Sunday service in Karen, Kenya

Pat here. It is now Sunday evening after a full day of worship and fellowship. Stephen Olang works for the International Justice Mission in Nairobi. He is a Daystar University graduate. I met him last June and wanted to have a chance to spend more time with him on this trip. I thought the Pavelkas would enjoy meeting him. Stephen invited us to his church, the Free Methodist Church of Karen. Karen is a residential area west of Nairobi that was named after Karen Blixen, of "Out of Africa" fame. I thought you might be interested in knowing what the service was like. It started out with about 30 minutes of praise and worship songs mostly in Swahili, but also many in English. The songs were repetitive as these Kenyan fervently gave praise to God. Royce, Lauren and I were introduced and we had a chance to bring the church a greeting. A British couple had spent two years in the congregation and the church gave them a warm send off with gifts and many thanks. A prayer time and the reading of the scripture of 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 followed. All the children were called to the front. The congregation prayed for them and then they were dismissed. A praise team with a small band then led the congregation singing “Open the Eyes of My Heart” while the offering was taken. A congregational hymn was sung next. I think the title was “Deeper, Higher is the Love of Jesus”. The senior pastor then gave an excellent 50-minute sermon on unity. The service concluded with a time in which we were all encouraged to welcome those around us. Hugs and handshakes were the norm. After the service many people came up to us and thanked us for coming. Nearly all the congregation were black Kenyans, but this congregations had about twenty whites in attendance. Many more than the church last Sunday.

The Olangs then took us back to their modest home and we enjoyed a great feast of Kenyan food: fried chicken, beef stew, baked tilapia with a delicious tomato sauce, vegetables, a cucumber salad, ugale, chipati (sort of a east African tortilla), and rice. Fresh papaya was served for desert. What a meal! The best one yet since we’ve been in Kenya. We had a wonderful exchange of information and time with them as their three sons ate with us. This was a day that I don’t think we will forget for a long time.

Sacred (Slum) Ground

Kibera. Approximately 1 square mile of decrepit shacks and rusted tin roofs. Uneven muddied alley ways. Garbage so common you eventual stop realizing all but the biggest trash heaps. Air that is noticeably polluted in every breath and paired with the scent of feces and decaying “compost.” Not to mention the crowd of people that may number as high as 1.5 million. Kibera is a quarter of the size of Hopkins, MN with the population of a combined Minneapolis and St. Paul. In such a place you would expect to find hopeless people who have given up on life. I cannot speak to the outlook of the average person in Kibera, but the children I met had joy abounding and smiles that shook my expectations.

Sacred Blessings ministry brought children from one section of Kibera to a “school” yard where they are taught about Jesus and encouraged to read and memorize scripture every Saturday. It just so happened that the day we showed up was the day that Bibles were being handed out to the children who were at least seven years old. For many of these kids the Bible we gave to them will be the only book in their entire home. And once that Bible hit many of their hands they immediately began to read their favorite memory verses in their first ever, very own Bible.

I have never seen a child so eagerly receive the word of God. True, I have seen children happily receive their first Bible, but I believe most of them were simply happy to get a present. Here, in Kibera, I felt as though they were truly joyful to receive what laid between the covers of the slim, leather bound NIV each one received.

But soon their attention was captured by something else. Something that sought to immediately relieve them from a pain that too often cripples many children in Kibera. The smell of porridge and the lunch call sung by the cook brought a line of children; mug in hand, to receive what may be their only meal of the day.

Truly I did very little. The work of those who are dedicated to ministering to children in Kibera both physically and spiritually, through the power of the Holy Spirit, are the heroes of Nairobi. And for me to be able to witness the nourishment of both body and soul of children from infanthood to their mid-teenage years was a sacred and blessed gift. I had seen the joy that the written word of God brought, but now I was able to witness the joy of the lived out word of God. The gospel that reaches out from the pages of Scripture and enables ordinary men to live their lives in extraordinary ways.

The pastor of Sacred Blessings ministry told us that he saw God in Pat, Lauren and I. How funny a thought. For I know that the moment we stepped onto that Sacred Ground: it was I who was entering into the presence of God.

Royce Pavelka

Saturday in the Kibera slum of Nairobi

Pat here.

