The Count Down

Charlie and I are still in the middle of our whirl wind tour of family and friends just before the wedding. this week we surprised mom for christmas. the rest of the family knew we were coming but we kept it a surprise for her. we parked the car down the street and hid in lilly's ginger bread house in the living room. when mom came home lilly kept saying "chawie here, chawie here." and pointing to the house. mom was so confused, but it was SO cute! we have used this week to work on all the last odds and ends for the wedding-programs, decorations, favors, etc. my little piece of advice to whom it may concern-try not to get married around the holidays. well that is if you have been out of the country, your life is spread over three states, and your official engagement was less than 3 months-don't add the stress of doing all that during the holidays. but the good thing is that many of our friends and family will be off from school and work and able to make it to the wedding. we are SO EXCITED about january 3rd and look forward to seeing many of you in georiga. our parents are helping us make this a party to remember. i never would have dreamed or imagined how amazing our wedding is going to be. we are trying to add some kenyan touches to everything to give it an east african feel. charlie and i are both "originals" at heart but really cherish tradition. expect the ceremony and reception to be both predictable and unpredictable. here are a few pics that our good friend brittany collins (brittanycollinsphoto.com) took for our engagement. see you soon!

The Tour

I have had a few people comment to me lately that they miss my blog posts. Who knew?! I figured once I got back to the states no one would be that interested in my measly little life. But for those few and faithful....I Love You! I flew from Nairobi to Dallas, TX (of course with a couple of stops in between) with my wedding dress in a zip lock bag in my backpack. There is a slowness and simplicity I am already missing about Kenya. Today I was thinking "I never could have gotten this many things done in one day in Nairobi." While many things in the states are so much more convenient (like a hot shower ANY time I want it) I do miss taking things slow and the "we will get there when we get there" mentality of Kenyans.

So here is the rundown of life in the past three weeks:
Got picked up by Charlie at the Dallas airport and drove to Waco
I finally got to meet Charlie's family
Charlie put the most beautiful ring on my finger, officially engaged
Flew from Waco to Atlanta
Drove from Georgia to Florida
The Pennington's finally got to meet Charlie
Drove from Florida to Georgia
Flew from Atlanta to San Antonio
Meet Charlie's extended family
Drove to Waco
Four engagement parties
Four Thanksgiving dinners
Signed a lease on a house

So at this point it is hard to figure out which way is up. Oh and did I mention we are getting married in 30 days?! It is only by the grace of God and our amazing parents that things are getting planned and running as smooth as possible. Thank you for loving the future "Boyd Family" we look forward to seeing many of you January 3rd!

Uganda

Last week I had the chance to hang out with my bff Lindsey in Uganda. She was visiting East Africa with a team from our church. We spent a few days hanging out at an orphan school, teaching silly songs, playing games, and in general just loving on some babies. The Helping Hands ministry she was working with organizes orphan sponsorship, enabling individuals to help pay for orphans to attend school and have at least on guaranteed meal a day. Two of our days at the school in Busia were spent giving out gifts to each child, reading the letters from their sponsors, taking updated pictures of them, and allowing them to write letters back to their sponsors. I don't know all the numbers but I would say not even one third of the 700 kids at the school have sponsors. It is beautiful to see the pure unadulterated joy on a kids face when they receive a bag of goodies from someone who is loving them from across the world. Kids got things like pens, pencils, candy, notebooks, socks, toothbrushes, etc. The children who did not receive sponsor gifts were given a small toy (instead of a gallon sized zip lock bag) which they treasured. My heart was full, overflowing, and resting in the goodness of the Lord as I spent hours taking pictures, putting children in line, calling students out of class, explaining for the hundredth time how to write a letter to their sponsor, and filing paperwork. There are a million more things to talk about the trip - visiting churches, praying over land, riding boda bodas, and eating American candy over girl talk late into the night.



I am spending the next couple of days catching up with work and preparing to be gone again. Stu and Lauren (who I am semi filling in for) have returned from some time in the states and we will get all back in the grove of Stu leading Adventures as make my way out of the picture. We have been blessed beyond belief as a friend of ours has invited us to Mombasa (to stay in a house for free) for the weekend. It has been a dream of mine to visit the coast on this trip to Kenya and I am super excited that it is happening for sure! I am looking forward to lounging by the pool, feet in the sand, and sun on my face.

