This term has been full and busy...yet fun!
A highlight of this term has been coaching field hockey (Joyellen). I got to coach with my good friend, Kylie and we really enjoyed our 17 girls. They were not only sweet, teachable and talented, but their hearts were in the right place. At the end of every game, win or lose, they huddled together, put their sticks in a circle, and sang, "Glory to God." We couldn't have been more proud of them! (And we finished 3rd in a very challenging league as well, so we were pleased!)
In late January, our mission hosted a ladies retreat in Nairobi. A team from Iowa came out to minister to us. I was able to attend and enjoy a wonderful time connecting with other missionary women, being fed spiritually, and being pampered! I only took one picture of the weekend, and it is rather silly, but here are a group of ladies showing off our new socks that came in our goody bags from the Iowa Team! Thanks for blessing us, "Team Zebra!"
One random "we-live-in-Kenya" moment came this term when Jeff and I had to go to Nairobi to renew our "alien registration" cards. These cards basically say that we are foreigners who live in Kenya and they are important documents for us to use in our transactions here. Every 2-3 years we need to renew them. Usually, they keep the same picture and renew your fingerprints, but this time they wanted new pictures. Here was our awesome photobooth. Gotta love this country!
Another huge event during second term is the Junior/Senior Banquet. The juniors plan, build, and put on a formal banquet for the seniors. It is really more of a dinner theatre, complete with a set, a drama, and a formal dinner. The students look forward to this for years. I got a little choked up, watching my niece walk up to banquet, all dressed up, realizing she has been watching this tradition since she was in preschool and her turn had finally come. Someday, all too soon, my kids will be old enough to attend this too. Here is a picture of my hockey girls, all dressed up! (The ones on the right are sophomores, who served at the banquet.)
Ian just celebrated his 7th birthday with a Lego Ninjago Party. I know, crazy what they come up in Lego World. Basically a Ninja Lego. The best way to pull off a kids' birthday party here? Invite some very cool senior boys to be Ninja Masters and teach the 1st graders some moves. It was a huge hit! The boys were in awe of these two...
This weekend, Jeff is leading a Transition Seminar for seniors. This seminar walks the kids through what it looks like to leave well, have meaningful good-byes, and then the process of transitioning to a new place. Our seniors have a few short months until they will be scattered all over the world.
Next week, we head to take a group of 13 juniors and seniors to Northern Kenya for a week. We will learning about the Samburu culture, playing some football (soccer) with the kids up there, and having a few adventures!
