Whatever you do, DON’T get out of your car in the presence of lions….

Ok, so I think its time for a fun story for ya’ll! A few weekends ago I had a family friend (Caleb) and his friend (Jake) come through Nairobi. They asked me to show them around Nairobi and were hoping for a Safari. Well, anyone who knows me, knows that I won’t pass up a chance for an adventure… so the safari was indeed on the list of things to do!

The Nairobi Game Park is about ten miles away from my house but is MASSIVE. I’ve heard it is easy to get lost in but figured that God gave me a good sense of direction so that would never happen to me. I’ve been able to bring many visitors to the park this summer and have enjoyed every minute of the safari whether we are driving through tall grass, chasing a warthog, sneaking up on zebra, searching for lions, or just looking at God’s amazing creation. I’ve been told that there are lions in the park but I’ve never seen them and so I guess I kind of just thought that they don’t exist in this particular park but that they tell you that they do so that you keep coming back.

So, with the thought that lions don’t exist in this park, I figured that it was safe to step out side the car to get a good picture if I needed to. (Yes, the sacrifices I make for a good photo! :P ) So the first time I got out of the car was a little scary. I kept thinking… “What if THIS very moment is the moment that the lion decides to show himself to me….eeks!” My friends were apprehensive as well. But as the day went on and no lions were spotted we felt more free to get out of the car.

About a month after my first few drives in the game park, my sister, Meghann, and friend Kate came for a visit. They too wanted to check out the game park. We left early in the morning to spend a few hours in the park. For some reason, on this day, zebras were EVERYWHERE. I mean the whole park looked black and white from all the zebra stripes. It was humorous at times when we couldn’t even move our car because of all the zebra. At one point we were trying to drive but got stuck in the middle of a herd. I decided to have a little fun and put the car into park, got out and started running like a crazy woman on the road ahead of us… and it worked… a path was cleared for our car. I didn’t even think twice that there could be lions around! It was quite the experience to be running in the middle of Africa with zebras all around me. I would recommend you try it sometime in your life ;)

Ok… so back to the present story. Like I was saying, my friends Caleb and Jake and I decided to head out for a Safari one morning. On the way to the park we picked up a new Kenyan friend, Regean who is from the Kibera slum. This would be his first time in the game park so I wanted to make sure that it was a good one for him as well as Jake and Caleb. The whole drive to the park I talked up the park and all the animals we could see. I even shared with them how you can get out of your car and how I’ve run with a herd of zebra before. They were stoked to do something adventurous, as was I!

It was a hazy morning, which made it difficult to spot animals. We strained our eyes to find something. We saw a warthog at one point as it scurried past our car. The guys were smart enough to know not to get out of the car that point. A few minutes later we spotted a carcass of a zebra in the distance off the road. The guys unlocked their doors and dashed out to get close up pictures. I could hear their manly grunts as they enjoyed being so close to this carcass that had just been eaten by…. A lion. They came back and showed me some disgusting pictures. I politely smiles but acted like I had to really concentrate on my driving so that I didn’t have to look much longer.

About an hour later we spotted a buffalo. Jake tried to get out but a car passed us and reprimanded him for getting out in the sight of such a dangerous animal. (ha… I didn’t know they were dangerous till then!). So then we decided to off road a little bit. We spotted a cool tree in the distant that the guys wanted me to take a cool shot of them at. Below is the picture that I took of them with the tree.


