Check out our camp week video! It's too long to upload here, so follow this url: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKCUQs77MLc&feature=youtu.be
Thanks!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
Shout Out to MITS Tour Group
On Glue
This is John. He arrived at MITS the same day the AFC arrived.
boys at their base
The MITS Eastleigh Center - Located in Nairobi
Malindi
Well, we've been in Malindi for just about a week now. We arrived Saturday morning (June 16) at Scorpio Villas. This place is very comfortable and we're in such good hands here. The staff is so welcoming and the food is delicious! Time here in Malindi feels like it does back in the US - there is not much of it. We're always on the go. It feels so different from MITS because we have such a set schedule here. We wake up in time for breakfast at 8:00 and finish in time to be picked up by our matatu (mini-bus) at 8:30. Our driver is the one and only "Chula" (which means frog in Swahili). He's the man. I don't know why people call him that. Anyways, he takes us 30 minutes down the road into a village called "Ninepoles" which translates to Mihongohi Chenda in Swahili. There are thousands of coconut trees and it's lush with colorful tropical plants. It's so peaceful and it feels so safe. We arrive and Thethe (pronounced teh-teh), an older and highly respected man of the village, gives us work instructions for the day. We're in the process of laying the foundation for the upcoming staff building. It will include the headmaster's office, a teacher's lounge, the assistant's office, and storage space. As of now, there are three brick buildings standing. Two are classrooms and one is for the nursery/church (Kanisa la Kristo). There are two other buildings but they are made of mud and sticks. Originally there were three mud/stick buildings, but we tore one of them down on Day 1. In it's place will be the anticipated staff building. The remaining mud/stick structures are used for cooking and teaching. Thethe's son, Karisa, gives us further instruction and helps us with our work. So far, the guys have dug trenches, mixed concrete, and distributed bricks. The girls have inventoried the medical dispensary, carried jugs of water (on their heads like true Africans), and have helped dig some trenches. We usually break for lunch around 1:00. The food they serve is really good - ugali, rice, beans, tuna, chicken, mangos, tangerines! After we're bloated, we get back to work until 3:10. This is the time the kiddos have recess. There are 150 kids enrolled in the Mahendzo Christian School. Behind the school, there is a huge, open field that the kids love to play in when they have recess. We join them and they swarm us. They love the attention! They jump, pull, and tug on you and laugh so loud! One time, I was tackled by 25 Kenyan kids. They dog-piled me and I was forced to crawl on the ground with them hanging onto me like leeches. It's fun but it's tiring. So tiring. We play with the kids until Chula comes to pick us up at 4:30 (which is really 4:00 Kenyan time). He brings us back to Scorpio Villas and we pile out of the matatu all dirty and sweaty. The pool closes at 5:30 so we usually have enough time to take a dip. Afterwards, we clean up and have devo at 7:00 in a beanbag lounge area. 7:30 is snack time - the hotel puts out finger foods until 8:00 when we eat dinner. And after dinner we go to our rooms for some much needed sleep. It's been a great experience so far. Malindi is rural. Nairobi is urban. They have completely different feels to them as far as landscape goes but the story is the same. MITS kids and Mahendzo kids all desire to be loved, just as Jesus desires to be loved by us.
Mark 10:13-16
People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
YOSO - You Only Safari Once
I know that is has been awhile since we last posted, but we have been busy and having so much fun! Someone will post soon about our time in Malindi thus far, but I am going to give you all a glimpse of our time while on Safari.
We left early Wednesday morning to go to Masaiimara where the safari was located. It was about a 6-hour drive with a few stops in between. When we arrived to the Masaiimara grounds, we had to stop to register our van to go on the grounds. Our vans were instantly bombarded by women from the local tribe Masaii, trying to sell us things they had made. They were what the typical person would imagine that Africans would look like. They were wrapped in Congas (big pieces of colorful fabric) and had beads all over there body. Specific to the Masaii tribe, the members have huge holes on their earlobes which make their ears hang down almost half way to their shoulders. It was overwhelming to see all of them and also how they live. I personally found it sad that extreme poverty and ignorance of the Lord surrounds the safari grounds containing people who are on vacation with great wealth. The contrast was so obvious to me and made me realize that they need the Lord just as much as anyone and they are being ignored. This is no one’s specific fault, but more just indifference about the situation which needs to be addressed.
