It's Monday, the start of a new week. So far this morning I have spent a few hours trying to mop up all the dust and dirt and other yuckies around my house. We have a tiny house that seems to get so dirty so quickly. I guess it doesn't help much that there is a huge building project in our backyard that is creating hoards of dust. Sometimes I can see the streams of dust floating through the window. On the bright sigh, it is a delightful overcast day. Mombasa is finally cooling down.
Anyways, here are a few shots of my week. I have been terrible at communicating and taking pictures in the past few weeks. I promise to try harder.
The moon
I sat in awe as I watched the moon rise high above the boys as they practiced one night. The boys are back on track with practicing. They won their first game of the league on Saturday. I wasn't there but I heard they were elated and celebrated with vuvuzela's and lots of chanting/singing.
Groove
Last sunday, the biggest concert in the nation came and did its final show in Mombasa. The Groove tour sets up stages all across the country and profiles the hottest gospel music artists in the country. In Kenya, more often than not, the top songs on the charts are all gospel tunes. It's pretty rad although I feel sometimes we've lost the art of 'worship music'. But at least the lyrics are somewhat clean and holy...
Security was tight with threats of terrorists and such. We went through 4 different security guards just to get through the gates. Once inside, police and security were everywhere, including some 'hidden' police mingling amongst the crowds. With thousands of people inside, they did a pretty good job on the security front. No bombs. That's always a good thing.
Kelvin and I got cozy in the back sitting on the bleachers in the shade. We totally enjoyed ourselves. I loved seeing some of our boys and some of the ladies. The concert was FREE and close to Kongowea. My heart was happy seeing them enjoying themselves.
Cooking adventures
My new resolution is to cook nicer food at home and eat out less. Eating out adds up and I can make yummier, cheaper food at home. So this week saw me make pizza, baked chicken, toasted cheese, pumpkin cookies, coconut meat stew and pasta alongside the usual rice, beans, ugali, and sukuma.
I had been wanting to learn to cook the local pilau for a while now. From what I had heard, it was fairly easy and pretty cheap. One of my ladies, Susan, offered to take me home after our meeting on Saturday to teach me how. We giggled the whole way through the process and ended up making some pretty delicious pilau. It passed my husbands standards which is really what I strive for. The real test will be when I try cook it myself at home.
Missin' my Momma
Yes, Mother's day really made me long for my momma. These are the days I wish I was closer and could celebrate my mother the way she deserves. Good thing I have a pretty rad brother who managed to treat my mom to a nice dinner and her favourite flowers. I did manage to squeeze in a short Skype date with mom in the morning. Thank the Lord for Skype. I wasn't the only one longing for my mom. Neema was practically trying to scratch her way through the screen to get to her.
Journalling
A dear wife/friend/mentor of mine recently encouraged me to start journalling. I used to journal a lot in Kenya mostly because everything was so new and cool and noteworthy. Now I am used to life so it doesn't seem to be worth writing down. But I bought this cute little notebook (that a friend makes and sells for super cheap) and have been writing almost every day. It's been really relaxing to just sit and write openly and honestly about whatever is on my mind.
A new schedule
When we came back from our trip, we knew that we needed to shift some things around in our life and focus on what's really important. The last few months were hard as we tried to balance starting a business, working with the youth, and focusing on being newly married. So now Kelvin has trained one of our boys to manage the business for a few hours in the day leaving us with the mornings together. It has made such a huge difference! We wake up slowly and eat breakfast together while watching our favourite morning shows. We clean up, spend some time reading God's word and just hang out. Sometimes we watch a movie or just talk. Around noon I start preparing lunch and after that Kelvin heads out. He gets what needs to be done in the office before he goes to practice with the boys. I usually plan something for the afternoon. I have been actually heading to Kongowea more to meet up with my ladies one on one. Then we come back home together in the evenings, cook supper, and relax.
This new schedule has not only helped our relationship but also the youth we work with. We find we have more time and energy to pour into them which is what they really need most. It is also what makes us thrive too!
I am grateful the way God has worked it all out.
As for this week, we are still busy. Tonight I am headed to Kongowea to meet with one of my ladies and take some head shots of the boys for a fundraiser happening in Canada. Then the rest of the week is filled with wedding meetings, visiting, bible studies, office work, and, well, sweet time with those who matter most.
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