Kampmans in Kenya!

Home Again

2009-01-26T09:46:00.000-08:00

Yep, that's me and my 25 week preggers belly! Complete in pants, might I add :) Oh the joys of being back in the U.S.!

Can't believe we are now home and that my last post was a whole 2 months ago! Yikes.

We arrived home safe and sound last Monday (the 19th) and have since been enjoying our down time while also realizing how much we have to do!
All our flights went smoothly and were on-time. We left Nairobi around 10:50pm on Sunday night, flew 8 hours to Amsterdam, had a 5 hour layover, then boarded our second 8 hour flight to Detroit. In Detroit we had to go through customs (pew) and two more security gates (double & triple pew) then headed for our gate. Our last flight was a mere 1 hour, putting us in Cedar Rapids at 4:15pm CST.

Immediately upon landing we felt the freezing Iowa chill and saw the white blanketed landscape and at last breathed a final sigh of relief.

We were back.

It was an amazing feeling. We walked down the hall, towards baggage and spotted our sister-in-law Jamie and her adorable daughter Abigail. Also standing there was one of my good friends, Carrie. It was the perfect welcome home gift to see three of our favorite people waiting for us :)
We drove back to Curt's hometown that night, exhausted and travel-weary, and fell into bed. The rest of the week has been spent visiting grandparents, laughing with family, drinking lovely warm tea, going for frigid walks, shopping in malls (a completely foreign concept after a year in the bush!), and trying to figure out our future. It's been both overwhelming and oddly, refreshing.

Tomorrow we leave Kesley for Iowa City where we will stay with our good friends, the Washburns, for a time while Curt searches for jobs (a good prayer request on our behalf, please!!) and I'll substitute teach until the belly gets too big to manage kids! Iowa City is our true home and we look forward to being there!

In baby news: nothing new to report! I have a doc appt on Feb 3rd and hope to set up an ultrasound at that time as well (another prayer request, that all is well with mom & babe). All I know for now is that he/she is moving quite a bit and the belly continues to grow (as witnessed above). I'm just looking forward to now planning for the arrival and praying that all goes well before then.

However, I think this may be the final frontier for this blog. I'm not sure if we will post anymore being that we are back in the states, so we thank you all for reading and sticking with us! If you want to continue to stay connected to us, you may email me at Kampman30@gmail.com, or read my personal blog abigailish.blogspot.com.

We love you all,
The Kampmans

Back to Bushland

2008-11-28T00:07:00.000-08:00

Hey all,

So we leave today for no man's land again :) This is our final stretch so we're praying to finish strong! December will be packed with fun times since the host missionaries we've been staying with will have their children home all month (Christmas break from Rift Valley Academy). It should be lots of laughter and fellowship.

Tonight (Friday) is always pizza and movie night, Saturdays (when the kids are home) is game and taco night (YUM, preg lady loves mexican!), and Sundays are church, basketball games, prayer & popcorn night. Usually Tuesdays & Wednesdays I'm at the med clinic helping Sue, Wed nights are prayer nights with the group, and then we start again with Friday movie & pizza night. During the month of December we'll probably have a kid's club for the local children. This involves games, devotional time, singing, and snacks--a few hours a day for about a week. Should be fun to connect with the local kids. Also, for Christmas, the host family we're with usually has a big feast, inviting the entire village; should be a lot of work and preparation but enjoyable.

Curt's parents will arrive in bushland on January 5th, spend a week in D with us, then we'll drive to the coast (with the host family we're with) for a few days of rest and relaxation on the Indian Ocean. Curt's parents, Curt, and I will fly directly from the coast to Nairobi on the 16th, stay at Mayfield Guesthouse, do a short safari day trip to Nakuru National Park on the 17th, then fly out on the 18th! It will be a whirlwind 1.5 months but we are looking forward to finishing up and reuniting with family and friends.

We love you all, please continue to pray for us and the baby!! We covet your thoughts deeply. We look forward to seeing all of you when we return!

Much love,
Abbie (Curt & the baby)

Relaxing in Nairobi

2008-11-25T05:25:00.000-08:00

So we've officially been in Nairobi for well over a week and are enjoying every moment. This past weekend we attended an AIM Eastern Region Conference in Limuru (small town 30 min north of Nairobi). It was a nice venue with an abundance of good food and fellowship. I was personally thrilled at how many veggies the hotel had at each meal--I stocked up! :) Fresh foods is a rare commodity where we are.

The conference centered around the parable of the 4 seeds--but quite a different message than the hundreds of others I have heard before. We all agreed it was an incredibly refreshing outlook. Curt and I just enjoyed meeting many new families and catching up with old friends we've met along the way. On Saturday, in the middle of the conference, there was a rummage sale of sorts out in the hotel parking lot. Missionaries bring an array of goods they either want to give away or sell and have a swap meet. I scored some great baby clothes, haha! Maybe it's too early to buy but I couldn't help it. There were Carter's onesies and sleepers in there for $0.75 & $2.00! No WAY any sane mother would let those go by, as cheap as they were.

Well, not this one anyway-- :)

I guess I'm failing to mention that they were all girl's clothing. There was no boy baby clothing in sight. Curt gave me a look when I came back to the room with an armload of pink and frills. Haha. I can always save them if need be! I also purchsed some nice souveniers from the craft shop.

We arrived back in Nairobi Monday morning and settled back in at Mayfield Guesthouse. We'll be here until Friday when we head back to the bush for our last small stretch until we head home. I can't believe we are this close already. I know I keep saying that, but really, we are down to 50-something days left! Amazing. This next month, however, will be the most difficult with the holidays and being away from family. I never imagined I would spend one of my Christmases in the African bush but here we go! There's a first time for everything, I suppose.

We've really enjoyed our time here but are truly feeling that our time is coming to a close and that God has plans for us back in the states. However, we desire to make this last stretch meaningful and (pray that it will be) fruitful. If you could pray this for us, that would be fantastic.

We love you all,
Abbie (Curt & the baby)

PS--After Thursday evening I will not be checking my gmail account until we are in Nairobi again in mid-January. Thanks to all who have written us while we are here!

Pictures of the Village

2008-11-15T21:51:00.000-08:00

There has been a request for pictures, so here we go!

This is our new home in our village. It's called a rendeval, but to me looks like a small grain bin. Our friendly-local kudu, Coodee, is standing gaurd in front of the house.

This is a traditional well for the people of our village. Being that the river is almost always dry due to the lack of rainfall, they dig a traditional well (aka large/deep pit) in the dry riverbed. The water is about 20-25 feet down in our area. The water is dirty and untreated, but it is all that is available.

A group of four families came together and asked for assistance in constructing and installing a new handwater pump for the community. So they donated the labor and we donated the supplies/equipment for the newly formed Village Clean Water Group. The well is 45 feet deep and provides clean, sand-filtered drinking water.

Every once in awhile, we receive word of a medical emergency somewhere out in the bush that requires a medical run to the nearest hospital (roughly 50 miles away). I took this picture on one of the medical runs. It was way off the beaten path - you see the road behind us right? Think machetes and spare tires.

Once or twice a week, a new baby is born in the village (our village isn't that big!). Abbie and Sue, who is a nurse, go and visit the newborn babies and their mothers, do a medical check-up and answer any questions the mothers have.

One of our favorite sights - an AIM Air flight with supplies/groceries at our village runway. We brought out as much as we could when we drove out to the village back in September, but it only lasts so long. We even got ice cream on one delivery. It was amazing.

Hopefully this gives an idea of the area we are in - definately challenging, but a real blessing as well. Thank you for all your prayers - we are dependent upon them. Love you all.

Break from the Bush...

2008-11-14T23:23:00.000-08:00

Well, we're officially back in Nairobi...again! Ha. This is always our rest/pit stop location. It's refreshing always to arrive at Mayfield Guesthouse—to staff-cooked, family-style meals (which include fresh veggies and fruits—PTL!), internet, and REST. It has been a whirlwind two months in the east Kenya bush. It's amazing that we have only two months left until we leave for home.

Hard to believe, actually. The year has flown by.

By now, most of you have received the news but during our last visit to Nairobi in mid-September, we found out that we're pregnant :) It was a surprise, not something we expected at all but certainly something we are preparing ourselves for (as much as we can, anyway!). As of right now I am officially 16 weeks along and about to have my second doctor's appointment. Since doctors are non-existent in the bush we've have to wait until our Nbi visits to be fully checked. Thankfully Sue is a nurse (the lady who's compound we are staying on in D) so she's been able to monitor my weight, blood pressure, fetal mass, etc. It's been a blessing! Anyway, the appointment we have this next week will involve an ultrasound & sonogram. We are excited to finally see and hear the little one!

I have to say, it has been a little unsettling being pregs in a malarial-infested area. I've been definitely trusting Him and relying on scripture to fend off any fear or uneasiness; 2 Tim 1:7 has become a daily reminder! I do have a malaria preventative—so nobody send me any emails regarding this! Please! I've received much advice (that I'm very thankful for) but the decision is ultimately up to Curt and I. Taking something that might harm the baby to prevent something that might happen is a tough decision on either end. Please just continue to pray for our little one as much as possible—that he/she is protected from EVERY form of illness and disease or deformity. We appreciate this!

Regarding O-land, where we have currently been residing (just outside the small village of D) has been challenging and a great learning experience. We are learning much about the particular beliefs of this tribe—many of which are dark and evil. We have seen people who are, literally, demon-possessed. They have various celebrations to worship “ayana,” also known as Satan. They also practice a very widespread religion that is growing all over the world—can't name specifics but I'm sure you can gather which one. This particular faith is devoid of grace, mercy, and love. It's entirely about tradition, repetition, deeds, fear, and blind devotion (in other words, they believe because they are told to by everyone in the community they have to; if anyone strays from the common belief they are disowned by their family and banned from the community. They allow no room for anything but. It makes the task of sharing (simply sharing) far more difficult than any other place we have been to. People throw up immediate walls and (some) begin screaming at you, as we experienced recently from one of the locals.

What I find so interesting though, if that the vast majority cannot read or write. So the faith they profess to believe they've merely accepted by other individuals—they have no way of backing up what they say with scripture from their holy book because they cannot read it. It makes it difficult for me to justify them believing in the Truth we have to share (our faith) because just as they cannot read their holy book, they also cannot read ours. How can I expect them to believe in scripture they do not know, cannot meditate on, cannot process? Just by simply hearing they may believe but how will they continue that belief once we leave? Once Roger and Sue leave? With the dominating religion being something different they will have nobody to help them along and will be swallowed up by ridicule. Roger and Sue have been here for 20+ years and haven't seen one person become a solid believer. There have been many wishy-washy folks. However, in the next village over, T, there has been a revival of sorts. Our fellow workers there, Guyo and Elema, have helped nearly 10+ people come to Christ in the past few months (after years of seeing no fruit). This is exactly what this tribe needs—just a small group to rock the boat a bit, to challenge the current beliefs and help others along. It makes me sad that so many people here live their lives in fear and uncertainty because of the faith they profess.

Anyway—those are the current challenges we are facing (and Roger and Sue continue to face).
As far as daily life goes, Curt and I have been kept quite busy. Well, mostly Curt, I have had to find things to do but I've been succeeding :) From day one Curt was immediately put to work assisting Roger in a multitude of building projects. He has already helped dig a handpump well, built a rendeval (the circular steel houses we live in), learned how to make ringbeams & use a welder, put up gutters for rainwater harvesting, and erected a cement block fuel store building. The work is neverending! He was looking forward to our few weeks of rest here in Nairobi. I've been trying to keep feeding him loads of protein and carbs—but he continues to get skinnier!
Don't we all wish we had the same problem?! Haha. On the contrary I am continually growing now that pregnancy has set in—oh the lovely side effects of hormones. Thankfully is has remained confined to the belly area! I know, I know, it's good to gain weight when your pregs but I don't buy into the lie of “eating for two.” I've hardly been hungry enough to eat for one! Again—don't want emails telling me to eat lots or what to eat, I'm fine thanks. I have been seriously craving pineapple, pickles, and ice cream—not together, of course :) So many of the things I'm craving, though, are very difficult to find here. Things like veggies (oh fresh broccoli and spinach, how I miss thee!), Braeburn apples, berries, grilled chicken, and Diet Coke with Lime. I've started a list of all the things I'm going to have immediately when I return, haha. I'm also bummed that we wont have a traditional Thanksgiving meal out here in the bush...none of the foods are really available here. I love my turkey, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie. I might recreate the meal when we get back to the states.

