Karibu Nairobi!

I am in Nairobi! I decided to start this blog because even after a week of being here there has been so much to talk about, but I want to leave the choice up to YOU whether or not you would like to know more :) 

 

First of all, Najile!

Rift Valley Hike

The day after Chris (the other volunteer in Kenya) and I got to Nairobi, we were whisked away by the Kenya Reps (Rand and Selena Carpenter) to visit a Maasai village in Najile. There are two volunteers in Najile, Doug and Corinna, who live in the community and help with communication between project partners and the MCC Kenya Reps. We had so much fun in Najile! The first night we cooked chepati (really awesome flat bread) and made dinner on fires outside. We ate dinner with a Maasai woman and MCC partner named Anne along with her family. The next day we had a Maasai thanksgiving ceremony to go to, at which we all received awesome beaded jewelry and were fed as honored guests; (that was strange seeing as Chris and I had just arrived in the country). The last day we went for a hike across the Rift Valley landscape in hope of seeing some zebras or giraffes. We didn't see either, but it was still a very beautiful walk! Over all, my first weekend in Kenya was awesome :) It seriously felt more like a camping trip than being in a new country and among people of a different culture.

Anne, Corinna, and I after the Maasai Ceremony

Next was Swahili lessons:

Chris and I started kiswahili lessons on Monday, and have so far had a whole week of lessons. Ninasema kiswahili kidogo... I speak a little swahili. It has been so much fun though! I really enjoy the language. The only difficult thing is that people in the city speak so fast, and they also speak in Sheng, which is kiswahili slang. So far I can't understand much, but it has only been a week! 

 

Today!!! Today was so awesome. Chris and I had our first full free day, so we went to the elephant orphanage and the giraffe breeding center.

Giraffe Kisses!!

It was AWESOME!! I got 3 giraffe kisses from the giraffe named Ed, and we got to pet many of the baby elephants. All of the elephants that are in the orphanage are younger than 5 years old, so they were not too big. They were still very strong though. One leaned into me as I was petting him and almost knocked me over!

God has been great through this whole process. It has been challenging learning to rely on Him more fully since the wonderful group of ladies I am so used to being so close to are now on a different continent. I know the hardest cultural challenges are still yet to come, but I trust my God!

 

 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your path!"

-Proverbs 3:5-6