Friday, October 29, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Living the Mombasa Dream
As I briefly mentioned in the last post, my trip to the coast last week was AMAZING! After our adventures on the drive down, we got settled into our house for the week at Marijiani Beach Cottages. We'd rented a three-bedroom house for the 7 of us to share, and it turned out to be an incredible swahili-style "home" for four nights. The kitchen and living room were on the third floor and had completely open walls, providing a constant breeze and an incredible view over the treetops of the forest that comes close to the beach. The house is part of a neighborhood with about 15 homes, and they all share a gorgeous pool just next to the beach and the Indian Ocean.
For three whole days, Jane and I did our best to relax and just enjoy life. We spent many hours by the pool reading, swimming around, and watching the dozens of monkeys that jumped around in the palm trees and even snuck up to drink out of the pool! One afternoon our whole group walked down the beach about thirty minutes to an area that is unprotected by the Diani reef, opening a hole for big waves to come all the way up to the beach. Another morning at low tide, we scrambled along the rocks and reef to the "Tiwi pools," holes in the reef under giant overhanging rocks that create amazing little swimming holes. About ten feet deep and crystal clear, guarded by jagged rocks and sea urchins, the pools seemed like the perfect place to hide a pirate's treasure (not too far out of the question, considering all of the Indian Ocean pirating that takes place just off the coast - we managed to avoid the Somali buccaneers though).
Being at the coast provides the perfect opportunity for some seafood, so one morning we asked our housekeeper (who also did all our dishes each day - sweet!) to talk to a fisherman and get us some shrimp or squid. We ended up with 3kg of fresh-caught squid, which the fisherman cleaned next to our house and threw in the fridge. That night, Jane cut them up and magically turned them into delicious fried calamari...combine that with cornbread, roasted potatoes, veggies, and brownies and you've got a ridiculously awesome meal! For our last night we celebrated by driving down the beach a bit to a seafood restaurant right on the coast. We all sat at a table in the sand under the full moon and ate our fill of fish and shrimp, which made for a perfect finale to the week.
Praise God for great friends, relaxation, and a fantastic week of memories! It's hard to believe that Tiwi Beach is in the same country as Limuru - they seem like worlds apart - but I'm so thankful for the chance to experience another part of this fascinating country.
For three whole days, Jane and I did our best to relax and just enjoy life. We spent many hours by the pool reading, swimming around, and watching the dozens of monkeys that jumped around in the palm trees and even snuck up to drink out of the pool! One afternoon our whole group walked down the beach about thirty minutes to an area that is unprotected by the Diani reef, opening a hole for big waves to come all the way up to the beach. Another morning at low tide, we scrambled along the rocks and reef to the "Tiwi pools," holes in the reef under giant overhanging rocks that create amazing little swimming holes. About ten feet deep and crystal clear, guarded by jagged rocks and sea urchins, the pools seemed like the perfect place to hide a pirate's treasure (not too far out of the question, considering all of the Indian Ocean pirating that takes place just off the coast - we managed to avoid the Somali buccaneers though).
Being at the coast provides the perfect opportunity for some seafood, so one morning we asked our housekeeper (who also did all our dishes each day - sweet!) to talk to a fisherman and get us some shrimp or squid. We ended up with 3kg of fresh-caught squid, which the fisherman cleaned next to our house and threw in the fridge. That night, Jane cut them up and magically turned them into delicious fried calamari...combine that with cornbread, roasted potatoes, veggies, and brownies and you've got a ridiculously awesome meal! For our last night we celebrated by driving down the beach a bit to a seafood restaurant right on the coast. We all sat at a table in the sand under the full moon and ate our fill of fish and shrimp, which made for a perfect finale to the week.
Praise God for great friends, relaxation, and a fantastic week of memories! It's hard to believe that Tiwi Beach is in the same country as Limuru - they seem like worlds apart - but I'm so thankful for the chance to experience another part of this fascinating country.
Monday, October 25, 2010
The Middle of Nowhere
First things first - Jane and I had an AWESOME week at the coast and everything went just about perfectly, praise God! Before I get into telling about the whole week and sharing pictures (which will be once I get caught up on everything in a couple of days), I wanted to share a quick story from our drive down...
