Hey o! I am trying to write a little bit errday. And for some reason it seems like a good idea to share a bit with you. Let me know if this gets annoying, please.
Today is Sunday, and we started the morning off with a power outage (a regular Sunday adventure, it seems). It happened right as I was getting ready to fix my hair, and it came back on as we were walking out to get into the car for church. I ran inside and fixed my hair and luckily, Paul was being a slowpoke this morning and no one was waiting on me any longer than they were waiting on him. I was proud of my sneakiness. :)
Church at Agape is always interesting. It's geared towards kids, and so most of the time, I have to dig for something to really get out of it, and that is not to say that John and Morris are not incredibly intelligent men of God. They totally are. But it just takes some getting used to, I guess. Today we talked with the kids about being a light to our families and friends, and when we are born again, we are no longer who were, but God lives in us, so it's a new life through Him. It was pretty cool. Morris had a box that was wrapped with white paper and it said "Salvation" on it. He called Kennedy up and he unwrapped the box and was explaining that when you become saved, you get all of this good stuff. Inside the box were some cookies, some candy, and some kind of fruit or something, all of which were for Kennedy. The kids LOVED LOVED LOVED it. And we loved that they loved it. :) Morris does a great job bringing the stuff to a kid's level. He is the shyest person I've ever met, to the point where he almost comes across as rude. But you get up him at church on Sunday and he's AMAZING. I love listening to what he has to say. He's good people.
After church we did some socializing with the boys and then we went to lunch at Kiboko Bay. My food was not that great, so I was kind of disappointed, and I'm pretty whooped from yesterday so I've been kind of cranky all day. But Paul and I decided to go see a movie, since I didn't get him anything for his birthday, I treated him to a movie. There's a theater at Nakumatt and I bought two movie tickets, two sodas and a thing of popcorn and it was 600 shillings. That comes out to like $8. Maybe. I'm still not great with the money-math. Haha. But we saw the new Xmen movie. (it's new to Kenya, okay?) I surprisingly really really enjoyed it. I'm a fan of the Xmen movies. And I'm a fan of Hugh Jackman. Mostly I'm a fan of the way Hugh Jackman looks. :) But overall it was a cool movie, and Paul enjoyed it. So it was a good time.
We took a tuk-tuk home. A tuk-tuk (pronounced TOOOOOOOOOK TOOOOOOK. You can yell it if you want, I just wanted to make sure you know it's an OOOO sound. We don't want you mispronouncing these things, do we?) is like a cracked out golf cart. It has three wheels. Sometimes the roof is a tarp. And the steering wheel looks like a set of handlebars from a bicycle. Ours did not have a door that closed, and I almost lost a shoe. Anyway, it was only 100 shillings, which is a little over a dollar. Well worth the ride, and definitely an experience. Paul even took a picture and some video. I'll have to post it later.
I came home and thought about taking a nap. But when it's almost 6pm, taking a nap just ruins everything. And plus the power went out AGAIN. At this point we all just laugh about it. It gives us a chance to turn off our computers and just TALK to each other.. haha. Then we went to dinner at the Imperial Hotel. Apparently they have very good steaks. I don't like steak. So I had a pizza that was really just Mexican food in a circle. I am going to have to pay for that later, and so is Shelly, I'm sure. She's my roommate tonight, and I've already asked for forgiveness.
Anyway, I'm pretty dang tired. Tomorrow I go back to work in the office, working on the database. Not the most fun of jobs, but whatever I do, I do it for the Lord, right? So.. Hooray. Or something.
Say prayers for Jo and Tommy as they are in Cambodia ministering to orphans. I had a chance to talk to Jo for about 4.3 seconds today via facebook (which is always an adventure) but at least I know she is alive.
Also, I wanted to share a story very quickly. A few weeks ago, John and I were working on the database. John (same John mentioned earlier in this note) is in charge of Reintegration at Agape. His job and passion is to get the boys back in their homes with their families. The team goes out and meets with the family, shares the gospel, provides counseling, and tries to heal all of the brokenness that exists in these homes around here. John is really good people, and he is absolutely AMAZING with the kids. Anyway, a few weeks ago we were looking through files and I came across a file of a boy who had been kidnapped from his home and sold into human trafficking. He got all the way to the border of Tanzania until he was rescued by the Red Cross. They brought him and a few other boys to Agape for temporary care until they could get back home. I asked John if that happens a lot around here, human trafficking. He got big tears in his eyes and I knew what it meant. It breaks my heart. For real. We talk about this stuff back home but for some reason, it hits much harder when you see these kids and all of the struggles they go through. I know that life is not fair, but this really IS. NOT. FAIR. People don't belong to anyone, and it's ridiculous that someone can sell a little boy for sex slavery. I hate it so much, with everything in my being. But I know that God is in control of all things, and I see Jesus in people like John, who fight on the front lines everyday for these beautiful boys.
Anyway. Love and miss you all. Thank you for reading.
Riss
22 June 2009
Just felt like writing about the past few days...
Bum Bum Bee Dum, Bum Bum Bee Dum Dum (that's from "Disturbia" by Rihanna. I hope it's stuck in your head the way it's been stuck in mine ALL. DAY. LONG.)
Well it's almost 10pm and I'm waiting for my doxycyline pill to kick in or whatever (I take it at night, and I have to take it at least an hour before bed.) I wanted to take some time to write about the past few days, because they've been interesting and completely different from my normal days here. I am beginning to understand the difference between coming here with a team and coming here on your own to live here for 5 months. I'll just say right now there is a HUGE, GIGANTIC, GINORMOUS DIFFERENCE.
I say all of this because there is a team here visiting. They arrived last Sunday and are staying until Wednesday-ish. One of the folks hanging out with us is Shelly, who works at the Agape office in Modesto. She's here with her boyfriend, Cody. Then there's Phil, Sue, and Paula. Phil and Sue just got married like a year and a half ago, and are both over 50. Phil is a college professor. And Paula is the principal of a school, so the three of them came to Kenya to work with the teaching staff at Agape. I think they have been a big help. But it's also nice to hang out with some Americans. It feels like a bit of home, you know?
