For all you dreamers out there.

Nearly two years ago, I was in Nairobi, Kenya visiting schools Ellie's Run for Africa had been supporting from our annual 5K fundraiser. It was an incredible time for me, putting faces and names to the children who have received an education because we wanted to help them so much. The school I really fell in love with during my stay is New Dawn High School. A secondary school located in the slum of Haruma, in Nairobi, was founded by a beautiful Kenyan woman, Irene Tongoi, in 2006.

"I loved New Dawn because it's progress you can see, touch and talk to…The classes did an assembly of sorts with us as their guests. The teachers introduced themselves and the students would cheer! You can tell they are true heroes in the eyes of these kids…Irene's life was changed, and because of what she saw [the need for secondary education], she did something about it. I hope I can be like her."

-Exerpt from my journal, July 20, 2009 (Haruma, Nairobi, Kenya)

Even two years later, Irene continues to inspire me. Her love for the people in Haruma combined with her steely determination to improve the community has given hope to distraught kids and families who believed they had no chance of an education or career path. That fear has been put to rest for students receiving uniforms, books, and shoes, knowing their education will continue.

Today, I talked with Irene; I hugged her, and I told her she is my hero. She is in Nashville this week, speaking with different groups to spread awareness about New Dawn. She will also serve as our guest of honor and emcee at Ellie's Run for Africa this Saturday, May 21st!

As Ellie's Run for Africa approaches, I would love to invite you to be a part of the story of New Dawn. Whether it's by spending some time with Irene this week or financially helping a student through school, you will have the chance to make a difference in the life of that school and the kids who walk through its doors every day!

Support Students by running.

Ellie's Run is happening in Nashville on Saturday, May 21st at 7:30am. You will have the opportunity to run alongside hundreds of others for the same idea: that all kids deserve the chance to dream big! You'll run with the name of a student on your back and finish the race by writing him or a letter of encouragement which will be sent the following week. Nashville Striders will take care of the timing to make sure this is an official race! Register here by May 17th!

Support by volunteering at the race.

We can't make the race happen without volunteers. As co-chair of the Culture/Education side of things, I'm personally looking for 5-8 more volunteers to help kids learn more about Africa and make sure all booths run smoothly during the event. Even if you can only come for a couple hours, we'll take it! Please email me if you don't want to run, but *would* like to support those who are by volunteering!

Support by helping me put kids in school.

I signed up as a Hero for Ellie's Run this year. As a Hero, I have committed to raise $250 to help 10 students financially with their meals, books and other necessities vital to the educational experience. The meal provided at New Dawn is the only one some students will have that day, and there is no education without books. I have donated the first $25. Please match my donation and help me reach my goal! I have met these students and I can tell you, their dreams for their lives are BIG.

Support by spending time with Irene.

If you are in Nashville this week, Irene will be sharing stories about New Dawn, its students and their dreams for the future at the home of Jason and Kim West in Franklin, TN, this Tuesday (5/17), at 7:30pm. Click here for additional information. RSVP here.

Let's make some dreams come true! Let's make a difference, on child at a time.

Love,

Christy

zenebework: "the gold rain"

there are so many stories and pictures and memories to share, but i'm losing the motivation to blog. i was going to write about the leper village in addis where some of my friends live and minister. i was also thinking about posting the essay i read to middle schoolers in khayelitsha, near cape town, south africa. i think i would just rather tell you about my experiences in person. show you the pictures and the express the emotions that come with them. who knows when i'll write in this again, but for now, a little less time on the computer is welcome.

bible stories

Written 8.2.09

"...I also have decided that one of my favorite Bible stories is when Jesus heals the blind man by spitting in the dirt and rubbing mud in his eyes. I love that story because it's messy. It's so random, so out of the norm of what a healing was perceived to be. Jesus didn't care what people thought and I admire that about him so much.I love that Jesus never lived according to others' expectations of him, and I desperately want to live the same way."

What are we going to do?

Written 8.25.09

It’s a cool Tuesday evening in Ayat, just outside Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It’s been a beautiful day spent with babies, toddlers and kids waiting to be adopted through Gladney. I read letters to kids from their new families, took pictures of kids smiling and playing. I danced with kids to Amharic worship music and was fed handfuls of injera by those same lovely children. We sang songs together and shared plenty of hugs and kisses.

