The mailing address for us while on the Mercy Ship is
Jeremy and Kristin Chatelain
Africa Mercy Ship
PO Box 2020,
Lindale, TX 75771
From Texas they forward the mail onto the location of the ship.
When we recieve the mail we pay for the postage. Packages over an ounce are $5.50 per pound,... so be nice and just send us light things.... :)
Things will take several weeks to arrive, so feel free to send things for now until the MIDDLE of NOVEMBER. And if you're craving a postcard or collect them from places, let us know!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Our mailing address while we are on the Mercy Ship will be :
Jeremy and Kristin Chatelain
Mercy Ships
PO Box 2020, Lindale, TX 75771 -
From Texas they forward it onto the location of the ship.
We can receive letters and packages. HOWEVER, we will be charged for the packages and such upon arrival according to weight.
Jeremy and Kristin Chatelain
Mercy Ships
PO Box 2020, Lindale, TX 75771 -
From Texas they forward it onto the location of the ship.
We can receive letters and packages. HOWEVER, we will be charged for the packages and such upon arrival according to weight.
Approaching our last week at ANU
Hello family and friends,
Today's forecast near Rongai and ANC campus is hot, cloudy in the afternoon and possible showers. Kristin and Jessica walked down the road to a local weaver's shop and it got hot and dusty real fast. Jeremy and Jonathan are running a basketball tournament on campus for high schools in the area. Its a promotional thing for ANU with the marketing department. They guy that organized it, is not even here this weekend and so the guys have had to do a lot of work and it is turning out very well. We are learning to go with the flow and improvise... slowly learning. :)
We have had computer and internet troubles these last few weeks and feel like there is much to tell, yet not enough room in an email. We have visited several markets and always walk away with stories about our treasures! We have experienced the beginnings of the rainy season here. We have taken long walks on dirt roads and crossed suspension bridges that would make Indian Jones nervous. We have played with children at a local orphanage and are still trying to figure out how to pack several of them up with us...
Tuesday I was able to have the first session for the first aid class. It went well and 30 students came, which really surprised me! It was good and i think they enjoyed it. We will meet one more time next week on Tuesday again.
Jeremy taught biology lab today again. Around here you seem to get signed up to do things you didn't volunteer for.
Today is a holiday and there is no school so we are relaxing and helping with the tournament.
We have a busy week ahead of us--getting ready to move on, wrapping up things here, and saying some goodbyes. It has been nice to have a little apartment and be on a campus again. Yet I think we are ready to move on to the next thing. We have enjoyed it here, but there are also some things we are tired of, so its time to move on.
God knew what we would need, so good thing he planned this trip and not us..
Some have asked what we like here and what we don't like, so we compiled a list.
Likes: the FRUIT... pineapple, mango, oranges, sweet bananas (finger size)
Chapatti (comparable to a greasy tortilla), fish, juice, and 10:00 tea
Its warm here and when it rains it smells good
The flowers here are beautiful! Roses, tropical flowers of all colors, large green foliage and of course the African trees
Soda is cheaper than water, so we have enjoyed more soda than ever before. We are a fan of fanta and stoney (its a strong ginger ale)
We have also been learning to savor the little things in life. Ice cream is precious, ANU transportation is such a gift, ice cubes in your glass is a rare treasure here and electricity and hot water should never be taken for granted!
Dislikes: Maasi Lodge Rd (road to campus is dirt and rock--worse condition lodging road at home) yet students and staff travel it every day!
Ugali -- is made from cornmeal and is also known as tasteless cake, yet they love it.
Boiled mutton and goat-- not so tasty either, and they just chop up the meat, bones and all. By all i mean ALL.
There is no concept of time, commitment or your word here. People say something will a certain time and sadly we have learned not to believe them. For example, the new bball hoops were to be installed several months ago, yet they put them up the night before the bball tournament. "Hakuna Matata" it means no worries, and they really live by it and don't worry about things much of the time.
In all though, we have enjoyed it here. We don't always see what we are accomplishing here, but perhaps we will look back and see how we were able to leave an impression, as well as see how ANU and Kenya has made an impression on us. God has a purpose for all things. We are so grateful for the friendships we have made here with the other volunteers and with the missionaries--it has been a joy to experience it together. We will miss them!
