A Man Had A Ruler, Amen

Quick Note:
Dear Dave-
Precious!
Love Michael


Here we are again! Tammi is well, I feel great! A little homesick, but great nonetheless.

I haven't really journalled too much in the past week, but we have been working on the newsletter, and this is a little something I wrote but decided it was more blogworthy:

Almost one month ago we left the United States to become a part of the House of Hope Community. To say Tammi and I seamlessly integrated ourselves would be a lie. First off, we are white, and large, and don’t know a word of Swahili (although we are working on this!). Secondly, we are from the United States and have become accustomed to certain creature comforts that our air conditioned homes, personal automobiles and level roads usually afford us. Am I complaining? Most definetly not! We have been brought warmly into this community despite our differences and were fed, housed and kept warm, not only by the grace of God, but by the Basigwas---all forty five of them, as well as their family and friends.
Despite the warm reception of our new family, we find ourselves homesick at times. This is normal, I know, but we do miss all of you and carry you with us through our everyday lives. Not a day passes where we don’t say to one another “So-and-so would have loved this” or “So-and-so would love this food”, it’s inevitable. Something else has happened, that I thought would never happen: we miss Houston. I have been fighting my love/ hate relationship with Houston my entire adult life. Just before our departure Tammi and I discussed how Houston makes it so hard for people to love it, by systematically removing everything that makes it worth living there (i.e. Astroworld, Cactus Records, and eventually the River Oaks Theater, the Alabama Bookstop, and dare I say, the Astrodome). But as we are driven through the bustling streets of Nairobi, down Kenyatta Boulevard or around the circle of Haile Selassie, I realize a certain chaotic charm that I could get used to. But I still long for my Westhiemer, Montrose, Alabama, and the southbound entrance onto to I-45 off of Allen Parkway at that certain time of day where the beauty of downtown will crush you and your automobile if the oncoming traffic doesn’t first.
I guess that is why we don’t go into the city too often: it is much easier to see beauty here at the House of Hope.

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Another reason my dad would love it here:

The kids are fans of JAG! JAG!?! What next Martial Law?

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And now Tammi's continuing omprehensive journal:

Friday 8/18/06

While I was in the shamba the day before I noticed that my throat kind of hurt, I thought it was because I was freakin thirsty but it was not, I was sick! So When I woke this morning I felt like crap, I had a fever and my throat was killing me. I took some advil and was off. We were planning on going into town so we just went to school until 10am and then we came to the house to meet Silas to go into town. We took one of the aunties with us and we thought it was so she could go on holiday but we later found out it was not holiday, she was fired. So that was weird for us, but Margaret explained everything later to us. So any ways back to our trip to town. We went back to the Africa walmart to get a passport photo taken so we could open up a bank account and both Margaret and Silas both thought it would take hours for them to do but it only took 5 min. so Silas went to run some errands and we went and had lunch and use the internet. Silas came back before we were completely done with the internet and he wanted to take us to the bank, so off we were going deeper into the city to a bank that was big and kind scary, the deeper into the city the more intense it gets. So we get to the bank and Margaret has to sign some papers for us to be able to open an account, and she was not available. Silas just thought if the lady talked to Margaret, then that would work. Well that would be a no go in any country so Kenya was no exception. So we filled out all the paper work and got everything ready but that meant that we would have to come back the next day to complete the whole process. So Silas said he was going to take us yet again to another internet place and drop us off while he went to run errands and to get Margaret at work. So we went to a place that Michael and I would normally hang out at with no problems, a cinema with a bunch of other places in it. But the whole time Silas is telling us to stay close to him and to not leave the internet place. But come on you know us. We stayed for as long as we could and then we went to a restaurant and got a couple of cokes and talked. For the first time ever we felt a little out of place. They served us ok but they kind of treated us different and it felt like people were staring at us. But we quickly got over it and we talked and enjoyed our coke and when we were done we called Silas and he was on his way to pick us up. So we walked to meet Margaret and made our way home. Once home I went straight to bed and I started to take some antibiotics I had gotten from a dr. before we came. So I had a high fever and my whole body hurt and my throat felt like it was going to close completely up. So that meant we missed fellowship night but I could hear some of it as I would wake every now and then. They did it all in Swahili but I could feel it in my heart. Margaret prayed at the end and I could feel the Holy Spirit so strong, it was her voice but you could tell it was God speaking because my whole body could feel it. When she was done you could tell she was tired. I think I will tell her to do it all the time in Swahili because you can feel it more.

