The Work Begins

yes that is matt and i... all in white and officially african salvation army soldiers! the dark blue just wasnt going to cut it out here, so we were sent to a tailor to have custom made uniforms for us. now we just have to figure out how to keep them clean!

we have been here just over a month and are beginning to not only get a feel for kenyan life but also our job. it was difficult at first to make the adjustment from teaching and being with youth all day long to sitting at a computer and helping with paperwork. but good things come to those who wait right? and being patient is a good skill to have when comng into a new culture and environment because there is so much to learn. however our observations have turned into action in the last two weeks.




as many of you know, the salvation army is sending youth from all over the world to sweden for a convention in 2010. and although i will be too old to go myself (unfortunately i am no longer considered youth) we are responsible for preparing the 20 delegates from kenya east to attend. So right away we planned a meeting to begin the paperwork. now... i have no idea how to go about getting passports or birth certificates. in fact i dont even understand how their name structure works (they dont go by their surnames eg brittney michelle downs is known just as brittney michelle). but we were so excited to get to meet some of the youth and just begin building some relationships. they were all very quite but after some ice breaker games we were able to see some great personalities! we cant wait to see how they will benefit from this unique opportunity.

one of our favorite places to visit in kenya is joytown. joytown is the school for kids with disabilities in thika. and it's difficult not to love going there. our first trip there we were only able to see the primary campus but this trip took us to the secondary (or high school) campus. The school was having a challenge weekend (similar to a youth retreat) and we were invited to speak on sunday. the services never cease to amaze me. while matt and i's tag team message seemed to have went well, just seeing the smiles and spirits of these young people (a couple of them lead worship and bible readings, and there were at least 5 different groups of kids who came up to present a song or skit) speaks more words than we ever could. And they continue to uplift us long after we have left.



While i miss being on the field all the time, working at the headquarters does have its benefits! This past week, we were able to attend the DYO (divisional youth officers) conference. this not only gave us a chance to meet the leaders around the territory but it also enlightened us on how youth programs work and how we, the staff at thq, can help support our workers. The theme was "moving forward" and the leaders were given information and encouragement by several speakers... including me! matt spoke on disciplship and its role in our spiritual life and i gave some points on how to prepare our youth to persevere in their walk with christ. i even got to show pictures of some of our youth back home who are persevering. yes, i am so proud of them! the conference ended with matt and i setting up email accounts for all the leaders. our first step in moving forward :)



its been a busy couple of weeks... but a huge blessing. we are so excited to be working with the salvation army here and hope that we can continue to be used by God to further the ministry in kenya.