One more thing...

My good friend Brady also has an Africa blog! If you are interested in reading his is www.bradysafricablog.blogspot.com

Final Remarks

Yesterday we had one more Africa meeting to wrap up a few things. It was great seeing everyone again. The college kids weren't there, but still being together again was nice. On October 7, 2009 we are going to present pictures, videos, songs, and our thoughts to the church. Mostly the meeting was to discuss preparations for that.

I really miss Kenya. I miss feces covered babies, cuddling up in your arms. I miss waving to everyone on the side of the road. I miss bumpy car rides. I miss mosquito nets. I miss dust storms, and just dust in general. I miss the aroma of body odor every time you entered the room. I miss seeing bananas hanging from shacks on the side of the road. I miss singing, jumping, dancing, clapping, and "amen-ing". I miss endless hi-fives. I miss feeling dirty. I miss people who don't care what you look like. I miss 8:30 team meetings. I miss peanut butter sandwiches. I miss the van rides. I miss Swahili. I miss Barbara and all of the other AIDs babies. I miss dark purple fanta. I miss seeing blue and red uniforms. I miss the beauty of the rift valley. I miss livestock tide on the side of the road. Most of all I miss the love and kindness that all Kenyans have. The love and kindness that Kenya taught me to have. The love and kindness that I am still striving to earn. The love and kindness that I will never ever forget.

August 8, 2009

1:35am we arrived in Dubai. It's so beautiful here. We checked into the Rush Inn Hotel. It was actually pretty nice. Our shower was broken though, so I ended up washing my hair under the faucet. It was quite the experience. Haha. We slept until about 10am. One of our adult leaders, Joe, found out that we could go on a tour for about $22 a person. So we got to visit/see a variety of different places. We saw a few mosques, a lot of beaches, an art museum, a mall, the palm islands, the tallest man made structure, and a few others... I can't recall there names. It was a very neat experience! The only thing was that it was 110ish degrees outside! Crazy hot! Also, since most people here are Muslim, I had to wear jeans. The water looked SO GOOD. I wanted to jump in SO BAD. It would be a magnificent place to vacation, only it's pretty expensive. I'm glad that we got to see the city though!

I most definitely experienced culture shock going from Kenya to the Emirates. People here are so wealthy! The police have BMWs, and we saw a couple Lamborghinis! Seriously, I never really quite understood when people said "it's like a whole new world". Now I understand. I could have stayed in Kenya longer, but after traveling for this long, I'm excited to go home. I miss you Mom, Dad, Kyle, and Sadie. I just wonder what I'm going to be like...

August 7, 2009

Today was bittersweet. Our departure. We started off by having our last breakfast in Kenya. We then all packed up and headed out. It took three hours to get from Nakuru to Nairobi. As soon as we started getting closer to Nairobi that traffic got really busy. It was actually quite scary. First we stopped at an upper class (sort of) store called Kazuri Beads. Everything was very shiny and fancy. I think they would have done really well in America. We then went to lunch at a hotel, which was really good. It only left us with about a half hour in the market though. Really, that's no time at all because you have to barter and all that jazz... so I didn't get a lot of things I would like to have gotten. The market was quite the experience.

Getting to the airport was crazy. Getting all situated took a while. My flight wasn't until 7:10pm, but the majority of the groups was at 6:30pm. I'm pretty sure everyone made it though. That's where I'm writing from... Kenya Airways. I won't get home for two more days. I'm actually headed for Dubai, and I have a 21 hour layover there... it should be fun though!

August 6, 2009

I have a lot to journal about, starting with last night. Right before dinner our Katangas arrived! Mine didn't turn out exactly as planned. The skirt is very cute though and I'm going to wear it tonight as we have our closing Kenyan Party. I'm excited! It should be a blast!

Last night Jamie gave the incoming seniors, and anyone older, the chance to go to Summit... which is a Kenyan Club. Last week the college kids and adults went on a Friday. They said it was packed. However, when we arrived on a Wednesday night no one was there. So, we just partied it up. It was really fun. Technically I can still say that I went clubbing in a foreign country!

