I didn’t build it, but I rebuilt it- piece by piece, word by word, and action by action- until I had pulled together the sentence that I wanted to stay with me forever. The sentence that I seized, the sentence that I held on to, and the sentence that I will always rejoice in.
Read moreWhen I decided to go to Kenya in 2010 many people thought it was a strange place to choose to visit. It didn’t make any sense when I tried to articulate it, but somewhere deep inside it fit so perfectly that I knew the experience would be important. So important that it justified a single mom, with two young children,
Read moreMy grandpa is the one who really got me thinking about what exactly it is that I brought home with me from Kenya. I was explaining to a friend the other day the changes you might make after having an experience like this. She has always wanted to do something similar, but fears she would feel pressured to make huge
Read moreIt’s been 4 days since I’ve returned home now. In those days I’ve consumed more than enough calories to make up for feeling hungry for 2 weeks. I’ve almost scrubbed the top layer of dirt off my feet. I’ve managed to brush through my hair at least once (tricky after not bringing a brush with me to Africa), and I’ve
Read moreYou can view some of my favorite pictures from Kenya here I will have more coming, but these were the ones I couldn’t wait to share!
Read moreI expected modest living conditions in Shimoni, knowing that it is a small village with extreme poverty. What I didn’t anticipate was that the schools would be so basic as well. There are three schools in Shimoni. A public primary/secondary school, a private Christian primary, and a private Muslim primary. We teach classes in all the schools, which adds wonderful
Read moreI tried to come to Kenya with the most open mind possible. I wanted to experience all parts of this beautiful country, and I didn’t want my sheltered American biases to get in the way. Up to this point I think I’ve done a fairly good job of jumping right in. I came to Africa without a single beauty product.
Read moreYesterday we did an amazing 3 ½ hour trek into the rainforest. Now, before you start thinking that every day I get to have some fabulous experience here in Africa, let me assure you that I spent the last two days bed ridden by some awful stomach bug. I literally slept for 24 hours straight, and at times I was
Read moreYesterday was my favorite day I’ve spent in Africa so far. Reading under the big tree was such a sweet experience. Since we read while the older kids were in school we had an average age group of about 3 years old. They had no idea what the books were talking about, but they loved to turn the pages, look
Read moreProbably my favorite day so far in Shimoni. We got to read to the children of the village who are too young to attend school. We brought books and blankets and sat under a large Bilbao tree. The children came running from all around. It was wonderful to see their excitement over books. This young girl with the flowers on
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Chop Wood, Carry Water 