Meet Theresa and Grace

Me and Theresa

I first met Theresa and her granddaughter, Grace, the first day we were in Marurui.  Theresa was translating for us in a couple of the homes.  It was Grace's 3rd birthday.  Brenda suggested we give her a juice box to make her day special.  

Sunday at church, Theresa came and found me and told me that Grace had been looking for me and that she wanted to play with me.  So I gladly took her into my arms.  She giggled.  Then, Theresa asked her to recite to me her memory verse.  In a tiny munchkin voice, she said:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. - John 3:16

Me and Grace

After Theresa walked away, I tried to get Grace to repeat it because it was so adorable and I wanted to capture it on video.  I later found out that she doesn't know English very well, so that's why she wouldn't do it for me.  We played for a long time.  She chased me around the trees, we jumped rope, we sat on the swing.

Later in the week, we had a conference for the women who sew with Jacaranda.  Theresa was telling me her story.  Her daughter (Grace's mother) was unable to take care of Grace, so she abandoned her.  She said that she took in her
granddaughter and began to care for her as her own.  During this conversation, Rhonda came up and she began telling us that Grace had been sick and she had taken her to a clinic.  They had given her medicine, but it didn't work to get rid of what was wrong and now Grace didn't seem sick, but she had a bad smell coming from her nose.  I had actually noticed this the first day I held her.  She looked much cleaner than the other kids and her clothes weren't covered in dirt.  But she smelled.  It was a foul smell and it was very strong.   She was asking Rhonda (who is an RN) what she should do.  Rhonda told her that she needed to go back to the clinic and tell the doctor that the medicine didn't work.  It had been two months since Grace first got sick.

I found Grace and took her over to Rhonda.  She said that more than likely, Grace had a sinus infection that had turned into a fungus. Maybe the medicine they gave her wasn't strong enough, or it wasn't treated correctly, but it had continued to worsen.

Please pray for Grace - that she is able to get the proper treatment that she needs to feel better. Pray for Theresa to have continued strength for raising Grace.  She seems to be doing a great job, but I'm sure she will need encouragement.  Pray for women who are in similar situations where they don't know what to do or how to handle or pay for medical treatment.  It's not easy for them to be able to get to the clinic, or to pay for it if they're able to.  And even then, they're not guaranteed proper treatment.

Meet Sharon

I honestly don’t know very much about Sharon other than her name and her age.  She kept telling me that I had the most beautiful hair she’d ever seen.  So of course, I took it out of the ponytail it was in and let her play with it.  I mean, if there’s an eight year old telling you that you’re so pretty and have beautiful hair, I bet you’d do the same.  Even though I don’t know a lot about her, I know that she was so happy that we were there that day.  Sharon just needed love.  But as she put her dark hand into my pale, white hand I felt just as much love from her. 

Meet Rose (One of the Many)

Jacaranda Creations is a sewing ministry the Keans started within the slums of Nairobi to give women a skill and a way to provide for their family (instead of brew making and prostitution that are so common).  The women that sew (or stitch, as they call it) with Jacaranda are not only taught how to sew, but are also able to live life with each other and have Bible study and discipleship together.  I fell in love with this ministry and these women. 

Me and Rose with my bag

After visiting the Jacaranda office in Marurui, I noticed a fun fabric that I loved.  I even pointed it out to a couple of the girls and told them how much I loved it.  When we went to visit Tassia slum and met the women who sew for Jacaranda there, I noticed that there was a bag that was finished in the same fabric.  I asked who made it.  Out from the group, a sweet lady states that she is the one that made it.  She was incredibly soft spoken and seemed very shy.  I told her that I wanted to buy the bag and that I had seen that same fabric the day before and loved it.  She smiled.  

I told Rose that I would always remember her and that I would be praying for her.  She was very excited I was getting to take the bag home.   

Rose needs prayer.  It is very hard for the women in Tassia.  They have a ton of work set out for them each day before they even begin sewing.  They have to carry their pedal sewing machines through the slum each day...walking through mud, trash, and waste to get to the small grassy area of the church they use to sew.  The church is partially covered on one end with no walls.  They can put up walls, so they can leave the sewing machines there locked up, but there is fear that as soon as they make the building nicer, that the landlord will take it away from them.  Once the women reach this area, they are able to begin work on their items.  Once their day of stitching is complete, they carry the machines back through the slum.  I can't imagine how discouraging that must be for them to do this day after day.