Jane and I headed out from Nairobi on Tuesday morning at 4am with five friends in a big van that our friend Kim Pace owns. Because of the early start, we made great time through town and were well on our way down the open road to Mombasa by the time the sun rose. About half an hour later, around 7:15, we heard some mysterious beeping sounds and then a sudden lack of the constant engine noise. After coasting to a stop on the side of the road, we all got out and started trying to figure out what went wrong.
It turns out that Kim had experienced a similar problem last year, so she knew it was probably a problem with the fuel injector - not easy to fix. That meant we would need a mechanic but, unfortunately, we were in the middle of NOWHERE. As in, just a road and dirt and a few trees...not much of anything. Eventually we flagged down a sedan carrying four Kenyan guys and tried to jump start the car - no luck. They offered to drive someone to the next town to find a mechanic, though, and we all looked around at each other as if to say, "Who's it gonna be?"
As you might be able to guess, I soon found myself stuffed in the back of a little car with a lot of Kenyans. Now, that's not the ideal situation, especially for a vacation, but my prayers for safety were answered when they dropped me off at a dirt road intersection about 5km down the road, handing me over to a friend who started walking with me away from the highway. My new friend Matthew led me down the dirt road for about 15 minutes to the town of "Machinnery." No, I didn't make that up! We found the home of the local mechanic, and after banging on the door for a while he came out brushing his teeth and rubbing his eyes.
After a short conversation, I was hopping on the back of a motorcycle with Matthew and a driver, followed by another motorcycle carrying the mechanic and his assistant. In this manner, I pulled back up to the van with quite an entourage, and all the Kenyans got to work. A few minutes later they had the van running, and after a short (that's an hour in Kenya) detour by their shop for a new fuel filter, we were on our way!
Living in Kenya is always an adventure...
Jane and I headed out from Nairobi on Tuesday morning at 4am with five friends in a big van that our friend Kim Pace owns. Because of the early start, we made great time through town and were well on our way down the open road to Mombasa by the time the sun rose. About half an hour later, around 7:15, we heard some mysterious beeping sounds and then a sudden lack of the constant engine noise. After coasting to a stop on the side of the road, we all got out and started trying to figure out what went wrong.
It turns out that Kim had experienced a similar problem last year, so she knew it was probably a problem with the fuel injector - not easy to fix. That meant we would need a mechanic but, unfortunately, we were in the middle of NOWHERE. As in, just a road and dirt and a few trees...not much of anything. Eventually we flagged down a sedan carrying four Kenyan guys and tried to jump start the car - no luck. They offered to drive someone to the next town to find a mechanic, though, and we all looked around at each other as if to say, "Who's it gonna be?"
As you might be able to guess, I soon found myself stuffed in the back of a little car with a lot of Kenyans. Now, that's not the ideal situation, especially for a vacation, but my prayers for safety were answered when they dropped me off at a dirt road intersection about 5km down the road, handing me over to a friend who started walking with me away from the highway. My new friend Matthew led me down the dirt road for about 15 minutes to the town of "Machinnery." No, I didn't make that up! We found the home of the local mechanic, and after banging on the door for a while he came out brushing his teeth and rubbing his eyes.
After a short conversation, I was hopping on the back of a motorcycle with Matthew and a driver, followed by another motorcycle carrying the mechanic and his assistant. In this manner, I pulled back up to the van with quite an entourage, and all the Kenyans got to work. A few minutes later they had the van running, and after a short (that's an hour in Kenya) detour by their shop for a new fuel filter, we were on our way!
Living in Kenya is always an adventure...
Monday, October 18, 2010
A Great Weekend
It's Monday morning and my legs are really sore, which means good things must have happened this weekend! The adventure started early on Saturday morning (6:30!) when Jane and I, along with two volunteers Dan and Kayla, drove to Mt. Longonot, a dormant volcano in the Great Rift Valley. We hit the very steep, very dusty hiking trail by about 7:30, and made our way up and around the mile-wide crater. It was a gorgeous day, with bright blue skies and a view for miles down the valley, and we finished our hike close to five hours later exhausted, dirty, and sweaty but also with a great feeling of accomplishment! The hike isn't easy - lots of elevation change and some very slippery, gravelly, steep descents, but everyone did great and came out with a sweet story to tell.
