2 months later..

So, Africa. Where do I even begin.  I’ve been here for almost 2 months, so here’s what I’ve been up to.  When we first arrived, we spent a couple days with our contact, Pastor Simon, touring our “home” city, Kijabe.  Kijabe is becoming my favorite place in the world. When you’re here, you feel like you’re on a tropical island, not the middle of Africa.  There is a branch of African Inland Church (Kijabe Mission), a boarding school for missionary children (Rift Valley Academy), a missions hospital, and a hospital for children with special needs (AIC Cure). 
 
The day after our tour we headed out to spend two weeks with the Maasai tribe in Tangi Tatu.  Let me tell you, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.  As we drove down the dirt road, further and further from any signs of civilization, we realized we were not in Kijabe anymore.   Tangi Tatu consists of a wooden church with a dirt floor and a tin roof.  There are about 10 mud huts within sight of the church, other than that all you can see is desert mountains.  We walked an average of 15 miles a day, going door to door in the mornings and visiting schools in the afternoon.  It was about a million degrees, so after walking all day in the desert heat a shower would have been nice- but no, during our two weeks there I only showered twice because of the lack of water. 
 
Although it was two of the hardest weeks of my life, God taught me so much through the amazing people we met there.  We met a man named Joseph whose love for his son brought our entire team to tears.  We met him while going door to door one day and when we approached we asked him the normal questions, “How are you doing?” and “How can we be praying for you?” Instead of talking about himself, he poured his heart out to us about his son with Down’s Syndrome, Moegly.  As he spoke his heart poured out of his love for his son and his passion for raising the funds needed to care for him and get him into a special needs school.  When we told him we were going to pray for him, he gathered his children in the middle of our team, got down on his knees, and raised his hands to the Lord.  While we prayed, slow tears began to fall down his cheeks, and as they did tears filled all of our eyes as well.  As we left, I realized that this man’s love for his son, as great as it was, is only a fraction of how much the Lord loves us. 
 
After leaving the Maasai, we came back to Kijabe for a weekend of rest.  After which we headed out yet again to live with the Meru tribe for two weeks.  Meru is a beautiful lush place covered with huge banana trees!  Our ministry there was very similar to that in Maasai, as we went door to door each day spreading the Gospel and praying for people.  While we were there we met a man named John who had been paralyzed during a car accident.  He has been paralyzed for three years, but the joy that overflows from his home would never suggest that.  He and his wife are filled with joy and incredible faith in God.  He needs to raise enough money to get the surgery needed to be able to get up from his bed again and walk, however, they are nowhere close to having the money they need.  Yet, they are filled with so much faith that God will provide and take care of them.  They were two of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met, challenging me to have such great faith myself.  

P.S. – 5 things I’ve learned here.. .
1. Don’t let African children braid your hair… they will spit in it to make it “hold”
2. Expect to wait around.. a lot. (African time)
3. Sometimes if you’re given food while doing door to door, it’s better to just not ask what it is.
4. On my team, if you stay up past 8:30 you’re a night owl.
5. You’re not tan, you’re just dirty.