On Time

I'm sitting in the Washington Dulles airport after approximately 24 hours of travel straight - and still a few more hours to go until I get to my final destination of the week, Philadelphia.

A lot's changed over the last couple days. I packed up my apartment at Tenwek, traveled to Nairobi and checked a few last minute things off the bucket list, headed to the airport to begin the journey back to America, had a nice long layover in Brussels, and now I'm about to begin a week of celebration for the wedding of two fabulous friends. Let's just say there's been more than a few tears shed about all of this change. Am I thrilled to be coming home? Absolutely. Am I am devastated that I had to leave the family that I had made at Tenwek? You better believe it. 

Everyone kept asking me, "How are you feeling about leaving?" And my response was the same every time, "Completely mixed emotions." I wanted to be able to give them a straight answer but that's the truth, I was completely overwhelmed but yet astoundingly at peace at the same time. 

Tenwek was my lovely, empowering, challenging and hospitable home for the last 11 months, but that's just it. It was for 11 months and now I'm back in America starting the next chapter whether I want to or not. There's a lot of unknowns and even more unanswered questions about what this year meant and how it's supposed to impact my future but here's something I know to be true - this year changed my life, my perspective, my priorities, and my faith. How and to what extent those things were changed, only time will tell, but I find comfort in the knowledge that God's got it under control. 

On various Sunday mornings in church at Tenwek we would sing the hymn, "Trust and Obey." And a few lines of the hymn go like this: 

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, 

But our toil He doth richly repay: 

Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross, 

But is blessed if we trust and obey. 

Trust and obey, for there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. 

This was the anthem of my year. Trust and obey the commands and promises of Christ, and he will richly repay our grief and loss. Let it go (unintentional Frozen reference), but for real - control is overrated. 

I'm incredibly sad that my season of life at Tenwek has come to a close, but the friends and memories I made far outshine the sorrow I feel. A great friend of mine wrote me a sweet farewell card (that I packed in my checked bag so I don't have the exact wording but...) on the back it had a proverb to the effect of, "We would not have memories without goodbyes." I love this. 

God's timing is far greater than ours, and although my time felt cut short at Tenwek, it was so so full. Full of life. Full of love. Full of grace and mercy I had never experienced before. 

Also, you would never believe this but I just saw a Maasai warrior walking through the Washington Dulles airport. What!? Habari yako, friend! 

|| This is a new nation, based on a mighty continent of boundless possibilities. - Theodore Roosevelt ||

On Adventure

Here we are again about two months after my last post. Gosh. Sorry, friends.

Here's what's been going on.

We finished up Bible Quizzing season! The Giant Slayers unfortunately didn't make it to the final tournament but we put up a good fight, plus most of my kids received a medal for memorizing anywhere from 30-60 verses from 1 Samuel. Despite taking up the majority of my Sunday's from January through March, it was such a wonderful time to get to invest in some of the children in and around Tenwek.

All the missionaries from both World Gospel Mission and Samaritan's Purse traveled to the coast to enjoy a time of retreat, rest and relaxation for a week. We stayed at a lovely hotel right on the beach and were able to enjoy a little fun in the sun. The young adults were asked to help with child care, so me and another college student were put in charge of the 6th-8th graders. We had a great time laughing together and talking about the One True God - at least the first day. On day two I woke up in terrible pain in my abdomen and ventured down to breakfast where I knew all of the missionary DOCTORS would be so I could get a consult and potentially some pain medication to get it under control. After not so much debate, the docs and myself concluded that it was indeed another kidney stone.

I was basically put on house arrest and praise the Lord there was a pharmacy across the road from the hotel that we were able to find a few liters of fluid to get in me. Only in Kenya, and only with my Kenyan family, would I get sick at the beach, be posted up in my room, have an IV line put in that's attached to a hanger. Man, it's always an adventure.

But I have to say, the love and support that I got from so many during those few days that I was out of commission truly showed me the body of Christ. Some prayed, some spent the days and nights with me to make sure I was okay, and others just laughed with me (and maybe at me) because nothing heals the spirit quiet like a good laugh.

