spaniards and safari

One day we were out to eat at this outside restaurant we were sitting around talking for a while after we had finished. At 2:30 a group comes in and sits down. They all order beer and I hear faint accents of Spain Spanish. My back was facing them, but I knew, especially by the beer, yes, those are my beloved people group of the world, Spaniards! I finally got the nerve to go up to them and speak with them in Spanish. It was so great meeting them and laughing with them, they were in Kenya to go on Safaris man it made me miss Espana.

When we went to the lodge where we stayed during the safari, I heard that familiar accent again. A huge group from Spain was there too. I got to know some of them, they would say certain phrases in their sentences that is just so typical spain, my heart just melted and reminded me so much of my Spanish friends. I was thinking, "oh please say that again." I talked to some of them a long time by the pool one afternoon. It was just a gift from God I feel like.

The safari's were absolutely incredible. Words and even pictures can not capture what we experienced out there. We saw hundreds of elephants right up close, a family of lions taking a nap, a field full of zebras, gazelles, antelope, and tope. Then we came upon a dead elephant. A hyena was eating it and a huge group of vultures were waiting for the hyena to leave so they could eat too. Then we saw all these giraffes start to gallop in the distance. A little one began to shake and stumble. Our driver said, "look that one is cripple." But then it fell to the ground and we drove closer. We saw that it had just been shot with a bow and arrow by a Maasai. We watched this group of giraffes lean over the fallen one and watch it slowly die. It was really sad and really crazy that we actually saw that. Our driver told us that the Maasai man shot the giraffe because one of his cows had been eaten by one of the park's lions, this was his revenge. Then we kept driving and saw so much more. The sun was setting, it was one of the top experiences of my life. breath-taking beauty.

kenya

My trip to Kenya... what to even say about something so huge... I will attempt though.

Blue sky. Bright flowers. Mysterious people. Poor land. Rich spirits. That is my first impression of Kenya. This place is filled with contrast. You see a slum yet bright beautiful flowers surrounding it. You see poverty yet joyful people. You don't see many religious signs and symbols (grand cathedrals and statues of Jesus, like I saw in Spain) but you meet people with such profound and authentic faith.

Each day we did something different and got to touch on a lot of things rather than stay focused on one place and the same people. In that, we saw and did more than I could've imagined, so I will share a few stories.

The orphanage we visited. A 15 year old boy was dying of cancer and was asked by the Make a Wish Foundation what his last wish would be. He said, "to build an orphanage in Africa." They said, "ok what is your second wish?" "To build an orphanage in Africa." "And your third wish?" "To build an orphanage in Africa." And so this boy died and left behind a legacy. As a result of his death 50 African orphans now have a place to live. The 8 of us sat in front of the kids and each one was introduced to us by name and shook each of our hands. Later we played with them and they showed us their rooms. Each has a bunk bed with a basket at the end that holds all of their belongings: a stuffed animal, towel, maybe a change of clothes. They were so sweet and we had the best time with them. As we left Pam got in the van and took off her shoes and gave them to a girl who had holes in hers.

Spring Valley. We put on a women's conference at a school/church in a slum called Spring Valley. THe people who live in this slum used to live in the city. They were poor and lived on the streets and one day they were picked up by a garbage truck and carried off to the slum. The women there were wonderful, joyful, the kids sang and danced for us. I made friends with a bunch of 11 and 12 year old girls who asked me "will you be my friend?" I struggled with the fact that we were standing up there trying to tell these women who have the hardest lives and most painful pasts to "walk by faith, not by sight" and we'd share our stories with about 1/100 of the weight that their stories held. I should be learning how to walk by faith from them! But a few days later we went back there. All of those girls began to give me letters that they had written me telling me how happy we had made them by coming to meet them. That was really neat to go back there and know we made some kind of an impact. We also got to give them lots of money that had been donated from people at Hope.

The safari.. I will have to make another blog about that.

Membley Baptist Church. This was another church we went to visit. Hayley, Ashleigh and I were able to really connect with the 17 year old girls there. During lunch we talked with them about their school and boys and things like that. We laughed together and enjoyed one another. One of them told me she wanted to share her testimony in front of everyone afterward. She started off like this, "I want to share my story for all the mothers in here. My mom was raped and had the choice to have an abortion. I am so thankful my mom didn't abort me. But she had a hard life and always tells me she wishes she would have aborted me." At the end of her story she encouraged the mothers there to love their children because she isn't loved by her mother. Then we all broke into small groups. I went with the girls that I had talked with at lunch. The ones I had been laughing with a few minutes ago and they began to share their stories with us. What intense lives, girls that have tried to commit suicide, who have been abused, who have lost their mothers and family, who are told they are worthless. Yet they all praise God at the end of their stories. I was stunned by their words and their painful pasts, yet the faith they have in God. They are only 17. I barely even knew what to say to them, except that I told them how powerful their stories are and how God can use them and valuable they each are.

ok so i have many other things to say stories to share, I will post more of them later.

story

(That picture was taken in Spain. I was reading the book I read the most while I was there, the Spanish/English dictionary. Katie was visiting me and thought it was hilarious that I just read it for fun sometimes, so she took a picture. I was smiling here, thinking "whatever katie, this is so normal!")

Whenever my mom reads a book, she always turns to the back and reads the ending first and then reads the rest of the story. Then she'll be like, guess what I read a whole book last night! And we'll joke with her, "oh yes, really? the back page and the front page? how was it?" haha

What if our lives were stories? and you could just skip to the last page and read how it will end? Would you do it? I don't know if I would, but I would definitely read ahead to the next couple of chapters. There is this deep desire to know how it's all gonna work out, because it feels secure and like we are in control when we know. I guess I am thinking about this because I find myself wanting the answers about what is next for me in life.

What if one of the greatest gifts God gives us is not letting us read ahead but only finding out a page at a time? Why would that be a gift when sometimes it feels like torture? Maybe because it means I've lost the false sense of control and I find that I, in fact, am not the one writing this story. The plot has been laid, the events have been planned and the story has already been written and I can only trust the Author with the story in which I am only a character. We find out as we go and how much more thrilling the story becomes as life takes wild twists and turns and the creativity of the author bursts through the pages of our lives.

And even more, how effectively would we play our role if we were always concerned about what will happen on the next page and in next chapter instead of fully existing in the page, the plot, the story line of "now".

I know for sure I am going to Kenya on Wednesday. My real desire lately has been to know, "God what will happen after Kenya? Will I get a job? Will this year and end and I will still be living at home?" And all I keep hearing is this: "Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you... take only ways that are firm." ~pr 4:25. and "The Lord will indeed give what is good... Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps." ~ ps 85:13.

So I have arrived to a place where I can thank God and mean it, for not showing me what is next. What is right in front of me? A trip to Kenya. I can be fully there, fully engaged, fully in the moment as I am there with no worries of what is next because I believe He has gone before me, laid the plot, prepared the steps, written the next chapter. All I can know what is now. And that is a gift.