Rice-a-roni, the Cross, and Irish Mafia

This can only mean one thing...I got my packages! Yes, that's right, not one package, not two, my friends. No, no, I got THREE packages! Thank you, darling Rob, and thank you care team, especially the Dybecks! I got socks! I got soup mixes! I got chocolate (including German and Lindt truffles...as if there were any other kind). I got kitchen knives! I got gummy bears! I got two Piper books, the sermon series of "The Cross", and "The Departed." Praise the Lord for the senders. It's fun and adventurous to be the "go-ers" of the mission world. But how beautiful are the senders.
Plus, I just watched three episodes of The Office. With my chocolate.

Tuombe

I was flustered at first to think of an answer, "What have you seen God doing in the wake of this political unrest?" I wasn't sure. I was sure he was doing SOMETHING, just not sure what. By that time, I heard the bad stories, but not the good ones. Since then, I've had the pleasure of hearing and seeing God moving. Hearing about how a community stood up and held together--intertribal--and said no to further violence, saw how God brought rain for four days ending a drought...oh, and those four days happened to be four consecutive days of unrest, and the rain drove many numbers to stay indoors, saw how there was no scheduled rally today. I cannot nor will not shrug these off as coincidence or luck. There are no such things! There is God, mighty and able. Friday, June 25th, the nation of Kenya is called to prayer. A major political leader announced this "Day of Prayer" to lift up the country Kenya, and ask for peace, amani, and for an answer to this problem. Will you join us tomorrow?

Prisoner for Christ

Well, maybe not for Christ directly, but He brought me here! I am on lockdown today, a day earlier than the demonstrations are supposed to start. Today, Parliament opened, and police in riot gear were all over the street. One slum (not Kibera) was having attacks on homes again and some of our Kenyan staff on the compound were sent home. It seems as if this stalemate between the leaders will go on for longer. Again, look to BBC News for up-to-date information. Think of me as you leave your houses to go to work, or the store, or a friend's house. And think of Kenya as we hunker down again and wait out the next political storm.
Rob, where's your package now?

And the days drag on

Some are asking, "Melissa, so you're back safe...but what are you doing?" I have yet to return to my ministry. Kibera is too hostile for us white folks just yet. I have had other work to do around the compound, though, work that would help serve the administration here. I have NOT been stuck on the compound. In fact, for the past week, I've been able to travel around Nairobi as usual. However, this could all change Wednesday, which is supposed to kick off a three-day rally in Nairobi and other parts of Kenya. This can be potentially harmful. Today I went to the grocery store and stocked up on foods, as did the rest of Nairobi! It means that I will be on lockdown from Wednesday to Friday, and maybe even longer. These rallies have a making of another outburst, as police are in full force, and protesters are gearing up for a fight. Hopefully, these rallies will be cancelled like the past few attempts have been. So my status right now is that I'm doing administrative work, and allowed to roam about with the usual restrictions, but all that could change in just a couple days! Pray about this...only God is wise enough to know the answers. I'll give you an update on Wednesday, or you could look to BBC News. For now, admin calls...

I hate

saying goodbye. I hate it. I thought that being a missionary for one year would avoid those goodbyes after investing in people's lives. Alas, living on a compound, you know more short term missionaries than you can count. And they all leave.
My friend, fellow traveller, and brother Adam just left. I don't like goodbyes, Sam I Am. I'd rather eat the eggs.

Let me tell you a story

Let me tell you a story. My safari didn't go as expected, as everyone knows by now. While I saw beautiful sights (hills in my backyard, Lake Victoria in my front yard, and the source of the Nile), I also saw the border one too many times, really big guns whose names I don't know, and it was dark when I flew home so no beautiful sights. I had fun with my companions Adam and Arthur, but it was sad when I had to say goodbye to Arthur at the border because he shouldn't have crossed again with us (he's Kenyan). Let me tell you a story. In the past two weeks I have climbed three gorgeous hills, seen Lake Victoria 5 times, dipped my foot in the Nile River, laughed so hard it hurt, cried so hard it hurt, been in a van with 6 people over the limit twice, drank more Coke than in the two years before, paid 20 times the amount for a taxi, had 1L of petrol be the most important issue in my life, and paid for a visa to Uganda twice in 24 hours. I'm not sure how to include everything. But I want to tell you about the Maasai warrior who protected us with a poisoned bow and arrow that his hand made, I want to tell you about a bird so big it can stare you in the eyes (maribu stork), I want to tell you about my hope in God's plan and my impatience when His plan wasn't mine. I want to tell you in chronological detail about everything. But that would be a post too big to read. I hope to post little clips of my stories over the next few weeks as I unravel it for myself. Sorry for the wait. But I've learned a lot about waiting these past couple weeks, so consider it a lesson.
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."