I'm home...

So, I got home on Friday night and it's weird to be back. I'm still not really sure how to describe what I'm feeling. Maybe in a few days I'll be able to write a better 'summing up' post.

My last few weeks in Kenya were great! I was able to hang out with my friends a lot and build deeper relationships with different families. My last few days were so wonderful, I can't even explain the love I felt from everyone. On Tuesday, I was able to spend the day with Fadhili in town. We went to City Park in Nairobi to hang out with the kids from Sunflower. Fadhili teaches them guitar and I guess last week they had a 'Sunflower week' since the kids were off of school (it kind of reminds me of summer camp). We just hung out at the park and then sang some songs. haha, they made me sing a song...and I chose one that I learned while I was in Kenya called 'I Want to Be More Like You.' It goes like this: 'I wanna be more like you, Jesus. I wanna be more like you. Lord, I want to be more like you. I want to be a vessel that you work through. I want to be more like you.' (and then the same words, but in Swahili - and I've actually learned all of it). Somehow that became my song a few weeks ago and I love it! After hanging out with the kids, we went to Fadhili's practice. On Friday, he had a concert and I couldn't go because of coming home, so he let me listen in to a practice. It was really good to hear his music - he's so talented!

Then on Wednesday, I went to Nancy's house in the morning and Radicals practice in the afternoon. Radicals practice was really great! They wrote the words down to some songs since they don't have song books or anything. Then, we sang and then they had a goodbye party for me. It was so sweet of them - I miss them all a lot. For dinner, I had been invited to Wema's house, which was great. I showed up there around 8 and found a bunch of people there for fellowship (people from different churches getting together just for a time of sharing). I joined in the fellowship and then we ate dinner. Mama Wema had cooked cornbread just for me and it was so good! But then I had to say goodbye to them...it was so sad...

And then that was the end of my trip...

Check out my updated pictures on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2076963&id=15302439&l=44c174ceae

Radicals For Christ

So, I'm back from Mombasa. It was definitely an interesting experience...and I'm so glad to be back in Nairobi. In Mombasa, we stayed at Christine's sister's house. It was a one-room house without a bathroom, kitchen, power, or water. We went in the bus for about 9 hours on Tuesday night and arrived early Wednesday morning. In the afternoon, we went to the beach and I went swimming and body surfing and it was great!! On Thursday and Friday, we just went into Mombasa town and did some shopping. Overall, Mombasa was good, but I think next time I would definitely stay somewhere different and would hopefully get to spend more time at the beach.

Today I hung out with my friends Wema and Nancy because I missed them so much when I was gone. First, Wema and I went to his Radicals 4 Christ practice. Radicals 4 Christ is a youth choir (people out of high school) that organizes church services on Friday nights. I'm getting to know all the members of the choir well and really enjoy singing and dancing with them. I'm even starting to learn most of the Swahili songs, so I can join in almost all the time. If I could go to their practice every day, I would because that's where I find God in this place.

Tomorrow, Injili Mission Church (Wema's dad's church) is having a fundraising service for their new building. Please pray that God blesses this family and their mission for the church. Wema's family has really helped me here and I feel that their house is a home away from home for me.

