Well here I am on my way back to Kenya. I survived my first flight, so I'm half-way there now! And I just so happened to luck out with a terminal that has Starbucks! Not only did I find Starbucks, but I managed to find a row of seats that did not have metal bars seperating the seats. It was nice to get a nap in the lying down position as opposed to sitting up like in the plane.
I'm excited to get back to my home away from home. In many ways I feel like I'm living with one foot in both worlds right now. Over the last 6 months I've spent half my time in each country. It's amazing to me to think that after all the years of planning and dreaming I'm finally on the brink of moving to Africa. I'm seeing America through new eyes this year. I must admit that last week I couldn't help but notice I had over six brands of deoderant to choose from at Target. It's a strange feeling to be back and forth between two such drastically different places.
This will be my first time spending the holiday season in Africa. I'm sure that it will be different but beautiful nonetheless. Your prayers and e-mails are always so appreciated! I'll try to get an update (and maybe even pictures?) posted while I'm in Kenya. We will see how things pan out with internet access. So if I don't write or post before then, have a blessed Christmas! May the peace of Christ dwell in your hearts and minds.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Monday, December 11, 2006
Back to Kenya
Tomorrow I'm heading back to my home-away-from home, Kipkaren. I'll be spending Christmas in Africa this year. It will be my first Christmas away from my family. I'm excited and a little sad at the same time. This past month has certainly been packed full of emotions.
My paternal grandmother passed away on Monday last week. She had had a long battle with congestive heart failure. It's been hard to say goodbye, but at the same time it is nice to know that she is now free. She has struggled with severe pain in recent times. I know that now she can dance in the presence of the Lord. I also know that she has her eyesight back.
Last week I finished up with school by taking final exams a week early. That allowed me to be able to head out this week. Today we had a family Christmas celebration. It was nice to have Brett and Danielle over for lasagna and fellowship. Lasagna is a long-time Christmas tradition for my family.
Well as I mentioned earlier, I'm headed back to Kipkaren. I'll be flying out of LAX tomorrow evening at 8:30. I'll fly through London and arrive in Nairobi Wed morning. Then I'll finally make it to Kipkaren that evening. Please pray for safe travels. I don't have that much planned for this trip and I'll only be gone three weeks. I do plan to get the growth and development checks completed for the 94 children in the Children's Home. William told me today that ELI will be hosting a children's camp for the three days shortly after I arrive. Never a dull moment at that training center! However I am hoping for a bit of down time. I'm looking forward to some time just reading and meditating in the gazebo by the river. It's supposed to be the hot season right now. It'll be interesting to listen to "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" as the sun beats down. I do have a Christmas cookie baking date arranged with the two other American ladies in the village. And my mother thoughtfully picked up a small fiber-optic battery powered tree to put up in my hut.
Oh, and did I mention I'll get to spend time with William! That is going to be the highlight of the trip. I miss him so much. I am thankful that we have the phone and the internet, but they just don't take the place of an honest-to-goodness face-to-face conversation! Oh, and you can't get a hug over the phone lines either!
I'll try to get an update or two in while I'm gone. I'm just now sure how often I'll make it into town with this trip being less than a month long. However I will take plenty of pictures and look forward to sharing my adventures with you when I return. May the true spirit of the season reside in your hearts and minds during these coming weeks. God bless!!
My paternal grandmother passed away on Monday last week. She had had a long battle with congestive heart failure. It's been hard to say goodbye, but at the same time it is nice to know that she is now free. She has struggled with severe pain in recent times. I know that now she can dance in the presence of the Lord. I also know that she has her eyesight back.
Last week I finished up with school by taking final exams a week early. That allowed me to be able to head out this week. Today we had a family Christmas celebration. It was nice to have Brett and Danielle over for lasagna and fellowship. Lasagna is a long-time Christmas tradition for my family.
Well as I mentioned earlier, I'm headed back to Kipkaren. I'll be flying out of LAX tomorrow evening at 8:30. I'll fly through London and arrive in Nairobi Wed morning. Then I'll finally make it to Kipkaren that evening. Please pray for safe travels. I don't have that much planned for this trip and I'll only be gone three weeks. I do plan to get the growth and development checks completed for the 94 children in the Children's Home. William told me today that ELI will be hosting a children's camp for the three days shortly after I arrive. Never a dull moment at that training center! However I am hoping for a bit of down time. I'm looking forward to some time just reading and meditating in the gazebo by the river. It's supposed to be the hot season right now. It'll be interesting to listen to "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" as the sun beats down. I do have a Christmas cookie baking date arranged with the two other American ladies in the village. And my mother thoughtfully picked up a small fiber-optic battery powered tree to put up in my hut.
Oh, and did I mention I'll get to spend time with William! That is going to be the highlight of the trip. I miss him so much. I am thankful that we have the phone and the internet, but they just don't take the place of an honest-to-goodness face-to-face conversation! Oh, and you can't get a hug over the phone lines either!
I'll try to get an update or two in while I'm gone. I'm just now sure how often I'll make it into town with this trip being less than a month long. However I will take plenty of pictures and look forward to sharing my adventures with you when I return. May the true spirit of the season reside in your hearts and minds during these coming weeks. God bless!!
Monday, October 16, 2006
I'm Engaged!
Please allow me to introduce you to the love of my life. This is William Kiprop (it sounds like skip-rope without the s). We plan to be married on December 15, 2007. Our wedding will take place in Kenya and we will have a traditional Kalenjin engagement ceremony the week before.