After this picture, we got in the car, and went on our merry way. We spotted some zebra to our left and we were all intently watching them and talking about how cool that would be if we saw lions right then. That’s when it happened. I didn’t even hear it approaching which is strange since my driver’s window was all the way down. But all of a sudden I heard all this yelling in Swahili and I turned to see this huge army truck pulled up uncomfortably close to my drivers door with about six men inside with guns pointing at me. My first instinct was to put my hands up but then I realized how silly I would look to them. I didn’t even have time to ask them what was wrong before they were at my door, guns still pointed at me. I turned to see if the guys knew what was going on. They too were just as shocked and panicked as I was. The men would not speak English except for two words that they kept repeating “Open trunk, open trunk!!!!!!” I popped my trunk and tried to see in my rearview mirror what they were searching for since I had nothing in there. Regan finally got out of the car to see if he can talk to them in Swahili. Oh yes, the guns were still pointed at me as well as the frowns of half a dozen army guys. As I was looking in my rearview mirror I saw one of the guards grab Regan and start pulling him towards the army truck. The guard took Regan’s citizenship card and started saying things on his radio. Regan started whispering to us that we were not supposed to get out of the car and that these guys thought he was our guide in the safari and so he is to blame. Poor guy, in his excitement of his first game drive, he had dressed in “safari clothes” so he did indeed look like a tour guide. I tried to speak to the man who’s gun was pointed at me. He didn’t really want to talk. I explained to him that it was my car and that we were sorry. He yelled something to the man who was on the radio. Finally they started speaking in English… angry English. They told us that they were going to escort us out of the park… permanently. Ouch! After a few more moments they decided to give us a warning and told us that they would be watching us. Their final words being "Whatever you do, DON’T get out of your car in the presence of lions…" I wanted to respond with some sass; "WHERE are the Lions then??? Show us cause we sure can't find them!" But I bit my tongue... figured that was best with angry army men with guns. It took me a few moments to recoup from all of that… once I did, I put the child safety locks on all the doors so the guys didn’t forget. I was not about to have another truck full of angry army men with guns come up to my car!

And that’s not all. Because of being frazzled, and off roading, I lost track of where we were in the park. Yeah, that whole “God gave me a good sense of direction” deal… well, I forgot that He has a greater sense of humor! Yes, I got lost. At this point, we had been in the park for about three hours and with all the excitement of the guns and army men, and not finding any lions, we decided that it might be best to start heading back to the main gate. Ha. Lets just say that four hours later after driving to a random village in the middle of nowhere we finally found our way out of the park.


I learned quite a few things that day…

1)There are Lions in the game park but worse, there is a truck full of armed guards there who like to sneak up on you when you aren’t looking.

2)Buffalos are dangerous… Don’t play chicken with them on a bridge.

3)Although only ten miles away from your house, you can get lost for seven hours.

4)Seven hours of driving in the game park can cause a lot of dust to add up on your dashboard.

5)Little four door Suzuki cars can drive up a boulder infested mountain if you are listening to the theme song from “Rocky.”

6)You should really use a map at the Nairobi game park.

7)Don’t dress like a tour guide.

8)Life is an adventure! :)... well, that I already knew!

I Need Africa More than Africa Needs Me

Quenching the Thirst

Hello,
I pray this message finds you all well. I feel like I have to take a very deep breath right now to be able to write this post. I know that my posts recently have been a little "heavy" but it is the reality of life at the moment in Kenya. In my last post I shared with you about the passing of one of my neighbors, a missionary pilot with AIM (Frank) and the hospitalization of my other neighbor, Ryan. Life on the compound was difficult this past week. I struggled with trying to find ways that I could serve these families but our AIM "family" here was incredible in supporting the family's, the wives, and the children of these two men. I realized that I needed to just be available for anything that might come up and to constantly be in prayer for everyone.

As the week went on we found out that Ryan (Missionary Mechanic who was in the hospital) was going to be moved to a burn unit in South Africa. We prayed that the Lord would deliver him down their safely... and he did. Shortly after his arrival in S.A. we received word to be praying for Ryan's health as it was deteriorating due to the infection in the burns. I know many of you were praying and I am so greatful. Friday morning we received word that the Lord took Ryan home to heaven. I was devastated with this news. The mood among everyone turned from saddness to complete overwhelming shock.

We lost two family members.
Two woman in our family are now widows.
Eight children in our family are now fatherless.
...so much loss in a week.

I feel exhausted emotionally, but I know that can't compare to what these men's families are feeling. I pray for them whenever they come to mind... .which has been constant lately. Please join me in prayer as well... pray for their wives, their children, their parents, their family, their friends and all those who's lives have been effected by these two great men.

