Time for Top Tid Bits #3-Still getting Surprised

So I am going on to week 6 here, which seems crazy to me! Each day seems like a victory, so even though my parents say time is flying in the states, it is dragging here. Dragging seems like a negative word, so I should clarify, it is not meant to be negative, but truly, time does not fly here. Days are not filled with busyness, but move with a slowness I have never known. So this, along a few other things are still surprising me here. It seems the best way to sum them up is through my list of tid bits...so here goes:

1.) Even though I may decide to splurge on a 7 dollar box of Ritz, it does not mean the crackers will taste fresh or even like Ritz

2.) Zebras, donkeys, and baboons adorn the highways here which still blows me away considering I'm used to seeing dirt and buildings along most drives between Bakersfield and northern and southern CA

3.) Internet and electricity is continuing to go in and out at the most inconvenient times which continues to frustrate me to no end

4.) Random Kenyan holidays are called quite a bit which allows for random days off...sounds fun...and it is...but makes lesson planning interesting

5.) Medical care here is atrocious! I saw a girl's leg get broken right in front of me at a soccer game and no one knew what to do. People just stared at her writhing in pain and proceeded to try and take care of her in the weirdest way (one of which was to lift the broken leg high in the air...ouch!). I'm thankful I come from a more compassionate and caring culture after witnessing that scene.

6.) I am buying things here I never ever bought at home...but if it's American and cheap, it ends up in my shopping cart (i.e...mac and cheese!)

7.) When I open up a drawer and lots of little bugs crawl out from it...I am reminded I'm in Africa...gross...wondering if I'll ever get used to that

8.) Blatantly got stared at at the soccer game I went to...I know it's because I am white...but still makes me very uncomfortable...they literally point and stare and sometimes laugh

9.) My friend Bekah's little girl about the age of 2 got picked up by a random Kenyan teenage girl and she started walking away with Kate (the 2 year old). Bekah said that's what they did here...what?!...ok...(she didn't let the girl walk away with her, but still)

10.) Last but not least...God is good...over and over again...yes, I am embarrassingly but still surprised by this and am reminded not to take it for granted each day!

The highs are HIGH and the lows are LOW...

Everyone says emotions are pretty crazy here, but I am almost certain I have become bi-polar within the last month. Now before I scare people, I am semi joking, but really, I have never experienced such heightened emotion. I completed my second week of school and it was even better than the first. However, my good days were just awesome, and my difficult days made me want to give up. I have never experienced living life as difficult as in Kenya. So teaching all day and then coming home to a house that has no electricity, or wanting to make dinner, but not having the energy to spend 2 hours in the kitchen and surrendering to a bowl of cereal is hard! I don't know how else to say it without sounding like I'm whining, but I literally feel the only things I can rely on right now are breathing in and out and walking (sounds dramatic, but it's true). I was blessed with the chance to have coffee and spend some time with a dear friend of mine who is serving here with her family a few hours away, and she reminded me to make a 'joy list' each day to help through the rough times. I told her all I would have on it for a while might be hot running water, electricity, and internet. Then I lost all three today before church and it lasted all day.....see...I'm telling you....frustrating! However, NEVER in my life have I had an opportunity to truly appreciate the little things. Those little things are big things here and so every day I wake up breathing, walking, get a nice hot shower, and get through an email without the power going out, I thank Jesus. I am learning the basics are all you need here, because the basics in Kenya are luxuries. I am learning patience and grace and how to let things go when they don't go my way (because they never do here). And as strange as it sounds, I love it all. I know the only reason I love this madness is because of the work God is doing in my heart and because of all of the prayers people are sending my way. I have never felt them so strongly before so thank you! After two weeks of school and a month of living here already, I continue to be excited for what's next!

First week done!

