As of Tuesday night, all my girls were finally ALL home from the Infirmary. One had Typhoid; others had the stomach flu; others had 102 fevers; some had plain, nasty coughs and head-colds and aches.
While they are still recovering physically and catching up on homework, we are all doing well and grateful for God’s healing. The girls have Midterm Break next weekend (Feb 12-16), so that will be a nice rest for both them and me…
Thank you for your prayers!
This weekend, I had the privilege of attending the AIM Ladies Retreat in Nairobi from Saturday morning to Sunday evening. Many RVA ladies, along with ladies from other various ministries under AIM, all gathered for 3 days of food, fellowship, prayer, meditation, eating, exercise, and fun. It took place at a lovely little retreat center called “The Resurrection Gardens” right in Karen, Nairobi.
Except for being attacked by a poisonous, fuzzy caterpillar in the gardens while sitting under a tree, and having a severe allergic reaction that only 6 steroid pills/antihistamine/anti-itch cream/ice-pack/waiting could heal, the retreat was refreshing, physically and spiritually! 
While I was there, I wrote this poem.
Mom and Dad, this one’s for you two. He still owns the room with the best view.
What a mercy,
That I’ve found!
Your silence, not -
The pain,
The ache,
Of abandonment.
Your Spirit, now,
You’ve sent.
Tis my own,
Quiet, you ask,
That I bring -
To your throne,
To your ear,
Of listening love.
Your peace, now
Descends from above.
How calm, the peace,
Your presence gives!
Who am I -
To beg,
To plead?
Anything but grace.
Your Son, now,
Bridges time and space.
Broken body,
Filled with sin,
You know, how much -
I’ve run,
I’ve fled,
Away from holy truth.
Your hand, now,
Oh, touch! renew.
Guide me towards,
The high places,
Where things unseen,
Capture,
Grip,
My earthly passions.
Your glory, now,
Makes me undone.
His room in heav’n,
Has the widest view,
And with keenest eye -
He scans,
He sees,
All that concerns me.
Your knowledge, now
I accept, the best, to be.
So, Christ, my Life,
Adorn my joy,
With simple songs!
Of life,
Of love,
Of all things good.
You offer, now,
A transformed mood.
Humbly bring, I,
No demands.
This conversation -
You do lead,
You do guide,
As Sovereign Lord.
Your voice, now
I’ll lean towards.
And, great rewards!
Offered, to me,
From a King -
Generous,
Giving,
Towards desires and needs.
Your Word, now,
These promises plead.
Worthy are you,
Who holds the scroll!
Bound with love –
You’ve sealed,
You’ve secured,
The plans of your heart.
Your wisdom, now,
Much comfort, imparts.
Hello, bloggers.
I wish I had some fantastic thing to report, or a deep theological/intellectual discovery to share, or a beautiful picture for you to view, but at present, all I really have to say is that my brain and body are mush.
About one week ago today, the swine flu epidemic hit our RVA campus in full force. Students and staff alike came down with high fevers, bad coughs, sore throats, and a variety of other symptoms that affected each person in different combinations. So, for the last 7 days, we’ve all been in survival mode. Nurses pulling crazy night shifts. Staff covering classes for each other. Dorm parents trying to care for multiple kids 24/7, taking temperatures hourly, and keeping each of the individual cases mentally organized. Administration providing reports and updates. Doctors helping in special cases. And, lots and lots of hand-washing and disinfecting being done by all.
I can’t say I ever imagined what it might be like to try and take care of 17 teenage girls all at once. In fact, I honestly don’t know how I’ve gotten through the past week – it’s been pure and simple grace. They have rallied around each other and around me, and it’s been such an unexpected, but sweet time of spontaneous prayer, service to others, and fresh dependence on God’s power and strength.
I’m just so thankful for the Student Health team who have been heroic in their attention and care! About ten of mine (I’ve lost official count now) have been in the Infirmary and I still have 4 up there with high fevers and one with an ear infection. Your prayers for their continued healing would be appreciated!
But, this isn’t just a KUE thing. Another dorm had the H1N1 sweep through their entire dorm, with every single boy getting sick, including the dorm parents. At one point, there were 70 students admitted to Student Health; now, we are down to under 50 in bed. So, while the numbers are decreasing, we’re not past it yet.