Wednesday, we went to the Drop-in Center. The Drop-in Center happens on Wednesdays, and it's a place for street kids to come and get a meal, hear a message, and maybe bathe. It's absolute chaos, and it's terrifying and challenging and something that most days I would rather NOT do. But I know that those kids need Jesus the way I do, and if God tells me to go, I'm gonna get going. I should probably tell you that the first time I went to outreach, I FREAKED out. I walked inside and cried because I was so overwhelmed. This past Wednesday was my third time, and I was much braver. I stepped out of the van and walked right up to the boys and started giving high fives and introducing myself and learning names. I pulled out my camera and the boys started modeling, and doing crazy stunts to be photographed. It was wicked fun. Then one of the boys, Evans, said he wanted to talk to me. So we sat down. He was really, really high. And he told me he wanted to go to school. So I told him to go to school. He said he couldn't because he lived on the street. I told him that he lives on the street because it's HIS choice. There are so many organizations that want to help street kids. But street kids don't want to help street kids. That's why they run away and get high and steal and prostitute themselves. It does not make any sense to me and it makes me angry when these kids beg ME for things when they have the opportunity to change for the better and THEY DON'T WANT TO. So, anyway, Evans told me he wanted to go to school. I asked him if he sniffed glue. He said no. I told him he could be honest with me. He said he didn't sniff glue. I said, Evans, I know you are high right now, so don't lie to me. And he looked at me and said, "I don't sniff glue." I told him that I couldn't help him if he didn't want to help himself. I told him that God wants to help him, but he had to let God help him. And that God wants him to stop getting high, and God wants him to have a home and go to school and that God really wants him to succeed and live a long life. But living on the street and stealing and getting high goes against what God wants. There was a day when I wouldn't have been brave enough to be that honest with someone. I'm not sure if it was the right thing to say. But I know it was the truth, and I don't regret it. I know that God will speak through me if I let him, and I feel like He did that day. This is part of why it's so hard to be here. I wish I could explain it better. But being here is not easy. It's the hardest thing I've ever done. But it is BY FAR the best thing I have ever done. I almost feel like it's not fair to be here, to be doing something that I love doing, that I am GOOD at. STOKED.
On Thursday, we did all of the tourist-y things. Mike and Karen flew to Nairobi for the day to (attempt to) work some stuff out with Paul's adoption. So I was with the visitors. We went to Agape for a little bit in the morning, and then went shopping. Shopping is such an experience here. First we went to Pendeza Weavers. It's a shop that does all of its weaving by hand, from picking the cotton, to spinning it on the looms, to weaving it into table cloths and napkins and blankets and all kinds of good stuff. I bought a really cute purse and some other goodies for some friends back home who are getting married in less than 50 days. Just sayin'. I also picked up a table runner for my momma. I'll definitely be going back before I leave in September. Their stuff is absolutely beautiful. It's a really cool place.
After Pendeza, we drove to Nakumatt (like Wal-Mart) for some reason that I can't remember. Then we went to the shops where you can buy all of the souvenir-type things around here. It was pretty cool because I got to bargain with the shopkeepers. I picked up some pretty cool stuff, and I am very proud of my choices. But I'm more proud that I shaved off over $30 overall. It's strange to me how people try to persuade you to buy things. One of the shops was run by a woman who had a baby on her back. She kept saying, Please buy from me so I can buy my baby lunch. That's always hard for me, because you never know who is telling the truth or not. I told her that I was very sorry, but that she didn't have anything I wanted to buy. But it breaks my heart, you know? You just want to be able to help people, but it's hard because sometimes you think you are doing good things, but you are really just feeding a disease. You are buying into the drug use, and the stealing and cheating a lying and that's always hard for me. I honestly worry about becoming a cynic, becoming jaded and hard-hearted. Maybe I need more compassion. I guess that's something I need to work out with God.
Then we went to lunch at Kiboko Bay. It's my favorite restaurant here. It's right on Lake Victoria (which honestly looks like an ocean, it's THAT big), and it was beautiful in the middle of the afternoon. Then we drove to the Equator. I have to tell you, the Equator is a HUGE letdown. But at this point, it's funny. It's just a statue of a ball that says "Equator" on it. You could drive right by it if you weren't paying attention, haha. But it's definitely worth the 45 minute drive to stand there for 20 seconds and take a picture or two. Yep. We went and hung out at Agape again when we got back into town. I have to be honest with you, I had such trouble being at Agape at first. But for whatever reason, a few weeks ago, everything just CLICKED for me. And now, I can't get enough of it. I love those boys with my whole friggin' heart. One of the boys, Michael, decided that he didn't want me to know his name. So I just decided to call him, "Nyo-yo." (not quite sure on the spelling, but it's the name of a food here. Beans and Corn.) So then he called me "Mutumbu." I just found out that means "intestines." We are good friends now. :)
The next day (Friday) the team drove out to Motoso where "The Farm" is located. It's like a 5 hour drive, and I've already been, so I decided to stay home for the day with Karen. (The Farm, by the way, is Agape's vocational school. The boys that don't really thrive at school can go to the Farm and learn trades like mechanics and masonry. It's a really great thing they've got going on there.) I was home all day, and all I did was write. It was great, I'm not going to lie. I'm writing a lot here. I love it. Then last night we went to dinner and I had mosquitos flying above my head all night, which I always hate. I had a new drink, it was a pineapple soda, and it's AS good as a Stoney, not going to lie.
Today is Saturday. We had Paul's birthday party here at the house today. I guess this is the second time that Paul has celebrated his birthday (he's 13 this year) and so we had 24 kids over at the house today. Our day started with a nice trip to Nakumatt, and then a mad dash to try and set up for this party. The kids were great sports, they did a three-legged race relay and, randomly started doing karaoke and having a dance party. It was great. And Karen made a pretty bomb cake, not gonna lie. I had to iron some sheets to use as the projector for a movie night at Agape. And then we went out to dinner. That was great, because a couple of the boys from Agape came with us. They are kind enough to teach me bits of Kiswahili here and there. And they laugh at my jokes. And they don't make fun of me for being the dumbest, whitest person around here. So I dig it. We sang Rihanna in the back of the truck on the way to Agape for movie night.
We got to Agape at around 6:30 for movie night in the dining hall. You cram almost 70 teenage Kenyan boys into a small room and it's bound to be a hot stinky mess of hot stink. We watched "Evan Almighty" and Shelly had bought the boys soda and popcorn and some candy and it was a great night. I love that the kids think Steve Carrell is funny. When those kids laugh, they LAUGH. I mean, it's ridiculous. And awesome. It's the kind of laughing that makes me laugh at their laughter, you know what I mean? Just so much fun. And then we kind of sat with the kids after the film and talked about it, and a couple of the boys, Caleb and Vincent (I think, you can correct me on that one), got up and said thank you for the movie and the goodies and how blessed they were and that they wanted God to bless us. That always gets me. Some kids don't mean it. But I know that those two did. They are good kids.
I love how Godly these boys are. You spend time at the Outreach center for street kids and you see how far these boys have come at Agape. You can just SEE it. I wish I could explain it more eloquently. I wish that you could see it for yourself, actually, if I'm wishing for things. This is how I know that God is real, and that God is love and mercy. Because He blesses us with a reason to change. And I am blessed enough to be able to see that change. To be a part of that change. I really do love those kids. I don't know all of their names, and I don't know them as well as I could, but I adore them.
So, it's a good day today. Sorry for the really long note. If you made it this far, thank you for reading. I should also tell you that an organization called "Faceless International" that I support is taking two teams to India in January for 10 days. Should I stay or should I go? I've been bitten by the mission bug, haha. If you get time and remember, could you say some prayers for me? I'd love some guidance and clarity for the future. And say some prayers for the boys at Agape. They are great, but there are some that are just hurting. I am sure I will write more about them later, as they have pretty much stolen my heart. :)
Love and miss you all very much.
