MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Jon Gill left to America last night. Let's pray he makes it through London before it snows again. our house is going to be very quiet and empty until mid-Jan when all of our new people arrive. Jon filled the house with music, silliness, laughter, and a big curly Jewish 'fro of hair. we'll miss him. although, we will be able to keep the fridge stocked a little longer without his voracious appetite around.

It's just Kim and I here for the holidays. We were invited to spend Christmas with the Conway family! And we have been invited to something at someone's house every night this week. Should be fun! I still miss my family. But the hospitality and love of these "surrogate" families here is a welcome solace. Plus, we get to make brunch on Christmas Eve, pumpkin pie for Christmas lunch, and maybe some other goodies if I have extra money while I'm at the store today! we were able to get a few small gifts for each of the conways. i wrapped them up and they're under our tree. i'm really excited for kim and the conways to unwrap what i got them. i love giving gifts! i'm sorry to my dad and brother who didn't make the cut on christmas gifts this year. i promise you'll get sweet valentines gifts when i'm in the States in Feb. LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!

I'm possibly climbing Mt. Kenya with some high school girls over the break! Fun bonding time with them! We're also trying to organize a camping trip for some kids who are back in town for the holidays! i hope these adventures work out.

i just discovered npr on the internet (i know, how behind am i!) so now i can listen while enjoying my coffee in the mornings. merry christmas to me!!!

i hope and pray everyone is enjoying this Christmas week! Merry Christmas to you all!!!

just wait

warning: this might be too personal.

why is waiting sometimes so difficult and painful?

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary... those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength... Isaiah 40:28, 31

when i was in the States a few months ago i didn't have a phone for a few days. waiting to get one was excruciating. that makes me feel so selfish. in fact, the phone company told me it would take up to two weeks for the phone i wanted to be delivered. i couldn't wait; i got a different phone. yuck; i HATE admitting this. but i felt like i couldn't wait to talk to people.

i was chatting with a friend this morning about adoption. she said it could take several years to complete an international adoption. YEARS! that's a long wait for a baby. most people feel 9 months is too long.

as a child i can remember this Christmas season and waiting for Christmas morning. my little brother could hardly wait any longer, when he'd wake us all up at 4 a.m. to open presents. sometimes my mom would make us wait until my grandparents came over. oh, that was so hard. worse than waiting for a bathroom stop on a long road trip after two cups of coffee and a whole nalgene of water (something i am also very familiar with).

and now i find myself counting down the days and waiting (painfully, i admit) until i go 'home' and see my family and friends again. i would sometimes almost prefer to skip over these next 10 weeks completely if i could, ignoring Christmas altogether.

wait.

i wait.

i [try to be patient and] wait [often with a bad attitude and discouragement, trying everything i can find to distract myself].

i wait for news from those who are separated from me.

parents that i know are awaiting with eagerness, hope, and excitement the arrival of their children coming home for the holiday. for some of them it's been more than a year that they've seen their child.

a friend asks me to pray for her family when her organization is, once again, deciding if they can live here in Kenya or if they must go to the States. for 3 years they have been waiting, each year, on this decision to be made again and a again.

we give ourselves distractions, bring work along with us, have the internet on our phones to entertain us while we're waiting in traffic, waiting for an appointment, waiting to pick up the kids...

i have made signs, messages, and reminders to myself to wait. wait, i tell myself. wait on God to provide. don't try so hard to go after the things you think you want. you can't control everything anyway and you'll probably mess things up. wait for direction. wait for a sign. wait for His provision in everything. wait...

from my advent devotional:

"Advent is about waiting. Waiting, because it will always be with us, can be made a work of art, and the season of Advent invites us to underscore and understand with a new patience that very feminine state of being, waiting... Waiting is mysteriously necessary to all that is becoming. As in a pregnancy nothing of value comes into being without a period of quiet incubation: not a healthy baby, not a loving relationship, not reconciliation, a new understanding, a work of art, never a transformation. Brewing, simmering, fermenting, ripening, germinating, gestating are the feminine processes of becoming and they are symbolic states which belong in a life of value; necessary to transformation." (this is actually taken from another book, To Dance with God by Gertrude Meuller Nelson)

i don't know how to make waiting easier. i know that it is a part of life. i am learning that it is life. waiting is necessary and i'm not sure i'll ever be done waiting.

as we are celebrating this Advent season with parties, gatherings, food, friends, and family, let's remember we are celebrating a season of waiting. and waiting can be celebrated. remembering that, "nothing of value comes into being without a period of quiet incubation."

from today's Advent meditation, a poem by Vivian Stacey, South African poet:

No longer waiting to live

I wait in the secret dark with the rock spider who watches

through the light crack behind his lichen trap door

I watch the whole surround with the horny chameleon

who unlids his revolving eye, coil tongue tensed

I keep faith that warmth comes with the brown lizard

still as death, who trusts the sun will heat his blood

I am on full alert with the upright meerkat

sentry on the ridge who will bark the alarm

I find my moments of poise with the vulture stopped

in the vortex, who will drop in full surrender of flight

So do I keep a graced watch with creatures

and the waiting and the watch is life.

thank you

Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,

in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

Great are the works of the Lord

studied by all who delight in them.

