The Best Feeling

*We are on the ship Victoria on Lake Victoria!*

Day 36 ~ Sunday
I write you with sheer exhaustion although I do believe it is the best feeling of exhaustion a person could ever have. The kind that comes from giving all that you have – spiritually, emotionally, ect. – to the most amazing children God ever created. We all went to church this morning and it went very well! I am not sure if I have told you but the orphanage has its own church service and we all attended their service today. It has lots of African singing, dancing, praying, and is quite exciting. During the sermon (since it is in Kiswahili) I caught up on my journaling for the past few days which was quite nice. Right after that we passed out all of the school and tennis shoes for the children…Christmas in July! Then we took the secondary kids (14 of them) to get school supplies because school starts up again tomorrow and they were in dire need of supplies. We bought textbooks, notebooks, pens, and backpacks. Although they need many more supplies, that should get them off to a good start. Once finished with all that we treated them all to a soda and then Holly and I went to the orphanage to drop off the supplies we had bought and I got to hang out with the children by myself for a little bit. I love them with all of my heart and every second I spend with them is a blessing.
Seven days. I get teary eyed just thinking about it. We leave next Sunday morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed, for Mombassa and then to Kenya to teach an English camp. I will try my absolute best to be a happy camper but know that I will be totally crushed not to have my children, my little brothers and sisters as they call themselves, around. There isn’t just one or two that I have fallen for…but all of them. They all have a piece of my heart and instead of wanting to take them home with me I just wish I could bring all of you to them. You would love them, I just know it. I can’t really describe what it feels like to know that you matter. When I give hugs and receive them I know it isn’t just a hug but something so much more than that. That little brother or sister needed that hug or word of encouragement, or pat on the back, or tickle, or, or, and, and…it matters. They know when they get that hug that they matter. (Sigh.)
I apologize for not writing for so long but we have been on the road for the past week and internet was not a possibility. This past week the Kansas team (minus Jordan because sadly he was sick but is doing just fine now) headed to a friend of ours, named Sonny, village. The village was located in the ‘bush’ of Africa and took a good while to get there (about two days traveling). It was an amazing experience. To give you an example of the peoples’ lifestyles that we met I will try to explain. They fetch their water from wells quite a good walk from the house. Those buckets are carried on their heads. They then start their own fire, boil the water and add their own homemade coffee grounds to make coffee (which was delicious!). They also plucked and fed a couple of chickens to us which is an extreme honor. Needless to say, we were wowed by the feast knowing how long it must have took and how hard it must have been to do it all by hand. Mattresses are hard to come by and extremely expensive for them (they had two) which they loaned to us as their visitors. They slept on grassy/straw beds and a flat matt that they had weaved themselves. There were at least 15 people living there (including children). In this part of Africa they had over 15 types of bananas. There are baby bananas, sweet bananas, cooking bananas, ect ect. A part of the culture there was to go around to the local huts (yes huts) and introduce the visitors to everyone…so we did. We were very welcomed by many people and had the honor of praying over their homes and families. The second day there we went around and prayed for individuals. We prayed for a woman who had been paralyzed in the arm, recovered, and then lost her voice and has not had a voice for a month. Tears streamed down her face as we laid hands on her and prayed for healing. There was a young boy who saw us walking around and somehow knew that we were people of God. He stayed with us as we visited a few homes and asked if we would come and pray over his home. What a privilege…God is working here.
While there I experienced the most amazing hospitality that you could ever imagine, the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen, the closeness of God and His people, and meeting many strangers that already felt like family. I would like to thank everyone once again for all that you are doing for me here. I can feel your prayers working, your thoughts flooding over me, and your joy filling me. Also, because of support I was able to supply half of the funding to buy a new bicycle for Sonny’s family (which is as nice as a brand new car there). You have never seen a woman so grateful and excited in your life as Sonny’s mom was to receive that gift on behalf of her family!
On the way to Sonny’s village we had the amazing luck to spend a night in a hotel boat settled on Lake Victoria. On the way back we took a cruise ship back across Lake Victoria and spent the next day on the most relaxing beach in the world on Lake Victoria of which we swam in! (We had time to spare because we were waiting on our bus from Mwanza back to Tarime.) While in Mwanza we also got to have some good ol’ American food such as pizza, a cheeseburger, and the wonderful taste of a chocolate twix candy bar. J
Time. Time here is so much different from that in America. For those of you who are “To-Do List” people like me Africa might be a struggle. In America it is quite easy to make a simple list to buy the groceries, pick up your mail, and visit a friend. Although that may take an hour or two in America, that could be an entire day venture here. Patience is most definitely a virtue here in Africa.
I pray that all of you are living God’s will and feel the happiness that I have felt while here.
I love you all! : )

Restoration

I took this during the safari.

