BFFAEAEAEAEAE

Best Friends Forever and Ever and Ever and Ever and Ever and Ever and Ever!

Thats what we used to call each other. 

This is my bestest friend, Nikki Paige Watson. I changed schools when I was in gr.2 and, at the time, it was devastating leaving all my old friends behind. But it didn't take too long before I found a new best friend. Nikki and I have pretty much been inseparable since we were in gr. 2. Nikki and Nikole. Nik and Nik. Two peas in a pod. Attached at the hip. Sisters. BFFs.

Nikki still lives in our hometown and really has no desire to leave. She is not the adventurous type like I am and we have very different interests. But none of that matters when we are together. Often when I would come home from college or Africa, she would be the first one knocking on my door. I open the door, she gives me a huge hug, she helps herself to a cup of tea and we sit down together to play crib. Its like I never left. We can go a year without seeing each other and pick up just where we left off. 

She is the most loyal friend I have ever had or met. She will drop everything in a heartbeat if I need her. She will go out of her way to hang out with me. She doesn't criticize me or judge me even when I know she doesn't agree with me. She is one of a kind. A friend like her is hard to find. 

I am blessed that she is my BFFAEAEAEAE!

Sunday Stroll

It's a beautiful Sunday today. Well it looks like it from inside. Clear blue skies, bright sun, snow is melting however, the second you step outside, you are chilled to the bone. I definitely enjoy summer better. Anyways, my parents and I took a stroll along the river. Beautiful but cold. Beautifully cold. 

Mom and I were picking on Dad since he has a robotic leg (well its just a cast). This is his angry face.

My parents are sweet.

I was laughing so hard cause it was so cold.

Socks!

I had a friend drop off a whole bunch of her old soccer socks at my house last night. I was amazed to find that half of them had not even been used yet! Because they are relatively small, (so they don't take up too much room in my luggage) I have started collecting some for the Rehma boys. So if you have an old pair of soccer socks, please drop them at my place. OK, I guess I should clarify that I don't want just any soccer socks. I want ones that look almost new. I don't want holes or worn out socks.

Speaking of the Rehma boys, I am so excited to see how the people around me have pulled together for these boys. We almost have all their equipment! Amazing! We have a local grad class that has made their jerseys for them. I have a friend collecting money for cleats at his work. Then I had some people give individually which helped us to purchase practice equipment, enrol in a league and play some local games, and have a few outings as a team!

I can't wait to get the boys all dressed up in their new gear!

Pray with us as we go forward with them. We are currently looking for some people to sponsor a couple of the boys to go to school. A couple of them are just so hungry to get to school but are not able to because they just don't have the money. A few of them are in their late teens and have only gone up to gr. 8. Some of them have finished high school but weren't able to get employment or go to university so they have tried starting up their own businesses. Let's just say that they don't quite understand how business works. We want to get them trained with practical business skills.  I have been looking into some business programs as well as some other more practical training courses.

We are also hoping to hold a big soccer camp over the holidays in August. Our boys would be the leaders and we would invite all the local kids to come and enjoy a week of soccer.

So we have lots of ideas. In the meantime, we are still spending everyday with them at the pitch, just showing them the love of Jesus!

Sorting through my inbox...

I have started to go through the hundreds of emails in my inbox. Ok, they are not all in my inbox. I do have other folders that I keep them in that are labeled things like "Family", "Africa 2007", "Funny". Over the past few years, I have sorted my emails into these folders but have forgotten really whats in them. Some of my emails could have fallen under several categories. Like if my brother sent me a joke I could have put it under "Family" or "Funny". At the time, I probably just picked one and said to myself that I would organize it all one day.

Well that day has come. I am sorting through all my emails in all my folders. I am amazed at how many pointless emails I kept thinking that one day I would just love to read through them again. There are definitely some really precious ones that I am keeping and some with some great information that I could use in the future but for the most part, I have no sentimental or emotional attachment to any of them. I really don't know what I was thinking when I decided to keep them.

So I am purging most of them. And it feels so good! I am taking advantage of unlimited high speed internet while I can because I know that I won't have that luxury for a while (unless Kenya miraculously discovers high speed internet).

I am looking forward to clean inbox!

Feb 17th - Here I come Kenya!

I booked my ticket back to Kenya. February 17th is the big day of departure! I was just elated as I walked out of the travel agents office. I have been on cloud 9 all day.

It is also a one way ticket!

I know. Scary. But oh so exciting.

Let me tell you the story...