Thank you all for love, prayers, and support. Of course I am still counting down: days until the states-29, days until wedding 75!

Rest

Today is my first Saturday off in I don't know how long, and tomorrow will be my first time to go to church in about a month. I have been busy at the ropes course every weekend for a while and I am truly grateful for a day off. I've been trying to settle into a "Sabbath" every week. I know we are supposed to have those but they are usually filled with some sort of work to one extent or another. So one day a week I try to do nothing I would consider work. It is truly refreshing for the soul to have no agenda, no hurry, and no worries. And today is that day for me. A morning at Java House (yummy coffee and pancakes) followed by sweet fellowship with the Lord and now some afternoon of internet time (and probably another cup of coffee). About this time in the afternoon, if I am on the internet, I think about America and the rising sun. Soon my friends and family across the Atlantic will be crawling out of bed and I look forward to whoever feels the desire to get online. From Blogger to Facebook to Yahoo, Gmail, and Adventures emails not to mention texting and Skype, it's nearly impossible to get away from communication. Speaking of - Mom is up at 6am and ready to chat! Wedding plans are demanding so I will leave you now and talk about bands, registries, and invitations for the rest of the afternoon. I love you all soooo much, looking forward to another update soon.



Tusker - I can't wait to get home to my baby :)

Training and Training

Mwita and I on belay


Fridah and Debbie


As I think about what has been going on lately the word “training” comes to mind for more than one reason. Amanda and I have decided to participate in two 10k races in October. I’ve never run a 10k before so I’m excited about the experience. One race is in Lukenya Hills, and you know if the name of the location has the word “hills” in it then you are in for a treat. Lukenya is also known for having a much warmer climate than we are used to in Nairobi. Needless to say, it is bound to make for good memories. The other race is part of the Nairobi Marathon – we’re not quite ready for a marathon yet so we are participating in the 10k. To train for the races Amanda and I have started a bit of a running routine in the mornings. We don’t make it out every morning, we don’t have an official training schedule, we haven’t actually run 10k all at once yet, but we are giving it our best shot. Since competitive sports ended a few years ago for me its nice to have something to shoot for. I really enjoy getting up early and getting my day started (but not having a guaranteed shower when you return home can be a deterrent). So far our adventures have included taking Sham (one of the dogs) on the run, he’s not the best running partner but it makes me feel one step safer when people on the street may see him as a guard dog. We already stick out like sore thumbs as it is; it’s pretty rare (and ridiculous) to see white girls running on the side of the road. Sometimes people on the side of the road will just start running, we think they are making fun of us, but it’s hard to tell. We get encouraging words too, but again, we are pretty sure they think we are silly. There are some roads we run that I’ve never driven in a car, so it’s helping me see all the sights of our side of town. Some roads are paved and busy on which we nearly get run off the road at times. Other roads are more quiet, many of them paved with brick and include generous sidewalks. Some stretches of roads aren’t paved at all and make for sort of an “agility” course. I am praying our runs renew us daily and move us toward health of mind, body, and spirit.

The other reason the word “training” comes to my mind is because of work. This weekend I put 6 of our new staff through our high ropes course training. Five of them are college students and the other is a recent graduate. They are beautiful additions to the BlueSky Adventures team. As I drove home from the training the first night I thought back to my own high ropes course training. It was about six years ago at Camp Chattooga when Lindsey and I took a shot at being the Adventure Program counselors. It was the first time we had spent any time with Shane and Stephanie, who are now our very good friends. I remember running a group on my own for the first time and asking Steph “what should I do?” and her writing down on a sticky note the low initiatives I should start with. I was so intimidated. It is so fun to see how far the Lord has brought me. He has ordered all my steps thus far into the role He has placed before me. I love teaching these new staff, answering their questions, and ushering them into deeper levels of facilitation. I hope I can instill in them half of what my mentors have put in me.