A few of the short term visitors wanted to take a weekend trip to Hell's Gate. Granted, I had already been (check out my Facebook for pictures), but this was a great group of people that I couldn't miss out traveling with. Hell's Gate National Park has beautiful landscape, incredible biking paths, and animals that roam free. At one point there was a giraffe snacking on an acacia tree about fifty feet away from the path. It was a blast.

Today, one of my good friend's sister got married! The whole community was invited to this wedding - there were probably 500 people in attendance - and despite being very different from an American wedding, it was definitely a day of communal celebration. From dancing down the isle, to enjoying a Kenyan feast at the reception, it's going in the books as one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Congratulations to Anna and Erick, may the Lord bless you! 

Last but certainly not least, it's official, my parents and sister are coming to visit!! People, this is big news. It's less than a month until they arrive and I cannot express my gratefulness for all of you who have prayed for me during this year because now, the family is coming to see all the shenanigans that I've gotten myself into.

I only have about two months left of my service here at Tenwek. It doesn't seem real that it's been a year since I first made the decision to come. I've learned and grown
so much in the last nine months and I know the Lord has so much more for me to experience.

Please partner with me to pray for..
- The next Friends of Tenwek intern. We're still looking for someone to replace me come June so please pray that the Lord would lead a bright and excited young person to apply for next year. If you know anyone who might be interested, please pass my information along and I'd be more than happy to connect with them.
- The CMDA conference in Greece. Tenwek cleared out this weekend as most of the missionary docs traveled to Greece to attend the Christian Medical and Dental Association conference in order to keep up on their continuing medical education (CME) courses. In addition, please pray for the visiting staff doctors that are here covering for the long termers. Tenwek is a busy place and right now we're relying on a lot of outside help - praise the Lord they're here and willing to do so.
- The Mercy Fund. In my last post I talked about visiting an orphanage to get information for a project I've been working on called the Mercy Fund. In it's finality, it will function as a medical insurance fund for the five surrounding orphanages. There have been speed bumps along the way, but please pray with me that this fund will be up and running by my departure in hopes that it will provide support both financially and spiritually for the children in these homes.

Also, everyone knows I'm bad at updating my blog so if you want more consistent updates about my work please check out the Friends of Tenwek Facebook page!

|| To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement. - Augustine of Hippo || 

On Boundaries

“So what’s next for you?”

A question I hear daily. A question that nearly every 20 something hears on the regular just because of the stage of life that we’re in. This question probes us to take personality tests to help us decide what would best fit our specific skills and strengths. This question ignites fear and anxiety about the thousands of choices we have for our future. But most of all, this question makes us think WAY too much.

I’ve officially been in Kenya for 7 months, with the exception of a short stint in the middle where I was able to go home for the holidays. There have been highs and lows that have trumped any high or low that I experienced before for this adventure. Kenya is a challenging place of lack of anonymity and of cultural sensitivity, but is also a beautiful place full of God’s creative splendor.

One of the most challenging parts about this experience is that I feel like I’m missing so many big events in the lives of those I love. Some examples. Since I’ve been here, 5 close friends have gotten engaged, 4 have gotten married, 1 has had a child, and so many more have moved jobs, houses, lives, and plans for their future. It all seems very glamorous. Or at least Facebook makes me believe that it is.

Let’s be real, everyone makes their lives seem awesome on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube etc. Who wouldn’t? Instead of gloating in reality we now have a platform to do it virtually without shame. Right? Think again.

The version of myself that I present on any sort of social media is only in competition to my “friends.” We give others a baseline for engagement in order to try and out-post, out-cool, and out-beat each other with how many likes and comments we can get. And trust me, I’m the first one to admit that I’m guilty of this.

So how does this relate to “What’s next for you”? Well, I see others lives, or the version of their lives that is public to the world, and it’s intimidating. Everyone’s fighting for the nicest clothes, the cutest pet, and the best paying job and I’m exhausted just thinking about how much stuff I have to get when I return just to keep up with the social status.

If my time in Kenya thus far has taught me anything, it’s that I’m a sinner. I fall into the lies of the enemy more often than ever. “You’re not sacrificing enough.” “You’re not involved enough.” “You’re not trying.” “You’re not equipped for this work.” “You don’t have what it takes here or at home.” These lies come from various mediums but that’s exactly what they are, they’re lies.

