a sampler from the yearbook photo file

Uploaded a bunch of photos that we've taken for the yearbook so far this year this afternoon and thought you all might like a little window into the start of our school year.  Enjoy!

Staff introductions at our school open house

Freshman and sophomore boys playing table tennis during lunch

 Football match at the Rosslyn tournament

 Community development project at the Mitumba slum school

 Senior community development project

 U19 Women's basketball players pray before a U17 home game with Coach T

 Student worship team practice with vocal music teacher Mrs. Sampson (new to WNS this year)

 HS students reflect after a chapel on sin

 Yearbook staff members brainstorm ideas for this year's concept

 Students at our first chapel of the school year

Thanks for your continued prayer support and encouragement!  It's been a great start to the year!

27 life lessons, installment one

It has been 27 months since I sent an email response to former WNS director Trevor Maxwell, accepting my teaching position at West Nairobi School.  Over the past two years, I’ve seen ups and downs, experienced growth and setbacks, been lost and found once again.  27 months ago, I’m not sure that I could have anticipated any of what has happened to me in my life as a missionary educator.  27 months ago, I though my life would be a bit simpler.  A bit more predictable.  Perhaps I would learn a modest 3 or 4 lessons during my time with NICS.  Well, folks, it’s 27 lessons and counting. 

I realize that 27 is an odd number.  It probably would have made more sense for me to give a list of 25 lessons learned in 25 months – or maybe I should have waited another few months to complete 30 in 30.  But in a country that seems to hold no regard for schedules or predictability of any kind and which clings confidently, and perhaps imprudently, to goals and campaigns such as “Vision 2030,” which seeks to catch up with the rest of the world – including completely eradicating national poverty – in 20 years… I think selecting the strange and unexpected “27” is completely appropriate.  Even conventional. 

So here are the lessons I've learned, in three "installments."  First: Living Life in a Third World Nation.

Lesson 27. You Just Can’t Sanitize it All: Cleanliness and general sanitation are essential in the West.  In the third world: merely suggestions.  Expect food poisoning and plenty of parasite and amoeba visitors to enjoy the journey with you whilst living abroad.

Lesson 26. Bugs in Food = Indicator of Third World Comfort: When living in the third world, you will inevitably come across a critter in your dinner.  What you do in response is directly indicative of your assimilation to third world cultural living.  Phase 1: Upon noticing the “contaminant,” you promptly destroy the entire meal.  Phase 2: You notice the little guy, remove him, and continue eating.  Phase 3: You acknowledge the critter’s presence, shrug, and keep on truckin’.  Congratulations, you’re officially a native. 

Lesson 25. The “Guys” – In order to successfully live in a third world nation, you will find that your daily needs are met not in driving your SUV to the local WalMart or Whole Foods, but instead splitting your patronage amongst a variety of local entrepreneurs: a.k.a.: the “guys.”  Eventually, you will have a Firewood Guy, a Pirated DVDs Guy, a Juice Guy, Car Wash Guy, Knife Sharpener Guy, even a Tortilla/English Muffin/Strawberry guy.  To quote Lil’ Mama (a favorite judge on a favorite American television program), we “love the fellas.” 

Lesson 24. Power Outages, Like Clockwork – In America, the power goes out for 15 minutes and an entire city cries out in anguish, rushing to their freezers and quickly consuming ice cream and other frozen goods before they melt and staring sadly into the TV or computer screen, in their fear of the onset of boredom thinking, Now where did we put all of those old puzzles?  Here, the power goes out and life goes on in the dark as if nothing had happened.  The power company will randomly select odd hours to switch off the entire nation’s power for conservation purposes.  If it hasn’t rained in a while, watch out.  Expect the power to go out exactly as you’re in the middle of shampooing or drying your hair, baking something, drafting an important email, or putting on your makeup.  Another phenomenon is the occasional “half power” days in which current will flow, but won’t fully power anything.  Dim light bulbs flicker like candles and the microwave groans.  And don’t even think about grinding coffee or opening the refrigerator. 

Lesson 23. The Art of Playing Chicken: Driving in the third world is particularly challenging.  In the time it takes you to drive from your house to the grocery store, you will hit dozens of speed bumps and crater-sized potholes, be required to drive on the shoulder or sidewalk to avoid an oncoming matatu, dart between bicyclers, pedestrians and stray dogs, and slam on your brakes behind large busses without brake lights.  The only rule: don’t hit anything or anyone, and don’t kill anybody. 

Lesson 22. Don’t Trust the Police: Apart from being oftentimes incredibly ridiculous (traffic cops wear helmets reminiscent of that movie “Spaceballs”), the police aren’t even there to serve and protect.  Police officers don’t have vehicles of their own (I’ve seen two patrol cars and a few motorcycles in my time here), so their threats of taking you to the police station involve you unlocking your car doors and letting them in the passenger seat.  Officers are much happier to simply take a bribe (“What can you do for me?”) for your violation.  Follow your own conscience, but let it be known that it’ll either be paying the guy off, or standing in a crowded police station for six to ten hours that will follow your legitimate or imagined breakage of the law.

Lesson 21. No Need for an Alarm Clock: You’ve got the call to prayer each morning at 5 am.  Wait a little bit longer and you’ll wake to the ear-splitting blasts of the Ibis birds awkwardly perched in the trees outside your window.

