Kenya update #1

Email I sent out June 9th, 2008

---

Hey everyone!

I can't believe I've been here for over 2 weeks already! In some ways it's been some of the longest 2 weeks of my life but I'm already a quarter into my missions trip. I've been wanting to write an update for a while because I've experienced so much and have so much I want to say, but it's been hard to find time!

First, I just want to praise God for His provision financially! Some of you know that when I left, I did not have enough money to pay for the missions trip and my rent this summer, and I was facing $15k in non-resident tuition fees for the 2008-2009 school year. I questioned whether or not I should even be going on this missions trip instead of looking for a job, but I knew that there was no way I could do that, for God has set this trip on my heart. And His sovereign grace has been so amazing! I thank Him for the generosity that you guys have shown me, and for helping me find a subletter (after I had already left the country!), for a summer stipend I will be receiving, and just now, I received an email that funding has been found to cover my NRT for next year! It is from the fund that is used to pay NRT for first year graduate students, but one of the entering students will not be using it... "it's great news" the division manager told me. No, it's AMAZING news! =D I will also have a TA position to provide for my regular tuition and living stipend... praise God for His provision, and now my heart can be fully at ease!

I won't try to be too ambitious and write about the last 2 and a half weeks in a single email, so I will write mostly about the first week. It was mainly a time of confusion about my purpose in Africa, and dealing with ugly sins that revealed themselves in a place where it's every man for himself. It's far easier to "put others first in love" when you can be sure you will have enough to eat or when you have money to buy snacks (which I didn't). The first week, and still now, but especially the first week, was a painful time of both repentance and struggling to make sense of everything.

I've met two people in particular who truly inspire me. One of them, Wilson, was an orphan, sponsored by an American through Compassion for many years, and is now the leader of ICY Uganda which has an amazing ministry, as well as a sponsorship program called Empower Child. Were it not for his sponsor, Wilson said, he would probably be a criminal right now. This was so amazing for me to hear and ask him more about, because we know there are so many children waiting to be sponsored, and we hear of how they will be given an education and clothing and food, but we don't often get to know what happens to them. This is what can happen, and I am amazed at what God can do...

The second person will have to wait for another day, I gotta go soon...

I just want to thank God for how he has provided for me, and over the past week, revealed to me more about my mission here in Africa. I will be doing a lot of teaching in schools, and it will be mostly Christian/Bible classes, and I am really excited! Kenya is full of religious people it is true, but so few people have life...... please pray that I will decrease, and Christ in me increase, that I may be used by Him to be a blessing unto the people here, to both the Christians and non-Christians. I am also working really hard at learning Swahili, for God has given me a gift of ministering through conversation, but this is difficult when everyone knows English but speaks to each other in Swahili. I only understand what they choose to tell me. But God has been amazing in helping me learn the language! They say I am better than any other MST that has ever stayed with them... praise God for His working in me... I know this is His will.

There is so much more I wish to say but there are 2 people waiting for me to hurry up and finish. >_< Thank you for reading my email! Please reply and let me know how you're doing too!

God bless!

Virginia

Hey everyone!

Following is an email I sent out on May 25th after I arrived, figured I should post it to my blog as well.

---

Just wanted to thank you all for your prayers and let you know that I've arrived safely in Nairobi! It's 12 pm on Sunday May 25th here, and I have a few minutes in a cyber (read: internet cafe) to check my email, before I leave with the ICY Kenya team to travel to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania for a 1 week conference.

It's been busy since I arrived, trying to process things and adjust to life here. I find myself wondering, what exactly am I doing here? The team seems to have things together and be very dedicated to their work, and it's not like I'm here to kick off something... I pray that God will help me get to know and understand them better, and see what they lack that I can provide. There's a lot I need to learn too, and much to unlearn about things I've come to take for granted.

I realized it's not good to have unfinished business when on a missions trip, especially one of this length... I'm not sure how many opportunities I will have to check my email, but I still need to sort things out at Berkeley this summer and for the fall, and that's not cool. =/ Please pray that everything will work out~

May God bless and watch over all of you! Hope to have another chance to write soon...

Love,

Virginia