"We were meant to live for so much more"

"When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours"                                                                       Romans 1:12

 Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.
And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
~Nelson Mandela

Thanksgiving.

Today is Thanksgiving.

Today I am thankful
For so many things I think are special.
For a God who cares enough to die
Forgiveness on His tongue with every last sigh.

For the family in my life
Who cares for me through joy and strife
And for the friends that walk with me
Making this life an adventuresome journey.

I am thankful for being able to eat
When I know others dont have shoes on their feet.
For a pillow on a bed, and a roof above
For all of those this summer that taught me to love.

So today I hope that you will stop and think
Of who made the food, or cleaned the dishes in the sink.
Who has made your day again and again
Or those you know who just need a friend.

And then maybe you will go to sleep tonight
Thinking of how to make someone elses future bright.

Happy Thanksgiving!
From Love for the Sake of Love.

_Andrew
L4L
Co founder

Help Portrait Raleigh

Lately i've been thinking about how helping those in need 3 months out of the year isn't going to cut it for me anymore. I loved going to serve the Lord in Africa and saw so many needs but it got me to thinking... Jesus told us that if we see someone that needs a coat give them ours. But what if you see 5 people and only have one coat? I would like to think that i'm even willing enough to walk around without a sock on for someone else, but what about my coat, and my shirt, or maybe even a shoe or two? So the Lord answered me with, "then i will send 4 more with you." and with that people applied to go to Africa next summer with L4L and give up their coats as well, and i'm so pumped for their passion and love. But how can we serve here?

Help Portrait Raleigh.
On December 4th Love for the Sake of Love is going to be partnering with other organizations and churches to host an event called Help Portrait Raleigh. The basic idea behind it is that professional photographers donate their time effort and resources to take pictures of those in need: the sick, the homeless, the single mothers, and anyone else who needs help. Their picture is then printed and given to them with one framed copy. Along the way, maybe we are able to give them a meal or a smile or even hope. We are setting out to give them love with a portrait of hope.

What we need most is families in need. Its simple just find someone you know needs their picture taken and invite them! Heres the link to the website to find out more: helpportraitraleigh.com. If you just click on the invite a family it will tell you exactly how to spread the word.
The event is going to be from 10-5pm on that Saturday at vintage 21 church.
If you have any questions about the event i would love to hear from you!

_Andrew
L4L Co-Founder
amvanove@ncsu.edu

A vehicle

We are a confused people. We easily and often allow ourselves to think that we are in control or that we are responsible for the good things that occur.

This past week at McGee's Crossroads Middle School, the students participated in a Penny Wars. I titled this fundraiser The Samburu Project because the proceeds would be going to South Horr Primary in the Samburu Hills of Kenya. I knew within moments of meeting the students and staff at this under-funded school this past summer that God wanted me to use the resources at my job in America to help improve education for my other family of students and coworkers.

The project was a raging success. Students were made aware of the project the prior week by announcements and a short photo slide show. I wanted them to enjoy competing with other classes but to also know where their change and dollars were going. I explained that every penny was worth 1 point and any silver coin would take 1 point away. Dollars were worth 100 points. You can imagine how competitive middle-schoolers and teachers would take this to extremes.

However, no one anticipated a small change collection project to total nearly $1,700 in 5 days. This amount has blown me away. I keep hearing, "Way to go!" and "You did such a good job with this!"

I pray that the Lord give me the words to say in those moments. I know that I am not capable of producing this much money with a single fundraiser as a second year teacher. I know that we are in a recession. And I know that my God is a mighty God who graciously used me as a vehicle to bless the children of South Horr Primary School. I am humbled that he saw me as capable of handling a precious event such as this and am grateful that he gave me the thoughts, words, actions, and attitude to do it well.

May the creator of both the students in the Samburu Hills and those in McGee's Crossroads, NC get all the glory.

-Erin Gamble
L4L Africa Team

Chi-town

Andrew and I got back from Chicago this morning.  I would say it was a successful weekend.  We got to eat delicious Chicago style pizza, see the famous giant bean in Millennium Park, tell more people about Love for the Sake of Love, and have a great meeting with Lynn Cole, the Executive Director of Rise International.
I loved being able to hear Lynn's story and learn about the incredible things God has done through that organization in the last 10 years.  We got some really good advice and were able to share some of our passions for Africa and approaching the issues of the developing world.  One thing she emphasized was getting the locals involved and teaching them how to do things for themselves rather than just giving them the things that they need.  Its through this strategy that real and lasting impacts are made.  This is something that we were already planning on doing, but it was nice to get the reminder and hear stories of how this strategy has actually paid off for Rise International.
Now that we're back, I can't wait to get back to work and move forward.  Our applications for our summer trips are due on November 1st, so we're waiting to get the last few applications in as well as continue to plan our charity dodgeball tournament that is now scheduled for January 21st.  We're also still in the final steps of sending in our 501(c)3, but we're still learning just how long and tedious this process is.   I'm not sure where we'll go on our next trip, but I'm looking forward to finding new opportunities to talk to more people with experience and knowledge they can share while also telling others about L4L.

Alison
Co-founder

Chicago for the weekend

After spending 9 hours in a car with Andrew driving to D.C. and back last week, I'm really excited about us flying to Chicago together this weekend.  Apparently the two of us being in a contained space for more than a few hours at a time can turn into some pretty ridiculous conversations, but they're always entertaining and surprisingly productive.

On Saturday we'll have the opportunity to meet with one of the founders of RISE International, a non-profit organization that is building schools in Angola.  I'm really excited to hear her story and it will be a chance to get some advice from someone who has already done what we're trying to do.

We'll be spending the rest of the weekend hanging out with friends at Wheaton College and will hopefully start to make some good contacts in the area.

Oh and in case you were wondering, it was a pretty good secret.  I think someone is just having trouble admitting it since it took them so long to figure out what it was. ;)

Alison

Co-Founder

DC in a Day

Yesterday I woke up brushed my teeth then went to the dentist where they drilled holes in them, made me wonder why i brushed them in the first place. Then i got in the car to head off to Washington DC with Alison to go pick up a Mandie, who is a potential media team leader for this years summer trips.

Before i could even feel my tongue we had made it out of chapel hill and were on the road. Before long i had already exhausted all of the radio stations and my appetite for fast food. I was also able to catch a glimps of alisons edgy side which was fun for me knowing that she could put her foot down on some things. In other words i stole her blackberry and might have scattered the parts all over the car in a minor attempt to find out a secret she was hiding, turns out it wasn't even a good secret.

