Hello Family!

I hope all are well! I just wanted to update you on a few of my most recent experiences since it has been a while.

Yesterday I escorted a Professor and husband to an African Independent Church called the Holy Spirit Church of East Africa. It was a very interesting experience that I wish all of you could be apart of, it will truly open your eyes to a new type of worship and praise. We started the five to six hour service at 11am and began with singing and dancing. Yes people dance, drum and even clap in their all white robes marked with a red cross. The white robes represent purity and the red crosses stand for the blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The women and children sit on one side of the church and the men on another. As the worshipers enter the church, they take off their shoes and come to praise God as themselves in this most simplistic manner.

I got responses from Steve, the former Baptist Preacher and Researcher currently and his wife Professor Karen immediately following the service. I could not agree more with what they said.  Steve said, ' It is a great blessing to visit African Churches, whichever church I visit I am blessed so much. I have visited many churches in the U.S.A. and have to say that the African Churches are more joyous. To see the amount of joy these people get from Jesus is inspirational. I wish every American could visit and African Church. Being able to visit an African Church might be the best reason for me to come to Africa. Regardless of the denomination of church here in Africa, there is a strong sense that we are brothers and sisters in Christ. No matter the worship style or language, it is clear that we are one in Spirit.'

An interesting part of worship was the fact that visions were talked about by members of the congregation and were interpreted by a profit. One vision for example seen by a man who saw an avocado tree with red berries. The profit would say how this related to what God was doing in their lives at the time. Seeing peoples visions be interpreted might sound ridiculous to us at home, but it is something that we have to respect as apart of their culture and worship. Worshiping here in Kenya is not a task but a lifestyle and fun at that. It is something I look forward to going to where I can feel free to be myself. I truly wish all of you could experience a worship service here in Kenya it would truly open your eyes.

I have attached below a letter I tried to send via email to my supporters back home. I have pasted it here for those of you who did not provide an email. Thanks so much for your help!

Dear Family and Friends,

I wanted to take this time during the holidays to thank you so much for your continuous support these past few months. I could not be here without you and I am truly grateful.

For those of you who may not ‘blog’ I have spent the past few months working at the Organization of African Instituted Churches (OAIC). I am in the programming and communication department where we are currently in the process of planning for youth from Nairobi informal settlements to build a peace bench here at the OAIC. The purpose is to have a visual reminder of peace as we approach the 2013 election here in Kenya.

I have had the privilege of meeting and connecting with so many different people here who have opened countless doors and helped me get involved in the community. I am hoping to start swim coaching at Nairobi Primary School in January to further my involvement.

My Kiswahili is improving slowly through the help of my ‘Kenyan Mothers’ here at the office. People here have a way of opening up their hearts to you which helps me to feel at home.

I spent last Thursday morning on a panel for a Kenyan talk show discussing the meaning of Christmas which will air December 19^th. I will be sure to pass it along to you. 

I would like to thank you once again for your support financially and through prayer. I would also like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Nairobi, Kenya.

Love,

Catherine Freeland

catherinefreeland.blogspot.com

oaic.org

Dear Readers,

I have recently learned that many of you cannot leave comments for reasons unknown. I will leave my email address if you have any questions or comments feel free. freelandc12@gmail.com

Thanksgiving in Kenya was great despite the fact that I had to work part of the day. A large group of my colleagues went to Rev. Phyllis house (our site coordinator) and had a huge lunch with turkey, sweet potatoes, veggies and three different kinds of cake. Needless to say I was completely full when I left. It was a great time to get together with my Kenyan family and remember all that we have to be thankful for.

I have been working with my colleague Will on a Peace Bench Campaign for the OAIC. The purpose is to get youth in Kenya to come together to create a bench to serve as a visible symbol of peace. Last week met with 10 youth from Nairobi informal settlements to start the process. The bench is made of plastic bottles and bags along with some cement. We are working together with the youth and local businesses to gather the recycled material.  While constructing the benches we will have discussions with the youth about barriers that prevent us from having peace and what we can do to break down those barriers. The youth are to come back on Dec. 5th to begin the construction process and I look forward to getting to know them.

See OAIC website for more information if you wish on the Peace Bench (oaic.org)

 

Above is an image of the peace bench created in Nakuru about an hour outside of Nairobi.

