When technology is too much

When was the last time you checked your email? Sent a text? Looked at a website? In the past 15-20 years, our society has become so engrossed in technology that we have not only come to depend on it, but we have become addicted. Much like an alcoholic going through withdrawal, I have witnessed children, and adults alike, become visibly disturbed and upset by the loss of connection by way of technology.
I grew up spending many hours of my summer in the woods with my family. I spent days learning about trees, animals, rivers, and hiking, and my evening around a campfire learning how to cook, build shelters, make a fire for survival, and communicate with my friends and family. I didn't have a computer until I was 12 years old, and since then, have never been without technology for longer than a few days ever again.
These days I spend more than 12 hours a day on a computer, and honestly, I crave that escape that I used to have as a child. I spend family time sitting in a circle looking up information on phones and iPads rather than around a campfire telling stories. So when and how do we decide when technology is too much?
More and more, schools are going to a one-to-one program with technology for our students. While this can often help students experience a world that they otherwise wouldn't have been able to, it also puts us in a position to sometimes not allow students to build important communication and interpersonal skills. While I see the amazing benefits of technology in schools, I also always try to take a step back and think about how much is too much. Am I just using technology to say that I can, or is it really benefitting my students in a way they could not learn otherwise. I encourage you to ask your self the same the next time you are lesson planning. When is technology too much?

Is it your ministry or your job?

"Attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure."

4 weeks can change your life it you let it. My roommate, Jenn, once told me that you can do anything for a month. At the time I didn't take her seriously because we were doing a Kenyan diet that lacked any kind of variety and flavor. But sure enough, that month flew by quickly and we not only survived, but we came out of it with a better understanding of the Kenyan culture. I say these things because sometimes what we think we are getting ourselves into ends up being completely different from God's plan. We can force ourselves to make it through a month of an "ordeal", or we can enjoy the adventure God has planned for us! My first trip to Kenya in 2010 proved that. Who would have thought that a 2 week journey would turn into a lifelong love for a culture, that, until that point, I knew absolutely nothing about. This trip to Africa was no different. I may have already known and loved the culture, but it doesn't mean I didn't still grow.

When I left Kenya last year, I didn't know if it was the right decision. I knew I needed a break, but would a summer off have been enough to allow me to go back and enjoy a third year? I will never know the answer to that question. What I do know is that I spent a year perseverating on the idea that I may have made a mistake in moving back to the US. I had a fear that returning to Africa this year could make those ideas become reality and that I would actually resent the decision to go rather than enjoy it. In short, my trip this summer initially compounded those ideas, but eventually gave me closure in areas that I previously didn't have it. 

I spent my first week in Nairobi with my good friend Anne. That week was an emotional one for me. I really enjoyed getting to see my friends and former students, and we had a great time in fellowship and praising God for all of the good things he has done since we last saw each other. But, as the week went on, I was dreading leaving these close relationships all over again. This was my comfort zone, and I was going to be ripped out of it again and thrown into another year of fighting to fit in. Through this struggle, God taught me something. The blessings over the last year that we had spent hours praising God for would not have been possible without my having moved back to the US. If anything, our friendships grew more in the year that I was away because I was taken out of my comfort zone and forced to grow as a person. I didn't have a lot of time to process all of this, and honestly still am trying to figure it all out. But I do know that I was able to return to the US more excited about a new year than I initially was. 

Me and my buddy Daniel :)

Monkeys in our yard.... 

I left Nairobi only a week after my arrival in Kenya (which felt like a day) and headed out to Alendu to see what adventures awaited me there. The morning of my departure to Alendu I fell very ill from the malaria medication I was taking. I went to see my old doctor in Nairobi and she gave me some medicine to help me feel well enough to travel. Myself and Angela, the other member of my team, were greeted in Kisumu by Roger and Amanda, an intern for Rafiki. We did some quick shopping and then headed to the village. The 12 days I was in the village seemed to fly by faster than my one week in Nairobi. Our main goal for the trip had been to do professional development for the teachers. Although that changed when we got there, I was so blessed by the time I got to spend with some incredible educators. I think I learned more from them than they learned from me to be honest. I am on the education committee for Rafiki, so I ended up spending a lot of my time figuring out what we needed to do to help the school both short term and long term. You will be getting emails later this fall from me about some of the short term and long term goals we are working on.

Students at LHA praying before leaving school for the day

My time at Lighthouse Academy was incredible, and I met some students who are ready to be world-changers. My time in Alendu, however, did not just involve working at the school. I had an experience this trip that I will never be able to fully explain in words. In the weeks leading up to my arrival in the village, Amanda had started to befriend the Masaai guards who worked on our compound. The Masaai culture has intrigued me since I first visited Kenya. They are a nomadic tribe that lives very primitively. They are cattle and goat farmers mostly, but many take jobs as guards because they are well known for their protection capabilities. As a rite of passage, Masaai boys must kill a lion with only a spear and a club. You can see why they make amazing guards! The interesting thing is that they keep their lives very private. 

beautiful place we visited!

There have been books and documentaries written about them, but most of the time they just keep to themselves. Many can only speak the Masaai language with a few being able to also speak Kiswahili. We were blessed enough to have a Masaai guard who had been educated and was also able to speak English! Evidently, education of  the Masaai children is becoming more common, but until this point I had never met a Masaai who spoke English this well. Because Amanda had started to form a friendship with this Masaai and the other guards, they agreed one night to have a "Cultural Exchange" with us. It was an open question forum. They could ask us anything, and we could ask them anything. After 3 hours of talking (and translating), we learned so much more about the Masaai culture than I can even begin to write on here. If you want to hear about it, meet me for lunch sometime and I will tell you! The amazing things was that they enjoyed our conversation so much that they suggested we continue it for two more nights.

the crew at Masaai Market

At the end of it all, they thanked us. When we asked why they would thank us when they were the ones answering the questions, they replied "Because most people would ask us questions so that they could judge us for the way we live. You just asked questions and accepted us for who we are." Wow... can we say strike to the heart right there? We, as Christians, are often told to love people where they are at. How many times though, do we immediately tell someone what is wrong with them and how Jesus can fix it? What if we just stopped and listened rather than making them feel guilty for how they are living their lives? Just think about that for a while and let me know if you wanna talk about it :) In the end, we were invited to someday come stay with these men and their families to learn more about their culture. We are trying to figure out a way for that to actually happen. I will never forget that experience!

So after my three weeks in Kenya were up, I travelled to Johannesburg, South Africa, to see Jenn and Symps. I was sad to leave Kenya knowing that it would be at least a year until I could return, but like I said previously, I had more closure this time, and I was really looking forward to seeing Jenn! I was greeted by FREEZING cold temperatures in South Africa. It is winter there right now, so some nights it was down in the 30s with no heat inside the buildings. During the day it was a little better and we could stand out in the sun to warm up. My first day there I went with Jenn to visit Symps at work and get a tour of their church. Symps is a pastor at a church that is affiliated with the same bible college as my sending church in the US. It is cool to see how similar they are on opposite sides of the world! That day I was invited to join staff devotions led by their head pastor. He spoke on harmony makers/killers. It was a great message. The one main point I took from it was "Are you treating this as your ministry or your job?" That has been on my mind ever since he said it. I think because, yes, we all have to have a job to survive and be able to provide for ourselves and our families, but why can't we view it as a ministry all the time? I have done book studies that have discussed this before, but for some reason God really put it on my heart to really learn it this year. Maybe I should be preparing for a group of students who will really need some prayer, I don't know, but I am going to make it my "mission" this year to make my job my ministry. 

