Jambo!
It's been two weeks since I came to East Africa, and it feels like a lot has happened already. To mention a few, a missionary team from London came and I got to join them in their ministry for their last few days, Pastor Kiarie got married last week, and I went down to Tanzania couple days ago to see the new Bible college under construction. You can read about them on my blog (http://doxadeo.blogspot.com).
However, the real African experience starts tomorrow. I'll be going to Masai Land to spend a month there. That's where people live in huts made out of cow dung, and most places don't have electricity or running water. So I'll be disconnected from the rest of the world except through my cell phone.
Speaking of phones, I just got one today. If you need to contact me, or just want to chat, my number is: 0727-867-619. Incoming calls and SMS are free for me (outgoing SMS is very cheap), so don't hesitate to call or text! The country code for Kenya is 254. (e.g. If you're calling from the US, dial 011-254-727-867-619. If that doesn't work, add 0 before 727.)
For the first week, I'll be volunteering at a clinic, then for three weeks after that I'll be helping with a ministry while most likely living in one of the cow-dung huts. I have no idea how I will recharge my phone battery without electricity, but even the Masai warriors have cell phones (or maybe it's because they are warriors that they have cell phones), so I'm sure there's a way.
Please pray for me as I will be entering an entirely different culture. Pray that I will be able to share God's love by my actions, that I will glorify God in whatever I do. I will be in a relatively less safe environment, so please pray for safety and health. Although, without God no place is safe, and with God everywhere is safe. The Lord is my refuge. To be honest, I am a bit scared and worried. Please pray that I will have more faith in God.
You'll hear from me again next month, if I'm still alive by then.
In Him,
SunMin
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Doxa in Kenya: Back to School
Friday, July 21. Nairobi.
I'm back! ... Well, not in the US, but in Kenya.
Tanzania was actually quite nice, but I'm sure I've only seen the nicer parts. The school is coming together, but I wonder if it will really be done by end of next month.
The deaconess that I met yesterday arranged to have her two daughters join us for breakfast. Mrs. Kim, Pastor Lazarus, and Rajabu had to go back to the construction site early, so I had breakfast with the two girls, Hannah and YaeJin. Hannah is going to be a Junior in college planning to go to med school, so I was supposed to give hers some advice, especially on scholarships and stuff, but since she's an international student, I couldn't really help her much. I got a ton of financial aid and some research grant because I'm a California resident, but it's a completely different ballgame for international students. Anyhow we had a good time just chatting.
Apparently broadband internet is quite common in Tanzania, or at least among the Koreans in Tanzania. On the other hand, broadband is really expensive and not as common in Kenya, even in Nairobi. I heard that it's somehow related to the fact that the current president owns the majority of the shares in the major broadband provider. From the grassroots level all the way up to the president, corruption is prominent in Kenya. I'll write more about that some other time. Or maybe I shouldn't write about it, at least about the leaders, because there isn't much freedom of press here either... I'm afraid I'll get slapped in the face (literally) by the president's wife or have my computer destroyed by the armed forces. That's what they do to people who say things that are unfavorable about the leaders, or so I hear. [Dear President Kibaki, if you're reading this, please don't hurt me. I'm just an innocent musungu, and whatever I say are only the things I hear, so it could be completely false anyway. Just stop the freaking corruption, darn it!]
I really can't get used to the pollution here. Just riding a car with window open gives me a headache. Coming back to Nairobi was terrible because of that. I miss Tanzania already. I could smell the mountains there... Or not.
I cooked some of my sticky rice for the first time tonight. It was so good that I wanted to cry. Seriously. I can pick them up using my chopstick! I was so touched that I gave the rest of my non-sticky rice to Richard right after dinner. I can never go back. The whole world should just eat sticky rice (and nothing else). I want to feed sticky rice to the starving children all over Africa. Ok, now I'm just playing.
Would anybody dare me to go without shaving for a whole month (or perhaps longer)? Well, if nobody dares, I'll just take on my own dare. In fact, tomorrow will be a week since I shaved last time. I figured I don't really have anyone to impress, and maybe I could look a little older with some beard and mustache. It's been my childhood dream to have a big beard... Ok, just kidding. But I've always thought of trying some facial hair, but it grows unevenly, so I couldn't stand the look of the short stubs scattered around my mouth. Maybe it'll look better if I grow it a little longer. Or maybe not. I guess I'll find out when I come back from Lenkijape.
I'm back! ... Well, not in the US, but in Kenya.
Tanzania was actually quite nice, but I'm sure I've only seen the nicer parts. The school is coming together, but I wonder if it will really be done by end of next month.
The deaconess that I met yesterday arranged to have her two daughters join us for breakfast. Mrs. Kim, Pastor Lazarus, and Rajabu had to go back to the construction site early, so I had breakfast with the two girls, Hannah and YaeJin. Hannah is going to be a Junior in college planning to go to med school, so I was supposed to give hers some advice, especially on scholarships and stuff, but since she's an international student, I couldn't really help her much. I got a ton of financial aid and some research grant because I'm a California resident, but it's a completely different ballgame for international students. Anyhow we had a good time just chatting.
Apparently broadband internet is quite common in Tanzania, or at least among the Koreans in Tanzania. On the other hand, broadband is really expensive and not as common in Kenya, even in Nairobi. I heard that it's somehow related to the fact that the current president owns the majority of the shares in the major broadband provider. From the grassroots level all the way up to the president, corruption is prominent in Kenya. I'll write more about that some other time. Or maybe I shouldn't write about it, at least about the leaders, because there isn't much freedom of press here either... I'm afraid I'll get slapped in the face (literally) by the president's wife or have my computer destroyed by the armed forces. That's what they do to people who say things that are unfavorable about the leaders, or so I hear. [Dear President Kibaki, if you're reading this, please don't hurt me. I'm just an innocent musungu, and whatever I say are only the things I hear, so it could be completely false anyway. Just stop the freaking corruption, darn it!]
I really can't get used to the pollution here. Just riding a car with window open gives me a headache. Coming back to Nairobi was terrible because of that. I miss Tanzania already. I could smell the mountains there... Or not.
I cooked some of my sticky rice for the first time tonight. It was so good that I wanted to cry. Seriously. I can pick them up using my chopstick! I was so touched that I gave the rest of my non-sticky rice to Richard right after dinner. I can never go back. The whole world should just eat sticky rice (and nothing else). I want to feed sticky rice to the starving children all over Africa. Ok, now I'm just playing.
Would anybody dare me to go without shaving for a whole month (or perhaps longer)? Well, if nobody dares, I'll just take on my own dare. In fact, tomorrow will be a week since I shaved last time. I figured I don't really have anyone to impress, and maybe I could look a little older with some beard and mustache. It's been my childhood dream to have a big beard... Ok, just kidding. But I've always thought of trying some facial hair, but it grows unevenly, so I couldn't stand the look of the short stubs scattered around my mouth. Maybe it'll look better if I grow it a little longer. Or maybe not. I guess I'll find out when I come back from Lenkijape.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Doxa in Tanzania: A Day Trip Down South
Thursday, July 20. Arusha, Tanzania
Wow. Who would have thought that I would be in Tanzania today? It was literally a last minute decision, but now I am in Arusha, a city in northern Tanzania. I'm staying at a hotel in my own room. So, how did I get here?