Sat. 8/19/06

I did not do much, stayed in bed all day. Michael went to the bank with Margaret to finish up the account and he came back with treats. KitKat bar and some coke, sprit and Mountain Dew! I felt so special. Michael also told me that Margaret picked up a new auntie for the children who looked like one of the children. I woke from a nap to have dinner in the living room and to be back around the children but I still did not feel any where near 100%. I met the new auntie and she did look young but she is 20 and you can tell she is a grown up in her face. Some of the children are still having a hard time seeing her as an adult, but it will come with time.
So, being physically ill and home sick makes for a sad Tammi. The kids could tell I was sick and Olivia told me that she was praying for me. I thought that was so sweet. She later asked if I was going to the hospital,
I said “I am not that bad I will get well soon”.

Sun. 8/20/06

Today was a little rough to say the least (could be because I was still not back to myself). We had some guest today, about 20-25 people from a church youth group that is in South Nairobi. The youth pastor gave an amazing sermon! Margaret had asked Michael 5 min. before we left for church if he could speak for 5 min. or so. Michael was overwhelmed but God told him what he needed to preach about. He addressed the children (who were already asleep by the time he spoke) but it was very good. We don’t think many could understand him any ways. So after church we got to help with the food and serving our guest. For the first time we felt like part of the family, it was very nice. Everyone let us jump right in and help. The guest were a little snobby to us (the whole HofH) but over all they were nice. After lunch, I went to go rest for a bit, we woke when they were all leaving. Good timing on our part. So we came back together with all the kids, you can tell when the kids have visitors, they all act a little bit crazier. They were all over us and all over the place. Margaret had to have a meeting with all of them in her room. They came back a little be calmer. We watched football and went to bed.
Oh I also got to talk with my mom and sister today! It was so good to hear their voice. I love them so much and miss them so much! I think about them all the time!

Mon. 8/21/06

Back to school, I still do not enjoy getting up on Mondays for school. So off we went, my teacher is on holiday again and Faith was back, so we tired our best but the kids over took us. I have good moments and really bad one all in the same day. I have learned to pick my battles I suppose, but it is hard. The kids I have noticed do something kind of strange when they are confronted with something. If one is hurting another or if they are acting out and you get on to them or just say something like “what can I do for you” or “ I am going to need you to work (Kazi) please” or “say you are sorry” They space out, not like the kind of space out that they miss behave more, the kind of space out that takes them to another place far away from where they are. I can’t fully explain it, I think it may have some thing to do with coming for a very traumatic background. So school was over for the day, thank God! Off to the house we went. We ate lunch and took a nap and we were ready to go again when they came back to the house from being outside. We went out side where they were still playing and getting ready for a fruit snack, we got some too. Oranges and mystery fruit (with think it may have been guava) when we asked the kids they said “I don’t know”. So the kids starting taking baths and we went for our walk, when we came home it was getting close to dinnertime. We ate with the children then we went to play some cards and such. I showed the older kids how to play battle. The first time we played it went rather quickly the second time, not so fast. It took forever and it was between Sarah and John Flex. It is funny how kids everywhere will grow sick of the game but can’t quit in the middle of it. So they played on and on until Sarah won! We had our tea and called it a night.