Death is something that is so hard to grasp. It is so immediate and perminate. I have had quite a few experiences with people in my life dying and it never gets easier. I remember calling my friend who was battling cancer to talk but instead, had her father answer the phone as he choked out the information that she had slipped into a coma and would never wake up again. I lost my breath... I remember hearing about a bad car accident on the interstate only to find out later that my friend was in the car and didn't make it. I felt my knees go weak.... And now, the news of this tragic accident was devistating. I hurt so badly for these families but they are incredible. Even tonight, the facebook status of one of the woman who lost her husband stated "We are well, it is well with my soul." My body ached, arms covered with goosebumps, and eyes filled with tears. How trusting of our Heavenly father to be able to say "It is well with my soul." ... and I know she means it. I am learning so much from my family here.... I am blessed with their strength, encouragement, comfort, and joy in the midst of such saddness.

As I said in a few previous blog posts, this summer has not been easy here. I've had series of ups and downs in life. Some with closure through understanding where I can grasp the lessons, others leave me wondering the purpose behind it. Those lessons are obviously the hardest. I'm often the stubborn one asking "why?" instead of realizing the refining that comes through these lessons... as if I feel that God owes me something such as answering the "why?".

I've been realizing that through all these ups and downs that God is a God of healing. One thing I know for sure, had it not been for the various heartbreaks, I would not have been able to see the Lord piece me back together. I would not have experienced Him turning my ashes into beauty. I would not have known what it means to make all things new. I'm still working on my heart and being able to say that all these trials were worth the pain... but I do know that I am greatful to be able to get to know another attribute of my savior: The Healer.

When going through these difficult times I often feel that I am so "thirsty" for healing water and for time with my Heavenly Father. The other day I was organizing some of my books and came across a blank journal. It is such a fun and beautiful journal with handmade paper... one of those journals that is so unique that I couldn't imagine ruining it by inking its pages... but I automatically knew what I wanted to do with this one. I needed a place to record my healing and record ways that the Lord is healing me. I wanted something that I can write down scripture, quotes, song lyrics, and words from friends that have helped me to "Quench the Thirst" in my soul. It has been so great to have so far...especially right now. I'm excited to create this book through my journey of the rest of my time in Africa. To record the mountains and valleys that He leads me through, and to be able to have something tangible to look back on and remember.


A friend of mine (Meghan M.) sent me this quote to help me to remember that no matter the pain I'm sharing in with the missionaries here, God has called me to a task here in Africa and that no matter what, I need to be faithful to complete it. And yes, this quote is indeed going to make it into my book because it has helped me to "Quench the Thirst"...

"Yesterday you experienced a great sorrow and now your home seems empty. Your impulse is to give up amid your dashed hopes. Yet, you must defy that temptation for you are at the front lines of battle and the crisis is at hand. Faltering for even one moment would put God's interest at risk. Other lives will be harmed by your hesitation and His work will suffer if you simply fold your hands. You must not linger at this point, even to indulge your grief."

Urgent Prayer

Please, Please be praying....

Around 4:30 yesterday I got word that one of our AIMair airplanes had crashed in Nairobi. Two of our missionaries were on board as well as two media men filming a documentary. The two passengers are in stable condition (however be praying for Dan as he has complained of abdominal pains today). The airplane mechanic has suffered severe burns, cuts, and broken bones. Unfortunately, I am sad to say that the pilot did not make it.... he is now in Heaven with our Lord. Please be praying for the family's of these missionaries. They need prayer support right now for strength, healing, peace, and encouragement. We are all soo saddened by these events and need prayer to be able to find ways to comfort and encourage these families during this time.