Riss (Bum Bum Bee Dum, Bum Bum Bee Dum Dum. Now I can officially go to bed.)
Well it's almost 10pm and I'm waiting for my doxycyline pill to kick in or whatever (I take it at night, and I have to take it at least an hour before bed.) I wanted to take some time to write about the past few days, because they've been interesting and completely different from my normal days here. I am beginning to understand the difference between coming here with a team and coming here on your own to live here for 5 months. I'll just say right now there is a HUGE, GIGANTIC, GINORMOUS DIFFERENCE.
I say all of this because there is a team here visiting. They arrived last Sunday and are staying until Wednesday-ish. One of the folks hanging out with us is Shelly, who works at the Agape office in Modesto. She's here with her boyfriend, Cody. Then there's Phil, Sue, and Paula. Phil and Sue just got married like a year and a half ago, and are both over 50. Phil is a college professor. And Paula is the principal of a school, so the three of them came to Kenya to work with the teaching staff at Agape. I think they have been a big help. But it's also nice to hang out with some Americans. It feels like a bit of home, you know?
Wednesday, we went to the Drop-in Center. The Drop-in Center happens on Wednesdays, and it's a place for street kids to come and get a meal, hear a message, and maybe bathe. It's absolute chaos, and it's terrifying and challenging and something that most days I would rather NOT do. But I know that those kids need Jesus the way I do, and if God tells me to go, I'm gonna get going. I should probably tell you that the first time I went to outreach, I FREAKED out. I walked inside and cried because I was so overwhelmed. This past Wednesday was my third time, and I was much braver. I stepped out of the van and walked right up to the boys and started giving high fives and introducing myself and learning names. I pulled out my camera and the boys started modeling, and doing crazy stunts to be photographed. It was wicked fun. Then one of the boys, Evans, said he wanted to talk to me. So we sat down. He was really, really high. And he told me he wanted to go to school. So I told him to go to school. He said he couldn't because he lived on the street. I told him that he lives on the street because it's HIS choice. There are so many organizations that want to help street kids. But street kids don't want to help street kids. That's why they run away and get high and steal and prostitute themselves. It does not make any sense to me and it makes me angry when these kids beg ME for things when they have the opportunity to change for the better and THEY DON'T WANT TO. So, anyway, Evans told me he wanted to go to school. I asked him if he sniffed glue. He said no. I told him he could be honest with me. He said he didn't sniff glue. I said, Evans, I know you are high right now, so don't lie to me. And he looked at me and said, "I don't sniff glue." I told him that I couldn't help him if he didn't want to help himself. I told him that God wants to help him, but he had to let God help him. And that God wants him to stop getting high, and God wants him to have a home and go to school and that God really wants him to succeed and live a long life. But living on the street and stealing and getting high goes against what God wants. There was a day when I wouldn't have been brave enough to be that honest with someone. I'm not sure if it was the right thing to say. But I know it was the truth, and I don't regret it. I know that God will speak through me if I let him, and I feel like He did that day. This is part of why it's so hard to be here. I wish I could explain it better. But being here is not easy. It's the hardest thing I've ever done. But it is BY FAR the best thing I have ever done. I almost feel like it's not fair to be here, to be doing something that I love doing, that I am GOOD at. STOKED.
On Thursday, we did all of the tourist-y things. Mike and Karen flew to Nairobi for the day to (attempt to) work some stuff out with Paul's adoption. So I was with the visitors. We went to Agape for a little bit in the morning, and then went shopping. Shopping is such an experience here. First we went to Pendeza Weavers. It's a shop that does all of its weaving by hand, from picking the cotton, to spinning it on the looms, to weaving it into table cloths and napkins and blankets and all kinds of good stuff. I bought a really cute purse and some other goodies for some friends back home who are getting married in less than 50 days. Just sayin'. I also picked up a table runner for my momma. I'll definitely be going back before I leave in September. Their stuff is absolutely beautiful. It's a really cool place.
After Pendeza, we drove to Nakumatt (like Wal-Mart) for some reason that I can't remember. Then we went to the shops where you can buy all of the souvenir-type things around here. It was pretty cool because I got to bargain with the shopkeepers. I picked up some pretty cool stuff, and I am very proud of my choices. But I'm more proud that I shaved off over $30 overall. It's strange to me how people try to persuade you to buy things. One of the shops was run by a woman who had a baby on her back. She kept saying, Please buy from me so I can buy my baby lunch. That's always hard for me, because you never know who is telling the truth or not. I told her that I was very sorry, but that she didn't have anything I wanted to buy. But it breaks my heart, you know? You just want to be able to help people, but it's hard because sometimes you think you are doing good things, but you are really just feeding a disease. You are buying into the drug use, and the stealing and cheating a lying and that's always hard for me. I honestly worry about becoming a cynic, becoming jaded and hard-hearted. Maybe I need more compassion. I guess that's something I need to work out with God.
Then we went to lunch at Kiboko Bay. It's my favorite restaurant here. It's right on Lake Victoria (which honestly looks like an ocean, it's THAT big), and it was beautiful in the middle of the afternoon. Then we drove to the Equator. I have to tell you, the Equator is a HUGE letdown. But at this point, it's funny. It's just a statue of a ball that says "Equator" on it. You could drive right by it if you weren't paying attention, haha. But it's definitely worth the 45 minute drive to stand there for 20 seconds and take a picture or two. Yep. We went and hung out at Agape again when we got back into town. I have to be honest with you, I had such trouble being at Agape at first. But for whatever reason, a few weeks ago, everything just CLICKED for me. And now, I can't get enough of it. I love those boys with my whole friggin' heart. One of the boys, Michael, decided that he didn't want me to know his name. So I just decided to call him, "Nyo-yo." (not quite sure on the spelling, but it's the name of a food here. Beans and Corn.) So then he called me "Mutumbu." I just found out that means "intestines." We are good friends now. :)
The next day (Friday) the team drove out to Motoso where "The Farm" is located. It's like a 5 hour drive, and I've already been, so I decided to stay home for the day with Karen. (The Farm, by the way, is Agape's vocational school. The boys that don't really thrive at school can go to the Farm and learn trades like mechanics and masonry. It's a really great thing they've got going on there.) I was home all day, and all I did was write. It was great, I'm not going to lie. I'm writing a lot here. I love it. Then last night we went to dinner and I had mosquitos flying above my head all night, which I always hate. I had a new drink, it was a pineapple soda, and it's AS good as a Stoney, not going to lie.
Today is Saturday. We had Paul's birthday party here at the house today. I guess this is the second time that Paul has celebrated his birthday (he's 13 this year) and so we had 24 kids over at the house today. Our day started with a nice trip to Nakumatt, and then a mad dash to try and set up for this party. The kids were great sports, they did a three-legged race relay and, randomly started doing karaoke and having a dance party. It was great. And Karen made a pretty bomb cake, not gonna lie. I had to iron some sheets to use as the projector for a movie night at Agape. And then we went out to dinner. That was great, because a couple of the boys from Agape came with us. They are kind enough to teach me bits of Kiswahili here and there. And they laugh at my jokes. And they don't make fun of me for being the dumbest, whitest person around here. So I dig it. We sang Rihanna in the back of the truck on the way to Agape for movie night.
