I have been in Busia for just over a week now and I must say, the adventure aspect of lice, sickness, mice, cockroaches, and the hard work that comes with Typhoid water and Malaria filled mosquito’s has worn down a little. My team, along with the team we have been partnered with for the month, are exhausted but still counting all of our blessings and enjoying our time here. The other night as 11 of us squeezed into our tiny sleeping quarters in preparation for another night of restless sleep, I laid in bed smiling as I listened to Michelle and Charlotte remind us of our many blessings which includes our cook who prepares delicious meals for us, relaxing evenings filled with conversation and steamed milk for hot chocolate, a ministry we are passionate about, and the new friends we have made.
Fun fact for the day: We learned yesterday that the iron in the milk we have been drinking daily has been cancelling out our Malaria pills and causing them to be ineffective. There are a couple people on my squad who have already contracted this disease so please remember to keep us in your prayers.
The women here are beautifully strong and I am learning from them what hard work entails. It is humbling to see how tediously the Kenyans work and I am repeatedly reminded how lazy I am. Last night as I was preparing to use the restroom I was faced with two choices. 1) Either I could draw water from the well – the well is DEEP and the pail is HEAVY – and carry the water repeatedly up a flight of steps to the tower in order to fill the sewer tank with enough water to flush the toilet or 2) I could carry bucket after bucket of water into the bathroom in order to manually flush. Every small task such as brushing teeth, showering, washing hands, and doing laundry becomes complicated and entails much work. I am thankful for the lesson in servant-hood and work ethic.
These are the water buckets we carry on our heads. They weigh 22 pounds each. The Kenyans learn how to carry these at the age of 4. I have found that it is actually much easier to carry these buckets on my head rather than in my hands. My goal is to learn the art of balancing by the end of the month and carry it solely on my head without touching it with my hands.
Last week was spent constructing an office building for Deliverance Church. It is almost finished and will bless the church in many ways. Today we will attend Evangelism Training Kenyan style and tomorrow we begin door-to-door evangelism.
Please pray for us these next two weeks as spread the message of God’s love and sacrifice on the cross. I have heard many stories of the supernatural ways He works in Africa. These people are desperate for a miracle and I can’t wait to see the ways He is going to work. I will be sure to keep you all posted. Thank you for the prayers and support!
