Thursday, November 30, 2006

Raining cats and dogs....

It is supposed to be the short rain season here...BUT...we have been getting more rain recently then they have had in the last ten years. Needless to say everything is a beautiful green...but it is beginning to flood (even our school). Nairbo does not have a good drain system at all so all the water is pooling up pretty bad. Thankfully the ground absorbs the rain pretty quickly, but it is really starting to eat away, especially the roads. The pot holes are getting huge making the roads even more dangerous than usual. Here are a few pictures of the flooding at the school and the rains outside. I wish pictures could show how hard it really is raining. It reminds me of when my family lived in Hoskins and after a hour of rain there would be about four inches of rain pooled up. We would run outside with anything flat and slide across the water on the grass. Unfortunately today I have to be the mature example and tell the kids to get out of the rain...but really all I want to do is put on some yucky clothes and run through the field...maybe even play soccer! :) Ok enough dreaming...back to work! Well, the pictures won't load right now so maybe later I will add them!

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Poor sister....


My sister Trish is about seven months pregnant right now. She spent yesterday in the hospital with kidney stones. Thankfully the Doctor said that the baby is fine, but it was a horrible experience for Trish. Please be praying for her and her husband and their little girl too. Thank God that they are both Ok, but there may be a second stone so pray that somehow it goes away or maybe it will be less painful!

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Crazy Hair Day


















Some of the teachers didn't want to join in....but nothing stopped us from being a part! Of course some people took it more seriously than others! It was fun to see the kids. It made it hard to teach them, so I played games in most of my classes. What else are you supposed to do when you have to go to school the day after Thanksgiving?!?come on now!

THANKSGIVING!!!
















Although we couldn't be with family Thanksgiving was a really fun day. We got out of school at 12 (so happy for a half day :)) and then headed home to make green bean caserole..my ABSOLUTE favorite! Megan even had some dried onions that she had kept just for Thanksgiving! Then we (the five of us) went to the Eernisses for the big meal. There were eight teachers who also joined us, so it was one big happy family! After stuffing ourselves and eating delicious pie we helped them decorate their Christmas tree (just like at home)! It was so nice to feel a part of a family. We played some games and sat around talking until about 11 pm. It was so fun...but we had to head home to teach the next day. BAH! SCHOOL ON FRIDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING! Needless to say we were a little bitter about that topic, but we went all the same. Thankfully it was crazy hair day so that gave us something to look forward to!

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Another Prayer Request...


It seems that as the semester comes to a close we continue to have major issues in our community that need lots of prayer. Over the weekend one of my coworkers was admitted to the hospital for stomach pains. She had surgery today to have her gall bladder removed. Please be praying for Heather as she recovers and for me as I am covering a lot of her classes while she is out. Teaching 9th grade english is an experience I never thought I would have...ha! (Heather is the one in the white shirt left to me.)

Monday, November 20, 2006

so glad I am a MK!!!




Today I had a really cool experience (I know I say that a lot but it is true). One of the girls from the 7th grade class is moving back to the States with her family after this semester. She has attened WNS since the first grade and is really struggeling with moving back. It reminded me a lot of when my best friend in 8th grade (Sara Vinroot now Bunting) moved back to the States. It was so hard for both of us and we just didn't undestand what God was doing. Anyways it was really cool because I got to hang out with her a bit and just get to talk with her. I loved being able to share personal pain and experiences with her. It was cool because she really opened up to me about a lot of things. I was so nervous to go and talk to her or that it would be weird or a lot of silence, but it was really cool. Pray for Katie if you think about it and her sister Karen who is in 6th grade. They are both really having a hard time with it. If you are a MK I am sure you know the feeling!

