05 July 2010

asante sana, lord

asante sana is a little swahili i’ve picked up since i’ve been here. it means thank you very much. i feel like that’s all i can really say. God has shown himself to me in so many ways since i have been here. saying thank you to Him in swahili reminds me that he is the God of ALL people. He is here with me, He is here with these children, and He loves them in ways that i could never even imagine.  even when i feel like there is no way that anyone could ever love them more than i do now.




God has shown himself in the kenyan worship we experienced sunday (an experience like no other, i must say). He shows himself in the faces of our children here at marindi. in the faces of the children at the schools we visited today. in the words and actions of the teachers that love our children so much and teach them so selflessly. what a gift, Lord. What a reminder of Your love and power.



God has done “immeasurably more” than i could ever have asked or imagined (see ephesians 3:20 for a verse reference…thank you very much d-camp experience for ingraining this verse into my head). and for that i say asante sana lord. asante sana sana sana sana, times one million.



that’s really all i have for today. hope to write more soon. love love to everyone and thanks for the prayers.



grace and peace,
jess

03 July 2010

short, but ever so sweet....

JAMBO!!!  really and truly, straight from kenya :)

so, since my last post (please bear with my ineptitude (word?) at posting blogs in a timely fashion), i have made it to dallas, london,  nairobi, and then on to migori.  all i can say is that i've never felt more welcome in a place in my entire life.  the traditional kenyan welcome for visitors is "karibu nyumbani,"  which means welcome home.  how true that statement rings for me at this moment. 

as much as i would love to just gush and gush about all the things i've seen and heard and felt and touched so far, i will refrain for now. as my post is so aptly titled "short, but ever so sweet," that is how i intend to keep it.  for now at least. 

drove into migori today. there were so many things to see on the drive in. my eyes are full. saw some beautiful things and some absolutely heartbreaking things. also saw a baboon and some zebras. got a beautiful welcome at marindi, and even joined in a kenyan dance :) my rhythm may or may not have been a little lacking, but i had fun, as did my co-dancers.  met some precious children.  i just want to hug and squeeze every single one of them.  if only my arms were big enough.

 had a beautiful meal. so far. so good on the health front. keep up the prayers :)

God protects and provides in so many ways.  let's just remember that and thank him kindly for it.  i have never felt that quite as much as i am feeling it in this place.


plans for tomorrow:  teach sunday school to those sweet precious children.  go to church at pastor fred's church.  have lunch with our dear friend pastor fred at his place.

that's about all i have to say for now friends.  promise to be a better blogger at a later date.  love you guys all like fireworks.


grace and peace,
jess