I have recently had a hard time dealing with something that I face on a daily basis. Just about every day while walking home or to the grocery I am asked for money or food. At first I felt compassionate and would sometimes give bread that I had in my grocery bag but as it happened more and more I began to get frustrated. I cannot really explain why exactly I got frustrated at the situation. I think it might have to do with the fact that they only ask white people for money and food. Some even sit and wait for us to walk by.  I have thought about what one is supposed to do in this situation and have realized that me giving them food does not really help them at all. It gives into the stereotype of skin color and it encourages them to continue to beg. It is definitely hard to ignore these people that come up to you, but honestly on a missionary salary cannot afford to give to all that ask. It is hard to know what to do in these situations, I guess all I can do is pray for them.

Tomorrow I am supposed to be on a Family TV show which discusses the meaning of Christmas. I am supposed to discuss how Christmas is celebrated at home. I will definitely mention the beautiful decorations, the smiles and singing Silent Night by candle light on Christmas Eve at my home church. I think the music is also something that creates comfort inside me. You cannot listen to Holly Jolly Christmas without feeling jolly!  I do however think that we have been sucked into materialism and it seems to get worse and worse each year. I think we get consumed in the gifts rather than the blessings we have right in front of us. I think it takes stepping back to be with family and friends to make memories that will last, rather than a shirt you will grow out of. That is something I am choosing to work on this year.

A Humbling Experience in Kisumu Town

This past weekend I traveled with Caferine my best friend here to her village for her grandma's funeral. I had the privilege of staying with her family for the weekend who taught me so much. I learned Luo greetings and now have four new Luo names (Akinyi meaning in the morning, Achien'g meaning during the day, Truphosa the name of Caferine's grandma, and Atieno). Her family despite it being a sad time for them was so grateful and kept saying how happy there were to have me there. The whole family wanted to build me a semi-permanent house out of cow dung and mud on their land to live.  I was honored to be asked back for a longer stay next time and requested by her sisters to bring chocolate.

The Funeral:
Here like church services are all day processes which start at around 10 with actual burial ending around 3. There is an introduction of family members where many close relatives talk about their lost loved one followed by the actual service lead by the preachers. During parts of the funeral around mid day I noticed people getting up and leaving and later found out they were going for lunch but would soon return. This service takes place on the grounds near the house of the love one  where they will soon be laid to rest. I had trouble understanding the service because it was in Luo so I spent much of the time helping in the kitchen prepare food for family members and guests. The most memorable part was at the actual grave site feet away from grandma's house. The singing was beautiful as family said goodbye.

Village Life:
It was definitely hot where at my new home with few trees for shade. I got to enjoy and learn more cooking of traditional Kenyan dishes over charcoal and firewood. I learned how they fry their fish, make ugali, smashed potatoes, and mandazi. One evening after visiting family we got to ride the boda boda (motorcycles) at night and I swear I have never seen so many stars in my life the sky was gorgeous. What I will take back from this experience is the simplicity in the lifestyle of the people in the village. They do not have much but what they do have they are so grateful for and make the most of it. They live wonderful lives and are true examples to follow.They took such good care of me and made sure I was always alright.

I wish I had pictures to show you of my experience and eating fish from Lake Victoria with my hands but my memory card was not working. It has since been fixed so expect more pictures soon!

Sunday Service

Since many my readers are from my home church I think that it is important to share with you what a common service is like here. I will use an example from this past weekend.  My friend Caferine took me to Thika, a town outside of Nairobi (about 36 kilometres) for a baptism. We arrived at the AIC (African Independent Church) about 10 AM to the sound of energetic singing, drumming and dancing. The singing and dancing featured children, a women’s group and elders from the church and is my favorite part of the service. I wish I could take the children back with me to share with you their beautiful music. It is not like at home where you read from the hymnals, the congregation just knows the songs and I just danced and clapped to their inspirational music.

After about an hour of singing or more then it was time for visitor’s introduction.  This time is when all visitors or friends of the church go to the front and introduce themselves. Take note that everyone but me spoke Swahili or Kikuyu so I am not even sure when I spoke the audience understood anything I said.  After, from what I understand, the church asked for offering in honor of the children being baptized to go towards the church.  Concluding the baptism (which was very similar to ours just longer) the preacher or ‘bishop’ here delivered his message. From the translator I understood that his message was simple, ‘that if you believe in God he will provide for you wealth, possibly not monetarily but through another measure.’  At churches here, an entire Sunday is spent worshiping and praising God, I admire this quality because at home if church goes five minutes over an hour then people get restless. Something after being here and experiencing these worship styles is hard to understand.The advantage is that congregations are truly family and know one another. It's like a church picnic every Sunday.