Some of the new-ish missionary women at Tenwek have been meeting for small group and reading Your Beautiful Purpose by Susie Larson. It talks about discovery of God’s work through you and how to enjoy His purpose. From last week’s meeting, this paragraph really resonated with me.

“God has a protective, loving heart for us. Within each season, He measured out a boundary where we can thrive, flourish, and grow. We have giants to face, battles to win, and victories to gain. These are all doable within the boundaries God sets for us. And the moment He knows we’re ready, He’ll expand our territory in one way or another.”

I may compare and I may struggle to know what’s next, but God has set my boundaries for this time. He’s created a place for me to be victorious, to defeat the lies the enemy tempts me to believe and to keep me expectant for how He will provide.

So what’s next for me? A territory expansion. But only He knows what that will include. All I can to do is thrive, flourish and grow in the boundary He has set for me now.

Prayer requests 

1. We're nearing the end of Bible Quizzing and our second competition is next week. The kids are being quizzed on memory verses and questions from several chapters in 1 Samuel! Pray for The Giant Slayers (my team obviously) as they compete next week for the gold! 

2. Alongside several long-termers, I've been working on a project that will allow the 5 orphanages in the area to receive medical attention free of charge due to a generous donation of a visiting Tenwek doc. Please pray that despite the challenging and menial work, that we'll get it up and running in a few weeks. Update to follow soon. 

3. Let's continue to pray for South Sudan, Ukraine and the many nations that are in conflict. 

4. Praise: Despite being in rural Kenya, we got to watch a majority of the Olympics! Letsgoooo USA. 

5. We also had a Girls Night a week ago which obviously included hair braiding, nail painting, and Frozen watching. So much fun. 

|| As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has--or ever will have--something inside that is unique to all time. It's our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression. – Mr. Rogers ||

On Blessing

I've spent the last several weeks attempting to come up with a cohesive short and sweet post but turns out the connection between my head and my hands has been short-circuited. I have wanted to share about my birthday (22!), World Gospel Mission's retreat in December (Santa visited), my trip back home to Puyallup to spend the holiday season with family and friends, a recent visit from a Friends of Tenwek board member who came to love on children in nearby Nakuru, and - last but not least - my constant battle with my health (i.e. kidney stone!). Those events have passed now but it's amazing to think about how much life has been lived since my last post in November.

Harrison at the Nakuru Children's Rally.

It's still incredible to me that 2014 has arrived in full force, not to mention we're already more than half way through January. I've been thinking primarily about time and how I view and use my time and from what I've deduced, I still think in semesters. It's like I've been a student all my life or something. But it's 2014 and I have six and a half more months of service in Kenya to learn from the culture, grow from the experience, and be challenged to seek all that the Lord would have me find.

But I have a story for you.

Last week, I was welcoming several visitors to the Guesthouse and one of the many Kenyan helpers, who cleans and takes care of all of us here, volunteered to carry some of the luggage to their designated apartment. After getting everything up and sorted for our visitors, this woman walked out of the apartment before me and I noticed she was wearing a shirt that looked oddly familiar. It took me about 5 seconds to realize that the shirt she was wearing was mine.

Well, it used to be mine. A few weeks ago I went through my clothes to get rid of some things that I didn't need. This particular shirt, a blue and white striped polo, had several significant stains on the front of it from various eating incidents and was discarded. A few more tattered items were thrown out while others were saved to give to local children's homes. I didn't think anything of it.

But then the shirt shows up several weeks later, being worn by a woman who, I'm speculating, took it out of my garbage.

Two emotions flooded over me: gladness and shame. Gladness because what was once mine was being used to clothe someone in more need than myself. Shame because I didn't consider gifting it or donating it in the first place.

What disqualified the shirt from me wanting it any more? Why didn't I consider it as a valuable piece of clothing? The thought didn't even cross my mind that someone else may want this particular shirt due to its stains and general warn qualities. But the real issue is that I had the option of discarding it. I had other items of clothing to replace the old stained polo. I had the choice.

The shirt. And Julia and May, two lovely MK's! 

After sharing this story with a very wise woman, she wrote me and said, "There are blessings to be had in many ways. Not just in having things, but for someone who doesn't have many things, the gift of adding something, is meaningful. Those of us who have many things, find joy in seeking what we don't have and often those things are intangible, like having your room cleaned or a smile when you're down, or a 'Thank you' when you're feeling unappreciated. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they will inherit the earth."

