Safari pictures galore!

While my sister and uncle were in Kenya visiting me for Christmas, we adventured to the Masaai Mara for safari. It was one of the most incredible trips I have ever been on, and it made me fall more in love with this beautiful county I get to live in. We stayed at the Fairmont Mara Safari Club, which I would recommend for any non-residents to stay at for safari, because you go in the conservancy and not the main park, which means you don't pay the exorbitant Mara fees for each ride. It was also just an incredible resort to stay at. It's a tented resort, right next to the river, with amazing staff and fantastic service.

Each day we had two rides into the park, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Each one of our rides lasted two and a half to three hours. And it was simply gorgeous each ride, even when it poured rain on us. We saw so many animals on our rides: elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, lions, dik-diks, Thompson Gazelles, wildebeest, Topi, rhinos, hyenas, hippo, warthogs, impalas, ostriches, and so many more. 

All three of us wished that we had more time, but at least we have hundreds (if not thousands) of pictures to keep the memories alive. Without further ado, happy scrolling through the few photos I chose to share!

sister and uncle at the Fairmont main entrance

My sister and I shared this luxurious tent. #glamping

Our view from our deck

A lion couple resting on their "honeymoon"

We visited a Masaai village one afternoon

A tower of Giraffes

One of the two hyenas we spotted

Stuck and waiting to be towed out of the creek

Another day, another chance to interrupt the lion honeymoon

Buffalo country

Elephant sighting!

A gorgeous backdrop for the ostriches

White Rhinos - Queen Elizabeth and Kofi Annan

My favorite shot

Add caption

Sometimes you get a flat tire while on safari 

I spotted this hippo on one morning drive.

Wildebeests

A lioness hunting in the rain

She was not fazed by our truck

Queen Elizabeth

The ever elusive safari paparazzi

The end. 

2 Months Later...

Hello All! I am SO sorry for the two months I let go by without posting anything on my blog. I have many drafts of many different posts saved, but for some reason did not finish any of them. Being on a break from school gave me the chance to take a break from everything, including the blog. So I'll do a quick recap for each month that went by!

November

•  Our Christmas concert - this went so amazingly well. All of the ensembles did a fantastic job, and I am so proud of my students in string ensemble and choir.
• Finals and American Thanksgiving - yes, our finals week fell on Thanksgiving. I got to have two thanksgiving meals that weekend. They were delicious, and it was so nice of the staff here making sure that all the singles had places to go.
• Kuimba Pamoja - I took 8 students to a music festival in Nairobi at one of the high schools. There they had the chance to sing with 50 students from other schools and work with an amazing conductor from England - Dominic Peckham.

December

• AIM Eastern Region Conference - the day that students left for their December vacation, AIM missionaries from around Kenya and Tanzania arrived for the yearly conference. It was great to spend time with people from other teams and hear about what AIM is doing in different parts of Kenya and Tanzania.
• Many goodbyes - once conference ended, I said goodbye to three of my very good friends from the first 4 months living in Kijabe. Emily, Katie and Liz were all here just for 1st Term. I am so thankful for the time I had getting to know them and I am excited to see where God leads each one of them.
• A new friend and zombies - in November Cassandra introduced me to her friend Courtney Joy, who is a part of the Samburu TIMO (Training in Ministry Outreach) team. She was on her way to Jordan to explore a new ministry and area to serve in once her team is done in March. On her way back, she injured her neck, and had to stay in Kijabe for all of December to recover. While it was not great for her, it was awesome to have someone to spend time with during the month. And we may or may not have become hooked on a certain show about zombies, and binge-watched 5 seasons in three weeks.
• FAMILY VISIT! - The greatest part of my December vacation was having my big sister and my uncle come to visit. It was so fun showing them my life here in Kenya, and getting to spend time with them. The highlight of their trip was going on safari in the Masaai Mara. We saw 4 of the Big 5 - unfortunately there were no leopard sightings - and really felt relaxed and pampered at the Fairmont Mara Safari Club. I am planning to do a big post with pictures I took on safari.

January

• Choir Tour - this term - in March - we have our choir tour. It is a three-day tour, over a weekend, to different schools and churches around Nairobi. We have a lot of music to learn and there are a lot of details I need to coordinate.
• Interim - the last week of term all Juniors and Seniors go on a interim trip to explore cultures and communities around Africa. I am not going but will be taking care of a very large great Dane puppy and three elementary-aged kids.
• My birthday! Next Wednesday is my 27th birthday. A year ago, I would not have guessed that I would be celebrating it in Kenya, but I am so thankful that I am. Who knows where and with whom I'll be celebrating my birthday next year!

