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World Race Newsletter 11/11 - September Overview

Month 1 of 11: If I had one word to describe my first month, it would be the word “surreal.” I’ve been excited to share the many adventures we’ve had in September. I can’t wait to share more as the months go on. Video Recap coming soon!

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport - Our squad stayed nearly the entire day in the Atrium. We spent time together, ate our last bit of American food, and walked around, scoping the area for any last hoorah before our overnight flight to Turkey, then Kenya. Then we boarded a bus to the International Terminal.

At the gate, I felt a combination of nervous and excited; an anxious waiting. I wondered as I peered out at our plane if I would actually enjoy going to Kenya. I had few expectations apart from actually being there. As we boarded, I realized that I was actually doing this. I was actually about to go overseas and to eleven countries I’d never been to before. It was surreal to say the least. It felt like an out of body experience.

Then we boarded. This was my first time flying Turkish Airlines. They did not disappoint. Full meals, a foot rest, entertainment, everything complimentary—what more could a traveler ask for? My ukelele made it onboard easily, and I relaxed, knowing I could simply enjoy this time in the air. I didn’t know what awaited me overseas, but I was ready to face it head on.

Istanbul Airport, Turkey - When we entered into the Istanbul Airport, the sense of surrealism remained. I couldn’t see the city from the terminal, though I wish I could have. Instead, a couple of us got some coffee and walked the great hallway. It felt odd to be out of the States. Definitely a good kind of odd. After a few hours, we headed back onboard to fly to Kenya.

Nairobi, Kenya - It was late at night when we landed, got through customs, and boarded a private bus to our flats. I recall watching the city as we drove by, amused by the similarities I saw from a typical American city and mentally highlighting the differences. I know I continue to repeat myself, but I can’t describe it any better than surreal. Yes, that is the best word.

I even, dare I say, felt comfortable. There was an unexplainable peace to it I hadn’t expected. Life wasn’t so different here (from my limited viewpoint). The truth is, we were likely in one of the wealthiest areas of Kenya, but I think it showed me that most of us really desire to have similar experiences everywhere in the world.

Then we arrive at our flat. The place is very nice. We were all grateful to sleep in a real bed after a week and a half of camping and plane seats. The next day, we awoke to a prepared breakfast by our hired help (a very normal job in Kenya). Hard-boiled eggs, watermelon, and avocado and toast. Easily one of my favorite breakfast meals. A little later, there was a sound of the noontime Muslim call to prayer (known as Dhuhr) from outside our place. That was something I had never experienced before. I stepped outside to listen and observe the city. The view was beautiful. Looking out, I realized I was really here. I was really in Kenya.

One night, we went up to the roof. It was probably mid-50-something degrees Fahrenheit that evening. Some of us took turns jumping into the rooftop pool. They egged me on. “When are you ever going to have a chance to jump into a pool in winter in Kenya again?” Ana, one of our squad leaders, said. She was right. She pushed me into the pool that night. The water was a little chilly, though not as bad as I expected. I don’t regret it for a second.

Looking out at the rooftop during the day, you could really get a scope of the city. The outskirts revealed there was almost nothing but land beyond it. I could hardly believe my eyes. I took in every second, not knowing what awaited me beyond its limits.

We met some amazing people: Haley, Megan, and Eric. They prepared us for our adventure here in Kenya and shared their knowledge and experiences with us. We received some training and lessons about the culture and some of work we would be doing while we were here, and took a day to explore the area around our flat. We had the opportunity to try new, cultural foods: pilau & kachumbari and beans with chapati. The latter being my favorite. Navigating Kenya—and every country—was going to be a learning experience for sure.

The Trip to Isiolo - In Kenya, you don’t leave at a scheduled time when you travel. You simply get on your transport in the morning and they fill it as much as possible before departing. You can be sitting for five minutes or five hours and never move an inch. It is uncomfortable to wait and be surrounded by so many strangers. People come up and try to sell you fruit and items. It’s a bit overwhelming to say the least.

My team of six, the Fire Starters, hopped on a small bus (called a matatu here in Kenya), and, after being stagnant in the city for about an hour, we made our way to central Kenya.

The rest of the trip was calm. We passed by little towns and villages. I saw the country from a new perspective. I saw the places they lived and worked. It was a sight I’d never seen before. A family was on board with us, and they had a little boy named Ethan. A little reminder of home, as my younger brother’s name is Ethan.

Finally, after about five hours, we made it to Isiolo. The driver dropped us off in the main hub, and we waited in a place called 19 Coins. A driver from the ministry and the lady we had met that morning at the bus stop (Eric’s sister, Lillian) came to pick us up. The next thing we knew, we were on our way to New Dawn African Girl.

New Dawn African Girl - We climbed up the stairs with our host, Mama Nancy, and entered a beautiful flat, and into a delicious meal. I remember being in awe of our place. The Lord had certainly blessed us with an amazing home to stay in.

That night, we met the 25 girls of the orphanage. They sang and danced and praised the Lord together. I had tears swell up as I hear them sing. We got to introduce ourselves to them, and then met every girl. Each of them welcomed us warmly. This was going to be a good month, I knew it right then.

