2 New Firsts

Before I share with you my latest adventures, I would like to say that en light of the last few weeks events here in Nairobi, there might have been a few worried or aghast responses from some of you as to how I am reacting and handling certain situations. I want you all to know that I am being very careful and taking as many precautions that I can, but 90% of these stories happen without my having any control of the events and often times then not, the stories/experiences end with a story and laughter one, because this is not the US, and two, because this is not how I normally would have reacted but because I'm here, all I can do is enjoy the ride.

Please know that I do have some very important connections here so that if anything does happen, I have an Ace up my sleeve. And the people in the office and my friends here are all helping look out for me and help me be aware of what is happening on the ground.

Ok so now, story time. Two Saturday's ago I found out that one of my friends who graduated with my aunt from Messiah College, was in town. She ended up calling me and asking me if I was running in the Nairobi Marathon the following week. I hadn't really given it any thought since I hadn't started getting back into the routine of running long distances, but I figured that it was a chance of a lifetime. So I got up and ran a 10k the next morning just to see if I could handle the distance. I finished in a pretty good time and thought what the heck. So I trained for one week and ran the 10k in Nairobi's Standard Charter Marathon this past Sunday. It was unlike any competition I had ever been a part of.

Firstly, they closed down all the major roads in Nairobi, which in itself is a huge accomplishment because those roads literally see probably around one million cars a day. Ridiculous. Then 15,000 people registered to compete in the event along with another 5,000 who didn't register but ended up competing. As Toni and I were hanging around the starting line, we noticed that there were little five and six year old kids standing with their mom or dad with a number for the half marathon or 10k. Maybe this is just me, but when you sign up to compete in a race, you're expecting that you're going to finish. You've probably done some training, maybe not, but your confident that you can do it. Well after the start of the race, I saw that was not the case for probably 80 to 90% of the people in this race. I shared this thought with my Kenyan friends and they told me that it was a charity event and not so much as a race.

So as I'm running, within the first 100 yards people start to walk, crack jokes, and then the general public comes out of nowhere and adds another 5,000 people or so to congest the road. I am in no way saying that this race was a disaster and that I hated this experience, but it was so interesting to see those who just came out to enjoy the closed streets of Nairobi, have fun with the family, and then see those who were so competitive and were cheating by going underneath the banners and cut the race short for themselves. I will say that it was fun to enjoy those roads being so open and having the opportunity to run on them because they usually cause me so much headaches, like last weeks 5 hour jam.

My second first was the day after the race, my friend was driving me home and as we're coming out of a major round about, a city bus refuses to let us overtake him and in slow motion I see this bus completely shatter our side mirror. Nothing really happened to the bus other than a foot long scratch, but that bus had definitely seen better days. I ended up getting a traffic officer to help us, but she refused to see our side of the story and give the bus driver the ok and telling us that it was our fault. I got her to admit that the bus hit us, which I thought was all you needed to prove, but she then said that because we didn't maintain our lane that we were at fault. HUH?! Anyways, we got our Kenyan mom on the phone and as soon as she talked to the police lady she completely changed her attitude towards us. She told us to go on and that everything would be taken care of.

Well... we started to leave, but then she hollered at me to come talk with the bus driver because he had gained the confidence that he could get us to bribe him because she had said that it was our fault. After a long debate of how it was scratch and not a dent and his passengers literally about to beat him up because it was obvious that he was trying to play us, they left and we were able to carry on with a side mirror hanging in a plastic bag on the side of the car.

Every day it's hard not to see how God has his hands on me and is protecting me from harm, from the daily corruption that happens, and giving me grace and providing for my every need. Tomorrow I will be participating in my second wedding and first Kenyan wedding. It should be another adventure and I will definitely let you know how it goes. Until then... Stay classy and may He provide your daily bread.

Definitely the Craziest Day Yet

Well yesterday was a day that I will personally remember. It all started off well as I was able to call my good friend Aaron Skrivan and hear all the good things that are happening in his life and then from there, things got a little bit crazy.

So as I'm on my way to work I got off at my normal stage and walked to my second stage on the trip. As I was walking up I saw my good friend OJ and we caught up for a minute and then, this small that truck that was driving on the wrong side of the road turns into our little stage and everyone just starts running! Guys jump out from the back of the truck and start grabbing people and shoving them into the truck. I should clarify that these were government officials and not some Al Shabaab or anyone else to be worried about. We all knew who they were. But as all this craziness was going on, OJ and I were just standing there next to the truck and I look over at him and ask, "What should we do?" and he says, "Just wait, they can't do anything." Then all of a sudden, this guy grabs OJ and I and starts telling me that I'm just like the rest of them and that I'm no different. So he's telling me this repeatedly and OJ is yelling at him to tell us what we've done. They end up getting us into the truck, how, I don't know because OJ ended up sitting on top of three people and I ended up sitting on him. Once we finally got settled the guy next to me told me that we were going to City Hall, which  is basically the county jail where I would have to pay a nice fine, I was like this is great. Then the head officer came and said "Mzungu, come here, and where's your brother." I told him that I was sitting on him and he told us to get out and that that wasn't a stage and that we should go.

I was definitely blessed to have OJ with me, but as I shared the stories with others, they told me that OJ was blessed to have me there otherwise he would have gone to jail. Well after that, life was normal as I went to work, trained with Petra, and came home on the bus. Later in the night, Kinyash and I were talking and as we were talking I saw this huge wave of water coming from the bottom of our front door. We live on the third floor, so having our flat flooded was something that I never expected to happen. I honestly thought it was a joke or something, but then I went outside and there was Lake Victoria outside our door with rivers branching off into our flat and our neighbours. I don't know why, but Kinyash and I found this so funny and just laughed, pretty hard apparently because our neighbor who wasn't having any flooding came over and joined us in our laughter. I'm sure we were annoying our other neighbor who was having flooding because we were just playing in the water and laughing at what was happening.

