Kenya dig it!

It's been three days since I arrived in Nairobi and its as beautiful as ever.  The kids are great, the compound is blooming, and the staff are so friendly!

However being one of the only "muzungus"(white person) on campus has already been a humbling experience.  On numerous occasions I find myself in the middle of Swahili conversations and feeling rather dumb, not able to drive since they drive on the other side of the road (hopefully I'll eventually conquer it), being fed completely foreign food, and again just joining a new staff in general can be difficult in finding where you belong and what your responsibilities are.

None of these things are bad or wrong at all, and they also didn't come unexpectedly... I knew it would be tough.  But it does force me to be a little more flexible and thankful for others patience with me as I adjust to this African culture.

It has been wonderful to see friends that I met in June, so many were surprised to see me again and so soon.  I hope to be an encouragement to the faithful servants serving here in Kenya.

Just as a little peak into what my diet consists of nowadays...

Ugali and kale. (Ugali is cornmeal and water, boiled to the consistency of dough)

Githeri is maize and beans

Maize is the staple food to most of east Africa...so it looks like I'll be eating a lot of it in the next few months! We also only eat meat twice a week, needless to say in my own apartment I am eating plenty of eggs and peanut butter :)
 

Summer thus far.

It's been an absolutely beautiful summer this year in the Northwest, and I have loved being able to spend so much time outdoors with people I love.  I had friends from near and far come and visit and it was so fun to reconnect. It never feels like a complete summer though without at least one visit to the much loved, but poor pathetic Seattle Mariners.  We took my friend who was visiting from England to her first ever American baseball game, and you would have thought we walked into a Canadian territory.  The Mariners were playing the Toronto Blue Jays and there were by far more Blue Jay fans.  It all made for an exciting evening.

not related at all...

two friends, America's past time, and a whole stadium full of Canadians makes for a fun night. 

Alki Beach in west Seattle.

These kids are amazing....

These last couple weeks I have really been forced to think about the life of an orphan.  Being surrounded by over 60 kids who 85% of them are total orphans and the others having a parent who is too poor or unstable to raise them themselves.  

These kids were sent away to live virtually on their own, but First Love has taken them in and wrapped them in arms of Love.  The most important love being Christ's love of course.

The kids are responsible for waking up early in the morning, bathe, eat breakfast then walk to school.

When they're in school their classes can be up to 60 kids with one teacher!  Most kids who I have known who have lost both their parents or lived through tragedy have some kind of learning disability...imagine trying to get one on one time with your teacher in a class full of 60 kids! Impossible.

When the kids get home they are responsible for polishing their school shoes, showering (again), washing their own clothes (with a bucket and bar of soap), hanging them to dry, then they all go to devotions where they sing at the top of their lungs with big bright smiles.  After devotions kids eat dinner then study and finish any homework.  

Weekends are their time to relax and watch movies!  They love weekends because they have freedom!

But regardless of all the tough things that these kiddos have had to go through and all the hardships they've encountered they still have an amazing joy.  I know that God has a special place in heaven for these little children.  Loving these kids and praying about what my part is in God's work here.

Here's a special treat from some cute ladies. 

A quick update on Africa

Never thought I would be able to travel to Africa... Honestly I love Southeast Asia so much that I was totally content in staying there.  But God is doing some amazing work here in Africa as well.  I was blessed to be able to go and visit my good friend Wendy for a couple weeks and see the beautiful town of Cape Town.  It was seriously nothing that I had expected Africa to look like. 

Here we are at Noordhoek Beach, just down the street from Wendy's parent home.

On top of Table Mountain.  Beautiful scenery!

 South Africa was fabulous but the point of this whole trip was my mission trip to Nairobi, Kenya.  I am staying and working with my mission agency First Love.  They have an amazing growing ministry in Kenya.  We have been working most of the time in Kibera a local slum. It has been named at one time the largest slum in the world with more that 1.7 million people living in a town covered in red clay and filled with depravity and hopelessness.  When we first came into the slum area it was crawling with people everywhere.  Shops on every corner and people busy going along with their normal day.  It actually reminded me a lot of the Philippines but with a red dust covering every inch.
As we were walking through the slum I kept on thinking about the need that is evident and how it must feel so hopeless.  Kids running around without any supervision, people laying around, and heaps of garbage covering the streets.
In the middle of Kibera there is a set of railroad tracks that run through to Uganda and Tanzania.  Everyday three times a day a train comes barreling through and people have to quickly get out of the way.  One of the our leaders told us that every year tons of people get run over by the tracks (mostly the drunkards).  It seems crazy to me to see people building their homes right off the edge of a train track.  Just down the path is a small creek, they told us that often times when its rainy season the bodies of those who have died are washed down.

In the middle of this sinful, sad town is a beacon of hope.  First Love had started a school back in 2004 and now it has 1000 students from Baby class (pre-school) to Form 4 (12 Grade).  Most of our time is spent at the school where we are leading a VBS program for 6th and 7th graders.  They love taking pictures... here are a few while I currently have internet and can post.  Enjoy :)

They love taking pictures so much it sometimes gets out of hand... not sure what face I'm making

This little cutie is from Baby class, in line for her morning porridge.

These are the cooks of the school.  They have worked for First Love since the beginning, we figured out that they have cooked and served more than 4 million meals!  They have hearts of gold!  Tabitha, Dorcus and Agnete.  

