Friends, Food, and Farewells (for now!)

 There has been a lot going on lately, so first I want to apologize for all the pictures! I just have so much I want to share! The last 3 weeks have been SO eventful, filled with time with friends, delicious food, and, unfortunately, farewells, at least for now!

I found out about 3 weeks ago that my Kenyan work permit appeal was denied, so I officially do not get my work permit. Instead, I will be going to Tanzania in a week, for the rest of my 2 1/2 months of volunteering with MCC. Because of this latest adventure, I had a lot of things to do in very little time!

The first thing I did was go to Fourteen Falls, a beautiful river that has fourteen(ish) small waterfalls. It was absolutely beautiful! The most exciting part was crossing the river with a couple of young men who are considered tour guides. I say "considered", because the idea of professionalism is different here. But, we got across safely, and it was definitely a memorable event!

The next thing I did was spend Easter weekend at the shamba! (the family farm). My host family killed a goat for Easter, but according to them it was a multipurpose goat slaughtering! It was also to honor the time that I have spent with all of them :)

AND, while we were there, one of the dogs had puppies! She has 3 little babies, and they are so adorable!!!

That same weekend, I got to go swimming with my friend Faith, her "friend" Steve, and his sister Hilda. Its always a nice treat to relax at the pool, especially in the hot Kitui heat!

 

This last weekend, I went to my friend Mutheu's house and made viazi (deep friend potato circles). We made them with her two daughters and little cousin, Rose (who stays with me), and Faith came over to eat! 

Lastly, I made tortilla chips, salsa, and some chunky guacamole for my co-workers at SASOL as a thank you for having me here with them! I was surprised how much they liked them. They use all of the ingredients in their own food, but they haven't seen them in the form of this special concoction. It brought me so much joy to see them enjoying my little snack!

Leaving is a tough experience to describe. I am sad to say goodbye to all of my friends and family here early than expected, but I am also excited for what God has in store for me! I know that this is the Lord's will, and whatever is to come of my time here, as well as my time in Tanzania, I just pray it is to his glory!

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

-Romans 8:28

This Is Hard

In complete honesty, this is hard. Living in a different culture, trying to understand the language, being a daughter in a family I am barely familiar with... the circumstances are not easy.

Me with my host parents, Richard and Lucy

Can I share something about myself? For most of my life I have been a QUITTER. As a child I was never encouraged to push through difficulty, or to cultivate a resilient heart. If something seemed remotely challenging, I would try it once, maybe twice, but after realizing it would test me, I would bail out! Playing softball, joining the swim team, running track, learning French, playing the guitar... every activity I tried, I quit.

It was no surprise to me that, after realizing what I had gotten myself into in coming to Kitui, I had an EXTREMELY intense desire to quit. Everything in me screamed at me that this experience was going to be too difficult, that if I tried I would fail!

I can not express how glad I am that I did not listen to my own heart, or rely on my own experiences, but instead chose to listen to the resilient Spirit of God inside me. Because while I tell myself that I am incapable and unable, God's Word says:

"You can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens you" 

(Philippians 4:13),

"Trust in THE LORD with all your heart and LEAN NOT on your own understanding" 

(Proverbs 3:5),

"His divine power has granted to us ALL THINGS that pertain the LIFE and GODLINESS" 

(2 Peter 1:3),

"And we know that for those who LOVE GOD all things work together for GOOD, for those who are called according to HIS purpose"

(Romans 8:28),

"Be STRONG and COURAGEOUS. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is WITH YOU wherever you go" 

(Joshua 1:9)

What is it that I discern from the Word? DON'T GIVE UP! 

Four years ago before I started actively pursuing a relationship with Jesus, this would have been a foreign concept to me. Don't give up? But giving up is easy!

But now, here in Kitui, KNOWING that the Lord is for me (so, who can be against me?), when I feel that sensation of wanting to give up, I choose to listen to God! When relationships are challenging, and loving people with Christ's love is SO much harder than I expected; when dying to myself and what I want is a minute-by-minute decision, only God tells me that I CAN do it. ONLY God gives me the reassurance and the strength to lay down who I used to be without him, and to pursue Him fully in the NEW creation He has made me to be. 