Either way when the day was done we had gone to DC and back and spent 9 hours in the car together. it was a good day.

Av.
L4L Co-Founder

New Videos

We just added a couple of new videos to the website!!

http://loveforthesakeoflove.com/#/videos/

3 thousand feet

      Right now Im sitting at a pretty three thousand feet above sea level in the quaint town of Boone, North Carolina. Not surprisingly its already fairly cold here (40s the last couple of days) and fall seems to be rather shy this year, already leaving the stage for winter to come on and do its thing.
      The last month and a half have been filled with all kinds of adventures.  The hand (surgery on an infection) is healing nicely and I reaped in goodies and get-wells from people.  The first couple weeks following surgery were the most interesting when I had to keep my had elevated above my heart at all times.  On quite a few occasions I was called on in class with the teacher eventually realizing I had no question but am simply following medical orders.
      Time management has been one issue Ive been trying to deal with, along with glorifying God through school and the work that comes with it.  These are two things that I often struggle with.  Africa gave me great perspective on the blessings Ive been given, particularly in regards to education, and that blessing entails responsibility.
       That said, college is a lot of fun and I dont want to be a slave to school.  Slavery's not good.  Anyway, im pretty tired and Im talking about slavery for some reason, so im gunna call it a night and wake up in the morning ready to manage some time!

Ben Kern

30//thousand feet.

 Im back in the Air Cruising over the earth at 30.Thousand feet on my way to Los Angeles, CA, writing this blog on Air Tran's wireless internet which in my book is pretty cool. My morning started 3 hours after my night at 4am when i had to get up to go to the airport. But somewhere over the course of my trip to Africa i acquired the ability to sleep in a variety of noisy places, and managed to catch an hour of sleep on the floor of the Atlanta, GA airport.
 So heres the catchup.

1 month and 6 days:  life is back in full swing. Ben and i got back around midnight on august 18th and hit the ground running. For me it was class that day at 9am for Ben it was heading back to app for crusade leadership training. But before long he was back in raleigh Rex hospital for some surgery on his hand for staff infection. 40 Some odd stitches later and a ton of acting like the tough guy while the girls look at his cool scar and hes back in business chugging through school at App state.

Things havn't stopped though more than ever God has been moving and were excited about it.  Last Sunday we all got on a conference call with a group of supporters who are looking to head off to africa themselves next summer. And ive been getting coffee constantly, even though i dont even drink coffee, catching up with people and telling our summer's stories. The more i go through it with people the more i realize what an awesome time God provided for us this summer and the many ways we got to see him move.

Inside. Lately ive been trying to refocus my heart and mind to the mission God has in store for me in the Raleigh area and seeking new ways to serve locally. Because i feel that we are called to go but also to serve wherever we are. God has also been at work in my heart making sure that in everything i do i realize that the only way it succeeds is through him.  Ive been going through  Mark with my Crusade bible study and will admit that parables are cooler than i remember my Sunday school felt boards making them out to be. If you had to tell a parable what would yours sound like? next time on the blog ill write one. so get pumped.

Life. Busy almost to busy to keep up most of the time. This week in particular has been rough but maybe that means that Gods just got something really cool coming my way. Either way im so down for being back on the road again. Would love to hear from you guys, even if its just throwing out a hey! amvanove@ncsu.edu
 From on top of the world.
Av.
-L4L Co-Founder

One of those days...

You know those days where everything you try to do fails and everything that could go wrong, does go wrong?  Today is one of those days for me.  It's only 2:20 so I'm a little worried to see what else could possibly happen as the day progresses.  As I was thinking about all of the events that have happened today, I realized how fortunate I am that my identity is in Christ.  If I tried to find my identity in my accomplishments like so many around me do quite often, I would be a mess right now.  Thankfully, even when everything is going wrong I'm able to look past my circumstances and see an amazing God that will always be there for me.
I just saw a blog talking about why God makes things impossible sometimes.  It reminded me that God puts us in situations that are so challenging so that he gets the glory for them.  He makes it so obvious to everyone around us that our accomplishments are not our own doing, but God's.
"You will face opportunities that feel like mountains.  And when you are there, when you stand in that place, you will shine. For God’s glory. For his name. For his might and power, you will shine."
http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/09/3637/
God giving me this humility came at the perfect time.  I just found out that the club we are starting for L4L at UNC-CH has been officially recognized by the university.  We still have to finish registering, but we have made it past the biggest obstacle.  I had to jump through about a million hoops to get the club approved.  It would have been really easy for me to look at all of the hours that I put into this and feel impressed with my accomplishment.  Thankfully, God reminded me that I wasn't the one that got the club approved; it was Him working through me.

Life is so much more exciting when I give God the glory for all of it.  It's my prayer that even though it can be painful at times, God continues to pour out humility into everyone at L4L and helps us to continually focus on Him and His will for us.

-Alison
Co-founder

Going Home Letter

Go to our youtube page to check out our latest video created as Andrew and Ben were leaving Africa.

http://www.youtube.com/user/L4LVideo

Report Back

We're getting together on Friday night to spend some time sharing about our summer.  Andrew, Ben, and Erin will all be speaking about their time in Africa and we will have a few videos and lots of photographs.  We'll also be talking a little bit about Love for the Sake of Love's plans for the future and what God is currently doing in our organization.  We would love for you to come!
It will be at:
316 Seasons Drive
Raleigh, NC 27614

at 7:30 p.m. this Friday (September 3rd).

Stateside Update

We have roughly 260 days until we will be back out serving in Africa and potentially other parts of the world.  It sounds like a lot of time, but I know that it is going to fly by and that we have so much we need to accomplish by then.  Love for the Sake of Love seems to be growing bigger each day and it is truly incredible to see what God is molding it into.
Now that Andrew and Ben are back from Africa, we have been working nonstop.  Our main focus has been on figuring out some of the logistics for our mission trips next summer.  We have already had a lot of interest in these trips and it has been so exciting to see everything come together.  (If you're interested in coming with us, e-mail me at summer2011@loveforthesakeoflove.com and I'll send you some more information.)
We've also been trying to finish up the endless amount of legal paperwork to obtain our 501(c)3.  Andrew has been working on editing all of the photos and videos he took while in Africa.  We'll have these up on the website soon.  We are also looking forward to speaking at churches and other events to tell others about the work we're doing and what God has already done through our organization.  If you would like us to speak at your church or to another group of people, please let me know.

-Alison

Closure.

