The Beautiful People of London...

All in all, yes, I enjoyed London. Quite frankly, I just don't feel like writing about that part of my trip. Instead I want to SHOW you a bit of London from my point of view.

You see, I am a people watcher. Everywhere I go, I catch myself paying more attention to the people around me than to the monuments, historical places, or views of wherever I am. In London, there was a LOT to look at. And by that, I mean there were many, many people who definitely stood out. My sister kept getting upset, telling me that I was being rude by staring and taking pictures (even though I did so in a very stealthy manner). Needless to say, I did not take her advice of leaving these people to themselves and I did, in fact, take as many pictures in a nonchalant, covert manner as possible.

And here are the results.

(Sorry, I have no idea how to put pictures on here in an organized fashion so they are just randomly spread across the screen in no order or alignment)

I left the States 554 hours ago. I was in Kenya for 469 hours. I left Kenya 59 hours ago. I have been in London for about 50 hours. I will leave London in 116 hours. I will return to Midland in about 129 hours.   I took the time to calculate all of this out more for my own curiosity, but I thought I would share it as well. So that means by the end of my traveling adventures, I will have been away from home for almost 700 hours. Once I get home, I will only be there for about 145 hours before I return to Lubbock.  Needless to say, this summer has already flown by.  Just saying, "Oh it was absolutely wonderful" does not even come close to describing how I truly feel about my experiences thus far.   This blog is not a re-cap of the last month, I'm not going to talk about London, I'm not going to share my overall feelings of Kenya, but instead I am going to tell you about the last day I spent in Kenya which I haven't done yet!   The Wedding Day! All of Wednesday morning was spent getting ready for the wedding. We wanted Cecily to have as much of a relaxing day as possible. This even included a day at the spa! Some former MITS students now work at a salon in Nairobi and they came back on Wednesday to do manicures and pedicures for the girls! Cecily thoroughly enjoyed hers and so did the other girls who got the chance to stop by the "spa". I wish I could have had a turn, but I was busy doing other things to get ready for the wedding and just ran out of time! We decorated the fence and archway with beautiful red, purple and pink flowers, along with some banana leaves. We made centerpieces for the reception tables. We made the bouquets for Cecily and the bridesmaids. We set up tables and chairs. We put down the aisle – 5 beautiful African wraps that we spread out for Cecily to walk down as her aisle. We went back, changed, and got ready in the dark with no electricity. We took our seats. We watched 2 of the most incredible people we know come together as one before their friends, and before God. Cecily was a stunning bride in her strapless white dress with a bright orange flower tucked back in her loose curls. Dusty looked very sharp in his black suit, with his scruffy beard accenting his giddy smile as he saw Cecily walk down the aisle. The ceremony was beautifully done, brought together by words from a few close friends, an audience of relatives and friends from home as well as friends from afar, a time for us all to share communion, Dusty and Cecily each taking a turn to wash each others feet, and the sun breaking through the thick clouds providing a breathtaking backdrop… all in all, the wedding was simply perfect.   After having Mr. and Mrs. Dusty Breeding introduced to us for the first time, we continued the celebration. We had goat, sodas, cake, dancing, and a whole lot of fun at the reception! The newlyweds first dance was to the Lion King's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and their "get-away car" was a donkey pulling a cart decorated with glow sticks and the same African wraps that were used for the aisle! As the party slowly winded down, I found myself faced with a very tough next few minutes…and these "few minutes" lasted a lot longer than just a "few minutes". I had to say my goodbyes since I would be leaving the next morning at 6am. I hugged countless necks and promised several kiddos that I would return as soon as possible. I fought back the tears as long as I could, but there came a point where there was just no use even trying. It was like leaving family, not knowing when the next time I will see them will be. The pictures in my mind of these kids' faces as we said our goodbyes will never fade. Their sweet, tender words will echo through my mind, never to be forgotten. When I finally headed back to the girls' dorm to say goodbye to the Life Bread folks, I was trying to figure out how these 3 weeks were already over. I couldn't wrap my mind around it. When I planned my trip, 3 weeks really did seem like a long time. It went by way too fast. Saying goodbye to the Life Bread group was just as heart breaking as saying goodbye to the MITS kids. This group and I just clicked from the very first day they arrived. Being with them was like being with a group of lifelong friends. Attending Dusty and Cecily's wedding was like going to an old family friend's wedding. Spending this time with them in Kenya was a true gift. We are already planning their spring break trip down to Texas! I can't wait!   Saying goodbye to the Mbuvis… that was tough. If anyone genuinely feels like family, it's them. There's just nothing else that can be said. They ARE family. I miss them so much already.   Well, I'm now in London with my family and we've had a fantastic time sightseeing and walking at least 8 miles each day. We have a few days left and I know we will enjoy every moment. Yes, London is wonderful. Yes, I have always wanted to visit here. But when I return home, I will most likely not even remember half of the things we did in London. I will not have a full appreciation for this city. The one thing that I am enjoying the most and what I am still looking forward to for the remainder of this trip is just being with family. That's it.   -SG