Yesterday we went into one of the large slums in Nairobi. It's called Kibera. It's hard to describe since we don't see anything like that in the US. Lauren has some photos we can share when we get home. We visited two Saturday bible clubs. The children were age 4 to 14. They were very curious about us. The condition of their clothing was indicative of their poverty. Mismatched shoes, flips flops that were broken so the foot would not stay in the flip-flop, a 4 year old wearing a "onesie" as a shirt that a baby would wear. They recited bible verses that they had memorized and sang us songs. After each child recited or sang, all the children would do a chant with the words "You are the best". Very young kids here don't know English well. But they seems to understand better than they can speak. Older ones do much better. At each place they were served a meal which might be the only meal for the day for them. At one place they served us some porridge. It was a dark and soupy , a bit sweet. We were told it was made with sorgum with a little sugar. It was a bit chalky but not too bad. I doubt if it would go over big for the western taste. At the second place we were served a beans mixture with ugale. The beans were good. It's pretty common to have both. Beans were pretty good. Ugale is one of their staple starches. It made from cornmeal. Not sweet like cornbread and much denser. It does not have a distinctive flavor. Being in the slums is sort of an assault on all your senses. There is rubbish everywhere and the smells are not always so pleasant. Houses and shops are tiny and squeezed together. The "roads" are really just wide dirt paths and are uneven and rutted. When it rains., we are told is just a mess.

Today we go to church with a Daystar alum who works for the International Justice Mission.

Elephant Orphanage, Giraffes, and more...

Jambo!
This is Lauren.

Yesterday was an amazing day. We did a lot of touristy activities but getting so close to the giraffes and elephants was so much fun. These are God’s creation!



We only saw each for a short amount of time…but I could have stayed and watched the elephants for hours. All of the elephants were orphan babies. Most of their mothers had been killed by poachers. We did get to be pretty close…and they sort of feel like sandpaper.

I got so many GREAT photos and videos from this day…and when I get back I will be sure to post them for you all to see!!

Thank you all for your prayer’s, thoughts, encouraging words and support for this trip for Royce and I. We are very grateful. We still have one week to go…and much ahead.

Love,

Lauren

Kenya, A Week In

This is Royce.
It has been almost a week since Lauren and I landed in Nairobi. I have been getting progressively more stuffed up every day until this morning; I am thinking this is due to the air pollution, dust and pollen I am not used to. The air pollution has been noticeably greater than anywhere I have been before and so has the ground pollution. All the pollution still can't diminish the beauty that can be seen nearly anywhere you look in Kenya. The tropical trees, amazing small critters and variety of people that are all crammed into Nairobi ensure each day I see/experience something new.

Today we will be viewing even more of the splendor Kenya has to offer, but what I am most looking forward too is visiting Nairobi's biggest slum tomorrow. I have been on a quest of sorts to understand differences between the average Christian in Kenya compared to one in America. So far obvious cultural, economic and historical differences have been seen, but the substance and depth of the average Christian are strikingly similar. After having visited with many lecturers, professors, educators and pastors it has become clear that many Kenyans (like Americans) are nominal Christians at best. The tendency towards mere religious practices (showing up to church on Sunday and knowing "Christanese" for example) is rampant among Kenyans. This has been a bit of a shock to me because African, Latin American, South East Asian and any other marginalized Christianity (as seen from western eyes) has been glorified by those around me and in my own life for its authenticity and ability to live out the most real form of Christianity.

But tomorrow when I go to the slum and visit with people there I hope to see how Christ's kingdom is being ushered into one of the poorest areas on earth. I know the Trinitarian God of creation is at work in the slum and I am excited to see his church following.

Royce

My Birthday in Kenya/ Amani Ya Juu

Jambo!
This is Lauren.
It is the people you surround yourself that make your day very special. I am writing this at 3 AM Kenyan time, 6 PM Minnesota time. Once again, I wake up at 3 each morning here; can’t sleep. Also, I find that putting my thoughts together in the middle of the night comes very easy for me.

So, yesterday was my birthday. When we woke up we went to chapel at Nairobi Daystar campus which happens to be only right across the street from where we are staying. Afrizo, which is Daystar’s large touring singing group, led the worship service. They have come to Minnesota and will be coming again this August! God has gifted them all with such beautiful voices and to hear them singing words of glory to the Lord just absolutely makes me so happy. I couldn’t help but clap and get into the beat; their music is soulful, loud, heartfelt and happy! I loved every minute. When I get home from Kenya I will upload videos.