I was able to get a hold of the land lord who sent her guys to come unblock all the drains that were stopped up and help us remove the water that had come in the house. So it was a fun day/night for sure. Thankful that I had OJ as well as Kinyash with me to help me in these situations. So ya, that was my day. Hope you enjoyed the stories and could laugh along with me. Until the next adventure comes around.  

FIFA and Friends

Well last week was another memorable week as Masha and I traveled to Mathare, MYSA Youth Academy for a coaching and administrator workshop. I had the privilege of being chosen to take part in FIFA's CSR East Africa initiative in their Street Football World Network, sponsored by Adidas, in their Strategic Planning workshop. I took Strategic Management at Covenant, so during that week I found myself being thankful for my education, because rather than getting stuck in the business jargon and the concepts I was able to absorb all the stories and experiences that my colleagues had to offer. The course had members from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, and all over Kenya. The biggest thing that I will take away from the workshop is just how big of a platform Football has in the world to promote things such as peace, non-violence, HIV awareness and how that little ball speaks every language. Definitely blessed to be apart of it.

I was also able to meet up with some friends from my home church in West Virginia as they passed through Nairobi on their way to Southern Sudan. It was really encouraging to see them and just talk to familiar faces again. My aunt's good friend and one of the members of my Kenyan family, Toni Kuguru is also in town. We haven't connected yet, but we're planning to catch up at Habesha and also run the Nairobi Marathon 10K next week together.

I have also taken over the U7 Kicker team, which I can honestly say that this is the hardest coaching job I have ever taken on. It's definitely a challenge, but definitely worth all the headaches, sore throats from screaming, and just wondering what the heck are they doing?

Definitely a good week. Only have 4 weeks left. Got to make the most of them.

My First Traditional Kenyan Funeral

As most of you know, last Tuesday, one of our players at Petra Boys Academy (our senior team) past away quite unexpectedly as he incurred a brain aneurysm. Gimo or Gaga as he was known in the community, just turned twenty-four this month and was the first born in his family. Yesterday I had the privilege to attend his funeral ceremony and in trying to sum up what happened there are three phrases that come to mind: 1. "Aslan is on the move," 2. I'm still in Kenya, and 3. I don't know that one is supposed to have fun at a funeral but I definitely had a blast!

The events happened chronologically but before I go into detail, I have to start from the beginning. We were supposed to arrive at the funeral home at 8:00am, but let's get one thing straight, this is Kenya or TIA. That means in reality that people were still arriving after 9am. Once we were satisfied with the people around, they brought out the casket and allowed us to see Gimo one last time. After that we loaded up into 4 buses and one matatu. I was one of the lucky and not so lucky ones to be in the church bus. Unlucky in the fact that our bus driver went missing for an hour and a half! Seriously, he just upped and decided that he wasn't going to drive us. So once we figured that out and got the church to send another driver who had to get a taxi and then come through the traffic jams, we were finally off an hour and a half behind the leaders. I was lucky in the fact that my bus wasn't one of the ones that ended up having the youth boys smoking pot. One of the girls from ICC ended up having to leave that bus because it was so strong, even the driver thought there was a fire in his car.

Once we got to our destination, the first thing that took place was a photo shoot of all the families, organizations, and football teams that Gimo was a part of and were represented that day. After that there were representatives who spoke about Gimo including one of our coaches, Nicholas Masharia. Here's when I get to point number 1. After the representatives spoke, the pastor gave a speech and during this speech 14 youths came to accept Christ as their Savior! It was awesome to see how something that seemed so life taking to many ended up becoming life giving for 14 individuals. During their prayer I was just reminded that even though it's hard to sometimes see God or know why He does the things that He does, He is still at work and knows whats best.

Ok Number 2. So after the alter call and speeches, Petra Boys was then asked to carry the casket from the ceremony to the burial. It was only about 100 meters distance, but the trail wasn't well marked and it was in the middle of a tea field. So as I'm helping to carry the casket and keep my footing, I feel these little fingers going down into my pockets. Thankfully they didn't have enough time to grab anything and I was able to smack their hands away, but I was reminded yet again of my skin color. I was the only mazungu (whiter person) in attendance and I had never felt like I was being so judged in all my entire life. It was similar to the time that I went to Highland Park's mall and saw people judging me for wearing soccer shirts and a white t-shirt, but this was on a much larger scale. Like the dad rarely took his eyes off me and any time I looked away, there was another male staring at me. I'm so thankful that I had Kenyan friends who were there with me, sat with me, could translate a little bit for me what was happening, but I felt honored to be at this ceremony.

After we put the casket on top of the grave, the tradition is that everyone plays a role in the actual burial process. So we were letting the casket down when after 6 inches, realized that the grave wasn't long enough. So we pulled the casket back out and two guys jumped into the 7 foot grave and started frantically digging to make it fit. Once that was done then we let the casket down and the parents threw the first soil ontop and then the rest of the crowd followed until it was finished.

Then the family gave us dinner, which by this time it was 5pm and we were supposed to have left by 230pm. We were served huge servings of rice, githeri, and tea. I knew that I needed to be careful because when there's a big function like this, food usually doesn't get prepared like it should, so I took the risk and had my dinner. It was quite good, but I woke up the next morning with my stomach doing flips.

Number 3. So on the way to the ceremony, not too many people talked. There was a time for about twenty minutes when they broke into Swahili worship, and that truly was one of the greatest experiences I've had here as we were driving through the country side. It definitely made the three hour trek much easier. But back to on the way home, I began talking with this guy named Masaba, who I continually called Mufasa. We were talking and then Gaga urged me to sing Masaba  a swahili song. The next thing I know Masaba got the whole bus to be quite and listen to the mazungu sing. I completely butchered the song, but I will never forget how that whole bus erupted with laughter once I started singing. It was awesome. Once they were able to control themselves, they then taught me the song and then the whole bus sang it by my lead. From that point on, everyone was either singing, telling me jokes, dancing, or laughing. It felt like I was coming home from summer camp and was singing all the new fun songs that I had learned. The other thing that I will never forget is how much they laughed when I was dancing in the middle of the aisle when we hit this hug bump and I hit my head on the top of the bus and almost face planted on the floor. Oh and I can't forget also when the bus pulled on the side of the road and all these ladies jumped off and next thing I know, there's 8 little humps just sitting outside in the field doing there business. So funny.

So hows that for a Kenyan Adventure. My first real traditional funeral ceremony and it is one that I won't easily forget. Well I hope you enjoyed my stories and experiences. I hope you have a great night and I'll be sure to let you know when my next adventure is. Cheers.

Jimmy and Facing My "Whiteness"

Well this week has been a huge week for AIS-Kenya and myself as we have dealt with  a huge loss to the Petra Boys senior team. Jimmy who was one of the founding members of Petra Boys back in 2002 when suffered from a brain aneurysm earlier this week. Jimmy definitely lead a life that glorified the Lord, and was a huge example to the younger Petra Boys who have come through the team.

With Jimmy's death, I have continually been reminded of my skin and the expectations that come with it. For instance, Jimmy was a good friend to me and yet because of my skin color, it wouldn't be good for me to go visit the family or even participate in  local football match to raise funds for his funeral. The expectations would be to great on me just because of my "whiteness." I've come to grip with me being a minority as well as one that is expected to help out financially in every situation, but it's been hard to not act and just listen to the advice of my friends and co-workers who insist on me not meeting the family or anything until its all said and done at the funeral.

Being in this situation of being a minority is definitely something I will never forget because it has forced me to see things in  completely different light than what I would have received if I had stayed in the states. I am now more aware of my surroundings, like the neighborhood, people sitting next to me on the public transportation, how close the person is walking next to me, asking myself "why is this person talking to me and what do they want?" Honestly, it can be overwhelming at times, but it makes me think of all the minorities in the states in how they felt / feel now. It's such an interesting perspective to always be aware of your skin color and what it has the potential to provoke, but it's also a valuable lesson in learning how being white in the states is something that doesn't carry any of the weight or lessons as being African American, Latino, Mexican, etc.

I'm sure coming back to the states will be something like a shock when I'm no longer a minority when seeing two white people in one day is an achievement and something that all my kenyan friends conclude automatically that they are my cousins.

Please keep praying for me as I continue to deal with this reality because it implies a lot, especially being in a country that has a "take" mentality. So whether I'm walking through a crowd or dealing with my house help, because of my whiteness it's assumed that I have money and will help any and everyone, that I'm great target for pick pocketers, and that the corrupt public transportation system (matatus) can take advantage of me. I hate it, but that's what it is. I only pray that through this, I come out with a better understanding of people of different races, can adapt easily to what people deal with, and think very carefully before I talk.

A Day Nairobi Will Not Forget

Well yesterday I went for a nice little run that consisted of paying bills, getting some veggies and fruits from the market, and then getting some groceries along the way. When I got home, my roommate was glued to the TV as scenes from a pipeline explosion that had happened that morning down the road from where we work were being shown. The feeling that I began to feel were similar to that of what I felt when I was in the 8th grade when I saw the scenes from 9-11. My stomach and heart ached for those who were being rushed to the hospital with their flesh literally peeling off their faces. It was heart-aching to see the pain and loss that this community was feeling. And the thing about all of this is that it could have been avoided, and yet at the same time, it was destined to happen.

For those of you who haven't read the news, the Mukuru slum is located on top of a gas pipeline, with the company's site right next store. There have been reports and pleas from reporters and journalists the last year urging the people in this slum to live elsewhere, but they have refused to move and say they won't unless the government pays for them to move. The thing is this is their livelihood. Their church, school for their children, their friends, all live there, so why would they move, even if there is a threat to their livelihood under their homes. It has been said that there have been several leaks in the pipeline this last year, but none of them ended like this. The explosion is believed to have started by the news of the pipeline's leak and people rushing from far distances in their vehicles to fill jugs and canteens with the gas to sell, however, the explosion was believed to have started it by a cigarette butt.

As of late, I have been having talks with some friends about the mentality of the people who live in the slum and it really is unbelievable. These are the people that you read about in the BBC reports that talk about people living on less than a dollar a day. And let me tell you, that dollar that they have to work for is earned or "hustled" in any and every way possible, even at the risk of their lives. In this particular circumstance, the gas pipeline sprung a leak. I have not heard how the leak came about, but the reality is that people in the slums have their ways that they are able to gain access to the line with a certain pump and sell what they call "paraffin" (kerosene). My house help actually asked for money two weeks ago to buy the pump and start selling it.

Besides the reality that this is a very dangerous business, it is also stealing. But the slum mentality sees it simply as a "means to an end" and a way to make that buck or for them, provide their family or themselves. Yes, this could have been prevented but the government has yet to solve this problem. The only thing I keep hearing from their leaders are: "this was a tragic accident" and "Kenya has so many problems." I only hope and pray that we don't have to wait for another disaster like this to happen before change comes about..

I know that God is in this place and that He is here with us, but we need change and it needs to happen... sooner rather than later. So let's get to work.

A dedication, squash, a new apartment, and pick pocketers

Well the last two weeks have been an adventure for me as I have experienced several new things and had an amazing privilege of being part of my Kenyan family's baby dedication. This last month Mr. Kuguru's son and wife came to town to adopt a little one year old boy. They have a daughter of their own, but wanted to add another addition to the family. They found Petros at an orphanage in Nairobi, and if they hadn't of picked him up, God only knows what could have happened to him. At these places, these kids barely get enough nutrients and care that they need in order to develop and be healthy. One of the kids who was also at the orphanage died the day after Kenny and his wife picked him up. Unfortunately, Petros' is still not theirs yet as they have to go through a very long and in depth process with the courts so he can legally be theirs.

Kenny's dad is a Bishop in Kenya and last week they had a dedication for Petros at their church. It was my first true Kenyan church service, not to mention the first time that I had to stand in front of a congregation. Thankfully I wasn't asked to say anything, but the traditional Kikuyu baby dedication is that it takes two weeks. The first week the family stands before the church and explains their reason for dedicating their son. Then the second week, the family has representatives who speak on behalf of the parents, pray for Petros, and then officially dedicate him. I was given the privilege to stand up front with the Kuguru family as well as Petros' godparents and their family. I was so blessed to be apart of this family's ceremony and be given the title Uncle Jonathan.

