Many one you have been following our decision to send the kids to a school here in Mombasa. Its been challenging to decide what is best for them and our family. But now on the other side of finally making the decision to send them we have peace. All the pieces haven't fallen exactly into place yet. But we are trusting God is do that work for us. On Monday we will go to the school for an open house, buy uniforms, and some other general administration stuff.
Yesterday we bought them new school swim suits. Living in a warm climate year round means swimming is a regular part of school.
Elijah doesn't know what to think about this whole uniform thing. Uniforms are so foreign to Canadians. But all Kenyan school, International schools, and British schools, here in Mombasa use uniforms. So uniforms it is. I am happy to eliminate the fight about what to wear in the morning. This school is more laid back then Kenyan schools, who make their students wear heavy dress shoes year round. At Breaburn (the school the kids will attend) they are allowed to wear open toe shoes and crocs as long as they are black. This suits us just fine.
Elijah has a lot of concerns in his mind about going out of the house without Mom and Dad. It is for this reason we want to give him a safe place to prove to himself that he can be independent. I'm excited to watch him build his confidence through new friendships, new challenges, and new voices in his life. I'll admit it scares me a little to send them out of the house each morning. Sure I want to be the one speaking into their lives everyday. But I really feel like God has made it clear to me that Elijah especially needs other voices. Will some of those voices be false? I'm sure. But who of us is not braver and stronger for those voices we had to decide to reject. I will not abandon my children, of course, and so I know God, even more so, who loves them more then I do, will be with them each day they walk out the door.
We would have felt the same way in Canada, if God had kept us there. We would have believed that school was what was best for them. It's just a hard decision here because we have to pay so much money for school, and there are so many different choices. I'm glad to have taught the kids this past year. I feel a much deeper interest, and concern for their education and whole person then I did before that experience.
You know, I'm thankful for challenges. I am brought closest to the throne when my mind is troubled. God knows I need a reason to lean on Him. If life is ticking along with no worries; when I can easily get by; I end up letting the days slip by, not leaning on Him for His grace and wisdom. So thank God for this decision, though it was difficult, I was and still am falling before Him begging for the grace to have a clear mind, wisdom to lead my children and rest in His provision for this circumstance.
Thank you for your prayers. We love you all and pray for God's peace and provision in your lives.
Amie
Showing posts with label Mombasa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mombasa. Show all posts
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
The market
Fidelma and I went to the large wholesale market here in Mombasa this morning. We both needed veg and fruit so we decided to go together.
This is a huge indoor/outdoor market. I don't know the exact size of the place but I'm guessing 3-5 acres. Everyone who sells veg and fruit all over mombasa and surrounding areas comes to this market every morning to buy their produce. It is then pulled in carts all over the city and country side.
The ground is layers of garbage and mud. The place smells like a big mix of garbage, produce, animals and diesel. I can still smell it when I think about it now. People are pushing and yelling and sweating. There are Mamas sitting on potato sacks with little piles of produce all around then. "Karibu Mama" they say as we pass "Welcome Mama". Young men come up to us and ask if they can carry our bags. "Its too heavy for you Mama! Let me help you." (of course they want a little something) I say, "siku ingeni, asanta" "maybe tomorrow, thankyou" We come to the cabbage section of the market. Piles and piles of cabbage. Big piles of cabbage. The first mama says, "50 shilling". Fidelma looks at me and says, "how do you see it Amie?" Of course I have no idea what to pay for cabbage. She say, "We'll keep looking." We walk on then she leans over and starts hitting the cabbage. They are big, hard, bright green cabbage. Beautiful. She looks at the young man and says, "how much?" He says, "35 bob." She smiles. She takes two and I take one. She had just told me they were selling them for 100 bob across the ferry where she lives.
We keep moving, slowly weaving our way through the people sitting on the ground selling and the people hurrying around us. We stop to buy some avocado. Big beautiful avocado. The mama and Fidelma start talking about the price and which are good for today and which for tomorrow. Fidelma has to touch each one. Some she holds twice until she is satisfied she has found the best ones for us. All this bent over at the hips. Bum up, head down, bag between the feet, hands searching for just the right fruit. Its rude for a woman to squat. Better to bend straight over.
Moving again. Don't step in the mud. Don't step on the oranges. Step over the bolder sticking out of the ground. We buy some garlic from a man standing with a box of garlic. "10 bob each Mama. How many, mama?" He has a beautiful smile.