The following is a letter from the General Manager of AIMair:

August 02 2009

An accident occurred on August 1, with an AIM AIM Cessna 206. It occurred around 2:30PM (EAT) near the Nairobi Wilson Airport. There were four people on board; AIM AIR pilot Frank Toews, AIM AIR mechanic Ryan Williams and two Americans. At this time there is still medical evaluation being done but this is what we know: The two passengers have some broken bones, minor burns, cuts and bruises. They are both being kept in the hospital for treatment and further evaluation. Ryan Williams' injuries currently include a fractured pelvis, multiple contusions and some significant burns. However, his prognosis is good and he is receiving good medical attention in Nairobi. Frank Toews, the pilot, did not survive the accident and has gone to be with the Lord and Savior whom he loved dearly and served well.

Please pray with us, specifically for the timely return for health of those who are injured, their families, and particularly for Frank's wife and 4 children as they trust God for strength and comfort during this difficult time.

We are trusting God, with all of you, to show Himself to be good, even beyond our expectations and understanding of what good could mean, in a
situation like this.

Denny Dyvig
AIM AIR General Manager

"Morning brings a hunger for new eyes"

Jambo, ya’ll!

I hope this blog post finds you all well! I’m sitting here in my home in Kenya freeeeeezing! Yes, FREEZING! Crazy, huh? Who knew that Africa could get cold? Thankfully my mom brought over a nice soft fleece throw to keep me warm…. Mom, you rock!

Life has been pretty insane for me this “summer.” There have been tons of changes and life’s ups and downs. I apologize for not writing more but I have now set a new goal to update you all weekly on what is going on in my life. It’s hard to believe that I have now been here for half a year. It seriously few by sooooo quickly. I recall getting ready to leave the States and worried that this year would go by soooo slow but oh was I wrong!

In the past six months I’ve gone through 3 weeks of orientation, 4 weeks of living with a Kenyan family, 4 weeks of language school, getting sick, starting my ministry with the On Field Media team, traveling to Tanzania, moving twice, learned how to drive, traveled to Sudan…..and had visitors! ☺

My first visitors that came were 2 of my best friends…. Hannah and Catherine. It was such a blessing to have them here with me for two whole weeks! We jam packed those weeks with various adventures…every day we created new memories. It was so great to laugh again with friends who know me backwards, forwards, inside, and out. I love looking back on photos of our time together and knowing that they now have shared memories with me here and can relate to stories of new made friends and newly discovered places in Kenya. It was so difficult to say goodbye to them but I know that “Friends are friends forever when the Lord’s the lord of them…..” (Sarah Moore….that corny line is just for you! Haha ;) )

Shortly after my friends left I was visited by……. My friend, Kate, and my sister Megs!!!!! It of course was an emotional meeting! ( I always count it a victory when I can make my little sister cry….and I was victorious at the airport!) The first thing out of my sister’s mouth after we hugged was “I can’t believe you are you! I can touch you…. You aren’t just a talking head on a computer screen!” Thank the Lord for technology! A few days later my mom and brother, Justin arrived and it was just as good to be able to hug them again! Nothing like seeing Mom at the perfect time! Annnd a few days after that my dad arrived from Rwanda! We made a “Flatt Ryan” version of my older brother to bring with us on all our adventures so he wasn’t left out. We had seven days together and knew we would have to jam pack it with fun and memories… we had 6 months to make for!

I was so proud of how my family acclimated to Nairobi. Things that I anticipated would surprise them barely fazed them! They were super adventurous… trying new foods, shopping at the market, and keeping their mouths shut in the car while I drove ;). One of our highlights was being able to go to the Masai Mara for a 2 day Safari! We stayed at the Mara Sarova Hotel and it was fabulous. I’d rate it 6 stars if that were an option! We got to see every animal….I was most amazed at the elephants and the lions. Those two animals have been on my “bucket list” of things to do and see before I die. I can now die happy….well except for the rest of the items on my “bucket list.”

It was sooo hard to see my family go. Having them here was such a blessing. The Lord’s timing is incredible because he knew exactly when I needed them and he was able to provide to get them here at just the right time. It was strange waving goodbye to them at the airport. We kept waving as they went deeper and deeper into the airport. Finally I knew that it was time to let them go and it was not my time to go with them. I blew them a kiss and gave them the sign “I love you.” And backed away from the window. It was strange. It was strange knowing that for such a short time they were on my side of the world, with me but now are back in America far, far away from here.

