The Great Rift Safari

Wednesday, we left early and headed towards Narok, the Masai land. This is West of Nairobi. As we got out of the city and on the open road, the roads were much smoother (they're TERRIBLE in Nairobi). After some time, we hit the Great Rift Valley.  Oh. My. Gosh!!! I mean, I knew I was looking forward to it, but I didn't know I was looking forward to THAT!

I guess to really illustrate what I was looking at, you need to understand what it is to be in Kenya; looking up at the same sky I was.
Do this exercise with me.

[Close your eyes. Take yourself to an open field. Set this field on top of a mountain. But there are no trees. Just miles and miles of open plains. Envision the clear robin's egg blue sky with whisps of flawless white clouds.

Breath in.

You just breathed in crisp fresh air. The kind that makes your lungs tingle.The kind that's beginning to be warmed by the morning sun, half risen in the sky.

Standing in the spot your in, slowly turn yourself in a circle. You are looking up to realize your seeing half the globe from the single place. You look down, and see this.]

Now that. Is the Great Rift Valley experience.

Of course I took some pictures, then we began our journey down into and through the Valley. I saw Kijabe- the largest missionary station in the world. I saw an old Catholic church that was built by Italian slaves. I saw kilometers upon kilometers of acaisa trees. Then I spotted giraffes! Now this I had to stop the van for! Woot! Woot! Wild Giraffes!

From the top of the valley to the bottom, you could see Mt. Margaret which was given to teh British princess for her birthday. She didn't do anything to it though like the community hoped. And also saw Mt. L.
We went through Maai Mahui and other villages to eventually arrive in Narok, at the Seasons Hotel.

This was quite a journey, but I had seed nothing yet.

.::Kenya's Calling::.

A few things you didn't know...

1. I have not been bitten by any mosquitos - no malaria - YAY!
2. It has rained everyday
3. Flying ants are actually termites. They land, shed their wings, mate, and eat things. Kenyans will fry and use them as a garnish - taste like bacon
4. I have NOT eaten these termintes
5. I've tried both Papaya and Passion Fruit for the first time. LOVE PASSION FRUIT!
6. There are 4 million people in Nairobi
7. When the bank brings money into the mall, they are followed by men with large guns
8. They all think my name is Britania- which is a Small, Sweet Buscuit/Cookie here  HAHA
9. EVERYONE in Kenya knows Marilyn :)  "hello mahmah..."
10. The rain stopped, its sunny now
11. I met a child wearing TOMS shoes yesterday - Hers were donated. We have a picture in our TOMS together
12. I've eaten raw vegetables here and not died
13. I have a headache from consuming too much coffee. I canNOT keep up with Marilyn, I had to switch to tea the 2nd day
14. I'm learning Kiswahili/teaching Japanese hehehe
15. In traffic there are vendors who walk around with the most random items while trying to sell it

And last thing for today:

16. I've taken fewer than 150 photos. SHOCKING right?!?!?!  :D

.::Kenya's Calling::.

Packing for our road trip...

So I'm back in the office again today.


But that's okay! You know how when we think we have our schedule or our trips planned God ALWAYS changes things around. Well He did. And I'm definitely okay with that!


Today I'm in the office trying to get things organized for the trips ahead this week. This is where I am grouping all of the wonderful things brought and dividing them by Hope Center. And then I'm making four packages so we can take it to all the centers over the next couple days.


Therefore I did not go to Katissa today. But the rest of the week I will be on the road, Lord willing. We will be staying in the Narok area because we will be visiting four Hope Centers in 2 days. On our way there I get to go to the Rift Valley. I AM SOOOOO EXCITED!!!!! Why?  Check this out.


Here is what God put on our plate for tonight...


We will be having a blind girl stay at our apartment tonight! The school she goes to is closing I guess and her father lives far away. So instead of him traveling very far distances back and forth, she will be staying with us tonight and then we will give her to her father tomorrow. She is around the age of 14. When she was 11 she had an infecion behind her eyes, and by the time thte doctor found it, it was too late.


He told her she'd never see again. Wouldn't it be great if God healed her. Or brought her a physician here on her who could perform a surgery that could give her her sight back?


In the meantime, I learned she has adapted well. She knows how to read braille now, and has just a sweet and happy personality! Praise God! I can only hope that I could be as joyous if something like that happened to me.


