Camp

On Saturday and Sunday, George and I were guest speakers at Trinity Fellowship's youth camp. It was really fun and reminded me of going to camp when I was in high school. The camp was located in Kakamega at Lirhanda Girls Secondary School. The campus is located near the Kakamega Rain Forest and was absolutely beautiful.



Since school is out, the camp, which had over 300 campers, used the dormitories to house the kids. When we got there, the afternoon/evening session was going on. The theme of the weekend was "Discovering Your Godly Potential." The speaker, who was from Zambia, was teaching from Judges. He discussed the story of Gideon to show the kids that if they step out in faith and answer God's call, He will be their strength.




After the session ended, the kids went out for play time. They played tug of war and soccer. I wish I had time to teach them Kajabe Can Can! (Shout out to Hume Lake!)



We came on a good night because after dinner, there was a talent show. The kids were given the opportunity to dance, sing, recite Bible verses and do skits. The room was buzzing with excitement. Kids here love to dance and have fun. It was fun to watch although, I would have used a gong if I had one on a few that went on too long!



Early the next morning, it was my turn to speak. Devotions started at 6:00am. That is early! Devotions began with praise and worship and then quiet Bible study time. They are teaching the kids how to study the Bible on their own so they will be prepared when they leave camp to continue what they have learned.

Then I was up. I continued with the Godly potential theme. As I prayed about what God wanted me to share with them, I found myself reflecting on my high school years and what held me back from reaching my potential. I focused on two things: fear and shame. I was very fearful in high school - afraid of rejection. And, I was ashamed about who I was. I didn't like my appearance which made me not confident, which in turn made my fear worse. I wanted to encourage the kids to find their identity in Christ alone, not in what others think or by worldly standard. Then I challenged them to be available to be used by God - as they are and where they are using Colossians 1:21-23 as my main verses.



After devotions, we had breakfast, followed by more teachings from Judges. Another teacher was doing a verse by verse study. It was really great. Then we had our Sunday morning service. We had a time of worship, followed by prayer and testimonies. Then George spoke. He taught from John 1:35-43 and did an awesome job. He too encouraged the kids to discover their Godly potential. He was funny, focused, involved the kids and motivating. It was really good and the kids were very challenged.



After lunch, it was time to leave and go back to Kisumu. I loved the Trinity Fellowship Youth Camp. They are putting on a great program to teach kids about God and equipping them to change their generation. I look forward to the next one we are able to attend.

Rain Rain Go Away

Every now and then I have moments where I laugh and think, I can't believe this is my life and I am doing this right now. It usually happens when I am experiencing something new or something happens very differently here than it would in the US. Today I had one of those moments.

Now that we have 9 days left before the wedding, we have been very busy. Of course, I have my lists and am desperate to get things checked off. It hasn't helped that there has been a lot of rain, which slows things down when you have to walk everywhere or hop on a boda boda. There usually isn't rain during this time of year, but all over, the world is experiencing weird weather. Kenya is no different.

Today, George and I had a bunch of stuff to do and appointments to make. The weather once again was not cooperating, but I decided not to let that stop me. So, George's sister, Caro, and I headed out into the rain to get some stuff done. Most people just stop what they are doing when it rains and wait for it to stop. I am not that patient.

We called a piki piki (motorcycle) friend of ours to give us a ride. One of the stops on our list was the attorney general's office. By the time we reached there, it was pouring. We ran into the office and when we left ten minutes later it was pouring even harder. Again, most people would wait it out, but Caro and I didn't mind getting wet and so we pressed on.

Our piki piki friend thought we were nuts for wanting to go out in the rain, but he humored us and kept driving. Oh yeah...I forgot to mention, I was carting around my wedding dress on this wild rain adventure. When I bought it one month ago, the sales person just folded it and put it in a plastic shopping bag. I laughed when I saw it. This is not David's Bridal or Kleinfield's where you leave with it well protected. TIA.

