MOVING TO THE NEXT ADVENTURE!

This summer I laughed.

It should be more like this summer I was doubled over laughing until my sides and jaw hurt. I spent so many nights laughing and joking with Katie, Steve, Margaret, & Katelyn. They are a complete riot! I can't even begin to count all the inside jokes we have or how many times laughter got me through an awkward culture clash. I laughed with the Kenyan H.E.A.R.T. staff in the kitchen at night when washing dishes while simultaneously teaching them how to snap towels. I laughed with (more like laughed at) Isaac & Evans when we were teaching them American phrases & they were teaching us phrases in Swahili. I laughed with the Kibera W.E.E.P. women at my horrifically white girl dance moves & stiff hips. I learned that laughter transcends all cultural & language barriers. Laughter was almost as necessary as breathing this summer.

This summer I gained weight.

It is a common misconception that when a person goes to Africa that there is nothing safe to be consumed without catching some funky parasite or the person will starve to death. Wrong! I have never in my entire life eaten so much food! Sometimes it felt like all I did every day was eat & eat & eat. I was so blessed & spoiled at H.E.A.R.T. to have wonderful, clean food. Eating in Kibera was never an issue either. They would always prepare us tradition Kenyan food but in mass quantities. I'm talking enough food for an army & there was only 3 or 4 of us. Their food was delicious & I always left with what we so lovingly called "Kibera Coma" which would cause me to sleep all the way back to the compound. Food upcountry wasn't an issue either. They made us the same great, traditional Kenyan food but the thing with Kenyan food is that it is packed to the max with carbs. They make what seems like mountains of rice & then chapati which is like a thick tortilla with oil on it. I'm pretty sure that chapatis absorb Coke & Fanta instantly & expand because after about 2 chapatis & 1 soda I would be as bloated as a tick. At first I wasn't able to eat as much as the Kenyans but by the end of the summer my stomach had officially stretched to Kenyan size. I'm not sure if that is something to brag about but at least the Kenyans stopped telling me I eat like a small baby. I'm also looking into getting a gym membership...

This summer I danced.

I turned into a dancing fool every chance I got. I danced in the kitchen while doing the dishes with the Kenyan H.E.A.R.T. staff - they were never much in to having dance parties, they probably couldn't take the heat I was dishing out! I danced with the Kibera W.E.E.P. ladies & exchanged dance moves with the Mombasa W.E.E.P. ladies. I danced in Mombasa with the girls at Coco's, we had blast being the only ones on the dance floor. Again, no one can take the heat! I danced with the school children in Nyakach, where they helped me to learn how to properly shake my hips & waist at the same time & in exchange we taught them the macarena. I danced to the World Cup theme song "Waka Waka" by Shakira with the other girls every single time it came on. You would think with all this dancing I wouldn't have gained weight...

This summer I cried.

Sometimes I cried because I was laughing so hard but mostly I cried about the injustice & poverty I was seeing every day. I always seemed to cry at night, at the end of the day when my little mind was trying to process everything. I would just lay there & cry to God about the pain, the hurt, the devastation, & how completely unfair it all was. I cried the night after I met Lillian & her son. I cried the night after Lillian shared her complete story with me. I cried when 2 of the W.E.E.P. centers each lost a lady because of AIDS. I cried when I saw 4 street boys all huddled up around 2 small, white containers of glue, each hoping to get their chance to snort away the pains of hunger. I cried after I saw a funeral procession led through the maze-like streets of Kibera by a coffin that was just the right size for an infant. It is hard to find the good in a situation like the one Kenya is in. It would easy to just brush the problems off as things too big to make an difference. But I just can't do that. I can't disconnect myself from everything I have witnessed or from the knowledge that I have. Because of my many trips to Kenya, I have been asked if I've ever gotten used to seeing the poverty or hearing the stories. The truth is, that I haven't & I don't think I ever will.

This summer I lost weight.

