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225/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

Sarah has officially recruited Amy and I to join the gym down the road. It’s not too expensive and you get a free trainer - something that I’ve never been too, too interested in, but I like free.

I decided to start off on the treadmill and I happily ran 3.5 miles and walked another .5 on an incline. I was sooo happy with myself for being able to enjoy my run so much after about a month off. I am awesome! I am so in shape!

Then I joined Amy and Sarah in some ab work, which also wasn’t terrible. It was hard enough to feel like I did something but I wasn’t crying or anything.

And then one of the trainers, Jack, said he’d give us a free Muay Thai session upstairs. In the last few years I’ve really wanted to take a kick boxing class so I figured this was good enough. So Jack took Amy and I started training with Jeff. First he showed me how to throw some punches. Then some kicks. Then some knees. And then...he made me do squats and jumps and crunches and all kinds of other things for one hour.

Now I know why I came to Africa.

And now I know why people on the Biggest Loser throw up. I’ve never had a workout like that, and for two hours straight. I was hunched over by the end, by legs ache like crazy, and my hands are still shaking after a shower and cooking dinner (by the way, today we cooked Pad Thai, a zucchini frittata, and a fruit salad with pineapple, oranges, and apples off the road - our plans to visit Joy Divine were cancelled so we found other things to do).

Needless to say...I can’t wait to go back.

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224/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

For our first day back in Nairobi Amy and I did something I’ve never done before: took public transportation in Africa. We caught a bus with the seasoned Brickmans downstairs and two Americans (Rick and Joe) visiting from our church in the states. We rode into downtown to take advantage of some cheap shopping for souvenirs and for lunch. I haven’t spent much money since I’ve been here but I picked up a few things today. The bus wasn’t bad at all. Just a little smelly and cramped - not unlike my daily commute in NYC.

On the way back I picked up some coffee at Java House and Sarah showed us an outdoor market near our apartment where we can get fruit, vegetables, clothes, books, toys, etc. I’m more in it for the food. I snapped a quick photo up there with my iPhone. The market is made of sticks and plastic but it’s laid out pretty nicely. And it’s cheap. I picked up a ton of dry black beans, 2 zucchinis, garlic, onion, apples, bananas, and carrots for about $4. Later, we called the Brickmans’ “egg man” (they have the neatest connections) and we got about 3 dozen eggs for $3.

This afternoon we had a meeting to plan our next two months. I am excited and nervous to say that we are going to be rather busy. We plan on teaching at an orphanage and at a school in the slums for 2 days each, spending half a day at New Life Home, which is an orphanage for HIV positive babies, and half a day at Joy Divine, a home for former street boys. On a normal week we’ll be working every day but Sunday. And of course we’ll go to church Sunday afternoon. Faustin said he wanted us to be crawling to the plane by the end of this trip. I think he’ll get his wish.

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223/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

Last night I went to bed at 8 PM. I woke up around 6 AM to watch the sunrise, but it was pouring outside. I fell asleep again around 8 AM and then woke to find we were supposed to be leaving by 7 AM. So for the first time, the Kenyans had to wait for the Americans. Wups!

Pastor Chola had to lead worship at church at 4 PM so we booked it across Kenya and pulled into the church at 3:59 PM. After 6 hours in a car with 9 people and one 20-minute rest-stop in the middle, Amy and I were happy to stretch our legs.

We stopped by Nakumatt for a few essentials then came back to the apartment where we’re staying at for the next month. I missed this bed!! The mattresses here are sort of like sleeping on the floor. I got used to them at the hotel and slept rather well (obviously), but this bed is cushy and big. I’ve never had a bed bigger than a twin size, so this is like heaven.

So after throwing down my backpack filled with 10 days worth of dirty clothes, I went straight to the kitchen to bake some dessert and warm up leftover pizza and pasta we had in the freezer, then sat down to watch a movie. After that I took a hot shower and I dried my hair because it was sooo warm and cozy. After all those days of air drying it feels so soft and looks so long...and I cut my fingernails, and I put on lotion, and I cleaned my glasses...all things I normally breeze through in a hurry. I don’t normally enjoy the processes of getting clean and getting ready, but not tonight. And I never loved night gowns so much.

Oh, and Amy made coffee. Real coffee from a real coffee pot! I was smuggling instant coffee into breakfast at the hotel. Such a cheap imitation and also severely desperate on my part.

It really doesn’t take much to make me happy. I still can’t help but feel selfish. So many people live without these little things and also, they don’t need them to be happy. Even driving today, I felt bad about feeling bad about my legs being cramped. People cram into cars here and travel long distances on a regular basis. They miss showers on a regular basis. They don’t have complete ceilings. They have flimsy blankets. Africa regularly reminds me of all of the things I don’t deserve. Even the little things that I think I need to survive. Can I be happy with nothing? Can I stop thinking “I deserve, I need, I should have” or not? Others work harder than me and love more than me, yet they have less than me. I can’t help but think you’d expect me to share some of the questions I have or things I’m learning on this blog. So far I haven’t, really. But there are many things to mull over.

My mind is racing, actually. Most thoughts are probably best suited for my journal, but I’m sure a few will spill over here. I think it’s also expected that these three months are going to change me, but I’d like to focus on other people. I’ll be an after-thought. The change in me is a given. Tomorrow we are supposed to meet to map out our last two months. I’ve been praying that the Lord will guide us and give us opportunities along the way. I’m ready to work and be worked. I’m ready to meet people, to help people, to care for people. You never ever feel equipped for this kind of thing. Instead you feel lazy, selfish, and under-prepared. The great thing is, the Lord uses our weaknesses to work in big ways. I suppose it’s because our pride is out of the way. It’s all a part of His great mystery.

