Good Friends

The Lord has truly blessed me with great friends in Kenya. Some very unexpected and from all different backgrounds...but still great friends. Thought I'd post a few pictures of my long weekend in the beautiful Kijabe.

 Hiking Mt. Longonot with Marisa, Chandler, and Steve

 Fun birthday party in Kijabe

 Sweet Susan let us stay at her house all weekend

Going away dinner for one of Susan's roommates. This is their awesome backporch. 

 Everyone made their own homemade pizza!

Hope Haven

Last week may have been my favorite week at Joytown. A team from Iowa called Hope Haven brought new wheelchairs to 25 lucky students. To see the smiles on these children's faces...indescribable. I was in charge of snapping pictures the whole week, a job I was more than happy to do. The team of 5 Americans taught our BethanyKids staff the in's and out's of a wheelchair--from minor repairs to modifying the chair for a specific child. This team was such a blessing to everyone at Joytown. I would have appreciated Hope Haven in September, but after living with these children for 5 months...I have learned that a wheelchair is their world. And Hope Haven was able to make their world a little better. Please visit their website to find out more about this incredible ministry (www.hopehaven.org) and enjoy the pictures!

 Measuring Fatuma for a new wheelchair

 Antone just loved all the attention (this is the boy in the main picture at the top of my blog)

Rose accepted Jesus as she was waiting for her wheelchair. She called her mom crying, "Mom I am born again!" I will remember this moment for the rest of my life:) 

 Rose with the beautiful smile

Calling home with the good news

Joytown Needs

There are so many needs at Joytown....Children need to be pushed to the dining hall. Some need help to eat. Some need a new uniform because theirs is so tattered. Some have wounds that need dressing. Most need hours of physical therapy. It can be absolutely overwhelming, but there is one need that has been met.
For about 5 months now, BethanyKids has been building new bathrooms at Joytown. Never thought I would say this about a bathroom, but they are just beautiful. Joytown consists of 9 dormitories, each with its own bathroom. Right now, they are awful. They do not have a sink to wash your hands and wheelchairs cannot fit into the stalls. This means that children must climb out of their wheelchairs and crawl to the toilet.

 Using the current bathrooms

So new bathrooms were a must. They are bigger, better, and have plenty of room for wheelchairs. They also have a sink and shower in each stall. Children with spina bifida use C.I.C. (Clean Intermittent Catherization) to empty their bladders and this is nearly impossible in the current bathrooms. They will be able to perform the process in a much easier and cleaner way in the new facility! At the moment, only 2 bathrooms are being built, which leaves 7 dorms with old bathrooms. Please pray BethanyKids will be able to raise funds to provide these great bathrooms for all the dorms. Read more about BethanyKids efforts at www.bethanykids.org.

New Bathrooms!

"Oh God you are my God;

I shall seek You earnestly.

My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,

In a dry and weary land where there is no water. 

Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,

To see Your power and Your glory.

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips will praise You.

So I will bless You as long as I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name."

Psalm 63:1-4 

                             Happy Birthday to my sweet roommate Marisa!

What a special friend to experience this journey with--I am so thankful for her! We enjoyed a wonderful bday lunch at The Coconut Grill  (hotspot of Thika) and then did a little grocery shopping at the local supermarket, Tuskys.
Before lunch, I took some pictures of a typical day at Joytown and thought I'd share...Enjoy!

                  
                      Samuel just lounging around. He has a pressure sore so he's on bedrest.

                             Housemother trying to help this little boy stay in his wheelchair

                                                              Can I take you home?

 

Rehab team:)

Home Stretch

During my first weeks, maybe months, at Joytown I would breathe a sigh of relief each Friday. Another week down, which means a little closer to home. I know it is a terrible thing to admit, but I am saying this because of course my heart has changed. Yesterday, I arrived at Joytown after being away for far too long, and I had no idea how much I missed this place. I missed all the unusal sounds of this school. The firewood being chopped outside my room every morning at 4:00 or the baboons that run across my tin roof at night. But I especially missed the sweet sound of wheelchairs and walkers scraping against gravel. A sound I can find no where else. Endless laughter and singing at all hours of the day.

I was greeted by the love of my life--Isaac. This adorable six year old has captured my heart. Even though the only words we can exchange are a simple "hello" or "how are you"....I have missed his smile. That smile just brings tears to my eyes. So instead of counting down the days til home, I am praying that these last 6 weeks will drag on and on.

Back to Reality

Sorry it's been awhile since my last post-- SO much has happened! I spent the past 11 days in Dubai enjoying a wonderful Christmas and New Years with the Terney family. Riana and I go wayyy back...since the day she was born to be exact! Our grandparents are close friends and she visits the U.S. with her parents every summer. So I was very happy to finally get the chance to visit her in Dubai. The Terneys opened their home and let me be a part of their lives all week. They were my family away from Jackson, giving me the best holiday season I could ask for! I am incredibly grateful for their hospitality and friendship:)

Riana, Gulay & Steve Terney & I on Christmas morning

A few Dubai activities:

There is plenty do to in Dubai--I could stay another month and still not see everything. Of course we shopped at a few of the massive malls. The Dubai Mall has over 1,500 stores. Insane. Shopping is an experience in Dubai and all the Christmas decorations just made it even better! We saw the Burj Al Arab--the first 7 start hotel in the world and the Burj Khalifa--the tallest building in the world.

Burj Al Arab--designed in the shape of a sailboat

Riana and I in front of the Burj Khalifa. Watched a great firework show here on New Years!

We also saw the historic side of Dubai, which I really enjoyed. We toured the Dubai Museum and walked around the older part of town called the Bastakiya. We had a great tour guide--Riana's dad, Steve!

Hindu Alley--including a Hindu temple which is uncommon in this area

Made a few friends by the docks of Dubai Creek

Fun boat ride across the creek

We visited a few hotels, which are all extremely luxurious and beautiful. My favorite was Atlantis Hotel, which had its own aquarium inside.

We enjoyed Christmas Day at the Terneys with a few other guests. My sweet mom sent me presents with Riana so it felt just like home. I also watched my family open their gifts over skype--I just love technology. I met all of Riana's wonderful friends, who made me feel immediately welcome. We spent alot of time laughing and eating good food: ) It will be hard to eat hummus back home after having it fresh in Dubai. It was an exciting and eventful break that I will never forget!

Today I am spending the day in Nairobi with my close friend, Julie Carter, who is serving the Lord in a hospital in Kapsowar. Please keep her in your prayers and follow her journey at http://kapsowarkenya.blogspot.com. It's good to be home!