So now I’m in my little flat in Ayat resizing pictures and writing updates on these kids for their parents, who are eagerly waiting to come get them back in the U.S.

As I work, BBC World News is on, and my mind goes back to Kenya. There has been a segment running on BBC about Kenya and the food shortage they are facing. World Food Program says that 1 in 10 people in Kenya are in need of food assistance.

It’s been 5 weeks since I left Kenya knowing about their food shortage. We made a trip to Kitui to meet and spend time with the people affected by the missing rains.

Still, very little has been done by the Kenyan government to bring relief. I can’t help but feel frustration and indignation towards these men and women that wear nice suits and run their country while their fellow Kenyans face real starvation. It’s real. So real. I’ve met these people. I’ve played with them and celebrated their birthdays with them. I’ve hugged them and finger painted with them. I’ve sat with them, prayed with them and talked with them.

Then we got in a van and drove away. But they are still there, and as I watch this segment on the news I continue to stew over what little has been done by the government to bring relief.

I get so upset with the government, but I already know government can’t solve our problems. Never have, never will. Jesus didn’t say to wait for the government to solve anyone’s problems. He set it upon his followers to care for the poor, the sick, the widows, the orphans. It’s not up the government. It’s up to the Church.

So now my frustration is redirected. Are we doing anything? Are we praying for rain in Kitui, Kenya? Are we doing what we can to bring relief to those in need halfway around the world? Love your neighbor as yourself. And who is my neighbor? Jesus was asked that before, and he told the story about the Good Samaritan. I’m pretty sure there are people waiting to be cared for in Kenya, praying for God’s faithfulness to be revealed to them. You and I have the opportunity to participate where God is at work, to be used by him to bring heaven to earth.

So here it goes. What are we going to do?

A Few Thoughts on Kenya

Written 9.28.09

Why must the words “hope” and “Africa” seem to sound so odd at times, when put together in such a positive context? The Hope of all hopes, Jesus Christ, has poured out himself for all mankind. The Holy Spirit is just as powerful and present there as it is anywhere else. Yet we get bogged down by the news, rumors and corruption. You get discouraged. I get frustrated.

AIDS. Malaria. Starvation. Unethical governments. Drought. War. Violence. Lack of Education. Lack of clean water. Lack of ambition...the list of issues our brothers and sisters face a half a world away goes on, and how do we deal? Do we continue to invest money? Do we pray with half a mustard seed of faith that anything could possibly change there? Do we grow apathetic and close the door to our bubble of comfort so the world can't come in?

May I propose that Hope is as strong there as anywhere else? So what does hope look like anyway? Is it that “...thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without words, And never stops at all?” (Dickinson, Emily. “Hope is that thing with feathers...” The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson. Ed. Rachel Wetzsteon. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. 22-23.)

I think maybe it is. Dare I say it's more obvious there than it is anywhere else I've seen.

That's the thing. I struggled with that. I struggled with the fact that Naomi and Raphael and all the other people we met were so full of joy and forgiveness...and hope. Despite post-election violence, tribal and religious factions, uncertainty about the future...these people have the faith I have continued to seek since I met them earlier this summer.

I struggle because I learned something about myself that left me broken. My hope is too often based on my circumstances. I am so incredibly dependent on myself and my skills. I have been my own back-up in case God fails me.

For our Kenyan brothers and sisters, there is no back up. There is no plan B. They live in faith because they have to.

I realize more and more that I have to as well.

For the past several months, I have been learning to trust God in a way I never have before. First it was my job loss. Then 3 months in Africa. Now I'm back, and I wonder what tomorrow holds. And the day after that. And the month after that. I have no clue. I have no back up plan. I am learning to trust God.

And you know what? It's been the most incredible adventure I could ever ask for. I have learned that I am only a small part of the body. At times it's very humbling, because I can't do much on my own. Other times, it's incredibly encouraging because I am not alone.

