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Although daily life seems to be settling down, we still have
new experiences weekly. Here’s what we’ve been up to since my last post:
MOSOP ORPHANAGE
Last week we had the opportunity to visit an orphanage. We were delivering donations, organizing a craft for some of the
kids, and playing with the rest of them. Matt and I used some of the money that
we raised to purchase a small craft project for 50 kids. We had no idea the
orphanage was also a school and therefore had around 200 kids! We decided to
organize the craft for just one grade level. Their teacher called them into a
classroom and we had fun showing them how to use glitter glue and fabric
markers to design their own bags. When they were finished with the craft they
wanted to sing a few songs for us. Watching 50 Kenyan kids join in song has
been the highlight of my trip thus far. Click on the link below to watch a video and catch a
glimpse of how we spent our afternoon at the orphanage.
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Presenting our donations: Socks, calculators, pencils, sharpeners, erasers.
A big thank you to those of you who donated supplies!
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| Singing with the kids! |
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| The queen on her chariot. |
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| Nature Center in one of the classrooms! |
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| Trying to carry a HUGE bag of corn. |
Our friend who is a missionary here at Tenwek, Dean, is
currently raising money to support this orphanage. He plans to climb Mount
Kilimanjaro (19,341 feet) in August and is hoping to raise $1.00 per foot of his
climb. If you would like to help him reach his goal you can donate online here: https://www.wgm.org/cowles
FRIENDS!
A few times now Milka has brought her youngest daughter over
to our house to play with our kids. Phylis will be 3 next month, has the best
laugh, and can throw a ball better than most two year olds that I’ve known (and
I’ve known a lot of 2 year olds). : )
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| Phylis & Elana |
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| Milka & Phylis |
Last Sunday we had the privilege of eating lunch in Milka’s
home. We ate ugali, goat stew, kale (which is very common here because it is
easily grown, not because it is
trendy), and my kids’ favorite, chapati. Following our meal, we explored her
neighborhood a bit, and of course enjoyed a cup of chai before going home. I
have been so blessed by my friendship with Milka and we were very honored to be
invited to her family’s home.
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| Robert, Milka, Diana & Phylis with the Woodleys! |
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| The church where Milka attends. |
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| The girls! |
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| Milka's home & me stealing a baby (Milka's niece). :) |
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| Diana & I |
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| Elana holding Milka's niece. |
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| On our way home our friend, Manuel, found us and once again carried MJ to the bridge. |
OTHER EXCURSIONS
Prior to visiting the orphanage, a group of us stopped to
tour a local tea factory. After a 30-minute wait for them to open the gate and
let us in, we were informed that our kids were too young to go on the tour. So
our family headed back to the van while the rest of the group toured. While we
were a little disappointed, we did get to see the big trucks pulling loads of
tea leaves in and buy some fresh tea!
Side note: I am usually an advocate for keeping your
children away from electronics, but our iPad and Doc McStuffins has been a life
saver during these TIA (“This is Africa”) moments when we are sitting around
waiting for reasons that are always unclear. : )
Matt and our fellow Nazarene / Tenwek tour guide, Dean
Cowles (mentioned above), go running together several mornings each week and
are usually joined by kids on their way to school. Earlier this week, Dean and
a group of visitors were going hiking nearby. Matt was a little late and I
relayed the directions to him: “Take a left after the bridge and then your
first right.” What wasn’t clear was whether a dirt path constituted as a first
right or not. Needless to say, Matt got a lot of exercise trying to find and
catch up with the group. As a last resort he hopped onto the back of a boda
boda (motorbike taxi) and rode the remaining portion of the hike until he
caught up with the group. Boda boda accidents comprise about half of casualty
visits, so I’m glad he returned unharmed.
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| Matt & Dean on a hike. |
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| Matt on a boda boda |
OUR MKs
Thank you for your prayers for MJ. His tantrums have
decreased and both kids are now accustomed to our slightly different diet here
in Kenya. We are pretty proud of our flexible children and how well they have
adjusted to life in Kenya.
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| Watching the rain. |
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| One of their favorite places to play...a closet in their room. |
MJ is a pro at greeting now. He is always willing to shake
hands and bring a smile to the Kenyans’ faces. Our Kenyan neighbors are big
fans of MJ and he frequently walks into their house when the door is open and has,
on occasion, attempted to allow himself in even when the door is closed. He
also knows which missionaries have pet dogs and regularly stands outside of
their houses waiting for the dogs to come out. He is now exceptional at chasing
lizards, holding chameleons, and kicking a soccer ball.