From the entrance point, we drove around some on the safari grounds and then were taken to our hotel, Masaiimara Serova. As we drove up, all of our jaws dropped. I personally (I don’t know about the rest of the team) have never stayed in a hotel so nice. We were greeted with hot towels for our hands and taken down a beautiful wooden bridge to the reception area where we were given drinks while we registered. The hotel had a buffet for every meal, a pool, badminton, ping pong tables, kayaking, and so many activities for our stay. We stayed in tents, but they are not the typical tent which you would think of. It had wooden floors, wonderful bathrooms, and large beds.
Throughout the next two days, we would have an excursion in the morning and an excursion in the afternoon. We were able to hang out at the hotel during our down time which was so relaxing. We went swimming, lounged around, and played games during our breaks. During our excursions, we were able to stand up and look for animals the whole time because the tops of the vans popped up. The landscape was a lot hillier than I had imagined. There were lots of shrubs and tall grass. Most of the trees were the ones like in Lion King with the flat tops and not too tall. We saw so many different types of wildlife like a leopard sleeping in a tree, vultures, hyenas, lions, giraffes, zebras, water buffalo, hippos, elephants and much more. Some we only saw at a distant, but most we got to see up close. The coolest thing (which I think most people would agree) was seeing about 10 lions feeding on a water buffalo that they had killed. We were literally like 10 - 15 feet away from all of them. We also saw a large male lion with a big gash on his face and side which we assumed was from the fight to kill the water buffalo. The male lion walked right by our van and was laying right next to us. On the outside of the circle of lions, there was one lion protecting the lions feasting from about 20 hyenas which had come to eat also. The hyenas were all surrounding the lions waiting for them to be done so that they could eat the scraps. There were also vultures in the tree beside the dead buffalo waiting for some leftovers also. I could have sat there for hours watching them and it was definitely my favorite experience of the trip.
Obviously there is probably so much more to tell, but those are the main highlights of the safari. We all felt so blessed to be able to have this mini vacation in between MITS and Malindi. It was a really good time for us to relax, sleep, and regain energy for the next chapter of our adventure. We are now in Malindi and enjoying our time here as well. Another team member will write about that soon.
On a personal note, two days ago while at the 9 Poles Village in Malindi I dislocated my ankle climbing a tree. It obviously was not the smartest idea and I regret that decision, but I can only make the best of the situation now. It automatically started swelling and by the end of the afternoon it looked like I had a tennis ball on my ankle. Thankfully the Becks (missionaries who started 9 Poles) are in town and took me to the hospital the next day. The doctor was able to pop my ankle back into place, but I have a cast and am on crutches. It was not what I expected my last two weeks of the trip to be, but I am in high spirits. I honestly feel so blessed though to have such a wonderful team. They have all taken care of me and helped me in any way possible. They truly have servant hearts and I don’t know what I would have done without them. Also, I wanted to make a personal shout out to Jeremy for being such a gentleman and sooo helpful to me. I rode his back everywhere I went the first day and he was there whenever I needed him. He was proactive and just so sweet in helping me try to be comfortable in a very uncomfortable situation.
Please keep us all on your prayers that we may continue to serve the Lord through our actions and words. We are getting tired, but would not trade this experience for anything. We are so thankful for the support and love that you all have shown us during our time here.
Gig’em and God Bless,
Laura
We left early Wednesday morning to go to Masaiimara where the safari was located. It was about a 6-hour drive with a few stops in between. When we arrived to the Masaiimara grounds, we had to stop to register our van to go on the grounds. Our vans were instantly bombarded by women from the local tribe Masaii, trying to sell us things they had made. They were what the typical person would imagine that Africans would look like. They were wrapped in Congas (big pieces of colorful fabric) and had beads all over there body. Specific to the Masaii tribe, the members have huge holes on their earlobes which make their ears hang down almost half way to their shoulders. It was overwhelming to see all of them and also how they live. I personally found it sad that extreme poverty and ignorance of the Lord surrounds the safari grounds containing people who are on vacation with great wealth. The contrast was so obvious to me and made me realize that they need the Lord just as much as anyone and they are being ignored. This is no one’s specific fault, but more just indifference about the situation which needs to be addressed.