What we have (or don't have) physically, emotionally, and spiritually are our blessings. The Lord has gifted us with treasures that we are to share and utilize for His glory. He created people to live in community for a reason, to bless each other with what we've been given. And for all my Wheaton people, "Community is messy!"

View of my backyard in Puyallup.

So considering the multitude of blessings that we have, how are we sharing them? Are we harboring them for safe keeping, or expelling them to glorify the King? How do we reconcile the immense quantity that we possess to the great quality that is shared when blessings are exchanged? 

Prayer requests 

1. That my health continue to improve. Still having a little kidney pain here and there but praying it's nothing more serious than a stone. 

2. For our long term missionaries that they continue to be encouraged by each other and by the Lord. 

3. For the short term visitors that their hearts be strengthened by the challenges God places before them. 

4. All the children involved in Bible Quizzing at Bethesda Africa Gospel Church. Nearly 300 children from around the Tenwek area, including several children's homes and schools, are participating in this years Bible Quizzing where they will memorize and learn verses from 1 Samuel! 

5. Praise... GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!! Heading to the Superbowl! 

|| Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:3-5 ||

Short term missions vs. Christian tourism

The majority of those I have daily contact with are the short term visitors to Tenwek. They include volunteers who serve with Tenwek Community Health and Development, through World Medical Mission, a ministry of Samaritan's Purse, or even medical students and residents looking to take an international elective. At any point in time there could be between 5-20 visiting staffers serving at Tenwek which makes it a very dynamic and exciting place to be.

There have been some incredible people come through here that have encouraged and loved me and several others who were just looking to serve their time here and be on their way. But despite their relationship to me, each of them greatly impact those they interact with - whether they know it or not.

Physicians have it easy. They are trained, brilliant professionals who can come and practice medicine to their upmost abilities in a circumstance that requires their specialty. They arrive one day and then next they are rounding on patients and ordering labs, just in a different country with different patients and most likely different symptoms than before. Don't get me wrong, it's a difficult place to work, but they have the skills and training to do it.

But us lay people, we have a challenge on our hands. The non-medically trained short term missionaries have to find a place to fit in and create purpose for themselves. There are several ways to get involved but it's truly up to said person to figure it out. And that gets difficult when we're talking about a whole team of people who aren't medically trained professionals trying to volunteer their time and energy in a placed focused on medical care.

All of this to say, I'm working through the concept of short term missions right now and I can't say that I've come to an accurate and concise opinion. This evening I had the pleasure of meeting a short term group of pastors that are here volunteering with TCHD to help organizing and facilitate the next children's rally that will be in Nakruru this coming weekend. They are passionate about missions, one being a missions pastor, but are more interested in how the American church can be involved with the global church in a beneficial and effective way.

One thing that this missions pastor said really struck me. He stated, "We're not in the business of Christian tourism."

It's a truth I think every short term mission agency, church group, school group and or summer trip should abide by. Missions is not a way to see the world - well it is, but it's a way to see the people of the world and learn about them and learn to love them just as Christ does. They asked several really challenging questions like, "What does it mean to this community to have short term teams come?" and "If there is a more efficient way to use our resources, whether that be sending money or teams or nothing, what would that way be?" These are questions that need to be asked of ourselves.

One of the greatest books about short term missionary service that I've read to date is written by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert entitled "When Helping Hurts." It's a very real perspective on what it means to serve the poor as affluent Americans/Westerners. One of their main conclusions reminds us that we are not going to serve to change everything and to fix a community; rather we are to unite with the people of a different community in order to empower them to ignite self motivated change that will improve their circumstances and lead them towards Christ. But how do you do that?

I think everyone's still trying to figure that one out. But a really great place to start is by asking a community or a group of people what they need, as a opposed to what we can do to improve their situation. People are people no matter where you go and they have the capacity to develop, to grow and to lead with dignity even though it might look much different than we hoped it would.

Culture is a huge barrier sometimes - well, most of the time - so spending time with the people you're serving, even joining long term missionaries or service volunteers, is crucial to the development of your ministry. One of our long term missionaries said, "If short termers come in with a heart willing and motivated to change more than they're hoping to create change, then they're in the right place." I agree.