Sometimes the tiniest things remind you of your family, your friends, and your home, and you don't even realize it. A day seems so normal, and then something happens that just opens the floodgates to allow so many thoughts and emotions take over. Well, something like that hit me today, I can't figure out what it was, but I just got really homesick. I miss my family. I miss my friends. I miss the little things that I always seem to take for granted while I'm at home. I miss the convenience of texting someone just to say hi. I miss the option of skyping my friends just so I can see them and talk with them. I just miss being at home, whether that means in Lubbock or Midland; I miss both. I miss so many things right now. Despite all of this, I love the people I am with every day here in Kenya. I love the kids at MITS. I love the staff that I have gotten to know. I love being a part of something so special and being constantly reminded of God's power, grace, and love. Everything about this place is inspiring, encouraging and just perfect in its own way. I love where God has me right now. Everything here is great. Nothing has happened that has made me want to come home, not even today as I sit here unbelievably homesick. I have loved every minute of being here. I am thoroughly enjoying my time here. The Life Bread group that is here is absolutely wonderful. Being here at the same time as them has been an unbelievable blessing. It doesn't feel like I just met them a few days ago. In fact, one neat thing that Cecily (the bride) said the other day was, "It's so awesome because in the Body of Christ it never feels like there is someone you don't know! Some of us just met for the first time here, but it feels like we've already known each other forever!" That is so true. That's true concerning my relationships with the Life Bread group as well as all of our relationships with the people here in Kenya. We are all from different parts of the country and even different parts of the world. We have different likes and dislikes. We look different. We sound different. We are all unique in our own way. However, we do all share a part of our lives because we are all a part of the Body. We all have that in common. And having that as the common ground in a relationship is the best thing to have. Something that God has continually been showing me lately is that we can do so many things and help in so many ways, but in everything we do we must do it in love. He has brought me verse after verse reiterating this. Last night I read 2nd John. Beginning in verse 5: …I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. That pretty much lays it out there how it is… LOVE = FOLLOWING GOD'S COMMAND and GOD'S COMMAND = LOVE. It really doesn't need any more explanation. There have been a few days where I have been wondering if I am doing anything of importance here, if I am even leaving an impact, if I am truly showing God to these kids. I was reminded that the best way to do these things is by just loving them. That's it. Well, I'm going to get my hair cut now. Yes, I just cut 9 inches off right before I came, but I'm getting it cut again. One of the girls with the Life Bread group is a hairdresser and she is teaching a few hair dressing classes for the girls learning that skill here, so she needs a few volunteers so she can show the girls how to cut hair. I'm not sure what we are going to do with my hair since there isn't much left of it anyway… maybe just more layers and do something else with my bangs… we'll see! -SG