Today we embarked on a wonderful adventure. That's right it was SAFARI DAY! We had to load the vans at 6:15am. I'm not really tired at all, so that's good! It's really a cool adventure because your vans roof pops up allowing you to stand up the whole way! I'm pretty sure I'll wake up in the morning with bruises all over my body from bashing into the sides of the van. When we arrived at the gates we spotted monkeys and zebras! The sun was just beginning to rise, so we got some really pretty pictures. Actually, my favorite picture was taken right then. We spotted some water bucks next. The zebras and the water bucks were the most common animals of the entire journey. Next we saw a few different kinds of gazelles. I know for a fact some of them were Thompson's gazelles, but I'm not sure of the other kinds. Oh my... BABOONS! They were all over... and pretty cute. I personally think their butts look like they're made out of plastic. Haha. We saw a few warthogs. Our driver called them Pumba (you know... from Lion King)! We continued our journey around Nakuru Lake. There were thousands... maybe even millions, of flamingos! They don't really turn out to great in pictures. There were also quite a lot of pelicans. They have HUGE wingspans. It was incredible. One sad thing that we saw was a crushed tortoise :( It made me think of you, Kyle, because I know how much you love turtles. One surprising thing that we saw was an eagle. I wasn't expecting to see one because well, does an eagle come to your mind when you think AFRICA?! I didn't think so... One thing that made me really excited was the Rhinos! They are massive animals that people would probably typically think of as ugly. In an odd way, I thought they were beautiful. They were kind of fun to watch even though they didn't move much. One of the cutest things about them was the hair on their ears. Haha. We stopped for a lunch break at Baboon Cliff. There was only one baboon there, but you got to see the most amazing view. You could see the whole park. Apparently it was a very small safari park. Our guide told us that there were no elephants, cheetahs, or wildebeest because of its size. All in all it took up eight hours to go through, so I still think it was fairly large. Another thing that reminded me of Kyle was this blue lizard with a bright orange head. Sadly, part of its tail was missing. I think it will grow back though. It took a while, but we finally spotted a giraffe. It was giving birth! When we left apparently it collapsed and died, and its baby died too... yet another sad occurrence. In a way it's kind of nice. The park wants to preserve the habitat and keep things all natural. It's good that they let nature take its course. We saw a few water buck bones. One thing that I REALLY wanted to see was a lion. It must not have been in Gods plan for us, because none of us got to. We did get to see a Hyena though. That was pretty sweet. That about wrapped up our safari. It was really cool, and I hope that maybe one day I will get the opportunity to go on another.

The day ended with a party. Everyone that got a Katanga wore it. We ate food and sort of danced. Some played a few games. We were all pretty tired though. So, we actually got to bed at a reasonable time! Our last night in the Hotel Kunste. Our last night in Kenya. Our last night in Africa. I nearly cried. So many memories were created. I definitely will leave a large chunk of my heart here in Africa. Hopefully I'll return.

August 5, 2009

The last work day... bittersweet. Squatters Hill was pretty much the same, face paint and necklaces. My friend Anne really wanted to show me her house yesterday, but I didn't think I was allowed to, because it was a little ways away from the site. It turns out I was! So, today I went as saw her house with Kathy, Jim, Haley, Brady, and Paul. We met some of her family, and I got to hear a little more about her story. She's one of eight... four girls and four boys. They live in mud huts. There's one main mud hut, her brothers hut, the kitchen hut, and the pit latrine. They have a two bedroom 'house'. It has a tiny sitting area in it as well. The kitchen was small. A fire was going in the corner. There was only one bowl of food in the kitchen, and you wouldn't believe what it was... chicken intestine. Yum. I didn't really want to check out the pit latrine... haha. They had corn growing in every open space. They haven't gotten a lot of rain, so they aren't doing so well. It was really interesting to see her house. I'm glad that she showed me. When we walked back to the school she told me her whole life story. Ten years ago her family was pretty well off. Her dad got in a motor-vehicle accident and ended up passing away. His brothers came to their house and took everything from them, except the clothing on their backs. They were kicked out of their own house. So they relocated to Squatters Hill. I'm not sure how it all works, but somehow they got some land. They built their own house. They've lived there for ten years now. Anne told me that some of her siblings couldn't attend school because they couldn't afford to pay the tuition. She was lucky though... she is attending school. I can't believe that some people actually live this way. It's sad. Unimaginable. I wish I could do something besides just tell them how sorry I am... they're okay though. They're actually pretty content. They're getting by, and they praise God everyday for keeping them alive. I am so blessed.

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A few more things to add... here people burn their garbage. Americans aren't the only ones harming the atmosphere! Thick, black smoke billows into the sky. The smell of burning plastic all around. It's lovely. Some people at the clinic said that people were burning rubbish inside their houses, resulting in carbon monoxide poisoning. How sad. Mindy also told me that they put honey on their infections. That way the bacteria eats the honey, rather than the open wound.

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Mindy got me hooked on these Cadbury Moros! They are really good chocolate bars. I'm pretty sure I've gained weight on this trip... I'm supposed to be losing weight!

