Absolutely Amazing!

where do i start - that's the true question! guess i'll start with my saturday, then move forward. this is gonna be a stinkin' long post! (since power has been out since saturday, i've not had a chance to update, for which i'm apologizing. welcome to african style!)

Saturday: we left the base about 8.30. (supposed to leave at 8, but again, it's african style, and 30 minutes late isn't too bad!) it was raining really hard the entire way. 'the monster's' defrost doesn't work so the person, asante, sitting the middle had the position of wiping the inside of the window for the driver. 'the monster' is our 80's landcruiser. it's a pretty sweet vehicle, proven to go thru practically anything!

i'm including far too many detail, since i've been typing for 15 minutes and only have 1 paragraph!

so anyway, we drove on sanya juu road until the pavement ended. then we took a left into the bush. the road was mostly washed out due to the rain, but the monster plowed its way along the road without any troubles. the road lead to this small village town. one of the guys from my class, abraham, rode along on the adventure, and we saw his father at this little town. so we had to stop and talk for awhile to him. then we continued on our way to the mburiashi student center, by way of a less used road, which was really rough and seldom used by vehicles. not sure how far we traveled down that road, but there were many walkers on this road, one being the father of the monster's driver. so again we had to stop and chat for awhile. this place is the 'bush bush' and these people were just walking along this road. it was so strange to me. the closer we got to the student, the more excited i got. so anyway, we kept driving and finally arrived at the student center - it's a very remote area. we drove into the middle of the compound to find all the kids outside singing. i got out of the car and looked into the crowd. guess who was standing in the front, directly in front of me? of course, FLORA! i said her name, and she looked at me like, 'how does this 'angel' know my name?' my eyes filled up with tears at the sight of her. she's so incredible beautiful! the kids were all very curious as to why we were. i later found out that i may be the only white person these students ever see. Asante and I were quickly escorted to the office to fill out some paperwork. our driver and the other passengers of monster went to senye's house for a brief visit. because i didn't follow protocol by filling out all the necessary paperwork, so i put the staff under some stress. because they didn't have the paperwork at this center, they sent someone by bicycle to retrieve the paperwork from the little town where we met abraham's father. with some consultation with asante the staff calmed down and brought Flora to the office so we could officially meet, even tho i hadn't completed the required paperwork. it had been about 30 minutes before i was allowed to meet her. i was pretty nervous, my heart was racing and my eyes were occasionally filling with tears. she's so adorable! at first she was really shy, but it had to be incredibly intimidating being in a room full of adults, several of whom you don't know. and having an interpreter was probably very strange for her. but she was very gracious and answered my questions. she knows a little english, so she understood a little of what i was asking her. after i had run of out question to ask her, i gave her a little stuffed elephant. she was so excited about the gift. her eyes lit up and she had this big smile. so precious. then i got my camera out and we took some photos together. so thought that was pretty exciting to have her photo taken.

after awhile, senye and abraham returned with the monster. i was asked if i wanted to meet Flora's parents and without thinking i just blurted out 'yes'. so preparations were made for us all to travel to meet her family. we piled in the monster, about 10 of us (not exactly sure where the extras came from), and made our way to her place. we drove until there was not road, then walk to last 1/4 miles to her house. on the walk she and i held hands the entire time. by now she was feeling quite proud, i could tell from her expressions. (i later found out that having a white person come to meet her will put her at the top of her class.) at one point we stopped and took a photo - one of my favorites of us together. it's so green and lush near where she lives. the maize is quite tall, the coffe plants and banana trees are ready for harvest, and all the trees and plants are thriving this time of year. you can see from the photos.