But I digress.

My jobs have been few and far between but I generally assist Sue a few days a week at the medical clinic doling out food for the feeding program and helping with child vaccinations. On other days I sometimes help with the prenatal patients. It's always fun seeing how far along women are and hearing the heartbeat of the babies :) Usually when a neighbor gives birth Sue and I go visit the little ones soon after. One of the ladies recently had twin girls—adorable little things! It's so fun to be an “ako,” (equivalent to an “aunt”) to all the little babies. Other than that I keep house and bake often. Everything, like it has been at each location, must be homemade and hand prepared. No prepackaged goods here! Everything takes eons longer :) I have bread making down to a science (yeast no longer intimidates!) and have started experimenting with other things. It has been fun to test my rations.

Some other things we have had to acclimate ourselves to are the clothing and the climate. The climate in D is HOT. HOT HOT and more HOT. It's humid, sandy, and thorny. You kind of get used to walking around in a constant sweat. Nights are nice, it cools off significantly. We are currently heading into the rainy season so rain helps cool things off a bit too, but with the rains come more humidity and the bane of my existence: BUGS. It has been quite comical, really, to see which infestation we will have each night after a rain. Usually the first few days it is army ants, sugar ants, and flying ants—generally just a whole lot of ants in various shapes and sizes all congregating in our house in the evenings.

It's a general party.

The next night is usually big black flying crickets (yes, some DO fly). Those are always really enjoyable. They make a nice crunching noise when you step on them. Curt and I have a nice stomping/flip flop slapping shindig when they come around. The third night is usually these odd-looking June bug things. They like to dive-bomb. These are the ones I like the least. They make lots of noise and, like I said, enjoy flying in your face. Ugh.

The perpetual insect that's always around during the rains is the infamous scorpion. I've learned that these, too, come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. We've had scorpions the size of small ants up to a few the size of a hands-breadth. Yes, that big. Some are coal black, others are this weird reddish-peachy color. All have pinchers and tails. The small ones suffer a flip-flop death slap. The larger ones must be taken out via shovel or machete. Haha. I'm not exaggerating at all—I have pictures to prove it! The other day I was sweeping out our house and out walked a ginormous (the big kind) black one. I, rightfully so, let out a loud scream, and backed away. The thing was, like, moving his claws around and his tail was moving back and forth.

Gross.

I promptly went up the work shed and got Curt (like I'm going to kill that thing myself! No sir!). He grabbed a shovel and came back, attacking it and dually slicing it in half, then propelled it out of the house. I think my skin was crawling for the next hour. I seriously want to ask God when I get to heaven what the purpose of certain bugs are. I mean, really, why do we need scorpions and mosquitoes? Honestly.

Anyway--that's all I have to report so far. Again, our doctor's appointment is this Monrday (the 17th). It's the first time we will see the baby and hear the heartbeat. Please continue to pray for full health. We appreciate your thoughts on our behalf :)

Love to you all,
Abbie

PS--We officially arrive back to Iowa on January 19th! Can't wait to see all of you and share our experiences! And get some pregnancy pants...

Heading out again!

2008-09-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Sorry I didn't send a second installment of our Sudan experience but this week has been pressing. I hope most of you received our email update which included more details of life in the bush.

After a week in Nairobi we are now heading out to eastern Kenya, a very hot and humid place. It will be difficult for me, I think, because Fall is my favorite season in the states and Christmas is such a joy for us with our families....it will be a tough final 4 months away at this particular time of year, and to live in a desert. Prayers are appreciated.

It will also be our most difficult location. I cannot say much about the place or the people due to certain circumstances but I can say this is a completely unreached people group despite having workers among them for some time. We will be working with a couple, Roger and Sue, who have been in this location for 22 years. Curt will be assisting Roger with whatever building and maintenance needs he has and I will be helping Sue in her nursing clinic and also tutoring young children in English. It'll be quite the experience! I am thankful because I'll have a full kitchen (even a fridge! AH!) so I'm pumped to be able to cook again.

We will not have access to internet again, unfortunately, until we visit Nairobi again in mid-November. We will be able to send emails but will do so sparingly due to the above issues. So we'll talk to you in a few months!

We love and miss you all...
Abbie (& Curt)

Back from No Man's Land!

2008-09-07T04:47:00.000-07:00

Hey Hey Hey.

We made it back to Nairobi safe and sound this past Thursday. Unfortunately Mayfield's internet has been out-of-order so we haven't been able to keep y'all in the loop! But, yes, we
are back and so thankful to be in civilization once again.

HOWEVER, Sudan was incredible. There is a great thing going on up there and we were thrilled to be a part of it. As you know we left on the 5th and flew to Lokichoggio, a small town in northern Kenya. In Loki we boarded a smaller, single prop (5 seater) plane to the Didinga Hills in southern Sudan, only a mere 25 minutes from Loki.

The flight to the hills was breathtaking.

I couldn't help but thinking, as we were flying, that this area is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. If one could picture Eden this would be it: lush, rolling hills that climb into towering ridges, every different shade of green imaginable, waterfalls and roaring springs, immense trees that look as though they could house entire malls...incredible. As we got a little lower I began to notice the round hut homes of the Didinga people. It was then Curt and I knew we weren't in Kansas anymore (haha).

We landed on the new airstip, just created in March. The tiny strip of land is perfectly perched on a ridge--quite nerve-wracking to land on, mind you, but John (our pilot) completed the landing effortlessly. When we stepped out of the plane there was already a crowed of nearly 30 Didinga men and women to greet us (or rather, stare curiously). Some of the younger boys stood stark naked and some women were topless but most had clothing given to them by fellow traders and missionaries. They desire clothing but often cannot afford it. Most either hike to Nagishot (a 5 hour strenuous climb over hills and valleys) to buy goods or they trade with the Millers.

We got off the plane and headed to the Millers' compound, a mere 5 minute walk from the airstrip. Dave and Deb greeted us warmly and allowed us to stay with them for the first few days to settle in a bit while our home was having the final touches put on.

The Millers' home is similar in style to the other homes we were helping build in the hills, it's basically a glorified hut (or "tukul" as the Didinga call it). The Millers' is a little larger with 2, round mud tukuls on either end of the house and a rectangular corrogated steel (also called "mbati" in these parts) section in the middle. The tukul ends house the bathroom, store room, and 2 bedrooms, the rectagular portion holds the living and kitchen areas. Each TIMO home has one mbati portion and one tukul portion.

We moved into our home the following week, a good 15 minute walk down the ridge from the Miller compound. It was a bit terrifying at first because, really, Curt and I were the first white folk to live among the Didinga--really live among the Didinga. The Millers' compound is situated on the top of the mountain, a good deal away from the tribe and close to the airstrip. Curt and I became the guinea pigs, of sorts, and I have to say, it set my nerves on end for the first few days. I wasn't sure what to expect! It was fine, however the local children were a bit of a problem the entire time we lived there. They had a lovely time peering in windows, running into the house, and throwing rocks and other debris onto our steel roof (which makes quite a noise if you happen to be in the house--and definitely isn't good for the roof). They seemed to find all this quite funny. I had a difficult time attempting to communicate with them with my VERY limited language skills. All I could say was "Buti! Buti! Abathi gerret!" Which translates to "No! No! Very bad!" Haha. It began to become such a problem that I mentioned it to David Miller one afternoon and he immediately took action. He visited the head chief of the area we live and told him about the ruckus being caused. It just so happens that the child doing the most terrorizing was the chief's daughter and he immediately punished her (I'm not sure what he did but she didn't bother us again). The chief's reaction to me was, "why didn't you beat her?!"

I was baffled.

Well, I wasn't aware that I was supposed to BEAT children, let alone someone else's children. But that is how the children are disciplined in Didinga territory. I certainly didn't exercise the method. After he said that I feared what had happened to his daughter, worried that I had somehow caused her harm. However I saw her a few days later, unscathed, and she wasn't a nuisance the rest of our stay so I was thankful.

We settled into our tukul quite nicely (despite the children) and I went about making it a home. I immediately hung up the quilt I brought with me from the states and our calendar that Curt's mom made us. I made curtains for all the windows and set up the furniture. Curt made a very rustic-looking wood table for the bathroom, set up our clothesline outside, and landscaped around the home. We put out our 100 liter rain barrel under the downspout of our roof and waited for a nice, heavy rain to come so we could have some clean water. Unfortunately it didn't rain for a few days so we had to make the 400 ft downhill hike to our watersource, a beautifully clear, freshwater spring. Curt lugged 2- 20 liter gerry cans and I managed one down the hill and, once full, back up again to our home. I have to say, at this point I was longing for running water or even a heavy rain, I loathed the water-fetching method. BUT it's how the majority of the world gets water. Amazing to think about. What's even more amazing is the women here are the ones who fetch water and they carry the huge 20-liter jugs on their heads, uphill, barefoot, every single day. The women here are insanely ripped (slang for SUPER muscular). I wouldn't challenge any of them to a fight. They'd mangle me instantly!

Fortunately, a few nights later we had a heavy rain and filled up our 100 liter rain barrel (plus various other buckets and basins we carted outside to catch rain). I was praising God...water for days! WOO!

Anyway...I will write more about our adventure later. There is so much to say! We'll call this entry "Part I"!

Abonaha (Didinga for "goodbye"),
Abbie

Off we go...

2008-08-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Well it's 6:15am in Nairobi and we are about to leave for the airport.

Pray for us, please, as we head off to Sudan (and thus will be out-of-communication until Sept. 5).

We are thankful for you all!

Curt & Abbie

Overview: Week in Nairobi

2008-08-04T01:21:00.000-07:00

We have now been in Nairobi for almost a full week and it has been nice to be (somewhat) back into a "city" where things are a tad easier to find (like cereal and chocolate, the essentials, you know), hot water is abundant (thank you Lord for steamy high-pressure showers), and entertainment abounds (movie theaters!). We had forgotten, ever so briefly, what life is like in the world of cafe lattes, superstores, and traffic. Though we aren't too thrilled about the car congestion, our stay here has been great.

Since we've been here we haven't really had much "down time." We got our logistical stuff done right away on Thursday, heading to the embassy to get our Sudan visas, renew our entry permits, and complete other immigration details. Afterward we walked to the Nairobi Java House (my favorite hot spot) and had a snack & warm beverage--love it! On Friday we ate lunch with Sheila (again, Java House, haha!), who happened to be in town dropping off her daughter and meeting with administrators. It was great to simply relax with her and debrief a bit. Later that night we had supper with the McNeely family (John is an AIMair pilot and his wife assists with short term orientation). We ate pizza, had brownies, and watched a video of comedian Brad Stein (hilarious for all those who've never heard of him).

Saturday was the big shopping day. We had to buy all our food supplies for our month in Sudan--considering that we will not have electricity or running water this was quite a challenge. However I emailed quite a few missionaries who have been, or are in the area we'll be staying and asked for advice. It looks like the month of August will be full of rice, beans, and powdered milk--yum, yum! The couple who is hosting us in Sudan mentioned that they have a little garden up there so that will help. Also, I guess mushrooms grow like crazy--Deb Miller (the lady up there) said one villager gave her a 'shroom that was 1 foot wide and 1 foot tall. Can you even imagine?! Gives new meaning to portobello.

Saturday night we had supper with the Middletons, another family currently in northern Kenya (but visiting Nbi to get supplies). They taught us a fun card game called "scum" and Walt, the husband, made us what he called "The Miracle." It's basically a really thick chocolate sauce, complete with loads of butter, sugar, and cocoa. Quite healthy. Good for the pancreas. :)

Sunday we were able to attend Nairobi Chapel which is a HUGE worship service--one of the largest in the city. The teaching & praise were both in English (WOO!). I was in complete awe of the singers--I hate to say it, but us white folk have got nothing on African vocalists. They can sing with such depth...incredible. The sermon itself was entitled "Prison Break" and discussed the many areas in our lives that we are "imprisoned." It was a wonderful service. Afterward we went out to lunchwith the Brown family (another short term coordinator and her husband) then went back to the store to get some more supplies for Sudan. That evening we met up with James Holt for our first Bollywood experience. For those who aren't in-the-know, "Bollywood" is basically Hindu Hollywood flicks that are somewhat cheesy but really entertaining. The movie we saw was called "Kismat Konnection." It was hilarious. Complete with subtitles, songs, dancing, romance, action, etc...I have to say, I'm now a Bollywood fan.