I’ll admit that the days that followed are goodbye has been a little rough. I’ve done a lot of processing about life and the last few months trying to sort some things out. This evening I was looking through my blog archives and looking back on the past six months. One that I came across that stood out was my post about New Years. I listed my new years resolutions for this year. As I read each one I realized that it was time for me to assess how I’ve been doing in these areas….

Boldness:
"Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold." 2 Corinthians 3:12

Peace:
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Surrender:
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Strength:
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

I think recently the Lord is challenging me on all of these areas. Another one that I feel the Lord has been speaking to me about is living more fearless…and I think that will come as I work on the four attributes: Boldness, peace, surrender, and strength.

I’ve been praying that the Lord would use me during this time in Africa….to grown and refine me. I don’t want my time here to wrap up with me being the same Kate that I was before I left the states. I want to be a woman of the Lord who see’s life through Christ’s eyes….is broken for those He is broken for… who walks boldly in Christ… who lives in peace… who is able to surrender my future and my hopes and dreams to Christ… who has strength to face whatever the Lord lay ahead of me….and to live fearlessly no matter the circumstance. I think fear holds me back from a lot of things… I don’t want it to anymore. Whether it’s a fear of the unknown, of a conversation, of new beginnings, of loving and being loved, of hardships and doing things alone…. Fear will not rule.

I’ve got quite a few things to continue to work on but I’m looking forward to some quality time with me and the Lord. Just a few days ago as I was saying goodbye to my family I saw my loneliness here as a curse but I’m slowly seeing it as a blessing. How cool is that that God would bring me all the way to the beautiful land of Africa to spend some one on one time with Him.

"When I have been a victim of familiarity
When my heart has fallen into sleep
Healing is the voice that awakens me
And it is you"

* I'm going to be posting soon with more details about my family's time here with me! (pictures included of course)

God Bless the USA...all the way from Kenya!

I hope that you all had an AMAZING Fourth of July! Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. I love the buzz in the air, the smell of bbqs, and the fireworks that wrap up the evening. Things are a tad bit different in Kenya when it comes to celebrating the Fourth of July…..obviously!

If you were to ask any of my friends here if I were excited about the Fourth of July arriving, they would for sure say that I wouldn’t stop talking about it! I counted down the days till I got to celebrate the 4th. Knowing that things would be different, my friends and I were determined to make the most of it! There are five of us that hang out (Sammi, Joelle, Luke, Phil, and me)….perfect amount to pack into my car and find some trouble….er,I mean fun! (Joelle is from Canada so we had pitty on her and let her be an American for the day. )

We started our celebration bright and early…. 8am. Sammi was up in Machakos volunteering to help watch kids for those at the Africa Based Orientation (ABO) for AIM so our first stop was Machakos! Before Machakos, however Joelle invited us all over for a breakfast. In the invitation she said: “Dress up in western outfits and bring country music!” I thought she was going to try to make fun of us Americans somehow since we like to tease her about being from Canada but instead she shared a Canadian tradition with us! It was called a “Stampede Breakfast” which apparently is a tradition in her town. For ten days the whole city shuts down to celebrate the stampede. All over the city people host amazing breakfasts. It begins on the first Thursday in July and continues for ten days. Sooo, although it was the 4th of July (an American holiday) we got to celebrate a Canadian tradition too! And it was Yummy! I got to make the pancakes and added an American twist….Mickey Mouse! :)

(Our "Stampede Breakfast"... Phil, Luke, Me, Joelle (the Canadian :) )

After our “Stampede Breakfast” we hit the road for Machakos. It was a fun ride with friends. We got to drive through many different towns and see so many beautiful mountains! The last time I traveled this road was in January and back then the roads were ROUGH! They made a new road but……..I didn’t get that memo. After a little “detour” (riding down a ravine and through a construction site) we made it to Machakos. It was exactly how I’d seen it 5 months ago! We got to meet a lot of new missionaries who just arrived and it was amazing for me to see them and to realize that I’m not “new” anymore!