Full of splendor and majesty is his work

and his righteousness endures forever.

He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;

the Lord is gracious and merciful.

He provides food for those who fear him,

he remembers his covenant forever.

He has shown his people the power of his works,

in giving them the inheritance of the nations.

The works of his hands are faithful and just;

all his precepts are trustworthy;

they are established forever and ever,

to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.

He sent redemption to his people;

he has commanded his covenant forever.

Holy and awesome is his name!

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

All those who practice it have a good understanding.

His praise endures forever!

Psalm 111

the Sunday before thanksgiving we read and discussed this poem at youth group. we meditated on each section and went around a circle praising God for things. it was truly a sweet time. the kids praised Him for things like friends, family, provision of life, safety. we do have much to be thankful for. we looked back over our year and noted specific instances in which God protected or provided for us. there were many. just a few for me included: very successful and fun camp, safety during two break-ins, safety on roads and traveling with many camp staff, new friends, new interests, and God's constant provision financially, spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. and... YOU! thank you for reading about me, praying for me, and supporting me. i know thanksgiving was a few weeks ago, but i would like for us to go through these final weeks of 2010 with a spirit of gratefulness. let's take some time to be thankful.

kim and me stuffing the turkey

nick got to do the honors of carving, while i closely supervised.

our thanksgiving family dinner

everyone feeling stuffed and trying to look happy and comfortable

i LOVE maasai mara! what a sweet place to reflect during the holiday weekend

INTERNATIONAL!

one of the schools at which i spend a lot of time here in nairobi is an international school on the American system. i just love this school. the kids are mostly "western" in their culture, music, language, and dress. but they hale from richly diverse backgrounds. there are over 85 countries represented at this school. on any given day a visit to this school will feel like a private school in atlanta. you will fing them speaking english (mostly), listening to their ipods, studying calculus, or writing biology lab reports. they are also, however, involved in things like model United Nations where they actually spend a few days at the UN Africa headquarters proposing resolutions, or go on field trips to London study Shakespeare. they also go on an annual ski trip to Switzerland or Austria or somewhere like that. so i guess it is like a rich private school in atlanta. maybe i'm giving my georgia public school educated ignorance away here by showing how little i know about good private schools. but the school i went to is very different from this one :)

last week their cultural differences were illuminated and celebrated in international day. some people thought it a bit odd and non-unifying, but i thought it was beautiful. many (i'd probably say 60%) of these kids have been involved with our organization in some way, either through camp, the ropes course, or some form of student ministry. so i know many of them. if i don't know them by name i know them by face.

kim and i went to school just after lunch to watch their parade of countries, which was followed by some student speeches, songs, stories, and poetry. i think i was most impressed with the 6th grade Pakistani's poem about pluralism and our community. oh, and the prek/kindergarten/first grade song about being able to shake hands with the whole world. i'm pretty sure the kids were just making noise and moving their mouths instead of actually singing real words. it was awesome. one of them even randomly walked away during the performance before she was chased back into the line up.

after the program there was an international buffet. my FAVORITE part. there was food from nearly every continent! i paid 300/- (about 5 bucks) for a plate and went around to each table piling it high. i laughed at myself scooping up the Italian lasagna with the Irish potato bread after eating a Chinese spring roll and finishing that off with an Indian fudge thing. yeah, maybe i over-did it.

the whole afternoon reminded me of how diverse our international community here really is. maybe i already said it, but there are 85 COUNTRIES represented at this school! each country's flag was flying, all of it's citizens were dressed traditionally (or in their national football team's colors, as in the case of the orange-clad Dutch kids or hockey jerseys like most of the Canadians), and after marching onto the field, they all began playing and chattering together. a picture of the whole idea of the afternoon was captured in four little girls waiting in line at the Indian booth to get henna painted on their hands and feet: one was wearing a sarape and a sombrero, another a Boston Red Sox jersey and blue jean cut-offs, one with a blue tea-length, cap sleeve dress and a white apron and little yellow wooden clogs, and still another in a plaid skirt, knee sox, and a union jack tshirt.

this is a strange and beautiful little place where these children of world leaders in Africa can learn and play together and become life-long friends. i am so thankful to be a part of this place. i am also inspired to pursue unity with, acceptance of, and appreciation for other cultures. and i'm encouraged about the possibilities of our future in these children. and how blessed are we BlueSky people (that's what most of them call us) to be such an important part of their lives through camp and student ministry!