I became aware of what I call the "stupid weight" in my life. This weight doesn't go straight to the hips. It is weight that comes in many forms that don't look all that harmful but are a dangerous threat to spiritual growth. It is weight that I have refused to let go of but it slowed me down in my wholehearted chase after God. It is weight that I had to surrender control of. It is weight that had become a false security blanket of excuses. This summer I realized that no one ever asked me or expected me to carry this burdensome weight on my own, I had burdened myself. This summer God asked me to lose my "stupid weight" & I lost the weight through a disciplined faith exercise plan - He asked me to take up His easy yoke & light burden.

This summer I got out of the boat.

Katie had all 3 interns reading a book about when Peter got out of the boat & walked on water to Christ. We had to identify the boats that we sit in & why we sit in them. We had to identify our God-given gifts, talents, & passions & how we feel God is calling us to use them. This summer shoved me out of my boat. Every day, something or someone was the lever that launched me into the stormy waters towards Christ. Every day was another adventure that drove me closer to my faithful God. Every day God called me out of my boat & into discomfort. And as terrifying it was, I absolutely loved it. As scary as it was, I had the peace that passes all understanding. While in Kenya, getting out the boat was never an issue - I was constantly uncomfortable. But now I'm home & slipping back into my comfy recliner chair I have in my boat would be far too easy. I have got to find that something or someone that pushes me out of the boat every day. I started praying about my boat at home before my summer in Kenya was over & I'm hoping the answer comes soon.

And that was my Kenyan summer.

KWAHERI KIBERA...

Today, I said goodbye to Lillian.

It wasn't really a "goodbye", more like a "I'll see you later". It is hard to believe that my summer journey in Kenya is coming to an end. But it is even more wonderful to think that my journey with Lillian is only getting started. When I was preparing for this summer I prayed that God would use me in whatever way He saw fit. Opening yourself completely to God & His desires for you can be a scary thing. Lillian was the answer to that prayer. She was the unexpected, unanticipated but dearly loved answer. Lillian was not the answer I was looking for but I could not have picked a better way to spend my summer. Lillian & I both needed each other this summer - I needed Lillian & Lillian needed me. Neither of us knew that we needed each other & neither of us knew that we both would be starting over together, but our Heavenly Father did. (Father knows best) We both got a start over, a do-over really. Lillian got a start over in health & in her self-worth. I got a start over in my focus & in my heart's desires. We both were essential to each other's stories & journeys, one could not have changed without the other. It blows my mind how God orchestrates His children's lives for their benefit & growth. God was preparing Lillian & I for this time in our lives for months in advance. God knew in October 2009 that Lillian would become HIV positive & He knew by June 2010 Lillian would be kicked out of her brother's house & He knew that I would be in the W.E.E.P. center the day Lillian came asking for help. He knew it all! Holy macaroni! God had one finger on each of us & when the right moment came He put His fingers together. And then I started to think about: what if I had not prayed that prayer? What if I had not opened up myself to the Lord's leading? What if I was stubborn & decided to hush God's whisper & do what I thought I was here to do? What would have happened? Where would Lillian be? I don't even want to know the answers.

Like I have said before Kibera is my escape & my favorite place. I'm not just leaving behind a slum of over a million faceless people. I'm leaving behind 14 women - 14 women who each have names, stories, children, struggles, hopes, dreams, & fears. 14 women who have snuck their way into my heart. 14 women who were on death's door & are now healthy & are thriving not just surviving. 14 women who have become my Mamas. 14 women who have put their hope & faith in a God who will never leave them or forsake them unlike the families that chased them away. 14 women who have become part of my journey & story.

I was doing really well holding myself together while spending my last day in Kibera. We kept most of the day's focus on the futures of the ladies who are graduating from the W.E.E.P. program next month. I'm so proud of & excited for these wonderful & strong ladies - they're going to be such a success! But then came the goodbyes. I kept it together through the singing & dancing. I kept it together through the hugs & personal goodbyes. And then I got to the end of the line where Lillian was. She started crying first (for the record) & then it was all down hill from there for me. I turned into a blubbering idiot. It was not just a few tears, I'm talking the ugly cry. I will be counting the days until I return to Kibera, to the women, & to Lillian. A year seems like a long time but I can't wait to see where Lillian will be next year.

