In Addition

If you liked my story, check out another point of view from another person on my team.

www.amberlysafricablog.blogspot.com

The End.

August 7th, 2009

My Kenya trip is coming to an end... We're on the plane leaving Nairobi.
Yesterday was the safari. Very cool experience. We saw zebras, giraffes, lots of monkeys, warthogs, gazelles, rhinos, and tons and tons of flamingos. It was really cool to see a different habitat. Everything just worked. The circle of life :p

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I'm going to miss so many things about Kenya. I'll miss people's love and acceptance and gratitude. I'll miss hotel Kunste. I'll miss all of the smiling African children everywhere we go. I'll miss being around a group of incredible people all of the time. I'll miss trips to the market and bartering for a killer price on everything. I'll miss shillings. I'll miss waking up every day knowing that we're going to make a difference that day. I'll miss sharing highs and lows for the day with so many people that share different feelings about Kenya. I'll miss the never ending happiness around me. I'll miss my tiny hotel room. I'll miss learning new things every day. I'll miss the daily exchanges of "Asante!", "Karibu!" and "Jambo!", I'll miss the little kids climbing all over my arms for a rocket boost. I'll miss holding babies. Quiet, calm babies. I'll miss seeing donkeys and goats and sheep on the side of the road. I'll miss the insane driving and traffic, worse than New York. I'll miss not worrying about my phone or Facebook or anything connected to school. I'll miss soda in glass bottles. I'm going to miss being with close friends every day. I'm going to miss the beautiful trees and scenery. I'm going to miss Kenya.

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There are a few things I learned from Kenya that I will never forget. I learned how to love with a kind heart, without caring what other people think. I learned that every person in the world is connected. We are all brothers and sisters. It is human nature to love. To have affections. But sometimes insecurity gets in the way. When you get past those doubts and insecurities, you have found love. I've learned that happiness doesn't come from your wealth, social status, achievements, or anything selfish. It comes from unity between people. If there's anything this world needs to learn, it is how to love, to be happy, grateful, and giving.

Moving On...

August 4th, 2009

I haven't journaled in an eternity, so this will hopefully make up for it.

Every day since we prayed for rain, it has rained. Our prayers are being answered. Today's rain was the most intense. We were at the school saying some final goodbyes and there was so much rain pounding on the roof that we could only hear 50% of what people were saying. I had to scream for people to hear me. And I'm glad.

I've been really enjoying this trip for a few reasons. I learn so much every day, I'm getting really close with some of my friends like Amberly, Daniel, Paul, Jessika, and pretty much everybody.

Tomorrow is our last work day. I'm going to give it everything I've got. This trip is passing by way too fast. I can't even put into words everything that's happened.

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August 6th, 2009

Today was the last work day. Tomorrow is the safari. Hell yeah. I'm so stoked for that. I just hope I don't end up in a van with loud and annoying people. That would seriously ruin the safari for me.

Today I went to a girl's house named Anne who lives on Squatter's Hill. I went with Amberly, Haley, Paul, Kathy, and Jim. It was a really cool experience. Her house was really interesting to see. Very well kept. And very cozy and welcoming. I'm really glad I got to go.

One of the most important entries so far.

July 29th, 2009

Well, I haven't journaled in a while because lately things are really busy. But this entry will catch you up a bit.

In the past few days, I've gotten a lot closer with a lot of people on the team. Mainly Amberly, Jessika, Haley, Cara, Steamy Steve, Brad, Paul, Paul, and pretty much everyone on the team. I'm glad because I'm more comfortable than I was before.

On Monday, it was the first day of VBS/Youth Camp. This was a big day for the team, and I learned a lot from it. I heard stories, questions about America, and comments that broke my heart. One student asked me about punishments at school in America, and he told me a story about something he experienced. He had fallen in love with a girl at school and went to one of the male teachers and asked him for advice about the girl. He was punished. The teacher caned him. That day I was also asked if people have families in America. A lot of these questions really got to me. I never realized how simple and easy our lives are in America.

On Tuesday, I came to a lot of conclusions about America and Kenya. The biggest thing that hit me was that the Kenyan people have so little, but they are the most humble, kind, and friendly people I've ever seen. Every time we go somewhere in our vans, we wave to people. From the most sketchy to the most happy people we wave to, we always get the same happy, friendly response.

Compared to Americans that have everything they could possibly need, Kenyans live the happier lives. Our country is selfish, and corrupt by money and worldly possessions. The Kenyans aren't the poor ones. In a sense, we are.

Today (Wednesday) I have crossed the barrier of comfort after a broken window (indoor soccer isn't smart at a hotel) and 450 Kenyan students going crazy and having fun with the Mzungu's (White people). Today, our prayers for rain were answered from last night. Pretty amazing. Let's hope it keeps up.

The worst things that happen to us become the best things that ever happened to us

If you know what I mean. I mean like, you don't become changed from seeing good things and being perfect, you become a better person by learning from mistakes and other people's problems.

Update.

July 26th, 2009

Tomorrow is our first day of Vacation Bible School. I'm pretty excited to entertain the little kids, I think they're gonna have a good time with us. After VBS, we get to go to Squatter's Hill again. I love those children. They are so much fun to be around.

