july 2021.

The end of this month marks a full year in Kenya! What an incredible year this as been. This month has held its share of blessings in my life. This month, I intentionally focused on resting and spending time with the Holy Spirit. It was much needed and held some special moments. I recently reread a favourite book of mine, by author, John Mark Comer called “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” and it has reminded me of the importance of taking Sabbath and not falling victim to society’s idolization of business. He challenges readers by saying, “On the Sabbath, we don’t just take a day off from work; we take a day off from toil. We give him all our fear and anxiety and stress and worry. We let go. We stop ruling and subduing, and we just be. We “remember” our place in the universe. So that we never forget . . . There is a God, and I’m not him.” What a humbling reminder.

This month I got to attend a fundraising event for an organization with my church called Ajar. Ajar provides free legal representation to those who have been wrongly charged or convicted and are in remand prison. Hearing the testimonies of individuals who were wrongly charged and spent time in prisons for crimes they didn’t commit, opened my eyes to the injustice in the legal system here. One of the women in my Bible study, Waizeh, is the legal assistant for Ajar (pictured below, on the right). Speaking of the women in my Bible study, they are pictured here. Eunice is on the far left and Jane on my left. You have heard me write are about Eunice’s work with Rejesha on here before. She works hard to help empower women to leave prostitution in Nairobi. Jane, also runs an amazing ministry here in Kenya called Metamata, which means to shine in Swahili. Metameta is an initiative that serves girls and young women from arid and semi-arid communities in Kenya through sexual and reproductive health rights awareness, mentorship and mindset transformation with the focus to create access to quality education for girls who are mostly from poor and vulnerable backgrounds. I feel like I landed the jackpot with women to journey with in this season of life. We are all single women who desire to know and love God more. I feel so blessed to know and love these women. I have enjoyed getting more rooted in my home church here and developing my own friendships outside of my school community. I have also joined my church’s worship team which has been a fun learning curve!

This month, I also has the opportunity to connect with the student’s I taught last year. I organized a Google Meet call for us all to connect and catch up on what we’ve been up to on the school break. It was so fun to see their faces again and how they’ve grown. I also was able to have some of my girls over for an ice cream party! What a gift to be able to mentor these girls and encourage them as they enter a new grade. I am thankful for communities like this one where I am able to build deep connections with my students.

The absolute BEST part about this month was that one of my best friends came to visit!! One of my friend’s from Surrey, BC that I taught with came at the end of July and is actually still here! What a gift from God this visit is. After such a tough month, it has been such a blessing to have a friend here to show my new country to. We are currently on our way to enjoy a safari at the Maasai Mara ( the world’s biggest safari), seeing “The Big 5” and the Great Migration; it will the trip of a lifetime! I have enjoyed taking her to my favourite places, introducing her to my favourite people, and showing her this country that I have come to love so dearly. It reminds me of when I first arrived and was taking it all in. It has also shown me how much I have learned this past year, from driving in Nairobi, speaking Swahili, and bartering at the markets. She provided me with the opportunity to pause and acknowledge how far I have grown in this past year and all of the changes I have overcome. Thank God for friends.

Prayer Requests:

-the beginning of a new school year, that we would be able to continue in person, for my new set of students, and that I would manage the workload alongside my Masters courses and ministry

-my friends at the market, continued prayer for their relationships and financial hardship

-safe travels for my friend as she returns on the 15th of August; PRAISE that she came

-continued safety and protection

Love you all,

j.