We have appreciated your prayers so much and know that God has answered! We have had good health considering the circumstances, been kept safe through crazy traffic and have been encouraged by God and those around us. Kristin had a difficult time at first at the clinic with several people, but now they are sad to see her go. Jeremy had been put to multiple challenges here with new experiences--coaching and teaching--and he has done well. Not to mention he has built up his resume quite a bit in a very short period of time! Please pray for us as we travel this next week. We fly out of Nairobi, Kenya to Monrovia, Liberia (with a stop along the way) on Oct 18th to meet up with the Mercy Ship. And perhaps the next email you get from us will be from the Ship!
Today's forecast near Rongai and ANC campus is hot, cloudy in the afternoon and possible showers. Kristin and Jessica walked down the road to a local weaver's shop and it got hot and dusty real fast. Jeremy and Jonathan are running a basketball tournament on campus for high schools in the area. Its a promotional thing for ANU with the marketing department. They guy that organized it, is not even here this weekend and so the guys have had to do a lot of work and it is turning out very well. We are learning to go with the flow and improvise... slowly learning. :)
We have had computer and internet troubles these last few weeks and feel like there is much to tell, yet not enough room in an email. We have visited several markets and always walk away with stories about our treasures! We have experienced the beginnings of the rainy season here. We have taken long walks on dirt roads and crossed suspension bridges that would make Indian Jones nervous. We have played with children at a local orphanage and are still trying to figure out how to pack several of them up with us...
Tuesday I was able to have the first session for the first aid class. It went well and 30 students came, which really surprised me! It was good and i think they enjoyed it. We will meet one more time next week on Tuesday again.
Jeremy taught biology lab today again. Around here you seem to get signed up to do things you didn't volunteer for.
Today is a holiday and there is no school so we are relaxing and helping with the tournament.
We have a busy week ahead of us--getting ready to move on, wrapping up things here, and saying some goodbyes. It has been nice to have a little apartment and be on a campus again. Yet I think we are ready to move on to the next thing. We have enjoyed it here, but there are also some things we are tired of, so its time to move on.
God knew what we would need, so good thing he planned this trip and not us..
Some have asked what we like here and what we don't like, so we compiled a list.
Likes: the FRUIT... pineapple, mango, oranges, sweet bananas (finger size)
Chapatti (comparable to a greasy tortilla), fish, juice, and 10:00 tea
Its warm here and when it rains it smells good
The flowers here are beautiful! Roses, tropical flowers of all colors, large green foliage and of course the African trees
Soda is cheaper than water, so we have enjoyed more soda than ever before. We are a fan of fanta and stoney (its a strong ginger ale)
We have also been learning to savor the little things in life. Ice cream is precious, ANU transportation is such a gift, ice cubes in your glass is a rare treasure here and electricity and hot water should never be taken for granted!
Dislikes: Maasi Lodge Rd (road to campus is dirt and rock--worse condition lodging road at home) yet students and staff travel it every day!
Ugali -- is made from cornmeal and is also known as tasteless cake, yet they love it.
Boiled mutton and goat-- not so tasty either, and they just chop up the meat, bones and all. By all i mean ALL.
There is no concept of time, commitment or your word here. People say something will a certain time and sadly we have learned not to believe them. For example, the new bball hoops were to be installed several months ago, yet they put them up the night before the bball tournament. "Hakuna Matata" it means no worries, and they really live by it and don't worry about things much of the time.
In all though, we have enjoyed it here. We don't always see what we are accomplishing here, but perhaps we will look back and see how we were able to leave an impression, as well as see how ANU and Kenya has made an impression on us. God has a purpose for all things. We are so grateful for the friendships we have made here with the other volunteers and with the missionaries--it has been a joy to experience it together. We will miss them!
We have appreciated your prayers so much and know that God has answered! We have had good health considering the circumstances, been kept safe through crazy traffic and have been encouraged by God and those around us. Kristin had a difficult time at first at the clinic with several people, but now they are sad to see her go. Jeremy had been put to multiple challenges here with new experiences--coaching and teaching--and he has done well. Not to mention he has built up his resume quite a bit in a very short period of time! Please pray for us as we travel this next week. We fly out of Nairobi, Kenya to Monrovia, Liberia (with a stop along the way) on Oct 18th to meet up with the Mercy Ship. And perhaps the next email you get from us will be from the Ship!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
We have PICTURES!!
Hi Family and Friends!