Whew! That was a lot to catch you up on...and those were just highlights! I promise to be more regular about posting and updating you on my life here. Look for a large post with tons of safari pictures coming soon!

Grade Level: Adulthood

Since moving to Kenya in August, I have learned many things, some very surprising and some less so. I have learned about living in Africa, what missionary kids are like, what it takes to be a teacher, and many other things. Being an adult can be really hard, and I am learning so much more than I expected when I was a kid. But I think I currently have a solid B/B+ in Adulthood. Warning - it's a hard course. If I'm going to do part of it anywhere, it may as well be in an awesome place like Kenya.

Here are a few of the things that I have learned:
-You can get beautiful roses for incredibly cheap here because there are many flower farms in the area.
- Ugandan pineapples are the most delicious.
- Rugby is a big deal.
- Missionary kids generally don't understand sarcasm.
- It takes a really long time for your lungs to adjust to living at almost 8,000ft above sea level.
- Living alone is not so terrible.
- Keep windows closed or you could have bugs, monkeys or stray cats coming into your house.
- Working, living and worshipping all in the same community can be overwhelming and great at the same time.
- Elementary students really love their teachers.
- Watch out for Safari Ants: they bite.
- You have to get really creative while working on decorations for a Christmas Concert when you can't just run to Michael's.
- Cooking from scratch isn't as hard as I thought it would be, it just takes a lot of time.
- Remembering how to play a viola is like remembering how to ride a bike, there is a brief period of shaky and awkward, and then you are back to your old skill level.
- Kenyan cars have a backfire mechanism that reminds you to slow down if you are driving faster than 80 miles an hour, and it will make you jump every time.
- If your name is Stephanie (or Steve), a Kenyan will give you the nickname "Stevo".
- Sometimes God moves you all the way to Africa to show you His calling in your life.
- Teaching is a lot of work, but incredibly rewarding.
- God is faithful.

Yes, God is teaching me many things here at RVA. It's exciting, and a little overwhelming, that it's already November. Three months have gone by, and I have already learned so much. I can't wait to see what else I learn during my time here. Our Christmas concert is coming up, November 20th, and we have a lot of work to do, but the students are definitely up to it.

Please pray for good rest, continued health, and a strong finish to this term.

Giraffes, tortoises, and monkeys...Oh my!

For this midterm break, I decided not to do a big trip, but instead take a couple day trips with other women here on staff. On Saturday five of us single ladies and one mom and her son went to the area of Karen, which is west of Nairobi. The area of Karen is named for Karen Blixon, who wrote the book Out of Africa about her life. In Karen, we went first to the Giraffe Center. At the Giraffe Center, you get the opportunity to be right up close to giraffes and feed them. It was so fun to see these animals up close, and I became friends with the littlest giraffe who could just barely reach his head up to the platform to get the pellets. Giraffes are such beautiful animals and so gentle. Near Giraffe Center is the Giraffe Manor Hotel, where you can stay and the giraffes come right up to your hotel room. Can you say Bucket List?!

There are also tortoises at the Giraffe Center

After going to the Giraffe Center, we decided to go to the Karen Blixon Museum. This is at her house, and the place that the movie "Out of Africa" was filmed. It was so interesting to hear more about her life and the history of the house and the land. It is my favorite kind of museum to visit - a place where historical figures actually worked and lived their lives. And I would move into that house immediately. It is beautiful. 

After visiting the house, it was time for lunch and we headed over to Tamambo, which is the restaurant on the Karen Blixon property. It was a little more pricey, but absolutely delicious and beautiful to sit in the garden. I also purchased a painting from an artist selling his work there in the garden. We also got a free dessert from the manager because his niece attends RVA! 

Our last stop on our trip was to Kazuri Beads. While we missed seeing the women work, because they only work half days on Saturdays, we did get a tour of the factory/workshop. It was really interesting to see where the beads are made and what the process is. We then went into the shop to spend good money in supporting the women who are employed there. And while we were at Kazuri, we happened upon a little monkey taking a nap. I thought he was dead at first, but he was just resting. We all took turns petting the monkey - he is a Sikes monkey - and taking pictures. 

