Hello! I know its been awhile!

Hello! everyone, yes I have not written in forever!

School has been very busy, and yes I have been experiencing reverse culture shock!
I guess I miss Kenya! I want to go back so so bad. You never realize how good a place was until you leave it I guess. But yes, somehow I strongly believe I have a future in Kenya, just trying to follow God's direction. One of the frustrating things though is that I just don't know how to put my passion for Haiti and Kenya together, but I believe God has a bigger plan than I have for myself. Ahhh...I've never told you about my trip to Haiti, It was incredible. We spent time in the capital city and than we went to the rural area. It was nice to see my cousins, aunts, and uncles. My grandpa was sick at the time and he recently died. it was a pretty emotional trip. for the second half of the trip we did missions with First Covenant Church, that was really fun, everybody on the team was so great, that part had a great impact on me also. Overall I would say it was a pretty balanced trip. We got to see various points of views. The Lord Reigns! I would say that right now i'm still in the processing mode. But will get back to you about more!

Finals...blah blah blah...thats how I feel right now...

What finals...final papers...final projects....FINAL MONTH!!!!!!!! Yeah!!! Ok its not that I don't love Kenya...I actually do...and will miss it very much but....time to tell Daystar Peace!!!. I just am ready to get back to what I am used to. HONESTLY though, I will miss the peace-fullness and anti-stress of Kenya (outside of Narobi of course...that place is like the African New York City). I've gotten used to people, but can honestly say that I've only met a few people I can actually call friends....the rest associates. I've developed a bound with about 5 other girls in my bible study group...and I will miss them very much. Its been good, I've met some pretty neat people and ventured to some pretty cool places in this here country of Kenya. God has blessed me immensly to allow me to be able to be part of this experience, and I thank him so so much. Now what lies in-between me and my comfy bed in my room in Minnesota is a  a month and a long airplane ride! Minnesota calls my name!!!! Rosie come back, lol!!! I'll miss you Kenya!!!

Our president is WHO????

Take a look at Haiti's new president...WHAT!!!!! a singer....I shall say no more.

a little worried.....

One of the hardest things I'm realizing is being in a far country and your family is sick.  That was one of my subliminal fears. I've gotten the message that my grampa had to go to the hospital in Haiti and they thought he was going to pass on. but thanks to God he is still holding on. please pray for him, I love him very much and he is close to my heart.

Beginning of 4rth week in Kenya about a month now...time flys!

Well just to be safe...for those who were reading my note of facebook. These notes/blogs are just my observations and how I feel. They are not meant to offend anybody and put any person or people down. In everything I write I want to do it in an honest manner, speak of the good and the bad, not just one side. just to get that clear at least. welcome to all my facebook friends following this blog now. feel free to check out the other stuff I've written.