I better go so I can get things packed some more. I'm going to try and tag along when they go to pick up the young girl.


Keep Praying! EEK!


.::Kenya's Calling::.

Working in Nairobi...

So I guess I have a little more time to write a little meatier blog post. I'm doing this in the midst of writing my Business Plan Presentation. Ha. Yes. I'm writing a presentation or a class to help women understand how they can easily create their own small business and make it viable so they may begin to generate an income.
I will then be putting together a couple other presentations for specific topics of discussion.


I will also be working with 2 different age groups of children. The younger kids, and the older kids. I have a couple of games and little songs planned to teach them, but I'm not sure of that scedule et. On Saturady I will be parcipating in the Kids Club in Kibera. Then after Kids Club in the Penpal's Club.


I'm very excited!! I'll be taking photographs of the children for the sponsorship packages they put together. This way the kids can have sponsors and go to school!


Here is my itinerary if you want to follow along:
Kibera- Today
Katisaa- Tues
Osegea- Wed
Olototo- Wed
Ilkerin- Thurs
Ololii- Thurs
Fri- Kibera (women)
Sat- Kibera (children)


Woot Woot!


But I guess you're all wondering what I've been doing so far..


I arrived Sat night to a wonderful welcoming comittee! This is where I met Arnie, Walter, Samson and Alex! I had already met Marilyn because she came searching for me in the airport! This is how the scenario went...


I'm off the plane and filling out my paperwork to apply for my visa to enter the country. As I am almost finished, a little white haired lady peaks her head from behind me to my left and says, "Excuse me, my name is Marilyn. I am looking for a girl named Brittany!"


I smiled and said, "Marilyn, you just found her!" and I gave her a big hug :)


Sunday was a leisure day for us. Since Marilyn and Arnie do not drive here, they get rides to everywhere they go. Their adopted Kenyan son, Shadrack (cool name, right?) was out of town this past weekend, so they did not have a ride to church. So we had a nice time catching up on sleep, enjoying a nice breakfast, and spending the rest of the morning getting to know each other some more and telling wonderful stories, between Kenya, other mission trips and just back home.


We went out for lunch then to the Java House in Nairobi and hit up the market place, "The Junction" after. Once we had all the groceries we needed we spent time in the afternoon at Mayfield. Mayfield is like a compound where people can come and stay. Usually missionaries stay there, but other travelers are welcome also. They do your laundry, serve meals at certain times, have a small library and other nice features.


There we visited with Dave and Mary Ellen--other fellow missionaries who've spent many many years in Kenya just as the Newmans.


Later we went home and had dinner and spent the evening talking some more. This is when Marilyn shared the story of her calling to Kenya and the vision God gave her that began the Hope Centers and Special Ministries. It is absolutely remarkable what God did for her and the miracles He made happen.


I am so excited and thankful to be a part of this ministry here and beign able to share just a fraction of my time with them! You know God has confirmed me being here twice already just by the supplies brought and items donated. What was brought was exactly what the people needed. Marilyn told me this on Sunday when we went through my bags.


Then again this morning when showing the staff here at Special Ministries, Samson said, "Did someone give you the list?"
I said, "What list?"
He said, "When we visited the Hope Centers this week, they told us what they were needing, and you just brought all of it to us!"
I said, "No, I had no idea, I never saw that list."
He said, "It's just divine confirmation."


So I know this is just the beginning. I know God is going to speak through me the rest of this week! Keep praying please!


Not sure when I'll update next, but I hope to really bring some more to this soon.


.::Kenya's Calling::.

Jambo from Kenya!

Hey everyone!! I'm alive and well! It is currently Monday morning at 10:35am. I'm currently working in the Special Ministrieds Foundation office today an starting tomorrow I'll be all over the country side doing activities with the women and children in several differeny Hope Centers.

God really is in the midst of all of this.

He could not have put me with better people for my time here in Kenya.

Will try and post more soon.

Love you all!!!!

.:: Kenya's Calling::.

AHHHH

We're down to under the 24 hour mark... Woot Woot!

.::Kenya's Calling::.

New Medication

So this morning I took the first of 30 of the large blue pills.

These are my anti-malaria pills!

I'm so excited to start taking these... you know why?

Becuase it means I leave in 2 days... that's why :)

.::KenyasCalling::.