her house is up on a small hill. as we were walking to her house, i could see a couple of cows, some chickens and 3 small kids. the house is a small mud house with a tin roof. you can see the pictures. as we approached i could see her dad working in a garden. he came over to us and joseph, one of the Compassion staff, introduced me. he was grateful, and his hand shake displayed it. we didn't really have much chance to talk, since the other guys with me all spoke swahili, and senye knew this guy from primary school. i had to opportunity to meet Flora's mom inside the house, since she was with a week old baby. i wasn't sure what to say to her because the interpreter wasn't allow inside with us, so i kept telling her that she has beautiful babies. got some photos of her and the kiddos inside the house. after about 10 minutes inside, i went outside to spend more time with the dad. after taking some photos with the dad and the kids, i had the chance to meet flora's grandpa. got a good photo of flora and him.

then flora and her dad presented me with a live chicken. what a humbling gift to receive from the child whom i sponsor. and all those photos which flora has drawn for me of chickens have even greater meaning. being handing the chicken by flora was a real heart-felt experience. i can't even begin to express the gratitude/embarrassment/honor/humility i felt at that moment.

after they gave me the chicken we said our good-byes. Flora went back with us to her school, so we walked together to the monster. over the hills and thru the puddles we bounced back to the compound. when we arrived the kids were in the main building - the church - where they were singing and dancing their little hearts out. got a brief video on my camera of them. so fun! flora grabbed one of her friends and they offered their huge smiles to me for a picture!

again we were asked to come to their office, this time for lunch. they had made fried goat meat and spaghetti with cinnamon, which was very good. i think the staff was stalling, since they still did not have the required paperwork. after lunch, i hung out with some more of the kids. flora and gone to be with her friends, but there were many other kids around. some of them read me a story of goliath. i may have made the mistake of taking some more photos, because then about 50 kids compacting into a small room all to have their photo taken. i asked them to sing me a song before i took their photo. they sang, 'this is the day, this is the day, that the Lord has made'. how fitting!

after that senye and asante worked it out that the paper would be delivered to boma ngombe - the small town near where i live - so i could be legal to see flora again. (all those policies!)

and with that news, we were free to leave. so flora came to me, i asked her if i could have a hug (which is uncommon her to give hugs), and she said yes. so i gave her a hug, took some more photos, then walked to the monster. i was so sad to be leaving. i wish that i could've stayed with her all day, and then walked home with here, but my heart was filled with gratitude and joy for the opportunity to meet her and her family.

so, as we drove away from the compound, with my live chicken in the back of the monster, i was humbled and overjoyed for the grace of Christ. He had ordained all the plans to meet with Flora - beginning with a simple conversation with Asante about Compassion to meeting her family. what a glorious experience! i wish there was a way i could better express what i was feeling during the experience, but words fall short. please know that my heart is happy.

i'll update tomorrow about what happened after meeting Flora, but for now i really need to go to bed. i will also update the photos, but right now it's 11.51 pm and i'm tired. sorry for lack of photos. thanks for your understanding.

tanya's power is out and she called me today and asked me to post an update. she's got some amazing stories to share about her time with flora along with some other really cool experiences. you will have to be patient and wait on the power for that. however, she wanted me to remind you about the International Day of Prayer for Zimbabwe that is tomorrow, April 18. Go here: http://www.prayzimbabwe.org/ for more information.

-Denise

Flora!

so i have some very exciting news: i'm planning on meeting flora tomorrow! she's my adopted kid whom i sponsor thru compassion. thru a weird series of events it turns out that she lives near the family of someone from this base, and that person is going to visit his family this weekend. he mentioned that buses don't often travel there, so we are taking 'the monster' - it's our old (70's version) of a landcruiser (i could be wrong on the type, but i'll find out!) how exciting to be traveling to the mountain in the monster to meet with flora. i'm so excited about the visit. but here's the deal, since i'm showing up unexpected there is a chance that she'll not be at the school tomorrow. so i'm praying that God divinely puts all the pieces together so that she and i will be able to meet.