Walking through Tassia

The church where the women in Tassia sew

Meet Virginia (and Kevin and Beatrice)

Virginia held a special place in my heart even before this trip began.  I heard her story while I was having coffee with Rhonda back in October.  Rhonda met Virginia on her trip two summers ago.  When she first met Virginia, she was making brew in her home in the slum and spent most of her days drunk (When I say "brew" I'm talking about a very unnatural drink, not beer - It was dark and murky looking, made in a large pot with pieces of burlap and other unknown objects floating in it).  She came to know Christ while Rhonda and Brenda were visiting and reading her Bible to her.  Her two youngest children were very sick and they ended up taking them to the clinic.   Kevin was a year old and weighed 11 pounds. They were not expecting him to make it because he was dying from malnourishment.  Beatrice was 4 and had pneumonia.

I was excited to meet Virginia because I'd heard of the transformation in her life and I wanted to see it.  We went into Virginia's home trying to fit everyone in so no one would miss hearing her story.  We heard the story of Rhonda and Brenda's visit two years ago and the impact knowing that God loves her.  She told us how she felt that day before giving her life to Christ.  She was sad.  Empty.  She didn't know how she could take care of her kids and she didn't want to.  She told us that she hoped baby Kevin would die so she could continue to make brew and not worry about him.

But all that changed that day in that same home two years ago.  She gave her life to Christ and was transformed.  She now tries her hardest to care for the children that still live with her.  She washes their clothes, she cleans their home, she feeds them, and she tries to provide for them the best she knows how. She spends time telling others how God has changed her life and she's truly a light in Mururui to those in darkness.  We met so many people and when we asked them how they started going to church, their answer was simple...Virginia.  While her life is still not simple, and while she still struggles, baby Kevin is alive and healthy and happy. He's got one of the sweetest giggles and loves having his picture taken.  

(Kevin - alive, healthy, happy)

(Beatrice and Rhonda)

Beatrice is now 6 and when we got there, she was sick again.  Rhonda reached over to me and said, "This little girl had a fever when I was here two years ago and she has a fever now."  I could see the pain in her eyes.  She had a runny nose and a cough.  As we prayed over Beatrice in her older sister's home, it occurred to me that this child was sick and it became reality that even something as simple as a cough could be deadly.  My heart sank in my chest as I watched her and realized how hard it must be to not feel well in such circumstances.  Rhonda and some others took Beatrice to the clinic, and it turns out she has tuberculosis.  She was able to get treatment at the clinic (while not easy, it's possible).  She'll have to continue with the treatments and take her medicine.  Several days later, she seemed to be doing so much better.  She was smiling and laughing and skipping rope.  I know that God has huge plans for Beatrice and Kevin.  Just look at those smiles.

Meet Monica

One of my absolute favorite things about this trip was visiting with some of the people in their homes, listening to their stories, hearing about their lives, their struggles, and their faith in God.  

Meet Monica.  Her home was the first one I was able to visit in Marurui slum.  It was tiny.  Held together with cardboard boxes and old wood pieces with a rusty tin roof.  We walked into the dark room with the little light there was creeping through the door.  Rhonda, Beth, Lauryn, and I sat with barely enough room for all of us to fit.  Huddled together, we listened to Monica's story.  She's a single mother raising six kids.  She reached into a plastic bag hanging on the side of the twin bed she was sitting on and pulled out a photo.  She handed it to us.  I looked at the picture of Monica with her beautiful children and she beamed with pure joy.  One of her sons is crippled and goes to school outside of the slum where he is lucky enough to have a sponsor who is able to pay for his schooling.  Her husband left her after her youngest child was born so she has been alone to raise the children.  She tells us that she is HIV positive.  She tells us that she is feeling good but has been very sick in the past.  We asked how she was able to care for her kids and she confidently stated that she was only able to do it through God and without his help she wouldn't be able to.  Despite her circumstances, she is not angry at God, but she relies on him to get her through.  

