Small things with great Love...

Well, it has been over a month since I have last posted, and so much has happened. We have been to Mombasa and now at Macheo Children’s Home for around a month. Since being at the new children’s home, I have felt over-whelmed, encouraged, exhausted, helpless, excited, and peaceful. It has been quite the ride since my last post. But, to fill you in on a little bit of how life is going over here on the other side of the pond, it's been amazing. It has had its expected ups-and-downs, but nothing that isn't overshadowed by God's grace and peace.

- “Mombasa”: Before heading to the new children’s home in Thika we had a week long break at the beach in Mombasa. I have missed the beach a lot since leaving, and to be back for a week and to hear the soothing breaking of the waves on the beach and watch the turquoise-blue water fade into the distance was therapeutic, nostalgic, and amazing. It started off as a long 9 hour bus ride late at night and into the early morning from Nairobi to the coast. There were numerous attempts to sleep through the night, but it was nearly impossible with the bumpy dirt roads that we took. But, that was all overshadowed once we arrived at the hotel. It was a gorgeous place set right on the beach (Kikambala) overlooking the reef and breakers of the Indian Ocean. We all passed out for several hours once we arrived (6:00 am), and immediately went to the supermarket to pick up all of the essentials for the week. I can’t begin to describe want an amazing week of unwinding, fun, and relaxation it was. We swam in the ocean, swam in the pool, played lots of cards, and rode camels on the beach. AT and I went exploring the reef for several hours one morning and filmed several videos of the sea life we saw there (rivaling Discovery/BBC’s Planet Earth series). To elaborate, the reef was a really long stretch of shallow water, coral, tons of sea urchins, fish, and sand stars that faded out about ¾ of mile to the breakers. In our time of exploring, AT and I also found the perfect spot to set up our hammocks. There was an abandoned house right near our hotel with a gazebo overlooking the ocean. We both set up our hammocks there and read, listened to music and the waves a few times during the trip. All in all, it was insanely beautiful, fun, relaxing, and the perfect break in between transition from Tumaini Orphanage to Macheo Children's Home.

- “Thika”: I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical and worried about the transition to a new orphanage with new adults, children, and places. At the same time that it excited me, I was also hesitant like anyone would be that felt like they were leaving a family at another home only start a new one again somewhere else. The children’s home is run by a man named Marnix from Holland and several other caretakers and social workers. It is right outside Thika and right next to Thika’s own monstrous Del Monte pineapple plantation (the best fresh pineapple I have ever had in my life). The home houses 56 children ranging in ages from 3 to 13. The children’s home also helps to house several boys, originally from the orphanage “Stars for Jesus” that AT worked with two years ago, in a home called Joyous. So far, the adjustment to life in Thika has been a combination of smooth, overwhelming, busy, and exciting.

- “Non-stop”: Since arriving in Thika and at the Macheo (sunrise), we have been non-stop going and going. Marnix has the children’s home involved in a myriad of projects and is always thinking/analyzing new projects for the home to get involved in. Just to name a few of the things we are doing: we are working/researching green energy for the children’s home, working on funding for several projects, working on self-sustainability for feeding programs in different schools in slums, working with a malnourishment program, and trying to build a greenhouse at the home. It has been really exciting to be working in this type of environment, and a lot of the projects really speak to many issues that I am deeply passionate about. It has been amazing to see how God is working through us and the home to get these projects moving. On top of this, at least one of us works/shadows a social worker called Patrick. He is an amazing man: full of humor, insight, and love. He travels daily all over Nairobi, Thika, and Kenya visiting the boys that he works with to make sure they are doing well and have everything they need. It is inspiring to see his drive and love for people and how God uses him to reach others.