Like I said before, this was my first Kenyan traditional church service. Meaning it was very hot, most of the worship songs were in Swahili, the service was over 3 hours long, the sermon was in English but they had a Swahili translator, and it really had the feel that this was a family reunion. Everyone knows everyone and they all love each other and care for one another, which was amazing to be included in.

In effort to start being active again throughout the week, I have tried to find new hobbies, besides running, because here in Nairobi that requires getting up before 6 so you don't pass out from all the exhaust from the traffic. So last week, Kenny and Mr. Kuguru gave me a shot at their sport, Squash. For those of you who might not know what Squash it is, it's just like racquetball,  but with a smaller ball that has no bounce and a smaller court. It is a very intense sport that requires technique and precision. Mr. Kuguru got me a trainer for the week and this guy made me work, let me tell you. I definitely enjoyed the sport and wouldn't mind picking it up, but the costs of becoming a member at gyms and clubs is outrageous here. So unless I get invited by Mr. K, then I'm still in search of something that can help my LGN come January. Investing in a mountain bike is an option but I haven't saved enough yet to get something that will be able to handle the terrain and roads.

Also, this is the last month that I will be staying in Kirichwa Apartments. In effort to get ready for Olivia living over here I needed to get a much nicer flat for us to live in and make her feel comfortable. We had a pretty good budget, and for the location that we needed (somewhere in the middle of jobs), it being in a safe community, as well as having a home feeling to it, we found an excellent place right up the road! I will be moving there at the end of this month and will be having to balance moving my bosses furniture and belongings to another location, work, and all those other factors of life. I am very excited about bringing Olivia "Home" to this place and cannot wait to haver her here with me.

So, on the day that I paid the deposit on the flat I must have been jinxed because I had not one but two guys try to pick pocket me. It had been a while since the last attempt, but thankfully I have had good friends who have helped me know their tricks, where I need to put my valuables, and what I need to watch out for. Since I've been here, I've learned to size people up and be on my guard. The first guy played his role well because I did not see it coming. I was sitting in the middle of a three seater on a bus and this guy was sitting on the end with his partner next to the window. The guy next to the window wanted to get out and the the guy on the end wouldn't step into the aisle to let him pass. So we had to finagle around to let him pass and while we were doing so, the guy on the end put his folder over my bag and unzipped the top of it. I immediately felt it and yanked it out of his grasp. He then jumped off the bus, with nothing to show for their effort. But for me, I averted their attempt only to have a huge drunk guy replace them and squish me into the window.

Naturally, I was annoyed the rest of the day, but I just had this feeling that there was more to come. Well it happened a second time. This time I was trying to get on a bus with about thirty other people who were all trying to squeeze into a small door. I had two big bags that I put infront of me so no one could have access to, but in doing that, my hands weren't in my pockets, where they should be, and a guy who was pretending to get on the bus had his hand down in my pocket and was trying to pull out my iphone. Thankfully Olivia gave me this case that makes it ridiculously hard to pull it out of my pocket so I felt this hand trying to get it out and did one of those Karate chops and caught the guy off guard and knocked his hand out of my pocket. It was then my turn to get on the bus and the lady behind me was all frantic telling me that she saw the guy and that I needed to check my pockets. I told her that he didn't get anything but was thankful for her concern.

The next day when I went into the office and told all my co-workers the stories, they all told me how I should have yelled "thief" which would have then led to the guy being beat up or punched the guy. I have pondered this question a lot as to how would I react to a situation like what I experienced, because to Kenyans its simple, you try to steal myself then you're going to pay. Which something that for me personally, I do not want to do. I've decided that violence is not the answer because when it is, here in Kenya there are basically two outcomes. First, if I yelled thief at the second guy, then the situation becomes mob justice which either kills the guy or more people are pick pocketed because his comrades would then get the guys who would be beating him up. Secondly, if I punched the first guy or chased after him, I then either become a victim for striking out against a Kenyan and will be judged very harshly, or if I chase the guy, he will more than likely lead me to a place where his friends are waiting for me to beat me up and take the rest of my belongings. So either way it's a lose lose. But I would rather lose and be phoneless, or couple shillings less than try to catch the guy and put myself in another bad situation.

So that's my two week short story. Hope you guys were able to laugh and enjoy some of my adventures. I am so thankful that I am here and have this opportunity to work with the players and organization over here. Yes, when I come home, I will probably experience a lot of culture shock, but I wouldn't trade any of what I'm learning and experiencing.

Mr. and Mrs. Future Jonathan Pelts are heading to Nairobi in January 2012!

HERE WE GO!
It is official! Olivia has been accepted into Africa In-land Mission's counselling internship at Tumiani in Nairobi, as well as into Ambassadors in Sport's team! We cannot believe how God has just had his hand in all of this as we have had to go through a HUGE process of Olivia having to get approved through AIM (even though they don't allow new married couples to go onto the mission field until after a year of marriage), as well as getting approved by AIS (which has they same policy), and her school approving the internship in order for her to get credit for it.

After starting the process in July, getting engaged in August, and the Lord really working in these organizations, we are all clear to start fundraising and preparing to head to Nairobi together in late January! Right now the plan is for me to come home two days before Thanksgiving and move back and forth between Bluefield, Denver, and Dallas to be with Olivia as we make final preparations for the wedding and moving, and spending time with both families.

You can ask any counsellor what are two of the biggest stressors in an individuals life and they will say moving and marriage and we're doing both! HA HA! We both know that what we are about to embark on is not a walk in the park, but an amazing opportunity, first to grow in our marriage and second to pursue our passions together. When Olivia and I first got together one of our greatest concerns was how would we be able to pursue our passions together, and little did we know what the Lord had in store for us.