Miraculously, I have stayed healthy. Props to JuicePlus, lots of Sukumu-Wiki (Kenyan version of Spinach/Kale that essentially means in Swahili, “Gets you through the week…”), and Prayer. And, of course, the anti-flu pills that they put all dorm parents on two days ago One hope I have is that I would remain healthy, because if allowed off-campus, many of the RVA ladies and I will be attending the AIM Ladies Retreat this weekend at the “Resurrection Gardens” near Nairobi. Boy, the word “retreat” is sounding pretty appealing right now!
So many thoughts are swarming around in my head right now, and I wish I could write about all of them. But, I have to go prepare a Nutrition Seminar I am giving tomorrow, so I only have another moment or so. But, let it suffice to say that God is teaching me SO much through this time, and I am really filled with joy! I have witnessed His healing hands, His power, and His mighty grace at work in my life.
Words and phrases that have been coming to mind all week:
God revives.
Jesus renews.
The Spirit refreshes.
Grace is a good, good thing.
Patience is a virtue.
Simple gifts are beautiful.
Prayer is underrated.
Truth is so timely.
Health is a gift.
Bless the Lord at all times (Ps 103).
Running is such a de-stresser!
Humor is one of the best types of medicine.
Comfort food is a woman’s best friend.
Dorman’s Kenyan Coffee is divine.
Hugs really do help.
Dear all,
A handful of students here at Rift Valley Academy have been confirmed with H1N1. To date, no student has had symptoms severe enough to be hospitalized. The administration, in consultation with Kijabe Hospital doctors, has restricted travel on and off campus to reduce the spread of the virus. The school is also taking a number of precautions to limit the spread on campus including the isolation of those who are sick. This is obviously a challenge in a boarding environment, and your prayers are appreciated during this time. Currently, three of my KUE girls are sick and up in the Infirmary – one of them, with a confirmed H1N1 case. So, I would appreciate your prayers for those three ladies in particular. Also, please pray that God would protect my body from sickness, so that I can sufficiently care for, and help the other girls in my dorm stay healthy during this time.
I will keep you posted!
After 5 months of living in Africa (as of Jan 15), I have learned to expect the unexpected. EVERY day. Here’s a summary of my week to prove the point.
MONDAY: Surprised by…something Can’t remember at the moment. I suppose the surprise is how forgetful I’ve become. Ha.
TUESDAY: Surprised my girls with “mud pies” for dessert at Dorm Mtg., and was pleasantly surprised by how well the meeting went and how vulnerable and honest they were.
WEDNESDAY: By-chance Rendezvous with my 2nd cousin, Emily Pierce in Nairobi on the exact day I “happened” to go to town, and she “happened” to go to the same Nakumatt I was also at.
href=”http://emilyjacob.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/emily-and-emily-jan-2010.jpg”>
THURSDAY: Taken aback by the fact that someone reminded me I can now legally drive in Kenya and they wanted to suggest that I drive somewhere. I was surprised at how long it’s been since I’ve been behind the wheel, and how much I actually DON’T miss it.
FRIDAY AM: Solar Eclipse!
The entire student body and staff met down at Upper Field between 8:20am and 8:45am to watch a Solar Eclipse. Blinding, bright and beautiful.
FRIDAY PM: Progress on Emily’s Kitchen
On Friday afternoon, Emily and I took a Matatu up to her home in the hills of Kijabe, about 3 miles’ walk away from RVA. She proudly showed me the progress on her kitchen, and it was really cool to see how much bigger it is than I thought. She also gave me fresh potatoes, chives and ’sukumu wiki’ (kale) from her garden. It was such a fun outing! Thank you to all the supporters who are making this kitchen possible!!
<a
SATURDAY: Outreach Day, Thrift Store, Kijabe
I expected the people who came to receive free, secondhand clothing at our local AIC church a lot more, frantic, shall we say. But, they were simply so grateful. They received whatever we had, and this lady pictured below was particularly joy-filled and happy, though she barely has a thing to her name. It was "unexpected" that these poverty-stricken people should be so content – and yet it makes perfect sense. They are in the world, but not of it.
