How I'm doin...

It is pouring down rain right now! I can not even hear my teammates when I’m right in their face! We have a metal roof, and it’s a completely different experience when it rains.

I’m trying to think of the right update to give…when I talk to friends I always ask for updates in these areas : How are YOU doing, How is your job, How is your romantic relationship (or lack of one) doing, How are your family&friends, How is their relationship with God. So, that’s the form this update will take:

I am doing Ok. I was getting sick yesterday, really run down, but also runny nose, feeling hot, abdominal pains, little cough, and also I was frustrated. See, we’ve been here for over two weeks now (in Kuria District) and I was frustrated with the fact that I get the comments: “MZUNGU!!!!, Buy me sweet, How are you?, I’m fine, Buy me football shoes, give me 10 bop, give me your shirt, Mzungu! Mzungu! Mzungu!” Ok, now it’s not ALL the time, it’s not EVERY person, but it gets wearing – especially when they are yelling to you as you enter and exit the CHOO. I know that I am privileged, beyond belief, to come from America. It does mean that I have money – not in the sense that I actually have enough to buy and give everything that’s asked for, but I know I have been given this opportunity. See…we’re trying to break the cycle of dependency. We don’t want to be looked at as having all the answers or all the things or all the money. We want to empower! Break the stigma that the people suffering from poverty don’t have a role to play. It’s a HARD thing tho. And yesterday, I was really fed up with being yelled at. I must say, that my night totally changed when I chatted online with a friend and she gave me WONDERFUL news tho! She’s pregnant!!!! That really changed my mood!

My job – well, I am in the midst of collecting a lot of information about disease prevalence and infrastructure needs. I am thrilled to be doing it; I currently am trying to collect baseline data for a long set of metrics that will give us the, well, baseline from which to measure our program’s impact here in Nyametaburu. I usually meet with a lady name Irene, who is a pregnant mom, market owner, farmer, and involved community member. She and her son are pictured above as they walked me to their tobacco shamba. Or I observe at the health center in Nyametaburu. Nellie is the nurse aid there, and is awesome about teaching me and answering zillions of questions. All 4 of us have split up jobs around the house, mine are to do dishes, and shop with Nicole for the food we eat. The market is a story in an of itself! And washing dishes is surely funny during storms when the lights are out, and when we use only cool water and plastic basins to wash and rinse in. It’s always a laugh.

Romantic relationship – for me right now it’s the lack of one, and to be honest, I’m happy about that. (for those of you who know me, how hilarious is that statement?!) Anyway, I am blessed to be single. I know it’s for a purpose, and although I long to share my life with someone that I am in love with, right now, I’m so content. I get to enjoy witnessing an incredible Godly marriage between my two team mates – Nicole and Doug. It makes me stick to my commitment not to settle, and stick to the truth that God has a plan and a purpose for my life. Nicole and Doug are a wonderful couple, and really share the love they have for one another with anyone and everyone around them. They strive not to just let their love be between themselves, and it’s NOT! I feel it every day, and I am so blessed by it.

My family and friends – I imagine are great. I have limited contact with them, but skype my parents every Sunday, and email or on-line chat some other friends. One chat I had last night was encouraging, one friend of mine in Morgantown is truly pursuing God with all she’s got - I know others are too, but I chatted this one recently. ;) And she talked about having to make the choice of being liked by man or being obedient to God. Guess which one she chose? ;) I’m thankful to have friends in my life who are striving to live as Jesus did. It is a joy to share this journey with them – joys and pains…all of it, cause it’s all mixed together you know.

My relationship with God – well, he’s my everything! My comfort, my protector, my great love, my best friend, my shield, my joy, he’s everything to me. I am in the midst of the dream he gave me and developed for years! I am loving reading the encouraging scriptures my friend Mary collected from my Motown friends and wrote in cards for me to read on specific days while I’m here. I am fulfilled by the incredible love of God, and truly look to him daily for the strength, support, and wisdom I need for the work I was called here to do.



That me in a nutshell! ;) I’m feeling much better by the way, the sickness stuff passed, and tomorrow I am meeting with Jake to talk about my personal work plan, my team to brainstorm some things, and Joash Dudi, the Public Health Officer and employee of the Kenyan Ministry of Health. This is my life… Grace and Peace to you!