A tangawizi in Kenya

I've been in Kenya (aka paradise) for 2 weeks now and figured it was about time I did something productive with my evenings and write something... I'm not going to lie, the first few days were rough. Culture shock doesn't even describe!! But now, I feel at home. The locals are friendly, kenyan time (constant lateness) is agreeable and the scenary beautiful. Somehow everything looks good when sun drenched and surrounded by palm trees. Even the slums, derelict buildings and poverty stricken villages have an eery beauty when bathed in golden rays. I'm currently working in the Gede Special School with children with Cerebral Palsy and hearing impairments. Kenyan sign language is so fun! It's frustrating that I'm picking it up so quickly yet won't have a use for it back home. The HI children have the best sense of humour, and are all so amazing and bright and beautiful. It's devastating to think that they don't know this to be true. As for the cerebral palsy children, they've most definitely stolen my heart. They're kind, generous and way more patient than I can ever dream of being! When I can I'll post pictures so you can see them for yourselves. All the CP children look so much younger than their true age. When we arrive many are just slumped in their wheelchairs and covered in their own drool/waste. It's a sorry sight to say the least, but the school are doing the best they can with their exceedingly limited supplies. To say I'm being humbled through my time with these children is a gross understatement. I've already been challenged about so many things, and am being taught to see the world as they do - truely unique. The way the deaf kids care for the CP ones, and seeng the CP children clumsily signing speaks volumes. They are all so desperate to learn. When i arrived on Friday all the teachers were gone and the children left to play, yet a group of the deaf boys had me teaching them maths - definitely would not happen in the UK! I find it hard that despite the children's big dreams and hard-working attitudes many of their situations will remain the same. Despite the inital shock and how hard some situations are, I do love it here and love seeing God at work.

Updates

Updates always seem to take forever - I know they do on my blackberry anyway, so I'll try to keep this (relatively) brief.

My last 3 exams were very mixed. 1 good, 1 average, 1 absolutely awful! However it's been a blessing and a comfort to know that God's already got it planned out and it's in His hands, that if I miss my grades for med school He has something even better planned! (Not sure what that would be - but it's an exciting thought!) As usual exam season reduced me to a stressy, emotional wreck, living off caffeine and Lucozade Glucose Energy Tablets due to the numerous sleepless nights spent cramming. As usual, I've half-heartedly promised myself that next time my revision will be more organised. I say half-heartedly because I know the likelihood of this is similar to the likelihood of me NOT getting sunburnt in Kenya this summer.

Speaking of Kenya, in just a couple days I'll be boarding a flight to Nairobi before travelling to work in the God Our Father's Children Home near Watamu (nowhere near Nairobi!) and living locally. To say I'm excited would be a massive understatement, but I'm not expecting (or wanting) an easy ride. Actually, I'm not sure what I'm expecting. I want a challenge, an experience, something eye-opening. We'll see...

I've loved seeing God's hand in my plans for this summer (in hindsight at least). He's turned something I originally used to cheer myself up after a bad day into something I think I want to do for the rest of my life. Every pot-hole in the road to Kenya has been filled in (metaphorically of course). Although in the past 12 hours, with just days until I leave, my plans have been changed dramatically and still some of it isn't set in stone.

Over the past few months God has really taught me to trust completely in His plans, and proven over and over again how He ultimately knows best. From guys and universities to celebrating Father's day and volunteering in Kenya, God has been constantly reminding me that my plans are pants at best. So I'm excited to discover where/what I'll end up doing.

On a final note, apologies for the ever changing appearance of my blog. I haven't yet found a background/font/style I'm happy with... Proof of my indecisiveness!

Father's Day

Thanks to revision and exams it's been a while since I've posted and with my final 3 exams looming this week I really should be continuing with my social networking ban, but....

Today is Father's Day. Shops everywhere are utilizing this holiday, they'd be foolish not to! Sales of aftershave, razors and men's toiletries must sky-rocket, there's no shortage Homer Simpson/beer/Superdad themed t-shirts and witty father's day cards are in high demand. I always used to be a typical 'daddy's girl', I relished Father's Day.

Today is bittersweet. It's a day of sadness as I continue to miss Dad, who died in 2009. It's a day of praise as I thank God for His provision of Mum's husband, Kevin. Most importantly, it's a day of worshiping my Heavenly Father. With 3 fathers to be thankful for, today is a great day.

Thinking about this has got so many memories flooding back. Family holidays, days out and that time Dad forgot to take me home from church (David Cameron isn't the only one to have mislaid a child)! I'm trying to keep this short, but today is a day where I'll be reflecting on God's undeserved provision and mystifying plans, and praising Him wholeheartedly for them. (But I'll still plague your computer screens with cheesy old family photos.)

During Dad's illness Jeremiah 29:11 became our family verse,

'"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord.'

God is so good.

Always a sucker for snuggles

The first and only football shirt I will own! (Chosen by Dad)

My beautiful family

A Damsel In Distress

"The Lord will fight for you and you need only be still."

