Kenya YES team newsletter #2
Monica Stoltzfus
12/18/07
You can better read our letters, with pictures, at yesteamkenya.blogspot.com.
This week started out eventfully since we last wrote. We got to experience 2 church services at the Songhor Mennonite Church, the 9th and the 16th. Their praise and worship is incredible. They would just break into song, dancing and clapping to beautiful harmonies. The service on the 9th started pretty small, but the congregation grew as the morning continued. The rains the night before had left travel difficult, as many of the church members live a distance from the church, and any rain turns the dirt paths to mud. Even the smallest rain effects travel, which has really made me grateful for the transportation in the U.S. I will never complain about Pennsylvania roads ever again!
Sunday afternoon, I ended up getting sick on my stomach. When 24 hours later I still hadn’t improved, we went to the hospital. Due overloaded transportation and the few paved roads with more potholes than blacktop, the miserable trip of 14km took two and a half hours. When we arrived, I was tested and we found out I had gotten Malaria. But we had caught it relatively early, and with treatment, I quickly improved. Other than this, it has been a praise that we have had really good health!
Praises:
Ÿ For relatively good health, and my quick recovery from malaria.
Prayer requests:
Ÿ Our second and final week of Swahili classes begins Wed. We are learning, but we ask that you continue to pray that we will come to understand more of the language. It has been a blessing, though, that many people understand English.
Ÿ Continued team unity.
Ÿ We will also begin more of our actual outreach next week, so you can keep us in your prayers as we transition.
Ÿ Christmas is coming up rapidly, which leads to thoughts of home and family. Pray that we can have a blessed holiday and won’t be dealing with a lot of homesickness.
Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers. It has been an adjustment, but Kenya is beautiful, and the people are very hospitable. It’s beginning to feel a little more like home.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Kenya YES team newsletter #1
Kenya YES team newsletter #1
Becky Jordan
8/12/2007
Check for updates and picutres on our team blog at:
yesteamkenya.blogspot.com
Hello Everyone,
We have made it to Songhor at last. Thursday we made the eight hour bus ride from Nairobi. The roads in Kenya are extremely bumpy and many times we were off road riding on dirt paths due to the main road being under construction. We went to bed early after the long day. Friday morning we woke up to the sound of the roosters crowing and the sight of a mosquito net surrounding each of our beds. It was a wonderful morning; the countryside is beautiful here and the yard is full of chickens running around and cows and goats tied to posts and trees. After breakfast we played soccer with the grandchildren of our hostess who is the mother of Bishop Clyde. We formed a circle with the kids and toss the ball around, we would say our names and then throw the ball and ask for the child's name. Soon they were catching on and would call out our names when they threw the ball to us. Some of the kids know a little English so we were able to communicate with them using what limited swahili we know. They were also quite amused by Monica's camera, taking pictures and videos of each other and laughing at the comments they made on the videos, most of which we didn't understand. Tonight we were playing Uno Bam as a team and the kids surrounded the table yelling "Bam" when we would yell it. And laughing hysterically when we would slap our hands on the pile of cards.
Not being able to communicate is a huge frustration, but it is a relief that most people know English. We are going to have two weeks of intense language study. They tell us that by the end of the two weeks we will be able to communicate well. At this point that seems impossible, but we hope not.
Well that is just a bit about what is going on here in Songhor.
God Bless,
Becky Jordan for the Kenya team
Prayer requests:
That we will learn the language and soon
That we will know how to fit into the culture
Praises:
Safe journey to Nairobi and then to Songhor
The blessing that Bishop Clyde and his family has been
Becky Jordan
8/12/2007
Check for updates and picutres on our team blog at:
yesteamkenya.blogspot.com
Hello Everyone,
We have made it to Songhor at last. Thursday we made the eight hour bus ride from Nairobi. The roads in Kenya are extremely bumpy and many times we were off road riding on dirt paths due to the main road being under construction. We went to bed early after the long day. Friday morning we woke up to the sound of the roosters crowing and the sight of a mosquito net surrounding each of our beds. It was a wonderful morning; the countryside is beautiful here and the yard is full of chickens running around and cows and goats tied to posts and trees. After breakfast we played soccer with the grandchildren of our hostess who is the mother of Bishop Clyde. We formed a circle with the kids and toss the ball around, we would say our names and then throw the ball and ask for the child's name. Soon they were catching on and would call out our names when they threw the ball to us. Some of the kids know a little English so we were able to communicate with them using what limited swahili we know. They were also quite amused by Monica's camera, taking pictures and videos of each other and laughing at the comments they made on the videos, most of which we didn't understand. Tonight we were playing Uno Bam as a team and the kids surrounded the table yelling "Bam" when we would yell it. And laughing hysterically when we would slap our hands on the pile of cards.