With each step I took leading me farther into the back roads of Eastleigh, I could feel the eyes penetrating my solemn stare, as if they recognized that I was not as brave as my face tried to convince.   Base #1: empty… nobody around… or so I thought. One by one the people crept out from their hiding. The garbage resting up against the fence was actually not trash. It was their home. Faces slowly appeared, some with confused looks, others with bright smiles. Some expecting us, others wondering why we were there bothering them. Some very alert and welcoming, others stumbling around with their glue bottle tightly gripped in their hand. After talking to these people for several minutes we continued on toward the next base.   Base #2: Under the tree. This base name is not deceiving. It is literally under the big tree on the street corner. About 12 guys were sitting on the cinderblock wall under the tree, clinching little pieces of cloth wadded up that never left the vicinity of their nose/mouth. These cloths had been soaked in gasoline. They have figured out that inhaling these fumes will also provide the high they get from the glue. This base was very interested in who each of us were and they wanted to introduce themselves to us as well. They were very welcoming and excited to see us, but it made us wonder if the excitement was only present because they were not fully in control of their mind at that moment. Was it their joy and excitement, or would the gasoline provide this excitement for anything they encountered at that point in time?   Base #3 – only one man was there when we arrived. He had been sleeping, but quickly woke up when we walked up to his base. He was burned about a month ago and his leg is still in very bad shape. The MITS team that visits these bases each day has helped get him medical treatment, but the man told us today that he did not know how to use the medicine. He didn't know how much to take or how often to take it. We went to the clinic across the street, asked for directions for that medicine, and took it back to the man. He was so thankful for our help. After praying with him and for his leg, we went on our way.   Before we made it to the next base, a man came chasing after us asking us to come see his friend who had been hit by a car. We followed the man who took us to his friend. Apparently this injured man was somebody that the MITS team has seen very often and he has had many, many injuries and medical problems. They have tried to help him several times in the past and were unaware that he had been in yet another accident, injuring his already hurt leg even worse. We prayed for the man's leg with him and as we prayed, the man wept. As he wiped the tears that were streaming down his face, he continuously thanked us.   We visited 2 more bases after these. We talked, we laughed, we prayed, and we just spent time with these people. When we walked up to one of the last bases, the guys saw us coming and quickly hid their glue bottles and cloths, because they knew who we were. They are fully aware of MITS and their mission. Some of these people actually go to church at MITS in Eastleigh, which is very new. It has only been meeting for the past 3 weeks, but many of these people from the bases have come with a genuine interest and some have even been baptized. One thing that Larry Connoway says is, "Good… they are saved, now let's help them STAY saved!" That is the hardest part for these people: realizing they are God's children, deciding to make a change, attending church, even being baptized, but then returning to the streets and to the bases. Returning "home" to their everyday lives. Returning to the countless temptations of the streets. Returning to those who haven't had this encounter with God, who don't understand why they would want to change from the ways of the streets. Many of these people beamed with absolute joy when we were spending time with them. Our joy brought them joy, and vice versa. Experiences here are ones that will never be forgotten. Images seen that could never be captured in a photo. Smiles defining their beat up faces. Gratitude and sincere appreciation seen in their deep brown eyes. All because some people took time out of their day to come see them. Yes, like I said, some may not even remember us being there, they may not realize who we are, they may not have even been fully coherent while we were with them, but we pray that our visits WILL have a lasting impact. And for some, they do.   Behind each piece of sheet metal, under the trash heaps, next to the crumbling cinderblock walls, all across the streets of Eastleigh, are hidden treasures. These treasures are heirs of the King of Kings. These are a chosen people. The Ruler of the universe has claimed these people as His own children. They have hope because of that. As we sat with the homeless, the poor, the crippled, the beggars, I thought of Jesus. I thought of Him dining with those who were considered the lowest, most worthless people. Jesus loved them, and He loved them with such a powerful love, that He took it to the cross. The Cross was not just for middle to upper-class white Americans. The Cross was for everyone. The love that was displayed at Calvary can and must be shown to everyone. Even to those who are not shown love from society or from many people at all. We will not be able to save all of these people living on the streets of Eastleigh, but we can point as many as possible in the right direction. And we do that by loving them with the love of Christ, and nothing else.   Today was interesting. Today was overwhelming. Today was eye-opening. Today was exhausting. Today was fulfilling. Today was heart breaking. Today was encouraging. Today was shocking. Today was every emotion rolled into one. Today was a day I will remember forever.   Returning to MITS in Kamulu was tough, yet wonderful. It was almost unbearable to see the faces of these kids and think of a time when they were the people I saw on the streets today. These precious kids I have been working with for the past week, who are uplifting, loving, caring, beautiful children of God, were once rummaging around in the dirt, begging on the street corners, dependent on the highs of the streets like glue, just fighting to survive. The power of God is more evident in the lives of these kids than almost anywhere else I have seen. To view firsthand where they came from, and then to see where they are now is indescribable. The hope they have now from knowing God and are aware what He can do for them is incredible. I could write and write and write yet I don't think my emotions could ever be described to their entirety. My thoughts are so twisted and tangled right now. My heart is aching, yet praising God for the lives He has changed.   Psalm 79:8 "May your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need…"   -SG

