a village wedding

On the 26th of October the village where I live celebrated a wedding! From friday afternoon through Sunday, it was a full celebratory weekend! The actually wedding was on Saturday but much prep had to happen on Friday and then Church on Sunday was special because many visitors were still present. In order to not bore you with words I've chosen to do a compare and contrast using google images of a western wedding and comparing it to the pictures from this wedding. Please note: I've been very general in saying what the typical "western wedding" looks like.

In the western part of the world the food is mostly likely catered...here in the village, prepared by their very own!

I consider starbucks a must before any wedding... however in the village we enjoyed chai and mandazi's.

In the western world the church is nicely decorated... here in the village it was nicely decorated with extra chairs, a few benches, and flowers tucked into the holes where the cement had fallen out.

Carlos was so nicely dressed for this special day compared to his usually shirt with a bunch of holes in it. Definitely not what a little boy would wear to a wedding in the western world.

I love the clothes the girls wear here! I'm hoping to get a skirt/shirt outfit made for the next wedding the end of November.

Bridesmaids!

The bride and groom arriving with all of her family. Not the typical arrival for sure! It was quite an experience as all of the village church where I live went running to the street screaming to welcome them!

A "typical" western wedding means the father walks the daughter down the aisle (I'm being very general!) but here in the village, a whole procession of dancers both youth and young ladies guide the bride down the aisle. (Prudence in the white dress in the front is one of the students in my class and no she wasn't the bride!)

The cake! That box in the back was wrapped in foil!

The high table at the wedding. We (including myself) at on plastic bowls and we enjoyed nummy pilau with mbuzi (goat) and enjoyed sodas (a real treat!)

 Overall it was a really fun day! The service lasted about 4 1/2 hours (that was a little crazy) but I'm not surprised anymore as I learn more and more how they do things here. I'm so blessed to get to be apart of these special occasions. I have to say my favorite part was the Friday before and morning of the wedding helping the ladies of the community and church help prepare the food for the special day. Not only was it great swahili practice but also a great time of relationship building. God has truly blessed me with an amazing community.

And it feels like wedding season around here because we have another wedding the end of November in the village but now I'm actually back in Nairobi because of my Kenyan parent's daughters are getting married this Saturday here! I'm so looking forward to another wedding and getting to see how they do it in the city! I'll be resting this week, recovery from a nasty cold that has been going around the village that I got just before leaving, helping prepare for the wedding and enjoying the special day next Saturday!

Here are a few more pictures to share with you from the village wedding weekend:

All hands in!

We were all sweating as we kneaded the dough to make the mandazi's. I was working hard on my own but stopped for a second to take this picture. Salena on the left and Elizabeth on the right.

You can't tell in the picture but I was pouring sweat as I rolled out the now balls of dough from above and cutting them into 4ths to make...

mandazi's!

These women are amazing!

This lady showed up, sat down and within a minute was working.

I actually got a group of them to stop for a second and look at the camera! They were all making chapati. These women are from the community so I don't remember their names :(

The morning of the wedding! They had been helping cook but it was time to break for chai and mandazi's! Mama Ruth (on the right) was dancing as I took the picture!

The pot was huge!! They actually used two in order to prepare enough food for everyone. The main cooks of the pilau were men but the women helped get everything set up.

After chai and mandazi it was time to continue preparing food.

Everyone stops and runs to the street when they see the cars and bus coming carrying the bride, groom and all the bride's guests.

There was full on dancing and screaming, whistling and every other noise you can think of to sound excited haha

My kenyan mama all dressed up with Sidi (left) and Paulo (right).

Holding Monica and hanging out watching the visitors arrive.

Kadzo. She sat so nicely for the whole ceremony! I was impressed!

another Kadzo... such a cutie. I was trying to get her to smile but it was not happening.

Priscilla and a little girl (I don't remember her name). Priscilla kept me posted on what was going on the whole time and it is her wedding that is happening the end of the month so I was constantly asking her if she was going to do this and do that at her wedding. We laughed a lot together!

Baby Charlotte! She was 3 weeks old in this picture and so tiny! She lives at the end of my "driveway" near the street so I pray she grows up not crying when she sees me. :)

A few of us after the wedding. 

Myself with the two teachers I get to teach with on a daily basis! Salena and Elizabeth. I really enjoy hanging out with both of them, they are such fun people!

The first one was a little too close but I like how they both turned out. Meet one of my friends, Lucy! Such a fun young lady!

your perfect will in your perfect way

The perfect wisdom of our God, revealed in all the universe. 

All things created by his hand, and held together at his command.

He knows the mysteries of the seas, the secrets of the stars are His.

He guides the planets on their way, and turns the earth through another day.

The matchless wisdom of His ways, that mark the path of righteousness.

His word a lamp unto my feet, His spirit teaching and guiding me.

And all the mystery of the cross, that God should suffer for the lost.

