Author Archives: jocelyn smart

After six years living in Nairobi, I think this year is one where I am truly missing the season of Fall! Typically, I love the warmth all throughout the year (with the exception of grey & cloudy rainy season), but this year I miss the crisp autumn air, the changing and falling of leaves, andContinue reading “september 2026.”

As I write this, I can see that this is my 75th blog post. How amazing! This month, I have begun my 9th year of teaching, my 7th year living in Kenya, and 1st as Mrs. Odongo! It’s been an adjustment for the students learning to say my new name, but they are getting there.Continue reading “august 2026.”

I moved, planned, organized, hosted friends and family, got married, and went on a honeymoon with my husband! What a summer to remember! Here is a summer recap in photos. Some prayer items going into this month: -Continued treatment following my surgery -This new school year, for the students, families, and teachers -Isaac’s friends andContinue reading “june & july 2026.”

What a month! The month started off peacefully with a public holiday and a day trip out of town with friends to a coffee farm. I enjoyed picking coffee beans as it reminded me of berry picking in Saskatchewan in the summertime. We then shelled them, washed and dried them, roasted them, brewed them, andContinue reading “may 2026.”

April showers has definitely been the case this month in Nairobi! We have had a huge increase in rain this month. I keep thinking to myself, let it rain now, so that hopefully it doesn’t in July! I’ll be honest, this month felt incredibly long! I found myself frequently thinking, “It’s still April!?” But nowContinue reading “april 2026.”

March has already come and gone. I really enjoyed this month! Our Spring Break was this month and I enjoyed spending some time adventuring with friends. I went to my favourite place on earth – the coast – for a few days. Then, enjoyed some hiking and biking through Hell’s Gate National Park. It wasContinue reading “march 2026. part 2.”

I know we aren’t even halfway through the month, but I have some important prayer requests to share with you. To begin, It’s been a great start to this month as I turned the big 3-0! As my Kenyan friends told me, “Welcome to the third floor!” It was so fun starting the month offContinue reading “march 2026. part 1.”

One of the biggest highlights from February was attending the 5th grade 3 day camping trip about two hours away from Nairobi. The focus this year was stewardship within God’s creation and it was such a fun and special few days. We had 55 students, and the time was packed with devotions, worship around theContinue reading “february 2026.”

January has welcomed us fully into summer here in Kenya. With daily temperatures hovering around 28°C, the days have been sunny, warm, and incredibly beautiful. This is my favourite season in Kenya, and it has been great to settle back into work routines with such lovely weather after a snowy Christmas. 🙂 Being back withContinue reading “january 2026.”

December was full in the very best way, marked by meaningful moments at school, beautiful celebrations, unexpected adventures, and the joy of returning to familiar faces. At school, one of the highlights was supporting my students on their class field trip to a rock climbing wall. The facility is owned by a Christian missionary organizationContinue reading “december 2025.”