August 4, 2009

Lets start off with a few random things before I forget! Everyone here is fascinated with our hair! Mindy (who has gorgeous long blonde hair) gets petted wherever she goes. It sort of makes me regret cutting my hair... :( Oh, this is funny! Obama's Grandmother lives somewhere in town. The people here LOVE Obama. Whenever you tell someone you're American, Obama gets brought up. Oddly, everyone here is related to him... they're all his Grandmothers cousins.

I'm not quite sure why I didn't mention this before, but it makes me think of you Mrs. Lukasiewicz... everyday when we drive to the school we pass a few military schools. Pictures aren't allowed, so I'm sorry, but I can't take one. It's interesting. All of the guards are out with their guns. It's intimidating. At least we know we're in a semi-safe area right?

Okay now Mom, you might just love it here. They have palm trees! They aren't really taken care of though. They don't cut the dead palms off. I know how much you love them though. Also, they have the best fruit ever! The pineapple is to die for. It's perfectly juicy, and it's not bitter. The bananas don't look so hot. Apparently they use make-up on our bananas in America... which makes me feel... uneasy? Mangoes are great, and I have Passion fruit juice just about every morning! So, you would like that part of Kenya!

Now about today! We started off at Squatters Hill. We brought the clinic up there... they used the preschool as their base. The rest of us arrived to play with the kiddos. We brought necklaces and face paint. They went crazy over both. I helped with the face paint. We got totally SWARMED. I discovered that I'm not very good at painting faces... Haha. I talked with a few of the people there. I met a seventeen year old girl named Anne. She seems very nice. I've noticed that the only thing kids really want are friends. I gave her my home and e-mail address. Hopefully we'll keep in touch.

After the hill we headed to a few different locations. We were given the opportunity to go back to the school, so obviously, I took it. They had closing ceremonies, because it was their last day of school. It was pretty boring, I'm not going to lie. A few of us were falling asleep. I'm not sure how it started, but one by one all of us got up to speak and say our final goodbyes. It was nice. The coolest thing was that it poured right before we left... while we were attempting to speak, or more like scream. POURED. It's rain season, but one of the drivers told us that it hadn't rained until we got here. So, one night we prayed for rain (because they're kind of in a famine here) and everyday since it has rained! What a miracle. It was a great ending.

Driving back to the hotel was like driving in a chocolate river. It was wonderful. When I got back to the Kunste I went to Tuskys. It's the only official grocery store they have here. It's really nice too. It's very clean. You can buy a lot there. Almost anything really. It's not very big though.

One more thing I forgot to mention in the random section. The soda here is way good. They have lemon, orange, and cherry fanta! Personally my favorite is cherry. The variations of other sodas are good too. Coke here doesn't taste quite like Coke in America. They don't have Pepsi, just Coke. Coca-Cola is a big thing here. It's advertised everywhere. There are shacks made out of Coca-Cola casings!

Just a statement... I've gotten used to people being fascinated with Muzungus (white people). I'm not sure if it's because I think I'm African too or because I'm used to getting weird looks. Haha.

Brynn shared a song with us tonight that was very touching. I cannot get it out of my head. It's called Gratitude by Nichole Nordeman. After all we've been through this week, it means a lot. It perfectly describes how the Kenyans are here... grateful for the little that they have.

August 3, 2009

Today was a pretty long day. It was a fun day though, so I guess that's okay. We got to sleep in! We didn't leave until 9:30am. We set out for Thompson Falls. It's about an hour from Nakuru. We got to pass through rural Kenya! It was so beautiful. The brown dirt turned to red, and those African trees that you always dream about appeared! There were beautiful gardens. Mostly corn... some tea. The tea here is so good. I think I'll get into the habit of having tea every night before bed. Tea with milk and sugar is the best. Anyways, there are tons of sheep, cows, and donkeys tied to the side of the road. It's a bit odd and kind of sad. They falls were nice. There were three waterfalls that made up Thompson Falls. Some people hiked to the bottom. I didn't know that we would be hiking, so I didn't wear sneakers. There was a little marketplace next to the falls. We all instantly got sucked in. It was actually quite stressful. Everyone's always all up in your face, and they try to guilt trip you! They say things like "you're my first customer, and if you don't buy anything I won't eat". They really overprice things though... so you have to haggle. It's kind of fun, but if you know me, you know that I can't do that very successfully. Haha. It's kind of fun, but really uncomfortable. The market will most likely be quite a challenge.

We then had lunch at the Thompson Lodge. It was again buffet style, and really good. We headed back to Nakuru to visit the crater. It was cool as well, but everyone was exhausted. Also, it started pouring, so our 'parade' was rained on. I've never seen a crater before, so it was pretty interesting. Very beautiful.

