Munchies

Many have asked how life is going here in Kenya and there are so many emotions, thoughts, and feelings to this experience so far that I decided to consolidate them into what I am calling munchies…

Simplicity - From walking everywhere to cooking all meals from scratch (mainly with garden vegetables) to practicing daily rhythms of discipline with Lipps and Tbone to just having fewer distractions...life here is typified by simplicity which I love!

Adorable! - These kids are seriously too cute for words! Some of them are harder to love than others but some I honestly want to just steal away when I leave. They emit so much joy, energy, laughter, and cuteness that it is often too much to capture. (There cuteness is like an epic landscape of mountains that you just can't contain in a picture...cheesy metaphor but true) One of my favorite things is running alongside the little ones as they grip your hand. (Michael talked about this in an earlier blog) Following a run with little Edwin during the first few weeks we were here, I wrote a poem that I may post later (if I work up the courage).

Eye-opening - It is not the stark reality of the poverty that is surprising this time (I was expecting that aspect more because of experiences on previous trips) but it is the little realty checks that hit you each day of how different life is here from what I experienced growing up. This is where I have too many thoughts to put into words right now (most of them pop up randomly as we're walking to town or running through the neighborhood) but all I can say is I know this experience will leave me with a very deep imprint.

Filling - This word translates to many areas including the belly. We are constantly cooking and each dinner takes at least two hours from start to finish but the meals have been so yummy! Each meal is a different experiment from Jonathan's Mennonite cookbook ("Less is More") and I have loved getting more into cooking! (Banana bread just came out of the oven! :) Not only is my tummy getting filled but I'm loving the time that we have here to read...I have been filled and nourished most recently by Melissa Fay Greene's "There is no me without you." and Scandrette's "Soul Grafitti." (I highly recommend both!) Along with these personal reads, each morning we make breakfast together and one person reads aloud while the other two cook. It's one of my favorite parts of the day! We are also making our way through NT's big fatty which has been really packed and filling in it's own way.

Sick - Unfortunately from the moment I arrived, I have been hit with one thing after the next, allergy to cold to infection to mysterious eye problem and now to another cold. It has been really frustrating but will hopefully pass soon thanks to many drugs and the help of Dr. ONeil. (Props and thanks to him! :)

Blessed - So many kids here have stories of abuse, death, abandonment and hardship. It reminds me to be thankful for the blessings I've received in the way of loving family and friends. It is amazing to realize how many gifts and blessings I take for granted each day. I have also felt incredibly blessed by the relationships, conversations and faith that I have witnessed in some of the older Tumaini kids.

There are many more words that I could use to describe this experience but I'll let you munch on these for now.