Jenn and I at the Apartheid Museum

The second day we went to Oriental Plaza and the Apartheid Museum. I really enjoyed the museum and could have spent days in there reading all of the information about Nelson Mandela and all of the other leaders who worked to end the apartheid in SA. My third day in SA we awoke bright and early to head out on safari in Kruger National Park. I really enjoyed the 6 hour drive out to the park because I got to see a lot of the South African landscape. It was beautiful! Symps' friend Simba came with us and we just enjoyed a relaxing 3 days. We were sad to head home to Jo-burg. I have a ton of pictures, but will post just a few of my favorites here for you.  

All of us in front of the Paul Kruger statue

Symps and Simba did a SA Brai (BBQ) for us.

On my last day in SA, we went to Mandela Square just to see a few touristy things before heading to the airport for my flight. It was bittersweet to leave Jenn and Symps and head home to my family. 

Overall this trip was very healing for me. I got to spend time with people I really care about and also got some closure that I needed, as well as some much needed relaxation. I let the 4 weeks change and grow me. I still will always have the itch to travel, it's just what makes me who I am. I know this blog post was very general, but I honestly could not even begin to write everything on here. You would never have time to read it! If you want to hear more about my trip, please ask to meet up with me. I will gladly share more! I will be planning more education trips to the village in the future, so if you have an interest in joining a trip, please let me know! There are also medical trips, women's development trips, construction, and agricultural trips as well if any of those sound more up your alley. 

VERSE OF ENCOURAGEMENT:

"Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2

PRAYER REQUESTS:

- For the start of a new school year (for parents, students, teachers, administration, etc)

- For God to remind me of all that I learned on this trip. 

- For healing for our family dog (she tore her ACL in her knee while I was away and had to have surgery twice.)

Fernweh

"You will never be completely at home again because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of living and loving people in more than one place."- Miriam Adeney

I recently learned a new German word: Fernweh. Like many words in other foreign languages, there is not an exact translation of this word into English. It is similar to the term wanderlust. The word is described as meaning the opposite of homesickness. It is an ache or longing for a distant place, and a craving to travel.
The last year has felt like a roller coaster ride. It is hard to explain all of the emotions that are felt when returning to your home country after living abroad. It's been one year since I packed up my life in Kenya and moved back to the United States without any plan for what to do next. The first few months back in Lancaster were the hardest for me to cope with. I was stressed about not having a full time job, overwhelmed by the fast paced culture I returned to, and emotionally and mentally drained from trying to fit back into a place where I didn't necessarily feel like I belonged anymore. Although I have mostly adapted to living back in the United States, the feeling of Fernweh has not left me. There are days when I have spent hours looking at pictures and researching travel sites to find out how much it would cost to just hop on a plane that day and fly back to Africa.
In one week, I will finally fulfill that itch to travel. I will be be traveling back to Kenya for three weeks and then visiting South Africa for one week. I will spend the first week in Nairobi visiting with friends that I haven't seen for a year. I am very much looking forward to a week of just enjoying time with people without the hustle and bustle that we often experience here in the US. After my short stay in Nairobi, I will be heading out to the village of Alendu to work with the teachers of Lighthouse Academy. Myself and one other teacher from the US will be doing some teacher training and professional development through Rafiki Africa Foundation. In the village, I am most looking forward to building connections with the teachers at LHA and learning how to best help them achieve their goals for their students.
After my two weeks in Alendu I will be traveling down to South Africa for one week to visit Jenn, one of my former roommates in Kenya, and her husband Symps. I am looking forward to just spending some quality time with them, probably playing Canasta and baking/eating :)

For those of you who don't know the updates of my life from this past year, here is a quick summary:
I taught 7th grade math learning support this year in a small district about a 30 minute commute from my home. A few weeks ago I found out I would be transferred to teach 5th grade general education next year. I am looking forward to the new challenge but will really miss the people I worked with at the middle school. Since returning to the US I have not settled on attending one church on the weekends. There are 3 different churches that I have attended pretty regularly, but haven't fully connected anywhere. The church I had been going to before I left was a bit too large and overwhelming when I first returned to the US.  Coming from a church of approximately 100 people in Kenya, to a church of a couple thousand in the US was too much for me in those initial weeks of transition. You can be praying that I find a community where I feel like I fit soon. I did spend one day a week this year helping out with a middle school youth group and have loved getting to know the students and other leaders. Other than that I have pretty much just been hanging out and enjoying time with my family.
I want to thank all of you again for the support given to me throughout my 2 years in Kenya. I could not have been there without your prayers and support. If you ever find yourself wondering what it might be like to travel to Africa, give me a call. You would have to try really had to get me to turn down a trip :)

Pictures and stories will be posted after my month long journey through Africa, so check back in early August! :)

Verse of Encouragement:
"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps."- Proverbs 16:9

Prayer Requests:
- Safety in my travels
- Peace in Kenya (There has been a lot of violence in the last year)
- For me to find a home church
- For the education training we will be doing in the village

10 days- the final countdown

10 days! That is all the time I have left here in Kenya before I head back to the US. Even though each day is exhausting because students are getting excited for the break, I still cherish each moment with the children in my class. Here are some of the things I learned from my students this year:
1. It is possible to be joyful all the time!
2. How to laugh at myself.
3. That perseverance pays off.
4. That God has a plan for all of us, even if it looks very different from that of most of the rest of the world.
5. That most people have way more insight than we often give them credit for.
6. God has given each of us gifts. Sometimes our gifts don't fit into the boxes we set/others set for us.
7. Even small successes should be celebrated extravagantly!
8. Manners go a long way.
9. True friendships stand the test of trials.
10. LOVE LOVE LOVE- I have given and gotten more love this year than I could have ever imagined.

My students have been my rock this year. They have been the ones keeping me going even when I didn't think I could push any more. They have kept me laughing, comforted me when I was having a bad day, and always reminded me that God was more important than anything else. They have prayed for me, for others, for each other, and for this school. Each one of them is so unique, but together they are a strong group of students. They have overcome more challenges in their 13-17 years of life than I probably will ever have to, but yet they still see life as good. They know God has a plan for them and they aren't afraid to tell others about it. They live out 1 Timothy 4:12 "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in faith, in love, and in purity." I am so proud of this group of students because I know they are going to do great things!

As promised, here is also my list of things I will not miss in Kenya:
- potholes and speed-bumps
- taking twice as long to do everything.
- things never going the way you plan them
- showers that only have two settings- ice and scalding
- power outages and internet problems
- Nakumatt lines.
- Having no street lights at night and people putting on their brights
- Really expensive imported products.
- African illnesses like Malaria, Dengue Fever, Yellow Fever, and Typhoid (and the ones you never find out what they are)
- not having hot water for the sinks and washer
- not being able to hang things on the walls because they are concrete so you have to use blue-tak
- not being able to just run to the store for whatever you need. You have to go to a number of different stores to find the right item...if you ever find it.
- insects- mosquitoes, termites, spiders, Nairobi eye's, millipedes, you name it.
- A4 sized paper
- dust and dirt. It never goes away.
- un-reliable doctors
- having to carry so many keys and open so many doors and gates just to get from my house to my classroom (1 key for house, two for the car, two for the first gate, guards open second and third gate, and two keys to get into my classroom.)
- baking that never turns out how you expect it to.
- Celcius, meters, kilos, and all the things we don't study very much in the US.
- time differences between here and the East coast.
- "Seestah!"
- taking a risk every time you eat or drink anything because it could be contaminated
- being charged Mzungu (white people) pricing because it is assumed that I am rich.
- lack of good ice cream (with the exception of Rolo pops and Mint Crisp pops and raspberry sorbet)
- having to remember the "tricks" for everything because it doesn't necessarily work how it is supposed to.