It's been a few days since I've been on the computer, so I'll update you with what's been going on lately…   For starters, there is a new name to add to the list of "who you need to know" Shannon – She was with the California group that was here last week. The rest of the group went back to the states on Tuesday, but she stayed here. She will be here for 2 and 1/2 more weeks. This is her 4th time at MITS and she will be here 6 weeks total this trip. She is going to be a junior at Pepperdine and she is a really neat girl. It's been awesome getting to hang out with her and get to know her.   Well, I finally got to play soccer with the kids here! They play just about every day, but I've either been out doing something else, or have just been too exhausted to play. So the other night I went out and played. At one point I stood off to the side and counted how many people we had playing (at once) and there were 48 people, give or take a few. All on one field. Yes. It was crazy. And by "field" I don't mean nice turf with freshly painted goals. I don't even mean a nice grassy area. This "field" consisted of dirt, dead grass, stickers, weeds, rocks, and very uneven ground. It was so much fun though. African League vs. Mexican League? I'd say that the skill level is definitely higher in Mexican league, but these kids here sure do have heart! They LOVE playing. Like I said, they play almost every day and if it didn't get dark at night, nothing would stop them from playing all hours of the night. Most of them played barefoot, a few had on flip flops, a couple of them had cleats, one boy only had on one shoe, and another had on 1 cleat and 1 croc. Whatever it takes, they want to be out there. They hustle, they put everything they have into it, and they have fun. I'm not kidding, I think I saw more bicycle kicks in that one game alone than all of the bicycle kicks I have seen in my life put together! It was a blast watching these kids play. One time a boy kicked the ball really hard and really high, the ball hit the power lines, and sparks went everywhere! Watching their reactions was the best part. They were rolling on the ground cracking up for at least 3 minutes. It was hilarious.   I've still been teaching classes and helping out at the Learning Center. I've taught English, Spelling and Speech so far. It's such a great feeling to help teach these kids and watch their faces change from being confused and unable to grasp the concept, to suddenly seeing the light come on and watching the look of accomplishment spread across their faces as they become so excited to finally understand. I love that they love learning. One day Shannon and I went down to the skills center and helped with the catering students. That was such a wonderful time. The catering building here is very, very special to many people. It was built in Connor Brown's name and I can just imagine the joy he would get seeing these kids bake and learn their trade while having so much fun doing it. The catering building is really great and so many students love learning that skill. They have several ovens, stoves, and a huge collection of utensils and other cooking supplies for the students to use! We taught them how to make American pancakes and also tried to make crepes. The pancakes were a huge hit – they loved them! The crepes… not so much. The kids still ate them, but we quickly found out that we are not the best crepe makers. In the words of Shannon, "Sometime we fail at certain things in life so that we can learn from our mistakes. This is one of those times!"     Every other Friday, most of the MITS staff goes into Eastleigh to walk around and visit the different street bases. They do this because they are always looking for new kids to bring into MITS, but also to constantly be reminded of where their kids came from. The students WERE on the streets living on these bases with the worst of the worst before MITS took them in for a different life. These bases WERE their lives before MITS. While the staff was in Eastleigh, we stayed back with the kiddos. They each wrote letters to their sponsors, we played several games, watched movies, and just had a fun day! One of the games we played with the kids was Ninja! Ha… that was so entertaining!   Saturday we woke up, had breakfast, and then headed into town around 10am. We went to the Village Market, which is a mall in town, and then went to Java House for lunch! Yummm! It was so good! When we came back home, I took a nap, we had dinner, then we went down to the Charles and Darlene's house for tea and cake! Saturday night I also got to talk to my best friend in Lubbock on the phone, so that was a big highlight of my day! It was his birthday so I bought some more minutes for my phone and got to talk to him. It's funny how different and how much more exciting it is to actually hear someone's voice on the other end of the phone rather than just reading an email from them. It was so great talking to him!   Today (Sunday) we had church and Larry Connoway came out for church with us here. He and his wife, 2 boys, and Heather Lowery came! Larry and his family have lived in Kenya for over 20 years and he works with MITS in Eastleigh. Heather had been on a medical mission trip with Dr. John Bailey (Lee Ann Brown's dad) this past month and then she met up with the Connoways to work with them out here around Nairobi. It was great getting to see her! We all went into town for lunch and went to Java House again, which was completely fine by me!      Now I'm back at the Mbuvi's about to take a nap! A group from Pepperdine gets here tonight, some more will be here on Tuesday, and we will work with them for the next week and a half! On the 28th there is actually going to be a wedding here at MITS! 2 of the people from the Pepperdine group met and fell in love on a trip out here to MITS last summer, so when they decided to get married, they wanted to do it here!   And that's it for today! Hopefully I'll be able to update this more often now that I topped up on my internet time! I'm learning a lot here and seeing God's hand in everything. He is sovereign and incredibly powerful. It's amazing to be reminded that He is THE God. The one that we worship, the one that people in Kenya worship, and the one that so many others all over the world worship. And He is the TRUE God, which has been so apparent here. Being able to worship our God with other members of the Body on the other side of the world has been an unbelievable thing, and I know He has so much in store for these next 2 weeks… I am fully expecting the Spirit to do big things. And I am very, very excited about it!   Colossians 4:2-6 "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."     -SG

I have been here for 5 nights and tonight was the first night we lost electricity! Wow!

 Most of you may think the excitement of the previous statement sounds odd, but electricity is really a day to day issue in this area and you never know when it will be on or off, so making it almost a week with it consistently running is pretty good!

 

Today we had chapel at 8am in the learning center and then Jason and I went with all of the skills students and we sanded every inch of the MITS walls, gates, doors, and even the playground! Another group from Pepperdine is coming in this week and they are going to repaint the entire place so we sanded it to prepare for them.

*Skills students are the older students who have been through school and are now learning a specific skill so that when they graduate they will be trained in one area so that they can go out and get a job and support themselves. Some of the skills are sewing, catering (cooking), hair dressing, computers, and mechanics.