Another item on my list was dropping off my dress to be tailored. It needs a few adjustments made and I had to go today to get measured and leave it to be fixed. Caro and I were the only crazy people on the road. Everyone else was sane and staying off the road or had hired taxis or tuk tuks which have roofs. Me... in an effort to save money, thought it would be better zipping around Kisumu in heavy rain, dragging my 17 year old sister in law to be along for the ride! And, my wedding dress was stuffed in a large purse. As we were driving in town, the rain pelted down so hard it hurt. I just closed my eyes, clutched my bag and laughed.

That was the moment where I thought, this is so funny and different than how we do things in the US. 3 people on a motorcycle, in the rain, with a wedding dress shoved in a bag. It struck me as so funny.

When we arrived at the store where I bought my dress, they looked at us like we were aliens. We literally were dripping from our entire bodies. Then I had to peel off my wet clothes and put on my wedding dress.

It was a fun adventure. Poor Caro! She said she had fun and I hope she really did. After we had lunch and got warm (kind of) with tea, we were off to the next appointment.

Overall, it was a very productive, fun day.

A Kenyan Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! This is my third Thanksgiving away from home. :( I love Thanksgiving and really miss being with family and friends today.

Today, George and I were invited to attend a Thanksgiving celebration put on by Pip and Beth, friends of George's sister, Suzy. Beth is American and Pip is British. I wasn't sure what to expect since I haven't seen turkey anywhere and Suzy was asked to bring fish.

I was excited when I was asked to bring dessert. I made pumpkin pie from scratch in Sudan and kept the recipe. Two days ago I went to the market and bought a pumpkin. Last night I boiled it. Since Suzy has an oven at her house, I went there this morning and baked all day. I had a blast. Baking is so fun when you don't have to use a charcoal oven and it's not 120 degrees outside! Sarah, an American exchange student staying with George's family, joined me. I had so much pumpkin puree, I made two pies and pumpkin bread, also from a recipe I used in Sudan. Sarah made two more pies using squash. We still had ingredients left over so we made chocolate cookies from yet another recipe we used in Sudan. It was a baking extravaganza!



Pip and Beth live close to Suzy. In fact, only a cement wall separates them. So, whenever we finished an item, we went to the wall and passed it over!

By 6:15, we finished baking and headed over to the party. There were about 35 people there, a few Americans and the rest were Kenyan. There was a ton of food: fish, veggie burgers patties, rice, rolls, potatoes, salad and more. It was delicious. And then came dessert. All the desserts were a hit! It was a successful night.

We had a great time hanging out, laughing and eating good food. For a Thanksgiving away from the US, it was a wonderful evening. I have so much to thank the Lord for: a new niece, supportive friends and family back home, a kind new family here, a great soon to be husband and most of all my Heavenly Father who is more gracious to me than I could ever deserve.

T.I.A. - This Is Africa

TIA is a saying people have here when things don't go the way we want or expect them to. There is no use in getting angry or frustrated. You just have to let it go and go with the flow. Yesterday was the perfect example of a TIA moment.

George's sister, Darlene, runs a preschool. Yesterday she had a graduation ceremony for the kids going into first grade. She asked the family members to attend. My job was to take photos So, Suzy, George's sister, picked me up and we met her sister and Sarah, a student from the US, there. It was supposed to start at 10:00 and end 1:00. We arrived at 10:15 (which I was stressed about being 15 minutes late!) and Darlene was no where to be found. The kids were sitting in their chairs, but people were still setting up the tent and parents hadn't arrived yet.



So, the four of us just hung out thinking, surely this will start soon. 11:00 rolls around – not started. 12:00 – not started. 1:00 – Not started.

At this point, I was frustrated. We were supposed to leave at 1:00 and I had a ton of stuff to do in the afternoon. Finally at 1:30, the ceremony started. I looked at the program and it was scheduled to last four hours. There went my to-do list. I just had to take deep breaths and tell myself, people are more important than to do lists. Events don't start at the time they are scheduled, they start when everyone is there and everyone is ready.