25 days

In 25 days I will be getting off of a plane in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I will have traveled on three planes, for over 30 hours, across three continents.  This journey has taken me to 3 countries in Africa: Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda. Good thing 3 is my lucky number. :) I have met some amazing people from all around the world and have seen lives changed by love. This year has not been easy for me. I have missed home more this year than I did last year, and a lot of different situations throughout the last 10 months had me ready to hop on a plane home. It was my students, however, that reminded me to relax, learn to laugh every day, and not take life so seriously. I will never forget these four students. They have changed a lot about how I view life.
I was recently at a "transition dinner" where we talked about how to best transition to another place. One of the things they suggested was writing down all of the things you will miss as well as the things you wont miss. So I thought I would post some of my list on here for you to see. Today will be the things I will miss and I will post the things I wont miss in a few days. Here it goes (in no particular order)!

THINGS I WILL MISS:
- My students
- My coworkers and friends
- The children I work with from the orphanage (If I could bring them home, I would!)
- Cheap produce
- Cheap flowers (seriously...a dozen roses for $2.00 ?!)
- The green of the trees and plants
- The way the sky looks enormous and fake
- Being able to see so many stars at night
- Our caretaker, Francis
- Our house-help, Lencer
- Our night guard, David (and the way he wears a parka and mittens even when it isn't cold outside)
- My dog, Ginger, who went to a missionary couple to be taken care of
- Our neighbor's dog, Delta
- The colors all around (fabrics, flowers, and just everything!)
- My housemates and all the fun we have watching tv and cooking and baking
- The amazing animals that I see. Giraffe, zebra, elephants, and lions will never get old!
- Cheap travel to other countries
- A car with awesome petrol mileage
- British/Kenyan English
- Fresh food without preservatives
- My mosquito net (it's like sleeping in a fort every night :) )
- Being around people from all over the world
- The fact that there is something new and exciting every day, even after two years.
- Cheap spas
- Being in a place where people genuinely care to know the answer to "How are you?"
- People who are optimistic, even in the worst circumstances
- Living in a Christian country where you are literally free to share about God with everyone
- Dorman's coffee
- Kenyan fabric (I seriously can't get enough!)
- Our beautiful campus
- Being outside all the time and not trapped in a building.
- The diversity of the landscape in Kenya: beaches, savannas, mountains, big cities, small villages, etc.
- My church and the worship in Swahili
- Cheap travel/excursions
- Kenyan food
- Seeing monkeys all the time
- The intensity of driving (sometimes I wont miss this)
- Getting clothing MADE for like $10
- Having a "guy" for everything and it not being expensive. There is a curtain guy, a washer guy, a dryer guy, a car guy, a veggie guy, a clothing guy, a bead guy, and anything else you can imagine. They are called fundis.
- Cinnamon rolls every Wednesday and doughnuts every Friday.
- The noises that express how students are feeling. "aye!" "Tststs"
- Stepsils- so much better than halls cough drops.
- Medication that you can buy without a prescription for like 1/10th of the price.
- Movies you can BUY for $1
- 3 cents a minute to call the US

South Africa, Spring Break, and Spending Time with Friends

**NOTE- wrote this and then forgot to post it...it was really like 5 weeks ago**

Three weeks ago I had the opportunity to get out of Kenya for a week as I headed to South Africa to be in the wedding of one of my roommates. While I was there I was so excited that I also got to travel to Cape Town to see one of my best friends who is doing missions work there for a few months. For the week I was in South Africa I experienced an entirely different economy and culture than I was used to seeing in Nairobi. I have described to others that South Africa is almost a mixture of Kenya and America. There was a lot of technology, American food (we ate McDonalds 6 times in a week...I'm not proud of that...) and just an overall "easier" way of living. We did have quite a few "we are still in Africa" moments, however, which I will describe in more detail later.

Other than my participation in Jenn's wedding, the main reason for our journey to South Africa was to avoid Nairobi during the Kenyan presidential elections. During the last election, 5 years ago, there was a lot of violence between Kenyans of different tribes and many people died as a result. Although many precautions have been taken in the last year to avoid this happening again, we were still urged to "shelter in place" or leave the country during the week surrounding the election. Thankfully, after almost a month of no final decisions being made, a president was selected on March 31st, and there was very minimal violence.

View from Table Mountain...could it be any more beautiful?!

So back to South Africa. We flew by Ethiopian Airlines to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and then down to Johannesburg, South Africa where we met Jenn's fiance, Symps, and her mom and sisters for the first time. Jenn and my other roommate, Pam, went with them, and myself and three others checked into another gate to head to Cape Town. After 3 flights, renting a car, and finding our way to the backpackers lodge we were staying, I got to give one of my best friends from Lancaster, Tina, a HUGE hug! There may have been a few tears in our eyes, but mostly just joy and disbelief that we were in the same town after almost 7 months of not seeing each other. The best part was that I was not only going to spend the next 2 days travelling around Cape Town with her, but also that we were staying only 3 houses away from her, so I could hang out at her place each night and not have to drive a long way home.

On day one we decided to drive to Cape Point, AKA Cape of Good Hope. As we drove along the coast I could not believe how incredibly beautiful Cape Town was. The water was a dark blue and the sky didn't have a single cloud in it! The colors of the flowers, the plants, the white sands, and the ocean were all just so incredible when combined. When we finally got to the point we just stood and looked at the ocean. The wind was blowing incredibly hard, so much so that we could barely hold the camera still. I just stood and took in all that I was seeing. After snapping a few pictures, we decided to head up to the Visitor's Center, which is where the TIA moments started.

Just before the baboon attacked

We were driving to the visitor's center when we saw a beautiful area that we wanted to take a picture of. We stopped the car and rolled the windows down to snap pictures. Tara (who was riding shotgun) decided to take a picture of all of us in the car with her iPhone. She was trying to push the button when all of a sudden Kristin (who was sitting next to me and behind Tara) screamed! We look over to see what she is screaming at, and come face to face with a baboon sitting on her open window. In a matter of seconds the baboon was with us in the car and sitting on the back of Tara's headrest. Jessica screamed and the baboon turned and hissed at her. At that moment we all knew we had to get out of the car. The problem was that I was in the middle, buckled in, and Tara was also buckled in. As soon as Jessica got out, the baboon jumped into her seat which gave Tara and I the chance to escape. As soon as we were out of the car, we all turn to see Kristin scream and run back at the vehicle! She had seen the baboon grab her purse and ran for it. After a very short game of tug-a-war, the baboon won and took off with Kristin's bag. We chased him, threw rocks at him, I may have clapped and stomped at him a few times, and still he kept running. Kristin finally said to just stop and let him look through the bag, so we did. He pulled out her iPod and tossed it to the side, checked how her wallet tasted and tossed that to the side, found a bottle of hand sanitizer which was apple pie scented and tried that (the look on his face was priceless), and finally ended up taking a box of tic-tacs and running away. After gathering all of Kristin's things, including her passport and money, we finally got back in the car and headed to the Visitor's Center. When we arrived, a man says to us  "Hey! You are the girls who were just down there screaming at that baboon! I took pictures!" Too bad we weren't in the right state of mind to ask him to email them to us. It was definitely a TIA moment!

Later that day we went to see the penguins at Simon's Town. There were so many of them! They were awfully cute, but you definitely didn't want to get too close to them or try to pet them. We headed from there to drop Tina at home and then went to Table Mountain. Other than the terrifying gondola ride to the top, it was one of the coolest things I have ever done. It was incredibly breathtaking, and I could have just sat there and looked at all that God had created for days.