- “Malnourishment Program”: The malnourishment program has probably touched me the most. The program is run by a Catholic hospital known as Mary’s Immaculate Heart in conjunction with another local children’s home known as Watoto International. It treats severely malnourished children that live in the local area slum. It was difficult to watch as starving parents brought their starving children and waited for hours for a bag of uji (porridge, cornmeal and flour mix). Each of the children was weighed, and records are kept weekly to monitor the progress made. Most of the children, ranging in ages from just months to five, weighed less than half the expected weight at their age. It was a sad and helpless sight: baggy clothes , skeleton frames, and kwashiorkor (swollen bellies). We all helped pour the porridge until it ran out. Although it was extremely tough to see the abject poverty and malnourishment, it was encouraging to see all of the dedicated families and workers that participate in making this program work. However, we are currently working on raising funds to start a farm for them, to pay for health insurance for over 100 families (which is extremely cheap in US dollars), and to make the entire program self-sustainable.

-“Animal Orphanage and baby cheetahs”: The animal orphanage is located in Nairobi. AT and I took a day trip with Patrick and several of the boys from Joyous to the orphanage. Basically, the orphanage keeps injured and abandoned animals from the wild for a few years to rehabilitate them and prepare them for release back into the wild. There were so many animals there: monkeys, baboons, lions, cheetahs, birds, and jackals. It was great to walk around and see all of the animals up close, but sad at the same time to see such amazing and beautiful creatures in containment (but, good to know that they would be released); we were even able to pet large cheetahs through the fence (almost got to go into the cage with them!). But, by far, the highlight of the day came when we were near the lion (simba) cage and AT and I wanted to go around back behind the fence to get better pictures, because we saw some other wazunguu doing the same. So, we made our way to the fence and tried to sweet talk one of the workers into letting us back there, but he wasn’t easily convinced. He kept refusing us and saying that it wasn’t allowed and that he would get in trouble. We argued that he had just allowed some other people back, so we didn’t see the problem. After a few minutes of this, Patrick came to our aid and convinced him to let us back. As we walked behind the fence we started walking towards the lion pen, but the man kept leading us to a small house, eventually inside. As we stood inside, confused because we thought we were just going to get closer pictures of the simba, we looked around and saw several empty cages and we were even more confused. Soon, I heard someone walk in and I turned around to be met face to face with a purring baby cheetah that was immediately being handed to me. I was so shocked and excited I almost wet my pants. I couldn’t believe I was holding a baby cheetah! AT quickly got the camera and started filming a short video to catch our amazement and the baby cheetah purring and licking us. UNREAL! After this experience, we got our pictures of the samba and not too long after paid the man a bribe (kitu kidogo) for the experience….well worth it!

I know that was a lot to read, but there were so many important and exciting things to write about. Did I mention that we also have a German shepherd puppy living us? And, AT and I are in the process of building a solar oven? Haha…crazy! I can’t begin to tell you how excited and encouraged I have been and how eager I am to continue work on these projects. I am so amazed at what God is doing, has done, and wants to do. I feel kind of like Nathanael, in John 1:43-51, when he is amazed that Jesus knows him because he saw him under a fig tree. I can just see Jesus chuckling when he says in verse 50, “Because I said to you, I saw you under a fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these”. Not to say that in any way we have done great things; as Mother Teresa says, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love". That is what we strive to do, and we recognize that God can only do great things, and may he use us all in the process...

Now that I have seen, I am responsible...

First off, I apologize. It has been more than a month since my last post, which is way too long to keep everyone waiting; hopefully most of you have stuck it out and waited. Honestly, I haven’t had much time in the past few weeks to get online and type out my thoughts. Now, we are all back in Nairobi for a few days before we head to the beach in Mombasa for a week of relaxation and fun. I am really looking forward to sticking my feet in the sand, setting up my hammock in the shade, and listening to the waves crash on the shore. But, the trip is also bittersweet, because it marks the end of our time at Tumaini, and I am going to miss that place dearly. responsible

- “Cell group Bible Studies”: We set up little cell group bible studies for the kids. Each Monday and Wednesday, all four of us would meet with the 10 selected group leaders (some of the older kids, 5 boys and 5 girls) and we went through a bible study with them. Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the leaders would all break into their respective groups in the evening and lead the same bible study while we walked around and answered any questions they had. I can’t tell you what a blessing this has been to watch. During our group time with the leaders, it seemed as if we weren’t getting much participation or that not much of an impact was being made. But, watching them lead has been amazing; you can visibly see God at work. These kids take on responsibility with such ease and grace. It was like we had 10 different preachers, each unique in their own style. They led songs in their groups and even asked difficult questions that were on the bible study sheet. On top of that, they looked forward to each new meeting (yelling “GROUPS!” at the top of their lungs when it was time to meet). God has really used the time to help them grow and help us grow as we watch them pour over his Word each night, and they are going to continue the groups after we leave.