Day 20 - June 27, 2009 – Saturday

Words. I am at a loss for words and then again I have thousands running through my head trying to describe today, and Africa, and the children, and how God is working His amazing abundance here. Here, smack dab in the middle and entirety of my heart.
This morning we all arose bright and early (headed to the orphanage by 8:30) and Chelsey and I headed to the orphanage to grab some soda crates that were empty for our friends and piki-piki drivers (a piki-piki is a small motorcycle) Kennedy and Paul to be traded with full soda bottles for the day at Gamasara. After we sent them on their way Nicole showed up with a surprise breakfast! Chapatti for me – yum!

It took about an hour before we left the orphanage for Gamasara as today was a special day! The board locally at the orphanage decided to get the relatives of the children involved in their life (their guardians) and invited them out there for the day. They had a program where the children sang and some adults explained the rules or ‘laws’ of the orphanage and how this would help to keep them safe to the guardians. The meeting took a lot longer than they meant it to. Many of the relatives hadn’t seen the children for years, wow.

Even through that the day was amazing! All of us young people sat on a tarp on the floor in what is going to be the dining room of the new orphanage – Gamasara. It was neat to see everyone in that great hall, even without windows or tables or anything else but us. Gamasara = home. It has meant home to me since I laid eyes and foot on it. Well, four hours after the meeting started we switched into lunch. We had sweet bread and a soda which was extremely satisfying. I ate lunch with a few of the little ones outside and Chelsey and I sat on the swing while eating which was extremely relaxing. Before too long I was swinging with a child by my side. Not long after that many children came out of the meeting hall and were everywhere. The tickle wars began.
It was perfect. “It” meaning everything. God’s little piece of Heaven here already on Earth. (Deep Sigh) I have fallen in love. With God. With each and every child. With Gamasara and the hope it brings for these angels. The connection with these children is divine. We have spent two weeks with them. Two weeks. Two weeks of time. There is no way that the time here is Earthly time, it is most certainly God’s time. I would not change it for anything. I wish this was my life forever, here, and now, and with these children.
I bonded with the children today more than ever before. Not just one or a few, but many. God has bonded our hearts to these children. I shine here and I cannot imagine myself anywhere better in the universe. I am in the center of God’s will. His will!!! I am so thankful for what He has done, is doing and will do!

I bonded with Angel more than before. I bonded with Joseph Charles like I have known him my entire life. I bonded with Sampson and William and Robert and and and. I bonded with Nosi and Salomi and Rhobi. The truth of all of this is that it isn’t “I” who is bonding with any of these amazing souls…God is bonding the “I.” He is using me here to connect with these people, with the lives here.

No amount of words can describe what God is doing in this life He has created for me.
Restoration. Chelsey shared with me a song by ihop TheOneThing 2006 Live called “Restoration” and it has touched my soul.

“You bring restoration. You bring restoration.” Restoration is exactly what I have been feeling here.

Kate shared with us the other night about something she had heard from a friend. The African life is simple but hard while the American life is complex but easy. Try and wrap your minds around that, I will give you some time to think about it before I explain.
For now, time for some more restoration at the orphanage.

Day 16 ~ Home is most certainly where the Heart is ~

Above is our Africa Team this year from Kansas!
Nicole Guthrie, Holly Heyroth, Chelsey Herzet, Yours Truly, and Jordan McFall

Day 16 – June 23, 2009 – Tuesday

This morning I awoke and had an egg for breakfast. I then went back to my room and had one nice cookie with peanut butter. Today has been kind of a dizzy day and I am trying to add protein but I think it just may be the heat. No shower for Chelsey and I today – not enough water unless we use Dasani. Oh well, what is one day right? I am sure the flies will love us!
We, as a group, decided that we would like to read a book out loud together so we are reading “Sex God” by Rob Bell. So far it is very good. I love how much time I have for reading while being here. We have the opportunity to take whatever time we would like to do things to keep our soul soaring!

