits, hospital visits, & general ministry at church on Sundays.

Tonight we went to a Christmas concert in an area called Karen. Karen is in the more affluent part of Nairobi where mostly Muzungu (white people) live. We sat outside picnic style by candle light & they sang carols & read some scripture. It being summer here with hardly any decorations makes it easy to forget that we are in the Christmas season.

We are all doing well & enjoying our time here.  Nairobi is just absolutely beautiful & I feel so blessed to be here.

Kenyan Wedding

Arie & JoJo

                                                    

Our very secure house

Safari Park next door

                                                        



Our bedroom



Our living room

Our church-Calvary Chapel Nairobi

Christmas concert

Please pray for Sudan. We just found out today that war has already started in South Sudan with ariel bombs being dropped. Far Reaching Ministries is possibly evacuating the missionaries out of there soon. War wasn't expected to start until Jan if at all & we are scheduled to be there in the spring. So plans are most likely going to change for us unless the war ends. Please also pray for the people that are being attacked in the war & all the innocent lives that will be lossed.



Last Week in Murrieta

This Extreme Missions Training program has been one of the hardest and best experiences of my life...and I still have 7 months to go.  I really had no idea what I was walking into 2 ½ months ago, but I’m so glad I decided to walk.  This has been a season of extreme growth for me.  I’m growing in my knowledge of the Word, growing in my faith in the Lord, and growing into a more intimate relationship with Him.  I’d have to say that the number one thing God has been teaching me during this training in Murrieta is to trust Him.  Trust Him to provide financially, trust Him to give me strength, and most importantly to trust Him with my life.  I so often think that I know what’s best for me, more than God does.  I don’t trust that His purpose for my life will be one I desire.  God has been showing me that He is so worthy of following.  He sees my future, He knows who & what will complement me the most…so why wouldn’t I follow Him.  I’m not totally ready to go to Africa tomorrow.  I’ve really enjoyed this time season in Murrieta but I know that as I step foot off that plane on to African soil, I will know that I’m exactly where God has called me to be at this particular time in my life.  Wes so often reminds us that faith moves the hand of God.  I’m watching that hand move mightily in my life right now as I walk in faith.

Last day of workout with our personal trainer Gus

                                             Prayer meeting with the staff

                       Anna-Marie, Christina, me at our send-off party with FRM

                                      Last dinner in America with Daddy Wes