Next, we went to Amani Ya Juu. I think this destination was chosen just for me. It was the perfect way for me to have a relaxing afternoon. It is a fair trade craft company run by women around the world who make gifts and crafts to sell. It is such a cute little place and we got a tour of the ladies making crafts. There were things like, handmade quilts, handbags, jewelry, kid’s toys, wall hangings, dresses, hats, scarves…etc. Amani Ya Juu also has a little outside café that serves mostly salads, soups and sandwiches.

It was the first time I was able to order a salad since I’ve been in Kenya. You don’t want to drink tap water here, or eat lettuce, or take ice in your drinks. Most water here is not clean enough to drink and that means the same water they wash lettuce and other vegetables in. You either want to cook your food and water to get it hot enough to kill bacteria or buy things with no hassle like fruit with a thick skin you peel away.

After shopping and lunching, we went grocery shopping. It is a whole different experience here. Stores are busy, crowded; dirty (by U.S) standards and truly I just wanted to get out as fast as possible. I would say grocery shopping here is quite a bit stressful.

When we got home we immediately went into a meeting for Royce to find out a little more about the credentials and possibilities to teach at a university like Daystar. Jan Korbel (who has been our good friend, trip planner, escort, and works for Daystar, is an American but lives in Kenya now) surprised me with a chocolate birthday cake with caramel and chocolate drizzle. They sang happy birthday. 

It was a wonderfully jam packed day full of fun and other adventures but I’m trying to give you the summed up version. It was a very good way to spend my birthday.

Love,
Lauren

Discovering more Athi River Campus

Hey Everyone!

It's 3:47 PM Kenyan time and about 6: 47 AM Minnesota time. It is almost half way through my BIRTHDAY. Yes, today is my birthday!! I will write all about what we have done today, but I have a little break in the day so I wanted to share a bit about what our day was like yesterday.

I left off telling you all that I went to sleep because I felt a little ill...but had a full first day at Athi River Campus of Daystar University. I woke up yesterday morning and went to eat a wonderful waffle breakfast at Dr. Masso's (a daystar faculty's) house right off campus. Most of the roads around campus are dirt, and since it had rained the night before, a lot of roads became like a mudslide. I heard that before Royce and I came to Kenya there had been a long drought and it was very dry and hot. The last three days we have been here it has rained...so it has been very nice.


I met a student at Daystar University, communications major named Winnie. While Royce sat in on a Homiletics class Winnie showed me around campus. We went through the library, on site dorms, gardens, and all classroom areas. It is one of the most beautiful scenic campus’ I have ever seen. Royce and I were astounded by the geckos and lizards. I have pictures! Birds fly around the campus everywhere and they aren’t the kind I’m used to seeing in Minnesota. They’re all brand new. High Rocks are another animal we were amazed by. Look them up! They look like giant squirrels without a tail! About 5 times the size of the average squirrel, groundhog size.

Next, we met with a group of scholarship students from Daystar. These students were all those who received aid scholarships from the U.S. These students were probably all in their 20’s and 30’s and when asked to share what their goal’s and dreams were after graduation they all had absolutely HUGE dreams. When they were speaking I was just so amazed at the honesty, dedication and respect they sounded to have for their education and country. I feel as though most American 20 year olds…you ask them their dreams and goals and they will tell you they want to get a job after they graduate. Not, I want to help orphan children, or start a school for the uneducated, poverty stricken people of my country. These students had PASSION. It was very inspiring.

On our ride home from Athi River, we picked up about 7 staff members from Daystar who got stranded because their bus broke down on the way back.

By the time we got home I was exhausted. But, I had a young woman waiting here for me. We talked about the “beauty culture” in Kenya. It was very interesting and beneficial for me. I think you will all enjoy hearing about it and I will share that in another post. I will try to post later tonight about what I did on my birthday in Kenya!

LOVE,

Lauren
http://www.lovelo.wordpress.com

Our First Animal Sighting and Athi River Campus

Hi Everyone!
This is Lauren.

Karibu Sana to this blog (this means you are very welcome to this blog.) It’s funny because in Minnesota we have a chain called Caribou Coffee. And, it’s one of the word you hear a lot here. Maybe Caribou Coffee is meant to mean “you are welcome to this coffee shop”. Maybe??

It is 6:29 pm Minneapolis time and 3:29 am here. Reason I am up so late is that I took a nap because I had a sore throat and was exhausted. I think all of these new things, time zone change, running around and experiences has really tired me out. But, I should be up and ready to go like new for the things we have planned today.

