Fall ...

Happy fall to one and all!  It is true that my fall is not the type of fall that brings breathtaking colors to the once green hills, but the leaves are starting to wither and die.  This coming week brings fall break for us in the Kariuki household.  The beauty of homeschool is we design our schedule and when to take breaks.  We shall see what sorts of projects actually get accomplished during this week of extra free time.  It seems like we worked so hard last week that there cannot possibly be more things to do, but projects have a tendency to walk though our gate (like bushels of guavas for example).  We will also have to keep the kids entertained so we shall see what sorts of shenanigans we can get ourselves into!  I am pretty sure a surprise attack on the kids with water balloons is in store.

Aside from the normal everyday activities I have been thinking recently about some of the similarities between the U.S. and Chad.  One similarity that keeps coming up is that many people I have met have college degrees and yet are taking jobs which they are over qualified for because there is a limit of employment possibilities.  It is not something I would have assumed to be true, but there it is folks…..college graduates working random jobs because we have to do something.

I have also been wondering quite a bit about what comes next in life for me.  It will be interesting to see how volunteering here in Chad for the last two years will affect my employment choices in the U.S. (well we shall see if I actually have any choices).  I am currently planning to try my luck in Portland again, but we shall see.  I am truly hoping that I won't simply settle into the way things were and be unaffected by my experience but instead I will be able to build upon it and share my new insights with others.  If anyone has any insights to share with me I would love to hear them (or suggestions for employment opportunities especially in the Portland area I would love to hear about those also!)

I do hope someone will hop into a pile of leaves for me and embrace the chilly winds this time of year brings.  Supposedly December here gets quite chilly (I am looking forward to what that actually means here!)

YWAM Base Visit and More ...

Well folks these past two weeks have brought about a little less rain, a little less rash, and a birthday party.  We also got the opportunity to visit the YWAM base that is currently under construction.

Clean water from a bore hole

Dining hall being built

The first student rooms are completed and ready for the electrician to come and install lights and outlets.  A dining hall is swiftly being built.  It is fun to see things being built and observing how people here in Chad build step by step.  It is also amazing to see how hard all these people work.  Much of the YWAM staff has been going nonstop running schools, working with builders to get supplies, and figuring out finances.  They are truly a faithful group.  A few thefts will not stop the progress! 

Next weekend I will have a more updated blog, but today my plans were thwarted by the lack of electricity and my poor planning of not charging my computer.  Also I just want to say that I got 3 letters in the mail this week and they made me smile.  I love getting updates on people's lives!  It is great to be connected despite the distance.



Proof I'm still alive and standing!

Rain, Shingles, and French

Hello one and all from Chad.  Well life here is continuing with school, cleaning, cooking, and of course rain.  Though rainy season is drawing to a close, it is still raining nearly every day and the mosquitos are still wreaking havoc on the people.  Sickness is a major part of lives these days.  There was a baby born to one of our neighbors and a few days later it died from malaria.  Sickness and death is a very common occurrence.  Our compound has not been exempt from sickness, although we are fortunate to be able to afford medication and mosquito preventative things (nets, bug repellant, coils).  I fortunately have been spared from the common sicknesses plaguing others, for who would want to be common.  Instead my body decided that now would be a good time to have shingles.  Fortunately the pain is minimal and sporadic but still uncomfortable.  For those of you who know me, I seem to come down with random sicknesses and often ignore them until they are no longer ignorable.  I am assured that medication would quicken the pace of my recovery but it is not necessary, and since I probably couldn't get it here anyway, I await until my blistery rash is gone.

On a positive note, we have been blessed to have a friend come and teach French to the kids and me.  It has been fun testing my knowledge and helping the kids add to theirs.  Unfortunately our tutor has gone back to university and we are left on our own to try and teach one another.  It was excellent while it lasted and has inspired me to continue introducing words to the kids (even if I don't pronounce them correctly) because it has been a great review for me.

 Happy October to one and all!  I hope that fall brings you lots of delicious apple and pumpkin foods along with great company!

Back in Chad!

Well folks I have finally made it back to Sarh!  We spent quite a bit of time in N'Djamena waiting for our Visas to be processed.  Unfortunately what could have taken 1 afternoon took three days.  I arrived in N'Djamena on Tuesday afternoon and we took the 13.5 hour bus ride Saturday.  We stayed with a Pastor's family.  They had a few guest rooms above their classroom (where they did run a Bible school and hope to resume soon). 

