Grammar never was my forte

I was just reading through some of my past blog posts and I realized that my grammar and spelling are terrible.

Sorry.

Pole in swahili.

I never was the best writer. I used to send my college essays to my dad so he can proof read them before I had to submit them. I remember a co-worker of mine spending a considerable amount of time correcting the mistakes on a report I had written. I don't know what it is. Maybe I am just a lazy typer or I neglect to look over my drafts before I make them final. Maybe my head goes too fast for my fingers.

Although, in my defence, my english is really suffering these days with all the swahili and broken english I listen to everyday. Today I was having lunch with some friends when I said, "You is going tomorrow?" Oh my. My family and friends laugh at me when we talk on Skype because I have a funny accent and get my words all mumbled up. I get frustrated when I can't find the right word in english or in swahili. If I am trying to speak swahili but I can't find the word I am looking for, I will replace it with the french word thinking that it's ok just as long as it is not the english word. Kenyans should know french right?

Whatever the reason may be, I am sorry for the frequent sloppy writing. Sometimes I can't even understand what I have written. Thanks for still reading.

Watoto Water Race

This past Saturday, we held the 2nd annual Watoto water race in Ilula. This was a race that was started by a past intern who has a passion for physical fitness and helping the needy. He had been training the kids to run. You know all those big marathons that happen in the West and it is always a Kenyan who wins? Well most of them come from this area as the high altitude climate is perfect for training. The kids had been training every morning for a few months so we had almost 85 kids participate. The younger kids did a 4km race and the older ones did a 10km race. I got to stand at one of the final corners and see them as they were on the last leg of the run. It was so exciting watching them dash around the corner. 

This is one of the youngest children in the children's home, Kelvin. Although small, he was able to keep up with the crowd.

Above is Alex, our star runner. He won the 10km race with a time of 36:18. He didn't know he had a talent for running until this intern came and started teaching them to run. Alex has a lot of potential. We had a few professional runners run with the kids and he was able to beat most of them. I believe, with the 

proper training, he will have a future in running. 

 

Valentine is my sponsor child. She too is a runner. The day before the race, some of the kids went for a district track meet. She did a 5000m race and came 2nd! It was so exciting watching this little girl beat about 25 girls to become 2nd. I was so proud of her. 

This is my 'mom' here in Kenya. I took this picture because, in the 5 years I have known her, I have NEVER seen her wear pants! Even her kids were shocked to see her in track pants. Although she didn't run, she dressed the part.

The kids have formed a choir called the Tumaini choir. Tumaini means 'hope' in swahili. They have their own CD with their own original songs. They are now about to start shooting a music video. This was the first time I got to see their snazzy t-shirts that someone in America made for them. They are really talented. I am already a big fan!

 

This is a funny story. Kenyan schools have started to ask for birth certificates for the children in order for them to take exams. So many the staff at the home had to go to the children's previous homes and try find their original birth certificates. What is funny is that many of the birth certificates said the kids had different names than what we have been calling them. Above is Naomi Moraa. I have watched her grow and have known her as Naomi for the past 5 years. However, we she got her birth certificate, she learned her name is actually Befrin Nekesa! We have no idea where we got Naomi Moraa from. They are two very different names. They are even from two different tribes. She learned that she is not Kisii, she is Luhya. It was too funny. Befrin Nekesa or Naomi Moraa, I love her to bits and pieces. 

The race was a huge success. We were able to raise around $700 just from the community which is amazing. I think they have about a third of what they need to get a borehole. The compound in needing a large borehole so they can have a cheap, unlimited supply of water. This will cut down a lot of costs and the money will be able to be allocated else where. If you feel compelled to help with this cause please click Here to learn how you can contribute! 