Ngatho and Beatrice


Showin the kids how it's done


Kefa and Fridah on Pipe Dream

So that is what my recent time has looked like – training myself and training others. I am fully invested in my time here and praying the Lord uses me in ways I don’t think are possible. He has been so amazing to me and I want nothing less than to be that for Him. Thank you for sharing this journey with me. See you all soon.

Days Until:
America 58
Wedding 105


I found this guy on my drive home from work

BlueSky Adventures

Here is a little update about my job these days. I am the acting director of programs for BlueSky Adventures. I love this job, I love being outside, I love meeting new people from all over the world, I love providing a place for people to have fun, play safe, and experience changes. Those are our three rules and goals for every program. Last weekend we had over 200 kids from around the world over a three day period. This weekend we have about 70 more students, plus about 30 corporate professionals from Nairobi. This role is really growing me and stretching me. I don't like being in the office at all. Paying bills, calculating payroll, and being "in charge" are things I'm learning to do with confidence. While I am only in this role for a short time I know the Lord has brought me through years of different experiences to help prepare me for filling the shoes I am in now. Please pray for BlueSky Adventures as we strive to create relational opportunities for ministry in Kenya.




Not that I am counting, but I will see many of you in less than 70 days! I am not entirely sure it feels like an official count down at this point, there is still a lot for me to do while I am here. Life is going well, we don't have power and water on a regular basis so showers are few and far between. Life is becoming routine and even locals say things like "you are a Kenyan now!" I love you all, see you soon.

Grace and Peace

The Best Blog Ever

I never want to sit down and write a blog because I feel like it will take so much time to say everything I want to say. But at this point it has been nearly a month and I suppose just a quick update is better than nothing at all. So I think that is the route I will take from now on, short but informative! This is Mom and Dad and me at the Great Rift Valley. We had such and amazing visit. It blessed my heart for them to see where I live and what I do and both experience Africa for the first time. We had a few days on safari, ran around town catching the sites of Nairobi, and even worshiped under an acacia tree. It was a family vacation not to forget. I would not be who I am without them. God really knew what He was doing when He allowed them join in life together. I could not ask for better parents in the entire world. They are not only a blessing to me, they are a blessing to everyone they meet. While they were here I got to share with them a new season of my life and I'm so excited to share it with all of you now. God did this pretty sweet thing this summer in sending me a friend in the form of Charlie Boyd. We had an amazing time living the camp life together and enjoying all the riches of Kenya. While we were nothing serious the majority of our time here, things changed in August. About a week before Charlie went back to the states the Lord did some special things in both of our hearts. Long story short (if you want to hear the long story - just ask, it's a good one) we are getting married on January 3rd. This is where I stop and pause and try to put into words how amazing this all is....but nothing works. It is reasons like this I don't wanted to get started on a story because I don't know how to share it all! We are not officially engaged (the Atlantic ocean is the only thing keeping us from that right now) but are very excited to be planning life together. When I return to the states in November the two of us will visit Georgia, Florida, and Texas. So if you are in any of those states, or anywhere in between, we would love to hang out! That's all I have time for now and of course hope to update again soon, especially about my newer role here since camp is over. Thank you for sharing life with me, thank you for praying. Grace and Peace.

i wrote this a while back....just now posting it

As of about five minutes ago I have officially driven all four of our vehicles! Each of our cars has a special personality. They all get moody at times and have a tendency to put the driver and passengers in certain moods as well. I’ve been learning to drive on the right side of the car, the left side of the road, to fight matatus (public transportation vans), avoid livestock in the road, keep air in the tires, water in the radiator, and how to perfectly place the trash bag over the hole in the door since the window won’t roll up. This is all riveting I know….



On to more important matters – Mom and Dad are officially on their way here! I just got a text from Mom saying, “We just left home! 4 am .” Words cannot express how excited I am about them coming. Kenya is such a huge part of my heart and my life and I can’t wait to share it with them. I know they will love it and not want to leave! I haven’t done a great job of setting plans for us, but we do plan on going on safari, visiting some missionary friends, and just hanging out together. Pray for safety for their trip and that our time spent together would be rich. Having a taste of home is going to help ease any homesickness that might try to sneak up. I believe the Lord gives everyone special graces. I know one of my graces is being able to feel at home wherever I am. I can take a nap on a couch, cook in a kitchen, or sit on a porch just about anywhere and have it feel like home. The Lord knows what He is doing when He calls each of us to the bed He wants us to sleep in.