      

      I prayed for a boy that couldn’t walk that he would be able to run faster than the other kids. Broke a chain, that should have been able to hold up a bus, trying to get a bit out of a well. Helped to put an engine in an old range rover, only to find out that we needed parts like a starter and batteries that wouldn’t be in for a long time. Lost a soccer game. Got a multi-tool, nalgene, and 5000 shillings (60 bucks) stolen from me. Never saw a cheetah. And only learned a few more words of swahili.

      If i had any sense of direction to my life it would seam like i was going the wrong way or at least in circles. But the truth is that the entire time i have been blindfolded. And when you aren’t looking to go wherever you thought you wanted to be its easy to end up where God actually wanted to put you. 

     That boy still cant walk, the well is still broken and the car doesn’t run. But for just one second i saw the kingdom of heaven in that boys eyes, down in that well, and even while working on a car, and for whatever small price i paid to be there in that moment it was an expense i consider a gift to pay. 

     “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field”-Matt.14.44

AV- is coming home. 

L4L 

Co-founder

From the busy streets of Kampala, Uganda to the not-so-busy street of South Horr, Kenya, I have been apart of something bigger than myself.  

I have seen the incredible transformation of street children to honorable young men.  I have seen a man help reconcile an entire region once known for frequent and fatal tribal conflicts.  I have seen a guy give up his own bed and sleep on the floor for six weeks, simply because his guests needed a place to put their stuff.

What the people behind each of these circumstances all have in common is they are apart of something bigger than themselves.  They recognize the sacrifice and selflessness required to make a difference and bring about the change they want to see in the world.  They recognize what it takes, commit themselves to what they believe in and in doing so lift the lives of all around them.  I have seen these things.  And I thank God for that.

BK- out

L4L

Forerunner

"At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so in return their plenty will supply what you need.  Then there will be equality, as it is written: 'He who gathered much did not have too much and he who gathered little did not have too little."  2 Corinthians 8:14-15

Hey Folks,

       Its been a little while since my last blog.  A few weeks I guess.  Now I dont want to make excuses but there are several factors which play into being able to get on the internet.  First, everything at this camp is solar powered meaning the panels must receive enough sunlight before they can begin powering things.  This means it is at least noon before the computer can be powered.  Secondly, the internet connection comes through a satellite meaning that a decent cloud cover can result in no internet.  Clouds usually roll in most evenings and connections to the web is halted.  And thirdly, I'm in Africa, why would I want to be on the internet?

So there are my excuses/justifications, however you want to look at them.

        Anyway I wanted to point out something Andrew and I have noticed throughout the entire trip.  We've noticed that while Africa can improve in certain areas theres a few that need no improvement.  One of those is community.  Africans could teach a seminar on the principles of 2 Cor. 8:14-15 and the idea of communal sharing.  One reason for this is the fact that the economy doesnt move as fluently in Africa and the job markets are more barren, becoming more and more so the more rural you get.

        Today I was hanging out with a few guys who graduated high school a couple years ago and are doing some construction work at the camp.  I asked if they were working for Stakwell and they said no, they were volunteering.  It is either do that or loiter around the town doing nothing.

        A few days earlier I was hanging out with some other guys in the same predicament.  Graduated high school, dont have the funds to go to college so they volunteer at the primary schools as teachers.  Oh yeah, and most of these guys are tri-lingual, so pretty smart dudes.  Theres just a lack of opportunity.

          When we are at certain markets we will go from shop to shop with the same people coming along  and encouraging us to buy even though it may not even be their shop that we are in.  They work together and if we buy they will split our sale amongst themselves so that everyone has some.  

        So while it may be financial or locational reasons that promote this super-community lifestyle, its still cool to be a part of it.

         Lastly, a couple days ago Andrew and I hiked a mountain to a town on the other side and it was a nice change of scenery. Our guide was our Samburu friend named Jon who doesnt speak a lick of english but always has a good time.   After finally reaching the town on the other side of the mountain we were pretty hungry so we asked him to take us to food.  Fifteen minutes later we were standing in the middle of a football field, nowhere near food.  The "foo" sound in both must have caused the confusion.  Got to love language barriers.

        Anyway looks like some clouds might be moving in so im gunna go ahead and post this thing

            

   Ben

-co-blogger-

To Live.

Its late here now. But only to kenyans. Its about 9pm which for most americans is right past second dinner time or an hour or so before a quick cookout run. Ben's already asleep, he fell asleep with his shoes on and no mosquito net. Instead of playing the mom role and tucking him in, ill wait about an hour then accidentally play some music loud enough to break his second REM cycle and save him from malaria, and foot fungus.
The last day at the resort Ben and i found ourselves sitting on the edge of one of the nearby resorts talking about our future plans and just what God has been doing in our lives. After talking through a boatload of scenarios we came to the conclusion that nothing would be cooler than being locked in a prison for serving the Lord. Who does that? Not saying i wanted to go harass an officer till i was thrown in jail but just that not very many people we are around are blessed enough to be actually persecuted and beaten for what they believe. I also think that its easier to know that your faith is alive if it has to bleed to stay that way. I guess im just excited to see that we have come to the point of following God so blindly that if it means the worst for us we would be ok with that. Of course when the true trial comes im sure i will regret even thinking that jail time in a foreign country would be cool, but by then ill be over my head in serving the Lord and the pain will only fuel my Love for serving God.
Tomorrow we will travel up the nearby hills/mtns to the tribes and stay there for a few days it should be interesting. Looking forward to telling you about it. Thanks for Thinking of us and your prayers. Now im going to go wake up ben.
Night.
-AV-
L4L
Co-founder.

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In conclusion...

Here I am. Back in NC. I got to meet my beautiful new niece as soon as I stepped out of the terminal. Allyson (my sister) and Mom surprised me by bringing the girls to the airport. The first thing I saw was a poster that Caroline had made that read, "Welcome home Aunt Sissy." It was a nice, emotional reunion.


I have been more than well-received by my family and friends. I have taken hot showers and slept in a very comfortable bed. I have eaten Taco Bell (yessss), Mexican food, and LOTS of sweets because Africans are no good at sweets.


I hear this about 100 times a day: "How was Africa?"


A better questions is "How am I supposed to begin to answer that question?" I generally start to ramble about food, dirt, tribal warriors, and camels. It's inevitable that something get lost in translation. I got all 260 pictures developed today and purchased a photo album for them. But it's not the same. My words won't do this trip justice. My pictures don't even come close to demonstrating the beauty I saw in the people and environment that surrounded me. I am currently in the process of creating a presentation for my grandmother's Sunday School class and I literally feel like it would be an injustice to the people that I lived life with to show these few slides and tell a couple of stories. How do you put all of the wonderful things I saw and felt into a 15 minute Power Point presentation?


