Survivor Reward Challenge

Permit me to be a little overly-dramatic:  over the last week and a half, I have frequently thought about the similarities of my current living situation to the television show Survivor.  I know I am stretching it with the analogy, but the people on the show frequently eat the same food over and over for days on end (here it is potatoes, rice, and coleslaw - plus water) and they live in close proximity to one another without their usual comforts.  Well, in keeping with the Survivor theme,  today (Saturday) it felt like we won a Reward Challenge! :)

The Itsy Bitsy Bug

Have you ever gone to a new place or started a new job/school/position and experienced a roller coaster of emotions from experience to experience or day-to-day or even minute-to-minute?  I have certainly done that in the past in a variety of circumstances, but this move takes the cake.  It isn't always a bad thing - the "highs" can be exhilarating, but the "lows" can be pretty low.

Church-another chance for culture shock!

Today, being Sunday, we divided up into 6 or 8 groups that went to various churches in the area.  Some churches were near, one was up to 4km away, some were in English, others were in Kiswahili or Kikamba (the local tribe), some were long and some were similar to a US service.  What was ours like, you might ask?  Let me tell you...

Saturday-a day off!

 Today was a day off - very much appreciated after arriving and having 3 full days of "class."  We got up early and it was sunny!  (Too bad I couldn't do some laundry before we left.)

Well, it has been a challenging 24 hours....we arrived at Scott Bible College here in Machakos yesterday, where we are staying in the dorms for 3 weeks.   Not your typical US dormitory.

Giraffes, elephants, and driving - oh my!

They are very gentle animals. :)

 We went to the Giraffe Park and the Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi yesterday morning - here are some photos of the girls feeding the giraffes and the kids with the baby elephants.  :) We are learningthat there is a big movement here in Kenya to focus on conservation and the environment.... 

Blessings amid the craziness!

It has been a month since we have written-the craziest month of our lives!  At first, we didn't write because there wasn't a lot to share.  Then, we didn't write because we didn't have a spare minute!  Now, we have arrived here in Kenya, and we want to update you on what has happened in our lives....