Those sitting around the dinner table tonight ended the conversation saying that one way to improve and sustain short term ministries is to build them up so that they are recurring annually, or bi-annually, or as often as possible, in the same place and in the same ministry. You hear it all the time but truthfully, ministry is all about relationship; building those deep and lasting friendships takes time and investment and love.

I know this is a huge topic amongst the American church, but I want to take it to a global perspective. Seeing as the last thing that Jesus said before he left this world was "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you," I think it's safe to say that going to the nations is crucial to the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20).

So what do you think? Are short term missions the answer to this Great Commission? If so, how would you, or are you, responding? And if not, why?


Prayer requests:
- Please pray that the Children's Rally this weekend, expectant of 5,000 children, will work powerfully in the lives of those involved.
- Please pray that holiday plans to return home for a few weeks in December will be scheduled soon.
- Please continue to pray for the short term and long term missionaries that serve the Tenwek community diligently and passionately.


|| God, give me the grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. - Reinhold Niebuhr ||

Never Give Up, Never Surrender

What's the greatest film of this generation?

Some may say the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, or the Harry Potter series. Or what about "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" or even "Up." All would be wonderful examples of great movies based on their thematic overtones and visual effects.

But I'm not too sure if I would dub any of these the greatest film of the generation. There's only one movie that can hold this title and that movie is "Galaxy Quest."

Staring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman (who also plays Severus Snape in Harry Potter), this film is a brilliant combination of thrill, romance, humor, and of course an alien race in need of assistance. What else could you need?

The plot revolves around the main character Jason Nesmith, played by Tim Allen, who is an ex-actor of a sci-fi show called "Galaxy Quest." He, along with the rest of his crew from the fictional show, are asked by an alien race to help save them from destruction of a rivaling enemy race. You know, the usual plot turns occur in the midst of some struggle and laughs here and there, all the while the good guys win in the end.

You may be asking your self, "Is this girl absolutely off her rocker?" The answer is yes, but let me explain why.

One of the greatest lines in the movie occurs when the show's cast is in space trying to solve the problem of the broken beryllium sphere that gives power to the whole ship. Gwen, played by Sigourney Weaver, was hired to be the beauty in the show of all men and her job is to make sure that communication is up and running. So while they are deliberating about what to do about this power source, she's repeating everything the computer says despite everyone's ability to hear it and communicate back to it on their own. One of the crew members yells, "You know, that's really getting annoying!" And Gwen replied, "I have ONE job on this lousy ship. It's stupid, but I'm gonna do it, okay?"

I was on the volleyball team while at Wheaton and last year's season was a tough one for me. As a senior, I expected to play and to play well, to lead and to lead well, to do all of things that I had aspired to do throughout my years there. But that was not the case. I ended up on the bench the majority of the season. The players on the bench are responsible for keeping stats and that's exactly what I did - me and that clipboard became really close. So when someone would try and take it from me in a gesture of kindness, all I was thinking in my head was, "I have ONE job on this lousy team. It's stupid, but I'm gonna do it, okay?" Probably not the best response to a 10 year journey with volleyball, or with grace, but it was all that I had to hold on to at the moment and although I despised every minute of holding that stupid clipboard, it was the only role I could fill well. So I did it. And "Galaxy Quest" gave me a humorous way to look at it, which was exactly what I needed.

Another amazing line spoken by the Jason Nesmith, the Captain of the show, says this, "Never give up, never surrender." Jason's character is disliked among the majority of the other characters based on his selfishness and inability to take things seriously. So when he says this they all roll their eyes and grumble knowing that he's a fraud. But this changes when the leader of the alien race is being tortured but speaks these words in full assurance that they will help him survive.

A few weeks ago, a few of the girls from Tenwek wanted to take a trip to Naivasha and Nakuru to get away for a few days of rest and relaxation. Turns out rest and relaxation looks a lot like biking through a national park, Hell's Gate, with zebras, warthogs and giraffes running along side of the road with you. You might be saying, "Wow! Amazing!" But hold the phone, have you ever tried to bike on a dirt path for an hour and a half on a bike that was probably made 20 years ago with no gears and a seat that made your back side scream? I didn't think so.