After that we departed for the orphanage. Once there nothing much was going on. The Kansan group headed to the back office room and started going through each of the orphans files to find their birthdays. It was quite the experience to look through their files which included old pictures, facts such as how they ended up at the orphanage, if their parents had died, been killed, were too poor, or just fled. We also got to see what their dreams and hobbies were. Although some of the children had birthdays written on their documents, many did not. Some had a year but no month or day. I couldn’t imagine not knowing the day of my birth. God is starting a movement in my heart of what I have no idea of the contents yet.

After that I went to the book shelf and started looking around. I found a show that I had watched growing up, “Brother Bear.” I pulled it off the shelf and soon had a little one looking over at me. Her name is Rhobi and she read the entire book out loud to me. There were four small books within the book and I asked her after each book if she would like to stop but she was determined we were going to finish the book and we did! I felt so proud to help her read words and sound them out. We both felt great achievement when she would remember how to say a word that was a few pages back. “L”’s seemed to come quite hard for her but we accomplished the word “fly” after a good few tries. I tried to explain what a birthday was (since it was in the book) and she didn’t know when it was…how sad. I feel everyone should have the knowledge of their birthday at their fingertips if they do not know it. I have most definitely made a friend.
After reading I led us out to the main area where I knew painting was taking place. We each sat down and started to paint. She painted a beautiful flower and I painted a butterfly. The butterfly was the kind I was taught when younger how to fold the page in half, paint half of the page, and then fold it over to get the exact image on the other side. I was followed with many eyes during this process. I feel like tooting my own horn and saying that it turned out very nicely. Kippepayo means butterfly in Swahili. As soon as I was finished I had a little boy next to me copying my picture – how cute! I will add a picture later of the results of both paintings. Peter Michael was the child who made me smile by doing that.

After that I made a new good friend by tickling him. His name is Vincent. We danced, jazz danced, tickled, used our strength against one another (he is pretty strong for being so young), and just had a blast. I tickle many children throughout the day and Jordan and Chelsey have been teaching the children lately that I am very ticklish so I have to be on my guard at all times.



For lunch we had rice and beans with pineapple which hit the spot! We then took some time for ourselves. I listened to the i-pod book again and eventually drifted off into a nap with the new fan we got today. We now have two fans in our room and we are very thankful. When I awoke we headed to the orphanage around 5 and had all sorts of fun. I watched some soccer (futbol) with Vincent as the older boys played and actually got kicked a pretty good one once. I have some swelling and bruising already, haha! Vincent and I have a constant tickle/wrestle contest going on where we compare our strength. In a couple more days he might actually be able to beat me at the age of around 10. Sheesh! J I then danced with various people and received many happy hugs. Jordan and I had to get Bebe (grandmother) at one point to help us get rid of four random guys out front of the orphanage. After the stories of random men in the town we are all on our guard…especially when they are talking to our girls.

Once we got that taken care of the fun began again. Lucy invited me to play some checkers with her (made out of soda tops!). I was doing a pretty good job at beating her until Joseph Charles came over and started helping her. They have a different way of playing here in Africa and soon we were almost even. William came up and gave me a hug and I asked him to help me with the new rules and playing. We made a pretty good team and gave Joseph a run for his money…haha. He is a pretty competitive boy so it was funny to see him losing. Rhobi came over after a little while and also helped me which was perfect timing because five minutes later us Kansans had to leave due to it getting dark. I received many good bye hugs – about three each from my kids J and took off feeling so loved.

Their hugs feel like home. When I am in their arms nothing in the world matters but that hug, those arms wrapped around me so tightly, and those smiles that are shining on our faces. Ten seconds down the road I looked back, waved, and said another goodbye and the promise I wish I could always make of “I’ll see you tomorrow!” Those smiles pour into my soul more than any words said. I love those children so incredibly much. When they hurt, I hurt, when they are sad, I am too with the hope of cheering them up, when they need hugs, you bet I am there. Wow. God’s love. I cannot wrap my mind of how much God loves each and every soul so incredibly much that I cannot even begin to fathom. If I feel this much for those kids, how much does He feel for me? How much pain does he feel and how He must hurt. Then again, how joyous He must feel, more than I feel even when I know I am in the middle of His will. God’s will.
After the orphanage we walked over to the hotel for cold Coke’s and a visit from Lawrence. I decided to opt out on soda and drank my tea – delicious! We got a ride home, ate a delicious meal made by Nicole (of Chipote, veggies, and fruit salad of bananas and pineapple). After that we chit chatted for a bit and now I am here at the house. Us youngans are doing a devotion while the missionaries are conversing with the pastor.