 

After we sanded, we went and worked on the farm. Yes, the farm. They have several acres of farmland where they grow their own corn, beans, fruits and vegetables. The students tend to the farms themselves and work hard to maintain it so they will have a good harvest! Today we just pulled weeds to clean up the farmland. Although, I don't know that I have pulled that many weeds at one time in my entire life. My hands even started to get blisters!

 

After working on the farm we had lunch and then met back at the learning center for classes. I went to class with one of the teachers, Irene. She teaches English and a speech class. I helped grade papers, explain certain practice exercises, helped student with any questions they had, and I even acted out part of a scene with Irene for one of the English classes! In the speech class they were learning about interviews; how to prepare and how to interact during one. I talked to them about how interviews work and what should be expected from them during an interview.

The classes lasted from 2pm until about 5:40pm. I really enjoyed today and hope to work with Irene again tomorrow!

 

One neat thing that happened today was when we were on the farm. We were taking a break and I sat down with a couple of girls who were working beside me, one being Jackie.  I talked to them about living at MITS and they both said they really loved living there. Jackie has been at MITS for 6 years and the other girl has been here for 5 years. When I asked them what their favorite thing about living there was, they both said things like working together, playing together, having sharing time together, and things of that nature. Whatever they said, it always involved "together" which was pretty neat. They also rarely referred to the other students as "friends" but instead as "family". I thought back to my trip to Eastleigh yesterday and imagined these girls as street kids there at one time. They probably had no understanding of what togetherness and family truly was until they came to MITS and now that is their favorite thing about living there.

I talked to a 14-year-old boy, Eric, who has only been at MITS for 3 weeks. He told me that he is really enjoying it at MITS and that he has made many friends so far. When I asked him what his favorite thing about living there was, he responded with, "The food here is great!" Well, that's a pretty different answer than what the girls told me.  This young boy is so used to street life, that the main thing he thinks about now is just getting a good meal to eat. That is wonderful that he has that kind of happiness from just a simple meal, but the more I thought about it, the more I hoped and prayed that maybe his answer will soon change from "great food" to something like the girls told me involving family and togetherness. I definitely think it will.

 

Well, since the electricity is out, I guess that means I have to go to bed early. Oh well, I'm actually looking forward to a long night of sleep!

 

-SG

Psalm 113:7-9

"He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people. He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord."

 

MITS first started in a community called Eastleigh. Eastleigh is next to the Mathare slum…one of the largest in the world. Mbuvi grew up in Mathare and he said that their view of Easleigh was that it was where the "rich people" lived. He was on and off the streets starting at age 11. He was able to live with his family and go to school as long as his parents were making money. Unfortunately, most of the time they weren't and so he was forced onto the streets to provide for himself. He moved to the Eastleigh area and when he did his family called him "one of those rich people" but he knew this was not true. He tried to convince them otherwise, but his attempts failed. He was not rich, and neither were the people of Eastleigh. Richer than the people of the slums? Absolutely. But nowhere near the image they once gave the people of Eastleigh. Even today, Eastleigh is over-crowded, filthy, dangerous, and home to the largest group of Somalians that have settled in Kenya.

Today we went to MITS in Eastleigh. It was an unbelievable sight. The combination of exhaust, dirt, road-side vegetables, animal stenches, and burning trash made for a smell that cannot even be described in words. There were people everywhere. Cars were inches from side-swiping each other as they each tried to drive down the narrow roads. And when I say roads, I don't mean paved streets. I mean dirt paths with rocks…no, small boulders… all over them. For those of you who have been to Kenya on the past 2 trips with GCR – do you remember the roads to Dirubi through Sondu? Take that and double it. I definitely regretted leaving my Bonine at the house.

Once we got to MITS, we met with Larry, the man who (I think) runs this MITS campus. Maureen and I then met with the single mothers who are a part of the program along with a few of their kids. We played a few games and then we sat inside and talked with them. Maureen told them the story of Esther and told them that just as she was humble before the Lord, we should all be humble. And that she stood up for her people and tried to help them, just as they should try to help the other girls on the streets. It was a wonderful experience talking with these young mothers who had no hope before MITS took them in. Many of them still struggle with the highs of the streets, the main one being glue. This drug has captured so many Kenyans and is the main drug on the streets. Maureen quoted John 10:10, telling them that the enemy does try to steal, kill, and destroy and he will use anything he can to do so. She told them that Satan uses even these highs as a way to distract and overtake people and that God wants to save them to give them life. These mothers are realizing that if they continue, their entire life will become dependent on those highs. Instead they are learning to be dependent upon God and to share that hope with the other people on the streets.