I forgot to mention this before. On the way to the falls we passed the equator! So we stopped at the official equator crossing spot. It was pretty cool! I guess I didn't know that Kenya was on the equator. It wasn't really hot... which I don't know about you, but when I think about equator I think hot! Then again, it's technically winter here. Did you know that on the north side of the equator the water drains clockwise? On the south side it drains counter clockwise? It might be the other way around, haha. Oh, and right on the equator the water drains straight through the hole.

August 2, 2009

Church was great today. I wish our church was just as uppity and exciting as the church is here. Although, it's VERY long. First there's a two hour devotional at the school. Then there's two hours of actual church. Mindy wore her Katanga (African dress). I cannot wait to get mine! We said goodbye to the kids again... it was pretty sad. After church we went to lunch. Buffet style semi-African food. Yum! My favorite has to be Chipate (grilled tortilla).

After that we went to go 'shopping'. It was to support a group of fourteen women. They used to work in the fields, under the hot sun all day, but now they make crafted items, so they no longer have to work in the fields to support their families. The stuff they had was really nice, but a bit expensive.

The rest of the day we mostly just relaxed. It was nice :)

August 1, 2009

Wow. Today was both a good and bad day, if you can believe that. Our schedules got a bit mixed up so things were pretty hectic. Today Nicole and Dave gave the sexual purity talk, which went pretty good I think. I think they really got it. We had a very limited time for stations. We ended up combining groups so things were CRAZY. It was great though. We pretty much just got to hang out.

I asked three people if they wanted to be pen pals, and then at the end of the day 40 PEOPLE ended up with their name on my list. So, if you'd like a pen pal, I would love to give you one! They asked me to match them up with some people. They can write in English, mostly using small words. I think that if we write to them their English and writing skills will improve. So, again, if you'd like a pen pal just e-mail me: ambaleigh@yahoo.com. I would be happy to give you one :)

We kind of had a little closing ceremony with all of the kids (VBS and Youth Camp). We sang all of the songs we learned. A few students spoke about what they learned. Jamie called Stephanie and I up to speak, and I wasn't really prepared. Plus, there was like 500 people out there! Then it was time to go. A few cried, everyone gave hugs. Everyone said "I'll miss you and I love you". Everyone swarmed all of the people with cameras, so I have a lot of pictures of us all together. It's sad leaving. I mean, we still have six days, but we've formed such great bonds with these kids. I hope they remember us! After we said our goodbyes we headed to a soccer field. Some people played. I wanted to, but only eleven were allowed on the "Muzungu Team". It started raining anyways. So, here I am now!

I've finally gotten to the point were going home is going to be INCREDIBLY difficult. I feel so comfortable here. I feel God tugging on my heart strings, calling me to the missions field. I'm still not quite sure. I'm going to pray about it. My love for Africa has grown (it was already causing my heart to just about burst at the seams when I left the U.S.). Why go on vacation when you can go on a mission trip?

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Tonight's meeting was very powerful. We spent a lot of time talking about highs and lows. A major low that took everyone by surprise and took away almost everyones breath was about a twelve year old boy. While some people from our team were driving back to the hotel they saw a van, it's windshield smashed, with a boy lying on the ground. He was dead... hit by that very van. Kenya drivers are crazy. It's a dirt road, and dust is flying, so you can't see anything. I bet the driver feels awful... so if you're reading this, will you just say a prayer for the little boy, and his family, and maybe even the driver. Death is a tough thing to deal with.

July 31, 2009

I didn't really feel like journaling yesterday, so I'm journaling this morning. Happy Birthday Dad! Well, it was yesterday, but it's 7am here, so it's still only 10pm there! I hope you got my text message :)

Youth camp went smoothly yesterday. The kids are opening up a lot more. They are talking to us and asking us more questions. The sad thing is that tomorrow is the last day :( I'm sure there will be crying. Yesterday in crafts groups of five painted quilt squares. When you put them all together there's a cross in the middle. We layed them all out, and it looks pretty cool. Some of the kids didn't really follow directions though. It's funny, because when you ask them if they understand they say "Yes! Yes!". Then later you find out that they didn't at all. They've been taught to be compliant I guess.