So in conclusion, I am somewhat settled back into my comfortable life. And I am so SO thankful to see my family and friends and hear about the happenings of their lives for the last few weeks. But the perspective that I gained hardly makes this transition an easy one. So bear with me, please, as I try to take the things that I learned and the glory God showed me and apply it to life here in NC. I want to continue to love on people the way that God calls us to, be it here in NC, in Kenya, or in some other country. Please, also hold me accountable to frivolous living that makes much of myself rather than bringing glory to God and loving others around me. Thanks to all of you for reading the L4L blog and for praying for the team. Continue to keep Ben, Andrew, and the people of Kenya in your prayers.


Erin Gamble
Uncomfortably Comfortable

Silas

The Number 7

       Rest. Its one thing that both Ben and I havn't had the chance to catch up on. We pretty much jumped out of school on a plane and hit the ground running in Africa and it has been awesome and totally God Breathed but now its rest time. Both of us were in the long haul to push ourselves to the max but even super heros take holidays. So we were invited by Wycliffe to their annual missions conference in Malindi Kenya and that is where we have been for the last 7 days soaking up the sun on the beach for half price. It has been such a blessing being able to see old faces and hang out with new ones. I enjoyed meeting and getting to know the team from the US that came to run the childrens program and the kids themselves. Heres some of the kids/students that stood out.
        Silas. Hes Got a mullet i got Dreads we automatically hit it off cool. German missionary kid who is by far bilingual especially when his sister bothers him in the middle of an intense game of water polo. In that way i was totally jealous of him. If you watch Tarzan then you pretty much have seen this kid. His parents are stationed in Nairobi. Look forward to seeing him in years to come.
       Andrew. Can swim but you would never know it. Has an extreme fascination with headbands. Wears goggles that are usually half full of water. Is the palest kid in his family. A head shorter than Silas.
       Josh. Junior is high school. Messed up his elbow last time i was here in 07' doing gymnastics on the beach. Defies the traditional missionary kid stereotype by being cooler than most of the kids in the states. Wears dark tan Crocks. Has a younger sister named Kendra who was one of my students last time and is growing up to be a young woman quickly.
       Its also been cool getting to hang out with Robin Rempel again and have conversations about end times. I went to kelifi today to see Nate the kenyan i hang out with a lot last time. He is going great.
      We are almost done here and then we will head back to the samburu hills where we will complete our trip by continuing to serve Stakwell and his ministry. Im looking forward to the time there. Please be praying for our time there and that we will be able to get the well fixed and workable. Also pray for Alison Gamble the Cofounder and logistics person. She is the sole reason this trip has been made possible. She had surgery on her gall bladder on wednesday and is having a hard time in recovery so pray that she will be healed. Thanks for reading.
-AV

      

Finding God in Uncertainty

The bombings in Uganda are truly heart breaking.  The possibility of what they signify for Uganda’s future is really scary.  I’ve been able to talk to a few people in Kampala and from what I’ve heard, the atmosphere completely changed within a few hours.  Uganda’s elections in February will be a big turning point for Uganda and could put Uganda back in a dangerous situation.  As I’m sitting here in so much uncertainty of the future for Love for the Sake of Love (both from these recent events and from other influences) I couldn’t be more certain of God’s calling for us to go and serve.  Whether we’re supposed to be in a different part of Africa or God wants us to help the needs of Uganda that may soon be bigger than ever before, I’m so ready to go.  It may be the hardest and most uncomfortable thing I ever do, but as I continue to grow closer to God each day my passion for the people of Africa also grows exponentially.

While I’m excited to go and would gladly jump on a plane today if someone handed me a ticket, I’m also very excited about the preparation time God has given me here.  That’s not something I’ve always been able to say as my heart and mind are usually focused on Africa.  I know there is SO much more that I need to learn and I’m thankful for the time God has given me to do so.  I can’t wait to continue to build up the stateside aspect of Love for the Sake of Love.  God has been reminding me lately that when we first started Love for the Sake of Love our vision was to bridge the gap between those willing to serve and the needs of the developing world.  If we want to do that, then we need to start getting people passionate about what God is doing and preparing them to go serve.  I don’t know what exactly this means yet, but I really envision having some kind of program in the future that will train people mentally, physically, and spiritually to go serve.  I’ve been told by so many people that being a missionary doesn’t start when you step off of the plane on the other side of the world; it starts way before that back at home.  We need to be serving God HERE and spreading the gospel HERE if we are serious about what we’re doing.  This is definitely easier said than done, but while I’m in the United States I want to be serving in the communities here and I want to get others involved in the process.  

I also feel like God is calling us to continue to raise funds and support and really devote our time to this in the next year.  It would be easy to wait until God reveals his plan to us so we could present our perfect 3-step plan to others and show them exactly what we’ll be doing, but God doesn’t work like that.  Honestly, it’s going to be really hard to go up to people and say “Hey, I’m not sure where we’re going, what we’ll really be doing, or how we’ll get it done, but somehow God’s going to pull it off and I would love your support along the way”, but that’s what God is calling us to do.  He doesn’t call us to sacrifice our lives once we know all of the conditions to what we’re agreeing to, He calls us to give up our lives and follow Him no matter what....and to trust that we don’t need to have all the answers right away, because He has them and that is all we need.  

This is what we’re going to try to do and I would love for all of you to be there praying for us and holding us accountable along the way.  I’m sure most of my professors would tell me that this is not the proper way to establish a business plan, but I think I’ll choose God’s plan instead of my own, because I know it is going to be so much greater than I could ever even imagine.  

Alison

Bombings in Uganda

As some of you may have heard in the news, there have been reports of bombings in Kampala, Uganda.  All of the Love for the Sake of Love team members are safe.  Andrew, Ben, and Erin are many miles away on the coast of Kenya.  Our fourth team member in Africa, Katrina Harris, who is working with the Watoto Baby Home is living in Kampala right now and was very close to the bombings.  Six of Katrina's friends from Alabama were at one of the places where the bombings occurred.  Although everyone around them was seriously injured or dead, they all walked away untouched.  Praise God!  They are still coping with a lot of the horrible stuff they saw.  Please pray for these six missionaries as well as the rest of Katrina's team in Kampala.  I just got an e-mail from Katrina saying that there are rumors going around that there was another blast about an hour ago.  Most of the Watoto's volunteers are safe back in the apartments or are on their way back now. 

