The Road to Kenya 2013

17 Days left, Ferguson 5, Months of Growth!

Sat, 11 May 2013 08:02:30 -0700

Well I am coming to the end of my time here in Kenya. Like I’ve said before, the days are just flying by and blurring together! I’ve got just over 2 weeks left in this beautiful country! I have been so amazed at the work God has done in my life! When I first got here 4 and a half months ago, I almost immediately regretted my decision to come here. I wanted nothing more than to board a plane and come back to the states! After being here many months and really seeing what life is like for long term missionaries, I can see myself spending my adult life as a missionary in Kenya. I know that I won’t be able to come alone, I’d need a wife. I would love my future children to grow up here!
I spend most of my Fridays at my friends house in a town called Rongai. The Ferguson family have been the biggest blessings to my time here in Kenya! They are a family of 5 from Huntington Beach that have been in Kenya for 4 years! They take me in almost every week and give me American food, we watch American movies and we get to simply sit and talk. Believe it or not I don’t get to talk much here in Kenya. I am the only white person at ByGrace and it is somewhat hard to communicate properly with the Kenyans. It’s either talk to kids all day, or the adults who have a hard time with Californian English and my sense of humor. Long story short, the Ferguson 5 have been such a blessing in my life. Seeing how they live out here is an example of what long term missions is really about! Jonathan has also been a huge part in mentoring me and helping with my spiritual nourishment out here! Their ministry here in Kenya is pretty awesome! Jonathan pastors a church in Nairobi and he also teaches at 2 separate bible colleges!

I have learned so much out here and am so encouraged to look back at my previous blog posts and see how I’ve grown! If you want to know more feel free to email me at josh.w.grossman@biola.edu, or wait 17 days and you can ask me in person :)
Signing off,
Josh

Sitting in my own thoughts!

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:19:41 -0700

As I sit here in Kenya, I find myself feeling alone, but at the same time not alone! All of the kids at the orphanage are with their guardians for the next couple weeks, leaving me at ByGrace with not much to do. Life is way different without the children here, it’s boring. Despite not having the kids around, I don’t feel too alone because I feel close to God! I know that God is with me here even when no one else is! This tells me that I am definitely growing in Christ out here in Africa. The first time I was left without any kids here I felt so alone and helpless! It was a terrible time, but I can feel and see my growth in Christ as of late! I have a little over a month left here in Kenya, and I know God is going to do even greater things in me and through me during this time!

Before the kids all left I had the best 2 weeks with them! They were out of school and had so much time to just hang out and bond! In fact I was going to see my friends the Ferguson Family in Rongai, which is about 45 minutes away on the motorcycle. I told the kids I would return the next day and a couple of the girls started crying! They said they wanted me to stay because I only had a handful of weeks left with them! It felt so good to see that I am making connections with these kids. Sometimes I feel that the background of these kids prevents them from really showing some emotion and really bonding with others. I love knowing that I am making an impact on their lives!

Although I am having a blast here in my last couple weeks, I find home is on my mind a lot! Now, there isn’t a problem thinking of home and whats to come in a month. In fact it’s probably natural for me to be thinking this way. I just wan’t not make sure that I am staying present here when there are other Kenyans present! So you can all be praying that I may find a balance of Kenya and debriefing for America!

A funny note: People around Kenya especially adults around ByGrace have been saying that I am a Kenyan. This is due to me learning swahili and they say that they can see my passion for the people of Kenya! So I have been telling them “Mimi ni mKenya moyoni” which means I am a Kenyan at heart in Kiswahili.

Miss and Love you all,

Josh Grossman

Woah 7 weeks left!