The ceremony was nice and the kids were cute.






It began with prayer and a little sermon by the pastor who was the MC. Then the entertainment began. The kids sang songs and did a fashion show. That was my favorite part.



After, it was time for the speeches. Unfortunately, it was also time for a down pour. All of a sudden the sky opened and dumped a ton of rain on us and blew down the tent. For a few minutes it was chaos as kids and parents were running for cover. I got drenched during the run from the tent to the house.



After thirty minutes or so, we started again. We fast forwarded through the speeches and onto the presentations of the awards and certificates. Sarah and I assisted with that portion.






The ceremony was fun and it was a good lesson for me in letting go of my plans and just accepting what is happening now.

Youth Camp

On Saturday, George and I will be going to Kakamega to attend a youth camp put on by Trinity Fellowship. It's a week long camp with 300 kids expected. The theme is discovering your Godly potential. George was asked to do the daily morning teaching, but because it is occurring the last week before the wedding, we are just going up on Saturday and Sunday and George will be teaching on Sunday. Please pray for the kids that are going; that they will have open hearts and walk away with a close relationship with the Lord, on fire and ready to change their communities. Pray also for George as he prepares for teaching in the midst of a busy pre-wedding schedule.

Wedding Update

The wedding is 12 days away... I can't believe it. I thought I should do a post with some of the details for all you girls out there that love wedding stuff. Since the engagement, George and I have been slowly planning the wedding and I have had lists galore. We met with George's family when the wedding was six weeks away and everyone took a job to help us out. It has been so wonderful to have their assistance. Here are some of the details:

- The wedding is on December 4th at 11:00am. (People here work Monday - Saturday so we had to do it on a Sunday when most people could attend.)

- Our pastor friend who is performing the ceremony isn't able to sign the marriage certificate, so we have to get legally married by the registrar of weddings at the attorney general's office on Friday December 2nd. We have already filed the paperwork and will be there at 12:00. George's sister, Suzy, got married there, by the same person, in January when I was here visiting. George and I were the witnesses for their wedding, and she and her husband will be ours. Although we will be legally married, we don't consider ourselves married until our ceremony on Sunday. The one on the 2nd is just a formality.

- The wedding will be in Kibos, a suburb of Kisumu, on George's parent's house located on the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute.

- Our wedding will be small, simple and inexpensive. With the generous donations from friends and family, we have been able to plan a small, but lovely wedding at a fraction of the cost of a wedding in the US.

- We have invited about 75 people, but in Kenya, you never know how many will show up. Strangers may walk by, see a wedding and drop in. In fact, a few people we have invited have told us they each are bringing three others. Since we are having the wedding outside of town, we hope to keep the numbers down.

- Our colors will be black, red, white and silver. Here is what the chairs will look like:


- The bridesmaids will be three of George's sisters and a cousin. A neighbor of George's made dresses for them out of Kangas (Kenyan fabric) we picked out.



- George's groomsmen will be his brother, brother-in-law, and two friends. They will wear black pants and jackets, red ties and a white shirt.

- George is wearing a white suit with a black shirt.

- I found my dress in Kisumu. It's a long story, but truly a miracle that I found it. My brother's wife gave me her veil to wear.

- The bridal party will walk down to "I Will Always Be Right There" by Bryan Adams. I will walk down to the traditional "Here Comes the Bride." During communion, Matthew West's "When I Say I Do" will play (Thank you Monica for introducing me to that song!). After the ceremony, we'll walk down to "Jambo" a classic Kenyan song.

- Since my family isn't able to be here, George's parents will be walking me down the aisle, with permission from my mom. (George asked my parents for permission to marry me before proposing.)

- Our rings cost less than $4.00 (for both!)



- Our reception will be held in the same place as the ceremony. George's friend, Mark is the MC and his younger brother will be DJ. We'll eat, have speeches, cake, bouquet toss and then dancing.