More side notes:
1) If you have not noticed the photos yet, be sure to check them out! All the kids are there, so if I talk about one, you can go to the photos and take a look see and put a face with the story!

2) They have roaches! And crickets (big black ones), Michael found one in the sink one morning and tried to flush but he was too strong, so I peed on him, I was scared he was going to jump up my butt, but I won that battle!

3) I stink all the time! And Michael thinks deodorant takes the place of showering (not much different from when we were in the states)

4) It feels like camping all the time and well I am not sure what I think about extended camping…

5) When ever you are talking to anyone in passing they think you are asking “How are you?” and they say “Fine”, so really you could be saying something really mean or really nice and you will get the response “Fine”

6) Everything we eat gives us gas……

7) The food is very good (except the greens), I find myself looking forward to it!

8) The boys really really like football!

9) We have been here 2 weeks and still no rain! It is the dry season we found out. It rains in Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. (so we got that to look forward to)

10) I tried to explain organ donation to Margaret and you could tell she thought that was way weird.

11) Margaret told us 450 people die every day of AIDS in Kenya alone. These are people that are being reported that live in the city, who knows what the real number is.


Tue. Wed. Thur. and Fri. 8/22-8/25

Well this is when it happens, I guess, I start not writing so much or at least not everyday. Our days are starting to get very routined I suppose. We get up, have breakfast, walk to school, 1030am we have tea time then back to school. Then home for lunch at 1230. Then a nap from 2-4ish and then tea and a walk until 5ish. Play time with the kids until dinner at 6ish then playtime or project time from 7-8 then prayers until 9ish. So that has been most of our days in a nutshell. All of this is not to say that beautiful things are not happening. They are, we laugh every day at someone being silly and I hold someone everyday that has gotten hurt.
For the last 3 nights we have been doing a project over the solar system with the older kids, we did not realize that all of them have never heard about other planets let alone the solar system. Most of them if not all had a hard time reading simple English and then putting the information into their own words. This might have been our biggest struggle. They could not understand that they could not just copy from the little books we had given them. Finally, I just let them copy, the battle was too hard to fight. So the first night (Wed.) they read their book and wrote something about it. Thursday night they made their planet out of art supplies, again they could not really image that they could make it however they wanted so in the end they all looked pretty much alike. So come Friday night they were ready to tell all their other brothers and sisters here at HofH about the solar system. It was long but good. You could tell they were nervous and excited to report back what they had been doing the last few nights in the kitchen. I was very proud of them all especially given the circumstances. It seemed like Margaret really enjoyed hearing them speak and read in front of everyone. So we told her that we hope to do other projects with all the different age groups. All ideas you might have are welcomed!

I think one of the things that I am struggling the most with is finding my place here. Michael can preach, he can teach and he is a male that is with the kids all the time. So I know what you are thinking, you can teach too Tammi, but I am not so sure. I am really quick to get frustrated with the kids and that makes for a really bad teacher. I don’t think I have been all that kind to them in the classroom. I have been quick to grab their hand when they don’t understand, I am quick to pick up the really little ones in the classroom when they are destroying other peoples work. I am well, not that good with them in the classroom. I am really scared about this. I mean some of the worst ones in class will then the moment we walk out the door want to hold my hand. So needless to say Margaret and us have been having talks about all this. I have agreed to be patient with them and my teachers (who still do not talk to me). She has also explained that the children could be having a hard time seeing me as a teacher. They see me as a visitor that they play with. She also said that the teachers could be having a hard time not seeing me as a threat. All in all I am leaning to just role with it and be bolder with my teacher when I am upset or if I think the children are not respecting me. I pray with time I will see my purpose here. This whole place is ran by really strong women and well they are doing an amazing job that it is hard to see how I could even compare.

Michael and I started working on an old Beth Moore bible study that I had brought. I think this is going to be really good for us, please pray that we will find the time to work on it and that the Holy Spirit is with us.

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Amen, Hallelujah, Amen.