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| Boys being boys. |
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| I love this silly kid. |
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| MJ attempting the rope swing. |
While Elana is still a little reluctant to shake hands with
the Kenyans, she is super friendly and starts up a conversation with anyone who
will listen. : ) She spends most of her day wandering around the compound
collecting avocados that have fallen off the trees, playing with any and all
kids that happen to walk by our apartment, and convincing the gardener to find
her chameleons. Elana has especially surprised us with her willingness to try
new foods and new things that we assumed would give her some anxiety. For
example, she recently used a typical Kenyan outhouse (consisting of a hole in
the floor) and wasn’t even phased by it.
WHAT I’M LEARNING
FROM KENYAN KIDS: LESS IS MORE
Yesterday I noticed a group of Kenyan girls playing in the
field down the hill from our house. After a few hours, I looked out the window
again and sure enough they were still there. No balls. No dolls. No Shopkins.
Just a big open field and some friends.
I didn’t see any toys at Milka’s house when we visited other
than a tiny ball made from a plastic bag. More surprising than the lack of toys, was that that small ball was enough to provide entertainment for all four kids!
Every day between 5 and 6pm, a bunch of Kenyan kids show up
outside of our apartment. Elana quickly runs inside and throws our soccer ball
out the door to the kids. She loves providing this excitement for the kids and
watching them play.
While we do plan on leaving a lot of toys here and Elana has
already decided to whom she will give each toy, the truth is that they don’t
need them. The kids in Kenya are happy and content. Growing up in a culture
where things generally take a loooong time, Kenyan kids are much more patient
than my own (and most American kids) ...and they don’t even need electronics to
melt their brains while they wait for any and everything! In fact, I have
noticed that Kenyans in general don’t have this dependence on entertainment
like we have in America. Our kids always have to be playing with a toy,
watching a movie, or going somewhere. Even adults in America have a need to be
busy: Working, going on vacation, buying things, watching Netflix, etc. I’m not
saying that any of these things are wrong, just that perhaps we are missing out on something more valuable. Anytime we have friends over to
our house Matt is quick to make a stack of games, not only because he enjoys
playing and winning games, but because he dreads sitting around and
talking. It is so difficult for us to just sit down and have a conversation,
but that is a huge component of Kenyan culture. It makes me think that less is
more. We have made ourselves and our kids so busy with activities and
possessions that we have sacrificed conversations, relationships, and even
patience.
Elana has mastered the rope swing. However, I am still
afraid she is going to fall down the HUGE hill it swings over.
Kenyan boys rolling paint bucket lids with sticks.
MJ's attempt at using Kenyan toys :)
WHAT I’M LEARNING
FROM KENYAN ADULTS: TO MAKE GOD MY FIRST RESPONSE
I have been challenged by my interactions with Christian
Kenyans. It is rare that I have had a conversation with a Kenyan and not heard
mention of God.
While talking with a mother about her pregnancy:
“God has blessed me with each of my
children.”
While talking with a mother of two, trying to get enough
money for their school fees:
“Pray for
me, that God will provide the money needed.”
While talking with Milka:
“I will
pray that God brings your family back to Tenwek.”
Before drinking chai:
“Pray and
thank God for the rain that watered the beans I just planted.”
While I do pray often and regularly praise God for His
blessings, it is usually in private. I struggle to make God my first response
in public. It seems so natural and easy for the Kenyans that I have met to point
to God in every situation, whether
that be asking for prayer or sharing a praise. I hope to grow in this area and
bring God into my conversations more frequently and with more ease.
PRAYER REQUESTS
Several Tenwek representatives recently met with the Kenyan
Medical Board regarding licensure for DOs. The Board did not change their
decision, however, they did agree to determine DO licensure case by case. Pray
for the long-term missionary DO physicians who now have to provide extensive
documentation of their credentials. Pray that the Kenyan Medical Board will
recognize their qualifications and give licenses to these committed physicians.
Pray for our family as we come to an end of our time at
Tenwek. Pray for Matt’s students and the friendships we have formed here. Pray
for protection over us as we travel next week.
Praise! We received an email from Samaritan’s Purse last night!
They received our application for the Post-Residency Program and asked us to
interview with them in August. Please pray that the details for this interview
will come together. Pray that if it is God’s will, we can begin our first
long-term assignment through this organization.