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222/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

Today was the day of the wedding for which we are in Mombasa in the first place. Granted, I didn't know the bride or the groom or the majority of the people there and we were assumed to be crashing when they wouldn't let us in right away. But still, it's the reason we're here.

I wish I could explain to you all of the differences in the Kenyan ceremony. It was long, first of all. Longer than any Catholic ceremony (which I enjoy, just sayin'!). Probably because the Bridal party walked in to a total of four songs - some of them on repeat. And when I say walk, I mean danced. Slowly. People were cheering and jumping out of their seats at random moments, even to capture pictures with their phones. Up close and personal pictures. But it was a joy-filled occasion and the bride and groom looked so happy.

The most upsetting difference to me involved the cake. Actually, the only upsetting difference. Can you imagine? Me being upset about cake? Well. It's because those 4 tiers up there go one each to the wedding couple, the bride's parents, the groom's parents, and the best couple. The little baggies go to the guests. I just really wanted to stuff my face with wedding cake.

You can see that Amy and I are already back in our hotel by the time wedding cake (which turned out to be fruit cake) was served. We enjoyed most of the reception from the comfort of our perfect-for-people-watching balcony.

Tomorrow we head back to Nairobi and get ready for September. It should be a much more different story next month as we get ready to do what we feel we were called her to do. A calling that will probably continue to unveil itself.

Please pray for our journey back. It will be a long and cramped one.

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221/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

This picture is blurry and orange but I think it's funny.

One of these couples is not like the other...

Today we went to the South Coast again and I got a straight up beating from the Indian Ocean. The waves were huge and I was slammed over and over again. It was so awesome. I also rode a camel. That was pretty cool but uncomfortable. I also accidentally made a move on our waiter. By the end of the day he told me he was going to give me a ring.

Important lessons: American sarcasm is not equal to Kenyan sarcasm. In fact, Kenyan sarcasm might not even exist.

A few other interesting things that happened today: a guy tried to sell us drugs, two Jamaican guys wouldn't leave us alone until we swam away at which point they noted "eehh, de water got cold, mahn," a Kenyan guy talked to us for an entire 15 minutes while doing something completely inappropriate that I had to pretend was not happening while Amy and I tried to explain to him what a promise ring means.

Oh...to be a white American girl on the coast.

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220/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

This is our room. I hardly left it today. We were without transportation or friends, so after a morning swim we pretty much napped/read/watched movies all afternoon into evening.

it was the first time I really missed just jumping in my car and driving to Target when I had nothing else to do. Yes, I did walk down to the beach, but I was quickly surrounded by what I can only describe as Africa's version of the ladies who lunch, or whatever the Red Hatted American women are called.

We skipped out on Swahili food and went for burgers and fries for dinner. Now I'm stuffed and thinking I should have just gone for the Swahili food, but the American-ish food tasted soooo good. It wasn't quite Chili's, and it definitely wasn't my dad's elk burgers, but it was close enough.

Finally, I apologize if I sound at all ungrateful and I admit that I was sort of a baby today. Will now get my attitude in check.

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219/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

We drove to South Beach today. It's a private beach and when I saw it, I almost cried. Then I did the above for a few hours. Pure jubilation and glee!

Can you believe places like this actually exist?

Can you believe boys and men actually wear such small trousers?

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218/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

Before we came to Africa, Amy and I said we should either go to Mombasa or to London at some point if we had enough money. Last year I wanted to come to Mombasa so bad! We were so close to this beautiful place and I didn't even know it.

So when Pastor Chola told us, "I'm doing a wedding in Mombasa and you're coming with me for a week and we got you a free hotel and breakfast!" Well. I couldn't believe it! I know it was God's hand.

This day has been surreal. We had breakfast and then I was desperate to go for a walk on the beach. So Amy and I took off, only to be harassed by a beach boy who got angry with me for not shaking his hand. We turned around as he circled us and yelled things about it being his beach and we should just go sleep in our nice hotel beds. It was a little sad and disheartening but oh well. We carry on.

After the Cholas finished their breakfast we all walked out to the beach together. The tide doesn't come in until afternoon so we walked pretty far out to where the boats were all resting in the sand. And this camel was there taking a bath! Amy and I might ride one later.

We came back and I sat on the balcony to catch up on this blog here while I listened to the kids swim. I had another PBJ and an apple with crackers. That's such good stuff.

After lunch we were supposed to drive to another beach but plans changed and we ended up staying here. I'm so happy we did! Amy and I went out with Duncan and Shiro and swam in the ocean. So far they've only been in the pools. We went so crazy! We just let the waves push us and pull us wherever they wanted. I could not believe how warm the water was. The kids had a blast and people stopped to watch us and just laughed. I still feel strange wearing a swimsuit here, even on the beach. People swim in one pieces with bike shorts underneath. And they are quiet. It's kinda strange.

We dove directly into the pool after being on the beach. I'm still a little freaked out by how much sand was still in my suit when I finally came back for a loooong shower.

At about 8:30 Roy and his girlfriend, Steph, picked us up for dinner. They cooked spaghetti noodles with meat and a carrot and zucchini salad (I think?) and had ice cream and cake for dessert. We had a great time talking and laughing. Lots of laughing. We got dropped off a little after midnight and now here I am. Totally up to date with my blog.

