Days before the wedding and the rehearsal

Dad, Mark, and Baba arrived on the 19th, just two days before the wedding. In the morning, us ladies went to town to do some shopping and wait for the rest to arrive. Of course we had no end of car/taxi issues (which were sorted out by our awesome friends and my handsome husband) but we made it to the airport on time to pick them up. Baba practically fell over from exhaustion and heat as she got off the plane. But we managed to get her in the car and back to the hotel. 

 I took the girls to the city market to buy some spices and look around. 

 Having an early lunch before picking up the rest of the family. 

 My dad and my brother were such troopers. After over 30 hours of travelling, they still wanted to come to Kongowea to watch our boys play. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of them, but here is kasondra enjoying the game.

Brothers! Mark and Kelvin got along so great! I couldn't have asked for anything better. I actually got kind of jealous as they would have so much fun together. I have never seen my brother laugh so much.

Rehearsal time! I got just a little teary eyed walking down the aisle.

'Baba in the jungle'

Goofing off with my bridesmaids.

This is Robert, the pastor that married us and counselled us. We couldn't have asked for a better person to bring us together! 

Mom and Kasondra in Ilula

One of the things I HAD to do was take Mom to my most favourite place on earth: Ilula! This is where I started over 6 years ago and has become a treasure to me. Mom has heard countless stories and seen hours of video of this place. My dad went when he was here a couple years ago, so now it was Mom's turn to see my 'home' here in Kenya. 

Oh yah, and Kasondra got to come along too!!

Waiting to leave Nairobi. I messed up Kasondra's flight time the night before and thought that she had come out of the gate and got lost. Mom and I frantically raced around the airport looking for her. (I read her itinerary wrong. I though 20:45 was 10:45 when it is actually 8:45 - good thing my friend who was driving us decided we needed to be there early). I ended up asking some older gentleman, who had come through the gate, if he had seen my friend. He goes, "Ah yes, the really tall one? She is still in there." Phew!

Always love when they welcome us. Mom was in tears....Not surprising. 

I was so proud of Kasondra. She jumped right in a helped out wherever she could. It didn't take long for her to fit right in. She would wander off for hours and totally enjoy herself. 

The children's home has started a new passionfruit project which will hopefully gain an income for them. My mom spent 4 hours pruning the fruits with the kids. 

My sponsor child Valentine. How blessed am I that I get to be apart of my sponsor child's life?! 

Kasondra fit right in playing basketball with the kids. (Her and I used to play basketball regionally when we were in high school).

Ok, my favourite part of going to Ilula these days is GIRL TALK! The girls are now in high school and quite the amazing young ladies. I LOVE listening to all their great stories from their adventures at school and at home. I am so proud of them. Some of them have experienced some crazy things but have stuck to their guns! 

Isn't she gorgeous!?

My mom and my kenyan 'mom' walking to the shamba. 

Eva tending to the shamba.

"Ah mzungu! She's actually shaking my hand!"

Mom tried to milk the cow. As you can see, the cow was not impressed and would not allow Mom to do it. 

Ladies! 

Yep, she fit right in. Her and Apollo (middle) got along great! 

Sometimes I wish I could pick this girl up and take her with me wherever I go. I just adore her. We have the most precious talks when I see her. 

Our 3 nights there were so fulfilling. Mom was so moved to see the people who have taken care of me all these years. She loved the environment (it actually surprised me how much she loved all the plants and gardens). Next time I will get to bring my husband to meet everyone! 

Mama: The first to arrive in Mombasa!

My mother arrived December 6th. If you had talked to me a week before her arrival, I am sure the only thing you would have heard out of my mouth was 'MY MOM ARRIVES SOON!'. I was almost more excited to see my mom than to get married. 

Of course she burst into tears as she exited the gate and saw me standing there. I asked her how her flights were and she blurted out, "I thought I was going to die!" WHY? I asked. " I was SO thirsty" Haha. I burst into laughter. I guess the airlines she took didn't give her enough water so she thought she would die of dehydration. Good thing I had a big bottle of water waiting for her as she got off the plane. 