I was originally planning to head back to Kenya in May. I wanted to work for a few months to get the numbers in my bank account a little higher. I also needed to spend some sweet time with my family. I wanted to talk to some people about the Rehma and hopefully gain some support for them.

Well all that went out the window pretty fast. It has not been an easy few months. Pretty much all of MY plans didn't happen. I struggled big time. I could not get a job for the life of me! I must have applied to 15 different places (which is a lot when you consider what a small town I live in with few employment opportunities) and heard nothing. Nothing at all. For weeks. I started getting pretty bummed. I started doubting myself wondering what was wrong with me. One place I applied at hired a 14 year old boy over me! Although, I thought it was great because the owners were Christians and totally take the most random odd beat people on their staff.

Besides the failed job hunt, a few other plans of mine fell through and I was devastated. My health started to deteriorate again which always happens when I am in Canada. And the list goes on.

However, amongst all these disappointments, I got to have the most precious times in the hospital with my Deda before he died. I think he, above all, was the reason I was home. I found such unexpected joy visiting him in the hospital and spending hours at his bedside talking, holding his hand, praying or just being there while he slept. Incredible blessing.

Around Christmas I started getting antsy really asking God where He wanted me to be. I struggled big time. It was probably the first time in my life that I didn't have a plan. I didn't wake up in the mornings looking forward to anything. I didn't know where to go or what to do. I was lost. And I was scared.

Slowly the idea of going back to Kenya sooner started arising in my mind and, thankfully, in the mind of my parents. My dad, of all people, was the one who almost encouraged me to consider going back sooner.

I started praying  and seeking God. I started looking into flights and talking with good people I am accountable too. I debated what to do when I get there and tried to find some actual jobs in Kenya. All this led me to purchase my one-way ticket this morning!

Yup I am leavin' on a jet plane. Don't know when I'll be back again.

You must think I am crazy by now. But trust me there is more logic to it than you think. I am a very logical person. I don't make a decision without really thinking it all the way through. But sometimes God is not a very logical God. Which is not easy for us logical, always planning, realistic folk.

My main purpose for going back would be to work with the Rehma boys (I have collected almost all the equipment the boys need!) and to nurture and pursue a very special relationship in my life.

I would greatly appreciate your prayers. This is such an exciting leap of faith for me! Pray for my parents as their little girl goes off again to Africa this time not knowing when I will be back. Pray for finances (I would love to get a job in Kenya! it is quite difficult though). Pray for my everyday that God would guide me where He wants me and that I would humble myself enough to listen to Him. Just Pray.

Kenya, here I come again!

Two (actually three) special ways to give

I am big on giving. As most of you know, I love giving my time, efforts, money to africa. I am also very minimalistic and choose not to buy new clothes or buy a $2 cup of coffee when I could just make it at home. Thats just the way I am - or the way that I have changed over the past 5 years. I never used to be like this until I went to Africa, saw how much need there is and then fell passionately in love with Jesus who really digs giving. More so, I give my life to Jesus - for Him to work powerfully in and through me. To give up "ME" so that there can be more of "HIM". Ok, this post is not about my devotion to Jesus.

I like smart giving. I like giving that empowers people, is sustainable, and that doesn't make the problem worse. In Kenya, there are a ton of beggars. Yes, they are probably hungry but is giving them food really what they need? OK, yes it is what they need but wouldn't it be better to give them the tools to be able to get their own food?? I hate to say it, but when you give to most beggars, you are really just fuelling them to keep begging.

Anyways, so I love these two ways of giving:

1. Child Sponsorship- Ever since I could remember, my family has always sponsored a child. I used to love getting mail from our sponsor child and seeing how we (well my parents) are helping their lives. My parents still have the same sponsor children that we had when we were young. I now sponsor a child. I actually got to pick my child as I had known her for almost two years. I can't tell you how awesome and wonderful it is to sponsor her. I get the privilege to actually see her a few times a year which is rare for most child sponsorships, but I also delight in her little letters that she sends me. The latest one said "Nikole I thank you that I have not had to be sent home for school fees." In Kenya, parents struggle to take their kids to school  because it is so expensive for them. Usually if their fees are not paid by a certain date, they have to be sent home to collect them. This is so common in Kenya so my sponsor girl realizes how great it is not to be sent home. And I love that she gets to go to school with no worries. If you have never sponsored a child or want to sponsor one I suggest Empowering Lives International (most because I know half the kids and sponsor coordinator is a good friend of mine). Just google them. $30 a month is really not that hard to give up. Just make more coffee at home.