Are you feeling insecure in who you are or your own abilities? Are you caught up in how little you understand what is going on in your life? Do you feel separated from people who understand you and know how to encourage you?... Can I just encourage you to turn to Christ? He is the ONLY one who loves you with a complete, everlasting love. He is the (ONLY) author and perfecter of your faith. He is THE way, THE truth, and THE life. Turn to Jesus and find your self-worth, your assurance, your true love in HIM.

If he can transform this weak, easily-defeated person into someone willing to push through to the end (with the Lord's help, of course), he can do this and much, MUCH more for YOU!

My friend Emily and me

Visa Issues? Why not!

So, quick recap:

After spending Christmas with my host family (which was awesome!), I had just returned to work at SASOL when I was told that I needed to meet with an immigration officer. Long story short, there were some mix-ups with my work permit, and I was told I needed to leave the country. That was on a Friday, and by Tuesday morning at 7a.m. I was on a plane leaving Nairobi, on my way to Kigali, Rwanda.

I arrived in Kigali to meet Shantelle, another SALTer, and I was blessed to join her at her host family's house for two weeks. In those two weeks I managed to meet the entire MCC Rwanda and Burundi team (as well as the team members in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo), go to a Rwandan baby-naming ceremony, and travel through Burundi.

The time was a delightful mix of spending time with friends, site seeing, and trying to get some of my work done for SASOL. Shantelle was such a blessing to be with! She showed me around Kigali, and let me tag along with her when she had other things to do. I was also very blessed to meet Teresa, a SALTer from last year who extended her term for a year. It was SO refreshing to watch the both of them at work, and hear about their experiences trying to make the most out of their time in Rwanda. (Thank you, ladies, for all that you did for me and all that you do for the MCC partners in Rwanda!!)

While I was there, an MCC Rwandan national staff worker named Richard had a traditional baby naming ceremony for his new born daughter. Traditionally, you are not allowed to call your newborn by name until the whole community gathers to guess what his/her name is. It is the baby's initiation into the society. At the ceremony, two of the baby's uncles performed a traditional Rwandan dance, which was AWESOME! They also got one of the white guys (Matt) in our group to dance, which pretty much made every African persons' ribs burst :)

Three days before I returned to Kenya I was able to hitch a ride with one of the MCC Reps, Scott, to go visit Lauren (another SALTer) in Burundi! It is surprising as you pass the border from Rwanda into Burundi how much more obvious the poverty is in Burundi. Lauren shared with me that 80% of the population of Burundi is illiterate... and that is just one problem they face!

While we were there, and Scott had a bunch of meetings to attend to, Lauren and I got to adventure around! We went to Bujumbura (the capital city) on Friday and Saturday, and the first thing we did was go to the beach of Lake Tanganyika. We sat for about 2 and half hours just being at peace listening to the waves.

We then did what all logical tourists do and went for ice cream! I tell you, somehow soft serve ice cream tastes MAGNIFICENT when you haven't had it in a very long time.

Me and Lauren

We wrapped up our time the next morning by making pancakes. We unknowingly bought corn flour instead of regular flour, so we technically made corn cakes, but if you cover them in jam or honey, they still taste pretty darn good.

Both Bujumbura and Kigali are such beautiful cities! I had many moments where I would stop and be in awe that I was in either place. It may not be the best experience being asked to leave a country, but when you get sent to wait it out in an equally amazing country, it isn't such an unfortunate occurrence after all :)

I am now back in Kitui, Kenya. Keep praying for my work permit to go through, it is currently still in the appeal process. Thank you for all the support and prayers through this time!

Teresa (left), me, Shantelle (right), and Chrissy (Shantelle's host nephew)

Simplicity

 

This is a small duka (store) and a hoteli (restaurant) that is owned by one of the Mamas in my neighborhood. In my community, there are many small, family owned shops along the Site Estate road (shown below) that provide the most common house hold items for the convenience of the nearest residents. Common item include mafuta (cooking oil), maziwa (milk), and Royco seasoning for meat, among a few other things. 

The BEST part about living in this small community is that, along with the little dukas that sell household items, there are also little stands that sell fresh fruit and vegetables. It is very uncommon for people to buy vegetables and fruits from the supermarket in town because they are more expensive, and also less convenient. This fresh food comes straight from local farmers with no processing or preservatives. I tell you, my body has never felt so good!

