July blessings

Final Countdown… Each day brings me closer to the realization that once again, I will be saying “goodbye” (or as I prefer, see you later) to people that I have come to love very much. The body of Christ here is portrayed beautifully in that in a very quick amount of time you come to love and appreciate the people you serve with on staff and the students you are ministering and doing life with even though you were complete strangers at first.

  God has blessed my girls and me with lots of special “last” moments to put into our storehouses of memories. J I am not sure when it will sink in that I will not have 17 girls living with me but trust that through God’s grace He will provide new opportunities for me (and them) and help us to remember our time together with joy. 

Coaching…

I really enjoyed the opportunity to coach JV Volleyball earlier in the term. It was my first coaching experience, but I think it must run in my genes because it seemed like a perfect fit. J

The girls went 5-1 (a short, but successful season). I loved the chance to be part of sports and mentoring these young girls which happen to be two of my favorite things!  

Sophomore Sunday School retreat.. my small group girls. :) 

   Our Sophomore Sunday School retreat was also a very special time. It was great to be away with the girls from campus with the sole purpose of learning and worshiping together. The teaching made a huge impact on the girls (their words) and on me as well. I was really challenged by the idea that Jesus is not only my Father, Lord, and Savior, but He is also my Treasure!! In my personal devotions following the retreat, He has continued to show me the joy I can have when I seek Him as my all. 

Attending the "Sophomore Restaurant"  with my Bible study group that my girls put on with their class mates

          

My Buddy Zawadi and me 

one of my many Chameleon pets :) 

Answers to prayer..

Mercy Getting Baptized on June 30th 

We have been praying for one of my girls in previous letters and I just wanted to share with you the joy I have had in seeing the Lord work in her heart to give her a love for Him. I asked Mercy for permission to share in my letter and she said I could. She came back this 3^RD term a different person! In talking to her, she shared that she trusted in Jesus Christ as her Savior for the first time in March. (over the break) Mercy has always been a sweet girl with a beautiful smile, but when she came back she had a joy that seemed to come from deep within her heart. I’m convinced this joy can only be seen from the Holy Spirit shining out of our hearts.  She also wanted to be baptized! When kids get baptized here, they go through a 2 week class and they choose someone to read one of their favorite verses and also someone to pray over them. I was honored when she asked me to pray for her. It was such a joy to see God’s answering work in someone I had been praying for these last 2 years!  While she will continue to have struggles in this life, I am thankful that she has finally put her hope and trust in the One who will always be with her and walk through these with her. What a special blessing.

            Another special blessing the Lord gave me recently again came through my girls. We had a school-wide talent show where I got to sing with some of my girls. It was special to sing with them, but then the surprise came after our performance. The girls planned such a special “thank you” for me. They had all the dorm girls come up on stage with roses and a favorite song of mine playing overhead and then said all the things they were thankful for of what I had done for them and how they were going to miss me. Well, I can tell you I was crying my eyes out and will miss them just as much!! I have been incredibly blessed with the relationships God has given me here and the challenges that have come through those that have drawn me closer to Him. He is so good isn’t He? 

Talent Show surprise from my girls!! 

group of girls I got to sing with, L-R: Lynn, Mercy, me, Abby, Hekyung, Autumn, and Maisha 

Climbed Mt. Longonot for the first time! so beautiful from the rim. 

What is next?

God has given me much peace about going home at this time. I am not sure what He has next for me and would appreciate your continual prayers as I wait to see what He has for me. Please pray that my heart will be willing and I would continue to trust in Him and His timing. He is faithful!! I think you received a letter or email from AIM explaining that I will have until December 1st to be on Home Assignment. During that time I will transition back to the states and rest and renew with my family.  I will be looking for a job and/or different ministries that He might want me to have or be a part of. I know the Lord will provide for all my needs as He so graciously has in the past. Thank you for being a part of that provision! I can’t thank you enough for your partnership in this ministry.  