Monday was another logistical day--we sent our supplies on ahead of us by plane to Loki where we will pick them up later. Later in the afternoon Curt helped James built a carport for one of the missionary compounds here in Nbi and I went off to the mall in search of long underwear (quite glamorous, I know). I found some but it was outrageously priced so I probably will be wearing jeans under my skirts for the next month (the location we're at in Sudan is at 7000 feet and in the middle of rainy season which = chilly and damp). Later we met up again with Sheila for one last goodbye. We will definitely miss her.

Today (Tuesday) is pretty laid back (PTL). We have begun packing and putting things into storage here at the Guesthouse. Laundry needs to be done as well...

Only a few days until we enter the black hole of communication.
Thanks for staying with us!

Love to all-
Abbie

Back where we started!

2008-07-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

We now are officially out of Tanzania and back in Kenya!

Thanks so much for your prayers, all flights went smoothly and all baggage arrived safe & sound. We left Nassa this morning around 8:00am. Curt and I woke up early to finish up packing and say goodbye to some friends. Quite a few people showed up at Sheila's to bid us a final adieu. We hugged/took pictures and went on our way. After a few brief stops in Mwanza we headed to the airport and said goodbye to Sheila (though it wasn't teary YET, we will see her this week in Nairobi because she'll be in town picking up some new missionary arrivals). We're looking forward to a final debriefing and good long chat with her.

We boarded the plane relatively on schedule (due to leave at 2:05pm, we boarded and left around 2:30). After a short stop at the Arusha airport to refuel, we made our way to Nairobi. We were able to get a spectacular view of Kilimanjaro--we saw it on the way to Nassa but this time the sky was clearer and the peak was in full view. Lovely.

We touched down in Nairobi around 4:30pm, made our way through the visa line, got our bags (they were there, yay!), and went through customs. After spotting James Holt (our IS administrator) all three of us headed for the taxi and made our way to Mayfield Guest House--the place we stayed upon arrival to Africa 4 months ago; hard to believe it was that long ago already!

After arriving at Mayfield we checked in and went to our room. I was looking forward to getting the 2 bags we left in storage here...I couldn't remember what we left behind and was somewhat excited to see our belongings. When we go the bags out of the steel container and opened them up we found tons of....haha, don't worry, everything was there and perfectly unharmed by any critters! We felt like it was Christmas, actually. Curt's Sunbelt Granola Bars were in there along with my Kashi snacks, we had our powdered gatorade and Skippy peanut butter (double yum), some of our warmer clothes, and toiletries--it was great to see it all again!

Later, we ate in the communal dining room, chatting fellow AIM workers. We actually met the couple that Sheila is coming to pick up (Dave & Heather from Canada). We were able to share a little about our experience and give them encouragement as they go. I'm thankful we were able to do that for them, I remember when we first arrived we were just itching to have some info about Nassa--anything, really. Anyway, it was nice to meet them. After supper I headed for the shower. Oh MY, it was GLORIOUS. Amazing water pressure, HOT, steamy water...I'm relishing it! Such simple joys we take for granted, truly.

Being at Mayfield again has been wonderful. It's been nice to come back to where we began and know that we now have 4 months of good solid work behind us, work that both exhausted and exhilarated us. We are looking forward to this week of rest before we head to Sudan... not quite sure what that will be like but looking forward to a change of pace!

Goodnight,
Abbie

End of the beginning...

2008-07-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

So we have reached our last full day in Tanzania, the first leg of our journey in Africa. We are now officially 1/3 of the way finished and can't believe it. Really. I know I keep saying "the time has gone so quickly," but it really has.

This week should have been fairly laid back, but as it goes, it's been jammed with final visits, wrapping up projects, and last-minute duties. Curt has experienced the brunt of the work, while I have merely been cleaning, packing, talking, and editing a teacher's thesis. It seems everyone has tracked Curt down during these last few days to fix various computer mishaps, photocopiers, electronic devices, etc, etc. He stayed up until 4am this morning installing programs onto our neighbor's computer only to get up a few short hours later to start the day. You can pray for him...he's in need of some energy and endurance.

The enjoyable parts of this week have been meeting with various families to say goodbye. It seems all our friends have invited us over for a meal--I think I'll be stuffed until we hit Sudan, really! It has been great to sit down for some good one-on-one time with various staff/students/neighbors/friends. We've enjoyed their fellowship and company; it will be difficult to leave. However, we are both looking forward to the new experiences ahead--Sudan will be quite a change!

So...we leave tomorrow morning at 8am, drive to Mwanza, eat a final lunch with Sheila, arrive at the airport at 12pm, board the plane at 2:30pm, and arrive in Nairobi around 4:30pm. James Holt, our IS administrator will meet us at the airport and drive us to Mayfield Guest House (where we stayed when we first arrived). We'll stay at Mayfield until August 6, then head out via AIMair to Napep, Sudan! YIKES! We'll have internet access at Mayfield so feel free to send us emails (Kampman30@gmail.com) until then. However we will NOT have electricity, let alone internet, while in Sudan so we'll be entering a black hole for one month until we arrive back in Nairobi on September 6.

Hope you all are doing well--please continue to pray for us!!
We'll post again when we arrive in Nairobi...

~Abbie (& Curt)

Race to the finish

2008-07-21T00:55:00.000-07:00

Whew. Graduation is OVER. What a loooonnnngg day it was, 7-10pm, to be exact. Tanzanians really know how to put on a shindig.

BUT, let me back up a bit.

My final day of class was officially last Tuesday. My students seemed so incredibly nervous. We began with the listening portion, moved on to grammar, then did vocabulary and finally, reading comprehension. The entire test took around 4 hours with a break in between. By the end they were ready to be done (and so was I!).

The next day (Wednesday) my students held a party for me complete with singing, dancing, cake, and other homemade African treats. I brought brownies and pumpkin bread--good old American food! Curt was also invited and when we arrived, we found the entire classroom decorated in traditional African fare (strings across the ceiling with various colored doilies draped over, elaborate curtains, and a HUGE boom box--noise is of no consequence here!). Mary Ngussa (one of my students) made a lovely cake with frosting that said "Thank you teacher" across the top in hot pink icing. Haha. They had a head table ready for Curt & I. We sat down and thus began the celebration. Each of my students had a tribute written regarding what they were thankful for. The other Mary (there are two) led the group in songs and dancing. After the songs and speeches, James (another student) asked if I wanted to say a few words and it was then that I told them they had all passed the exam.

It took a minute to register.

After a few seconds of silent processing, in unison they all began screaming/yelling/jumping/dancing around the room. Haha! One of my students, named Journey (quite the name, eh?), came up to me and said, "Even me?!" He struggled a bit throughout the course but passed the exam with flying colors. I proudly said, "Yes, even you Journey!" It was great.

After the announcement the students serenaded Curt and I with a song and presented us with traditional African outfits (matching, mind you). Journey is a skilled seamster...haha. He made the beautiful shirt, blouse, and skirt not even knowing our sizes (but merely guessing) and they
fit perfectly. I wore mine to graduation and many people told me I looked "smart," which is there was of saying you look nice/sharp. It was a nice end-of-the-term gathering....very memorable.

The rest of the week was a race to the finish. Graduation is a massive production at NTC. Generally hundreds of people attend (regardless of two graduates or twenty--where there is food, they will come...haha). SO all the staff wives spent the rest of the week preparing an insane amount of food. The men prepared the wood beams and tarps for the tents, and gathering chairs/benches/tables. On Thursday morning Curt went to work down at the stage site and I began the arduous process of making hoards of rolls. Friday came and went, and all the sudden, dun dun dunnnnn, it was Saturday.

The day began at 7am. Curt had to head down to the stage to repair a hole covering (don't ask) and I got myself ready for the day. Curt came home around 9, washed up, then we headed over to Sheila's. We dinked around for a bit (it's a professional art, dinking), then walked down to the ceremony. The festivities, shockingly, began on time (10am)--this is unheard of in Africa. We were thankful!

The ceremony began with prayer, singing, and a student testimony. After that was more prayer, a choir, and a student reflection. Following was the sermon (by the AIC Bishop), more singing, more prayer, and the presentation of diplomas. I took an array of photos of my students, they looked so proud! A tradition during graduation is to place a lei of flowers over the neck of each graduate, usually made by the families of the honored ones. I wish I'd known this because I would have made some for my students but...alas, I wasn't in the loop. Ah well, they looked marvelous anyhow. Journey (my wonderful seamster) made all the English course women matching pink satin dresses with a black bolero jacket to go with. They all looked quite "smart," haha. After a final prayer and song, they ceremony was over--- a mere 2.5 hours later. We've learned to love these lengthy African gatherings (emphasis on the "learned")!

In true African form, the ceremony began with around 300 guests but during the final song I turned around to see how many were in attendance and, lo and behold, about 3 times that amount managed to gather on the outskirts. Simply miraculous how many people can fit in such a small area.

Lunch came next. I say that lightly. It was anything BUT simple.

About 50 staff were in attendance to man the lines and help keep things refilled/clean/orderly. Haha. Orderly. Maybe I should rephrase that to "ordered chaos." Like I said above, where there is food, they will come.

And "they" did.

Even though the only guests should have been those family and friends of graduates, teachers, and students, I'm pretty sure the entire village made there way to the serving lines.

I was blessed with bean duty so I took my position, ladle in hand, and went a-scooping. The serving lasted about 2 hours until the lines slowly receeded. By this time it was around 3pm and I was hot, tired, and a bit nauseous (I think due to heat and dehydration). I forfeited my ladle and went in search of Curt to get the house key. I found him, brand new khakis covered in charcoal, looking just as weary as I felt. He had food transportation (from the kitchen to the tent) duty. I told him I needed to go home for a cold drink and a brief rest, and he needed to give me his pants to wash before the coal stains set in. We headed home for a breather (and pants-washing). I helped myself to some wonderful iced tea, washed Curt's pants, hung them out to dry, then walked back down to the party. By the time I arrived the guests had begun to thin out and we were moving on to dish duty.

Mind you, at this point it was around 4pm and none of us staff had eaten since around 6:45am. Everyone was looking a little bleary-eyed. We began to set up for our own meal. After the staff got some food they set to work on the dishes.

Oh my, I've never seen dishes mounted that high in all my life. Nor will I ever again, I'm sure.
Sheila and I began the lovely job of scraping the excess food off the plates. The glorious orange beef fat was a bugger to get off. I had orange fingers for the rest of the evening--haha! After tackling one mound Sheila, Curt, and I decided to head home for another breather (there were many others working on the dishes as well...we felt it was quite allright to take a break).

We went home for an hour or so then came back down to help finish up. By the time we got back to the kitchen we started to catch a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel. Curt and I grabbed towels and began to dry and count plates. By 9:15pm wrapping up was in order.

Curt, Sheila, and I (along with Sheila's daughter and her friend) headed back to the homestead. Once we got to Sheila's we all walked in, sat down...or rather, collapsed, onto the furniture and broke out the ice cream and cookies. We were celebrating.

Graduation had ended.

Final Exam!

2008-07-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

This is a shorty.

My students take their final English exam tomorrow and Tuesday (it's a 2 day-er) which will determine whether they enter the college or not. IN essence, it conveys how well I was able to execute grammar in 3 months!

Please be thinking of them while they take it! I'm hoping for the best....

Love,
Abbie

A not-so-brief recap!

2008-07-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

Well, we have officially been in Africa for 3 months and 8 days! Yikes! We're nearing the "1/3 of the way finished" mark. Hard to believe. SO much has happened while here and I've somewhat neglected the information portion of this blog lately so I'm dedicating this post to "informing" you all about the recent happenings!

Here are a few of the major events that have occurred in the past few months (overview):

-Mid-May: Women's retreat in Dar Es Salaam--incredibly refreshing time away! PTL!

-May 25: F-5 tornado sweeps through Parkersburg, Iowa (Curt's hometown) leveling nearly all
of the south side of town, including Curt's grandfather's house. Miraculously our storage unit was spared but nearly 30 families from our church lost their homes. Our sister-in-law, Linde, thought her parents' home was spared but unfortunately it had too much foundational damage and had to be leveled.
Update: Grandpa Kampman is recovering remarkably and is hoping to rebuild his
home! We are so thankful he is still with us...