1 Corinthians 12 says: “Now the body is not made up on one part but of many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be a part of the body. And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were in eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be...The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!' On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable...If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”

We are a part of the same body as our fellow believers across the ocean. We need them as much as they need us. They are learning from us, yes, but we have so much to learn from them. We cannot only suffer with them in their trials. We must also rejoice in their victories, because their truimphs are ours as well. We must celebrate their Hope, because it is our Hope, too.

haha.

i am still alive. yes, so much better than alive. i'm living life to the fullest and sometimes it's hard and sometimes it's fun, but every moment is beautiful.

i have so much to say. i have seen and smelled and touched and heard and tasted so many things that i want to share. being the perfectionist that i am, it's hard to condense each of these experiences into small summaries, and it doesn't even seem fair to try and do that...but i still want to try. so expect more when i land back on american soil.

i'm in cape town at the moment and it's hard to believe home is next week. next week. so many people ask me what's next...my answer?

i have no idea and couldn't be more excited.

:)

just breathe.

so i kind of feel like i got the wind knocked out of me. i have experienced so many emotions and thoughts today, it's overwhelming. yesterday's encounter with serious poverty combined with today's journey into nairobi's slums mixed with the serious joy these people have has totally messed me up and leaves me completely humbled.

we visited two church services this morning. the first was at calvary christian church, which is the host church and building to calvary christian school which we've been supporting through ellie's run the past few years. it was great to be there, even surreal. we left our welcome early to catch the last half of the emmanuel church's service. emmanuel church is the host church behind emmanuel vocational school, which we have recently started supporting and helped to finish building. i talked with grace and naomi today, two of the ladies that go to the church and i asked them the story about rebuilding the vocational school. after the presidential election in 2007, there was an outbreak of voilence and kibera felt the brunt of it. the vocational school and pastor's home were set on fire and the church building was damaged. there were many things stolen. thankfully, no one was at the church at the time and no one was hurt. this was both a political, tribal and religious ordeal.

i met tito today, the director for african leadership in sudan, and hearing him talk about the challenges and starvation his family and community are facing blows me away. this is real. it's really real. and i'm the closest i've ever been to it. i've read and researched and poured the stats about all of these stories that take place in faraway lands, and now i'm looking at it, smelling it, holding it, conversing with it.

i don't understand many things. i don't understand slums or poverty. i don't understand near starvation. i don't know how anyone can justify war when you see the effects violence has on people. i don't understand how people with nothing have so much joy. it totally baffles me. not only do they have nothing, but they continually have more taken from them each day - that's the most mind-blowing part of it all. yet they still sing songs of thanksgiving and praise and thanks to Jesus. having nothing but Jesus = true happiness. a simple sunday school lesson, but it's hard to digest in real life. i love Jesus. i love how he is contrary to everything this world offers. America tells me to want more, to have more, to strive for more. Jesus tells me to drop my nets and follow Him. leave everything. have nothing. and even when it's taken from me, i praise him anyhow.

the kenyans have a simple phrase they quote often, regardless of where we go, "God is good all the time and all the time God is good, for that is his nature."

wow.

jambo!

greetings from nairobi! it is such a thrilling feeling to be here and to be (finally!) writing you all.

after 24+ hours of traveling, we finally made it to nairobi, friday night, without harldy any hiccups. we ended up having to stand in customs for a verrry long time, but we considered that initiation into african time and pace of life. annnd i got a pretty cool stamp in my passport...sweet!

this morning we went to kitui. kitui is a village about 3.5 hours southeast (?) from nairobi. on our trek there and back we were able to see much of the kenyan countryside which is really beautiful. kitui has a little bit different scenery, not because it's supposed to, but because they have had a drought for the past 3 years. earlier this year, african leadership did an emergency food distribution to over 1,000 families because no one could grow food and people were literally starving to death. we visited with 21 orphans that are currently cared for by extended family, beautiful african couple, and finances from african leadership and mocha club. i was told that the parents of these children most likely died of HIV or AIDS. we pulled up in our vans and the children greeted us with songs and of course i was choking up already. we immediately started introducing ourselves to these new friends, pulled out the soccer balls and played for the day. we threw them a birthday party, complete with streamers, pin the tail on the donkey and face painting. i hope they felt loved today.

not only were the children there, but many older people, the community's pastor and other beneficiaries of the food distribution earlier this year. so many old, wrinkled faces that were completely beautiful to me. many of the elderly people and the children didn't know much english, but we had a great time and hugs are universal, so i gave lots of them away.

