They say that life is one giant balancing actEach day and each task makes this a truer and truer factIt’s easy to see the hard in each dayIgnoring the good things that come your way But these past few weeks that hasn’t been soAs moments with students have made my heart growWe’ve had COVID on campus which has been a big painAnd the season has … Continue reading Living the Dream: Moments of Joy
“Jina langu ni Amy!” I practiced over and over again while working with my new language tutor, Edward… or rather, “Jina lake ni Edward.” When a friend of mine started language lessons, I decided it was time I did too! The kind and gentle man spent our first lesson giving me the history of Swahili, working on introductions and on greetings. On and off for … Continue reading A Personal Anecdote: Piki!
“Home is wherever God is and God is ever with me.” When I walked into the house I would call home for four years in Southfield, MI, this was written in beautiful hand-lettering on a white 2’x4′ canvas, beautifully framed and hung on the main wall in our living room. I pondered this saying often while watching TV, or grading papers from the couch. Then … Continue reading Nyumbani… Home.
I’m sitting on my bed, loads of laundry needing to be done, suitcases needing to be unpacked, lesson plans needing to be prepped and papers needing to be graded. Yet, I think I’d rather spend some time processing… Back in October, we got an email saying, “Who would like to be an interim leader?” This of course meant learning what interim meant… apparently it’s an … Continue reading 14 Students. 2 Leaders. 1 Giant Truck.
Marco Polo is one of my favorite apps for keeping in touch with friends back home. Usually, it’s updates on life, or funny anecdotes we share back and forth… but when I opened one from this particular friend back home, I was met with a different kind of message: “So actually, I am randomly this semester teaching sociology, and one of the things I’m talking … Continue reading Living the Dream: Cross Continent Calls
Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrong. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love … Continue reading Love.
I got on a plane exactly six months ago today- my worldly belongings sold, stored, or stowed as cargo joining me on the journey to my arrival first in Nairobi, Kenya, then to Kijabe, my new home. It’s been a hard six months. It’s been a good six months. Today as I came across two cows on a hike, the imagery of this passage in … Continue reading Two Cows
“AMYYYYYY!” Courtney greets me by yelling my name through my front door- I haven’t got curtains up yet, so she can usually see me sitting on my couch or grading at my table as she approaches my house, only 20 yards from her own. “Come in, come in!” I smile as she opens my front door and plops down on my couch. “Whatchya doing on … Continue reading Living the Dream: Christmas Decorating
Folks- I’ve officially “made it” through my first term. Why is “made it” in quotes, you ask? Well- mostly because I’m still trying to figure out what that means. Did I survive? Well obviously, I’m sitting here on a bed in an air bnb with some ladies on staff- that means I’m alive, and survive is usually contrasted with death… so, I guess I survived. … Continue reading Term 1 In Review
Dear Secret Encourager, When we were asked at the beginning of the term if we wanted to put our name in the hat and have a secret encourager, I was a little apprehensive. I wasn’t sure I wanted the pressure of getting things for someone else, but I did know I wanted someone praying for me and encouraging me. So I said yes- what I … Continue reading I wanted to be your friend in real life…
Faithful Footsteps 