02.12.07
Posted in At this moment... at 2:06 am by Hannah
House hunting day was to be quite the day and it was. As the day began I thought that today would have it’s challenges and it surely did.
I woke up at 5 this morning my mind racing. So I got up and did my devotions. I ready 4 chapters of Mark this morning and it drove me into tears the beautiful things God revealed to me changed my heart. I had read through mark many times but this experience was a sweet reminder of the newness of life we experience in Christ daily. Around 9 others began to stir and I became very aware of my love for nature as I spend the majority of the morning talking with God and gazing out on the beauty of His creation. The Germo’s are very blessed to have the home they have it is incredible and has the mot wonderful view from the upstairs living room window that is 15 ft wide.
I don’t think I have mentioned about the baby banana’s here in Kenya. They are tiny like perfect size for a toddler to eat and they are so much sweeter than the big boy’s we have in the US. Kez often eats them and always finishes. I think the US were missing out on these parents would kill to have such a perfect snack pre-wrapped by God in just to right size for their children. Hey! God could make a killing huh. Just joking of course but I think there great.
Do you remember the car? Yes, that car the one that broke down on Dan and I the first day I was in Kenya. Well the revenge was not sweet more smoky and annoying. After we had viewed two apartments and got stuck behind a massive parade Hannah, Nancy and the girls parted ways with us to get lunch while Dan, Graham, and I traveled to a birthday party that Graham was attending and then on to a fund raising event for FTT. Sure enough we overheated and then sat beside the road for an hour waiting for it to cool down and for Graham’s friends father to come fetch him from the side of the road. Smoky, ah yes I forgot we were stranded on a busy highway on an incline and here that means ever diesel vehicle is belching extra exhaust as it struggles up the hill. So yes my eye’s burned and I think I have successfully trained myself to hold my breath up to 2 minutes.
At day’s end we were all exhausted “no pun intended?, and sleep came early which is why this letter is ending.
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02.10.07
Posted in Pray for us! at 6:31 am by Hannah
Please pray for us in this new land. Security in Nairobi is a BIG DEAL. For those who live here it dictates much of how they live and why they do the things they do. Coming from small towns and and relatively secure country this mind-set has been a little disconcerting for Seth and I as we set up life.
From amoebas in the water (keep your mouth closed while showering), to the wildlife (no Keziah you may not play with the snake…yes we are going to kill the snake), mosquitos (malaria or harmless?), to locking your doors at all times to keep out the carjackers/thieves, we often are overwhelmed at the security issues here. We don’t want our experiece here to be one of fear and constant stress. However, we do want to keep a cautious mindset in making the right choices every day.
I don’t think I’ve ever even considered locking the cabinets in my house…for Kenyans it is simply a way of life.
Please pray that we will keep our eyes on Jesus, accept the grace to trust Him completely and that we will be an example of confidence for our kids.
Pray that when (and if) instances of danger come up that our first reaction will not be fear but reliance on the One Who brought us here in the first place and Whose care for us is greater even than our own.
Got to run…we are on our way to a birthday party. Pray that we are able to connect with the Kenyans and relate to them a complete, confident, trust in our Lord.
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Posted in Seth's Two Cents at 6:16 am by Hannah
Today we arrived in Nairobi, I have never done anything as difficult in my life. I get air sickness and he combination of air sickness and Keziah and Jared made the trip very difficult for me. I am thankful of God’s provision of strength and grace for this experience. It was total around 20 hours for travel and the most difficult part of it all was the toting of carry on luggage along with the infants.
At one point I found myself struggling with the thought of returning and not wanting to go home for this reason alone. Hannah and I have felt like we flounder for place to place at times as God has led us to and from Bethany. Our desire is a call from God for ministry and up to this point we have no long term plans.
The day’s schedule although grueling did have it’s benefits for me personally. I have been able to introspect a little more about personal life and the importance for me of a life consumed by God. I have had a hard time in life during the times of an absence in full time ministry. I am very likely to become lazy and forget about personal spirituality and find myself content on the couch.
Upon arrival at the airport I was reminded of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The airport very simple and I was still confused about what to do and where to go. We finally found the line for visa’s when a Kenyan woman walks up to us and exclaims “you have children follow me? . Yikes, I hope this is good was the only thought in my mind as we followed her to the front of the line. After a few seconds of quickly spoken Swahili we were getting all out passports stamped and $200. Dollars later we were through and fighting to find our luggage. It was better than good it was the very reminder of God’s complete control that I needed. I was lifted from the negativity of the past 20 hours and suddenly felt that I would love Kenya and it’s seeming love for my family.
As we were leaving we spotted Dan and after a few sentences of dialog at customs we are racing toward Dan, Nancy and children. Amidst the sea of Kenyan faces I found a face I knew, Ezekiel Jako was there and I was glad to see him even though we had never spoken. We quickly found ourselves packed into two cars and speeding off into the night. Upon arrival at the Germo residence we found quick comfort and food. It had truly been a bitter-sweet experience that ended as any good fairy tale happily in safety and comfort.
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02.08.07
Posted in RoadSigns at 5:32 pm by Hannah
Don’t have much time as my battery is running low but here’s the news…
Singing is fun with friends.
Jared with Pastor Karanja and Joyce.
We are online! Thus you should be hearing from us much more often.
We are reaching the end of our set-up phase and very much looking forward to being settled in our new flat and getting into a regular pattern of life.
In Kenya everything runs at a much slower pace…consequently at times it seems like every little thing takes forever! But we are learning to slow down our “American Rush Syndrome” and just enjoy the process…especially since there’s not much else we can do.
Our flat is a lovely little apartment in a compound we have affectionately titled “the concrete jungle”. Due to the fact that the compound it is in is mainly concrete. Housing choices here are made mainly on security issues and all dwellings are built in compounds complete with walls, fences, razor wire and security guards.
However despite the high crime rates the greater majority of Kenyans are very friendly.
Kenyan seems to be centered very much around the family. Everyone here LOVES children…as in everyone, everyone.
Strangers on the street, the grocery store clerk, the visiting electrician, and the crowd of teens you pass in the store will all coo and smile at your baby, ask his or her name, age and if they can hold him. One of the worst things in the world is an unhappy baby or child. At any sign of tears they will do everything possible to bring back the smiles.
All mothers are very respectfully called Mama (first child’s name). So I (Hannah) am called “Mama Keziah”. And as a mother there is a lot of consideration given by society. How can you not love a society like that?
When we first arrived at the Nairobi airport and were waiting at the back of a mile long visa line an official passing by saw us and said “You have small children. It is not good for you to wait.” She then escorted us to the front of the line. Have I mentioned that I am enjoying Kenya? : )
Keziah and Jared are both doing quite well. Keziah loves it here and is a friend to any and every Kenyan (yes she is quite popular) and is already starting to pick up a British accent. Jared has started down the road to mobility…he rolled over for the first time. He’s also started laughing…it is so cute! Baby laughter has to be one of the sweetest sounds in the world.
And speaking of sweet sounds!!! There are many opinions of what the worship in heaven will sound like…I am firmly convinced that a good portion of it will be somewhat like what we are treated to every Sunday here. God has truly given the Kenyan people the gift of song… There are few sounds more joyous in exuberant worship than a Kenyan church. It s a beautiful thing. And this email is getting much to long so more later,
Hannah
For more on our adventure, Seth’s thoughts on Kenya, contact info (yes, you can call us) and prayer requests check out our website: Sethandhannah.com Which I will be updating as soon as I charge my battery.
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