Shortly after we picked up Sammi, the five of us headed to Mt. Lukenya where my pastor owns a camp. He invited all the Americans he knew for a bbq. It was BEAUTIFUL out there! So great to get out of the chaos of Nairobi and enjoy the fresh air! After a good old American bbq, we headed to the volley court for some “Big Ball Volleyball!” Ok….50 something Americans (plus one Canadian) on a volleyball court with a 3 foot ball is insane! Unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures of the event, which is sooo sad cause it was a site to see. I laughed more than I hit the ball….for sure! Our team lost (wah wah) but it didn’t matter…the fun we had was priceless! The camp is on 100 acres. On one side of the camp is a mountain and the other side is a safari park…pretty much incredible to say the least! My pastor’s son, Paul, (who is the camp director) handed me his keys to his four-wheeler after the game. I’ve found a new passion of mine…four-wheeling around the African Bush…tooo fun! It was like Jet-skiing but without the water! I hope to get back out to that camp soon and ride some more! Before we left the camp, Paul invited us to his house that he just built. Yes, you read that right, he BUILT his very own house! It was AMAZING! I felt like it should be on one of those “Home” TV channels. The moment I walked in my jaw dropped. It was this incredible ranch in the middle of a Safari park. Paul says that a lot of times he eats dinner on his back porch as the sunsets, watching giraffe walk by. As we left the camp my mind was occupied with how I can get OFM to move out to some place like this camp! Haha….like that would ever happen!

(The Camp bbq... Joelle, Luke, Sammi, Renee, Me, Phil)

Our drive home was a little less eventful since I was able to find the newly paved road…and it was quite nicer than driving through the ravine! We made a stop at the grocery store and picked up some food for our own dinner that evening. It turned out amazing! We had marinated chicken, rosemary potato wedges and steamed green beans. (Don’t worry….we explained to the Canadian that this isn’t a traditional 4th of July dinner such as hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and corn on the cob.) It was one of the best dinners I’ve had in a while….soo tasty! The company, of course made the night. Laughter filled the air constantly as we recalled memories from the day and the past few months. We wrapped up the evening with quite a few rounds of the game “Apples to Apples” then 3 episodes of “The Office.” Have I mentioned before that we laughed a lot on the 4th? ☺

So, recap: Despite the fact that we were the minority who actually celebrate the 4th of July in Kenya we were able to make the most of it and make lasting memories. There were no fireworks, but there were constant explosions of laughter.

God Bless the USA!

P.s. I still have yet to update on my time spent with two of my best friends who visited me for two weeks! It was an incredible time! Once I get pictures then I will for sure fill you all in on the adventures we had! ☺

Sudan

I leaned my head back to calm my nerves. The sun had already peaked to brighten the African plains. Palms sweaty, heart racing, I tried to distract my mind from what I was about to do. I looked around at the 18 other passengers to find someone else who looked as nervous as I. Most were already dozing off or deeply enwrapped in the pages of their books. A few found comfort in the conversation of a fellow passenger. I looked at my teammates Ted and Tim, they too were relaxed. I figured it was as good a time as any to share my nerves. “Wow, small plane! I think this is the smallest Airplane I’ve ever been on!” Ted quickly looked at Tim and with a slight laugh looked back at me to declare, “Just you wait.” “Great.” I thought trying to grasp what THAT plane ride would be like. I’m used to the big planes…the ones were a whole city is packed in, 10 to a row, 2 aisles, 15 flight attendants, 9 bathrooms, 500 sick bags, life jackets, oxygen masks….you know, the whole shebang! I guess when I think about it though, why does a bagillion pound plane seem safer to fly in the air than a little 19 passenger? Somehow it made sense of my nerves at the time.

