On Friday, 29th July, we went to a Maasai Market. It was much like a flea market may be in the States, but almost everything is handmade. It was a huge learning experience! You learned not to look at any item for very long, or the African vendor would quickly come up to you, grab and hold your hand, and start trying to talk you into buying. Because we are white, the people start at very high prices, but they usually quickly add “Is negotiable”. We had many experienced shoppers with us to help bargain for appropriate prices. I bought a beautiful large basket to be a clothes hamper as well as bracelets for my niece and nephew, Ashtyn and Cole. (Shhh! It is a surprise.)
We moved into our new apartment on Saturday, 30th July. It far exceeds my expectations of what I thought an apartment in Africa would look like! Raise your hand if you expected me to be living in a mud hut or in a tin shack. Yeah, that is what I thought! Hakuna matata! I thought the same thing. :) The truth of the situation is that Wzungu (white people) must live in compounds that have walls with electric fencing and 24 hour security guards due to the amount of crime in Nairobi. Therefore, our apartment costs what it would in Cincinnati although my salary is much less. All that being said, it is a beautiful apartment, and I work hard daily to make it my home.
Also on Saturday, we went to the Giraffe Park. It was one of the best animal encounters I have ever had. You were to walk up on this stage where the giraffes would come up to eat the food right out of your hands—or your mouth, if you so dared! I did not dare! :) There were nine giraffes in total, but we only fed four--along with a few warthogs.
On Sunday, we, of course, attended church. It was a very good experience as the Kenyan Assistant Pastor delivered a wonderful sermon. The church had a very American feel, and I THINK I would like to attend a church that feels a little more African. I am open to God’s leading and do ask that you pray for me during this search.
If you have ever driven on the right side of the car and the left side of the road, you understand that my first driving experience on Monday was met with great trepidation. To add to the anxiety, there are few real rules of the road in Nairobi. This means that, by American standards, people drive like MANIACS! I have now made about a dozen trips and am okay unless I have to navigate a roundabout. It is my worst nightmare materialized! LOL. Please pray for safety while on the road.
Tuesday was “Furniture Shopping Day” for my roommate, Kristin, and me. One of the major streets in our area has an entire section where goods are sold along the side of the road, and is, therefore, nicknamed “Furniture Row.” Hard bargaining must be done here as well. I am becoming a little more accustomed to it all now and feel that we were able to get a good price for all that we purchased. The truly exciting part is that all of the furniture is made to order! The skill and craftsmanship that these men and women exhibit in such harsh conditions and with so few tools (and obviously, no power tools) is nothing short of amazing! I hope that they understand the admiration and respect that I have for them.
That lastly brings me to the Kenyan culture. I have to say that for the most part, I LOVE Kenyans. (I mean, what people group doesn’t have some idiosyncrasies that annoy others?!?) They are so helpful, eager to please, accommodating, welcoming, hard working, and joyful! For example, they always say “hello” and shake your hand. They will load your cart, push it to the cashier for you, push it to your car for you, load it into your car for you, and then be thrilled when you give them the Kenyan equivalent of 20 cents. It is a culture that values friendships and relationships. God is already working on my heart of how I could improve in these areas. I only pray that it continues, and that I will be able to be a blessing to them in some way as well.
Prayer Requests:
- Satan has been working overtime to get some of the girls off task. Please pray that God would protect us and that we would not let Satan steal the overflowing joy that God gives.
- School starts on Tuesday, 9th August. There is much to be done to prepare our lessons and our classrooms. Please pray that our classes will have the sweet aroma of a loving God that so much wants a place in the hearts of each of our students.
- Please pray for safety in driving. I will try to have someone take a picture while I drive so that you may see why it is so important.
- Please pray for each of us new teachers specifically:
- Kristin: High School English
- Gari: High School Social Studies
- Rachel: Special Education
- Jennifer: High School Spanish
- Amber: 4th Grade
- Tara: 3rd Grade
- Jessica: 1st Grade
- Me: High School Science
Praises:
- God has blessed me with a wonderful science classroom that exceeded my expectations!
- The seven other teachers have been such a huge blessing. Everyone has been so kind, patient, and flexible.
- The teachers who are no longer new (I shall refrain from saying “old”! LOL) have dropped so many of their plans over the last several days to drive, shop with, cook for, answer questions for, and just pour God’s love on us. I don’t think I could have done so much in such a short period of time without them.
