It is RAINY SEASON here in Kenya in mid- March through mid-May. Caleb decided one morning to make a report on the weather outside from our front porch. It is a quick video, but it made me smile. Hope you enjoy too!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Kenyan Bible Study Ladies Singing
There are lots of things that I love about Bible Study Fellowship, and the worship time is one of them. There is something about 500 women all singing praises to God. We sing songs that are usually connected to the lesson we are studying each week making the meaning of every word sung ring loud and clear in our hearts. Often , I glance around and see tears being wiped from the ladies knowing that the words they are singing have significant meaning to them after studying this lesson all week prior to coming today. Most of the time the words are in English, but sometimes we sing in the local Kenyan language of Kiswahili. Those times are a treat for me.
Below are two of the ladies, Jackie and Carol, that are in my small group of 15 women. When you look around the room in this church where we meet, there are huddles of women filling every corner of the room. When we finish worship time, you hear the bustle of plastic chairs moving as each woman finds her group and gets settled. It has been really neat to walk this year with these women. My only regret has been not spending more time outside of class with these amazing ladies. I am spurred on by the ones new in their faith and feel the excitement of their new faith rubbing off on others. I laugh with the ones who tell funny stories of their faith in such a way that the who group is giggling with laughter. I have cried with the ones sharing stories of hard times and struggles. Next week will be another time of fellowship and sharing with just our small group and the last week will be a time of testimonies and sharing for the entire Bible Study. I am so encouraged that OVER 150 new women showed up to the introduction class yesterday. I pray for lots of new leaders and space for these new women wanting to study and learn God's Word.
For me personally, almost each week I feel like there was a lesson I learned that was just for me. I know God works through things like this and it is never a coincidence. When Jesus was struggling with the cross, was the same time I was struggling about our future decision. I felt encouraged that Jesus continued to walk even when it was hard. I saw that he knew his purpose in life and knew what the Father had called him to do. I was facing a hard decision, but still felt like it was what God was calling me to do. That was just what I learned one week, and it seems that every week there is a something I walk away learning. I know God has been using this study to show me things and teach me more about Him. I am thankful in so many ways.
Below are two of the ladies, Jackie and Carol, that are in my small group of 15 women. When you look around the room in this church where we meet, there are huddles of women filling every corner of the room. When we finish worship time, you hear the bustle of plastic chairs moving as each woman finds her group and gets settled. It has been really neat to walk this year with these women. My only regret has been not spending more time outside of class with these amazing ladies. I am spurred on by the ones new in their faith and feel the excitement of their new faith rubbing off on others. I laugh with the ones who tell funny stories of their faith in such a way that the who group is giggling with laughter. I have cried with the ones sharing stories of hard times and struggles. Next week will be another time of fellowship and sharing with just our small group and the last week will be a time of testimonies and sharing for the entire Bible Study. I am so encouraged that OVER 150 new women showed up to the introduction class yesterday. I pray for lots of new leaders and space for these new women wanting to study and learn God's Word.
For me personally, almost each week I feel like there was a lesson I learned that was just for me. I know God works through things like this and it is never a coincidence. When Jesus was struggling with the cross, was the same time I was struggling about our future decision. I felt encouraged that Jesus continued to walk even when it was hard. I saw that he knew his purpose in life and knew what the Father had called him to do. I was facing a hard decision, but still felt like it was what God was calling me to do. That was just what I learned one week, and it seems that every week there is a something I walk away learning. I know God has been using this study to show me things and teach me more about Him. I am thankful in so many ways.
Monday, May 3, 2010
New Visas
Are you ready for another twist in our adventure overseas? Well, we just found out this morning that we have to get a new visa. We have been getting visitor stamps in our passport every three months, but we just found out that isn't enough, we should have gotten a new visa as well. So, this means that we have to leave the country and come back before Monday. And it is not recommended to just go to a border country, so we have to go at least one country out from Kenya. Crazy!! We are scouring for last minute travel deals in hopes to find something cheap and quick travel. We are hoping to do this in one day, probably Friday. And so it will end up that we literally go have lunch in another country and come back. Thankfully, only Lane and I need to go, so the kids can be in school and I'll have someone watch Luke and Abigail for the day while we go do this. Please pray for us to find the right travel deal. Pray for safe travels and covering over us with immigration as we go and come back.
Friday, April 30 - Leaving in a Few Hours
We got tickets yesterday and are leaving in a few hours for Dubai, UAE. Yes, of all the travel deals this was the cheapest on short notice and that met our list of requirements to renew our visas here. I've never been to Dubai and have no idea what we will do in such a short time, but here we go! Honestly, I am looking forward to the plane ride to watch movies and time to talk with my husband. I think we'll call it a date then! (And for those thinking "rough life to fly off for a day and come back", this isn't exactly what we had planned months ago. We had other things planned for the weekend that had to get canceled. Other things this money could have been used for. But, I trust that God has a bigger plan.) As for the kids, they are staying at home while the wonderful interns from the IJM office are coming over for a "party at the Mears' house". Abigail helped me make brownies for the party and I wrote out schedules for the kids for Saturday (movie, do a puppet show, recess time, lunch, rest, reading time, movie, costumes & dress-up time, etc!) The kids like it when I do an hourly schedule like this. I think it helps them know what to expect that day and have things to look forward to, especially now that Caleb can read and so when I post it on the wall, he can read it for the group.
Saturday, May 1 - Hello and Goodbye Dubai
We're home and mission accomplished! We arrived in Dubai late Friday night. We slept in on Saturday morning until 10 am with dark curtains - glorious treat to parents of toddlers! And then had only 2 hours in the city to grab Taco Bell and a few treats for the kids until it was time to head back to the airport. I must say what I did see of Dubai was pretty amazing! The engineering alone makes me want to go back and visit places like the man-made islands in the shape of sea creatures, the tallest building in the world - Burj Dubai, the indoor ski slope while it is 122 degree Fahrenheit weather outside in the summer, camel racing, the world's only 7-star hotel- Burj Al Arab (only costs $2000 per night for a room, wowzers), and more. We saw some of these things from the airplane, but maybe someday I will see them from the ground. Thank you Lord for safe travel the whole time for us and for the kids at home. I am forever grateful to the interns - Betsy, Juliet, Ian, Bekah, Jen, and Nicole who took turns at the house watching the kids.
Weird Things I Noticed
A few things caught my attention during this quick day trip to Dubai. I was in the bathroom at the hotel and paused for a moment to listen to some weird noise I heard. Then I laughed at myself when I realized what it was...the air-conditioner! Ha, it was then that I realized I hadn't heard the sound of an air conditioner in over 9 months. The temperature in Nairobi is so ideal 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit, that you don't need air conditioners.
The other thing that I did that caught my attention was to brush my teeth then lean over and rinse with the tap water from the sink. Novel idea, you are thinking...but not really. Lots of places in the world, including my home in Kenya, recommend that you don't drink water from the tap, but instead drink, rinse, spit, cook, etc. with water from a bottle purchased at the store and carried home.
Thanks for reading and praying for us in this twist to our adventure overseas!
Anna
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin