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Friday, November 17, 2006

Community Development

Another new program that WNS has added this year has been their community development projects. A few weeks ago the Middle School students went to a slum and visited a school and played soccer with the kids. Yesterday I had the privellage to go to New Life Home with the Kindergarten class. It was a pretty unstructured time, but it was for kindergarten students. We simply went to visit and play with the toddlers. When we first got there we paired up the WNS students with one of the toddlers. They were both a little scared at first but after a few minutes they started playing together and it was so cute. When we pulled up to the home the kids were all up at the window waiting for us. As soon as we walked in they all just kept saying "HI!!" They were so excited to have us there. One little boy walked up to me and stuck his arms in the air and said, "UP!" He was so cute. There were two little boys that always wanted to be held and since it has been awhile since I have been around babies I was definately ok with holding them. There were 14 beautiful toddlers running around just wanting to be loved and cared for. Not all of the children were HIV positive but the thing that they did have in common is that they had been abonded by their parents.It was such a good and eye opening experience to spend the little time that we had there. If you know me at all, you know that I love kids so I loved this experience so much. I am definately going to try and make it a more common habit to go and volunteer at New Life Home (in my spare time of course). I asked Mary Beckenham and she said that meal times are difficult with so many kids so I think I will start going to help at dinner time or something. Who knows! But such a cool place! Anyways...just wanted to include you all in another great experience I have had here in Kenya. Keiser the little boys made me miss your boys so much...I can't wait to hold them...or at least G if he will still let me!

New Life Home


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Wednesday, November 15, 2006

End of the season parties...

We got together for end of the season parties at the Meredith's house. They have a big house so that is why we are over there all the time! But these were the girls from the two teams that came to the party. We ate lots of food and did Dance Dance Revolution. Of course they loved watching all the moms dance...I was in the mom group...I felt old! ;)
This was a cake that was made for the boys' party. I got invited to both as I got to help with both! I felt special to get Coach Carraway on the cake...yep that is me!

Thanks again!

This is Hannah Reed that I asked you to pray for. She just wanted to say thank you so much for your prayers. As you can see she is healing quite well. Just a few minor scrapes healing up but besides that all is well! PRAISE GOD!

Tuesday, November 14, 2006


Dear Friends and Family,
The month of November is here and I can hardly believe it. My roommates have started to play Christmas music, which seems even more out of place in our 75 degree weather. Not that I am complaining about the warm weather! :) It is one of the many blessings that God has brought my way recently. Some of the other blessings include good health, safety in our travels, our car, a good church and of course making it through the parent-teacher conferences last month. I did enjoy the conferences, as I thought I would and I did have a lot to learn from the parents. I am continually amazed at these families and their commitment to serving Christ with their lives.

I spent this afternoon at the Meredith Family’s house. I wrote about them in one of my last emails. It was a party for the end of the soccer season. I was enjoying sitting in a circle with all of the moms’ of the boys from the team talking about how proud of their sons they were. One mom, a British woman, was talking about how proud she was of her son and how he had grown from the 2 kilo (4 lb) baby she adopted. I was in shock when she went on to tell me that they brought CJ home at three months old when he was only 2 kg and HIV positive. She said that they just did not want him to die alone, but rather in someone’s arms being loved. I felt like crying as she pulled out a photo album of other babies just like CJ, left on the side of the road to die. Mary Beckenham and her husband Clive work with a foundation called New Life Home. Taking in babies off of the street to be loved and cared for, with hopes of being adopted. Their first home was opened here in Nairobi and just this year they have been blessed to open three more houses around Kenya. Mary explained that they feel so blessed to have this opportunity but are very overwhelmed by all the needs in this area. As I was talking to Mary another mom, Ann, went on to brag about what Mary and Clive have done in Kenya.
She said that Mary and Clive adopted CJ being HIV positive at three months. After loving and feeding him and taking care of her for a few months he was tested again and the test came back negative. They are the testimony of what God’s love can do for a child that has not experienced such love. They travel around talking to people about their life with CJ, changing and encouraging people. Since CJ there have been many other cases just like CJ with kids turning from positive to negative. Ann concluded her story by saying that Mary is a walking Angel and I couldn’t help but cry in agreement of what she said. WOW...just one more amazing story about these families.