This week, I finished my first week at West Nairobi. I have to say, things are done quite differently here. I thought my culture shock would be free from school grounds, but that is not the case. Now mind you, I expected to see a diversity of very well-behaved students. What has been the shock has been the way things are run at school. Basics like paper, pencil sharpeners, a file cabinet!, are absent from my life currently. I thought schools were pretty universal in having those things on hand...but no. Like everything else here, the things I expect to be basic or normal are just not so in Kenya. I am constantly having to remind myself to stop saying..."but in the states, things are done this way!" Besides those minor frustrations though, my sweet class of 'mostly' well behaved children was very fun. I have students from all over the world, which makes them asking to use the restroom in several different ways quite humorous. Did you know 'lou' is a word for restroom? I sure didn't..that poor child had to repeat himself several times before I got it. They are all, however, eager and willing to learn, which is SUCH a fun change from the majority of students I have dealt with in the states. I got to pray with them each morning for our day which was such a blessing. We had chapel Friday morning, and will continue to have it on Friday mornings, which personally, is my favorite part of the week. These children come from all different cultures and backgrounds, and so we are all teaching each other something new everyday. Plus, I am in awe not only of their academic ability, but their soccer skills are phenomenal...I mean...wow! So that was my first week. I am still adjusting to the culture each day. Some days I love it and some days I hate it. But despite my feelings, I continue to be reassured this is where I am supposed to be and I look forward to finding out each day what I am going to learn and how God is going to use me in different ways.

More Tid Bits...

So much has happened and is going on, I think the best way to sum up since my last post without writing a thesis, is through more 'short' tid bits....so...since my run in with little critters in Kenya...

1.) I have run into more critters! We have a mouse living in our house. I have been the lucky one to be greeted by the little rodent TWICE whence I screamed so loud I may have scared the mouse away permanently without needing to use a mouse trap...still...gross!

2.) I have never been more thankful for technology and internet! Skype is my new best friend...

3.) Politics in Kenya are quite a bit more intense than in the states which was scary, but also cool to see prayers answered and peace prevail throughout Kenya as the new constitution was voted for (quite historical here).

4.) Patience will probably be my biggest lesson learned here in that it takes FOREVER to get anything done here and tea time complicates things more than I can voice...ughhhh...finish what you're doing first, THEN drink your tea! I'm just sayin'....logical thinking...not present here

5.) Bartering for cool African items (i.e, jewelry, frames, purses) is soooo much fun and my new favorite hobby here! It brings getting a deal to a whole new level!

6.) Driving is getting less scarier each day...I now know how to get to ONE whole place all by myself...very monumental for me!

7.) If I thought I lived at school before, I was mistaken...NOW I live and breath school....and I'm still not ready for the first day (please pray for wisdom on knowing what and how to do things here...it's just so different than what I am used to).

8.) I met one potential parent of a child in my class who did not want to know what his child would be teaching, but was more interested in the wooden ceilings in my room and the 'positive' energy that the environment exuded....give me a flipping break! Can't wait to teach that child about Jesus!

9.) I am loving it here and scared to death at the same time as I realize each day that I live here...really missing family and friends already...sometimes doing what you feel the Lord calling you to do is just not easy....or fun all the time....how come I forgot that?

10.) I am realizing the more people I meet and the more I learn about Kenya, that NOBODY needs me here...and what I mean by that, is I am humbled to realize that God is so much bigger than I give him credit for...Kenyans are taking care of Kenyans, and I am the privileged one to be here and am excited to see what exactly God brought me here for...cuz like I said, he doesn't need me....but I definitely need Him...

Spiders and Mice and Slugs OH My!!!

As you can tell from my title, I'm getting used to the fun little critters that live inside and out here in Nairobi. So far, I had to kill a huge spider dangling from the ceiling of the van we were riding in, threw a slug back out into the yard today who liked to show up on our toilet each morning, and have yet to trap our little mouse (in the house) friend. I walk around on high alert always wondering what creature will show up to surprise me every day. Other than those surprises, I have been enjoying my time here in Kenya very much! Things were quite busy upon arrival last week. We had to learn how to grocery shop (an art here), look for cars to purchase (I will be waiting a while on that one!), and shopping for other things like hangers and organizational stuff. Normally, I would see those items at Target and grab and go...not here! No, those little luxuries are too expensive, so we write a list of what we want and then head over to Toi Market (Toi means overstock) to barter for these silly items. It's quite exhausting! But it's all part of living here i suppose. I would say that is what is the hardest thing for me right now is learning that everything takes twice as long here. If a driver says he will pick you up at 9, he really means, he will pick you up whenever he feels like it which could be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour late...soooooooo frustrating! BUT...I'm learning patience here like I never have before. Something fun I have enjoyed was visiting the giraffe center and elephant orphanage which is only about 25 minutes from where I live. The giraffe's are just such majestic creatures and the elephants were precious. It's nice to see the animals taken care of here because animals are not valued at all in this culture. Otherwise, I am now spending lots of time in my classroom made of cement and figuring out the art of decorating with walls that don't like tape very much. Please be praying for continued patience as I adjust to living here. More fun stories to come!