Well it's that time again.

That time where everything is very confusing and nothing seems right side up...

 

You know, that time where you start to squirm but God gives you some perspective

and then when you finally open your eyes and start breathing you see that change is not scary

it's wonderful and exciting... ok, it's still scary!

 

Here is what is going on.

 

Not too long ago I found out that AIM is finding it difficult to continue sending teams to the Nairobi area.

I know I've talked about housing costs for me personally but AIM is also feeling the crunch and as a result my future here with them is uncertain.

It has been a challenging thing to think about for various reasons: moving on

and I'll admit it... I shut down any thoughts that arose of the situation for about a week

till I remembered that I'm supposed to be an adult and no one else is going to solve my problems for me.

No one but God... but thank goodness He calls us to act on our faith...

can you imagine how lazy I would be?

 

anyways..... ;)

 

down to the nitty gritty

I have been researching some other organizations that are working in Kenya and specifically the Nairobi area.

My priorities have been looking for canadian and international organizations

and as you probably all know, I love video production... so I've also been looking for any media ministry opportunities.

 

well, I'm praying this is where God wants me because I have found something amazing.

A brand new branch of African Inland Mission called On-Field Media

Their team is small, their office is 5 minutes from my apartment here in Nairobi and their focus is glorifying God through film, graphics, writing and web design.

not only that, but the canadian office is about 20 minutes from my mum's house

 

It all sounds too good and I am actively finding out more about them, even as I type this.

 

I'm not limiting myself however,

and will continue to look elsewhere until I have found my place and pray as I do

because I want to be sure that I am not just rushing into anything that I was not designed for.

I am certain that wherever God leads me will be the best and only place for me.

and I can't wait to find out where that is!

 

My time with Adventures in Missions has been great!

So great in fact that I don't want to leave Nairobi and I still feel called to full time missions.

Right now I need prayer for peace, trust in the Lord's timing and support.

 

If this is where I'm supposed to be, I'll need to start raising support all over again.

which is intimidating and exciting all at the same time.

 

I want to thank all my supporters... financial, prayer and encouraging...

I seriously would not be here without you

and I love love LOVE it here.

I've added some photo albums on the right.

One of Kijabe and one of Webuye.

 

I'm in the process of uploading one of the teams' drimes so hopefully you will be able to see that soon.

(on the lower right hand side of my home page)

 

What else...

I almost bought a puppy off the side of the road.

They are sold out of cardboard boxes in the city... puppies, kittens and bunnies

yeah.. sketchy

but they had labs...chocolate, black and golden!!

If I come across a small breed I cannot be responsible for my actions.

 

I'm a little ill at the moment.

Got back from Webuye and was burning up.

Also have a nasty cough so please remember me in your prayers.

I'm recovering quite quickly but more speed is welcome :)

 

that's about it.

looking forward to spending the next few weeks not running around.

peace

 

 

I talked to Oliver this morning.

It is the first time I've talked to him by phone since leaving Kenya last May.

I had assumed that he was still in Kibera but didn't have a phone or was getting my updates from Albert and Oscar whom I talk to frequently.

I also assumed that he was part of the ministry team of boys that had formed over the last 6 months.

I assumed wrong.

 

Oliver is not in Kibera.

He is up-country (a Kenyan term for the different tribal villages and farming land around the country where most of the elderly still live)

with his Mum, brother and grandparents.

The family fled there when the killing first started.

Oliver's family was one of them but unlike most other families, Oliver's remains away from Kibera.

 

I asked him when the family plans to return home.

He told me that they wanted to get back to Kibera in February but they don't have the money for transportation.

Oliver is from a tribe that lives far from Kibera, and it takes a few days by bus to reach his grandparents.

He also told me that not only do they not have enough money to get back home, they often don't have enough money to eat.

His grandparents are too old to work and Oliver is only 13.

From what I understand, Oliver's father is working day and night and the whole family is living off his income.

His mother has a vegetable business in Kibera but here this kind of business is not so successful.

Oliver is sleeping on a single foam mattress I gave him last year... sharing it with his Mum and his brother.

 

He also told me about when they fled the city.

"One of my family members was killed."

I asked him who and he told me it was a man he called father.

I think it was his uncle, but it was someone very close to Oliver.

