My best friend in the whole world got to go on this Kenya trip with me. She lives in South Carolina so I didn't get to see her much at all during the school year. When we got out for Christmas break she surprised a lot of her friends at school! She came over to hang out and I told her all about this trip and how amazing it was going to be. She went home and prayed and talked to her parents about it and a couple months later they call us saying that she can go on the trip. I just about freaked out when I heard that she could come!
So. saying that, Milana and I woke up at 6:30 one morning to go and feed the babies. They were so happy in the morning! We went back to eat breakfast and kind of hung out and got ready for the day. We were picked up by buses and Bob and Julie (owners of NV) and headed over to see the new school Naomi's Village is building.
In Kenya the school system is very different. There are around 80 kids in a class with one teacher. That would be crazy just to start with. If you do good in school you are praised and raised up in front of the class. If you do poorly in school they will physically beat you and emotionally tear you down to where you really don't want to go to school anymore. This is why so many kids are not in school. They can't afford the uniform or they have had a bad experience while being in school. It is very sad.
At NV they have a school called Cornerstone. All of the Naomi's Village kids go to this school. They are building a new school that the NV kids will go to and people from the surrounding areas will go to as well. We got to go to the work cite and see people working on the school. Bob told us the whole story about the school situations in Kenya and why they felt the need to start this new school. We got to walk around and pray over the school. It was very cool!
Milana started to feel really sick right before we left to go have lunch. Right when we got to the cafe she got sick. After, she felt better but she was very weak. So I went back with Milana to NV while the group got to go to a primary school to play games with them. When we got back to NV I was kind of disappointed that I didn't get to go to the primary school. Milana went right to sleep and I didn't really know what to do. All of the kids were still in school, and all of the babies were taking a nap. I used that time to draw and read my Bible to reposition my heart as the trip was coming to an end. When the kids got out of school I went to see what everyone needed help with. I got to read and do homework with the first graders, play with toddlers, and help feed babies while the aunties ate their dinner. It was actually good for me to take a step back and have that little chill time.
When the whole group got back, we ate and I started to go through and edit some of the pictures! The biggest thing for me that day was to trust the Lord and let Him lead me. I didn't like that I couldn't go to the school with the rest of the group, but the Lord used me with the first graders to give the teachers a break, same with the toddlers! I just need to fully rely on the Lord!
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry
about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what
you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than
clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:25-26
Mckinley Tyler :-)
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Naomi's Village Day 4
It was Tuesday. We were waking right up to go to a place called the safe house. The safe house is a place for kids to stay if they don't have parents and people are trying to find an orphanage for them, or their is abuse in the home. So going into this I knew a lot of these kids were hurting. When we got there I saw 22 kids all nervous and really quiet. We had planned to do a VBS with all of the kids. My dad and I got to teach them some worship songs with motions, and then we had a large group bible study. Most of the older kids opened up and started to answer questions in the lesson, they were getting more involved. After the lesson, we played games. This is when all of the little kids got loud! They were not scared to be around us anymore.
After the game we got to talk to the kids and do a craft with them! I met a little girl named Praise. During the big lesson all she wanted to do was play with my hair, on my head and on my arms. If she wasn't playing with my hair, she was playing with my bracelets and watch. She followed me around the whole day! After the craft we left and went to a market.
When we got to the market we were confused because there was only one tiny shop. Then when the owners of NV came to talk to us and see how we are doing so far they showed us another market area. It was downstairs under a three story building. It was a very small market. I was expecting a huge market with so many things to buy! It was not that at all! But there were still some fun little things that I got to remind me of my Kenya friends!
After the market, we headed back to NV. We took a back road to get to Naomi's Village. I really don't know why we did, but we did. It was SO bumpy and muddy! It was actually really funny! We ended up getting stuck in the mud! Once we were out of the mud, our ride back was much smoother.
When we got to NV we ate dinner and them had some free time. We could take a nap, go to bed if we wanted, help kids with homework, whatever we wanted to do! I went to the baby room again to help feed and play with the babies while the aunties went and ate their dinner. I couldn't figure out how they could put all of the babies to bed (age 3 months to 22 months) and have them not cry and all go to bed at the same time. It was crazy! After the sweet babies went to bed I headed back to the guest house to go to bed too. Day 4 was one of my favorites! Kenya has my heart!