Crocodiles, Church, and Mombasa

Life here has been so great the past week! I'm starting to feel really comfortable here and I love hanging out with my friends. On Saturday, I went to Mamba Village with Fadhili and some of the kids he teaches guitar to. Mamba Village has crocodiles and ostriches and it was really fun. We even held a baby crocodile (pictures coming to facebook eventually...)!! My new favorite place to hang out is the house next door, where Wema, Fadhili, John, Purity, and their parents live. That family is just really great and Wema, Fadhili, John, and Purity are all around my age, so that's really fun! I hung out there on Saturday night after I got back and just talked to Purity about college and life in the US. She is studying Information Technology and is home for a month off right now. On Sunday, I decided to go to church with them since I was supposed to be back by 2pm to go hear Fadhili sing with the Nairobi Gospel Choir. It was a bit hard for me to tell Fred and Alice that I wanted to go to a different church, but oh well. The church service was so great - I really enjoyed dancing and singing to the great music. If I were to live here, that is definitely where I would want to go to church. Wema's dad is the pastor and I felt so comfortable there. I'll try to go again on Sunday, especially since they're having a fundraising Sunday for their new building, but it might be a bit hard to ask for permission again to not go to Candlelight...
Tonight I'm heading off to Mombasa (the coast) for a few days. I'm going with Christine (who lives in the neighborhood) and we'll be staying with her sister. We're going by bus since there was no way I could pay for both of us to fly there...apparently it's a 9 hour drive, but I'm planning on sleeping most of the time. I think we'll mostly just be relaxing and walking around while we're there, but I really don't know. I just thought it would be cool to go to Mombasa.

A real update this time

I finally have a bit of time to really update you all on what's been going on here.

Last Friday I went to Muranga with Immaculate from Mothers' Concern and Matt and Victor. Muranga is a rural area about 2 hours drive from here. I'm not sure if I've written about Mothers' Concern yet, but it's and group that provides support and loans to mothers. In Kayole, they make beaded baskets and jewelery. The group in Muranga is building a bore hole so they can sell water to the community. It was really interesting to see more of the work Immaculate does and just to see another part of Kenya. After that, we went to see Fadhili, one of our neighbors, play in a concert in Nairobi to benefit Maisha International Orphanage.

Over the weekend I went to visit my host family from last time I was here (3 years ago). I rode the matatu (public transport vans) there with Christine and Jenni, which was nice, and then they came to Eunice's house and ate lunch with me. I spent Saturday night there and really enjoyed catching up with Eunice and her two boys, Gabriel and David. When I came back on Sunday, I had to ride the matatu by myself, but it went fine. I even managed to switch vehicles and get off at the right place. It was nice to have a bit of freedom since Alice usually doesn't let me go places alone.

On Monday Candlelight had a goodbye party for Jenni, Marc, and Matt (and me). It was really nice - the kids sang us some songs and then all of the teachers talked a little about the work we did there. I'm really glad I'm not leaving yet because otherwise I would definitely have cried...

Since Jenni and Marc left now, I have more freedom to do what I want to. Yesterday I went to Nancy's brother's graduation in town. It was nice to meet more of her family and to hang out with her and Wema more. Wema lives next door (he's Fadhili's brother) and I'm so glad I'm getting to know him and Fadhili better.

This weekend I was going to go to Nyahururu to visit Professor Mpesha's daughter, but she had to change the plans, so I think I'll be going next weekend instead. This means that I have the whole weekend free, so hopefully I'll find something fun to do!

quick update

I've been so busy the past week and I'm still so busy that I don't really have time to write a whole update, but I just wanted to let you all know that I'm doing very well and still having a great time. Jenni and Marc left to go back to Tennessee today, so that's a bit sad, now I'm the only visitor here for the next few days...

Okay, I'll try to update again soon (with a real update...)

Safari

Last weekend I had a good time hanging out at Masai Mara on safari. All of the wazungu (white people) staying with Fred and Alice went along, so that was fun. It was Jenni, Marc, Matt, and me. We left early on Friday morning and got back on Sunday afternoon. It was nice to see some cool animals and I also enjoyed a little time away from the city. There are some pictures on facebook if you want to see which animals we saw: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2078527&id=15302439&l=33a629c203

Today I went to Candlelight in the morning and then I needed to go to the bank, so Nancy and Wema took me. We decided to walk there, which was great because I got to talk to them a bit (when they weren't talking in Swahili...). After we went to the bank, I took them to the grocery store to buy some lunch. We got yoghurt, cake, and ice cream...haha, great lunch, I know! We took it all over to Nancy's house and just enjoyed hanging out for the afternoon. Overall, it was a great day and I'm still falling more in love with Kenya and the people here!