You've got mail

Before I went to Eldoret last Monday, I stopped at the big post office to send some letters that I have been meaning to send for a long time now. I really like receiving letters myself so I thought it would be special to write letters to people back home. I didn't realize the process was so long. I think from the time I bought the cards (which I had been looking for for weeks) and wrote in them, found addresses and got them to the post office, it took about 4 weeks. Once I got to the post office, they gave me the stamps to go put on all the letters. These are the old fashion stamps that you have to lick to get them to stick not like the ones that are already stickers back in Canada. So I sat down and started licking my stamps and plastering them on the envelopes. I then realize everyone else is staring at me. I figure out that no one else is licking the stamps. They are using the glue or water provided on the table. I stopped licking them and started to use the water to paste them on. It worked better and my tongue didn't taste like adhesive anymore.

The process was long and took a lot of work so if you don't get something in mail, please know I still love you and that I will be working on my communication through emails. 

Do the people melt?

I had the most delightful night tonight. I was trying to call my mother but the connection wasn't good enough for Skype so I decided to head to one of the girls' rooms to show them some old photos of themselves. I have photos of them from 5 years ago when I came to Kenya for the first time and they were all small. I thought it would be fun for them to see themselves.

It sure was. We giggled like little school girls as we searched through the photos trying to recognize each other since we have changed so much. At one point, the power went out and so we all huddled around the computer. I loved having these girls, who are like little sisters to me, so close to me hugging my waist or resting their chins on my head. As I looked at them, my heart was in such delight. Love love love these girls.

Once we had finished looking at picture of them they wanted to see all my pictures, especially those of my parents and home back in Canada. So I showed them a whole bunch of photos I took of my family, friends and I right before I left for Kenya in January. I had some photos of the blueberry paulson (a local mountain pass) with the trees and roads covered in snow. They were all amazed at how the earth had a white blanket on it. Then one of the girls piped up and said,

"Do the people melt?" 

We all looked at each other for a second and then burst out into laughter. The girl, realizing what she had said, covered her face and started to giggle at herself. I had to explain to her that it was the snow that melted, not the people.

The night was a delight. It was a gift from God, that's for sure.

Nestea arrives in Kenya

Last year when my dad came to visit me, I requested for him to bring me two things: Reese's Peanut Butter cups and Nestea Ice tea. It was also close to easter so my mom packed an extra bag of mini eggs, an all time favourite of mine.

I was driving in Nairobi one day and, to my delight, there was a huge billboard advertising Nestea Ice Tea! I got all excited. The people in car thought I was crazy. They were wondering what all the excitement was about as I explained to them what it was. They looked at me like, "You are excited because a drink?" I guess they don't quite understand as they have never left the country and missed something that they are so used to. The best part is that it is so cheap. It is like 25cents for a package that makes around 6-7 glasses of ice tea. So I went searching in the supermarket for my fav drink and bought several packages. Since then I have been sharing with all my friends and they are slowly getting hooked. I think I am a good advertisment for Nestea. Life is more comfortable now that Nestea has arrived.

These days, Kenya is not lacking much that the West has. You can find almost any kind of chocolate bar you want even SMARTIES which are a Canadian chocolate. At time you can find things like El Paso Taco Seasoning, Lipton Chicken Noodle Soup, or Sidekicks. I get all excited when I find Doritos!!! They are rare to find but still available. Although usually by the time they get to Kenya, they are all crushed.

But Kenya is fast forwarding in the area of variety foods. Sodas now come in flavours such as Orange, Pinepple, Passion Fruit, Pear, Lemon, and Black Currant. Coffee shops are popping up everywhere and Kenyans  have add the words "Cappuccino" and "Cheesecake" to their vocabularies. Yes, I have found yummy cheesecake here!

Although there are still a few things I am waiting for. Things like chocolate chips, Old dutch chips, good cheese, flavoured coffee or better yet Starbucks!

But in the mean time, I will be sitting on the beach drinking a nice cold cup of Nestea Ice Tea!

Extreme Drought, Extreme Flood

93 people dead. The news last night spent the first half of the hour displaying images of extreme flooding across the country. They said that 93 people have died because of the flood. Considering most Kenyans can't swim, it is not so surprising. Entire villages have turned into lakes and big roads are now fast flowing rivers. You would think that rain would be a blessing especially for all the agriculture in Kenya but it's quite the opposite. The harsh rain is destroying the crops. Tomatoes do not ripen. They start rotting when they are still green. Roads are washed out so transporting food is hard which makes the cost of the available food sky rocket.

