All Packed

As you can see we're all packed up and ready to go. We're truly sad to be leaving Nairobi, but looking forward to seeing friends and family in the USA. We're truly grateful for all of you that have kept us in your thoughts and prayers over the past year, and especially now as we head back for a major transition.
bekah & ian

Can you trust your eyes?

One of the projects I have been working on here in Kenya is making the digital presence of Amani more attractive. They have had a number of products for sale online for a while now, but contribution has been giving them the nudge from normal to something special when it comes to some of their images (or at least that is what I am trying to do). For the past couple days I have been running photos from an extremely rushed quilt shoot through my computer.

Now, I am an okay photographer when i put my mind to it. I can take my chunky SLR out and get some nice shots, but what I enjoy even more is a little digital slight of hand. I love post-production. Sure taking out dust spots might not sound super to everyone, but giving a photo a little more life than it could naturally have really makes me happy. Here's a little example of what I am talking about:
Photo 1 is more or less what came straight off my camera. I was having a hard time getting the lighting right in our limited space and we were ducking the rain all day. Instead of our usual location to photograph quilts, we had to get these quilts shot in a few hours so the could be shipped. No time for the usual trek out to the tea fields. On top of that, while getting some of these beautiful quilts photographed, I noticed that the focus ring on my go-to lens is loose...which messes with my ability to focus in on the subject correctly. All-around this was not my best day of work, that and our garden at Amani was being replanted so we had a lot of bare spots. Here's what we got-
not bad... def not great

Here's what a little digital TLC turned it into-

Little bit of a difference. Maybe still not great but definitely better.
Just wanted to give you a little taste of the nuts and bolts of what serving in Kenya has looked like for me, and encourage those who are looking to serve abroad through non-traditional means, that your talents and interests can be put to use to help people

Wondering where you could snag one of these quilts? Check out Amani's etsy page at http://www.etsy.com/shop/AmaniYaJuu in a few weeks for some fresh listings.
B

Wrapping up

As most of you know by now, we are headed back to the states in a few weeks with no plans of returning to Kenya, but we wanted to make sure that even if you didn't get our email that you are filled in.

First of all, thank you for all of your kind words of encouragement, prayers, and blessing us with your finances. As you know we had decided to stay until July in Kenya and were fund-raising towards that goal in our last newsletter. After having a frank discussion with my boss, the field office director, we decided that it would not be advantageous for us to come back in January.

When we had made the decision to stay it was under the impression that I would be working on a structural transformation project. Unfortunately, this project never entirely manifested itself and instead I had been working on program design. I like program design so it has been enjoyable but as I have worked on it my job description has kept changing. My boss was frustrated with this though and did not know how to best manage me. After this discussion it seems clear that my position wouldn't

stabilize anytime soon and should be postponed until it could be stabilized. So we decided that this would be a good time to have our time with IJM come to an end which is also the time that we thought we would leave when we first came to Kenya.

Instead of staying until July, Bekah and I are headed back to the United States in December. While we definitely are sad to leave Kenya. We are happy that we will soon be near friends and family again. We will be around for Christmas and looking forward to talking to many of you and will keep you up-to-date on opportunities for us to meet with you.

After December, we do not know what we are doing but we are sure that God has a place and a plan for us. We would appreciate your continued emotional support and prayers as we transition back to life in the United States and as we look for options for our future.

For those of you who have been giving to us financially this means we will no longer be receiving this money and instead it will go into IJM's general fund. If you would rather support another intern you are more than welcome to, and you just need to let IJM know that. To change your monthly support let us know, and we wil forward you details for contacts etc.

If you have any questions about this please let us know and we will try and set up a time to talk. Thank you once again for partnering with us during our time with IJM.

Sincerely,
Ian and Bekah

Big Babies

October holds a couple different holidays here in Kenya, so this year on Mashujaa Day (Heroes Day) we took our day off from work and explored a little bit of what greater Nairobi has to offer. Our first stop was The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust which is home to a number of orphaned baby elephants that are being hand-raised and then released back into the wild. For one hour a day, the handlers bring the babies to the swimming hole to eat and play while excited guests hear about the project while being entertained by the immense cuteness of these pint-sized pachyderms!

Follow the leader!
The Sheldrick Trust was the first group to perfect the milk formula for baby elephants. These babies need to be fed every 3 hours at least day and night.

Elephants mature at about the same rate that humans do, so the little ones love to play and wrestle... and mud just makes it more fun!


After a bath it is important to get a good coating of dust to protect them from the hot Kenyan sun.

Ian loves rhinos! This rhino is kept by the Sheldrick Trust because he is completely blind. They feed him and try to make sure he gets exercise.
Of course the rhino does have friends visit from time to time... this warthog was wandering the grounds and decided to pop in to say hello.
And what Kenyan holiday would be complete without meeting a giraffe? Not ours! We of course thought it would only be proper to offer it a snack.
:)
B
PS- we're working on our November newsletter... let us know if there is something you've been curious about that we can fill you in on!