This morning, right after morning chapel (around 9AM), HaYoung called me over and asked me if I wanted go to Tanzania with her mom, and that she's leaving in 30 minutes. It was a double surprise because her mom (Mrs. Kim) wasn't going to go because she's been sick, and I had no idea I had the option to go. So apparently she decided to go, and she had asked me if I wanted to tag along. Since I didn't have much time to decide, I thought, "why not?" and decided to go.
Mrs. Kim has been planting a lot of flowers and trees at BCEA, and she's also in charge of plants at the new Bible College in Arusha. Also, she had to send some money there to pay for construction or something like that.
On the way to the border, I got to see a little bit of Masai Land, where I will be for the next month. People seemed to live literally among the bushes. There's really nothing but trees and grass. I also saw two giraffes eating from a tree right next to the road. I'd never seen a wild giraffe, so I doubted my eyes when I saw them. There was also a dead hyena on the road. We stopped at River Hotel in Namanga, a city bordering Kenya and Tanzania, for bathroom break and lunch. Then at the border I had to buy a 3-month visa to Tanzania for $50 (it was the same for Kenya).
We arrived at the new Bible College at around 3PM (about 5.5hr ride), and we planted some trees and bushes around campus. I got to see the painting job that London Team did when they were here last week. It was actually fun planting stuff and getting my hands dirty. I think there's something therapeutic about planting trees. I'm looking forward to seeing the plants (that I personally planted) again in a month, and see how they've grown. They are so small right now, but it's mind-boggling to think that they will be at least a waist high in a few weeks.
People here seem really friendly, or the kids at least. As we drove by villages, most of the kids that see me would smile and wave at me. It's probably because I'm a "musungu" (foreigner), but it's still interesting when the kids wave at me or give me a thumb-up.
After working at the college, we met up with a deaconess and went out to dinner. We ate at an Italian restaurant called Pepe. I didn't know they had such a nice restaurant in Tanzania. They had a real Italian chef, the food was excellent, and the portions were humongous. I'm telling you, I'm being so spoiled in Africa. But no worries, I'll have my share of "Africa" starting next week.
Mrs. Kim insists that I should climb Mt. Kilimanjaro since I'm here. Most likely I'll be going there after a month of "training" in Masai Land. I'll be walking around a lot while I'm there, so it'll be a god training. Apparently it takes 5 to 6 days to climb all the way to the top and come back down. So that's quite a challenge... And that's an understatement. I've climbed Mt. Fuji without difficulty, but that was when I was in high school, and I was more fit back then. Besides I wasn't carrying anything on my back, and it only took a few hours. I also climbed Half Dome in Yosemite two years ago, and that was pretty tough mainly because I was carrying a lot of water on the way up (8 hours climbing, 2 hours descending). It would be quite an accomplishment if I make it to the top of Kilimanjaro... It's also quite expensive. I'm not sure if I could afford it, but I'm willing to take up the challenge if I'm given the opportunity.
Mt. Kilimanjaro is usually hidden in the clouds, so I didn't get to see it today, but maybe tomorrow on the way back to Nairobi I'll get to see it.
Wow. Who would have thought that I would be in Tanzania today? It was literally a last minute decision, but now I am in Arusha, a city in northern Tanzania. I'm staying at a hotel in my own room. So, how did I get here?
This morning, right after morning chapel (around 9AM), HaYoung called me over and asked me if I wanted go to Tanzania with her mom, and that she's leaving in 30 minutes. It was a double surprise because her mom (Mrs. Kim) wasn't going to go because she's been sick, and I had no idea I had the option to go. So apparently she decided to go, and she had asked me if I wanted to tag along. Since I didn't have much time to decide, I thought, "why not?" and decided to go.
Mrs. Kim has been planting a lot of flowers and trees at BCEA, and she's also in charge of plants at the new Bible College in Arusha. Also, she had to send some money there to pay for construction or something like that.
On the way to the border, I got to see a little bit of Masai Land, where I will be for the next month. People seemed to live literally among the bushes. There's really nothing but trees and grass. I also saw two giraffes eating from a tree right next to the road. I'd never seen a wild giraffe, so I doubted my eyes when I saw them. There was also a dead hyena on the road. We stopped at River Hotel in Namanga, a city bordering Kenya and Tanzania, for bathroom break and lunch. Then at the border I had to buy a 3-month visa to Tanzania for $50 (it was the same for Kenya).
We arrived at the new Bible College at around 3PM (about 5.5hr ride), and we planted some trees and bushes around campus. I got to see the painting job that London Team did when they were here last week. It was actually fun planting stuff and getting my hands dirty. I think there's something therapeutic about planting trees. I'm looking forward to seeing the plants (that I personally planted) again in a month, and see how they've grown. They are so small right now, but it's mind-boggling to think that they will be at least a waist high in a few weeks.
People here seem really friendly, or the kids at least. As we drove by villages, most of the kids that see me would smile and wave at me. It's probably because I'm a "musungu" (foreigner), but it's still interesting when the kids wave at me or give me a thumb-up.
After working at the college, we met up with a deaconess and went out to dinner. We ate at an Italian restaurant called Pepe. I didn't know they had such a nice restaurant in Tanzania. They had a real Italian chef, the food was excellent, and the portions were humongous. I'm telling you, I'm being so spoiled in Africa. But no worries, I'll have my share of "Africa" starting next week.
Mrs. Kim insists that I should climb Mt. Kilimanjaro since I'm here. Most likely I'll be going there after a month of "training" in Masai Land. I'll be walking around a lot while I'm there, so it'll be a god training. Apparently it takes 5 to 6 days to climb all the way to the top and come back down. So that's quite a challenge... And that's an understatement. I've climbed Mt. Fuji without difficulty, but that was when I was in high school, and I was more fit back then. Besides I wasn't carrying anything on my back, and it only took a few hours. I also climbed Half Dome in Yosemite two years ago, and that was pretty tough mainly because I was carrying a lot of water on the way up (8 hours climbing, 2 hours descending). It would be quite an accomplishment if I make it to the top of Kilimanjaro... It's also quite expensive. I'm not sure if I could afford it, but I'm willing to take up the challenge if I'm given the opportunity.
Mt. Kilimanjaro is usually hidden in the clouds, so I didn't get to see it today, but maybe tomorrow on the way back to Nairobi I'll get to see it.
Doxa in Kenya: A Day in BCEA
Wednesday, July 19.
So I never got to finish explaining what a day in BCEA is like.
Like I said in a previous entry, everyday except Lord's Day (which is what we call Sunday here) starts with early morning prayer at 5:30AM. We sing a hymn, read a passage, then one of the pastors speak briefly. After that, they turn of the lights in the chapel, and people pray for a while. It's scheduled till 6:30AM, but people are free to leave when they want to (or that's what they seem to do).
