Kimemo, the worlds best cup of coffee

No, that is not a shot of anything I shouldn't be having in the picture, it is coffee sweetener!

 Today Charlie and I took a much needed visit to Kimemo coffee plantation where there is delicious food, of course coffee and speedy fast wifi. When we are here it doesn't feel like we are in Africa at all, but every once and awhile it is good to get out. It is only about an hour walk from the base and feels magical, probably because they have toilets that flush. Needless to say everything is going swell here in Tanzania. On sunday the Tumaini kids come back to the children's home from visiting their relatives, and this coming week students will start showing up that will be doing the DTS with us. I'm sure I will be able to keep busy, but for now I'm just enjoying my coffee. 

My new reality

I can’t even explain how I feel. Throughout this whole trip I have not been enjoying Africa like I normally do. Mostly because I’m not just experiencing it for three short weeks where I can take everything it while it lasts, but instead for an extended period of time. Leaving my parents I thought would be very easy, I’ve gone weeks at a time without them when I’ve gone on mission trips. This time is much different though. When the team was preparing to leave is when I started sobbing, (not just crying, but SOBBING) and I’m not even a crier. The thought of staying in Africa without my family all of the sudden seemed scary. My security blanket is gone for the first time and the honeymoon phase is over.

Everything I’m doing that is a struggle is not just some short-term thing, but this is my new reality. This will be my new normal. Taking a shower is much more difficult when you have to go get water, then take a freezing cold bucket shower. The food was very good when the team was here in comparison to what we get to eat now. For breakfast we get a cup of tea and three slices of white bread, lunch today was beans….. just beans and for dinner we had ugali and suka, which is maze flower that has no taste and is super thick with collard greens cooked down. I am so thankful we have food, but as a westerner it has honestly been a bit of a struggle. I have noticed that most of the white people who live on base live in a house and cook their own meals, or prepare food to go along with whatever the meals are for the day.  I however do not have a kitchen, so I will be eating what everyone else eats.  Going into town is also challenging, you don’t just hop into a car and go.  You walk over a mile to the main rode where you catch a dolla dolla (a bus that is crammed full with 20 people when it really only seats 12) then walk to wherever you have to go, then you do the same thing all over again to get back. It is really an all day adventure. Not to mention hand washing all your laundry…  

Although there are many things that are a struggle, I know this is where God wants me. When a nice warm shower, a good meal and my nice warm bed sound so comforting, I have to remember that I’m not here to live for myself. I am here to be a living sacrifice for God. I will be honest, I have cried several times since my family left on Thursday, and probably will again. In those moments all I want to do is come home.  I wish in the post I could be more encouraging, but this is what has been going on.   Please continue to pray for me! 

I wrote that a few days ago, but haven't posted it because we keep losing power/internet. Since I wrote this I have been doing much better! There are three other couples from America that are living on base for awhile and have been super helpful. I have started getting my own produce to add to meals and the home sickness is going away. There has also been a lot of free time for me to read and spend time with God. Everyone has been encouraging and been such a blessing here on the base. Only about a week and a half until the DTS starts! Thank you for all your prayers :) 

Park day

Going to a park doesn’t seem like that big of deal to us, but to these children who never leave the slum, it’s a BIG DEAL! To watch them touch grass for the first time and be able to run around a play in a big open field without any worries was such a blessing.  With 310 children we kept very busy!

While most of the team played Awana games I stayed aside to watch everyone’s backpacks. A little girl who was about three years old hopped into my lap and sat there the whole time. She hardly spoke any English, the only thing I got out of her was her name, which is Grace.  Luckily my middle name is Grace so it would be easy to remember.  Although we couldn’t communicate much she was instantly my best friend or as she would say it “rafiki”. 

This is one of the other little girls, she didn’t come to me, but there was something about her that I couldn’t resist. She had a sad look on her face almost the whole time we were at the park and was very shy.  Her name is Mercy and she is beautiful! I started asking about her family and she told me she has a little brother and her mother she lives with, although it might not sound like a bad situation, knowing how the single woman live in the slum is heartbreaking. They always have to worry about being taken out of their homes, beaten and rapped. It is something that is a reality for them on a daily basis. Mercy didn’t tell me much about her story, but the look in her eyes was very sad. When I sat down next to her she instantly laid her head down on my lap, I started rubbing her back and she started to doze off. Everywhere I went after that she was right by my side holding my hand until it was time to go.

                                                    Mercy is the one in the bottom middle 

I cannot even imagine what these kids have to go through every single day. Walking through their living conditions for one day was completely draining for me both physically and mentally.  I don’t know how, but they have hope! Hope that brings them so much joy! It is a true testament of God’s faithfulness.  God is doing some amazing things here in Kenya, if I had the time to write them all down I would. 

Please continue to pray for the team! 

                                                      Overlooking Nairobi, Kenya

We made it!

We landed in Nairobi at about 9:15 last night, after arriving at the guest house we got all settled in and got a good nights rest! Everyone is excited to see Kenya in the day light since it was hard to see anything on the drive from the airport.
Today we will be heading into the heart of the Kibera slum, which is one of the biggest slums in the world. Pray for the team today as walking through the slum, and seeing all the over whelming poverty can be hard to take in. As Thomas told us last night, "One day in the slum feels like twenty."
The school we will be visiting has 310 children that I'm sure will swarm us (sounds scary, but it's fun.) We will be putting on a skit for them along with doing crafts and I'm sure we'll be doing plenty of singing.

Please comtinue to pray for everyone! Today will be a long draining day

The journey has begun!

“We are in Amsterdam. First blog post whoo!” – Charles Fast

We are going to Kenya!  This morning the Kenya team said goodbye to our loved ones; took a step of faith, and are going on a journey of a lifetime. 

Leading up to the trip all of our supply suitcases kept coming out over the 50lb limit, mainly because we are taking a ton of books. We spent hours rearranging them until finally they were just barley under the weight limit. When we got to Seattle and started checking in the bags almost every single one of them was over weight… normally for an overweight bag they charge around $150-$300 each. So with about 15 of them that adds up quick! The lady checking us in let every single one of them go as they were.  This trip is already off to a great start!

We just got off of a wonderful 9 hour flight where we got lots of pretzels, peanuts, stale bread, what tasted like a microwaved TV dinner and a surprisingly good brownie.  Now we are in Amsterdam! Although it probably sounds more exciting then it actually is. Everyone is doing well and in good health.  After our layover here we will be boarding the plane that will take us to Nairobi, Kenya!

Prayer Requests:

·      `For safe travels

·      `Good health

·      `That every single person on the team will have a willing heart

·      `God will be preparing the hearts of the people we will be ministering to

·      `For all of our friends and family at home to be safe and healthy