no words..

yesterday was the dreaded day...i left the baby house and it was one of the most difficult things i have done.

since i am still in the stage of crying at the mention of leaving, hearing a song that reminds me of my time here, looking at pictures of my babies brings tears to my eyes i'm not quite up for the blog-post about leaving...it will come. eventually.

until then: i appreciate and cherish your prayers and look forward to seeing all of you in the MI Mitten soon!

transition

as a fair warning here are some things that may be different when i come home:

- i say things like "gai!" or "yai yay!" instinctively (depending on the tribe i wish to associate with that day)

- i say "we-wee" (pronounced weigh-weigh) when something is exciting

- when you use the word "smart" i think you're referring to good looks

- i rule at all round-a-bouts.

- i am a generally more aggressive driver and am taken aback by stoplights which mean that i actually am GIVEN the right to go? and nobody will cut me off? crazy.

- i pass people too often.

- i feel as though my arms are empty when going out without a child in them.

- i struggle to find simple english words because the only word that comes to mind is kiswahilli

- i generally re-arrange sentences...aka: speak kenyan english.

- i feel funny about my skin color being the majority?

- i shake hands whenever i meet you.

- i crave all good foods and get overly excited about having access to those foods when i crave them

- i feel more comfortable putting clothes on the line to dry than using a drier.

- i cry at the drop of a hat because i miss my babies or aunties.

- i am elated at the fact that there is consistent water and power available

- i am picky about tortillas because i either am comparing them to chapati or seeing them through the eyes of a texan. (i still hate country music but i DO love a good tortilla)

- i eat mangos no matter how expensive because 1) i love them and 2) they remind me of kenya.

and probably a few other things that i don't even realize because they are so normal here.

photo of the week (2)

because its officially my last week and i am taking as many photos as i can get there are 2 this week. and will probably be more to come.

not sure how i am going to separate myself from this little boy!??!

photo of the week

visiting a Masai village. talk about cultural experience.

what did YOU do today??

I sat within reach of a huge lion.

no big deal.

note: the bit of nervousness in my smile. i was that close.

and then i saw a cheetah scavenging at night.

fyi: the mara is AMAZING!

Hopey's Visit!

Today Hopey came back to the baby house today with her mama! it is required during the fostering period for babies and their parents to return to the baby house 1x per month for "evaluation" and to help them transition from our home to their new home. it was SO great to see Hope!

She warmed up quickly and loved visiting with her friends and the aunties! It was fun to see her remember the bedrooms, her favorite toys, and every part of the house.

it took her a long time to eat her food because she kept turning around to visit with tracy in the kitchen, greet miah, julia and lizzie not to mention the poor girl was bombarded with us loving on her!

please note her VERY kenyan dress. this is in their opinion her "very best"! but in our opinion we see sparkles, bright orange and very uncomfortable outfit...and a word we could only make out as being...italian?

she has definitely grown tall, dark from the sun (and chubby too!) and is walking all over the place! and she, as well as her mama, are genuinely VERY happy. It was reassuring for us to see that she was attached to her mom but still loved visiting and felt right back at home when she walked into the baby house.

What an awesome blessing to see this beautiful girl before i left the country as well as see her so happy with her forever family!

song of the trip

here is one of the two songs that has been consistently on my heart and mind throughout the whole trip. speaks to men, women and children of Kenya who are able to change the world through God's love.

Brothers, let us come together
Walking in the Spirit, there's much to be done...
We will come reaching, out from our comforts
And they will know us by our love...

Sisters, we were made for kindness
We can pierce the darkness as He shines through us...
We will come reaching, with a song of healing...
And they will know us by our love!

The time is now
Come Church arise...
Love with His hands
See with His eyes...
Bind it around you,
Let it never leave you,
And they will know us by our love...

Children, You are hope for justice,
Stand firm in the Truth now, set your hearts above
You will be reaching, long after we’re gone,
And they will know you by your love!

Christy Nockles- By Our Love

photo of the week

after a long night Annabelle usually wakes around 6:30..an hour before I get up and quickly get ready to start the day. i have come to love this time since i give in and we both sleep for the remaining hour. sleeping with and praying over this precious girl is a gift i can't fully explain.

enjoying the moment

(disclaimer: sappy post. its bound to happen)

the reality of having 2 weeks left in this country has hit me hard the last few days.

yes i am looking forward to being home. to having a hot shower with actual water pressure, eating good american food (such as a zingerman's sandwhich which i have had dreams about). but the thought of leaving the aunties, my babies, the women at the shop and the boys makes my stomach hurt and makes me cry daily.

but i know that this trip is coming to an end. and i have been consciously soaking in every single moment...seeing the joys and being thankful for the small things, the moments that i will miss when i am home. today i have seen God in even the moments that have become a hassle or a frustration over the last 4 months.

so today:

- I enjoy the one-on-one time with Tracy laughing and talking about life while cleaning what felt like 43,728 dirty dishes.

- I memorize the sound of David's belly laugh while i tickle him during the dreaded 5pm-6pm before dinner hour.