A perfectly good pumpkin

Don't think just because we are in Africa that we are missing out on all of the Autumnal fun! Gary-o-lantern (named after a certain founder of a certain NGO that a certain Kitterman works for) made a return performance this year, although pumpkins are easier to find in Kenya than they were in South Asia... so Gary got to be a pumpkin instead of last year's watermelon incarnation. You work with what you have.

And the reaction from Kenyan friends: "that seems like a waste of a perfectly good pumpkin."

That was a little disappointing, but we will soldier on continuing to bring more American ridiculousness with us to our home away from home. (A just like in the US, our jack-o-lantern is sure to sit on the porch until near rotting state.)
:)
B

Captives will be set free...

Check out IJM's latest fund raising mailer with the story of a client from Ian's office at IJM Kenya! This case touched our hearts and further convinced us that we are here in Kenya for a reason.



(ALSO... we completely admit that we stole this update from the blog of our housemate Betsy, who is the super-star intern in church and community relations. Check her blog out here at http://elizabethfairfield.wordpress.com/ )

Still, it is great to see this story going out to supporters and we hope that it encourages you that justice is being seen by 'the least of these' through your support!

-Kittermans

Dear Jenny Craig...

your help is not wanted here....


We saw these signs around Ian's work as we were appropriately munching an after work snack. :) Unlike in the US, if someone tells you that your wife is very fat you should take it as a compliment and not punch them in the face. *wink*

B

More Cairo

We've posted more Cairo photos on Bekah's facebook, but just to keep our promise that there would be more on the blog... here you go!












B

Egypt memories

It has been almost 2 weeks since returning from Cairo for our visa run, and it is high time you got to see some of our pics! Here is part 1 of our Egyptian adventures.


Ian viewing the Alabaster Sphynx out in Memphis

A man standing in the pathway to Zoser's pyramids and compound.

Happy to be hanging out in ruins again!


What!? Zoser's pyramid is right here! Bekah very excited about seeing one of the first types of pyramids. Gotta love pyramid evolution.
Ian's best impression f an Egyptian statue... wrong leg forward... but would you really have known that if I didn't tell you?

catching the Egyptian breeze


climbing some pyramids!
These bricks are huge.

Getting near the end of the day hanging out at the Great Pyramids of Giza

Riding off to the horizon ;)

B

We're baaaaack

We made it! Successful visa run with lots of fun and new experiences. We'll have a better update complete with pyramids...once our internet decides to be faster than molasses in a snow storm.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!
B

Visa run

Headed out to renew some visas and do a little touring. Please think of us and pray for us that the visa process would be smooth.

We'll be touring a round a little during our few days away, which has inspired this little gem that I thought I should share with all of you! We look forward to giving you more updates.
*wink*
B

Power Outs and Updates

We've been having a lot of power outs in our neighborhood this past week. For the last three days we have had at least 12 hours of no electricity a day. This isn't a terribly strange situation, sadly. It is just merely inconvenient. The most annoying bit is no hot showers, and then probably no way to communicate with friends and family over the interwebz.

With that said, we are back on the grid for the time being and I wanted you to rest assured that I have not forgotten to fill you in on what is going on.

Ian is back from his business trip a whole three days early (hooray!) and I am soaking in a slower paced week knocking some things off my to-do list while the trainees from Amani ya Juu are on break. Mind you I will still be trekking over to the office a couple days this week, but it is a little less pressure to get Amani associated things done.

As part of the the to-do list, we am near the mid to finishing stages of our newsletter and I am trying to give the newsletter and this blog a nice facelift in hopes that it will motivate us to use it even more! Here's a quick preview of my work-in-progress:
There's still a lot to do to get that to-do list ticked off.
All the best!
Baraka,
Bekah

People of Peace

During my days at Amani ya Juu i have the pleasure to get to know some of the nicest people in Kenya... or at least I think they are the nicest people in Kenya. I think I have shared before that Amani ya Juu means "Peace from Above" in kiswahili, and the people I get the privilege of seeing there are often my refuge of peace. Not just peace, but giggles and laughter and hugs and good times while getting things accomplished. I have been hanging out in the Garden cafe a lot lately, and during the slow slow slow times one of the favorite past times seems to be taking facebook pictures. One day I interrupted the cell-phone camera facebook pic session with my big 'ol SLR and promised a couple glamor shots to some of the lovely ladies in the garden. It ended up that not only ladies like getting their photos taken, but our garden keeper Jackson got in on the action too.

Palvine

Delphine and Judy

Jackson

Hilda

I had taken these a little while ago while re-doing a few product photos for the shop, and had forgotten about them until today when I was going through my files and found one more portrait I didn't remember. I had handed one of the cafe staff my camera to look at and play around with for a photo or two and Betty managed to snap a photo of me in the garden too :)


It's awesome getting to be with these people every day and have them as my teachers and co-laborers. I'm hoping to introduce you to more of them as we go along!
More from the Garden later!
B

now the eyes of my eyes are opened

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth
day of life and love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

- e.e.cummings

We just returned from our short wedding anniversary holiday to the Masai Mara. The poem i thank You God was streaming through my brain the entire time we were in the park. Don't worry- we'll be posting more pictures soon.