this is the Kenya delegation marching onto the festival field. those of you who are familiar with Kenya will be amused to know that they took the longest to march in. it was about 20 minutes total while every other country took only five. they walked very slowly and had to be continually prompted by the emcee to keep moving because they were stopping to talk with people from all the other countries lined up along the way. then they had a hard time sitting down so the rest of the program could start. the emcee kept shouting, "move along kenya! move along! no, don't stop there! keep walking! now sit down in your section. sit down! don't get back up! ok, everyone! just sit where you are!" haha! so typical. i love you, Kenya. also, please note the diversity even within the country of Kenya. first you've got your typical Nairobians there in front with jeans and t-shirts, then a lady wearing what looks like traditional kikuyu dress, then a lady in Maasai dress (maybe? hope no one's offended by my misidentification here), then the little baby Kenyan girl of South Asian descent wearing a khanga dress, followed by another different traditionally dressed lady, and then the cool South Asian high school students walking behind her. All Kenyan; very different.

i think these kids i'm hanging out with are shaping my heart and changing my worldview as much or more than i hope to be a part of God shaping and changing theirs.

a few updates

tomorrow is my 28th birthday. today some kids at school were shocked to hear how old i'm turning. ha! i'll take that. they had cake, flowers, coffee, balloons, and a few presents at our thursday morning breakfast meeting. love love LOVE these kids.

last weekend was the Indian festival of lights: Diwali. on Friday night jon, justine, and i picked up michael and drove into parklands looking for a party. we found one alright. loud music, crazy fireworks, expensive tacky souvenirs, and delicious food helped us catch the essence of the holiday with our Indian friends. i saw a few people i knew and a camper or two! always a treat to see campers in public outside of camp. they're too cute. they're totally surprised to see i exist away from camp bluesky. haha!

this week was the semi-final and final games for football, basketball, and tennis. to boost school spirit one school did a spirit week. today was nerd day! i LOVE nerds. you might know that about me. :) (and tomorrow's hippie day -- another of my favorite things) these are my thursday breakfast regulars dressed as nerds. they crack me up!

two weeks ago we had a pumpkin carving party at youth groups. these are the middle school jackolanterns. they are so middle school. one jackolantern is eating his own guts. awesome.

just some random updates. more students, holidays, life, and learnings coming soon!

'cause this is AFRICA!

it's been too long since i've written. i know. i'm sorry. i've got excuses, but they're no good. i could say i've been busy, which is true, but we're all busy. and writing is part of my job... anyway... enough of that. on to this update... :)

this summer at camp we celebrated every day the world cup soccer tournament that was held in South Africa. soccer, or football, as the rest of the non-american world calls it, is very important in most of Africa (you probably already know that) so it was very important to our campers. so important that we had shakira's "waka waka" song on every playlist every day at camp. and we danced. and danced. and one night i, along with a few other girls (names witheld to protect the innocent) stayed up, skipped dinner, and danced for like 4 hours straight memorizing both the "waka waka" and the "wavin' flag" songs and dances (links are to the videos we watched). if you don't know these songs you should definitely check out those links. we watched these countless times. find our world cup dance party here.

anyway, there's this one part in the waka waka song that goes, "'cause this is Africa!" each time we'd dance, we would all sing along. and at that one part, everyone would stop, raise their hands, look to the sky and shout, "'CAUSE THIS IS AFRICA!" maybe this is silly, but i loved that part so much. i felt such solidarity with everyone at camp. it was a beautiful picture to me. i know that most of the kids that come to camp don't look like typical "africans." granted, a lot of them do; you know, the dark skin and all. but i maintain that, on the whole, the kids that come to Camp BlueSky are a real part of africa. many of them were born here and will continue to live here for a long time, even though they hold passports from other countries. and, odds are, a lot of them will go on to live and works here as adults, working to make this a better country. so... when we were singing that song this summer each time i was reminded of how we are, at camp bluesky, having an impact on Africa. we are loving with the Love of God the future of Kenya. and it is good.

and...
lately i've been getting more and more involved with a new organization here in Kenya called African Christian Camping. African Christian Camping (ACC) recently became the 19th affiliation of Christian Camping International. and oh the celebration we had! a few months ago i was asked and elected to sit on the board for ACC and what an honor and blessing this has been. i feel vastly unqualified, but i've been able to help make decisions, work through the vision and mission, teach at a training conference, and be a friend to and learner from some pretty incredible people. you should all know that the future of camp programming in East Africa is looking pretty awesome. there are some very talented, passionate, and experienced people who love kids, camping, and Africa. each time we meet i feel more and more of that excitement i felt singing that crazy song this summer.

this is a pic from last year's training event held annually in september

an organization that helped us out with our most recent ACC training event says that summer camps are "using the most effective means to reach the most receptive hearts." and that is what we're doing. and it's not just Camp BlueSky. there are so many other great camps all over East Africa that are seeking to reach children and teenagers with the love of God. it's exciting to be involved. most recently i was able to host our strategic planning meeting at our house all morning. we're meeting again this week to conclude and plan for the year. you can please be praying about that.