The next day we went to Robben Island. For those of you that don't know, this island has a prison on it that held inmates during the aparteid in SA. This is where former SA president, Nelson Mandela, was held at one time. We were able to visit the prison, see Nelson's cell, and even get a tour from a former prisoner who gave us a first hand perspective of life in SA during that time. It was really a neat experience!

Wedding Day! I am all the way to the right.

After our few days in Cape Town I said a sad goodbye to Tina and we headed over to Johannesburg for the wedding. At the rehearsal I finally got to meet Pierre, and friend of Symps' who was going to be the groomsman I walked with at the wedding. We had a great time just laughing and trying to cause problems for everyone, especially with our awesome (or non-existent) dancing skills. We had to dance into the reception hall and this dance was just not our thing, so we had a good time doing our own dance and doing their dance backwards.  At the actual wedding we had a good time just hanging out with everyone and getting to know Jenn and Symps' friends. The wedding was neat because it incorporated American and Xhosa (Symps' tribe pronounced KOsa) traditions. Jenn got to dress in traditional Xhosa garb and went through a naming ceremony where there was a lot of dancing a chanting and fun stuff. She got named Nozuko which meant "With Glory." The wedding was beautiful and we loved everything about SA. We thought about staying forever, but the next day we had to head back to Kenya and normal life.

What missions teaching life is really like

6:00am- alarm clock rings and you hit the snooze a few times

6:30am- roll out of bed and pray there is electricity, or you aren't taking a shower today. 

7:00am- If only sweatpants could be worn to work....I mean...how much more modest can you get?!
7:30am- breakfast on the go as you run out the door. Note to self- wake up earlier tomorrow

7:33am- pull into the school parking lot and wave to the guard to thank him for letting you in

7:45am- staff devotions/prayer time

8:05am- finish your breakfast and drink cup of tea #1

8:25am- greet your students as they make their way to their seats.

8:30am- wish you had another cup of tea
8:30-10am- Teach about anything and everything (math, life, language arts, why you don't need a boyfriend at the age of 13, social studies, science lesson on why you can't eat food that is expired by a month and a half, writing, and back to why you shouldn't date at the age of 13. Oh the joys of teaching middle school!).

10:00am- finally, cup of tea #2 and snack time

10:20am- back to teaching (ask God to give you the right words to say today). Have students pray for post-elections to be peaceful.
12:10pm- LUNCH! You mean I get 20 minutes to eat uninterrupted?!

12:15pm- "My lunch doesn't taste right, so I am not eating it!"...spend the rest of your lunch trying to find something else for your student to eat. Note to self- don't eat the extra snacks you keep hidden for students who don't like lunch.

1:00pm- try to find something interesting to teach to keep your students awake from the post-lunch exhaustion (Pray that you can also stay awake...note to self...don't have reading after lunch.) At least one student probably wont feel well because that is the nature of living in Africa...Note to self- become a nurse.

1:45pm- send three to classes and go to "help" a student with computer class...I say "help" because the student already knows more than I do... "Miss Geist...you have never used an iPad before, have you?"

2:30pm- make sure students are in their respective classes and come back to classroom to have a heart to heart with two students who aren't getting along. Counseling time!

3:05pm- write in homework books, pack the bags, give high fives/fist bumps, send them out the door, and take a deep breath.

3:30pm- check mailbox, return mug to the kitchen wishing you had had a third cup of tea because you are exhausted and still have meetings and work galore. 

3:45pm- do anything number of things including: parent meetings, staff meetings, collaborative planning with regular ed teachers, get computer tutorial for next class so you look like you know what you are doing, worship practice, or grading/lesson planning. Note to self- find a personal assistant

4:30/5:00pm- Try to make it home in time to eat dinner with the "family" (AKA the 5 other people I live with)

6:00pm- everyone gives up on work and decides to watch a TV show or movie. Hopefully nothing that will remind us of home. Some people skype with friends/family at home, some search pinterest for recipes we might be able to make with limited ingredients. Note to self- send care packages next year to friends here in Kenya and skype with them at least once a week... missionary life can be very lonely.

9:00pm- Missionary Midnight. By this point your brain no longer functions and you just want to go to bed.

11:00pm- Finally go to bed. Pray for a good night's sleep because you have another long day to face tomorrow! Note to self- go to bed earlier tomorrow....

"I think I'll try defying gravity..."

There have been a few times in my life where I stopped and thought "Am I really here? Is this seriously happening? I must be dreaming!" Most of those times have involved traveling to places that I would have never dreamed I would have had the opportunity to see. A few weeks ago I went on safari with my parents, another teacher from my school, and her fiance. As we were driving, the other people in the car laughed at me because I kept saying "There is no way these creatures are real. They are animatronic or something." In reality, I was just amazed at how incredibly beautiful, giant, and graceful these creatures were. This has happened other times throughout my life to, but a few weeks ago topped any experience I have ever had. Have you ever had that sudden realization of everything falling together in a way you would have never imagined it? That happened to me that week. Just over three weeks ago, on a Friday, the choir director at our school came up to me, with excitement bursting from every part of her, to tell me that she had just been asked to sing "Defying Gravity" to the one and only Steven Schwartz, who happened to be in Nairobi teaching a Master's class at another American school. Now, if you are like 75% of the people I have run into since that day, you have no idea who this man is, but you should. Steven Schwartz is an award winning composer and lyricist. He has won numerous awards for his works. He composed and wrote the lyrics for the Broadway shows "Wicked", "Godspell", "Pippin", and "Children of Eden", among others. He has written the lyrics for all of the songs in "Pocahontas", "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", and "Prince of Egypt." He has many other works, but even from this short list, you can see how incredibly talented this man is. Now flash back about 10 years. I had just started high school at Hempfield. I enjoyed listening to music, and had always loved going to the Fulton Opera House to see shows. I was part of a girl scout troop at the time (and am still a lifetime scout!) and we decided to take a trip to New York to see a Broadway show. When we arrived, our leaders told us that they had gotten us tickets to a new show that had just opened called "Wicked." They said it was the prequel to "The Wizard of Oz." We all thought this was going to be the most boring show ever, but boy were we wrong! We came home raving about the incredible set, the beautiful singing, the amazing music, and the extraordinary acting skills of the cast, which included Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth. Within a year, "Wicked" hit it it big and has been the top show on Broadway for the last 10 years. Over the next few years of high school I was convinced by a friend to join the Hempfield Dance Theatre program. I had never taken a dance lesson in my life, but somehow made it through auditions and into the show. I danced for the last three years of high school and was also cast in a school play and a school musical. These three experiences gave me a love for theater that I can't even express. It brings me so much joy to watch a program come together over just a few months, to watch students practice until they are void of energy because they have shown the audience every emotion through dance and facial expression, and to listen to directors give timeless advice about acting, singing, and performance.  That brought me to a few weeks ago. That week I got asked to chaperone the middle and high school choirs from our school as they went to the Master's class taught by Steven Schwartz. What an opportunity! I walked into that auditorium literally jumping up and down with the other chaperone, who happened to also be a theater nerd like myself. The students we were with just stared at us blankly, clearly not understanding the enormity of the experience they were about to get. When we took our seats, a man from the US embassy walked up and introduced not only Steven Schwartz, but also a young man named Michael Rose, the newest member of the New York production of "Wicked." Over the next few hours, we listened as many different people, including our choir director from West Nairobi School, sang some of Steven's songs, and he gave constructive criticism. As I sat there, I had that moment; The one where it all comes together. Some of the people were singing, and I leaned over a whispered some things to the other chaperone who was with me, about improvements that could be made. I was observing the performances as if I was sitting at the dress rehearsal of a Hempfield show. All of these tips given to me by directors and choreographers over the years came flooding back, and I was making mental notes about what was being performed. The surprise came when Steven walked up to give suggestions and many of the same things I had made notes of were things he told the performer. Now, I always knew that I had received a quality academic education at Hempfield. Many things I have done since graduation have proven that to me. I knew that our theater productions were incredible, and I knew that I had learned a lot from my teachers, directors, and choreographers, but I never anticipated having learned so much that a Master's class taught by one of the best in the business would be comprised of things I had already learned and had drilled into me. That day I became even more thankful for the people who inspired me back in High School to leave it all on the stage, dance from my heart, sing with joy, and give everything I have to performing. Thank you to those people, you know who you are!

