New Year's Eve service at the cathedrral tonight! Look at those white folks shakin' it :) Happy New Year-- much love to all.

The Christ Church team arrived safe and sound and seemed to be in good spirits,even though they have been traveling a LONG time. It was great to see them and be able to catch up a bit :) The vehicle we have is for 11 passengers.... literally. No luggage space. So we packed into an army-looking land cruiser and set off for the bumpy road to Homa Bay. We had a late dinner and I can now hear people snoring through the thin walls at Hippo Buck Hotel :) Good thing I brought the ear plugs!

I grabbed the last of my things from James and Christine's house tonight... as excited as I am to have friends from home here, and to be returning home in a few weeks, I was sad to be moving out of their home. Definitely a new season for my time here. Bittersweet...

This is the lion eating its "prey" after he lunged at us! I think he was trying to distract us so we wouldn't get to his food before he did. Believe me Simba, those12 kilos of raw antelope are all yours :)

We also saw baboons, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, buffalo and jackals... and the monkeys and impalas were roaming around free throughout the park.

I came to Kisumu to visit Simon and Nancy for a few days before the Christ Church team arrives TOMORROW! Yay!! We visited Impala Park-- which is a zoo with picnic sites, nature trails and you can camp there :) While I was about to take a picture of the lion, through the chicken wire fence, I might add, it all of a sudden growled and lunged at us! It scared the s$&! out of me and I ran away FAST... so this was the picture that resulted! I am still laughing :)

Its about 12:30am and I just got back from the most fun Christmas Eve service EVER! Dancing, singing, readings, dancing, singing, great sermon (and in English!), dancing, singing, more dancing, singing, ringing the cathdral bells at midnight and shouting MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!, dancing, singing "Feliz Navidad" (that one was really unexpected-- I think I might have been the only one in the room who knew the words or the translation...), praying, dancing, dancing.... sleeping :) Merry Christmas

Making paper snowflakes with Felix and Mackline!

Finished product :)

Thought I would just give a little update... things have settled down a bit with the holidays and end of the year coming. Last week I attended a white elephant gift exchange with the Cathedral staff, shown in the picture :) I got drinking glasses-- they are nice but I'll probably be re-gifting them so I don't have to take them on the plane! Over the weekend I attended a house dedication in Pe Hill. It was a really nice home for a Kenyan couple who lives in the U.K.-- I think they are planning to retire there. In attendance were future/former Members of Parliament, Kenyan musicians, foreign ambassadors, lots of priests and a white girl :) It was really fancy, like a wedding, and people came out of the woodwork for the dance in the evening. It was quite the experience! Yesterday I attended a burial service for a friend's father-in-law at a place called Rosinga Island-- lots of beautiful lake views. And today there was an ordination service at the Cathedral. There we
re about five newbies being ordained :) I got to play guitar and sing for the service, so that was fun. My tolerance level for long services has really improved-- it was four hours long and I barely got antsy! It is really funny when there are Diocese-wide events and I know so many people. I love seeing all the people in one place who I have been developing relationships with over the past few years.

It is starting to feel a little more like Christmas... Maureen has been playing Christmas music, we watched a Christmas episode of Oprah with Kenny Rogers, Vince Vaughn and Amy Grant, and it is the coldest today that its been since I arrived. That would so great if it snowed!! Keep dreaming :) I broke down and went Christmas shopping at the local supermarket this week-- I bought presents for seven people and only spent about $15. Awesome. I will have a full report on Christmas in the next few days :)

Merry Christmas to all!

Advent has become one of my favorite seasons because it honors the time we spend waiting and hoping for whatever is "next." I've spent so much time and heart energy waiting, hoping, anticipating-- in relationships, education, work, life in general. During Advent I remember the beauty and importance of the time I spend in anticipation.

I've had a little more time and space to reflect on Advent and the Christmas season this year. Usually about this time I have eaten my way through 86/100 Christmas parties, am 10 pounds heavier from the delicious excesses, exhausted from making/writing/addressing cards and shopping, and ready to punch a reindeer if I hear another rendition of "Here Comes Santa Clause." :)

However, this year, if it weren't for Facebook status updates I think I may have forgotten all about holiday baking and hanging Christmas lights. And except for the occassional holiday TV commercial or newspaper advertisement, and sparse decorations, it doesn't "feel" much like Christmas. As I write this I am sitting on the porch in a tank top, jeans and flip flops and it "feels" like August, not December!