Who knows what else the rest of the weekend will hold?!
If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
Ever read this quote from “The Weight of Glory” before? I think it is one of the most profound theological notions that Lewis ever set forth in his writing career, and yet one that is not commonly quoted or used in discussions.
One could argue otherwise, but I think I’ve got John Piper on my side for this one! Piper himself has used it as a nugget of credibility in his own preaching and writings, when he makes the well-known claim that “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him,” (book)
After reading this C.S. Lewis quote in “The Dangerous Duty of Delight” over Vacation, I was freshly convicted of all the “mud pies” in my own life. Why do I settle like an ignorant child for lesser joys, when infinite joy in Christ awaits me each morning I rise? How easily pleased I can be! How half-hearted is my passion and pursuit of God at times, who is my “exceeding joy”! (Psalm 43:4)
As I ushered back into weekly Dorm Meetings this past Tuesday evening with my girls, I decided to use this idea as the theme of our devotional. In an attempt to bring this quote to life, I decided to have real “mud pies” sitting on the coffee table as we started. Now, the girls look forward to Tuesday nights because they get “Dorm Treats,” such as cookies, homemade bagels, chips and salsa, caramel popcorn, bread sticks, whatever. You name it, they’ll eat pretty much anything that is edible! It is their one real “homemade” taste of the week, since they eat daily in the Cafeteria. So, you can probably imagine how confused and surprised they were to find real dirt, muddy, black pies sitting there when they all came into my apartment at 8:30. Quizzical looks of disgust and furrowed eyebrows met my eye, but I met their questioning faces with a smile and said, “Girls, I am just SO excited for tonight’s dorm treat! We get to have Mud Pies! Isn’t that fantastic? After all, a little dirt never hurt, right?”
Ok, so they weren’t convinced, but it certainly kept them intrigued and leaning forward to see what I would do next.
Instead of automatically explaining my point, I then led them into a discussion of the quote. It was such a sweet time! We began by laying the groundwork of God’s heart for us. It’s not that “lesser joys” are inheritantly sinful – in fact, we know from God’s Word that He created all things for our enjoyment and pleasure! And, sometimes, very specific things bring unique joy to individuals because of particular interest, gifting, or talent.
We also bashed the claim that the Puritans formed a dreary, gray, humbug community of Christians who lived dull, joyless lives. They were not in legalistic chains. Holiness did not drag them down into unhappy restriction, but bolstered them into righteous freedom through obedience to God. Though I’ve only been at RVA for 5 months and my interactions with MK’s have been limited, I have noticed that many of the kids here almost begrudging of the radical claims of Christ on their lives, because they think God is a stingy Father. So, I really wanted to encourage my girls that though Christ claims all, He isn’t claiming that we surrender true joy. Truly, it is at the moment of absolute surrender that we discover the divine joys of God that cannot compare to what we find on this earth.
After (briefly) laying this groundwork, I threw out a simple question: “What is one mud pie in your life that pulls you away from pursuing true joy in the Gospel and in Jesus?” When they had taken a minute to write down their thoughts on an index card, we then began to share with each other what those “Mud Pies” were. Here is a list of what they came up with:
Schoolwork (finishing it, doing well in it)
Friendships/Relationships
Reputation
Sleep
Control
Love of Others vs. Love of God
Fear of man (pleasing others)
To-Do Lists
Personal gifts and talents: writing, music, sports
Beauty/Self-image
Money & the power it brings (shopping, spending, etc.)
As I sat there, I was blown away at the depth of their insights. Here are these precious 14 and 15 year-old girls, vulnerably confessing the very sins that I myself at 24 STILL find to be a struggle! I can “check” off all these temptations without hesitation. Humbled and grateful, I thanked the girls for sharing from their hearts and being honest about which “lesser joys” they easily turn to instead of the Lord. If these things far too easily please us, then what a hope we have in the far surpassing pleasures that are to be found in the pursuit of the Gospel of Christ!