We asked Monica how we could pray for her.  She told us that she wanted us to pray for her children and that they would grow up knowing Jesus and that they would choose to love him.  As we sat in Monica's home praying for her health and that she would be able to provide for her children, I felt God's presence and it was so much bigger that that tiny room we were sitting in.

Beth, Monica, Lauryn, and I after our visit 

Pray for Monica, for her health, for her children.  

African Adventures - The Prologue

I'm not sure I'll ever be able to put into words everything I'm feeling right now.  I knew Africa was going to be big for me, but I don't think I realized the impact it was going to have on me.  The way it was going to make me feel. Something so foreign that I feel tugs at my heartstrings...it physically aches for these precious people I've met.

I want you to meet them too. I want to tell you their stories.  I want to make you love them. I want you to feel as deeply as I do, but unfortunately I don't think that's possible.  So I'll do my best to bring their stories justice.

Due to unreliable internet, I wasn't able to blog while we were over there.  So I journaled the old fashioned way - in my favorite leather bound journal.  I tried to write about the people I met, some of the things we experienced, the things we saw, faith so huge I might never understand, beauty, pain,  disease, amazing cups of coffee, friendship, and love.  Of course, some of those things are more exciting than others, but its all real and raw.

Our African adventures started months ago with fundraising, events, and meetings in preparation.  But finally, Friday morning, June 3rd it became real.  Our flight left Nashville late Friday morning with 12 of us on board heading to Atlanta.   We boarded our international flight to Amsterdam where we had a layover that was long enough to let us enjoy the crisp early morning air and a brief walk around the beautiful city (and a quick visit to Anne Frank's house).  Then, back to the airport to catch our flight to Nairobi.  We landed in Nairobi and headed to the guest house after over 30 hours of travel.  As we sat in the van and stared out the windows and got our first taste of Nairobi, I had no idea how I would feel at the end of those two weeks and how I would leave a huge piece of my heart there.

4 Days!

I can’t believe that in 4 days I will be boarding a plane and heading to Kenya! It’s so hard to believe that the time to go is finally here. I was one of the last people to join the team when I was asked to go in October. So for the last eight months it has just been an event so far in the future, it barely seemed real. Yesterday, we had our very last meeting state side. We each brought an extra luggage with us and packed it full of supplies to leave over there. Socks, blankets, books, clothes, toys, medicine, band-aids, Neosporin, paint, coloring books, jump ropes, crayons, and a million other items that were donated over the last couple months.

I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us during those two weeks we’re in Nairobi.

Let me ask you this…please keep our team in your prayers. Pray for wisdom, safety, open hearts, and opportunities. And if you like to pray specifically for each of us, we would love that – Rhonda, John, Lauryn, Jessica, Beth, Joby, Alyssa, Anya, Cooper, Lisa, Dave, Justin, Elijah, and of course, me!

Unfinished

Right now, the only word I can think of to describe what I'm feeling is "unfinished."

From the pile of dirty laundry separated into respective piles in my un-vaccuumed bedroom floor, to the 10 item checklist with only two crossed off, to the half read book sitting on the coffee table, to the 12 half-written blog posts that haven't been published.  It's easy to look around and see all of the unfinished things that need to be done...completed...wrapped up with a pretty bow.  

It's very uncharacteristic that I would leave so many things incomplete (except for the dirty laundry part).  I like to finish things.  I love having the sense of accomplishment and being able to check one more thing off my Post-It note.  It makes me feel like I'm in control.  

And I guess that's my point.  Right now, I'm totally NOT in control.  

With 25 days left until I get on a plane and head to Africa (and with the impending doom of my 30th birthday lurking around the corner), it's more glaringly obvious than it's been in a very long time that I am indeed, unfinished.  My life is unfinished.  There are so many things I have left to do.  Things to complete.  Things to finish. 

Where to even begin is completely overwhelming.  Tonight, I'll just worry about publishing some of those half written blog posts.  

Let's Just Say "See You Later"

In the last several weeks, I've said goodbye to many co-workers.  Some, I wasn't close with, but there were a very special handful that were my trusty confidants, my break from a busy day, my workout partners, my lunch buddies.  They were my friends.

I don't like goodbyes.  I know I will probably see all of them again (at least I better!), but for some, it will be easier to keep in touch.  While I am extremely happy for their new beginnings, it's bittersweet because I will miss them all terribly!

