Thursday, December 21, 2006

Holiday Travels

Hello from rainy Busia. Yep doesn't feel much like Christmas around here with all the nasty mud and rain and heat! But we are making the best of it and having a great time.

I arrived in Busia on Sunday night after a long bus ride and was greeted at the border of Uganda by Dennis! We've had a great few days together away fromt he city just reading and relaxing and praying and watching movies on his laptop. The highlight has been the building of his house of course, however, the big rains and mud each afternoon has slowed things down a bit. But the house is looking good and the landscaping will look good after the rains stop and the mud is cleared away. I'll post pictures when i can. The internet at this internet cafe is very unreliable and i cant count the number of times i've lost my emails and typing cause the electricity goes off! But thats life here! And you make the best of it!! I've gotten to the public transport here which is a boda boda...a bicycle you ride on the back of. Its been a memorable holiday thus far!

I really enjoyed my time in Nairobi last week with Betty and her family. I cooked a good American meal of hamburgers and homemade fries on Saturday night which they loved! I also was able to travel to see Baby Allison ad her family in Ruiru (if you remember her story from a few years ago) She is growing so big so fast. She loved the baby doll i brought to her from America. Sweet little Ava Asta sent it with me to give to her. It was the highlight of the day! I also got to visit and stay the night with my friend Milkah who was my tentmate during my 40/40 bush orientation in 2003. My week in the big city of Nairobi was fun but I was also excited to travel upcountry to be with Dennis again.

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for me and for my safety as I have traveled the last few weeks. God has been faithful! Please continue praying. Also be praying for all my ELECTRONIC problems. Almost all the electronics i own have decided to stop working!!! First my computer power adaptor died, then my digital camera, and now my external computer harddrive i backed up everything on my computer with. I can't hardly believe all of this has happened but i'm trying to keep a good spirit and attitude and praying the Lord will provide for me to get all these things fixed when i return to North Carolina in January!! Its been a good reminder that life isn't about STUFF!! Its about keeping our eyes fixed on the Savior! Pray that i can do that!

Thats my short update for now...pictures to come from Dennis' camera when i can get them.
Love to you all and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Sunday, December 10, 2006

See ya later!!

Well in just about an hour I'll be headed out to the train station to go to Nairobi. I should arrive in Nairobi at 9am in the morning if there are no delays or Kenya "stuff" that happens. So as I go please be praying for traveling mercies and safety. I'll be by myself a lot in my travels til I reach Busia, which can be kind of scary sometimes. But the Lord is traveling with me so I know I'm not alone. Love you all and have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. See you all very soon!

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!


Well its hard to believe that its Christmas time again....and even harder to believe it when you are living in hot, humid, steamy temperatures here in Mombasa. And the temp and humidity just seems to keep climbing as the days go by. One shower a day has turned into at least 2 or 3 and the laundry piles up as I change my sweaty clothes over and over. Oh but that’s life here at the coast!

Many of you know by now that I will be staying in Kenya til January 16th so I can spend the holidays with Dennis’ family in Busia (Western Kenya) before coming back to the States. Dennis finished teaching last week and left yesterday to go on to Busia to continue work on his house being built in his Father’s compound. I am remaining here with the rest of the team until this Sunday. This is a picture of our whole Serve Kenya team (from left to right is Jill, Kristin, me, and Patrick and Dennis behind)



On Sunday I will be taking a little wild adventure on my own and will be traveling to Nairobi BY TRAIN and will stay there a week so I can visit old friends. I’ve never traveled by train so its going to be a first for me. It takes twice the time to get to Nairobi by train but it travels at night and I’ll have some sort of a bed to sleep in instead of sitting straight up on a bus. And the neat thing I’m looking forward to is to wake up early the next morning as we roll through Tsavo Safari Game Park just before Nairobi. If I’m lucky I hear I just might see some animals!

After a week in Nairobi I will then take a bus to Busia and meet up with Dennis and his family there. I don’t know exactly what Christmas or New Years will be like there but I’m always up for a new adventure and experience. And if its with Dennis its bound to be fun!

I will probably not have any regular email access for the entire month of December so don’t be alarmed if you don’t’ hear from me. I will have my cell phone though and would WELCOME any phone call from home!! (hint hint) Would be good to hear voices from home. My number is (254) 0725 121063 (if that doesn’t work leave out the zero before the 7)

As you and your family celebrate Christmas together this year please remember the REAL REASON we call this time of year CHRISTmas!! And then go share with others why Jesus Christ our Savior was humbly born into this world....

“….Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”
Philippians 2:6-11

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!