A small glimpse into my week

It's Monday, the start of a new week. So far this morning I have spent a few hours trying to mop up all the dust and dirt and other yuckies around my house. We have a tiny house that seems to get so dirty so quickly. I guess it doesn't help much that there is a huge building project in our backyard that is creating hoards of dust. Sometimes I can see the streams of dust floating through the window. On the bright sigh, it is a delightful overcast day. Mombasa is finally cooling down. 

Anyways, here are a few shots of my week. I have been terrible at communicating and taking pictures in the past few weeks. I promise to try harder. 

The moon

I sat in awe as I watched the moon rise high above the boys as they practiced one night. The boys are back on track with practicing. They won their first game of the league on Saturday. I wasn't there but I heard they were elated and celebrated with vuvuzela's and lots of chanting/singing. 

Groove

Last sunday, the biggest concert in the nation came and did its final show in Mombasa. The Groove tour sets up stages all across the country and profiles the hottest gospel music artists in the country. In Kenya, more often than not, the top songs on the charts are all gospel tunes. It's pretty rad although I feel sometimes we've lost the art of 'worship music'. But at least the lyrics are somewhat clean and holy...

Security was tight with threats of terrorists and such. We went through 4 different security guards just to get through the gates. Once inside, police and security were everywhere, including some 'hidden' police mingling amongst the crowds. With thousands of people inside, they did a pretty good job on the security front. No bombs. That's always a good thing. 

Kelvin and I got cozy in the back sitting on the bleachers in the shade. We totally enjoyed ourselves. I loved seeing some of our boys and some of the ladies. The concert was FREE and close to Kongowea. My heart was happy seeing them enjoying themselves. 

Cooking adventures


My new resolution is to cook nicer food at home and eat out less. Eating out adds up and I can make yummier, cheaper food at home. So this week saw me make pizza, baked chicken, toasted cheese, pumpkin cookies, coconut meat stew and pasta alongside the usual rice, beans, ugali, and sukuma.

I had been wanting to learn to cook the local pilau for a while now. From what I had heard, it was fairly easy and pretty cheap. One of my ladies, Susan, offered to take me home after our meeting on Saturday to teach me how. We giggled the whole way through the process and ended up making some pretty delicious pilau. It passed my husbands standards which is really what I strive for. The real test will be when I try cook it myself at home.

Missin' my Momma 


Yes, Mother's day really made me long for my momma. These are the days I wish I was closer and could celebrate my mother the way she deserves. Good thing I have a pretty rad brother who managed to treat my mom to a nice dinner and her favourite flowers. I did manage to squeeze in a short Skype date with mom in the morning. Thank the Lord for Skype. I wasn't the only one longing for my mom. Neema was practically trying to scratch her way through the screen to get to her.

Journalling


A dear wife/friend/mentor of mine recently encouraged me to start journalling. I used to journal a lot in Kenya mostly because everything was so new and cool and noteworthy. Now I am used to life so it doesn't seem to be worth writing down. But I bought this cute little notebook (that a friend makes and sells for super cheap) and have been writing almost every day. It's been really relaxing to just sit and write openly and honestly about whatever is on my mind.

A new schedule


When we came back from our trip, we knew that we needed to shift some things around in our life and focus on what's really important. The last few months were hard as we tried to balance starting a business, working with the youth, and focusing on being newly married. So now Kelvin has trained one of our boys to manage the business for a few hours in the day leaving us with the mornings together. It has made such a huge difference! We wake up slowly and eat breakfast together while watching our favourite morning shows. We clean up, spend some time reading God's word and just hang out. Sometimes we watch a movie or just talk. Around noon I start preparing lunch and after that Kelvin heads out. He gets what needs to be done in the office before he goes to practice with the boys. I usually plan something for the afternoon. I have been actually heading to Kongowea more to meet up with my ladies one on one. Then we come back home together in the evenings, cook supper, and relax.

This new schedule has not only helped our relationship but also the youth we work with. We find we have more time and energy to pour into them which is what they really need most. It is also what makes us thrive too!

I am grateful the way God has worked it all out.

As for this week, we are still busy. Tonight I am headed to Kongowea to meet with one of my ladies and take some head shots of the boys for a fundraiser happening in Canada. Then the rest of the week is filled with wedding meetings, visiting, bible studies, office work, and, well, sweet time with those who matter most.

Tumechoka

Tumechoka. We. are. tired. 

