Tuesday, September 25, 2012

A year in Review

Well, I have been in Kenya an entire year now.

Here is a summary of what I have learned:
  • Invest in the lives of those around you, but be careful about creating dependence.
  • Don't trust anyone unless they've earned it.
  • Stick to the rules you've made for yourself and others, bending them can lead to trouble.
  • Don't be afraid to make tough decisions, even when it hurts.
  • Guard you heart, your husband can have it on your wedding day but not until.
  • God works all things together for good, even when I can't see the good yet. 
  • The darker the situation, the more you can feel God's support.
  • Spiders in the house is not the end of the world. In fact, they can be an advantage by keeping away ants.
  • Water is something you should never take for granted.
  • Get to know your neighbors.
  • Sometimes God works in the most unexpected ways.
  • KENYAN TIME moves SLOWER than AMERICAN TIME. Relationships control outcome, not TIME (ie. the clock)
  • Cats are a multipurpose household occupant. They keep rodents away, eat moths/big bugs, serve as a bed warmer on cold nights, companion when you are lonely, and alarm clock to tell you to go to bed! Plus, if they are trained to relieve themselves outside, they bury their poop so you aren't walking through it. 
  • God PROVIDES!
  • I have incredible parents.
  • Christmas can be celebrated in June!
  • Organization only works if there is commitment. (I was gone 3 weeks and when I returned, everything was the way it was when I arrived in Sept. 2011)
 I will update my prayer requests soon!

Loiyangalani (Part 2)

After my camera broke at Lake Turkana, Benjamin took a few more pictures of the lake.
Fishing boats

Me in a fishing boat

Seagulls must be an international bird because they were all around the shoreline and fishery.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Pictures from Loiyangalani (Part 1)

I am now back in Kijabe, land of the green and cold.

Sorry I did not update more while i was up north. The internet is VERY slow up there so I did not have much access to it.

Therefore, I am going to update you using pictures.

Trip from Marallel to Loiyangalani:

Benjamin finally found someone traveling up to Loiyangalani (pictured below).

Transportation North
Waiting to board

My luggage
 Benjamin helped load supplies into the Lorry (truck) and then loaded our luggage.
Benjamin (in hat)
Benjamin (standing on my seat) looking out from the "cabin" where the passengers sit.

  Once we were on our way, we saw many different animals along the road. Each tribe herds a different type of livestock based on where they are traditionally from in Kenya.

CAMELS. These are the Rendille choice of livestock
 Shortly after leaving Marallel, the road was no longer paved. Below is a picture of a good part of the road.
The "good" road up to Loiyangalani.


 18 hours later, we reached Loiyangalani at around 5:30 am. We were EXHAUSTED! However, the most memorable part of this leg was not the bumpy, dirt road or the long hours. The most memorable event was watching my first moon rise. I know this may sound like no big deal to some of you, but to me it was incredible. First, because I didn't even know the moon rose like the sun and second, because it was so bright compared to the dark sky.

Anyway, as I mentioned before, we finally reached our destination. Benjamin helped me load a piki (motorbike) with my luggage and off I went to The Master's Mission compound.

The chapel/sunday school room (left) and the church building (right)


 I arrived at the compound just in time for breakfast, so after I ate, I joined the missionaries for morning devotions in the chapel. Afterwards, I went to the house I was staying in to unpack and promptly fell asleep.

Loiyangalani is hot. Sometimes the NIGHTS are in the upper 80s. However, when there is wind the climate doesn't seem as warm. That being said, everyone (Kenyans and Missionaries) rests/stays inside between around 1 pm and 3 pm.



Missionary Activities:

The first full week I was there, we helped the missionaries run a VBS for 4th through 8th graders. Benjamin and I were in charge of the 8th grade. We had 3-4 students (one of which was an MK).
Every afternoon (at 4pm) that week, the several young ladies (including me) got together in the church kitchen to make mandazi for the next day's VBS snack. (I am not in these pictures because I couldn't kneed and cut dough and take pictures at the same time.)

Mixing the dough
Rolling and cutting

Frying

Finished Product


 In addition to running a VBS during the August school break, the TMM missionary ladies teach literacy for an hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Samburu woman and Callie

Scenery:

 You have heard that there is gold at the end of a rainbow. Well, in this case, it was spiritual gold!
Chapel/Sunday School room at the end of the rainbow
 
Land in Loiyangalani is brown and dry except where there is water. (notice the contrast between the foreground and background)
 In the late afternoons, Benjamin took me to see some of the places where he grew up.
Below are pictures of Loiyangalani Primary School.






Toilets


The sunsets are BEAUTIFUL!
 

The Loiyangalani Airstrip:
Benjamin and "Bunyan" were very proud of The Master's Mission (TMM) work on the tie-down pad). It was built a few years ago and still looks almost brand new. The other tie-down area (not shown) was built by someone else 6 months ago and it already looks like its been heavily used for 20 years.
Lesson learned: TMM Missionaries only produce quality work!

Runway

Tie-down pad (Built by The Master's Mission)
Detail of tie-down loop



"Terminal" (aka. waiting area)

Did I mention that the sunsets are GORGEOUS!?


SWIMMING:
During my second weekend up north, Benjamin took me swimming!
The water in Loiyangalani comes from hot springs. Therefore, the water coming from the source is HOT!


Water entering pool from source
The pool
Boy! Did I have fun!
Benjamin and me


Lake Turkana:
The following Monday, Benjamin took me to see Lake Turkana (about a mile away). We saw the fishery where the locals dry out the fish they catch so they can sell them to make money. Then, we went down to the waters edge. We did not swim in it because of crocodiles, but we did stick our feet in. The water is slightly salty, but in a pinch you can drink it and survive.
The fishery
View of the lake from the edge (Porr is the mountain in the distance)



 THEN, MY CAMERA BROKE!

(To Be Continued)