We spend 3 days in Mombasa. I showed her around, we did some random wedding things, we spent a day at the beach, she met some of my friends, and got a glimpse at my life. She thought my apartment was 'rustic' and it took her a while to adjust to my way of living - which she thought was just like camping. But she adjusted well. 

My mom loves her eggs! Yummy starbucks and eggs for breakfast. 

My mom loved the lady who washes our clothes. They got along well even though they couldn't understand each other. This lady found it hilarious that Mom wanted to take a picture of her. 

 

The clothes drying. 

The first day we went into town, I must have run into friends at every corner. I think that was when Mom realized that I do have a life here and that I am apart of a community. 

Showing Mom our new apartment that we were slowing moving into. I was happy to see the mosquito netting on the windows! 

We spent a day poolside and had lunch at this beachside bar. I got a kick out of the guy carrying a large boat on his head in the back ground. 

We got to see a baby goat after it was just born in Kongowea. 

Then we headed to Nairobi for a couple days. Unfortunately, Mom got sick one of the days we planned to do some sight seeing. However, she was a trooper. When my Dad was here in 2009, we went to Java House almost every morning. Since then, Dad and I have talked about it a bajillion times at home. Finally I took Mom to taste and see what we had been talking about. 

We went to Kijabe for the day. I am saving our seats in the matatu and waiting for the car to fill up with passengers. 

Mom makes it to Kijabe! We had the most amazing time wandering through the hospital and Mom meeting my friends. We sat for a couple hours talking with Mercy, the chaplain I worked with while I was there. It was such a good reunion. 

This is the view that I had while I lived in Kijabe. Not too shabby eh? Simply gorgeous. 

Next up...Eldoret and the arrival of the Maid of Honour, Kasondra! 

I'm Back!

I am back online! Did you miss me?! .... Yah, didn't think so. 

I am not sure exactly where to start. Should I tell you about taking my mother to Eldoret to meet all my precious sisters and brothers? Or how she spent hours pruning the passionfruit plants while I got to have precious girl talks with the high school girls? Maybe I should mention that I messed up my best friend's flight arrival time and thought I had lost her in the airport? I wish I could describe my delight seeing all my family (including my Kenyan Family, the Ronos) at the pitch cheering on our boys as they played in the semi finals. Or the sounds of traditional singing and bright colours that welcomed me to Granny's house as they covered my head and ushered me into my own room where my whole family ate fresh goat pilau. Of course, the wedding day must be mentioned from my mother doing my hair and make-up to Dad walking me down the aisle and handing me over to Kelvin to the 'I do's' and the kiss to the yummy food and dancing till the sun went down on the Indian Ocean. Couldn't have asked for a better day. Then we had the the mini honeymoon which we loved;) but family time was the greatest. Lots of card playing, drinking coke, swimming, picking on each other, laughing, and quality family time. Goodness! I almost forgot the boys christmas gifts! Too bad I missed it. Was stuck at the bank but let my family do the honours. Such is life. And now I am nestled in my lovely new apartment, catching up on emails, eating all the yummy treats my family left behind (Doritos, Reese's pieces, energy drinks, cheese, and Mini Eggs) and waiting for my husband to come home.

It was a phenomenal month to say the least. As the days go by, I will add pictures and more stories about all that has happened.

I am blessed beyond belief. This whole month taught me truly how much God loves me, how valuable I am to Him, how He loves to shower me with good things, and how He is always faithful.  This past year has been one of my best (but not without its fair share of struggles) and I think I have ended on a high note.

Kelvin and I sat this morning and talked about our favourite moments this year (but we couldn't mention anything from the last month). We revelled in the ways God has used us in Kongowea and were amazed to see how some of our boys are now interning for big companies and turning their hearts to God. We looked at the ways we have grown as individuals and as a couple. I have learned to cook Kenyan food (and absolutely love it too!) which was a HUGE thing for me as well as learning to take care of a household. Kelvin is grateful that God has given him the means to fulfil his role as leader or provider in a deteriorating economy and practically jobless country. And how we have both stretched and grown closer to God's image. And we have loved God with all that is in us.

