What?

That question has been hitting me a lot lately because of all the things that have been happening around me. First, for those of you who have been wondering if I have a family or friends, the answer is yes. I have been immensely blessed by the people that God has brought my way. From the family that has taken me in and has told me that as long as I'm in Kenya they will take care of me to the friends who I have met at Church the past two weeks, it helps time go by when you have people to talk to, play games, and just get away from life's troubles.. Having a family like the Kuguru's has been amazing and my new New Zealand friends who moved here last week has just been fun.

Second, this week we lost electricity for three days due to a fire in Mukuru Slum. There are so many rumors flying around about what actually started the fire, but the fact is that it really affected the slum in a big way. It destroyed many houses and for some people, it destroyed their families. The fire affected two of my friends. They lost everything they owned. Thankfully they were not physically hurt, but I can't imagine what its like to lose everything. Our organization has been trying to figure out how we can help them and thankfully we have figured out their housing situation. Fires like this usually start from cooking fires that are left unattended or a spark flies up and catches something flammable and then it takes a long time to stop the fire. Because the slums are secluded from the city and usually have walls surrounding their outer edges, the firefighters have no way of getting into the slum. But even if they can gain access into the slum, which happens by destroying the wall, the slums are like a maze and there isn't really a path that a truck can get to the fire quickly. It's something that the politicians are talking about and trying to figure out how they can protect their people.

Third, Steve told me on Tuesday that I was going to teach a sport ministry class for a masters program at the church that our organization has offices in. The education system is not really friendly, meaning that students who graduate from the equivalent of high school, have to either pay to go on to the university or have to wait a year before they can go to school. The church offers this program to students who don't want to wait, but want to get involved in ministry. Since the electricity was out throughout Nairobi, I wasn't able to get the material for the class until the night before. The name of the game here is flexibility and just be ready for anything. It's not always fun, but it definitely keeps you on your toes and constantly relying on God for strength and guidance.

Today, I was able to hang out with some new people and it was just amazing to hear their stories. It was just relaxing and the fellowship was amazing. Some of their stories were really just mind blowing and full of God's grace. One person I met lost his wife in 2009 because she was hit by truck when she was crossing the road to go meet him, and God somehow has brought him to this place of peace. He is one of the worship leaders for Nairobi Chapel and is looking at getting engaged to someone who has brought him joy amidst the hurt and pain.

God has just continued to show me His goodness. No matter what it is, whether it's Olivia and I going through this distance and being apart, to the friends who lost their homes, to the place where we are right now. He has a plan for all of it and somehow is going to get all the glory. It's just amazing to think of it like that. So keep fighting, don't EVER give up because He is faithful and He hears you. Badi (later).