Well its about  to be the begginging of week 4 in Kenya. And I got to say that looking back on it all I've grown so much in the past weeks. My relationship with the Lord is growing and growing. When you are in a different country where you no noone and everything seems unfamiliar to you it really teaches you on how much you need the Lord. I especially love my roomate she is soo sweet and we hold commonalities and my sense of humor clicks well with hers. This past week I have to be honest, I felt overwhelmed by the guys here. When one would ask for my number I could not think of a smart way to say no so I gave it and now my phone is being blowed up.  But truthfully though I've made some good legitimate guy friends here though. But I can count on one hand how many guys I'm able to have an intelligent conversation with.
Friday night was an adventure. It was about to 8 at night and my roomate was like this guy asked her to a party off campus and she did not want to go, but if I could come with her and eventullay act as if I were sick so we could leave. So after chilling by the shops off campus the guy came to lead us to this party. We were walking and walking and after a few mins I started to get paranoid. I told him I knew how to fight. But he assured us kindly that we were almost at this place. we reached this place and he opened the door and the smell of alcohol was so strong. I wanted to leave right away. there was other people at this so called party. we sat there for about three mins and said we were leaving. I never walked back faster in my life. We got back to where there were lights and the shops and were so thankful we were safe. My roomate told me that she recognized the female at the party to be the number one weed seller in that area. we were so grateful and we learned a very important lesson about the "off campus" parties at daystar. we bought ourselves strawberry ice cream to ease the shock...it was great. We chilled at one of my friends restaurants. Speaking of that friend I must speak of him. His name is Robert. Of all the guys at daystar I've met so far, I can see he is a young man of character. He loves the lord, he is humble, he is honest, I just love being around him. He is Tazanian. And I know when he speaks to me it is on friendly terms. He is the international student leader. I sort of see him as Jospeph in the Bible. A true follower of the Lord's voice. If anyone speaks of him here or at daystar, not a negative thing leaves their mouths about him. I am truly impressed by him. and pray the Lord would continue to bless him for his commitment to him. I got to hang out with him almost all day saturday in Narobi, and I got to say he thinks a lot different from a lot of people here. He has a love for the lord that is genuine. Another person that I've met here at daystar is a girl by the name of Annabelle. As soon as I met her I was attracted by her kind and joyful spirit. her spirit seemed similar to mine. Everything she does it seems she does out of a true and genuine kind of love. I am also impressed by her, she is really cute, in character, personality, and in looks. I praise God that I made a friend like her. Another good friend I've met goes by the name Pepe. He is cool, I feel I can be myself around him. his thought process is really different and unique from a lot of people. He deffintly has a differnt thought pattern which I see is valuble. He thinks more in the abstract and visual, he is deffinitly an artist. I promised him I must wash his hair for him lol. A friend that has been a help to me since i got here is Lucas. I am truly grateful for him. He was so helpful to me when I was going through a lot of difficulty during the first week. he sings, plays the piano and bass guiter. It is a lot of fun jamming out with him. I've made some more friends that I find of value. but I will have to tell about them in another post. my goal here is not to make a lot of friends, but to make friends that will last a lifetime. I am glad that I am able to experience that. so I am ready for a new week of  classes, so I'll have to update you on that as well

Tootaaloo!!