As we concluded our time together, Philippians 3 provided a hope-filled and inspiring perspective for us to sleep on:
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Mud-pies ARE rubbish. And, if we want to “gain Christ and be found in Him,” then surely, we will flee from the slum to the shore, eager to chase Exceeding Joy as the deer chases after streams of water (Psalm ).
Perhaps you’ll still wondering about the Dorm Treat last night. Did the girls actually EAT the mud pies? Don’t worry – I’m not that cruel ☺ The girls drooled with delight as I pulled out a surprise Chocolate –Caramel – Coconut dusted Cake, in celebration of Kirsten’s 15th birthday (Jan 13).
Sighs of relief ensued, we sang Happy Birthday, Kirsten blew out her candles, and soon, the girls were digging into the ooey-gooey layers of sugar and fat and caffeine ☺ Perhaps not the most ideal thing to give teenage girls right before bedtime, but hey! what kind of boring Dorm Mom would finish off the evening with something too…sensible? If Christ offers radical joy, I figured I should probably offer a radical 10pm snack.
Well, Term 2 is underway! With the exception of one girl whose flight was cancelled due to the snow-in at Heathrow in London, all 17 girls arrived safely this past week back to our KUE dorm. The one who still isn’t here will arrive on the 20th, and so I am praying that she’ll be able to catch up quickly after missing two weeks of classes. Having a six-week break was certainly wonderful, but I was ready to see them, and once again hear the giggles and squeals and shouts of laughter down the hallway.
While this term is shorter than Term 1 (12 weeks instead of 14), it will be more intense academically and schedule-wise. 6 weeks, then a 3 day Midterm Break, then 6 more weeks. The high-school students will obviously focus on their schooling, but also will participate in girls’ Field Hockey, guy and girls’ Soccer, “Banquet,” (sort of like Prom, but cooler), and Interim Trips for the Senior class. Of my girls, Jacquie will play Varsity Soccer, Kassie will play JV Soccer, and Bree, Segyo, Sigrid and Julia will play JV Field Hockey. Let me just say, though, the fields have been SO incredibly muddy! It’s been raining lions and monkeys here ☺ Just two days ago, we had 2 ½ inches of rain in one night!
Then, there is “Banquet.” This is a HUGE deal. On February 19, the Senior Class will be hosted by the Junior Class and its sponsors for a surprise evening of entertainment, food, awards, pictures, and much more. Each year, the Junior Class works on Banquet right from Term 1, and come up with a surprise theme. In years past, they’ve done things like “Under the Sea” and “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and “Around the World in 80 Days.” From what I’ve heard, it’s amazing to see what the Juniors create. Then, the Seniors get to enjoy a Drama put on by the Juniors, as well as a sit-down dinner, prom-type pictures, gifts, and awards. The Sophmores get the special privilege of being the waiters and waitresses and bus-boys and kitchen crew ☺ And, the Freshman? Well, they just get to watch “the walk.” Oh, yes. THE WALK. The thirty minute or so period of time in which all the couples walk up to Banquet in their lovely dresses and suits and ties and the Freshman get to dream of THEIR moment three more years down the road. Don’t you just love high-school drama? ☺
Plus, there are Interim Trips in March for the Seniors, which is basically like a special get-away trip to do a big trip to the Coast for beach-bumming, or a mountain biking trek across parts of East Kenya, or the like.
So, here we go!
My girls are doing well so far – they have come back refreshed and eager as ever to enter back into life here at RVA. Just this past Friday, we had our first Dorm Mtg. and Night, and it quickly turned into a memorable evening of the Hendricks’ 9th grade Boys Dorm pranking us BACK from when pranked them in Term 1 ☺ First, a little background. My girls were begging me to prank their dorm, and so when we found out that the Hendricks’ boys dorm were having a rather domestic Christmas Party in which they would make Gingerbread Houses, we decided to have a little fun by sneaking into their dorm and creating a little mess before End-of-Term Cleaning. So, we doused their dorm hall with a nasty slop mixture of melted ice-cream and flour and gravy and put up a big sign that said, “Happy Mopping, Gingerbread Men.” (I must admit, it was rather exhilarating. Since I didn’t leave on campus during college, I missed a huge chunk of prime pranking years.)