Learning to cook

Yesterday I didn't really have anything to do, so I decided to go to the market where Christine works. On our way to the matatu stop, we saw Caroline, one of our neighbors, driving the "Senior Driving School" truck, so we got a ride with her. Then, we went to the market and hung out for a bit. After that, we went to one of Christine's friend's houses which is close to the market. There, we had chai before heading to the internet cafe. For lunch, Moses (Christine's friend) and Christine decided that I should cook lunch...haha... So, Moses bought the food and they had me cook. This was definitely an interesting experience because, first, I had never cooked any of the food before, and second, Moses' house is one room, with just a small gas tank for a stove. I cooked sukuma wiki (kale), ugali (corn flour and water), and beef stew. Overall, it turned out well and I had a really great time. Then we went back to Christine's shop and I helped her with a bit of her sewing. She taught me how to sew with a sewing machine that is not electric. It's actually kind of fun, once you figure out how to make it go forwards instead of backwards. I posted some picture from my day on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2078070&id=15302439&l=0907f1a7de

Ice Cream!

Yesterday I got together with Emmanuel, a friend from Calvin, and some of his friends. We had a good time and I had some excellent food, including ice cream - Andes mint and chocolate chip - and cake!! Seriously, ice cream has never tasted so good!!!

Last week I worked in the library, visited two different schools, played a soccer game, went to the market to buy a jacket (it's surprising cold here some days...), and got measured for my dress for a wedding. This wedding is on August 15 and apparently I'm in the wedding...even though I hardly know the people who are getting married. Hopefully I get to know them at least a bit more before the wedding. The dress is just like a typical American bridesmaid dress - it's maroon, satin and it's long. Luckily, it's much cheaper than a dress back home, so I don't mind having to buy it. The school that I visited on Wednesday is called Rehema and it is in the slums. Jenni and I taught a CRE (Christian Religious Education) class together and then we ate lunch there. This school was pretty crowded and I can't imagine how hot it is in the classrooms during the warm season, since it was a chilly day and even then the classrooms were warm.

This week, please pray for my friend, Nancy (the librarian), whose grandmother passed away yesterday. She is traveling to her home village this week for the funeral, so pray for safe travels for her and the rest of her family.

Dancing

Everything has still been going really well here and I've been enjoying some more new cultural experiences. Last week I went to a different school - Maximum Impact, which is pretty close to Candlelight and my house. I taught class 8 science for two days, which was really good. They were learning about making work easier by using tools such as levers, wheelbarrows, and pulleys. I enjoyed it because I really felt like they were understanding the material, and I also understood the material, which always helps. I also taught class 1 Kiswahili, which was interesting. I managed to teach them some shapes and also told them a little bit about my family and where I come from (in Swahili, of course).
Today I went to church with everyone from the house and I really enjoyed it. The church is very small, and only about 4 months old. After that, I went to a prewedding, which is basically an event to raise money to pay for a wedding. It was really interesting and I enjoyed dancing and hanging out with Nancy. I think I had better practice dancing every chance I get since I'll be going to at least one wedding in August. It's interesting because they don't just ask you for money, they really get you to pay small amounts a number of times. Like they would say, "Sarah, buy this napkin for 100 shillings" and then 15 minutes later, "Sarah, you're a young person, give 20 shillings." Luckily, my friends explained what would happen before we got there, so I was prepared.

Please pray that my relationships continue to grow deeper as I finish up my first month here.