Then we head for one of the covered areas. I need some shade and Fidelma wants to greet a friend who sells melon. He's very happy to see us and meet Fidelma's mzungu (white person) friend. We buy some melon and ask if we can leave our heavy bags with him while we go buy the rest of our things. He's very happy to help.
We find ginger, hot peppers, green peppers, carrots, peas, spinach, onions, potatoes, parsley, lemons and sakuma (a green leaf Kenyans love).
The most interesting thing that happened though was at the tomatoes. Turning a corner we were suddenly standing in front of crates and crates and crates of tomatoes. I mean you have never seen so many tomatoes in one place. All in wood crates with cardboard scrapes on top and tied with twine. Tomatoes on the ground stepped on and covered in flies. TOMATOES! Fidelma got herself somehow in the middle of these crates where other woman and men where standing. I looked like they where all talking about something. I had no idea why we where just standing there. Then a young man grabbed a crate and poured out the contents on the the mud, garbage ground. Fidelma and five other people circled the pile on the ground and bent over at the hips. So, I bent over too thinking I could help pick our tomatoes but Fidelma quickly stopped me and said "I am choosing." Each took a different number of tomatoes in their hand and showed the rest what they had taken. They then put what was in their hand in their bag. They choose again. Fidelma took two. Another took five, and other took four. And each time they paused to show everyone that they had taken the agreed amount. I realized as I watched that they had all put in to buy the crate and then worked out among themselves how many they could each take from the crate. Amazing! What a great idea. We got at least 3kg of tomatoes for 100 shillings ($1.20 CDN)
After retrieving our bags from the melon guy we went to the part of the market that is in an actual building. There is a mama there who has a stall and sells spices. She is a big beautiful mama, with a bright laso (piece of fabric) tied on her head and a warm smile that takes up her whole face. I've bought from her many times before and the first time I sent Fidelma to the market alone I told her to go to Mama Hadija. So when Fidelma and I walked up she was very happy to see us. I asked her about the spices, rice and beans. And got her to tell me some words in Swahilli. Fidelma suggested that I go visit her in her home soon. Mama Hadija loved the idea! We then had to exchange phone numbers, a very common thing here. She told Fidelma to bring me next Sunday. She said she would phone me. Very different from home, but very neat. I'm excited to go visit her if I actually get to.
Then we were off heading toward to road. It's a bit of a hike out of the market. You have to navigate through matatus (14 passenger public service vehicles) and mud puddles and people. As you walk in and out there is a large used clothing market. But, we had done enough shopping for one day so we headed straight for the road.
Back home now I'm exhausted! Between the sun, and heat, the people, the heavy bags and the walking I'm pooped! But it's those experiences that make me love living here.
I have scrubbed, bleached and air dried all the produce and we are ready to eat!
This is a huge indoor/outdoor market. I don't know the exact size of the place but I'm guessing 3-5 acres. Everyone who sells veg and fruit all over mombasa and surrounding areas comes to this market every morning to buy their produce. It is then pulled in carts all over the city and country side.
The ground is layers of garbage and mud. The place smells like a big mix of garbage, produce, animals and diesel. I can still smell it when I think about it now. People are pushing and yelling and sweating. There are Mamas sitting on potato sacks with little piles of produce all around then. "Karibu Mama" they say as we pass "Welcome Mama". Young men come up to us and ask if they can carry our bags. "Its too heavy for you Mama! Let me help you." (of course they want a little something) I say, "siku ingeni, asanta" "maybe tomorrow, thankyou" We come to the cabbage section of the market. Piles and piles of cabbage. Big piles of cabbage. The first mama says, "50 shilling". Fidelma looks at me and says, "how do you see it Amie?" Of course I have no idea what to pay for cabbage. She say, "We'll keep looking." We walk on then she leans over and starts hitting the cabbage. They are big, hard, bright green cabbage. Beautiful. She looks at the young man and says, "how much?" He says, "35 bob." She smiles. She takes two and I take one. She had just told me they were selling them for 100 bob across the ferry where she lives.
We keep moving, slowly weaving our way through the people sitting on the ground selling and the people hurrying around us. We stop to buy some avocado. Big beautiful avocado. The mama and Fidelma start talking about the price and which are good for today and which for tomorrow. Fidelma has to touch each one. Some she holds twice until she is satisfied she has found the best ones for us. All this bent over at the hips. Bum up, head down, bag between the feet, hands searching for just the right fruit. Its rude for a woman to squat. Better to bend straight over.