At 7AM, the students eat breakfast at the cafeteria. According to the menu I saw once, they eat bread and tea every morning. The faculty, on the other hand, go back to their own places and prepare breakfast on their own. I usually eat some cereal with milk, yogurt, honey, and bananas. This morning I ran out of bananas, so I had some toast with peanut butter and honey instead. I know... why am I not starving in Africa? I mean, somehow I'm much more well-off than the students here even as a missionary. I guess knowing this fact will help me use my money (i.e. financial support from the church in California) wisely, and be a better steward of what God has given me. Those of us who live in developed countries are "spoiled" when compared to people living in developing countries. Even homeless people in the States can have access to shelters, food, and some clothing. But people here live off of bear minimum. Because I'm "spoiled," it would be so hard for me to start a day with just a piece of bread and a cup of tea. But perhaps that is something I need to learn eventually if I were to become a missionary doctor in third-world countries.
On a school day, at 7:30AM the students go back to the main chapel (named Glory Hall) for some Bible reading and meditation. At the same time, the faculty (including myself) meet together to read a passage and pray together. At 8AM, we have morning chapel, which consists of singing a hymn, scripture reading, and a sermon. The chapel lasts for about an hour. After that the students go to classes, while I go to the main office.
I'm in the office from 9AM to 12:30PM, have lunch, then come back at 2PM till 4PM. In the office, there's usually nothing to do, so I just bring my laptop and either write my journal entry or work on my med school application. There's actually one huge task waiting for me to do, which is to make an inventory of all the books we have in the office. But I'm setting it aside for later, since med school app takes precedence. Besides, I'll be gone to Masai in less than week, and I wouldn't want to start a project and leave it half-way for one whole month.
Students usually come in to fill out permission slips (for missing classes, etc.), and faculties come in to ask to make photocopies. Sometimes we have visitors who are interested in attending the school next year. Today, I spent all morning in the office typing up some final exams for the kindergarten. Mrs. Yoon is in charge of making those (or that's what I think), so she asked to type it for her, since I could do it in tenth of the time it takes for her to do it (maybe I'm exaggerating). When I gave her the finished tests, she gave me a few pieces of chicken that she cooked. Maybe it was a reward, but it could be just out of kindness, since she's usually very nice. She's helped me out a lot with food and stuff.
For lunch today, I decided to cook rice with the inner pot of the rice cooker on the stove. Since it's an electrical stove, I figured it's just like using the rice cooker, except I would have to adjust the heat. I learned that if I have the heat too high, it starts to bubble to much, the water dries up too quickly, and the rice remains uncooked. So I had to add some more water and cook at really low heat. Times like these I wish I had internet access so I could just look up "How to cook rice" or "How rice cooker works." But I guess it's also good to learn from experience. I was going to have some kimchi that Mrs. Yoon gave me, but apparently the refrigerator was set too cold, so the kimchi was partially frozen.
After lunch, I was going to go out to Outdoor Evangelism like last week, but Eben and Richard were going out for grocery shopping. Since I just moved out from Richard's place yesterday, I needed to do some shopping, and since I don't know when they'll go shopping again, I decided to go. First we went to this private residence where they sell some Korean food. They had sticky rice imported from Uganda, some rice cake for tok-kuk and tok-pok-ki, some fish, and some home made sesame oil. I got 10kg (22lb) of sticky rice for Ksh1000 ($14), a pretty good deal, I think. I also got some rice cakes for tok-kuk. Then we went to the ABC market and got some veggies and meat. Mrs. Yoon helped me choose what to buy.
For dinner tonight, I cooked rice again, but this time I was pretty confident. I set the heat high, then lower it to lowest setting when it started boil. While the rice was cooking, I marinated two chicken legs in soy sauce and honey with some garlic, onion, and red chill pepper powder (kochu-karu). Both the rice and chicken turned out really nicely. Well, the chicken was a bit salty (little too much soy sauce), but I guess I'll live and learn. At least it was fully cooked. The rice was excellent. The only thing was that I used the long-grain rice that I bought a week ago, so it wasn't as good as it would have been if it was sticky. Maybe I'll just give my remaining long-grain rice to Richard, since he uses the same kind.
So I'm here as a missionary, but it might seem like I haven't been doing much missionary work even though it's been 12 days since I got here. I'm thinking to myself, "SunMin, haven't you done enough adjusting-to-life-in-Kenya already? Get some work done!" Well, maybe I'll have to wait till I go to Masai, but right now, I'll just have to do the tasks that I'm given. I suppose one of them is to make the inventory of books in the office... Times like these, I recall the parable of the talents. I need to use the little things that God entrusts me with to glorify Him, then he might entrust me with bigger things. It's not for me to say, "God, why don't You give me something more important to do?" It's all up to Him, and I must keep obeying.
So I never got to finish explaining what a day in BCEA is like.
Like I said in a previous entry, everyday except Lord's Day (which is what we call Sunday here) starts with early morning prayer at 5:30AM. We sing a hymn, read a passage, then one of the pastors speak briefly. After that, they turn of the lights in the chapel, and people pray for a while. It's scheduled till 6:30AM, but people are free to leave when they want to (or that's what they seem to do).
At 7AM, the students eat breakfast at the cafeteria. According to the menu I saw once, they eat bread and tea every morning. The faculty, on the other hand, go back to their own places and prepare breakfast on their own. I usually eat some cereal with milk, yogurt, honey, and bananas. This morning I ran out of bananas, so I had some toast with peanut butter and honey instead. I know... why am I not starving in Africa? I mean, somehow I'm much more well-off than the students here even as a missionary. I guess knowing this fact will help me use my money (i.e. financial support from the church in California) wisely, and be a better steward of what God has given me. Those of us who live in developed countries are "spoiled" when compared to people living in developing countries. Even homeless people in the States can have access to shelters, food, and some clothing. But people here live off of bear minimum. Because I'm "spoiled," it would be so hard for me to start a day with just a piece of bread and a cup of tea. But perhaps that is something I need to learn eventually if I were to become a missionary doctor in third-world countries.
On a school day, at 7:30AM the students go back to the main chapel (named Glory Hall) for some Bible reading and meditation. At the same time, the faculty (including myself) meet together to read a passage and pray together. At 8AM, we have morning chapel, which consists of singing a hymn, scripture reading, and a sermon. The chapel lasts for about an hour. After that the students go to classes, while I go to the main office.
I'm in the office from 9AM to 12:30PM, have lunch, then come back at 2PM till 4PM. In the office, there's usually nothing to do, so I just bring my laptop and either write my journal entry or work on my med school application. There's actually one huge task waiting for me to do, which is to make an inventory of all the books we have in the office. But I'm setting it aside for later, since med school app takes precedence. Besides, I'll be gone to Masai in less than week, and I wouldn't want to start a project and leave it half-way for one whole month.
Students usually come in to fill out permission slips (for missing classes, etc.), and faculties come in to ask to make photocopies. Sometimes we have visitors who are interested in attending the school next year. Today, I spent all morning in the office typing up some final exams for the kindergarten. Mrs. Yoon is in charge of making those (or that's what I think), so she asked to type it for her, since I could do it in tenth of the time it takes for her to do it (maybe I'm exaggerating). When I gave her the finished tests, she gave me a few pieces of chicken that she cooked. Maybe it was a reward, but it could be just out of kindness, since she's usually very nice. She's helped me out a lot with food and stuff.