-Early June: 500 year flood courses through Iowa City, damaging thousands of homes &
businesses. Our church in Iowa City (the one we were married at and the one we continue to go to) was badly flooded. Within the interior there was more than 5 feet of water. Thankfully the church body pulled together and got much of the furniture, computers, and other valuables out of the building before the water rushed in. They are now in the process of cleaning up, as is the rest of the town.

-June 22-29: Aaron, Linde, and Lucas came to visit us! WHAT A BLESSING THIS WAS. We
are so thankful they were able to take time out of their busy schedules to come see us! It was wonderful to finally see family in-the-flesh and to share our experience with them. We were also able to introduce them to many of our new friends here. It was an amazing week.

-June 25: My 23rd birthday! Fun day! We were in the Serengeti that day with Aaron, Linde,
and Lucas. I had a wonderful time getting pampered at the lodge that evening and seeing lots of great animals in the park!

-June 30: Curt and my 2nd anniversary! Since this was a mere day after A, L, & L left, we were
quite wiped-out from the fun-filled week. The day was pretty low-key. We both had to work during the morning/afternoon but went for a long walk on the savannah and I made chicken fajitas for supper--yummy! It was a nice relaxing evening. Besides, how often are you in AFRICA for you anniversary--seriously!

So yes, much has happened in a short amount of time! I have been reading tons of books (and so has Curt! I've made a reader out of him!). I'm currently in the middle of the Zion Covenant series by Bodie Thoene. One word: A-mazing. Seriously. The books go deep into the political turmoil surrounding pre-WWII and the annexation of Austria/Sudentenland-Czechoslovakia. Incredible stuff. Curt's SO tired of me saying "Oh my gosh we HAVE to go to Vienna...no wait, we HAVE to go to Prague...no wait, we HAVE to go to Munich." Haha! He puts up with me. Curt's recently read Band of Brothers, The End of the Spear, and is now in the middle of The Shack. Three books in 2 weeks! Woo! Haha. I'll stop picking on him.

I suppose I should share a bit about our time with Aaron, Linde, and Lucas--since so many have been asking about the safari! I have to say, I tried to put up some photos on the blog but it took forrrr-evvver, and then the computer timed out. I'll try to send some via-Snapfish when I get the chance. Anyway....

A, L, & L arrived Sunday the 22. Curt left around 8am to get them. Buto took Curt to the bus stop and Curt rode the 1.5 hour journey to Mwanza via cramped-bus (there is no other alternative!). Once he arrived at the Mwanza bus stop Lameck (our friend the taxi-driver) picked him up and took him to meet the crew at the airport. All went well and the crew piled in the taxi to make the long journey back to Nassa. They arrived around 3pm, Lucas was conked out. He slept while A, L, Curt, and I chatted for a bit. From Sun-Wed we spent leisurely time showing them around Nassa. We walked down to the garden, to the lake (Lake Victoria), we hiked up the hill near our home and took a stoll on the savannah. On Tuesday we invited A, L, & L to the student chapel service and after, Aaron (and Lucas!) helped Curt shovel and move dirt
near the library. We were thankful for Aaron's strength! The normally 4 hour job took less than an hour! Curt was happy about that! Lucas also made a new little friend, L.J., who is the 4 year old boy of our neighbors, Limi and Lucas Ndaro. Limi and Lucas are native Tanzanians but spent the last 8 years in Pennsylvania getting their master's degrees in teaching. They just moved back last summer. L.J., their son, was born in the states and knows only English--he was just dying for Lucas to arrive so he could chat about spiderman, trains, and hunting! Haha. They were quite a pair.

On Wednesday morning, our Land Rover arrived with Vincent, our safari guide. We loaded up the vehicle and headed to the Serengeti for our 4 day safari. Serengeti National Park is only about an hour from Nassa, so the drive was a breeze. The first day was spent driving around the park. We actually saw the majority of the animals on this first game drive. Merely yards after entering the gate were were graced with baboons, giraffes, and the famous "biting" flies...yesssss, more vicious bugs :) I was not thrilled about the latter (and I don't think Linde was either!). Throughout the first day we saw elephants, zebras, wildebeest, hippos, crocodiles, gazelles, impalas, vultures (ew), ostriches, monkeys, random birds, and others that I am probably forgetting! Our favorite that day, however, were the female lions. We found three of them resting under a tree and were able to get mucho-close. I have a really great pic of one yawning--again, I'll get on the Snapfish thing so you can see these! My other favorite was the hippos. They're HUGE creatures. I'm wondering how they can gain so much weight eating grass...interesting.

That evening, around 6pm, we arrived at our first lodge, The Serengeti Serena. The lodge was beautiful. Upon entering we were given warm towels to wipe our hands/face, and fresh mango juice. We settled in for the short 1.5 hour until supper. Since it just so happened to be my birthday Curt told me to choose something from the spa to partake in. I didn't resist! I, of course, chose the pedicure...my feet were nasty (hey, this is Africa, dirt is prevalent!). It was marvelous. At 7:30 we headed up to the restaurant for supper. The meal was buffet-style (but not your typical "tank up on cottage cheese, cold fried chicken, and rubbery veggies" buffet. There was made-to-order steak/chicken/pork, hand tossed salads, a dessert bar, and an array of fancy cheeses. LOVED it. They also had this really great butternut squash soup. This was our lovely relaxing weekend vacation and we indulged! Did I mention I chose the chocolate mousse for dessert? Curt had cheesecake. Yum. The rest of the evening was spent checking email and watching a traditional African dance.

Day 2 we got up around 7am and had breakfast (another buffet) then met Vincent at the car to begin our journey to Ngorongoro Crater. The gate was about 3 hours from our hotel so we had another good drive through Serengeti. On our way we saw a Puff Adder, a really icky-looking HUGE snake. I know that isn't a very good description but, really, need I say more? Ew. The last stretch of road before the gate to Ngorongoro Conservation Area was horrid. I mean, really terrible. Bumpy, dusty, and hot. We were thankful to arrive at our lunch spot. After a short break to eat lunch, hit the potty, and walk around a bit we entered the Conservation Area (mind you we were still a good 2 hours from the crater). The drive to the crater was nice. The scenery began to get more and more gorgeous as we ascended in elevation. We passed Olduvai Gorge, also called "The Cradle of Mankind." This is the location where the oldest human was excavated (her name is Lucy, apparently). American Palentologist, Don Johanson, discovered the bones and named the remains "Lucy" because the Beatles' song, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," was playing at the moment he discovered the bones. Among other discoveries were Stone Age tools and bones of what they believed to be early humans dating as far back as two million years. Nearby another scientist also discovered the earliest known human footprints, estimated to be 3.5 million years old. Unfortunately we didn't see all these wonderful discoveries, but we drove by! That counts for something, right?!

One thing we were able to do was stop by a Maasai village. We had to pay to view it but we were able to walk around, go inside a hut, visit the school, and view the market. Lucas got a lion's tooth necklace and they let him throw a real spear! The Maasai are a tribe that originated in Sudan but have since migrated south, herding their cattle and moving where food and water exist. They are traditionally known to be fierce warriors and place all their pride in the size of their herd. They used to live in Serengeti but when the acreage became a national park the tribe was forced out and now settles in the conservation area. They still focus primarily on cattle herding but now make money also by charging folks to view their villages and take photos.

A short while later we arrived at our second lodge, Ngorongoro Serena. This was my favorite, hands down. The lodge was built into the side of the crater and the views were incredible. Plus, they had really good tea. I like my tea. Again, the food was outstanding. Dinner was made-to-order, with a buffet for salad and dessert. Aaron and I made the mistake of putting some obscure peppers on our salad and just about lost nearly all our tastebuds. I've really never tasted anything so hot in my life. Jamie Kampman--you have to try those things! Dad--you would have been hiccuping for hours! Haha. Quite an experience. After dinner we were all exausted so we decided to call it a night. Vincent reminded us that we were heading out at the wee hour of 7am--bummer. We really wanted to sleep in!

Day 3 was spent in the crater. At this point in our lengthy safari we were all pretty sluggish and tired of driving. It made it difficult that the first 2 hours we didn't see much of anything (though the crater itself was beautiful). Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest unbroken, unflooded volcanic caldera. The Crater, which was formed when a giant volcano exploded and collapsed on itself two to three million years ago, is 2,001 feet deep and covers 102 square miles. Researchers have estimated the height of the original volcano to be from fifteen to nineteen thousand feet high. Incredible if you dwell on it!

Though we didn't see much at the beginning, we ended up spotting 2 male lions and a cheetah (though they were pretty far off). So it ended up to be a good drive. Near the end we also drove around the lake within the crater and caught a glimpse of hippos, hyenas, and flamingoes. Around 12pm we left the crater and had lunch at a nearby campground. I made the mistake of sitting on the grass and had my second experience with pinching ants--ugh. You'd think I'd learn. We piled in the car for the long 4 hour journey to our third lodge, back in Serengeti. We were really, really tired and a bumpt drive didn't sound too appealing! However, on our way back we witnessed the most incredible sight of all: A mother lion walking right in front of us on the road with her 7 lion cubs trailing behind. Really amazing. Also a herd of elephants crossed the road...it was worth every bumpy, dusty mile! By the time we reached our final lodge, Mbalageti Resort, we were wiped and hungry!

Mbalageti was different than the Serena Lodges. OUr room was in a separate building a good walk from the main house. It was a little nerve-wracking walking to supper at night--Linde and I were a little worried about lions and snakes. Eek. However the lodge pays Maasai men to escort you around after dark so I guess we were well-protected. We ate African BBQ and retired for the night. Vincent gave us the go-ahead to sleep in (PTL!) so we took advantage of it. The next morning I ordered tea from room service (it was brought to our room by a Maasai man, very fun!), and read on our porch. We hit breakfast around 9:30 and admired the beautiful hill-top view of the Serengeti from the restaurant deck. After breakfast, Lucas and Aaron decided to go for a quick swim. We left around 10:30 and drove the rest of the way back to Nassa. That evening we ate supper at Sheilas and talked about our adventure...it was nice to have our family meet the lady who has been like a second mother to us. After supper we all, wearily, hit the sack. We all slept really well!

Aaron, Linde, and Lucas were due to leave the day (Sunday) so the next morning we packed up. We had one last little friend grace us with his presence, though. Aaron went to shake out his shoes before putting them on (customary in Africa...you never know what's lurking inside) and out came a scorpion! Boy was he glad he chose to check his shoes! Lucas was really excited to see the critter, I was excited to use the flip-flop death slap. He died, all is well again. We piled in the car (yet again!) and Sheila drove us to Mwanza. Aaron, Linde, and Lucas left around 2pm (teary eyes had by all) and we made our journey back to Nassa.

All-in-all the past few months have had their ups-and-downs...mostly ups, but we'd be fibbing if we said there hasn't been moments of frustration, homesickness, and exhaustion. There certainly has. However Tanzania is the best possible "first place" we could have come to. It is a nice stepping stone into African life. We've been blessed to have a home, internet, and access to most of the foods we enjoy, a shower, clean water, etc. Our next location, Sudan, will be a complete 180 (think, living with a remote hilltop tribe, grass huts, no electricity/let alone internet!, "bucket" baths, and cooking over a fire. This will be the transition we will face. It will be quite a change! We leave Tanzania at the end of this month, will spend a week or so "resting" in Nairobi, then we'll fly out in early August for Sudan. We will only be in Sudan for a month, then will come back for a brief rest in Nairobi before heading off again to a village in the eastern region of Kenya. So much transitioning in the next few months! I'm exhausted just typing it! :)

Thanks for staying with us throughout our journey, we covet your thoughts and prayers.

Much love,

Abbie

Family Update #2

2008-06-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

So...this will be super short because Curt and I have to head up to our ritual Sunday supper at Sheila's (haha, nice alliteration--eh?). We are exhausted after a long but WONDERFUL week with Aaron, Linde, and Lucas. They left today (Sunday) at 1:30pm out of Mwanza. We dropped them off at the airport--and to be honest, we didn't want to let them go. Tears were flowing long after they were gone (and I'm sure will continue on and off for a few days). It was more than a blessing to have them here...so so so so so needed for us. We loved every moment of their visit and wouldn't have changed anything. We are SO thankful to have them in our life! Thanks for coming you guys, we love you :)

For those who pray diligently, we ask that you pray the following:

-Safe arrival of A, L, & L into Nairobi tonight (they are due to arrive in Nbi at 5:30pm Africa time)
-A nice time with their friends in Nbi. Aaron and Linde have friends in Nairobi who have a sports ministry going there. They were going to spend their short 6 hour layover taking a brief tour of the slums and various parts of Nairobi that this couple is administering to. Pray for good conversation and safe re-arrival to Jomo Kenyatta Airport.
-Safe takeoff, flight, and landing from Nairobi to Chicago (their flight leaves Nbi at 11:30pm and arrives in Chicago at 1pm Monday, central time).
-Good rest for all three on board and energy for the 3 hour drive back to GB from Chicago.
-A good reunion with the other two boys who did not come (Benny and Elijah).