Our God is so big. So strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do.
Mckinley Tyler :-)
After the game we got to talk to the kids and do a craft with them! I met a little girl named Praise. During the big lesson all she wanted to do was play with my hair, on my head and on my arms. If she wasn't playing with my hair, she was playing with my bracelets and watch. She followed me around the whole day! After the craft we left and went to a market.
When we got to the market we were confused because there was only one tiny shop. Then when the owners of NV came to talk to us and see how we are doing so far they showed us another market area. It was downstairs under a three story building. It was a very small market. I was expecting a huge market with so many things to buy! It was not that at all! But there were still some fun little things that I got to remind me of my Kenya friends!
After the market, we headed back to NV. We took a back road to get to Naomi's Village. I really don't know why we did, but we did. It was SO bumpy and muddy! It was actually really funny! We ended up getting stuck in the mud! Once we were out of the mud, our ride back was much smoother.
When we got to NV we ate dinner and them had some free time. We could take a nap, go to bed if we wanted, help kids with homework, whatever we wanted to do! I went to the baby room again to help feed and play with the babies while the aunties went and ate their dinner. I couldn't figure out how they could put all of the babies to bed (age 3 months to 22 months) and have them not cry and all go to bed at the same time. It was crazy! After the sweet babies went to bed I headed back to the guest house to go to bed too. Day 4 was one of my favorites! Kenya has my heart!
Our God is so big. So strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do.
Mckinley Tyler :-)
Naomi's Village Day 3
So, right now in Kenya, it is winter. It's not very cold at all! The whole time we were there it was 60-75 degrees! It was so nice! But for all the people living in Kenya, they were chilly! It was so cute to see everyone in their hats in the morning to keep their ears worm until the sun came out! So, keeping in mind that it's winter their, and they are wearing hats and winter coats until noon, you would think that they wouldn't want to go to a swimming pool. But we did just that! Naomi's Village gave us the opportunity to take all of the kids to a public swimming pool.
The kids didn't get to do this very often so they were excited even if the water was going to be freezing! Driving down to the pool felt like forever! I get car sick really easily, and that is without 3 kids sitting on me while we drive on a bumpy Kenyan highway. It took us a little over an hour to get to the pool. The pool was very nice! It looked like a public pool here in the US.
They split all of the kids up by age and split our group up according to where they needed us. I got to go with the little toddlers! They had a little playground that we played with them on. We taught them how to go down the slide, and pushed them on the swings. Next they moved us to a big field area to just play with the kids. We had brought little balls for them to throw and kick around.
In one of the pictures below is a little girl on my shoulders named Mercy. Throughout our whole stay at Naomi's Village she was always one of the first little kids to come grab my hand. She has the sweetest heart! While we were playing with the balls someone stole the ball away and she just sat there and cried. When I saw her crying I ran over to see whats wrong and tried to cheer her up. The only way I could get her to stop crying was to put her on my shoulders. She thought it was the best thing ever! It cheered her up pretty fast.
Next we finally got to go in the pool with everyone else. It's funny because in Kenya, you are never allowed to show anything above your knee, except when swimming apparently. So all of the women wore very covered one-pieces with longer shorts to make sure we looked appropriate.
So by the time I get ready to get in the pool I am sweating. I have been running around with the kids for about an hour and a half. I get in the water and it is FREEZING!! It turned out that it was around 65 degrees that day. When I got in the pool all of the kids were so happy to be swimming but you could tell that they were freezing. After we had been swimming for an hour, I would have little toddlers come over to me and ask if I could wrap them up and make them warm. So I would just wrap them up in their towel and hold them until they stopped shivering. It was the sweetest thing.
We had lunch and headed home. On the way home I sat with Mercy and Richie. Richie was the youngest toddler at NV at the time. He fell asleep right when we got on the bus. The bus ride back seemed a lot faster than the bus ride to the pool. On our way back we are driving down the highway and see giraffes! It was so cool!