And, so it was that the boys got us back this Friday by placing a similar, large pile of slop from leftover Cafeteria food on our front walkway with a little Flag on the top. That was just lovely to clean up, but it wasn’t the only thing! We had been invited up to their dorm to play games that evening after we finished our own little meeting here at KUE, and when we arrived, the boys were outside serenading us with “In the Jungle” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” in suits and ties. (Note: I had coordinate with Mr. Hendricks the whole time, so I knew what was going to happen.) Upon the conclusion of their song, they promptly broke out with water balloons and started dousing my girls with buckets of water and pelting them with the balloons. Screams and squeals ensued, and by the time they had finished, we were all laughing quite hard and chanting cheers back and forth to each other’s dorms. What fun…
With the prank being complete, our two dorms then joined together down at Lower Field for a bonfire and S’mores. Can you believe it? Some of my girls had their very first S’mores taste that evening! American marsh-mellows and Cadbury chocolate and Digestive biscuits are the three main ingredients of RVA-style S’mores, but still quite tasty. It was such a fun night – my girls were so happy to be outside, and it turned out to be a cool, quiet evening with low wind and a perfectly clear sky filled with stars and visible constellations.
Earlier in the week, I had sort of been in a funk. Like, “What am I doing here again?” But, after Friday night’s fun, and other light and deep conversations and moments of laughter I have shared with my girls this past week, I felt a renewed peace from the Spirit that He has me right where He wants me to be in this year of 2010, in this world, in this season of my life. Though we find circumstances to be mysterious and rather unpredictable at times, (how can being a dorm-mom with 17 high-schoolers NOT be unpredictable, anyways?!) there are no surprises with God. He is not shocked or taken aback by the things that happen. And, most importantly, He is ABLE to do so much more than we can imagine. In fact, I had a conversation with one of my girls on Tuesday evening that simply blew me away. As she explained to me some things that God did in her heart and in her relationship with her mom over the break, I was just amazed at the power of God. Some of the exact things I had prayed would happen, DID. The bitterness and sorrow and anger that weighed down her faith and ate away at her joy, has now been released – and as the Holy Spirit revealed the reality of her sin to her, she chose to respond and turn from it. She has chosen to trust God with a deep trial she experienced two years ago, and I truly believe she is on the road of healing now…
During my Christmas vacation, a friend had reminded me of this notion from the book of Ephesians when I was feeling down about a trial that our own family is walking through right now. The Apostle Paul says,
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family [3] in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Far more abundantly than all we ask or think.
I ask you, as I ask myself, do we truly believe this? Can we embrace the truth of God’s generosity and exceeding power in our lives? HE is able to do above and beyond our (often) limited view of His goodness. And, though hardship and difficulty will meet us, so will He- with peace and comfort and joy for our souls. And, HE will receive the glory.
I am excited about Term 2. And, I so look forward to sharing more stories with you of God’s grace, His plan as it is revealed in my life and in the lives of my KUE girls, and most importantly, the glory that Christ will receive through all of it.
If someone were to ask me, “Would you agree to hike 30+ miles over a period of 18 hours in 48 hours’ time with about just 10-12 hours’ worth of sleep, all the way up to a 15,000 ft. altitude to the summit of Mount Kenya at 15 degrees Fahrenheit for $180 dollars, knowing that you will experience altitude sickness, treacherous landscapes, pouring, cold rain, and grueling, physical pain that makes you want to whimper?” I’m not sure I would have instantaneously said yes. After all, who wants to put oneself through that sort of torture?
Well, I suppose that some things are better left unknown BEFORE you jump into something like hiking Mount Kenya But, I’m alive (a little worse for wear at the moment), and here to tell you my story of what I did between December 28 and 30th.
Below is the 3 day “Sirimon to Naromoru route” itinerary that I took, along with the entire Myrick family clan that I accompanied, making 9 of us in our group.