Pictures and more

I finally got the pictures to go up on facebook, so you can find them here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2076963&id=15302439&l=44c174ceae

I've had a pretty good past few days, with a lot of time for relaxing. On Sunday I went to church at Lifespring, which is a more western style church. I got to see the family I stayed with last time I was here, which was great. The two kids have grown up so much! I'm planning on staying with them for a weekend sometime soon. Sadly, on Sunday I also got a bit sick with a headache and fever, so spent most of the rest of the day in bed. Since I was still feeling a bit sick on Monday morning, I decided to stay home and just relax for the whole day. I did get out for a walk in the afternoon, which was nice. In the evening, the 1010 group came over because they left on Tuesday morning. We had some snacks and then Alice surprised me with a birthday cake, which was so nice!! It was a bit sad to say goodbye to all of the 1010 people - the house is so quiet now... As they were all preparing to leave, I realized how happy I am that I'm staying for longer. I've made such good friends here and I'm definitely not ready to leave them yet.

Please pray for the health of the other Americans staying with Fred and Alice and also two of our Kenyan friends, who are sick with typhoid and malaria. It seems like so many people are getting sick right now...

Hanging out at Candlelight

This week I've been working at Candlelight every morning. On Monday, I taught science (nutrition) to class 3 and class 5. It was pretty good, but it's definitely a challenge to try and figure out how to effectively teach the students when they don't have their own textbooks to study from. Monday afternoon, I just rested at Fred and Alice's, which was definitely needed. Tuesday morning, I taught English to class 3 and science to class 4. In the afternoon, I went with a friend to his cousin's house near downtown Nairobi. It was nice to meet more people and I had my first matatu ride this trip, which was an experience, as always! Yesterday morning, I decided that I wanted to work in the library with Nancy rather than teaching classes. It was really nice to hang out with her. After that, I went with Jenni to get my hair braided by Christine. It took about 3 hours, but I enjoyed talking to Christine about life in Kenya and dating and relationships in Kenyan culture. Overall, I think yesterday was one of the best days I've had so far just because I learned so much about Kenyan culture and also got to hang out with some great people! This morning I decided to work in the library again, so that was nice.

In case anyone wants my address while I'm here, this is it:

Sarah Evans
Candlelight School
PO Box 28646-00200
Nairobi
Kenya

I hear that mail takes a while to get here, so just remember that I'm leaving on August 20, so I won't get anything after that.

I'm in the process of trying to post pictures on facebook, so look for them there later (if it actually works...)

quick update

A few of us returned to Nairobi last night, which was great. I'm glad we got to sleep in beds again, instead of in the tents (especially since it was raining when we left Naivasha). Right now I'm hanging out in the center of Nairobi. I met Professor Mpesha's daughter, Abanya, here this morning and now I'm waiting for to finish up an appointment before we walk around town a bit. The 1010 group is going to the Masai Market this morning, so I think I'll meet up with them. For the next week, I'll be going to Candlelight most days and probably teaching classes. It'll be good to spend some more time with the kids and hopefully I'll also have time to hang out at the safe house quite a bit too.

So far adjusting to life in Kenya hasn't been too difficult. I think having the 1010 group here now is good, so I can adjust a bit to life here before being more on my own. There are 2 people from Tennessee that are also staying with Fred and Alice and will be there, I think, for another month and a half, so I won't really be on my own much, which is good.

Western Kenya

On Monday, we left Nairobi and traveled to Miwani, which is near Kisumu. This trip took about 8 hours, but the roads are much better than they were 3 years ago. We stayed at St. Luke's for 2 nights, which I really enjoyed. St. Luke's is an orphanage and school that also has income generating projects like farming to help provide food for the kids and also jobs for the community. It was definitely very different from last time I was there, probably because we weren't really there for long enough to really build relationships with the kids. Then, on Wednesday, we drove 6 hours to Lake Naivasha for a few days of relaxing. Yesterday I went on a safari in the morning which was pretty cool. We actually got to walk around with giraffes and zebras! Other than that, I've mostly just been enjoying a few days of relaxation. Tonight I'm going back to Nairobi, which will be good.
The 1010 group is here for another week and a half, but I'm still trying to decide what to do after they leave. I was planning on going to Tumaini orphanage, but it's pretty expensive to stay there, so I may just keep staying with Fred and Alice and help out at Candlelight and the safe house. Please pray for me as I make these decisions.