Later that night Lindsay helped provide a fantastic end to the day by putting together a dinner of mini-cheeseburgers with all sorts of toppings, macaroni and cheese, and fried okra. Then Jane topped it off with some awesome cupcakes...that's what I'm talkin about!
After driving four of the ACTS volunteers to church yesterday (which made me really feel like a Dad), I went back into town with Rainer and Jane to play some ultimate frisbee. I don't know if I've mentioned this on the blog yet, but I went with a friend of mine a few weeks ago to investigate a group of ex-pats who play frisbee every Sunday. I was immediately hooked (obviously!), and playing on Sunday afternoons has provided a very welcome dose of competition and adrenalin. Yesterday we played 4 games over the course of about 2 1/2 hours, so we were completely exhausted...what a great feeling!
All in all, this made for a great weekend, and the best part is that I've only got one day of work this week. Tomorrow, Jane and I are driving down to the coast with 8 other friends for a few days - we are all renting a big house with a pool right on the beach, so it should be an amazing break! I'm sure I'll have some stories to tell when we get back...
Later that night Lindsay helped provide a fantastic end to the day by putting together a dinner of mini-cheeseburgers with all sorts of toppings, macaroni and cheese, and fried okra. Then Jane topped it off with some awesome cupcakes...that's what I'm talkin about!
After driving four of the ACTS volunteers to church yesterday (which made me really feel like a Dad), I went back into town with Rainer and Jane to play some ultimate frisbee. I don't know if I've mentioned this on the blog yet, but I went with a friend of mine a few weeks ago to investigate a group of ex-pats who play frisbee every Sunday. I was immediately hooked (obviously!), and playing on Sunday afternoons has provided a very welcome dose of competition and adrenalin. Yesterday we played 4 games over the course of about 2 1/2 hours, so we were completely exhausted...what a great feeling!
All in all, this made for a great weekend, and the best part is that I've only got one day of work this week. Tomorrow, Jane and I are driving down to the coast with 8 other friends for a few days - we are all renting a big house with a pool right on the beach, so it should be an amazing break! I'm sure I'll have some stories to tell when we get back...
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Character
Over the last couple of nights, I listened to the first episode in a podcast series by Andy Stanley called Character under Construction (the last couple of nights, because I like listening to podcasts when I go to sleep, but I tend to fall asleep about half-way through). His message really hit me, so I wanted to share a few of the highlights, take-away, key points, or whatever you want to call them...
1. Character and Ethics used to be tied together, but in the modern world ACHIEVEMENT is often valued higher than character, so achievement becomes the foundation of the ethics that most people live by. For example, it's ok to cheat or cut corners if the end result is profit, gain, pleasure, or advancement.
2. Character, for a believer, is "the will to do what is right as God defines what is right, regardless of the cost." It's not doing what is right because it takes me somewhere or keeps me from some punishment, but doing what is right BECAUSE it is right!
3. Proverbs 11:3a - "The integrity of the upright guides them..." How often do I ask God for guidance, looking for a sign or a message or a word? Sometimes he might provide those things, but the first form of His guidance is through a person's own integrity. If I could live a life of character, where I am continually choosing what is right because God defines it as right, my own integrity and outlook might provide the direction that I need in many choices.
1. Character and Ethics used to be tied together, but in the modern world ACHIEVEMENT is often valued higher than character, so achievement becomes the foundation of the ethics that most people live by. For example, it's ok to cheat or cut corners if the end result is profit, gain, pleasure, or advancement.
2. Character, for a believer, is "the will to do what is right as God defines what is right, regardless of the cost." It's not doing what is right because it takes me somewhere or keeps me from some punishment, but doing what is right BECAUSE it is right!