We have some exciting news about some pictures. We were finally able to download 5 pictures to the website below!! I hope you enjoy them. We are trying almost every day to download pictures, but the internet is so slow it very rarly works. We are glad the we even got 5 pictures to download.
If you copy and past the website below into the internet browser, you should be able to see the pics. I hope this gives a little idea of what we are experiencing here.
Love Jeremy and Kristin
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30957746@N04/
We have some exciting news about some pictures. We were finally able to download 5 pictures to the website below!! I hope you enjoy them. We are trying almost every day to download pictures, but the internet is so slow it very rarly works. We are glad the we even got 5 pictures to download.
If you copy and past the website below into the internet browser, you should be able to see the pics. I hope this gives a little idea of what we are experiencing here.
Love Jeremy and Kristin
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30957746@N04/
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Two weeks at ANU
Habari? How are you? Mzuri sana. I'm very good.
Last week was our first full week of volunteering on ANU campus. Much
to learn and adjust to here. First of all, we have learned to be
willing to serve wherever asked. For example, this week Jeremy did
several firsts including coaching women's basketball and teaching
science labs. We are also learning to be extremely flexible. School
for this coming Wednesday was cancelled, as of Friday. It is the end
of fasting for Muslims and is a national holiday and since it is timed
by the moon, the date is not known or set on the calendar until last
minute. So all of Kristin's plans for a first aid class on Wednesday
will be postponed another week. Its challenging to understand how
things operate here, but then we stand back and remember that "oh,
yes, we are in Africa."
We have had some fun days of shopping in town this last weekend too.
The other volunteer, Jessica and I visited a Maasi weaving shop. They
have large weaving looms and do all sorts of things. We then visited
a bead shop called Kazuri. They send clay beads out to all over the
world. The organization hires single mothers and widows and this job
is a constant and sustaining job for them and their families. That
was especially fun for Kristin to see all the pottery and beads and
how they make them all. (Had to spend a little money there, it was
too good of a cause to pass up--says Kristin:)
In all, we are doing well. Last week was a little discouraging for
Kristin at the clinic. It is difficult to volunteer in a place where
everything is different--from the medications to cultural and language
differences. But we are encouraged that this week will be better.
Church today was about obeying God and we feel we have obeyed God by
coming this far and we trust that He will continue to care for us and
continue to use us here. We continue to ask why, and often don't see
the answer but know that we are to trust Him.
Tonight we are headed to the Pitts' house for a fajita dinner, so
we are excited for an evening with them. Those of you who don't know
them, they were at NNU in Nampa, ID and now they are working here at
ANU, so it is fun to have familiar faces!
If this email doesn't quite have the right flow to it, we're
sorry... we have been coming back to it and each interjecting ideas.
We love you, thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray
that we remain open to how God would use us here.
Jeremy and Kristin
PS sorry about the pics... internet is like molasses (really old
molasses) here and pics don't do well to attach. we can recieve them
fine though for some reason.
Last week was our first full week of volunteering on ANU campus. Much
to learn and adjust to here. First of all, we have learned to be
willing to serve wherever asked. For example, this week Jeremy did
several firsts including coaching women's basketball and teaching
science labs. We are also learning to be extremely flexible. School
for this coming Wednesday was cancelled, as of Friday. It is the end
of fasting for Muslims and is a national holiday and since it is timed
by the moon, the date is not known or set on the calendar until last
minute. So all of Kristin's plans for a first aid class on Wednesday
will be postponed another week. Its challenging to understand how
things operate here, but then we stand back and remember that "oh,
yes, we are in Africa."
We have had some fun days of shopping in town this last weekend too.
The other volunteer, Jessica and I visited a Maasi weaving shop. They
have large weaving looms and do all sorts of things. We then visited
a bead shop called Kazuri. They send clay beads out to all over the
world. The organization hires single mothers and widows and this job
is a constant and sustaining job for them and their families. That
was especially fun for Kristin to see all the pottery and beads and
how they make them all. (Had to spend a little money there, it was
too good of a cause to pass up--says Kristin:)
In all, we are doing well. Last week was a little discouraging for
Kristin at the clinic. It is difficult to volunteer in a place where
everything is different--from the medications to cultural and language
differences. But we are encouraged that this week will be better.
Church today was about obeying God and we feel we have obeyed God by
coming this far and we trust that He will continue to care for us and
continue to use us here. We continue to ask why, and often don't see
the answer but know that we are to trust Him.