                After the actual service, there had to be food. It is a Kenyan tradition to eat and eat a lot! The entire church came for rice, chapatti, beans and potato- carrot soup. It was great, the entire day was filled with joy and celebration of the baptism. Concluding the event was tea time where the group gathered around the circle and introduced themselves and the preacher from earlier would end with prayer.  The preacher said that their church was blessed because a white (mizungu) girl was there worshiping with them.  I should tell you that I cannot go unnoticed here; all eyes were constantly on me especially by the elders and children. The people in Thika were grateful for my presence and they welcomed me with open arms as I have been everywhere I have gone. I hope this gives you a bit of insight into worship. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.  

 

 

Next weekend I am going to my friend Caferine’s grandmother’s funeral. She found out just yesterday that she was burned alive in a house fire and the causes are unknown. I hope to share this experience with you also. 

Sorry all for my lack of postings. Here is a brief update on what has been going on recently:
ENJOY and feel free to comment! Thanks to those who have!

I have learned from the past weekends that Birthday parties in Kenya are how we should celebrate them at home. Basically they are all day events, they have bouncy castles or blow up slides for the children to play on while the parents and older youth eat and chat. The two I have been to so far have been so fun and I have eaten so much I can hardly walk out the door. The food is amazing! I promise I will come home knowing how to make chapati, ugali and all sorts of Kenyan delicacies so I can share them with you.

 
This past weekend I got to run the Nairobi Standard Charter Half Marathon with my host dad. It was an amazing experience. Being a runner, it's one of the great races the world has to offer. There were thousands of runners. My favorite part and my inspiration throughout the race was seeing the Kenyan Olympians running (passing) all of the 'average Joe' runners like myself. It was so great to see that many people running for a cause. My host dad gets enjoyment when he tells his friends that I am his first born child. I am also in the process of being adopted by another family two. I think I have like four Kenyan mothers now. Everyone is so welcoming here!

I am starting to get into a routine at work I have posted pictures on the OAIC website (oaic.org) if you would like to check them out. I will soon be writing stories to come, which are going to be more formal than this blog. We have other projects we are working on like a peace bench for Nairobi area to help promote peace especially approaching election time.

I have become very adventurous recently through forms of transportation. In Kenya public transport is mainly through matatus which are vans that carry about 15 people or so. The other day while in a matatu heading back from the Westlands area to the apartment (about a 20 minute ride with stops) our matatu ran out of gas in the middle of an intersection. Not to mention matatus do not really follow normal traffic rules. Once they get tired of waiting in traffic they simply go around cars ridding through the middle of the road. So that's where we were stuck in the middle of the road on the wrong side of the road stuck. This stuff happens all the time so two guys got out and pushed the matatu to the side of the road where we waited for the conductor to come with gas.Once the conductor came we proceeded down the wrong side of the road. I had my eyes closed the entire time!

Hello Friends! 

Please feel free to leave comments or questions! I would love to hear what you think! 

I spent the past week helping prepare a training conference for leaders in various communities in Kenya. These leaders were asked to change the way they look at their local communities, to see and hear with the eyes and ears of God. As they go home they are to mobilize their communities to work towards solving the issues they deal with on a daily basis. We are all working towards solving problems in a peaceful manner. 

During the conference on Wednesday, our group traveled to a local Nairobi informal settlement called Kangemi, which was previously dealing with the issue of security in an area called Mau Mau bridge. According to the chief, this area was considered the most dangerous in the settlement. So dangerous that people could not safely cross during the day without the fears of being beaten, raped, stolen from or possibly killed. A few leaders that were trained at a similar conference by the OAIC addressed this issue and worked to mobilize the community to approach their leaders and solve this problem. After the community approached the chief they worked together to get security lights which have significantly decreased the crime rate in that area. They are also working towards getting a full time policeman post in that area to further increase the security at this location. This is just one specific example of how a training conference like the one this past week has helped empower leaders and communities to solve major issues.  

The conference was very enlightening as I got to hear the historical injustices that people deal with on a daily basis. It was inspirational to hear the plans of the conference attendees for their future to work together as communities for the betterment of their lives.  It is people like these that will be the change for Africa. I am so blessed to have worked with them! 

