Coming Home...

I've been home for about a week now. I wanted to wait to do my last post so that I could update people on what home was like. The first week was honestly spent running around and seeing all my friends and family I have missed for the past 5 months. Being back home however is not all cream and peaches. The last week has been really hard, getting back into the old routine of work and school. I miss working for a purpose in Kenya. I really loved the work I did there. I felt as though I was making a difference.
It was great to surprise everyone (for those of you who don't know, I came home a week early). The looks on peoples faces were priceless. It's so good to know I was missed so much.
My last few days in Kenya were very very sad but also very joyful. I had a wonderful "farewell party" that my Dad and Sue put on for me. Almost everyone who was important to me in my time in Kenya got to be there. There are the pictures from the party, so you all get to see the people I have been talking about for so long now!




This is Danson and Shiro, two really great friends of mine

Ronald (brother) and his girlfriend Jackie







Christian (a Daystar Student who lived with me for the first 2 months)



Peris (the lead Mahali Pa Watoto teacher) what a great woman!

This is the great Gibson family. They really took me into their home. Fed me and let me be a kid with their kids.











This is Annabelle (who also lived with us for a short time) and Agnus (my sister and our househelp)







The meeting of generations! Nkita, who was once hosted by my grandparents, my father, me, and Nkita's two sons, Ronald and Emile.

Tina, who also welcomed me into her home, she was so kind

Where Have You Been, My Passion

Time is really flying and I'm almost done with this chapter of my life. I decided I am in denial about leaving here! (That is my coping mechanism) I feel happy here, like I have life figured out and my feet finally on the ground. Sigh, my grandmother was right when she told me, "Atara, Africa will get into your heart and soul." O how it has!
News of the week:
I am sick, again! I went to dinner at a woman named Mama Karen's home. (people commonly refer the themselves in reference to their children as a sign of pride that they have kids) She is a very sweet woman who works in connection to Mahali. I went to her house for an early supper. I sat and talked with her husband about theological matters and our views of God, while Mama Karen cooked. As we sat and chatted I listened as Mama Karen slaughtered one of her chickens in the back room. Yes, that's right, I could here the squawks as she killed the thing for me! Then we ate and it was really good, unfortunately it made me sick. But their family is so kind and even sent me away with a bag of produce to take home.
This happened last week but Julia and I were in a matatu accident. I knew it was going to happen eventually, those guys drive like mad men! We were overtaking another vehicle but didn't get back on our side of the road quickly enough. So the oncoming car clipped the side of us. We skidded a bit and thankfully didn't overturn. I hit my head but I'm fine. Julia and I got out, a little shaken, and walked the rest of the way home. Trust me, it sounds more dramatic than it was. I thank God that his hand was protecting us.
This is Jules, her sister Jude, and mother. We went
over for lunch at her mother's home.

This is Julia and I looking oh so grown up at Sandra's dinner party

I decided to make a list of all the things I love, and don't really love all too much, about Kenya! Here it goes, I feel this will give you a view into my life here.

Things about Kenya that rock:

hiking volcanoes
chipatis (the Kenyan tortilla)
matatu (my means of transport) music
clubbing til dawn
amazing tailors
Jules! (and of course other friends)
chai (tea) all the time
the best weddings
Mahali Pa Watoto
not going to school
unpredictability
life is relaxing, unhurried, and peaceful

Things about Kenya that kinda suck:

lack of good ice cream
the roads
matatu accidents
power rationing and droughts
Jay (our stupid cat)
bug bites

Things I hate about Kenya:

skuma wiki (this cooked spinach stuff, so gross)

and here is a little post from a poem I wrote a few weeks ago. It captured what I was experiencing then.

Where have you gone
my inspiration, my muse
my heart, my soul, my will
Where have you been, my passion
I haven't been able to get the words out since you went away

Chocolate cake & Simplicity

I never know how to start my little write ups. I suppose I'm should write some deep insight but as of now I have none.
This week has been really good and (to my glee) pretty uneventful. We celebrated Julia's birthday!!! We had chocolate cake, which is a very special treat here. Kenyan cake is not sweet at all and they love to put bits of dried fruit in it, yuck.
The weather is quickly changing here. The coolness in the is quickly evaporating and heat is rolling in. I am not complaining, having missed all of my California summer, I crave the warmth. It however does bring the bugs, that I will complain about. They love to eat me alive, it's my sweet blood!
Nearing my return date home I have very mixed feelings. I have found my place here and that makes it hard to leave. I look forward to the one's I love but when I look past that I become concerned. Back to the books, back to the classes, back to work, back to stress.
Here I have found such peace. I woke the other morning and the sun was so bright and the air fresh. I felt I had never been happier than reading my book and enjoying my tea. Simplicity.

The kids were sent some lollipops from our Vineyard Church in Pomona.
The enjoyed them :)
Best story of the week. I was talking to Agnus (our house help), trying to figure out here last name. So I asked her, "Agnus, what is your family name?" My question was answered with a blank stare, she doesn't speak very much English. So to further explain I gave her example, "Ok, ok, Atara...Brown... Agnus...What?" Still looking a bit unsure she stammered, "Agnus......Black!"
Hahahahahhaha o Agie, she thought I was referring to the color of my skin. Miscommunications are great.

Last few days at Mahali

On a lighter note, this week has been super busy with finishing projects, starting new ones, and hanging out with friends! Julia's birthday was this weekend and the girls went out on the town!



This doesn't happen often but this is me working at my desk. Normally I'm out hiking about to find someone's home but now I'm working on putting the kid's files together.




This is a slum community (about a 7 km walk from the school!) where one of our students lives. After the post election violence many had to flee their homes and were placed in villages such as these. One of our students and his family were victims of the violence and don't know if they can ever return home, they live here in a semi-permanent structure unsure of where they will go next.