For lunch today, I decided to cook rice with the inner pot of the rice cooker on the stove. Since it's an electrical stove, I figured it's just like using the rice cooker, except I would have to adjust the heat. I learned that if I have the heat too high, it starts to bubble to much, the water dries up too quickly, and the rice remains uncooked. So I had to add some more water and cook at really low heat. Times like these I wish I had internet access so I could just look up "How to cook rice" or "How rice cooker works." But I guess it's also good to learn from experience. I was going to have some kimchi that Mrs. Yoon gave me, but apparently the refrigerator was set too cold, so the kimchi was partially frozen.
After lunch, I was going to go out to Outdoor Evangelism like last week, but Eben and Richard were going out for grocery shopping. Since I just moved out from Richard's place yesterday, I needed to do some shopping, and since I don't know when they'll go shopping again, I decided to go. First we went to this private residence where they sell some Korean food. They had sticky rice imported from Uganda, some rice cake for tok-kuk and tok-pok-ki, some fish, and some home made sesame oil. I got 10kg (22lb) of sticky rice for Ksh1000 ($14), a pretty good deal, I think. I also got some rice cakes for tok-kuk. Then we went to the ABC market and got some veggies and meat. Mrs. Yoon helped me choose what to buy.
For dinner tonight, I cooked rice again, but this time I was pretty confident. I set the heat high, then lower it to lowest setting when it started boil. While the rice was cooking, I marinated two chicken legs in soy sauce and honey with some garlic, onion, and red chill pepper powder (kochu-karu). Both the rice and chicken turned out really nicely. Well, the chicken was a bit salty (little too much soy sauce), but I guess I'll live and learn. At least it was fully cooked. The rice was excellent. The only thing was that I used the long-grain rice that I bought a week ago, so it wasn't as good as it would have been if it was sticky. Maybe I'll just give my remaining long-grain rice to Richard, since he uses the same kind.
So I'm here as a missionary, but it might seem like I haven't been doing much missionary work even though it's been 12 days since I got here. I'm thinking to myself, "SunMin, haven't you done enough adjusting-to-life-in-Kenya already? Get some work done!" Well, maybe I'll have to wait till I go to Masai, but right now, I'll just have to do the tasks that I'm given. I suppose one of them is to make the inventory of books in the office... Times like these, I recall the parable of the talents. I need to use the little things that God entrusts me with to glorify Him, then he might entrust me with bigger things. It's not for me to say, "God, why don't You give me something more important to do?" It's all up to Him, and I must keep obeying.
About Pictures
So I know a lot of my friends asked for pictures from Africa. But as you may have noticed (if you've been reading my past entries), there are no pictures. It's just plain boring words. One long entry after another. And what about the video journal?
Well, I wish I could share some of the pictures and videos with you. But it's practically impossible to upload from school because it's way too slow. I would have to go to Java House (café and restaurant), where they have wireless internet (faster than dialup, but still pretty slow). Since I don't have a driving license, I can only go when others go.
Anyway, enough with the details. If you're bored reading my long text-only entries, you can check out the pictures from my previous trip to Africa (Sierra Leone) in March.
Africa! Part 1
Africa! Part 2
Enjoy!
Well, I wish I could share some of the pictures and videos with you. But it's practically impossible to upload from school because it's way too slow. I would have to go to Java House (café and restaurant), where they have wireless internet (faster than dialup, but still pretty slow). Since I don't have a driving license, I can only go when others go.
Anyway, enough with the details. If you're bored reading my long text-only entries, you can check out the pictures from my previous trip to Africa (Sierra Leone) in March.
Africa! Part 1
Africa! Part 2
Enjoy!
Doxa in Kenya: Independence
Tuesday, July 18.
I moved into my new apartment today. That meant I had to start cooking for myself. Well, I thought I could work something out with Richard so we could cook together or take turns, but apparently he'll be very busy for the next two weeks wrapping up the trimester. I was a little bummed, but I figured I could just cook rice and soup or something. To my surprise, my new apartment was already equipped with pots, pans, utensils, dishes, cups, etc. I thought, "Great, I guess I'll survive after all." But there were a few hurdles before I could eat my first dinner alone.
Here we have three kinds of water. One is tap water that comes from a deep well within the school. We use the tap water for shower, brushing teeth, and washing dishes. But it's not suitable for drinking because it contains a little too much calcium. Second is the drinking water that we get from the market (in one of those big plastic containers used for many water dispensers). The third is a water we get from the city. There is one tap behind the main sanctuary that we can get the water from the city. We use this water for cooking and rinsing cups and utensils. Since I didn't have any bottles, I had to borrow them from Richard. I filled up two ten-liter bottles and carried them back to my place. I had to carry both in my arms, and it was not fun at all.
The second obstacle was the rice cooker. I had brought a small rice cooker from the States. But since in the States we use 110V-120V, I also brought a voltage converter. It turns out that the converter was broken, so I couldn't cook my rice using the rice cooker. It was a brand new converter too... Warranty (in US) means nothing when you're in Kenya. So I had cook rice on the stove with a little pot. I found one with a metallic handle - one of those that we use for camping, I guess. I was going to cook some instant ramen to make myself feel even more pathetic, but I decided it was easier to cook instant curry (the pre-packaged ones) and I would feel less pathetic. (I like ramen, but there's something about instant noodles and being a college student that makes people pathetic... Oh, but I'm not a college student anymore. Hmm...) I always relied on automatic rice cookers, so I was a bit concerned about the rice, but it turned out quite nicely. Now I think I can survive even in Lenkijape... maybe. They have no electricity, and people live in huts made of cow dung.
Overall, my first dinner in my new apartment turned out pretty nicely. The only thing I lacked was somebody to eat with. It's times like these that make me wish I was married... Or at least had a roommate.
After dinner, I washed the dishes (this is also when I wish I was married - not that I would make my wife do the dishes, it's that we would do it together), made my bed, and took a shower. The bathroom in this apartment is on the same floor (as opposed to being on the third floor like in the other one), so the water pressure was a little better. But I don't have any shower curtain, so I had to shower while sitting down in the tub. After the shower, I got to dry myself completely in my room before I put on my clothes. It's times like these that I'm glad I didn't have a roommate. If you come from a "bath culture" (or you go to public baths), you would get out of the room with baths and showers, and dry yourself completely before you put on your clothes. You just can't get fully dry in the bathroom or in the same room that you took shower in. Anyway, it's nice to be able to be naked whenever I want to... jk.
Now that I'm all on my own, I have to get more groceries. Previously, I depended on Richard since he had all the necessary ingredients to cook. He would also share all the meat with me, but now I have to get them on my own. I need to learn how to buy meat now. Err... I should make a shopping list, because I never know what to buy when I'm actually at the store.
I'm running out of time to finish my med school application. If I don't finish by the time I come back from Kilhani (where the clinic is), I won't have the chance to go online for at least another 3 weeks while I'm in Lenkijape. Then I'm most likely going straight to Tanzania, where I probably won't get internet access either. Also in Lenkijape, there's no electricity, so there's no way to recharge my laptop. That means if I don't finish in the next two weeks, I won't get to submit my application till late August at the earliest. There's no problem with the deadlines though, since the earliest deadline is October 15. But I need time to do secondary applications and submit them early enough so that I could get interviews when I come back in late November. Of course, nothing is for sure. To get the interviews, I would also need to have all the letters of recommendations ready, and some how contact individual med schools to schedule interviews. So I don't even know if I'll get any interviews between November 22 and early January. I guess I'll have to schedule the interviews as early as possible in January, and get a plane ticket back to Nairobi after I set all the interview dates. It's like a huge gamble... I feel like I'm putting so much at risk because I'm in Kenya. But I must keep my faith in God, and do my best with the application.