2. Kiva - I have known about this for a few years but it was just last month that I decided to try it. I even gave it as a gift to my brother and father for christmas. It is a lending system where you can lend to people around the world to help them start a business and they will eventually pay you back!!  The great part is that you actually get to chose who want to give to and then track their progress. It is the coolest thing!! So if you really want to give money but figure you might need it back some day, this is perfect for you. Just over a month ago, I lent $25 to a girl in Israel who wanted to start her own DJ business. So my money helped her to buy equipment. I was surprised when I got an email the other day saying that $3.28 of my loan had already been paid off! Wow, she must be a pretty talented DJ. I highly suggest this form of giving. It is sustainable, empowering and you get your money back!

Alright, the third special way to give is to my Rehma boys. I can't tell you how much I love these boys and so desire for them to become amazing men. I will update in a few days of the progress they have made and how you can help my sweet boys.

I hope this has inspired you to give up a few lattes and give a little to some pretty awesome people around the world!

Maybe just a little excessive...

I don't like planes. At all. Which is rather ironic since I travel on them a lot. Last January, I took 6 planes just to get to Kenya. Yup, I did not enjoy that at all. At all.

I think my fear is getting worse as I am getting older. I remember when I used to just trust whatever the travel agent would book for me. My only criteria was price. I just wanted the cheapest flight I could get. So I didn't care what airlines it was or how many planes I had to take or how long my layovers were. But now I have become a bit more picky.

I am currently looking into one-way flights to Kenya for next month (YUP! I am going back! SO exciting! Will write more about that later). The cheapest flight I found on my own was a flight plan to LA then Dubai then Nairobi. First of all, I was excited about getting to go to Dubai but once I found out that the flight from LA to Dubai was almost 16 hours long, my stomach dropped. That flight plan would take me 3 days to get to Kenya. It was through Emirates airlines though, which is one of the top airlines in the world. So I started looking at the Emirates website and what they offered. Then I looked at numerous reviews of the company from many different sources. Then I looked up which aircraft I would travel on and search their safety ratings. Then I searched airplane safety in general. I tried to convince myself that I could bear the 16 hour flight (and an overnight layover in LA) because it is such a great airlines and I would get to see Dubai for a few hours.

However, a few days later I gave up that idea and went to a travel agent to see if she could find me a more favourable flight plan in the same price range. I told her what I was looking for and she said she would need some time to look it up as I was quite specific.

I got a call from her this afternoon with some news. She told me she found another flight plan that was a smidgen cheaper and didn't involve any 16- hour flights or crazy overnight lay-overs. It is from Vancouver to Chicago to London to Nairobi. Not bad. I then asked what the airlines were. She told me that the first two flights were Delta and the last flight was Kenya Airways. Again, my stomach dropped. Not the biggest fan of those airlines. So again I started my research on the airlines, their aircraft, their services, safety ratings, and reviews. I have to say, I wasn't to pleased with what I found. They are definitely not some of the top airlines in the world. I just remember being in Kenya in 2007 and we had to have a 'day of mourning' because a Kenya Airways plane crashed in Cameroon. Ever since then, I have always been nervous about them (even though I did fly home on them last year and it wasn't all that bad).

My mind was racing. Which route should I go? Do I want comfort or a short trip? Or should I should fork out the cash and get what I want???

Then I stopped. And realized that I was getting a bit out of control. A little bit excessive. And realized...

Where is my trust in God?

I have put my trust in airplanes and safety ratings and reviews and man made things but have not once consulted God and put my trust in Him. He is the one who created all things. He created the air, the sky, the land, oceans, airplanes, safety, great systems, turbulence, and all those things. He created the universe and all things in it. So why must I be afraid? He is awesome and powerful and mighty and all-knowing. So why fret?

So I have surrendered it to Him and vowed that I would no longer stress over it. And if I crash into the ocean, I just get to be with my King a lot sooner.

TRUST in the Lord with ALL your heart and LEAN NOT on your own understanding...

Tumaini Children's Choir

Alright, these are the last of my videos for now. I will try get more videos that aren't just singing and dancing. 

These kids are so precious to me. They are the kids from Empowering Lives Children's Home. This is the first place I went to on my first trip to Kenya in 2005. I am privileged to be able to watch them grow up. Over the past couple years they have slowly formed a choir. They were able to record their own songs, make a video, get some fancy outfits and perform out in the community. They have called themselves the "Tumaini children's choir" ('tumaini' means 'hope' in swahili). It is a special treat to watch them perform. Hope you enjoy (especially those who know these kids!) 

