There’s just something about this country. Let me try to put it into words for you (warning: this blog is pretty random, but it brings you up to speed. It’s pretty much just me pouring out what’s rumbling around in my head, so bear with me.) 🙂
I’ve been here since January 22 and it’s easily been some of my favorite time on the Race. The first 10 or so days were spent in Nairobi preparing for debrief, debriefing, and a glorious day of rest afterwards! I love Nairobi! We stayed at a fantastic backpackers hostel. The staff were amazing, we met some really cool backpackers from around the world, and the atmosphere was exactly what I needed….it’s so peaceful and serene. I discovered a new favorite beverage, Stoney Tangawizi, it’s a ginger soda. More gingery than ginger ale and not as sweet. I love it! They also made fantastic fresh fruit and yogurt parfaits and grilled ham, cheese, and tomato sandwiches. I’d go back in a heartbeat. So thankful for that place and the refuge it was for 10 days!!
We had an amazing debrief. We were joined by Q squad, our sister squad that also launched in Sept 2010. It was a great time of catching up with friends, experiencing God and greater freedom in our walks with Him, learning new truths or being reminded of ones I’d forgotten, encouraging and praying for each other, and just laughing and having fun! I was personally so blessed by time with Michael and Kathy Hindes and Sean Smith from the World Race staff, our amazing squad mom and dad, Joey and Gary McGinnis, and Q Squad’s squad leaders, Tricia Wegman, and Andrew Bennett.
I’m now in Nakuru with Team United. We’re living with Pastor Ayub, his wife, Ruth, and their children, Timothy, 6, and Tiffany, 3 in a lovely home in a suburb. It’s beautiful here! We will be taking part in many different activities this month. We’ve preached at open air meetings near the slums, prayed for the sick, and played with kiddos. Please join us in praying for sweet Esther, a little girl with a badly infected finger. I’ve quickly been reminded of a feeling I first experienced 7 years ago…people living in crazy poverty who have no hope to be healed unless God shows up. Medical care is not an option in a country like Kenya unless you can pay first. I can’t even put into words what it causes to rise up in me. All I know is it’s familiar and in the past I didn’t handle it very well.
We’ve been blessed the past 2 days to visit two different children’s homes. As you may recall from my Babies and Ice Cream blog, a door had opened for us to visit New Life Home Trust in Nairobi for abandoned babies. I knew they also had a home in Nakuru. I asked Pastor Ayub my first day here if he had heard of this home. He said, yes, you are going there on Monday. God blessed me with not just one New Life Home Trust experience, but two! 🙂 He’s amazing! We spent yesterday playing with their 3-5 year olds. We sang songs like Father Abraham, taught them Duck, Duck, Goose, and just played and held them and loved them. They couldn’t stay away from Curt’s guitar when he got it out. Later in the afternoon they got to swim in their wading pools which was so entertaining to watch.
Today we visited Africa Gospel Church Baby Centre. Imagine a beautiful cement home about 10 minutes outside of Nakuru filled with 48 children 3 yrs and under. The youngest, Naomi, is 6 days old. She weighs in at about 4 lbs. She’s amazing! This home takes in abandoned babies and places them with adopted families. I was in heaven. A few of us gravitated towards the side where the babies under 1 yr live. We spent hours holding them. I picked out three I want to take home with me. I’m serious. I’m discussing it with God right now. I’d like to leave the Race, defy Kenyan adoption laws, and have it my way now…..and I haven’t thought it out beyond that.
Rachel is about 9 months old and has the cutest fuzzy afro on top of her head. She smiles the sweetest, happiest toothy grin, giggles, and my heart is hers. (I wish I could share pictures, but they asked us not to take any to protect the babies.) Eunice is about 3 months old I’d guess. She is the sweetest, most even-tempered baby ever. She never fussed, she just laid in my arms and smiled and grabbed my fingers and looked around with her huge brown eyes for hours! I love her! #3 is just #3. I never even got his name. He started fussing and I picked him up and started swaying with him and he fell asleep in my arms in a cute, peaceful little brown ball. Again, it was over for me. I was holding him and praying for him and thinking, what in the world could possibly be more important than holding and loving these babies??
And now you’re up to speed. 🙂
P.S. Just in case anyone was worried….I’m not going to leave the Race and defy adoption laws. I’ll wait until God says it’s time, and I’ll do it legally. 🙂