Not being able to communicate is a huge frustration, but it is a relief that most people know English. We are going to have two weeks of intense language study. They tell us that by the end of the two weeks we will be able to communicate well. At this point that seems impossible, but we hope not.
Well that is just a bit about what is going on here in Songhor.
God Bless,
Becky Jordan for the Kenya team
Prayer requests:
That we will learn the language and soon
That we will know how to fit into the culture
Praises:
Safe journey to Nairobi and then to Songhor
The blessing that Bishop Clyde and his family has been
Monday, December 3, 2007
Hello Everyone,
We made it to Nairobi, Kenya. Our plane landed at 7:10pm yesterday. We took two taxis to Mike and Cindy's guest house and had an interesting ride. Two of us went in one taxi and the other two in another. The taxi drivers were separated and one of them didn't know where he was going. Finally we were able to find each other, but believe me we were doing some praying. Anyway, we're here safely and Clyde Agola is coming to pick us up and take us to Songhor. We're living minute by minute.
God bless,
Becky Jordan for the Kenyan team
We made it to Nairobi, Kenya. Our plane landed at 7:10pm yesterday. We took two taxis to Mike and Cindy's guest house and had an interesting ride. Two of us went in one taxi and the other two in another. The taxi drivers were separated and one of them didn't know where he was going. Finally we were able to find each other, but believe me we were doing some praying. Anyway, we're here safely and Clyde Agola is coming to pick us up and take us to Songhor. We're living minute by minute.
God bless,
Becky Jordan for the Kenyan team
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Departure
Greetings,
The time has come for us to depart from Harrisburg. It's been wonderful here; however, we all knew the time was coming when each team would depart ways and take hold of the kingdom that stretches across all nations. On Sunday my team and I are leaving from Dulles around 6 and if all goes well we will be in Kenya about 17 hours later.
It is with much saddness that I write to inform everyone that just two Mondays ago it was decided that Cory will no longer be going with us. The Lord has been at work in this team of ours and through may changes has brought about a team that has come to rely upon him for our strength. We are now a small team of four, but a team that will remain strong. We simply ask for your continued prayers.
In Christ,
Ben
The time has come for us to depart from Harrisburg. It's been wonderful here; however, we all knew the time was coming when each team would depart ways and take hold of the kingdom that stretches across all nations. On Sunday my team and I are leaving from Dulles around 6 and if all goes well we will be in Kenya about 17 hours later.
It is with much saddness that I write to inform everyone that just two Mondays ago it was decided that Cory will no longer be going with us. The Lord has been at work in this team of ours and through may changes has brought about a team that has come to rely upon him for our strength. We are now a small team of four, but a team that will remain strong. We simply ask for your continued prayers.
In Christ,
Ben
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Chapates
A few weeks ago before he left, Jon made us a Kenyan meal. We got to join him in the kitchen, and he taught us how to make chapates (below). It was so much fun, and they tasted really good. They are kind of like a tortilla, and are eaten with powdered sugar or jelly with many meals. It was a really neat cultural experience to teach us a little about the food before we arrive.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Hi from the Kenya team:)
Hi all,
Sorry that this is so late in coming, but things at HDC have been busy as usual. The time just keeps flying by, and I'm sure that the weeks are getting shorter as they go on. It is both really exciting and saddening that training is coming to an end. We have really had a good time building relationships with the other teams here, and it will be sad to part. But it will be really nice to see family again over Thanksgiving and to have a little personal space that isn't easily available with 50 people in the house!
Our outreach at CFC is almost over, even though it seems as if we've just begun. It's been really neat to see the relationships that are being built with the kids. We are planning to lead a chapel sometime next week in which CFC will commission us and say goodbye. We led a chapel this week which turned out really well. As we were planning, we were trying to come up with a way to keep all of the kids focused and quiet, which is a huge challenge with these kids. At times they can be really frustrating and disrespectful, but when you break through, they desire so much love and attention. We ended up singing with Cory and his guitar, and then performing a modern version of the Good Samaritan. At the beginning it didn't look too promising, but they really got involved as we kept going. It was so funny to watch their reactions to the skit, and I don't think that I have ever sung "I Am A C" so many times in a row!