We are excited as well as nervous about what the future holds for us, which is why we cannot do any of this on our own. Besides trying to build our financial support team, we are also in need to build our prayer team. We could not do any of these things without continued prayers from our families and brothers and sisters in Christ. Of course we do need to raise additional support to provide for both of us while we are on the ground, and if you would like to support us on either a one time gift or monthly donation we would greatly appreciate it, but if there is no prayer, no work can be done. Thank you all so much for fighting for me these last few months as I have been over here alone, but now I ask that you fight for Olivia and I as we begin this journey TOGETHER! Thanks so much for your love and encouragement.

In Christ,
Jonathan and Olivia

Thanks Wheaton for the Sweet Memories

Well it is hard to believe that one month has flown by since I last saw Olivia and on top of that, the Wheaton team has come and gone. After months of preparation and getting everything lined up, the team came, they saw, and I would definitely agree that they did more than any of us had ever imagined. They hosted 3 football clinics, played four friendlies with KPL teams, a village team, and a drug rehab program, put up a fence around one of our new churches that we're building, and walked through the slums. But on top of all that they did, they left their name all over ICC and AIS. From their financial donations that will help us provide either a greenhouse or catering business so we can give the Petra Boys a job, to their countless donations of boots, jerseys, clothes, and shoes. The community of Nairobi has either experienced something so rare and so Christ-like by this team, or hopefully they will feel that presence by the Petra Boys, Kickers Clinics, and the staff here who was impacted by them.

I do have to add that one of my favorite memories since being here was when the team traveled to Shuka to play a village team and not only was it fun to play again, but to see an entire village come out and support their boys was a special gift. They lined the entire field and went nuts when their team would either miss an opportunity or give the ball away. We ended up winning 3-1, and even though it's not really cool to see an opponent score, it was really a special moment to see the whole community celebrate and going completely nuts. I will never forget seeing guys with pineapples run onto the field trying to sell them after the goal, or people hugging and starting to chant in their native tongue.

Thank you Wheaton for coming here and doing a fantastic job. Your attitudes were amazing, you came in prepared to be flexible, and ready to serve wherever you were called to serve. God did some pretty amazing things here and the cool thing is that their not going to stop there. He will continue to be faithful with the donations you left, the people you impacted, and I am so blessed to be one of the guys who can write to you and let you know what's happening on the ground. Stay strong my brothers and know that you have a fan in Nairobi who will be cheering you on, that is after you play Covenant. Cheers boys.

A LOT HAS HAPPENED. SHEESH!

Where to begin? Well to start out with, I AM ENGAGED! Yes, you read that correctly. I am getting married. Crazy I know, but I know that I made the second best decision of my life when I got down on one knee and asked Olivia to marry me.

So... the story. Well last weekend, Olivia and I went with a friend to Sweetwater Safari Reserve. It is located at the base of Mount Kenya and the only word to really describe our experience was unbelievable. After taking a few wrong turns and accidentally running into a herd of elephants, no lie, we made it to our 5 star resort, where we were greeted with zebras, giraffes, and hundreds of other animals. I will never forget getting out of the car at the resort and looking out over the property right next to our room and seeing a bull elephant in the middle of a clearing with zebras all around him. The scene was just surreal. After checking in we went on a game drive where we saw water buffalo, chimps, rhinos, hippos, and more animals that I don't know how to spell.

After the game drive we decided to go for a walk around the resort. As we were walking we came across another clearing that had over a hundred zebras, ostriches, antelope, water bucks, and the sun was setting over Mount Kenya. It was seriously like walking into a scene from the National Geographic special on Africa. I had originally planned to propose at night, but the scene was so picturesque that I couldn't pass it up. I was able to tell my friend what was about to happen and managed to give Olivia the greatest surprise ever.

I don't really remember what all I said other than that I want to do life with her and I want her to have my babies. Since it was a spur of the moment  decision, I was so nervous that one, I couldn't take off her promise ring that I had given her last year, and two I literally had to take a minute to compose myself when I got on one knee. The funny thing is that in the midst of our hearts racing and the monumental decision that was happening, I never asked her to be my wife. As soon as I pulled out the ring she just started saying yes yes and that was that. I did ask her after we embraced and I realized that I never actually asked the question and thankfully she still said yes.

Our friend Jennie was able to capture the moment from us, which you can see the pictures and the video on our facebook. After that, we were able to see more animals and enjoy some of the best food in Africa, oh and yes we saw three lions the next day!

Apart from the safari and the proposal, Olivia and I have been enjoying so many memories and times together. As we were preparing to see each other, we both thought that there would be a day or two of awkwardness because we hadn't seen each other in over 6 months, but none of that happened. It was like we picked up right where we left off, but the relationship was much deeper than before.

Olivia has been very busy these last two weeks as she has had two job interviews, been offered a job, networking within Nairobi, going through pre-marital counseling, registering online for wedding gifts, planning the wedding ceremony, and organizing how November and December will work out with me coming home, wedding preparations, and where we will spend Thanksgiving and Christmas. It has been hectic and at times overwhelming, but I wouldn't trade this for anything. Somehow we will get all the money to buy the plane tickets we need so this can work out, but every day is just another step of faith knowing that it is His plan and not mine.

Well I think that I will stop here before I fall over in my seat from my lower back ache. Thank you all so much for your prayers and if you are in the Dallas area January 6th then you should really consider stopping by Park Cities Presbyterian Church around 7pm, because its going to be a party! Until next time, cheers.

OLIVIA IS HERE

Yes, for all of you who are out there and following my blog, Olivia is finally here! She got in at about 9:45pm Thursday night and since then we have be thoroughly enjoying doing life together. It was 192 days since I last saw her, and as soon as she got here, the feeling has been that things are back to normal. They are not normal in the sense that I have a week off from work and get to do things that I normally wouldn't have been able to do otherwise, but normal in the fact that she is here and gets hang out with me. LOVE IT!

This past weekend we had took some time to head west to visit the Entwistles and RVA. It really was relaxing spending time with that family. We played up down the river, chess, checkers, had some really amazing home made meals, walked around RVA, and met some really cool people. The Rift has definitely become my escape from Nairobi with its cool air, mountains, and the fact that you can see the stars at night. So good.