Today was our first Kenyan church experience. And man... They sure know how to worship. Josam, the pastor, can really put on a good sermon.

Although, after church today, I think people are starting to get annoyed with each other. I hope that the people that cause problems can notice that they are really stunting the progress of this group.

Entering Kenya... And Stuff

July 24th, 2009

Well, we're in Kenya. Finally, after over 24 hours. We're just now waiting for our shuttle van that will take us to our hotel.

I've been longing for a real bed and some form of shower. Obviously. Well, I'll get both of them in a matter of hours.

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I've been noticing the Kenyan accents more and more every hour I spend at this airport. It really is a beautiful culture and Swahili when spoken fluently sounds very awesome. I haven't even started the mission part of my trip and I already love the people and their culture. I don't care about layovers, lines, or long waits anymore, because I'm surrounded by people with a similar state of mind as mine. Everyone around me, in my mission team or not, is so friendly. Hoorah!

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July 25th, 2009

We've been in Kenya for two days. So much has happened. Where can I start? I'll just go in order of occurrence.

My first day in Kenya, at the airport, we were leaving to go to the vans that take us to Nakuru when a Kenyan man stopped me and asked me what the phrase in Swahili meant on our team shirts. I told him, "kindness does not go rotten." He smiled at me and extended his hand saying, "Welcome to Kenya, brother." Wow. This really showed how kind this country is. Naturally.

Just today, we were in our vans on our way to Squatter's Hill, a small slum in Nakuru, and I'll be honest, I wasn't very comfortable. I didn't know what to expect, but we started to drive up, and I noticed that all of the little kids that saw us just brightened up and smiled and waved and laughed. They really enjoy our company. And I'm glad they do, because those kids were the most adorable little bundles of joy. When you are around these kids, you feel so happy and giddy. We would take pictures of them and their friends and show them what they look like, and they were so excited. These children live in some of the worst living conditions I have ever seen, and they are the happiest children ever.

I'm starting to notice the unity grow in our team because we've been frustrated with each other for reasons like exhaustion and pain. But, I think this makes us more connected to each other. We understand each other's problems and we help each other cope with these problems.

Mission Trip Journal

July 22nd, 2009

Well, here I am, finally on my way to Kenya. I'm currently on my first flight to JFK. Which will connect us to Ghana, on the west coast of Africa.

At this point, I don't know what to expect, really. All I know is that it is going to be fantastic. I've only been travelling for about two hours... only over 30 hours to go... I have plenty to do though, and plus at the end of this trek, I will be in Kenya - which is enough motivation for me.

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Well, we're now descending into JFK. We're getting there... about 1/4th of our travels is almost over.

One of my friends I'm flying with, Amberly, used to live in New York, so I'm sure this will be special for her. I know what it feels like to miss home. I used to live in Atlanta, and we're stopping there on the way back. I'm stoked for that, even if it's only the airport.

I'm so pumped right now. I'm crossing waters I have never crossed before very soon. My first international flight. Let's hope it rocks.

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July 23rd, 2009

I'm on my international flight right now. It's not bad, I'm really enjoying it.

The passenger next to me, an African, is a very cool person. I'm glad I got paired up with a cool person on this flight. It makes it even more special.

We're about halfway to Ghana, right in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

I've watched a couple movies on the flight. So far I've seen Gran Torino which was pretty good, and I just finished watching Taken. Very good movie.

I guess I'm going to start reading Great Expectations. I need to read this "good" book before school starts and write a paper on it. Hoorah.

I read for 5 minutes and I got bored. Sweet.

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Well, we landed in Ghana. And my eternity long layover has begun. It is around 8:30 AM local time, and we can't even check in until 5:00 PM. Hoorah.

Oh well, I'm with people I can have a good time with, and I have a couple books. Plus my iPod has a significant amount of battery.

Wish me luck as I bear through this 12 hour layover.

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July 23rd, 2009... Again

"So what time is it, Joe?" we asked. "11:30 AM," he replies. Some groan with tired throats, but for some reason I just smiled and laughed. I've been sleeping on a public airport bench for 3 hours, and I laugh. Awesome.

There isn't much to do at this point except write in my journal and look around at the many faces around me. Both are fine, but it's sort of a realization that we're here. We're in Africa and the only thing stopping us from getting to Kenya is a layover.

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I'm exhausted. I'm not sure what time it is, but I know this layover has to end eventually. Rawr.

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We're about to board our final plane to Nairobi. I'm excited, and nervous at the same time.

Lately, I've come to like Africans more and more. Their kind nature and authority really is something I admire.

(I hate it when my voice cracks)

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July 24th, 2009

I'm on my last flight - to Nairobi. I can't tell you how excited I am, we're so close to getting there!

I've been thinking about something lately... A lot of people lost faith in God because they blame him for all of the bad things that happen in the world. But in reality, God doesn't make those things happen. People do. Aside from natural disasters and things that can't be prevented, humans are to blame. Ever since creation we have proven to be unwise and foolish. Selfish people cause a lot of the world's problems. Biggest example: money. Need I say more? Anyways, I hope this trip devastates me with culture shock and new things, because I want to learn from them.

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More posts to come soon! Bear with me here. There's a lot to type =P