After our school activities we had the option to head one of three places. Some went to a preschool, others went to an AIDs baby orphanage. I went to the Ngala Deaf School. It was really interesting. I don't know how to sign really at all, and ASL is a little bit different from what they use. It was challenging, but in the end very rewarding. There was one girl there who had six fingers. It was a little bit weird, especially when she kept holding me hand. But hey, that's how God made her. She was really sweet. I do a lot of pictures at the school. Kids LOVE getting their pictures taken. They like seeing themselves on the back of your digital camera.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now for today... Everyday the youth camp kids all meet upstairs. We then sing songs, and someone preaches for about a half hour. Jamie preached the first day. Dave the second. Matt the third. Greg the forth. Andrew the fifth. Sena will tomorrow. Overall the theme was "Facing the Giants". The kids seem to be getting it. They then transition to different activities such as Recreation, Crafts, Life Skills, and Small Groups. It is so much fun to talk to them! They ask you random questions, and it's interesting to hear how they answer yours. I heard that some of them to be pen pals. That would be so much fun. For those of you who don't know me I'm really into writing (as you can see from my blog).

In crafts today we made picture frames. I hope they become something that they really cherish. It's a rare item... a picture of yourself. I really like working with Jamie. We get along so well. She's a lot of fun :)

After our various activities with the children at the school we headed out to different places (just like yesterday). I got to go to the AIDs baby orphanage! It's actually called New Life Home. It's by far the cleanest place I've been in Africa. Another exciting and uplifting thing is that all of the children have been cured from HIV. I thought that I would be holding a baby that was probably going to die in the near future... It was really sad to hear how they got into the home. Some of them were born in the hospital, and then their mothers fled when no one was looking. Others were found in dumpsters, baskets on the side of the road, or in PIT LATRINES. How horrible is that? That children there were so cute. I mostly held this little girl named Barbara. She was adorable. The youngest was four months, and the oldest about three years. We held them and fed them for two hours. Adorable.

Tomorrow is our last day at the school :( We get to spend all day with the kids though. We'll also see some of them Sunday. Africa is great. I love it here.

July 29, 2009

Today started pretty much just like yesterday. Youth camp went pretty good. Only we had a lot less help. We just taped journals the whole time. It took forever. We were still taping journals an hour after youth camp ended. I felt crippled from bending over at a 90 degree angle. My back still hurts. Youth camp is really cool though. I'm glad that I get to help with it. Today I got a little braver and started talking to the kids. I asked their name and age, and a few other questions. Two of them really got talking to me and asked me a few things about America. They were surprised that we had two and a half months off of school. They were also surprised that I didn't live at my school. They (some of them) live at theirs. I asked them if they knew anything about America. They said they didn't. One of the girls said that she wanted to go to America. When I asked why, she said "for adventure". She has never been out of Kenya, so I thought that was interesting.

After youth camp and VBS we just stayed at the school and got to hang out with the kids. Some played soccer, most of us played games. They love our games. Let me just say 'banana' and 'baby'. If you were there, you know what I'm talking about. They taught us some games too. They tried to teach us a hand game, but it didn't really work out. I'm glad they are enjoying our activities and company. I hope they feel loved and realize that we are giving it all we've got. We get back to the hotel tired and exhausted. Kids wear me out. The reason I keep going is because I don't know who else these kids are going to have. Who knows when a seventeen year old muzungu girl named Amberly will get the hold them again. I guess only God does. God put me here for a reason, so I'm going to give it all I've got.

Haley was better this morning, but now she's sick again. I feel so bad for her :(

Mom, they have the most amazing vegetable gardens here. They don't get any rain, but if they did they would be beautiful and very luscious. Kyle, I haven't seen anyone with dreads yet, but get this... everyone at the school (including girls) have short hair. I think they're required to get their hair cut. Wouldn't you hate that!?

Sorry, this entry is all over the place! I just have to say that Chad Whitehead wrote a lot of us really nice and personal notes. Mindy left a really sweet note and a candy bar on my bed :) I love her.

July 28, 2009

Today was pretty much the same as yesterday. Youth camp in the morning. I'm in crafts, and we are working on decorating composition notebooks. The kids are pretty good artists! I think they really enjoy crafts. They don't get a lot of stuff, and don't really get to show their creativity, so this is nice for them. It's a little hard trying to get directions to be clear. You kind of have to talk to them like they're little children. All of their journals had something about God on them. It's really impressive how much they love him, and how much they recognize that he loves them too.

Last night Jamie announced that I would permanently be helping with crafts for youth camp. The important thing I guess is to be flexible. Things change all of the time. Like today, in the middle of camp everyone stopped for tea time. Things got really confusing, but I think we'll have it worked out for tomorrow. I'm excited to continue to work with the youth. It's hard to believe that some of them are the same age as I am... seventeen. They seem very experienced in life's difficulties, yet so immature. I mean, they have the potential to be just like you and I, but they don't have the appropriate tools or oppurtunities. I can't believe the same world can hold people so different.