Well today we are going to hang out with Sonia Kuguru who is my Kenyan sister. We're going to take Livs to the most westernized part of Kenya, Westgate, to go shopping, see a movie, and then go to the Kuguru's where mom is making a traditional Kenyan feast. Which I am actually starving myself so I can eat all of this goat meat, mandazi, skuma, chipati, and anything else that will be on that table.

I will definitely keep you all posted on our latest movements and activities as Livs and I have a lot planned for the next 20 days that she is here. You can also watch Livs' facebook to see pictures from our adventures. Well, until next time, stay classy. Cheers.

The Lord Gives and He Takes Away

This week has been an up and down roller coaster for me. I have seen the Lord meet so many needs here in the greater area of Nairobi, as well as remain completely in control of things back home that haven't turned out as any of us would have liked them to. Let me start with my good friend's, the Nickell family.

Cole has been a very close friend to me since my senior year in high school. He actually played an integral role in me going to Covenant. Well this year his wife had a son who was born with several issues. I do not know the exact details, but from the beginning of her pregnancy the doctors had told them that this would be difficult. Well a little over a month ago, Cole Matthew Nickell Jr., was born and since birth never made it out of the hospital. Well yesterday, before I left the house I checked facebook and I saw that Matthew wasn't doing so well. I began to just start praying, but the feeling I had inside was something that I hadn't experienced in a very long time, and a feeling I hope I never have to have again. When I got home I got a text from Olivia telling me that Matthew had passed away. I know that he is in a much better place where he can breathe on his own, run around, and do all those things he should have been able to do on earth, but my heart just breaks for Cole, Julia, and the rest of the family. It is so hard being here at times when I just want to get on a plane to go see my brother and give him a huge hug and be there for him. I can't imagine the pain and loss that Cole is feeling and would just beg you to keep them in your prayers.

So a midst having that feeling of wanting to be to back home, I have also had the feeling and experienced God moving in me and directing me here in Kenya. This week we had two mission teams from the States come and work with our partner church, ICC. One team went around and did school visits presenting the Gospel, while the other group had a four day, free medical clinic for the local area. I worked primarily with the medical team by assisting them wherever they needed help.

The first day, we took several groups of four Americans into Mukuru slum and handed out fliers for the medical camp. The next day we did the same, but also threw in some evangelism. Between those two days, I spent a total of seven and a half hours walking around in that slum talking with people. I think those two days were preparing me for the third day, because everything that I had experienced, witnessing, meeting new faces, and actually trying to organize things came at me faster than I was ready for.

When I walked onto the campus there were at least one hundred and fifty people queuing (waiting in line) for the clinic. We had to drastically change our waiting room that had previously been a small tent into moving people where there was shade and some order. After that I was running errands here and there and then next thing I know, the pastors were calling me over and told me to go preach to the 60+ people in line. I had two minutes to prepare myself and it was literally by the hand of God that I was able to connect and speak to those people. And as I was speaking, I realized that I was no different from them. I needed healing just as much as they needed to be seen by the doctor and get medicine. I was right there with them. By the Lord's grace, 15 people came to know the Lord and by the end of the clinic 1,663 people received medical help and 297 were saved!

Like I said, it's been a roller coaster and something that words will never be able to describe. Feeling the excitement and pure joy for those receiving new life and then hearing about life being taken away, it's a lot to process. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. I will never forget those words and I pray that I will never forget my daily need for Jesus and spiritual healing.

Today = A Big Day

No, nothing big happened in my life today. Well Nairobi City Stars did win their third game of the season. But seriously, the big things happened to those who are close around me. My little brother just started his summer job at Ligonier Camp. Which I actually did when I was his age. Man, how that was such a life changing experience. And then, my best friend Chris Stern married Jordan Agate! Freakin' A! So crazy. I'm so happy that they are finally together. As I'm writing this, they should be getting their groove on at the reception.

So that's what has been happening around me. Everything here is still crazy and this week is going to be an even crazier week. We have not one, but two mission teams coming in from the states. They'll be interacting with the Petra Academy team and getting to see where a few of the players live.

And then this week, I'm starting to change focus. Lately I have been focusing on the U19 team and how I can measure their development, well know its time to focus on the younger kids and their needs. I think the starting point for them though is not the player, but the coaches. Empowering them so they can feel qualified and respected is something that I hope we can achieve by giving the coaching courses in the next month or two as well as giving them coaching uniforms so they can feel unified. It's small things, but honestly, the grassroots is where everything begins.

So I'm excited for what's ahead. Olivia comes in 19 days! Life is good.

Habari Jako!

I know that it has been a while since I last posted something about what I am experiencing here, but before I do that, I would like to thank those of you who have contacted me about supporting Emily and her schooling. So far we have raised enough money to get her through one term and half of another. If you are interested in sponsoring any other term or have a question, you can email me at jpelts@gmail.com.

Ok, now to the stories. Well a lot has happened over the last two/three weeks. The big event was my Kenyan sister's high school graduation from Rosslyn Academy. She has yet to decide where she is going to continue her education, either at Wake Forest or a school in Canada. Because her school is run just like an American school, they played the popular pomp and circumstance, had the valedictorian address, and Sonia was the class speaker, which she did an absolutely fantastic job. The celebration was spread across both sides of the family and even continued late into the night. After the ceremony, we went back to her family's house where we consumed the most amount of meat that I have had since being here, as well as share with Sonia advice and well wishes. I was in no way planning on having to make a speech, but at the very end Mr. Kuguru had me and one of Sonia's cousins speak on behalf of the youths.

The whole night was a blast as I was included in all the family discussions (even had my own interpreter) and just felt like I was part of the family. I think that I keep saying this, but I'll continue to say it that I am so thankful for the Kuguru family and their taking me under their wing.

Mr. and Mrs. Kuguru got back from the states two days before Sonia's graduation and while they were there my family and Olivia were able to send me some clothes as well as a new iPod and iPhone. I finally figured out how to jailbreak the iPhone last night and it is so nice to have.