We woke up early this morning , loaded onto a bus and went to the Athi River Daystar campus which is about and hour from where we are staying. We are sleeping out here the night. On our way in, I noticed more grasslands and greenery. We spotted some gazelle running through the grass near our bus and also about 15 Zebras! I think the bus driver noticed me oohing and aahing so he stopped the bus for me to take a better look. I wish I could have gotten some better pictures, but I think I’ll be able to get more when we go to the Masai Mara next week!!!

Someone told me before I left for Athi River that I would hear hyena’s laughing at night. But, I haven’t heard any, it has been raining.

The Athi River campus is unlike any other college campus I have seen before. It is right in the middle of beautiful grasslands and amazing scenery. When we got to campus we went to chapel with the students from Daystar. I felt like I was in an outdoor sanctuary, birds were flying everywhere and chirping loudly. The sounds they made were so peaceful.

Royce and Pat got to see more of the campus while I took a nap. But, today I will walk around some more and hopefully get a better look.

Love,

Lauren
http://www.lovelo.wordpress.com

Children Capture our Hearts on Valentine's Day

Sa Sa! (This means What’s up in Sheng which is a slang version of Swahili)

This is Lauren. There is so much to tell you all from today that I don’t even know where to begin. I feel like we’ve been here for at least 5 days because of all the people we’ve met and things we’ve done. But, this is only the end of day 2.
Today was Valentine’s Day as you all know and I’d like to share with you how Royce, Pat and myself spent our day.

The first major thing we did today was meet with a man named William Eyika. He is a graduate of Daystar University and is doing many good things for his community. Twenty years ago he started a school for children ages 4 through about 18 in a slum area of Nairobi. There is a separate school for the Elementary students and High School students.

One of the things that I noticed about all of the students at both elementary level and high school level is they are very respectful and very curious.


I think the thing that was hardest for me about this visit was that they treated us like we were kings and queens. We drove into the school in a car, in a place where there were so very few. When we would get out of the car the students would stare. The principal would introduce us as very special guests and told the students to sing for us and clap. It was a wonderful and warm welcome but the thing I struggled with is the fact that they treated us so highly and said it was an honor when really the honor was for us. We were so blessed to see these students, get to peek in on their daily school life, answer questions for them and take pictures with them. It’s life changing. It’s not the kind of school life we see in the U.S.
We are so very fortunate to have the kind of money and freedoms we do in America. I loved these kids and could have spent all day talking to them about their passions and dreams and answering all of their questions about the U.S.

Later this evening we went to a place called Java House. I hear it’s one of the most American type restaurants/coffee houses in Nairobi. And, there are several of them all over. We went to this restaurant with a Daystar graduate named Eric Kadenge and his wife Winnie. It was the perfect way to end an evening. We talked to them about a lot of Kenyan culture including wedding customs, beauty, fashion, and wild life in Kenya and daily life. Winnie is expecting her first child in 4 months. When asked how long she would be out from work she said 4 months. Women who give birth give a very nice maternity leave as opposed to Americans who get about 6 weeks. She also told us that children couldn’t enter daycare until they are 2 ½ or 3 years old.
I really wish in the U.S we gave women/mothers longer time to spend with their newborn children. I think that is very important.

Asante (this means thank you in Swahili). I am thanking you all for taking interest in our journey and for your prayers. I feel blessed to be here right now.

I have many photos and videos to share with all of you but will have to upload them when I return. They take up too much Internet data here. For now, I will post a couple pictures with each post.

We have lots of exciting things ahead.
Love and God Bless,
Lauren

Our Jouney Begins in Kenya...

Jambo! ( That means hello in Swahili)

This is Lauren. We made it to Kenya last night after 2 very long flights. When arrived around this time last night which is 8:40 Pm. There is a 9 hour difference, so that makes it 11:40 AM U.S time.
Our first day in Kenya has already been full of surprises, new discoveries and humble experiences. Here are some of the new discoveries:

Driving is very different here. Kenyan’s drive on the right side of the car and they drive really close to moving people and traffic. I thought I was going to get hit by a bus while driving into town today and I had to close my eyes when getting close to people in fear of knocking them over.

Holding hands and shaking hands is very common. This is a sign of trust and friendship, or a very warm welcome.

Kenya has very diverse scenery. After church today we went for a drive and I was absolutely humbled and amazed by the sights I saw. There are parts of Nairobi that are very slum like, very broken down and old-looking. But, then you can drive about 3 blocks and find a very beautiful well-kept area. The vast trees and greenery make Kenya very beautiful.