Day 1: Hiked 5.5 miles through Montane forest, bamboo and rosewood up to the Old Moses Hut, gaining an elevation range of 700m in 3-4 hours. Dinner and Overnight at Old Moses Hut (3300m). As it turns out, this part took us 2.5 hours, and we did it all in the pouring rain! It was quite miserable, but not physically that hard. Our porters, who were carrying all of our gear and bags, didn’t get to Old Moses until an hour and a half AFTER us, so we sat in our wet clothes until 8pm, and then didn’t get dinner till 9:45pm. So, that part was a bit frustrating, because typically, porters are supposed to be AHEAD of you the whole way and have everything available for you upon your arrival to the next base camp.
Day 2: Woke up at 6am, with our hike starting at 7am. A long and rather tiring day leading to the base of the high peaks. Today’s trek was largely uphill through the moor lands and the Mackinder Valley, with good views of the main peaks. Total walking time was 7 hours gaining 900-1000m in altitude. Dinner and Overnight at Shipton’s Hut (4200m).
This was a good day for me. I felt great, with the exception of a sore left hip flexer that I think I strained the previous day. We arrived at Shipton’s around 4pm, had dinner at 5:30, and went to sleep at 7:30pm in this tiny bedroom cabin that held 12 bunk beds and had 20+ people sleeping in it.
Day 3: Our Pre-dawn attempt of the summit started at 3am, with a 2am wake-up call. You basically hike straight UP for about 3 hours up steep scree slopes and across rugged rocks to Pt. Lenana (4985m = 15,000 feet approx.), the hikers’ summit.
This was by far the hardest part of the hike for me. I had been taking Diabox (high-altitude medicine) that prevents Edema twice daily, but when I woke up at 2am, I felt sick as a dog. Totally wiped, exhausted, naseous, and having to face the grueling thought of hiking in the freezing cold dark night. The hike began at 3am, and I knew it was going to be tough. My eyes were literally shutting from exhaustion, and I got sicker and sicker (I’ll spare you further details) with each step I took, even though we were going very slowly. In retrospect, I think the fact that I had slept in a bunk room with low ceilings and little oxygen and twenty-some people in it was what made me so naseous. We were already at 12,000 feet, and so it probably got to me before we had even woken up to start our ascent. Anyway, as we climbed, our guide, Isaac, pulled up me from behind and made me walk with him, giving my day-pack to one of the other porters. Then, at 5am, when I was almost at the point where I wanted to quit, Isaac calmly announced, “We have now reached the point of no return.” Well, there you have it! I had to keep going. I WANTED to keep going. There was NO way I was going to stop now. It was too exciting. Over and over, I just kept praying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.” Brave and strong as I wanted to be, Isaac ended up taking my hand for the last hour and guided me each step of the way until we reached Pt. Lenana at 6am, just in time for the sunrise! After he took my hand, and I lost about 10 lbs. of weight off my back from the day-pack, I did feel slightly stronger. When we finally reached the top, I immediately sat down on a rock, and for whatever reason, my eyes welled up in tears…Overwhelmed with the majesty of God around me in His creation, overwhelmed by sickness and exhaustion, and overwhelmed that I just had accomplished this physical and mental feat. Unfortunately, because I didn’t feel well, and because it was only 10-15 degrees F at the top, I didn’t get as many pictures as I wanted to…and these certainly don’t do it justice.
One just can’t capture in a photo the actual, real beauty you see in person…the summit was was not the highest peak, because that requires a technical climb with ropes and belaying, but from Lenana, you could see Mt. Kilimanjaro, which was cool. As the sun rose in the horizon, my breath was taken away, not because of the lack of oxygen (although that was a factor), but mainly because of the sight I beheld. It was as if I was standing on the edge of heaven, and the Light of God was creeping and rising up over the clouds right before me. His character, power, beauty and holiness was visible to me, not in human form, but in the colorful sky, the light that began to warm my face, the forceful wind blowing around me, the strength and structure of the mountain peaks, the seamless lines of the horizon, the seemingly stillness of Time, and the endless, eternal distance of the clouds that stretched…forever.
PSALM 8
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [2]
and crowned him with glory and honor.
(The Frenchman joking and doing ballet against the sunrise)
After we took our photos at the top, we began our DESCENT. Wahoo for oxygen But, the hard work wasn’t over yet.