It's a long day tomorrow. Off to another beach for a full day. This one is supposed to be top notch. Ahhh....this is my life! I know life has ups and downs but I'm totally siked to be on an up right now.

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217/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

Hello, Mombasa.

You guys...it's in the 80s here. And the water is warm. And it's clear, and the sand is white. There are two pools at our hotel. The kids are in heaven.

We started the day with breakfast at the hotel and then...nothing. Amy and I came back to the room to decompress. She read and I went down to the pool to watch the kids swim. We left for lunch - fries at a joint on the side of the road. It was the third day we'd had fries for lunch so I politely declined. My body was aching. I never really eat fried food. My weakness is sugar. So I had a Fanta while everyone ate.

Then we went to Nakumatt to shop for groceries. I bought: apples! bananas! whole wheat crackers, jam, instant coffee (there is only tea at breakfast), whole wheat bread, granola bars, and chocolate wafers. I sat right there and ate crackers with a little piece of soft cheese I'd picked up. Then we went to visit the SWEET apartment that our friend, Roy, and his girlfriend are staying at. Faustin is staying there too, now. I don't blame him. It's the nicest place I've seen in Kenya. Vaulted ceilings, flat screen TV, large kitchen, pool - not bad. I glanced around and then beelined for the kitchen to make a PBJ. Ahhhh....home.

When we got back to the hotel I went down to the beach to write in my journal. And then...then...I went for a run. I ran for 25 minutes, then I ran steps, then I walked, then I ran some more. I kept going for an hour. My cold is almost completely gone so I can breathe again. People were looking at me like I was crazy, making laps around the hotel buildings, and some cheered me on. I ended by running out to the beach where the moon was starting to reflect off the water. So I turned right back around to get Amy because someone else needed to see how beautiful it was. We sat out there and talked for 30 minutes or so.

Then we checked out the Chola's. Miss Pauline was making dinner so I decided to shower and get out of my sweaty clothes. It felt so good to sweat, for real! By the time we got back she had hot rice, beans, and potatoes. I ate so well. I love to eat after swimming or working out. And with my cold gone, everything tastes good again.

I know you know this already....but I love food!!! And you can probably tell....but I love Mombasa!!!

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216/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

Finally. The day we were to leave for Mombasa.

i woke up early (still can't seem to sleep more than 8 hours) and I decided I needed to wash my hair. The house that Amy, Faustin and I slept in was actually newer, so it didn't have a shower or a pit latrine built yet. Seems a little backwards, right? So our toilets were bushes and our showers were that spout up there. The first day we arrived I braided my hair to prepare it for the days ahead. The one time I showered I just put shampoo over my braids and rinsed it out. So by the last day...I was a little itchy. I was also tired of wearing the same dirty clothes for three days, but I figured, better not get nacked in the wide open.

So I washed my hair in the water that trickled out of this fountain. And I washed my face. I brushed my teeth with bottled water every morning, but missed the evenings. i washed my underarms with some moist toilettes. I can't believe I just typed moist toilettes. Sounds so gross.

Anyway, I was feeling pretty good. I even put on a long skirt to air my legs out a little. Faustin kept joking with me because I wanted to wear my running shorts so badly but I wasn't allowed to show my knees. He knew it killed me.

Then I took my chance while Faustin was still sleeping (he would never have let me go if he were awake), and I hiked to the other house by myself. The people staying there were only acquaintances, but I knew they'd have breakfast and it'd give me a chance to find out our plans for the day, plus talk with some other Cholas. They fed me bananas (yes!!), bread, and tea. It was so good. I love breakfast. They called me some local name since I'd hiked over by myself. I was starting to feel guilty, though, so I told them I'd go collect Amy (my "sister") and Faustin.

Of course by the time I got back the first thing Faustin said was, "I was worried about you!" He's such a good big brother. Don't worry mom and dad, he takes good care of us.

It took them about 45 minutes to get ready before we hiked back over. I had some more tea. I had a great conversations with one of the teenage daughters. We hiked out to a really pretty area and just talked and took pictures.

Then we waited some more. Pastor Chola had started another service at the other house! Turns out some people didn't get blessed the previous night. They started praying and didn't stop for another three hours. But finally they came to meet us.

Then we started praying again and one more person got blessed. The couple who lived in the house gave their thanks. They were so amazing and such a sweet couple. They were holding hands at the party and Miss Pauline told me that absolutely does not happen in Kenyan culture when you're that old.

They loved having their children there to visit. They said, "When you leave, the house is cold."

I talked with the lady of the house for awhile because she conducts the church choir. Before they retired to Taita, she and her husband lived and worked in Mombasa. She showed me pictures of her choirs and the awards they'd won. In Taita, there is a church just steps away from their house. You can hear the music. It was really beautiful. She conducts a ladies choir and a youth choir there.

She and her husband were so kind to us and so happy to have us there. We are some of the first white people to visit Taita. Pastor Chola is already talking about doing a youth camp there next year. Just a small two-day thing, maybe. I think it would be so amazing. Tough, but amazing. Youth would hike from very far away just to see the mzungos. We wouldn't even need a selling point. That's kind of crazy, right?

We ended up leaving around four. An hour down the mountain and we arrived and a bus stop where I drank a diet Coke, ate a Kit Kat, and enjoyed the feeling for flat land under my feet.

