I am just so grateful

Ok, so I'm a little blog happy lately. I've been at work the past few days, doing a 5 days spend the night stint with my favorite 3 year old so I've had a little more free time on my hand at night (I mean, he goes to bed at 8:30 or so.) Plus, a lot is happening since we're getting close to our departure date so there's been more to blog about :)

Although my personal fundraising goal has been fulfilled, the rest of my team is still working on being fully funded. God has continued to provide in such amazing ways. Offers of financial support continues to pour in for this journey and I am so encouraged. I just have to say how overwhelmed I am by the generosity of God's people (adding to the long list from a few blogs before; Ben & Christy Stark, Russ & Dinah Fitzgerald, Bill Watson, Leah Negrani).

I know everyone can relate to being thankful for such amazing generosity, however, I don't know if everyone can really understand how much this overwhelming support has touched me. All of you know that I literally live on the opposite side of the world from my parents and most of my family. Thus, it is the community of believers around me who has been my family in the most tangible way. Through each support, I feel like I've been embraced and affirmed in a way that makes the body of Christ, the family of God so real to me. This is God working through His people. This is a glimpse of His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

Wow I leave in 2 weeks!

Happy to report that my passport and VISA came back in the mail yesterday. No more stressing about that. I've been getting more and more excited about the trip as we get closer to the date.

Also happy to report that we will have time to do some tourist stuff on the first day when we get there..... :) We are scheduled to land at 6:15 am on Monday 7/5 in Nairobi. (we leave at 11:40 pm on 7/3) At first we had talked about scheduling a mission partner visit that very afternoon but from team members experiences, we decided to take it easy the first day. After the long flight/layovers, we would be in no shape to "work." It would be embarrassing to keep falling asleep or not make any sense while visiting a missions partner so we will take use that time to visit the National Park and Bomas of Kenya.

Yesterday, I had an online chat with a friend who is currently living as a missionary in Kenya about the crime. She confirmed that it's true and I quote "They will steal you blind....but if you look like you know what you're doing you should be fine." Ummm....I'm pretty sure that I will not look like I know what I'm doing so that does nothing to alleviate my anxiety on the subject. However, it's so good to be reminded that God is already at work there. We go with God, so I will cast all my anxiety on Him because He cares for me (1 Peter 5:7).

Things are coming together!!

We had a meeting last Sunday (6/6)with Dr. Mwaniki (NAPC's very own theologian in residence,) who is Kenyan, to go over some Swahili phrases and Kenyan cultures and customs. Apparently, according to Dr. Mwaniki, I have a knack for Swahili :) After meeting with Dr. Mwaniki, the team met and talked about logistics of the trip. It was productive and eye-opening.

This week was a crazy was for our household. Work schedule was crazy, my arm was still in pain from the shots (I had no idea that it was going to hurt that bad for that long! Tetanus booster is not my friend,) and the house was a mess. I was starting to feel stressed out and overwhelmed by all the details of the trip. One of the things that is a big concern is the prevalence of petty crime in Nairobi. The logistic of how to carry money, passport (I will be acquiring an under-the-clothes wallet/passport carrier) and the rest of our stuff was stressing me out. If you look from a few blog entries back to the one with our itinerary, you'd see that we're going to a different place each day, which mean we have to carry all of our luggage with us as we travel from place to place.

I was starting to feel anxious about how all this is going to work. God is faithfulness and He heard my prayers. At our team meeting this Sunday, Kristina (our International Missions coordinator) gave us an update on the trip. The great thing is that we will no longer go from place to place, we will stay at the Anglican Church of Kenya Guesthouse the whole first week and take day trips to visit our mission partners instead. Praise God! This came about when one of our contacts, a young Kenyan Paster named Martin Mwangi, has offered us the use of his car and making available an elder in his church to drive us. I'm so thankful for this new arrangement.

Now I feel so much better about it and I feel like I can finally focus on the task at hand. I still need to work on a "curriculum" and continue to prepare spiritually as well as physically . I finished all my vaccination this week and picked up my malaria prophylaxis. Things are coming together. I'm getting really excited.

Please continue to pray for me this week:

1. For the Holy Spirit's inspiration as I plan my curriculum/activities for the youth group during Wycliff conference.

2. For the rest of the trip preparation to go smoothly (still waiting on my passport to come back from Kenyan Embassy)

3. For the mission partners who we will meet. For our team to be filled with Holy Spirit so that we may be an encouragement to them.

4. For the students that will be in our group at Wycliff, that their hearts will be opened to one another, to our team, and most importantly to the Holy Spirit.

I need a Coke...

When I was around 6 years old, I remember my mom taking me to the hospital where my Aunt was an Attending Physician. It was actually the hospital where I was born. It wasn't that long after we returned to Thailand from our 3-ish year stint in California after my dad completed his Master of Divinity from Fuller Seminary. Honestly, I don't remember very much from this period of my life. Moving from California back to Thailand was one of the few memorable events, however, this particular day at the hospital was etched forever in my memory.

It was a routine physical. I think I was just getting a check-up for school. I met with the doctor or maybe a nurse, opened my mouth and said "Ah," they looked in my ears and nose, checked my eyes, etc. . I could hear some other kids crying in the next room, but not me. I thought I was brave and I didn't cry. The physical wrapped up after a little while and I was led to another room with a few chair, where another kid about my age sat. I thought my visit was done. Then, I saw it.....a needle. The nurse is getting a shot ready. She stuck the needle in a little bottle, then tapped the syringe and squirted a little bit out on the top to make to the dosage was correct. At this point, it didn't even cross my mind that the needle was for me.....it must be for that kid sitting across from me. I wasn't panicking, I even felt a little smug.....I knew that poor kid was about to cry.

The needle was ready. She started walking towards the other kid then all the sudden, she made a turn for me. Now, I was panicked. This wasn't supposed to happen. I didn't know that I was going to get a shot. We all know what happened next----I got the shot. I cried. I don't remember what point my mom came in the room, I just knew she was beside me and I was inconsolable.

We walked out of the hospital (I was still crying ) and headed to a little shop down the road. My mom bought me a Coke. A cold bottle of Coke. The shop keeper popped off the cap, stuck a straw in the bottle and handed it to me. I drank Coke and I stopped crying.

Today, after getting lost around Decatur, I finally made it to the Travel Immunization clinic. 4 vaccines, a Malaria prophylaxis prescription and a very sore arm later.......even though I didn't cry, I think I need a Coke.