Whats really ironic is that this time last year, 10 million people were starving because of extreme drought. They whole country was yearning for rain. People were killing themselves before starvation could kill them. Again, the price of food sky rocketed. Chickens doubled in price. Maize (corn) stopped growing and dried up. It was a sad sight.

Two very different extremes happening in one year. Both leaving people stranded with empty bellies.

But what is even more sad is when people are dying of hunger when food is available. One of the children here in Ilula recently attended his sister's funeral. Cause of death:hunger. She was a young mother of 4 recently giving birth to twins. She wasn't eating enough. Her husband was a drunkard and neglected to take care of his family. The area they live in is not affected by the extreme floods. The crops are growing quite well and the food is plenty so why did this lady go hungry?? Eventually the pancreatic  acid started eating away at her liver. And her husband let it all happen. This is not an issue of weather. This is a social issue. And because of it, one of our kids is without his sister.

Pray for Kenya at this time and pray for this young boy to cope with the death of his sister.

Adventures in Nyanza

It's the land of fishing and tilapia, fireflies and chickens, bicycles and women carrying things on their heads. It's home of the Luo tribe. Obama's tribe. It's located next to the 2nd largest fresh water lake in the world, Lake Victoria. The lake boarders many countries in Africa. The nile river flows into it. It is the source of life and a huge economy for many Africans. 

Last week I was able to travel to this part of the country. I have never been to this part of the country before so I was a tourist. It was a great week of just enjoying and learning about this culture. It was nice not to have to worry about work or school and just hang out. 

We sat next to Lake Victoria and order fresh tilapia. It was delicious! I don't usually enjoy fish but I gobbled this one down.

This is where Obama's relatives are from so people in this area are Obama crazy. Every house you go into has some sort of Obama poster in it. I found this funny book in the supermarket there. I wonder if  Obama knows that people are dressing him and his wife here in Kenya.

We visited a small, rural church and they asked me to preach. Once they heard that I had just finished bible school, the made the assumption I was a pastor. I explained that I wasn't but that I was capable of sharing a few things with them. The man beside me is translating into luo. It was a small church in a mud building. It was interesting. I had to process through a lot of the things I saw. I could see the hearts of the people. They really craved to know and experience God but they were lacking education. I was told later that many of them can't read so they can't read their bibles. They rely on the pastors and unfortunately these pastors don't have a lot of bible training. I pray that these people will be guided to the right path and that their leaders would strengthen in their knowledge of Him!

This was the house we stayed in. It was very rural. It's made of mud and has no electricity. It has no water either so we would collect the rain water in the barrel. It was a delightful stay though. So peaceful, quiet, simple. 

We went visiting some more relatives who lived by the lake. It was so beautiful. You can see the lake in the background and some of the islands. It reminded me of Vancouver island but it was much hotter. 

We had an amazing time just relaxing, visiting, and eating delicious homemade food. One thing with the Luos is that they use the land they have to do everything. They build their houses from material on the land, the eat all the fresh food the land can produce, and they are very inventive in making tools from the land. Amazing! 

Graduation!

15 weeks of hard work, a lot of learning and tons of fun has finally come to an end. Today we officially graduated! It was such a wonderful day. I enjoyed every minute of it. We sang songs of worship to our King who made this all possible. We celebrated with friends and family. We were sent off into the world more equipped for His work and ready to shine the light in us! 

This is my official transcript. If you look closely you can see that I am actually #1 academic student. I have a 3.97 GPA. I think this is the best I have ever performed academically. I was so happy! I got a nice gift certificate to a book store. 

I think the toughest part was having to say goodbye to all my classmates. It hasn't quite sunk in yet that I won't be seeing their shining faces everyday. Rahab is my best friend here. It's a good thing that we will be working together in Mombasa in a few weeks. 