After camp we headed to Squatters Hill again. Chris dressed up in a little lion outfit and as soon as he emerged everyone screamed and ran away. It was quite funny. After Squatters we went back to the hotel (where I am right now). You get covered in, well, a lot of yucky stuff... lets just say dirt. I'm going to need to do laundry soon.

Haley left a cute note on my bed:

I love you Amberly you are such a great roomie and a amazing friend.
Thanks for everything.
Love you to the moon!
-Haley.

She's still a little sick, but she's getting better. It got to the point where she couldn't keep any food or water down. So she got an IV. I was really worried about her, and I was lonely last night. I'm glad she's doing better. Everyone is still pretty unsure as to what she might have caught, or possibly eaten.
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Dinner was so good! It was actually traditional African food! It turns out the chefs thought we wouldn't like their food. So, they tried to make American food. Funny. Our team meeting was very powerful. A lot of people cried. I haven't really yet. I'm sure I will by the end of the trip. I bet a lot of the clinic people have seen pretty horrible things.

July 27, 2009

Today was a very long day. Actually last night was a long night. Haley got really sick. She threw up about four times during the night. I felt really bad for her. She didn't feel good this morning either, so she didn't go at all today. We left bright and early (7:30) in order to set up at the school for VBS and Youth Camp. ONLY, when we got there we found out that all of the younger kids had exams, so they won't start with us until Wednesday. All of us ended up working at youth camp. Youth camp ended up needing all of the help it could get. It was CRAZY. There are about 250 youth, which everyone was not expecting. Apparently there's only 150 children. We were expecting about 300 kids. Hopefully tomorrow will go good. Oh, everyone here is fascinated by pens. They don't have pends here. We actually had all of our pens stolen. A lot of scissors were taken too. After Youth Camp (which ended around 1pm) we headed to Squatter's Hill (the poor slum area). A lot of adults were out, which makes things obviously a bit more unsafe. A lot of the men are very sketchy. Actually, a few days ago Jamie told us a story about a girl named Susan who used to work at the school in Squatter's Hill. She was fourteen... an orphan. Her uncle and auntie lived there. She didn't go to school, but she worked and earned food by carrying water to the school four times a day (between 7am and 1pm). When Jamie asked the teachers at the school where Susan was, they said she now did parking (which I guess is another word for prostitution). She got kicked out of her aunt and uncles house. She's FOURTEEN. Only fourteen. What is wrong with the world?

The children all around squatters are so cute. When they see us coming they start running towards the vans. The children in the school are all between kindergarten and second grade. We sang songs with them. They just want to be held and picked up. It's cute. I pretty much got poop all over me from this one girl. It was okay though. Everyone smells pretty awful by the time we get back in the vans. It's totally worth it though. It's an eye-opening experience. We look forward to going to the hill everyday. Steve broke out his guitar and the kids went crazy.
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A few more random things about Kenya:
A lot of people have motorcycles, and a lot of people have bikes. There are very few cars on the road, and most of them are trucks or vans. There are also quite a few donkey carts. Another interesting vehicle are these taxi like things. They have only three wheels and don't look very safe. I'm not sure how else to describe them.
Tea time is a big thing here. The tea is pretty good as well.
You can buy a glass jar of soda for 50 schillings... which is like 75 cents, not even.
Oh, Mom! I think of you a lot because they have palm trees here. I know how much you love them. They don't really keep up with them... so they aren't really pretty.
And Dad, they had a Manchester United bus here! So, I thought of you. Even though I know you don't really like them... it's still football :)

July 26, 2009

Haley and I woke up at 5am today... just automatically. We talked for two hours because we didn't have to be up until seven. She's a great roomie. We had a yummy breakfast. As I mentioned yesterday the food is pretty good here. Breakfast is the same everyday. You have a choice between Eggs, Porridge, Fruit Cereal, Sausage, Toast, Baked Beans and these weird looking things called Roots. Oh and the jam here is AMAZING.

After breakfast we all got dressed in our church clothes and headed to the school for the first part, the devotional. It was about two hours of singing and dancing. Dang, can they dance. Both the girls AND the boys can move their hips probably even better than Shakira... their hips definitely don't lie. They can sing really well too. They also did a little bit of drama for us. One of the teachers said that they would be going to nationals for drama. They get to preform in front of the president of Kenya. I'm excited for them. They pour all of their emotion into it. They really do a great job. During the devotion we were served communion. Mosquitoes and flies were all over the bread, but no one really cared. They then had each and everyone of us get up and say our name and grade in schooling. They only have form one (ninth grade) and form two (tenth grade) at their school. They were kind of oo-ing and ah-ing over those of us who were in form three through college (which they call university). After that we sang some more, then headed off to church. Church wasn't quite as upbeat, but it was still more upbeat than church is in the US. The pastor, Josam, gets really into it. He gets really loud. He's very encouraging though. It's exciting to see them praise God. They give it everything they've got. They can do it all day long too. They only have a little tiny church building, about the size of a school bus, so there would be no way for us all to fit in there. They had us outside on benches. Some still had to stand. Oh I forgot to mention, church goes on really long here. The devotional was two hours, and then church was another two. Much longer than we're used to. Jamie said that they actually shortened it for us... You can tell they are really excited to have us. We will do the same thing again next week.