We passed through this snow-capped Lewis Glacier section, up to the Austrian hut to join the Naromoru track and descended for 2 hours to Mackinder’s camp for breakfast. Here, we rested from 8:15 to 10:30am before beginning our gradual descent for the next 6 hours through the moor lands and the lower vertical bog.
Yes, BOG. Think Psalm 40.
40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
This passage is all I could think of that entire last morning and afternoon, as we trekked through this sticky, muddy, miry flat bog for 2.5 hours, and then down a vertical rain-forest type bog in the pouring rain (again) for 2.5 hours. Each step had to be focused, strategic, and careful, because the rain had essentially made the main path an obstacle course of slippery rocks, streams, mini-creeks, and thick, shin-high mud. I knew hiking Mount Kenya was going to be a spiritual experience, but I didn’t realize just how allegorical it would become…. In fact, the Myricks, who had all hiked Mount Kenya before and even Mount Kilimanjaro, said that this particular hike was the hardest they had ever experienced themselves.
When we finally got out of the bog sections, we made it to the main road, and up to the Met Weather Station, from where you walk down on a wide dirt road leading to the Naromoru Park gate (2600m) where you meet the vehicle. This took 2 hours, and was basically an easy 5 mile walk, except for the fact that your quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves are screaming at you and my big toes were forming blisters from all the rough down-hill that we had done all that afternoon. But, let me just say, when the park gate came into my view, it was a sweet sight to behold. We had finished!
(Me and Isaac, the Guide)
From there, our group was transferred back to Mountain Rock Lodge for dinner before we made our 5 hour drive back to Kijabe.
Yes, this trip involved perhaps the most physically challenging thing I have ever done in my entire life. But, it was unforgettable, it was worth it, and now, it can be checked off my bucket list I’m not sure I now want to be a mountaineering woman, but I CAN say that doing a triathlon, or 1/2 marathon, or even having a baby someday, somehow seems a lot easier than this. And, for those of you who know me well, I can now claim that I am not high-maintenance, because I didn’t take a shower for three days straight So, if you are ever here in Kenya, and have the opportunity, I would highly recommend doing this climb. It’s quite exhilarating.
Thus ends my Mount Kenya saga.
Well, I did it! I got through my first Christmas away from home. And, I didn’t just get through it. I enjoyed it immensely. It was a different sort of enjoyment than all the other Christmas gatherings I have known in my life, but different doesn’t mean worse – it just means…unique.
So, Christmas Eve was spent doing some food prep in the morning, getting in a 3 mile run, then having a good cry with a friend because I was pretty homesick, then visiting with the Saums in the afternoon. Mike and Kim and I made decaf cappachino’s around 4 and sat on their back porch watching the pouring rain, curled up in Star Wars fleece blankets. We enjoyed conversation and just relaxing. Then, we piled into their car and went down to Lower Station for a big Open House and live nativity from 6-7pm. At 7, a portion of the guests from the Open House walked across the street to Kijabe Hospital for Candlelight Caroling in the various wards. Our group visited with the Maternity Ward, which was amazing because there were so many tiny babies that were less than a week old! This is me with one lady and her newborn:
After singing, I went home with the Stocksdale family to sleep over for the night. Jon, Susan, Ben and Caroline are such fun individuals and they have really become a surrogate family to me. So, I was grateful for their invitation to sleep over We stayed up for a bit, just talking and drinking tea, and then everyone went to bed after wrapping some last minute presents. Ben and Caroline woke up at 7, and dragged us out of bed with their squeals and laughter, so stockings began at 7:30am. I was thankful to have a few gifts to open that Mom and Nora had sent, so it was special to get to open things like my traditional Dutch chocolate “E” letter. Susan had also prepared coffee cake, an egg casserole, fresh coffee, and fruit for us to enjoy during the opening of presents. We laughed a lot, mostly in response to Ben and Caroline’s enthusiasm and giddiness over every little thing they received. Who would have ever thought peanut M & M’s in a stocking could be such a Christmas miracle? Oh, the things that you can’t get here in Nairobi!
Then, we took our group shot in front of the tree. The other couple are longtime friends of Jon who were in Kenya for this Christmas, too.