- “Me, I fear chameleons”: Alright, well the boys’ caretaker Lawrence is extremely scared of frogs. Adam and I discovered this while we were outside one evening trying to catch a frog, and Lawrence asked what we were doing. Upon finding out, he immediately said “I need to excuse myself,” and he ran up the stairs. I told Adam that I was going to toy with him if we ever actually caught the frog. After about 10 minutes of attempts, we finally caught the slippery thing. I ran upstairs with the frog in hand and met Lawrence in the hallway. He wasn’t sure what was in my hand at the time because it was dark. But, once he saw the frog he dropped his bucket of water and screeched all the way down the hallway as I chased him, and he locked himself in the bathroom. After he pleaded with me, he came out and I joked that I put it in his bed, “You can’t be serious!” he replied. I told him I was kidding and he laughed, but told me how afraid he was. A few days later, we were all eating dinner together and we were giving Lawrence a hard time about the frogs. Willfred, an older man that lives behind us at the orphanage, was listening to us talking. He waited until it was quiet and said, “Me, I don’t fear frogs. I fear chameleons.” We all burst into laughter as Willfred kept a completely serious face.

- “Random thoughts”: I wrote this in my journal one day while I was having a bit of a tough time. I thought I would share it with everyone. God will see me through the mess. There’s beauty in the mess, because we are all a mess, but God sees each of us as beautiful new creations. And, each of those creations made up the broken people. Our broken lives piece together to form a beautiful stained glass window, mosaic known as the Church, where each part is essential to display the window’s beauty as the light (Christ) shines through and decorates the world. May we continue to add more and more colors and patterns to his ever-growing patchwork of ragamuffins and broken people that meld together into a beautiful mess.

- "Lake Nakuru National Park": Wow! This trip was amazing. We went for the day to Lake Nakuru's National Park, and toured around with our tour guide (David the social worker at Tumaini). It started with all of us feeding monkeys out of our hands. Some literally jumped in our laps to eat our snacks haha. Then we saw tons of amazing animals along the way: giraffes, flamingos, baboons, hyenas, waterbuck, buffalo, zebras, and rhinos (even the elusive mizunguu haha). No simba (lion) unfortunately, but still well worth it. It started an itch to see exotic animals in the wild that only a safari can scratch. And, we all have tons of pictures and videos to document.

- “Gitaa teacher”: I have officially become the guitar teacher to several of the kids, and even the caretaker Lawrence. In no way am I qualified or talented enough to teach them, but I have taught them a little of the basics and what I know. It has been so much to sit down with each of them and see the huge smile on their face while they strum each string. They are happy and content to just play and sing without knowing any chords. There are a few kids who have really shown some progress and talent. Some of them have even gotten a few chords down and can play a song. Others are satisified with taking my guitar and sitting with the kids to sing while they strum. It has been a lot of fun, and I wish I had a guitar to leave so they can practice.

It has been so much tougher to leave Tumaini then I ever imagined. I never thought that this idyllic, rustic town would have grown on my so much. But, I now love the muddy, dirt roads with the scattered cows, sheep, and donkeys throughout. I will miss seeing friendly faces everywhere and meeting new people. I will miss the long walk to church and the short walk to the “duka” (shop) for innumerable Fanta’s. Most of all, I will miss Tumaini. The kids and adults there have become a family to me. Each kid is a brother and sister, and each adult a parent. I miss the kids yelling my name (that they still can’t quite pronounce). I will miss the games, the wrestling, the hugs, the smiles, the Swahili, the kikuyu, the prayers, the love, the selflessness, the joy, the soccer matches, the porridge time, the fellowship, the life, and God’s light shining through each moment. I couldn’t hold back the tears yesterday morning when we left and walked to each classroom to say goodbye. I got so choked up that I could barely talk, because I knew the floodgates would open. Each kid and adult, asked “Why do you leave?”, “You stay here,” “When will you come back?”. One of the kids Karanja gave me a letter, thanking me for being a brother in Christ and for spending time and loving on everyone there. It made me cry hard. But, I also knew that it wasn’t so much of a goodbye that I was saying, but more of a “see you soon”. I will visit again, hopefully several times, before I leave. But for now, I will leave you with a verse that Karanja wrote in my letter:

“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me’.” (Matthew 25:40)

I hope I have been this to these kids, because they have surely blessed me and loved me more than I could have ever expected.

