Elephants and Griaffes

Just wanted to say that this video shows how amazing this animals are!

THE ROAD SO FAR...

After one month in Kenya a lot of things have changed and I’ve learned a lot. It’s incredible how time goes by, I still remember my first day here in Nairobi.

The first week here after learning a little bit about the city, the culture and language they put us to work all the week in different departments of the ministry. The departments are the following:

• Social Work
• CHE - Community Health Evangelism
• BDS - Business Development Services
• Spiritual Development
• Education

All of them are amazing, everyone here works really hard and make a huge impact in the community. Everyday we all go to the main center call “Pangani Center” and they have 9 more centers with schools for kids in the slums and 2 clinics. Everyone here is working in different departments and in different centers.

I’m working in the BDS department, my job this summer is to go to the different groups that they have and gather information to create profiles for the future web they are going to create for the 600 hundred clien

ts they have. It is a very tiring job because some of them don’t speak english or speak a little bit so it’s difficult to ask some of the questions we need. On the other hand is great to see how all this groups are formed by amazing business people who are trying to improve their lifestyle. Is incredible to see that everyone in the groups tries to repay the loans and save money into their saving accounts.

Also this department trains them to develop not only in the financial way but also in the spiritual area, develop team work, importance of family and administration of money.

I got the chance to preach the other day at the BDS training, and I talk about Jesus walking on water. I told them that no matter how bad we are drowning in problems God is always going to be there to help us, the only thing we have to do is stop doubting.

Everyone here in Kenya so far has been super friendly, as I go to the groups to fill the forms they always give me food and tea. Also when they see you are leaning the language they want to teach you more and more and it’s a great opportunity to meet more people.

I have to be honest, Nairobi reminds me a lot of Mexico. The public transportation here is crazy, I always thought mexicans were crazy drivers but i think here they are insane. Food is good, a lot of corn, meat rice and beans. Between my favorite food so far I think is goat and chapati (like flour tortilla but 100 times better).

So far I have 2 favorite things that I’ve done so far. The first one is I got the chance to ride on a taxi motorcycle in the slums, it was great experience going around people, cars, holes and even animals.

And the second one is that we got the chance to go to one of the schools called Joska but this one is special because is boarding school. The kids here are awesome, it doesn’t mean in the other ones they are not, but in Joska is just amazing. The is school is in the middle of no where and they have all these field to play and learn. We played with them soccer (futbol) and it was amazing!

We also stayed there for church and it was great because the children participate all the time they sign, act, dance and worship in such a wonderful way, is just great to be around the kids.

Blessing to everyone,

MOI (Philippians 2:1-5)

THE BEGINNING

Hello everyone,

Sorry it’s been so long without letting know everyone how things are going but here is a little update.

The Pre-departure Orientation (PDO) started in Indianapolis the 26th of May, It was great to have the opportunity to meet people from other teams going to different parts of the world to share the love of God. I also got the chance to meet all my 16 teammates! It is a great team, we have all kind of people sharing the same passion and we are having an awesome time together.

In PDO we learned a lot of important things, such as culture shock, security, different abilities to learn and communicate with

people in Kenya. We also learn spiritual disciplines which they encourage us to do this summer. Two of them are very important to me cause in Mexico I don’t do them a lot and they are spend quiet time with God and the other one is writing a journal. I think with the journal I won’t forget to write important details on my updates.

After PDO we took the airplane and this was the original plan, to leave June 1st and arrive in Kenya June 3rd, well things didn’t go that way. The airplane in Washington was delayed they told us it was because of “weather conditions.” so we didn’t make our connection flight to London so we spent a day in Washington. After that we had a good time in Washington going around to see the most famous things. We took our flight to London and arrived there June 3rd and we had 8 hrs to go around and see a little bit of London. In London getting prepared to leave to Kenya I had problems with my airplane ticket so I went to see what was going on and when I did that they fixed and weighted my carry-on and it was over the weight so they charge me £180 pounds, it was crazy and i couldn’t do anything about it. But well after that we finally got on the airplane and flew to Kenya.

We finally arrived to Kenya June 4th 6:00 am and without

sleeping almost for 2 days they took us to see the place where we are going to work and it was great just to start having an idea of the place and people we are going to be working with.

Yesterday they took us around the place we are staying to know where are the restaurants, places to exchange money, the post office and the most important thing the public transportation in which we are going to be moving while we are here.

Today we went to church and it was a great experience, when they were worshiping I couldn’t sing the songs because I don’t know the language but I remembered what Psalms 150 when it says praise God with dancing, and that’s what I did with 3 little kids that were next to me, we praised God with our dance.

The sermon was awesome they talk about 3 John and the importance of fellowship, this is a little bit of my notes:

“Believers should treat each other with love and faithfulness, showing a brotherly love to one another. It’s important we let our fellowship come from above, let it be as true friendship giving everything to your brothers with love.”

“Sometimes there is sacrifice but that is true fellowship and true friendship”

“Imitate what is good”

All this phrases touched my heart cause I see people here applying those teachings, being in fellowship loving one another.

It’s been great the few days here, I’ve been learning a little bit of the language and a lot about the culture. Everyone here is super friendly and are willing to help at all times. God has been great and I pray that things continue to be like this.

Thanks everyone!!! Please keep praying!!!

Blessing to everyone,

MOI (Philippians 2:1-5)