The best experience so far has been our face to face talk and visiting church with a man named Frank Msambya. He is a Daystar University graduate and is now one of the Daystar U.S staff members. (If you are unsure what Daystar University is, that is where we are staying while we are here and the organization Pat Mahin our other writer is associated with. We have many meeting planned with some alumni and faculty from Daystar to learn more about this Christian institution.)




Back to my story, Frank was kind enough to share his story with us and I was very awe-struck at what he has been through as a Congo refugee and finally making it into Daystar University on scholarships and devoting his life to the Lord.
The church service was full of passion and praise, loud singing and dancing. We got an opportunity to introduce ourselves and everyone was very warm and welcoming. It was unlike any church service I have ever experienced.




I will update you all with more later. Bwana Asifiwe!! (Praise the Lord in Swahili)

Love,

Lauren

http://www.lovelo.wordpress.com

Sunday in Nairobi

Pat here. We had a great day here today. Lauren has some notes and photos she will post as soon as we can. Thinking of all you at home. Had a nice rain today which cooled things off.

More Story from Mombasa

Pat here.

My meeting was finished Thursday afternoon. Friday was spent in the Mombasa area, visiting Daystar and a denominational meeting and at my friend Cosmas’s home. Daystar has had a presence in downtown Mombasa for a little over a year. Their facility is in a leased facility. They are already straining to fit into the building. No doubt they will need more space before their 6 years lease is up. They have a potential to rent an an adjoining office space. Now the enrollment is in the mid 100’s. They are offering a number of undergraduate programs and three MA programs.

We spent about 2 hours in the meeting of Cosmas‘ denomination. They had already dealt with the administrative nature of the gathering. While I was there, it was primarily preaching by a visiting pastor. It was interesting, the pastor spoke in English and his message was then translated into Swahili. Cosmos explained that many of the preachers have been schooled in English and they find it easier to preach in it rather than in Swahili, which they all know. After the meeting I was invited to the office of the Bishop of the denomination to eat lunch.

Cosmas took me home afterward and I spent time with his family and eventually had dinner: Fried chicken, cabbage cooked in onion, a mash of sweet potatoes and beans, a beef stew, rice, ugale (a white starch). Desert was fruit: bananas, papaya, and watermelon. His kids were cute. Two boys of 8 and 12 an one girl of 18 months. I had my IPOD with me and I showed them photos of my family. He took over the IPOD and in a few minutes, he explored it and was able to navigate all over the device. That was amazing.

Today I head back to Nairobi where I meet the Pavelkas and the Journey of the Heart officially begins.

Mombasa-The short story

Pat Mahin here. Just got back from my day touring the Mombasa Daystar facility and visiting with Cosmas, friend from Mombasa and Mwatate. His family served me a Kenyan feast. It’s 10:30 pm and I’m ready for bed. But I thought I’d do a quick check in. Great day. Here are some photos from today. I’ll post more tomorrow.

Report from Kenya

Pat Mahin here. I’m now in Mombasa. The flights to Kenya were long but uneventful. After arrival I was transported to the flat on the Daystar campus where Cheryl and I stayed last June. It was nice coming back to “our” old apartment. The next day I took a 45 minute flight to the costal city of Mombasa on a nice commuter jet (CRJ100), the same kind of plane flown in the US. Mombasa is right on coast of the Indian Ocean. It is temperate now in the summer in Nairobi, but here in Mombasa it’s hot. It is now the end of the first day of a conference with the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA)and partner representatives of Presbyterian churches in the US, Canada, Scotland and Ireland. Very international. The churches all have some type of partnership with the PCEA churches attending. These partnerships vary. They could be a relationship in which international churches are helping fund PCEA projects or perhaps send volunteer workers to help in some ministry area. Today I heard of a great partnership between First Presbyterian Church of Fargo, ND and the PCEA organization that has built a dental clinic near Nairobi. Besides helping with funding they also made arrangements with Fargo Hospitals and medical suppliers to equip the clinic. What a great way to help and get involved in improving health conditions in Africa. ONe more day at the conference here and then will spend the next day visiting the Daystar facility in Mombasa. Stay tuned. Thanks for your support and prayers. Pat

Studying the Masai Mara

Goodmorning Everyone!