Carpentry, chickens, and wet pants...

Well it has been a while since my last post, and a lot has happened in the in the in-between time. Things have been great, and I have really enjoyed growing in my relationships with all of the kids through playing soccer to the nightly fellowship to simply sitting with them at meals, it has been an amazing time of relationship building. We have all finally gotten settled into our home, for two months, at Tumaini which has been a good adjustment. We are now cooking our own food (mostly with Katie and Lindsey’s expert training from “Mama”). We all, more or less, can make chapati (delicious flat bread), mashed potatoes, peas, beans, rice, and sukama wiki (cabbage and collards). But, let me fill you in on some of the highlights of the past week and a half.

- “The One!”: As I was walking back to the house one afternoon to do a little reading, I walked by Willfred’s house which is directly behind where Adam and I live, and is also partly a chicken house. Adam called out, “Austin, do you know how to catch a chicken?”. I have actually dealt with chickens before, and said, “Yes actually. But, it’s really just trial and error”. I went to help him out, and we tried in vain for about 15 minutes. We chased it in all directions, cornered it, and I almost caught it once by the wing, but it slipped by to freedom and ran into the neighbors yard/farm. I thought all was lost until Willfred, like a glorious light in a dark night, came running up the yard and yelled “That one! The one!” Adam and I were overjoyed to see Willfred the chicken caretaker, and he proceeded to catch the chicken by it’s legs, saying, “Always he is getting out…always”. He tried to convince Adam and me to let him kill the chicken for it’s bad behavior, and the fact that he was, “Fat! Very fat!”. But we convinced Willfred otherwise, insisting that the chicken should live to fly another day. We learned to always look out for “The One” whenever we went to feed chickens.

- “Doreen”: I’m not really sure where to start with Doreen. But, I will start with a note I put in my journal: Doreen is precious and a sweetheart, little girl with an infectious laugh and a love for tickling and being tickled. Although, during a women's conference, I held her in my lap for around 2 hours while she fell asleep, and I realized after it was over that she had peed on me haha. What was worse is that I had to get up in front of the group of women and introduce myself. One of her favorite things to do these days, besides hold my hand and asked to be thrown in the air, is to play a game where she and her sister Faith and a little girl named Monica yell my name Aus”ton,” and then I chase them around the home. I can’t begin to tell you how this little girl melts my heart. On the way back to Tumaini from church, in the cold rain, she held my hand the entire way. The simplicity, innocence, and joy of the children has been something that has really shown me what God meant in Matthew 18:4-5 about having childlike faith.

- “John (The Carpenter)”: For several days, Adam and I have had the privilege to work alongside a man named John while we torn down a wall and built shelves for Tumaini’s bakery. I can’t begin to tell you what an amazing carpenter John is. First, no electrical tools. He uses a hand saw, hammer, square, planer, and a pencil to get the job done. Second, we used wood that was cut, literally, the day before. Thirdly, he allowed two mzunguus to help him with his work, which he could have probably done faster without us. Also, we straightened out old nails to reuse. I like seeing the the three R's (reduce, reuse, and recycle) in effect. Another side note, he consistently responds in a very grandfatherly way by saying, "hmmm..yes...hmmm," to most questions. More than this though, he is extremely humble and always willing to help and very knowledgeable of everything dealing with carpentry.

