Life in Kenya is getting better for me. I recognized that I was in the "fighting" stage of culture shock. The "acceptance" stage is slowly making it's way in now but I am also looking forward to our departure in 9 days. Taco Bell. mmmmmm. Nick amazes me with how he handles this. Sometimes I envy him for his ability to adjust so easily. He admits the Marines did a great service to him in that sense but I think his personality helps as well. Other times I feel like a failure or a disappoint to him as a wife for struggling in adjusting. He is sweet as always and assures me that I do not disappoint.
Thus far, my two strongest memories of this trip are quading on Saturday and trying to talk to a giraffe. It was so nice to get out of the city! I found myself saying, "this is Africa!". I wish I could upload pictures. but alas, you will have to wait till we are moved into our new apartment in Texas. Nick took a video of me saying, "JAMBO!" to it. The giraffe looked at me and walked away. It was funny and we both laughed.
My second memory is when we went to a school in the slum. Us wives brought some soccer balls, books, and jump ropes. It didn't feel like much but was received with so much gratitude you would have thought we gave them millions of dollars. One of us was asked to "share from the Word". Somehow I got picked or volen-told...or something. I was so nervous. so nervous. and had only 5-10 minutes to prepare. Clarissa found me a Bible verse - Phil 4:7-10 and I read it and thought, my Dad's cancer. I can share how this verse helped me through that! So I did. James (one of our dearest friends at Mayfield) translated in Swahili. I watched the teachers teach the kiddos games. They had all 100 3- 5 year olds get in a circle by singing a chat. Then the teacher in the middle would call animals. If it was an animal safe to eat the kids jumped. If the animal was not safe to eat they shouldn't jump. if they did they went in the middle.
the baby just spit up on me. gotta go! :)
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I know exactly how you feel! your whole first paragraph sounded like I could have written it! Dave and Nick are all too similar in the way they can just roll with the punches, and I'm always the one going "wait..no...this sucks, actually" :) You're doing great though, and I'm so excited and encouraged by all you're learning. Can't wait till you get back so I can see pictures, hear stories and live vicariously a little :) Take care, guys. we miss you like crazy!
ReplyDeleteTrue, I can adapt easily, but that's come with practice. You should have seen me the first 2 weeks in Uganda when I was 18...yikes. Ordering fish and chips and having a whole fried fish dumped off in front of me was traumatic to say the least...you're doing great. Just roll with the punches, there's no other choice :)
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