so here are some other updates around here (and things you can pray for):

-since camp ended i went to the States to celebrate my mom's 50th birthday! what a treat those trips were! and how blessed i am to celebrate my beautiful mother's special day.

in the N. Georgia mountains with the fam for mom's birthday weekend celebration

the coosa valley fair: a favorite fall pastime

cute dad on his bike that i think he loves more than his children

-i was also blessed with a sweet time at the coast (twice!!!) fellowship with friends my age is somewhat rare so we feel like it's important to take any opportunity we get. thank God with me for sweet friends and good memories together.

-our team is growing!!! we're getting 5 new team members in january, and 3 more in May! incredible. i'm really looking forward to witnessing what God is doing with us.

-youth group is hopefully about to go through some cool changes. we're looking to find a service project to regularly plug the kids into. pray we'll find just the right one.

-we're still having a great turn out at middle school youth group and a pretty regular crowd at high school youth group. i'm continually amazed by the student leadership team. they don't even really need me anymore. :) right now we're learning about the importance of healthy friendships.

-a good friend of mine is leaving in a few short weeks and i'm pretty sad. pray that i will recognize and worship God for His steady faithfulness in surrounding me with community, even though it changes a lot and sometimes many dear friends are far away.

-i'm interviewing and hiring a whole lot of great college students for Camp BlueSky 2011. if you know of anyone who might be interested in joining our team send them to me now!!! point them to amanda@campbluesky.org

thanks for checking in with me. again, apologies for not updating you sooner! Love to you!

Amanda

let your memories grow stronger and stronger until they're before your eyes

summer is officially over here. well... i guess it's not officially over... i'm going to the beach tomorrow... and well... it's actually winter in kenya right now so it's not summer either. but, anyway, i think you get the point.

this morning at 4:30 a.m. i left Brackenhurst with what was left of the camp staff to the airport to send them off to America. it was bittersweet. i cried. i was tired. i'd had 3 hours of sleep before that. now i'm back at Lukenya (ironic, i know) and it's quiet. i'm staying in one of the camp rooms and it's just me and Kim. it's weird. we don't really have anywhere to go just yet. we're going on vacation tomorrow (long awaited) and after that we'll figure out where to live.

i want to say thank you so much for reading about our summer a, for keeping up with me on facebook, for praying and giving, and for loving me and thinking of us here at camp. this summer was amazing. God is so good. He meets all our needs. we were able to be a part of sharing life with more than 400 kids at camp. we were truly "all things to all people," as we camped out with the Maasai, stayed in homes and went to Church with the people of Western, we played games with street kids in the slums, and we partook in beautiful community, fellowship, worship, and love with each other. i am changed and blessed because of my summer experience.

here are some things i know:

-everything is better when you wear tights and face paint.

-dancing to Shakira is appropriate anytime, anywhere. dancing in general, for that matter.

-college students from America are LOUD (at all hours of the day and night).

-God's power is perfect in our weakness.

-you might think you're tired... then you stay up all night, spend 6 hours in the ER in nairobi, check 150 emails, do cabin assignments, answer a billion questions, eat a pizza, and then you have some idea of what tired really is. and then you wake up and meet 150 parents and campers with a smile. i absolutely LOVE my job. i'm serious. just when you think you can't take anymore, God stretches you out a little and adds some.

-each moment with friends ought to be savored and each opportunity to live and speak the Gospel ought to be taken.

-Kenya is beautiful. stunning. extraordinary. and it just keeps getting better.

-obnoxious 7th grade boys who fight with each other at youth group and make their youth leaders cry can sometimes grow up to be strong young men who follow Jesus. it is truly amazing. and those young men can be some of the best camp counselors i've ever met. and some of the best friends one can have.

-you really don't have to wash your hair more than once or twice a month. you only have to train it to look good dirty. or put mud in it. or not care.

i'm sure there's more... i'll keep it coming.

poured out

these days i feel like i am completely spent. we're in our last week of camp. and i really regret that keeping you updated is one of the things on my long list that seems to always get pushed to "later." it really should be one of the most important parts of my job since you are praying for me and this ministry.

still, there are people who need questions answered, campers who need to get registered, counselors who need cared for, and a program to run. i'm pretty much working 24/7 around here these days (for 15 more days).

God is good. please don't hear me complaining, because that is far from where my heart it. God is so faithful and is doing AMAZING things at Camp BlueSky this summer. children are knowing Jesus for the first time, counselors are learning more about who they are in Him, and leaders are being developed. and community and the Church are being lived out. it's beautiful.

