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.