Animalia

Going back in time to my trip to Naivasha last Wednesday:

My host family, the Gallaghers, have a niece and grandma visiting, so it was 7 of us that piled into their car to head out to Lake Naivasha. On the way down, we picked up a police officer who needed a ride down the escarpment, so I climbed into the back-back and the police officer and his machine gun climbed into the regular back. Lynnea, who is 11, didn't appreciate the gun being pointed in our general direction but having a policeman in the car isn't a bad thing, considering the recent carjackings that have occurred on the lower road. He informed us thatW carjackings we no longer a danger since they had shot two of the men. Great. A few minutes later, we saw another man trying to hitch a ride. Troy hinted that we were full and asked the police officer to roll down his window and tell the man that. The police officer, however, opened the door and the guy hopped in! Now there are 9 of us in the car and Michelle is sitting on her son's lap to make room for our guests. I couldn't help but laugh . . .

Naivasha was great. We parked the car and sauntered around amongst the animals for hours. The Gallaghers are bird pros, too, so I saw and heard a lot of new birds. The kids had fun chasing the zebra and waterbuck, we listened to hippos grunting, and kept a wary eye on the lone buffalo that was keeping a wary eye on us.

Plenty of giraffe . . .
Making friends - and so close to his chewing!

Troy is into photography and kindly lent me his polarized filter. The clouds really pop. Dad - we have to get some of these. Can you see the difference in the pics? And opinions about which one is prettier?

And finally, crayfish. I couldn't help but sing the little "you got a line, I got a pole . . . " tune.

I don't think I mentioned yet that in my excitement I dropped my lens cap into the crayfish muck and Seth had to scoot down and get it. No harm done. :)

I Made Fire!

Morning Routine:

Wake up to the noises of Africa – usually a squawking Ibis. (If you don’t know what that sounds like, you are blessed.) First thoughts – I’m cold. Must start fire. Out of bed. Insert feet into slippers. Shuffle to coffee maker – switch on. Shuffle to fire. Sit in chair that has been positioned the night before so that feet can be propped on the hearth. Settle in for the morning challenge:

Roll paper. Stack kindling. Light a match. Match goes out. Light a match. Match head breaks off. Repeat this process until fireplace is littered with cheap matches. Finally light some paper on fire. Watch it burn into nothing. Logs smoke feebly and go out.

So that was the morning routine of the last 3 days (after I suffered though a couple days with no wood for the fireplace). I did get one fire started with the help of a dose of kerosene, bequeathed by a caring friend who had me for dinner and took pity on my cold plight. UNTIL . . . Sunday, the day of the firestarting. During which the morning routine was the same except the fire part:

Roll paper. Expertly lay out kindling in a railroad pattern. Light ONE match. Ignite paper in several different spots. Sit back and watch the fire pop and crackle. Contentedly sip coffee and read the Word – and revel in my success. I have made fire.

And the whole experience was made all the more satisfying later in the morning when I met my neighbor Lori to walk to church. When I proudly announced my success of lighting a real fire – with ONE match – she said, “I know! I saw the smoke pouring out of your chimney!” So not only did I have a personal success, but everyone knows it! HA!

So that's my story. The rest of my day was lovely, going to church, meeting up with some ABO friends who are taking language class out here and making a big lunch together. My friend Linda is an excellent cook and allowed me to 'help' make pizza - except my crust turned out rectangular and her 8 year old daughter had to roll it out for me. But Linda kept telling everyone I made the pizza . . . sweet thing. The rest of the day involved more cleaning and arranging of my little place, some hanging out, dinner out (6 nights running!), and a little movie night with some of the women on campus.

Update/clarification on packages - I've been told the flat rate boxes arrive without problem as well. When in doubt, go flat rate. I guess. :)

Packages

My mom tells me I need to be more specific about package information. First of all, thanks to those who inquired about paint rollers but the parents beat you to it! Wow, they are fast. Same day service.

About mailing things, I updated my "contact information" on the right hand side to say that the best way to mail anything is in flat-rate envelopes. Apparently boxes are a target and go missing or take 10-24 MONTHS to arrive. I've heard that some post offices aren't equipped with these envelopes and will try to send it in a box but . . . don't do it! Push for the mailer. The thing is, I have no idea what these things are, this is just what people say to do here.

So, that's the deal, and you can pray that the package my parents sent arrives. It is important in the house-decorating realm.

A House in the Clouds

My new life at 7,500 ft:

I light my oven with a match.
I can see my school from my kitchen window.
I set a timer for my hot water heater.
I wear my wellies to walk to school.
I live two doors down from my principal.
I have dial-up internet (love the sound of that modem!).
I heat my house with a fire.
(I am hopeless at starting and maintaining fires.)
I am watching baboons scamper in my front yard as I type this.
I view the Rift Valley from my bedroom.
I have increased my mile pace by THREE minutes . . . due to altitude.
I have dropped 3 miles off my run . . . due to altitude.
I eat homemade chocolate chip bagels for breakfast
I have twice as many 110 outlets in my house as 220. Bring on the American appliances!
I wear 4 layers to go to sleep at night.
I consider the electric blanket one of man’s greatest inventions.
I live in a little house in the clouds above the Rift Valley.