Crushin'

How can one student be so forgetful?! It's a problem I have been dealing with one of my students.  I mean this kiddo is so forgetful that he comes into my classroom almost everyday with his fly down and belt undone...when I ask him why he hasn't zipped up he gives me his little "sorry Miss Cosper, I forgot" grin.

At the end of each day the students are supposed to write down all the things they learned that day and then any homework that they need to work on in their daily assignment planner, which he forgets nearly everyday!  I've tried consequences, I've tried bribes, I've tried talking to his mom....nothing seems to work.  So I finally decided that every time he forgets his assignment planner he must give a 10 second back massage to each student in the class.  The kids love this, they squirm in their chair and get all excited about their approaching massage counting extra slow trying to stretch their 10 seconds as long as they can.

So today, again my little guy forgot his agenda, (surprise surprise) and not having a lot of time left in the day I said, today I will show you grace...

"I don't have to give any one a massage?"
"Nope, not today"
"But Miss Cosper I really want to give them today!"
"Why?"
"Well... I want to give one to someone special..."

Oh dear.  I think I have to come up with a new plan.

A few funny moments

Reading Buddies
Every week we get together with our first grade buddies and my fourth graders read a story to them and help them with their reading comprehension.  It's a different experience with every class, but this year seems to be a lot more teaching what it means to be a role model and how to act around little ones.

One day I noticed this one little first grader squirming around a little extra and when I walked over to investigate I noticed my fourth grader enjoying his book...but silently.  I told him, "Bud, when your reading to your first grade buddy you have to make sure your reading out loud so he can hear you....can you do that for me?"...he nods his head in agreement.  Silly kids

Not a couple weeks later the same fourth grader came up to me and and said, "Miss C my buddy is acting kind of wild and can't sit still..." "ok, well are you reading out loud, are you asking him questions to make sure he's engaged with the story?"...."yea....and he also keeps kissing my arm."....yikes, never had that problem.

Birthday Surprises
A month ago I celebrated my 25th birthday, not a huge deal, but to a fourth grader turning a whole year older is like winning the Lotto!  Everyone wants to be your friend, people are ecstatic for you, everyone in the class has a huge grin on their faces, and there are always a few who are looking to benefit off of my gain. But to top all of this excitement off I'm the teacher....this is just all too exciting, and some kids don't know how to deal with it.

So I'm sitting there soaking in the magic of turning a whole year older, having a whole year more of wisdom, another opportunity of a year of adventure when one of my little guys comes up to me grabs my face between his dirty jelly stained hands and puckers up....WOAH! STOP!....I throw my hand up just before he tries to lay it on me when I say, "woah buddy, we don't kiss in fourth grade!"...

I quickly looked around to see if anyone else had just seen what had happened...there was only one other fourth grade boy who had his mouth hanging open in disbelief. I swiftly shrug the whole situation off like it wasn't a big deal at all.

Hot n' Cold
In an elementary student's eyes the nurse's office is like an "oasis".  A place where they can escape the pressures of their peers, grades, dragon teachers, and the exhausting amount of work expected in 4th grade.  So I have quite a few students who literally try hurting themselves just so they can go get an ice pack from their "oasis".

So one day I get back from lunch and one of my kiddos is extra fidgety (I mean he normally isn't a "still" child, but today was extra bad) and his pants were completely wet.  By fourth grade "wet pants" aren't a normal problem...so I asked him, "what's going on bud?"
"I pulled a muscle and the nurse gave me some gel and now it's burning"
thinking to myself..gel?....burning?....oh gosh, poor kid
"Where is your pulled muscle?"
pointing in the general vicinity that I'm so not trained to deal with...
"Why are your pants all wet?" I asked
"well, it's burning and so I tried to cool it off by splashing water on it..." this is getting worse by the second.
"Ok well go to Tagalog class and we'll see if it gets better."

Not long after that I am in the office when I hear the pitter patter of dancing feet and when I look out I see little buddy...can't stand still, pain on his face, and trying to explain to our secretary what's wrong.  Apparently it was too distracting and started shouting in class that it was burning him!  The teacher, not knowing what to do, sent him to the office.

What are you supposed to do in fourth grade when your in utter pain and have no idea what to do?...escape to your oasis, the keeper of the oasis will know what to do.

The next day I asked him if he learned a lesson from the previous days experience...."yea.. I'm never using that gel again."  I also reminded him that sometimes a little bit of discomfort is not worth a trip to the nurse's office.

...P.S he hasn't been back to the nurse's office since.

A bunch of crazies...

Big News!

It seems that recently I've been hearing lots of announcements of new relationships, new pregnancies, and births well in light of the mood of sharing big news I'd like to announce....

I'm going to Africa....ok, it hardly compares to an engagement or a new life, but it's an amazing opportunity.

Let's just say that I have been beyond blessed by some amazing supporters who have loved me and supported me all the way through my time in the Philippines, and because of them I am honored to travel to Nairobi, Kenya to help out First Love's orphanage where I will be helping out with over 60 Kenyan orphans in whatever way I can.  It's amazing to see the opportunities that God puts in our laps, I just keep asking myself why?  Why are you sending me to Africa?  I have such a heart for Southeast Asia, what else can I do?

I would love for you to join me in praying for my summer!  I'll be traveling to Kenya this June on my way home to Seattle, and I'm sure the transition will be a battle.

I am also in the process of looking for a job, so if there is anyone who knows of anything please email me;)  I would love to make another "big announcement" in the near future.