The cockpit was open so I could see the pilots making their last checks. I too was double-checking the pilots making sure they touched every last button making sure it worked. This was the first time I didn’t care how long it took to get into the air… I wanted the pilots to check everything! Before I knew it we were lined up on the airstrip waiting our turn for the take off. I gripped my seat tighter and leaned my head down to peek through the tiny window. I said a very thorough prayer….and before I knew it we were landing in Lokichoggio, Northern Kenya! I almost prided myself on the fact that I made it through that flight. Aaaaaand then I saw our next plane. When Ted said “Just you wait” he wasn’t kidding….at all. We stood on the little airstrip as I saw this bug come out of the sky and land before us. GULP! “I’m bigger than that thing.” I mumbled as we walked closer to the plane. It didn’t help that the pilot who landed was taking seats out and rearranging the whole inside of the plane. I made sure to double check that they tightened the screws on my chair before I got in…haha, yeah, I’m THAT girl. But seriously, who wants to know how easy it is for their chair to come out right before they are about to fly?


The sun was beginning to set behind the Sudan hills. We had a 30-minute flight into Sudan where we would land on the airstrip in Dadinga Hills. Hmm, Airstrip is not quite the word I would typically use to describe it. After a prayer we were on our way! It was an amazing flight! Even in our little bathtub of an airplane we could see SOOO much more than you ever could on one of those big planes. At one point Ted yelled back “I’m opening the window.” But since I couldn’t hear him all I saw was him saying something and pointing out the window. I acknowledged what I thought he was pointing at. Next thing I know, he opens the window….what in the world? It was an instant tunnel of wind heading straight towards me. If I hadn’t already straighten my hair that morning, it would have been straight no matter after we landed…straight back that is! The coolest part of the trip was looking out the window and seeing all these African huts scattered over the mountains. Each rolling hill covered with unreached people waiting to hear the word of God! As we got close to landing I looked out the window to see a more modern looking hut and a white woman running outside flailing her arms at us in a welcoming fashion. Ted once again leaned back and tried to yell that we were landing. All I could see is this mountain and our plane heading straight for it. I was wondering if this was the point where I’d have to eventually formulate a phone call to my mom from a hospital bed: “Uhh hi mom! Yeah, Sudan was good…no, I’m not there anymore. Yeah I did get to really, uh, bond with Sudan! It was a unique experience…it kinda made me crash right into the culture. Yeah, God really broke me when we were there! Yeah, I’m gonna be taking quite a few weeks to recover from the jet crash..I mean lag, jet lag! Oh yeah jet lag…I know I’m on the same time zone but those little planes sure put a dent in your nerves!” Instead, however, the pilot did some amazing maneuvers and we were able to land on the top of this mountain, rocks, grass, holes, included!

As we landed and the plane stopped at the end of the airstrip we were greeted with TONS of Dadinga people scattered amongst the missionaries there! They did some sort of traditional dance to match their traditional dress they donned just for us! They broke their dance and charged us. I don’t know how many of those missionaries spit on my hand, but they say it was part of the culture and they were trying to be traditional. I have my doubts though… I never once got spit on the entire rest of the time I was there! (Funny joke, Dadinga TIMO, funny joke.) We were instantly surrounded by the people I’d be living among for the next 7 days. Naked children, curious woman, and strong warrior like men came out of the forest to see who was brought in the plane. I’d never been among such people before but it was breathtaking. Of course this was not the same situation but I couldn’t help but wonder how Jim Elliot felt when he landed among the unreached people group that had been so deeply placed on his heart. So many new smells, sights, people, traditions, a new language, a new culture…everything new to both you and the natives. It’s an amazing experience. Two completely different cultures colliding.

The missions’ team we were documenting is a TIMO team (Training In Mission Outreach) made up of young adults who are seeking to live a life in ministry. TIMO is a two-year training foundation towards a future in missions. I got to spend about a month with this particular team during my time at ABO (Africa Bound Orientation) so I was stoked to find out that our next video would be in the Dadinga hills with my friends! I’d heard so much about this team and was excited to experience everything with them!