I moved into my new apartment today. That meant I had to start cooking for myself. Well, I thought I could work something out with Richard so we could cook together or take turns, but apparently he'll be very busy for the next two weeks wrapping up the trimester. I was a little bummed, but I figured I could just cook rice and soup or something. To my surprise, my new apartment was already equipped with pots, pans, utensils, dishes, cups, etc. I thought, "Great, I guess I'll survive after all." But there were a few hurdles before I could eat my first dinner alone.
Here we have three kinds of water. One is tap water that comes from a deep well within the school. We use the tap water for shower, brushing teeth, and washing dishes. But it's not suitable for drinking because it contains a little too much calcium. Second is the drinking water that we get from the market (in one of those big plastic containers used for many water dispensers). The third is a water we get from the city. There is one tap behind the main sanctuary that we can get the water from the city. We use this water for cooking and rinsing cups and utensils. Since I didn't have any bottles, I had to borrow them from Richard. I filled up two ten-liter bottles and carried them back to my place. I had to carry both in my arms, and it was not fun at all.
The second obstacle was the rice cooker. I had brought a small rice cooker from the States. But since in the States we use 110V-120V, I also brought a voltage converter. It turns out that the converter was broken, so I couldn't cook my rice using the rice cooker. It was a brand new converter too... Warranty (in US) means nothing when you're in Kenya. So I had cook rice on the stove with a little pot. I found one with a metallic handle - one of those that we use for camping, I guess. I was going to cook some instant ramen to make myself feel even more pathetic, but I decided it was easier to cook instant curry (the pre-packaged ones) and I would feel less pathetic. (I like ramen, but there's something about instant noodles and being a college student that makes people pathetic... Oh, but I'm not a college student anymore. Hmm...) I always relied on automatic rice cookers, so I was a bit concerned about the rice, but it turned out quite nicely. Now I think I can survive even in Lenkijape... maybe. They have no electricity, and people live in huts made of cow dung.
Overall, my first dinner in my new apartment turned out pretty nicely. The only thing I lacked was somebody to eat with. It's times like these that make me wish I was married... Or at least had a roommate.
After dinner, I washed the dishes (this is also when I wish I was married - not that I would make my wife do the dishes, it's that we would do it together), made my bed, and took a shower. The bathroom in this apartment is on the same floor (as opposed to being on the third floor like in the other one), so the water pressure was a little better. But I don't have any shower curtain, so I had to shower while sitting down in the tub. After the shower, I got to dry myself completely in my room before I put on my clothes. It's times like these that I'm glad I didn't have a roommate. If you come from a "bath culture" (or you go to public baths), you would get out of the room with baths and showers, and dry yourself completely before you put on your clothes. You just can't get fully dry in the bathroom or in the same room that you took shower in. Anyway, it's nice to be able to be naked whenever I want to... jk.
Now that I'm all on my own, I have to get more groceries. Previously, I depended on Richard since he had all the necessary ingredients to cook. He would also share all the meat with me, but now I have to get them on my own. I need to learn how to buy meat now. Err... I should make a shopping list, because I never know what to buy when I'm actually at the store.
I'm running out of time to finish my med school application. If I don't finish by the time I come back from Kilhani (where the clinic is), I won't have the chance to go online for at least another 3 weeks while I'm in Lenkijape. Then I'm most likely going straight to Tanzania, where I probably won't get internet access either. Also in Lenkijape, there's no electricity, so there's no way to recharge my laptop. That means if I don't finish in the next two weeks, I won't get to submit my application till late August at the earliest. There's no problem with the deadlines though, since the earliest deadline is October 15. But I need time to do secondary applications and submit them early enough so that I could get interviews when I come back in late November. Of course, nothing is for sure. To get the interviews, I would also need to have all the letters of recommendations ready, and some how contact individual med schools to schedule interviews. So I don't even know if I'll get any interviews between November 22 and early January. I guess I'll have to schedule the interviews as early as possible in January, and get a plane ticket back to Nairobi after I set all the interview dates. It's like a huge gamble... I feel like I'm putting so much at risk because I'm in Kenya. But I must keep my faith in God, and do my best with the application.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Doxa in Kenya: Familiar Faces & Loneliness
Sunday, July 16.
Two weeks ago, a missionary team from London came to BCEA. They went to Masai (where I'll be in a week), and on the day I arrived to Kenya, they went to the new Bible College in Tazania. On Friday afternoon, they came back to BCEA, and so I got to meet them. They are leaving tonight on a flight that leaves at midnight, and I just came back from the airport saying goodbye to them. It's only been two and a half days getting to know them, but somehow I miss them so much. When I first came to Kenya, I didn't feel lonely at all, but now that they're gone I feel something really heavy in my heart. I wonder if this is what people felt when my team of missionaries left Japan, and also from Sierra Leone. It's a feeling I've never felt before. When I went to Sapporo for a month on a missions trip two years ago, and when I went to Sierra Leone four months ago on a medical missions trip, and then when I came back to the States, I don't remember feeling so lonely or missing the people in Japan/Sierra Leone so much. I did miss them, but I was going back to my normal life, and my mind quickly got preoccupied that I didn't really think about people back in Japan or Sierra Leone that much. I wonder if the team from London would feel the same way, too. It's so strange... I was perfectly fine before I met them, but now that they're gone, I wish they were still here. It was so nice having them around.
One of the reasons it was nice having them was that most of them were close to my age. They are part of a young adults group from a Korean church in London (young adults meaning college and up). They were all Koreans and had British accent, which was really interesting (I've never met Asians with British accent before). I love British accent. They were all really nice and friendly too. Many of them had familiar facial features (since they are Koreans), and some of them reminded me of friends back in the US and some old friends. I guess they made me feel really at home. What's strange is that I usually put myself in a racially diverse environment (such as CCC and my fraternity), but I felt so comfortable being with them even though they are all Koreans. Even in UCLA, I didn't know very many Koreans. All of the team members were quite fluent in Korean, so they talked among each other in a mix of Korean and English. I guess that reminded me of the times when I went to conferences in Korea for 1.5 and 2nd generation Koreans all over the world (called Remnant). Those were really good times. I guess the London Team, being the bilingual group of Koreans and being close to my age, reminded me of a lot of good memories from the past.
Well, even if it wasn't for the past memories, it was just nice having them here. Although it was for a short time, I got to be with people I could connect with in ways I couldn't with those around me right now. Eben is 8 years older than me, and Richard is 8 years older than Eben. Rev. Kim and his wife is in their 50s, and all the students (except for probably just Peter) are older than me. So it's been a bit hard to connect with them in deeper levels. Besides, the students come from a different cultural background, so it's even harder to connect. Rev. Kim's daughter HaYoung is 3 years older than me, and she went to college in the States, so I could probably connect with her more. But she's usually busy doing something for the school, so I hardly see her around. Also, she's leaving for seminary (Talbott) in California early August. I think the real reason I'm feeling lonely now is that I realized I haven't had much connection with others (besides the fact that I've been "disconnected" from the rest of the world (a.k.a. the Internet) since Thursday). I need to learn to connect with more people around me. When I go to Masai, I hope I can connect with the people there in deeper levels.