Happy New Year everyone!

Blogging Break

Well ya'll, I think I will be taking a break from blogging for the next couple weeks (unless I get the time or have something incredibly juicy to share). Life is getting rather busy right now and I am trying to just focus on my family, my wedding, my future husband, keeping myself cool, and Jesus. 

My mother arrives in Mombasa kesho and I couldn't be more excited!! I am tracking where she is at all times and praying her through her long journey to Africa. At least now my family will really understand what I go through every time I come back to Canada. It's not an easy travel that's for sure. 

Today I spent the day scrubbing every inch of my house making it ready enough for my momma. This is the first time she is coming to my home. Of course I want her to be comfortable although I know she will have to get used to showering right next to the toilet, having to light the stove with a match, and making sure a fan is always blowing cool air at you from some direction. I am sure she will look at some of my cooking utensils and wonder how I survive. I think she will just love all the fresh fruit and veggies (including the large, juicy avocados she loves to eat every morning). She told me she was brining a large toblerone bar so we can have a chocolate fondue will all the yummy tropical fruits. Oh I can't wait. 

I woke up this morning with a lump on my neck. First thing I did was panic. My grandmother just died of cancer. One way she knew the cancer was back was because she would get lumps on her neck. So naturally my first thought was that I was dying of cancer. I called Kelvin and said I needed to go to the doctor this afternoon to figure it out. I didn't want to take my mom to the doctor with me on her first day in Kenya. I calmed down and did some research and deducted that it was unlikely to be cancer. The doctor also said the same. He did some blood tests and said I had an infection (although the blood results were not completely clear.) He prescribed some anti-biotics and told me to come back in a week if nothing changes. I am not completely thrilled at the timing of this but I will deal with it. 

Otherwise we had a wonderful weekend filled with lots of friends and fun. I have such an amazing community here. I am so blessed to have a place where I belong. 

We were invited to an appreciation lunch by a ministry group that we have helped out with. The food was amazing and the company was even better. Kelvin took this picture of me with his iPhone (an old one I brought back from Canada). Sorry, that's the only picture I took this week.

We really appreciate prayers for these next couple weeks. Pray for ALL our travel plans! We have people coming from Canada, UK and the other side of Kenya. Also, Mom, Kasondra and I are going to Ilula to visit the children's home for a couple days. Pray for wedding plans. Pray for calmness. My purpose is to enjoy this process and not let the little things stress me out. Pray for KELVIN AND I! We are getting MARRIED! Whoop whoop! 

Love you all. Next time you hear from me, I will be Nikole Opiyo......

When your day doesn't go as planned

Yes, I had one of those days where pretty much every plan I woke up with, didn't happen.

I was actually really excited for this friday in particular. I had planned to have some sweet girlfriends over at my house and just have a good girly night of movies, food, and laughter. I think once I get married, these nights will be few and far in between so I wanted to soak up this chance while I had it.

It is also my best friend, Rahab's, birthday on monday so I wanted to make a big, scrumptious brownie cake for us to devour. Naturally, I needed to clean my house and make all the beds. I also had to plan for a nice supper to treat the ladies too (they are all students so when they come over I try treat them- mostly I just feed them meat cause they can't afford it themselves).

I had planned to go to town with Kelvin to finish buying art supplies for our boy who is in art school. He starts his next term soon and needs his supplies ASAP.

And one of the girls from my bible study was going to spend the night with us as she is working just down the road from me for the weekend so I told her to just come to my place instead of going all the way back to her place.

Ok, so none of that happened. Well, that's not true. Some of it happened, but not the way I thought it would.