I am spending my morning researching the Masai Mara In Kenya. It sure is a whole different realm of beauty…


One of the aspects besides for spending time with Alumni and students from Daystar University is that we will have the opportunity to truly take in the beauty of Africa on a Safari through the Masai Mara. It’s amazing to me that God has created such a place and all these creatures. I’m sure once I am actually there and live it , I will have a whole new perspective and stories to share with you all.

I have spent a bit of time this morning looking at videos about safaris in the Masai Mara. All I can say is…wow, we are in for an adventure. I can’t help but be in awe of all of these huge wild animals and think they are the coolest things I’ve ever laid eyes on. Watch both videos through…the little leopard cub is about the cutest thing in the whole world.







I hope you enjoyed watching what we will be doing in just about 2 1/2 weeks. Stay tuned friends…can’t wait to share all of God’s beauty with all of you!!!!

LOVE, Lauren

I start out on the trip to Kenya on the 6th with a flight into Nairobi and then quickly on to Mombassa on the 8^th. I will be attending the Kenya Network Gathering. The Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) is hosting this meeting. PCEA will be joined with global partners from Korea, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, and the US. I think there will be a number of participants from the Presbyterian Church (USA). Some of the topics of discussion are PCEA/Mission Outreach, HIV/AIDS, Relief & Disaster programs, Agriculture and Water Development, Empowerment and sustainability, education, Orphans and Vulnerable Children, and Health care. While in Mombasa, I will also visit the new Daystar facility in Mombassa city. I'll return on the 12^th to meet Royce and Lauren. Pat

Hi Friends,

Royce and I are set to go to Africa this month as I have mentioned before. We are excited to embark on a journey both for us individually as well as together. I have prayed that God open my eyes and give me some enlightenment into other people’s lives and culture while I am there.

Yesterday we got up in front of the church congregation and had them pray for us and it lifted my spirits more , making me feel more confident about our travels ahead.





I want to let all of you know that if you want to keep up with my journey while in Africa, please subscribe to this blog. (in the top right hand corner).

Here is a video about one of the Daystar University Graduates that we will be visiting. This video talks a little bit about his life.




We are still fundraising and have to raise about $1000 more to reach the goal that we have set. I know God will provide and we will be able to go but if you find it in your heart and have some extra money that you’d like to give us to help support our trip here is the info.

Go to: http://www.daystarus.org/ To make a donation click on : Give/Shop. Next when filling in the blanks type in : Royce and Lauren Pavelka Africa Mission trip under the blank for project type, otherwise the donation will not go to us.

Thank you all and I will be keeping you all posted. I hope you will follow along and come along for this journey WITH me.

I will also still be writing a few beauty blogs and reviews before I leave.

LOVE,

LAUREN
http://www.lovelo.wordpress.com

Mision Trip to Africa- Journey of the Heart

Image via Wikipedia

(This was written by Lauren "Lovelo" on January 1st 2011) If you'd like to see the source of thiss blog go to http://www.lovelo.wordpress.com/ :)

Hey Everyone!

To all of you reading this…Hope you had a wonderful holiday, and safe and happy new years eve and day! Today is New Years day and I am very excited for new discoveries and adventures that await in 2011!!

This is not so much a “beauty” blog but more a personal one…something I want to share with all of you reading, all my friends, supporters and people who view my blog. I have been wanting to share this with all of you because I was SO EXCITED when I found out about the opportunity, but I didn’t know if we’d have enough funds.

Royce and I are going to AFRICA!!! Nairobi, Kenya to be exact. It will be in the middle of February 2011, so that’s only about a month and a half away. I am so excited! We will be gone for a little over 2 weeks and it is a trip involving missions work with Royce’s home church AND to check out universities and programming for potential job opportunities.

From the time Royce and I started dating he told me he wanted to do missions work over seas as part of his career. He’s always had it in his heart to do this and I too share the same passion for travel, sharing God’s love and word all over the world. Therefore, this trip is full of possibility and I am OVER THE MOON excited to go.

While I am over there, I am going to try to post as often as I can, but for that time period I will be only blogging about KENYA. It will be a lot of personal experiences with maybe some beauty posts mixed in. But, they will all be related to in some way.. Kenya. If you want to keep up with me while I am in Kenya , and experience some of it with me, make sure you subscribe to this blog so that you will automatically get an e-mail saying that I posted something new.

If any of you have connections to Kenya in any way, or know anything about the beauty industry in Africa, have been there yourself, or just want to give me some suggestions PLEASE feel free to e-mail me @ leolucky777@yahoo.com

LOVE LO <3