- George's mom is making the cake for us.

- George's sister is coordinating the food. We'll have traditional Kenyan foods - chicken, beef, fish, rice, pilau, sakuma wiki, soda and punch.

- We hoped to be able to Skype the wedding so people in the US can watch, but the internet connections aren't good enough here. So, we'll take photos and video the wedding and send them to the US.

- We will be honeymooning in Nakuru for 5 days. (Again, thanks to family and friends for making that possible.)

I think those are all the major details for now. We are excited and counting down the days. We would appreciate your prayers for us as we continue with preparations and enjoying our last few days of single hood.

Body Image

It's funny how different cultures value different body features. In the US, thin is in and big is looked down upon. In Africa, they like curves. In fact, here if you are very thin, people will look down on you and accuse you of having an illness (specifically HIV). Having curves means you are doing well and eating enough. Check out how this dress is displayed:



Notice the hips! You would never find that in the US! This one is mild. Other mannequins have the hips even more exaggerated.

Welcome to the World Grayce Aliisa

I am the proud aunt of a new niece. Grayce Aliisa Larsen was born on Sunday. She is 20 inches long and 7 lbs 11 oz. Congratulations Derek and Kate!

Kiswahili Lessons

Today I had my first Kiswahili lesson and my head is overflowing with information! I am back into school mode and need to make flash cards to keep all this straight. The good thing about Kiswahili is that it's very easy to read. There are no weird sounds and you say it just as you would read it. Sentence formulation is a little more tricky. For example, take the word to run. In Kiswahili, the word is kimbia. You build the tense and who it's about into the word. Nilikimbia means I was running. Ni refers to me. Li is past tense and kimbia is running. Ninakimbia means I am running. Nitakimbia means I was running. If you want to say "you were running" it would be ulikimbia. U refers to you, li is past tense and kimbia is running. It makes sense, but will take some quick thinking when I try to put it all together. It will be a lot of work, but I am excited to learn.

Fiesta

Last night we had a Mexican fiesta at George's sister's (Suzy) house. It was the best meal I have had since being here. We had homemade tortillas, beans, ground beef, rice, grilled onions and peppers, sausage, tomatoes, cheese and guacamole. The avocados here are huge. From three avocados I made a giant bowl of guacamole.



We had a really nice time cooking and hanging out. It was Suzy, her husband Andrew (George and I were the witnesses at their wedding in January), George, me, Dave and Caro (George and Suzy's brother and sister), Sarah (an exchange student from Wisconsin staying with George's parents), and Pip and Beth, neighbors of Suzy's who are from England and the US, respectively. We laughed and enjoyed our feast. It reminded me of being at home.

New Name

This morning I was working on my computer in my room when Nancy, George's sister, said there are some kids looking for you. I came out and asked her, who is looking for me? The neighborhood kids were. She was sitting in the front room with the front door open when they walked by and asked in Kiswahili, "where is 'how are you'? They were talking about me.

Whenever I walk around here, I hear "Mzungu (white person), how are you?" It happens all day, everyday. I don't mind when the kids say it. I just respond and say "fine." When grown men are doing it, it bothers me and I have learned how to say, "my name is not mzungu" in Kiswahili. So, today, when the kids asked Nancy, where is "how are you" she knew they were referring to me. So, now that is my new name. How are you Larsen.

Mob Scene

Last Friday before we went to Kakamega, George and I were walking to town to pick up his wedding suit when we came across a huge crowd of people in the street. In the distance we could see someone talking to the crowd. George found out it was Tuju, a man running for president of Kenya next year. George met him when he was in high school and said he was a good guy. I wanted to get closer to see if I could meet him. If he wins, I thought it would be cool to say I met the president. As I tried to get closer, George held me back.

