KENYA IMAGINE? a brief review of my yav year by: tricia thompson Jambo from Nairobi! As I was having some reflection time the other day, I began to think about the stories I would share with my friends, family, and FPC- Lincolnton congregation upon my return home. As I was internally reviewing my time here, it occurred to me that I had yet to share my experience so far with the people that have been supporting me and making this year a possibility. So, first off, pole (sorry in Kiswahili), for letting my adventures in Kenya get the best of my time. In fact, one of the first things I learned while working in Africa was the concept of African time. Compared to the bustling and fast-paced cities in the US, Africans tend to take things at a slower pace because they believe that the quality of time spent with people is far more important than the amount of minutes. Therefore, having morning tea with a neighbor could last hours and put you behind at your next meeting, but it allows for deeper relationships to build and puts community at the center of life. So, if you could, please do not view this newsletter as late, but as a verification that I am becoming Kenyan and fully committing to African time.
Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing Theodore Roosevelt once said these wise words, and after being part of the staff at the Organization of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), I could not agree more. Though there have been tough days in Nairobi, where I dream of being in the comfort of my own home with my family and friends, the one thing that always keeps me going in Kenya is my position at the OAIC. Whether I m sitting in the office working on the organization s website, visiting schools we sponsor, or creating fundraising materials for our various projects, I feel as if my work can and will make a difference in OAIC members lives. Though I held several jobs throughout high school and college, none of them have had the impact that the OAIC has had on my life and my work ethic. I first realized this while attending a meeting about fundraising for the new building our office is planning to erect in order to rent out the extra space and create an income source to sponsor our programs. Sitting around six distinguished mzees (the Kiswahili term for elderly men) and all of my OAIC supervisors, I nervously explained how much of a difference this new building can make to the millions of OAIC members across Africa. As I was explaining that this project was more than buying bricks or building materials - that it was building a foundation for the trainings and workshops that we host - I was overwhelmed with the response. OAIC VISION The people of Africa......transformed by the good news of Jesus Christ..blessed by the Spirit of God....building on their cultures....creating abundant life in community for their children and the world. OAIC MISSION The OAIC works to bring African Instituted Churches together in fellowship and to equip and enable them to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ in word and deed. The archbishop from a Nairobi AIC and the bishops that accompanied him each began to tell me their personal stories about how the OAIC programs had enabled them to reach a higher position in the church and earn an income for their families. It was then I realized that I, a small, young, and Southern girl from Lincolnton, was sitting around a table that was going to make a difference in an immeasurable amount of lives, just as it had with the mzees seated around me. I knew then that I was exactly where God wanted me to be and that I was working for a cause that I truly believe in. I am currently working on a project we started at the beginning of my time here that is now coming into fruition. The Just Communities department at the OAIC met with comic book artists to design a comic that would speak to OAIC youth and students about various issues of poverty that many of our members face. The comic, titled Vine and Branches, was then put into a larger magazine which we will subscribe to and distribute to churches and schools across East Africa. The publication works to encourage youth to expand their thinking about issues within their communities, exposes them to greater possibilities, and educates them about youth in other areas. This has been one of my favorite projects to work on because the reading material presents real problems and solutions for the affected youth from the ages of 12 to 19; this particular age group proves to be impressionable, open to ideas and receptive to new knowledge. We have already distributed copies to some of the local schools and the feedback has been incredible. Some of the students receiving the material do not have a single book to call their own, and to be able to provide them with powerful and insightful literature in the form of a fun comic book has been truly amazing to be a part of. Join Africa s newest community as they......face life s most difficult realities......and learn to work together in order to survive....tackle unjust systems......overcome poverty... vine & branches an oaic production
LIKE A ROLLING STONE the journeys that define the journey While in Kenya, I have been lucky enough to be able to switch my hat from volunteer to tourist several times. The first retreat we took as a YAV group was to Mombasa, which is located on the coast of Kenya. Not only was Mombasa filled with beautiful animals, a sandy white beach, and the calming atmosphere of a coastal town, but it was overflowing with rich history. During our time there we were able to go snorkeling in the Indian Ocean, visit the ancient ruins in Gede, tour around Fort Jesus, and feed giraffes in Haller Park. We even learned how to extract demons from people by a pastor that was a little confused about our program and our role as missionaries. We spent quite a lot of time being tourists, but on the last day, a co-worker of mine at OAIC took us to an OAIC Young Adult community called Bamburi Giving Hope that is based in an informal settlement (also known as a slum). This particular youth group was comprised of young adults who had experienced their parents dying and who had to become head of their families at extremely young ages. Ending the vacation with this