So that the fool might shame the wise, and all the glory might go to Christ.

Oh grant me wisdom from above, to pray for peace and cling to love.

And teach me humbly to receive the solid reign of your sovereignty.

Each strand of sorrow has a place, within this tapestry of grace.

So through the trials I choose to say, your perfect will in your perfect way.

Each strand of sorrow has a place, within this tapestry of grace.

So through the trials I choose to say, your perfect will in your perfect way.

Your perfect will in your perfect way... So easier said when everything around you is perfect (through your own eyes!). We all face times in our lives when everything is going great, you know you are right where God wants you, and then all of the sudden things turn upside down. We all have those days when we think, "can the bad news get any worse?" And the thoughts that go through our minds in times like these, "God I don't see how you are working", "God are you still there because I feel alone?", "God, are you still in control?" aren't of any encouragement. I have to admit these last few days have been hard. I have had my positive moments where I see God right where I am comforting me in the unknown and then other moments where I just cry out to Him in frustration and fear letting Him know that I am grieving.

Without going into much detail (because it's really not necessary), I am remaining in Nairobi until God opens the door for me to return to the village. My heart yearns to see the precious faces of Alex, Saidi, Sidi, Samuel and all my friends again! My heart desires to return to my simple life in the village, to my routine of life there. But my mind see's the warning signs that God may have orchestrated to protect me from something I can't see. How do you reconcile your heart and mind together so that they are one again? That's what I'm wrestling with at the moment as I and many others seek God's face regarding my return.

Will you join me in praying? Admist the feelings my heart yearns for, I know in my mind that I don't want to return until God clears the way. And I know He won't clear the way until it is His perfect timing for me to return. I have been listening and mediating on the words to the Getty's song, The perfect wisdom of our God" since Friday. It has brought much comfort through the tears and sorrows. Once again I see God testing my inpatient spirit and desire to control with my own plans. It's through those humble reminders that I have to laugh and realize God and His sovereignty is so much bigger than my tiny human plans. And as I pray for guidance I do recognize that my time here is not wasted. I have much more dedicated time to sit down and study Kiswahili, I have much literature to work through to better be able to disciple and share the love of Jesus with those in the village and the fellowship of believers here in Nairobi is such a sweet blessing!

I look forward to seeing how God is going to clear the way and either open the door for me to return or close it and give me an opportunity to stay here in Nairobi and pour out His love to those in the city. Last night at volleyball I was reminded of this song that not only reminded me of my field hockey days but also joy and encouragement through hope in Jesus! Here's to having high hopes of God working out miracles!

what do you eat?

I have to start this post with what every meal starts with here in the village... washing of your hands. This is basically what I do before every meal except we use a basin to catch the water. Rub your hands together for about 3 seconds and you have clean hands... :) All our water comes from a spigot just outside of our house. We have a bunch of the yellow buckets in the picture below that are filled up. That's what I sometimes have to carry back to the bathroom so I have "clean water" to shower with!

Breakfast usually consists of a few slices of bread, a banana and a cup of chai. There have been mornings where we've enjoyed left overs from the night before.

For lunch and dinner we pretty much have the same six or so meals over and over again. Sukuma (a type of greens) is the only thing I'm not a fan of but will eat. Mchicha (another type of greens) is my favorite for sure. It's so sweet and delicious! Chapati (fried tortilla) is my favorite carb. It's quite a process to make it but we still get to enjoy it at least twice a week. Here are some pictures... are you drooling like I am?? :)

Another breakfast meal of nhogo, ndizi(bananas) cooked together with a chapati. This is an interesting meal which can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Because nhogo is grown in our shamba it's free and therefore we have it pretty regularly. It's not sweet but it's not plain either. During the cooking process a paste sort of texture is created. Both the nhogo and ndizi are soft but not mushy. It's an interesting meal for sure, probably not something I would crave but it's definitely edible and filling!

close up from the picture above.

What the kids drink as well as us teachers during break while at school. It's called uge (porridge) and it's made with corn flour and water (and sometimes sugar). It tastes a lot like malt-o-meal if you've ever had that in the states. I like it, especially when they have sugar. I'm usually sweating pretty good after I finish my cup because it's already warm outside and then I'm drinking something hot... and I'm not complaining, I just don't understand why the Kenyans are affected!

I love helping prepare dinner! This is always my task now. I chop and fry the onion, bell pepper & garlic. I peel and dice the tomatoes and add it to the fried mixture when it's ready. Once this mixture is cooked it is then added to whatever the main meal is... nhogo & ndizi mixture, green grams, boiled meat (goat or chicken), or beans and maize.

Tomato mixture has just been added to the boiled chicken. Let simmer for about 15 minutes (about the same amount of time it takes to make the chai) and then dinner is served.