So until November I will be sleeping in a twin bed without my special pillows and my precious dog. But this is the place He has called me and I count it an honor to follow the path He has laid out for me. Along with calling me I know He will equip me, and not just of my own means but through you guys, my team at “home.” Please continue to pray about financial support. If you have tried to give online you may not have been successful as our program has been down. Feel free to try again (brakenhurstministries.org and then "donate") or send a check to:

Brackenhurst Ministries
Donation Processing Center
900 Westpark Drive, Suite 300
Peachtree City, GA 30269

I love you all...see you soon!

transitions

Last week we had an amazing vacation. Tuesday we headed to Hell’s Gate, a popular park for game driving, rock climbing, camping, and hiking. The staff had a great time relaxing, climbing, and hanging out with zebra. Smores under the stars are a whole new experience half way around the world.

Wednesday we drove to Masai Mara for safari. We had an evening game drive filled with lions, buffalo, giraffes, jackals, and much more. Safari is always an amazing experience. We stayed in modest tents, lived on minimal electricity (only on for a few hours a day and driven by a generator), ate meals on the lawn, and spent hours in the pop top vans. Thursday we did a full days drive and saw elephants, cheetas, crocodiles, hippos, and on and on.


Yesterday we said goodbye to the summer staff. It is a surreal feeling looking back at the day the staff arrived a couple of months ago. I pray that as they return to their homes all over the states that they will live the transformations that took places in many of their hearts. Kenya has a way of changing you. I was constantly caught off guard by the spiritual maturity of these college students. They blessed me beyond belief and I know blessed the heart of Kenya.

This is a week of transition. Today I spent most of the day moving into my new room. I live in a huge house with four other people. Life felt “normal” as I got up, made some eggs, ate a mango, listened to music as I put my room together, and went out for lunch. Tomorrow we leave for our three-day staff retreat. This is where the full time staff take some time to debrief the summer and plan for the fall. My primary job will be helping with BlueSky Adventures. I was originally only going to stay until October, but it will make a lot of sense for me to just finish out an even six months and stay until November. I know the Lord has put special skills and life experiences in my path to prepare me for this season of my life. I am a perfect fit for the job the Lord has laid out before me. I believe the Lord makes places for you to and places only you can fill.






Please pray for:
-Our team as we transition from "summer" to "fall" and a change of pace in the ministry.
-Financial support. Since I am staying longer than anticipated I still need about $2000 to cover my time here.
-My family as my mom and dad are coming to visit in one week! May they be kept safe and our time be sweet together.
-The family and friends of David Yallo - a Kenyan young man who was a staff for BlueSky, he was killed in an automobile accident last week.


This is my team: Me, Eric, Kim, Clayton, and Amanda



If you feel led to help support me financially please go to www.brackenhurstministries.org and go to the "donate" page.

vacation time!

camp is over! and it's time for vacation. on saturday we put camp in storage and headed back to the house in nairobi. this weekend has been nice and relaxing - tv, movies, ice cream, and sleep! tomorrow we leave for a camping/climbing trip at hells gate and then straight from there to safari! we are all looking forward to unwinding, relaxing, going on game drives and wrapping up our summer. once we get back at the end of the week the summer team leaves, some on saturday and some on sunday. after that it is just the full time people for the rest of the time i am here. i will spend about a week working and all of us making plans for the fall and then mom and dad come! i am so excited that they get to share kenya with me. please pray for them as they travel half way across the world to hang out with their daughter. praise the lord we will get to be together and share some family time! words cannot express how excited i am! continue to pray as we come to a transition time in the season. kids will be back at school, the student ministry will be kicking off, and i will be trying to help run the adventures program while the full-timers are away. i know i always say i will update more often and please know i want to! but that would mean i would have free time, something that comes in rare and small doses. continue to pray for safety, health, spiritual renewal, and wisdom. i cannot express how much prayer means and everyone who is part of "my team" in the states. if i am in your heart, you are on my team. my heart is full :)