amazing and inspiring group of individuals had me extremely excited to head back to Nairobi and start working on projects like Bamburi Giving Hope. The second retreat was set in a similar beach atmosphere but held in Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Tanzania. Zanzibar quickly became one of my favorite places in the world. I have never felt so welcomed or relaxed as I felt around the island residents. While there, we were surrounded by both culture and history as we descended down the stairs of our hostel to a former slave chamber. Seeing the tiny room that would hold more than 50 slaves while they were starved, dehydrated, and given only one small window of air with no toilet or outside acces, all while waiting to be sold in the slave market was an eye-opening experience. Sitting in the chamber was a haunting experience that allowed me to connect with Africa s history on a deeper level. How could a place so beautiful also be the place where thousands upon thousands of Africans were so wrongly mistreated and sold to other human beings? Witnessing such unjust situations has often led me to ask myself and God many questions similar to this one and I have found that the answer might be out of my grasp as a human being. While many of the trips I have taken have been for YAV retreats and to learn about the history of local areas, there have been some vacations that have been based on simply having fun. One of the most recent trips I took with my roommate, Amelia, was to Uganda to white water raft and bungee jump at the source of the Nile River. It s hard to put into words the feeling of being suspended over such a grand river by a single bungee cord or how it feels to conquer Class 5 rapids in the hot sun and soon after torrential downpour of rain, but if anything, it feels refreshing. After our trip to Uganda, we headed to Aberderes National Park to stay at one of the most famous hotels in Africa, the Treetops Hotel. Queen Elizabeth II stayed here when she first found out her father had died and she was taking on the role of Queen. Once again, such a major part of history was surrounded by a beautiful atmosphere that is so common in Kenya. Outside our window, we were able to watch elephants and buffalo grazing and splashing in the salt lake with the horizon of Mt. Kenya as our background. Small vacations like these prove to be the best medicine when the hustle and bustle of Nairobi city life begins to feel a bit tiring and overwhelming.
Journal Entry, September 15, 2011 We re currently on our way to Mombasa and though the 7-hour van ride is going by very slowly, I m surprisingly feeling extremely peaceful and calm in this overpacked YAV-mobile. The landscape we re driving through all looks the same, but there are frequent spurts of small, rural villages with cows and goats and at one point even some zebras! Every time we pass one of the market areas, kids will look into our window, smile real big, and wave like crazy. I don t know whether it s the view of flat land as far as the eye can see, the large amount of time I ve had to sort through all of my thoughts on this past week in Kenya, or the immense feeling of happiness I get when I see these children who have close to nothing yet smiling at me as if they have everything, but during this road trip to the coast I am overwhelmed with feelings of comfort and confidence. It s moments like this when I m able to reflect on why I m here and the purpose I m here to serve. Looking out, seeing not a single familiar thing and yet feeling so at home reaffirms that God has called me to be here. Though I m not 100 percent sure what exactly I ll be able to accomplish during my time here, I know that it will become clearer with every day I spend in this foreign country. For now, I am reveling in my new atmosphere and I couldn t imagine being anywhere else at this point in my life. It feels perfect. Jambo How are you? kiswahili terms When our YAV group first arrived to Nairobi we were pleasantly surprised that we had been enrolled in a three-week Kiswahili language course. Throughout the year, a few of my Kenyan friends have helped me expand my Swahili vocabulary and I thought I d share some common terms with you all. Ninapenda... I like... Nzuri Sana Very fine! Bila Shaka! Of Course! Asante Thank you Ubuntu Community Imani Faith Baba Lord/Father I d also like to take this time to share with you a Bible verse that I have found myself constantly coming back to during my time here as a YAV. Living in a foreign country and always having to be aware of your new cultural surroundings, beliefs, and norms can oftentimes be extremely draining, nerve-wracking, and stressful. However, I am reminded by this excerpt from Matthew that worrying will not and can not fix difficult situations. These past nine months, I ve learned that it is far better to put the amount of time and energy spent obsessing over the small troubles towards reassuring one s self that God will take care of all worries in time. Matthew 6:25-34 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Thank You! I cannot end this newsletter without expressing how extremely blessed and thankful I am to have such a supportive group of people on my side during this year-long journey. With each card, donation, prayer, and letter I am reminded of home and the people dearest to me who have backed me through the best and the worst times in Nairobi, and for that, I am forever grateful. These small pieces of familiarity and thoughtfulness have brought many smiles to my face and are a constant source of comfort when feeling sick, nostalgic, or just out-of-touch with life in the States. So once again, thank you so much for all that you have done and be ready for lots of story-telling upon my return! If you d like to help support my fundraising efforts for my YAV year in Kenya, I would greatly appreciate it! And, as always, prayers for the program and Kenya as a whole are one of the best forms of support I can ask for. To help me reach my final fundraising goal, please send checks to: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) P.O. Box 643700 Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700 with Tricia Thompson, E210302 on the subject line or give online at: http://gamc.pcusa.org/give/e210302/