About 15 minutes into the ride, I had another "Galaxy Quest" quotable moment. All I could think about was that these girls were doing the same thing and keeping it together, so all I kept saying to myself was, "Hannah, never give up, never surrender!" How lame am I? Pretty lame, but it worked. I had a few low moments of near tear experiences but I must say that it was absolutely worth it. Despite my bruised behind, it was unbelievably beautiful.

Okay, okay.. so I may be delusional when it comes to choosing high quality films, but you have to agree that the quotable lines from this movie are pretty applicable. And how often do we feel like that? Feeling like we have one job, it's hard, it's verging on ridiculous, but it's what we have to do. Or feeling like all we can do trust and believe that it'll be okay, never giving up and never surrendering to the challenging circumstances set before us.

I'm reading through Oswald Chambers' My Upmost for His Highest and from today's devotion is reads, "If you are going to be used by God, He will take you through a multitude of experiences that are not meant for you at all, they are meant to make you useful in His hands, and to enable you to understand what transpires in others souls that you will never be surprised at what you come across." This observation is based on 1 Peter 4:13, "But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed."

Suffering can look different to everyone, and the enemy proves that to be true, but when we are sharing in the sufferings of Christ, in the will of God (v. 19), than rejoicing and doing good should be the fruits of that pain. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit infuse those who believe with outstanding grace and absolute forgiveness that when we suffer according to His will, we are experiencing God and being taught how to become more Christ-like. It's not easy, I don't think it's meant to be, because we are to trust and obey that what He puts in our path is to encourage us to soak deeper into His love.

I know the example of "Galaxy Quest" was a stretch, and surely you must know that I'm kidding about the greatest film of all time thing (sort of), but in these small and almost insignificant circumstances I was challenged to view them in light of 1 Peter 4.  On the volleyball team, I found hope in the girls. They encouraged and pushed me to be the best woman of God I could be, not the best volleyball player. And on this outing to Hell's Gate, the natural scenery was enough to make all of us stop in awe of the creation that He has made for us to admire and worship Him through. God is good, all the time.

Lastly, shout-out to my family. You guys might be only ones who think this post is funny in the slightest. Miss and love you.

|| Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good - 1 Peter 4:19 ||

This is Africa

Last week I had the privilege of joining the Tenwek Community Health and Development team for a day of adventure. This is an incredible ministry that serves the surrounding community by providing baby and mother vaccination clinics, in addition to many other services, every month and they provide this service to about 30 different sites around the county. This particular trip, they had warned us that it would be a busy day. Challenge accepted.

I joined two short termers who had wanted to get involved. One was a nurse, Michelle, so would be able to help administer the vaccinations. The other, Linda (like myself), was non-medical but was there for the journey. And that's exactly what we got.

We were told to show up at 9:15 am for departure but on our arrival, not even the driver had shown. Slowly but surely people began to trickle in but by that time they decided to take tea. Priorities. After tea, which is called chai (a water, milk, sugar, tea combo that they serve at scolding temperatures yet is quite delicious), we all piled into the bed of a pickup that had been refurbished to seat 10 rather uncomfortably. So we packed 10 into the back of this truck and we were off. By this time it was 10:30.

About an hour into our trip, I began to get a little leery of how far away this clinic was. I asked one of the nurses and she responded with a quick and smiley, "90 kilometers, it will take about 3 and a half hours." Oh.. okay. Farther than we thought it was going to be, but still doable. We kept reminding ourselves, "We're here to help, to do what we can. Don't complain." This conversation all happened on paved roads.

Then we hit the dirt. We then spent 2 hours driving on unpaved roads back to a small village and by the time we arrived, my tush was thrilled that my feet had to make an appearance once again. We walked into a doorless and windowless building, that I think was the church for the community based on the wooden benches that looked like they were arranged like pews, and saw close to 150 women sitting, waiting to get examined or for their babies to get their appropriate vaccinations.

I had been on a community health clinic visit before (pictured below), but this was by far the largest that I had seen. The amount of women and children that showed up at this clinic was absolutely astonishing. These women have to walk hours away from their homes to get themselves and their children treatment.