Just after taking this photo, Kelvin says to me, 

"Baby, you need to wipe all the sweat off your head. Your face is shiny." 

People, we are tired. Really tired. 

What do I mean by that? We are tired of just life. Kelvin and I both feel exhausted with everything - work, the boys, the ladies, the HEAT, mombasa, our church, the food, finances, and well, everything. 

This morning, Kelvin woke up with a sore throat and a stuffed nose. The fan is giving him so many troubles at night. The tough part is that the fan is so necessary. I woke up the second the power went out last night and immediately started sweating. In the mornings, I find that I wake up more tired and dehydrated than before I went to bed. Yes, the heat has been horrible. I mean horrible. (Canadians, don't even begin to complain about the snow and rain. At least you have the option of a warm house. We don't have cool air. Ever.)

Yesterday, I had a rough morning before heading to church (I believe it was the devil scheming). I was in tears as I was sweating, trying to muster up any energy, battling a heat headache, not able to find the right clothes to wear, struggling with my bra (yes, my bra), and general weariness. I am so glad I pushed through and went to church. Church was SO refreshing for both Kelvin and I. We really needed it. On the way home though, I was drained. I was so hot, still had my headache, tired, emotional, and tired. I got home and passed out on the couch. We didn't eat lunch till 4. 

We love our work, but we are a little tired of it. We love our house, but we are tired. Mombasa is great, but I am tired of it. I remember other missionaries telling me that after every 3 months, they start to get weary and tired and must get a away even if it is only for a couple days. That is where we are at. 

Every morning, as we are eating breakfast, we do a lent devotional which is preparing our hearts for Easter. As we are walking along with Jesus, as he walks in his final hours, we are amazed at His strength. Particularly, his weakest moment in Gethsemane has really struck us. The moment where He feels He can go on no longer and asks for this cup to be removed from Him. At that moment, He must have mustered up some supernatural strength from His Father above to say, "Yet not my will be done, but yours." He knows what is going to happen. He knows the cup won't be taken away from Him. But He draws strength from The Father to do what He is suppose to. 

Kelvin and I are tired. But in our weak moments, we have decided to draw our strength from God trusting that He will indeed grant us the rest we need and renew our energy. 

Settling Down

Today I finally got the sense that my life is settling down.

I never thought I would get here. It was hard to imagine the point where my life would be more consistent, I would build a community around me, I would have a home that I plan to stay in for a while, I wouldn't constantly be looking for the next opportunity or thing to do, I would fall into an everyday life kind of routine. I actually didn't think I could do it. I would look at people with full time jobs that they do day after day, week after week, year after year and think, "I couldn't handle that" but now I get the sense that that is slowly where I am moving.

For those who don't know, Kelvin and I have started a business managing rental homes as well as buying/selling homes. For almost 2 years now, it has been in both our minds to start one. Kelvin grew up managing his family's homes so it was a natural fit for him. We have opened a small office in Kongowea, right beside the pitch. Kelvin is working hard to market himself out there. Today he left the house looking so handsome in his grey dress pants and collared white t-shirt. We are getting lots of interest and slowly people are gravitating towards us. I am doing most of the administration work. I am trying to set up a good system for managing client information, files, cash income and outflow, and general office stuff. I am also designing all the business cards, signage, and website (that will be coming up in the future). It really is a fun venture.

Right beside our office is the youth centre we are opening as well (it is literally the next door beside us). I am trying to maximize the tiny space we have (any tips on types of furniture/set up to make good use of a small space?). We have already handed over the key to one of our boys who manages all the equipment and will soon take over the centre in the evenings when we open it up for people to come and study. I will begin having my girls club in the next couple of weeks!

Today, I went to town to get some signs printed out. I then headed to Kongowea to meet up with my husband, show him the signs, and see what needed to be done in the office. We decided to let one of the boys sit at the desk (something they are proud of) while we went for lunch break. Since when did my husband and I take lunch breaks together??? Never. That is when I realized that we are now settling down.

It feels really good to finally be settled. To feel like we are starting to build our lives. I love that I am able to commit to something long term right now. I love that I can buy furniture knowing that I will use it for a long time. I love that my suitcases are packed away probably collecting dust and cobwebs.

I am sure at some point I will get a bit antsy as most people do. Thankfully I live in a country that I can travel relatively cheap to some awesome places. I do still have some plans. I want to finish going to school. I do want to visit Canada. Babies will come in the near future.

But settling down is what we are doing. And it feels good.