If you would like to read more about the remarkable stories of some of Katrina's friends, go to http://www.foundationonrock.blogspot.com/ and http://catherine-uganda.blogspot.com/.

Alison

Last day in the Samburu Hills

We have arrived safely in Malindi. It’s different but equally beautiful here on the coast.  However, as I predicted, my heart is still in South Horr so I wanted to post about my last day working at the school. 

As I mentioned before, my service at South Horr Primary School seemed pretty miniscule. I developed a routine of walking to school with one of the teachers or, on occasion, Stakwell’s niece, Anita. Upon arriving, I would prepare the English and Math lessons for the Standard 8 students and use any remaining prep time to help mark papers or record grades for the other teachers. I would teach in the morning, use any free time to help the teachers, and return to camp at 12:30 to help Mary and Andrea cook and clean for the rest of the day. 

I loved the walk to school. At first it was overwhelming to hear the smaller children chanting, “Mzungui, Mzungui, Alllooooo!” It was also a little unnerving when kids would see me, stop, stare, and then encourage 4 or 5 friends to walk behind me for a bit. In time though, the children got used to seeing me and would just shout from a distance or smile and wave. I also loved walking into Class 8 each morning. It took a day or two for the students to become accustomed to the idea that an American was there for the sole purpose of teaching them. This is a first for South Horr Primary. However, after a couple of getting-to-know-you sessions and me learning all 42 names, the class and I formed a deep and real connection. The final walk to school and into the Standard 8 classroom seemed so familiar and comfortable that it was hard to believe that I wouldn't be returning the very next morning to continue my lessons. 

The last day, I taught one Math and one English lesson. I brought Ben along to photograph the staff I worked with, as well as my class. I had no idea what I was in for. 

After I had taught the first portion of my lesson, I went back to prepare for the other one but was told not to prepare another lesson by the headmaster. He said the students wanted to use that time to see me off. The next few moments were a teary blur. The teachers asked the class secretary, Hassan, to come up and he proceeded to thank me on behalf of the class for my time spent there. He gave me a beautiful hand-made necklace. Other students followed with handmade necklaces and bracelets. Then all of the students stood up and began to sing in English: 

Give me love, oh dear God of glory. 

Give me love. Give me love. 

Give me love, oh dear God of glory. 

Give me love, till I overcome. 

The song continued with the remaining fruits of the spirit: joy, peace, patience...they had to stop there so I could get myself together! This song and the students singing in harmony was literally the most beautiful sound I have ever heard. 

I stopped crying long enough to tell them that they were each very special and that I loved them a lot. I told them that I would think about them and pray for them every single day. I then read Ephesians 1:16-17 aloud: “I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly asking God, the glorious father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to  give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.”

This song and the reading of this scripture was such a beautiful moment for me. I have re-read this post numerous times because my words and explanation won’t do it justice. Just know that God has shown me his glory in so many ways but this has been the most profound. I encourage you, too, to pray for the students of Class 8. As well as the team and the rest of the needs to be met here in Kenya. 

Erin Gamble

Profoundly Humbled

A tree that bears fruit

A couple weeks ago Andrew and I left Uganda to pick up Erin in Nairobi and begin the next leg of our trip.  While this leg has brought us into the desert of northern Kenya where we have experienced a complete change of scenery, I still think about the Kivulu children’s home (the place where we stayed) in Kampala.   I think of the home as an oasis in the desert, a light in the darkness, a speck of hope in the midst of overwhelmingly hopeless slums.  

To see a group of boys posses such strong and honest  charachter after coming from such harsh backgrounds is truly the hand of God.  Boys who own no more than a couple sets of clothes, who see the computer, money, and ipod laying on our beds but dont think twice about laying a finger on them, no matter how tempting it may be.  Boys who love eating and scarf down their food but only after offering it to Andrew and I and making sure we have received our plates first.  Boys who have no money but upon washing your clothes and finding some change in your pocket return it to you, knowing its the right thing.  It doesnt matter that that  change means 100 times more to them than it does to you. What matters is they did the right thing.  

My time there gave me the unique ability to see the progress of this ministry.  All around us in the slums were street boys, kids often quite dirty or sick, who roam around sniffing airplane fuel and fighting one another.  This is the environment most of the Kivulu home boys initially grew up in.  Next there are street boys who take part in the programs the Kivulu home does.  These boys still live on the streets but they are involved in various activities put on by the workers of the Kivulu home on Mon/Wed/Fri afternoons.  These include crafts, tutoring, listening to Bible stories, and playing sports.  These boys are in a process of transformation from the rough and unforgiving life on the streets to a life filled with more peace and hope initiated by the loving relationships of the program-workers.  Then there are the eighteen boys who live at the Kivulu home full-time, who go school, have daily chores and nightly devotionals and are always under the care of the workers there.  

The difference between the first set of boys and the third set of boys, the ones at the Kivulu home, is night and day.  I must give credit to the selfless service of the three uncles (David, Alex, and Julius) who work at the Kivulu home and help run the programs for the street boys in the afternoons.  They exemplify putting the gospel into practice, and there is no doubt the boys are influenced greatly by their servant leadership.  I must also give credit to the three women (Abby, Jess, and Jesse) who see a need in the slums and adress that need.  Who see these street boys for who they can be instead of who they are now.  Who have the faith required to trust God and let him lead the way across the untrodden ground that they are travelling upon.   

         I can truthfully say this ministry has produced the most visible fruit of any ministry Ive ever seen.  If I were to give a “fruit-check” this would be the first straightup A+.  David, one of the uncles at the home who also grew up on the street, is a musician who has written a couple songs.  In one of his songs is the line, “I may have begun my life on the streets, but my destination is great.”  This line expresses an undeniable hope we can all strive for.  When our mind is on the glory of our destination, it makes the struggles of the journey that much better, the duty of our calling that much more vital, and how we run the race all the more important.

Ben   

Whats in your day?

Dynamics. Erin. Somewhere between the travel hair straightener and the fact that now when we do laundry there are articles that have to be hung indoors we have now completed the team. It has been a breath of fresh air and i think i can speak for Ben also when i say that it has been such a blessing having her along. If you have been reading some of her posts then you should be clued into a little of where we are, nowhere near anything. Well tomorrow is her last day here and we are going to miss her when she has to leave, but first we are going to hit up a safari and Wycliffe conference in Malindi, Kenya. 

