One Month Update

Hey everyone!
I hope this post finds you well. Even though Monday was technically the marker for me being gone for a month, I thought I would post this today since I left on January 11th.

I thought I would just give you a heads up on me and some things about me so far:
Currently, I’m living with an amazing host family in Fort Jesus, a neighborhood in Kibera, in Nairobi, Kenya. I’m loving Nairobi more and more, and find myself truly enjoying my time here. It has been an adjustment, to be sure, but it has been a good adjustment.

Here are some things that I’ve learned to adjust to:
-Kenya time: Kenyans are not always on time, whereas back home, people are generally punctual. When someone says they’ll be somewhere at 11 a.m., that means 11 a.m. Here, however, can be a bit of a different story. There are some Kenyans who run on time. On the other hand, people may keep you waiting for a while. Yesterday, myself and other students in my program went to play soccer with some local high school kids who showed up an hour and a half after we were informed they were supposed to. I’ve learned some patience.
-Garbage: There are not really garbage cans in my neighborhood, so there’s kind of just garbage around, on the ground, in the street, in the ditch, in random places, and occasionally on fire.
-Being stared at: This is one of the more difficult things for me to adjust to. People will blatantly stare at me here, and while I’m better at dealing with it, it still is a bit weird.
-Cleanliness: Of food, clothing, stuff…

Here are some things I miss:
-Family and friends: You are without a doubt, the thing I miss the most. There are so many times every day when I think of one of you and wish you were here with me.
-Being outside after dark: Back at home, I could get home from work at 8 pm, leave my apartment for the library at 9 pm and walk home from the library at 1 am and be fine. But here, I have to be home before dark, or take a cab, which is very expensive. I miss being able to walk around at night, and I especially miss running at night.
-Coffee: Coffee is a rarity here, and even more so if you don’t drink instant. I miss my mug of coffee at class every morning.
-Drinking water and food: I miss being able to get drinking water out of the tap and not having to be so concerned with what I eat. Especially with water, I miss not having to treat everything that I drink or buying bottled water.

Here are some things I love:
-The people: The people here are amazing and will do anything for you. My host family is absolutely amazing, and is constantly working to make me feel comfortable. I’ve literally had to force my way into doing the dishes and my laundry because they want to do it for me.
-The weather: Enough said.
Traveling: I’ve always loved traveling. But on my way back from Mombasa, I realized I am so enamored by travel because it forces me to sit in the glory of the Lord’s presence and provides me an opportunity to come before him quietly and listen to what he has to say. It’s often when I’m away from home that I can best hear what he has to say. Traveling gives me this while simultaneously showing me the beauty of the earth.
-Spontaneity: Things can basically just happen, randomly. Is there a goat walking in front of me? Yes. Is there a pile of garbage on fire when I walk to school? Yes. Is that a chicken on the side of the road? Yep. Every day is an adventure with something new to bring to the table.

Here are some things I’ve learned:
-God is teaching me something from every moment: God is trying to teach me something new every day with each situation he places me in. It’s up to me to slow down and try to figure out what that is because sometimes it’s something I don’t want to hear. Every situation is a growing opportunity, and I’ve learned to be more aware of God’s teaching presence.
-Live it up: Coinciding with God’s teaching, I’ve learned more and more to live up every situation. I can either just go through my daily motions each day, or I can choose to take every moment and try to find the best in it. This is something I’m still working on, but feel I’m getting better at.
-Relaxing: Not that I’m relaxing with every moment, but I’m learning to take a more relaxed approach to life.

These are just a few things about me. I hope you’re doing well, and have a great weekend!