This morning our friend and language teacher, John Mutisya, left to return back to Kenya. A group of us dropped him off at the airport this morning before church. It was sad, but at least for those of us is the Kenya team, we knew that we would see him again. It was amazing the timing of John's arrival. It was such a "God-thing" that he was here when our outreach switched to Kenya, and the teaching of language and culture that he could provide. He not only was a great teacher, but became a good friend to each of us. On Friday night, our team to John out to supper at Texas Roadhouse and then distracted him until 9pm. We brought him back to HDC for a surprise going-away-party. He was so shocked! The party turned out to be a lot of fun.
Half of the training is in NYC this weekend. The rest of us, Kenya, Israel, and the Balkans will be going to Camp Hebron tomorrow. It sounds like it is going to be a challenge with little sleep and a lot of team-building activities.
Our half of training was in New York two weeks ago. We did a lot of sight-seeing, prayer walking, got to go to an African church, etc. We stayed with Harv and Robin and Kendy in their apartment in the Bronx. It was a lot of fun, and the area we were in actually felt safer than where we are in Harrisburg. We also got lots of good food and got to watch movies!
The speakers lately have been really good. I know I have been learning a lot of practical things that will help me in life. It's training not so much just for our trip, but for life. I've been really blessed with our worship times, as well, and have really felt God's presence. It's neat how He has been touching so many here.
Thank you to all who have been keeping us in your prayers! It has been really good to see how God has been working through the process of changing outreach locations and length of time. It was official this week that we will be on outreach for 8 months. We are all happy about it, although sometimes it is a little overwhelming, and feel that it is where God called us to be.
God bless,
Monica Stoltzfus for the Kenya team
Sorry that this is so late in coming, but things at HDC have been busy as usual. The time just keeps flying by, and I'm sure that the weeks are getting shorter as they go on. It is both really exciting and saddening that training is coming to an end. We have really had a good time building relationships with the other teams here, and it will be sad to part. But it will be really nice to see family again over Thanksgiving and to have a little personal space that isn't easily available with 50 people in the house!
Our outreach at CFC is almost over, even though it seems as if we've just begun. It's been really neat to see the relationships that are being built with the kids. We are planning to lead a chapel sometime next week in which CFC will commission us and say goodbye. We led a chapel this week which turned out really well. As we were planning, we were trying to come up with a way to keep all of the kids focused and quiet, which is a huge challenge with these kids. At times they can be really frustrating and disrespectful, but when you break through, they desire so much love and attention. We ended up singing with Cory and his guitar, and then performing a modern version of the Good Samaritan. At the beginning it didn't look too promising, but they really got involved as we kept going. It was so funny to watch their reactions to the skit, and I don't think that I have ever sung "I Am A C" so many times in a row!
This morning our friend and language teacher, John Mutisya, left to return back to Kenya. A group of us dropped him off at the airport this morning before church. It was sad, but at least for those of us is the Kenya team, we knew that we would see him again. It was amazing the timing of John's arrival. It was such a "God-thing" that he was here when our outreach switched to Kenya, and the teaching of language and culture that he could provide. He not only was a great teacher, but became a good friend to each of us. On Friday night, our team to John out to supper at Texas Roadhouse and then distracted him until 9pm. We brought him back to HDC for a surprise going-away-party. He was so shocked! The party turned out to be a lot of fun.
Half of the training is in NYC this weekend. The rest of us, Kenya, Israel, and the Balkans will be going to Camp Hebron tomorrow. It sounds like it is going to be a challenge with little sleep and a lot of team-building activities.
Our half of training was in New York two weeks ago. We did a lot of sight-seeing, prayer walking, got to go to an African church, etc. We stayed with Harv and Robin and Kendy in their apartment in the Bronx. It was a lot of fun, and the area we were in actually felt safer than where we are in Harrisburg. We also got lots of good food and got to watch movies!
The speakers lately have been really good. I know I have been learning a lot of practical things that will help me in life. It's training not so much just for our trip, but for life. I've been really blessed with our worship times, as well, and have really felt God's presence. It's neat how He has been touching so many here.
Thank you to all who have been keeping us in your prayers! It has been really good to see how God has been working through the process of changing outreach locations and length of time. It was official this week that we will be on outreach for 8 months. We are all happy about it, although sometimes it is a little overwhelming, and feel that it is where God called us to be.
God bless,
Monica Stoltzfus for the Kenya team
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Hello Everyone,
We have been here at Harrisburg Discipleship Center for almost three weeks now. A lot has changed in each of our lives. We're adjusting to living in the city, sitting in sessions, and having about fifty people in one house. But God has been faithful in helping us to get used to the change and in revealing Himself to us in our individual as well as corporate times of prayer and worship.