B

Visit Up Country

Here in Kenya when someone is going traveling elsewhere in the countryside it is referred to as 'up-country.' It does not matter if it is north or south or wherever... it is still 'up-country.' Mind you as a muzungu (loosely translated as white person) I do seem to get made fun of when referring to 'up-country' because I am not visiting my home land. Nevertheless, I will not stop using the phrase because I think it is a fun colloquialism and sometimes it is nice to be vague in where you are traveling to. Ian's recent pre-business trip was just the right occasion to pull out my new phrase and go up-country with him to see a couple friends from DC who are serving in Eldoret, Kenya.

We left Nairobi around 4am to make the bumpy (and sometimes a little scary) trip up to Eldoret. We arrived in town around 9 and stopped into a local coffee shop to get some breakfast. Sadly, the local breakfast joint was out of juice, bacon, eggs, cheese, and pretty much everything else that is on the breakfast menu, so as Ian zoomed off to a series of meetings in the greater area i sat around consuming as much tea as I could reasonably consume until our friend Dasha came to meet me.

Seeing a familiar face here is always wonderful, and this was no exception. Dasha has been spending her time in Kenya volunteering with a drop-in center for street youth who have just recently become under great attack from the government of the area. Dasha has spent a lot of her time tending to dog bites from when the police set their attack animals on these kids and then any other wounds that are a result from the brutal beatings they receive from the police regularly. Sadly I showed up on Dasha's day off, so I didn't get to meet many of her new friends, but she did show me around to some of her favorite places.
First was the Imani Workshop which is a craft workshop and vocational program for HIV/Aids patients from the local teaching hospital that has international partners.
It was great to see another vocational program where the arts are really adding to people's lives in multiple ways. I always encouraged to know that wherever our giftings lie, there is always room to use them for the good of others and especially those in vulnerable situations.

After catching lunch with Dasha's husband Nate, and Ian we explored the center of Eldoret until Ian's meetings were done. When his work day was over and we had successfully checked in at our roach filled hotel, we headed to Ian's tourist point of choice... the local creamery and cheese making factory.
I don't know how many people have heard this about Ian and me, but we have in the last 6 months or so been working to hone our cheese making abilities. After our time in South Asia left us yearning for cheese that wasn't paneer, we took some of our 'limbo' time to figure out how to make a basic mozzarella and ricotta. The rest is history, as we have been happily making some home made cheese every once and a while for fun, and this interest in cheese sparked Ian's hope to tour this independent creamery.
Our guide Nancy gave us the quick tour of the place since we had come at the end of the day when production was ending. She kindly posed for a picture with us and we told her she should show her teeth when she smiles, because her toothy grin was stunning although she wouldn't go for it on camera.
Right as we got to the part of the tour where we get to taste a number of the cheeses there was a cloud burst. Seasons are pretty predictable around Nairobi.... it is dry or wet. Period. However, up-country this is not as much the case and random downpours do occur regularly.

Rain or no rain, we were determined to sample some cheese and try some of the full-cream in house ice cream. After some sampling of delicious ice cream and probably the best blue cheese I have ever savored, the damage was done and Ian did a little 'grocery shopping.' Good reasonably priced cheese is really difficult to find here, so when opportunity in the form of the best cheese we've had in Kenya at a major discount comes your way you had better seize the day.
After the cheese-purchasing we spent some time with Nate and Dasha as they showed us around their up-country town.
It's always nice to be with people that can understand you on multiple levels. The Smiths were part of NCC in DC and are now working toward doing aid work full time. It's awesome to know you will run into great people in this line of work.

The next morning we were on the road bright and early again for more meetings for Ian. Sadly in the next town we were in there were no familiar faces to visit with, so I once again sat myself down in the local 'coffee shop' for as much tea and 'bitings' (snacks) as I could reasonably dilly-dally through without raising to much suspicion. Sadly this stretched into multiple hours and after a short exploration of the town I settled in another coffee shop for almost a play-for-play repeat of the earlier experience, except with greasy tea and stale ndazi (kind of like a doughnut). Luckily when i was drawing to the last bite of my chewy ndazi, Ian finished his meeting and we were off to lunch to eat... and let him talk on the phone for a conference call. Such is the working life it seems. He's been working hard to get things ready for an upcoming project and it has meant a lot of long phone calls and extra hours of work at home.
After lunch it was back to the road and on our way back to Nairobi. Unlike our trip there, the trip back was actually during day light and we got the chance to see some of the beautiful Rift Valley and spotted zebras and baboons along the road. Also, I could have sworn I saw a couple scenes from Lion King... seriously. Is it just me, or is that Pride Rock?!
Ian will have some long weeks ahead of him making more trips up-country to do research. He's a good sport about it and has been digging into his work and trying his best to do high quality work in sometimes very little comfort with little solid sleep. Please keep him in your prayers as he continues to travel up-country during the next month.
As always, thank you for sharing in this journey with us! We are blessed to be partners with you!
B