God is good!

camp is here!

camp staff at the climbing site at lukenya

arts and crafts at camp

lead team retreat at amboseli national park. sweet.

this is typical me at sock war. this is before greg dumped an entire bucket on water on me. thanks greg. :)

if you know anything about my summers, then that is all you need for explanation of my silence.

early may saw the arrival of sarah. mid-may brought the camp lead team (brittany, isaac, greg).

and at the end of may the whole staff arrived and camp began.

first and second session, though smaller than usual, were so much fun. i especially enjoyed several of my high school students who served as junior counselors. we saw at least 5 new believers in the second session of camp.

the first monday after camp we served with the conways in eastleigh, a nairobi slum, and at their farm in kamulu for former street kids. what a blessing they were to us! that was a first experience for many of our staff. we got to see firsthand street kids before and after their involvement with this ministry. so many of the beautiful kids at the farm had come from terrible unspeakable backgrounds and now are training for things like hairdressing, catering, and computers. God is using Made in the Streets to rescue his beautiful children from life alone in the slums of nairobi. what a blessing it was to be a part of that if only for a day.

we just returned on saturday from a week among the Masai community around Mt. Suswa in the Rift Valley. words aren't enough right now to describe out experience. we built a greenhouse, preached in Church every day, visited homes, and sang, danced, and prayed with our Masai brothers and sisters under the African stars each evening. we camped in Bishop Abraham's front yard and were nightly tucked in with a wonderful Word from God via the Bishop. it was incredible.

tomorrow we head out to Western Province to partner with Mission Link Ministries in Bungoma. this is always a highlight of the summer and i'm sure lives will once again be changed for God's glory. hopefully i'll have some great pictures and stories when we return.

this has been my only "off" day thus far this summer. but today i am making appointments answering emails, and taking one of our staff to the doctor. and later i'll make dinner for my 30 children. :) it's good. too busy, but good.

love you all! thanks for keeping up with me!

unbelieveable

yes it is. it is unbelievable that i haven't updated my blog in almost a month. it's unbelievable that camp bluesky 2010 is right around the corner. it is also unbelievable that this school year is nearly over. ok... all those things are totally believable, really. :)

but because of all of that i have been so busy that updated my family and friends has dropped on the priority list. which is wrong. so forgive me please.

i am currently taking a day "off." so i have a little time to update you. i am, however, neglecting the much needed trip to the gym that i had planned today. oh well, tomorrow, right?!

camp is nearly here! sarah arrives on May 6, in my mind, marking the first arrival of camp staff. sarah's on the leadership team for the summer as the rock climbing coordinator. then on 16 May Isaac, Brittany, and Greg join us. and then starting from 24 May the counselors will be there. and they will trickle in throughout the summer. it's going to be good. i have now been to rosslyn and WNS to recruit campers. they are starting to sign up, but we are hoping for way way more. pray that more campers will sign up, for the leadership team as they travel, and unity among staff as we all meet together for the first time. pray also for camp preparations.

youth group is winding down. we have three more meetings for both middle and high school youth groups. it's been a good learning year for all of us. middle school youth group has grown in size and depth and the high school leaders have really started to grow into their leadership! high school youth group has waned some. the leadership teams for both have worked hard this year to follow God in teaching basic truths of the Gospel and life as a Believer. pray that we'll finish strong and have healthy goodbyes with the seniors and those moving away from Kenya. pray also that i will take all that i've learned about youth group and put it into great practice next fall.

praise God for my sweet little vaca with Mega. what a dear friend she has been! i'm so sad that she is leaving Kenya (and me) in July. thank God for her with me! here's a picture of our trip to Zanzi for Easter. it was so sweet to worship God and celebrate His resurrection on the beach. lucky us!

this is where Meg and I celebrated Easter.

famous Zanzibar door.

stay tuned for details about youth group end-of-the-year parties, high school graduations, and CAMP BLUESKY 2010!!!

happy Easter!

i've been enjoying this guy casually walking around the mall/coffee shop where i use internet, have meetings, and work. he's got a little cotton ball in the back.

i'm headed to a nice little easter break with a dear friend. so i'll not be posting for a week. enjoy our Savior and fellowship with His Church and you celebrate His resurrection together this week!

upset fruit baskets and Palm Sunday

this is my job:

it's natural to be jealous of my awesome job.

my favorite part is that the game is called "fruit basket upset." i just think that's an awkward phrase. kids were asking why the fruit basket was so upset. haha!

and then right after this we talked about Palm Sunday. we had some really good conversations about how if Jesus came today in our neighborhood like he rode into Jerusalem he'd probably be riding a donkey cart or a bicycle and would be greeted by street kids, people from the slum, prostitutes and beggars. we talked about the humility of the whole scene.

and one 6th grade girl said, "yeah, i think that if Jesus came today a lot of people wouldn't even know who he is because people have turned away from believing in Him and they have turned to other things... like... um... kissing people of the same gender."