The other crazy news is over the last two weeks, our organization AIS, has been swamped. We tried to sell the professional team because it was becoming a burden on our ministry and requiring too much of our resources. Quite frankly it was becoming what we call in a marketing with Dr. Quatro, a dog and it needed to be shot. Unfortunately, the legal documents have prevented us from selling and relinquishing all of our debts and actually getting some money out of the deal. Our national director is actually flying in tomorrow morning to help sort things out.

You can be praying that we are able to sort out this situation and that in the process we would continually strive to make decisions in the best interest of the ministry.

I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to write something, but now you've got an idea what all has been happening here. Oh and the countdown for when Olivia gets here is down to 29 days! Wow has time flown since I got here. Looking forward to sending you more stories and hope everyone is well. Baraka (blessings).

Emily Awino Odhiambo

Mambo. Today, I would like to write something different and something that will not happen too often. Today I want to highlight a special friend of mine. Her name: Emily Awino Odhiambo. Since the first day that I got to Kenya, Emily and her mom Agnes have been serving me and my room-mates by cleaning the apartment, washing our dishes, washing our clothes, and working so hard and diligently.

Emily is the first of seven siblings. She started school when she was twelve years old because her dad could not pay for her school fees. It wasn't until her mom started working that she was able to attend school. After she started attending school, her dad started abusing his children and wife. He stopped providing for them and left his wife to be the sole provider for the family. Emily would go through stages where she would go to school and then have to leave in order to help her mom provide for the family.

In 2005, Emily finished primary school with a "C" grade and in 2006 she was enrolled in High School in the Kibera slum, one of the largest slums in Africa. High School was no different from primary school as Emily's dad continued to beat her mom and the school would shut down because the teachers would go on strike.

Emily has become a leader not just in her family, but also in her church. She has been a Sunday School teacher the last five years. She loves working with the kids because it eases her pain and gives her an escape.

Emily has since had trouble finishing her classes because of challenges with her family, but God has sent some amazing "angels" and friends to help her along the way. Karen and Lydia helped Emily get through as much school as they could financially assist her as well as providing a job for Agnes. Through their connections, Agnes was able to get more jobs by cleaning peoples houses and doing household chores. However, these connections have gone and jobs have yet again become scarce.

Emily was recently given an opportunity to go back and finish her schooling. Her desire is to go back so that she can become "a somebody in society." Emily's mom is her hero as she has continued to provide for her and the family. Emily wants to make her mother proud and despite her being twenty-three years old, her dream is to finish high school. Her trust and and faith is in God and if it is His will then she will go back to Form 3.

Emily's tuition is 26,000 Shillings per term, which is around $313. Her school has offered to pay half of her tuition, which leaves her 13,000 Shillings away from completing her dream. Please be in prayer for this family as they have struggled through so many things and have been a huge blessing in my life. I thank God for their ministry as they serve my house and pray that someway these financial burdens can be lifted and help make these dreams become a reality.

Thank you all for your prayers and I look forward to sharing with you more about how God answers this prayer and many more to come. Cheers.

Is Mothers Day Really This Week?

Well for the last two weeks, I thought Mothers Day was last week, the first of May. But apparently my mothers day doesn't match with the actual day. It's to bad because today is a really sad day as Chelsea lost their hopes of winning a trophy this season, and Nairobi City Stars had a chance to move up to the tenth place, but instead lost to the last place team. It just wasn't a good football day.

But besides all of that, since I last posted an article about how I was doing, I have managed to get "African Tick Bite Fever" along with working crazy weeks, have very little rest time. Yes, the tick bite thing has been an ongoing question of how can you acquire such a fever and all I have to say is that one night I went back to sleeping in my bedroom and I wake up itching and red marks all over my body. So I went to a clinic and that's how they diagnosed me and told me to go bomb my mattress and wooden bunk bed. I still have yet to do those things.

The Petra Boys Academy is off to the races. We are actually getting a lot of publicity lately and people continue asking us what our program is. God is so good in the sense that we were able to put together a whole youth system and start it this month with all of these journalists and potential sponsors now getting interested in what we are doing. This month, International Christian Center, the church we're partnered with, has opened several job opportunities for our boys to make some money and so we don't have to keep paying their fare to and from training.

So that is what I have been working on and why I haven't been able to post something in a while. I will say that this Tuesday marks mine and Olivia's one year anniversary and we are so excited about that because it means that we are one day closer to seeing each other and also another month into this relationship. My sister also graduated from Covenant College yesterday and even though I wasn't able to attend, I still felt like I was part of the celebration. I am so proud of my sis and cannot wait to see where she will be by the time I come home for Christmas. Man how time flies.

Well that's what I've got for now. I'll try to do a better job at updating this. Keep on pressing on to the win the prize and seriously, never give up. If there's anything I'm taking away from this experience its that. No matter how hard the job might be, how hard long distance is, how hard life is with tick bite fever, whatever, never give up cause He's given you everything you need to get through it. Love you all.

Easter Weekend

This Easter break is the first Easter in five years where I wasn't in South Carolina visiting the Nickell's and yes it was different, but so good. I was out in Naivasha, which is right down the rode from RVA, and this place has become my place of escape from Nairobi. This was my third time out there since being here and the animals, landscape, and just everything about that place continue to amaze me!

This go around I stayed at a friend's house which was absolutely fantastic. Not just because we saved a ton of money by not camping, but because of the community where they lived. The highlight of my week was playing with the kids who lived next to my friend and getting to play football with them. The first day that I was there, I was talking to my mom on the phone and while I was talking to her, about eight kids starting gathering around me and just laughing at me. After I got off the phone with mom I taught them how to play hot hands and they loved that game. It was something that we ended up playing together all weekend. They later found out that I was a footballer and the next day they had made a ball out of plastic bags and some foam. The last day that I was there, they had found scotch tape to wrap the entire ball in and make it more durable. One of the kids who I got to know, but was very moody and would either wave continuously at me or cry when I would try to give her a high five or hold her was Michelle Obama. No joke, and all the parents and kids told me that she was his cousin, which everyone in Kenya wishes they were.