The countdowns begin!

Do you live your life always looking ahead to the next thing? I know I do. Unfortunately, even though I try really hard to live in the moment, I am a planner at heart and am always looking ahead to see what the future holds and attempt to prepare myself for it. The next few months for me are filled with things I have been planning for months, and they are quickly approaching. During the first week in March I will be travelling to South Africa to visit with a close friend who has just gone there to do a few months of missions work. I am so looking forward to seeing her and giving her a huge hug! While I am there I will also be a bridesmaid in the wedding of another close friend who happens to be one of my roommates here in Kenya. This week will be quite the adventure I am sure! We decided to take this trip to avoid being in Kenya during the elections for fear of post-election violence. Along with some other things I have planned during this semester at school, I am also planning for June.
In November I asked many of you to pray for me as I made a decision about whether or not I would renew my contract here in Kenya next year. After much prayer and consideration of other things that I need to do, like work on my Level 2 teaching certificate, I have decided not to return to West Nairobi School next fall. I have loved living in Kenya, and definitely see myself coming back here again some day, either to visit or to live for a while again. I will be returning to Lancaster in June and am still unsure as to what I will be doing once I get there. I have many options at this point, but will keep you all updated when I make decisions.
So in other words, the countdowns begin! Although I have not actually started counting down the number of days to the end of the school year, I have started a countdown to South Africa which is 28 days from today. As I said before, I try my hardest to live in the moment, and am doing my best to remember that my students need me here and now, and aren't thinking about next year, or even next week (although they are excited that Fasnacht Day is coming up since I have decided to introduce this very important holiday to them :) ). I am, however, preparing for moving back to live with my parents and getting re-acclimated to a culture that, although was once very familiar, now seems a little foreign to me. I ask that you be praying with me as I wrap things up here in the next few months, say my goodbyes to people who have become a major part of my life, and go through the culture shock of all that is America.

Prayer Requests:
- Continued health of our staff at our school. I emailed many of you to ask for prayers, and things are going ok for now. Thanks for continued prayers!
-For another missionary friend who is in need of financial support. She lost some supporters and is in need of quite a lot of money in order to stay on the field.
-For other friends who are going into missions or have just started missions all over the world!
- For direction for me for what to do next.

Verse of Encouragement:
2 Corinthians 13:11- "Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you."

The Christmas Mouse

‘Twas three nights before Christmas and all the through the house,

Not a creature was stirring, except for a mouse.

We named him Stuart; he was grey and fat,

And when I walked in the kitchen, there he sat.

He ran for the counters, the window, then stove;

He crawled in somewhere--nobody knows.

We waited with angst for him to appear;

For the tiniest movement, we waited with fear.

Then with a groan the stove started to slide;

We screamed, ran for cover, and all tried to hide.

Then it dawned on us, mice can’t move stoves!

So within a moment, laughter came in droves.

The mouse is still hiding; we hope he soon finds the door,

Because if we find him, we will settle the score.

17 Kilometers...6 hours...1 volcano

Ok, I know some of you have been waiting for this post for a week, so I am finally posting it. Last week I volunteered to climb to the rim of a dormant volcano and then walk around the rim all the way to the summit of 2800 meters (1.7 miles) above sea level. I may have been slightly insane to have thought this was a good idea. The thing was that although everyone else who had done it said they were in so much pain the next day and that it was so hard, they all said it was worth it to see what the Great Rift Valley looked like from the summit. So I decided to give it a go (especially since it only cost about $7). So I, along with about 11 other people, boarded a bus at 7:30 in the morning and drove out into the Great Rift Valley to Mt. Longonot. I decided early on that I was going to take my time and not try to keep up with everyone else (even though it is slightly terrifying to be alone since the Rift Valley is home to water buffalo, giraffe, lions, and leopards among other things!). Another staff member from the school, Lori, was kind enough to stick with me throughout the journey. She had already climbed this mountain a few weeks ago because she is preparing to hike Mt. Kenya in just a few days. This was her training. As soon as we started walking I knew that this was going to be one of the most physically challenging hikes of my life because not only was I going to have to climb to an altitude that makes you feel like you are breathing through a straw, but it was also extremely hot (since it is summer here in Kenya). To top it off, imagine that you have to climb in those conditions up a mountain made of sand. See, volcanic rock is a very soft rock that tends to crumble beneath you. After many years of people hiking this same path up to the top, the ground has become what almost looks like sand. If you step up a foot, you slide back 6 inches. You feel like you aren't getting anywhere. We would climb about 20 feet and then need to rest because our muscles were sore and our lungs were burning. It was going to be a very long day! After hiking for over an hour (that felt like 5), Lori and I finally made it to the rim! It was gorgeous up there to be able to look out over the valley. There is this tiny little hut when you reach the top that is a great place to sit and eat. It is also a great motivational tool as you can see it while you are hiking and it helps you to know how much further you have to go. Lori and I took some pictures and then had a seat in this little hut to eat our lunches. Just as we get settled, the Athletic Director from our school, Drew, comes sprinting passed us. Now, I don't know about you, but when I have just barely made it to the top of a volcano, you think that some who can sprint it must be insane! He sits down and says he made it around the rim in just over an hour. This guy is a marathon runner, so we knew that comparing ourselves to him would be pointless. We just decided to finish our lunches and then take our time to walk around the rim. As we walked, Lori and I talked about what it might look like if this place was in the US. First, it would have guard rails so you don't fall over the edge. Second, they probably would have turned it into a tourist attraction in which you could take a gandala to the top where there would be a restaurant with super expensive food. Lucky for us, Kenya has left this place as natural as possible. It took us over an hour to make it half way if that gives you any indication of how much better in shape Drew was than we were. But again, I reminded myself that i didn't need to be the first person done, or even the eighth person done. I just wanted to finish it for myself to prove I could. By the time we made it to the summit (the half way point) I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to finish. It was beautiful up there, but looking at how far I still had to go and then knowing that I had to climb back down the mountain, well let's just say I was doing a lot of praying (I may have also sang Miley Cyrus's song "The Climb" in my head to keep me moving...don't judge). I thought to myself, well at least it is all down hill from here, so it must be easier than climbing up. Boy was I wrong. I was reminded of an excursion that I took while in Australia. We had gone to some giant sand dunes and took these pieces of polished wood and went sand sledding. It sounds fun, but it is slightly terrifying. Hiking down from the summit of this mountain was very similar to that. Imagine skiing on sand with just your sneakers on. I slipped and slid almost the whole way down that first hill. At one point it was so bad that I had to sit and slide down for fear of falling over the edge and into the crater. When I was about 3/4 of the way around the rim, Lori decided to just keep hiking and not take breaks. I decided to hang back and just take my time. Just as I saw Lori, from afar, about to reach the hut and head down the mountain, some giant storm clouds started to form overhead. I thought that if I didn't pick up the pace I was about to be soaked with some freezing cold rain. Rain in Kenya is very cold because of the high altitude. The drops are also very big most of the time and can be painful if it is raining hard. Miraculously the rain held off for the rest of my hike. By the time I finally reached the hut I didn't think I was going to be able to make it down the mountain. Many of you know that I have some issues with my knees. I was wearing my knee brace, but it didn't seem to help much. I thought for sure my knees were going to give out and I wouldn't be able to hike down the rest of the way. My feet and toes also began to hurt from sliding down the mountain so many times. Your feet slide to the front of your shoes no matter how tightly they are tied because it is so steep. About half way down the mountain I caught up with another member from our group. She was also in pain and was just very tired and hungry. We stuck together until we made it back to the bus. Even with stretching, I was sore for a few days. My knees have yet to go a day without some sort of pain in them, but they are getting better slowly. I may be crazy, but in a few minutes I am actually going to go jog/walk 3 miles (Paul, they didn't give me my number to pin to my shirt yet, but I am working on it!). This is my life in Kenya :)