Well, I have been back in Nairobi for a couple days, and while it has been great to get some rest and relaxation (American food and movies), I miss the kids, the fresh air, and quiet. I can already see how some of the amenities that I enjoy so much about being in a more modern city, are also a distraction. Although not always bad, I have slacked in my daily reading and journaling. But, it has been a great refresher to be here for a couple days and spend some time with the other missionaries. But, I can’t wait to get back to the kids and learn more. Before I left, I was reading a book called "Spotting the Sacred: Noticing God in the Most Unlikely Places" by Bruce Main; it was about how often we miss God's little signs of his presence in our surroundings, activities, and the people around us. I can truly say that I have seen God in every one of these children.

Below is a picture of my girl Doreen

"Tumaini" (Hope)

"The soul is healed by being with children."

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

It’s been quite a week at Tumaini, and it is gorgeous here. The orphanage is back dropped with an amazing mountain range, farms, and Kenyan countryside. Also, it gets very chilly at night: around 50 degrees. But, the kids are amazing! The typical day (and I use that term loosely) always involves breakfast with tea, work of some sort, lunch of potatoes beans rice cabbage, and dinner/discussion with the caretakers (Cecilia and Lawrence). There is so much that I want to tell everyone, but I also don’t want to drone on; so, I will try to keep it as short as possible with bullet points of things that were particularly interesting or funny.

- The “shamba” (farm): I farmed Thursday and Friday last week, which consisted mostly of tilling the land and planting potatoes. It was hard work that left me with several blisters on my hands, but God says it is good to work; and, it was.

- “Selfless and servants”: It was simple, but one of the kids Esther took over my tilling, while I went to get a drink of water, so I wouldn’t fall behind. All of the kids are so disciplined and live with servant’s hearts. Selfless acts are abundant here at Tumaini.

- “Sabina”: she is one of the older children, and has a heartbreaking story. But, her hope in God and her love for singing combine into amazing melody. She asked me to play guitar while she sang two songs she created. The lyrics almost brought me to tears, but her spirit and voice kept me going and were so pure. I felt like my guitar playing actually made the songs worse.

- “Kenyan Church” (aka exercise): It is an exercise of the mind, body, and spirit. From Tumaini, it begins with a 35 minute hike uphill to the church around 9:30. After arriving, everyone stands and sings songs, mostly in Kiswahili. Lots of fun to see the energy: dancing, clapping, and singing at full throttle. Then, Lawrence, a caretaker at Tumaini, spoke for over an hour on forgiveness. I’m not sure that I forgive him for that yet haha (considering that wasn’t even the sermon). Following this, Adam, Katie, and I had to introduce ourselves since we were clearly visitors and the only wazunguus (white people) in the congregation. Then, more singing and dancing, followed by another sermon. Around a 3 hour service, with another 35 minute uphill hike back. All in all, it was great, and I should be in shape after repeating this every Sunday.

- “Humbling”: Learned how to wash my clothes by hand two days ago. I thought I knew what I was doing with the buckets of soapy water and one to rinse. But, when it came time to wash my jeans, Jamlick informed that I was doing it wrong, and threw my jeans to the ground and poured water on them and began to scrub them for me. It worked like a charm. Amazing what a college education won’t get you. It was also a lesson I have been learning throughout this week. The value of learning from children.

It still ceases to amaze me, the community and welcoming nature of Kenyan culture. I am still shocked and encouraged at how much joy these children possess. They are always willing to help, learn, serve, and love…not typical American values. I can only hope that some of these traits will rub off on me, and that I will have half the effect on the children as they have had on me.

On the road to Tumaini...

Today, I woke up early...and by early, I mean I was up most of the night. I thought I was over my jet-lag because I fell asleep immediately last night. Unfortunately, it was only for an hour...then I was in a state of rolling around in bed for the rest of the night, but I used the time to send out that e-mail finally to everyone, so that was a big plus! And, I wasn't alone; Adam and Katie both had fairly restless nights, so definitely keep that adjustment in your prayers.