3. Proverbs 11:3a - "The integrity of the upright guides them..." How often do I ask God for guidance, looking for a sign or a message or a word? Sometimes he might provide those things, but the first form of His guidance is through a person's own integrity. If I could live a life of character, where I am continually choosing what is right because God defines it as right, my own integrity and outlook might provide the direction that I need in many choices.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Wonderfully Overwhelmed
So it's been over a week now that Jane and I have been engaged, and I think my mind is starting to come back down to earth and a state of "normalcy." The last week has been amazing, and I'm getting to the point where I can start to put together a few of my thoughts in a little more coherent manner. Here are a few of the things that have stuck out to me over the past week:
1. Being engaged is AWESOME! Last week I posted about the emotional swing from "scared to death nervous" to "out of this world happy" that accompanied the proposal, but as time has gone on I've realized all sorts of other aspects of this time that are amazing. Since I have known this was coming for a couple of months, I've been constantly biting my tongue when conversations come up about the future, trying not to give away too much. Now it's all on the table, though, which is a great feeling! Jane has also confessed that she's much less suspicious of me these days...
2. Jane and I have UNBELIEVABLE friends and families! The outpouring of support that we've received this week has been humbling, inspiring, encouraging, and so full of love. Talking to both of our families last week was incredibly joyful, and we are so blessed to have parents, siblings, grandparents, etc. that are thrilled to share this season of our lives with us. It was so fun to call friends back in the States (sometimes even waking them up in the morning) and share our big news...the screams and laughs and excited questions just multiplied our exhilaration! Then the news got out on facebook, and it was super entertaining to watch all of the comments, wall-posts, "likes" and messages come in on a minute-by-minute basis while everyone woke up in America and saw the news pop up in their newsfeeds...sometimes technology is mind-blowing in a great way!
3. Weddings are a big deal! All of my married friends have passed on their wedding-planning knowledge, but I don't think I could ever really understand all of the aspects that go into it before I started to really sit down and think through everything. Thankfully, Jane and I are very much on the same page with everything, and we CAN'T WAIT to celebrate with all our friends and family! We have also been blessed with parents and friends who are willing to do so much to make this happen, even while we are on the other side of the Atlantic. I would love your prayers for this planning process - there are definitely challenges associated with the fact that we are in Africa right now, so we are really praying that God would go with us through every step of the way, that He would help the details to fall into place, and that He would protect all of our hearts and minds, keeping us sane and full of joy in everything!
God has been so faithful and good to us - thank you all again for your prayers and your support, and stay tuned to see where this journey takes us!
1. Being engaged is AWESOME! Last week I posted about the emotional swing from "scared to death nervous" to "out of this world happy" that accompanied the proposal, but as time has gone on I've realized all sorts of other aspects of this time that are amazing. Since I have known this was coming for a couple of months, I've been constantly biting my tongue when conversations come up about the future, trying not to give away too much. Now it's all on the table, though, which is a great feeling! Jane has also confessed that she's much less suspicious of me these days...
2. Jane and I have UNBELIEVABLE friends and families! The outpouring of support that we've received this week has been humbling, inspiring, encouraging, and so full of love. Talking to both of our families last week was incredibly joyful, and we are so blessed to have parents, siblings, grandparents, etc. that are thrilled to share this season of our lives with us. It was so fun to call friends back in the States (sometimes even waking them up in the morning) and share our big news...the screams and laughs and excited questions just multiplied our exhilaration! Then the news got out on facebook, and it was super entertaining to watch all of the comments, wall-posts, "likes" and messages come in on a minute-by-minute basis while everyone woke up in America and saw the news pop up in their newsfeeds...sometimes technology is mind-blowing in a great way!
3. Weddings are a big deal! All of my married friends have passed on their wedding-planning knowledge, but I don't think I could ever really understand all of the aspects that go into it before I started to really sit down and think through everything. Thankfully, Jane and I are very much on the same page with everything, and we CAN'T WAIT to celebrate with all our friends and family! We have also been blessed with parents and friends who are willing to do so much to make this happen, even while we are on the other side of the Atlantic. I would love your prayers for this planning process - there are definitely challenges associated with the fact that we are in Africa right now, so we are really praying that God would go with us through every step of the way, that He would help the details to fall into place, and that He would protect all of our hearts and minds, keeping us sane and full of joy in everything!