Cousins!

The highlight of the last few days for me was definitely seeing my cousins again. I haven't seen them since Christmas last year. Now, we have never been super close like some families are. This is because of many reasons. First, they have always lived far away from us so we only really got to see them during holidays. Second, my parents seemed to be ahead of everyone else and had children much sooner. I am the first grandchild on both sides of my family. Third, I was followed by a gang of boys. After me came my brother and then, over the next 9 years, my aunties only gave birth to boys. So I never quite fit in because I was always the oldest (and then years ahead maturity wise) and I was interested in dolls and pop stars while my cousins like toy trucks and lego. It wasn't until I was 10 years old that I got my first girl cousin. Then I had to wait a few years to be able to play with her but even when she reached that age, I was past playing and was more into music and fashion. So all my girl cousins are 10-15 years younger than I am. 

Nonetheless, they are my cousins and I love to see how they are growing up and turning into some pretty cool people. 

My brother, Mark (right), and Micki have always been a cheeky pair. 

Amanda is my only girl cousin on my mom's side. She is 10 years younger than I am. She has an elastic backbone and can pretty much make any shape with her body. It freaked us all out. 

I love my brother!

Me and amanda doing the dishes!

We took them to a local tobogganing hill since they all live in the city and never see snow. At the top of the hill is Jeremy. 

I live in a boys world. They are past lego and now play poker.

Is the ride over yet?

Is this roller coaster ride over yet???

This month has been quite the roller coaster ride for our family. And I am about ready for this ride to be over.

Things seem to climb upwards and then they eventually get over the hill and fall down fast. Then add in some extra twists and turns, and a few screams, laughs, and cries (ok a lot of cries). We turn a corner and things start going up slowly again but then it seems that something happens and we come tumbling down again hard. We spend sometime regrouping and then again some more twists and turns seem to come unexpectedly.

I have always hated roller coasters. I never liked them since I was a little girl.

I hope the ride has at least slowed down a little after finishing the last part of my Deda's funeral.

 Yes, the last part. It has been over the past 3 days. My grandparents are part of a certain culture and faith called the Doukhobors. You can search it on the internet for yourself if you want to know more about them and maybe one day I will write something about it on here. Their funerals last for 3 days and involve a lot of russian hymns and prayers and many formalities. They say that it 'helps with the transition of the soul into heaven'. It is in 6 weeks that we will do another service at the grave sight where they believe the soul will be accepted into heaven(it has to do something with the timeline of when Jesus rose again after being crucified and then Him eventually ascending into heaven).

It is my culture but it is not my faith. I think my grandparents were the only ones who believe in it and none of their children have decided to follow it. However, it does have a rich culture which I have grown up in and do admire in many ways. We did the funeral for Deda because that is what he would have wanted.

So now that Deda is gone, I am praying that life settles down a little bit. My dad is still on crutches (thats another long story) and my dog walks lopsided (again, another long story). But I am praying that this season or 'ride' comes to an end soon. I wouldn't mind to just stop and relax for a little while.

To everything there is a season,

 A time for every purpose under heaven: 

        A time to be born, 

And a time to die; 

      A time to plant, 

And a time to pluck what is planted; 

       A time to kill, 

And a time to heal; 

      A time to break down, 

And a time to build up; 

       A time to weep, 

And a time to laugh; 

      A time to mourn, 

And a time to dance; 

       A time to cast away stones, 

And a time to gather stones; 

      A time to embrace, 

And a time to refrain from embracing; 

        A time to gain, 

And a time to lose; 

      A time to keep, 

And a time to throw away; 

       A time to tear, 

And a time to sew; 

      A time to keep silence, 

And a time to speak; 

        A time to love, 

And a time to hate; 

      A time of war, 

And a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

You make me strong

This verse has been running through my head every second of the day it seems. Two days ago, I opened my bible (the message version) to one of my fav psalms (psalm 18). I read the first verse and I was done. I didn't even read anymore. That was enough for me. That's what I needed to get me through. 

My grandfather passed away two nights ago. 

He had been in the hospital since before I left Kenya. He had an aneurism that burst and he miraculously survived. But as he spent the past 2 and a half months in the ICU, his body seemed to go up and down. He made huge improvements but also had many set backs. Finally on Monday night, he decided that he was done. 

It has hit our family hard. He was the last male/paternal figure in our family. And over the past few days we have realized what an impact he had in our little community. My mother was definitely a daddy's girl so she is struggling the most. 