after meeting with flora i'm scheduled to go with Asante to his church.Asante, which means 'thank you', is one of the school leaders. he's also an assist pastor to some small church up on the mountain - not too far from where flora lives. he asked me from when i first met him to travel with him to his church. before easter i told him that i would go with him after easter, and he took it literally - so this weekend we are going. i'm looking forward to the experience of the weekend. each weekend since i've been here there have been the most intersting things to do. oh so exciting, since sometimes during the week i feel a bit trapped. we don't ever go anywhere during the week because of our busy schedules and lack of transporation. i really miss having the ability to hop in my car and just drive somewhere - even if it's to the local restaraunt for chicken and chips (a deep fried piece of chicken with real french fries!). this meal cost about $2, but the challenge is getting to the store to buy it!

guess it's time to go and do some laundry!

Watch out for nairobi flies

people have told me to watch out for this bugs called nairobi flies. they are quite a terrible little bug. click here to read a story of kirk's adventure with these bugs. click here to see some great pictures of the effects of this little beetle.

why am i telling of these bugs? because i must have smashed one near my collar bone. i know how this lovely oosing wound. but the toothpaste is helping and it's drying up nicely. think i may have gotten the nairobi fly in nairobi. ironic? yeah, i really do think.

today's first: i was showering, had all my parts wet and was about to begin the scrubbing process when the lights went out. since the water is already cold, and there are only 4 items in the shower, nothing really changed. i just grabbed the soap from the ledge, suds-ed up, grabbed my scrub brush and washed my feet, turned off the water, wrapped my conga around my body and that's the end. so i guess that the lights are not a necessity to living. perhaps you could try taking a cold shower in the dark?!?!?!

Hospitality Galore in Nairobi

so friday japheth and i set out early to catch the bus in Boma. while still at the base, it took some persuasion to find a driver to take us to the bus stop. $13.71 USD to get to nairobi (17,000 tanzania shillings). i find that price ridiculously cheap. (but this is the 'local' price, as opposed to the posted internet price of $25 usd.) all the travels went smooth, even the border crossing. let me correct that - everything went smooth, besides the fact that the road is filled with potholes. not sure how any of the vehicles have any shocks or axles left. it was great to see the different landscapes - from the rich, green rolling hills of arusha to the dry, flat lands covered in acacia trees.

the border crossing is an interesting place. you get dumped off at the tanzania immigration office and are expected to know what to do. so grateful for japheth's knowledge! so we went thru the line at the tanzania immigration office then made our trek to the kenya immigration office. there's an area in between the two where there is nothing except looters trying to sell different 'treasures' or young men offering to exchange money. it's an odd area of land.

from the bus stop we walked to allen and japheth's house. no one was home, so japheth broke in. the house is simple, but full of life. after about 2 hours allen, judy, and joyce arrived. once you enter the house, you'll want to stay because of the hospitality which resides inside. this family is rich in hospitality - all of them. judy, japheth's mom, has a way of lighting up the room with her smile. joyce's kind and enduring heart is deep in grace and acceptance. allen has incredible cooking skills and is studying to be a chef. the people truly made this easter trip glorious!

in the evening we all took a little adventure to this mansion belonging to japheth's aunt and uncle. the place is incredible! there are many large gardens, nicely trimmed shrubs and greenery, and a beautiful home filled with prayers, smiles and laughter. i have some photos which i'll try to upload later (i'm running out of time tonight!) the part that made this place so amazing was not just the magnificent house/landscape, but the people inside. abigail, japheth's sweet grandma, greeted us with a warm smile and hug. her eyes are as gentle as a newborn lamb. there is a depth to her that reached into my soul. she's lived a hard life, but God has graciously blessed her with a beautiful family. gettting to meet her was a highlight of the trip. even though she doesn't speak english, nor i swahili or kikuyu, somehow we managed to communicate perfectly.

after returning to japheth's house we enjoyed a great meal of coconut rice and chicken. did i mention that allen's is training to be a chef? it was so good to have flavored food. this always was a highlight!