Moving again. Don't step in the mud. Don't step on the oranges. Step over the bolder sticking out of the ground. We buy some garlic from a man standing with a box of garlic. "10 bob each Mama. How many, mama?" He has a beautiful smile.
Then we head for one of the covered areas. I need some shade and Fidelma wants to greet a friend who sells melon. He's very happy to see us and meet Fidelma's mzungu (white person) friend. We buy some melon and ask if we can leave our heavy bags with him while we go buy the rest of our things. He's very happy to help.
We find ginger, hot peppers, green peppers, carrots, peas, spinach, onions, potatoes, parsley, lemons and sakuma (a green leaf Kenyans love).
The most interesting thing that happened though was at the tomatoes. Turning a corner we were suddenly standing in front of crates and crates and crates of tomatoes. I mean you have never seen so many tomatoes in one place. All in wood crates with cardboard scrapes on top and tied with twine. Tomatoes on the ground stepped on and covered in flies. TOMATOES! Fidelma got herself somehow in the middle of these crates where other woman and men where standing. I looked like they where all talking about something. I had no idea why we where just standing there. Then a young man grabbed a crate and poured out the contents on the the mud, garbage ground. Fidelma and five other people circled the pile on the ground and bent over at the hips. So, I bent over too thinking I could help pick our tomatoes but Fidelma quickly stopped me and said "I am choosing." Each took a different number of tomatoes in their hand and showed the rest what they had taken. They then put what was in their hand in their bag. They choose again. Fidelma took two. Another took five, and other took four. And each time they paused to show everyone that they had taken the agreed amount. I realized as I watched that they had all put in to buy the crate and then worked out among themselves how many they could each take from the crate. Amazing! What a great idea. We got at least 3kg of tomatoes for 100 shillings ($1.20 CDN)
After retrieving our bags from the melon guy we went to the part of the market that is in an actual building. There is a mama there who has a stall and sells spices. She is a big beautiful mama, with a bright laso (piece of fabric) tied on her head and a warm smile that takes up her whole face. I've bought from her many times before and the first time I sent Fidelma to the market alone I told her to go to Mama Hadija. So when Fidelma and I walked up she was very happy to see us. I asked her about the spices, rice and beans. And got her to tell me some words in Swahilli. Fidelma suggested that I go visit her in her home soon. Mama Hadija loved the idea! We then had to exchange phone numbers, a very common thing here. She told Fidelma to bring me next Sunday. She said she would phone me. Very different from home, but very neat. I'm excited to go visit her if I actually get to.
Then we were off heading toward to road. It's a bit of a hike out of the market. You have to navigate through matatus (14 passenger public service vehicles) and mud puddles and people. As you walk in and out there is a large used clothing market. But, we had done enough shopping for one day so we headed straight for the road.
Back home now I'm exhausted! Between the sun, and heat, the people, the heavy bags and the walking I'm pooped! But it's those experiences that make me love living here.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Our Family Hangout Spot!
We found a great place for a family hangout in Mombasa. Parks and areas of recreation are few and far between here. There are just not public or even neighborhood school parks like we are used to using at home. But, we came across this place up the coast called the Butterfly Park. It is run by the same organization that manages Haller Park. The place with the Hippos that we have shown on our blog before. The Butterfly park obviously has butterflies! Which are really amazing! And, they have a playground, jogging trails, biking trails, and even a nice leisure walk trail. We bought an annual pass for the place so now we can go anytime we want and are enjoying the walks and a safe place for the kids to play!
Here is Grace on Owen the hippo in the play area!
On the walking trail! I am a blessed man to have such a super family!
Near the end of our walk we came across the herd of something like deer. We really enjoyed seeing these guys and were glad they are very used to humans walking by!
Here is Grace on Owen the hippo in the play area!
On the walking trail! I am a blessed man to have such a super family!