We got to Agape at around 6:30 for movie night in the dining hall. You cram almost 70 teenage Kenyan boys into a small room and it's bound to be a hot stinky mess of hot stink. We watched "Evan Almighty" and Shelly had bought the boys soda and popcorn and some candy and it was a great night. I love that the kids think Steve Carrell is funny. When those kids laugh, they LAUGH. I mean, it's ridiculous. And awesome. It's the kind of laughing that makes me laugh at their laughter, you know what I mean? Just so much fun. And then we kind of sat with the kids after the film and talked about it, and a couple of the boys, Caleb and Vincent (I think, you can correct me on that one), got up and said thank you for the movie and the goodies and how blessed they were and that they wanted God to bless us. That always gets me. Some kids don't mean it. But I know that those two did. They are good kids.
I love how Godly these boys are. You spend time at the Outreach center for street kids and you see how far these boys have come at Agape. You can just SEE it. I wish I could explain it more eloquently. I wish that you could see it for yourself, actually, if I'm wishing for things. This is how I know that God is real, and that God is love and mercy. Because He blesses us with a reason to change. And I am blessed enough to be able to see that change. To be a part of that change. I really do love those kids. I don't know all of their names, and I don't know them as well as I could, but I adore them.
So, it's a good day today. Sorry for the really long note. If you made it this far, thank you for reading. I should also tell you that an organization called "Faceless International" that I support is taking two teams to India in January for 10 days. Should I stay or should I go? I've been bitten by the mission bug, haha. If you get time and remember, could you say some prayers for me? I'd love some guidance and clarity for the future. And say some prayers for the boys at Agape. They are great, but there are some that are just hurting. I am sure I will write more about them later, as they have pretty much stolen my heart. :)
Love and miss you all very much.
Riss (Bum Bum Bee Dum, Bum Bum Bee Dum Dum. Now I can officially go to bed.)
07 June 2009
To Kenya, With Love
"But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13 (The Message)
One of my favorite Canadian ladies, Paulette (granted, I don't really know many Canadians, but I'd like to think that I would enjoy Paulette's company just because she is that cool) said something pretty profound last week. Her and her husband, Bob, have been missionaries since... I don't know, forever. I want to say like 16 years or something. They came and visited Kisumu last week. I think they are Canadian, but they don't say "Eh?" all the time so I think they might be faking their Canadian-ism. I like Paulette because she is smart and she doesn't talk down to me and she always asks me how I am doing and I think she really wants to know. She's good people.
Paulette said something along the lines of, "People get all freaked out and upset when they see kids running around here with no shoes. Who cares? We should be more worried about the fact that these kids are dying because they have no food, or because they can't afford medication and doctor's visits."
You might not think this is profound. But you are not writing this blog. Bear with me. Let's see where this goes.
One of the first things that was shared with me when I got here was the story about the man and the well. A man came here and saw these women walking miles and miles to the lake everyday for water for their household. I don't know about you, but buckets of water can be pretty heavy. Not a fun job. So this man decided he was going to build a well in the city, where everyone could get water and the women wouldn't have to walk as far everyday. He came back sometime later to realize that the well was not being used. I guess he threw a fit or something (I would) and asked, "Why is no one using the well?" The women replied, "You never asked us if we wanted a well. Our daily walks to the lake are the only time we get to fellowship with other women. It's the only time we get to ourselves. We LIKE walking to the lake everyday."
The American in me looks around at these homes and at these people and I think "We should buy them new shoes, or a new mattress or new clothes or this or that." MATERIAL THINGS. Because I think that is what they need. I want to fix things for them, my way, the way I fix things in America. I can't imagine going to school with no shoes. But I also have, like, 20 pairs of shoes to choose from. We sit here and think of ways that we should help, and we end up making it worse. I think that when you come to places like this, it is so important to submerse yourself in the culture, and understand the real problems here. Yes, the boys have crappy shoes. Yes, they have holes in their clothing. But we should be more concerned with getting them off drugs, getting them back into their homes with their families, getting them healthy, keeping them in school, and getting them educated so they have a chance at a better life. We need to teach them to rely on God and not on money, or themselves, or even the white people. That's the hardest part. You have to look beyond yourself, EVERYDAY, to see what these people REALLY need. Not what we think they need. You have to look at everyone through God's eyes.
I can be a cynic sometimes. I can be fearful and hurtful and guarded. God brought me here. And I think everything in me is all kind of changing. We can talk about being compassionate and loving and whatever, but what are we really doing? Are we loving in our sense of the word? Or are we loving the way God loves, the kind of love that sees the big picture, the whole truth, and may hurt a little at first but (in the words of Monk), "You'll thank me later" for it? Sometimes I try to say the things that I think kids want to hear. You can't do that here. It's too important. Too many lives are at stake. This isn't like America where education is free and our young people are encouraged to chase their dreams of rocket science or music or art or medicine. Generally, the education here is NOT free. You have to pay school fees/uniform fees. And generally, parents want their kids working, not in school. Kenya does not value education for young people. Parents don't really encourage their kids to get an education (unless it going to school doubles as baby-sitting.) It breaks my heart that this country barely give kids a chance. This is why I really love organizations like, "To Kenya, With Love." My favorite British people work there (Not that I know a lot of British people. But these guys are lovely). This organization helps kids with school fees and uniform fees. They counsel kids and help KEEP THEM IN SCHOOL.
And that is SO important.
Agape is doing great work as well, reintegrating kids back into their homes so they can function and have normal lives. It's about healing the wounds and dealing with baggage and as difficult and awkward that it might be, that's the best thing that we can do for these kids. (Just to clarify, if the situation at home is unsafe/unstable, Agape doesn't try to get them to stay home. This is just for the kids who CAN go home.) It would be nice to stand here and rattle off statistics about how many kids live at Agape and how great we are for helping. But what are those numbers for? Who benefits from those numbers? Not God. Not those kids. That's the real love that I am talking about. The difficult love. The love that remains even when we leave Kenya. That's the kind of mark I want to leave behind. Not a mark that says, "Marissa was here." A mark that says, "God IS here."
"And the best of the three is love." I read some commentary for 1 Corinthians 13 the other day. It says this: "Love is the root of the other two. Faith and hope are purely human. Love is divine."
I've had a lot of people asking how they can help. That is great. You can donate to places like Agape, or To Kenya, With Love. You can donate things like Bibles in Kiswahili, materials for classrooms, help pay for school fees for kids, or you can donate money to these organizations and they can figure out what to do with it. You can also donate to other organizations, however you see fit. There are great and Godly people doing amazing work for God everywhere, everyday. I ask that you pray about it. See where God is leading you. And follow through.
There is much work to be done here. Greater things have yet to come.
Love and miss you all. Be well.