Back home it is more convenient to go to the store and buy the processed and pesticide covered food that makes your body do funky stuff. It is also cheaper than the organic fruits and vegetables that often cost an arm and a leg (at least for a poor college student they do). Here it is the opposite. The fresh, organic vegetables are the cheapest and easiest to get. In my host home we often only keep in our house what we are going to eat for that day, and nothing more. The next day Mary goes out to buy fresh vegetables for lunch and dinner.

Mary watching one of the babies that lives in our compound

The same goes for the meat. If we plan to have meat for lunch or dinner that day, Mary goes in the morning to the butchery right down the road, next to the other dukas, and we have fresh meat for that day.

Although I try not to think too often of what life will be like when I return home (because I want to be fully present in my time here!), I can already tell that this is something I am going to miss. Not having to go to the grocery store every week, always having fresh food available just a 2 minute walk from the house, and being content with the food available. Life is just so much easier when it is simple!

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Fun Times!

Quick advice for living in Kitui:

While brushing your teeth over the toilet, do NOT put your glass of filtered water on top of the tank of the toilet (which is sloped downward). It will in fact fall and shatter against the toilet bowl!

Disclaimer:
Yes, I brush my teeth over the toilet.

No, there is nothing in the toilet while brushing your teeth.

Yes, it was strange at first, now it is completely normal.

There is one sink in our house, which is in the kitchen, and that sink is strictly for the washing of utensils, not for washing your face or brushing your teeth (or so I have been told).

Nzambani Rock:
I have had the privilege of getting closer to some of the awesome women that I work with. As a result, we have had some fun times together!

Two weekends ago I went with MaryJames and Harriet to Nzambani Rock, one of the tourist attractions in the area.

Nzambani Rock from the bottom

View of the valley from on top of the Rock

Mary James (left) Harriet (right)

Kitui is very similar to Fresno in that it is in a valley. Nzambani Rock is in the middle of the valley, so when you climb to the top you can see the entire valley (Ukambani land, or land occupied by the Kamba tribe). Although the hiking wasn't too difficult (and believe me, I was in the mood for a good hike!), it was such a beautiful place to be, and the company (along with all the snacks) made the trip an excellent one!

Birthday Party:
The next activity I got to do was go to the birthday party of Mutheu's daughter Emily. This was particularly special because Emily turned 6, and my niece Serena is turning 6 tomorrow! It was a blessing to be able to celebrate Emily's birthday with her, and to celebrate my niece's birthday in my heart.

Mutheu and Me!

Emily and her birthday cake

Mary James and her baby Jaden

It is a joy to get to know the women that I work with. Although it is sometimes difficult to understand the cultural differences, they have all been so gracious to me in overlooking my blunders and misunderstandings. I praise God that he has placed these women in my life, and that his love is GREATER than any cultural boundaries that we have constructed here in this world.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus"

-Ephesians 2:4-6

A Simple but Beautiful Day

Can you see the hidden treasure?

P.S. It's a ZEBRA

This has nothing to do with my blog this week,

I was just excited we drove by a herd of Zebra!!!

 (Sorry the picture isn't very good)

My weekdays generally look the same. Every weekday I follow the same schedule: I eat breakfast around 7am, I work from 8am-5pm with a tea break at 10am and a lunch break at 1pm, then I go home to be with my host mom and eat dinner. It is not boring by any means, I enjoy being at work, and I enjoy being in Kitui, but last Thursday was just slightly different enough to remind me just how truly blessed I am.

It may not be to overwhelmingly exciting to read what simple changes to my average day left me feeling so blessed, but I would like to share them with you anyway!

 The First Blessing

I had a completely normal morning. I woke up, ate breakfast, walked to work, and began working at my desk. I usually don't have much opportunity to chat with people at work because I have my own quaint office and all of my work is online. However, that morning I had a meeting with Faith (my sassy supervisor)! As I was leaving her office after our meeting, we began to chat about random stuff. We talked about life here compared to the U.S., similar problems that girls around our age have in both places, and how different the chicken is here in Kenya (she read my food blog!). It wasn't anything drastic, but it was nice to just talk and laugh together. Those are the moments I treasure!

The Second Blessing

It has become more frequent that I eat lunch alone at home. My host mom used to join me more often, but recently she has stopped being so consistent with being home for lunch at the same time as me. I don't usually mind because I can relax and read before returning to work, but that afternoon I felt particularly spunky! I am so grateful for Marie being in our house, because she keeps me company on my spunky days. After I ate I asked Marie if she wanted to see pictures of my family, and she said "YEEES!" (just like that!). So we sat and looked at pictures. I got to share with her about my family, my bible study group at home, and some fun things that I did in college. It was such a joyful experience to be able to share my life back home with her, and seeing her so excited to look at the pictures :)

The kids and their tea! Emili is in green.