- I spend the morning break not showering as planned but walking around the compound hand in hand with miah, chasing chickens, kicking balls and finding bugs.

- I focus on annabelle sleeping on my chest while listening to the children's sing-a-long video that I have seen every day since being here.

- I laugh with Lizzie who thinks that Joseph shaking his milk is the funniest thing she's ever seen rather than focus on the milk puddle.

- I deal with the nasty smell of literally 5 pounds of ugali because I know it means that tonight the boys will get a filling GOOD meal while visiting the baby house.

- I celebrate with EVERY person in the house when Miah actually pooped IN the potty even though it meant getting that stupid potty out every hour.

God is here and I am so thankful for every moment of these last 3+ months and cherish these last 2 weeks. I am praying that I continue to see Him in the small things, and that each one of these people I love will feel this love and will know a fraction of how they have each changed my life.

epic battle

since the rains have come in Nakuru, so have the mosquitoes.

which means i WILL get eaten alive.

and each bite WILL swell up to the size of a huge welt.

my arms look like i have some sort of peculiar disease...

i have found most mosquito attacks come at night and i may be paranoid but i feel like they are just WAITING for me to fall asleep to attack..

so tonight i arm arming myself with:

- a plug-in bug repellent.

- bug spray on my person.

- room bug repellent sprayed 45 min prior to room use as directed on bottle.

i smell terrible but at least i wont have MORE bites (hopefully)

Goodbye Solomon

Yesterday we got a call from the children's department saying there was a mama looking for her 1.5 year old son and they asked if we could come and identify if it was Solomon, the boy we took in from the children's department a few weeks prior.

Turned out it was Solomon's mother! and turns out our Solomon is really Caleb! She had told his father to take him to the hospital to get medication for a cold and the father abandoned Caleb on the way. The mother has not heard from the father since and was told by people in the community her son was abandoned and brought to the police station...starting her on the journey to us to find Caleb!

We had him for one more night, in order for courts to move custody from our home back to his mother's care. When we walked in after meeting his mother we called him "Caleb!" and he was VERY excited and kept repeating it clearly! "Caleb! Caleb! Mimi!(me!)"

Today we brought him to his mother and you could see the relief on her face! two weeks without your baby boy is a long time! That's also evident because he was indeed attached to us and our home: he was happy to see his mother but was NOT happy when we walked away...shows how quickly our babies feel at home. but his mother's love is definitely more important and where he belongs!

We love you little Solomon and were blessed by your adorable smile, laugh and love!

New baby Winnie!

today we welcomed the second new baby girl to the baby house! Welcome, 3 day old baby Winnie!

She was found by 2 students on the side of the road in a plastic bag still covered in afterbirth, then brought to a police station then to our home.

she is a VERY calm, quite alert little girl!!

now my baby has an "age-mate" and is the BIG one of the two of them! crazy how fast they grow!

we are thrilled to have another beautiful baby girl in our home! Welcome Winnie!

photo of the week

handsome boy.

the shop

photos of the "blog-neglected" knitting shop :)

kenyan accent

i just said: "lizzie, sit well and take your water now" without even thinking about it.

talk about speaking in kenyan english.

yikes.

morning workout

all kiswahili music CDs in the house are played on the TV which means....MUSIC VIDEOS!

the girls in the house always watch their favorites in the morning while cleaning and taking tea before the babies wake up and just recently have gotten into a routine i highly approve of...

learning the music video dances.

and these are AFRICANNN music video dances. like jumping, twirling, squatting, rolling around type dances.

these leave all of us breathless and sweating by the end of each song but are so fun that its SO worth it! and i realize that i am a real white girl dancing next to 5 africans, but i have to say i can keep up (but am still working on the Masai "body-jump-and-roll" move...)

it is the PERFECT way to start the day with my favorite African women.

all the summer weddings i am attending this year, WATCH OUT!

african dances and yells will be in attendance!

All of God's Children

today i heard the following song which made me really stop and think:

"It's the song of the redeemed rising from the African plain

It's the song of the forgiven drowning out the Amazon rain

The song of the Asian believers filled with God's holy fire.

It's every tribe, every tongue, every nation

A love song born of a grateful choir

It's all God's children singing Glory, Glory, Hallelujah, He reigns He reigns

It's all God's children singing Glory, Glory, Hallelujah, He reigns, He reigns."

God has blessed me with incredible opportunities to see His world. and i then realized how real this song is to me...

I am in Africa, am blessed to see, interact and really know people who are God's redeemed children

I have been with the beautiful South American people who cherish and love God as their Savior

and the South Koreans I love couldn't be described BETTER than being "filled with God's Holy Fire"- their passion in worship is unlike anyone I have ever known.

as i begin to process coming back to the States God reminded me that His children are indeed all over the world, and they all sing the same song to our Lord, giving Him the Glory. and we will all be together, singing our love song to Him. together. and that is PRETTY AMAZING!

photo of the week

even after sleepless nights i love looking at the end of my messy bed in the morning and seeing this beautiful bundle.