i was struck by how close i am to everything i've been reading about for years. as i ate my lunch i was struck that starvation is such a real issue for these people. and despite their hardships, suffering and challenges, they are so joyful! i have heard that so much, but it's so true, at least of the people i met in kitui. they don't know what they will do if the rains do not come in november, but in the same breath they praise God and give him thanks for everything, and i am completely humbled, inspired, and bewildered by our God who loves us so much, yet allows his people to face such trials. i am sure He welcomes such questions and contemplation and i know i am not done processing all i have seen and experienced today as well as the days to come.

i wish i could post pictures! ack....hopefully soon enough! nairobi is such a great mixture of the old and new, modern and kenyan tradition. i saw camels for sale and a billboard for the new 3G iphone...and i am listening to africans singing beegees karoake somewhere in our guest house...i think i will try to find them and join in.

good night and much love from kenya.

hope for women in nazaret

a little info about the women we will be doing vocational training with.

dear life, i enjoy you

last night was my going away party. kris and heather did a fantastic job putting it together, and i am still on cloud nine from the company, the awesome music, the perfect weather, the amazing food, and the love that was poured over me last night. i will take all that love, thank you, and pack it with me to africa. i know i will need it!

things are continuing to come together, working themselves out and falling into place. i have to thank the Lord for His continued patience with me because i've been consistently freaking out about something new and different every day. trust is HUGE, especially for a person like me who really likes (shall i say addicted to?) being in control. life is such an adventure! every day there is something new to learn or see or say or touch or embrace. i love it.

i was thinking this morning about life, about how much i've grown and changed, even from a few years back. i'm not the same person i was even a year ago, and i am so INCREDIBLY thankful for that! i wouldn't trade my life now for anything else or different. it can get a little (sometimes a lot) messy, and God redeems that part of me too, fortunately.

let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love for i have put my trust in you; show me the way i should go, for to you i lift up my soul. -Psalms

summertime

today i watched the kids of a dear friend of mine. we played with sidewalk chalk, ate slices of apples, danced while singing "twinkle twinkle little star," played at the park, and ran through the sprinkler. today was superb.

this is my fifth day of being officially unemployed and i don't mind it one bit, really. i have found no shortage of things to do, errands to run, people to see and pools to swim in. i am sub-leasing my room while i'm out so i have packing to do, and some of my furniture needs to be moved into the attic.

two weeks. here's the scoop: i'm leaving with my ellie's run team for nairobi on july 9. we'll spend the next week meeting the kids we've supported the past 5 years at calvary christian school, painting murals and furnishing classrooms for the new emmanuel vocational school, throwing birthday parties for orphans in kitui, getting to know our brothers and sisters affected by hiv/aids at heko. i'll say goodbye to my team and leave for addis ababa, ethiopia with our team leader geoffrey to meet up with the mocha club team. we will spend the next 3 weeks assisting in vocational training for women and ministry with street kids. the following month i will be volunteering with gladney center for adoption's addis office, working in the care center to profile the kids waiting to be adopted and writing letters to couples waiting for court approval to come get their child(ren). i'll then spend two weeks doing children's ministry near cape town, south africa. my last week in south africa will be spent with friends, followed by a couple days in london before heading back to the states. whew!

i am super excited and nervous at the same time. i don't look forward to goodbyes, but i anticipate an incredible adventure abroad over the next few months. i know it won't be easy, but i look forward to the time of growth and learning. removing ourselves from all that is familiar and laying ourselves bare and vulnerable before the Lord can be a scary and exhilirating experience. i am amazed God even chooses me to be a part of his loving work in this world anyhow. Lord knows i don't deserve it.

our group is inviting family and friends to come pray with us on monday as a little send off. 8pm. my house. please come!

woohoo!

labors of love

i was thinking the other day how we have to sacrifice things to make our dreams come true. for me the sacrifice is sleep. each dream and goal ahead of me requires me to stay up just a little longer to type a few more emails, do a little more research and, of course, blog. and then it's off to my "real" job in the morning!

but i don't mind. i'm 25 and becoming more and more the person i want to be every day. Love is wrecking my world in the best way possible, and i'm along for the ride. like i said to my dear friend the other day, "Look at all the things we're accomplishing!"

p.s. i will have pictures of that dear friend's daughter in a few days. it's a nerve-wracking thing for me to wait on film, as I have no clue what is hiding on that 35mm roll right now! oh, the life of an amateur film photographer...