William and I met on my first trip to Kenya two-and-a-half years ago. My roommates from the Life Bible Team teased me about chemistry at that time. None of us had a clue that that special friendship would one day blossom into a deep love. William works for Empowering Lives International in Kipkaren. He is involved with agricultural education and has a huge heart for ministry. He has a gentle spirit and a servant's heart.
We are currently working on getting him a passport and visa so he can come to the USA to meet my friends and family. Please pray for us as this is quite an undertaking. Approximately 90% of the visa applications from Kenya to the US are rejected. So it is truly going to take an act of God to get him here. Thank you all for your prayers!!
William and I met on my first trip to Kenya two-and-a-half years ago. My roommates from the Life Bible Team teased me about chemistry at that time. None of us had a clue that that special friendship would one day blossom into a deep love. William works for Empowering Lives International in Kipkaren. He is involved with agricultural education and has a huge heart for ministry. He has a gentle spirit and a servant's heart.
We are currently working on getting him a passport and visa so he can come to the USA to meet my friends and family. Please pray for us as this is quite an undertaking. Approximately 90% of the visa applications from Kenya to the US are rejected. So it is truly going to take an act of God to get him here. Thank you all for your prayers!!
Back in California
My Crazy Schedule
So I've been back in southern CA for around a month now. And of course my life is back to it's usual craziness. =) I'm back in school at UCLA. I must confess I wasn't overly enthusiastic about returning to the grind. However I've been pleasantly surprised to find that this quarter is not the killer that my last one was. I'm spending three days a week doing my internship. Having incredible mentors is making a huge difference. It's great to have the foundational classes completed so I can start really applying what I have learned. Tuesdays and Thursdays I'm in Loma Linda at a women's health clinic with a terrific Nurse Practitioner. Fridays I work with an experienced physician in a Family Practice. Wed is my day on campus in west LA. I have class from 8AM until 7PM. Last week I learned how to suture. I'm having fun practicing the various stitches on a pig's foot. As you can see school eats up quite a bit of my time. That leaves Mondays for me to work my 12hr shift in the ER.
Back in Church
For the first time since graduating from nursing school I don't work weekends. I've always been in a position where I was required to work every other weekend. When I left for Kenya this summer I had to quit my job and give up my benefits. I'm now working as an "intermittent employee" which is per-diem for those of you in the nursing world. This basically means I'm working the same job as before minus the benefits. But that also means I am no longer subject to the weekend rule. It has been so refreshing to have the freedom to attend church every week. I've even been able to get involved in a Sunday school class on missions and a small group. We are reading "The PAPA Prayer" by Larry Crabb in my small group. It's an interesting look at what a healthy prayer life should look like.
Back to Kenya
Everyone is asking me "when are you going back to Kenya?" Approximately one year from this month I will be moving to Kenya as a full-time medical missionary. I'll graduate in June and spend the summer preparing to head out to the field. This means I'll start the support raising process sometime around January. Keep me in your prayers as support raising has never been easy or fun for me. Although the big move will be happening next fall I may be making a short trip before then. There is a possibility that I will be spending my Christmas break back in Kipkaren. I'll keep you posted!
So I've been back in southern CA for around a month now. And of course my life is back to it's usual craziness. =) I'm back in school at UCLA. I must confess I wasn't overly enthusiastic about returning to the grind. However I've been pleasantly surprised to find that this quarter is not the killer that my last one was. I'm spending three days a week doing my internship. Having incredible mentors is making a huge difference. It's great to have the foundational classes completed so I can start really applying what I have learned. Tuesdays and Thursdays I'm in Loma Linda at a women's health clinic with a terrific Nurse Practitioner. Fridays I work with an experienced physician in a Family Practice. Wed is my day on campus in west LA. I have class from 8AM until 7PM. Last week I learned how to suture. I'm having fun practicing the various stitches on a pig's foot. As you can see school eats up quite a bit of my time. That leaves Mondays for me to work my 12hr shift in the ER.
Back in Church
For the first time since graduating from nursing school I don't work weekends. I've always been in a position where I was required to work every other weekend. When I left for Kenya this summer I had to quit my job and give up my benefits. I'm now working as an "intermittent employee" which is per-diem for those of you in the nursing world. This basically means I'm working the same job as before minus the benefits. But that also means I am no longer subject to the weekend rule. It has been so refreshing to have the freedom to attend church every week. I've even been able to get involved in a Sunday school class on missions and a small group. We are reading "The PAPA Prayer" by Larry Crabb in my small group. It's an interesting look at what a healthy prayer life should look like.
Back to Kenya
Everyone is asking me "when are you going back to Kenya?" Approximately one year from this month I will be moving to Kenya as a full-time medical missionary. I'll graduate in June and spend the summer preparing to head out to the field. This means I'll start the support raising process sometime around January. Keep me in your prayers as support raising has never been easy or fun for me. Although the big move will be happening next fall I may be making a short trip before then. There is a possibility that I will be spending my Christmas break back in Kipkaren. I'll keep you posted!
Last Day with the Kids
The day before I left Kenya I had to say goodbye to the precious little ones who had stolen my heart. They had just received their new uniforms and were looking very smart! I cried my eyes out after saying goodbye.
Orphans Arriving
The children arrived at their new home with only the clothes on their backs. They went from being a nobody to being a somebody; a forgotten orphan to a treasured child.
The Completed New Bridge
Before I left Kipkaren a new bridge was constructed to replace the one that collapsed and washed away. The new bridge restored communication and business between the two sides of the village.
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