I got to hear a lot about Masai from the members of the London Team. Overall, they had an amazing time there, and many of them wish they could go back and stay there longer. This one girl named JiYoung was so heartbroken for the kids in Masai and loved the people there so much that she didn't want to go back to London but stay in Kenya. She didn't really have a choice this time, but I think she'll be back again in December. I think it's really courageous that she would even want to come back by herself. I really want to learn to love the people like JiYoung does. That's one reason I want to be a medical missionary, but I'll probably talk about that some other time. Anyway, now I'm really looking forward to going to Masai. I was really encouraged because of the London Team. Three things I should remember to do when I go to Kilhani: 1. ask the pastor to take me to THE hill; apparently the view from there is really amazing. 2. Setup a trap for some kind of wild chicken, catch it, and eat it. 3. Try some of the special herbal teas; it might give you long life, higher IQ, lifelong beauty, or all of the above... Jk.
Pastor Kiarie got married on Saturday. I'll talk more about that later. I must sleep now. The London team must have just departed by now... I hope I'll get to see some of them again next year in July.
Two weeks ago, a missionary team from London came to BCEA. They went to Masai (where I'll be in a week), and on the day I arrived to Kenya, they went to the new Bible College in Tazania. On Friday afternoon, they came back to BCEA, and so I got to meet them. They are leaving tonight on a flight that leaves at midnight, and I just came back from the airport saying goodbye to them. It's only been two and a half days getting to know them, but somehow I miss them so much. When I first came to Kenya, I didn't feel lonely at all, but now that they're gone I feel something really heavy in my heart. I wonder if this is what people felt when my team of missionaries left Japan, and also from Sierra Leone. It's a feeling I've never felt before. When I went to Sapporo for a month on a missions trip two years ago, and when I went to Sierra Leone four months ago on a medical missions trip, and then when I came back to the States, I don't remember feeling so lonely or missing the people in Japan/Sierra Leone so much. I did miss them, but I was going back to my normal life, and my mind quickly got preoccupied that I didn't really think about people back in Japan or Sierra Leone that much. I wonder if the team from London would feel the same way, too. It's so strange... I was perfectly fine before I met them, but now that they're gone, I wish they were still here. It was so nice having them around.
One of the reasons it was nice having them was that most of them were close to my age. They are part of a young adults group from a Korean church in London (young adults meaning college and up). They were all Koreans and had British accent, which was really interesting (I've never met Asians with British accent before). I love British accent. They were all really nice and friendly too. Many of them had familiar facial features (since they are Koreans), and some of them reminded me of friends back in the US and some old friends. I guess they made me feel really at home. What's strange is that I usually put myself in a racially diverse environment (such as CCC and my fraternity), but I felt so comfortable being with them even though they are all Koreans. Even in UCLA, I didn't know very many Koreans. All of the team members were quite fluent in Korean, so they talked among each other in a mix of Korean and English. I guess that reminded me of the times when I went to conferences in Korea for 1.5 and 2nd generation Koreans all over the world (called Remnant). Those were really good times. I guess the London Team, being the bilingual group of Koreans and being close to my age, reminded me of a lot of good memories from the past.
Well, even if it wasn't for the past memories, it was just nice having them here. Although it was for a short time, I got to be with people I could connect with in ways I couldn't with those around me right now. Eben is 8 years older than me, and Richard is 8 years older than Eben. Rev. Kim and his wife is in their 50s, and all the students (except for probably just Peter) are older than me. So it's been a bit hard to connect with them in deeper levels. Besides, the students come from a different cultural background, so it's even harder to connect. Rev. Kim's daughter HaYoung is 3 years older than me, and she went to college in the States, so I could probably connect with her more. But she's usually busy doing something for the school, so I hardly see her around. Also, she's leaving for seminary (Talbott) in California early August. I think the real reason I'm feeling lonely now is that I realized I haven't had much connection with others (besides the fact that I've been "disconnected" from the rest of the world (a.k.a. the Internet) since Thursday). I need to learn to connect with more people around me. When I go to Masai, I hope I can connect with the people there in deeper levels.
I got to hear a lot about Masai from the members of the London Team. Overall, they had an amazing time there, and many of them wish they could go back and stay there longer. This one girl named JiYoung was so heartbroken for the kids in Masai and loved the people there so much that she didn't want to go back to London but stay in Kenya. She didn't really have a choice this time, but I think she'll be back again in December. I think it's really courageous that she would even want to come back by herself. I really want to learn to love the people like JiYoung does. That's one reason I want to be a medical missionary, but I'll probably talk about that some other time. Anyway, now I'm really looking forward to going to Masai. I was really encouraged because of the London Team. Three things I should remember to do when I go to Kilhani: 1. ask the pastor to take me to THE hill; apparently the view from there is really amazing. 2. Setup a trap for some kind of wild chicken, catch it, and eat it. 3. Try some of the special herbal teas; it might give you long life, higher IQ, lifelong beauty, or all of the above... Jk.
Pastor Kiarie got married on Saturday. I'll talk more about that later. I must sleep now. The London team must have just departed by now... I hope I'll get to see some of them again next year in July.
Doxa in Kenya: A Glimpse of Reality
Friday, July 14.
The nurse from Masai came by this morning. Her name is Puiming (or Puimeng, I'm not sure). There are two mission stations in Masai. One is Kilhani, where the clinic is. They also have a church and a secondary school that BCEA helped build. The other is Lenkijape, where they built a church, a primary school, and a kindergarten. Basically, I got to talk with Puiming, and we made some plans. For now, I'll be going to her place (Kilhani) on Monday July 24, stay there for a week, then go to Lenkijape and work there for three weeks. After that, I'll be going to Tanzania for the opening of the new Bible College in late August. I don't know exactly what I'll be doing, but at least I know when and where I'll be for the next month and a half.
From talking with Puiming, it seems like my time in Masai will be pretty rough. She said Kilhani won't be too bad. They have a pretty nice guest house with electricity (from generator) and running water (I think that's what she said). But she said I'll have to cook for myself and such. Basically she's too busy to look after me. I'll also have to pay for utilities. In Lenkijape, people tell me I'll experience real Africa. No electricity. No running water. I'll be living in the "bush" for three weeks... Puiming said the pastor's wife in Lenkijape could cook for me if I pay her. So I guess I'll be eating some real African food as well. I'll be really disconnected from the rest of the world when I'm there.
The nurse from Masai came by this morning. Her name is Puiming (or Puimeng, I'm not sure). There are two mission stations in Masai. One is Kilhani, where the clinic is. They also have a church and a secondary school that BCEA helped build. The other is Lenkijape, where they built a church, a primary school, and a kindergarten. Basically, I got to talk with Puiming, and we made some plans. For now, I'll be going to her place (Kilhani) on Monday July 24, stay there for a week, then go to Lenkijape and work there for three weeks. After that, I'll be going to Tanzania for the opening of the new Bible College in late August. I don't know exactly what I'll be doing, but at least I know when and where I'll be for the next month and a half.