Love you all and are SO thankful for your prayers/thoughts!
~Abbie (& Curt)

PS--Just FYI, tomorrow is Curt and my 2 year anniversary! WOO!

Family Update

2008-06-24T05:32:00.000-07:00

Hi all-

This will be a short one but I want to let everyone know that Aaron, Linde, and Lucas arrived safely on Sunday afternoon with all their luggage! WOO! Curt left to get them around 8am, got to Mwanza (via bus) at 10am, and hailed a taxi to the airport to meet them by 11:30am. They took the taxi back to Nassa and arrived around 3pm. I was busy preparing supper and cleaning.

Sunday night we ate pizza, talked, then went for a brief tour around the village. Lucas decided no walk is complete without his homemade bow & arrow (for those stray lions that might pop up, haha!) so he brought it along (will include photos later--they are hilarious). All the little village kids were in awe of a little blonde boy walking around--he made many new friends! After the tour we headed back home so A, L, & L could get some much-needed rest....although Lucas awoke around 2am, wide awake and ready to chat (according to Linde). He is doing well right now on his sleep patterns...thanks for praying!

Monday morning I had to teach but after that Linde and I made lunch then we all headed out for a walk to the garden & Lake Victoria. Linde brought along some fun floppy hats so we walked in style :) Again, will include photos later. Lucas, again, brought the bow & arrow but all we saw were some cows & goats (bummer). He's pretty entertained by the lizards inside the house though! We've attempted to catch quite a few. He even left a bit of orange out last night as a "snack" for them! They didn't much like it though. We think they like bugs better. Linde and I decided we needed to shave our legs last night so while Curt and Aaron were having a deep theological discussion so we went to the tub and made ourselves smooth again--haha! I also needed to wash my feet after the long walk. It's a daily necessity. It brings new meaning to quite a few biblical references!

Today I had to teach again but at break (we usually take a break from 10-11am) we all went to chapel. Chapel is usually led by one of the 4th year students (to give them preaching practice). Today the sermon was on how we must praise God through both trials and joys because he is the author and perfector of all that happens in our lives. It was good. Really good--I'm thankful to see how the gospel is moving throughout this place! It's wonderful.

After chapel Curt, Aaron, and Lucas worked on shoveling and transplating some dirt near the library (promise--pictures!) then came home for lunch. After lunch Lucas headed over to the neighbor's house to play with their little boy, L.J., who is Lucas' age and was raised in Pennsylvania (long story--his parents are native Tanzanian but lived in Penn. for 8 years getting their masters degrees, then moved back to TZ....needless to say L.J. is completely Americanized--having lived there his whole life--and is having a difficult time relating to the local village kids here). L.J. has LOVED having Lucas here! Right now they are eating cookies and "hunting" in the yard. Haha.

Well--I should go back to the family. We leave tomorrow morning for a 3 day safari in Serengeti Nat'l Park--woo!

PS-- HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOB!!! WE LOVE AND MISS YOU!!!!!!

exciting arrivals/departures!

2008-06-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

Today Aaron, Linde, and Lucas (Curt's brother, wife, and their 4 year old son) leave to embark on their 24 hour journey to come visit us! We're thrilled to see family in-the-flesh and be able to show them around these parts, introduce friends, and share our thoughts. We can't wait!

Please, if you would, pray for:

-their safe arrival
-prompt arrival of their baggage (HUGE problem here)
-that they would get needed rest on the plane (and while here); we are 8 hours ahead
-for safety/good health while they are here
-for good conversations, good times!

In addition, Curt's other brother, Andy, leaves also today for the middle east. He's leading a small team of young adults. Please keep them in your thoughts as well!

Thanks saints...

Forget Texas! Everything's Bigger in Africa...

2008-06-16T09:56:00.001-07:00

I've found that things in Africa are, well, HUGE. Everything from bugs to produce looks like an alien life form on steroids.

So, the bugs. Update on Grandpa Roach, we found him. He appeared for morning tea last week. Curt spotted him. Needless to say he met his maker. Here he is (below) in all his 2.5 inches of glory. Ick.

Onto the produce. The potatoes here are insane; I'll take a picture as soon as I can nab another one. But check out this avocado...

Incredible.

The Tanzanian Way

2008-06-06T01:55:00.001-07:00

Recently I was asked by a faithful viewer to blog more about the culture. I realize, though we have been here over 2 months now, I haven't given a good peek into the people we interact with daily. Pole sana, wafiki wangu.

The culture here is different (duh) but very much the same (huh?). At first glance (and even second, third, or 200th) the people are quite unlike what we are used to in the states. Here's why:

Clothing: Men don't wear shorts, but always slacks (or as they say here, "trousers") and they tend to dress up when going to school/church--and I mean dress up. Full suit and dress shoes required. Women always wear skirts or wrap-arounds (katenges)--pants are never worn (except for in the larger cities but even then it's very rare). Children follow no rule, you will see them in shorts, flip flops, dresses, girls with shorts, etc. When attending church/school women also dress up rather elegantly in heeled shoes, and bright skirt/blouse outfits that are always made of vibrant reds, blues, yellows, or greens. In this village, they tend to like the green/blue/brown ensemble.

Family Dynamics: There is way too much to be said in this category--it's a blog entry in itself. I'll give you a brief synopsis. Men and women get formally married here around age 18 and have kids shortly after. Curt and I have actually had many questions from the natives regarding birth control (what we use, what we suggest)--we were quite shocked at first but now it's getting to be a regular topic of conversation, haha. Generally the hoped-for gender of the firstborn is male. When it isn't a male, the family is quite disappointed. If it is a girl, however, they don't do anything drastic--so no worries there :) Disease and malnutrition are still major issues here and many die because of them. Most in this area die from either AIDS or severe malaria. When a mother dies it isn't as much of an issue because the father then cares for the children. However if the father dies the mother and children move in with a close relative. Needless to say, there are many homes with an upwards of 8 or more people within. It's the norm. Also often children are sent to live with family members if the parent/parents cannot take proper care of the child themselves. Again, the norm.

Food: The main meal consists of two or more of the following: rice, beans, ugali (a cornmeal-like grain mixed with cassava flour and mashed), sweet potatoes, mchicha (spinach-like veggie), chapati (fried pita-like tortilla), and mchaichai (lemongrass tea). Meat is generally served at special occasions and is usually chicken, chicken livers, or fresh tilapia (fish) from nearby Lake Victoria. They sell an array of fresh produce here (both in the village and in Mwanza). I've been able to buy some incredible pineapple, avocado, tomatoes, peppers, oranges, guava, and papaya. I'm in love with the pineapple. Truly. Please don't think that Curt and I are starving--Mama Sheila takes care of us. We eat at her house every Sunday and have had pizza, roast pork, hamburgers, fajitas, meatloaf, homemade ice cream, etc, etc. She's soooo good to us.

Relationships: The people here are relational in every sense of the word. It's a cultural trademark. The custom--when walking anywhere--is, if you see someone on the road, you: stop, ask about their day, their work, and their family, then part ways. This can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes. You do this with every person you see--even the children.

I've grown so aware, while being here, of Americans' brevity in greeting one another. When I go for a walk in Iowa City, I often don't even make eye contact with the people that pass by! I can't imagine stopping to talk to each and every one. Goodness. Not only that, if I were to say hello the standard greeting might be:

Me: Hi.
Person: Hi.

Then we keep walking! Ha! Now, take that same greeting, but with someone I actually know (like maybe a girl I work with).

Me: Hey, how're you?
Her: Good, you?
Me: Fine.
Her: That's good.
Me: How're your classes?
Her: Good, but busy.
Me: Yeah, me too.
Her: Well, gotta get to work.
Me: Okay bye.
Her: Bye.

I mean, seriously! The longest sentence is 5 words! That's unheard of here. The natives can always spot a Mzungu (foreigner) when he/she doesn't pause to greet people when walking or if he/she does stop, acts as if they have to be elsewhere soon. Actually, I have a good story regarding greetings that just happened this week.

A few Mondays ago, I was heading to my first class of the day and happened to see one of the 4th year students walking to his first class. The student, named George, happened to preach in church the day before and I found his energy and execution engaging. When he saw me he, of course, stopped to greet me. I greeted him back and told him what a great sermon he gave the day before. George genuinely thanked me and, dutifully, gave thanks to God for speaking through him. I asked him what his future plans are post-graduation (in July). He told me he is going to work with TCRC in Mwanza (TCRC is a school that works with abandoned street children). I mentioned to him that I have a friend (Lorien) who also works there and did he know her? Yes, he does know her. I asked how he came to hear about TCRC...at this point, where a normal American might say, "Oh, I did an intership there," or "I heard about it through a friend," some short, simple, concise answer--he said, "Maybe I'll tell you about it later, right now I need to get to class." Quite a normal answer for any person, really. I accepted this and we said our goodbyes. I figured we might pick up the conversation later, or we might not.

Then today came around.

Bear in mind, this was 2 weeks ago now. I assumed George forgot and, to be honest, so did I. I was in the computer lab this morning working on lesson plans and listening to my MP3 player...when I get a tap on my shoulder. It's George. I take off my headphones and he says, "I'm ready to tell you about how I came to know about TCRC, do you have some minutes to talk?" Haha. Do I have some minutes? I love the expressions here sometimes.

"Sure," I said and we went outside. He then told me the culminating chapters in his life and how he got to where he is today. Basically, his life testimony. I was shocked (as an American, thinking the conversation surely wouldn't be more than a few minutes--wrong) and pleased, he's entrusting me with his story.

He's one of those people I could listen to for hours. His voice is low, deep, and soothing (think: "curl up on a couch, next to a fire with a hot cup of tea and a really good book" soothing). At first, I was slightly annoyed at having been taken away from my work to chat but once he got started couldn't help but fully engage myself. His interest in counseling the Mwanza orphans is genuine, his desire for God unparalled, and his passion to speak truth is transparent. He is a true man of God. I was so humbled by his desire to really share what's on his heart--not just pass by with a quick shrug or a clipped hello.

George desired to seek me out, to share his story, and to help me understand what drives his motivations. If this isn't a true picture of Christain faith I don't know what is.

If I had to sum up, in one characteristic, the people of Tanzania it would be this:

Intentional relationships.

This is the heart of African culture.

Photos...of devastation & blessings.

2008-05-28T04:47:00.000-07:00

The Aftermath

Linde's parents' house (tall one, above middle), the only one left standing on the south side

Grandpa's front yard, and what is left of his home's foundation (above)

The basement of Grandpa's

Grandpa's truck (below)

So this photo (below) enables me to praise God like crazy. These three buildings are the storage facilities in Parkersburg. Ours is the third building (on the right), and our unit is the one on the very end. It looks like the unit next to ours also maintained their door but it is a little more damaged than ours. I can't believe it. Incredible.

A closer view (below) of our unit...ours is the one on the end in the near foreground

A high school classroom

This is an aerial photo of the destruction. The tornado came from the southwest (this photo faces west) and ran along the south end of Parkersburg. It then turned northeast at Grandpa's house. You can see where it made the turn and began destroying the southeast part of town. The tornado was a category F-5 with winds over 200mph. It was a mile wide.

UPDATE

2008-05-28T00:07:00.000-07:00

What a heavy week this has been so far. However in the midst of this storm (literally and figuratively) our family has witnessed multiple blessings. Here's why:

1) Grandpa, shouldn't have lived. But he did.
2) Linde (my sister-in-law)'s parents' home is on the south side, where the eye of the storm leveled everything. It shouldn't be standing. But it is.
3) The storage buildings, also on the south side, very close to Grandpa's house (which is gone), should be gone as well. Ours is still there, and, it still has the roof/door/walls fully intact. It shouldn't be there. But it is.

Why was our family spared in the midst of this horrific event and others were not? I can't answer that. Only God knows. We weren't spared everything, Grandpa still lost his house, and he is still in the ICU--but we are so very thankful for blessings that have been bestowed upon us.