Tuju is a Luo, the same tribe as George. Kisumu is known as Luo land since most of the population is Luo. In Kenya, there are huge divisions between the tribes and people are very loyal to their own tribes. After the 2007 presidential election, there was a lot of violence in Kenya after they declared the winner to be Kibaki, a Kikuyu. Most people thought Odinga, a Luo, should have won. There were lots of talk about the election being fixed. As a result, there were riots and people died. As the next election approaches, many are worried about a repeat of violence.

Odinga was made Prime Minister, a post that previously didn't exist, to satisfy the people after the last elections. Odinga is HUGELY popular in Luo land and is running for president. Most consider him a front runner for the position. Luos love Odinga and dislike anyone that opposes him. Although Tuju is a Luo, he is opposing Odinga, which makes him generally unsupported by Luos. Tuju was testing the waters when he came to Kisumu last week. What he found was an unwelcome reception.

What I saw as an exciting political rally, George saw a potentially dangerous situation. While I was laughing and enjoying the excitement, George was nervous and wanted us to get away from the crowd. His intuition was correct. Tuju wasn't there for very long when he had to leave quickly. The situation got out of control when a handful of youths started trouble. People began shouting Odinga's name and telling Tuju to leave. Tuju's life was in danger and he was whisked away. Rocks were thrown and windows on his campaign bus were broken.

That evening we saw a report about it on the news and I understood the scope of the situation. George was right to get us out of there. (Side note: I tried to look for George and I in the crowd, but we didn't make it on air.) Odinga's opposition tried to use this situation to say ODM (Odinga's political party) endorses violence. That's not the case. Most people in Kisumu, although they support Odinga, agree Tuju should have a fair chance to speak and campaign, in safety.

I guess no matter what country you are in, politics can get ugly.

Becoming Kenyan

The longer I am here, the more I become accustomed to Kenyan living. Small accomplishments make me excited because those small tasks made me nervous in the past. Like hailing a boda boda. Now it's not a big deal.

Two days ago, I ventured out alone to get supplies for dinner. Usually I go with someone from here so I don't get charged the mzungu (white person) price. Now that I am becoming familiar with the prices, I have the correct amount ready and just hand it to them. Most fruits, vegetables and meat are very expensive in the grocery store so you buy them at a duka, a stand on the street that sells supplies. So, I went to the grocery store for a few items and then went to the duka to buy tomatoes, onions and sakuma. Then I went to the butcher stand to get half a kilo of beef. Going to the store and duka are a daily occurrence. People here don't stock up and plan their meals for the week. Each night between 6:00 or 7:00 they ask, what should we have for dinner? Then you go out and get whatever you need. I have had to give in to the lack of planning. It frustrated me at first due to my desperate need for efficiency. Instead of getting frustrated with the differences, I am learning to appreciate them and see them in a positive light. Daily trips to the store means more exercise which is a good thing. Learning to go with the flow is an every day challenge, but I am getting better!

Lemon Grass Tea

Has anyone heard of lemon grass? It's a plant that can be used for many things, including tea. George's mom makes the best tea. It tastes just like Trix cereal. The tea I buy at the store tastes so different so I thought she must use a special kind. While I was in Kakamega, Charles made tea that tasted exactly like Trix too! Before he made it, he went to the garden to pick some lemon grass to add to the tea. However, I didn't make the connection to lemon grass and the Trix flavor. Once I tasted it, I know George's mom must use that too.

To make lemon grass tea, boil 500 ml of milk, 150 ml of water with 1 tbsp Kenya tea leaves and a handful of washed lemon grass. Once boiled, pour it through a mesh strainer, add sugar to taste (1 use two spoonfuls for one mug of tea) and enjoy!

26 Days to Go

26 days until the wedding! Even with simple, small weddings there is a lot to do. I am really trying hard not to stress over things. While we prepare for our wedding, George and I will still be working with Trinity Fellowship. We are waiting to find out what schools we'll be going to next. On November 25th there will be a week long camp that we have been invited to attend and help with. Since it will end four days before the wedding, we will go just for the first half of it. We are still praying about going to Tanzania and are talking with the leadership about how and when we can be used there. Please be in prayer for us as we plan the wedding in the midst of ministry work.