I will miss my Deda. I didn't realize how much. I was looking forward to him being at my wedding or seeing my children. I wanted more time with him. I am not sure where he is. We had a lot of great talks about Jesus so I hope that Jesus took him home and that he is rejoicing in his new body. 

Pray for our family. We need it. 

I love you God, you make me strong. 

The last picture of me and Deda before I left for Kenya last year. 

birthdays, fun church services, singing, singing, and more singing

Ok more videos!

This first video is my 22nd birthday. I remember being quite sad in the morning missin' my peeps back home but my classmates very quickly made me feel loved abundantly. My roommate made me a cake and we had a big party. However, as you will see, their version of 'Happy Birthday' is much...rowdier...than ours.

We went to a school just down the road to speak to them however just as we got there the rain came pouring down. The roof was tin so you couldn't hear the person next to you with the rain pelting down on the tin roof. So to kill time we sang. It was a blast!

We travelled to a slum on the other side of the city to attend one of their sunday services. The slum was a whole bunch of broken down cement buildings with extremely dusty and dirty paths seperating them. Then, all of a sudden, you see this bright blue tin church right in the middle of it. It was quite a lively church. We squished in like sardines in a can as beads of sweat dripped down our faces. 

This was one of the most popular (and one of my fav) songs in Kenya this year. We organized a big youth seminar but before the sessions we had to do a little worship session with Senior, our talented musician. 

When you pretty much spend every hour of everyday with the same people for 4 months, you grow really close to one another. This video I took while we went on a weekend camping trip. We all got on this rickety wharf (which looked like it would cave in at any moment) that was perched above a lake that was known for its dangerous hippos and we had a little impromptu singing session. These moments would happen all the time. They were so precious.

my momma

I was in my room today when I heard someone shoveling my driveway. I knew that my brother was still sleeping and my father has an injury so neither of them would be doing it. I peeped out of my window only to find my momma out there. My momma is a pretty handy woman so it's not surprising that she was out there but I thought she had gone to the gym.

She had already gone to the gym and decided to shovel the drive way...in her gym clothes.

one of the many reasons why I adore my mother...

Kid's Camps

One of Word of Life's biggest ministries is youth camps. Every holiday season they hold numerous weeks of camps where kids come, learn about Jesus, and just play! Camps are extremely exhausting for those running them but incredibly rewarding. One of my favourite camps is when we actually leave the property and go to kids who would not be able to attend our camps because they could not afford it. We go to the 'slums' and 'ghettos' of Kenya and we meet the greatest characters. These kids have probably seen and experienced more than we ever will in their young age so it is so amazing to treat them to a fun day. Here are just a few of my fav moments of camps this year. 

Kids love to dance. We bring along the latest gospel music and have great DJ's that play the kid's favourite hits. Mini dance sessions are a must.

Kids in the ghetto dance much differently (a little on the provocative side) than those in the village. We saw some..uh..interesting moves. But it's all the know. They see it in their older siblings and the latest, coolest celebs. 

A dear friend Chao is a talented dude. He has an album and has played this song numerous times at camps to the point where all the kids know the words. So cool. 

World Cup Fever hit Kenya hard. I am pretty sure that every kid, whether they could even talk or not, knew all the words to K'naan's "wavin flag" and Shakira's "this time for africa". 

Video!

Yesterday, after another tough day, I decided to look through some of the short video clips that I had taken during various adventures this past year. They bring so much joy to me. They are more than photos. When I watch them, I can remember how I felt, what it smelt like, what the atmosphere was like, and so on. So I have uploaded a few of them and will be sharing them on here every few days or so. Most of them, if not all of them, are singing and dancing. I think my favourite part of Kenya is the singing and dancing and worship styles. Kenyans have such rhythm and these loud, almost boisterous, voices.

Ok, these two videos are of the 800 girls that we visited when we went to their high school in september. I love girls! I have such a huge heart for the young girls of Kenya so this weekend was so nourishing and amazing for me. Now, I guess this school has a special theme song which I had never heard before. Our first night there, they started playing the beats on the keyboard and all of a sudden all the girls went crazy. They started screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs and jumping around. It was so much fun. Imagine being in a room with 800 girls with such excitement.

Just when you think your week sucked

My week has been kinda....sucky. For lack of a better word.

Yup, it has not been the easiest, most pleasant week of my life that's for sure. It started when I got the news that something I had been working on for a long time didn't come through. I had a lot of faith and heart and soul put into it and it just didn't happen. At first I comforted myself by saying that it wasn't meant to be and God has something better for me. But that still doesn't take away from the fact that I am disappointed.