 

Jason went with Larry and a few other people to the different "bases" around MITS. These bases are groups of people living on the streets that gather in groups and create their own base to live together. They have no shelter, no beds, nothing. They, too, are horribly addicted to the highs of the streets. Jason said it was absolutely crazy seeing these people just as high as could be, completely strung out, and to just see the desperation and emptiness in their eyes. What was incredible was when he told me that they seemed to pull themselves together and actually have a sense of understanding and became more coherent when the MITS team came to talk to them about God and the hope He can provide. There were some awesome stories and things that happened. I loved spending time with the mothers at MITS, but I definitely hope that when we return to Eastleigh next week I will be able to visit the bases with them. I know the Spirit can have such affect on these people and I know the Lord is doing amazing things through Larry and the other MITS team members. "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap…"

 I would give anything to be able to witness and be a part of that… so hopefully next week I will be able to!

 

That's about it for tonight. Hopefully by tomorrow the jet lag will be completely worn off and we won't be as tired…

Please keep the prayers coming!

-SG

Hebrews 10:24-25

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

After reading this in our bible class this morning at church we were told to turn to the person next to us and encourage them in some way. I turned to my left and next to me was Jackie. I met Jackie at MITS last July and saw her again this past March. She is probably about 15 years old, has a quiet spirit, has an incredibly serving heart, and has been at MITS for a few years. She looked straight at me and without any hesitation she spoke to me wanting to encourage me:

"We are different colors. We are different kinds of people. But aside from our differences we are exactly the same in the Spirit. The efforts you put into coming here and helping us is more than you know. I think of you often and pray for you always. Thank you so much for what you are doing."

Wow…how was I supposed to respond to that? My first reaction was to burst into tears, hug her sweet little neck, and tell her how much I loved her and how much God loved her. Thankfully I held myself together keeping in mind that I really didn't want to freak her out. After all, she thought I was a pretty normal person and nice enough to come visit her, I didn't want her to believe I was actually just some crazy mzungu. I looked at her and told her thank you. I told her that I absolutely love coming to visit and that I think of everyone at MITS very often and pray for them as well. She smiled her timid, beautiful smile and turned back to face the front. As simple as this may sound to you, this was a very profound moment for me.

We talked more about how each of us as believers make up different parts of the Body of Christ. We discussed how if one part doesn't function properly, it can have a very bad effect on the entire Body, reiterating the importance of encouragement to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Something that really grabbed my attention about the students this morning was that they don't give the typical "church answers" when discussing different things. They don't sit back and pretend to understand everything that is said. They don't instinctively agree with the words the preacher speaks. There were several times when something was said and a student immediately raised his/her hand to ask why, or to ask how to go about that kind of thing, or to really dig deep in order to understand. They said what was on their heart. They said what they truly thought and believed, wanting to gain more knowledge of what the Bible tells us concerning certain issues. Witnessing this desperate hunger for learning was shocking, yet inspiring. What if we all yearned for such deep understanding of what God desires from us? There's something to think about…

Maureen's sister was at the house with us this afternoon along with a friend from church. I helped the two of them and Maureen cook dinner. We made beef spaghetti and it was pretty delicious, if I do say so myself! While we were preparing dinner, Mbuvi and Jason were with the MITS boys playing soccer. They played a real, officiated, full soccer game against another team of boys from an orphanage around here. Once they finished and came back we all had dinner and now we are anxiously awaiting the final game of the World Cup! VIVA ESPANA! VAMOS! Ha - I'm actually not even that much of a Spain fanike Spain that much, I just want David Villa to score a 6th goal!

As another day winds down, another night of waking up every 2 hours arrives. Although, I think that I am finally getting used to the time difference so hopefully I will be actually able to sleep all the way through the night tonight. That is, if the rooster is fixed by sunrise. It's been broken the past 2 mornings, crowing at 5am, WAY before the sun actually comes up! Oh well… we'll see…

-SG

Jambo!

Well, after almost exactly 24 hours of traveling, we made it to Kenya!

Jason Yocham and I left Midland at 1:30pm on Thursday, July 8^th and arrived in Nairobi at about 9:30pm (Nairobi time) on Friday, July 9^th. It was a long day, no doubt, but for some reason this trip seemed much quicker than either of the other trips I have taken to Kenya.

I thought I would give a briefing of who everyone is and what everything is before I start name dropping in my blogs assuming everyone knows who and what I am talking about…

Jason Yocham – family friend from Midland; also came to Kenya with our group over spring break

Francis Mbuvi (goes by Mbuvi) – Runs Made in the Streets which is where I will be working

Maureen Mbuvi – Francis' wife; Runs World Bible School where I will probably work some as well

Jonathan ("J") – Mbuvi and Maureen's oldest son who is 4 years old

Jeremy ("Remy") – Mbuvi and Maureen's youngest son who is 1 and ½ years old

Risper – Works with Maureen; I met her last July and have become close friends with her

Made in the Streets (MITS) – This program goes to the slums of Nairobi, brings in kids they find there, gives them a place to live, eat, go to school, go to church, and learn a trade. It is basically a school/church that gives slum children hope for a better life than they were living while teaching them about the love of God.