Can you heal? Like i said we have been reading acts and i have enjoyed it a lot. Remembering that faith has to do with the holy spirit and that means we have been given power strait from the hand of God. In the beginning i read the passage about peter, when they were entering the temple and a beggar asked them for money. ”Look at us! “The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. But Peter said, “I dont have any silver or gold for you. But i’ll give you what i have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”- 3:4-6 Being asked for money daily in Kampala by all kinds of people it made me think why not heal? It has been a challenge for me to make sure that Ben and i are sharpening each other as men of God, but this was definitely something that was prying at both of our hearts. On the way to Stakwell’s we stopped in Nairobi just long enough to pick up erin, one day. A man approached me with a cast on his leg and held out his hand. If God comes to us as strangers to see if we are actually trying any of the crazy things he lays on our hearts this guy would be number one proof.  So i stopped buying phone airtime for long enough to lay hands on the man and pray for his leg to heal. I truly believed that we was just going to walk away with a smile on his face. But no, he still had a face that was torn with pain and now some confusion. But i look back on it and im somewhat glad that he didnt walk away, i dont know if my pride can handle knowing that God actually healed someone through me. But i do still believe that the prayer did something just maybe he had to walk a few blocks to figure out that his foot didnt hurt any more. Either way im not done trying. There is a little boy here at Stakwell’s named Sawilli he was thrown out of his home as a kid because he couldnt walk, he was seen as a cursed child. Stakwell took him in as his own son and got him some crutches that allow him to get around. I have been thinking about him alot and praying for him. How cool would it be to heal the Lords child. Ill let you know what happens. 

What do i do in a day here? Who knows. Some days we work on wiring the rest of the complex with electricity, others working on cars, but more often driving plays a factor. They have two land rovers here that they use to run food and water to nearby villages who were just recently enemy tribes but the Lord led Stakwell to take them food and he obeyed. The first time he drove up with a truck full of food. The people came running out with tears in their eyes and all they could say is “what took you so long.” So now they have me drive the land rover out there to deliver water and other things. Its pretty much in the middle of the dryest land i have ever seen. And they are more than cliche tribal people, piercings, paint, and sometimes no clothes. One time after we arrived and unloaded the 1 and half tons of food, that was labeled US Aid From the American People, i jumped in shotgun and we headed up a near by hill to go get some diesel. About halfway up i turned around and had a bit of a realization. The car was filled with the driver Timothy (2 wife tim hes like 54 looks older though) me riding shotgun holding an AK 47 stakwell told me to hold on to it for him and then in the back were 4 other tribal guys decked out with AKs and other gear. Either way i was totally down with it. Just needed to take a minute and take it all in. Ill tell you what though if you had told me a few years ago that one day i would be driving Land rovers in africa to tribal villages i would probably have to change my underwear with excitement. 

Tomorrow im driving a team and some water out to the Turkana tribes. And then trying to put back together a Range Rover that someone took apart most everything including taking out the engine just to find that it needed a new clutch, welcome to Africa. O ps im using a south african accent for the next few days were trying to see how long we can fool this team. Kinda fun to be honest.  Ill keep in touch. Would love any feedback or just say hey. 

AV

L4L Africa Team.

Within Broken Borders

The past couple of days I have had the chance to talk to a friend of a friend, Joe Miller, about the organization he is co-founding, Within Broken Borders.  I've been amazed by the work that they are doing.  Joe and his co-founder Anna Medearis just got back from the Middle East where they filmed a documentary called From the Eyes of Hope.  This film will be completed in October and is the first step in building long term connections between the youth of America, the Palestinians, and the Israelis.  In the future, Within Broken Borders plans on addressing other areas of conflict or oppression and helping the American youth get involved with restoring hope throughout the world.
Although documentaries and orphanages are very different, Within Broken Borders and Love for the Sake of Love share a lot of the same visions and hopes for the future.  And most importantly, the main focus for both organizations is to bring glory to God with whatever we do.
To learn more about Within Broken Borders or to even host a screening of their film, go to www.withinbrokenborders.com or e-mail me at AGamble@loveforthesakeoflove.com and I'll find the best people to connect you with.

Alison

Independence Day

Yesterday, you probably celebrated our Nation's independence by grilling out and watching fireworks. Ben, Andrew, Mundia (our new friend), and I celebrated by taking an overnight trip to Lake Turkana.

Stakwell wanted us to deliver some water to the Turkana tribe and thought it would be good for us to go stay at Lake Turkana for the night. I assume that if there is ever a chance for the Samburu people to "vacation," this is where they go. And so we packed some things into a bag and headed off.

There was a little tension when we dropped off the water because historically, the Turkanas and the Samburus have been enemies. That has subsided a lot since Stakwell introduced Christianity to these people but we made this part of the trip hasty nonetheless. (PS-A member of the Turkana tribe actually led Stakwell to Christ. Ask me about that story later.)

We got to the lodges, unpacked, ate supper, and went to bed. It is much warmer there because the lake creates so much humidity so none of us slept very well. Not to mention that Andrew and I both received insufficient mosquito nets and I spent much of the night deciphering between net and bedsheet while Andrew rigged something up with his knife and the light switch which I still can't figure out.

This morning, we woke up and went to breakfast. Immediately upon leaving the restaurant, we were bombarded with people trying to sell us stuff. Literally bombarded. I felt like Lindsay Lohan coming out of a club. White people mean one thing to people in areas like this: money. Andrew does a nice job of playing body guard, though. With the exception of the African who stuck his head actually in the car and stared directly in my face. But none of us saw that one coming.

We went to the lake next. Andrew was able to get some amazing photos of the team and the scenery. I may not have mentioned this before but this place is so beautiful. So much that mentioning it on a blogpost or taking 100s of pictures won't do it justice. Whether we are driving through the bush, a village, or the barren desert, everything is so preserved that you can't help but see God's glory in it (reference to Rachel Langdon). At the lake, we also bought a fish from a random Turkana man for 30 shillings (about 45 cent). And so now, I am waiting for supper to be ready...Tilapia....jealous Jon, Allyson, and Dad?? :)

On the 3 hour ride back to camp I couldn't help but be blissfully happy. I am so blessed to be here with Andrew and Ben. Our team has such a great dynamic and our ties alone are an example of God's divine intervention. I am also so blessed to see such beauty all around me, both in natural scenery and the people I have been living life with and have grown to love. I guess these last few days have lacked the ABAB pattern and settled into a pattern of contentment and joy. Tomorrow I go back to the school and hopefully learn the rest of my students' names.