                    

It was a fantastic day, and Karen is such a beautiful area to spend time in. So far, I have not been disappointed at all with what Kenya has to offer and experience. Now, back to term tomorrow and six more weeks until vacation time. 

I would love prayers for confidence in my abilities and that God is using me exactly as He needs, as well as energy and excitement for the rest of 1st term. 

A view of the Rift Valley on the drive to Kijabe, Mount Longonot and Kijabe Hill in the background.

Unofficially Sponsored by Skype

At the beginning of choir a few weeks ago I passed out notecards to each of my students. I told them they could each write down one question they wanted me to answer, in order to let them get to know me a bit. They asked questions like "What is your favorite memory from college?", "What is your favorite band?", "Where do you get your cute clothes?", "What brand of lipstick do you wear?", and "What is your middle name?" - I was asked that question by three different students. A few different kids wanted to know about my dating history, which I declined answering.

There were also several cards asking more serious questions. One of the cards asked me for advice to girls about being a single female on the mission field. This question required a more thoughtful answer, and one that I tried to answer in the context of my life.

At this point, I do not feel called to be on the mission field long-term, but I am called to be here at RVA for the next year, or so. I told the students that following Christ means listening for His call in your life and stepping out in faith in that call. I have been blessed to hear God's call several different times in my life - attending Whitworth for college, moving to the Bay Area in California, and coming to serve at Rift Valley Academy as the choir director. Every time I have been called and taken that step of faith, God has provided and blessed me.

Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."

 

The other advice I gave them was to make use of Skype as much as possible. The hardest part about being out here is that I miss out on daily life with my family and friends back home in the states. For friends and family back home, their daily lives have not changed too much, it's just that I am not there. But my life has changed so drastically that I do feel that distance with people back home. Skyping (mainly with my family so far) has been such a fantastic way to keep in touch and not feel as homesick. I can see their faces and talk to them about life here and life there. I have even Skyped with (almost) my entire family a couple of times - my brother wasn't able to squeeze onto the couch with everyone else.

 

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Skyping with the crew!


 

I have also used Skype to connect with some friends. This last week I have skyped with one of my best friends, and two other couples who I have been friends with since college. I love being here and being a part of this community, but I have had moments of feeling so disconnected from my life back home. Skype calls have really been wonderful in keeping me connected with those important people.

Skyping with one of my besties - Kurt!

As I said to my choir students, Skype is an amazing way to keep in touch with people when you are alone on the mission field. Emails and messages are also fantastic. So if you ever feel like emailing or skyping or having a Google hang out with me - just let me know! I would love to talk with you and hear what's going on in your life and tell you about mine. 



Obstacles for exercise

I'll be honest, I have slacked off on my regular running schedule since arriving in Kijabe. There are a few things that have held me back.

View of the valley from my run

The first is that the school is at almost 8,000 feet above sea level. And even just walking from one part of campus to another leaves me very much out of breath. I wanted to give myself time to get used to that. Unfortunately, everyone here told me that it will take me months to actually get used to the elevation.

View from the guards trail that I run on

Another view from where I run

Another excuse that I have used in avoiding exercise is that I've been "settling in and getting used to my schedule". Which is true, but that's not a real reason to avoid exercise. In fact, I should have gotten a jump on it sooner so that it would be a part of my regular schedule.

Then I had finally started to go on morning runs with a friend, when I was hit by a cold. We started to do three morning runs a week on the guards trail that is a 2 mile loop around campus. Then she got sick, and we went another week without regular exercise.

This is a colobus monkey

The good news is that I am finally feeling better, and wanted to get back into the rhythm of regular exercise. Especially since I just committed myself to hiking Mt. Longonot over mid-term. Sunday was so beautiful, I decided I would go for a late afternoon run. I was about halfway through the loop when I found another terrifying obstacle on my path. I first noticed a few colobus monkeys in a tree near the path, watching me run. Up ahead, I saw another tree moving - a clear sign that monkeys were there - and I expected to see more colobus monkeys. When I turned the corner near those trees, I saw several baboons on the path ahead. I quickly, and quietly, turned around and found another path to take to continue on the loop. No way was I going to run past those terrible primates.

A baboon - for reference

I did finish the loop, and enjoyed the scenery along the way. It is hard work, but worth it as long as I can get past all the obstacles. Please pray that I can keep up with my schedule and be prepared for the hike on Mt. Longonot.