Hard Workers

Kids here work hard, from a young age. Look at these two precious little ones. They were taking their containers to the well where they would wait in line. When it was their turn, the parents or older kids came to pump water and carry the containers home.

Crammed In

I am learning to have patience with matatus. Sometimes I really can't stand them and other times, I don't mind them. Matatus are how people get around here so I have no other choice but to accept them. I am praying one day I will have a good attitude about them!

Yesterday, it took 8 hours and 5 different ones to get back to Kisumu. The matatus are vans designed to carry 14 people, but they can cram 25 or more in there. It does not make for a comfortable trip. Certain seats are better than others. If you are in the first two rows, people will be standing,leaning over you as the van drives. In a row designed for three, you could have five to seven people. (Plus kids on laps) The third and fourth rows are ok, but when people have to exit, you it's hard to let them out. If you are really lucky, you'll get to sit in the front with the driver. They won't put more than two people up there. George is always really protective and kind and lets me have the best seat (usually by the window). Yesterday, we had a few legs where we were in the front or had only three people in our row. That is unheard of and was a nice break from the usual jam packed trips.

DR PEPPER!!!!!!

On Sunday, in a random grocery store, tucked away in a cooler I found a treasure. My favorite soda... DR PEPPER! They don't have that here and I was so excited to find it. A little too excited if you ask George! It was so yummy. I savored each sip. I wanted to buy out the whole case, but I restrained myself and only bought one other one to take with me for later. If I ever find a Diet Dr Pepper, I will do a back flip.

Counseling Road Trip

This weekend (Friday-Monday), George and I traveled to meet with people for pre-marital counseling.

Our first stop was in Kakamega (an hour and a half from Kisumu) to the home of Charles and Emily. Charles and Emily were teachers at George's high school who really helped him when he was in need. They have become like parents to him and have been his spiritual mentors. I met them in January and really respect them. They offered us wonderful advice and asked a lot of tough questions. Their main point was marriage is an unbreakable covenant before the Lord.

They focused a lot on culture. There are many things in our cultures that make staying married until death due us part very difficult. They wanted to make sure we knew about those ahead of time and had a plan to overcome those strongholds. They also stressed the importance of forgiveness. Not just for each other, but for anyone else we are withholding that from. Not forgiving others creates bitterness in our heart that can affect our relationship.

We were also told it is essential to maintain our own relationships with God. When that is out of wack, our marriage will suffer. When we strive to please the Lord, we will strive to do what is right and put the other person's needs before our own. It is also important to learn to do everything together - pray, read the Bible, eat, budget, dream, make priorities, decision making, etc. Marriage is the highest level of teamwork.

Charles and Emily said so many wise things. Our counseling went until 2:00am and I have six pages of notes with priceless advice. We were so blessed to spend time with them and look forward to them participating in our wedding.

On Sunday morning we embarked on the six hour drive to meet with a friend of ours who will be performing the wedding ceremony. Our time with him was just as special. He too stressed that marriage is a permanent contract. Something George and I are committed to seeing through. We had a nice time chatting with him. Although he knows us both, he didn't know the whole story of our relationship. We were able to tell him that and share with him our plans for the future. Doing his part as a pastor, he wanted to make sure both families are on board. We assured him they were... George even asked my parents for permission and they gave us their blessing.

Monday morning, we caught the first of five matatus and headed back to Kisumu. George and I are so blessed to have Godly people in our lives to guide us and counsel us before and after our union.

Pre-Marital Counseling

Tomorrow George and I are going to Kakamega (about two hours away) to meet up with Charles and Emily, his spiritual mentors for some pre-marital counseling. Then we have to travel about six hours to meet with the pastor (a friend of ours) who is going to perform our ceremony to discuss the wedding details and also to do some more pre-marital counseling. Please pray for safety on the roads and good counsel. We'll be back on Monday and I'll do a post then.