february 2021.

My seventh month here seems to have been my most emotional one yet! As my international coworkers say, “The first year of living in a different country brings out all of the emotions, so remember to have grace with yourself.” It’s not that anything is going bad, in fact, I think it’s the opposite, I believe that I am in a season of refining. God is providing me with experiences for my character to be strengthened and my trust in Him to be built.

This month I started a new weekly Friday after-school tradition of visiting my market friends. Every Friday after work, I spent time with friends who sell flowers, jewelry and other various artisan items. I cherish this time to hear more stories from the people who call Kenya home. They have been teaching me more Swahili and providing me with baby snuggles. It’s times like this where I am reminded that I have so much to be thankful for. COVID in Kenya seems to be a non-issue these days. Yes, we continue to wear masks and have temperature checks everywhere we go, but the fact that I am able to go about my regular daily life is such a privilege.

February was a busy month at school! the students have been preparing for the Africa Celebration, a unit where the students intentionally study various parts of Africa, learn about the culture, and people groups. Third grade was assigned Central Africa and it was so fun to learn about these countries with my students! We learned so many fun facts, like:

Chad has the world’s best camel racers! They have competitions to determine the village champions.

Cameroon is home to the Goliath frog, the largest frog in the world! It can grow up to 13 inches long and weigh up to 7 pounds!

The Central African Republic has the least amount of light pollution, so you can see the Milky Way clearly at night!

The Republic of Congo has the deepest river in the world. It is 220 meters deep.

Sao Tome & Principe is the second smallest country in the world.

Equatorial Guinea’s official language is Spanish and it is the only country in Africa to have Spanish as the official language.

85 percent of Gabon is covered in rainforests and that it is home to 80 percent of Africa’s gorilla population.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second largest country in Africa and that there are 8 active volcanoes in the country.

Maybe I will be able to visit one of these amazing countries someday!

This month, we also celebrated our 100th day of school! While 85 percent of those days we were online, we all felt so grateful to celebrate this fun day in person. The students were able to participate in some really fun 100 day challenges like seeing how many times they can write their names in 100 seconds, how many times they can clap their hands, jump, etc. Again, I can’t help but reiterate how grateful I am for the opportunity to be teaching in person again. What joy it brings! Naturally, the elementary staff dressed up to mark this momentous occasion. 100 days in primary school really aged us!

This last week of February, my students began learning about fossils and we became paleontologists for the day to excavate our digging site aka a chocolate chip cookie. The students task was to carve out the fossils “chocolate chips” without breaking them or scratching them. What a fun activity!

Lastly, this month also included a long weekend where my wonderful friend, Florah and I escaped Nairobi for a little getaway to the coast of Kenya. This trip was so special to me for many reasons, it was a chance for me to spend more time with a new friend, see more of my new country, experience my first time on a passenger train, a tuktuk (look this up), and a white sand beach! For only 10 US dollars, the train took us through the Kenyan countryside where I was able to see elephants and zebras in their natural habitat!

Thank you for following me along on my journey in Kenya.

Here are some ways you can be praying:

-For the rainy season just around the corner. The heavy rains here can bring flash floods. Prayer for the families in at-risk areas.

-For my ability to balance work, school, personal life, and learning a new language. It feels like a lot most days, but prayer that I would continually rely on God’s strength one day at a time.

-Financially, my taxes this year really through me for a loop. Having to pay for taxes in two countries is proving to be really difficult. Yet, I have SO much to be thankful for. Prayer that I would trust God with my finances, that He is able to provide.

-Along with that, at this point, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to return to Canada for a visit this summer. Finances and the expensive government-mandated hotel quarantine, I’m not sure I will be able to afford it. I’m trying not to think about it too much, but I would really love to see my friends and family this summer. Prayer for God’s perfect plan and timing.

Thank you for your prayers. Let’s bring on March aka birthday month!

-j.