We went back to Naomi's Village, had dinner, then played ultimate frisbee with the older kids. When it was almost time for the kids to go to bed I went down to the baby room to help the aunties feed them and put them to bed. The babies are the cutest!! We went back to the guest house and went straight to bed.
What I learned and realized from this day was that I saw it as just going to the pool. In our 'perfect world' here in America, we would of not liked the pool because it was too cold, or too crowded. These kids just loved that they had the opportunity to be in water! On the bus ride back I sat with Mercy. Right when we left the pool she reached over and grabbed my hand. For the whole 50 minute drive back she held my hand. She didn't talk to me at all. She just looked out the window and would rub my hand every so often. Holding her hand so long made me realize how much she has been through. This four year old, who is one of the calmest, sweetest four year old's I have ever met, has been through more hurt in her four years of life than I will my whole lifetime. Yet she still is so joyful and wants to make you happy. That was a big day for me to realize and think about what all of these small kids have gone through. But what an amazing transformation it was to see these kids lives changed because of the work Jesus has done in their heart.
My heart will sing, no other name, Jesus, Jesus.
Mckinley Tyler :-)
This was on the way to the pool!
This is sweet Mercy!
The kids didn't get to do this very often so they were excited even if the water was going to be freezing! Driving down to the pool felt like forever! I get car sick really easily, and that is without 3 kids sitting on me while we drive on a bumpy Kenyan highway. It took us a little over an hour to get to the pool. The pool was very nice! It looked like a public pool here in the US.
They split all of the kids up by age and split our group up according to where they needed us. I got to go with the little toddlers! They had a little playground that we played with them on. We taught them how to go down the slide, and pushed them on the swings. Next they moved us to a big field area to just play with the kids. We had brought little balls for them to throw and kick around.
In one of the pictures below is a little girl on my shoulders named Mercy. Throughout our whole stay at Naomi's Village she was always one of the first little kids to come grab my hand. She has the sweetest heart! While we were playing with the balls someone stole the ball away and she just sat there and cried. When I saw her crying I ran over to see whats wrong and tried to cheer her up. The only way I could get her to stop crying was to put her on my shoulders. She thought it was the best thing ever! It cheered her up pretty fast.
Next we finally got to go in the pool with everyone else. It's funny because in Kenya, you are never allowed to show anything above your knee, except when swimming apparently. So all of the women wore very covered one-pieces with longer shorts to make sure we looked appropriate.
So by the time I get ready to get in the pool I am sweating. I have been running around with the kids for about an hour and a half. I get in the water and it is FREEZING!! It turned out that it was around 65 degrees that day. When I got in the pool all of the kids were so happy to be swimming but you could tell that they were freezing. After we had been swimming for an hour, I would have little toddlers come over to me and ask if I could wrap them up and make them warm. So I would just wrap them up in their towel and hold them until they stopped shivering. It was the sweetest thing.
We had lunch and headed home. On the way home I sat with Mercy and Richie. Richie was the youngest toddler at NV at the time. He fell asleep right when we got on the bus. The bus ride back seemed a lot faster than the bus ride to the pool. On our way back we are driving down the highway and see giraffes! It was so cool!
We went back to Naomi's Village, had dinner, then played ultimate frisbee with the older kids. When it was almost time for the kids to go to bed I went down to the baby room to help the aunties feed them and put them to bed. The babies are the cutest!! We went back to the guest house and went straight to bed.
What I learned and realized from this day was that I saw it as just going to the pool. In our 'perfect world' here in America, we would of not liked the pool because it was too cold, or too crowded. These kids just loved that they had the opportunity to be in water! On the bus ride back I sat with Mercy. Right when we left the pool she reached over and grabbed my hand. For the whole 50 minute drive back she held my hand. She didn't talk to me at all. She just looked out the window and would rub my hand every so often. Holding her hand so long made me realize how much she has been through. This four year old, who is one of the calmest, sweetest four year old's I have ever met, has been through more hurt in her four years of life than I will my whole lifetime. Yet she still is so joyful and wants to make you happy. That was a big day for me to realize and think about what all of these small kids have gone through. But what an amazing transformation it was to see these kids lives changed because of the work Jesus has done in their heart.
My heart will sing, no other name, Jesus, Jesus.
Mckinley Tyler :-)
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