Burkina Faso

Hello Bloggers!!

It is I, Kelly. Guess what! I'm going back to Africa!! This time it is to Burkina Faso, Africa. This country is in the Western Africa region and is the third poorest country in the world. I have been accepted to go on this trip through my school, Olivet Nazarene University. It was an application process, and my application was well prayed over! I know God is calling me to Africa and I'm so glad for the supporters in my life.

We will spend our mornings in one-on-one tutorials with seniors at the University of Ouagadougou, helping them make final writing and editing changes to their senior thesis memoirs. We will spend time gathering research for their topics before departure so we can maximize our time with the 80-100 university students. We will host ESL classes and cultural sessions in the afternoons and evenings for high schoolers and adult workers. Sundays we will visit Churches of the Nazarene in the area, working with preschoolers and elementary-age students. We also plan to distribute children’s books and clothing items to local churches, as well as theological books and Bibles to the District Center. After an intensive two-week schedule of tutorials and ESL classes, we will take a four-day recreational trip to Ghana before heading home.

Be praying about supporting me for this trip! I will be sending letters this weekend!

KELLY!

Strongman Competition

SO, LOTS &LOTS of kids @ the competition today...its a good thing i left most of my shoes @ home, cuz I wouldn't have come back w/ any...I'm only buying TOMS shoes from now on..its amazing how you can know that kids go w/o shoes in other countries, but its not until you're in the country & see for yourself that you really understand the need...I usually go barefoot in America, but there isn't glass all over the ground like there is here...I just wanted to carry them all around so they wouldn't step on any!! At the competition They bench pressed, pulled cars, flipped massive tires..and body building (muscle show!!--complete with speedos and baby oil!! NICEEEE) haha. I took some pictures of the competition AND the kids...they will be coming soon!

South Africa

Hi Everyone!

So, today is Day 2 in South Africa, I would have posted yesterday, but their computer was being incredibly slow!! HOWEVER. I did arrive safely yesterday and it was really just a resting day for me. The food here is different, but GOOD! I just finished eating lunch now, and it is incredible how they can take something as simple as pasta and make it a true South African dish. I've already met a load of incredible people and have a lot of "hook ups". Hahaha. This morning I met a woman named Sharon who is the Manager at the local Aids Hospice called Genesis. I had a meeting with her as sort-of an Intro to their work. It was an amazing experience! You could tell that the work they do is strictly God's work! His presence was overwhelming me while I was there! It was an incredible experience. The Hospice is through a church and I'll be attending that church's youth group tonight, I'm very excited to go and connect with people my own age from a different culture! I love it here. I feel so comfortable here and the people are so welcoming, I feel like I've been here my whole life already. I didn't have any jet lag once I reached Africa, but I did have some in London. The camp site here at Skogheim is HUGE AND BEAUTIFUL!! I will have many pictures of it when I return, hopefully before I return I can figure out how to post them. The only thing I'm having trouble getting used to is the fact that they drive on the other side of the road. Idk, it just freaks me out. Hahaha. Any questions?

CYC sending me off!

These are pics of the kids at CYC surrounding me in prayer for safety on my trip. I'm so glad I got to be a part of teen night!! They were backing 100% and I love everyone there!

Plane ticket :)

So far...

The South Africa trip is from August 3, 2010- August 17, 2010. I started this blog so anyone who wants to know whats going on with the trip, can. There is internet access at the conference center in South Africa that I will be staying at, so I can keep up with this as I'm there. I hope many of you follow me, especially if you've supported me. This is for you, and for me. I'm sure this is the first of many trips I will be making to Africa, and I wouldn't have this awesome adventure started without you guys! If you don't know, I will be working in an orphanage while I'm there. What exactly I'll be doing at said orphanage yet to be determined. On this blog, however, I will keep you posted on that, and you'll know everything that is going on. I hope this is appreciative for you guys and I hope I'm giving enough detail, haha. I'm so excited to go on this trip, and I'm already sure that I won't come back. Don't worry, though. I have to come back for school, haha. No worries. Stay tuned :)