a fast one

i really feel the need to write a new blog but i just dont know where to start, what to say, or how to finish. ive been inspired by some campers to just give you a run-down of random things you might find lindsay doing any day of camp. they are not all technically part of my job description, but its camp, you never know when you might find yourself:

singing silly songs for 15 minutes straight before EVERY meal
singing silly songs during a meal
taking a picture of the sunset
sitting in the dark for a couple of hours with only a glow stick and a sharpie
carrying a sound system
explaining what a "smore" is
painting my friends' faces
belaying
taking a picture of the sunset
setting up a climbing route
setting up the same three climbing routes three times a week
chasing baboons from the climbing routes
dressing up like one of "charlies angels"
dressing up like the tooth fairy
dressing up like dwight's cousin
dressing up like a pirate
dressing up like dolly parton
dressing up like some awesome new character - like a hydration police officer
nearly crying because my hands were so cold from using them to scoop ice cream
taking a picture of the sunset
tying a knot
praying
making 200 water balloons
launching 100 water balloons from a secrete spot behind the hedges
taking a picture of the sunset
making a braclet
blowing up a float
hiding "gold rocks"
judging a talent show
life guarding
meeting shepherds at the top of the rock
taking a picture of the sunset
driving on the left side of the road
seeing a zebra on my morning run
writing an encouragement note
and of course, taking a picture of the sunset

riveting i know. stay tuned for next time "things you might hear me SAY during a day at camp". a free preview - "belay on. climb on."

a BIG update

an amazing hike in the ngong hills!




sorry it has been so long since my last update! here is a quick rundown of what has been going on: we shut down camp a couple of weeks ago not to open it up again until the british school systems got let out for holiday. our first adventure was ministry to the masai tribe. we stayed with the calverts, a missionary family who have been ministering in kenya for over about 20 years. they welcomed 23 of us into their modest home (and yard and outbuilding), cooked us amazing food, and showered us in love. we spent a few days on a number of different projects. one day we helped hand out maize to women in the suswa area and spent time playing with the children at the school. just bringing a few soccer balls to these little kids and watching them play is enough to bring tears to your eyes. as i held the little girls' hands the lord gave me just a small glimpse of his love for them. it broke my heart into a million pieces and brought a joy and peace to my heart that words cannot describe. the area we were in has been in a drought for some time; with grass scarce the live stock are dying, leaving families without meat or milk. one morning we were able to cut some grass, load it up, and bring it to a local pastor to share with his village. again, there are no words to describe how it feels to be a blessing through the One that is the blessing.

our second project was in western kenya. along side mission link ministries of kenya we hung out at ECD's (early childhood development centers), planted trees at churches and in market places, and loved on some orphans. i stayed with my friend gladys who i stayed with the last time i was here. it felt like coming home to her home cooking every night and sleeping in the same bed i slept in a couple of years ago. we spent our mornings in small groups at different ECD's playing with kids, teaching them games and songs and the afternoons planting fruit and shade trees at the churches who host the children's programs. in the evenings i would return home, always greeted from the street by the village children who would follow us home. some nights gladys would let us (my friend kimi stayed with gladys also) help cook ugali or chipati, and now i can cook it for you!

right now we are finishing up our third session of camp. this week we have kids from all over the world and all sorts of religious backgrounds- russian, french, muslim, hindu, agnostic....but these kids love camp. they love playing games, making new friends, learning new skills, and some of them say evening cabin devotions are their favorite time of day. just last night four kids prayed to receive Christ! some of our campers this week struggle with learning about Jesus and converting to Christianity. how is a kid who has grown up in a muslim family supposed to come home from camp and say he wants to convert? im going to be honest....i dont know the answer. but i do believe in the power of Christ, His Word, and the Truth of the Holy Spirit. we know we are planting seeds, many of which we will not see grow or even be around for the harvest, but knowing the Truth is falling on fertile soil is mind blowing.