Prayer Requests:
- For my friend Tina. She is going to South Africa in a few weeks to do an internship there. Pray for financial help for her and for an easy transition to life in SA.
- For my friends who are doing missions in China, Mexico, and many other places around the world.
- For the people of Connecticut. My prayers are with the families who lost children in the shootings yesterday.
- For finances to be able to bring a student from our school who is an orphan to the US this summer. (Contact me if you would like to donate toward this trip my roommate and I are gifting her with.)
- For safe travels for my parents as they come to visit me for Christmas and for my brother to survive 18 days on his own :)

Verse of Encouragement:

“But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of this father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:30-33

It's beginning to look a lot like.....summer?

There has only ever been one other time in my life that I was in a tropical climate during the holidays. We went to Mexico for a family vacation and I decided I never wanted to be away from the cold weather during this time of year again. Being in Kenya this Christmastime has not changed my mind. I know so many people in the US are thinking, "Are you crazy?! 85 degrees and sunny with very little humidity and you aren't happy?" Yes, the weather is beautiful here, but it is really hard to get in the Christmas spirit when it isn't cold. Having grown up in a place where I have actually woken up to a snowy Christmas morning, makes it very difficult to believe it is really December here in Kenya. Last week Lancaster got it's first snow and I made my mom carry the computer outside during our Skype session so that I could see it. Anyone who really knows me will know how much I love snow! I also got a video of the snow from Ginny Bailey and I have it saved on my computer so I can watch it whenever I want. Even with these things though, I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that Christmas is in just a few weeks. Some of the businesses have put up Christmas lights and there are even fake trees for sale in Nakumatt. There is Christmas music playing everywhere and we attended a Christmas craft fair this weekend to buy gifts like ornaments and nativity scenes. But it still doesn't feel like the holiday season is here. I told my roommate, Jenn, yesterday that sometimes, if I can't see through any windows, I imagine that it might be snowing. The burst of hot air through the doorway quickly takes that image away. My parents are coming to visit in 3 weeks and I am happy that I will at least get to spend the holiday with some of my family members.We will be going on a lot of day trips while they are here and will also be going for a 3 day safari. This will be my first safari as well, so I think it will be a good time.

Thanksgiving was a few days ago and although I had been sick for the 6 days leading up to Thanksgiving day, I decided to still go on a trip I had planned to Diani, a beach on the coast of Kenya. I was still a little worn out when I got there, but after a few days in the sun (with a LOT of sunscreen) and some ocean waves, I was feeling much better. I mostly spent the 4 day vacation by the pool/ocean relaxing and swimming. I did however get to go on an amazing glass bottom boat and snorkeling tour. I have had the opportunity to snorkel in some amazing places around the world, including the Great Barrier Reef, but this was by far the coolest snorkeling I have done. The guides brought some sea-creatures onto the boat for us to hold. There was a red star fish, something called a pillow star fish, some sea spiders, and two different kinds of sea urchins. The sea spider was the most interesting one to me because it looked like a star fish with spikes that crawled like an octopus. It was really cool. When we got in the water to snorkel, we also saw a sea snake, a lion fish, some clown fish, and a few eels. I even got to hold and feed the eel. It was seriously one of the coolest things I have ever done! Afterward, we went to a sand bar in the middle of the ocean and played around and took some pictures. What I have failed to mention is that although this was the coolest trip ever, we may or may not have felt like we were being captured by pirates. When the van picked us up in the morning, the guy told us to leave our keys at the front desk. We politely declined and said we would keep them. He then told us that the place we were going was not the usual place that they take people to, and if they asked, we were with another hotel. When we arrived, the gate guard asked only one question; "The yellow boat?" We then proceeded to walk through an abandoned resort out to the ocean where 4 glass bottom boats waited. Obviously it all ended ok, but we were a little skeptical for a while. One of the members of our group had even come up with couple different plans in his head of how to kill our tour guide if needed. After we returned to the resort, I decided to go wind surfing with 3 other teachers in the Indian Ocean. The same tour guide that took us snorkeling was the instructor, so I had a little more trust for him now that I knew he wouldn't kidnap us. Wind surfing is by far one of the most mentally and physically challenging sports I have ever tried. Not only do you have to balance on the board, but you also need to shuffle in a circle around the sail, have enough energy and strength to hold the sail, be able to turn the sail in the correct direction so that the wind catches it, and learn how to steer. The added challenge for us was not to fall into the water where the hundreds of poisonous sea urchins were sitting on the coral. It took about an hour, but I finally figured out the basics and was even able to sail back to the resort on my own. It was definitely worth the experience! At the end of the trip I really didn't want to return to Nairobi, and neither did my friend Danielle. So we decided to scope out some resorts that were for sale in the area. We decided on a  place that would be big enough to hold the restaurant that we plan to open some day and it even had a swimming pool with a life size cement elephant! The cost was only 12 million US dollars, so if any of you want to contribute, we will surely allow you to come visit for a few nights for free :)
We returned on Sunday from the beach, and on Monday returned to school. It was quite the week! We had the middle and high school Christmas concert on Wednesday night and I played 3 songs on drum kit. Then on Thursday we found out that the matatus (like taxi vans that are part of mass transit and used by most Kenyans to get to work) were on strike and rioting because they don't like the new traffic laws that came out last week. They are not happy about the licensing process or the severity of the fines/jail time for traffic violations. This was a major problem for our school because many of our Kenyan staff members get to school through this form of transportation. At the end of the day we were even told that we might not have school on Friday because of these riots. We were still able to open on Friday, and everyone made it to school and back safely. On Thursday we also had slight scare when the schools director came on the intercom and gave the signal for a lock down. This is always scary in Kenya because of the violence that does occur here. After about a minute the power went out for a few seconds and then it came back on. Finally, after about 4 minutes the director came back on and thanked us for our quick response and said that the lock down occurred because a 4-5 foot tall baboon had wandered onto campus and had become agitated when he got shocked during his attempt to climb the electric fence to escape. We had to turn the power out to allow him to get over the wall. Needless to say, we were happy that was the only reason for the lock down.
There are only two more weeks of school left before Christmas break, so my students and I are planning some fun activities. We will be having a Mexican Fiesta this week with the ESL class next door, and the following week we will be baking a ton of Christmas cookies!  I look forward to seeing where the next semester will take my class.
Thank you all for your love and support. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Prayer Requests:
- I have a returning student starting in January. Please be praying for his transition into my classroom (especially since he will be the only boy!)
- For more students at our school. Our enrollment is down this year.
- For health among our staff and students.
- for safe travels for my parents over the holidays when they come to visit me.