Until next time, Kibera.

THE MAIN HOUSE GROBIE GOUDAS.

I have had the honor & privilege of living it up in Kenya with some of greatest. I kind of knew what to expect when coming to Kenya for the summer but I never expected the blessings I would get in my housemates.

Katie (Intern Coordinator): Boss lady. Cocker Spaniel. Kate. You're a complete riot! You always have a way of getting us all rolling on the floor laughing. You're one of the best storytellers & your facial expressions are priceless! Thanks for keeping me company in the huge, lonely intern room until the girls got here. Thanks for sharing your mom with me. Thanks for making me aware of my country accent & my use of "y'all". Thanks for opening me up to the wonderful world of peanut butter, Nutella, and digestive biscuits - don't know how I ever lived without them. It has been a complete blast working along side of you all summer. I love how we can make a joke out of just about anything - Josh Groban. Gouda. Eh?! Thanks for leading us in our Bible study & spending your summer with 3 crazy girls.

Katelyn (Intern): Let the people know, you make some pretty stinking awesome trail mix - thanks for sharing! It has been so much fun watching you experience Kenya & Africa for the first time. I admire your faith & trust in God to go to a place that you love so much but have never been to. I know this summer is only the beginning of your love story with Africa - God has so much in store for you & I'm so excited to stand back & watch. Going to Nyakach with you was an adventure that I'm glad I got to share with you in a twin-sized bed. I'm glad I was there to witness your first choo experience & your first lesson on the Kenyan way of eating. I love when you play your guitar & sing worship songs in the house. I love the spontaneous worship it causes - I'm going to miss it. Keep on knee slapping & lay off the sugar.

Margaret (Intern): Marg. Marggie. Margarine. Sunshine. You really are a ray of sunshine in the house. Your bubbly personality & cheery attitude change the whole atmosphere of the house. I'm going to laugh a lot less without you around. Your passion is contagious. You are our personal history buff & it is wonderful to see your passion for Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, politics, & business. The world needs more people who are passionate. I can only hope to have as much passion about the things I love as you do. Thanks for sharing your little factoids & pictures. I love how you know no stranger & that you're the first one to introduce yourself. You & your dance moves never fail to crack me up. I think my Pawpaw pretty much adores you. "Hey Steve, what's wrong with your face?"

AIDS IS SO LIMITED.

AIDS is so limited.

It cannot cripple love.

It cannot shatter hope.

It cannot corrode faith.

AIDS is so limited.

It cannot take our peace.

It cannot destroy our confidence.

It cannot kill our friendships.

AIDS is so limited.

It cannot shut out our memories.

It cannot silence our courage.

It cannot invade our soul.

AIDS is so limited.

It cannot quench our spirit.

It cannot change the power of resurrection.

A HOSPITAL VISIT, KIBERA, & OLDONYONYOKIE.

Saturday evening my mom, Steve, & I had to take my Pawpaw to the Aga Khan Hospital. It is one of the best private hospitals in Nairobi. Needless to say, it was absolutely nothing like a hospital in America. I know about how difficult hospitals can be here but it was a totally different ball game when I was actually in the heat of the moment. It turned out to be a severe urinary tract infection & with a prescription for an antibiotic he is already back on his feet. God bless America, land of the free & the home of healthcare!

Monday, I took my mom to the Kibera W.E.E.P. center with me to see all the wonderful women I have had the privilege to spend my summer with. I went through Lillian's monthly budget with her & Rhoda, did an intake assessment, & a nutrition assessment with her. We then walked to Lillian's house to take pictures of the house, her, & her son. My mom had brought clothes for them which included a University of Kentucky hoodie for Lillian - GO CATS! While there it was very apparent that Lillian's son was very sick & she had taken him to the clinic over the weekend but had no way of paying the bill or getting medicine so we went by the clinic to pay the bill & get the correct medicine. The doctor didn't make a diagnosis so he put him on malaria medication & pneumonia medication. Please be in prayer for Lillian's son, that he makes a full recovery & can get back to school.