My morning was slower than usual just getting myself up and out and ready for the day (which in hindsight, I am thankful for). Just as I sent Kelvin to go buy me some eggs for the cake, Rahab called and said that she was being suddenly evicted out of the place she has been living in for 4 years. She needed to be out within the next day or two. She apologized and said she couldn't make it for the girls night. But I couldn't just leave her to do all this by herself. Kelvin and I started making some calls to try hire a car to get all her stuff packed and moved. Well, that turned out to be more difficult than we thought as most of the people we know had already hired out their cars or they were just playing games with us or we had to wait for a few hours to get one. It was frustrating. Kelvin finally got a lead on a car in Kongowea and he rushed to go see it while I met Rahab in town. It turns out the car that Kelvin thought he was getting was on the other side of Mombasa completely. UGH! Anyways, we managed to get someone to get Rahab's stuff and drop at her place in the morning.

Then we went to buy the art supplies. Which was lovely. SO much fun buying all these treats for my boys.

We went to have lunch which I had not planned for. We splurged and went for a pricey lunch too. I had already stuff in the house to make a cheaper lunch.

After that I went to the grocery store to buy some more food for the other girls who were suppose to come tonight. Since Rahab wasn't coming, I scratched the cake idea and just focused on a yummy meal.

I got home and waited and waited and waited and waited for the ladies to show up. I finally call them and they say they are on their way. By this time it was already 8pm and I kindly told them that I would be exhausted by 9pm so no use even coming. I guess there was a big accident which caused a huge traffic jam. Kelvin got caught in it too and it took him 2 times longer to reach home than it usually does.

Then my other friend, who was suppose to come stay with me after her work, didn't show up either. I called and she told me she was home. She explained that she tried calling and calling me but the network wasn't letting her through. It's true - the network has been crazy today not letting anyone get on the internet or make calls. So she just decided to go home.

Its now 9:30 and I am alone with a lot of yummy food leftover.

This isn't abnormal. Things in Africa just don't happen the way we expect. I am used to it by now. And usually God has a good plan for things not going the way WE planned them. Even if it drives my organized, logical, western mind up the wall.

Wedding Thoughts

Here is just a random mix of thoughts that are running through my head concerning my wedding:

• I am less interested in the wedding but more focused on getting married. If at the end of the day, I am married to Kelvin I will be a happy lady. 
• I am sure that people in Kongowea are more excited for my wedding than I am. It is the buzz in the community. Talk of the town. Women are fussing more over what they are going to wear, how they are going to do their hair, their jewelry, their make up than I am. You would think Kelvin is some sort of politician with all this hype. If we didn't make it an 'invitation only' wedding, I think we would have 600 people there. No jokes. 
• Speaking of invitations, they seem to be a major issue. Everyone we meet is asking for their 'card'. We  have issued all the cards so if you didn't get one, you can't come. Period. So please don't fuss. We invited 320 (yes...320) of our closest friends and family. If you weren't invited, that means you are probably not as close to us as you think. Another thing, please don't ask for a card for you teacher, pastor, friend, etc. I had my sister-in-law tell me I need to invite the teacher of my other twin sisters. I said NO. 
• We even have people who are willing to pay for their friends to get into the wedding. We have to keep a strict number because we are paying per head (which isn't usually done here). Once we explain that, we have people who are offering to pay for their friend's to get in. 
• We have invited all of Kelvin's family from upcountry (trust me, they are an army of people themselves) but we are not providing their transport, a place to stay, or a new outfit for them. Because of these 3 factors, most of them won't come. But we still get calls from them asking for money to come. I am blessed to have an awesome mother-in-law who totally agrees with us and doesn't even push us to hand out more money. She is not even allowing her own family to stay with her in Mombasa. I am so thankful for her. 
• People are admiring how 'simple' our wedding is. We are not doing some key Kenyan things like decorating the cars or hiring professional make up artists or wearing excessive jewelry. We have also decided to put a big bowl of candy as our centre pieces. Never heard of here in Kenya. I love it. 
• We got our wedding song the other day and Kelvin can't stop listening to it. Honestly, I have fallen in love with it too. The local band we have wrote the song especially for us. It has our names, our parents names, our hometowns and everything. LOVE IT! 
• I love being called 'Bibi Harusi'. I will miss that once I am married. 
• Prayers are being offered all over the place for us. My sister-in-law told me yesterday how her church just finished 3 days of fasting and prayers for our wedding (meaning they didn't eat or drink for 3 days because of us). Part of me is so humbled, but part of me thinks it is a little crazy. 
• I am no longer going to fuss over whether or not my bridesmaid dresses are going to fit properly. I am making all of them even for 2 girls from Canada. Because we didn't get measured properly by the fundi who is making them, they could very well not fit well. However, I was at a wedding yesterday and saw that the majority of the clothes the women were wearing did not fit them properly. It worked and no one cared. 
• Our marriage license has costed 6 times more than we thought it would. With all the special letters we had to get, my trip to Nairobi to the embassy, a special license to marry outside, a special license to marry a kenyan and a foreigner, and all the other small details, we probably could have put a down payment on a house. Ok, not that extreme but it was a lot of money. 
• As we sat at the registrar's office to get our license approved, we watched countless young black ladies and white old men come in and get married. Some looked like they were in love, but many looked like it was just convenient. I was just so thankful for my relationship with Kelvin. 
• Kelvin has been my hero through all of this. When people ask me if I am stressing over the wedding, I can honestly say No. But that's because Kelvin is doing most of the work. He is dealing with everyone who is being fussy, he is making all the small arrangements, he is calm, cool, and collected. I am so excited to be his wife!

