Saleka Girls' Boarding School

Before I write down the days events, I will write down my testimony since I am the first to give it tomorrow.

As a child, I grew up with a curiosity of Christ, but never fully understood Him. I knew He had died on a cross, but never understood that it was to forgive me of my sins. When I was twelve, my parents divorced and my mother and I moved to the city. For a full year, my mom would continue to tell me this verse from Romans 8:28:

"And we know, that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him. Who are called according to His purpose..."

It helped me to understand that even though the divorce was a hard thing to go through, good would come of it because God had a purpose for it.

Looking back on the situation now, it was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. If not for it, I wouldn't have gone to a wonderful church where I met some amazing people that shared the love of Christ with me. If not for it, I wouldn't have come to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. If not for it, I wouldn't be here today on my fourth mission trip sharing the love of Jesus Christ with you as I experienced four years ago.


Wow... Now if only tomorrow it will come out like that.



This morning was wonderful. We went to the orphanage and it surprised me. There are two chicken coops and they're HUGE!

We toured the buildings that are currently roofless.

Around 3PM everyond from Crossbridge minus 4 or 5 people and plus Courtney and Houston changed into our Sunday clothes and went to the Saleka Boarding School for Girls that was down the road from the orphanage. Btw, the town/village is Kitengela. I'm pretty sure that's how it's spelled. They sang to us when we got there and I notived a girl right away that was wearing a head-dress. She wasn't really singing, more of a mumble. We did an ice-breaker where we went and found three people we've never met and said "I love you in Christ name" or something of the sort and I said it to her.

After we sang and did our skits there was a time for fellowship. I immediatly went to her and the girl next to her. It was awkwar at moments but all in all it was pretty good. Her name was Warda and her friend was Agnes. Agnes was very shy and barely spoke. Warda is from Tanzania and plans on returning when done with school. I assume she was Muslim because of the head-dress. She had a mole in the center of her forehead, usually where the mark that indian women have is. She was around my height.

I told her of how I felt God was calling me to Latin America and how I knew Spanish. She asked me a lot about Spanish. She started teaching me some words in Swahili. My middle name is Foraha. It took me forever to say it correct. When leaving they walked us to the bus and we hugged and said "goodbye".

I hope tomorrow will have a lasting effect, as did today.

God's Mercy

Last night I was exhausted, and I wanted nothing more than to let it all out and relax with my guitar. Since I don't have my guitar with me on this trip, Chris said I was supposed to be able to use Evan's. I went to his tent about 10 minutes after returning from Nairobi and the guys said he had gone to take a shower. I came back then minutes later and they said he wasn't in the tent when clearly that was him playing the guitar because the only other person who can play was Tyler and he was looking through the window at me. I snapped.

I talked to Chris last night about it. I didn't take anything to help me sleep last night and I know by God's mercy, that's why I only woke up once.

Thank you Jesus.

Long Night

Last night was eventful. I might tell about it later, but right now I will have my prayer journal.

In John 15, You revealed to me that I am Your friend, not Your servent, because You wouldn't confide in a servent. This doesn't make sense right now to me God. I hope that over this week You will reveal to me what the meaning of that is. Chris asked us to ask You to give us an abiding fruit this week, to change our lives forever. There is no doubt in my mind that You will open my eyes to something. I feel ignorant Lord. I wasn't prepared for this trip at all. I came not knowing anything at all. I apreciate that nothing has really struck me hard yet, but God I just feel so lost right now and I think that's what's causing my ignorance. I long to be close to You right now Lord. I long to sing praises to You. I feel blocked Lord and I feel too lost to know how to respond. God take me into Yuor arms and love me and hold me Father. Your arms are my home.

Move me, make me move to You. Change me to be more like You. Bring it on.

Scariest Place on Earth: Nairobi Market

I know it's still the same day, but I don't have my mom here to tell everything to, so I'm writing most of everything here. Wonder why I haven't talked about guys? No, I'm still interested, but that's not what's important.

Be back in a bit. Meeting time 8:30.

We went to the market right after we left the church where we had lunch (pizza) delivered to us on the back of a motorcycle. I went intot he market for 15 minutes and was so uncomfortable that I somewhat calmly started freaking out, if that's possible. I was on my way out when I thought I should at least buy a keychain. THe man said that it would cost 150 shillings. I, trying to haggle for 100 shillings, said I dind't have 150. He asked me how much and I said not 150. THen when he accepted 100, I felt so bad for lying that I didn't want to admit to it by giving him my 1000 bill (the lowest I had). I said I might come back later and got on the bus to eat pizza, which was very interesting. After returning to Lukenya Hotel to Sumtin' Sumtin' Bungalow, we found it locked, which was totally not cool since I had been holding my bladder for probably five hours.



Because of such a late lunch that happened after five, I only had soup (cream of califlower... AMAZING!) and some hot chocolate. A warm shower felt amazing afterward and then at the meeting I found that I had received an email from my mom.