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:20:15 -0700

Wow where did that come from. Have I really been here for over 3 months? It’s been a journey but I’ve learned and am continuing to learn so much about myself, about who I want to be, about what God wants me to be etc. It’s a funny thing following God’s path. Life has a way of going wrong, then trough the grace of God, fixing itself. These past few weeks in particular I have felt some serious spiritual warfare. The enemy is constantly against me, but I am holding strong and clinging to The Lord! If my God is for us, then who can be against us?
I’ve been leading devotions in the mornings at 6 am for the past month. It has been so great to see these kids get some raw scripture that applies to their lives! They’re eating it up and it is my prayer that it is not falling upon dead ears, but rather they are soaking it up and applying it to their lives! Leading Devos in the morning has helped me feel like I am accomplishing something here. In the past I have felt like I haven’t been doing much around ByGrace, but lately I feel like I have a purpose for being here! For those of you wondering, my math classes are going great! My 4th graders are starting to finally understand fractions!
PE is a bit difficult as of late due to it being the rainy season in Kenya! Everything is FLOODED! Right now the road to the home looks like a river that is up to my knees! Rain is good for our crops, but so bad when trying to travel! Everything here turns to mud!!
Y’all can be praying for the rain to calm a bit and everyone would be safe in it! Also, for the devotions that I teach, that they would be heard and applied. Finally for myself, that I would continue to grow strong in The Lord and continue to cling to God in the bad times and the good ones!
Signing off,
Josh

3 Months in and 2 to go!

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 08:54:29 -0700

3 Months in and 2 to go!

Update!! Half way through!

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 05:38:56 -0700

I haven’t updated in a while, my bad. Kenyan elections went great there was nothing but peace in Kenya. Now there is potential violence because the man who lost the election race is petitioning to hold a run off which would cost the country millions of dollars. Let’s keep praying for peace in Kenya!
The month of march had been great! ByGrace is starting to feel more like home! I started leading devotions in the morning at 6 am. One of the things I was convicted about is that the kids do not get enough raw scripture and the word of God! So I volunteered to lead devotions. It has been an awesome experience!! Today I traveled via matatu which is a 14 passenger (more like 25) public transportation van to a church that has a lot of other missionaries at it. We had a great sermon on discernment, which if you knew the reason I came to Kenya was for exactly that, discernment. It was a nice reminder to seek discernment while I am here!
Specifics y’all can be praying for is health and homesickness! Health is always a problem out here… And with this month being my sisters, my brothers, and my own birthday, I find myself homesick. However God is doing great things in me and in Kenya. I know I’m not supposed to leave quite yet, God has big things out here for Kenya and I!!!
Signing off,
Josh

A Prayer for Peace Request!

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 02:57:51 -0800

Well, where do I start? The days here are starting to go by very quickly! I’m finally getting back into a productive groove of life here! A funny thing that has been happening a lot lately is people asking me for things without hesitation just because the color of my skin! One Kenyan put in these words “the color of your skin will betray you.” So far this week I’ve had a Kenyan straight up ask me if I would adopt a child from his home town… Another Kenyan asked me to pay for him to go do his masters in the US! There are other stories that I won’t go into but it’s just funny that people here think I’m loaded because I’m a Mzungu (white person)! I have really been doing a lot of thinking and praying lately! I’ve been trying to listen to God and see why He brought me out here. Already in the last 2 months God has showed me so much about myself and brought me through so many ups and downs!
I’ve had a lot more free time then I originally expected! At first I really struggled with that, because I would find myself on the Internet a lot or watching movies! But I have really been using my free time wisely as of late! I am putting aside a ton more time to really sit and talk with God and read His word! Also, I am leveling out and landscaping a soccer field, and also I have been able to take my health very seriously! I have time to work out a lot, which is great!

Now is the time to pray brothers and sisters! The Kenyan elections are coming up on Monday! Last elections there was major violence and a lot of fatalities! Please pray for peace in Kenya! Most people in Kenya are so joyful and peaceful, but the problem comes with tribal warfare! There are 42 tribes in Kenya and when one person from a tribe is seen doing something I fare to a person from another tribe it can get messy! They had business men in major companies that wouldn’t even speak to each other because they were from waring tribes! They say the violence from last election put Kenya back 50 years! So please be praying for peace and for safety for myself and the children at the home!
Love you all,
Josh

Recovery but Culture Shock

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 22:26:38 -0800

Hey Y’all

Thank you so much for the prayers! I think I am out of the woods with being sick due to the spider bites. If you didn’t know I had 6 pretty infected spider bites that put me in the hospital and made me pretty sick all week. Thanks to some anti-biotics from my missionary friends in Nairobi, (shout out Ferguson Family!!! Whoop Whoop) I am now feeling a million times better!