The next several days was our rest day, unpacking, preparing for the month, and learning how to live together as six girls. We hit the market, and Sandy (from our team) took on the role of preparing dinner for us. It’s been an absolute blessing to have such an amazing cook on our team and a kitchen for us to utilize. We have spent most of our evenings with a beautiful, filling dinner made from fresh foods and with much love.

Isiolo, Kenya - Isiolo is windy (the gusts are no joke). The past month, the weather has been beautiful. The town is short journey away from our place. There are plenty of shops, even a couple of supermarkets, and the town is filled with many churches and a large mosque near the city center. The vendors line the streets daily in wooden stands with clothing, household items, fruits, and vegetables. There are many Christians and many Muslims in this area. One second, you will see someone in western style clothing, and the next in chador or niqab.

Walking to and from town is an interesting experience. Most of the people in Isiolo, and Kenya in general, are very kind and welcoming. There is a prevalence of catcalling and the always expected “Mzungu!” (meaning “foreigner,” especially in reference to white westerners.) Mostly, it is peaceful, and we’ve been blessed to mingle with locals. We have shops that we visit throughout the week and people we chat with every time we go. We even got to do a house visit with a local pastor and pop into the House of Prayer here in Isiolo. I know that the next legs of our trip will be in shorter spurts, so I savor the relationships we get to make. I love that we had the time for that.

At night, there is usually loud winds. Until recently, there were not many bugs out. Now the weather is heating up. On Fridays, the church nearest to us has a service of overnight preaching. I recall someone mentioning during training that Kenyans are very quiet people that barely speak above a whisper, with the exception of praise and worship. That certainly rings true, and the preaching on Fridays carries through the town until often well past midnight.

Church - Speaking of worship, we spend Sundays attending local services. We are usually invited to introduce ourselves, sometimes to share our testimonies or a message. I quite enjoy African church. People wear their Sunday best, it’s lively, fun, and certainly exciting. The music is loud and communally enjoyed through singing and dancing. Services go long here, and they also tend to do two full services back to back. We have been greeted with tea, meals, and fellowship. If you have never experienced a church like this, I definitely recommend it. Be ready for a workout.

At one church in particular, we visited their school and came back for a Women’s service on a Sunday (Women’s services are special times where the women of the church lead the entire service. They usually happen once or twice a year, and the women often make specific outfits called kitenge/ankara. See the above photo to see what I’m talking about.)

Sandy shared a message with the congregation, and I got to share my testimony as well. Speaking about something so personal in front of so many people was a little unnerving for me, but it was fun and interesting to speak and allow space for my translator (our host, Mama Nancy) to share my words in Swahili. I thought it would be difficult to work with an interpreter, but I found it a fun challenge to simplify my words and still get the point across.

School - We went to a couple of schools, one at the church and another school nearby. We had the opportunity to speak during their morning assembly. They meet outside at the flag pole; several hundred schoolchildren all gathered around in a large circle. Kaelin shared a wonderful message and I had an opportunity to pray with the kids that day.

Then we got a tour of the school and each classroom. Some of the classes (they have pre-K through Grade 12 in Kenya) had up to nearly 80 students and some grades only one classroom available. One grade in particular had around 70 students and only one room to learn in.

School is very important to Kenyans. Not every child is able to afford to go to school, so the ones that go work very hard to do well. They go to school from, basically, 6:30am to 4:00pm Monday through Friday, and sometimes on Saturdays as well, especially if they are in grades preparing for the national exams.

The girls at the orphanage go to a school decently far away. As a result, they leave at 5:30am so the kids can get to their classes in time. Thankfully, the ministry van fits everyone and they get a ride to and from school daily. Most kids, if they go to a public school or a small school, can walk up to many kilometers to get there.

Safari - On an adventure day, we got to go to Buffalo Springs National Park for a safari day. We got up before sunrise (our guide told us it’s the best time to go if you want to see animals. He was definitely correct), hopped in our guide’s van and went on an amazing safari!

We saw so many animals, about half of the Big Five and half of the Special Five (the Special Five is located specifically in Sub-Saharan Kenya). We could not have asked for a better trip! We even got to dip in the hot springs.

I hope to share a separate post about the safari with mostly photos, but here’s a couple of the coolest ones:

New Dawn African Girl (Part 2) - As we closed out our month in Kenya, we made pancakes for the girls, and little cards for everyone at the orphanage. Here is a photo of one of mine that I made for the only boy named Sampson. We laughed, cried, watched a movie, and spent our last precious moments together in their crowded living room.

The next morning was tear-filled. We prayed one last time as a group and made our way on to another matatu, this time hailed by our beautiful host. I can tell you one thing for sure: I will never forget Kenya or New Dawn or the family that runs it. The memories will stick with me, in particular, one older girl wept while we prayed, many cries, and of course the girls waving us goodbye as we left the compound.

As we left the compound, I realized it was going to be a year of joyful relationships and sorrowful parting. Such is life in short-term missions. Ethiopia would be the next adventure, and I can’t wait to share it with you all.

Love, Mikayla

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In Christ,

Mikayla