Katherine, Me, and Laura on Halloween

Me and Sutton at his going away party

The Royal Wedding

I'll admit it.  I got up to watch the Royal Wedding.  At 4am.

I have always been fascinated with the Royal family.  When I was a freshman in high school, I was convinced that I was going to marry William and be a princess.  It's every little girl's dream, right?  Then when Diana died, I was glued to the tv watching the coverage of the funeral.  I remember thinking how sad it must be for those boys to come to the realization that their mother will never see them grow up.  

I was barely a month old when Diana married Charles, but I've always loved hearing stories from my mom and her friends about watching the wedding, about Diana's dress (especially that crazy long train), and the overall excitement.  And now it's my turn to witness history.  Live.  Because in my head, watching it on TiVo and watching it when I woke up wasn't an option.  It wasn't live.  It wasn't watching history happen.  It's not experiencing it.  It's after the fact.  

I was as giddy as I used to get on the first day of school as  I sat on the couch in my pajamas at 4am and texted back and forth with one of my childhood best friends.  I wanted to have a slumber party and get up and watch it, but all my friends were against it (except for one, but they didn't get my 4am wake up call).  

The wedding was an absolute real life fairy tale.  Kate looked absolutely beautiful.  William looked dashingly handsome (because that's what you say about a brand new Duke, right?).  And what about when William saw Kate for the first time and he told her she looked beautiful.  Swoon. 

I am glad I got up to watch.  Maybe 30 years from now, my children will get to witness their children getting married.  

How adorable is that wedding party?

My favorite thing about this picture is little Grace covering her ears! 

This photo looks so formal, yet so elegant.  

I Heart New York (Still)

And so my incessant rambling of being SOOOO close to New York City worked.  Because Sunday, we loaded up in the car super early and headed to Roy's sister's house in Jersey and took the train into NYC for the day.

Me and mom on the ferry 

Manhattan!

Me and Manhattan!

Me and Mom in front of the Empire State Building

Me and Mom in front of Rockefeller Center

Times Square

Times Square at dusk

My love for New York is deep.  And if I can only spend 8 hours at a time, I'll take every second I can get.  Although I do need to go back for a real trip soon.  I know I've been saying that since my first trip in 2007, but it's so true.  

Good Morning Baltimore

This weekend I got the chance to hang out with my mom and Roy in Baltimore.  It was a great chance to get away from all the hustle and bustle of work for a bit.  We crammed the extended weekend full of fun things to do, but it still felt very relaxing and was so nice to get out of Nashville for a bit.  Even if I did trade the 80 degree weather in for 50s and 60s.

Nairobi

I absolutely love this photo!  I found it last night on this web site. 

A Little Perspective...

Sometimes I get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of day to day activities I forget that there's more out there.  That in reality, my life and the things I think are important aren't really that big of a deal at all.

My morning looked something like this:

Woke up late.  Rushed to get ready.  Left the house at 7:45 for my 8:00 doctor's appointment for my second round of hepatitis shots that was 20 minutes away. Didn't consider early morning traffic on that side of town.  Had an incredibly bad case of road rage.  Got to the appointment 5 minutes late only to discover that my appointment was actually scheduled for 8am on THURSDAY.  It was the doctor's day off, so there was no way of getting in anyway.

At one point, I even thought...okay.  Not a big deal.  Seriously, if this is the worst thing that happens to me today, I'm doing okay.  

DEEP BREATH.  Back in the car.  Battled traffic to work.  Stopped to get a venti latte.  Turned the radio up and screamed along to Cee-lo.  

But throughout the day, small things kept creeping up and stealing my joy.  Over and over.  And over and over.  And to be honest, I let them.  Every single time.

By 4:30, I was on my fourth breakdown.  And again, I started thinking about gaining perspective.  So I came home, took a shower, ate dinner, and began to think about my trip to Africa.  The fundraising has been a source of stress.  Mostly because I let it be.  I freak out that I don't have all of my money raised.  I worry that it won't come in.  But I know that God is totally in control.  And I know this because every time I start to freak out, He reassures me.  He does it in ways that make me know that I need to let it go and have faith that He's got it covered.  He's shown me over and over the kindness of people I would least expect it from.  Money showing up in ways I'd never expect.   Messages from people I barely know telling me that they are praying for me or that they want to contribute.  And as small as those things may seem, they're HUGE!  Because they always come at the times when I need it the most. 