The kids in N'Djamena

There was no easing into the world of French.  It was immediate listening to French conversations.  My brain was rather tired, but my favorite thing to do was play with all the kids.  I realize that playing ball is not something adults here do, but that is the benefit to being obviously foreign.  It was so much easier to hang out with the kids because they didn't require conversation.  We could figure out games to play together without speaking.  Also the youngest daughter (of 7 plus friends coming and going all day long) who was 2 ½ years old would come and grab my hand and lead me places.  It is too hard to refuse a cute little girl who speaks my kind of French (1 word statements).  I must also admit that I am sorry my fellow Americans but I slightly embarrassed us in my inability to eat fish.  I have decided that eating fish off the bones (we are talking fish the size of my hand with lots of little bones) is an art form that I never learned.  My mouth is just not talented enough to separate bones and meat effectively.  I tried my hardest, but mom and dad just never taught me how to eat a fish head.  The other difficult part was that dinner was eaten after dark which makes picking out bones even more difficult.  Luckily I only swallowed one (not a very pleasant experiences).  Many people asked what the food was like so let me tell you what I ate with this Chadian family.  Breakfast was always baguette with chocolate spread and tea/coffee.  Lunch was typically tomato stew type dish with either the fish or beef in it.  This stew was placed over rice, pasta, or manioc boiled or in a sort of mush form called bol (not sure on the spelling).  Dinner was left over lunch (no refrigerator = no leftovers).  Also one night we had fried fish and veggies (looked like spinach).  We also got a lovely avocado with banana and salt with maybe a hint of lemon.  It was delicious!  Another cultural difference is that I never saw the children (except the youngest) eat food.  The parents and children ate separately.  I don't know if that was because we were guests, but interesting.

As for our bus ride, it felt like quite the luxury.  Our bus had air conditioning and even played strange movies.  Our ride went pretty quickly (I pretty much slept the whole way).  The trip would be much faster if we didn't have to make stops for the military to check ID's of men, but we made it before the kids went to bed.  My room needs lots of work and all my clothes need a nice washing (as they smell of mildew).  I look forward to getting things organized in my room as well as the school stuff.  The first few weeks of school will probably be winging it, but then I hope to do some true planning to make this school year spectacular!

Chui the shoe-loving pup.

Tigger the feisty kitten

So here are the changes I have noticed thus far…there is a feisty kitten named Tigger living in the house.  She is not really interested in human affection, but we will just have to change that.  Miss Chui the puppy is no longer a puppy.  In fact she is nearly the size of Simba the elder dog.  She is pretty funny however because she likes to lay down on feet which results in lots of tripping.  The biggest change here in Chad is that the world is green!  Plants are growing everywhere and they are full of life.  The mosquitos have also grown in large numbers.  So with repellent and eager children I start school tomorrow!

Off to make dreams come true (not just mine)

Well folks, time here in the U.S. has simply flown by!  I was hoping that while here in Ohio the days would slow down a bit and I would have the feeling of too much down time.  I can assure you, that was not the case.  Let me fill you in on what August has looked like for me.  My first week home in Ohio I assisted with Vacation Bible School at my church.  This is a time where we can share about God with some kids from the neighborhood.  It is always a lot of fun but also a lot of work as there are stories, crafts, songs/dances, snacks, and outdoor activities to plan.  It certainly kept my family busy.  After that week I began my preparations for returning (primarily shopping).  I had rather large lists of requests and gifts I wanted to return with.  I also was able to spend some quality time with my grandparents and got to help them around the house a bit.  Visiting with high school friends also consumed much of my time, but I simply love getting to catch up on people’s lives.  Though we are apart for months or even years, lots changes and often I have not idea how it affects other’s lives.  Thus running around town collecting items to pack and visiting with people made the time fly!

This last week of Aug. I had the great privilege to go to Chicago and meet up with some amazing college friends.  I had not been back to Chicago since graduating 3 years ago.  I must admit, I did not miss that city but the people I met there are missed.  I loved getting to see these friends and listen to their most recent stories.  I know that I have mentioned in earlier blog posts that I am blessed to have such amazing friends, but really I have met some pretty cool people in my life!