we had a great time at middle school youth group yesterday.

humping dolphins

on Sunday when we drove to Church someone said, "you guys seen the new humping dolphins statue?" as we drove past this.

this is just a taste of some of the funny and random things that we get to enjoy around here. this beautiful new statue is just on the side of one of the roads we frequent. it's between our house and rosslyn. so i get the pleasure of driving past this every day more than once!

it's in the parking lot of a building that's been empty as long as i've lived in Kenya. a few months ago they installed a little grocery store there. and upon further investigation yesterday i noted that there is also a little indian restaurant next door to the grocery store. both establishments have names i can't remember. but i will try the restaurant soon, i'm sure. when i drove into the parking lot i was stopped by the guards. they only wanted to smile a lot and say hello. so friendly. :)

on Saturday both dolphins were spitting water and there was also water coming from the top dolphins back! i guess that's a special saturday thing. i won't talk about the fact that there's water coming out of a dolphin statue, but there hasn't been water coming from my shower in months. or how we're back on water rationing for the entire city. that's another post.

too bad i couldn't get a picture when the fountain was turned on.

outback

a trail marker

last year at Thanksgiving i was invited (thanks to one of our favorite camp BlueSky families) to be a part of a weekend family camp program by Outback America held at Brackenhurst. Outback is an outreach of JH Ranch. these are both incredible programs that i recommend. being a part of Outback in Kenya was a wonderful blessing in many ways. one, of which, was that almost all of the outback team was from the south. it really blessed my heart to be around those southern families during thanksgiving. and i was stoked to be a part of a family camp program because we have always wanted to do this and i was looking for new ideas.

while i was with the outback team in kenya they invited me to join them for Outback Mobile in Mobile, Alabama if my stateside schedule would allow.

so...

last month i made the 5-hour drive way down south where the spanish moss hangs thick, the tea is so sweet, and the hospitality is rich to Camp Grace in Mobile, Alabama for Outback Mobile. there are so many things through which God spoke during my one-night stay in Mobile.

the big top

teams meeting in their huddle groups after a talk

the "odyssey course"

under the big top for a talk

i also met some missionaries who work in Tanzania! they were on the volunteer staff for the weekend as intercessors. it was so sweet to stand around and talk about Africa together. it was much like when i spent time with the southern women in Kenya over thanksgiving, but the exact opposite. i love my two homes and the small comforts i get when i'm away from them.

i picked up a lot of great tips about family camp. one day (hopefully soon) camp bluesky will again attempt a family camp. and now we're a little bit better prepared.

the wearin' o' the green

happy st. patrick's day!

this is my favorite holiday. here are my reasons:

1. i'm irish. right, i know, it's like being cherokee, isn't it. everyone's irish. but i really think i am. i always argue, "my grandmother's family name is o'neal! i have to be irish!" Nana says we're Irish, so Irish we are. one day soon i will return to the motherland (i've never been there before).

2. i like beer. I KNOW they don't celebrate this day in ireland by drinking beer like we do in america (i think they celebrate every day in ireland by drinking beer), but i think it's fun that beer is associated with this holiday. don't get carried away, i'm not getting drunk. let's be mature.

3. green is a really nice color.

4. i like rainbows and so do leprechauns.

5. i REALLY like celtic music and irish step dancing a-la micheal flatley and lord of the dance.

i could go on.

last year on st. patrick's day my pastor Mitch gave a sermon about the life of st. patrick and i learned why i really like him and his day. i was talking with lauren about this earlier today and i remembered why i identified so much with patrick's story. when i first heard this story last year i was preparing to move back to kenya after more than a year in the States. i remember feeling lonely and crazy. crazy because i had just quit a decent job to be a volunteer and raise support. and lonely because i was going alone. and i was fairly alone in my perspective (though not alone herding pigs for 6 years like st. patrick).

patrick was captured from his home in england and sold as a slave when he was 16 years old. he was a pig herding slave and totally and completely alone until age 24 when he heard a voice telling him to go to the sea where his ship to go home was waiting. while he was alone in the irish countryside with the pigs he prayed to God day and night, waking by sunrise to worship. when he heard the voice telling him to go home, he marched 200 miles to the sea and was miraculously protected by God. of this journey patrick said, "i came in God's strength and had nothing to fear." when he got there the ship's captain refused him, but as he turned around to go back to his hut and prayed, some sailors called to him offering him passage. there is much more to the story and my friend Lauren tells more here (must read!). when he finally returned to his home in england he could not stay there. he had to go back to ireland and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus where it had not been heard.

i remember feeling so comforted and encouraged when i heard this. i was feeling alone. and i was feeling like i could not stay at home. God was calling me back to Kenya and i had to get back there and share the love of Christ. i wanted to believe that i was going back in "God's strength and had nothing to fear."