Sorry it's only a recount of the day. Lord God, Help me to sleep!

God's Little Perks

God loves to throw in little perks here and there. Yesterday afternoon our whole group went on a tour of the area. Our guides name was Gwema. I must say that I was quite thankful for my mom insisting on getting the bottle of 98.11% Deet. It came in handy during the first half-hour or less. We went down a red dirt road out side the compound and then after seeing a girraffe, went through the waist-high grass. We were covered in ticks! Well, everyone except for me. Then, after a while they began to cling to me also.



Every two minutes our entire group would have to stop and brush off all the ticks. When we returned to the tent, Jill wans't back yet so Katie and I stripped down and searched eachother. Tick free!

While Katie was in the shower, a man woring at Lukenya came in and the shower had stopped working. Jill and I had been filling water bottles so that Katie could was the soup from her hair. There wans't any power so we were doing this in very dim light.

After dinner the shower was working (they came in as soon as Katie was out and fixed it), but there wasn't any promised power. Every other tent had some except for ours.

As we were praying as a group and I began to pray aloud that Satan wouldn't tear our group apart, I began to cry and had my first case of home-sickness in over ten years. When we returned to our tent after the meeting, the power had just come on

We were so overjoyed at actually being able to see in our tent when five minutes later, it went completely dark. We radioed Chris to say it went out when it came back on again. God's little perks!

Soon after, I took a cold shower (no hot water yet) and went to bed with wet hair.

This morning, breakfast didn't sit quite right with me. While sitting on the bus, I had to put my head against the seat in front of me because I was so sleepy. Even after two Tylenol PMs last night I had still woken up several times.

The ride into Nairobi was eventful. There was construction so we had to go off-roading. Talk about exciting! When we went into Nairobi, they took us to where the US embassy had been before the bombing in 1998. I had never even known about it! There is now a park where it used to be. They say the embasy is now located outside Nairobi and is extremely hard to get into.

Afterwards, they took us to a big park thing where there was a big boy scout event. There were two bands in uniform, kids playing soccer in a small area marked out by lines on pavement and kids in orange shirts playing drums. We walked through there following Pastor Billy from Alamo City carrying the cross. We walked for a while and came to a bus stop and got on our busses. During that time which they call the "Prayer Walk" or "Cross Walk" I felt so thankful for such a wonderful opporitunity. I just felt so full of peace that I was just completely overjoyed! I can't find words to describe how I felt.

I now sit here for ever an hour at Pastor Petere's church in Nairobi. It's a tent with a sound system hidden betweeen apartments 5 stories high. It's 2:45 and lunch is lingering in all our minds.

Kenya Time!

I think I've adjusted well even though it feels like afternoon when it's only 11:15AM.

It's so beautiful. There is beauty in simplicity. It's so calming! The birds are singing songs I've never heard before. Constantly you hear "kirabu" which is "welcome" in swahili.

Where are we staying? Lukenya. BEAUTIFUL! At first I was so scared that we would be staying in a really nice and spiffy place. It is very nice! We're staying in TENTS! I even told my dad that we weren't, but we are! Our entire "bungalow" is covered in a tarp for shade. There will be three twin beds in our tent and there's a connecting bathroom that I heard they built three months ago because they were expecting us.

I'm really excited. I wish I had my guitar here. It would be nice to sit outside and just play. This week is going to be amazing!

Our God is Good (in Swahili)

Mungu u mwe ma hallelujah
Mungu u mwe ma
Mungu u mwe ma u mwe ma
Kwan gu

Traveling at its finest!

I find myself sitting with some of the people that I hold dear to my heart. An 11 hour lay-over in London-Heathrow can be quite fun I find. From watching Matt try not to fall asleep (his head was pivoting on his neck, slowly rolling and gaining speed then slowing, then reversing and repeating) to having the waiter practically order the food for me, European airports can be quite the place for excitement.

Some would wonder why I don't just stay in London rather than board a plane for my next destination; the ones who know me would know exactly why. I am on my way to Nairobi, Kenya for a life changing experience.

So far, San Antonio to Chicago, I sat next to a stranger in the very last row. Chicago to London Kyle had the same seat as a woman next to me. Kyle got a new seat in another section which he gave to the woman. WHile he was carrying her bags (that was the agreement the two had made), we gave his seat to someone who would've had to sit in the middle of Tyler and I in the center of 5 seats. Fun night! Kyle gave Chris half of a perscription sleep aid and he was out like a light! We had fun taking random pictures with Tyler messing with his beard and sticking random things in his pockets.

Soon, in about 2 hours, we will board flight 0101 to Nairobi and pass out. I have no idea who I'm seated next with and am looking forward to a comfortable trip, if that's possible.

I love British accents, but I feel like a rude and ignorant person in this airport (how ironic!). I hope Kenya and the day in London on the way back will be better.