    It has been so neat just to see Him working behind the scenes as I prepare for traveling home. I have some friends in London that will help me store suitcases while I take a trip up to see my good friend, Naomi, in Northern Ireland for a couple days. (She was on staff here at RVA last year)Then those friends will pick me up and take me back to the airport when I will fly to the states. I arrive July 20^th into Indianapolis and I am SOO looking forward to seeing my family and connecting with friends. I would love to see you if you are close by, so let me know!! It will be great to get plugged back into my home church, Castleview Baptist Church.

     Please be praying for me and my girls as we face the “see you laters” in a little over a week’s time. They are all anxious to know who will be their dorm parents next year and I keep reminding them that He knows these things and they don’t have to worry as it will be the exact person that God knows they need. I found a home for my dog, Zawadi, with a fellow staff member here. I am glad he will have a good home, but I will miss him and it will be very hard to say goodbye to him too!

If you could also pray for smooth connections and good rest on the flights home I would appreciate that.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!!! See you SOON! J

Kijabe Rains....

I think I can see the 5inches of rain in these clouds..right before the deluge 

 On Friday night we received 5'' of rain in a matter of 4 hours. This led to a massive mudslide around 2am. The security guards thought it was the end of the world as they heard the "freight train" noise coming down the hill at them. They ran for their lives! (can't say that I blame them) The slide was just feet away from some of our staff member's homes and took out one section  of our security fence. It crossed over the railroad tracks and took out huge trees in its path.. The aftermath is quite a site to behold. We have a path all around the perimeter of the school that many of us run/walk on called the Guard's trail. There are pictures of the stairs that I have walked up many times surrounded by mud and debris.

Staff member's house.. close call! 

Stairs on the "Guard's trail" 

The community has been greatly affected by the slide as only 1 of the 4 access roads to Kijabe were safe to be used; leaving the others closed or ruined because of the slide. A section of the rode was entirely wiped out on one of the lower roads. Our main road, the "upper" road is now open, however, there is a very weak point in the road from where most of the ground underneath it has been washed out. Normal cars should be ok to use it, as long as we get a break from the heavy rains we have been having.

road right by campus 

upper road tunnel and weak point of road

upper road 

lower road.. where did it go? 

There have been people that have lost their entire homes and 3 children in a nearby village lost their lives in the slide.. Please continue to hold them in your prayers!
here are some more pictures from around the area..

petrol station in Kijabe

"back yard" of a staff member 

lots of mud! 

Harambee! (work together!) 

used to be a fence along here 

one of RVA's main gates 

railroad 

railroad tie found 200meters below the railroad! 

tough guys!! thankful for their hard work. :) 

pulling together to get the gate cleared!

We were able to go to our 9th and 10th grade girl's retreat at Brakenhurst.  We had a great time of learning  about God as our first love and how He is the only one who can satisfy us. I was so encouraged by the other women's testimonies and talks, I think the girls were too. We talked in my small group about how we want to be careful that we don't just leave what we learned behind us at retreat, but that we will live it in our daily lives. Here are a few pictures from our trip there and at retreat.

Mt. Longonot and Kijabe Hill

Kijabe from afar..the cluster of buildings on the hillside 

Pride rock 

My fellow dorm mom and friend, Emily

skit time.. :) I was a Rugby player

My small group.. (and dorm girls. :) )

10th grade girls

Pedicure time

April 2013 update

Isaiah 43:1b-2, 4a

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. When you pass through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you.”

Life of a dorm mom…Each day presents its own challenges along with some fun “adventures”. Being a “mom” to 17 teenage girls has definitely kept me on my toes. Whether it be relearning algebra (YUCK J ), editing English papers, giving advice, listening, laughing at their craziness, cooking, middle-of-the-night vomit cleanup, shopping for quantities of snack food I never imagined, teaching life lessons (and learning them together), fixing broken doors, and being available 24/7 for them could get a little difficult if not for the ever-present faithfulness of the Lord for strength and wisdom. One of my favorite challenges has been teaching them God’s Word and realizing anew the things He has done in my life to prepare me for this opportunity. I am constantly faced with a situation with one of my girls that is a lesson I have learned in the past and am then able to share what God taught me and how He was faithful in those situations and point them to His Word because I have already been through it myself. All the every-day difficulties (and I hardly scratched the surface) are all worth it when I have a girl that shows she is learning to rely on Him and maturing in her walk with her Savior. . What a blessing to be a part of these 17 young women’s lives.  In dorm devos this term we have been doing stories. It has been so fun to hear about each girl’s life and how God has brought them here and what He has taught them. We end each story with a challenge for the dorm from what God has taught them.