Riss
For more information on these organizations, or to donate, you can visit these sites:
www.agapechildren.org (Agape Children's Ministry)
www.tkwl.org.uk (To Kenya, With Love)
Also, check out Blood:Water Mission. Because contrary to what I said about wells, some places around here actually NEED clean water. www.bloodwatermission.com
One of my favorite Canadian ladies, Paulette (granted, I don't really know many Canadians, but I'd like to think that I would enjoy Paulette's company just because she is that cool) said something pretty profound last week. Her and her husband, Bob, have been missionaries since... I don't know, forever. I want to say like 16 years or something. They came and visited Kisumu last week. I think they are Canadian, but they don't say "Eh?" all the time so I think they might be faking their Canadian-ism. I like Paulette because she is smart and she doesn't talk down to me and she always asks me how I am doing and I think she really wants to know. She's good people.
Paulette said something along the lines of, "People get all freaked out and upset when they see kids running around here with no shoes. Who cares? We should be more worried about the fact that these kids are dying because they have no food, or because they can't afford medication and doctor's visits."
You might not think this is profound. But you are not writing this blog. Bear with me. Let's see where this goes.
One of the first things that was shared with me when I got here was the story about the man and the well. A man came here and saw these women walking miles and miles to the lake everyday for water for their household. I don't know about you, but buckets of water can be pretty heavy. Not a fun job. So this man decided he was going to build a well in the city, where everyone could get water and the women wouldn't have to walk as far everyday. He came back sometime later to realize that the well was not being used. I guess he threw a fit or something (I would) and asked, "Why is no one using the well?" The women replied, "You never asked us if we wanted a well. Our daily walks to the lake are the only time we get to fellowship with other women. It's the only time we get to ourselves. We LIKE walking to the lake everyday."
The American in me looks around at these homes and at these people and I think "We should buy them new shoes, or a new mattress or new clothes or this or that." MATERIAL THINGS. Because I think that is what they need. I want to fix things for them, my way, the way I fix things in America. I can't imagine going to school with no shoes. But I also have, like, 20 pairs of shoes to choose from. We sit here and think of ways that we should help, and we end up making it worse. I think that when you come to places like this, it is so important to submerse yourself in the culture, and understand the real problems here. Yes, the boys have crappy shoes. Yes, they have holes in their clothing. But we should be more concerned with getting them off drugs, getting them back into their homes with their families, getting them healthy, keeping them in school, and getting them educated so they have a chance at a better life. We need to teach them to rely on God and not on money, or themselves, or even the white people. That's the hardest part. You have to look beyond yourself, EVERYDAY, to see what these people REALLY need. Not what we think they need. You have to look at everyone through God's eyes.
I can be a cynic sometimes. I can be fearful and hurtful and guarded. God brought me here. And I think everything in me is all kind of changing. We can talk about being compassionate and loving and whatever, but what are we really doing? Are we loving in our sense of the word? Or are we loving the way God loves, the kind of love that sees the big picture, the whole truth, and may hurt a little at first but (in the words of Monk), "You'll thank me later" for it? Sometimes I try to say the things that I think kids want to hear. You can't do that here. It's too important. Too many lives are at stake. This isn't like America where education is free and our young people are encouraged to chase their dreams of rocket science or music or art or medicine. Generally, the education here is NOT free. You have to pay school fees/uniform fees. And generally, parents want their kids working, not in school. Kenya does not value education for young people. Parents don't really encourage their kids to get an education (unless it going to school doubles as baby-sitting.) It breaks my heart that this country barely give kids a chance. This is why I really love organizations like, "To Kenya, With Love." My favorite British people work there (Not that I know a lot of British people. But these guys are lovely). This organization helps kids with school fees and uniform fees. They counsel kids and help KEEP THEM IN SCHOOL.
And that is SO important.
Agape is doing great work as well, reintegrating kids back into their homes so they can function and have normal lives. It's about healing the wounds and dealing with baggage and as difficult and awkward that it might be, that's the best thing that we can do for these kids. (Just to clarify, if the situation at home is unsafe/unstable, Agape doesn't try to get them to stay home. This is just for the kids who CAN go home.) It would be nice to stand here and rattle off statistics about how many kids live at Agape and how great we are for helping. But what are those numbers for? Who benefits from those numbers? Not God. Not those kids. That's the real love that I am talking about. The difficult love. The love that remains even when we leave Kenya. That's the kind of mark I want to leave behind. Not a mark that says, "Marissa was here." A mark that says, "God IS here."
"And the best of the three is love." I read some commentary for 1 Corinthians 13 the other day. It says this: "Love is the root of the other two. Faith and hope are purely human. Love is divine."
I've had a lot of people asking how they can help. That is great. You can donate to places like Agape, or To Kenya, With Love. You can donate things like Bibles in Kiswahili, materials for classrooms, help pay for school fees for kids, or you can donate money to these organizations and they can figure out what to do with it. You can also donate to other organizations, however you see fit. There are great and Godly people doing amazing work for God everywhere, everyday. I ask that you pray about it. See where God is leading you. And follow through.
There is much work to be done here. Greater things have yet to come.
Love and miss you all. Be well.
Riss
For more information on these organizations, or to donate, you can visit these sites:
www.agapechildren.org (Agape Children's Ministry)
www.tkwl.org.uk (To Kenya, With Love)
Also, check out Blood:Water Mission. Because contrary to what I said about wells, some places around here actually NEED clean water. www.bloodwatermission.com
18.05.2009
Hola, amigos!
I really don't have much of an update here, but I'm trying to write regularly.
Here's what you need to know:
a. I had an AMAZING hamburger last night. I will eat one again tonight. And I will keep eating them until I no longer miss In n Out. Which might take a while. :)
b. I hear it's like 150 degrees in Sacramento. It's a nice 75 here in Kenya. Just sayin'...
c. Speaking of sun, I'm either really dirty, or kind of tan. I just showered 6 hours ago, so I'm going with TAN. HEY-O!
d. Apparently, I'm a master of Kung-Fu here. I don't mind it. I fought five 11-year olds today. With my gigantic purse. Made them all cry. I'm pretty much amazing.
d2. Just kidding. I get schooled everyday by these kids. In Kung-Fu. In politics. In faith. And in love.
e. When you go shopping for souvenirs here, you had best watch where you are going. I got grabbed by some lady who really wanted me to buy things. And she wouldn't take "I HAVE NO MONEY" for an answer. I think she thought I was lying. Come to think of it, I think everyone thinks I'm rich because I'm white.
f. I'm learning names! I'm learning names! I'm actually remembering names! (To clarify, I have to remember, like 200 names.. including kids and staff. It's hard work.)
g. I need a haircut. Seriously. I hate hair. Mike told me to buy a scrunchie today. I hate scrunchies more than I hate hair. Hair is stupid.
h. The kids are already telling me that they love me. And I am already telling them that I love them. It's gonna suck when I have to leave in 4 months.
i. Um, Did I tell you how cool these kids are? Just sayin'.
j. Have I mentioned yet how stoked I am to be here? Seriously. STOKED.
k. I am trying to figure out what to buy everyone back home. Any requests? I'll start making a list now. Might take me a while to gather everything. And I have to budget my money.. haha.