Exodus 14 v 14

Officially my favourite verse of the week!

At some point in so many films, a damsel in distress gets stuck in sinking sand. Despite the attractive hero throwing her a rope offering to pull her out, to fight for her, the damsel continues to struggle against the sand in her own strength. The more she struggles, the weaker she becomes, the more she sinks and the closer to her death she edges. At some point she has to stop and be still so the hero can fight the sand on her behalf...
This is the sort of situation I'm reminded of.
"Be still! I'll pull you out!" the hero assures her.


My understanding is limited, but I find this verse such a comfort in times of spiritual weakness. Instead of standing firm in your faith it seems you're (barely) clinging on by your fingertips. Instead of running the race set before us you're dragging your failing body through a spiritual desert, gasping for water and shade. You're weak from spiritual battle. You're being tempted. You're discouraged. You're failing.


That's been me this past week. That's me now, this second. This will more than likely be me tomorrow. I am so thankful for the truth in this verse. I am so thankful for the God who's fighting for me. I will happily be still.

Pass me the rope Lord...

Travelling partner application

As most people know, I'll be travelling to Kenya between 29th June and 9th August and I'm in search of a travelling partner for between 27th July and 9th August. There's a fun filled potential itinerary including a 2 day safari, a sneaky trip to Zanzibar or Mafia island, a visit to a tea plantation (very optional), 2 days volunteering at a monkey sanctuary and much much more! (WOW)


At this point, I can't really be picky about who comes with, but I've decided to suggest some desired (but not  essential) qualities:

1. Be funny (like a toddler, I need constant entertainment)
2. Not be annoying
3. Be a good napping buddy
4. Not too attractive (so that I look relatively good in photos)
5. Be a good photographer (same reasoning as above)
6. Have good taste in music (for the flight back)
7. Good singer
8. Not high maintenance 
9. Owns a backpack
10. Not afraid of spiders/snakes/lions/scorpions/other deadly animals local to Kenya
11. Not be a fussy eater (goat's feet are apparently popular Kenyan food. Yet to be confirmed.)
12. (MOST IMPORTANTLY) Be able to afford it.

So, I'm just going to wait for all the hundreds of requests to flood in...

Weddings

I've recently discovered that I'm one of the few girls who hasn't been dreaming up/planning their wedding (even the slightest amount) since they were 5 years old. However last week my friend Portia planned it for me, which is quite kind of her in my opinion.


According to Portia, when I go on my travelling gap year I'm going to fall in love with a rich, blonde haired, blue eyed Australian surfing instructor called Cruz. Sounds quite nice, if incredibly unrealistic.

Australia is going to be one of the first stops on my travels, despite rumours of their massive spiders.
I've always wanted to learn how to surf and it just so happens that (according to Portia) Cruz will be my surfing instructor. After falling madly in love with me and growing crazily attached to the Kenyan orphan I'm going to bring back this summer, he'll apparently spontaneously quit his job and join me on my travels before proposing by the Eiffel tower, approximately 4 months into what is essentially a ridiculously long vacation

Eventually we'll get married in Bali (my last stop), in an 'amazing' surfer-esque beach wedding. The guys will wear shorts and flip flops and there'll be surfboards stuck in the sand behind the minister.  

Since doctors are employable worldwide, we'll move to some exotic beach location where Cruz can open his own surf shack...

Somehow I know this will never happen, but planning it kept me and Portia occupied/distracted from revision for about 4 hours.

Revision timetables and easter assignments

Contrary to popular belief, I am an awful student. (Though I'm sure several of my teachers past and present can testify to this.)


Usually I just about scrape by throughout the school year, getting rubbishly average test scores at best in class and not fulfilling my potential at all. Yet somehow (to the annoyance of many people), at the end of the year, I pull out the high A grades my teachers expect of me with a relatively small amount of effort (compared to others). How? I'm  not entirely sure, it is certainly not deserved! But it is all by the grace of God and I am definitely thankful!


Recently I've been really challenged about my half-hearted, 'I'll get the grades in the end' attitude. God's placed me in college to be a student and so, with my previous attitude, I'm not honouring Him and not using the gifts (intelligence) He's given me.
I've loved listening to a seminar from the Aber 2011 conference about how to honour God through our studies. In the past I've been fooled in to adopting the mindset that I would be honouring God more by helping out in church and CU, by spending time in fellowship rather than studying. I've been tricked in to believing my studies were unimportant, that what I did almost didn't matter.


In truth God has placed me here, in Yale College Wrexham, to be a Christian student.
That doesn't mean that doing the other stuff is bad. Helping in church is great. Engaging in fellowship stirs my affections for Christ. But so does studying. Doing what God has placed me here to do makes me love Him more.


Anyway, for the first time since I was much younger I'm putting effort in to my college work. I'm talking actual, creating-revision-timetables-and-sticking-to-them effort. My easter assignments have been completed (almost), my revision organised and past papers printed...


Praying it will pay off, and that God will be showing me more how I can glorify Him through my studies.