Hey guys!  I have my own blog now for Kenya...not much is on it, but just thought I'd pass it on!  I'm sorry that i have been so MIA recently...the only excuse I have is work early in the mornings, teaching swim lessons, then getting off late at night!  But things will hopefully change as I just got hired today as a Waitress at Rio Grande!  I'm looking forward to not being in the sun so much and hopefully having more energy for other things in life!  Miss you guys a whole heck of a lot!

-The one going to Africa

M.I.A. because of A.I.M.

Hello all ye Beautiful Dollhousers!

I just got back from New York just a few hours ago!  I was up there for my Candidate's week retreat for Africa Inland Mission!  Whoo Hooo!!!!! I'm super pumped about Africa now!  Haaa...there was a little mistake about my acceptance... Although I had thought I had been accepted a month ago, that was actually just an acceptance to Candidate's week!   Oooops, but I was officially offered the position yesterday and before they could finish their sentence, I said "YES!!!"

It was quite the week....very intense!  It began with an hour and a half of me (JUST me) sitting in a room with a psychiatrist (= AWKWARD!)  I'm sure you would have loved it, Catherine!  It was really quite humorous cause I felt like I had to say the right things in order for my time to go by quicker...it didn't.  He would ask me questions like (no joke) "So how did that experience make you feel?  Bad?  What KIND of Bad?"  Haha...I had to keep from laughing a few times cause it felt like I was on Candid Camera because my psychiatrist was so stereotypical.

From that meeting, I had to meet with my Headquarters director where we had to discuss logistics (What I would be doing, where I would be living, how long I will be serving, what kind of ministry, and so on) And here is something I'm surprisingly excited to report:  I'm not leaving till JANUARY '09!  I went into the week thinking that if I don't get accepted to leave by October, then I will be a failure and disappointed.   Turns out, that I would actually be leaving the end of September, and would have to have all my support in by  August...yeah, wasn't gonna happen!  So although January seems like a long time away, I have TONS to do including 2 weeks of stateside language school.

I think the most difficult part of the week was having to swallow the "Risk Assessment" Lecture.  I always knew that there was some sort of risk involved when going to a foreign country, but AIM didn't sugar coat their lecture one bit!  In fact, before the lecture began, one of the missionary wives passed around Kleenexes...lets just say I should have taken one or two....or three or four!  I realize now the naivety I carried with me when thinking about dangers in missions.  I also don't want to come across as sounding that I am proud or prideful for going into a dangerous part of the world... I am not saying that at all, but I am sharing this because Danger and safety are some concerns of mine that I would ask for you to lift up in Prayer!  I also realize that I am at the hands and Mercy of our Lord.  Tonight at dinner I was debriefing my parents on the week, and when they asked me about the risks involved in going to Kenya, I shared with them few and shallow stories of what I had actually heard.  They asked me, half joking, if I wanted to purchase a body guard over there...I realized that us as believers have something even better than a body guard and He goes with us EVERYWHERE and his name is not Jack Bauer.....his name is Jesus Christ!  This name is not one to be taken lightly.  Joshua 1:9 was an incredible verse brought to my attention this week, " Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."  And that verse isn't just for me in Kenya, its for you-Catherine in Richmond, you-Hannah in San Diego, you-Sarah in Harrisonburg, you-Leah in Norfolk!  

One of the missionaries told me a story one night that put things into perspective for me... He shared with me that he had been mugged,beaten and robbed, multiple times, bitten by a cobra and pronounced dead, and dragged out of his car at gun point while Rebel Soldiers tied him up and pointed a gun at the back of his head and played Russian Roulette for four straight hours....he went through ALL of that and is still alive to tell me of these experiences all to say, "If you are in the Hand and will of our God, you are invisible until He calls you home."  Kinda gave me chills when I heard it, but its so right!  We have nothing to fear, because truly if its not our time to go...we aren't going anywhere!  And if it is...then all the better, that God wants us to be with Him!

I don't mean to sound crazy or anything, but I heard so much this week and am excited to share it with you all! :)

On a more logistical note... I found out some details about what I'll be doing in Kenya!  I'll be living in Nairobi and will indeed have to learn Swahili (or at least be able to say phrases like, "Please don't point that gun at me" or "Can I please buy your goat" or "I am from Canada" ...haha JUST KIDDING ;) ).  I will be in my own office and will be working on Graphic Design, Journalism, videography, and photography!  I will be working out of this office 3 weeks in a month and one week a month will be spent out on assignment!  Assignments are usually a week long where we will be working on video recording, journalism, and photography.  We will either be traveling via Landrover, small jet, or commercial airline.  We will be staying in Hostels, Missionary houses, tents, mud huts, under the stars, in our small jet, or in the Landrover.  And our showers???  Rain.    It will be quite the stretching experience for me...but Heck, I'm a Dollhouse girl... Adventure is our middle name, right?

Anyways, I'm exhausted and have to get shots in the morning :(  Blahhhh.  

Love you all and miss you lots!