"Too often, Africa is still presented as a helpless victim of her own making; a land of unparalleled riches, startling beauty,….of strange and at times primitive tribal customs, civil disorder, armed militias; of child labour, child soldiers, mud huts, open sewers, and shanty-towns; of corruption, dictatorship and genocide. These and other perceptions have framed the world’s response to Africa.This has caused a dangerous psychological process that subtly convinces Africans they are unable to chart their own destiny. Whereas, in fact, tens of millions of African women and men go about their lives responsibly, work hard and educate their children, often without means. These are the real African heroes and the world should hear more about them." - Wangari  Maathai 

In honor of her memorial service I would like to thank and recognize those hard working African people who stand beside me and are working towards the betterment of their communities. 

With my host sister this past weekend I went to Nairobi fashion market and worked to promote Nairobi Women Hospital and encourage women to take time to better their health. I helped with registration for taking blood sugar and encouraged women to get the free check ups in honor of breast cancer awareness month! 

I also got to see Kenyan celebrities at the event. Above is Nonny Gathoni the host of The Wedding Show on Citizen TV in Kenya.

These lovely ladies above organized Nairobi Fashion Market and work on local events in the area.

Above is a picture taken at Nairobi Fashion Market of a local clothing line. Aren't they beautiful! 

P.S. To all my followers please feel free to leave comments I would love to have feedback! Thanks so much!

My first day of work at the Organization of African Instituted Churches was AMAZING!!! If you didn't know I am working in the communications department specifically updating the website and writing stories about key events and functions the OAIC is involved in.  I will also be starting up a program for youth in the informal settlements to bring them together through sports and other activities. It will be a type of mentor program where the youth can talk out their issues and problems they face to create commonality and friendships across these various locations in Nairobi. Needless to say I am up for a busy yet exciting year ahead. 

My first day of work was spent attending a memorial service for Professor Wangari Maathai the Nobel Peace prize winner in 2004.  I was so honored to not only hear my site coordinator preach a message on Professor Maathai but also hear the Vice President, Prime Minister and other influential people in Kenya. If you do not know about this amazing woman than I suggest you read any of her books or just do a little background research. She was an inspirational female leader for all of Africa for her founding Green Belt Movement and various roles in helping conserve the African forests.   It was so exciting to be at this memorial service and get a first glimpse of what I have to look forward to in the coming months.  

Last weekend I marked many items off my Kenyan bucket list. 

1. Learn how to cook Kenyan style 

  - Not only did I do this with my new kikuyu momma she taught me how to prepare a complete meal starting with a live chicken. You can probably guess what I am about to tell you next... Yeah we learned how to slaughter the chicken pluck it and then cook.  It was organic eating at its best. We learned how to make the bananas (which is similar taste to a potato stew with carrots and thick cream) which is delicious.  I also was taught how to boil Kenyan tea with lots of milk and sugar, it gives Sweet tea a run for its money. 

2. See Mount Kenya 

- This beautiful peak is the tallest in Kenya and as we woke up to roosters in the morning we saw the beauty right outside our door. Maybe one day while here I will get the chance to climb it! 

Basically the village was beautiful as you can see from the pictures I have previously posted and a wonderful truly Kenyan experience. 

Sunday September 16th 2012.

To give you a quick update on orientation we have spent the mornings studying Swahili  with various afternoon activities mixed in to help us better understand the Kenyan culture. 

One of many highlights this past week involved our group traveling to a group home called Shelter Children's Home.  This is a community of children from the area who have been abandoned or have lost their family members.  As our van pulled up to the administration office many of the children were lining the steps singing in our honor.  We all introduced ourselves and walked into a circular room where children of various ages sang and danced welcoming us to their country and culture.  These beautiful children are all attending schools in the area. Some who grew up in the shelter are working towards their University degrees.  It is hard to describe how special this experience was and how moving and hopeful these children are.  They are inspirational and reminded me of how I am in the right place. I am so grateful for them welcoming us into their community and I hope to spend more time with these children this year.  I hope these pictures help give you more of an insight from this experience. 

A couple of Saturdays ago my roommate Nicole and I went with my lovely host sister Cafrine to a Neighbors Against AIDS event which she planned.  The event was filled with food, Zumba and cancer screening.  Nairobi Women's Hospital sponsored the afternoon for communities around the city.  It was quite an adventure to say the least.  After helping with registration we were encouraged to Zumba dance with about a one hundred other people. Needless to say my host sister said we we tried and she could tell we were off beat and had little rhythm.   We just looks ridiculous basically.  So as if that didn't make us stand out enough when it was time for food we were the honored guests and cut the entire line. So as I was walking back with my food out of no where a bird swoops down and takes the chicken right off my plate in front of everyone in line. So I guess you could say we served as entertainment for the whole event.  