Sometimes, as Christians, we feel we are suppose to be these uber cheery and ridiculously happy people all the time. But that's not what God has promised us. He promised us that life would be rough. There would be tough times. But he also promised us His peace and His joy which doesn't always mean being cheery and happy. His joy is that deep heart-knowledge that He is truly wonderful even when our circumstances aren't. His peace comes from knowing that He indeed has good plans for us and that there is hope for us. However, I can still cry,  can't I?

Ok, well apart from that I came down with the worst stomach flu. I had been so cautious not to get it since I knew it was going around, but of course my fears became reality when I woke up with a terrible tummy ache on monday morning. Let's just say that the rest of the day was spent in the bathroom.

I guess what makes it worse is that I was all alone. My parents had gone to Mexico on a vacation and I was by myself in the house. I absolutely dread being by myself in the house. I do not sleep if there is not another body in the house.

Then  I questioned my life and where it was going. Often I look at what I have under my belt and there is not a whole lot there. Friends are graduating from university, finding good jobs and getting married. I can't seem to find a job for the life of me and I have little schooling (and the schooling I did to was to work in the Non-profit sector ie. make no money). I know I get a little irrational (and if you knew how old I was you would think that I am crazy to be thinking stuff like this and should just enjoy my life). I wouldn't trade living and being a missionary in africa for anything. But in those low moments, that's where my mind wanders.

So if you mix my disappointment with my awful flu plus being lonely plus questioning my life and add in another dozen challenges (that seem small now but in my state, they were only one more thing to knock me down) it was a pretty sucky week.

I came to Kelowna to hang out with my brother and visit my Deda in the hospital. I have to say that my Deda is making great improvements!! I didn't know if I would ever see him again but now we are having the most precious moments together. He still has a long way to go but God has worked miracles in him. He has started asking me to pray with him. He absolutely loves it. He holds my hands and closes his eyes. He then puts this grin of contentment on his face and listens to me pray. Just as I say 'amen', he looks at me and says, "that was beautiful." He has been a little source of unexpected joy in my week.

However, I was struck in my gut as I was leaving the hospital tonight.

I got in the elevator with an older woman to go down to the first floor. She was getting off at the wrong floor so i corrected her kindly. She told me she was going to the smoking area of the hospital but didn't quite know where it was. I had passed it many times so I offered to show her where it was. We got off the elevator together and she asked what I was doing there. I told her about my grandfather and how he had been living in the ICU for the past two months. I then asked her if she was here for long and she sort of shrugged. I then realized it probably wasn't my place to ask what was wrong with her. I got a little flustered and started trying to redeem myself. She just looked at my and said,

'I have terminal cancer.'

Terminal cancer. Like the kind of cancer that will inevitably kill you sooner or later. Ouch.

I didn't know what to say to her so I just showed her where she could go have her smoke. She thanked me and that was the end of our conversation.

I walked out of the hospital with a whole new perspective. Yes, this week was tough but it can't be compared to walking around with a death sentence over your head.

Just when I thought my week sucked, God showed me how blessed I really am. 

5 years ago today...

.. at the tender age of 17 years old, I stepped onto the property that would change my life. After travelling for 8 hours on long, dusty, bumpy roads, crying the whole way and then getting into a city where I didn't know anyone or any place or what to do, I found someone who knew someone who knew someone who took me to Empowering Lives International Children's Home in Ilula, Kenya. December 6, 2005 was the first time I went to my 'home' in Kenya. I showed up in pants which, I was quickly told, was a no-no. I was crying with no idea where I was and wanting to go home. I was greeted with such incredible warmth and love and acceptance. I was astounded that the children's home was so 'luxurious'. I had braced myself for much worse. I remember being put into a dorm with some ladies I didn't know. I had supper with a team from America who was there. 

And then I was brought to the other side where the children slept. It was dark and they were just getting ready for bed. However, they knew that a visitor was coming and they all scurried out of their rooms. Within seconds my waist was full of tiny little arms, hugging me tightly and welcoming me home. It was the most incredible night. I had dreamt since I was a little girl of coming to an orphanage in Africa and I was finally there. 

Little did I know that it would be the first of a bajillion hugs from these children. Since then, I have visited Ilula more than 10 times. I have been so blessed to be apart of the children's lives and watch them grow up into the amazing young people they are. Some of them are now almost 17 years old which was how old I was when I first met them. The staff have become some of my greatest friends and supporters of my ministry in Kenya. And the director and his family, the Ronos, are like my own family. When I sit in their living room, I know that I am home. 