Whenever we ride in our vans we always wave at the people walking on the street. I'm not sure why, but we find if really entertaining. Usually Brady, Jessika, and I are in the same van. I've grown a lot closer to them already, and it's only the second day!

I still can't believe that I'm actually in Africa. It's amazing. The culture and the lifestyle is so different. You think you should feel bad for Africa... well I mean you do feel bad for Africa. Only, you shouldn't. They pretty much have it all together. They find happiness in the simplest of things. It's America that you really should feel sorry for. People have everything, yet they still aren't content. It's sad.
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I just got back from a little adventure! Haley and I went into this little curio shop connected to Hotel Kunste. It was a cute little store. There was a lady sitting behind a small counter. She had a small child named Kevin. He was so cute. Jordan and Ashlin came in soon after us. They had been to the small park by the hotel. They had painting (like face paint) on their arms. We decided to take Kevin to the park to get his face painted. We also bought him a little ball. When we had to go he started crying. I felt bad. We then headed to a super market by our hotel called Tuskys. Brady, Ashlin, Parker, Jordan, Sammy, Rachel, Haley and I all bought a few treats. A couple of us went to the lobby and ate together. It's so nice to see our group bonding. We haven't had a lot of conflicts yet. I hope this trip brings us all closer together. It's what our youth group needs.

Tomorrow is a big day... our first VBS/Youth Camp/Clinic Day! I hope things go according to Gods will! We still have a lot to figure out.
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Here are just a few random things I want to write about:
Donkeys: there are so many all over the place! Apparently Annie counted 79 on the way to our hotel in Nakuru from Nairobi! They pull carts, and are just tied to the side of the road. There are a lot of cows as well. You can see their ribs. It's pretty sad. They don't look healthy at all. We've also seen goats, sheep, dogs, a few cats, and two horses. I can't wait for the safari!
Cars: the steering wheel is on the right side! So, you drive on the left side of the road. Hopefully that won't confuse me when I get back home! Also, the roads are extremely bumpy. Maybe by the end of the trip I'll be immune to motion sickness! Haha.
The Hotel: is actually really nice. At first I was like oh no... two weeks here... AHH! After seeing the 'houses', 'shacks', 'mud huts', and whatever else people here might consider home, I feel lucky. Everything is extremely close together... no excess room. The service is good, and the people that work here are very friendly! Our room gets cleaned everyday so that's a plus!

July 25, 2009

I had absolutely no time to write yesterday. Things were hectic. I was also really sick. I'm not sure if it was carsickness or what, but I'm doing better now. Last night we unloaded all of our bins. Oh, and thank God because all of our luggage made it! Everyone was tired, so I'm pretty sure everyone slept great :) Oh and hey, my bed was actually pretty comfy!

Today was incredible. The food here is pretty good. We woke up at seven and headed to the vans at eight. We then went up to Squatters Hill... the slums of Nakuru. As soon as we got there all of the little kids waved at us and excitingly followed our vans. They were shouting "Mzungu!" which means white people in kiswahili. At first there were only about twenty children, but then they all came out from every direction, and by the end there were at least one hundred. They were adorable. They love when you take pictures of them. They like seeing themselves on your digital camera. It's so cute. There was a school right in the middle of the hill with about two hundred little kids inside. They were all in red uniforms, which ironically were the ones that we sent to them! We danced and sand with them for a long time. We gave them hi-fives (Brady and I started the trend) which they LOVED! When we told the teachers that we had to go, you could see the sadness in their faces. We told them to tell the children that we would be back again, and we headed off to the clinic site. It was at a very small hospital... not much to see. It's hard to imagine that thousands will line up to be examined. We then headed to the school where the VBS is going to be held. It's called the United Methodist Mission School. As soon as we pulled in the children were lined up at the windows. It was a very large school compared to Squatters Hill. They said it was built only six months ago. It's the school that we helped to fund. Again, they were wearing the uniforms we had sent. We were then given a tour of the outside. They showed us their recreation yard. It was the size of a football field... but it was all dirt. There were a few kids playing soccer. They also showed us their garden. They had quite a lot of vegetables that I had never even heard of before. They are planning to put in a fish pond. They are coming along pretty well. They wouldn't show us the classrooms because they said they weren't clean. I'm sure they were fine. It's so funny how differently we get treated based on the color of our skin. It's like all of us are movie stars. They all stare and wave at us. They all wanted to talk to us. It's... unreal.

