Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Happy Sunday.

This past week I was asked to house sit for the Chupp's, which includes watching their precious pup, Bailey. Throughout the week, in addition to my duties as the FOT intern, I was able to sit on a real couch, host some short-terms for a game night, and watch several movies from an impressive collection. If you know me at all you know that I absolutely adore watching movies. They bring you into a different world and show you how characters develop, or not, throughout the course of several hours. Plus they give you an unlimited amount of quotes to add to your vocabulary.

One evening, I was feeling sentimental and decided to watch something I hadn't in a while: Mary Poppins. The only thing I really remembered from the movie was the dance sequence with the penguins so re-watching it was actually great because I felt like I was watching something I hadn't seen before. Despite Mary Poppins' magical carpet bag, umbrella floating and being able to jump into chalk drawings, the movie includes some impressive themes such as positivity, familial struggle, creativity, and seasons of life. Seems pretty realistic for a fictional story, does it? My favorite character in the movie is Bert, a jack of all trades and Mary Poppins' closest normal friend. He's kind and charismatic while having the compassion to see a need and fill it. Right before the acclaimed "Step in Time" number where all the chimney sweepers dance on the roof tops, Bert and Michael (the little boy) look up into the chimney. While all Michael sees is a dark and dirty chimney, Bert sees something extraordinary. He sees, "A doorway to a place of enchantment."

Bert seems like the kind of person I would want to hang around. The kind of person that sees a desolate and empty opportunity and makes it into an adventure. The kind of person that sees something spectacular in people.

How amazing, and how.. Biblical. God created us, we sinned, He sent His Son, He died for us sinners. Why? Why did He do that when He knew we were dark and easily tempted by the world's distractions? Because He saw something beautiful in His creation, and still does. He has created a doorway to a place of enchantment for us in order enjoy His perfect love forever. Sounds like the place we ought to want to be.

Tom and Anne did such a beautiful job presenting the Gospel to these children!

I also had the chance to visit Kitoben Children's Home this week with a short-termer that has been here several times and has invested years in getting this home on its feet. The first day Anne took me and a visiting adoption counselor, Whitney, and we each got the chance to share a few words with the children. Anne spoke about the story of the gospel, Whitney preached about Christ's love for each and every one of those children, and I gave a short blurb about the gift of learning and our opportunity to search for Christ through school. Anne and Tom, her husband, have made a flip card bible verse key chain with 4 bible verses on it that these children, about 50, are memorizing. They have also begun to teach them the importance of discipleship groups and just yesterday implemented several groups lead by the older children in the home. They have incredible dreams for this community. I can't wait to see how they are used. You can learn more about it here: http://kitoben2013.blogspot.com/.
And this is just one of the families. Imagine being in a place where everyone wants to help, wants to improve their surrounds in some way, especially if they are willing to go before the Lord and advocate in prayer.

Visiting audiologist, Audrey, loving the tea factory tour.

In the midsts of the greenhouses where the roses were grown at Finlay's. 

Yesterday, a group of short-termers visited Finlay Tea Factory in Kericho, Kenya. This 5,000 hectare property that produces hundreds of thousands of pounds of tea daily. We got a tour of the tea factory which included a tea tasting session after the walking through the production and packaging rooms. We also were able to see a flower factory. This flower production plant grows roses primarily, but has several new flowers they are beginning to grow and export. Fun fact: this particular flower factory grew and exported 78,000,000 roses for Mother's Day this past year. Yes, 78 million. Unbelievable. And less than 1% of that goes to the US. Crazy.

Your prayers and thoughts have been powerfully working in my life and the lives of so many others, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your commitment to pray for me. Please pray that the short term visiting staff that comes and visits travels to and from their specific country or state safely, that their visit be blessed by each interaction they have and that the Lord's will be done despite our worldly plans.

If you guys have suggestions as to what you'd want to hear about please let me know! Remember, I'm new at this blogging thing and I'd love to keep you guys as informed and involved as possible because I wouldn't be here without you all.

One last thing. We played Apples to Apples again.. I didn't loose this time. Redemption!

|| Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious ||

Making New Memories

Over the last few days, memories from past experiences have been a frequent occurrence. I heard a song that reminded me of a late night McDonald's run including an impromptu dance party in the parking lot. I held my camera for hours this past weekend at a children's rally which made me think of those terribly long days during Wheaton in the Holy Lands where all we'd do was move from one incredibly historic place in Israel to the next attempting to capture the significance but taking selfies instead. I saw She's the Man for the thousandth time, quoting it all the way through of course, and laughed at every joke just like I had the first time I watched it with friends in high school.

In my Behavioral Neuroscience class, we discussed the significance of memory and in particular sensory memory - an individuals capacity to retain the impressions of sensory information after the original sensory stimulus has ceased. It seems really basic, and such a natural part of our lives but honestly, this function of the human brain fascinates me. We are constantly taking in information from our environment through our sensory experiences but the fact that our brain chunks particular information to particular stimuli is amazing. When I was growing up, I always had a difficult time remembering information for tests - learning to read was even a challenge because I couldn't remember the sounds of the letters and therefore couldn't construct the word. When I figured out that if I attach a stimulus to a word - for example, if I could touch my dog, read the word dog, and say it out loud - I could remember the information with much less frustration.

These sensory experiences have conditioned me to react to certain stimuli, stay calm in the presence of others and avoid some all together. Currently, I'm sitting in my apartment enjoying a cup of tea, listening to the rain pour on my roof thinking about how many times I've heard the question, "Doesn't it rain a lot in Seattle?"