Tonight we are headed to the Pitts' house for a fajita dinner, so
we are excited for an evening with them. Those of you who don't know
them, they were at NNU in Nampa, ID and now they are working here at
ANU, so it is fun to have familiar faces!
If this email doesn't quite have the right flow to it, we're
sorry... we have been coming back to it and each interjecting ideas.
We love you, thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray
that we remain open to how God would use us here.
Jeremy and Kristin
PS sorry about the pics... internet is like molasses (really old
molasses) here and pics don't do well to attach. we can recieve them
fine though for some reason.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Now at ANU
Jambo!!! Habari?
Hello!!! How are you??? We are doing great! The past two weeks have been quite an experience. It is hard to describe what we have seen the past few days. We were in the city of Kisumu and the outlying areas. We set up clinic at different churches and schools and saw about 240 people a day. We targeted OVC (orphan and vulnerable children… program with grant from States) children and saw caregivers and their families. We did basic care and had basic meds to give them, since we didn’t have a MD. It was a joy to serve them and meet people from the rural villages, yet wish we could have done more. Jeremy and I were “pharmacists” primarily, by this we mean we gave them the meds that the nurses wrote for (very different, huh?). The roads are something to mention… they are awful and by that we mean sometimes dirt and sometimes paved, but either way they have continual pot holes. I heard that some tire companies test their tires here because they are some of the worst roads in the world! Sometimes its better if you just drive on the shoulder and off the road. And cows, goats, people, donkeys, bikes, matatus (buses/vans) and chickens cause for lots of swerving. We say this only to give you an appreciation for your curious drivers, laws, lines on roads and construction zones even.
The missionary we were with was such an encouragement to us and its great to hear how God is working through them to counsel young people here and minister to the children of Africa.
So after six long days of clinic all day we went on safari at Masi Mara Game Reserve. We saw zebra, elephants, giraffes, wildebeast (it’s the great migration and there were tons in the park!) baboons, monkeys, lions, gazelle, impala, elands, cape buffalo, hyenas, cheetah and lots of birds! It was a blast and a dream come true for Jeremy! Kristin visited a Masi village too with several from the team. Just some info they drink cow milk and blood and that’s it. We danced with them and had a jump challenge dance where you try and jump higher than the other. It was a blast and so interesting to see how they live.
We arrived at Africa Nazarene University (ANU) today and will be here for a month. The campus is beautiful and there are some amazing buildings. It has grown so much in the last few years due to much work and witness teams. We felt lost at first, but have been welcomed by many. There is even another young couple here volunteering from the States. They have been working on organizing some intramural games and we got to play softball with them tonight and eat dinner at the school cafeteria with them. Jeremy may be helping him with the sports, as well as an agriculture professor. Kristin will be in the clinic but we don’t know much yet. Tomorrow we will begin figuring out ways to serve and schedules.
We are doing well overall and have been enjoying Kenya! The missionaries kept saying we were naturals and we were adapting well. We hope so. We have loved getting to know the people and they are welcoming. For the most part. They also like to pressure you to buy their stuff. Bargaining in the market is a work out, but you walk away with stories! Its been fun and we’re learning how to get a good bargain. J
We appreciate your prayers so much. Kristin has had a sinus cold, but other than that we have stayed well and are grateful. Pray for continued health and energy. We also would appreciate your prayers surrounding relationships we build with those on campus with the students and faculty. Thank you for your prayers and love! We miss home, but are enjoying making new friends and seeing what God is doing here.
Love,
Jeremy and Kristin
Hello!!! How are you??? We are doing great! The past two weeks have been quite an experience. It is hard to describe what we have seen the past few days. We were in the city of Kisumu and the outlying areas. We set up clinic at different churches and schools and saw about 240 people a day. We targeted OVC (orphan and vulnerable children… program with grant from States) children and saw caregivers and their families. We did basic care and had basic meds to give them, since we didn’t have a MD. It was a joy to serve them and meet people from the rural villages, yet wish we could have done more. Jeremy and I were “pharmacists” primarily, by this we mean we gave them the meds that the nurses wrote for (very different, huh?). The roads are something to mention… they are awful and by that we mean sometimes dirt and sometimes paved, but either way they have continual pot holes. I heard that some tire companies test their tires here because they are some of the worst roads in the world! Sometimes its better if you just drive on the shoulder and off the road. And cows, goats, people, donkeys, bikes, matatus (buses/vans) and chickens cause for lots of swerving. We say this only to give you an appreciation for your curious drivers, laws, lines on roads and construction zones even.
