T-I-K (this is kenya)

bygrace academy

some of my kids~

gentlemen : )


presh!



Greetings from Kenya! Let me first extend my apologies to you. I have attempted to update this specific entry THREE times, each ending with the computer turning off and not saving what I had written first. It was initially on the 1 month anniversary of returning to Kenya that I had begun to share my experience, and now, well....im now going into my 3rd month of being here.

Above are pictures of the school I teach at and some of my students. I sincerely love them all. There are a little over 100 students from kindergarten to 8th grade. It's interesting to have that many age groups in one system. It seems like family at ByGrace which is what I appreciate most!

My days are spent preparing for class, teaching, having tea time with my teachers, going back to class, and ending the day in meetings or answering emails. I'm really tired by the end of the day. Luckily, I have been able to move into a house nearby school so commuting home takes less time and I'm saving money on trasport.

I REALLY REALLY like my house. Our neighbours are great and welcoming! We have been able to make new friends and deepen the friendships we had in the community. Lauren and I joke about living in the 'shags' / rural of Ngong, when really, its not that interior. We are surrounded by hills and green pastures with a forest of trees to add to the ambiance. It feels like we are really in nature.

Most of my spare time is spent near more civilization. We tend to go to the nearby malls and grab a coffee, or I spend time with Steve's family, or we have friends over for our weekly UNO night! 'Moja' means one in Swahili so we usually "moja" instead of uno.

I'm amazed at how fast this term has flown by! My students are taking their exams this week and tomorrow is the closing day. There's about 4 1/2 weeks we have on break so Lauren and I will be traveling a bit around Kenya. We will go to a town near the Ugandan border called Busia for a wedding Steve and I are in, and hopefully after that we will hit the coast (mombasa) for a couple days. If we are not traveling, we will just stay in Nairobi enjoying the rest and comfort of our home.

Today is THANKSGIVING!! I LOVE this holiday. This year it will be low key. This weekend we are having some Kenyan friends over for this festive, delicious occassion trying to incorporate our culture here. It will be interesting to see a table full of kenyan and american food. YUM!!

I will try to post some more pictures of our house on my blog. Along with photos of some of the holiday events we will be hosting. it's been an adventure thus far while being back filled with many fun and funny T-I-K moments! : )

happy holidays!

shalom.