Last update from Kenya!

Tonight I fly home.

Wait. WHAT?! 

Eight weeks has flown by in a heartbeat. It's hard to believe that the summer is ending and it is time to head back home! I keep staring at my screen thinking that if I don't write any of this I won't have to leave. But I am excited to return home and to share this wonderful experience with you all and hear about how God has worked in your lives as well!
I'm also starting to realize how hard goodbyes really are. But here's the thing about hard goodbyes: they mean that you've made a relationship with those around you, allowed yourself to be vulnerable, and that you care.

To bring you up to speed on our last couple weeks in country:

Monica and I arrived back in Nairobi last week from Ewaso Ng'iro. Saying goodbye was hard but we know that there is great work being done at the clinic for the people in the surrounding areas. For the past eight weeks we have been able to learn, grow, and see God move in incredible ways.  The clinic system has an amazing group of clinicians, nurses, and staff who are committed to providing healing and care to the people around them. They were incredible teachers to us but even more than that they were, and still are, better friends. The impact that they have left on my life as a nursing student and an individual is one that will be lifelong.

We then traveled to Malindi to spend time at the CMF retreat with other interns and missionaries from Kenya and Ethiopia! I'm grateful for the time that we had debriefing, getting to know the other missionaries that are serving in different places in Africa, and the ministries that they are working in. It was also great to see the beautiful people from Grandview Christian Church and spend time helping out in kids ministry with them. I'm so thankful for all of the love and encouragement that they poured into all the missionaries and their families while at the coast. I know for me it was such a blessing to see familiar faces from home and to spend time in the presence of such sweet people.

Right now Monica and I are back in Nairobi spending the last few hours that we have left with our host family, the Cluff's. I'm so grateful for the patience and love that they have shown us both this whole summer. It has been a blessing to have their guidance while learning to live in a completely new culture. Both Kim and Joe along with their two great kids are a fantastic family and the work that they are doing here in Kenya is a blessing to all those around them.

It's hard right now to process a whole summer but I do know that this internship has been far more than I ever could have imagined. I've been stretched in ways that I never thought that I would be stretched and learned to love in a completely different culture. Through everything God has remained constant and His faithfulness has endured. I'm so thankful for all that I have been able to experience while in Kenya and I want to thank you all for the support that you have given me this summer. Without your donations, love, and prayers I wouldn't be here! There aren't enough words to convey my gratitude and love for you all but know that you mean the world to me, even from and ocean away.

I can't wait to see you all state side but for now though packing calls....

Much Love and Many Thanks,
Anne 

Kenya Update 2!

Well friends it’s been a few weeks since I posted last so let me bring you up to speed on my current adventure in Kenya. The internet out here is incredibly slow and a bit spotty. So I wish I could update you all more often but I am very thankful for the internet that we have, even if it is slow.

 

Monica and I have been at the Ewaso Ng’iro clinic for about three weeks now and it has been great so far! We have finally gotten ourselves settled into the team house on the compound and minus the spiders we are doing well. We have a resident gecko named Mumford, who coincidently is a hopeless wanderer, and by that I mean he lives behind our couch. Since he eats the spiders though, we’re happy to let our little friend stay.  *It breaks my heart to say that since writing this post Mumford has sadly passed on. RIP Mumford. L*

We are now staying in Ewaso Ng’iro, which is about 3 hours from Nairobi. It’s a rural, small town but we are only 20 minutes from a bigger town, Narok, where we go to do shopping and get other supplies. Traveling wise we take matatus, which are Kenyan taxis, between towns. Getting to know and engaging in the Maasai culture has been getting better each week and we’ve found the Maasai people to be incredibly hospitable and loving toward us while we have been here. The Maasai name that I have been given is Namunyak which means “blessed”. Funny story-The first time that I introduced myself to a national I got confused and called myself “Nakumatt” which is a grocery store in Kenya. So essentially I said “Hi, my name is grocery store!”

 

So far our time spent with the clinic has been eye opening and filled with learning experiences. Being a nursing student from the U.S. it has been interesting to see healthcare in a different setting. The clinic has the basics to care for patients but none of the super sophisticated machinery and supplies that are commonly available back home. Despite that though I have seen the clinical staff constantly care for the people with the resources that they have and still work to provide holistic care even in a rural setting.