Today I got to attend the wedding of a high school friend.  It was wonderful to see such a kind and generous person commit to spending their life entwined with another.  I wish the both a magnitude of happiness.

As Monday morning quickly approaches and my bags become carefully packed, I have come to a few conclusions.  This summer was a wonderful time of rejuvenation through time spent with friends and family.  All the encouragement I have received and support I know will continue when I am in Chad makes me feel confident in my decision to return.  I do miss having friends close by but I have been reminded that though lives might change, friendships will continue.  I also am so grateful that I was able to speak in two churches sharing about my experience and that a 3^rd church has added me to the missionaries that they are supporting.  With all that prayer behind me I look forward to how God will use me.  Finally I am excited to go back and teach the wonderful Kariuki kids.  They truly are great students and I am so lucky that this is my first teaching position.

After an amazing summer of fun and connecting across the country, I am returning to Chad for another school year.  I will try to keep this blog updated to share about my continued experiences.  I will miss all my family and friends here in the US, but returning to Chad allows me to “make dreams come true” (a quote from Katelyn).

July

Well for those of you who were concerned, I have indeed made it back to the U.S.  In fact I have been in the land of plenty for over a month now.  I first got to have 2 weeks of wonderful family time, as my grandpa put it, “a family reunion from 4 countries: Mexico, South Korea, Chad, and the U.S.”  It is true we had that sign taped to the back of our 12-passenger van that my dad was maneuvering around the streets of San Francisco.  It was a wonderful time of catching up on each other’s lives, playing games, and of course celebrating with my Uncle as he married his amazing bride.  I also admit that I was a wimp when it came to the bay area weather….my body was just not used to those frigid temperatures!

From the bay area I travelled north to Portland…the home of my eldest brother and my home previous to departing for Chad.  It was an amazing time of catching up with friends, relaxing, and honestly simply enjoying being with people my age.  We even got to spend one extremely sandy, windy, and unforgettable night along the coast of Oregon.  I will always remember waking up in the morning and not really being able to see the bottom of my tent due to the amount of sand inside.  It was sad to say good-bye, but I left Portland this time knowing that I would be returning in about 8 months.  There is no way I would miss out on the first wedding in my immediate family!

Next stop on my U.S. tour was Redwood City, home of the amazing Sandquist family and Holly.  For the record, I think that since meeting Elle every visit to California has included a stay with her family.  My time there was busy catching up with friends, finding out how lives have changed, and really just being reminded of what Christian community in the U.S. can look like.  Without roll models like these lovely ladies, it is so easy to get sucked into the mainstream culture and simply put my faith on a shelf somewhere.  It is the inspiration that they provided that encourages me to be more intentional in my faith.

This is the brief synopsis of what life has looked like for me in the glorious month of July.  It has been wonderful spending time with people and eating delicious junk food like chips and ice cream.  It is strange to walk into the grocery store here and see all the new flavors or new products that exist, but also realizing the insane amount of choices we must make to create a simple meal like spaghetti.  Honestly though, keeping busy has allowed me to sort of ignore the fact that I do have some things to process from my previous year.  I think that it is easiest to go along with the fun and ignore the idea that my life has been altered over this last year.  Remember I am only just starting to really process what this last year has meant to me.  First I know that I get joy from serving others, making their lives easier, and of course hanging out with children.  There is nothing quite like getting a big old hug from a child to brighten up any day.  I realize how blessed we are to grow up with so many luxuries.  I have learned to appreciate all the little things and thank God for how much he provides for all our needs.  Listening during our family prayer time I’ve realized that probably 70% of the prayers are thanking God for things he has done, has provided, or trusting he will provide.  I am getting to experience first hand how God watches over us.  We could face so many trials or situations could escalate to a dangerous level, but they don’t.  It is amazing how God wakes us up at the right moment, provides us with the needed information, or really works through local government to keep us safe.  It is interesting to change to the mindset that God has us in Chad for a reason, thus he will deliver us safely away when the time comes, or if he calls us home we can rejoice also.  It is finding that happy balance of being smart (like not going out of the compound alone after dark) but not being afraid.