I AM SO GRATEFUL that God brought me to Ilula. It was an extremely rocky journey, but God has an amazing plan and nothing can hinder His purpose. 

I have a 'home' in Kenya filled with a family and siblings who love me like one of their own. 

Here are only a few of the hundreds (possibly thousands) of photos I have taken over the past 5 years. 

John, Emmanuel, and Esther made me feel so welcome. They are now some of my greatest friends. Emmanuel(far right) is now a giant and towers over me. Esther (with the bandana) is in the US fulfilling her dream of entering the medical field. And John (behind) is studying engineering in a local university. My brothers and sister! 

Leah (right) and I go back to my first night in Ilula. When I arrived, they put me in a dorm with some other ladies who were there for a pastor's conference. One of the ladies just happened to be Leah and her daughter. I didn't remember her until she was hired on as staff about 2 years ago. She quickly reminded me who she was and our connection and we laughed! She is teaching me to make mandazi.

In 2005, I spent my first Christmas away from home. I remember us waking up at around 6am and being summoned to the kitchen to cook a special meal for the children. We worked so hard for these precious children. I remember the satisfaction I felt treating the kids to something special when I am so used to being spoilt on Christmas morning. I have now almost mastered cooking the local food. 

One thing I love about going to Ilula is that I always end up meeting some cool people who have come to serve for a short time. This is Jamie who I met in May this year. She had such a gentle spirit and loved to treat the kids to her special baked treats. There are so many others that I still love to keep in contact with. Such cool people. 

This is Valentine. I love her. She is my sponsor child. It is rare for someone to actually know their sponsor child but I have had the privilege to actually see her grow and be a part of her life. I get to know what her personality is like. I get to see her giggle and play and cry and go to school. I get to see where my money goes. It is so special. 

I have learned to dig. Or at least I try. 

The girls are my fav. I ABSOLUTELY ADORE them. My fav is spending my nights with them laughing and singing and answering their questions about life, God and everything in between.

 LOVE LOVE LOVE <3

I love when they play with my hair and touch my arms and wrap themselves around my waist.

These are just some of the parents. This is when they only had 1 child. Now they have 3 beautiful boys. The boy in this picture is now 5 years old and plays a mean game of UNO. 

My Kenyan family. I know I look different, but when I am in their house I feel no different.

I will never get tired of their welcome ceremonies. I always get teary-eyed even if it is not me being welcomed. 

These 4 are siblings who watched their mother get struck by lightening and die. I remember the oldest, Mercy(far right) explaining to me the whole story during a thunder storm one day. She broke down in tears as she feared the lightening. 

I had no idea when I ended up in Ilula on December 6, 2005 that my life would change. I had no idea that I would encounter God the way that I did and the way I do every time I go up there. I have learned so much from these beautiful people. I almost forget they are orphans now. To me they are just kids. God's kids. 

Crispy cool

I think the question I have been asked the most since I got back is, "How are you adjusting to the cold snow?" To be honest, I have adjusted just fine. It was quite cold right when I left Kenya so maybe that prepared me a little bit but I haven't really suffered more than everyone else. I definitely don't enjoy the cold or the snow. There have been a few days that I stayed inside all day which I am quite happy with. 

However, over the past few days, the sun (and my dog) have dragged me out of the house for a few walks.

This is the view from my brother's driveway in Kelowna. The mountains are absolutely gorgeous.

I really love living next to a large river. I think I take it for granted too much. It is truly incredible.

This is my dog Lucy. SHe is getting old and doesn't get out much so she takes every opportunity she gets to sniff everything. She is often the one who forces me out of the house for a walk. She just looks at you and this wave of guilt overcomes you and you just have to do it. 

She is adorable. 

I have  seen a lot of beautiful places all around the world but there is a world of beauty in my back yard. I am blessed to live here, thats for sure! 

Hunger Pains

Yesterday my mother decided that she was going to make a turkey. So she put the turkey in the over around 1pm thinking it was going to take at least 3-4 hours to cook. Around 4pm she called Dad and I to come for supper. Now, I am still adjusting to meal times. In Kenya I would never eat supper before 8pm so to be eating any earlier than that has sort of thrown me off a bit. 4 in the afternoon was a little on the early side even for my parents but the turkey was ready so we sat down anyways and had a wonderful meal.