Working at the clinic has allowed us to observe and practice in a wide variety of areas such as seeing patients with clinicians, helping in the pharmacy, maternity, and pediatrics. The majority of cases are HIV/AIDS patients, water borne illnesses, and urinary tract infections.  We have also had opportunities to travel out to surrounding field clinics to distribute medications to HIV/AIDS patients and help in immunization clinics for locals. I have found the clinicians and staff to be great teachers as well. They have allowed me to continue to practice the skills that I already know while also taking initiative to help teach new ones and explain the different treatments for the patients that we see.

 

During our time here we were blessed to be able to travel out to the village of Olkoroi and stay with the always wonderful Angela Highfield and family! Angela is a close friend of mine who just graduated from Milligan College, so it was great seeing a familiar face all the way in Africa. While there we got to experience a different side of mission work apart from the clinic. We got to go to a nearby village and evangelize and encourage a woman and her children and see a well being put in for a community. It was an incredibly humbling experience to see the praise and happiness that clean water was able to bring people. Sunday we then went out to a new church plant. Even though church was held in a different language and under a tree, God’s presence was there. It was so cool to experience that even in a culture which is very different from my own that God still remains the same and that there is no cultural barrier to the movement of the Holy Spirit.

 

Thank you all for your continual prayers and know that you are in mine as well! I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for all the support and love that each of you have poured into my life. I have loved my time here in Kenya and I’m excited share my stories, struggles, and joys that God has given me with you all when I return home. Until then I pray that you all are doing well, soaking up some sunshine, and that your 4^th of July weekend was a blast! HA! Get it?! ;)

 

Much love and many goats,

Anne

Kenya Update 1!

Last time I was able to touch base with you all it was in the London airport and since then I've been in Kenya for over 10 days now! Yikes, sorry folks but internet has been a bit touch and go. Here is a quick run down on my time in Kenya so far.

During the first week here we spent a couple days getting over jet lag with our host family, The Cluffs, who by the way are some of the most kind and loving people that I've ever met! Plus they have two of the most energetic and fun loving kids around.
Saturday (June 7th) we were taken out to spend time in Kajiado where I was able to start learning about the Maasai language and culture! They taught us everything from language, to cooking, and even some cleaning during our time there.

I have now been back in Nairobi since last Wednesday and it's been a crazy and stressful week but God has constantly been full of peace.  Earlier this week my teammate, Bridgette, had to return to the United States unexpectedly. As most of you know we were a team of two for this summer. So with my teammate gone some reevaluating was in order.  After discussing different options and talking with the other teams I'm blessed and humbled that one of the interns from Turkana has prayerfully decided to come and join me!  I can't even begin to tell you all how incredibly thankful I am for Monica.  From the time that I have gotten to know her she's an absolutely wonderful woman and I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue to get to know her as we serve God together!  Please pray that our new team is not only able to care for the Maasai people around us physically, emotionally, spiritually, but that we are also able to care for each other as well.

I'll admit, seeing my teammate leave was really hard. What was harder though was fighting off the thoughts of loneliness and the emotional exhaustion that followed. What they say is true. The enemy will knock at your door every chance he gets but because God is our strength that door remains shut. He continually reminded me of that this week through prayer, scripture, and my fellow brothers and sisters who have lovingly encouraged me. A friend, who at the time didn't know what had happened, shared with me in a message: "Not sure how things are going, but whether good or bad let me ask you both, who do you serve? Will this God you serve leave you? Forsake you? What about love you? Challenge you? Take you on adventures that you could only imagine? Keep going. Hebrews 12." Right there in that moment God poured His peace into my soul and my heart found rest.

Throughout all of this I've learned that Satan will throw everything that he has and a can of sardines at you to try and stop the work of The Lord. Regardless though, if something is part of His Will then a way will be made. Tomorrow morning Monica and I are finally heading out to Ewaso Ng'iro to serve for the rest of the summer in their clinics. We are both excited and ready to see how God uses each of us to better His Kingdom here in Kenya!
Thank you all for your love, support, and encouraging words this week! They mean the world and more to me. Continue to keep us in your thoughts and I will post back soon when I am able to. So until then please take care of your sweet selves. :) 

Buckets of Love, 

Anne 

Kenya update!

Quick Kenya update! 

Our Kenya team has made it to London! YAY! We're currently waiting in the airport for the connecting flight to Nairobi.  By the time we get there is will be 6:30am tomorrow and 11:30pm back in good ole Tennessee! 

Flying has been an experience switching flights and waiting for hours at a time. To pass time, we've kept ourselves entertained with everything from bananagrams to singing Taylor Swift to one of our teammates whose birthday was today! 