[the phone had horrible reception and we were cut off 4 times]

 

I asked him what he would like me to pray for and he said his school.

Because he is not in Kibera he is missing classes which will force Oliver to take grade 7 all over again.

He does not want to be held back and when he tells me this I can hear worry in his voice.

Oliver knows how important school is in relation to his future.

He also misses his friends and has not even been able to call them since December when he left.

 

I gave him the numbers for them and he was instantly upbeat.

He was excited to know that he would be able to talk to them for the first time in 4 months.

He says that he is thankful to God for the aid that has come.

He thanks God for the people praying for him and feels like he is not forgotten because of one phone call.

 

I wish I could do more than call him.

Being here renders me helpless in cases like these.

I can't even send money because there are no banks up country, no internet, nothing.

But things like this give us all a chance to see what God can do when we cannot do anything.

The only thing I can do for Oliver is pray for him and his family.

 

Will you join me in praying for this boy?

His spirits are low because some days he feels very alone and defeated.

...is what I want this place be.

Not just a blog, not just a photo album, not just a collection of stuff taking up room

but media and words from my brain/heart to yours, amalgamated to make an experience.

 

What I mean is...

I've re-vamped everything so that the blog is now viewable from the front page giving you access to other visuals while reading,

not to distract, but to enhance and hopefully this effort will be worth while.

 

considering that much of what I write is inspired by what my eyes and ears take in, (it's how I'm wired)

I'm going to try to share with you where I'm coming from if you are happening to read what I have written.

 

I will try to showcase a photo of relevance as well as,

periodically, I will utilize my media player to post a song that has inspired me to write whatever.

I was away and now I am back.

I went to spend time with God, by myself, for myself.

 

I didn't come back with great revelations or stories of amazing opportunities unfolding,

but my week was wonderfully unproductive in activity.

 

I spent most of my time reading, praying, listening to music... resting.

And there were times when I definitely wondered if I had done the right thing by going away,

but I was in good company and the follow up to my week is simply beautifully timed and sweet sounding news.

 

---

 

Monday morning I had emailed my contact at AIM (Adventures In Missions) inquiring about any news regarding my return to Kenya.

A few hours later I received a phone call from Georgia with news that I have been waiting 3 ridiculously long months for.

 

There will be no teams sent to Nairobi this summer, as the teams were already established and airfare paid for before the peace agreement took place in Kenya.

The summer will see 2 or 3 AIM staff venturing over to Kibera on a survey trip to personally understand the current situation as things are hopeful to clear up.

Which puts teams returning there in the September boat.

This means that I too, will be returning in September as a team leader and to begin my long awaited missionary endeavor.

 

AIM's mission with Kenya has been undergoing many changes in the last 6 months which will mean that

the previous team structure and programs will be very new to me.

(I was originally going to be a First Year Missionary Leader but now this team structure will be replaced with Real Life teams primarily)

These changes will require me attending another training camp in Georgia the first week of April.

 

September is only 6 months away, I say 'only' because I have lived long enough to know that months are trivial in the measurement of time.

So with this new goal welcomely in sight, I now have a new frame of commitment and an optimistic view of what God is setting up for me to be part of in Kenya.

I never thought I could call the last 3 months a blessing but I now feel like the borrowed time is an opportunity to switch gears

and a time for me to stop hiding from change and start running toward it.

 

I like learning.

I like learning even better when it’s not in a classroom setting.

Here are some things I’ve learned today.

 

-King size beds are WAY cooler than twin.

-Soft Moc boots are not waterproof in any way.

-Mud is almost as slippery as ice, but icy mud is deadly… and messy.

-Jesus’ first miracle was not only scandalous but much more offensive to religion than I’ve ever been taught… wish I knew this sooner.

-Red circles painted onto trees means that you could get shot by a hunter.

(this is an assumption and not necessarily a fact)

-You must make at least $55,000 a year in order to look into owning part of a resort.

Call me in never years.

-Clerks in small towns are suffocatingly helpful.

-Frogger is addictive but not as addictive as space invaders. (It’s been so long!)

-Fire alarms are not alarming to people.

-Kids like to stare... a lot!

 

It's been a good day... very educational.

 

The new plan is roughly the same as the old plan

and this is very comforting to me.