As you can tell, my life has changed a bit. :) It is quite the adventure – and I’m loving it. The last few days have been a whirlwind of moving, shopping, unpacking, and taking day trips out of Kijabe. I arrived on Tuesday and on Wednesday my host family took me to Lake Naivasha on a mini-safari! Yesterday I spent the entire day in Nairobi shopping for important household goods. I am now the proud owner of a coffee maker, electric kettle, microwave, hot water bottle, 3 cans of paint, and a rug for the bathroom. And more than that, but those are the important things. I’m going to be doing eXtreme home makeover here in the next couple of weeks. I’d like to start TODAY but there are some challenges – first I have to sand down the super-shiny Kijabe Cream paint that covers all of my walls, closets, and cabinets. Then I have to wait for American paint rollers to be mailed to me (subtle plea to kind-hearted souls). A unique feature of my house is that I can see every window from the bathroom door. So curtains are important. I bought CUTE fabric yesterday for my dining room window but I still haven’t found anything for the kitchen windows.

So that’s how this sea-level girl is doing in the beautiful Kenyan highlands. I already have many stories but I wanted to get this out there so you can know I’m here, I’m great, and I’m nesting my little heart out.

We're HERE! Ryan, Frances and Mike Worsham, Candace and me after just pulling through the gate on Tuesday. Obviously I'm excited. :) The 5 of us flew out here together. Ryan is teaching 5th, Frances 3rd, Mike is HS Bible, Candace is a dorm mom, and me . . . I teach 4th grade! =)

Goodbye, ABO!

ABO is done and I'm catching some quick internet in Nairobi before heading to my new home - Kijabe! I'll be at RVA in a couple hours and sleeping in my own bed tonight! I'm so excited - but sad to say goodbye to my new friends. Someone said that we would probably all be friends for life after spending 3 weeks of intensive time together. That sounds good to me! Here they all are:


And some more pictures, taking advantage of the quick connection!

On the hike . . . should I just quit teaching and work for national geographic?

You need to see a picture of a tuk tuk . . . these little guys aren't popular in Nairobi but were certainly helpful in Machakos. I am heavily laden from a trip to the market.

It wouldn't be a true missionary event without a skit. This is super missionary rescuing the banana seller from a snake bite using both the zapper and the black stone. Don't worry, she was saved!

ABO BFFs getting our feet all nice and clean. Doesn't that just look relaxing?

Extremely Photogenic

Hooray! Pictures!

Where Converse sneakers go when they die: Chuck Heaven. (Toi Market in Nairobi)

The aforementioned musical number. Meghan with the tambourine, Mama Grace with the maraca, me with the washboard.

On our hike with a little dude.

Dancing Grandmas and Avocado Wars

With ABO being two thirds done, I’ve settled into a comfortable routine here. We leave next Tuesday! I’ll be at RVA in a week, PTL. =) It continues to be cold here – I am wearing every long-sleeved shirt and jacket that I own at the moment. I unfortunately turned in my sweatshirt for washing on a rainy day and it hasn’t been sunny enough yet to dry it off . . . I’m COLD! I’ve also been dragged out on some long runs with Meghan, who is training for a half marathon when she gets home. I’m not quite used to 5+ miles in this altitude. Helps me sleep well at night. The food . . . is . . . passable . . . but we had another birthday today so cake and ice cream for all! Woohoo!

Highlights:

We went back to the same school this Sunday. I couldn’t help it, I got on my ‘teacher voice’ and did a little talk on respect before we launched into our lesson . . . and guess what, the lesson went perfectly and everyone was attentive. No more reading the newspaper or waving sticks around while someone else is talking. I also enjoyed a precious time after with a bunch of girls, chatting about life in Kenya versus the U.S. and learning new Swahili words. Unfortunately all I remember is “suti ya Mungu.” Literally “suit of God,” . . . or naked. Clever.

Today was our “cultural scavenger hunt” in Machakos town. My group was intent on winning the prize for the best relational experience . . . and I think we might have done it! Sarah, Meghan and I were browsing through the market for some sisal baskets when I spotted a strange looking instrument. When I asked how it worked, I got a great demonstration from Mama on how to shake and sing. This demo snowballed into a full-out song and dance fest with maracas, tambourines, and the original washboard-tambourine combo I had spotted in the first place. Mama, her old mama, and the three of us busted into some praise songs, complete with African dance moves (or so I attempted) – and I got the whole thing on video. Meghan promises to upload it for me when she gets back to the states. We are crossing our fingers for the prize tomorrow!

A Prayer Request:

We found out today that a former RVA student died from hear t issues. He was a sophomore from Wheaton and out here for an RVA reunion when he fell sick. His family is very involved in AIM and this will affect the extended AIM family a lot. Please pray for his parents and four siblings. We had a sweet time of prayer this afternoon, but then were encouraged to rejoice in his salvation. It is a reminder of how fragile life is, but how great is our assurance in our Savior.

And another story:

This afternoon I was lying on the grass with two other girls, just chatting and watching the clouds go by. Suddenly, I heard a whistle and a thud – and a shooting pain in my forehead. As we looked around for the perpetrator, our DIRECTOR, Loren, peeped sheepishly out of the kitchen window and announced that he meant to startle us, not knock me out with an AVOCADO. I found said avocado, and after examining the dent my head had put in it, tossed it back at him. It, being quite rotten, splattered a bit against the bars of the kitchen window. Loren grabbed the remains and hurled it right back – and score! Green ghostbusters slime splashed across Megan’s jacket. Gross. It’s a good thing he didn’t hit my last clean jacket or we would’ve had world war 3 – avocado style.

OH – the black stone – love to my researchers. It is actually a cow bone, treated with a milk and charcoal regiment. When placed on a snake bite, it sucks the venom out. These are for sale here if you want me to special order one. (Martha?) The zapper is a ‘missionary special’ that involves a motor of some sort and a hand crank and an electrical charge that neutralizes venom. This is totally not proved by doctors but totally reliable in the missionary world. Hopefully I’ll never have to use either.