The missionary we were with was such an encouragement to us and its great to hear how God is working through them to counsel young people here and minister to the children of Africa.
So after six long days of clinic all day we went on safari at Masi Mara Game Reserve. We saw zebra, elephants, giraffes, wildebeast (it’s the great migration and there were tons in the park!) baboons, monkeys, lions, gazelle, impala, elands, cape buffalo, hyenas, cheetah and lots of birds! It was a blast and a dream come true for Jeremy! Kristin visited a Masi village too with several from the team. Just some info they drink cow milk and blood and that’s it. We danced with them and had a jump challenge dance where you try and jump higher than the other. It was a blast and so interesting to see how they live.
We arrived at Africa Nazarene University (ANU) today and will be here for a month. The campus is beautiful and there are some amazing buildings. It has grown so much in the last few years due to much work and witness teams. We felt lost at first, but have been welcomed by many. There is even another young couple here volunteering from the States. They have been working on organizing some intramural games and we got to play softball with them tonight and eat dinner at the school cafeteria with them. Jeremy may be helping him with the sports, as well as an agriculture professor. Kristin will be in the clinic but we don’t know much yet. Tomorrow we will begin figuring out ways to serve and schedules.
We are doing well overall and have been enjoying Kenya! The missionaries kept saying we were naturals and we were adapting well. We hope so. We have loved getting to know the people and they are welcoming. For the most part. They also like to pressure you to buy their stuff. Bargaining in the market is a work out, but you walk away with stories! Its been fun and we’re learning how to get a good bargain. J
We appreciate your prayers so much. Kristin has had a sinus cold, but other than that we have stayed well and are grateful. Pray for continued health and energy. We also would appreciate your prayers surrounding relationships we build with those on campus with the students and faculty. Thank you for your prayers and love! We miss home, but are enjoying making new friends and seeing what God is doing here.
Love,
Jeremy and Kristin
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Leaving in one week!
Dear Family and Friends, August 26, 2008
What a journey this summer has been already! We have moved out of our house and are packing our bags for our trip to Africa. We wanted to send you a second letter with more details and our updated plans.
We will be leaving on September 3rd for Nairobi, Kenya to meet up with the medical Work and Witness team from the States. For two weeks we will be doing health education and distributing over the counter meds to orphaned and abandoned children in Kisumu, Kenya. This trip has a lot of costs surrounding medical supplies and witnessing tools, including the HIV-cube and evange-cube. Our church has graciously assisted with some of the medications we will be taking, as well as a dentist friend.
Following these two weeks we will be staying at African Nazarene University (ANU), just outside of Nairobi, until mid October. We have been invited to do this through Nazarene Mission Corps (volunteers) and they will be covering much of the costs for this time. Kristin will be in the on campus clinic and Jeremy will be working with an on campus agricultural program. Then October 19th we will be flying from Nairobi, Kenya to Monrovia, Liberia to meet up with the Africa Mercy Ship. From Oct to the end of December, Kristin will be serving as a ward nurse in the hospital on board, and Jeremy as part of the dining room staff in the Galley.
More than anything we would appreciate your prayers. We will be traveling to, around, and from Africa and are relying on the Lord for safety and health. We would appreciate prayers for those we come in contact with as well, that we would be able to serve and love them as Christ would. You can also pray for those we will be traveling and working with—including the Work and Witness team from the States, the missionaries accompanying us in Kenya, those at ANU, and those on the Mercy Ship.
Many of you have expressed a desire to financially support us and have asked how to do so. We would greatly appreciate anything you want to give or feel led to give, but want you to know that we are not sending this letter to pressure you to give. We have many needs, as you can see, and even a week ago we were going to cut out part of this trip due to uncertainties and finances. However, God has continued to lead and work out the details and we are learning to follow in faith. If you would like to know exact costs, percentage raised, please call or email us for specifics. Since we are serving on a short-term basis we are not able to have an account set up through the church or Mercy Ships, so if you want to support please see the message to the right.
We will have email and internet access much of our trip and if you wish us to add you to our emailing list please send us your email at jeremy.kristin@gmail.com. We look forward to what God has in store for us in the months and years ahead. Thank you again for your continual love, support and prayers!
In Him,
Jeremy and Kristin Chatelain
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