And, of course, all I asked for from Ben was that he give me a Piki ride for my Christmas present. So, we whipped around on his little Honda motorcycle through Campus for a few minutes, splashing through the muddy puddles (it’s been raining for the past 3 days here).
When we returned, the entire group took a short walk around campus, then came home to read the Christmas story.
One thing that really struck me anew out of the story this year came from verse 19: “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”
What exactly was she pondering, though? Certainly, the birth of her son, the Messiah, and the shepherds, and the entire miracle of the Saviour fulfilling a long-awaited prophesy! It was a wonder enough that she birthed a child in a lowly manger and stable! But, it’s not like she could ponder the exact details of the future. She didn’t know what was going to happen to her son. She didn’t know what it would be like to be his mother, that he would only live 33 years on the earth, how he would die, or even what their relationship would look like as he grew up. Her future circumstances were still a mystery.
While the future was still a mystery, I’d like to think that she was still pondering and treasuring the character of God and the surety of who HE was: her faithful, loving, powerful, omnipresent, all-wise God. Surely, these things were not a mystery to her! His angel had appeared to her, to comfort her, and guide her along the way when she first found out that she was “with child.” Then, His Holy Spirit allowed Joseph to not divorce Mary, and instead be faithful to her. And, before they knew it, they were led to Bethlehem. So, God had already revealed the type of God and Father he was to her.
This is such a comforting thought to me this holiday season – God is my faithful Father, and while I cannot ponder and treasure exactly WHAT will happen in the days ahead, I know WHO I serve and WHO is at work in my life. And, that truth is enough.
So, after reading this with the Stocksdales, I went home to grab some food I had prepared for lunch, and went down to the Orners to share Christmas lunch with them and some other friends. It was delicious! Turkey, Oma’s cranberry relish, spinach salad with pecans and craisins, homemade rolls, corn souffle, green beans, mashed potatoes, and fresh passion juice. This is “Mamma Lisa Orner.” She is probably the one here who is most like my surrogate mother. And her husband, Doug, is a dear-hearted man who is so laid back and cheerful.
We laughed a lot, and played Uno and Dominos with the little kids until 7pm, and then I went home to talk with my family. I got to say hi to Auntie Boo, Uncle Erik, Howard, Uncle Chris, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Brett, Peter, and my little cousin Shelby It was great to hear their voices…
What a blessed day it was! God is so faithful to me. You can be miles away from a physical home and physical people, but love, joy, comfort, and peace are of God and His spirit, and therefore extend beyond the material world to reach our hearts and find us out exactly where we are. I certainly felt the Spirit’s comfort this Christmas, and was grateful to have new friends to enjoy it with. It’s always hard in the moment – and the only way to get through it, is well…THROUGH it. Yet, it’s really just another day in the scope of eternity, and sometimes when you DON’T have people you love on a special day like Christmas that you are used to having, you are filled with a fresh anticipation for future years when you’ll get to have those people back in person.
Wishing you and yours “comfort and joy” as we enter into 2010…
Need a fun, fresh holiday party theme?
I decided to make these Chocolate Truffles:
*Coconut
*Cocoa dusted
*Caramel Cinnamon
*Fennel Anise Seed Sprinkles
The recipe is incredibly easy.
CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
3 (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp. vanilla
Various Toppings:
Finely chopped nuts
Flaked coconut
Chocolate sprinkles
Colored sprinkles
Colored sugar
Unsweetened cocoa
In saucepan over low heat melt chips with condensed milk. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Chill 2 hours or until firm. Shape into 1 inch balls. Roll in any of above coatings. Chill 1 hour or until firm. Store covered at room temperature.
Amaretto Truffles: Omit vanilla and add 3 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Roll in finely chopped toasted almonds.
Now that you have the truffles, all you need to do is send out a little E-vite called “Shuffle and Truffle.”. It’s a cute, catchy name and requires very little prep for you as the host or hostess!
Ask each invitee to bring a deck of cards, and choose from a variety of interactive card games such as Hearts, Spades, Signal, Nerts (Dutch Blitz), Hand and Foot, MOW, Gin Rummy, Poker, whatever!
My own “Shuffle and Truffle” party hasn’t happened yet here in Kenya, but I’m hopefully going to do one around New Years.