Love you all and keep lifting up prayers for God's provision here in South Horr and all of Kenya.

PS - 3 souls were saved at church this Sunday. Amen!

Erin Gamble
Mzungui Ang
"Our white lady"  <-- This is what the younger kids yell when I walk to school. Cute, huh?:)

ABAB Pattern

My thoughts, attitudes, and feelings have been occurring in an ABAB pattern for the last 4 days. Tuesday, I read my own post from when we first arrived in South Horr. I was surprised at how fascinated and "in love" with everything I was that day. Maybe an excerpt from my journal entry from days after we arrived will help you see how surprised I was at the contrast in attitude:


"Went to South Horr Primary after eating old bread and honey for breakfast. Met students in Class 8 (8th grade). Students were very bright and worked far more quickly and accurately than me, much less my students. Listened to staff meeting in Kisamburu (not English). Felt overwhelmed at how little this school had but how bright the students were and how the discipline, curriculum, and instruction/assessment methods are very similar to US. Excused myself to bathroom. Walked out back to small shed and opened door to find a filthy hole in a cement slab."


Just 24 hours before I was so in love with these people. Now I feel that although they are much different than me, they don't need me here. I can't offer them anything that they want. It would be one thing if I had to endure dirty living conditions and bad food when I was serving. But I don't even know what these people's needs are. Much less how to meet them. What was God doing in my heart? After much prayer, meditation, and re-reading emails from home, I felt better. And Tuesday actually turned out to be back to enjoyable (see the pattern?) 


Which brings me to yesterday. I woke up feeling very nauseated. I was unable to eat the breakfast. I went to school and helped administer exams to 4th graders. I came home and was still unable to eat. I was lonely, tired, and thanks to a few more emails for you guys at home, more homesick than ever (keep them coming though:) )Here is an excerpt from my journal entry from last evening:


"God, I don't even feel like writing todays events down. Have you called me into this season of discomfort across the world under the false pretense that I would be serving? Is this you breaking me down? If so, I surrender." 


And so the pattern continues and today was much better. I sort of took over the English and Math instruction for Class 8 and am enjoying my day.


This morning is when I had the realization that the most sincere conversations I had with the Lord, and the time when I was most mindful is when he brings me to my knees with discomfort and longing for the comforts of home. So today, I openly thank God that I was able to eat lunch. I thank him that the water doesn't taste like dirt this morning. I also thank him for the water I've had that does taste like dirt because it is still not going to kill me and will be a constant reminder that I am not entitled to anything. 


The second realization that this ABAB pattern has revealed to me is that I am not here to bring Western Civilization ideas. I am not here to change. I am not here to modify or leave a legacy. I am here to serve. So everyday at school, unless the Lord reveals something different, I will walk into Class 8, teach the English lesson prepared by the teachers there, teach the math lesson with the strategies that Fred, Bonaface, and Joseph show me, and then sit among Kenyan Samburu teachers in a smelly room where I share a very small desk with another teacher and "mark pepas" which is grade papers. My new teacher friend, Joseph, who was sent to high school with money from an American family, walked me home today and upon hearing that I felt that I wasn't helping had this to say:


"Each paper you mark or lesson you teach is helping us. We love to see you here and know that you wanted to come and meet us and help us. When the people in this town see Americans, they know you are here to help us and bring us Christianity and education."


Stop nudging God. I get it. 


So for now, I am happy. I have a full stomach (ham sandwiches today...what?! haha). I feel peaceful and content. And I had a good day at school. Tomorrow may be similar. Or I will be homesick. Or I will have no appetite for this food. Or I will face a challenge that I have yet to face. Either way, God gets all of the glory and to say that these past few days have been humbling is an understatement. 


-Erin Gamble
Just another set of hands

Search for A Kingdom

       After trying to sleep some in our tent, which could be described as a human-sized sardine can, we woke up and hiked toward some mountains in the distance.  We eventually ran into a large river, which we later identified as the Nile, and could go no further.  We began our hike back to the road and after about half an hour some dark clouds rolled to a halt above us before opening up into a powerful thunderstorm.  In the midst of this downpour we came across an old farmer who directed us to a path that would lead to the road.  After giving him a couple of our machetes as a thank you, we headed to the road.  After waiting a little bit we landed a sweet ride that was headed all the way back to Kampala.  Better yet, they were late so they would be driving pretty fast.  We hopped in the back of the truck were greeted by three more smiling Africans who were also riding in the back.  They were quite suprised that we would be their new traveling companions. The ride home is something that words cannot fully describe and photographs cannot entirely illustrate.  However we will give our best attempt at trying to convey what  we feel were glimpses of the kingdom of heaven. 

       The truck took off and began driving down the bumpy dirt road.  For about 30 minutes we sat on the floor of the flatbed, getting pounded by every bump in the road.  A few times we hit a pot-hole or jut in the road going 40 or 50 mph resulting in a foot or two of air before landing back on our rear-ends on the truck.  Felt like what I imagined being body slammed by a full-grown man would feel like.  After a couple of those brutal instances we transitioned to sitting on our packs.  This too was pretty brutal so Andrew decided to stand up and hold onto the side.  We saw that while unorthodox, this may in fact be the best and most comfortable way to ride back.  So we stood for the next few hours.  At this point the blank canvas that was the sky before the storm was stained with a plethora of colors originating from the sun setting behind the mountains in the distance.  This scene screamed Romans 1 where it says “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (v.20)  This was something  in this world but too vivid and majestic to be of this world.  A glimpse of something greater. 

       As we traveled on we watched as African children would run out of their huts to the side of the road and frantically wave at us.  Men and women walking down the road and see us standing on the back of this speeding truck and initially be quite puzzled.  As we drive by we would flash a quick smile or wave and their face would completely light up, leaving us smiling more than before.  It was crazy to think of how different these rural village people were, half a world away, different language, but a smile is universal.  A realization of how complex yet simple humanity is.  Another one of those glimpses.    

       We live in a broken and imperfect world where we dont have all the answers.  We werent designed to be able to know everything.  Thats what these little pieces or realizations, however complete or incomplete, of something greater than ourselves are so important.

       Because while these may be only glimpses, sometimes a glimpse is all thats needed to remind you who deserves all the glory. 

Africa Team

-L4L

Cliche Africa

Before I came here, everyone kept telling me, “Don’t go with any expectations.” So I tried my hardest not to. All I had ever heard about Africa was the cliche, stereotypical things. So I figured this advice was most applicable to me because I probably had a very ignorant and closed-minded view. 

