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!