At around 10pm last night, I started rolling around in my bed. I could not fall asleep. For those who know me well, they know that I have a very early bedtime. It is rare to find me awake past 10pm. But last night I just couldn't fall asleep. I rolled around till about 11:30pm and then realized why I couldn't sleep. I was so hungry because it had been 7 hours since we had supper. I tried to  go to sleep with the hunger pains but I just couldn't. So I decided to get up and go join my dad on the couch to watch tv. My dad had just returned from playing tennis so he was chomping down on some nice cheese and left over turkey from our 4 o'clock supper. He offered me some of it and I gobbled it down so fast. I sat there for about 10 minutes and snacked on a few other things until I decided to head back into my bed.


Once my head hit the pillow, I immediately started to doze. I guess it was my hungry tummy that was keeping me up.


As I laid in my bed, I started to think of all the people in the world who were going to bed hungry tonight. Not because they had an early supper, but because they simply could not afford to eat.


I started thinking of some of my friends in Kenya who I knew struggled to put food on the table and wondered what they had had for supper or if they had to forgo supper and just head to bed.


I remember one friend of mine who told me that when there was no food in the house for supper, her father would either make them laugh so hard with jokes or yell at them so loud so that they would forget they were hungry and go to sleep without supper. How hard would that be for a father who couldn't provide food for his family?!


I just silently prayed last night for all those that I know and that I do not know who are not eating tonight. I am so thankful that I am not one of them. I now have a better understand of why we 'say grace' before we eat. As much as we ask God to bless the food before us, we must stop and thank Him that He has indeed put food before us.


I looked up some stats on World Hunger from the the World food programme website and here are just some of the hard stats that I found:


- 10.9 million children under five die in developing countries each year. Malnutrition and hunger-related diseases cause 60 percent of the death


- 925 million people do not have enough to eat - more than the populations of USA, Canada and the European Union


- Women make up a little over half of the world's population, but they account for over 60 percent of the world’s hungry.


- 5 percent  of the world's hungry live in only seven countries: India, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia


-It is estimated that 684,000 child deaths worldwide could be prevented by increasing access to vitamin A and zinc


-Lack of Vitamin A kills a million infants a year


I have a really hard time believing that God put all these people on this planet and went, "Oops, sorry there is not enough food for everyone." So why are people starving? 


I know there are those who accuse God saying, "If God is so powerful and wonderful, then why is He letting people die of hunger?" But God is looking at us and saying, " YOU are My hands and My feet! You are My body! You tell me why My body isn't feeding the hungry?" 


Doesn't it seem ironic that in developing countries, kids are dying because there is not enough food on their tables and in the West, kids are dying because there is too much food on their tables???? Obesity is a major problem in the West. Kids are eating too much junk. However, in Asia and Africa we have kids who never get to eat. Something is a little backwards. 


But last night I got a little taste of what millions of people feel when they go to bed hungry. It was humbling. My heart aches for them even though I don't know who they are. 


So what do we do? What do I do?


Live simply so others may simply live. This phrase has repeated itself over and over in my head so many times in the past year as I am constantly challenged to give up my own comforts so I can share with others. There are so many biblical examples of this. If you have two tunics and some one doesn't have one, give on of yours to them. When you see someone hungry and don't feed them you will be accountable to God one day who will say, "when I was hungry, you didn't feed me." Or that wonderful proverb that promises us that those who give to the poor will lack nothing. What about the rich young ruler who came to God and said, "Ok, I have pretty much done everything right and followed all your commands carefully, now what do I do?" God tells him to sell his possessions and give them to the poor. He walks away with his head hung low. 


I read this verse in Proverbs yesterday that I really loved. Proverbs 15:17, "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred." 


Sometimes after church in Kenya, I would like to treat some friends to lunch. I never had enough money to take them all out for pizza or steak or some fancy meal. We had to make do with cheap kenyan food. But I can't count how many awesome times we had sitting and laughing and fellowshipping around that cheap kenyan (bland) food. I would trade that for eating pizza alone any day. What a blessing it is to live simple and share with others. Not only share money, but share our lives with each other. 


Empowering Lives International is doing an interesting challenge right now where they are asking people to live on less that $2 a day. They not only are asking for your money to help empower the people that they are working with in East Africa, but they are asking you to join in and feel, experience, learn what its like for our friends on the other side of the world. They are walking along side there struggles. It's such a cool challenge. If you want to learn about it go to Love in Action. 


When you sit today with food before you, thank God that He has chosen that food to be placed in front of you even though you really don't deserve it more than anyone else. It's just His amazing grace.