We are so grateful.

A few more details regarding the events above:

Grandpa had surgery Monday evening and came through it well. He now is beginning the long road to recovery. He still has some internal bleeding that the doc are trying to locate, and has to stay off of his leg for 4 months, but he's trucking along. The ventilator was taken out yesterday and he can now speak softly, barely above a whisper, but he is eager to tell what he experienced and anxious to know about his town. He will be devastated to see the destruction. However he continues to repeat the same phrase over and over, "God is so good to me."

Sunday afternoon Grandpa heard the tornado siren and went to the basement of his home. However at a certain point he thought the tornado might be over (possibly the "calm before the storm" moment) and began his ascent up the stairs to the main level.

This minor decision helped save his life.

If he would have stayed in the basement, the entire first level would have caved in on him...just as it did for a few of the others who lost their lives. Fortunately, since he was on the stairs, he was spared from this. However he hurt his leg severely (how, I'm still not sure) and was hit by much debris. His neighbor happened to be out surveying damage immediately after the storm hit and saw Grandpa dragging himself up the stairs, completely bloody and struggling. The neighbor was able to assist in Grandpa's quick transition to the hospital.

The neighbor helped save his life.

Grandpa take's blood thinner for his heart condition and any more loss of blood could have been fatal. On the contrary, both of these "life savers" were mere helping details. Someone else wanted Grandpa's life to remain on this earth. We know who this person is.

We are so thankful.

Our storage unit, merely a football field away from Grandpa's leveled home, is still there. There are three buildings, totaling 100 units. Ours is on the building furthest west, on the far north end, facing Grandpa Kampman's house.

This is the area facing the most destructive part of the tornado.

Each of the three buildings lost their roof. Except one small area on the Westernmost building, north end. Our unit, and the three to its left. Four of the 100 units were spared. Additionally, our door is still on. Andy (Curt's brother) couldn't get the door open due to it being jammed in place, but stuck his arm inside to feel things for water damage. He grabbed a hold of my favorite blanket, a white/light blue one that was my mom's.

It's completely dry.

I am still in awe of how our family has been spared and blessed.
I am still is mourning for those we know who lost everything.
I am still in shock at the loss of a town that is so dear to us.

But...

I am so thankful I know who is in control,
and I trust Him completely.

URGENT Prayer

2008-05-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

We received an e-mail this morning that we have dreaded from the first day we decided to come to Africa.

Something has happened.

As you will see on the news, a major tornado ripped through Parkersburg, IA yesterday afternoon. The entire town, save for a few houses, is leveled.

That's my hometown.

It is where my grandpa lives.

His house is gone and is in critical condition in the hospital. Please pray for my grandpa and that he would be able to pull through. Also, please pray for the other residents of Parkersburg, all those who have lost their homes and loved ones. We too, had all of our belongings packed up and placed in a storage unit on the south side of town. We don't know what's left--the unit is likely gone as well.

We thank you in advance for your powerful prayers. Right now we are feeling helpless. We want to come help and be by Grandpa Kampman's side...but, as you know, we are thousands of miles away.

Please pray.

Love,
Curt & Abbie

Photos: Long time coming, I know!

2008-05-24T01:11:00.000-07:00

So we'll see how long this takes. The internet here seems to take eons to upload photos. Hopefully we're successful. Otherwise, OH WELL. This is Africa after all. We've learned to take things as they come!

The view...I must say, is spectacular.

Look! I'm

in Tanzania!

Yum,
supper!

The garden

The view from above....

that's Lake Victoria in the distance, and of course, Curt's lovely head.

Curt's work buddies!

(Madenge, far left; Buto, middle)

Curt's arms after a long day of hauling wood.

Homemade Pizza! Seriously, everything is from scratch. No canned tomato sauce, premade dough, shredded cheese, or frozen veggies here! This is Tanzania. We do it right.

Well...that wasn't so painful. It only took about 2 hours to upload all of these! Hahaha.

This is Africa, after all.

Women's Retreat

2008-05-20T00:12:00.000-07:00

Oh my. I've just returned from an amazing long weekend getaway. It was a serious blessing and an absolute necessity!

A month ago Sheila asked if I would like to join her at the annual AIM women's retreat in Dar Es Salaam (largest city in Tanzania, on the Indian Ocean, about a 3 hour plane ride from our area). I said I'd love to! I checked our AIM funds and noticed we had some $ budgeted from the organization for conferences/retreats. I asked Curt what he thought and he said "I think you should do it!"

So I did.
And OH, it was lovely.

We left Nassa on Friday morning around 7:30 and drove the 1.5 hour trek to Mwanza (the nearest large town) to catch our flight. In Mwanza we picked up Lorien, another 20-something AIM missionary working with TCRC (a school for abandoned street children). Lorien is a stitch! We've since become good friends. She's got such a heart for street children, and in Mwanza there are plenty. Nearly 15% of Mwanza's population are abandoned children who survive on the streets by selling handmade goods--but this isn't all they solicit. Many of the girls are sold into prostitution at the tender age of 10 and make money selling their bodies. It's devastating. I'm thankful for Lorien and her desire to seek out these young ones. She's quite the woman!

But I digress.

Where was I? Oh yes, so we arrived at the airport at 11:30am and boarded our plane. We made it to Dar around 3pm and flagged a taxi to take us to The Beachcomber, our hotel. Driving through Dar was much like Nairobi--more trendy than the villages (and by "more trendy" I mean women were wearing pants, haha!), insane drivers/traffic, lots of lush flora...and, unlike Nairobi, palm trees everywhere! Because, of course, it is right on the coast. Ahhh, gotta love that, eh? We passed a huge mall on the way and the three of us women looked at it with both awe and revulsion--"Is that a mall?! In Africa?!" We were in hysterics. It's such a foreign concept to us now.

We arrived at the hotel a short while later and settled in. Sheila and I were roomates and made our way to room 105. As we opened the door we walked in, a blast of frigid air hit us.

No way, I thought, AIR conditioning. Whoa.

My body was definitely not used to the contraption anymore. I had immediate goosebumps and proceeded to freeze the rest of the weekend every time I walked in the room. Sheila and I even had to turn it down because it was too intense on our 85-degree-temp bodies. How ironic, eh?
The rest of our days at the retreat proceeded as follows:

8am- Breakfast
9- Session w/speaker
11- Beverage break
11:30- free time until lunch
1pm- Lunch
2-4:30- free time until afternoon session
4:30-7- Afternoon session w/speaker
7- Supper
8- Girl time, including movies/swimming/dancing :)

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were catered by the hotel in the dining room, where the waiters made intricate napkin art--Lorien and I were very impressed. We proceeded to have the artist demonstrate for us on our last day so we could become more knowledgible in the skill of napkin craftsmanship. It was hilarious trying to learn. I really do wish I could have recorded it somehow. It was a hopeless endeavor.

The speaker for the weekend was Cindy McGarvie, an SIL missionary from Austrailia. Cindy has lived with her husband and 5 children in Uganda for 8 years and now Tanzania for 2 years. She's a beautiful red-haired, fine-featured, tall woman with a gorgeous accent and a heart that adores Jesus. Often when I attend retreats the speakers leave me feeling like a spiritual worm, while he/she is elevated to the utmost level of Godliness.

Not so with Cindy.

She was so incredibly real. Her insight, honesty, and vulnerability left me in utmost admiration and respect. She has struggled, by golly. She is a sinner, not a saint--just like all of us. However, she explicated that despite each of her faults, she is still loved by the one who created her, as we all are.

Her overarching themes throughout the weekend were the many areas in which women sin or struggle. These encompassed 5 specifics:

(1) Envy/jealousy
(2) Contempt/judging
(3) Bitterness
(4) Complaining
(5) Fear/anxiety

So often when I've gone to these "retreats" I dread each session...for fear that I'll be left feeling guilty, exhausted, weary of my faults, and, well, like a spiritual worm. But not so after Cindy's wise counsel. She is certainly blessed with the gift of teaching. After each session I felt invigorated, having singled out my struggles and given verses to combat each. I left light-hearted by her encouragement and others' prayers for me. It was, by far, the best retreat I've experienced. I'm sure this was added to by the fact that Curt and I have been going non-stop since we've been in Africa and have not had many moments to simply relax.

And relax, I did.

Relaxation was stressed at the onset of the weekend. The leader of the retreat, Danae, mentioned that the large amount of freetime was given to enable us to do just that: be free, relax, have fellowship with others, and simply just be. Sheila and I took full advantage of this by swimming after dark, getting pedicures, ordering tea, and reading books. I'm re-reading Pride and Prejudice right now for the upteenth time and loving every moment of it. Why in the world don't we still use words like "thither," "felicity," and "affectation," I'll never know. I rather enjoy them. Words, that is. Fun words and phrases, like "simply dreadful," or "rather awful." Oh to be British in the 19th century.

But I digress!!!

Haha. I'm getting incredibly off-topic. But such is the mind of Abbie. You now know the stream of my thoughts. Really, this is a good indicator of how I often think. Usually the analysis of words is involved.

Anyway, we three ladies arrived safely home last night (Monday) around 7pm. Curt had deep-cleaned the house and prepared supper (have I mentioned how great he is?): fresh fish, bread, and ice cream for dessert! Yum. I must say one thing about the weekend was seriously lacking and that was my husband's presence.

It was so good to come home to him.

Tutaonana,
Abbie

attack of the killer wildlife!

2008-05-08T05:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the title for this post might be a bit dramatic but it seems that lately Curt and I feel mother nature's little friends have been taunting us.

With a vengeance.

Yep, we've had our own little creature-feature. It all started, a few nights ago, with a trip to the bathroom to get ready for bed. I turned on the light and proceeded to the sink to wash my face. As I began soaping up my hands I felt something scurry over my bare feet. Thinking it was just a lizard (we have many of those in our home) I didn't worry too much, but did glance down to see whatever it was. My skin CRAWLED when I saw the granddaddy of all cockroaches flitting across the floor. I yelped and ran to Curt, saying "KILL IT!" He patiently (in true form for Curt!) got the bug bomb killer from the kitchen and went to the bathroom. Unfortunately the thing was off lurking in some unknown crevasse...we never did find it. I've been having horrid images of grandpa roach crawling into bed with me. Yick.

The next fun-filled event happened the next morning, on my way to class. As I was making my leisurely 7:45am stroll to my classroom I noticed a mass ant exodus across the path. I'm not even kidding about how big the hoard of little buggies was. It made Moses and the Israelites look like an intimate gathering.

There were millions of them.

I paused in my walk to watch, fascinated. At some point I realized I was going to be late and hopped over them. As I got to my building I decided I should hit the restroom before my 4 hour class. Once in the stall, I felt something pinch my side. I thought I had a burr in my clothes (another thing that happens quite frequently here). When I opened my skirt to check, lo and behold what did I find? An inch-long red pincher ant clinging to my person! I squealed and frantically stripped off my skirt, noticing about 10 more little guys making their way up my legs (they dont bite/pinch you until they are around your upper thigh). I yelped and plucked them off, throwing them into the toilet. The unfortunate part of the whole scene was the fact that I wore a long brown skirt that day...they had grabbed a hold of the bottom and latched on, blending in with the color. There were many, many more within my skirt. I spent the next 20 minutes picking the little guys off my skirt (all the while my class was waiting for me) and finally made my way to my classroom. I relayed the event to my students who laughed hysterically, until they realized that I was somewhat in pain, then the women immediately rushed to my side and told me to go home and change (my legs were burning). On my way out I felt something bite my arm and noticed a lingering little friend on my elbow. I ran all the way home and changed.

What a day.

I wish I could say that's all...but the next day the creatures turned their wrath against Curt. All day yesterday Curt was making trips between here and our neighbor's house trying to fix his computer. After lunch, he left to head back to Sweya's (the name of the neighbor) and decided to take the shorter route through our lawn and down the path that runs alongside our home to the road. Just as he turned the corner he felt something brush against his leg. At that point he (thankfully!) decided to look down to see what the thing was. What did he find? A 2 foot long black and yellow snake. Curt immediately began hopping/running through the brush, meanwhile the snake was rapidly slithering after him, trying to bite his heels!

So...I guess this means it's official.

We're in Africa.

One Month Down...