st. patrick's faith in God had an impact on the people who met him. people knew he followed Christ. people even made fun of him for it. but people also came to faith in Jesus because of his faithfulness and intense belief.

i am encouraged again today.

and i'm really enjoying wearing my shamrock shirt from mcguire's irish pub in destin, florida.

today when you are wearing your green and pinching people and drinking guiness, remember the faithfulness of st. patrick and be encouraged, comforted, convicted, and challenged. God has a plan for His children. we can trust Him. may you and i say of our journeys, "I came in God's strength and had nothing to fear."

there's a restless feelin' knocking at my door today

home

i hate saying goodbye! i start feeling anxious a few days before i fly nearly every time i leave america... and when i leave kenya...

but, alas, my Stateside hours are drawing to a close. i've been here for 6 brilliant and busy weeks. i've visited family and friends, gone to a youth ministry conference, worked at a family camp, conducted a staff retreat, visited colleges and churches to recruit staff, and done a little clothes and shoes shopping. :) it's been good. i'm returning to kenya tonight ready to jump back into things. there aren't too many weeks now until camp staff arrives. this means a fast push to the end of the school year. that will look like rugby season, more cheerleading, lots of youth group, spring break, spring banquets and proms, AND getting everything ready for camp. i'm excited!

today i finished up changing banks. i'm switching to a bank with lesser international fees (at least, i hope it will be). so i went to my old bank to close my account. when i'm in the States i spend a whole lot of time explaining what i do and why i'm living in kenya. the lady at the bank, of course, in asking why i'm changing banks, asked me what i do in Kenya. she'd never met a missionary before! her perception was that missionaries have no possessions and move around frequently. she was surprised that a missionary would need the services of a bank. :) i thought that was funny. i mean, i have very little possessions, but actually probably wayyyy more than i need. she was laughing that i needed to use a bank, but some people laugh at how financially "poor" i am. (like the guy at the investment company i went to. he said my account was very small and there weren't many services he could offer me). anyway, the lady at the bank was pleasantly surprised to learn that i work at summer camp. then she explained that she grew up as a military kid and lived in lots of different countries and never had the opportunity to go to summer camp or anything like that. she explained that when her family was living in florida some missionaries there started a Christian camp and she and her 11 brothers and sisters got to go for free. she described the experience as life changing. she's a Christian now because of hearing the Gospel at camp! HA! she and her husband don't have any children yet (they're having their first next month), but they regularly donate to a nearby camp to pay for one child each summer because camp is so important to her. would you believe that my sister goes to that very camp and each summer she receives a scholarship probably from a family just like this lady's? small beautiful world.

God continues to show me little love stories like this just when i need encouragement. in all my goodbye saying and "business" doing over the past few days, He loves me so much He gave me a sweet reminder about why He's called me to camp and Kenya. He is good.

i'm not really looking forward to this. :)

one voice

"This is the sound of all of us

Singing with love and the will to trust

Leave the rest behind it will turn to dust

This is the sound of all of us"

-The Wailin' Jennys (go listen to this song now)

i have the best friends ever. really. have you met them?

if you know me, you might feel like you've met them. i constantly talk about them. sometimes i feel like every other sentence starts out, "this one time, monnie and sarah and i..."

well, i'm adding another one: last night the above pictured ladies threw me a surprise st. patrick's day party! who does that?!! only the best friends ever. they know st paddy's is my favorite holiday. they know i wanted everyone together at least once before i leave. they know i love surprises. and they totally got me! they are wonderful. THANK YOU for planning, cooking, decoration, and opening your home (anna lauren).

in my own faith journey, God really used each of these women to show Himself to my heart. it was working at camp winshape with ginny and AL and experiencing real community for the first time that helped me really live in the skin of who God created me to be. and i can't remember who actually told me to do it, but that summer working with them was when i decided to be more of a part of winshape and apply for the scholarship. i met monnie on my first day of orientation at berry and we were nearly inseparable for the next two years. and no one will forget the triple. oh! and the quipple! ha! we all worked at wilderness together, went to school, lived in the same dorm, played and did lots of crazy unmentionable things together, prayed together, and i've been in kenya with each of them. they are still my sisters.

so last night we gathered for our "traditional" irish celebration with shepherd's pie, funfetti cupcakes, and irish step dancing. only this time we were dancing with a few pretty little girl babies. and the sound of the party was all of us "singing with love and the will to trust."

thank you my sisters, my friends, my support. i love you.

friends in cold places

As we warily stepped out of the sliding glass doors outside of baggage claim shocked by the bitter Chicago air, ladies shoving their hands in their pockets, and guys adjusting their baseball caps, we looked around at each other and laughed. If we’d ever seen each other before we’d all be good friends. Everyone was wearing jeans, tennis shoes, and a fleece, while the ladies were cute with highlighted hair and the men had either shaggy hair or no hair, but each man had some form of facial hair. Youth workers. We laughed to ourselves and bounced onto the airport shuttle. On our way to the conference hotel we shared where we were from: Minnesota, Nashville, Mississippi, Ohio… Kenya (uh, yeah, that was only me). Arriving at the hotel, after talking about how each of our youth groups would “love this kind of bus for the next winter retreat” (except mine, of course, we don’t really have winter ski trips in Kenya), we were greeting by volunteers, teachers, and pastors for youth pastors who literally yelled and cheered in welcome. This weekend’s youth workers conference was a new and exciting experience for me.

