Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Its already tuesday night...?

Sorry I havent posted any blogs the last 4 days. I kept thinking, I
will post a blog soon, it's only been like a day or two. Turns out
it's been 4! What the crap. So let me try and recap the last 4 days.

All I remember about Saturday was that we were in the store for almost
3 hours. It was crazyness. The most people I have ever seen in a single
store at one time. If we were back at home people wouldn't even bother
going in if they saw how busy it was. But the then kenyians, they didn't
seem to care. It was just a typical saturday in town for them. Steve was
here for a couple of days so he decided he wanted to go and re-stock
the essentials that we needed for the house. It was fun and crazy having
Steve here. A lot of people were over to see him so that for me meant meeting
a lot of new people. With Steve being here and it being Chris's last week I have
met more people in the last week than I know in my own town, which I have lived
in pretty much my whole life. Everyone knows someone that you know here.
It's sweet. Oh yeah, Chris just walked in and reminded me that during the day
we had all the boys in house 1,2,3 and the girls house come to the coffee shop
and watch home alone on a projector. I loved it. How could I have already
forgot about that. That movie is the closest thing to home I have experienced
yet. The kids were cracking up at the end of the movie when kevin was pulling
the pranks on the robbers. Isaiah, my hommie, was laughing so hard he was
running around the room. He couldn't control himself. Just seeing that made
me crack up even harder. I love to laugh. I love laughing at other peoples
laugh.

Sunday Chris and I went to Ben and christine's church in Kipsongo. It was a
brand new chruch that met in a tiny room. There was probably about 18
people who attended it. It was cool. Different, but also interesting.
I have had these expectations that my first Sunday in an African church
I would be dancing and trying to sing along with them. It came no where
close to it. They sang 2 songs and it was in Swahili and no one was really
dancing. I tried to get into the spirit but it was just so different to what
I have been used to. I hope in the weeks to come that I will get to
get that "African church service" I was looking so forward too. If not,
I guess I will just have to come back. After church we headed home and
relaxed a little bit. I have started watching a new show, well it's not
really new, Heroes. Alsion has it on dvd so Chris and I have been watching
at least 3 episodes a day. I like it. I wish I was a super hero. If I
got to choose one of the powers that the character had on the show I would
choose to fly. How sweet would that be? I mean I would fly home to hang out
with Sarah at night then fly back to Kitale to in the morning to hang with
the kids of Oasis and the glue sniffing street kids. Anyways, Sunday night
was the coolest night yet. Steve ordered 10 pizza's, yeah they have pizza here,
who would of though, for about 14 people. There was the 4 Ukrainians, 6 kenyians,
and 5 americans. It was an international pizza party. But not just a pizza party,
also a hilarious dance party. I think the best part of the dance was seing Steve
dance. We made a soul trane line and watching Steve bust his moves down that
line was priceless. Again, laughing histarically.

Moday we headed over to Oasis to hang and help out in the clas if needed.
I am really starting to like the Oasis kids. Mainly becuase I am starting to
remember their names and become actaul friends with them. I am not just this
white guy who comes and hugs them and then is gone in a week. They know my name
and I know theirs. I believe this is the actual start of my trip. I am looking
forward to diving in deeper into their feelings, wants, needs, problems, wishes,
pain, and happyness. I love these kids. Jesus loves these kids. Monday night was
another huge dinner at geoffrey and Olivia's house for Chris going away. Such good
food. The girls were in the kitchen for at least 4 hours making this huge feast for
15 people. We had a good time. We watched Madagascar and some futebol. Everyone is
going to be super sad when Chris leaves here. He has made a huge impact on the people he has come in contact with and they are going to miss him. I couldn't imagine making such a close friend and then possibly never seeing him again. I would be so sad. But Chris is going to try and return soon, God willing.

Today, Tuesday, We went to Oasis and hung out with the children. I love it that we do
not have this carzy shcedule everyday, trying to fix things or start new programs. I love that we are here to just offer ourselves wherever needed. To simply just go and hand out with the kids. It is my first "missions trip" and I believe I found the perfect one. Steve has this motto that he told me before I left it was," We are here not to fix but to serve". I love that. First of all I wouldn't even know where to start to fix the problems here and I would not have enough time to get anything done because I wuold just be overwhelmed. Haning out with the Oasis kids gets better and better each day. today I played tag and had a huge game of chase and then tickle. It was me against about 8 kids. I obviously lost.I am so ticklesh too. They found my weekness. I am DOOMED!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Andrew, I am so proud of you! What a great experience you are having!! I know this will remain one of the most outstanding moments in you life (not including personal times) What a blessing for the people there and for you also.
I am praying for you,
Aunt DJP

Mama Oasis said...

Andrew...God sent you at just the right time. It is going to be a huge loss for the kids at Oasis to lose Chris. He has really been the first guy to spend an extended amount of time at Oasis. The street boys so need male role models to counteract the negative role models that they have in the street men of Kitale. I am so happy that you are there and I know that God is using you to touch these kids. People always ask me what they will "DO" if they serve at Oasis. I just tell them that the most important thing they can do is to be 'Present'. That is what you are doing! Thank you!
I can't wait to see how your story unfolds over the next few months.

Lydia Monroe
Executive Director
Oasis of Hope

DeVonna Drey said...

Hi Andrew...great news...Grandpa is coming through...I will email you the details...love you so much...have a great second sunday in Kenya...love and prayers...mom