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.