The day was just wonderful. It was a celebration of us as conquerers of bible school. It was a send off for us to go into the world and preach the gospel to all nations. For me, the best part of the day was when a visitor from a top bible school in England awarded 3 of our boys a full scholarship to the school! These 3 boys are so thirsty to know God and I am so so excited for them. It's an opportunity of a lifetime. I don't think they ever thought that they would be able to leave Kenya let alone get a scholarship to further their studies outside the country. Tears welled up in my eyes seeing the joy and excitement on their faces. Pray that God would make a way for them to get there. Getting a visa to the UK is often difficult for Kenyan citizens but with God all things are possible. 

This season has ended and another is about to begin. I am taking the next few weeks to do some travelling visiting various friends and ministries that I have been involved with in the past. At the end of the month I plan to be in Mombasa and start working full time with the staff there. I am looking forward to what God has in store for me there. My heart is just booming for the youth in this country. I am ready to show them the extravagant love of Christ! 

To shago we go!

"Shago" is a slang word for upcountry or someone's home village. Our last camp we went to a small village upcountry called Mwea. It was quite the experience. It was very rural! But I LOVE it. God really confirmed my heart for small villages and the people in them. From the minute I arrived, I felt such a peace there which was so amazing considering the harsh living conditions. It was so hot and humid, there was no electricity, we had to bath with dirty river water in a bucket, and because of the rice plantations there were so many mosquitoes which chewed us to pieces. But I can't complain. It was beautiful, quiet, peaceful, heavenly.

One of the groups had their discussion under the tree. It got so hot during the day that we would take refuge under the shade whenever we got the chance.

We didn't have that many campers and the campers that came were a bit challenging. They lacked discipline and didn't speak good swahili let alone english. We also had issues with some boys showing up drunk and smoking. And we had to keep a close eye on boys and girls who were getting to close. The village can be boring for youth so they find fun and entertainment in having sex. My heart really broke for these youth.

Peter is so good with the kids. He speaks their mother tongue so he really connected with them. 

We bought all our food from the locals including these 13 chickens that we slaughtered. Even I slaughtered one! I then helped pluck it and prepare it to be eaten. It was delicious!

It was a challenging but amazing experience. I was amazed at how much my heart really was at peace where we were even considering it's many difficulties. I can see myself working in a place like this one day. Bucket baths and kerosene lanterns here I come!

The people I will miss

We graduate bible school on Sunday. These past 3 and a half months seemed to have gone by so quickly. I woke up this morning dreading the thought of leaving my classmates I have grown to love over the past 3 and a half months. It's different than leaving my friends in college. It's harder. We have done everything together since January. Barely an hour goes by when we don't see each other. We ate together, we ran at 5am together, we learned together, we played football together, we pulled weeds together, we sang together, we memorized verses together and even when we had free time often we had free time together. I will miss these people terribly! I pray that we would still be able to stay connect so it's not goodbye forever (or at least until heaven).  Here are only a few of my fav moments and faces that I will miss.

Rahab and I going around and around on the ride. We giggled the whole time as we went up and down and all around.

Peter is my brother. We have had so many good chats, good laughs, good times together. 

James is so good to everyone. He always makes people feel loved and included.

Not a day goes by when we don't laugh till we cry. 

Goodbye for now my friends! I love you all!

Bringing the ghetto home

Today was the final day of camps until august when school is out again. We had 200 kids come to our home from the ghetto last week. You should have seen their faces when they saw how big their beds where and how nice the hot showers felt. They would shower 3 times a day because they never get hot water. They LOVED the food. For many of them, it was their favourite part of the camp. They ate foods that they get maybe once or twice a year. It was a challenging but fun week. I was a counsellor along with 2 others in a dorm room with 12 girls. I think I have expressed before how much I dislike living in a dorm. I like my own space and peace so I had to put aside all my own comforts and learn to adapt and love these girls' way of life. They stole my heart as I got to know them throughout the week. 

This was the last day of camp as I am sending them out the door. I was exhausted after staying up late watching and listening to the girls sing and dance traditional dances.