Logo

I am putting a call out to all those graphic design whizz' out there who wouldn't mind helping us out a little.

I am starting to get the Christmas packages ready for the boys. I want to order the t-shirts for them soon. I wanted to design some sort of logo to go on the front of the t-shirt. Actually, I wanted it to be the official logo for the team (cause we know that any great football team needs an emblem/logo).

Now, I thought I could do it myself but after spending hours scrunching my eyebrows at my computer, I realized that I do not have the appropriate programs or enough graphic design skills to do it.

So if you would like to give your time and talent and bless our team with their own official emblem, please let me know. It would be greatly appreciated!

Tea and Chocolate Covered Digestive Cookies

Sunday morning I got the phone call I had been dreading. I knew it was coming sooner than later but when  I saw my home phone number show up on my tiny Nokia phone, my stomach dropped. My precious daddy, keeping it together for me, sweetly told me my grandmother had passed away. 

If you know me well, you know that my granny and I didn't have an ordinary relationship. She was more than my grandmother, she was one of my best friends. Naturally, I am completely heartbroken after losing my 'bosom buddy', as my granny used to say about her closest friends. 

We never lived near my granny so when we got the chance to go visit, we were elated. Our parents used to drop us off at their house (my grandfather was there when we were younger as well but it was granny who did most things with us), and spoil us completely rotten for a few days. She would take us to the Castle Fun Park and give us $20 to buy tokens for all the games. We would collect tickets upon tickets and granny would take them home, organize them, and save them for us so we could 'cash' them in for a big prize.  She would take us to the movie store and tell us we could rent as many movies as we wanted. We would get home and sink into the couch for hours with our eyes glued to the TV. Sometimes she would even come along and scratch our backs lightly with her long, delicate fingers. She always made me a cup of tea, the british way, and adorned a saucer with chocolate covered digestive cookies. Her tea was the best I have ever tasted. Grandma never failed to send us a card for every occasion. She would rarely spend more than $1 on a card but always made sure it gets to us. The last one I received from her was an engagement card that she sent all the way to Mombasa. 

She was such an elegant woman. She made everything look elegant. She had beautiful broaches, berets of all colours, beautiful necklaces, and classy outfits. I think it was largely due to her upbringing in the 'Old Country', Wales. Because of this upbringing, she had the greatest vocabulary. I wonder how many grandmothers told their kids to go upstairs and do their "ablutions" before they went to bed. Or used the phrase 'three sheets to the wind' to say that someone was drunk. I wish she had written down all the crazy idioms she used to come up with. We loved her for that. And even after living in Canada for most of her life, she still pronounced 'water' as 'wauter'. 