It was another 2 hours to Mombasa. We were down to one vehicle so there were 9 of us cramped together, but we made it work. It was dark when we got here and our rooms were over booked. So they offered us a free dinner and before we knew it, we were showering! And using toilets! Somehow I was not tired at all and stayed up enjoying the FREE WIFI (really unexpected) until around 1 AM. I only slept for five hours but I woke up sooo happy.

Do you know how awesome it is to be able to drink and eat all you want and not worry about the consequences later? Please, when you say your prayers today, thank God for modern plumbing.

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215/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

Saturday was the day of the party. Pastor Chola and his family didn't leave until 6 AM to come back. The rice got sorted and the program was accomplished. They slept for a little while in the van - all but Pastor Chola. He didn't sleep at all.

The party that day was supposed to start at 11:00. So we got there in time for breakfast which was SO good. They fried up these bread things that tasted like thick soppapillas . I had three with two cups of chai tea. Another great morning!

And then we sat around for awhile. I took pictures, I walked, I starred at a cow. Until we ate around 3:15. Just a four hour delay is all.

We ate chipati which is an oily, pan-fried bread, beans, and pilau, which is rice with masala, spices, and beef. They slaughtered a cow, did I mention that? No refrigerators means you gotta have fresh meat. Which explains the cow nose I found in a pot that morning. There were also cut up tomatoes, and cabbage with carrots. I ate until my stomach hurt. Still pretty much avoided the meat.

Then around 4, the program started. We'd prayed and read scripture prior to lunch. After lunch, there was praise and worship time. And then Pastor Chola got up to speak. The Chola family is all due to their great-grandparents who are gone now. They had 10 children, which Pastor Chola referred to as "The Big 10". They are pictured, some with their spouse, above. Their ages range from 65-89 and Pastor Chola's father is the last born. You can see me up there sitting with a little girl in my lap. You can bring a girl to the bush but you can't make her stop holding cute little children! Or something like that.

So Chola spoke about their family heritage and the blessings that the Big 10 have to share. Afterwards, everyone lined up and received blessings from the 10. It was really cool and they made sure that everyone received one.

By this time it was getting dark and they were still working on getting poles of for electricity. There was a generator, though, so the program went on by the light of one bulb hanging from a makeshift ceiling outside. The rest of the evening was all in Swahili, but I made out that every person was being introduced. Chola said the main reason for this reunion was to honor the Big 10 and to let the cousins meet so that they wouldn't marry each other later on.

We were told that we'd be able to leave earlier that night, so I took that inch and went a mile with it. By 8:00 I was so lost in translation and sleepy. Faustin had been missing for 2 hours trying to help the guys get the electricity going. But we found out he was sitting in the car waiting to shine his brights for the guys climbing the poles. So Amy and I hiked back to the car, plugged in some music, and sat back. Faustin said we'd be just a little bit longer while they finished. I made a joke and said, "By a little bit you mean what, 3 hours?" He laughed. I fell asleep.

And three hours later...he woke us up to leave.

It wasn't so bad, though. Amy and I slept so well that it felt like five minutes had passed. But we had to pile a lot of people in the car so we scooted over and prepared for the journey to the other house. Once again, we hiked by moonlight but this time I was practically running down the hill. And then I ran right into bed.

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214/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

The girls were obsessed with the two kittens and their mother that stayed at the house. When I walked out in the morning I found the three of them oohing and awing over the (flea covered) kittens.

It was such a nice morning. I wrote in my journal and enjoyed the views. We had tea and bread for breakfast. We also had the sweetest bananas that I've ever tasted - because they were right off the trees outside. They were more yellow inside than bananas I've had from the supermarket. I could have eaten bananas the entire time we were there. If only.

As quick as the morning went, the afternoon dragged. We went over to the other house where the party was to be and had lunch (rice and beans). Everyone was there to prepare for the next day. Miss Pauline had 200 pounds of rice to sort through for rocks and other things, so I was excited to help her and have something to do. It took us from 4:00 to 7:00 to get halfway through. I was starting to feel unwell and a little bit crazy from starring at rice for so long. I decided to lay down and unfortunately, I slept through dinner which was cow intestines. Too bad I missed that one! But I'd been smuggling my peanut butter and granola bars all day and I was absolutely not hungry.

I woke up around 9:00 even though I could have slept the night through. I figured we'd be leaving soon and I wanted to be awake when the time came. But I walked out and found we still had to sort through 100 more pounds of rice. So I sat down to help and we....went....slow. Miss Pauline was falling asleep on the table. We were ready to go, so ready. But Pastor Chola was working on the program for the next day. There were not enough beds for the 100 or so people there, so people were falling asleep where they sat. By midnight I was dying. I was so ready to get in a bed and away from rice. Pastor Chola said to give him 5 minutes and he'd find a key for us.

An hour later, Amy and I left with Faustin. The others had found a bed or a couch or the floor or a table to sleep on. We had to hike back to our car by the light of the moon and I was sure I'd fall. Once we got to the other house we had to hike some more - you can't just pull up to these houses. I just kept laughing because I could not believe what was happening. The only reason I wasn't scared was because I don't think God brought me to Africa to die...right? The moon was actually very bright there, but it was almost like walking with impaired vision.

The house we slept in that night actually had electricity and I've never been so happy to flip a switch. Of course, it was only on for about two seconds before I passed out.

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213/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

These are the Taita hills. It took us about 4 hours from Nairobi to Voi, the city at the bottom of the hills. Then we began to climb for an hour. I took this picture about 3/4 of the way up.