From talking with Puiming, it seems like my time in Masai will be pretty rough. She said Kilhani won't be too bad. They have a pretty nice guest house with electricity (from generator) and running water (I think that's what she said). But she said I'll have to cook for myself and such. Basically she's too busy to look after me. I'll also have to pay for utilities. In Lenkijape, people tell me I'll experience real Africa. No electricity. No running water. I'll be living in the "bush" for three weeks... Puiming said the pastor's wife in Lenkijape could cook for me if I pay her. So I guess I'll be eating some real African food as well. I'll be really disconnected from the rest of the world when I'm there.
How God Brought Me to Kenya
Let me explain myself when I say, "I'm here because I believe God called me here."
In December, 2004, I attended a conference in San Diego called Experience Jesus (formally called San Diego Christmas Conference) put on by Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC). One year before, I attended SDCC, where I was called by God to go to Sapporo, Japan, for Summer Project (or summer missions). When I went to the EJ conference, I was waiting to see if God would call me again. But this time He did not call me to a Summer Project. Near the end of the conference we were given the opportunity to dedicate one year to fulltime ministry after we graduate. I don't know how, but I was convicted by the Holy Spirit to do so. Everyone had a glow stick taped under their chairs, and as a sign, those who decided to dedicate a year to fulltime ministry lit up the glow stick. If you know me, you would know that I don't usually do things on the whim, but give careful thought to what I do (sometimes too careful and overanalyzing...). So I prayed for guidance, and although I had no idea exactly what God wanted me to do, I felt that He was calling me to dedicate myself to a year of fulltime ministry when I graduate. So I broke and lit up the glow stick.
It's not because I'm a man my words nor because people saw me with my glow stick lit up that I am here. I'm not here by my own willpower or my careful planning. It is only by God's guidance and His purpose that I am here.
Somehow God had put in my heart a burden for Africa. Starting with Invisible Children (http://www.invisiblechildren.com), God exposed me to things that are happening in Africa, and so I began to pray for the people there. It was hard to believe that things like genocide in Rwanda had happened only recently and the same is happening today in Darfur, Sudan. It hurts me when I think about the kids in Uganda being kidnapped and forced to become heartless killers and sex slaves.
There must be a reason God is showing me all this at the same time, I thought. I began to wonder if God had a plan for me to go to Africa, so I prayed that God would send me there if it was His will. I also prayed that God would send me to a developing country where people are suffering due to lack of basic needs and/or corrupt government. God had given me a heart for the poor, and although I didn't know how I could help, I prayed for them, and asked God to use me however He pleased to help them.
I knew God had given me a passion for Africa, but I wasn't sure if it was His will for me to go specifically to Africa. But since He had put in me a burden to serve in a developing country, I began searching for opportunities. Through Peter Czer, a good friend of mine from UCLA, I met Dr. Bob Hamilton. With him, I was able to go to Sierra Leone for week on a medical missions trip (read about it here: http://africa06.blogspot.com). Also through him, I contacted a doctor and a Christian school in Pakistan for a possibility of serving there. Through James Pearson, a good friend and my fraternity brother (who, btw, is currently serving the Lord with Invisible Children in Uganda - read his blog here: http://jamestravels.com), I contacted an orphanage in India. So I started looking into various opportunities to serve but it turned out to be more complicated than I thought. Qualifications and time commitments (usually over 1 year) closed door to many possibilities. I had some prior experience with raising financial support, but raising money for an entire year was a bit overwhelming.
From the start, I knew that spending a year overseas not to earn money but to volunteer and serve God was not going to be simple. But I was not discouraged by the hurdles, because it wasn't something I thought to do out of my own desire, but it was something God put in my heart. If it was His will, I knew He would do it. I prayed that God would provide everything that is necessary for His will to be done with me.
One day my mother told me that her friend (who is also my dentist) knows a pastor who was a missionary in Kenya for 7 years. So my mother's friend arranged for us to meet. When I met Pastor Moon I was only expecting him to give me a phone number or an e-mail address, so I could contact somebody in Kenya. It turns out that he had a little more than a phone number to offer. He wanted his church to send me to Kenya, and fully support me during my stay there! I was blown away (in my mind), and I didn't know what to say.
Then I realized that this was some something I had been praying all along - that God would provide. There was really nothing that I had done to deserve this. I took no part in the planning. I all I did was pray. I prayed to God that I am willing to serve Him, and that He would open the doors. I asked for something I could not do on my own, something I had to depend on God to provide. I believed that He opened the door to Kenya because it was His will. All I had to do was say, "Yes, Lord," and step through the door in faith.
I wonder, after reading thing, if anybody would think that I'm here in Kenya by accident. Could it be by chance that I decided to dedicate a year to fulltime ministry, that my heart would be burdened for the poor, that I prayed to go to Africa, and that I was given the opportunity and the means to spend a year in Kenya? Could it be that I'm just "lucky" (if you think being away from your comfortable life for a year is lucky)? I think not. I believe it was God who purposed for me to come here, and I believe it was God who opened the door, provided the way for me to be here.
Because it was God who brought me here, I will do my best to give glory to Him in whatever I do.
In December, 2004, I attended a conference in San Diego called Experience Jesus (formally called San Diego Christmas Conference) put on by Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC). One year before, I attended SDCC, where I was called by God to go to Sapporo, Japan, for Summer Project (or summer missions). When I went to the EJ conference, I was waiting to see if God would call me again. But this time He did not call me to a Summer Project. Near the end of the conference we were given the opportunity to dedicate one year to fulltime ministry after we graduate. I don't know how, but I was convicted by the Holy Spirit to do so. Everyone had a glow stick taped under their chairs, and as a sign, those who decided to dedicate a year to fulltime ministry lit up the glow stick. If you know me, you would know that I don't usually do things on the whim, but give careful thought to what I do (sometimes too careful and overanalyzing...). So I prayed for guidance, and although I had no idea exactly what God wanted me to do, I felt that He was calling me to dedicate myself to a year of fulltime ministry when I graduate. So I broke and lit up the glow stick.
It's not because I'm a man my words nor because people saw me with my glow stick lit up that I am here. I'm not here by my own willpower or my careful planning. It is only by God's guidance and His purpose that I am here.
Somehow God had put in my heart a burden for Africa. Starting with Invisible Children (http://www.invisiblechildren.com), God exposed me to things that are happening in Africa, and so I began to pray for the people there. It was hard to believe that things like genocide in Rwanda had happened only recently and the same is happening today in Darfur, Sudan. It hurts me when I think about the kids in Uganda being kidnapped and forced to become heartless killers and sex slaves.
There must be a reason God is showing me all this at the same time, I thought. I began to wonder if God had a plan for me to go to Africa, so I prayed that God would send me there if it was His will. I also prayed that God would send me to a developing country where people are suffering due to lack of basic needs and/or corrupt government. God had given me a heart for the poor, and although I didn't know how I could help, I prayed for them, and asked God to use me however He pleased to help them.
