Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Just A Quick Update
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Notes About the Posts
- The Temporary Kenyan
Orphanages and Slashers
Alright so today we went to an orphanage named Springs of Hope, in a near by town called Machakos. It was amazing just to be able to see and be with the kids that were living there. They were excited to see us, well our group, they weren’t so sure how to react to the masungos (white people), but even then they were pretty receptive of us. Regardless it was amazing to just be able to play with these kids and love on them. We got to play with them and feed them and just be with them, it was really awesome, I don’t know how else to put it.
Also while we were there we were each given different jobs to do to help out around the orphanage and help the upkeep. Mine was slashing, which is cutting grass with a blade. This went pretty well, up until I got caught between two clothes lines and had to change the angle of how I was swinging my blade. This is about the time I hit my leg with the blade, right on the shin bone…and down to the shin bone. Seeing my bone was interesting, my first thought being “I really don’t want to go back to the hospital.” I ended up just wrapping it up and letting it heal, but yeah it was interesting.
Overall though it was an awesome experience. I loved being with the kids and just being able to play with them and show them love which so many of them so desperately need. I hope we can do more work with orphanages in the next few months. But for now as usual I remain a Temporary Kenyan, who wants to hang with kids and has a messed up leg.
Norway
Got to have a little vacation this weekend at a
At the school they had a pool, so I got to go swimming at 8 o’clock at night in November…in
Pretty much it was a nice one night vacation, nothing more, nothing less. Now I continue to be a Temporary Norwegian…er Kenyan.
Hospitals
Alright so when I got to the hospital I was asked if I wanted a doctors consult first or just get an x-ray straight away, I figured it was logical to see a doctor first. So I went into the doctors office and she asked me what was wrong, without even looking up. She seemed like she could care less that I was there. I told her that my chest hurt and I though I swallowed something, so she listened to my chest, said she heard nothing and was going to give me antibiotics. I asked her if I should get an x-ray to see if I swallowed something and I told her it hurt to swallow anything. Her response to this was to give me an antacid. She pretty much just seemed like she wanted me to leave, which I did after this.
Moral of the story, Kenyan hospitals aren’t very effective, at least not when I was there. Oh well I can say I’ve had to go to a hospital in Kenya now, that’s good enough I guess. I’m just going to have to continue to be a Temporary Kenyan, if I live much longer…just kidding.
Post Note: I’m not sick anymore!
Roofs
Alright so today was pretty much like any other day, but not really. You see about mid day most of us were up by the kitchen getting ready to do some work around base. It was pretty windy I suppose, but nothing more then what we normally have, and yet it managed to cause quite a problem for the base.
As we were hanging around we heard this loud noise from around the corner of the kitchen and a large dust cloud appear. Upon peaking around the corner we saw a large tin roof flipping up in the air and another small piece of tin roof go flying across the field. Without thinking we all began to run down to the scene because it was the roof of the preschool, which was full of preschoolers. All we could do while running was hope and pray everyone was alright. It turns out that all the preschoolers had been inside so a roof falling on the ground outside was of no consequence, other than them having no roof anymore. By the time we had gotten to the preschool, the kids were already outside…laughing, finding it very funny what had just happened to their building, seemingly unaware of what could have been. It was a miracle that everyone was able to come out of it safely.
So the rest of the day was spent trying to clean up some of the mess and moving the preschool materials to another building on the base. The kids probably thought this was all great, they got a few days off because of it. All in all it was an interesting thing to see happen, not quite normal. As for us we got to tear down the preschool as it was just in bad shape, this consisted of breaking the outer walls off with hammers and then literally pushing the building over, that was fun. Just another adventure here inPolitics
Nairobi
Alright, went into
Once in
Close Call
Indescribable
Indescribable...it's the best way to describe pretty much everything right now. I mean it's the best word I can use to describe my emotions since coming here. It's amazing, exciting, heavy, interesting, and so many more words that all mash together to make how I feel indescribable. There is just so much swimming around in my head about being here and thinking about all that I am about to encounter over the next few months, it's insane!
On top of my emotions, we watched the Indescribable sermon by Louie Giglio, which for those who haven't seen it, is all about the wonder of God and the amazement of the universe and all the ways it glorifies God just by existing. I've seen it before, yet this time around it was even more powerful. I think this really had to do with the fact that after we watched it, we went out into the field and looked at the night sky and let me tell you, the African night sky gives a whole new outlook on God's wonder and it puts the night sky in NOVA to shame.
Really I'm just coming to grips with how incredible my experience here is going to be, how awesome it is just to be here, how amazing my opportunity is, and how indescribable all of this is when you put it together. I just know that I am so excited to see the things that are in store for me in the next coming months, in all aspects of my life. All the while I will remain a Temporary Kenyan.
Today I Woke Up In Kenya
I mean even my travel didn't really feel real. I remember being in airports, I remember flying, I remember sleeping a lot, yet it all just feels like a blur. I remember it being there but it all just feels like it didn't really happen, looking at it sort of feels like a nonexistent two days culminating in me ending up in a completely different country.
Even the first day just felt surreal, like it wasn't happening. A big part of this I think had to do with me getting into the
All in all this all still seems pretty unreal, I feel like at anytime I could just find myself sitting at home like any other time. Yet the parts that do feel real are exciting, I mean I'm in
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Alright here goes it.
-Zach, The Temporary Kenyan