World Bible School (WBS) – This program is what initially got my church from Midland involved in Kenya; it started as a long distance correspondence bible class. Teachers in the United States would send bible lessons to students in Kenya who were interested in learning about the bible. Once they finished their classes and lessons they graduated from the program, usually were baptized, and many became teachers themselves. Maureen now is in charge of WBS and she has an office right by her house and by MITS.

 

I'm not sure if there are any other names that I will write about on a regular basis so for now, that's all you need to know!

Mbuvi picked us up at the airport last night and we got back to MITS around 11:30pm. Needless to say, we were both exhausted and went right to sleep!

There is a group from Southern California that has been putting on an incredible camp at MITS for the past week and ½. Today was their final day and they finished with a 5K and 10K for the students. Their theme was "born to run" so they found it appropriate to have a race to end the camp. Jason, Mbuvi and Maureen all ran, but I stayed behind and cheered everyone on with Jeremy strapped on my back sound asleep. After the race we all hung out for a while, I met all of the Southern Californians, they made fun of my accent and constant usage of "y'all" and then I headed back to the Mbuvi's house for lunch and a few hours to rest! There were about 20 people in the group from California. One of the couples with the group was Andy and Carrie Wall – Ben Wall's brother and sister-in-law! So if Lee Ann, Jill, Melissa, or any of you other Browns are reading this, tell Ben that I met them! I also met a couple who went to Pepperdine with Alan Brown! Small world, huh?

 

I am absolutely thrilled to be back. It's wonderful. As soon as I got off of the plane and walked down the stairs to go into the airport, nostalgia really hit me and I couldn't believe I was back in Kenya once again. I love it. I am unbelievably excited about these next 3 weeks. I know God is going to do some amazing things and I am fully expecting the Spirit to move in miraculous ways!

Tonight we all gathered together again for the final victory celebration to finish the camp that the California group had done. It was amazing. They decorated, had music playing, cooked a great meal, and had awards for each of the kids. It was wonderful seeing the MITS kids so happy. They had constant smiles spread from ear to ear. The looks on their faces said it all. They were so honored and so excited to know that someone loved them that much to do all of that for them. They had their own banquet. They were given awards. Someone took the time to make a video of them and their week at this camp. They were given a few hours to just be kids: to dance, to sing, to laugh, to play, to enjoy life. Isn't that what we all want? To just enjoy life. These kids never would have any kind of experience close to this except by the grace of God and His willing people who rescued these children from the slums and told them all that God had to offer them. And they are precious, precious children of God.

 

Thank you for the prayers. They are what will keep me going when I am tired. They are what will be the cause of the incredible things that will happen here. They are so important. So I really do thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.

 

Until next time…

-SG

4th of July.

4^th of July… in the past this has been a huge holiday for my family. My Grandpa served in the army during 3 different wars, he was career military, my uncle was in the service, and I guess you could just say we are a pretty patriotic family.

We have always loved spending the 4^th of July at my Grandparent’s house in El Paso. In 1998, we had an extraordinarily wonderful time. EVERYONE on my mom’s side of the family came to El Paso. We played volleyball, spent every afternoon swimming, had a dunking booth, ate a LOT of great Mexican food, made homemade ice cream, and of course we watched the fireworks from the front driveway.

2 years later, my cousin Mandy passed away. On the 4^th of July.

It was an incredibly hard time for our family. She was only 21 years old and was a fun, loving, amazing woman of God. Since then, I cannot remember a time when we weren’t in El Paso for the 4^th of July. We all wanted to be together on that day, as it was turned from a fun day of celebration, to a day that would always remind us of when our granddaughter/daughter/niece/sister/cousin was taken from us.

Being with family on this day was the only way to get through it.

My Grandpa passed away in 2002 and that was another tough time, but we kept going to stay at my Grandma’s each 4^th of July.

In May of 2009, a week before I graduated from high school, my Grandma was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. It was a complete shock since she was in such wonderful health. She missed my graduation along with my 2 aunts who ended up staying with her that weekend to get her through her first round of chemo. As I sat at graduation I could not even enjoy this exciting accomplishment that most people remember for the rest of their life. I don’t remember anything that was said by any of the speakers. I don’t remember who I sat next to. I don’t remember who handed me my diploma. Thinking about it while writing this, it even took me a while to remember what I did afterwards with all of my friends. My entire graduation night is a complete blur. The only thing I remember about graduation is sitting in my chair focused only on holding myself together and not bursting into tears in the middle of the ceremony.

