~Nuru~: October 2009

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Too Much Fun!

We had an incredibly busy, yet fantastically fun time at RVA this week! It started off with Multicultural Day!

The students dressed up to represent their home country. We had a flag ceremony with about 25 countries represented at the school!

The evening was the best, with a beautiful sunset and an American Football game!

Followed by fireworks... :) It was a little different then watching them at Disneyland!

My Class received a package with Cracker Jacks in it from back home! They loved it, can you tell?!

Saturday was Pine Wood Derby! The cars were incredible! We have the 2nd longest track in the world. It was a fun day! I loved watching the kids faces when their cars crossed the finish line.

My Class, just because they are awesome!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

This last week was Spiritual Emphasis Week (S.E.W.) on campus. Every night there were sessions where we had a guest speaker and a worship leader that lead us into the presence of the Lord. At one of the evening sessions the speaker proposed a time of prayer where the students were told to out loud declare who God was to them. "God you are...," was followed by shouts of the students declaring the Lord and his many attributes. I decided to try this in my classroom the next morning. I put a little box on my whiteboard and asked the students to come up and put up words to follow "God you are..." God spoke to my heart that morning and to my students reminding us of Him who is worthy. Check out what the board looked like at the end of chai time.

Our God is indescribable and ALL of our words fall so short to describe Him.

How can we not love, serve, and trust the Lord Almighty

Wholeheartedly and with Passion ?!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

An Honest Blog.

I cried alot yesterday, but I'm not the only one. I have to be honest. I miss my family alot alot. Alot alot. Having the Jen, Doug, and Kasey Kurz here in Kenya with me is a gift. Spending time with them is like having my Mom, Dad, and Sister close by. It was very hard to leave them yesterday. And yes, I cried alot when I got back. My time with them also confirmed where my heart is in Kenya and will always be. Mathare Valley. I do not know how God will allow me to continue to serve there, but that is my heart's desire and I will wait anxiously to see what he has in store. Coming back to RVA yesterday and leaving my Kenya family did allow me to get a close glimpse of what my children felt like coming back to RVA yesterday as well. Dinner at the cafeteria was quite heartbreaking to see my children's parents leaving them in our care to return back to the mission field. There was plenty of tears and need of hugs. The little bit of sadness I felt, allowed me to have more compassion for my students and the others in our school who sacrifice to allow their parents to share God's love with the people in Africa. Please pray for my students this week and myself as we adjust once more and cling to the Lord, the one thing that does not change.

Where My Heart Is

Mathare Valley. The 2nd largest slum in Kenya with over 800,000+ people in just a few mile radius. The unemployment rate in the slums is 70%. Those who can find labor earn about $1.00 a day or less. God is transforming this valley of darkness into a light that cannot be hidden.

Matthew 4:16

"...the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Midterm Break!

"The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."- Frederick Buechner

I could not be happier.

I love how God knows our needs, even down to the smallest detail. He knew how much I would miss my family but did not neglect these feelings. The Lord has given me a huge comfort by providing for me two families whom I adore and will consider them my Kenya family forever.

Being midterm, my students went to be with their guardians and families for a few days, so I have done the same. I have stayed with the Kurz and have visited with the Kamaus as well. I was able to bring my two teacher friends Jenny and Amanda from RVA with me too! We have had quite the culture experiences in the evening for dinners. I was able to enjoy fabulous Ethiopian food last night and talapia fish and green beans tonight...and yes I ate the fish and green beans Mommy! Staying here in Nairobi with the Kurz allows me to spend time at Joska Boarding School as well as time at different places in Mathare Valley. Mathare Valley is truly where my heart is.

My Joska Kids

Class 6 Red- I taught them Spanish a few weeks ago:)

Please be praying for the 37 eight graders who will be taking the National exams starting November 9Th. This test determines if they will be able to continue their schooling. The are diligently preparing for these exams and have asked to be covered in prayers.

My friend Amanda and I on top of the dorms at Joska

AND the greatest part...spending time with my Kenya family...

Little brother David

Baraka

My sister Faith

Faith and Elizabeth :) Elizabeth makes the best chapatis in all of Kenya!

It is getting to be a little more like home.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Set an Example...Change the World

This last week my 5th graders and I read a story about people who have changed the world. My kids were asked to respond to the story by writing how they feel they have changed the world and how else they would like to continue doing this...

Here are a few of their incredible responses!

"I do not know if I have changed the world in anyway at all, but I do know that i want to do to make a difference in the world when I am older. I want to change the world in the field of archeology where at the archeology sight I can spread Christianity among the peoples there."

"I have been doing outreach most of my life. I have given cookies to guards around my school, played with orphans, and encouraged people who are sick in the hospitals here in Africa. When I was doing this I left what God has done for me."

"I am trying my best to make the world a better place by planting plants and crops for those here. I want to tell everyone to plant even at least one plant and help them to grow, so those here can eat and have resources. My parents and I came to Africa to change the world."

"I have helped my parents change the world. I want to continue by telling the world the gospel of Christ. My Dad is a pastor. He helps the people build churches and houses. My Mom loves telling about God to little kids in Voi. I am confident to teach the same when I grow up. I will understand the feeling of how people starve in hunger and thirst and I will give them help. I want to change the world like my parents have."

"I want to make a difference in the world. I want to show people that life is not about winning. I want to spread the word of God. Through making a difference is hard, I am determined to make a difference. I need God's help to do this."

"My dream has been to change the world with God. God is the ruler and I want to dwell in Him and have others be followers of God. God has been working through us, my family and I, to reach the poor people in Kenya to reach His people."

"I have gone down to Maia Maihu on Sundays to play with the kids. Outreach days I have helped make kids happy and joyous. At C.U.R.E. we made the patients feel at home. We also went to Shepherd's Little Lambs. There we enjoyed the day with them. They sang and played with us. I think many lives were changed."

"I have made a difference by coming to live in Africa, and to love all different color skin. I've loved a little girl who had H.I.V., but then died. My best friends are from different countries. Two of my siblings are adopted from Africa. I love them dearly. I believe that God has a special plan for me, and I want to obey and follow him. Have you ever wanted to do something because for the sin other people do? I have and I want to make a difference. Sometimes I wish I could speak all languages."

"What I have wanted to do to change the world is a good way is to preach about God to Yemen. My dad is a pastor in Uganda. After he dies I have to take his place."

"I am going to be a doctor and travel around and help people who are sick. I know I am not clever enough but I am sure God will help me if being a doctor is His plan."

"I have changed the world by accepting Jesus Christ as my Savior. So that I may glorify God for all my life. When I grow up I want to be a great missionary in dangerous countries. I want to glorify God for all the days of my life. I want him to work through me according to his plan. I want to understand God better and better and try to be more like him. I am willing to do whatever God tells me to do even if it is hard. I will trust him. That is how I want to change the world. "

"I want to change the world by building many churches here, God's people so that men would believe in Jesus Christ and be strengthened within the body of Christ."

"I have moved to Africa so that my parents could help Africa. I will become a professional skateboarder and when I win, I will tell the world that it was God who gave me my skills. I will create a skate shop and give it a name like C28. I will invite my my skater friends to church. Also, everything I do I will do for God. I will give him the glory. My parents are helping put wells in villages. All in all, we are doing it for God. Because, he is great. And he deserves it."

Wow.