Once we arrived I quickly realized there were only a few things to do: sit, stand, watch, or sleep. I chose sleep.

The house we were in was made of mud and stone. It had four small bedrooms, a seating area, and a room for setting out food. The kitchen was a separate building where they could keep a fire. There was also a rigged shower - a bucket hanging from the ceiling with a faucet underneath. To shower, you'd mix water boiled over the fire with cool water. I got to shower once and it was very nice. The bathroom was set up outside the house. It was indeed a long drop (or, a hole in the ground) but this one had a chair! A wooden chair with a cut out in the middle. Aye, aye, aye...

They operated off very dim solar power. The sun shone just enough to give them some light in the evening. Taita is starting to get electricity, though. In fact, they were setting up a pole at the house where the party was. They worked until 11 at night to finish on the day of the party...my goodness. But I'm getting ahead!

They day of our arrival, Faustin and Pastor Chola had to go back down the hill to retrieve all the food that we'd shipped ahead from the market. They left around 4 and when they got back we were going to hike to where we were supposed to sleep that evening. Well, after falling asleep nearly every where I sat, I found myself under the covers in a bed somewhere. It was like a magnet. I was just there! So they let us stay. We awoke to roosters and the sound of sweeping. it was cold (there is a roof but no ceiling), but the blankets were heavy and I wore leggings and a sweatshirt to sleep in. Despite the rock hard mattress, I slept like a baby.

Turns out that Faustin and Pastor Chola didn't get back until after 9. They'd had a flat tire on the hill! I can't imagine how difficult their evening was. When I say hill, I mean steep rocks. It was a really hard climb and the entire way up we were told stories about people they knew flying off and getting stuck. I was not ready to become one of those stories.

But rest assured, once your up the mountain...you stay.

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212/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

We had an adventure today! To prepare for the family reunion, Pastor Chola and Miss Pauline took us to the Marikiti Market in the city. Vendors sell fruits and vegetables like watermelons, tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, potatoes, cabbage, bananas, and oranges. It’s HUGE.

If you are a white person in Africa you are called “mzungu” and apparently mzungus don’t ever, EVER, go to this market. So today when we walked in to the crowded, loud marketplace we were surrounded and bombarded. Everywhere people were yelling “Mzungo!” and “British!” (?) and we had SO many people wanting to help us. Pastor Chola wouldn’t let us bring anything with us so the only thing I had in my pockets was a bobby pin. No earrings, no make-up. Fine by me.

But people weren’t really interested in stealing from us, they were more interested in touching our skin or starring at Amy’s blonde hair. One man wanted me to work for him for 20 shillings (about 24 cents). I said no. He said how much? I said BILLIONS. Then he said his heart was rich! But I said nope! Show me the money! And then I said my heart is taken anyway (Jesuuuuuus comin’ through)! But he was pretty nice, anyway.

Another man asked me what I ate to make my skin so white. I said apples. The next thing I know he’s tapping on my shoulder and I turn to see him halfway through a Granny Smith! He asked me why his skin wasn’t turning color...I told him to give it an hour.

Amy literally had a woman walk by her and stop in her tracks just to stare at her hair.

Miss Pauline had to buy 50 cabbages for the reunion and she’s used to spending about 20-40 shillings per cabbage. But because she was with mzungus, the first vendor asked for 150 shillings! She threw that thing down and walked away. Seconds later Pastor Chola asked for the same cabbage (the mzungus far from sight), and he quoted him 90 shillings. He ended up getting them for 40.

All in all we ended up with two huge bags of cabbages, one or two of potatoes, one of carrots, half a bag of oranges, onions, garlic, ginger...SO MUCH food! These bags are at least 3 feet tall. Enough to feed 100, at least. Once everything was purchased a man put it all on the cart and brought it to the car. I really wanted to pull the cart - you see men on the side of the road all the time pulling them! It created quite a laugh when I started to pull it away and almost hit a car. It looked like I was going to hit it, but I didn’t! That makes me a true Kenyan!

Right now we are at the Chola’s at Shiro is giving me a hairstyle. It’s kind of awesome to come to Africa with long hair because everyone wants to feel it and I don’t mind that at all! We’re staying here tonight because we are leaving for Taita around 5 in the morning. I got my backpack all ready...pretty pumped for this.

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211/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

I used to use collages to save time but NOW I am going to use collages to save money! I take so many pictures and the more information you send across the internet, the more money you use up. I used all of my money video skyping with my family the other day, so now I am going to be very frugal. I can walk to Java House where there is free wifi, but I can’t walk back after dark which is when everyone in the states comes online!

So anyway, I take a lot of pictures. It has been difficult only picking one per day (though when I started this blog, that was the original idea). You should be able to click on the collage and zoom in on it to see each photo with clear resolution.

The last few days Amy and I have either been in the apartment or sitting at Java House. We were eager to do something! So when I checked my phone at 9:15 this morning and saw a text from Faustin saying be ready at 9:30...we were excited despite still being in our pajamas and not having showered in a while. Thankfully, this is Africa, so everyone is late!

Nanu picked us up and to our surprise all of the Chola’s kids were in the van with her! We had no idea where we were going, why, and with whom. Pastor Chola works for CMM which is the ministry that put on the teen camp. He is also the pastor of Destiny Chapel, where Amy and I are attending church. Last August I stayed with the Chola’s for two weeks and we are going to live with them in October. They have four crazy awesome kids: Duncan (11), Shiro (9), Nzingo (7?) and Monje (5).

