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!