From the entrance point, we drove around some on the safari grounds and then were taken to our hotel, Masaiimara Serova. As we drove up, all of our jaws dropped. I personally (I don’t know about the rest of the team) have never stayed in a hotel so nice. We were greeted with hot towels for our hands and taken down a beautiful wooden bridge to the reception area where we were given drinks while we registered. The hotel had a buffet for every meal, a pool, badminton, ping pong tables, kayaking, and so many activities for our stay. We stayed in tents, but they are not the typical tent which you would think of. It had wooden floors, wonderful bathrooms, and large beds.
Throughout the next two days, we would have an excursion in the morning and an excursion in the afternoon. We were able to hang out at the hotel during our down time which was so relaxing. We went swimming, lounged around, and played games during our breaks. During our excursions, we were able to stand up and look for animals the whole time because the tops of the vans popped up. The landscape was a lot hillier than I had imagined. There were lots of shrubs and tall grass. Most of the trees were the ones like in Lion King with the flat tops and not too tall. We saw so many different types of wildlife like a leopard sleeping in a tree, vultures, hyenas, lions, giraffes, zebras, water buffalo, hippos, elephants and much more. Some we only saw at a distant, but most we got to see up close. The coolest thing (which I think most people would agree) was seeing about 10 lions feeding on a water buffalo that they had killed. We were literally like 10 - 15 feet away from all of them. We also saw a large male lion with a big gash on his face and side which we assumed was from the fight to kill the water buffalo. The male lion walked right by our van and was laying right next to us. On the outside of the circle of lions, there was one lion protecting the lions feasting from about 20 hyenas which had come to eat also. The hyenas were all surrounding the lions waiting for them to be done so that they could eat the scraps. There were also vultures in the tree beside the dead buffalo waiting for some leftovers also. I could have sat there for hours watching them and it was definitely my favorite experience of the trip.
Obviously there is probably so much more to tell, but those are the main highlights of the safari. We all felt so blessed to be able to have this mini vacation in between MITS and Malindi. It was a really good time for us to relax, sleep, and regain energy for the next chapter of our adventure. We are now in Malindi and enjoying our time here as well. Another team member will write about that soon.
On a personal note, two days ago while at the 9 Poles Village in Malindi I dislocated my ankle climbing a tree. It obviously was not the smartest idea and I regret that decision, but I can only make the best of the situation now. It automatically started swelling and by the end of the afternoon it looked like I had a tennis ball on my ankle. Thankfully the Becks (missionaries who started 9 Poles) are in town and took me to the hospital the next day. The doctor was able to pop my ankle back into place, but I have a cast and am on crutches. It was not what I expected my last two weeks of the trip to be, but I am in high spirits. I honestly feel so blessed though to have such a wonderful team. They have all taken care of me and helped me in any way possible. They truly have servant hearts and I don’t know what I would have done without them. Also, I wanted to make a personal shout out to Jeremy for being such a gentleman and sooo helpful to me. I rode his back everywhere I went the first day and he was there whenever I needed him. He was proactive and just so sweet in helping me try to be comfortable in a very uncomfortable situation.
Please keep us all on your prayers that we may continue to serve the Lord through our actions and words. We are getting tired, but would not trade this experience for anything. We are so thankful for the support and love that you all have shown us during our time here.
Gig’em and God Bless,
Laura
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Camp Week
So, this last week has been pretty non-stop and full of blessing. As you can see from the photos Traci posted, we hosted a Camp Week last week for all of the students at MITS. Our theme was Superheroes of the bible.
Tuesday- John opened our morning lessons with an introduction to David and Jonah. This day's thought was Superheroes have obstacles: David having Goliath and Jonah having the fish. The verse we chose for the day was Philippians 4:13.
We had 5 teams, each with a guy and a girl team leader. The team leaders met up with all of the kids that would be on their team for the week, and worked to explain how our point system would work. The kids could earn points for being present at our roll calls, memorizing daily verses, winning games and being generally good servants or behaving well. There were 5 rotations that the kids went through. Kristin and Shannon both taught bible classes, Grace from the Tour Group wrote and directed skits in which the kids learned how to act out the bible stories they were learning about. Shannon Jack also from the Tour Group organized crafts and then there was a daily quiet time where the students worked on memory verses or played games or group leaders could share any thoughts. In the afternoons, we had to the boys side of the campus where Jeremy headed up games. We played different versions of tag and capture the flag, soccer, and other fun running and playing games.