We did find out something that was a little unsuspected. There were 150 children and 300 youth. We had planned on it being the other way around. This presents some dilemma in the activities we have planned. I think we will discuss what we are going to do at your team meeting tonight.

After we toured as much of the school as they would let us see, the clinic people headed back to the hospital, and we headed to the hotel. All of us sorted and got things ready for our various jobs. Then Haley and I took a two hour nap! I'm still tired. I'm sure I'll sleep good tonight! I'm also kind of nauseous again. I think it's the Doxycycline (Malaria Meds) :(

July 24, 2009

We're in Kenya now! Things went very smoothly. We got our visas quick... although we had to fill out four forms with all of the same information. We then headed to baggage claim, and all of our luggage was sitting out waiting for us. We thought customs would be a nightmare, but all they did was check our passports. Not even one bag was opened. Pretty much a miracle. We are headed to our hotel as soon as the vans get here, and as soon as everyone else gets here. Nakuru is about two or three hours away. We've been having a lot of fun though. We're just sitting at this little cafe, playing card games. I'm exhausted. It's okay though, tomorrow the real adventure begins!

July 23, 2009

I departed for Africa this morning (well, yesterday morning). I could hardly sleep I was so excited. Boarding the plane felt so unreal. It felt like just another trip. It felt like my family was on the aircraft with me. It felt... normal.

On the first flight our group of eleven was scattered throughout the airplane. I sat next to a very nice man who was headed on a mission trip to the Ukraine! He was really impressed that so many of us were going to Kenya. We talked a lot about the trip. We talked a bit about our faith. He mostly asked me questions, but he was very... enlightening to say the least. It's so amazing that so many people are taking their time to go on mission trips all over the world. It's so cool how God sends and calls so many people to so many different places.

I'm on the airplane from JFK, New York to Accra, Ghana right now. It's going to take a total of nine hours and forty-five minutes. We got served a pretty good chicken dinner. Apparently we will be getting breakfast sometime. Hopefully soon, I'm hungry.
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I'm in the Ghana airport right now. As soon as I stepped off the plane the humidity hit me. It's REALLY humid. I'm not quite sure why I didn't expect that. Maybe things will be different in Kenya because it is on the opposite side of the continent. Wearing sweatpants wasn't the best of ideas. It's supposed to be winter on this side of the equator though, so I can't image what summer must be like.
The airport is pretty interesting. When we landed we walked down stairs, and then took a bus about 20 feet (yes 20 feet) to the airport. They have two tiny baggage claim belts. They only get in about eight flights a day by the looks of it. Everyone was very relaxed at the baggage claim as well. No one seemed to be in a rush (unlike Americans). We bypassed customs, and now just have to sit and wait for twelve and a half hours. There is a cafe around the corner, I think we'll check it out later. I can't believe I'm actually in Africa!
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I'm still at the airport in Ghana. Only three hours have passed since I've last written. Five more hours to go until we can even check in. Eight more hours to go until it's time to board. That is, if all goes well. I slept on the floor for a bit, as it is much cooler on the floor. I tried not to sleep to much though, because my goal is to sleep on the last flight. That way, I might actually get the correct sleeping patterns down, as we arrive at 5:30am. I'm pretty sure that we have to wait for the other group of thirty-nine to arrive. I think everyone will be tired and want showers.
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Still in Ghana. It's about four now. Who knew twelve hours could be so long? Just about everyone fell asleep for quite a while. Some are still sleeping. Joe had to take a taxicab to a different building to get some of our tickets. I'm still not clear as to why. A few of us got lunch earlier. We took safety precautions and asked the lettuce and tomato to not be added onto our 'chicken burger'. At least that's what they told us, that it was a chicken burger. We came to the conclusion that it was more like a meatloaf burger. It was still very good.

The airport is busier now. I wonder if all of the people sitting around us are headed to Nairobi as well. I'm getting excited again. Although I know that all we are going to do when we get to Kenya is sit around again. Oh well. I still can't wait.
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Finally we boarded Kenya Airways. A few of us are near each other, but again, we are pretty scattered. I feel as though our small group of eleven is already bonding. The plane smells of body odor and rice. I think they might be serving us dinner. Unless I heard wrong. Our flight will take about five hours. I am surprised to see that the airplane is full. Hardly anyone was at our gate, so I am guessing people just stayed on from wherever the plane came from.