Today, the other interns & I went to Oldonyonyokie in Maasailand with a team from California to do some health teaching at a primary school. I got caught up in a game of soccer with the older girls & helped lead the team to victory as the only white girl on my team. WOOT! WOOT! The victory did cost me 6 shin kicks, 2 face hits with the ball, & 1 shoulder in my eye. By the end of the game my legs & shoes were covered in dust from my knees down - I'm getting pretty good at wiping down with baby wipes & cleaning my shoes. We then went into our teaching about HIV/AIDS & abstinence & that was followed up by performances from the older kids. Even though I had seen the same performance last year, it is still by far one of the coolest things I have seen in Kenya.

Well...it is the final countdown until my time here comes to an end. It is like I blinked & my time here disappeared.

SWIMMING IN THE INDIAN OCEAN - CHECK!

As soon as Katelyn & I arrived back in Nairobi from Nyakach, we had to immediately unpack our suitcases & repack for our 6:50 morning flight to Mombasa with the other girls. Mombasa is a town on the coast of Kenya & has a very strong Muslim influence. It was quite a shift going from rural upcountry Nyakach to the gorgeous beaches of Mombasa! Swimming in the Indian Ocean has been on my bucket list - how crazy blessed am I that I got to check it off?!

Once we landed we made our first stop to the W.E.E.P. center in Mombasa. One thing I love about the 5 different W.E.E.P. centers is that they each have their own personality. We had time for the women to each share their stories/testimonies & we also set aside some time to mourn with them because this center recently lost one of their ladies. They then prepared us one of best meals I've had here all summer & then we exchanged dance moves with them. They got a kick out of us! After acting like dancing fools we took time to pray over each individual lady. We asked her for anything specific she needed prayer for & we just took it before the Lord for her. While there I also gained 2 new Mamas, I seem to get them wherever I go. I guess I look like someone who is always in need of a Mama. My 2 new Mamas are Mildred & Saumu. I spent a lot of time talking with Saumu about her 3 children & the 4 children that she takes care of for her sister. Saumu was also very proud of her son who is in medical school in Russia. As I kept talking with her, I learned that she is Muslim. And this has been burdening my heart since then. The lives of these women are very, very vulnerable. They can be healthy one day & out for the count the next. Even though I can't be there every day to love on Saumu with Christ's love or to prompt her in the way of salvation, I can pray every day that a person will come into her life that can.

After the W.E.E.P. center, we headed to the hotel. Katie & I immediately headed right to the beach & did a little shopping. We got dressed up for dinner & then went to see a dance show & afterwards danced the night away. The 4 of us were the only ones on the dance floor so we had a blast looking like complete dorks. The next morning the girls went for some spa treatments but I decided to find a lounge chair with a great ocean view for my quiet time with God. I put the worship playlist I have on my iPod on shuffle & Chris Tomlin's song "Glory in the Highest" came on. And as that song was playing I could see all of creation worshipping God. The waves were not just crashing, they were singing. The rustling leaves on the palm trees were not just blowing in the wind, they were dancing. Everything around me was praising the Father & I too had my part to play. Later on we went swimming, sun bathing, running through the Indian Ocean, & did a little more shopping. We went to an acrobatic show that night after dinner & then turned into dancing fools yet again. We woke up & were off to catch even more rays the next morning. By Wednesday afternoon we were packed up, sunburnt, & flying back to Nairobi.

While in Mombasa, Jen challenged us to be grateful for the experience that the 4 of us are having this summer. She encouraged us to soak up everything about it. She told us to not hold back anything. Here we are experiencing things at such a young age that most people will never ever do in their lifetime. Then I started thinking about how God chose to put me in this place & at this time. He chose me...unworthy & little me. I have no clue why He picked me but I'm so very thankful He did.