Nanu took us to Village Market to hang around and wait for their parents to finish their visa appointments at the US Embassy. We had such a blast with the kids! We looked at high healed shoes, wedding dresses, visited a toy store, and Amy and I bought them cotton candy. By that time, Pastor Chola and his wife, Pauline, came back and took us to a Swahili restaurant that I would never have known existed on the property. I ordered tilapia and rice. Take a look up there at what they sent me.

We were told that the brain is the best part and...I just decided to take their word for it. However, when people start chanting and ask me to eat something, I can’t turn it down! I don’t know what it is. Maybe it goes back to the time when I used to eat strange concoctions in the jr. high cafeteria for money. So I ate a fish eye. And not just the eye ball, but all the SLIMY SICK stuff behind it. Amy has pictures of that and they are not pretty.

Duncan DID eat the brain, however, so Amy promised him ice cream in return. I don’t know if the ice cream was more for us or the kids, but it certainly hit the spot. I normally order one scoop in a kid’s size...today I got two scoops in a cone. I mean come on, I ate a fish eye!

By the ride home, we realized we’d given four kids who generally never eat sugar an insane amount. They were hopping over seats and taking off layer after layer to cool off. That’s what the Americans do...feed the kids sugar.

I may have mentioned that our team brought over 300 pounds of shoes. We have some left so we let everyone pick out some new ones to take home. They had a blast trying on shoes, especially Nzingo. She may have slipped out with five pair.

So tomorrow the new adventure starts. We are leaving in the morning to go to the market with Pauline. We can’t carry anything with us and have to wrap our hair in scarves. She is going to stock up on food for the family reunion and I’m so excited to visit this place. We leave early Thursday morning for Taita (I found it online!) and we will be there until Sunday. The actual party will take place Saturday night and Pastor Chola told me no one sleeps then. We can if we really want to, but it is an all night party so if you get tired, you find a place to lay your head and there you are. There are no roads so we may have to hike some and push the car because it is very hilly. He is trying to get electricity for the all night party but only a few places will have it in the entire town. We’ll have to buy bottled water in a city an hour away. We’ll have to use the restroom in a dug out hole. I mean...wow. I can’t wait to share about that experience.

The good thing about Taita is it’s an hour and a half from Mombasa, where we’ll be staying for an entire week (at this hotel for free!). I may be able to get some internet while I’m there. The beach! The Indian Ocean! We might even go to Malinda one day. I’m STOKED.

We were brainstorming places to go once we return and we decided to take the rest of our shoes to a school for blind albino children about 2 hours from here. Miss Pauline says they will break our hearts and they’re need is greater than some of the orphanages in Nairobi. Last they heard there was only one Braille Bible in the entire school so we are hoping to find some more to take with us as well. I can’t wait to visit there.

I know that this post is a little wordy but seeing as I won’t be able to update for a few days, I thought I’d take my time with the details.

If you’d like to pray, I have a few requests:
No sickness! I am starting to get over my cold, but Faustin came down with a fever and Duncan was not feeling well this afternoon.
No stomach problems! Amy and I have not lived on a diet of Swahili food alone so who knows how it will effect us. Getting sick with a long drop instead of a toilet might be a little too much to handle.
Honestly...please pray that we don’t get cold at night! I just hate that. It gets to 50 here at night and Taita is a higher elevation and I’m not sure if insulation is a priority there...

So I’m off to pack my backpack with the essentials: hoodie, swimsuit (the call them swimming costumes), and lots and lots of granola bars. See you on the other side.

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210/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

Adventures in cooking American food in Africa!

When the team was here we bought ingredients for baked pasta but never had a chance to eat it. So I made it for Amy and me! The tomatoes are more bitter, the cheese is less salty, the chicken is more tough. But it's not terrible. I made garlic toast and salad with apples, mozzarella chunks and almonds.

Next up, I'm eager to bake something. In fact, I can't WAIT to bake something. Any ideas?

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209/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

I promise I came to Africa to work and do good and stuff.

Buuuut....just look at this. It's three scoops of some of the best vanilla ice cream I've ever tasted sitting in espresso covered with cream and chocolate shavings. Why have I never thought of this before?!

The Brickman's are an American family that live in our apartment complex and last night we went to one of the nicest restaurants in Nairobi for their daughter's birthday. Everything I have eaten previously on this trip has been out-shadowed by this dessert. We were at the restaurant for over two hours and Amy and I had a blast just listening and sharing stories: established globe-trotters to newbie globe-trotters.

In a few days life is going to get crazy again and I will be day dreaming about this dessert....

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208/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

Camp is over...everyone is gone...I'm coughing and sneezing all over the place...time to decompress.

Amy and I walked to Java House in the afternoon for coffee, tea, and unlimited free wifi. Then we headed back home, ate some baked pasta from leftover ingredients that the team never ate, and watch two movies.

I'm counting on days like this to be few and far between so I'm loving them while we have them!

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207/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

The team was set to leave late Friday night. So we spent the day at Yaya where there's a Masai Market, a food court, shopping, and a spa! Pretty much, it's where all the tourists, business people, and aristocrats go. My uncle was trying to convince me to get a massage but a combination of a bad experience last year and envisioning myself spraying snot all over the table as soon as I laid down led me to the pedicure station.