Verse of Encouragement:
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort." 2 Corinthians 1:3

Spirit Week

Another two weeks have passed in the blink of an eye. First quarter is over and parent-teacher conferences are this week. Even though things have been very busy around here and sometimes a little stressful, we have been having some fun too! Last week was spirit week at school. We had a blast, but I sure am glad it is only once a year! I don't think I could dress up every day and still be able to get other work done. Each day of the week had a different theme, and it was really funny to see how people dressed up! Monday was senior citizen day. This was probably my favorite day of the week because the kids looked so adorable! Even the pre-schoolers dressed up like senior citizens. Tuesday was book day. We could dress like our favorite book character, author, or even the book itself. I was dressed as the scare crow from the Wizard of Oz and a bunch of other teachers played the other characters. One of my favorite costumes was our Art teacher's. She dressed like a character from the comic book series made by Roy Lichtenstein. She had red dots all over her face and the kids had no idea who she was! Wednesday was fairy tale day. I dressed as the big bad wolf and my students dressed as the three little pigs. The costumes were all very cute that day as well. Thursday was our last day of the week because we had Friday off of school. Thursday was country day at school and each classroom picked a different country to study about and dress like. Our class did Australia. I dressed in an Australian rugby jersey (sorry Bryce Taylor), and surfer shorts. We made Aboriginal drawings and turned them into didgeridoos. We also tried Vegemite, which my students were not fans of, and watched Finding Nemo since it takes place in Australia. Our door was decorated with paper boomerangs with our names on them, and we practiced saying "g'day mate!"  My favorite part of the day was when I remembered that platypuses were native to Australia and we looked up pictures of 'Perry the Platypus' from 'Phineas and Ferb.' Those who know me well know that 'Phineas and Ferb' is one of my favorite kids shows! Overall it was a fun day.
Since we had off school on Friday, we decided to have a 'Harry Potter' movie marathon. We got through the first five movies and just had a blast hanging out (and eating :) ). Saturday I went to Rift Valley Academy with the tennis team to compete, and then got sushi for dinner with one of the other tennis coaches. Sunday was church and then I mostly just did work for the rest of the day. I also decided on Sunday to start a Facebook and Pinterest fast because I have been spending way too much time on those sites. I wont be on for at least a week. Luckily that gave me enough time to write this blog post :)
One of my prayer requests for this blog will be to pray about upcoming decisions. I need to decide by December 1st if I will be renewing my contract here in Kenya. I have an idea about what I am going to do, but please still be praying for wisdom and guidance. Thank you to those who have been giving me Godly advice and been praying for me already. I love you all!

Prayer Requests:
- Parent-Teacher conferences this week to go smoothly
- For God's will to be revealed to me about the decision I have to make
- For the staff and students at our school to be healed of their ailments! We have some nasty coughs and colds going around. And for protection for those of us who aren't sick now.
- For my friends who are doing missions all around the world right now (including those in the US!)

Verse of Encouragement:
1 Peter 3:8-12 "Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For,
"Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
and their lips from deceitful speech.
They must turn from evil and do good
they must seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.""
   

Just another Kenyan moment to laugh at :)

I'm doing better! I think it has only been a week since my last blog...or something like that. I really am trying to blog more often, just please be patient with me as I attempt to juggle 50 things at once!
I thought I would do a post about our weekend staff retreat and then tell you a funny story about mixing languages.
Last week we had a half day of school on Thursday and a full day off on Friday. We have a staff retreat every year in the first few months of school, and this weekend happened to be when it was scheduled. We had the opportunity to go to a beautiful retreat center about an hour outside of Nairobi called Brackenhurst. This retreat center is geared toward missionaries and is amazing! The property is comprised of hundreds of different types of plants that attract different types of birds. There are beautiful brightly colored flowers, and everything is just so green! The retreat center is set right in the heart of Kenyan tea country. Kenya is the largest exporter of tea in the world, and this area is where a lot of it comes from. There are rolling hills of bright green tea plants as far as you can see. While at the retreat center we got to go on an excursion to see the tea farms and learn a little bit about their history. We visited with an older English woman who has a beautiful property and house right in the middle of her tea farm that was started by her grandfather in the early 1900's. She told us all about the growing of tea and how you have to pick it a certain way, and then explained the entire process of how you go from the tea leaf to the tea bags you buy in the store. It was so fascinating. I seriously could have listened to her for hours! I think the most fascinating thing I learned is that all tea comes from the same plant. Black tea is made by chopping up the leaves and stem and then heating it to a high temperature. Green tea is just dried the way it is and is not chopped up. White tea comes from only the bud of a new leaf that is forming on the plant. It was all just so interesting. She also prepared a wonderful lunch for us and even had homemade ice cream for dessert made with cream from her cows. A man who works for her gave us a tour of the land and took us into the forested area that used to be what the land looked like before tea was brought there. After the tea farm visit we just mostly relaxed and ate delicious American style food at the Brackenhurst cafe. I decided to try their version of the "Philly Cheesesteak." It was of course nothing like the cheesesteaks in Philly, but it wasn't terrible. I also got to skype with my cousin Emily while I was there and that made my week. I haven't gotten to talk to her for quite a long time since neither of us live in Lancaster anymore. Overall it was a super relaxing weekend and I will be going back the first chance I get!
Ok, on to the funny story. So in Kenya we use British English which can sometimes trip us up. For example, the trunk of the car is called the boot, french fries are called chips, chips are called crisps, and napkins are called serviettes. Now, the one that trips us up the most is that pants are called trousers, and underwear are called pants. This makes for some very awkward situations if you use the wrong term...of course I did this the other day. You would think that after living here for a year I would remember, but somehow I forgot. I was rushed yesterday as I was getting ready for school, and I had to write our house-help a note to do laundry for me (yes we have someone do laundry for us, but it is not because we are lazy. we are giving them a job and helping to improve the economy.). I wrote on the note, "Please do the laundry in the basket next to the washer. Line dry towels, shirts, and pants. Put other clothes in dryer." When I got home from school I went to see if there were clothes in the dryer because sometimes our house help doesn't fold and put stuff away if she doesn't have time. To my surprise, my khakis were in the dryer. My first thought was "Why did she dry my pants in the dryer?!" It was only at that moment did I realize what I had done. I pretty much burst out laughing in the laundry room and then went to search for my "pants" which had been line dried. It was quite a cultural experience, but it made me laugh. Hopefully, if you ever go to a former British colony, you will remember this story and save yourself the embarrassment :)
 One more funny story before I finish up. I have three students and they are all so awesome and soooo funny. My coworkers are always talking about what these three girls say. They get sarcasm so well and use it even better. Yesterday, one of my students was so tired she couldn't keep her eyes open. I decided to take all three girls outside to run a few laps on the basketball court so that they could wake up. This student was angry that I made her stay awake, so she just walked in circles and glared at me :) After returning to the classroom and doing some work, that same student started to fall asleep again. My teacher's aid asked her if she needed more exercise. She said "I don't need exercise, I already ran!". I replied with "You didn't run, you walked!" to which she responded "It's called slow motion baby!" I pretty much just laughed for 5 minutes. I am so grateful for students who make me laugh!

Prayer Requests:
- Please be praying for me for some decision making that I will need to be making soon (I will e-mail some of you specifics about this).
- Please pray for better financial situations this month. Last month I had to get our dog spayed and it took a quarter of my paycheck...this month should be better.
-Please be praying for my friends who are serving in missions all around the world (Germany, China, Mexico, different parts of the US, and others). Pray for transitions for them and their kids if they have them. Also pray for good friendships and relationships to be built in their host country. I know from experience that relationships can make or break a missionary.
- For Kenya- we have had a lot of grenade attacks in different parts of Kenya recently. Pray for peace.

Verse of Encouragement:
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

The beginning of year two!