You're altogether lovely. Altogether worthy. Altogether wonderful to me.

HOLLA NYAKACH!

Katelyn & I went on a trip upcountry to an area called Nyakach with 3 ladies from California, H.E.A.R.T.'s Director of Children's Ministry & 3 Kenyan H.E.A.R.T. staff. We were sent to provide health education at a school to the children and parents on topics like HIV/AIDS, abstinence, malaria, TB, & hand washing. We also helped open the Nyakach Kids For School Program office & attended a community leaders meeting which provided the Nyakach community leaders with updated information on HIV prevention.

We stayed in the house of a bishop who wasn't there so his brothers & their wives were our hosts. The house was a mansion compared to the little mud huts surrounding it. There was no electricity or running water. The choo (the toilet a.k.a. a hole in the ground) was located right beside the front yard where they let their cattle roam. Katelyn & I were encouraged to use the front yard & not walk to the choo in the event we needed to make a "short call" in the middle of the night. We hosed ourselves down with bug spray whenever we had the opportunity & wiped down with baby wipes when we didn't have access to a bucket of bathing water. The women of the family prepared us traditional Kenyan food every night & it was always followed up with a cup of chai tea. Katelyn & I shared a twin sized bed - our nights were full of late night chats, the sound of rain pounding the roof, & the smell of bug spray.

Friday, Katelyn & I were given the opportunity to teach the youth aged girls about abstinence, sexual purity, HIV/AIDS, & menstrual cycle hygiene. We all were also entertained by songs & poems from students from each of the 12 schools that had come to our Kids Fun Day event. We also had a time of games with the children. Katelyn, Aubrey, Isaac (H.E.A.R.T. staff), & I all ended up in a sack race against the teachers. The girls cooked up a plan against Isaac to sabotage him - while Aubrey & Katelyn raced their hearts out, it was my job to run across the other teachers & steal Isaac's racing sack. Our plan went off without a hitch! And everyone thought it was hilarious! Saturday, we helped in the opening of the Nyakach Kids For School office. My American thinking & I thought that the program was getting an entire building for their office space. Boy was I wrong, their community donated office space is smaller than my mom's closet but I've never seen so much excitement & pride. We also had the chance to be a part of a meeting with Nyakach community leaders to further educate them on HIV/AIDS. The meeting was not only a learning experience for the community leaders but also for myself. Evans (H.E.A.R.T. staff) is one amazing teacher & communicator.

This trip also gave us a lot of time to spend together. Katelyn & I didn't just bond over our choo experiences & through our sleeping arrangements. We had 8 hour car rides to & from Nyakach & we also had a lot of time in the evenings together without a television to sit in front of. We had a blast playing Uno over cups of chai with Isaac & Evans in the evenings while the rain was beating the roof. Isaac & Evans enjoyed teaching us Swahili phrases while we taught them how to say "Holla!" & "...all up in my grill!" Isaac & Evans also learned Fashion Lesson #1: Owning It. There was a ton of laughing at & with each other.

Starting from the drive to Nyakach to the drive back from Nyakach, I constantly had the beauty of God's creation surrounding me. From the Great Rift Valley to the sunsets & sunrises, it all kept pushing me into worshipping the Creator. It all made me feel so small & so minute in comparison to this huge world & in comparison to the even bigger size of my God & His power. I kept imaging God's love filling the Great Rift Valley all the way to the clouds like ocean water & His love covering every tree, every person, & every hut like a blanket. This song kept coming to mind:

Your love is deeper than any ocean.

Higher than the heavens reaches.

Beyond the stars in the sky.

Jesus, Your love has no bounds.

Jesus, Your love has no bounds.

Your love is deep!

Your love is wide!

Your love is great!

Your love is high!

Your love is all we ever need!

Your love is all we ever need!