On Saturday, my New Zealand friend Jennie and Kenyan friend Jackie and I went to Hell's Gate, which is like a minature Safari place. We ended up renting bikes and since I'm a guy, I never considered getting a map or asking for directions. Instead I just kind of followed the nature what I saw from the beginning. So we ended up following the hardest trail in the park, which even the park rangers were impressed that we went on. But on this trail, I felt like a kid again. I was on my bike, content as all get out, and there all around me was God's creation. From monstrous cliffs, to freakin Zebras, Baboons, Warthogs, and much more! Oh it was so much fun to shout to Jennie and say, "Hey Jennie! There's more Zebras up ahead!" Seriously, where else could I say such a thing?

Those are just a few of the stores. Met several new peeps from Canada, Australia, more Kiwis, and had a ton of fun. I will never forget this trip nor the memories. Oh and for Easter, Jennie and I went down to the lake and had our own Easter service. We read the resurrection story, had a time of thanksgiving, confession, and then had communion. The idea was to have Coke and bread, but sadly we forgot the Coke, so we had Dasani water instead.

Well, now it's back to work and ministry. So glad the two are never separate and coincide with each other. This week I will be re-structuring the Petra Boys program, as well as put the structures in place to add another youth team into the system. This is my dream job and I am so blessed and excited to be in the place, right now! Love you all!

"The Group of Death"

Like I said in my previous post, the Nairobi City Stars U19 team is playing in a Kenyan Premier League Tournament that has a lot of hype and opportunities for potential scouting and recruitment. Today was the first day and our ESPN equivalent, SuperSport, is following the tournament pretty heavily and will probably televise a few games.

Our team is in what is known as the "group of death" in the World Cup. It's called that because for four teams that are favored to do will in the tournament get the unlucky draw to play each other when on paper, they should only see each other in the semi finals or finals, but such is the sport. So today, we played one of the favored teams to win the tournament who also happen to be the oldest team, Tusker FC. They are the oldest team because Tusker is a beer company and they have a policy that the club can't sign any player under 18. The tournament actually had to change the age limit because it was originally a U18 tournament, but Tusker wouldn't have been able to field a team, so they changed it just for them.

So they were the favored and guess what! We won! It was so awesome! The fans were actually yelling "Shitani Ashinwe" which translates into something like "defeat the devil." So after we won, there were like 40 fans that came onto the pitch and were hugging the team and us coaches. There were a lot of Premier League officials at the game and afterwards they couldn't stop talking to the technical bench. They kept telling us how we are the City's team and that there are more boys like the ones we have that we can recruit and develop.

Seeing their excitement and just being so proud of how they played was such a high. Well that's what has been happening today. We have one more game in the group stage because one team dropped out, so if we win on Wednesday then we move onto the quarters.

Please be praying for me this week because after tomorrow night I will be staying with the team at their camp. I have some meetings tomorrow that I need to take care of and then after that I can spend all week and hopefully next week with them. This is an amazing opportunity to disciple, encourage, and begin to mentor some of these boys. So be praying that I can be bold, ask hard questions, and be able to connect with these boys. That connecting part has been so hard these last three months and I really pray that this will be a great way for us to connect. Anyways, love you all and appreciate those of you who keep up with me and want to hear about my life. Cheers.

Football, Faith, Future

Football, Faith, Future is the slogan for Hope Academy, the academy that I am working on structuring here in Kenya. Like I said in my last post, I needed that vacation time to rest, process, and think about everything that I had learned, seen, and observed the last three months. Actually today is my three month anniversary of being in Kenya as well as my 11 month anniversary with Olivia Leigh Perry! Crazy how the two coincide together.

So this weekend has been spent writing what the organization was, where we are now, and where we want to be in the future. Apart from all of this writing, I had the opportunity to be the head coach for Petra Boys for the second time and we won our first game! I made a lot more subs that I did the first game, but I actually felt like I was able to "get into the game" and figure out what was lacking and make the needed adjustments, and it worked! HA! On top of that, NCS played their sixth match and we're also looking for their first win of the season. They were playing Gor Mahia, which has the largest following out of all the team's and played infront of 13,000 plus fans. I had already counted it as a loss for us, but what do you know! We surprised everyone in the league and had the biggest upset of the season thus far. Some of their fans actually told our fans that they thought the reason that they had yet to beat us in 3 years is because they use witch craft before the games. Interesting they came up with that.

This week the KPL is having their first ever U-19 tournament. It's structured just like the World Cup. It's a two week tournament where housing, food, and transportation are provided. This week I'll be staying at my apartment, but I might stay next week if we get out of the group stages. This morning, we had a ceremony where the officials drew the teams for the brackets and luckily we were drawn for the group known as the "group of death." It'll definitely be a hard week for us, but a sweet one.

Well please keep me in your prayers this week as I coach, mentor and spend a lot of time with these young boys. Baraka and until next time, badi!

The Aberdair's!

Well this past week has been a little crazy, which is why I didn't have time to send any updates or status's on what I was up too. We are going through this huge re-structuring process at NCS and it has just been time consuming. Apart from my coaching responsibilities I know have to lead several projects that won't be easy. And on top of that, NCS is still looking for their first win of the season. We are at the bottom of the table and have only one point to show for in five games. Not good.

Apart from that, work gave me a three day vacation and I was able to go camping with the Entwistle's. It was so good to see that family and on top of that go to the places that Ben had talked so much about. Dr. Entwistle, Michael, Seth, and Seth's friend Stephen went and it was just good guy time. Girls will never be able to understand guys attraction to the wilderness, water, and just being a guy in the middle of nowhere.

I hear the weather has been crazy back in the states for some areas. I know Bluefield got a nice sunny day and then snow the next. Here, it's either very hot or rainy and a little chilly. The one thing that the Aberdaire's did remind me of is that I don't want to end up in a city for very long. My place is the mountains, fresh air, and solitude. Not the busy, chaotic, millions of people place.

You can check out my pictures from the Aberdaire's on my facebook and you can even check out my monthly newsletter at http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=8163881bfc2dcf5a62bc0a614&id=bac1fbb35e
Hope you have a great day! Cheers.