Ok, I know I haven’t posted for almost two months. My goal was to continue trying to post every two weeks like I did the second half of the year last year, but it just didn’t happen. Things have been busier this year than they were last year and when I do have “free time,” I am usually just too exhausted to do anything! Another week is almost over (we have a day and a half off this week!) and I can’t figure out where the time went. I still have to finish my lesson plans for next week, but I figured I could take a few minutes to update you all on my life.

                The school year is starting off well. I am teaching Life Skills Special Education. I absolutely love working with my three girls. I think my favorite part of working with children with special needs is the excitement in a new goal being met. It’s almost like you can see the light bulb go off in their heads. You can work on something for days and finally it will just click and you can see the student’s excitement when they know they finally get it. My class is designed to help students learn independent living skills in conjunction with their school work. We have been doing a cooking and sewing program while also learning math, reading, writing, science, and social studies. We practice things like how to purchase things at the grocery store when we are making a meal. We also sell sodas during some lunches each week to raise money for the 8^th grade trip. This also helps us to practice making change and using money. I have been so busy because this job also requires a lot of individualized attention for each student. There really are no breaks throughout the day except for 20 minutes at lunch recess. To keep the girls updated with technology, they each have a blog where they post about a topic that I give them. This gives them the opportunity to express themselves and also learn more about social networking which keeps them up to date with what their peers are doing to help them better relate to other kids their age. Overall, I enjoy working in this classroom and can’t wait to see how much more these kids grow throughout the school year!

                As far as outside-of-school activities go, my life is pretty busy as well. I am taking Swahili classes every Monday after school. Tuesday and Thursday a group of teachers get together to do worship and practice for staff devotions on Fridays. On Saturday afternoons I practice with my church’s worship team for Sunday morning services. I play drums for both worship teams. It is giving me the opportunity to practice and improve on what I have already learned. It also helps to relieve some of the stress from the week. I mean, I get to hit things and worship God at the same time; you can’t really get a better stress reliever than that!  I am coaching tennis again this year and practices are 4 days a week. The students have been practicing so hard and have improved so much over the last year. Finally, on Wednesday afternoons, my roommate Kristin and I are tutoring some students at our school who come from an orphanage. We are helping them to improve their grades by catching them up on things they have missed, or helping them understand things that are confusing to them in class. They are really sweet kids and we love having them around!

                Last week I decided to take two days off school and go visit Dorothy Dulo in her village in Alendu, Kenya. Dorothy and her husband Roger are missionaries from Worship Center who run an organization and ministry called Rafiki Africa Foundation (http://www.rafikiafrica.org/). Through this organization they minister to the people from Dorothy’s village in the western part of Kenya. They have a Christian school that ministers mostly to an orphaned population. Almost all of the students at their school are sponsored to be there by supporters from around the world. They also have a women’s program that focuses on improving the sustainability of a community by training the women in things like tailoring, business management, farming, and other job skills. It also provides a place for the women to share and find healing through Christ. When I went last week I had the opportunity to work with the women and girls. I sat in on a women’s meeting where they discussed the rights of women in Kenya. They talked about their rights to shelter, food, having an opinion, and to being loved. These women are so strong! I also had the opportunity to talk to a group of girls from the school, Lighthouse Academy. I decided to talk to them about being a light in their homes, community, and school since that is our theme at our school this year as well. The girls asked a lot of good questions about the bible that kept me on my toes! Finally, we were able to do a small health clinic for the women. My pharmacy skills came in handy when I got put in charge of dispensing medication. We got to serve about 40 women by providing much needed medication for many ailments. One of the members of the group that was in the village with me was Lisa Landis from WJTL, a Christian radio station in Lancaster. She was there to help promote Rafiki Africa. She did a lot of voice recordings of all different things that happened on the trip. Dannette was another woman from my church in Lancaster that came on the trip. She was there to help teach the women some tailoring skills to be able to sew the student uniforms. It was so nice to have some familiar faces around! Finally, there was a couple from another organization, Decent Life Volunteers (http://decentlife.org/), who were also on the team. They were awesome to meet and hang out with as well! They have hearts for people all around the world! One thing that I haven’t mentioned yet was the craziness that surrounded this trip. As relaxing as it is to be in the village, there were some crazy moments as well. On night one we had a bat in the house that was dive-bombing our heads. We called a Masai guard to take it out. On night two we had a baby black mamba in the house. We called 3 people to take it out. One night three we had a mouse in the house…we just let him stay. On day three we had a car accident in Kisumu, and on day four, my last day, we had a flat tire. It was quite the eventful trip as you can see. Even amongst all the craziness, I would go back in a heartbeat! It was a good reminder as to why I came back to Kenya in the first place.

                Ok, I think I have typed enough for today. I want to thank you all for your mercy and grace as I try to get back into the swing of things!

Prayer Requests:
- For the women and children at Rafiki Africa to find sponsors. They are in need of a lot, so if you think you can set aside a few dollars a month to help them out, please visit their website (http://www.rafikiafrica.org/)
- For myself and my students at school. Just be in prayer for the school year.
- For me to find ways to readjust better to the culture. This year has been harder than last year to be away from home.

Verse of Encouragment:
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.”

SHINE

     On Tuesday night I returned to Kenya from the US. As much as I am missing my family and friends in America, it definitely feels good to be back. I really missed some things around here, like my church family. I was greeted with a lot of hugs and "Karibu tena Kenya" (Welcome again to Kenya) this morning at church. This was followed by "Are you going to play the drums now?" They just can't wait to get me playing for worship, regardless of the fact that I have told them I have never played this kind of music before on kit. Prayers would be appreciated!
     On Thursday I was able to go into my classroom for a few hours to try to get some work done. There is a lot to do in that room! They painted this summer, so the furniture is all over the place. I am looking forward to getting it set up and ready for my students. Speaking of students, last time I posted, I had mentioned that I would be teaching life skills special education. Because of a lot of different reasons, my class size has reduced itself to 2 students! I will have two girls, one in elementary, and one in middle school. I was sad to see the other students go, but I am looking forward to hearing what God has in store for them and their families. I am also looking forward to giving the two students in my class more individualized instruction. How often does a teach get this type of an opportunity?! I feel very blessed. We have also added a great group of new teachers this year! I have not gotten to know all of them very well yet, but they are all very excited to minister to our kids. I can't wait to see how much our kids grow this year.

     Something else I am very thankful for this year is that I can get the Living Room (the young adults group from my church in the states) messages on iTunes! I am so thankful to be able to listen to the messages that I am missing while I am gone. In fact, I am listening to one right now. :) This summer really helped me to realize how much I had been drained over the last year. It was great to be filled up again this summer and to be encouraged by so many people from Living Room. I was especially thankful for the group of people that prayed for me the night before I left. It really helped me to feel so much better about leaving and I seriously can't thank you enough! You are an amazing group of people that are not only ready to change the people in your place of work, but ready to change your communities, Lancaster, and the rest of the world. I am praying for all of you who are leaving for Mexico tomorrow and can't wait to hear your testimonies! God is going to do amazing things!

     This brings me to the title of my post, SHINE. A few weeks ago, I bought a t-shirt to help support the Mexico missions team. The shirt says "Let it shine" and has a picture of a big sun with a city behind it. I really loved the shirt, and also loved supporting the group of people going to Mexico. Flash-forward to Thursday morning in Kenya. The director of our school got up and announced the theme for our school year, shine! I was so excited to see God lining up these things in my life. It brought together two of my worlds that sometimes feel so far apart. This year we will be focusing on letting God's light shine on our campus. I can't wait to see our campus lit up and on fire for God!

Prayer Requests:

- For myself, the other teachers in the school, and the students to have a great first week of school

- For the Mexico missions team from Living Room

- For God's light to be spread throughout Kenya

Verse Of Encouragement:

"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16