Carmel in Southern Africa: April 2005

A New Sister

The best thing that has happen while I've been here, happen the day before I left for Kenya. I got to see one of my students come to accept Christ. It was just so amazing to see how God was working in her life even before I got there. It all happen so fast. We had a counseling session on Thursday, she came to our Bible study on Friday, she went with the youth on hospital visitation on Saturday, and showed up behind me at church on Sunday. After the service God allowed me to be there and pray with her as she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior!! Can I get an Amen?!

First she was my student for a month, now she is my sister for all of eternity!!

40 days and 40 nights Safari

I spent 40 days and 40 nights in Kenya as part of a new training program for all new missionaries in the C.E.S.A. region (Central, Eastern,Southern, Africa). I had a great time of getting to know everyone in the area and all the different kinds of work being done. We had four phases to the program. First we went to a conference center for a brief orientation and to help prepare us for our second phase of camping out, and third phase of our village stay. After it was all over and done with I would have to say my favorite part of it all was the village stay, and getting to know all the workers that have been called to serve in Africa. Of course i reserved some time to get into a little trouble... Really though God's hand was all over this and i was able to see more of his awesome power.

Yeah, look at these packing skills!!! This was it for 40 days folks, did you ever think it could be done?

Double Trouble.....this is my newest and dearest friend Grace.

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you....Volleyball...yeah i'm taking the picture, because when ask to play i couldn't tell the difference between a volleyball or soccer ball.

How many missionaries does it take to wash a shirt?

Camp

We went to the camp down in the Great Raft Valley in Kenya. While there we learned from the community around there and also to prepare for our village stay. We had a great time getting to know each other and the locals that we came into contact with.

The Great Rift Valley, we camped somewhere at the bottom.

After hiking for about 45 mintues we came upon our camp. This is the life of the camp, a.k.a where we had our meals!

Bob, the camp dog.

Volleyball....yes, i now know the difference between a volleyball and soccer ball, but i'm still keeping my skills under wraps!!

My tent is the one on the left with the blue bucket in front of it.

This is the creek that runs down below our tent.

Here is Miss Montana installing our sky light above our bathtub. You go girl sling that machete!

This is the way we wash our clothes, wash our clothes, early in the morning....

This is so real, It really did hail in Kenya!!

And i really had to dig a trench around my tent!

This is a whole new level of a peeping Tom!!

Game Park

After our camping adventures we went to a game park, before our village stay. I absolutely love the zebras. I think they are my new favorite animals!

Each one is totally unique. God must be so creative, to do all this!! I love it!

Peek-a-boo I see you, do you see me?

Momma and baby. How cute?!

Village Life

The village stay was totally my favorite part of 40/40!! My host family was so wonderful to me. Soso (grandmother) totally took us under her wing and showed us the ropes. This family really taught me what hospitality means in the truest sense. They gave so much of what they had of their belongings, time, and especially their love. I think everyone had a great time of just getting to know one and other and the two different cultures. I will never forget them.

Grace and I with our host family.

This is Soso or grandmother

Tour of the house

We stayed in a small green tin house with two rooms and a small sort of storage area inside. The rest of rooms where outside within close distance to the main house on the compound. It was small but it was over filled with joy!

This is our house we stayed at.

This is the living room and also where we ate our meals.

Here is the bedroom.

This is the kitchen.

Naomi and Soso inside the kitchen.

Choo - what's a choo you ask?

Me and the choo. Can you guess what you do in here? I'll give you a hint, take you toilet paper....

Everyday Living

I was really lucky to live with such a great family, they really taught me a lot. I really got to get involved in their normal routines. Soso would teach us how to cook, I got to feed and milk the cows or try to milk the cows, and cultivate a field, and lots more!

Me and Soso at the beginning of our cooking lesson.

Look mom, i'm cooking!!

Ta-da, Easter lunch!

ummm.....i'm thinking about it.....

Gulp, here it goes....

This is the plot of land that Grace and I worked. How does your garden grow?

Here are the cows watching me chop up their food. Brown cow: "I hope she does a better job at fixing our food, then she did at milking me!"

I look like a natural, huh?!

This is Soso showing me how it's done.

This is Soso's youngest grandson wondering what he can get into next.

Over the hills and through the woods to church we go....

The chruch i went to on Easter Sunday

The end!!

After we had completed phase 3 of our training we went to a conference center in Nairobi to have a mini debriefing & evaluations. While there I got to say good-bye to some new friends and enjoy some good ol' American food. Plus some of the best ice cream I've had in months!!! Let's hear it for the ice cream...