saturday japheth and i headed into the city. it's a beautiful mix of race and diversity. the place was buzzing with energy and traffic and people! it was good to be in that business again. the city has everything you could ever need - western clothes to tribal attire, electronics to markets. i found a dictionary to/from english to swahili and some other things. just for your knowledge the exchange rate was $1 usd : $69.71 kenya shilling.

after a tour of downtown, we took this amazing dali-dali called 'kamikaze' to another part of town with a mall. the dali-dali was a combination of rollercoaster and racecar with a suped up stereo system with LCD screen. so fun! the driving in nairobi is mostly wicked crazy! i'm surprised there are fewer accidents. somehow all the drivers know how to manipulate through the crowds and watch out for each other. it was amazing to see how the drivers all work together thru the crowds.

the mall seemed like any mall in america. stores ranging from a flower shop to clothing stores to a grocery store. it definitely attracted a higher class of citizens. while in the mall we ate some chicken tikka with curry and rice.

for dinner on saturday we were blessed with chicken, baked potatoes, salad and a banana and cheese dessert. man - it was so good! but what really made the meal great was the wonderful conversation around the table. there is a deep respect for each family member and for me, a simple visitor. they included me in all the conversations. truly this is what hospitality should look like.

the trip was really great - so good to get out of the country and experience a different culture for a few days. and meeting japheth's family is a major blessing. God has bestowed them with His favor - there's no other way to say it!

He is Risen, Indeed!

there is one tradition i cannot let go. it happens every easter. i call several of my friends and tell them, 'He is risen!' and they respond, 'He has risen, indeed!' it brings me great joy to hear the response! another thing that brings me great joy is receiving an easter card from america on easter day. that was God's little gift for me. i cried. thanks carole and leroy for the card!

Being Sharp and Deepness of the Father's Love

today during my shower i was reminded of a couple of updates to the shower process which i forgot to add. first, when you go into the room marked 'bathroom, as opposed to the ones marked 'toilet', be sure to lock the door. secondly, be sure to hang your towel over the window so you won't have any on-lookers. third, during the scrubbing of your feet, while balancing on one leg, take off your opposite foot's flip-flop and scrub it with the brush, along with your foot. then put on the clean flip-flop and do the same with the other foot. this will be of much value later on.

i've always loved this verse: [Prov. 27.17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.] i've always had this idea that it's great to be sharp, to be quick to think, to look nice. during class today, my thinking was challenged, in a good way. what about the other qualities of being sharp - most sharp things are not good for children, to have a sharp tongue isn't good, etc. so now i'm thinking of the other side of 'sharp'. my eyes have been opened to a new understanding <- that's the understatement of the year, right there!

so i downloaded a cd yesterday. (do i have to admit that it took nearly 2 hours for the download to be completed? or should i admit that i wasn't bothered by that fact?) so, anyway, there's a song on the cd which is so amazing. (denise, get this: it's by sarah sadler and i like it! but i'm not a fan of hers, and her website bothers me, too.) the name is called: How Deep the Father's Love for Us. here are the lyrics:

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will nost boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

i know that i've heard the song many times before, but for some reason, my heart is moved by that song. i've listened to it about 35 times today, and can't get enough of it, especially this line: 'Why should i gain from His reward? i cannot give an answer. But, this i know with all my heart, His wounds have paid my ransom.'

Happy Easter Early

ok, so i'm leaving bright and early in the morning, i won't have opportunity to say 'happy easter'... so i'm saying it now. seems kinda weird to be saying 'He is Risen' even before He is set in the tomb, but unfortunately this year, i'll need to be ok with it. for you who i have a tradition of calling early on Easter morning - i'll need to be really creative this year - He might not rise until later in the day! lol. oh well, so goes my beautiful adventure.

so i'm off to nairobi! ah, another stamp in my passport! happy happy joy joy!