Where is time going???
This week it my last at Mahali and I am so very sad. The only way I can describe my time at Mahali is beautiful. It truly has been the perfect internship. I have been able to get an inside view of the lives of my children, my co-workers (the teachers) have embraced me as one of their own and I walk away not only having blessed good people but also being blessed in the process.

Somewhat jokingly but half serious I have been offered a job at Mahali as a teacher! (Something to think and pray heavily about) The project I have been working on for them (family data intake) they are now doing each time they get new students, its awesome to see that the work I have been doing has been pratical.

This week has been a series of insights and my heart feel constantly torn now between home and Nairobi. Sometimes I miss home and my loved ones terribly and some days I am so content being here and working. I have realized how strong I am through my time here but also how weak I am and (as my mother put it) interdependent on my family.
It's funny I heard a phrase this week someone said, "I didn't create this world, I was given it." I thought how true that was to my situation here. Unlike home I didn't create my world here in Nairobi I entered into it, unable to control what this world was like around me. But when I thougth about it again I did create the little new world for myself. Everyday I was given a series of choices to close myself off or enter into this new life. With a little help I created a beautiful world here that is not closed to the pain around me but I can acknowledge it and still find hope. And hope I was given, with that hope we are able to find beauty.
-a

Here are some pictures from our climb up Mt. Longonot (an extinct volcano)
1 hour 1/2 up







The hard core people then went 1 hour 1/2 around the crater


The top of the top




Filthy dirty, we were covered head- to- toe in dirt!
What a crazy few weeks it has been. Julia my roommate from LA Term arrived and is staying with me for a few weeks until we can find her a homestay.
Mahali is back in session so I spent some time there this week. It's so good to be back with the kids. I only have about 8 homes to visit and I'm all done there!

This next month I will be working on community networking and mobilizing project. For this project the idea is to do research in a community and connect life giving organizations credit for what they do. Also the research will benefit the community because they now know what organizations they have in their area. I'm very excited to continue getting out into the neighborhood and interviewing more residents.

Besides that life feels pretty normal here. Which is funny because I feel like that is a sign that I am doing well and fitting in. It's hard to believe I only have 2 months and I head home. Very bittersweet I miss home (well the people I love anyway) and I do miss the ease of life. But it is true what they say about Africa grabbing your heart. I know that when I leave Nairobi I am going to realize how much this place has taught me.
Keep you posted
a

I can't believe almost a month has gone by since I've posted anything! So sorry, sometimes I don't know where time goes.
What have I been up to???

Well the Worship team from Pomona came in about 2 weeks ago. It was really good to see some old faces. Terry Butler (Pomona Worship Leader) his niece Carrie and Chris Davis (Pomona Drummer and old friend) came for the national worship conference. We spent the week with Kenyans from all over the nation! Lots of dancing and good music.
One night Carrie, Chris and I talked til 3:30 in the morning about life, beliefs, the church today and all that good stuff. It was really awesome to be able to connect and I couldn't help but think THIS is what the church should be like.



The conference kick started my next project, my global study project. Basically what I am doing is conducting research and interviewing people on the affects of Westernization on the African church focused in the area of worship. The conference was great because I got people from all over the country in one spot, it simplified my life alot. The results from my interviews really surprised me but I'm finding God usually works that way, breaking down all our assumption and presuppositions.

Finally on to the last part of the last few weeks, safari #2! Saw pretty much everything. We prayed and I think God rewarded us for our hard work in the previous week. I now have seen all of the big five: lion, elephant, water buffalo, rhino, and leopard. The most exciting thing for me has got to be the lions. No matter how many times I have seen them I am never cease to be amazed at their size. It's also crazy to be so close with nothing but glass standing between you and those teeth. Talk about accelerated heart rate!


Hippo River with Dad

The Crew



Lastly I have to mention I am super excited about the arrival of Julia this week! Julia was was my roommate for LA Term and she is wonderful. Over the last year she has become one of my best friends. It is gonna be so nice to have someone here who really understands everything there is to process when living in a place very different from home.
Although it's been a rough road (been here for 3 months now) I think it was a process I had to do on my own. For lack of a better term, I've "grown up" alot.
love love love
a

Coming, but mostly goings...

These are some pictures from our day trip to Nakuru National Park. One of Kelsey's last days in Kenya...



Nakuru is famous for its 1.5 million flamingos

Were going to have lunch until this guy decided he would like to join us, baboons are not known for their table manners.



sigh.
Baby sister went home earlier this week. It was so nice to have a piece of home around for a while. Went back to Nkita's crazy household and found everyone else moving out. Nkita left for Mombasa early this morning. Agnus went upcountry to visit her family. Christian is moving back to school campus tomorrow. And that leave me! In a big house, alone!
Thankfully Annabelle (another Day star student) is moving in. It's been a trying week, filled with frustrations (about school and graduating on time) and feeling of loneliness with everyone going. I've been thinking about how funny life is and how it never goes the way we expect it to or plan it to be. Yet it somehow works out anyway. So I'm holding onto that.
This month is also vacation for the kids of Mahali. They had their last day Friday and I made them a special treat, fruit salad! (3 guys on the matatu asked me if they could have some, LOL) My focus is now switching from the kids to my new project for the month which is the affects of westernization on the African church, specifically in the area of worship. Next week we have worship leaders from all across Kenya (and some flying in from the States) coming here! So I have to rush around to get all my interviews in before they leave.
Yesterday I went to a soccer game, Kenya vs. Brazil. Total madness but awesome. Met some new friends, got stranded for a while, went to a random graduation party, met some more new friends, finally got home, ate some chicken, and went to sleep! Busy day.
Nairobi is beginning to become more familiar than ever. The weather is FINALLY starting to warm! And I'm relaxed.
a