The AIDs awareness event my roommate Nicole far left, my host sister Cafrine, me and two Nairobi women's hospital directors.

 The view of the valley after this weekend near mount Kenya. Our group of five spent the weekend in a Kuku village definitely living simply. We helped cook dinner by slaughtering a chicken followed by plucking it and learning how to cook it over a fire.  The chicken was good too :)  

The beautiful Mount Kenya on Saturday morning. We walked out of our house to this view! 

  

As we walked around the village we saw several places like this one where corn was being dried by the sun. 

A beautiful waterfall we walked to near our host families village. 

Pictures!!

I would like to thank my church family for all the support I have received over the past few weeks since I have been home from school.

Thank you for helping me through this process through your prayers and financial gifts. You are making Kenya possible for me.

I will be honest the whole trip is starting to weigh on my mind as summer closes. As August 20th gets closer and I become more nervous (as would be expected). It is unbelievable to me that this time next month I will have spent a week in Nairobi. I feel like I just turned 18 again and am about to head off to college. It feels almost like that adventure all over but a bit more extreme. I have so many questions as to what it will be like. Will I like my job there? Will I be good at it? I could go on but you don't wanna read all that...

Resurance comes from a random recent experience in Indianapolis, IN, I was visiting a friend from school and we took a taxi to their house one night and the taxi driver happened to be from Ghana. Granted that is not anywhere close to Kenya, but I told him about what I was doing and where I was going next year and he said that I would have a great time. Apparently African people like Southerners are quite hospitable so hopefully I find this to be true. We shall see and I will certainly let you know whatever I find out.

I also was talking to a friend who recently spent six weeks in Africa and knows the guy who was carrying the Olympic flag for Kenya (pretty cool right!) She said she would get me in touch with him and his family. So like typical Southerners do we get connections and I'm already preparing to take some of the south with me through connections to Kenya. :)

I just wanted to give you a little update since probably more of you from First Pres. have gotten my letter asking for help. Thanks so much to those who are responding in any way.

If you have any questions or would like to get further knowledge about me or my future travels feel free to contact me or just keep following this blog.

I hope you all have great weeks and I look forward to seeing you Sunday.

Jambo from Africa! It has officially been one full week of orientation here in Nairobi.  I am sure many of you have been anxiously awaiting my first official blog post from my new home.  I hope that you find this enlightening as you travel with me through Africa to make a small difference in the world.

Our first major introduction of course was on prevention of travel diseases in Africa (Don't worry mom I will be fine).  The doctor told us all about what not to do so of course we are doing those things.

I spent this past weekend with my wonderful host family.  It was basically a slumber weekend with my new sisters Waki and Shiro.  They lived in the city but my host mother took me to her village outside Nairobi. For all you Southerners out there the meaning of hospitality is taken to another level.  I was invited in for tea with the entire family and welcomed to come back any time.  I know this doesn't sound like anything too different from home but just trust me on this one.  The village was beautiful and as we drove back to town the hills of the Rift Valley surrounded us.

Yesterday (sept. 5th) our group had the privilege of being taken on a personal tour of the informal settlements by a preacher that serves the local community.   It was inspirational to hear from various members of the community who have come together to work toward the betterment of their own lives.  They were all from different backgrounds and had conflicting ideals. Being  a typical Westerner I saw the homes of my fellow brothers and sisters and found them to be inadequate and wanted to help. I found myself asking the question we are here now what can we do to help rather just being present. I realized this once a woman in the village came up to our group and invited us complete strangers into her home and asked us to pray with her. Never the less on the fifth day of this journey I was once again reminded of the presence of God.  Regardless of the living condition and the amount of food on her table, this woman still saw how she was blessed by God through what little she had. It is hard for someone like us to see beyond their poverty. Her faith is truly one to admire and this is her home which she is thankful for.

So today (Sept. 6th) we had our first Swahili lesson they have told us it is an easy language to pick up but I am not so sure about that.  I definitely have a long way to go before I actually understand what the words I am saying mean.  So needless to say I have lots of work to do!

Also in Kenya (I am not sure if you know this) they do not typically have washing machines so guess who got to hand wash for the first time today? This girl (see picture to come). It is a lot harder than you think! Plus after hang drying you have to iron your clothes to get all the bugs out. It's a long process. I definitely took for granted a washer and dryer.

So that is what the news for me. I hope y'all are doing well. I miss you very much and hope that this was fun and enlightening for you to read. Have a great day!

Love, catherine