 

I am no longer leading the 2007/2008 FYM Kenya team, as they have been placed in Swaziland.

Kenya is still unsafe as the political parties are continuing to struggle for power and protests are being held/fought off by the police.

The team being relocated is a result of Kenyan unrest.

I will not be leading this team in Swaziland.

 

This is a relief for me, as I would be going in half way to a team I don't know in a country I've never been,

and so...

I am in waiting.

 

For this I must wait a little longer.

As soon as peace is restored and travel advisories are lifted I plan to return there.

 

I am continuing to raise support for one.

I have still not met my goal for support and need to reach it before I leave.

I will also be looking for ways to make an income which I have so far been blessed with.

 

Please continue to pray for this ministry

and for Kenya in the coming days of political negotiations

I've been getting a lot of questions lately about what is going on

with Kenya and missions work and the classic line,

"I thought you were gone already."

 

Well, I'm not gone yet, much to my dismay,

and I don't have a lot of answers to the questions that people are posing.

 

But I do have some information that, although not the kind of information I would want to have to give you, it is something...

 

According to the government of Canada Foreign affairs travel advisory site,

Kenya is listed as "avoid all non-essential travel."

The violence has calmed down a bit with a flare up taking place last week

but the aftermath of the unrest as well as the stubborn and power hungry attitudes of the two parties duking it out,

Kenya is still a potentially dangerous place to be.

I have no idea when this will end, only time will tell.

Prayers are still needed; for people's safety, the president and opposition party leader and for peace to be retored.

 

AIM will not be sending any staff or teams to Kenya while it is still undergoing political and ethnic struggles.

 

Right now I feel very much in limbo.

My flight to Kenya was scheduled for today (Friday Jan 11) but obvioulsy had to be cancelled.

I was able to cancel my flight free of charge and though that would be the most financially sound option for me at the point

(In case I needed a ticket for a different location for instance)

 

I want to make it very clear that just because things have been delayed or possibly even re-routed,

I will continue to follow the plans that the Lord has set for me and I will pursue this missionary life until I am led to do otherwise.

 

AIM has re-routed the FYM Kenya team (the team that I was raising support to be ready to lead in a week) to Swaziland.

There may be a smaller team than planned, as people feel called to Kenya and have/will decide to wait out the Violence so that they can head over.

There are also some that may choose to go to Swazi to spend the remaining 5 months of their mission.

At the moment I really don't have any idea what I'm doing.

Though I only heard about this 2 days ago, I am not entirely sure if the Lord is leading me in that direction.

I am continuing to pursue this in prayer and seek God's will for my life in this new and very fresh new plan...

 

so as you can see, I have very few answers.

It has been a very difficult month with ups and downs involving friends, family,

a country I love and long to get back to and my passing future.

I find myself losing sleep over the fact that I am completely unsure of when I am leaving

and how much time I am able to commit here to work and friends and family.

At the same time I am reminded of a verse in James that I was encouraged with by a dear friend

 

 

for direction and discernment regarding what I am supposed to do during this time of waiting

for the people of Kenya to seek peace before violence

for food to become available to the hundreds of thousands that are homeless and hungry

My friend Denise has written some excellent updates as she is in contact with some Kiberans that we work with.

Please visit her blog for updates on what God is doing straight from the mouths of those caught in the middle.

http://deniseroberts.myadventures.org/

I recently heard that the election had taken a worse turn than I think anyone imagined.

The Kenyan president was re-elected this past election to bring fourth violence and destruction that has devastated millions.

 

I was able to make a few phone calls to friends living in Kibera

and the fear is evident even in their voices.

One man, Moses, former guard of my mission team last year, was quick to tell me that he is safe.

But his description of what is going on is unsettling.

 

 

It frightens me to think that anger is the cause of the loss of innocent lives as anger is rarely an emotion to be reasoned with.

I am frightened for my friends, for anyone in Kenya right now, as the violence stretches as far as Nakuru to Mombasa.

This is not a situation that North Americans would have an easy time understanding but they need our prayers.

 

The transit is down,

there are fires everywhere,

tear gas is being spread throughout innocent peoples' homes and business.

There is a huge food shortage and even bread is being rationed from large grocery stores.