July 4, 2009 – The last 4^th of July we would spend at Grandma’s house.

Everyone came to El Paso and we had a blast. Like I mentioned, it is always bittersweet because we get to enjoy having the entire family together, but we never forget the 4^th of July in 2000 when Mandy died.

November 3, 2009 – My grandma passed away and that was quite possibly the hardest thing I have ever been through. Some people understand families who are unbelievably close, and others just don’t. My family is one of those families who are unbelievably close.

It’s been 8 months and it hasn’t gotten much easier. Especially since her house just sold and we had to move everything out this past week. This house has been in our family for almost 50 years and it was Grandma’s house… that’s where we grew up… that’s where so many of our family memories were made…there’s just not much more that can be said about it.

My mom and I spent a few days in El Paso last week and we went with my aunt to move the last bit of stuff out of my Grandma’s house. I can’t even explain how hard that was. That weekend was the 4^th of July. The first 4^th of July we haven’t spent in El Paso at Grandma’s house in 10 years. It also happened to be the 10-year anniversary of Mandy’s passing. Needless to say, this past week and weekend was extremely tough.

I’m not sure why I just wrote all of that. I think maybe just to say that I love my family more than anything and even through these hard times, I know we hold each other together. They mean the world to me.

Don’t take your family for granted. You never know how long you have with them. Tell them how much they mean to you. Love them with unconditional, unlimited love.

-SG

Birthday Surprises.

“You should definitely try to come down to Midland on Thursday for my birthday!”

“I don’t know… I would, but I have to work. I have extra shifts this week.”

“Oh, I’m sure you can take a day off of work!!”

“No really, I can’t. I already asked if I could get off to come to Midland, but if I do I will probably get a 2 week suspension from work and yes, that would be a great 2 weeks of vacation except for the no money part.”

“I bet you can afford to not work for 2 weeks. You’ll be fine.”

“No really, Steph, I can’t. I’m sorry.”

“Well dang, I really wish you could!”

A FEW DAYS LATER:

“GUESS WHAT?! I CAN COME DOWN THURSDAY!”

“Do NOT lie to me Patric. Are you for real?!”

“Yea. Turns out my boss died last night and with his dying breath he told me to go to Midland on Thursday for your birthday!”

“So that means you’re lying.”

“No, actually hell froze over and a magical unicorn said it could fly me down to Midland.”

This, along with several similar conversations took place over the few days leading up to my birthday between one of my best friends from Lubbock and myself.

He would act like he was able to come, then tell me he was joking and there was no way he could actually get off of work to come down. He had me convinced a few times that he was coming, then quickly shattered my excitement by telling me he was just kidding. I told him that if he ended up showing up, I was going to kill him for torturing me like that. Needless to say, I was pretty upset that he was not coming.

Wednesday, June 23, the night before my birthday… A few friends from Midland came over to my house and we watched a movie and just hung out until about midnight, when it officially became my birthday. Once they left, I went back to my room, got ready for bed, and was about to go to sleep when my mom walked into my room. She told me goodnight and then asked if I wanted one of my birthday gifts early. I said sure, why not. She then turns back to my bedroom door, opens it, and in walks Patric, my friend who “absolutely could not get off of work to come down to Midland even though he tried very hard to”.

I was in shock. I really was. I jumped up, and the first words out of my mouth were “PATRIC! I hate you!!” I could not believe he was there, standing in my room, in Midland, for my birthday. It wasn’t until about 45 seconds later that I realized there was somebody else with him. My other friend, Marshall, came with him!

A few minutes later, after I had accepted the reality that they had come down to Midland for my birthday, I apologized for what the first thing I said to Patric and told him that “I hate you” actually meant “I love you and I am so glad you are here!”

Turns out, my mom was in on it the whole time. She and Patric had this whole “surprise” planned out almost a week before my birthday. Then Patric called Marshall right before he left Lubbock and even though it was last minute he asked if Marshall wanted to come to Midland and he did! It was a fantastic surprise.

We went to Venezia’s for dinner and even another surprise was waiting for me there. My sister and her boyfriend had come down for my birthday dinner! I was, once again, shocked, but thoroughly excited to see them.

With all of this being said, I had a wonderful birthday. I spent it with my family and with my best friends. From Midland AND from Lubbock.

This weekend I went to LBJ with my parents and 4 of my girlfriends. We cruised the lake, wake boarded even on choppy water, rode the inner tube until our arms were numb, laid under the sun with loads of tanning lotion on, and just had a blast spending time with one another. I truly do love my friends. They helped make this birthday absolutely wonderful.

19.

19 years old.

My last year as a teenager.

Wow.

Where did the time go?

Crazy.