2008-04-30T04:24:00.000-07:00

Well, we've officially passed the 4 week mark, making it one full month in Africa. Neither Curt nor I can believe we've been here that long already. It makes 12 seem like a mere blip in time! I'm sure we'll be in and out of here before the blink of an eye and still saying, "Wow, how can we be leaving already?!" However, we both feel as though our time here thus far has been needed (not for our sake, but for the sake of those we are serving). We are merely thankful that we can be of use in a region with such great needs.

But you want details, right?! Well, here they are. I have now finished my first full week of teaching (and then some, as it is now Wednesday). I have no idea what I was worried about, the students are amazing--your prayers have definitely been felt. I have 10 students, 8 women and 2 men. They range in age from 21-45 (most are in their early 30's). Nearly all of my women are married with children. This is both interesting and encouraging as this is a purely traditional country (women wear skirts, stay in the home, do not usually seek higher education for both money and cultural purposes). It has been wonderful to encourage and teach them. My classroom feel very comfortable--almost like a second home. Because many of my students are mothers/wives, we often have visitors in the middle of our 4.5 hour class (little children pop in to see their moms, husbands come to bring supplies/news for their wives). It has been fun to meet the family members as they come, though I've had to teach myself (again!) to remain flexible as this is not something we generally experience in the U.S! However, there are certainly other mishaps that take place stateside in the classroom that I do not experience here (non-attentive children, for example...haha). All of my students are eager and willing to participate which is wonderful! Not to mention they are all succeeding and progressing nicely. I'm SO SO thankful!

Curt continues to maintain his "fundi" role here. I'm not sure if I mentioned the word "fundi" in past posts, but "fundi," in Kiswahili, is a word that means "General Fixer-Upper." It is a maintenance man of sorts that includes trades such as carpenter, mechanic, plumber, welder, technology buff, etc. It certainly fits the role Curt is playing here! Unfortunately our problems lately have dealt with loss of electricity (due to storms, downed power lines, etc)--of which Curt cannot fix...so, such is life in Africa! We've come to adopt the phrase AWA or TIA ("Africa Wins Again" or "This is Africa") which both simply mean, "OH WELL, Can't change it so just DEAL with it!" Hahaha. Again, flexibility is key!

This past week there was actually a bit of scare circulating throughout the AIM ministry. AIMair, the ministry's own airline (which is composed of 10-15 Cessna aircrafts) had a crash in Sudan. The plane had just picked up a small group of individuals seving in Southern Sudan and was barely off the ground when the plane crash landed, ending up upside-down close to the takeoff site. Thankfully NO lives were lost. There was an emergency medical evacuation, one lady was taken to an ICU in Nairobi and the pilot, Andy Keller, suffered a broken bone below the knee that required immediate surgery. We met Andy while we were in Nairobi a few weeks ago, he's an incredibly tall man (around 6'5") with a wife and children. It was a shock to hear of the crash; we are SO grateful none of the injuries were life-threatening. It was also hard for us to take in because this is the airline we will use for nearly ALL of our future flights (within Kenya and when we fly to Sudan in September). AIMair has not told us exactly what caused the crash but has mentioned the plane had difficulty gaining air upon takeoff. Anyway, this news was very difficult for many AIM missionaries, as nearly all have flown via AIMair and all know Andy Keller and the various pilots that serve in this ministry. Please be praying for the pilots, their families, and importantly--for those involved in the crash.

Hmm, what other news? Well, in a few short weeks I will be taking a long 4 day weekend (Fri-Mon) and flying with Sheila to Dar Es Salaam (the capital of Tanzania, right on the Indian Ocean) for an AIM Women's Retreat. Can I just say that I am way-so-excited! I have been dying to go swimming since we've been here! We cannot swim in Lake Victoria due to the disease-carrying snails that live on the shore...we can only admire the waters from afar. Bummer. But the brochure for the retreat clearly states to bring swimsuits, leisure books (which, is just SO hard for me to bring--oh my goodness, I live with multiple books attached to my person!) and ourselves. I can't wait! Curt, unfortunately (but fortunately!) is not a woman so he is staying in Nassa and holding down the fort. It will be nice to get away for a short time...ever be it so briefly.

Well, I can't think of anything more to add right now. Unless, of course you are wondering what we ate last night for supper-- which is actually fairly interesting. We ate Hippo. Yes, Hippo. Apparently these pesky beasts wander around down near the garden (which is close to the lake) and eat the crops. Whenever this happens Sheila has to call her close friend, Dan, who is a certified "pesky animal hunter" and he comes to shoot it. He has shot many-a-hippo around these parts and often gives the meat to Sheila. The meat we had the other night was marinated in some teriyaki-like substance...and it was SO good. AND get this, Curt like it too! Whoa. We must be getting used to these parts...Ha!

Love you all,
Abbie (and Curt)

Settling In...

2008-04-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

Again, my apologies for the writing delay! However I'm beginning to think once every 1 or 2 weeks might be the norm--there is so much going on here! However between our prayer emails and the blog I think you'll be well informed on a bi-weekly basis.

We are certainly in the "swing of things." It seems the days are already flying by--we can't believe we've been in Africa nearly a month already, and in Tanzania 3 weeks! Yikes. I'm sure this year will pass by in a snap and we'll be home before we know it. It makes our time here more necessary and crucial than ever. As you know, Curt was successfully able to fix the campus internet (with the help of a few men and lots of prayer!) and it has stayed connected--through power outages and all. We are so thankful! Curt has also been analyzing the water pump, trying to diagnose its many problems and finding ways to fix them in a cost-efficient manner (that's the Neymeyer in him!). He has also become the "Geek Squad" of sorts. For those who don't know "The Geek Squad" is Best Buy's trained computer professionals who are paid to drive to people's homes to fix any technological mishap one might have with their computer. Curt, however, is the lone "Geek" here! Hahaha. I mean that in the best way possible. People have been seeking him out to fix any sort of PC problem they have. He (I believe, though he may say otherwise) has enjoyed trying to get inside the brains of peoples computers...though he often gets frustrated if problems persist that are out of his control. Pray for his ability to fix these issues as they arise!

I, on the other hand, am swimming in lesson plans/materials/books. I'm getting seriously overwhelmed with all there is to do before Monday (and beyond). I am somewhat walking blindly into this position. I am trained in teaching English--but not conversational English and grammar! Oddly, in the U.S. children (and future teachers) aren't taught grammar fundamentals anymore. Now, the focus is more on reading and writing--and addressing grammar mistakes as they arise. I could get into the philosophy of it all (whole language versus phonics versus sentence diagrams) but I'd probably bore you to tears! Needless to say, I was not trained to teach grammar in college. I am having to teach myself everything (in these 2 short weeks before I begin teaching it!). It has been stressful. I could definitely use some prayer in this area. I also have no idea where my students are at in their learning. I was given the book they went through last term, but was told that some students can speak full sentences and some just a few words. This is a HUGE comprehension gap. I have only 11 students but if a few are extremely far behind, and a few are extremely far ahead this will make lessons difficult to plan. Like I've said before, this will be total crash course! I'll let you know how this first week goes :)

Curt and I have been able to take part in a local events lately that have been quite the experience for us. Last Saturday we went to a village girl's 15th birthday party. It was quite the gathering! We had no idea it would be as formal as it was (and neither did Sheila, the other AIM individual who went with us). Having no idea what to give the girl as a gift, I made her a cake. I had all the ingredients for yellow cake with chocolate frosting (my dad's favorite!) so I went at it. I found some sprinkles at Sheila's and decorated the three-tiered cake with a good dose of them :) All girls like sprinkles! We walked to the party (about 3/4 of a mile down the road) with the cake in-tow. We could hear the music for the party before we arrived (all music tends to be quite loud here! Ha!). Once we arrived we were ushered to the head table (ah!) with the grandparents, pastor, parents, and the birthday girl herself. We had no idea we would be such honored guests. The party was a lesson in culture itself. There were tents set up outside made of tree limbs and fabric. The family (and extended family) were all present (the girl has 9 brothers and sisters) and were all involved in some aspect of the event. Brothers and grandparents gave speeches, the pastor blessed the meal, the father and mother stood by the girl while she accepted her gifts. The gifts were very practical....no iPods and video games here! She received a chicken & duck (both alive, mind you), notebooks and pens for school, and money--a universal gift. Sheila baked her some pumpkin bread and I made the cake.

The cake, I must say, was not meant to be anything special but midway through the gathering the pastor announced that a "very special gift" was about to be given. The girl's siblings and cousins came out of the house dancing a singing and carrying, you guessed it, my cake! I was shocked. The girl cut the cake with her father and mother and each fed one another a piece (much like an American wedding). Then they cut little pieces for each of the 40+ people who were there. Here I thought it would be a simple little side dish! I had no idea. It was wonderful to experience. My Dad, after telling him about the cake incident, said, "I always knew the power of yellow cake with chocolate frosting!" HAHAHA!

This past week I also had the privilege of visiting the local children's orphanage in Mwanza. Let me just say, it was very hard to leave without wanting to take a few little ones with me. Most of the children in the home were abandoned by their parents in some form (many are found on the sides of roads, in ditches, or left at the orphanage by parents who cannot afford to care for the child themselves). The minute I walked in one of the 16 month old girls waddled up to me on shaky legs, looked in my eyes and held her hands up. Who can say no to that? Nobody who has a beating heart. I held the little girl (who's name is Maggie) for nearly 20 minutes before I had to put her down for a nap...it's so difficult to fathom the neglect of such beautiful, young children. It's not something one can really comprehend until seeing it in-the-flesh. The place had nearly 30 kids under 5 years old toddling around, sleeping, and playing in a tiny little building. I can only hope and pray that they someday find loving families.

Well, other emails (and teacher preparations) are beckoning...
thanks to all of you who read this consistently! We are so thankful for you :)

Blessings,
Abbie (and Curt)

PS...Thanks also to those of you who comment on the blog. We love the comments! If you'd rather send us a personal email that we can respond to, feel free to do that as well. Our address is Kampman30@gmail.com

We're baaaack!

2008-04-09T03:36:00.000-07:00

Hey all!

I apologize for neglecting the blog...well, actually, I wasn't neglecting it, we had no internet! So much has happened since the last post but I wont include every detail. In short, we left Kenya last Thursday (April 3rd) for Tanzania. For the next 4 months we are stationed at Nassa Theological Seminary in Nassa, Tanzania (just north of Mwanza, in western TZ, on Lake Victoria).

We arrived safely on Thursday and have since begun to settle in. We were blessed to have our choice of two houses--one large and one smaller (I'd rather define it as "cozy"). We chose the smaller of the two; I liked he kitchen better--haha! I have since been working to make our new abode more home-ish while also planning and preparing my syllabus for the upcoming school term (which begins on April 21st). I'll be teaching English grammar, reading, and writing to 8 adult students. In order to be accepted into the seminary the students have to pass an English exam (because much of Eastern Africa actually speaks English and the students will need to know both English and their native Kiswahili to preach effectively). My class, therefore, is an important precursor to their theological education! Yikes! Hopefully I can be effective in preparing them for their lives ahead. Pray for this, please!

Curt has been incredibly busy working on various projects around campus. When I say "various" I mean just that. He doesn't know what he'll do from day-to-day but things arise constantly. His main job this week was to get the internet up and functioning consistently for th entire area. And, guess what? He did it! Thankfully he was able to realign the satillite and survey the area to diagnose the problem. Praise the Lord it worked! He was pretty excited and so am I--it's nice to stay connected with all of you!

Nassa itself is incredibly beautiful. We are surrounded by lush hills, bouganvillea bushes everywhere and desert rose (both are abundant here). Everything is so green! We're in awe daily. We are also right on Lake Victoria (2nd largest freshwater lake in the world)--which enables us to feast on fresh fish daily. We are enjoying the people here as well--everyone is so generous and kind. Sheila, our AIM leader here, has been like a mother to us giving us food constantly and taking care of our every need--she's a doll.

Well, I've got to go work on more school preparation. Curt also just informed me that he has to head down to the garden (a massive acreage of fresh fruits and vegetables owned and operated by the college) and asked if I'd like to come along to pick some goodies. Who can pass that up??

Bye!

New Beginnings

2008-03-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

So we've offically arrived in Kenya. Our plane landed relatively on time Thursday night at 10pm Kenya time (so 2pm central U.S. time). We were able to get our luggage (which ALL arrived safely, praise God!), get our temporary visitor visas, and head through customs. We met up with James Holt (our mission advisor/leader here on the field). We hopped in his Land Rover (which everyone seems to drive here and for a just reason--the roads are horrendous!) and arrived at Mayfield Guesthouse in Nairobi around 12am and got to bed around 1...only to wake up a few short hours later for our first meeting with one of the mission welcomers! We are feeling a bit weary, to say the least.