I wasn't in the mood for shopping as my head was throbbing and I couldn't hear well. And I was out of breath every time I walked. I had decided not to waste any energy on Thursday, our last day of camp. Even though I was sick. I felt the repercussions.

The lady that did my pedicure was named Mercy. I REALLY enjoyed talking to her. She has been working at the spa for 6 years and likes her job because she meets new people every day. She said some of them don't talk. So I kept the conversation going. She actually remembered our team from last year. We talked about travel and our faith and body image. She's the one that told me if I were to get married here, my fiance's parents would tell me I'm too skinny. She actually said, "big is beautiful" because it's true here!

Everyone left after dinner and I was pretty sad. My uncle Chris is so amazing and I'm going to miss having him here to lead us. And our team was so fun, so encouraging, so...loud! I decided not to go to the airport because I was feeling so sickly. Instead, I stayed home and admired my feet.

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206/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

This is Grace.

I had the privilege of praying for Grace on Wednesday night. The message was on forgiveness and she told me through tears that she wanted to forgive her mom. She help on to me as I prayed for her and she probably would have stayed there for a long time if there wasn't a line of people waiting for prayer behind her.

On Thursday night I was able to share part of my testimony with the camp. It was our last session and it was very emotional - so happy, so sad. After I spoke, many girls asked to speak with me in private. Many wanted prayer, some offered me encouragement. And Grace came to me in the middle of a crowd and asked me what to do if you are abused by a parent.

I didn't realize until we were safe inside of our green room with some adults who might be able to help that she was the 13-year-old girl I'd prayed for the prior evening. I knew what courage it took for her to come and ask for help because she is scared of her mother.

We discovered that Grace goes to a female boarding school but takes her holidays at home with her mother. She has no address and phone calls are all monitored by her mom. She does not trust a pastor in her city to help her. I don't know if thankfully is the right word, but...thankfully...at this point it is mostly verbal abuse. I am happy she is not being beat, but I know that it is still a big deal. She's scared of her mom and there isn't much we can do.

So the plan is to write letters to her school! She gave us her school address and I cannot wait to send her encouraging letters and to keep in touch with her for a long time. Mostly, I can't wait to send her this picture. Isn't she beautiful?

Last night I was saying my nightly prayers and I started off, "God, thank you for your grace." And I realized he was reminding me to pray for her. So I said, "God, thank you for your Grace."

Please pray for her and if you'd like to send her letters I am happy to pass along her address. School resumes September 9th!

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205/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

MORRIS!!!!!!!!!! You guys, I LOVE this kid. We all do. You just cannot help it. In a group of 600, he stands out.

Last year during registration we would carry the kids bags and show them to their rooms. It's where a lot of our relationships started. Well, Morris was the first person I registered and I literally picked him up and swung him around. Didn't think that he's 13 and not a child. But that's where we became friends! I was hoping against all hope that Morris would be back for camp this year.

Weeeelll.....I was standing at the crazy, insane, stressful registration table, focused only on things happening within two feet of me. For some reason I looked up and there he was, way across the center, looking right at me. He smiled so big and I just freaked out and ran straight to him. Last year it was so difficult when the kids asked if we'd be back and we didn't have a definitive answer. So to see him, to show him that we cared enough and that God provided for us to come back...it was such a highlight. This boy and his smile alone changed my life.

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204/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

ART! Monday was the first day of camp, but Tuesday is when we really started. Monday we registered and had an evening service. That service was actually the only time I sang with the worship team. I led the campers in "I Am Free" which was a HUGE hit last year. It was so fun because when the words came up on the screen everyone started cheering. But as soon as I got off stage, my throat was throbbing. Unfortunately it wasn't just a fluke, it was a full on cold that threatened to keep me down and out during the whole camp. Ugh.

So Tuesday morning I took it easy until our breakout sessions started. I led a session with Amy and her sister, Lisa, on art and worship. We called it "How To Change the World Through Art". Basically we each shared a bit on the kind of art we do (music for me) and how God has used it for His Kingdom. I shared a revolution that God gave me a few months ago about His imagination. I was just thinking of all of the beautiful things He's created, all of the things that take my breath away. It's one of the reasons I enjoy travel so much - to see everything that He imagined from nothing! I was just thinking about His imagination and He stopped me and told me that of all of the things He's created, I am the ultimate fulfillment of His imagination. His masterpiece, you could say. It was really fun to share that with the campers and then to talk about music and writing.

For the last half of our session I got up on the piano and sang some worship songs and just played whatever I felt while the kids wrote declarations over themselves and painted. They are amazing! They're art was so inspiring and INSPIRED. This is just a brief glimpse. I had one girl write an entire poem about failure and trying again that she gave to me.

In a place where art class doesn't exist, we are so happy to have come with these supplies and let the kids just go wild.

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203/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

On Sunday night we were eating dinner when my uncle, Chris, said, "Okay. I need four people to talk on a radio show tomorrow morning." And yeah, I was definitely up for that. I had no idea what I was getting in to, but bring it on!

So Ashley, LaQueeta, me and Amy got up super early and found ourselves sitting in the studio of 93.3 Hope FM. The DJ is a pastor at the church we are visiting and he said when he saw us walk in he knew exactly what he was going to do on his show Monday morning.

He asked us questions about what Christianity is like in America and if Africans struggle with the same things. We spoke about what our mission was and if it's true there are now dowries in the states! Our main message that we wanted to convey was that America will not solve your problems - your problems follow you! We talked about how body image is such an issue in the states and isn't really here (in fact, I had someone tell me I was too skinny to get married here), and we shared about the Count Me In camp.