God has been so faithful and good to us - thank you all again for your prayers and your support, and stay tuned to see where this journey takes us!
 |
| Blast from the past - exactly three years ago! |
Thursday, October 7, 2010
A Celebration at Kamirithu
After that, eight of the clients took turns giving testimonies of how their lives have changed during their time with CFA. Josiah, pictured below, talked about how he was living in secret, ashamed to interact with other people and resigned to the death that he felt was imminent. One day Bishop Simon met him and told him that there was a long life in front of him, that he had potential, and that God could still use him in meaningful ways. Now Josiah is strong and healthy, greeting everyone with a smile! He came to the ceremony with his wife and their newborn baby, testifying to everyone how, last year at this time, he would never have thought that he could see the birth of his daughter. Now he is the proud parent of a beautiful, HIV-negative baby girl and is looking forward to many years spent raising her to know and love Christ. During his speech Josiah exclaimed, "I wish somebody had taken a video when we were starting as a group - we were very weak and confused, but now we have changed!"
I'll post more of the client stories in the coming weeks, but for now it is enough to praise God for the transformation that we can see in the entire group. 80 people who at first were alone, barely speaking to each other and keeping to themselves, are now surrounded by close friends and people who they can share with, identify with, and go through the challenges of life together with.
After the client testimonies, the chosen spokesperson for the group, Michael Maura, got up to officially thank everyone from the church and CFA for all that they did to help the group. Michael thanked Simon, Paul, Eunice, Duncan, Robert, and I - each one with a rousing speech and a strong round of applause and shouts! Next, Paul spoke a final word of encouragement to the clients - challenging them to continue putting into practice the things they have learned and pursuing a deeper knowledge of the Word, ongoing connection with a church, and a growing personal ministry. We helped to give out Bibles to several clients who needed them, and then Eunice and Robert served the meal to everyone in attendance - the "swallowship" part of Kenyan celebrations! They also provided each client with a "going away" bag full of food and helpful supplies for the clients and their families.
We are so thankful for all that God has done in this group of clients! Please join us in praising Him for His power and faithfulness. At the same time, we are already looking forward to the next round of people living with HIV/AIDS who need help in the Kamirithu area. Even though Paul and Eunice are given this month without clients, they have already begun recruiting friends and relatives of the current clients for the next group. Some of these new people attended the graduation ceremony, and there is an ongoing list of over 30 potential clients already! Please pray that Paul and Eunice would be able to relax and recharge over the next month, and then that they would have strength, direction, and success as they continue the recruitment process for the second group after the end of the month.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
WE'RE ENGAGED!
I am unbelievably excited to officially tell you all that Jane and I got engaged this past Saturday! We had an incredible weekend away from Limuru that culminated with our decision to take this step, and we are both so full of joy as we look toward the future. On Saturday, I went from being about the most nervous I've been in my life, to the HAPPIEST that I've ever been - and that feeling is still overwhelming me a few days later! Jane does a much better job of telling the whole story than I do, so please visit her blog if you want to hear the details:
Jane's Blog
You can also see a full photo album of the weekend (including the ring!) here:
Pictures!
Thank you so much to each of you who have been praying for Jane and I, encouraging us, and supporting our relationship over the past few years. We know that we could not be where we are today were it not for God's guidance, patience, strength, and wisdom, and we believe that all of the prayers offered up for each of us have been a major factor in the way God's hand has been on our relationship. We would love for you to continue praying as we embark on the next stage of our life together - the next year will hold all kinds of decision-making, wedding planning, learning more about each other, and preparing for marriage, and we know that we can't do all of this on our own. Please also joining us in PRAISING God for how he has blessed us with each other and with such unbelievable joy!
Jane's Blog
You can also see a full photo album of the weekend (including the ring!) here:
Pictures!
Thank you so much to each of you who have been praying for Jane and I, encouraging us, and supporting our relationship over the past few years. We know that we could not be where we are today were it not for God's guidance, patience, strength, and wisdom, and we believe that all of the prayers offered up for each of us have been a major factor in the way God's hand has been on our relationship. We would love for you to continue praying as we embark on the next stage of our life together - the next year will hold all kinds of decision-making, wedding planning, learning more about each other, and preparing for marriage, and we know that we can't do all of this on our own. Please also joining us in PRAISING God for how he has blessed us with each other and with such unbelievable joy!
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