This year I find myself in rural western Kenya, and I feel desperate for the hope of Jesus more than I ever have.

The Old Testament prophets spoke again and again of God bringing his Kingdom to fullness: Israel was promised to be a center of justice and prosperity. They would be at peace with other nations, and in fact, those nations would come streaming to Mount Zion to worship. So they waited, hoped, anticipated. For years they expected God to move, to bring peace, glory, justice, security, assurance.

We find ourselves under similar circumstances. Jesus came proclaiming that His Kingdom of restoration was near us and within us, and promising to return to bring complete restoration to the earth and humanity. So we wait, hope, anticipate, not only for Jesus to return but also to see restoration now, in our daily lives.

As I sit with people infected with HIV and other diseases, rape survivors, kids who need food, clothes and school fees, I look into the face of hopelessness and I cry out "Lord, the promise of your Kingdom is justice, peace, restoration, provision! Bring it now! Right here!"

I have observed (at least) two things about hope: 1) I am not Jesus and I am not the source of hope. Thank God. 2) My current faith level is sufficient to say "God is faithful, it will work out" to a friend finalizing an offer on a house, but not to an orphaned high school kid who is not sure where her next meal will come from, much less her school fees because her caretaker would rather spend the little money he has on alcohol rather than provide for her. I have found myself speechless in the hearing of such stories-- thinking of a million things I could say but not really sure I believe any of them. "Lord you have to show up. You have to bring hope here. I have no idea what to say. I believe you but help me in my unbelief!"

So as Israel cried out "How long oh Lord?!" my heart echoes the same cry this Advent. "God, where else can we go? You are the source of life! Come heal, restore. Be Emmanuel, God With Us. Here, now!"

I am desperate for hope. Its a little more vulnerable than I am comfortable with, because if he doesn't come, it will be devastating. But I think he will-- I am waiting, hoping, anticipating.

"The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it was written: 'The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has annointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.' Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, 'Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.' "
-Luke 4.17-21

Tuesday and Wednesday this week I got to hang out with the youth at the regional youth conference. They were so fun-- their worship was like Dancefest 2009 and so joyful. I LOVE watching Kenyans dance! I think they have an extra dance gene or something :) There were quite a few people I knew from all the touring I've done around the Diocese, so it was great to catch up with everyone. And I met a few new friends as well. I'm not sure if the picture is too dark... but it is some kids from Bondo Diocese doing one of their dances! So awesome!!

Funeral yesterday.... and wedding today!

Pretty much the same as a wedding in the U.S. except A LOT more dancing :)

Christine's (Bishop James' wife) father passed away after being in the hospital for several weeks, and the burial was today. It was held at their home village, which was WAY out in the bush. Hundreds of guests came and they spent several hours telling stories about his life and giving speeches (that's kind of how things work here-- everyone likes to talk for a long time :) ). There were several women, who upon their arrival, walked to the open casket wailing. Also in attendance were the donkeys, chickens and dogs who normally reside at the village and wanted to be in on the action. Very interesting experience!!

Kids from the Sunday School conference doing a skit.

I spent most of this week at the Diocese Sunday School conference. This is a picture of one of the sessions. I spoke a few times and played guitar for the kids. It was a huge age range-- 6-16! Great kids :)

One of the kids at Shem's house :) Isn't she so sweet??!

Wow this week has flown by! I spent Monday through Wednesday on a much needed personal retreat. I went to a local hotel to rest, play my guitar, have some introvert time, take a SHOWER (or three) and reflect on the last six weeks. I read through my journal to remember all I have experienced/thought/felt and get a "big picture" perspective on my time here so far. I think I'm ready for Part II now!

I just got back from spending two days with the youth at Waondo parish. Waondo is pretty far out in the "bush." I went with George the priest on motorbikes through a singletrack trail about 30 minutes until we reached Ponge church. There was a small traditional village there, where the grandmother and all the sons had houses nearby with their families. The picture is Shem's house, where we slept. Shem took us on a walk through the bush/crops at sunset and it was so beautiful. After dinner several of the youth came over and we sat around the living room drinking tea and telling stories by the light of a lantern. So great-- I love sitting around and laughing with people :) And it was pretty funny waking up to a mud wall. I had one of those oh-my-god-where-am-I moments! After breakfast we sat around while some of the women finished up dishes and all the kids (at least ten of them!) played around the yard with the dogs and chickens. Kind of surreal!