-Rosie

Kenya so far week 3

Hello All! my a very short summary of my experience so far in Kenya
The reason for no pics so far...my internet is turtle speed...and the school computers block usb devices because of corrupted usbs...BUT I have classes!!! Teachers are coming students are coming...I am learning things!!! (well i have been, but now in a classroom)...never been so happy to have assignments....And what made my day is that one of my profs is fellow pan-Africanist! I did not think they existed here!!!....on the low point...I keep having to answer for Americans...Americans do this they do that...I'm just like not everyone in a America is the same!!! stereotypes...geesh. Otherwise...I have my annoyances...but things are lovelier….here is the summary
 Annoyances.....hmm everyone thinks I'm Kenyan...NOT that is a bad thing...its just when white students have come on this exchange program, things have moved faster for them, but because I am black things are slower for me...you think black people can't be racist? The people of their own skin color are treated less than someone of another color...I find it interesting how the colonialism and neo cololism has affected Africa and particular Kenya. It has been a struggle, rooming registration. among things. But through those hardships I am learning so much. Sometimes I just want to explode and be like people wake up!!! look what is happening around you. what you value. I go into the TV room and American films is what is being watched (white American) and the quotes are white American..the chaplin quotes white American evangelicals! I'm like the ideology is so messed up! but it frustrating to see that because you see how messed up and confused some minds are here. And you want to do something but don't even know where to start! how can you treat someone the same color as you less than a white person until they say they are from the USA.....Africa must wake up. I went into one of the TV rooms and the students were literally watching a show that waves around the confederate flag!!!! I thought I was going to throw up!!!!! They were sitting there watching it…eyes glued to the screen not knowing they were being brainwashed!! But oh the joy! I met a fellow Pan-Africanist yesterday, who also strongly believes in the unity of All black people around the world. MAN I felt like I could finally breathe. In class (she is my professor) we had some good discussions about the Carribbean, and the USA...slavery..haiti..civil rights...ect... ahh I felt like i just had some medicine among this craziness.
Another annoyance is that I keep having to answer for Americans in class....not cool...I don't represent the whole of America. My experience is much different from a lot of others here. And first of all I am Haitian American....grew up in a Haitian home but and American society. I think some people need to be educated on the diversity of America. For they only one side. And if they know about black people in America…belive its hip hop music…not history. Like today the prof was like Americans don't take care of their parents after a certain age they just but  them in nursing homes...is that not right Rosie...I'm like that is true, but not all Americans do that...like my family is Haitian and that is not common…. but he just wanted me to say yes professor sir  you are absolutely right....ay yay yay....if we black people knew about each other there would not be this issues...I guess its easy to make generalizations...but for me when you do that you take humanity away from people. Africans don't like when people do that to them...they should not do it to others.
Funny funny funny honestly the Kenyans I knew in MN were so nice so I expected that Kenyans in Kenya would be nice...but I found that most of the ones (not all!) that I met in this area at least  are rude. and the guys at this school look at me as if I'm a sexual object (well me at least.) I just put on a straight face and look right past them (not all are like this...and it might be a cultural difference.) every time I talk to a guy I always must be cautious to make sure they are not trying to get with me because I am from the US.
 Funny thing is so far I've made more friends with international students (Nigerians, Tanzanians, Burinidians, Cameroonans) than Kenyans. Its funny because several international students said they found Kenyans to be more rude... and they have had to be more careful.
Another thing is at Daystar University particularly is that I'm always hearing things on the matter of marriage! In chapel I hear marriage!! I think 4/5 chapels I've been to the word marriage has been uttered religiously. A lot of the girls spend their free time either flirting with guys, talking about guys…or reading marriage books! And the quota here is that boys are less than gurls, so the females are extremely competitive. They go up to guys, man!! and guys think they have it so easy because of this...you get some cocky fellas!!. not all females are like this but man they give guys the upper hand here. And females see me as a threat because I am from the US...so I get them looks! I just laugh...because dating is the last thing on my mind.

Another annoyance...man I became overwhelmed about the love for materialism here (at least at Daystar) the nicer you dressed, the nicer phone, if you had this in that...determined your status. Literally my spirit was repelled away from some people. My conscious told me to stay away from certain people . My goodness, When you are a true Christ follower you are lead by the spirit of God and you can feel when things are not balanced well. And I felt it so strong when I got here. I literally had to put up my guard. I have met a few people that I felt were true women and men of God but on the most part, Christianity is mixed with tradition and opinion here. There is a spirit at this school that does not settle well with me here. I was told that the people that live in the area that the school is located in practice witchcraft...and that even people who practice witchcraft purposely come to Daystar University because it is a Christian school, and that is where they know they can find pastors kids...people from christian homes...ect..and wage spiritual attacks on them, so please pray for me so I may be a strong warrior in the Lord!!!!Pray for this school. I don't even get a good spirit from the Chaplin of this school some of the things he preaches are from tradition and not biblical. the devil is definitely waging war here! Sometimes my spirit has been affected by the spirit in this school and I've had to either cry or leave campus so I mos def need the prayers!!!! I know God led me here for a reason, I am here to do his work not my own, so please please please pray for me!

Oh in Nariobi I literally almost got hit by car/vans- 16 times (exaggeration but a lot!), oh and If I don’t bring a friend I get charged so much because of my accent.

positives! God has given me a discerning spirit to be cautious and know what people I should let close to me. When I first came he provided me with a friend I had met in the US to defend me and help me with certain matters. To God be the Praise and glory. He had given me a wonderful roommate, which I am thankful. I am learning so much and at the same time growing a lot. I believe God has people here he pre-picked for me before I got here to help me on this journey, so for that I am so grateful. But I so need your prayers!!!. I am learning so much about Kenya both positive and negative. so its been quite interesting!

Overall I am truly grateful for such an opportunity! well I have so much more to say but Don't take everything I say as set in stone because this is only the observations of my 3rd week here so far.

TOOtaaloo!!!