Because of the transit being shut down the suppliers are unable to bring down fresh fruits and vegetables from the farm lands

which in turn is causing the price of food to rise up to 5 times it's regular cost to the public.

 

This is a huge problem for the already impoverished slums.

Slum dwellers are unable to leave due to police reinforcements around the barriers

and a lack of food coming in will surely affect the 1.5 million people and most likely the children first.

 

Please pray for the innocent lives, lives lost, homes lost, everything lost,

for peace in the hearts of the protesters, and peace as an example from the politicians.

Please pray, there is nothing else that we can do, but that is powerful in itself.

 

Eva, a kenyan friend has said,

You can read a journalists view on the rioting here

Yes.... battles are exactly what they are.

Battles of the spirit.

 

As you know, or are just finding out, I am required to raise all my financial support, as a missionary, before I depart on my mission to Kibera, Kenya.

This is proving to be a very weighty task, especially where US banks and Canadian donors are concerned.

 

The banking systems are very different and I've been running into a comedy of errors

that just so happen to be less comedic and more exasperating.

 

On top of that I have been walloped with a number of other hurdles both in my personal and professional life.

I invite you to read my support letter for more on this battle and continue to visit me here as it inevitably subsides

and the Lord is glorified through the conquering of fears and frustrations.

 

HE IS STILL ON THE THRONE!!!

somone said that to me once and it stuck.

 

My support letter - clicky

you can also have a look at my budget while overseas - clicky

God is so good

He has been so gracious to me in this time of transition.

 

I've been surrounded by people who are supportive and interested in what I have seen and learned while away.

Though I think of Kibera and it's faces daily,

I am continually given peace to the fact that God is still providing and caring for those that I've left behind.

 

He is caring for me here and my daily times spent with the Lord are refreshing and recharging.

 

I am now in Winnipeg, staying with awesome friends and will soon be attending their commissioning into Salvation Army Officership.

I am blessed to know and call these people friends

they have real hearts for God and even persevered through 2 years of full time schooling

while parenting in, arguably, the most boring capital city in Canada...

all to become pastors.

I'm joking about the city really, I haven't seen enough of Winnipeg to make that judgement...

 

But I'm excited, for them and for the people they will be ministering to for the next few years.

I know how much of an impact they have had on my life, I can't wait to see who is effected by the Jesus in them in their new church.

I'm pretty much biased but I know that God is using them, even now, in their daily preparations for moving

because they are a constant encouragement to me

and models to the kind of servant, parent and friend that I want to be.

 

I love you guys!

and I know God will bless you as you continue to serve Him with your lives.

I'm so proud!!

*big goofy grin*

It's finally finished!

the video project I've been working on for the prphanage here...

it's done and burned and copied and soon to be distributed

 

and there were only a few frustrating "I hate technology" days

praise God

 

but I'm happy, it's a huge portion off my plate

 

now I just have to shoot a bunch of stuff for the Salvation Army and edit that when I get home

LOVE IT!

 

 

Does Santa in Kenya say Ho Ho Ho?

 

I'm not sure I forgot to ask him...

 

I wouldn't say that I've been holding information

I've just not been productive enough to give it out... until now

 

there is a link here

that will direct you to the FYM kenya site

 

this site is updated weekly by our leaders

-photos of us working and goofing off

-short updates by team members including yours truly

-prayer requests

(there are links at the top for all 3 items)

 

I thought you might want to check it out

sorry I waited so long to give out the link

if you want to keep checking it out

save the link for future reference

 

there's also the option of recieving an email when the reports are updated

 

badai

I got this new toy for my guestbook [clicky]

 

it's a grafitti wall

feel free to mess it up

 

but if you put anything dirty on it I'll have to erase it.. so be nice

 

 

[I had to remove the wall...there were ads on the wall's host site that are pretty disgusting I don't feel right linking ppl to filth... the end]

the photo below translates into....

 

 

the typo generator explains it....

found this cool little doo-hicky

 

my painting is here [clicky]

if you are really bored you can see a replay of me painting there

ooooh ahhhh... I know... fascinating

 

and uh below is the finished thing

for those with more of a life

everyone give a warm welcome to my retarded dragonfly

*clap clap*

 

 

it's just addicting

and I can't for the life of me figure out why...