Just hanging out

So far the trip is going really well and it's great getting to know everyone. On Thursday we went to Candlelight school and got to meet all the students. Candlelight is a school that Fred and Alice run and it's really amazing! Many of the students live in rough conditions and sometimes don't get food other than the lunch they get from the school. It was great to see how much it's grown since I was last here 3 years ago. They have a whole new concrete building instead of the metal buildings they had before. In each class, the student welcomed us and we introduced ourselves. They are all so cute and I can tell that they work so hard in school! The older students told us what they want to do when they grow up and they have such big dreams! Many of them want to be pilots, engineers, or lawyers. I hope that someday they can all fulfill their dreams. We also went to the safe house last night. This is a home that Fred and Alice have for children with nowhere else to go. When we were there, we got to see their rooms, which have a couple beds for probably 8 kids. They also had a worship service, which was amazing. I think that during that service was the first time I've really felt like crying. These kids have been through so much and love God so much. It's amazing!

Right now, I'm just hanging out at the house with Karina and Reva. Most of the team went out, but I decided to just stick around. This afternoon we're going to Mother's Concern, which is a community based organization that makes beaded baskets and I'm excited to see what has changed in the last few years.

I'm here!!

Just a quick post to let you all know that I've arrived safely. The flights were long, but I'm here now. Last night I stayed at a guest house with most of the 1010 team. Now we're at Fred and Alice's, where I'll be staying for most of my first month here.

I'll try to write more when I have more time!

Departure tomorrow!

I can't believe it, but my time in Michigan is coming to an end and I'm leaving for Kenya tomorrow! This weekend has been really fun and a great last time with my Calvin friends (for a while, at least). Val and Mike's wedding was on Saturday and it was so beautiful! They are so cute and it was really great to see many good friends gathered together to celebrate. Yesterday night a bunch of us went out to the beach in Holland, which was really fun!

As the time of my departure approaches, I'm definitely getting excited, but I'm still a little nervous. I think it's a great opportunity that I get to go back to Kenya and see my friends there. I have traveled many places over the past few years, but this is the first time that I will return to somewhere I've been before (other than England). I think my past experiences in Kenya will help shape how I view Kenya now and I hope that this time I can learn even more about Kenya and how God is calling me to use my talents to help people in developing countries. I'm also very excited to stay with the same family that my mom stayed with when she visited Kenya in September. Renewing the friendships I created three years ago will be wonderful, and also continuing the relationships my mom built is exciting.

Thank you all for your prayers - I would not be able to embark on this adventure without all of your encouragement and support.

My next post will be from Kenya, woohoo!!! :)

Preparing to depart

I can't believe it, but I'm leaving for Kenya in less than a week!! This weekend I'll be in Grand Rapids for Val and Mike's wedding and then I'll be leaving from Detroit to Kenya next Tuesday (June 9).

Plans for my trip are coming together and I'm starting to get a clearer picture of what my summer will look like (though there are still many uncertainties...). For the first 3 weeks, I'll be with a group from The 1010 Project (www.the1010project.org). We'll be visiting various community based organizations (CBOs), meeting people and learning about poverty - very similar to the last time I went to Kenya, 3 years ago. After that, I will spend a week visiting friends and then I'll go to Tumaini, an orphanage in Nairobi (www.tumainiministries.org) for the rest of the summer.

As I prepare to depart for Michigan and then Kenya, I have a few prayer requests:

• Safe travels for me as I travel to Michigan and then to Kenya and for the rest of the 1010 group
• Goodbyes - I'll be saying "goodbye for now" to most of my closest friends from Calvin this weekend
• Hellos - getting to know the rest of the 1010 group and our hosts in Kenya
• Adjustments for all of us as we spend time in a culture very different than our own