Monday- camp week was kicked off by Micah leading songs and opening the days lessons about Moses and Daniel. The theme was superheroes have a talent. This was great for the kids because in their bible classes they got to discuss their own strengths and consider the was God has equipped them for their life's battles. Mondays memory verse was 1 Corinthians 10:31
Tuesday- John opened our morning lessons with an introduction to David and Jonah. This day's thought was Superheroes have obstacles: David having Goliath and Jonah having the fish. The verse we chose for the day was Philippians 4:13.
Wednesday- Esther and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Superheroes have a sidekick, and we have God. God was ready to use these ordinary people to do great things and display his power. These people were great examples of having to depend on God as their futures were so uncertain, relying on God was the only way for them to be successful. Our verse was the end of Deuteronomy 31:6. This day was especially notable as we had no staff on campus. The first group was returning from Malindi while the other was simultaneously travelling to Malindi. This days lesson was good for all of the team members as having God with us was definitely the ensuring of our success.
Thursday- The morning began with songs and Chris from the Tour Group speaking on Job and Samson. The theme for the classes was that superheroes have an enemy and we discussed the way Job and Samson were tempted. Our memory verse was John 10:10
Friday- Jesus! Our verse was Matthew 16:27 Friday was a bit different, as a few of our AFC team went to Nairobi for the day, so we condensed groups, Drama practiced for the skits to be performed that night. Shannon's bible class involved each of the group leaders teaching a part of Jesus' life. Birth, Miracles, Calling the Disciples, Death/Resurrection, 2nd Coming. Crafts included writing encouraging notes to the team members or drawing or working on memory verses. During the drama class, each group had one skit that they practiced each day. Then, Friday afternoon, they groups performed their skit in front of everyone. After the skit show, we finished off the official camp week by watching Iron Man 2.
Then, on Saturday, each team gathered one more time for the team awards and a camp slide show which Chris for the Tour Group put together. The group with the most points got cokes while all of the other groups enjoyed Nice Biscuits (some wonderful coconut cookies that are apparently a Kenyan staple). Afterward, a lot of pictures were taken before splitting for the night.
And with that, we closed out a wonderful and action packed week. For those of you who don't know, Camp Week was only planned for being Camp Day until about a day and a half before we boarded a plane to come to Africa. Some excellent coordination between our groups and some extra hours put in by everyone, especially Shannon, Laura and Taryn and the Tour Group working out details and lots of lesson plans made everything possible. As we closed out the week with a devo, Traci reminded us that God knew all along that Camp Day would be a week and He equipped our team with all the various skills we needed to lead us to success. Micah also shared a verse at our devo from 1 Corinthians 12:12, that we are all one body made up of many parts. I think that it's so true and applicable, because our AFC group is an interesting combination of personality, some people joining the team as good friends and others as almost strangers (and everywhere in between). On top of that we added in another group from gathered from all across the States who we began working with and relying on as soon as we arrived. Our success and cohesion can be rightfully attributed only to the Lord having his hand on our mission and desiring to work in the lives of some wonderful street kids.
So, praise God for a good week and for the impact on His children! As a team leader, I felt that this week really helped to bond with the students, as I spent each day and each new experience with the same group. So many new friendships were forged, and on deeper levels than the previous week. Tonight was our last night to spend with MITS students, and it's been full of pictures and exchanging letters. It's bittersweet, but even though we'll miss our new friends, we're excited to head out on our safari and then transition to the Lord's work in Malindi.
Blessings from Kenya!
Jennifer
Then, on Saturday, each team gathered one more time for the team awards and a camp slide show which Chris for the Tour Group put together. The group with the most points got cokes while all of the other groups enjoyed Nice Biscuits (some wonderful coconut cookies that are apparently a Kenyan staple). Afterward, a lot of pictures were taken before splitting for the night.
