Jarhead & Bones: October 2015

Pushing through persecution

9:12 AM
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My top 5 must-have items for Kenya

As a lot of you know, I am currently volunteering in Kenya, Africa for three months. Before coming here I didn't have the slightest clue what to bring. This is the longest I have been abroad and although I'm not yet finished with my trip, here are my top 5 must have items to date!

1. A small travel pillow
This might sound a little cliche and even I was reluctant to bring one. I brought a small, very smushable (good for packing) camping pillow. My mother made me a beautiful pillow case for it the day before my trip. This is my favorite thing I've brought. It's comfortable and versatile. I can use it for a head rest, back rest, killing mosquitos, snuggling, etc. I'm SO happy I brought this with me!

2. Snacks from home
Although most places you travel you will find plenty of treats and sometimes western snacks, sometimes food gets dull. After so many meals of cabbage and rice, some granola bars and sour patch kids are very refreshing.

3. Rain Jacket
Now, I have never actually used my rain jacket for its true purpose. It's extremely thin and probably wouldn't even help keep rain out. I wear this every day though. It's good for chilly mornings, has two pockets on the inside where I keep my money and phone and it folds up nice and small for when it's too hot to wear.

4. Toms
These shoes have been a life saver to me. I bought them a few days before I left the U.S. and am so grateful I did! I only wear my tennis shoes when hiking and my flip-flops to hang the laundry. My toms are my go-to shoes and are so comfortable My only wish is that I had brought more no-show socks!

5. A good scarf/sarong
This can be used for everything! Use it as a scarf, a cover up in modest countries, to sit on at the beach, a towel if you need one, a blanket, a pillow, etc. A good scarf can be incredibly versatile and something I would never forget when traveling abroad.

The items included in this list are obviously a bit less common. I would never leave my camera, cell phone, journal, a good backpack, etc.
Let me know if you liked these small tips and keep your eyes peeled for a post on things I brought that I wished I hadn't.

12:29 PM
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The Giving Tree

I have been in Kenya, Africa for a little over a month now volunteering.

This has been a very raw and eye opening experience for me. I don't even know where to start so I will tell you about the home in which I live. I am living with a wonderful woman named Grace who has three children. We are staying in a very "nice" part of town. A gated community and we live on the top floor of a three story building. There are 3 bedrooms, one working bathroom, a living room and a kitchen the size of a closet. At one point in time during my stay here, there were 14 people living in the house. The children are 7, 4 and 1.5. They bring me so much joy! In American standards this home would be in the ghetto. It has chipped walls, the power is constantly going out, some windows don't close completely, the toilet has no seat, they have to hand pump the water into the house, there is no stove or oven, we hand wash our laundry. I could go on and on but these are things I barely notice. I see the happy smiling faces, the kids dancing in the living room, the delicious food they graciously give me. The company here is some of the best I have had in a while.

I worked at one child care center for the first month of my stay. On my walk here I would turn a few corners into a slum. The buildings are falling apart and there is open sewage along the roads. There are always piles of garbage lining the roads as well as the occasional pig or donkey eating it. I walked through a market where they lay the food along the sides of the road on small tarps. There are always a ton of people wandering down the roads to work, school or just out. Matatu's and busses would fly down the bumpy roads at shocking speeds passing only a foot or two away from you. The bottom floor of every building along the walk was some type of small shop, their store fronts always painted bright colors. As I walked down the road I would hear people of all ages shouting "mzungu!" which means "english speaker!". Children would run up to me as ask for a high five, shout "how are you??" at me, or shyly touch my skin and run away giggling. It was a pretty dangerous part of town but I love it. I felt comfortable here, recognizing faces as the day went by and saying hello to strangers.

The childcare center I volunteered in was small. It was a small hallway with apartment complexes on one side and the classrooms on the other. The whole building it made from tin which turns everything into a furnace in the afternoons. They have a kitchen that is around 3X8 feet. Two classrooms, one bedroom and small restrooms with squat toilets. There were around 25 children there who attended school and they were all such happy and loving spirits. They would run up to me and hug me every day, stick their heads out of the classrooms and smile as I came in. They were always so full of energy and always wanted to play.

Since being here I have learned a lot about people. There are people so kind that it doesn't even make sense and there are people so cruel that you can't even look at them. I have met those who steal and cheat even though they've been given something amazing and people so grateful for anything they could kiss your feet. From my experience here so far, the people of Kenya are some of the sweetest and most hardworking people I've ever met. I can't begin to explain the love and kindness they have shown me since coming here.

I am grateful I was given the opportunity to give my time to these people. I am so fortunate to travel to this beautiful country and experience the culture here. I know my Heavenly Father knew this was the best decision for my family with Payden being deployed. It can be hard to have a good relationship with your spouse when you are separated and have little to no contact. I've found that keeping myself busy while also serving others is my way to get through it. Along with sweet treats and a coloring book.