A little overview of what our week looks like: Monday through Thursday mornings we usually have a session from 9:15-12:00. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings we have a session from 7:00-9:00. Tuesday and Friday we have language study. On Monday there is work duties around the house and life group, a fun time to bond as a team. Tuesdays and Thursdays is community outreach from 3:00-6:00. Our team and the Hong Kong team volunteer at the Center for Champions during this time. It's an after school program to help the local kids with their homework and to share with them about Christ. They are a lot of kids, with a lot of energy, who need a lot of attention! The best thing we can do for them is pour out our love and be an example of what we preach-which isn't always easy and I know we've failed many times! Wednesday's we have book discussion, when we break into groups of about five or six people to discuss certain chapters of the Bible or a section in a book that we were assigned to read the week before. It helps us to hear out other people's opinions on certain topics of what we read and to come to a better understanding of what it means. We also have team cell on Wednesday afternoons. Friday mornings we have a time of intercession. At about 11:00 we gather back together as a group and talk about what we learned or how we felt about what the speakers spoke on the week before. Friday afternoons we have life group and work duties again. Most of Saturday and Sunday is free. For about three hours on Saturday we have outreach prep time and on Sunday evenings, a time of worship. That's a brief overview of what our week looks like.
As most of you know, we are no longer known as the Guinea-Bissau team. Our destination has changed and we are now known as the Kenya team. Our first reaction was shock. But when we heard that we were going to Kenya we got really excited! We believe that God's hand is really in this change. One of the reasons that we believe this is because of the fact that the week before John Mutisya, from Kenya, had come to HDC to stay until the first part of November. It has been awesome to have him here and we have learned much about the culture in Kenya. He has also become our language teacher. We had planned to learn Kriole, the language we would have been speaking in Guinea-Bissau, from a book-we had no teacher of CDs. God has sent us a Swahili teacher! His timing is always perfect!
We'll try to keep you informed throughout training and outreach. God is truly alive and well-we are definitely seeing proof of that here and pray that you are in your life as well.
God bless.
Becky Jordan for the Kenya team
We have been here at Harrisburg Discipleship Center for almost three weeks now. A lot has changed in each of our lives. We're adjusting to living in the city, sitting in sessions, and having about fifty people in one house. But God has been faithful in helping us to get used to the change and in revealing Himself to us in our individual as well as corporate times of prayer and worship.
A little overview of what our week looks like: Monday through Thursday mornings we usually have a session from 9:15-12:00. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings we have a session from 7:00-9:00. Tuesday and Friday we have language study. On Monday there is work duties around the house and life group, a fun time to bond as a team. Tuesdays and Thursdays is community outreach from 3:00-6:00. Our team and the Hong Kong team volunteer at the Center for Champions during this time. It's an after school program to help the local kids with their homework and to share with them about Christ. They are a lot of kids, with a lot of energy, who need a lot of attention! The best thing we can do for them is pour out our love and be an example of what we preach-which isn't always easy and I know we've failed many times! Wednesday's we have book discussion, when we break into groups of about five or six people to discuss certain chapters of the Bible or a section in a book that we were assigned to read the week before. It helps us to hear out other people's opinions on certain topics of what we read and to come to a better understanding of what it means. We also have team cell on Wednesday afternoons. Friday mornings we have a time of intercession. At about 11:00 we gather back together as a group and talk about what we learned or how we felt about what the speakers spoke on the week before. Friday afternoons we have life group and work duties again. Most of Saturday and Sunday is free. For about three hours on Saturday we have outreach prep time and on Sunday evenings, a time of worship. That's a brief overview of what our week looks like.
As most of you know, we are no longer known as the Guinea-Bissau team. Our destination has changed and we are now known as the Kenya team. Our first reaction was shock. But when we heard that we were going to Kenya we got really excited! We believe that God's hand is really in this change. One of the reasons that we believe this is because of the fact that the week before John Mutisya, from Kenya, had come to HDC to stay until the first part of November. It has been awesome to have him here and we have learned much about the culture in Kenya. He has also become our language teacher. We had planned to learn Kriole, the language we would have been speaking in Guinea-Bissau, from a book-we had no teacher of CDs. God has sent us a Swahili teacher! His timing is always perfect!
We'll try to keep you informed throughout training and outreach. God is truly alive and well-we are definitely seeing proof of that here and pray that you are in your life as well.
God bless.
Becky Jordan for the Kenya team
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