Ordinary Things

as i was chatting with some friends this week, i've come to realize that i'm settled here. things are not foreign any more, nor am i'm thinking of all the modern conveniences which i miss. and the food actually tastes pretty good now. (ok, so we have a fill in cook this week, and she ROCKS! - not sure why the food tastes so much better, even many others have commented about the food this week!) still not used to laundry in a bucket, but it's growing on me. early to bed, early to rise is ok, too. i still miss my friends, but it's a different feeling than when i first got here. (and having skype and email is a major blessing!) hmm. what else am i used to? i've discovered the way how to adjust to the cold shower more smoothly.
1. get your legs wet
2. get your arms wet
3. splash water on your stomach
4. turn around and only get the hairs on your head wet
5. after some scrubbing, you'll be ready to dunk your entire body in the cold water.

another process: going to the bathroom
1. go to room and get some toilet paper
2. go to toilet stall and lock the door
3. take toilet paper out of your pocket
4. squat enough to pull your pants legs up, and the top of your pants down. (this is a feat!)
5. do your duty - either 'a short call' (#1) or 'a long call' (#2)
6. stand up and step away from the squat pot before pulling up your pants - due to the nastiness near the pot
those are all very important steps!

now that i'm laughing about my two processes, i kind of want to delete this post and start all over, but i'm going to leave it so you, too, can have a laugh!

and i'm begining to see more similarities in people, instead of focusing on all the cultural differences. the younger girls all get zits and spend time in front of the mirror everyday checking out their blemishes. they spend large amounts of time on their hair, too. people sleep through class, and wake up with drool. some people talk in their sleep. people are brutally honest here - they don't try to cover up their real selves. this is something that i highly admire. they are just themselves - loud or quiet, silly or stern, athletic or not. this is a breath of fresh air.

well, it's nearly time for me to go to class, but i wish it were time to take a nap.

if you want to read some updates on how the hotze's jamaica trip is going, please visit this website. be sure to leave a comment for them, too!

i forgot to add something: i'm going to nairobi, kenya, for easter. looking forward to getting out of this country for a few days. taking the bus - it's about 5 hours from where i'm staying. hopefully we can catch the air conditioned bus, as opposed to the other buses!

Pizza and Solitude

again i attended the english-speaking church in arusha. the service didn't seem as odd this week, tho it's still filled with mzungu. guess my heart was hungry for a clear Word and some worship and fellowship with some english speakers. anna and a carload of ladies were going to arusha, so i hitched a ride with them. we listed to darlene zschech from a tape. that's just funny to me!

during the drive, anna said, 'happy palm sunday to you.' i hadn't even thought about this being palm sunday - only one week until easter, and only 4 days of school this week. i'm looking forward to the break. now i need to decide what i'm going to do with my time off. i've been invited with several people to travel with them to their homes during the holiday, but most of them speak very broken english. then there's the idea that i could check into a hotel with hot showers, comfy beds and ice! but then i wouldn't get to experience an Africa Easter. so i'll keep you updated what i decide to do.

song sung in church today:
Hungry (Falling on my Knees)
Hungry, I come to you for I know you satisfy
I am empty, but I know Your love does not run dry
And so I wait for You so I wait for You

I'm falling on my knees
Offering all of me
Jesus, You're all this heart is living for

Broken, I run to You for Your arms are open wide
I am weary, but I know Your touch restores my life
And so I wait for You so I wait for You

i was reading cnn.com about what the Pope said regarding his palm sunday message:
He told them that to follow God they should have "innocent hands and pure hearts."

"Innocent hands are hands that are not used for acts of violence," he told them. "They are hands that are not sullied by corruption and bribes."

Hearts are pure when they are not "stained by lies and hypocrisy," he said. "A heart is pure when it is estranged from the intoxication of pleasure; a heart for whom love is true and not just the passion of a moment," he said.

for this holy week, i challenge you to take a look at this post over at Jeff's blog. my challenge is that each day you think about these questions. think how different your life can be? i'm committing to this challenge. i'll keep you updated what i find in my life which needs to change.

btw, i'm loving the internet so i can download some sermons from my friends over at 7:22.