I spoke to the friends of mine often that had just gotten back from Kampala, Uganda (the country next door to Kenya) and asked questions about the culture, what was appropriate to wear, and what I should and should not do to be most loving to these people. I was surprised to hear of ATM machines and other western culture ideas that were very prevalent in this city. I began to ask God to prepare my heart by removing any ignorant thoughts or misconceptions so that I could serve effectively and, at the same time, not be offensive. I was under the impression that this area of the neighboring country had to be similar.

Flash forward. 

For the next little bit of my life, I will live at this camp in South Horr, Kenya. In order to get here, I drove through the real-life version of Lion King. I have seen more goats, camels, and donkeys than I care to mention. I live in a cement hut with a straw roof and no electricity. I wash in dirty, cold water that literally stops working about 5 times each time I try to shower. I do everything outside except sleep: eat, shower, wash my hands, use the bathroom, brush my teeth, even cook (when Natalina and the other ladies let me help). What’s more mind boggling is that I am falling in love with these living conditions and the people I am living among. 

I live among the Samburu tribe. About 50% of these people wear Westernized (or “normal” as ‘ignorant me’ used to say) clothes, and the rest wear traditional tribal attire. The women have little to no hair and the men mostly have long red hair or short hair with red paint around their heads and shoulders. The men wear wraps and beaded straps around their chest. The women wear BEAUTIFUL colored wraps and many beaded wire necklaces around their necks. Yesterday, I attended the last part of a 2 day Smburu wedding ceremony among these people. This didn’t include the cow slaughtering that I missed or the drinking of the goat blood (true story). There was cliche African chanting, cliche African dancing, and even the occasional cliche African topless woman. 

Every child that I see seems to have been hand plucked from a Christian Children’s Fund commercial. Very few wear shoes, many at the wedding ceremony were naked or only wearing a shirt. Although the children that live here at the camp (which is open and free for all members of this tribe which means that any given morning I will eat breakfast next to a decked out Samburu warrior) are wearing a full outfit, the poverty is still very prevalent. Again - cliche.

This morning, Stakwell took us to church (In Africa - “chach”). I entered a covered area with cement floors and waist-high walls (which is preferable because of the breeze and the breath-taking view of the Samburu hills surrounding us). We, a group of white Americans, entered and sat down. A few people that worked at the camp entered closely behind us speaking to us in broken English. Then a handful of the tribal women and warriors entered as well in their beautiful, unmistakable attire. Stakwell’s friend initiated the service and led most of it. The entire service, with the exception of our introductions and greetings which was translated, was in Samburu. I figured out after a few minutes that “Jessu” is Samburu for Jesus as it was the subject of many songs, chants, and parts of the sermon. I have never felt so moved. 

Our God is so awesome that he used Stakwell, a native of the Samburu tribe and non-believer until he was in secondary school, to bring Christ to this unknown corner of the earth. This cliche idea of Africa that we think is outdated and no longer existing. The same God that I have worshipped my whole life in a Southern Baptist Church in Wayne County is being worshipped on the same day of the week, 7 hours earlier, by people that I thought only existed in legends and history books. 

I could obviously write more but I’m going to save some energy for when I start working with the Special Education program at the school tomorrow (PS - among the tribal children was a young man with Downs Syndrome so I look forward to seeing if he attends school and I will work with him or if he works with his family). I found out that this school has a Special Ed teacher who is Samburu. When I asked Stakwell how developed the program was he replied, “Is Nothing.” I can’t wait to see what God does there. 

Andrew and Ben are great. No need to worry about these guys. They were built for this. Andrew made this statement to me last night, “It’s safer to live in a dangerous place within God’s will, than to sit at home on your sofa out of God’s will.” What encouragement. 

Keep my family back home in your prayers as well. My sister will deliver any day now! (Love you my sissy and I can’t wait to meet Claire)

Erin Gamble

Server of Jessu

Surreal

If there was ever a doubt that God was calling me here, that has been alleviated. There is no way that I would have the kind of peace that I have consistently had otherwise. But now that I have been here for 2 days, that aspect of God's provision has been blown out of the dirty, undrinkable water.

The night that I arrived, I waited for an hour for my luggage which was a blast. The moment I found had my bags, I turned toward the exit and I see Andrew's dread locks sticking out because he made SURE to make himself visible so I wouldn't freak out. He and Ben have taken care of me so well. I am so glad that God chose my first African experience to be with these two amazing men of God. We stayed at a missionary's house in Nairobi that night. Irene and Ken are from the western US. Their house was REALLY nice. It was as if God was saying, "Hey. Erin. I realize that the 23 hour flying time and smelly Nairobi airport was a lot of breaking you in. So here is a super nice place for you to crash the first night." (And by super nice, He means my own room, a real toilet, and WARM WATER)

The next day, we traveled with Stakwell (who likes meat. camel meat.) to Nanyuki which is about 4 hours away. We stayed there for the night at a hotel with no toilet seat. BUT it did have hot water. At this point God was saying, "Ok. this is REAL Africa but this is just your first full day so I will continue to break you in easily." We went to the markets, and to Nakumatt which is like African WalMart. After an interesting night with crappy mosquito nets, we began our journey to South Horr this morning at 6:00. Imagine driving from Raleigh to Florida. Now imagine a 5 seated Land Rover with 3 Americans and 3 Kenyans. Now imagine that only 2 of the 10 hours are on paved roads but the rest is straight through paths with rocks and pot holes. Dusty, dirty pot holes. 

Needless to say we are in South Horr safely and I am learning so much about this culture. I am also learning about God's love for me, Ben and Andrew, and these people I never even knew existed on the other side of the globe. Danielle Vuke prayed that I would have the right emotions that I needed and then reassured me that I "lacked no good thing." I have had such a spirit of contentment since I boarded the plane at RDU. Regardless of my fear of connections (thanks for the prayers for that by the way), regardless of the extreme lack of luxuries that I am used to, regardless of the bugs that were crawling over the china that our breakfast was served on this morning, and regardless of 10 hours in what would be considered in the US "miserable conditions." God is humbling me, educating me, and hopefully, beginning tomorrow (my first day of NO traveling), he will begin to use me in BIG ways at the school and here at the camp. 

Peace and Blessings and thanks SO much to our families, supporters, friends, and all those that keep us in your thoughts and prayers constantly. It is such a comfort and we LOVE YOU:)

Erin Gamble

Mzungu