P.S. Did I tell you about how I ate some bad eggs? Diarrhea and vomiting on Saturday. Lovely. Sorry if that grossed you out. I'm much better now. Except I never want to eat eggs again.
'Tis all for now. Be well, my friends. I love and miss you all!
Riss
I really don't have much of an update here, but I'm trying to write regularly.
Here's what you need to know:
a. I had an AMAZING hamburger last night. I will eat one again tonight. And I will keep eating them until I no longer miss In n Out. Which might take a while. :)
b. I hear it's like 150 degrees in Sacramento. It's a nice 75 here in Kenya. Just sayin'...
c. Speaking of sun, I'm either really dirty, or kind of tan. I just showered 6 hours ago, so I'm going with TAN. HEY-O!
d. Apparently, I'm a master of Kung-Fu here. I don't mind it. I fought five 11-year olds today. With my gigantic purse. Made them all cry. I'm pretty much amazing.
d2. Just kidding. I get schooled everyday by these kids. In Kung-Fu. In politics. In faith. And in love.
e. When you go shopping for souvenirs here, you had best watch where you are going. I got grabbed by some lady who really wanted me to buy things. And she wouldn't take "I HAVE NO MONEY" for an answer. I think she thought I was lying. Come to think of it, I think everyone thinks I'm rich because I'm white.
f. I'm learning names! I'm learning names! I'm actually remembering names! (To clarify, I have to remember, like 200 names.. including kids and staff. It's hard work.)
g. I need a haircut. Seriously. I hate hair. Mike told me to buy a scrunchie today. I hate scrunchies more than I hate hair. Hair is stupid.
h. The kids are already telling me that they love me. And I am already telling them that I love them. It's gonna suck when I have to leave in 4 months.
i. Um, Did I tell you how cool these kids are? Just sayin'.
j. Have I mentioned yet how stoked I am to be here? Seriously. STOKED.
k. I am trying to figure out what to buy everyone back home. Any requests? I'll start making a list now. Might take me a while to gather everything. And I have to budget my money.. haha.
P.S. Did I tell you about how I ate some bad eggs? Diarrhea and vomiting on Saturday. Lovely. Sorry if that grossed you out. I'm much better now. Except I never want to eat eggs again.
'Tis all for now. Be well, my friends. I love and miss you all!
Riss
14.05.2009
I think it's almost unfair to be this happy. It's taken almost a whole month to settle in and find a groove. But I am really, really, really, inexplicably happy to be here. I feel like no matter how often or hard I try to move everything around, the pieces of the puzzle still fit perfectly together. It's too perfect to be us. I feel so much love and joy being here, especially in the kids. There's a reason why it's called "Agape." I can't even explain it. But I am in love with these kids. God is so, so, so good.
I've spent a lot of my time here worrying about things back home. I am afraid of coming home and not having any friends, or not fitting in, or feeling like everything else is just pointless. But God wants me here. And to worry about that stuff is to waste beautiful seconds of my journey here. So I'm over it. I don't care that I missed the season finale of Lost. I'm not worried about my friends. My heart knows it's time to let go. So I'm letting go. And, oh baby, does it feel good.
I'm inspired by those much smarter than me. I think I might have an intellectual/spiritual crush on Oswald Chambers. Here's something I read today from his book, My Utmost for His Highest.
"Very few of us have any understanding of the reason why Jesus Christ died. If sympathy is all that human beings need, then the Cross of Christ is an absurdity and there is absolutely no need for it. What the world needs is not "a little bit of love," but major surgery.
When you find yourself face to face with a person who is spiritually lost, remind yourself of Jesus Christ on the cross. If that person can get to God in any other way, then the Cross of Christ is unnecessary. If you think you are helping lost people with your sympathy and understanding, you are a traitor to Jesus Christ. You must have a right-standing relationship with Him yourself, and pour your life out in helping others in His way— not in a human way that ignores God. The theme of the world’s religion today is to serve in a pleasant, non-confrontational manner.
But our only priority must be to present Jesus Christ crucified— to lift Him up all the time (see 1 Corinthians 2:2 ). Every belief that is not firmly rooted in the Cross of Christ will lead people astray. If the worker himself believes in Jesus Christ and is trusting in the reality of redemption, his words will be compelling to others. What is extremely important is for the worker’s simple relationship with Jesus Christ to be strong and growing. His usefulness to God depends on that, and that alone.
The calling of a New Testament worker is to expose sin and to reveal Jesus Christ as Savior. Consequently, he cannot always be charming and friendly, but must be willing to be stern to accomplish major surgery. We are sent by God to lift up Jesus Christ, not to give wonderfully beautiful speeches. We must be willing to examine others as deeply as God has examined us. We must also be sharply intent on sensing those Scripture passages that will drive the truth home, and then not be afraid to apply them."
Dang. Knock me upside the head, whydontcha?
Anyway, I'm living and growing and learning. And I am so stoked to be here. Thanks for letting me chase this dream, guys. I am so grateful for your love and support and encouragement and prayer.
Seriously. God is freakin' amazing. You are wonderful. These kids are too legit. And I am happy. YAY.
Be Well. Riss
I've spent a lot of my time here worrying about things back home. I am afraid of coming home and not having any friends, or not fitting in, or feeling like everything else is just pointless. But God wants me here. And to worry about that stuff is to waste beautiful seconds of my journey here. So I'm over it. I don't care that I missed the season finale of Lost. I'm not worried about my friends. My heart knows it's time to let go. So I'm letting go. And, oh baby, does it feel good.
I'm inspired by those much smarter than me. I think I might have an intellectual/spiritual crush on Oswald Chambers. Here's something I read today from his book, My Utmost for His Highest.
"Very few of us have any understanding of the reason why Jesus Christ died. If sympathy is all that human beings need, then the Cross of Christ is an absurdity and there is absolutely no need for it. What the world needs is not "a little bit of love," but major surgery.
When you find yourself face to face with a person who is spiritually lost, remind yourself of Jesus Christ on the cross. If that person can get to God in any other way, then the Cross of Christ is unnecessary. If you think you are helping lost people with your sympathy and understanding, you are a traitor to Jesus Christ. You must have a right-standing relationship with Him yourself, and pour your life out in helping others in His way— not in a human way that ignores God. The theme of the world’s religion today is to serve in a pleasant, non-confrontational manner.
But our only priority must be to present Jesus Christ crucified— to lift Him up all the time (see 1 Corinthians 2:2 ). Every belief that is not firmly rooted in the Cross of Christ will lead people astray. If the worker himself believes in Jesus Christ and is trusting in the reality of redemption, his words will be compelling to others. What is extremely important is for the worker’s simple relationship with Jesus Christ to be strong and growing. His usefulness to God depends on that, and that alone.
The calling of a New Testament worker is to expose sin and to reveal Jesus Christ as Savior. Consequently, he cannot always be charming and friendly, but must be willing to be stern to accomplish major surgery. We are sent by God to lift up Jesus Christ, not to give wonderfully beautiful speeches. We must be willing to examine others as deeply as God has examined us. We must also be sharply intent on sensing those Scripture passages that will drive the truth home, and then not be afraid to apply them."