We grew closer as I got older. I used to fight with my dad over who was going to call grandma that day. I loved talking with her. We even knit a whole blanket together one summer. It still sits on my bed. She gave me her car which my brother now drives. She was always there to say goodbye to me when I left for Africa. I always thought it would be the last time I saw her. However, she was always the first face I saw as I stepped off the plane back in Canada. And, of course, countless afternoons drinking tea and eating chocolate digestive cookies.

When I came home from Kenya in 2007, my dad broke the news to me that she was diagnosed with cancer. This broke my heart. The cancer she had was not curable but was treatable. They gave her a couple years to live if she was willing to endure the horrors of chemo. Which she did. I was in Vancouver when she went through her first bout of chemo. It was nerve wracking but she handled it well. Slowly she started shedding her hair and she would complain that her finger tips and her nose would go numb (which also happened when she drank too much). She survived that chemo and the cancer went away from a while. Then it came back and she did the chemo again. It went away and came back. Went away and came. I lost count how many times she did chemo. We thought she would never die. We used to tease her and say she would outlive all of us. Her strength and positive spirit always amazed us. We knew she was suffering. She missed my grandfather every second of her life. It's no fun being sick and alone. But she never wanted to be a burden to anyone and her focus was always our well being even to the very end. 

The day before I left to get on the plane back to Mombasa, I spent one last day with her. I think we both knew it would be the last time we saw each. We talked a lot about Jesus and what was waiting for us in heaven (I am still not sure if she made it there). We cried a lot. We watched the Justin Bieber movie together and she even gave me a little dance move or two. We giggled. She told me a few dirty jokes and cackled at herself. She made me a cup of tea and opened up a package of chocolate covered digestive cookies. We talked and prayed. She told me about her younger years and all the things she had overcome. Finally I gave her one last hug goodbye then she pushed me out the door not wanting to turn into a blubbering mess. 

Finally the chemo stopped working and the cancer was taking over. Grandma was also tired and not willing to fight any more. She didn't want to be a burden to us anymore. So she went into hospice and slept peacefully until she finally stopped breathing on November 18th. 

I miss her already. I wish I could pick up my phone and hear her voice again. So keep us in our prayers. It has been a tough year with losing two grandparents but we are making it through. I am excited that my family will be with me in Mombasa in the next couple weeks where we can celebrate my wedding but also remember my grandma. 

A guys day out

The day at the pool with the boys was a big success. They totally enjoyed themselves, acted like princes living it large in a fancy resort, poured their hearts out in some teaching sessions Kelvin facilitated, and bonded as a team. God did wonders and we are so thankful!

Kelvin told them to be there at 7:30am. We expected they would be late but most of them showed up on time.

Big smiles even before they got in the gates

I just joined them for the sessions that Kelvin held. I wanted to see their reactions to the things Kelvin was teaching them about. This particular session encouraged them to grow as young men, make goals, work hard, and trust God. My favourite part was when Kelvin encouraged them to remain pure aka keep it in your pants until you are married. Kelvin was speaking in swahili but he made some great gestures as he pointed down demonstrating the way 'it' should be pointed until they are married. He then told them that 'it' should not be pointed up and wagging all around. He moved his finger up and back and forth. We erupted into laughter. I think they got the point. 

Kelvin told me that, during the 2nd session in the afternoon, the guys really opened up about their self esteem issues. On the outside, these guys seem tough, strong, confident but in reality, it's just a cover. Kelvin was humbled as he listened to their hearts. Some of them told him that they don't like the way people perceive them in their community, that they are embarrassed when they are physically abused by their friends, that they feel like they always fail and never do well even though they work hard, and that (this was the hardest one for me to hear) some of their parents tell them they are worthless no bodies. Is your heart breaking for them like mine is? Kelvin dove into scripture and taught them what God thinks of them and how amazing they truly are. 

They had an awesome day.  Thanks to all those who helped make this happen!