This past month I think I have been experiencing a lot of culture shock and hardships. February has been a pretty rough month for me, but I think I am on to better things and back to life as usual here. A big problem I had was communication with some of the Kenyans about church. If you didn’t know we opened our church for the first time this past week! Well I was told I was to lead worship with our praise and worship team, so I prepare all week. On Saturday I get to sound check and there are a million people wanting to help out with worship and I guess were told they were leading worship. Long story short I felt overwhelmed and ended up not leading and actually secluding myself for a lot of the day on Saturday. I know seclusion is a symptom of culture shock. So this whole church situation got me very frustrated. Eventually I got over it and was able to talk it through with some of the Kenyans in leadership here. They informed me that there were a lot of people that weren’t supposed to be up there helping but they just did it anyways. A very different procedure then I am used to back in the States.

I miss home a lot and find myself even having dreams about what this summer and fall will be like. I know that I need to be present where I am, so you guys can be praying that I would be present in Kenya. Also that I would be able to discern God’s will for me while I am here. Honestly this past week all I wanted to do was board a plane and go home, but I know God has big plans for me here in Kenya, and I won’t let the enemy change that!

Thanks for listening,

Josh

Bad Week in Kenya

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:31:28 -0800

Well, this was my first week in Kenya that I have actually noticed it being bad. I fully realize that the enemy will use anything he can to take me off my path! So far this week Ive had the keys to my room stolen, so I couldnt lock my door for a while. Then because I couldnt lock my door, I had some minor items from my room taken. Some of the older boys from high school have come back recently and we think that either the older boys are stealing, or the younger boys are stealing to get affirmation from the older ones. Either way I have prayed about what should happen when we find the people stealing, and I want to really treat these kids with grace and mercy! God has so much mercy on us when we do wrong things, and as such, I want to teach these kids about Integrity and honesty! This was a big disappointment for me, because I love and trust these kids so much and to think that in the morning they are doing devotions and praising God and in the evening they are stealing! I am having faith that God will reveal those who stole and we will be able to talk and teach them.

On top of that I got a mosquito bite that I think is starting to get infected. Its on my neck right by my chin, and I think its actually kind of funny. Because its on the left side of my face, the left side of my face is swollen and the right isn’t. It actually looks ridiculous. Anyways I know that the devil will use any way possible to try to send me home, or to force me not to focus on what God has me to do out here.

Please be praying specifically for health and patience.

Love you all,

Josh

My favorite dancers! :)

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 08:22:20 -0800

My favorite dancers! :)

Love my Saturdays here! We watch movies all afternoon!!...

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 03:47:29 -0800

Love my Saturdays here! We watch movies all afternoon!! Today’s movies: Cinderella, Madagascar 3 and possibly Hunger Games (for the older kiddos)

Some of the girls and I before our hike to The Ngong Hills! The...

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 04:05:28 -0800

Some of the girls and I before our hike to The Ngong Hills! The one on the left is Hope and the right is Susan! Mama B (my boy Adams mom) kindly named this shot… “Oreo” I think it fits perfectly!

Kenya and My Roller-Coaster of Emotions Towards It!

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:25:05 -0800

Wow where do I start? God has already taken me on such a journey in just this past month! I must admit that everything here is not as peachy as I may have made it seem. I have gone through some real culture shock and some ups in downs in the short amount of time that I’ve been here. I think that Saturday was my first day that I really liked it here and was content with being here. God is teaching me to be present where I am instead of always worrying about the future. There is benefits to thinking ahead, but being a high school coach, I cant remember a time that I truly felt content with where I am. So anyways, Saturday was great. We relaxed all day and I brought out the trusty macbook and we watched a couple movies. Every time we finished a movie all the kids begged for another one. It was a great time of bonding with the kids. Which brings me to my next point.