Until next time! : )

God's Will

Hello All!

I am busy and loving every moment of it! To update you on the first two weeks of the trip - it took us two days to get to Nairobi through flights and waiting in the airport but we made it! We took a day to visit the Eastleigh English Center where the team from last year taught English. It was wonderful to be back but also sad because all of our students from the previous year had left recently due to some turmoil between the current missionary teachers and the students. However, I loved conversation with a group of eight teens and one elderly man. I had the newest students in my group of three days and also one week although I had some who could speak very good English as well. We spent the rest of that day getting more supplies for Tarime.
The next day we headed for Tarime which was quite the journey in itself. Our 8 hour car ride stuffed with eight suitcases plus all of us ended up being 12 hours but we arrived happy and safe, thanks be to God!

We headed the next morning for a two day Safari in the Serengeti with the other missionaries in the house. There are four of them who have been here since January. Holly is the amazing woman who led the team to Africa last year and made this year possible as well. The three others are Joselyn, Nate and Kate (of who are married). We definitely got to know one another and bond as planned during our safari. We saw many animals including zebra, elephants, LOTS of hippos, a lion, lion cub, lionesses, wildabeast, warthogs (we saw both Timon and Pumba…J) and many other animals. Our van broke down once but luckily we made it though. I could write a book about the safari adventure alone so that will have to wait for another time.
Below is part of my journal entry from this past weekend. I feel this entry explains a lot of what I have been feeling since I have been here. It is amazing how God can turn one human week into many Godly months…my time here may seem short to all of you back home but to me it has been so much longer in the best way possible.

This was written on Day 13 of our journey – June 20, 2009 – Saturday

God’s Will

Today we went to Gamasara. Gamasara is the location where the new orphanage is going to be. It is an absolutely beautiful sight! I wish, and hope already, to one day call it home. The main building where they will be living is almost finished; they are hoping to have the kids move in around January. How wonderful it would be to stay here and see it happen. Kate and Nate (a missionary couple here) have had to work extremely hard to make it come along so far – with God’s help of course! They have a well there along with many many crops and the family that lives there now (the security and upkeep people) have chickens. The goal is that in the near future Gamasara will be a self sustaining orphanage. Meaning that anything they do not grow or need, they could sell their extra stuff to get it and break even. How amazing! The land has the potential for visiting teams and even long term missionaries. Oh how I would love to be one of those people!

Words cannot describe how I felt today. I loved it with all of my heart, my whole self. My spirit was soaring, my smile couldn’t have been bigger, my body was physically happy with exercise such as walking, pulling bean plants, and swimming while my emotions were calm and soothed. Holly asked me if I could see myself living without this (meaning the children)…I responded without a doubt, no, I couldn’t. I love those children and this place more than anything. Is it because I have only been here a week? It very well could be, but I don’t believe so. I love those children so much. Their smiles, their handshakes and hand holds, those amazing hugs where you just know that it is so much more than a hug, how we encourage one another and tease one another but most importantly love one another. In one week we have become a family, a big, screaming, yelling, laughing, singing, pushing, helping, but none-the-less family.

Every day I look forward to seeing those children and the adventures we will have of the day. I look forward to trading smiles back and forth with Joseph Charles, Mwita, Sampson, and Salome. Their smiles reach down into my soul and help me to shine. Instead of wanting to take them back home, I want to stay here with them to help them through their trials. Being here is like a constant vacation. There really isn’t a set itinerary, but there is always something to do. I feel more exhausted here than I have for a long time but it isn’t a sad or upset exhaustion. It is the tiredness of loving many people (most of them little people), running, singing, laughing, carrying, and putting my entire being into loving each of those children. (Sigh of happiness.)
I sit here with a smile on my face writing, just thinking of all of the memories we have made already. I wish I could write them all down but know that even five pages of writing one memory can’t possibly give it justice. God is amazing and I am so thankful that He has brought me here. I pray that I can keep following His will to feel so amazingly happy and blessed knowing that I am smack dab in the center of God’s will.

I love you all and am thankful beyond words for all of your thoughts, prayers, and support!

At Last! : )

Dear Friends and Family,

Sorry to disappoint all of you by not posting! I honestly and mistakenly forgot my username and password...but obviously I now have it!

I will try my absolute best to write every couple of days!

Everything is amazing here in Tarime on day 14 of this adventure. I look forward to writing and letting you know how God is working here!

I love you all and will (I promise as long as the power is on) write soon!

~ Kylie