But, back to what we did today; we left the compound around 7:30 to head to the SIM headquarters for another orientation. We were greeted by several SIM personnel, who were all extremely nice and welcoming. If it's one thing I have learned in the short time here in Nairobi, it's that Kenyans always greet you with a warm welcome and a smile...that is sincerely genuine! It's amazing and really encouraging. We had a little prayer and worship time which was fun, because we sung a worship song in swahili...so, while I didn't understand every word, I at least got to practice a bit and listen to the singing by the others. After that, we had a long morning of meeting everyone at the headquarters and finding out what they do and how it will involve us in the future. We also had our first experience with Kenyan tea time which happens around 10:00 am every morning. It's awesome! It's like a mandatory time to chill for a bit and take a break from the day with friends; everyone does it. Obviously, it includes tea and coffee. I had their tea (chai) which tastes a lot like the chai back home, so I think I will get used to it in time.

After this, Adam and I met our mentor for our time here, Scott Carter; he is a really laid back guy, which is good, since Adam and I were both exhausted. He talked with us for a bit and bought us a nice meal. By this time, we were looking forward to a nap for about 4 hours, so we went back to the compound to hit the hay. Katie was already snoozin'; ironically, right when I lay down in my bed, I hear a loud banging against metal, which sounds like it is in my room. Sure enough, I look out my window and their are workers banging out a new metal roof haha. I was so tired that I ended up falling asleep on the couch. After the nap, Katie, Adam, and I went to the Nakumatt (a Kenyan-style Wal-Mart) and bought rain boots, socks, and adaptors. Lastly, we had a cool time of fellowship with the other missionaries involving bible study and prayer.

Well, I know that was really long; but, we leave tomorrow morning at 9:00 am for Tumanini orphanage. So, I think my internet access will be limited to around once a week. I'm pumped to go, and I'm looking forward to sleep tonight!

Let me UP-date ya....

Well, it was a long 29 hours of traveling, but we made it...even all of our luggage (my guitar included!). That was a huge deal, because I really wanted to take my guitar along, and I knew I would miss jamming on it for 9 months. Plus, who wouldn't want the opportunity to learn some awesome tunes in swahili at some point? So, that was awesome that I was able to take it on each plane as a carry on and stow it in a closet.

Once we arrived, we got visas and headed back to the SIM compound, the housing area for all SIM missionaries, in Nairobi. It's really nice; Adam and I are sharing an apartment basically, which is brand new and never been used! We all got back and wrote quick e-mails to our parents...and passed out from exhaustion. Although, funny story. Because I was so tired last night, I didn't think and used water from the sink to brush my teeth...so, I was a little worried haha. But, I was assured that everything would be fine.

Today, I got up around 8 and showered, then headed to orientation at 10 with Dorothy. It was really informative, and we each got cell phones! Before leaving, I wasn't sure how contacting by phone was going to work out, but that problem is officially solved. Also, we learned a little more about Tumaini today, and it was really encouraging and exciting to hear that there will be 70 similing and energetic kids to greet us when we arrive! It's also at a higher elevation than Nairobi which means no mosquito threats and chilly weather. We head out for Tumaini wednesday morning. In more news, experienced my first Kenyan meal of beef stew and rice...and, I must say..legit!

Lastly, we all went to see The Dark Knight with a couple of the other missionaries tonight. Less than $7 US for a movie ticket, hot dog, pop corn, and a drink. Unreal! Anyway, sorry for the length of this post, but I didn't get to post last night...had to catch all of the interested readers up.

p.s. Here is a picture of my room at the compound and that tasty beef stew with rice..

It's time to ramble on...

Well, the time is finally here. It's officially my last night in the states! Tomorrow I hop on a plane, from Charlotte, to travel all the way across the Atlantic Ocean to Africa...for 9 months! I feel like it has been a dream for so long, and now that it is actually happening, I am overwhelmed...but in the best way possible. I couldn't be more excited to travel with two amazing friends and serve God in the process.

We all just finished an encouraging and uplifting time of prayer with the three families, and it has really calmed any nerves or anxieties that I had. It has replaced it with a true sense of peace that this is what I am supposed to do, and no worries...because it is in God's hands. There is no where I would rather be!

Anyway, it's getting late, so I think I am going to call it a night. But, I can't wait to get to Kenya. I can't wait to meet the people. I can't wait to experience a new culture. I can't wait to hang out with the kids. I can't wait to travel Africa. I can't wait to grow in God! Until next time...Kwa heri (Goodbye)