A big area in life is how God is challenging me.  My original intention for going to Chad was the selfish idea that I would finally be able to return to Africa.  I also went under the concept that this trip would be like one of those vegetables your parents tell you to eat because it will be good for you.  Honestly this trip has been more challenging that I could ever have imagined.  First of all I love to serve others, make their loads lighter, and brighten their day some how.  I on the other hand really struggle with asking for help or even admitting that I do need help.  Originally I was planning that I could pretty much cover my costs, for this last year, from my own bank account.  Well God had other plans.  My taxes ended up being way more than I had counted on, reducing my savings by half.  So I had to begin to ask for help.  I started small with family and friends and last year was able to raise all my support through this simple effort.  Simply asking family was uncomfortable, but much easier than asking complete strangers.  This year though I am trying to branch out and really involve a few other churches not because I need so much more money, but because I want to share about my experience, the church in Chad, and the concept of Mission Nannys.  I want to help inspire others to step out of their comfort zone and experience the good and the bad.  Another struggle of mine is learning how to wait and listen.  Travelling off to Africa by myself is not how I imagined my life looking when I was younger.  After college it seems like I am just going from one thing to the next, figuring out each year what to do with the next year.  It seems like I am listening and waiting for God’s timing…but it is very hard to not be in control.  I do not like not knowing what comes next and not knowing seems to be my reality.

But anyway what comes next at this point is VBS or vacation Bible school.  We are actually just wraping up our week, then I can finally start to focus again on my return to Chad.  It is that time again….also if any one has any questions I can answer please, send them my way!

June travels turn into July

First, I apologize for any grammar errors or other sentences that don't make sense....you try writing on weird sleep patterns, traveling through a variety of time zones, etc.  Continue reading for a taste of what life has recently been like for me.....

Well for all you curious readers, here is a brief update of my recent travels.  It all began at the wonderful hour of 4am on Friday June 27^th.  After multiple stops, a delicious road lunch, being extremely squished, and watching the sunrise and set, I arrived in N’Djamena.  It only took approximately 14 hours.  I had the privilege of spending the night in the home of some family friends.  The hospitality was amazing and I truly enjoyed myself, however……I had no mosquito net and even with the assistance of good ole Deet, I still pretty much look and feel like I have the chicken pocks.  Saturday morning I sat chatting with members of the family.  I headed to the airport only to discover that my flight was cancelled or seriously delayed, who really knows.  Instead of leaving Chad at 2:00pm I left around 12:00am.  Needless to say, my connection was long missed.  Thus began the long process of waiting in lines.  I waited in line to obtain my boarding pass.  Then I waited in line to obtain a hotel voucher.  I had a scare that I would be trapped in Ethiopia for quite some time, due to my voucher saying that my flight would leave at 11:00pm on July 1^st.  Turns out that paper was wrong!  Upon arrival in Ethiopia, I began standing in line again.  I had to get my hotel assignment.  Then I had to go through customs in order to leave the airport.  Finally I caught the shuttle to my hotel.  All together I spend about 2 hours waiting in the Ethiopian airport just trying to figure out where to go.  Now remember, I am exhausted, itchy, and these are not nice neat orderly American lines I was waiting in.  There was a whole lot of pushing and crowding and I was honestly ready for a bit of personal space after the whole ordeal.  So I arrived at my hotel and immediately took a WARM shower.  It has truly been months since I last did this, and let me just say it felt amazing.  It was rather disgusting when I washed my feet and I could see the dust just melting away from them.  Also another shocking things was simply sitting on my bed and having it bounce a bit.  It has been some time since my bed bounced!  Being slightly more comfortable I took a long desired nap.  After my nap I went to eat lunch…It was rather strange.  The food was good, but it is never nice to eat alone and then they took my water.  The greatest discovery of the day was WiFi in the hotel.  So I was at least able to contact my beloved family, their plans are also ruined due to my late arrival…

Later in the evening I returned to the front desk of the hotel to double check the shuttle’s departure time, because I did not want to miss that!  The lady at the desk said my name was not on the list and asked if I was sure I was leaving.  I immediately said yes, I have my ticket.  She said, well if you think so, the shuttle leaves around 8:00pm.  So I was prepared and managed to get my flight and arrived in Washington.  I will finally reach my destination of SanFran at 3:18pm.  It most certainly was some long days of travel but I am very grateful to finally be back.  I highly anticipate seeing my family waiting for me to travel to my grandparents and enjoy a nice swim in the pool.  I am ready to be done with waiting in lines and sitting all day long!

view out my hotel room in Addis