Dang. Knock me upside the head, whydontcha?
Anyway, I'm living and growing and learning. And I am so stoked to be here. Thanks for letting me chase this dream, guys. I am so grateful for your love and support and encouragement and prayer.
Seriously. God is freakin' amazing. You are wonderful. These kids are too legit. And I am happy. YAY.
Be Well. Riss
Reckless Abandon
Those words have been haunting me since the day I left home. They were one the last words of comfort that I heard when I set foot on this journey. They were God's words, said through the beautiful and smart Alicia. And I have been trying to find the right place to put them.
It's been raining all night here, and I absolutely love it. It's a beautiful noise. But of all the sleepless nights here, this is the only one that makes any sense. So I'm up at 4:30 in the morning, writing.
I guess I should apologize to those closest to me for a few things. 1, for complaining. 2, for being so vague. 3, for thinking that maybe you don't care when you actually do.
I'm like an ostrich, except instead of my head in the sand, it's my heart that I bury. I think that one of the truest measures of how much you love and follow God is whether or not you can love people who have hurt you. I talk a lot about loving. I talk a lot about forgiveness. My heart doesn't.
I've been thinking a lot about my life and who I want to be. All I want is to be able to love as deeply and purely as I can, with reckless abandon.
There are two people that have caused this revelation. To the first, and you are smart enough to know who you are, I am so sorry. For everything. I am sorry for being angry and bitter and for apologizing when I didn't really mean it. (Although, the last time I apologized, I really meant it). I feel like I am standing here, holding this broken friendship in my hands and I feel terrible. I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to mess everything up. And as much as I try to hate you, I feel kind of the opposite. And I want you to know that I do miss you. So much. I miss our friendship. I miss being able to talk with you about stupid stuff and laugh with you about other stupid stuff. I'm not sure if you will even read this. I'm not sure how you feel about anything. Still. But I need to say this because I need to not be angry with myself about what happened anymore. So I'll apologize one more time. And then I'm going to try for the umpteenth time to move on. I am so, so, so sorry.
To the second person, and you may or may not get the chance to read this, I am sorry. I am sorry for dwelling on the past. I am sorry for blaming you for everything that is wrong with my life. I am sorry that I can't seem to get past this. And I am sorry that I can't let myself talk to you. I am sorry that I complained for years and years and years about how much I wanted you in my life, and then when you finally show up, I can't deal with it. I bury my heart in the sand and I run away from you. I wish I could say that I want you around, because that would not be true. It's not because I don't want you in my life, it's because it's too difficult. But I believe, with everything in me, that this stuff is happening to me right now because God wants me to deal with it. So I'm dealing with it. It's going to take a whole lot of time. And I am going to walk slowly and tread lightly. But I'm moving forward. Maybe someday I will love you the way that you deserve to be loved by a daughter.
It probably seems really stupid to be typing this here, to throw my heart onto the keyboard with reckless abandon in an attempt to make any sense of this. But I'm not really great with talking. And the two people that I reference in this note probably wouldn't talk to me anyway, at the rate I'm going. So I'm writing. And I hope that they read this. And I hope that they don't hate me.
I need some hope. I feel like if I am going to be teaching these kids about hope, I need some for myself. I would like to keep some spare hope and some spare love and some spare forgiveness in my pockets to hand out at will because it's needed here. Desperately. And I figure if I have those things in my heart, then there's enough to go around.
I would also like to say, on a lighter note, that as I was typing this, I got four new mosquito bites on my legs. AWESOME.
Be well, my friends. I love you all. Thank you for caring. Riss
It's been raining all night here, and I absolutely love it. It's a beautiful noise. But of all the sleepless nights here, this is the only one that makes any sense. So I'm up at 4:30 in the morning, writing.
I guess I should apologize to those closest to me for a few things. 1, for complaining. 2, for being so vague. 3, for thinking that maybe you don't care when you actually do.
I'm like an ostrich, except instead of my head in the sand, it's my heart that I bury. I think that one of the truest measures of how much you love and follow God is whether or not you can love people who have hurt you. I talk a lot about loving. I talk a lot about forgiveness. My heart doesn't.
I've been thinking a lot about my life and who I want to be. All I want is to be able to love as deeply and purely as I can, with reckless abandon.
There are two people that have caused this revelation. To the first, and you are smart enough to know who you are, I am so sorry. For everything. I am sorry for being angry and bitter and for apologizing when I didn't really mean it. (Although, the last time I apologized, I really meant it). I feel like I am standing here, holding this broken friendship in my hands and I feel terrible. I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to mess everything up. And as much as I try to hate you, I feel kind of the opposite. And I want you to know that I do miss you. So much. I miss our friendship. I miss being able to talk with you about stupid stuff and laugh with you about other stupid stuff. I'm not sure if you will even read this. I'm not sure how you feel about anything. Still. But I need to say this because I need to not be angry with myself about what happened anymore. So I'll apologize one more time. And then I'm going to try for the umpteenth time to move on. I am so, so, so sorry.
To the second person, and you may or may not get the chance to read this, I am sorry. I am sorry for dwelling on the past. I am sorry for blaming you for everything that is wrong with my life. I am sorry that I can't seem to get past this. And I am sorry that I can't let myself talk to you. I am sorry that I complained for years and years and years about how much I wanted you in my life, and then when you finally show up, I can't deal with it. I bury my heart in the sand and I run away from you. I wish I could say that I want you around, because that would not be true. It's not because I don't want you in my life, it's because it's too difficult. But I believe, with everything in me, that this stuff is happening to me right now because God wants me to deal with it. So I'm dealing with it. It's going to take a whole lot of time. And I am going to walk slowly and tread lightly. But I'm moving forward. Maybe someday I will love you the way that you deserve to be loved by a daughter.
It probably seems really stupid to be typing this here, to throw my heart onto the keyboard with reckless abandon in an attempt to make any sense of this. But I'm not really great with talking. And the two people that I reference in this note probably wouldn't talk to me anyway, at the rate I'm going. So I'm writing. And I hope that they read this. And I hope that they don't hate me.
I need some hope. I feel like if I am going to be teaching these kids about hope, I need some for myself. I would like to keep some spare hope and some spare love and some spare forgiveness in my pockets to hand out at will because it's needed here. Desperately. And I figure if I have those things in my heart, then there's enough to go around.
I would also like to say, on a lighter note, that as I was typing this, I got four new mosquito bites on my legs. AWESOME.
Be well, my friends. I love you all. Thank you for caring. Riss
09.05.2009
Hi Everyone!
Sorry I haven't written in a while. I guess I've been kind of busy/preoccupied. Lo Siento.
First off, all the boys (and girls) are back at Agape for the school term. There are... something like a BAJILLION kids there. It's ridiculously difficult to remember everyone's names. They all look alike to me, haha. It's funny because all the kids just call me "Mzungu" (I think that's how you spell it) which means "white person." I'm not sure if it's a racist comment or not, but, whatever the case, I prefer to be called by my name. People have trouble saying my name here, so I go by "Moresa." I think that's funny as heck.