During the visit, I helped fill syringes with one vaccine or another while Michelle and several other community health nurses administered the vaccines. They worked with incredibly steady hands and even stronger will powers to continually inflict pain on these children. When the older children, or even mothers, need vaccinations, watching their faces was intriguing. You know when you go to get blood drawn, a vaccine, or a shot of any kind at the doctor? They prepare you, distract you, make you feel comfortable in a sterile office and then make conversation with you as they administer the shot attempting to make this unpleasant experience less unpleasant. And we still wince or complain that it "stung a little." These women walk up to the nurse, expose their shoulder, get poked by this needle, don't even flinch, and watch the whole thing. They are stoic while their pain tolerance is out of this world. I don't know if we're wimps (because, trust me, I've been known to pass out during shots), or they are just incredibly resistant to pain. But either way, these women are amazing.

The clinic lasted approximately 4 hours and at the end of the day, when the white folk were in the car ready to head out, the nursing team decided that it was time to take tea, yet again.  So by the time we left, it was almost getting dark and we had 3 and a half hours to drive to get home.

Man, I kept thinking, "If only they would have done that differently." or "Why didn't you tell us ____ before we left?" I was frustrated at how slow things were moving, how unorganized people seemed, how difficult it was to move a group of people from one place to another and I couldn't seem to put a smile on my face to even pretend everything was okay. Not this time. It wasn't. It felt as if our time had been wasted. But then I remembered my last blog post.

"I give thanks," I said. 1 Thessalonians was quoted and I kept remembering that if I'm to live out these verses, if I'm to live the Gospel message in my daily life, then why am I not doing that now? Gotta love how God uses certain circumstances to remind us of Himself.

Changing my mindset and attempting to enjoy the ride was my new goal. I kept trying to interpret the Swahili that was being spoken to attempt to join in on the laughing that was happening the back of that truck. I started to thank God for the littlest things, "God, thank you for my jacket, the rain that's dripping through the covering, the air." But isn't it in the small things that we find life? My jacket keeps me warm and protects me from illness. The rain brings life to the earth and in turn produces the air that keeps my lungs and heart working properly.

So we finally made it home past dark and past dinner time, but you know what, we made it home. TIA was an acronym that seemed to keep coming up in conversation in the days prior to this excursion and you know when you don't know something but you don't wanna ask so you just nod and smile? Well that's what I did whenever someone would say TIA. But you know what, I should have asked because TIA, or This is Africa, would have been a totally appropriate expression of my emotions. This is Africa. It's slower, softer speaking, and different than any other place in the world. But it's absolutely beautiful. I just had to stop and open my eyes and heart to see that.

A few months ago I came across this video and loved it. Didn't even think about the title, but now it seems rather appropriate. Hope you like it as much as I do.

THIS IS AFRICA from Benjamin Dowie on Vimeo.

Please continue to pray for those affected by the Westgate attack in Nairobi. We praise God that everyone here at Tenwek was safe, but join us in remembering those that lost their lives, were injured, and were affected by the attack. God is sovereign.


|| A Cry to the Heavens
An elegy by the Senior Class, Rift Valley Academy

Scattered shoes and broken glass
Strewn on sparkling marble floors,
Sounds of trickling fountains
Drowned out by thunderous gunfire
Exploding from men with dark intentions.
Lives lost in senseless slaughter
Leave the hallways of our hearts empty.

Our spirits are heavy,
Minds full of fear and doubt.
Finding peace in the valley of the shadow of death,
To the Lord we cry out
with every labored breath –
For meaning, answers, forgiveness, hope,
Healing, and REDEMPTION –
Come before tomorrow
for we need light in the darkness,
a darkness wrought with sorrow.

We cry out to the Heavens for
An answer to the madness.

Restore to us the gift of peace,
The promise of life free of fear.
The days go on and on
Healing cannot happen fast,
But through love and strength and unity
The cowardice of evil men will not stand.
We can hope for another day,
A sky filled with joy and not with blackness
And the laughter of children
Will restore our halls to gladness.

It is with love and unity that we pray for all of you who are grieving and shaken by this horrendous act. We stand together with you. You are not forgotten. RVA Class of 2014 ||


Disclaimer: None of the ideas, views or stories expressed in this blog represent those of Friends of Tenwek, World Gospel Mission, or Tenwek Hospital. They are strictly the ideas and views of the author. Thank you!