Tomato mixture mixed with boiled goat. Ugali and mchicha are the sides that night. Ugali is simply corn flour and water cooked just like the porridge except its cooked longer and there is less water to ugali combination. The water and corn flour has to consistently boil during the entire cooking process or else it won't hold together which makes for a messy preparation! I'm not sure how to describe mchicha other than simply delicious! It's not as mushy as cooked spinach and has a much better taste than sukuma does. With garlic and it is out of this world! I could just eat mchicha and I would be very content. The meat here is always boil unless it's a special occasions and then it may be roasted. Most of the time the meat comes right off the bone and it's not chewy but not like medium rare steak either. It has a interesting flavor to it and I would definitely prefer chicken but it's not bad. 

Green grams (mdengu) before they are cooked. I was helping my Kenyan Mama to pick out any bad ones and also any small branches or anything else you may not desire to eat.

Yum! Cooked green grams with wali (rice). I cooked these (almost by myself here in Nairobi, our house help helped me a bit to know when they were done) and really enjoy them. They kinda have the texture and taste of peas but not as mushy. If fresh garlic is used in the tomato sauce, these green grams are definitely delicious!

**This is not my picture** This is called githeri (beans and maize) cooked together. We eat it often because it's my Kenyan family's favorite meal (not necessarily mine) so I'm surprised I don't have my own picture... but this one will suffice. The means usually turn out perfect and they often mix in different types of beans which add good flavor. I have a hard time loving this meal because the corn isn't always cooked all the way and therefore there is still a crunch and when I can taste the oil too much I get kinda grossed out and eat very little.

We've only had dessert twice and due to not having an oven I haven't ventured out in trying to bake yet. Thank goodness I have a few sweets I keep in my room to satisfy my sugar cravings! I look forward to baking a bit more in the near future as I get a bit more comfortable with their cooking techniques and capabilities.

Making donuts! They turned out okay. They were considered "very sweet" and were made for "kids" but I didn't think they were that sweet at all however they satisfied my long awaited craving for something baked! My Kenyan mom used a cook book she had received when she was at missionary training in the mid-70's and taught by a mzungu (white person). Pretty simple ingredients but quite a process to make. Make the dough, let it rise, role out, use a cup to make the big circle and a pepsi bottle to make the middle hole. Drop in hot oil, wait for it to turn a light brown, flip over, wait for the brown again, and then remove. (At this point i would have dropped them in cinnamon sugar but we didn't this time). I did learn that lime zest is a natural preservative which she added but I wasn't a fan because I could taste it.

Here's another dessert being prepared? Any guesses what's inside that sufuria (cooking pan)? The jeko holds the hot coals underneath the tin that is shown in the mixture. On top of the tip is sand which she preheated before she put the sufuria on top. A tin lid is used and then more hot coals are piled onto to create a "oven". I think the sand is suppose to help the insides not to burn but it didn't work this time... It was edible but a little too dry for me.

Kenyan cake! Thanks to Marco & Laura I now have funfetti cake mix to make back in the village. I had to convince them to let me have a few bites after dinner. Mama prepared the cake with the intention of eating it for breakfast! It's just mean! When I make the funfetti cake I may have to eat most of it myself... they aren't a big fan of sugar or dessert in general. However they will put two to three heaping spoonfuls of sugar in their chai and don't question it at all... some things I haven't figured out yet!

Chai is ready! Through the sifter it goes and it's ready to be served. We use milk straight from our cow which is collected just minutes before it is heated up to make the chai. I really like chai and enjoy drinking it (which is good because we have it at every meal). I however was having a hard time drinking it at lunch, it's just too hot out to drink something hot. And the first few times I said I didn't want chai she asked me if she could heat up some water for me... they really don't drink cold water or even room temperature water for that matter! I now take my malaria medicine during lunch (which can't be combined with dairy) so they don't even ask me anymore if I want chai or hot water, praise the Lord!

While visiting my Kenyan parent's home outside of Kitui I was treated with millet porridge when we visited a family. It's made with some part of the cob of a corn. It looked like watered down dirt but it actually tasted good! Because in this part of the country they live off of the corn that is grown they really don't waste any part of the corn. When you visit a home they treat you better than they would ever treat themselves and this is what I was served. That tells you something about the people in this part of Kenya... breaks my heart, especially when I see all the kids there.

And that's it! I hope you've enjoyed! I enjoy it which I guess is what's really important. For the last 4-5 weeks, this is the only food I've seen except for a few day trips to Malindi where I've enjoyed some good American cooking for a meal or two. I'm enjoying the food and don't have too many cravings for "American" food. It is very Kenyan to eat a lot. I seriously think their stomachs are never ending. Since I realized I was putting on a few pounds, over the course of this last week I've been eating close to half of the serving size they give me. They aren't always happy (especially when I refuse seconds) but I'm trying to slowly teach them about obesity and the fact that I want to be healthy. When I come back to the states I will definitely be sharing some of these meals with you all... make note of your favorites :)