Yesterday there was a devotional/chapel thing for the boys. Apparently, they expect the missionaries to talk about stuff. I ran away screaming. (It wasn't actually screaming, it was kind of this grunt-y noise that I make sometimes. You might have heard it before.) I was NOT prepared, and I get nervous enough when I have to speak in front of people, it was terrible to stand up there with NOTHING TO SAY. Exhibit A for "How Marissa cracks under pressure." I'm sure it was hilarious.
But I sat in on one of the classes yesterday, which was fun. The kids were learning English and it was a vocab lesson. The teacher asked the kids to define the word "bins." One of the kids said, "the food that gives you gas." The word "bins" and "beans" sound alike here. Funny? Yes.
I'm also working in the office. My job at home is a secretary, so I'm around computers all the time. I'm not the fastest/best. But I know enough that I can take care of my business. I come here and they think I'm amazing or something because I can type more than 30 words a minute and because I can upload pictures from a camera. There are some days when I am really busy, and other days where I don't have anything to do. I'm learning to go with the flow.
I will also say that I'm learning Mike-language. If Mike says "just a moment" it really means anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour. If he says "okay, we are leaving" it means, "we MIGHT be leaving sometime TODAY." If Mike says, "We need to be at Agape by 9" it might mean "We will be at Agape at 9." It also might mean, "We will be at Agape at 11." We kind of give him a hard time about that. But deep down, he's teaching me how to be patient.. haha. (Sorry, Mike. It's all love.)
One of the most difficult things here is that the kids don't really have a concept of personal space. I can't let it bug me, but when you have kids constantly pulling at your hair and trying to steal your rings and taking off your glasses, it's hard because you kind of have to put your foot down and be mean a little bit. That's the worst part, for me. I have trouble doing that back home. But you have to do that here. That's where I get stuck, for the most part. I have to walk my walk and talk my talk and live by faith and truth and love every second of every step of everyday. These kids need that. I guess maybe I need it to.
We also took a drive today to the Equator. It's literally this statue of a ball thing that says "Equator" on it. It's on the side of the road and you could miss it if you weren't paying attention. You get out of the car, take your pictures, and that's that. Kind of a bummer, but it was funny to see the locals kind of making fun of us about it. Some of the roads are not paved here. It's like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland except without a seatbelt and Harrison Ford isn't there to make it worth my while. But I guess the roads have come a long way (paving-wise), so I'm grateful.
Lastly, I would like to say that the ice cream is really good here. And there are no toilet seat covers. It seems kind of silly to worry about toilet seat covers back home now.
Also, if you could say some prayers for me, I'd appreciate it. I was on Mefloquine, the anti-malarial medication and it's having some really bad effects. I am starting a new medication next week, but I am still having trouble sleeping and I feel anxious and depressed. It's debilitating. I'm just hoping it doesn't have any permanent effects.
Anyway, I love you all. I miss you all. I am consuming a fair share of Ugali, Sukuma and Stoneys for all of you! On Wednesday I will have officially been here for a month! Hey-o! Only four months left...
Be well, Riss
P.S. I would be completely okay if all the mosquitos fell of the face of the planet and DIED. I am SICK OF BEING BITTEN. Haha.
Sorry I haven't written in a while. I guess I've been kind of busy/preoccupied. Lo Siento.
First off, all the boys (and girls) are back at Agape for the school term. There are... something like a BAJILLION kids there. It's ridiculously difficult to remember everyone's names. They all look alike to me, haha. It's funny because all the kids just call me "Mzungu" (I think that's how you spell it) which means "white person." I'm not sure if it's a racist comment or not, but, whatever the case, I prefer to be called by my name. People have trouble saying my name here, so I go by "Moresa." I think that's funny as heck.
Yesterday there was a devotional/chapel thing for the boys. Apparently, they expect the missionaries to talk about stuff. I ran away screaming. (It wasn't actually screaming, it was kind of this grunt-y noise that I make sometimes. You might have heard it before.) I was NOT prepared, and I get nervous enough when I have to speak in front of people, it was terrible to stand up there with NOTHING TO SAY. Exhibit A for "How Marissa cracks under pressure." I'm sure it was hilarious.
But I sat in on one of the classes yesterday, which was fun. The kids were learning English and it was a vocab lesson. The teacher asked the kids to define the word "bins." One of the kids said, "the food that gives you gas." The word "bins" and "beans" sound alike here. Funny? Yes.
I'm also working in the office. My job at home is a secretary, so I'm around computers all the time. I'm not the fastest/best. But I know enough that I can take care of my business. I come here and they think I'm amazing or something because I can type more than 30 words a minute and because I can upload pictures from a camera. There are some days when I am really busy, and other days where I don't have anything to do. I'm learning to go with the flow.
I will also say that I'm learning Mike-language. If Mike says "just a moment" it really means anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour. If he says "okay, we are leaving" it means, "we MIGHT be leaving sometime TODAY." If Mike says, "We need to be at Agape by 9" it might mean "We will be at Agape at 9." It also might mean, "We will be at Agape at 11." We kind of give him a hard time about that. But deep down, he's teaching me how to be patient.. haha. (Sorry, Mike. It's all love.)
One of the most difficult things here is that the kids don't really have a concept of personal space. I can't let it bug me, but when you have kids constantly pulling at your hair and trying to steal your rings and taking off your glasses, it's hard because you kind of have to put your foot down and be mean a little bit. That's the worst part, for me. I have trouble doing that back home. But you have to do that here. That's where I get stuck, for the most part. I have to walk my walk and talk my talk and live by faith and truth and love every second of every step of everyday. These kids need that. I guess maybe I need it to.
We also took a drive today to the Equator. It's literally this statue of a ball thing that says "Equator" on it. It's on the side of the road and you could miss it if you weren't paying attention. You get out of the car, take your pictures, and that's that. Kind of a bummer, but it was funny to see the locals kind of making fun of us about it. Some of the roads are not paved here. It's like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland except without a seatbelt and Harrison Ford isn't there to make it worth my while. But I guess the roads have come a long way (paving-wise), so I'm grateful.
Lastly, I would like to say that the ice cream is really good here. And there are no toilet seat covers. It seems kind of silly to worry about toilet seat covers back home now.
Also, if you could say some prayers for me, I'd appreciate it. I was on Mefloquine, the anti-malarial medication and it's having some really bad effects. I am starting a new medication next week, but I am still having trouble sleeping and I feel anxious and depressed. It's debilitating. I'm just hoping it doesn't have any permanent effects.
Anyway, I love you all. I miss you all. I am consuming a fair share of Ugali, Sukuma and Stoneys for all of you! On Wednesday I will have officially been here for a month! Hey-o! Only four months left...
Be well, Riss
P.S. I would be completely okay if all the mosquitos fell of the face of the planet and DIED. I am SICK OF BEING BITTEN. Haha.
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