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!).

Being Thankful

"The Lord make his face to shine upon you..." -Numbers 6:25

Last night it rained heavily for the first time since I have been in Kitui.
This morning it was cloudy, and the ground was wet and muddy.
As I helped Mutheu set up the tea and coffee for Tea Break at work, the sun broke through the clouds, and I felt that the Lord was with me.

I would be lying if I said that everything has been perfect and entirely enjoyable since arriving in Kitui. In fact, the honeymoon phase I was in while in Nairobi came to a rather sudden halt my first week in Kitui. God has been shaking my foundation of faith in Him, and has repeatedly asked me "Do you trust me?" To which I answer with a heavy-hearted "yes." It is here, in this place of selfishness (the desire to be comfortable) and repentance (for that selfishness), that I have seen the beauty of God in an even greater way; in a way that transcends cultural differences and relationship structures; in a way that leaves me empty of myself and completely dependent on Jesus Christ, our Lord.

I am thankful that the Lord has brought me here. It is harder than I imagined, but God is becoming more in my life than I could have ever hoped for in my own human understanding. I want to share with you some of the beautiful things that the Lord has shared with me through being in Kitui, and being with the Kenyan people:


1. Kenyans LOVE to worship! They LOVE Jesus, and they are not afraid to sing about it whenever the opportunity presents itself.
One prime example is Mutheu (on the right). She is such a blessing to me every day at work. She sings praise to the Lord in kikamba every morning. She is also such a faithful servant. Every morning she makes chai (milk tea), she cleans all of the offices, and she NEVER complains. She has told me that she is looking toward greener pastures, but she is patient and joyful where she is (a lesson I definitely need to learn!)

2. Kenyans are friendly and generous people. Their community is built on the belief that everyone helps each other when they are in need. This is practiced in many different ways, from giving money when someone is struggling, to giving time (and a lot of time) to someone who wants to celebrate something (even when you don't know what it is for).

3. Kenyans love to celebrate, and each celebration (at least the ones I have been to so far) are primarily for thanking God! From the birthday of a 59 y.o. man, to celebrating the return of a missing child, communities of people gather together to give thanks and praise to God! It is beautiful!

4. One of the more selfish blessings that I have is Mary, our house girl. I have not had someone wash my clothes and cook all my food for many years, and it is strange to relinquish these responsibilities to someone else. I like to help her when I can, and her company is a joy to me. She is only 19, and she is spicy! She has an attitude about her that is always making me laugh, and our daily miscommunications are pretty funny too! One of the biggest blessings of having Mary (and this is the "selfish" part of the blessing), is that I have more time to spend with God in the morning and evening because she does all of the hard work. There is a big part of me that is not comfortable with having someone doing all the hard work so I can rest, but I am SO GRATEFUL for the extra time I have been able to have with the Lord!

Mary!

Next week I am doing a food blog (per request)! Here is a little preview of the amazing food I get to eat every day ;)

God is good all the time! And all the time, God is good!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter or our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God"! - Hebrews 12:1-3 (ESV)

Mimi ni Mzungu

My coworker Faith and me

I am a white person.

I have never been more aware of this fact than I am now, being in Kitui. I know, it seems like a weird introduction to a blog that should be about the new place I am living, how beautiful it is (it is very beautiful), how nice the people are (they are very nice and welcoming people), and how much I like my new host family (I have been very blessed with an awesome host family).

However, for me, the thing that stands out most is indeed how white I am. There are no wazungu (white people) in Kitui. In Nairobi it is not as shocking for people to see a mzungu, but here it is a little overwhelming. Three facts about being white (more specifically a white girl) in a small East African town:

1. ALL of the children want to say hello and wave at the mzungu, and you make their day when you respond to them. I don't mind this part so much because I like kids, and it brightens my day to see them so excited just to say hi to me.

2. You will get stared at everywhere you go. If you ever want to feel like a celebrity, this is where you should come! For me, it has been strange trying to get used to people staring at me all the time.

3. You have no shortage of dating options.There isn't much I can say about this except that it is true. I am not looking for a date, but there have been a few guys already who have seen the white girl in town and wanted to take me out to coffee. I am flattered, but that is not what I am here for :)

I am settling into Kitui well. During the week I live with my host mom, Lucy, and the house girl, Marie. I met my host dad this weekend, and we traveled to Nairobi to meet their kids. They have 3 children (Faith, Mutua (Francis), And Ndinda (Jen)), all of them have graduated university and are working. They were very welcoming and hospitable to me.

My new bedroom

SASOL (the NGO I am volunteering for) has great employees that I get to work with. The work is more difficult than I expected, above my knowledge of expertise, but I am learning on the job. I could use some prayer for the Lord to lead me in the work I need to do, because I will not be able to do it on my own knowledge alone. 

My new office!!

Mutheu (Marie) the front desk attendant

Thank you to everyone who has continued praying for me! Please continue to pray, and send me an email or a FB message if you need prayer for something. I would love to be a part of your prayer community as well.

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."

-Numbers 6:24-26