I had been waiting for weeks to see this cow give birth. In the middle of a volleyball match, we noticed the cow rolling around own the ground with her legs in the air. We called over the men who watch the cows and they started to pull the baby calf out. Out came the new addition to our compound! Mom started licking the slimy baby right away.

Every night we had a theme and this night was twin night. James often gets teased because of his light skin and his american ways (he spent 6 years in the US when he was younger). So we decided to be twins.

These 3 boys crack everyone up. From left to right is Deno, Pudo, and Mich. You would think they are brothers because they act the same and are always found within a few meters of each other. They are just great friends who know how to make kids have a good time. They always amaze me as they never seem to run out of energy and psych. Even last week Deno was suffering from malaria and lost his father but you would have never known. Amazing boys.

This is Kate. She was one of our best campers and a sweet girl. 

It was a great, but exhausting week. I loved loved loved getting to know these kids. Most of them deal with daily trials which most people in the West will never experience in their life yet they are full of lots of love to give. It was amazing just to shower them with love and treat them to an awesome week of camp where they could just lay aside all responsibilities they have at home and be kids.

Home Sweet Home

Since we didn't have any camps this week, I was able to go up to Eldoret to go visit some of my favourite people in this world. This place has been my home since I came to Kenya for the first time in 2005. The people there have been so supportive of me and have taken me in like one of their own. I have also been privileged to watch these 100 kids grow up and grow into young people of God. 

This is Mercy(left), Me, and Truphenna (right) in 2005. I think they were about 11 and 12 when I first met them. 

This is Truphenna now. She is almost 16 years old and has just gone to high school this year. This girl makes me laugh. We always have a good time together and I am so amazed at how God is shaping her. 

I kept teasing Margaret because she was wearing an Arsenal hat (which is my team) when she supports Manchester United. 

Mama Brian (Mary) is expecting in August! She is such a beautiful mother and parent to these children.

I planted a tree in the garden in June and was surprised to see how big it had grown. They even put my name beside it and called it my tree. 

Kierra, an ELI staff member, was visiting from the US and had arranged for the grade 7 class to speak with their pen pal class in the US. The connection was a bit difficult but the kids enjoyed it. 

     

My girls who I love so dearly. I seriously can't get enough of them. I love seeing them grow. I love talking with them about life and God. I love joking around and playing with them. They are like little sisters to me. Thank you Jesus for placing these amazing people in my life!

Roller coaster Time!

Last sunday we were all called to the vehicle and were told that we are going somewhere special. I personally thought we were going for ice cream. Actually I was hoping we were going for ice cream but instead we ended up at a mini theme park. There was this one particular ride called the banana boat ride which Makau wanted everyone to try. I took one look at it and said NO WAY. First, I hate roller coasters. I have never liked them even as a kid. I get motion sick really easily and I don't like feeling that way just for a few minutes of fun. So I opted out but all the others took the plunge and did. Boy am I ever glad I stayed on the ground. The thing went up and down and around in circles while my friends were screaming at the top of their lungs. I laughed the whole time. 

Here they are just before the ride started. They looked less excited once they got off the ride.

The rides were sketchy. I am pretty sure they were like old rides from the West which were thrown out because they were unsafe to use. I looked at this board and laughed as it is at our own risk that we take these rides. The park people obviously know that their rides could collapse at any time. 

This picture very accurately depicts the relationship between Makau and I. Him trying to tell me something stupid and me being less than impressed. 

Chao and Naomi had a romantic ride going around in circles for what seemed like 20 minutes. 

James is always one to make me smile. He is full of character and life. We get big laughs out of him.

It was a fun outing even though I didn't get on any of the rides. We enjoyed just being out together as our time with each other is quickly coming to an end with only 2 weeks until graduation. I will miss these people!

Naomi's Poems

 Dreaded Attack

I thought I was a tough conqueror

immune to all manner of attacks

AIDS! 

This was wishful thinking

of a person with a deficiency syndrome 

who was worried and ensured at the same time 

I did not know that I would wast away, 

I only imagined I was immune and healthy

yet I had led a life of luxury, 

a life of very risky behaviour, 

a careless life of premarital sex. 