Near the end of our walk we came across the herd of something like deer. We really enjoyed seeing these guys and were glad they are very used to humans walking by!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Life in Mombasa
So, this is how we travel around Mombasa. Almost everyday we end up having a ride in Tuk Tuk! A Tuk Tuk as Grace likes to explain is "a thing that has one wheel in the front and two in the back, it's covered. Mommy holds Ian and Elijah or I sit in the middle while the other sits on Daddy's lap." This is life for us now. A new normal that we have become accustomed to. Everytime we get in a Tuk Tuk we negotiate price and of course many times they start ridiculously high. You have to be prepared to walk away and find another one...fun times when you have three kids with you! Below are some more pictures I took on our ride today. It has been amazing though how God has brought a couple great drivers onto our path though. Whenever we need to do many errands in one trip we phone Sammi or Marc to take us out for a couple hours because they give us a fair price and are safe drivers!
This is a common sighting of a wooden cart being pulled full of whatever needs to be moved. These guys that moves these carts around town work sooooo hard. Many of them are in bare feet dripping with sweat and pulling carts of water, furniture, wood, or whatever around town.
Everywhere along the streets are furniture makers. You need a bed frame no problem, no need for an Ikea just walk down the street and pick one up. They do the same thing with sofa sets, tables, and chairs.
This is the Nyali Bridge. Once I start teaching at Pwani I will have to cross this bridge every day. It goes over the Tudor Creek that connects to the Ocean.
Another pic after crossing the bridge.
It is amazing the diversity in Mombasa. From beautiful postcard beaches to people picking through garbage and barely surviving. It is a difficult tension learning how to live in this place. How to serve and care for the hurting and also how to care for your own family. These are things we are wrestling with right now.
This is a common sighting of a wooden cart being pulled full of whatever needs to be moved. These guys that moves these carts around town work sooooo hard. Many of them are in bare feet dripping with sweat and pulling carts of water, furniture, wood, or whatever around town.
Everywhere along the streets are furniture makers. You need a bed frame no problem, no need for an Ikea just walk down the street and pick one up. They do the same thing with sofa sets, tables, and chairs.
This is the Nyali Bridge. Once I start teaching at Pwani I will have to cross this bridge every day. It goes over the Tudor Creek that connects to the Ocean.
Another pic after crossing the bridge.
It is amazing the diversity in Mombasa. From beautiful postcard beaches to people picking through garbage and barely surviving. It is a difficult tension learning how to live in this place. How to serve and care for the hurting and also how to care for your own family. These are things we are wrestling with right now.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Married...again
Got your attention! We have been in Mombasa for over a week now. We walked into a empty 3 bedroom apartment with only the clothes on our backs and our pieces of luggage we have hauled half way around the world. One last time I carried up the heavy bags and action packers to their final destination on the third floor of our complex. How many times have I lugged these things now? I don't want to count! Amie was counting the amount of beds we have slept in since June and the number came to nine. So we are home but not yet because our house is still a ways from being set up. It is like getting married again. We have nothing and we are starting from scratch. So, different though when you don't know the stores, when you don't have your own vehicle to drive to go get things, and when you are lugging three children along to make big purchases. We have enough to live on though and we should be happy with that because it is far more than many have here. We realized this again when we walked into the gate of our compound and there was a man digging through the trash from our compound on the side of the road. Needs are everywhere. When we walk through the streets it is inevitable that we will be asked for money. It is very weird being a minority being the one that everyone is staring at. Especially, if I am being honest I am usually the one doing the 'staring' in Canada. Now I am starting to realize what it must feel like for so many who move to Canada especially Western Canada from other parts of the world. Becoming a belonger in community is not easy when you are different than most everyone else. Pray that we could become belongers here. Language and culture are huge barriers but our God is the creator of all peoples and cultures. He will help.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Soon to be our new Home!
We just received an email from our Unit Leader in Mombasa. He said they are working on making preparations for our arrival. They are shifting some things around so that we do not have to live in a 2 bedroom place but will have one of the 3 bedroom flats on the second floor. We are thankful for that too because hopefully on the second floor we will catch a bit of the sea breeze blowing through to cool us off a bit! I noticed the basketball hoop, definitely going to bring a ball and some mesh to fix that thing up a bit.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Countdown to Mombasa
I thought it would be fitting to show you all a picture of what travelers see when they first enter Mombasa, Kenya. These giant tusks are a gateway into the city of Mombasa.
There is much to be done before our arrival in Mombasa in 2011 but the journey has already started. This Sunday we are off on a short road trip to speak at a local church about the work in Mombasa. We are both looking forward to the opportunity to share a bit of our story and the story of what is happening in Africa.
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