you do not know how much i want to write, so many stories to share. my heart is so full. but it is currently the middle of the night and time on the internet is sparse. please continue to pray for our team and for me. i am totally in love with camp. i hope to update more regularly now that we are in something closer to civilization. i love you all!



the source of the nile in uganda at lake victoria

He's Too Good

on more than a dozen occasions this week i have thought "God is way too good to me." camp has been a blast. we are just now finishing up our second session and looking forward to a little break. we will leave lukenya getaway tomorrow for three weeks away from camp and more of a focus on local ministry. we plan on doing some feeding projects, church visiting, and orphan hugging. needless to say internet will be even more sparse than it is now so don't expect to hear from me for quite some time.

but please continue to pray. i am blown away by the faithfulness of my friends and family, their commitment to pray for us, and of course the Lord's continued blessings through such supplications. staff and campers have been sick, logistical nightmares have plagued us, and every day i see the devil trying to get a small foothold anywhere he can. thank God i havent been hit with any of the sicknesses going around, but it breaks my heart to hear people sneezing, coughing, and not being able to talk. please continue to pray for health and healing, especially as we leave the confines of our secluded camp grounds.

this week has been more lifeguarding, rock climbing, and all around running about. the weather has been perfect this week, early mornings are chilly as well as the evenings but the majority of the day is hot hot hot. we havent had any rain this week and the sun has been in full force (i have quite the tan). the other day i saw a girl do a flip underwater for the first time. when she came up she had that "pure unadulterated joy" look on her face. i have seen it happen other times too, kids making it to the top of a climb, singing camp songs, or watching a real live torch fight take place inches from their face. this is why camp exists. our theme song for the summer says "my soul longs for You, nothing else will do." the other night amanda was saying how much it made her heart smile to hear the kids sing that. many of the kids who attend camp are not christians, have never learned about God, or are even from other religious backgrounds. she said "they sing it and some of them dont even know it yet, that their soul longs for Him." and its so true.

there are a million other stories i would love to tell but dont have the time and im sure would bore you after a while. just know that i am amazingly happy, beyond words. that i do miss home and family and friends. know that the Lord is amazing and faithful and full of love and passion and is always ready to sweep you off your feet.

Kicking Off Camp

Camp is moving at the speed of light! We are just about half way through our first week of camp. But lets start from where I left off, sorry it has been so long, I’ll try to stay more caught up.

We had a great overnight camping trip with the four kids whose parents were running the marriage retreat. We drove around Hell’s Gate Park and found some fun animals, warded off the baboons from breakfast, and went on a gorge hike. Saturday afternoon our leadership team retreat began at Naivasha Country Club. It was a beautiful time for our team to share our hearts with each other, discuss a vision for our summer, and spend quality time together before the rest of the summer staff arrived. Last Monday we picked up 16 members of the summer camp counselors! That began our official staff week of planning and training for camp. Our team is beautiful! It blesses my soul to be surrounded by a community of people who share the same heart as me. Each of us at some point have heard the same call from the Lord, drawing them to this place this summer. It is not fair to be so blessed. While our week was filled with logistical nightmares and busyness, we stayed focused, got everything done, and shared in deeply meaningful worship throughout. Toward the end of the week we had a camp out where the staff got to see some of their first giraffes and hear lions moaning throughout the night.

Sunday was our first official day of camp. Our theme this year is “New” - “Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, the old is gone the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17. Our goal is to share the gospel every day with all 83 campers; letting love, joy, transformation, and Christ-centered community abound. This first week of camp is like “dress rehearsal.” Being our first time at a new location with a new director and many new staff, we celebrate our many learning opportunities. While evil tries to get us down (rain, miscommunication, over heating vehicles, etc) we do not even acknowledge his power. I believe with all my heart that prayer moves this camp. When I think about the amount of prayer that my and everyone else’s support team has bathed us in, combine with the faithful hearts of those serving here, the enemy doesn’t have a chance. I see it in others and myself, this is where we are meant to be. Today I chased baboons off of my climbing routs, life guarded some crazy middle schoolers, and danced my heart out at a disco (while wearing an afro of course...well, just at the disco). The rest of the week is sure to be just as much fun, if not more...

