pics from Moshi, TZ

OK, it's not the greatest pic cause of the cloudy haze, but it's Mt. Kilimanjaro! Beautiful!


On the way to Moshi, TZ


Hilarious sign posted at the YMCA in Moshi.

A cool rock lizard we found when hiking down to the falls in Marangu.

A fun waterfall we hiked down to

More Mombasa pics

Monkeys were all over the place on the Oyondi's roof.

The gorgeous Kenyan coast

Peaceful dhow boats off the coast. You can just swim up to them, or find a captain who'll take you sailing for cheap!

"The boat is safest when it is in port, but that is not what boats were built for." Sail away!

The Oyondi grandkids and cousins, Lawrence, Bryan, and Asha

Christmas in Mombasa

Christmas dinner (after the bloody stages)


Christmas dinner roasting

Adding some finishing touches to part of dinner

Mabel, one of the best cooks! :-)

This was the long line we had to stand in every day to fetch water from the nearby borehole. The line of jerrycans stretched forever! If we were lucky, we were out of there in an hour and a half!


More pics are coming!

Pray for Haiti

As you know, a powerful 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti last night, resulting in many damaging aftershocks too. Let's really press in and pray for the people there in this time. Lift them up in a mighty way. In our KICS community, we have 2 families here who have been affected. Ms. Germain is on our School Board, and has not yet heard from any of her extended family members who live in Haiti. Also, Alex, who is in my class, is from Haiti, and his grandfather and other relatives still live there. As of this afternoon, his parents still have yet to be in touch with them. No cellphones are working in Haiti. Please pray for these 2 families and for all those affected. 80% of the population in Haiti is below the poverty line, and the country is still recovering from some devastating floods in 2008. Let's continue to lift up this country this week and beyond.

My sweet brother

I just got to talk to my sweet brother, Ethan! He leaves for deployment in about 8 hours, and we had a wonderful talk! I haven't seen him since May, and we're not sure when I'll see him again, as he'll be deployed for 6 months. I really miss him. You know, it's really NOT hard living here. I have all the comforts I need and things I want as well. But it's just hard NOT being there, at home sometimes. Especially during the holidays, and weddings, and deployments. :-( That's what's hard about living overseas. NOT being there. But I'm so thankful for things like Skype and cell phones that connect way across oceans and even on ships. Keep my sweet brother in your prayers as he deploys today. He'll go to a variety of diffferent places in East Asia, and then we're not sure where else, but maybe he'll end up close to east and northern Africa. Maybe I'll see him sooner than I thought! Who knows! I love you Ethan! Stay safe!

Update on Sandra *caution for children reading this*

Thank you for praying for Sandra in her weak condition. We were able to obtain enough of the right kind of blood for her, and she is stable now and ready to be discharged. God is great! I need to share with you more of the complicated situation, so that you can continue to be in prayer for her as she heals physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

As I said earlier, Sandra is 21 now, and grew up in Wema Children's Home after being rescued from the streets at age 7 or 8. Her sister, Catherine, is also in Wema Centre. Sandra is beautiful, and brilliant, and secured a sponsor to attend a Christian university in the capital city of Nairobi. She is studying business, and has a bright future ahead of her.

Recently, Sandra, was a victim of sexual assault, and as a result became pregnant. "Christian" sponsored childrens' homes in Kenya do not approve of this status at all....meaning the pregnancy. Even though times are slowly changing, this is still a male-dominated society, and any fault is attributed to the female. No questions asked. Sandra lost her sponsors from Wema, thus her only family she has known since being rescued from the streets. Shortly before Christmas, she was depressed after feeling abandoned, and contemplated taking her own life along with the unborn child. Knowing that she would be accepted back in school and the Wema institution if she was without child, she made the horrible decision to obtain an illegal termination of the pregnancy, in a back alley somewhere here in Mombasa. I can't imagine the horrible conditions and her state of mind to attempt such a desperate act.

This act is what led her to being rescued and hospitalized in the very nice, yet very expensive Hindu hospital here in Mombasa. We thank God that she is well now and has healed physically and received enough blood. Her spirits are continuing to rise each day, and she knows she is loved and is important to many, most of all her Creator.

There are many challenges ahead for her, but there is one that I feel led to bring to all of you. Upon discharge, the hospital chose to keep her locked in the room until there is payment of the bill. She had insurance when she was in university, but now was dropped when they became aware of her condition. I have helped with a deposit so they can hopefully release her in the next few days, but things like this can be very tricky in these situations.

Many of you have blessed me soo much already through your prayers, notes of encouragement, and gifts, and I've been able to bless others and give where He leads. He has led me to help in many ways with school fees, maize flour, meals, transport fees, etc. I'm grateful to have all of your support even when I know things are hard for everyone at home in the U.S. I've never presented my supporters with a specific need like this, but the opportunity is here now and I felt led to share it with all of you.

She needs your prayers most of all! If you feel led to help financially with Sandra with her medical expenses in this situation, you can send a check to the address below and please write, "Sandra" in the bottom left.

Emily Griggs
213 Idlewood Dr.
Kannapolis, NC 28083

I'm grateful to have your love and support, and am truly humbled. I've been reading in Isaiah lately. Chapter 49 spoke to me today. I love you all!

A BIG "maji" mess!

Maji means water in Swahili. For over 3 weeks now, theres's been no clean, running water in Mombasa. Of course, it had to coincide with my trip here. It's been frustrating to say the least and annoying at times having to go fetch water in the next "village" over, Shanzu, but let me stop complaining right now. I'm the lucky one who can afford to buy coveted bottled water. Even cold water. Maji baridi. I keep reminding myself that this is these people's DAILY lives. It makes me feel spoiled, and even miss my "home" in Rwanda. In Rwanda, my roommates and I were complaining cause we didn't have hot water for like 3 months. This time in Mombasa has been a nice reminder of God's grace and His gifts that should never be taken for granted. The gift of water is the purest gift ever, except that of salvation. There's no life without water. I wake up somedays on the Oyondis' floor, and soaked in sweat, I really just desire a good cold shower, but then realize the taps are dry. Why? No one REALLY knows why. The government keeps "spouting" off excuses and excuses, and promises that maji will come this evening, or tomorrow morning. But there's nothing. Most people here will tell you there's no water because of corruption, and the government broke the pipes in a certain area where a political rival lives. And then the government will act like they are repairing the broken pipes so they can restore water (and order,) but then they secretly pay the gangster youth to break the pipes again in the night, and the next day, it's the same thing, hakuna maji. It gets too old. Now, water has come in "certain" areas, but its dry in others. Who knows the truth? These people just want something clean to drink. There's many who don't have appropriate transport or can't afford to go far to fetch the water in buckets and bring back for drinking and bathing. I realize how blessed I am to have such a crucial thing. You ache for those who need it and can't get it, sometimes feel overwhelmed, frustrated, mad as hell, and just sad. I realize, too, how spoiled I am, when I look at the guard dog and want to give him my water and wash the fleas off him. And everyone laughs that I have affection for a dog. Maybe it's not that I'm so spoiled, just living in a different culture. Plus, they are thinking about people, not dogs. How can dogs get water when people can't? Thanks for listening to my ramblings today. When you take a shower today or brush your teeth, or wash your dog, appreciate! Appreciate the gift of maji and thank the giver!
Isaiah 58:11