Abstinence was a strange idea, 

all that glitters is not gold, 

some close friends had the killer virus

in their semen and body fluids, 

only I am not sure about their sputum. 

Recently a doctor gave me a shock 

with the message that I lacked immunity, 

a foreign body had entered my body, 

I'm infected with HIV/AIDS.

This has given me great shock. 

Why Me?

Why me? why me? Was I born to suffer? 

Was I born to endure pap long died, mama long died

but auntie cleans dishes, prepares food, fetches fire wood 

but don't forget to wash the clothes. 

Why me? Why me? Fellow children go to school

while i remember performing every duty monday to friday,

silence in our society no play no cheers yet education is free.

Auntie, education is free, house you are late

for how me kick out of your mind when all is asleep

when I sleep before sunrise, I am the first one to ware up,

Auntie, tea is ready

Stupid, Idiot, Imbecile do I look like.

Abusing language is no use to my head

sadness is the make up that appears on this tender head

pastors consolidation sound good on my ears

Children are a blessing from God

Children are our leaders of tomorrow

Children trust in God always and you will be set free 

Look at my shoes from Japan and earrings from Dubai

nice perfume all the way from India

Nescafe, Nescafe mmm drink of my choice

Go and get me some from the kitchen!

On the first day of camp, during our talent portion of the day, a young girl came up first and started reciting these poems. Instantly, all of us had our eyes on her and silence filled the tent. This young girl, named Naomi was only 10 years old. Sadly, these poems give a realistic picture of the lives of these children:AIDS, abuse, death, sex, education, etc. I got Naomi to write the poems down for me to share with you. Hope this gives you a small glance into the lives of these children. 

Camps in the Ghetto

In the middle of what seemed like a cement city filled with noise, plastered with dirt, and soiled with the smell of sludge and urine, we held two camps at two different schools this week. I have to say that this week has been incredible. Incredibly difficult, incredibly rewarding, incredibly challenging, and incredibly fun! In total, we had over 600 kids attend the camps. We dragged ourselves out of bed at 4am every morning in order to cross the city and set up on time. We sang, danced, played, listened, laughed, talked, learned, interacted, and ate for 6 days. It was incredible. I am still processing everything. These children live in the slums. They have had to overcome obstacle after obstacle their entire lives. So it made my heart joyful when I saw them with big smiles on their faces and roars of laughter coming out of their mouths. 

We separate into teams and do games every day. It is too much fun as we yell, scream, play, rejoice. Mama Joe (above) just won a competition for her team and the team went crazy!

This is Robert. He is one of my classmates who I have grown to adore. He is soft and tender hearted (which is no surprise since he has 7 older sisters and is the only boy in the family) but he is so good with the campers. He always knows how to make them laugh and get them involved. I enjoyed counselling with him this week. 

I think one of the highlights of my week was serving the kids chicken. For most of these kids, they eat chicken maybe once or twice a year as it is quite expensive. I talked with one boy after the meal and he said with big eyes, "that meal was SO SPECIAL!"

My new friend Dishon (or DC) was quite the character. He too is the youngest of 5 sisters with the oldest being 40 years old. He loved to act and be dramatic. He always gave me a good chuckle. 

Bobbing for oranges. I tried it but failed miserably. The water scared me as I didn't know what sort of germs and yuckies were in there. 

The kids were taught how to do quiet time or personal time with God. Every day we would give them some time to be by themselves and read their bibles. It was precious seeing 300 kids laying around reading their bibles.

Pastor Chris Mwalwa, our Word of Life Director, spoke to the kids every day for bible hour about Responsibility, Showing, and Freedom. The kids had their eyes glued on him. He even spoke their version of swahili which is not natural for him. 

This beautiful girl is ZamZam. She made me smile. Her face just beamed. She was so delightful to be around. 

Like I said, it was an amazing week. My skin didn't like the intensity of the sun and decided to burn but that's all part of it I guess. I am content knowing that Christ was preached and that now for many of these kids, He will be the One they turn to and choose to serve.