Back home in California I connect with kids so easily. I cant remember a time where I don’t get along with kids very well. Here it is actually a struggle for me. I am learning to be patient with a lot of the kids. At first I was new to them and I think that they didn’t want to be too attached in case I were to leave soon. Once the Biola team left and they saw that I was actually staying for the full 5 months they really got huggy and I felt a little connection. It’s a process but I think they are starting to warm up to me. The other struggle I have is with the boys. Almost every boy here is a little punk. I think its part of their culture, but they try to be so dominate of everything. So if I am near them a good majority of them will just randomly punch me. I’ve even seen them picking on girls and just being little punks. God is giving me a great opportunity to exert patience with them. The girls here are sweethearts!! They are all super loving and just want to hold my hand or talk. It’s so interesting to me to see the difference of girls and guys in another culture.

Today I was walking back from town and some road side workers stopped me because I looked strong. They asked me to help them put a huge electrical pole in the ground!! It was quite an adventure!

All in all I have a much better outlook on being here for 5 months!! I know God will do amazing things here and in my heart and life! I am extremely happy that Kenya is starting to feel a little bit like home.

This is a video of 3 girls in 5th grade. The one with the orange...

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 01:31:31 -0800

This is a video of 3 girls in 5th grade. The one with the orange jersey is Ester the middle one is Gloria and the one on the far right is Hope! They are so joyful and full of love and laughter!

I call this one laughter! These kids are all around the same age...

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 01:07:40 -0800

I call this one laughter! These kids are all around the same age and are like family to each other! They love one another with Christ like love! It is so encouraging to see their joyful spirits!

Gracey and I ! Funny story, Grace was so shy and scared of...

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 01:01:55 -0800

Gracey and I ! Funny story, Grace was so shy and scared of me for about 3 weeks it wasn’t until sometime last week that she started warming up to me! One day she came up and just gave me a huge hug and now she’s even taking pictures with me !

This is Ester! She is always laughing and loving life...

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 00:58:58 -0800

This is Ester! She is always laughing and loving life she’s 9 years old!!

African Love!

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 08:04:41 -0800

African Love!

A video of my African Safari

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:27:18 -0800

A video of my African Safari

Home away from home!

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 04:33:36 -0800

Hey there guys,

So here is a little update about what has been going on the last week or so… The Biola team and I went on a 3 day safari through the plains of Africa. Sounds great right? Well we described it as something like I’m glad I did it, but I wouldn’t do it again. From the get go we ran into problems! About 45 minutes into our 5 hour drive our car broke down. Instead of calling us a new car they tried to fix the problem right there. We ended up sitting in a car in the same spot in some small town for 7 hours!! We missed lunch and finally we got back on the road. Once getting on the road again, it was starting to get dark! Darkness in Kenya is just that DARK! So our driver got a bit lost and we were on the bumpy dirt roads of the Mara. Well we ended up getting there 14 hours after our departure from Ngong. What a trip right? Well it doesn’t stop there. The roads were so bumpy that most of us were very car sick! As one of the Biola team members (Rob) (Shoutout YEEE BIG ROB!) needed to throw up, he threw his elbow at the window to try to open it and CRASH the glass shattered! So now were sitting in the middle of Kenya with shattered glass, throw up everywhere, no lunch, middle of the night, 14 hour car ride! Whew! What a car ride!!

The trip was fun overall but instead of being relaxing it was actually very stressful!! Which brings me to the reason I titled this Home away from home. When we finally saw the ByGrace Children’s Home gates at the end of 3 very long days, there was such a peace that fell over the whole team. We were all so happy to be back!! It really felt like home! I think that was one of God’s way of making me feel at home here. Also another factor is that on Sunday the day after we got back a random family from the area wanted to stop by and check out the home! I got to give them a tour of the facility and it really made me feel like I was a part of the place!!

Now, Sadly the team from Biola is gone and everyone here misses them a ton! I am so thankful that God put them in my life! They really helped me adjust to the life here and I think they will become very good friends for the future!! We will have bonds and connections that no one else will ever understand!!

I think that’s about it!

Love you all,

Josh

Here are a few pictures from our Safari we went on! There is a...

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 04:15:38 -0800

Here are a few pictures from our Safari we went on! There is a fun, yet bad story behind this whole trip to the safari! Ill write about it soon! Expect a video within the next 2 hours or so!