It's hard to believe that Kenya is about to be a reality within a matter of hours! I'm so excited and ready to go love. With any long flight, or flights for that matter, a good read is always a must. Earlier this semester our RA staff started "Life of the Beloved" by Henri Nouwen and it's now become one of my favorite books! He's a beautiful, inspiring, and personally challenging writer all at the same time. The book isn't long  and in the short amount of pages his words touch a deep portion of my heart.  At one part he goes through how we as humans are meant to be given to all those around us. He says "Our humanity comes to it's fullest bloom in giving. We become beautiful people when we give whatever we can give: a smile, a handshake, a kiss, an embrace, a word of love, a present, a part of our life...all of our life." Maybe not the kissing part but this summer I intend to give all that I can give in the rest of those aspects! Right now all I am is a suitcase and stethoscope and that's about it. Alone I am a pair of feeble hands and knees but if that is all I have to give I pray that God uses all of it to better His Kingdom. 

To the rest of my sisters and brothers who are out on the field right now I hope you all are doing well and already giving yourselves to those around you!  This is the last post that I'll make before I lose constant internet connection. From here out I will try my best to update once a week when internet is available! I love you all much!

PDO Experience!

Hey all!
So I made it to Indianapolis for Pre-Departure Orientation earlier this week!



The past five days have been a bit of blur but exciting nonetheless. We have been staying at the Benedict Inn Monastery with the Sisters of St. Benedict. I'm sure we are a little bit more energetic than what they are normally used to, but regardless they have still been incredibly kind to us. I can't tell you all how good it feels to have been here with my teammate and the other interns. After months of just emails it's great to finally put faces to everyone's names.  The time here has been a lot of different sessions preparing us for what we will face out on the field, personal reflection, and team bonding.


During my time here I have been able to get to know some pretty amazing people, hear their testimonies, and see how God has lead all of them in different ways to come to Christ.  I've been surprised on how easy it has been to just jump in and get to know everyone. I think it's because that we all understand that although we are traveling to many different countries to serve in different ways, we are all here for one purpose and that purpose being Christ. So even though we all were basically strangers at first, we have bonded in a way that has been incredibly meaningful and spiritual.



Bridgette and I have had a lot of time to continue getting to know each other since we have been here. From the time that I have gotten spend with her so far she is a great person and I'm blessed to have her as my teammate for this adventure! She is now my family for this summer and I am excited to grow deeper in our relationship as we serve together in Kenya.


Sooooo all if that to say this...TODAY IS THE BIG DAY! The Kenya team has been checked in and we are currently waiting on our flight to Dallas. As I have taken time to reflect this week on how I have gotten to this point, I know that it's only through the grace of God and the love from you all. My cup and heart are overflowing and that is because each and every one of you have haven taken the time to pour into me emotionally, physically, and spiritually. You all are my support system and I have been blessed beyond compare by your love. 

You all are the best and I love you a lot! KENYA HERE WE COME! :) 

Here we go folks!

Hello! 

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Anne Varghese and this summer I will be serving along side CMF (Christian Missionary Fellowship) in Kenya! This is my first ever attempt at blogging…so please bear with me. I figured that if a dog on Disney channel could do it, so could I. My hope is to use this blog to be able to keep all of you in the loop while Bridgette (my teammate) and I are in Africa. I will try to update it once a week when we have internet access. You might not be physically there with me this summer but the love, prayers, and financial support that you all have provided has facilitated for me to be where God has called my heart to serve. For that I can't thank you all enough!! 

A little of what we will be doing:

For 8 weeks this summer, my teammate and I will work alongside Kenyan health professionals to minister to the Maasai people in rural Kenya. We will join in an extensive medical ministry that treats tropical diseases, immunizes children and combats HIV/AIDS with testing, counseling, medical treatment and home-based care. We will also seek to empower the nationals through Community Health Evangelism (CHE). CHE is a program that seeks to transform the lives of individual’s physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

I’m excited, nervous, happy, and ready (once I finish packing) all at the same time. But most of all I am at peace about this summer. I know Kenya is where God has called my heart. Even though I might not know what to fully and completely expect when I get there, I find rest in that I will be in the place where His will needs me to be.

I am so incredibly thankful for all of the love and support that everyone has given me this past semester. You all are the BOMB DOT COM and I love you to pieces! Please continue to keep Bridgette, myself, and all the other CMF interns in your prayers as we head to PDO (pre-departure orientation) in Indianapolis this Thursday and then to the countries where we will be serving.

I will keep you all updated when I can but for now packing calls…

Much Love,

Anne