And with that, we closed out a wonderful and action packed week. For those of you who don't know, Camp Week was only planned for being Camp Day until about a day and a half before we boarded a plane to come to Africa. Some excellent coordination between our groups and some extra hours put in by everyone, especially Shannon, Laura and Taryn and the Tour Group working out details and lots of lesson plans made everything possible. As we closed out the week with a devo, Traci reminded us that God knew all along that Camp Day would be a week and He equipped our team with all the various skills we needed to lead us to success. Micah also shared a verse at our devo from 1 Corinthians 12:12, that we are all one body made up of many parts. I think that it's so true and applicable, because our AFC group is an interesting combination of personality, some people joining the team as good friends and others as almost strangers (and everywhere in between). On top of that we added in another group from gathered from all across the States who we began working with and relying on as soon as we arrived. Our success and cohesion can be rightfully attributed only to the Lord having his hand on our mission and desiring to work in the lives of some wonderful street kids.
So, praise God for a good week and for the impact on His children! As a team leader, I felt that this week really helped to bond with the students, as I spent each day and each new experience with the same group. So many new friendships were forged, and on deeper levels than the previous week. Tonight was our last night to spend with MITS students, and it's been full of pictures and exchanging letters. It's bittersweet, but even though we'll miss our new friends, we're excited to head out on our safari and then transition to the Lord's work in Malindi.
Blessings from Kenya!
Jennifer
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
PHOTOS!!!
Hiya Fans!
I know you are all eager to 'see' us in our element. So...enjoy! ...traci
p.s. FYI, these are in no specific order...they just sort of uploaded on their own.
Last week:
SUPERHEROES CAMP WEEK!!!
Other fun things happening:
I know you are all eager to 'see' us in our element. So...enjoy! ...traci
p.s. FYI, these are in no specific order...they just sort of uploaded on their own.
Last week:
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| Jennifer tutoring a kiddo in math |
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| Taryn tutoring a kiddo in math |
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| Micah helping a student read |
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| Jaxon giving a quiz |
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| Taryn & Laura helping in the kitchen |
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| Micah at morning chapel |
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| Morning chapel in the Octagon |
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| Kristin & Traci after dinner with Jackton & Millie |
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| Bari (current Serve Abroad intern) taking Kristin & Shaley (new interns) on their first matatu (taxi) ride |
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| Our guys and some of the MITS staff going into Eastleigh to walk the bases |
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| It's raining...let's go play in the MUD! |
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| Success! |
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| We ROCK!! |
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| AFC-Kenya Team dinner at the Coulstons |
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| Traci with bananas straight from the tree |
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| Shannon and Erick getting some work done |
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| Kristin helping the girls make chapati |
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| Laura painting toenails |
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| Jennifer making bracelets |
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| Shaley painting fingernails |
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| Walking to morning chapel |
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| We eat meals at the MITS Cafe |
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| Bus ride from airport to MITS |
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| We're here!! |
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| Make this your facebook banner to help promote MITS. And if you'd like the MITS Tour group to visit your church, book club, youth group, etc, email one of us and we'll get you connected. |
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| Jaxon teaching the difference between horizontal and vertical |
SUPERHEROES CAMP WEEK!!!
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| Kristin teaching about Jonah; a student drawing the story on the board. |
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| Kids saying their memory verse for John. |
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| Jaxon playing a game with his GREEN TEAM |
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| I am good at... |
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| Shannon making plans with Jackton |
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| Kids during chapel |
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| John teaching at chapel on Day 2 |
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| John protecting Shannon from a very friendly cow who likes to headbutt people |
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| Shannon, Taryn & Shaley getting ready to play games |
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| Laura and Jeremy ringing the bell btwn rotations...in the rhythm of Hullabaloo, of course |
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| Jeremy working with a kiddo during craft time |
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| Shannon teaching about Moses |
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| Shaley helping some girls in craft time |
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| Micah and his BLUE TEAM |
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| Jennifer and Catherine giving instructions to the YELLOW TEAM |
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| BLUE TEAM |
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| GREEN TEAM (minus Laura) |
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| PURPLE TEAM |
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| YELLOW TEAM |
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| Jaxon calling his GREEN TEAM |
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| Micah sharing at chapel at Day 1 |
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| Camp Week chapel at the Learning Center |
Other fun things happening:
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| Baptism of 3 girls last Sunday morning |
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| Bonfire with the kids at the Boys' Compound |
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