When in doubt...

If you come to the Nairobi, Kenya area and you meet a man but cannot remember his name, there's probably a 60% chance it's either "Simon" or "Paul." Further still, there's closer to a 94% chance his last name ends in an "M", "N", or "W." Nope, no John Smiths here, but plenty of Paul M's and Simon N's!

confessions of a hearing person...

There are so many SOUNDS on this DEAF campus... many of which I'll miss.

Such as the sound of...
... Dom playing Wii Table Tennis
... Gracie singing to herself or yelling "'ello!" and "Alleluia!" from her house
... Paul's shuffling walk
... Tesfa's triumphant cry in winning Table Tennis
... Fas's encouraging cheer, "Heeyy! Heeyy!"
... Wonde's laugh when he's teasing... that sounds like it gets all tangled up in his throat and then comes tumbling out
... Moses trying to get someone's attention and his mischevious laugh
... Moha's soft acknowledgment he's seen what I signed
... Other's laughter -- especially BP, Eyerus, Ken, Jerry, Shad, and Anu
... Emma's voice and hearty "Ahh!" of agreement
... hearing my name called by my Deaf brothers, "Be-tah-ni!" "Be-tah-nya!" "Beht!" "Bee!"
... Gracie calling me "mama!"
... Paul talking to me in Swahili and Kikuyu

memory-making

I went with the Uganda, Ghana, and Tanzania teams to Tumutumu Deaf School for church today out in ... well, Tumutumu. =) It was a 3 hour drive one-way, full of eventfulness. First, we were all exhausted and sore from a two-day sports competition and games weekend of celebration on almost completing the current story sets among all 7 translation teams (Praise the Lord!). So, none of us were too excited about 6 hours in the car... but, by the grace of God, we're none the worse for wear!

On the way to Tumutumu, we seemed to have a car problem, so the driver jumped out with a bottle of coke which he proceeded to dump on the battery. The result was a minor fire about 5 minutes later--in which we all quickly vacated the van!! Soon, we were on our way again (yes, in the same van -- Hey, this is Africa). Good conversations on the way. Good fellowship at the school with about 150 Deaf kids. =) Beautiful faces and precious lives. I had more names spelled to me today in one stretch of time than ever before, I think -- and I'm pretty sure every last name began with "M" or "W".

On the way home, anyone who slept immediately began the victim of blackmail photos. ;) So, naturally, I decided to stay awake. We had a 20-minute conversation about my hair as I got asked the questions everyone apparently had wanted to know but nobody had wanted to ask about my "mzungu hair". We got bananas for a steal at a roadside market -- about 30 bananas for $1! I broke out carrot-raisin bread I'd made the night before and, as a result, received a half-serious marriage proposal over my cooking. Then we got caught in flash flooding and I felt like I was in a theme park water ride... as we drove through water deeper than we'd consider driving through back home! My feet got a bit wet as some water splashed up through the floorboard! Yes, true. But we did all arrive home in one piece without any additional troubles -- praise the Lord!

The evening ended as one of the campus guard dogs got out while the guard was cleaning their pen, right as one of the students was walking back to the dorm. I heard him yell and the responding bark from inside the cafeteria... and running to the door, found him racing towards me waving me back inside. Thankfully, he was carrying a DVD with him, which he was able to throw to distract the dog while he got away! Whew! Close call... the guard collected the dog and assured us the coast was clear. Yikes! I couldn't stop laughing as he shared the story with others, out of sheer relief nobody was attacked!

And, thus ended my Sunday. Another beautiful day in Kenya. Another ordinary day of extraordinary experiences that has become my "normal" here... and will soon become simply "sweet memories". How I will miss these faces, these people, this place.

See the pictures from our trip here: http://s1126.photobucket.com/albums/l603/undivideddevotion/Tumutumu%20Deaf%20School/

The Tumutumu Deaf student body sends their greetings and love! =)

 

(mother teresa)

‎"I have found that if I love until it hurts, then
there is no hurt, but only more love."

Draw me, oh, draw me, my Jesus

Draw me, oh, draw me
Please draw me, my Jesus
Into your presence
Where I cannot lie
My soul is so thirsty
I cannot endure it
And if I can't get closer
I surely will die

Take me, oh take me
Please take me, my Jesus
Quickly, before I forget that I'm lost
For so many times, my mind has deceived me
That I really don't have to carry the cross

I just need to know how to pray
My wicked desires block the way
Sometimes I have grieved you away
I don't wanna do that today

Help me, oh help me
Please help me my Jesus
Save me from sins that I thought were all gone
Kill me with kindness
And break through my blindness
I know till I'm dead, I can never live on
I know till I'm dead, I can never live on

I just need to know how to pray
My wicked desires block the way
Sometimes I have grieved you away
I don't wanna do that today

Draw me, oh draw me
Please draw me, my Jesus 

Sarah Sadler, "Draw me" lyrics 

I concur!

“I cannot explain or understand how a language like Sign Language- the richest in expression, the most energetic...is still neglected and that only the Deaf speak it. This is ... one of the irrationalities of the human mind I cannot explain.” (Pierre Desloge)

no turning back...

"Beware of harking back to what you were once when God wants you to be something you have never been." (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest Devotional)

this crazy beautiful life

Today was an eventful day.

I drove in Kenya. No... no... you don't understand. This is a BIG deal. And, go figure... the electrical in the car completely went out on me as I was going around a curve. After coasting to the side of the road, shutting it off and on again, and saying a quick prayer, we were back on our way again.

I was charged by a baby elephant. Yes. It's true. No, I didn't get it on video -- I was too surprised to think of filming in the moment. But I did get lots of other pictures of our visit to the Elephant Orphanage.

Back at work, I split my time between Uganda and Kenya for the afternoon. And, once again, realized how blessed, privileged, and grateful I am that God allows me to be involved in this process... and how much I love working with these teams. It's that incredible sensation of knowing you're walking in the center of what He has planned for you.

I was peed on by a two-year-old. Yep. And that my thanks after washing her sticky hands, rescuing her shoes, and determining the whereabouts of her mother.... It's amazing how love simply doesn't care.

Now, I sit with a cup of green tea, chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven, and an unwritten newsletter in front of me... wondering how I could ever possibly have deserved this life He's given me... the opportunity to be where I am, see what I've seen, do what I do, love the people I love, and play a part in His sovereign plan. How can it be?

"He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen." (Deut. 10:21, NASB)

more transitioning thoughts...

Well, so far this week... I've gone to the mall, gotten "take out" pizza, ate chips & salsa, and have driven a car. Getting myself in gear for re-entry to the States. ;)

Oh a humorous note... my roommate and I had a new expat (American) family over for dinner the other night. I picked up their 18 month old daughter after dinner, and immediately had this strange sense of something being "off." It's hard to explain. I shrugged it off, but the back of my mind was reeling to understand what was different... then it hit me: she is the first white child I've held in 8 months!!

A few other things I expect will be a bit jarring when I return?
-the LACK of gates, fences, and barbed wire around every business, home, shop, office, etc.
-the LACK of security guards at every location I go
-not greeting everyone, everyday with a firm handshake
-not using sign language 24/7
-having wide, paved, smooth, painted roads -- and having other cars stay in their own lanes
-the lack of pedestrian traffic and free-range livestock
-modern kitchen appliances, excess furniture, and just a lot more "stuff"
-the (much) faster "pace of life"
-seeing white people everywhere
-oh, and the conspicuous lack of dhania (aka: cilantro/coriander) in every dish