Thank you all for loving me so much and keeping in touch. Hearing from home is always a huge blessing, it is what keeps me going and keeps me filled up. Please continue to pray. Thank the Lord for His unfailing love, mercy, and grace.

If you would like to donate financially go to www.brackenhurstministries.org/donate

Settling In

Coming back to Kenya has felt a little like coming home. There are familiar smells, familiar people, familiar lingo. Brittany and I started our journey in Atlanta with a bang - heavy luggage and a 4 hour delay due to storms. This of course put us off schedule for the rest of the journey. Atlanta to Chicago to London to Nairobi was filled with more luggage pains, running through the airport, watching our plane pull away from the gate (with Charlie, our other team member on it), sitting in London for 9 extra hours, being transferred to a new airline, more luggage pains, then finally arriving in Nairobi at 6 a.m. Monday morning. Amanda (who I met in Kenya in 2007 and immediately became best sisters with) met us at the airport and said the most beautiful thing, “Want to go to Java House for breakfast?” Java is an oasis of wonderfulness in Kenya. Amazing coffee, yummy food, and free internet! Brittany, Charlie and I were being watched by the full time staff all day, ordered to stay awake. After a couple of nights good sleep I’m feeling free of jet-lag and wake up every morning ready to go!

Our week here has been all preparation for camp. Our duties have included (but surely not limited to): painting signs, writing skits, counting medications, carrying heavy things, painting rocks, drawing calendars, making copies, etc. Camp has changed locations this year which means most of camp programing supplies were taken from last years location and stashed at the house in Nairobi. Today we rented a moving truck and transferred fire wood, soccer balls, basket balls, footballs, dress-up clothes, tents, paint, makers, arts and crafts, refrigerators, couches, sound equipment, you need it at camp - we got it in the back of a truck.

Tomorrow we head a little out of town to Lake Naivasha Country Club for more fun. A team from WinShape Retreat is here to facilitate 1) a marriage retreat for local couples 2) a staff retreat for our camp leadership team and 3) staff week for all of the summer staff. While the parents are running the marriage retreat Friday evening and Saturday morning Amanda, Brittany, Charlie, and I will be taking their kids camping with some hiking and wildlife hunting on the schedule. Saturday evening and Sunday morning are our leadership team retreat (Kim, Stu, Lauren, Clayton, Eric, Amanda, Brittany, Charlie, and me) and then Monday the summer staff of college students flies in which starts our staff week.

Thank you so much for wanting to keep up with me. Know that you are all in my prayers and I thank the Lord daily for the AMAZING support team I have. As always, pray for endurance and clarity as we prep for camp, for time of daily spiritual renewal, and the preparation of the hearts that Lord desires to bless through us. Grace and Peace, Lindsay P

One Week

I am one week away from leaving for Kenya. This past winter I could not get Kenya out of my head. I would look back at pictures of my trip or receive email updates from full-time friends there and something in me would stir. "I really miss Kenya, I want to go back." Camp was going to be at a new location, my soul sister (Amanda!) was returning to work, lots of exciting things happening there. So He told me "Go, just go." And of course I had to come up with a million reasons not to go, a million reasons I needed to stay where I am. I am happy where I am. I love my home and my friends and my job. But it got to a point where I couldn't wake, eat, or sleep without thinking about being in Kenya. So I finally listened to Him, "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything." And He will won't He? Why do we second guess Him? Why do we try to reason with Him?

I am starting to sense the "seasons" of life. I never want to live in a long, grey, boring timeline of existence. Just as the seasons change so do the seasons of my life and heart. And the amazing thing is that there are much more than just four. I am learning to take life season by season. Not always anticipating the next, but being fully alive in the present. The name of my blog is "Considering Lilies." Jesus told us to "consider the lilies of the field..." He made them beautiful and He made them to be beautiful. It is not a lily's job to worry or toil, a lily's job is to be a lily. When I get wrapped up in what comes next or start to worry about tomorrow I have to stop and let Him remind me. He made me Lindsay and all He wants me to be is His Lindsay. To bloom where I am planted. This season I'll be blooming in Kenya. Thanks so much for wanting to join me.

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