But to be honest, my favorite times here in Nakuru, Kenya are the times that we get to spend in the city. The first few times we went into town, we were pretty overwhelmed. There were men and women staring at us around every corner, some yelling for us to buy from their businesses, and you always had to keep your head on a swivel for possible pick-pockets. The city, like most cities, can be overwhelmingly hectic, and we would find ourselves hiding out in a coffee shop upstairs to catch our breath. But after a few trips into the city on our own, we began to feel more and more comfortable with our surroundings. Not to mention, we've become friends with the two most awesome guys ever outside of that cafe–Charles and Dennis. I can't even begin to explain how much I'm going to miss them when we leave 🙁 I could probably write an entire blog about them alone.
So anyways, as we walk towards the end of Main Street, there is a strip of shops known as the Masai Market. This is your traditional place to find Kenyan souvenirs of all shapes and sizes. Obviously, as a Mzungu (Westerner), the store owners can spot us from a mile away and immediately you are bombarded with "Jambo, Hello! Come take a look at my shop, looking is free!" from every direction! Fortunately, I've traveled and experienced markets like this before, so it wasn't as overwhelming as it could have been.
My first trip into the market here, I got to know a few of the store owners by name. I learned that several of them were Christians, and they were intrigued to learn more about this "World Race" thing we were doing. We would sit, talk, and sometimes I would pray with them. And although I didn't always buy something, I was always excited for the next chance I had to go into town to talk to them some more.
As the days passed by, I went to visit the market more and more. Some conversations ended before they even began, some conversations ended in them still wanting me to buy from their shop, and some conversations ended in such deep and beautiful prayers that led me to fall in love with this Masai Market here in Nakuru. Although it can be overwhelming at times, at the end of the day, these adult men and women are all God's children. The bonds that I've formed with them will always hold a special place in my heart.
Also, it seems that every month God places a specific person on my heart. So let me tell you about Susan. I met Susan during my first trip into the market. She came up to me attempting to sell me scarves and I said, "They're beautiful, but no thank you. What's your name?" She told me her name was Susan. So I said, "Susan, are you a Christian?" She lowered her scarves, looked at me with a big smile and said "Yes, of course I am, and you?". I nodded, hugged her, and then we proceeded to share a little bit of our lives with each other. Every other time I saw her in the market from that day on, I stopped for minute or two to hug her and let her know I was praying for her. Today was probably one of our last days in the market and I decided to spend some extra time sitting with Susan. She told me about her two daughters, her husband, the upcoming elections, work, and everything else that had recently been burdening her. I held her hands, prayed with her, and gave her as much encouragement as possible. I then walked into her shop, bought a necklace, and thanked her for taking the time to form a friendship with me this month. In the next moment, she turned and pulled a beautiful piece of fabric off of her shelf and handed it to me and said "This is a gift from me to you. This is one of the best pieces of fabric I sell here. Whenever you wear it as a skirt, or use it as a blanket, please remember me and pray for me." I could have cried. I hugged her, and told her she had blessed me more today than I could have ever imagined. It had nothing to do with a free gift, but more so with the fact that she was giving me blessings from her heart. Sometimes being away from home gets tough, so its nice to be on the side receiving the encouragement. =)
It's relationships like that which I will always cherish. I pray that when the day comes for me to return back to the United States, that I will continue to have this boldness to speak to strangers and pour into them what God has so richly poured into us–His Love.
Now, a few photos from Kenya!
Me, my new team (Except Adam) and two of our favorite men from church, John and Ernest!
Riding in the back of the tuktuk. Never gets old 🙂 Unless you start hitting too many potholes.
I almost didn't know what to do with myself…
But eventually I got the hang of it.
Mom and Dad tell me to leave the dogs alone so I dont get rabies… but when an African lady places a puppy in your arms… what can you do???
Just hanging out at our fave orphanage. Most precious little children EVER. How can you not fall in love with those smiles???!!
Financial update:
Only $5,000 more to raise before I'm fully funded! Praise God for the thousands that He has raised thus far, and for the rest that He will continue to pour in. I can't wrap my mind around it, but we sure do serve a Faithful God!
Team update:
Yes, I'm with a new team. And I LOVE THEM!! Enough said 🙂
Trip Update:
We'll be in Tanzania in a week. Please keep our travels in your prayers… you never know what a road trip will look like in Africa!
Also, if you have some free time, I'd love for you all to be keeping one specific person in your prayers. His name is Charles (one of our good friends in town that I mentioned earlier). He believes in God, but hasn't committed his life to Him yet. He holds a special place in our team's heart and we want nothing more than for him to give his live to Christ. And also pray for Dennis, his big brother, who is a Christian, that he will be there for his brother every step of the way in leading him to Christ 🙂
Me Update:
Missing home a bit, but still totally loving and trusting where God has me and my teammates right now. Love you all!! Thanks for staying updated!!