After it was all finished I asked how many listeners he averaged and he said....1.5 to 2 million. All over Africa. And on satellite (sorry, dad, you could have listened!). Our mouths dropped. We just had a HUGE stage to share our faith and I have to say, we did a pretty great job. None of us were nervous, we opened our mouths and the Holy Spirit filled it.

We should be getting a recording sometime so let me know if you want to hear it!

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202/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

Last Sunday our team went into Kibera, which is the second largest slum in Africa. The first thing we saw was this 700 pound pig drinking from the black river of waste that flowed throughout the slum. The next thing we saw were children running from every crevice to come and greet us, to hold our hands, to hop in our arms.

I took some of this from Wikipedia:

Kibera is a division of Nairobi Area, Kenya, and a province and neighbourhood of the city of Nairobi. Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi, and the second largest urban slum in Africa, with an estimated population of between 600,000 and 1.5 million inhabitants, depending on the season.

Located roughly 3 miles southwest of the city center of Nairobi, Kibera encompasses an area of about 1 square mile, accounting for less than 1% of Nairobi's total area while holding more than 25% of its population, at an estimated population density of 1250 per acre. Conditions in Kibera are extremely poor, and most of its residents lack access to basic services, including electricity and running water.

This is my third time here and I have only seen Kibera from a distance. I am just happy I didn't wear sandals that day. I wish I could upload all of the pictures I took but it takes so much time and money to upload more than one photo. So I'll tell you what we did.

Our friends here have a connection with a pastor of a Baptist Church and a school inside of Kibera. He took us in to tour the place and also to tour one of the huts. The family of that house had lived there for 28 years and just lost an older brother. We prayed for them and thanked them for welcoming us into their home. We took with us bags and bags full of shoes for the church to pass out. But honestly, it was the kids that got to us. They didn't ask for anything, they just wanted to hold our hands and play with us. They smiled and they laughed and they LOVED our cameras.

Amy and I are learning about two schools in Kibera who are desperate for volunteers. We came here without a specific plan, just an open heart and an open mind. So, we hope to volunteer at the schools on a regular basis starting next month! I'll keep you updated, of course.

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201/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

On the way back from safari we had a lot of fun throwing out candy to the Masai kids who were on the streets herding cows and goats.

We started running out of water so my uncle Chris started chunking water bottles out the window. At one point we threw them to a few boys and the older one was hoarding them from the little one. So I asked the driver how to say "share" in Swahili and he told me: "maji"

So I started pointing at the kid out the window and yelling, "MAJI!! MAJI!!" And the kid looked at me funny...but eventually handed it over.

So I was telling the story to someone yesterday and they said, "What did you yell? Maji?" and...yeah. Turns out maji means water. So I was screaming "WATER!!" at the kids. Everyone got a good laugh out of that. And next time...I'll make sure of what I'm saying before I yell random Swahili at children.

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200/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

Today is the first full day of camp. How I am finding time to blog about our safari last week, I don't know. It's lunch time so I'm fitting in all that I can!

We saw many, many herds of wildebeest. Our driver just plowed on through and I liked watching them run away. They're pretty skittish, unlike the other animals. They are very interesting creatures.

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199/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

The first game drive on safari we saw two 4-month-old cubs with their mother. I love this picture! I look at my mom this way. So much love and affection! Or maybe he's just hungry.

Safari was dirtier and longer than the ones I've been on in the past. We saw some amazing things and some really gross things...i.e. dead wildebeest and maggots. I don't know why I just told you that! I wanted to forget all about that!!! Yuck.

We stayed on a river bank where 200 hippos lived. There was only electricity a few hours a day and at night you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Makes you a little uneasy when there are 3 crocodiles living right outside your door. Literally.

I am so dirty right now. There is a layer of dirt covering my entire body. A six hour drive through the Mara will do that to you.

Anyway, now we are back in Nairobi and walked down to Java for late lunch/early dinner. Hopefully when we get back there will be enough hot water for 8 people to shower. There won't be. But...hopefully.

Please leave me comments or e-mail me even if you don't regularly! I love reading what you creepers have to say. It keeps me from getting homesick.

Hope to get a better connection and post more pictures soon!

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198/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

Chris, Lisa, and waitress at Java House in Nairobi.

I had a chai tea latte, a tuna melt, and split a chocolate croissant.

AND I WAS SO HAPPY!!!!

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197/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

One of the boys at Joy Divine home for boys. Thanks to my mom for helping me pick out these supplies and come up with ideas. They loved making these! I told them they can use them for Bible bookmarks.

Internet could go at any moment...much love from Nairobi!

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196/365, originally uploaded by britrosewhite.

Okay, here we go. I'm in the airport waiting to board. I feel ready and I feel tired. I have a little headache from crying so much at church this morning (all good) and I'm already ready to change clothes, but I'll manage.

My main concern today is that I don't lose any of the valuables I have on me. I'm sure I'd be learning a nice lesson if I did, but I'd really prefer not to lose a laptop, an iPhone, a camera, a video camera, and my Burt's Bees.

Boarding! Bye!

July Favorite

So...I did have time to do the poll! I got up around 7 this morning to get a few things done and figured I could make time. Even though I'm sitting on the couch with a towel on my head and still have a few things to pack! Priorities.

However, in my hastiness, the photos looked warped. Click on them for a better view.

Favorite July PhotoMarket Research