The Third Blessing

 After work I usually go straight home, but that evening I didn't! I was invited over for tea by Mutheu (my dear friend and coworker). It was just a fun time! As I was sitting in the living room, her 5y.o. daughter Emili and 3 of her friends all surrounded me to inspect my white skin, my white hair, and even at one point my teeth! I got to help Mutheu prepare for dinner, and we all had tea together. I was only there for about an hour and a half, but it was a very special hour and a half. I was also encouraged to know that these kids are always over at Mutheu's house for tea! She said they love coming over because they can play and laugh and just be kids while they take their tea. It was a beautiful picture of serving and blessing those around you without expecting anything in return!

Those were the three things that blessed my day and made me feel truly delighted in by the Lord. Just those few simple things, but when you are in a new place, those simple gestures of acceptance and kindness go a long way!

"Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say, Rejoice!"

-Philippians 4:4

The next day I went to the Multi-Purpose Centre that the NGO I volunteer for owns.  We walked around the farm and took some picture, so here you go!

Sand Dam. SASOL builds a lot of these!

Papaya Tree! And Harriet :)

Everyone wants a picture with the Papaya

Goats!! Everywhere!!

FOOD!!!! (I know, it is THAT exciting!)

The wait is over...

The food blog is HERE! Enjoy :) (I do!)
 

• Ugali- The white lump you see is called "Ugali". It is maize (corn) flower that is stirred into boiling water to create a relatively tasteless starch food. You don't usually eat it by itself, although some eat it with just margarine (well, its actually cooking fat).

• Sukuma Wiki- Kale... thats really all it is, but it is delicious! You mix it with onions, tomatoes, and coriander, and you have a delicious dish you can eat with your ugali. 

Ugali is typically eaten with just the hands. Actually, in my house our main utensils are our hands and a spoon!

•  Chapati- Literally the most delicious bread you will ever have (at least I think so). That may have something to do with the fact it is fried with a bunch of oil, but you give me a fresh, hot chapati, and I am a happy girl for that day!

• Githeri- In the top right corner. It is a mixture of pigeon peas and maize, usually cooked with onions. It is a favorite for the Ukambani area of Kenya that I stay in. However, because you have to boil the peas and maize, seperately, for a long time, it is only made once or twice a week.

• Kapigi- or cabbage. Also cooked with lots of oil, onions, and tomatoes (sometimes). It is delicious! One of my favorites :)

• Stew- In my house we eat a lot of meat, either cow or goat. My host mom likes meat, so we have stew often. Also cooked with onions and tomatoes (catching a trend here?) Kenyans like their meat well done, and I often find myself gnawing meat off of a large bone.

• Ndengu- My FAVORITE! Love it :) They are also known as green grams, or lentils (I think, I may be wrong about the lentils). Cooked with onions and tomatoes, it is the BEST accompanying dish to chapati!

• Chicken- This is just chicken. What is unique about this chicken is it was freshly slaughtered right before it was cooked for us (seriously, I heard it, and I was seriously tempted to become a vegetarian!). They served every part of the chicken except for the head... I can't say it was the best experience of my life. It wasn't very appetizing to hear my food being killed before I ate it.

• Chips and Sausage- This is the Kenyan version of fast food. It is delicious, although you need a good nap after eating it! We don't eat it often. That red sauce is not ketchup, don't be fooled! It is tomato sauce, or really watery sauce that sort of tastes like tomatoes.

• Chai- We have chai (milk tea) every morning for breakfast, at 10am tea break, and at 5pm afternoon tea. I drink a lot of tea! But, it is really good!

• Pancakes- Yup! That is right! We eat pancakes every so often for breakfast. Usually breakfast is white bread, tea, and some type of sausage or hot dog. Pancakes are a nice treat when we get them :)

This is Mary! I love Mary! She cooks all of the amazing food I eat (except for the chicken). I don't get to eat with her often, but when I do we have a good time together!

Well that is all for this week! If you have any blog requests let me know! Feel free to ask any questions about the food (or anything else!).