The Lord made me put my money where my mouth is during this week. Forever I’ve been thinking how great it will be to live in Africa, serving God, traveling, documenting all these amazing stories and so on. I think I had this romanticized idea that wherever I go, my little comfortable house, shower, and bathroom will follow. And of course NO bugs, snakes, or animals would be anywhere I went! Not so much. I spent my first night with two of my friends. It was fairly dark by the time we headed down, yes down to their house. Not “down” as in just like down the street. I mean DOWN the mountain, down. It was about a 30-minute hike down a pretty steep part of the hill. My foot often slipped on a softer part of the path, which I found out in the morning was cow dung! Finally, after the hike in the dark we came to a clearing and there was their tukal! (correct me on the spelling, TIMO) Their tukal was two round rooms divided in half on either side of a small square kitchen area. The houses are made of woven sticks splattered with mud and dung. The roofs were a combination of a metal and thatched roof. The bathroom was a drop toilet with a small-sloped area for washing. The thing that surprised me the most was how cold it was! My first night I had to borrow scrubs from one of the teammates and tuck them into my socks while I had my rain jacket zipped up to my chin and tied my hood tight around my face. Ok, fine…that was partly for the cold and partly from my fear of bugs! Haha…yes, I do live in Africa and have a huge fear of bugs. I can testify that God can still use those who fear bugs! (Can I hear an amen?)

Our week was extreme, to say the least. It consisted of constantly hiking up and down these steep hills, rewriting our script, documenting different parts of life and ministry in Dadinga. We got to spend some time with the Dadinga people, seeing how they live and how they interact. We were privileged to share in with prayer and every day life with the team. Just being with these missionaries serving them and with them brought back my spark of excitement for being here…and is priceless. I loved sitting with the woman and hearing my friend talk to them in their own language. I loved seeing the TIMO team use their hands to minister to the Dadinga people in their new clinic as they bandaged wounds, prayed for the sick, and held new babies.

I adored the Dadinga children.


They were SO playful and SO curious. An “Agotuno” (hello) in their language coming from white lips was a delight in their eyes. Their precious little faces could melt any heart. Although they don’t have much in the hills, they made games out of EVERYTHING! I kept thinking about the little one’s and praying for their lives and the lives of the TIMO team here to serve them.

The trip couldn’t end without a bang, of course! We were supposed to be picked up at 9am by the same small plane. Due to the size of the plane, however, and the winds that rush through the Dadinga hills, our departure was cancelled for that day. I sat in the kitchen overhearing the conversation between David, the team leader, and the pilot through the radio. I could only understand bits and pieces of the broken conversation but what I could catch was the words “Hike, tomorrow, Nagishot, and Caravan.” Putting two and two together I realized the adventure that we were about to have…as if living in the hills for a week wasn’t enough! The only plane regulated to land on the closest airstrip was being serviced in Nairobi so we would have to hike to the next closest airstrip about ten miles away. 10 miles seems like a piece of cake until you add the factor of Sudan hills and tons of media equipment. Being the only female on our hike I felt I had to make sure I kept up with the pace of the men. I kept my camera close and was able to take a few shots of the incredible landscape, but pictures could not, I repeat, COULD NOT do the landscape justice. At a few different points in our hike we paused on the bridge of two mountain peaks that connected and looked at the vast amount of land on either side. It was beautiful and it was amazing to think about how the God of this universe created that very spot, in the middle of nowhere, Sudan and that I was privileged to view His creation.

As I spent time with the people I knew that this is why the Lord called me here. Being among these people and the people who are there to serve them, watching them interact and understand each other was incredible. These are the stories God wants me to tell. Of course, God doesn’t NEED me to share these stories. No, he doesn’t need me at all. That’s the beautiful thing. He doesn’t need me and yet he allows me to share in and be apart of His great work throughout Africa. After 5 months here, I've come to a simple conclusion: God is SO big, that me being here is of course to further the Kingdom but it is also about God caring so greatly about me that he would bring me all the way to Kenya to stretch me, break me, and refine me into a more pliable person willing to be placed wherever the calling may be. And when he calls, we have to be ready enough to say “Ok, Lord, I don’t fully know what this is for or how you can use me, but I’m here…please, use me.”

For more pictures, follow the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79334967@N00/show/