This stimulus, rain, has conditioned me to think of my home in good ol' Puyallup, WA. I think of the football games where we have to stand in the rain without an umbrella because who uses umbrellas in Washington? No one. Rain is calming, and refreshing. It brings all of those smells alive that have been suppressed by drought. But you know what? I'm now living in a place where it rains almost every day too. And I was thinking that although right now, rain (and so many other things) reminds me of home, I think some day it will remind me of this place. This place where I'm still the new girl and I'm trying to figure everything out. This place where all of my stuff is but doesn't feel quite right yet. I'm hopeful, and trusting, that slowly but surely this place will become home for me.

But in all honesty, I'm having a blast! I'm learning so much. I'm attempting to master some very basic medical abbreviations (thanks Mom and Dad) to try and interact with the physicians I'm interacting with on a continual basis. I had the opportunity to attend a Children's Rally in Kericho this past weekend where 6500 Kenyan children gathered to hear the promise of the Gospel (pictured left). And tomorrow, I'm shadowing a respiratory therapist. My life is different every day which forces me to believe that the Lord washes me afresh for His purposes each new day.

Thank you all for your continued prayer and thoughts. Believe me when I say that I feel them, deeply!

|| And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 ||

Passing the time

Today marks the one week point that I've been in Kenya. Can't believe how quickly the time's already flying by. Everyday I learn something and meet someone new, continually make mistakes, and have already felt relationships develop in the short time that I've been a part of this community. It's not all fun and games, but sometimes it is! 

On Saturday we took a hike up to Motigo, with some cows. 

 

The view from the of Motigo. There were about 40 visiting staff and MK's who did the hike together. Definitely a hike for the record books. I also learned how to drive a motorcycle (not pictured, unfortunately).

There's a ministry here at Tenwek called Community Health dedicated to the surrounding community to encourage spiritual and physical health. I got the opportunity to visit Chepirir with a visiting family today. We told them the story of David and Goliath, played Simba-Simba-Zebra (Duck-Duck-Goose), played with bubbles and some good ol' fashion football. It was amazing. 

Two beautiful young ladies - Faith and one of her great friends. 

|| As we learn from David as he defeated Goliath -- never hesitate to take on big challenges, God will provide the stones || 

Apples to Apples

I made it!

I arrived in Nairobi very late on Sunday evening, spent Monday shopping with my host family (who would have thought my first day in Africa would consist of shopping?), and Tuesday was our travel day out to Tenwek Hospital. I was greeted by the cook in addition to some of the visiting staff and moved into my appartment located at the Guesthouse. This apartment complex is where I'll be living, eating, communing and serving for the majority of my time here and it's been a pleasure to begin to meet the people that I will be working along side of for the year. Gladys, the Guesthouse manager, is incredible. She's been kind in ways that I didn't think I needed kindness including giving me a tour of the hospital, introducing me to longterm missionaries, and just making sure I'm alive and well. My host family, the Chupp's, are long term missionaries here and Dr. Chupp is the leading physician and medical director of the hosptial. I'm amazed at how much he does and how he keeps a smile on his face and still makes time for his family. A challenging yet fulfilling lifestyle, from what I understand.

Last night I had dinner with some of the visiting staff, one of whom graduated from Wheaton in 1961(?). He and his wife met in Chemistry class and the rest is history. I told him it was a classic Wheaton love story and he laughed a little bit completely understanding the truth to that statement. I also met a couple and their daughters from Rochester, Minnesota who in fact work with a family whose children attend Wheaton. This is a small world and continues to get smaller at every turn.

After dinner the kids, including myself because I'm not quite sure if I'm allowed to sit at the big kids table or if I should dismiss myself with the kids, decided to play some games. They finished up a short card game and then decided to play Apple to Apples. Everytime someone says Apples to Apples someone else cheers and raves about how good they are at that game and how much fun it is.. that someone else is never me. Apples to Apples actually gives me anxiety and I cry myself to sleep after every time I play. In this particular game, the card that I put to down to be reviewed was in fact the first card to be reflipped over because it wasn't up to par with the choosers definition of "creepy" or "colorful." Playing with 6 young(er) kids who have no idea who Cher is apparently didn't appreciate my card choice as much as I did. Low and behold, by the end of the game I had accumulated 1 adjective card while each other player had at least 5. Let's just say, I'm a sore loser. Very sore.

This stupid game, rather my stupid response to a fun party game, pointed out some pretty harsh realities about my own will and personality. I like to be good at things, to get better, and to win. I blame this competitive drive on years of sports and it really is a part of who I am. But right now, when my job is to serve and to be served, to care and to encourage, this competitive drive might need to supside in order to let grace overwhelm me and others. This struggle reminds me of John 3:30 where it states, "He must increase, but I must decrease." How often do we want this but never fully empty ourselves so that the Lord may overflow?

Everyday will be a new challenge and a new opporunity to become a part of this community. I cannot tell you how blessed I have felt by your encouragement, emails, support, and love thus far. I'm hoping to take and add some pictures soon, I'm sorry they haven't come yet -- internet's a bit slow. Please keep me in your prayers for continued boldness in the Spirit and transition into a new life. God is good, and I pray I am steadfast in seeking His goodness around me!

|| I must decrease so that the heart of the Lord may overflow through me ||