I knew God had given me a passion for Africa, but I wasn't sure if it was His will for me to go specifically to Africa. But since He had put in me a burden to serve in a developing country, I began searching for opportunities. Through Peter Czer, a good friend of mine from UCLA, I met Dr. Bob Hamilton. With him, I was able to go to Sierra Leone for week on a medical missions trip (read about it here: http://africa06.blogspot.com). Also through him, I contacted a doctor and a Christian school in Pakistan for a possibility of serving there. Through James Pearson, a good friend and my fraternity brother (who, btw, is currently serving the Lord with Invisible Children in Uganda - read his blog here: http://jamestravels.com), I contacted an orphanage in India. So I started looking into various opportunities to serve but it turned out to be more complicated than I thought. Qualifications and time commitments (usually over 1 year) closed door to many possibilities. I had some prior experience with raising financial support, but raising money for an entire year was a bit overwhelming.
From the start, I knew that spending a year overseas not to earn money but to volunteer and serve God was not going to be simple. But I was not discouraged by the hurdles, because it wasn't something I thought to do out of my own desire, but it was something God put in my heart. If it was His will, I knew He would do it. I prayed that God would provide everything that is necessary for His will to be done with me.
One day my mother told me that her friend (who is also my dentist) knows a pastor who was a missionary in Kenya for 7 years. So my mother's friend arranged for us to meet. When I met Pastor Moon I was only expecting him to give me a phone number or an e-mail address, so I could contact somebody in Kenya. It turns out that he had a little more than a phone number to offer. He wanted his church to send me to Kenya, and fully support me during my stay there! I was blown away (in my mind), and I didn't know what to say.
Then I realized that this was some something I had been praying all along - that God would provide. There was really nothing that I had done to deserve this. I took no part in the planning. I all I did was pray. I prayed to God that I am willing to serve Him, and that He would open the doors. I asked for something I could not do on my own, something I had to depend on God to provide. I believed that He opened the door to Kenya because it was His will. All I had to do was say, "Yes, Lord," and step through the door in faith.
I wonder, after reading thing, if anybody would think that I'm here in Kenya by accident. Could it be by chance that I decided to dedicate a year to fulltime ministry, that my heart would be burdened for the poor, that I prayed to go to Africa, and that I was given the opportunity and the means to spend a year in Kenya? Could it be that I'm just "lucky" (if you think being away from your comfortable life for a year is lucky)? I think not. I believe it was God who purposed for me to come here, and I believe it was God who opened the door, provided the way for me to be here.
Because it was God who brought me here, I will do my best to give glory to Him in whatever I do.
Doxa in Kenya: Bargaining & Evangelism
Thursday, July 13.
Man, it's cold here... Who would have thought it would be so cold right below the equator? At least I didn't. So I only brought one pair of jeans, and a few pairs of shorts. I needed some long pants, so yesterday I went out to a smaller Nakumatt store. Around the store, there were several people carrying random goods, such as dvds, tv antennas, kids' toys. One guy was selling pants, so Mrs. Yoon negotiated with him for me. The guy offered one pair for 500 shillings, but we ended up getting two pairs for 600 ($10 = 715 shillings). So it was a pretty good deal. I'm wearing one right now, and it fits just fine. The other one is a bit tight, but hopefully I can wear it in a couple weeks.
During the afternoon on Wednesdays, the students go out to the community for evangelism. So yesterday I followed two of them, Peter and Joel, to a village named Marurui. Peter is only 6 months younger than me, and he's probably the youngest student here. He would talk to random people walking by and start evangelizing. He talked in some Kiswahili dialect, so I couldn't understand a word he said. Marurui is a small village, but in LA standards, it's worse than the worst ghettos. People live in houses made of metal sheets, kids run around in dirty clothes, and families cook on fireplace made with a few rocks and twigs. We went into someone's house, talked, and a lady named Joyce prayed to receive Christ! We also visited Mary, one of the church members, and read some scripture and prayed together. I got to learn some Kiswahili from Peter and Joel. (I also learned that "Swahili" and "Kiswahili" are the same language, but Swahili also refers to a certain group of people.) We were out for about two hours, and I was quite exhausted afterwards.
I just talked with Rev. Kim a few minutes ago about what I could be doing for the next year in Africa. He gave me three options. One is to work at a clinic in Masai, which I mentioned in my last entry, another is to help the school here by teaching English and working on administration, and the other is to help the school in Tanzania (another Bible College they are building, which will be open this August/September) either with the building or teaching. Since I have a whole year ahead of me, I told him I'm willing to do all sorts of things. So I could be working at a clinic for a while, and also teaching English later. Tomorrow, Rev. Kim will talk to the nurse from Masai, and figure out if I can work with her, and when will be the best time for me to go there.
I'm truly grateful for what God has done to me. I really don't deserve to have all this opportunity. I'm thankful because I have been entrusted with so much. Before I came here, I didn't know what opportunities were available, but I stepped out in faith, believing that God has some purpose for me here. It was pretty clear to me and to many people that God was leading me here to Kenya. God never fails to surprise me.
Man, it's cold here... Who would have thought it would be so cold right below the equator? At least I didn't. So I only brought one pair of jeans, and a few pairs of shorts. I needed some long pants, so yesterday I went out to a smaller Nakumatt store. Around the store, there were several people carrying random goods, such as dvds, tv antennas, kids' toys. One guy was selling pants, so Mrs. Yoon negotiated with him for me. The guy offered one pair for 500 shillings, but we ended up getting two pairs for 600 ($10 = 715 shillings). So it was a pretty good deal. I'm wearing one right now, and it fits just fine. The other one is a bit tight, but hopefully I can wear it in a couple weeks.
During the afternoon on Wednesdays, the students go out to the community for evangelism. So yesterday I followed two of them, Peter and Joel, to a village named Marurui. Peter is only 6 months younger than me, and he's probably the youngest student here. He would talk to random people walking by and start evangelizing. He talked in some Kiswahili dialect, so I couldn't understand a word he said. Marurui is a small village, but in LA standards, it's worse than the worst ghettos. People live in houses made of metal sheets, kids run around in dirty clothes, and families cook on fireplace made with a few rocks and twigs. We went into someone's house, talked, and a lady named Joyce prayed to receive Christ! We also visited Mary, one of the church members, and read some scripture and prayed together. I got to learn some Kiswahili from Peter and Joel. (I also learned that "Swahili" and "Kiswahili" are the same language, but Swahili also refers to a certain group of people.) We were out for about two hours, and I was quite exhausted afterwards.
I just talked with Rev. Kim a few minutes ago about what I could be doing for the next year in Africa. He gave me three options. One is to work at a clinic in Masai, which I mentioned in my last entry, another is to help the school here by teaching English and working on administration, and the other is to help the school in Tanzania (another Bible College they are building, which will be open this August/September) either with the building or teaching. Since I have a whole year ahead of me, I told him I'm willing to do all sorts of things. So I could be working at a clinic for a while, and also teaching English later. Tomorrow, Rev. Kim will talk to the nurse from Masai, and figure out if I can work with her, and when will be the best time for me to go there.
I'm truly grateful for what God has done to me. I really don't deserve to have all this opportunity. I'm thankful because I have been entrusted with so much. Before I came here, I didn't know what opportunities were available, but I stepped out in faith, believing that God has some purpose for me here. It was pretty clear to me and to many people that God was leading me here to Kenya. God never fails to surprise me.
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