The last few days, since our arrival, have been jammed with non-stop events. The first day we had a tour of the surrounding area, visiting the local "Nakumatt" which is basically a Wal-Mart like chain with various necessities, a nearby shopping mall (where I had some wonderful Chai), and a AIM living compound. We were supposed to have a Swahili lesson but our tutor never showed so we went to lunch early. All meals at Mayfield are family style, meaning everyone staying at the guesthouse eats together. For this particular meal we were served traditional Kenyan "curry," or a beef stew with various spices and an assortment of different toppings to sprinkle on; some of the toppings include: pineapple, papaya, banana, nuts, coconut, chutney, and tomatoes. For dessert we were served chocolate ice cream w/coconut and Kenyan chai ("chai" is simply their word for tea with a bit of milk--so no confusions with the American knock-off version). After lunch it was on to our Matatu lesson.

A "Matatu" is one of the main modes of transportation for Nairobi natives. It somewhere between a taxi and a bus--generally a 20 seater white Nissan van. James, our instructor (a Kenyan native), took us our to nearby Ngong Rd and we caught a Matatu to Nakumatt Junction, just up the road. The lesson was very basic and reminded me a lot of the buses in China--aka, super crowded and unsafe driving! Haha. James will teach us the bus and matatu routes over the next few days.

We arrived back at Mayfield just in time. The rains began around 4pm. We are now into the "long rains," as the natives call them. It will rain every day for around 3 hours until late August. Unfortunately we lost all power last night and all today due to the storms so we have not been able to check email--also, our e-mail has been down for us so we apologize to our parents and siblings for not emailing!!! AND happy birthday to Jenelle--we didn't forget about you we just haven't had access to email (and dont have a phone anymore!). We love you!

Observations of the day:

1. Though the roads are horrible the landscape is beautiful. Among the run-down buildings are lush greens of every color, trees in full bloom (oranges, pinks, and reds) and ivy growing up most structures

2. Machetes are used for everything! I saw branches being trimmed, flowers plucked, stakes for fences carved in the ground--all by these big huge knives!

3. American time and Africa time are completely different, one is expected the other is relative (this will most definitely be a blog topic in the future)

Anyway, I'm beat...g'night!

Abbie

D-Day!

2008-03-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

Well it's officially departure day! Curt and I have been at the Africa Inland Mission U.S. headquarters in Pearl River, NY for the past 3 days going through pre-Africa orientation.
We arrived Monday evening (my grandfather dropped us off) and settled in for the night. The location out here is gorgeous. Pearl River is nestled just north of New York City along the Hudson River palisades. It's a beautiful New England town full of colonial-era houses and winding, tree-laden roads. Curt and I went for a walk Monday evening and I fell in love with the area.

Tuesday was FULL of orientation sessions. We had a session on finance, travel, bibilical basis of missions, African culture (Kenya and Tanzania in particular), and health risks. At the end of the day we felt our brains couldn't hold anymore info! AIM allowed us to use one of their vehicles to take one last date in the states---and those who know us well wont be surprised with our choice: we went to Barnes and Noble (and Target!). Haha. It was a nice "normal" date to have before our entire world shifts.

Today (Wednesday) was pretty low-key. We had breakfast this morning, prayer with the staff, then a couple hours of quiet time. Right before lunch we prayed with another short-term appointee and our advisor then headed to the lunchroom for a yummy last meal of roast beef sandwiches, veggies, and chips. After lunch the entire staff sang and prayed for us to "send us out." Right now we are just waiting for our airport van to arrive.

We are due to fly out of Newark Airport tonight at 8pm, arrive in London at 7am (London time), then we have a 3 hour layover in London. We leave London at 10am on the 27th (again, London time) and arrive in Nairobi at 9pm Kenya time (1pm Iowa time). We are thankful that there is a missionary family flying with us the entire way who just happened to be going all the same places at the same time (and they are veterans of customs/Kenyan culture) so they'll be great assets to us as we travel!

Please pray for us as we begin this journey! Specifically for safe/on time travel, luggage, and customs to go smoothly!

Blessings,
Curt and Abbie

Minor Mishaps

2008-03-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

So we are officially en route to Kenya!

We left Iowa yesterday (Wednesday) morning around 6:30am. Bob and Dort (Curt's parents) kindly drove us to the airport. After stopping at Perkins for a wholesome American breakfast we drove to Moline to catch our flight.

Mmmm, nothin' tastes better at 6am than coffee and eggs!

After a tearful farewell and goodbye prayer with Bob and Dort we boarded to our short flight from Moline to Chicago. Once we arrived at O'Hare we found our gate and settled in for our 2 hour layover. Unfortunately the weather in NY wasn't up to par and our flight was pushed back 2 hours. We finally got on the plane but were stuck on the ground in Chicago for another hour until the weather cleared in NY (ugh). Eventually we arrived in NY at 7:45pm (due to arrive at 4pm) and met my grandpa at the baggage area. BUT...get this, United lost all 4 of our bags! Needless to say, we were a little travel weary by the time we got to our final destination!

Our lovely plane that eventually took us to NY!

(oh and Andy, be sure to show Josiah this photo--we took it just for him! )

For the rest of this week we're staying on Long Island at my grandfather's house, then we'll head to Pearl River (about an hour away from LI) on Monday evening. This week should be an enjoyable one as we are heading into the City tomorrow to meet my cousin for lunch and possibly to poke around at The Food Network headquarters (everyone who knows me knows my baking/cooking fetish!). On Saturday and Sunday we'll spend some much-needed time with my side of the family until we head out on Monday afternoon. One nice perk of our stay here is the close proximity of the beach. My grandfather lives 2 blocks from the Atlantic so today Curt and I decided to take a stroll on the boardwalk. Unfortunately it wasn't as warm as we hoped! Oh well, maybe another day!

Brrrrrr...but a nice view!

Pictures of our final days in Iowa

2008-03-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

Showing Bob and Dort (Curt's parents)
where Kenya is located

Curt and I with our fun new gifts...hahaha. Curt received a flashlight and I, a Christmas tree for the holidays in Africa! And we both love our new safari hats...

This is definitely my favorite photo of our nephew, Josiah!
He decided to give me a goodbye kiss while taking the photo...

Our good friends Michael and Kelsey (soon to be wed in June, we'll miss you two)!

I'm trying to acclimate myself to African style food!

(I made some for the going away bash)

Me and the ladies at our
going away party

Final Countdown

2008-03-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

Well...only 4 more days until we leave home (for New York, 11 until Kenya). Curt and I have had quite a week getting ready and saying goodbyes. This week we made multiple appointments with family and friends to say goodbye (and had our goodbye party; I'll post some photos later this evening). The rest of the time was spent packing (UGH) and canceling various things (insurance, cell phone, sending in license plates).

I (Abbie) am still in the I-dont-know-what-to-pack-but-am-going-to-wing-it phase. We have a list from AIM and have had many suggestions from family and friends but when it comes down to it we have to fit everything in 4--50lb bags (2 apiece) so that's what we'll do! Hopefully it's everything we need and if not, OH WELL. We might have some wonderful family members send us some necessities :)

Today (Saturday) we arrived in Kesley (Curt's hometown) to spend the last few days with his parents. They have been such a blessing in our lives. We are fortunate to have parents who love and are praying for us daily! We will stay here until Tuesday morning then head back to Iowa City for some last minute tasks/packing, then head to the airport Wed morning.

We haven't heard much from the field (which is generally good news). Things are running smoothly and we look forward to shipping out!

POP QUIZ: What's the key quality a missionary must have? (hint: it starts with an "f")

2008-03-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

If you said "faith" you're definitely a church-goer :) But honestly, aside from faith the key trait a missionary should strive for is flexibility. Curt and I have found we are already having to make ourselves pliable to the unpredictable missionary lifestyle.

Our most recent email to y'all explained, in detail, the various places we will be visiting for our first 6 months or so abroad. Saturday morning (a mere day after that email was sent out) we received an email from our contact (James Holt) in Kenya informing us that the plans had changed. Unfortunately, our entry permits have not gone through yet, and wont go through until late July. On the upside, this DOES NOT affect our departure date. What this means is we will not be working in Kenya during those first 4 months. Tanzania (one of the other countries we were planning to do some work in) has an easier and quicker entry permit policy. Because of this our plans have been altered so that now we will spend our first 4 months in Tanzania (until late July, early August when our Kenyan permits are obtained) then move to the other jobs we formally had set up (in Kenya and Sudan). We were a little bummed about the switch at first but are now getting used to the idea and are SO thankful that we can still leave on time.

The Tanzania opportunity sounds amazing. We will be working at the Nassa Theological Seminary near Lake Victoria (one of the largest lakes in Africa). The location is right on the Serengeti plain with a beautiful view of Mt. Kilimanjaro in the distance. Due to it's lush location (near the Maasai Mara National Park and Reserve) this region sees LOTS of wildlife and hosts many safaris. The bi-annual wildebeest migration in July and October is a sight to see.

At the seminary I (Abbie) will be teaching adult-aged individuals conversational English. They already have a curriculum set up but I'm told I can alter it however I see fit to make it personal. I'm excited to be using my educational field of interest! The nice bonus is the class size--only 7 or 8 students per class! This is a teacher's dream; I'll be able to fully focus on the needs of the students and build lasting relationships. While I'm teaching Curt will be facilitating various building projects around campus. We're excited to be so needed--we received an email from one of the campus leaders saying they have been praying for an English teacher for quite some time so our arrival will be timely indeed! How great is that?

This last weekend we said some more goodbyes to my grandparents and aunts/uncles/cousins in Des Moines. It was wonderful to spend the weekend chatting and laughing while enjoying great food (generally there's always too much of it!) and card games. On Sunday afternoon we visited Curt's cousin Josh and his wife LaCasta at their lovely new (but older) home. Casta and I have the same taste in hobbies (reading, crossword puzzles, quaint homes) so it was great to chat with a fellow bibliophile. Josh taught Curt how to play on a Wii (an interactive viedeogame system). Curt had fun bowling and playing baseball with Josh coaching him. We ended the evening driving back to Iowa City and spent the rest of the night chatting with Andy and Jamie (wont have many more nights to do that!).

Thus, today is Monday and we begin our last full week in Iowa. It will be a week full of tying up loose ends, last-minute visits with friends, and the dreaded "packing" (again, how do I pack for a YEAR in Africa?!). Only 9 days 'til we leave for New York and 16 until AFRICA! Yikes.

Jambo! (Swahili for "welcome")

2008-03-07T07:47:00.000-08:00

Well the journey has almost begun! Curt and I are down to 19 days and counting until we leave for Africa. We are in shock at how close the departure date is! In December it still seemed a long way off and now it's upon us in full force. I, as the packer in the family, am a little overwhelmed at the thought of preparing for what we will need (especially in an area where things may be hard to come by). I made a trip to Target and bought everything I could think of (think 100% deet bug spray and SPF 60. Haha!). Africa Inland Mission has been wonderful about providing necessary lists and planning guides. I recently bought a recommended book entitled Where There Is No Doctor regarding natural cures, plants, and balms (found in the wild) that aid in healing. It's interesting! I didn't know how potent and helpful cactus juice is...I'm learning new things all the time.

Our last paperwork item was completed last week (praise the LORD!!!). This was an application for our international driver's license. Right now we are praying to receive that shortly and for our entry permits to go through. An entry permit is different from a visa in that it enables you to work in a country (be it for financial or volunteering purposes).

On the tearful side we have begun to say goodbye to family and friends. I recently spent a week in Texas with my parents and sisters (ahhh, beautiful 70 degree Texas!). It was a wonderful week of cooking meals together, strolling the riverwalk, and drinking sweet tea! I am blessed to have parents who love the Lord and are praying for our journey ahead. A few days after returning to chilly Iowa weather Curt and I headed to Green Bay to say goodbye to his brother, wife, and our sweet little nephews. Our official "going away party" will be Tuesday night--which will, I'm sure, be heavy-laden with farewell tears. It's sad to say goodbye but exciting to begin a new adventure!

Again, we thank all of you who have chosen to join us on this journey--be it through prayer, finances, or both. We are so thankful for friends and family who know our hearts and seek to encourage us as we go.

We love you all!

Curt and Abbie