Today, I just needed a little perspective.  So as the rain poured outside, I started googling some of the places we would be visiting.  It gave me chills when I looked up Kibera slum on google earth and could see what it looked like on the map from miles in the air.  The individuals that live there deal with so much more on a daily basis than I could ever imagine.   I remembered reading something on my friend Rhonda's blog (She's the one who invited me along for this wonderful journey) from her first trip to Nairobi.  So I went back to find it again.  And it's definitely a small dose of the perspective needed today.  The following was posted on her blog from the book  "Hope in the Dark" which is  a picture and storybook about a the author's trip to Africa.

" If you want to know the pulse and strength of Africa, spend a day with the women of a village. In the midst of deep suffering, domestic abuse, societal and poverty constraints, the women are the stability of Africa. They will carry the buckets upon their heads, touch the wounds of the sick, accept the burdens of helping the village survive - and all the while, they will be singing praises to God. "

And again, I was given a little perspective and reminded how privileged I am to get this opportunity to embark on this adventure with 11 others to Kenya this summer! 

New Beginnings

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." 
- Closing Time by Semisonic

here

Snowflakes Falling...

I'm tired of the snow.  But it's not going anywhere just yet. 

found here

found here

found here

Spring is in the Air...I Wish!!

I've had fun getting my Etsy shop up and running.  Right now, I don't have a lot of time at all to focus as much time and energy as I'd like toward it, but hopefully that will change soon.

Last weekend I posted updated bows for spring and valentine's day.  I'm super excited about this.  If there are little girls in your life that look super cute in bows, I'd love for you to check out my shop by clicking on this link!

I also completed my first custom order over the weekend.  She wanted a layered bow for Valentine's day.  I got feedback today that she loved it!  I'm hoping that means repeat business!

Control Freak, Party of One

I had a pretty crazy week last week.  I came home every night emotionally, spiritually, and physically exhausted.  I felt like I had to peel myself out of bed every morning.  I needed a break.  So I had all day Saturday to myself.  I had a checklist that was a mile long.  Needless to say, I only got half the items completed.  So Sunday, I woke up ready to go.  Somewhere between waking up at 8am and going to church at 11:30, I fell asleep.

I had lunch plans with a friend after church.  When I went to meet up with her she said, "You should have been at church today. Pete talked about being a control freak."

Wow.

But it's true.  I'm a control freak.  I have a hard time relinquishing control over almost every area in my life.

And lately, it's something that I'm definitely having to surrender every day.  Over and over and over again.

I did go online to listen to the sermon (you can find it here) because the previous four weeks had been amazing.

As my trip to Africa gets closer and closer, I get more and more anxious about raising support.  I feel myself start to question whether or not I'll be able to raise enough money.  I start to think that maybe it's too much money.  I start to doubt that I can do it.

And then, I surrender.  And I remember that God is a million times bigger than that.  That he's capable of so much more than $3500.  And the thing with surrendering is that it's not usually something that goes away the first time you give it up.  It's usually something that you have to continuously hand over to God.  To trust that he is so much bigger than what you're giving him credit for.

One of my favorite quotes through this "More" series has been:

"The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized in the lifetime of that opportunity."

How true.

A Change of Plans

Plans for Friday night fell through when Joshua Radin was sold out at The Cannery. So instead, the night consisted of sushi and Streetcorner Symphony.  

I was excited when I realized that Jeremy Lister had pulled these guys together for The Sing Off.  And I loved having the opportunity to root for them every week on the show.  

New Tunes Tuesday

Today is a great day to redeem my iTunes gift card I've been holding onto for such an occasion.

I've been waiting for The Civil Wars album release since I first discovered them several months ago.  I'm absolutely in love with them.   Plus, I love supporting local artists.  I bought this album this morning and it definitely kept me sane through a crazy work day.  There's something so soothing and perfect about this album.  Go. Buy it now.  It's only $7.99 on iTunes.  I have that much change in the bottom of my purse.  And if you don't have that much change, the single Barton Hallow is the iTunes free song of the week.