I went to the conference unaccompanied, but God is good and His beautiful Church is all over the world. I was not without friends. It is a truly beautiful thing when you can meet “strangers” who belong to the family of God and feel such kinship with them. It was warming and encouraging to talk with people with a similar passion for teenagers and children. And, as unique as our student ministry here in Kenya is, I have many common experiences with my American counterparts. We could all relate to those junior high boys who manage to break toilets and windows everywhere we take them.

sweet roommate karensa whom i met on the conference website. such a gem! she works with youth in D.C. she's beautiful. i don't know why i think it's cool to make that face. :/

There were sessions and activities planned each day (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday) from 7:30 a.m. to midnight. And we youth workers wonder why we’re so tired all the time. I was able to attend sessions like Understanding Youth Culture, Speaking to Teenagers, Thriving as a Woman in Youth Ministry, Effective Small Groups, and Ministering from Rhythms of Grace. The conference theme was “Surprising Legacy.” We took part in worship experiences each evening where youth ministry legends (Doug Fields, Duffy Robbins, Jeanne Mayo, and more) reminded us that we are leaving a legacy with the youth God has put under our influence. They spoke to us about focusing on the important, being spiritually healthy, remembering and thanking the people in our lives who left their legacy in our lives. God spoke to my heart about many things over the past few days including strengthening my confidence in His call on my life to love teenagers in Kenya and encouraging me to live a life that at all times points to Jesus. One of the final things we final things we did together at the conference was to explore what we really want. What we really really really want. It is my desire and hope that I will, wherever I go and with whomever God surrounds me, bring Heaven to Earth; be the hands and feet of Jesus. Right now, for me, that looks like leading youth groups, directing summer camp, coaching cheerleading, organizing children’s church, but mostly simply loving on kids. And, friends, it is good.

i did manage to eat some yummy chi-town deep dish pizza

Now, on to a family camp program in Alabama this weekend (details about that to come) and I’ll be back in Kenya hanging out with the AMAZING kids God has placed in our student ministry.

working at home

CAmp BlueSky staff 2010

my time in america is flying by too quickly!

it's so good though. my first two weeks were filled with family, friends, and driving around the State and region. i visited berry, shorter, covenant, belmont, samford, atlanta christian college, a church in TN, and a home in Birmingham. and there are probably other places that i've already forgotten about. i have talked to so many beautiful students who are in love with Jesus and have a passion for serving children. we can't take them all to kenya this summer unfortunately, but praise God we have a great team of female counselors! here are some names so you can be praying: Laura, Jenny, Jenny, Lauren, Leah, Kaelyn, Daley, Emily, Chelsea, Abbie, Keeler, Nicole, Amanda, Shanna, and April. And our guys team is being formed even though we don't know who most of them are. So far we've got, Zach, Zac, Johnny, Devon, Drew, and Rob. And our leadership team, Eric, Brittany, Greg, Sarah, Isaac, and me are already blending so well and will do a great job leading and serving. All of my university visits have really encouraged me about college students and their passion for Jesus and their desire to serve. There are so many young women, especially, who are in love with our God and want to follow Him anywhere. Pray that God would raise up some men to serve Him specifically in Kenya this summer and to lead all of these beautiful and passionate young women in the Church in America today.

driving to Nashville

cass and me on the way to ATL

outside the coke museum, ATL.

snow day at home

This past weekend we had our staff retreat in Rome, GA. We had a great time staying up late, eating candy, playing games, and learning to trust each other and work as a team.

as for spending time enjoying Georgia and my family and friends i have celebrated a birthday with warm chili and good friends, visited the Coke museum with my family, eaten at all my favorite restaurants, shopped with my sister for boots and skinny jeans (i'm so lost when it comes to dressing fashionably), played with all the babies in rome, and watched much of the olympics as my sister haley and i compared our wii fit skiing and snowboarding to shaun white and lindsey vonn. i have two more weeks here and i hope i squeeze in as many memory-making events as i can. today i plan to go to chattanooga with my triplets and this weekend visit the bodies exhibit with haley and my cousin emily.

and this weekend (fri-mon) i will be traveling to Chicago for the Simply Youth Ministry Conference!!! i am pumped. i have a sweet roommate and i'm really looking forward to learning more about serving teenagers and being refreshed and renewed by worshipping our wonderful savior with parts of the Church who are like me.