New Opportunities…

 The last part of the 2nd term and in the upcoming 3^rd-and final- term I will be coaching JV Volleyball. I am really excited! I have always been on the medical side of the bench, not the coaching. So this will be a new challenge but one from which I look forward to learning.  I get to coach 2 of my girls as well as 10 other young ladies. 

   Mastering the whole stick shift, left side of the road/car driving thing has been an adventure. I am thankful I have been able to though because it turned out that I was able to take my girls (with 2 other drivers) to a country club in Naivasha for a swim day for our Dorm party.  My girls told me I looked legit driving. J A funny part about living here is some of the “normal” things in life become obscure.

Matters for Prayer:

    I have continued to disciple “Grace” this term, though it is sometimes sporadic when we actually meet. She continues to struggle with her desire to live life for the Lord. She is often despondent and has no will to be here at school and do her best. Please be praying that she will realize that God is the only one who can satisfy and that He is completely trustworthy. She has so many people in her life who have failed her and hurt her. She continues to be very open and honest with me and I am thankful we have a good relationship, but I don’t want her to depend on me for her answers, but depend on the Lord.

     Another request is for patience to love and direct another girl that is in my dorm. She is very sweet, but also so dependent on me. She is my little shadow. I  am hoping she will learn to interact with the other girls and have a special friend to come a long side her and encourage her to get out of the dorm and experience more of those peer relationships.

     Please be praying with me too for how God will direct me for the future. He recently reminded me to not hold onto my plans with closed fists, but to trust Him and be open to wherever He might lead me even if it is totally different than what I was thinking. Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand”

I am not sure what I will be doing when I get home to Indiana in July but I trust God will show me what is next. Also, I was to the point at the end of the term where I was exhausted and very ready for the break. Please pray that I will be refreshed and ready for April 22^nd when the girls get back and that we can make the most of this last term together.

     I will be heading to Malindi (the coast) with the WGM-Tenwek- missionary family to teach the 7-9yr olds for their retreat. We will be doing a VBS curriculum focusing on wisdom from Proverbs. I am looking forward to this time with them.

Praise God!! The elections on March 4^th were peaceful and the nation of Kenya has remained calm even after some drama with the losing candidate calling for a Supreme Court verdict declaring the voting count as rigged because of the machines failing. March 30^th they announced the president was official. (Uhuru Kenyatta) Peace reigned and we are so grateful for the Lord stirring peace in the hearts of Kenyans. There were several pockets of violence, but nothing like in 2007.  April 9^th will be the inauguration of Kenyatta. That is the day I am to fly out of Nairobi so I am hoping that it will remain calm while trying to get to the airport for the flight to the coast.

    I enjoyed being at Tenwek over Easter weekend. It was fun to have the time with my dad and also be able to go to Kenduwia orphan home and play with the kids. The Easter sunrise service was very beautiful and brought back lots of special memories of times there with my sisters and Mom as well. The Pastor gave a very encouraging message on the Resurrection. Reminded me of the hope we have as believers because of Christ’s victory over death. We serve a LIVING God!

This next term will be very full and go by quickly. I want to make the most of every opportunity and continue to pour into the girl’s lives and not get focused on looking to being back at home. 2 of my girls will not be returning this next term as it was time for their family to do a 6month home assignment. I will miss them so much! I got a little taste of what the goodbyes are going to look like in July. I will have 15 girls for term 3. I will continue teaching Sunday school and working in the office, along with the dorm. The first weekend of school we will have a retreat for the Sunday School class. I will be leading worship for that and am looking forward to the concentrated time with all the girls. Thank you for your continual support and partnership! I am so thankful for each and every one of you. Please let me know how I can be praying specifically for you!

Outreach to House of Hope 

Zawadi :) 

My JV Volleyball team 

fun to have my Dad visit 

one of my many chameleons :) 

Dorm Party trip to Naivasha 

Love these girls!! Sporting our Dorm sweatshirts