Last month I asked for prayer as I was hoping to start a Bible study with some of the middle school girls. A few days after I sent out my letter the Principal approached me about some of the girls in the ninth grade class and their social issues. He was wondering if I would be willing to hang out with them and talk to them as a whole, all six of them that is. After praying that God would show me who I should invite to my Bible study and what I should spend time talking about His answer was loud and clear. So, I wanted to say once again thank you for your prayers. I met with the girls for the first time on Friday and we had such a good time. I am really looking forward to this experience.
Our first sports season has finally come to an end. Although it was so much fun, it was a lot of stress and I must say I am glad to have one down. But I am looking forward to girls’ soccer season. Our next sports will be boy’s basketball and girl’s soccer. I am not sure what to expect but as I have said before, these kids never cease to amaze me.
God has also really blessed me recently by helping to find a good church. When I first moved here I was told that it would be hard to find a good church, and I quickly found out that was true. Recently my roommates and I have started attending a church out in Karen, where the school is located. There are a lot of missionaries at this church, and the pastor is excellent. It is so refreshing to hear preaching straight from the Bible. He has been talking a lot about living life with purpose and leaving your mark, a legacy. Such a good reminder of making the most of everyday and living a life of purpose.
Thanks again for all of your prayers and support. I wish that you could all come and visit and see the part you are playing in God’s work in Africa.
Serving My King in Kenya,
Kayla Carraway


Prayer Requests:
-Health
-Safety
-Safe flight home for Christmas and travel while I am Idaho (Dec 16-Jan4)
-Bible study with the 9th grade girls
-Finances for the car


Praises
-Health
-Friendships
-Church

Saturday, November 11, 2006

the end is here...

Today the boys finished the first WNS soccer season. Today was had a tournament at the International School of Kenya. Although the boys did suffer their first loss of the season they did very well. The played a total of 7 shortened games today. They finished 5th out of 16 teams so although they were kind of discouraged we were very proud of them. I am looking forward to having a few weeks off of sports to let my head rest a bit before the next season. If you would please be praying with me we are really trying to get new uniforms for our teams. Right now we have uniforms that have been donated but say the wrong school and are the wrong colors. The kids and the school on a whole would love to have their unifroms but that just seems a lot to our small school right now. Please pray with me that God would direct us how to go about this. One of those small joys of my job! :)

Thursday, November 09, 2006

I created a Slide Show! Check it out!

Band Concert

Although our school is very small there are three bands. In the past they have not had the opportunity to be involved in sports as much as they have this year, so they focused a lot on band. Today was our BIG band concert! Yea...I can't really say that BIG is a very good word to describe it but the kids did work really hard. They were so cute up there. I really can't say much about music because if any of you knew me when I was in junior high and tried to play the clarient you would know that Mr. Carlson basically asked me to just quit already because I never practiced at all. OOPS! I guess it is safe to say that music was not one of those things that came naturally to me. Although I am afriad there were a few "Kayla types" in the band, who had no one idea where they were and were simply moving their fingers to seem like they know what they were doing. There were quite a few kids with a lot of talent. I was quite surprised by our "advanced" band that included the 7-9 grade students. Anyways...it was fun to listen to them and I just thought I would share a few pictures from the big event! ENJOY! They are so cute! :)

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

this is why I love living in Kenya so much...




Undefeated CHAMPIONS


Despite a few close games at the end of the season...our boys finished their season undefeated. Needless to say they are all quite proud of themselves, as we are of them. They will play in a 8 aside tournament this weekend so we will see how that goes. It was a big deal yesterday to beat the big rival school Rosslyn on their home field! :)

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

quick update...

Hannah Reed is doing much better. She didn't not have any major damage just a lot of scrapes and bruises. Thanks for the prayers!