Lesson 20. All-Purpose Ingredients: Never cooked in a third-world nation before?  No problem.  All you need are the following items from your local Nakumatt, Chandarana, or sketchy duka: White sugar, rice, ugali flour, salt, Blue Band (non-refrigeratable margarine substitute) mchuzi mix (Kenyan all-purpose spice blend) and tea.  Flavor’s overrated, anyway. 

Lesson 19. “Looking is Free”:  Attempting to barter at the local market or bazaar can be an intimidating and overwhelming process.  Don’t worry, though, you can do this.  Just follow the following tips: No. 1. Don’t carry large bills with you – and feel free to fib about how much you actually do have on your person, or else you will certainly be taken advantage of.  Example: “You want 3000 KSH for that set of spoons?  Pole sana, I have only 300.”  Don’t feel bad.  The spoons are only worth 100 bob, but they see that you’re an American and know they can rip you off.  No. 2. Carry “tradable” items with you.  It’s amazing how often I’ve been approached and offered a discount on something or even a free item for the hair elastic on my wrist.  No. 3. Don’t make eye contact unless you’re ready to make a purchase.  Pointing also indicates that you’re interested and want to buy.  Make eye contact with a vendor selling something you’re not interested in at all, and you can bet you’ll either be stuck at their stall much longer than you’d planned, make an enemy, or buy something you later regret.

Installments 2 and 3, complete with Life Lesson 18 down to #1 to come soon :)

evidences of a revival

Standing with a half-empty bottle of Sprite in one hand, camera in the other - keeping an eye on all things photo-worthy, as always, in my constant role of Yearbook Advisor - it might have escaped my notice that there were tears building up in our chaplain's eyes.  


It was our annual school Open House, and parents and students were busy mingling with faculty and staff over sodas and chai at the bandas in between the morning and afternoon classroom visit sessions.  A perfectly lovely idea, but for all of us teachers who'd just finished up a long fourth week of school, Open House on a Saturday just meant a six-day week.  Nevertheless, I'd made my mind up to make the best of it, schmoozing with parents and snapping photos with my new Nikon.  We'd visited Dorman's that morning for coffee - so I was pleasantly caffeinated - and the afternoon waited ahead with the promise of sunning out in the back yard on one of the first pretty days we've had all year.


Mike was relaying to me information about the student FCA meeting the night before.  One of our student leaders had updated him via SMS that morning with highlights of the evening, and Mike couldn't help but share the good news, even as I stood a little distracted during tea time.  About a dozen high school students had made it to the meeting.  One of the high school boys lead a brief devotion, followed by a student testimony.  I suppose it was the sincerity of that testimony that prompted what I hear became an outpouring of stories and truth-sharing.  "One of the best Bible studies we've ever had," the student correspondent had mentioned.  


That same day, Mike told me he'd walked around campus and been struck by the number of groups of students gathered around teacher leaders in prayer, meeting for discipleship.  A beautiful thing - and a new and even unfamiliar activity to see on our campus.  He was overwhelmed.  

* * * * *

20 minutes.  That's all I was given for this morning's middle and high school chapel talk on "The Consequences of Sin" in our first quarter Gospel Series.  I always enjoy an opportunity to lead chapel, as it offers such a great opportunity to dig into the Word and hang out with the Lord, asking Him for words and guidance in what's best to share with these students.  It takes over my life a bit, but in the past it's been well worth it to see a message take form and a story tell itself.. because if I'm doing this thing correctly, it's God who takes over and does the talking.  


But the Consequences of Sin proved to be an imposing challenge.  I myself don't relish opportunities to talk about the "tough stuff," and so I'm not surprised that this is one of those subjects that seems to have been completely abandoned in today's Church.  We focus in on grace and love - the fluffy side of relationship with a Holy God.  All too often, it seems we shirk away from the weighty Truth of the reality that we deserve physical, spiritual, and eternal death and separation from the God who designed and knows and loves us, and that we are not free to do as we want.  We're in bondage.  Slaves to our sinful nature.  We've shackled ourselves willingly.


Not exactly the kind of thing I want to share with 11 to 18-year-olds.  Kids I love and enjoy smiling and laughing with and encouraging.  But as I took up the challenge to craft a message for these students, I found myself being transformed by the message that built itself through my research, reading, reflection, and prayer.  This stuff is real and it's big and it's devastating.  And if I care at all about these students, I need to expose them to the Truth.  That we are filthy rags at the feet of a holy, blameless, perfect, and just God.  We've offended Him deeply, and His perfect nature requires that we receive the penalty we're due.  Furthermore, this "freedom" that teenagers prize so highly above all else - freedom to sin, and freedom from the restrictions of an oppressive outside force - is complete bull****.  Excuse me.  But it's true: that so-called "freedom" is what actually enslaves and cripples us, pulling us further into an addictive sin cycle that takes a literal miracle to break free from.  


So I laid all of this out this morning.  First with the middle school, then later with the high school.  Beforehand, our brand new student-led worship team made their debut performance leading their peers and teachers in worship with "Revelation Song."  I was undone.  And I hadn't even opened my mouth to speak my message.  


Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty 
Who was and is and is to come 
With all creation I sing: Praise to the King of Kings 
You are my everything, And I will adore You


My hands lifted up above my head, I think I may have literally shouted the refrain.  It struck me as so simple.  So true.  So pervasive and overwhelming.  I had chills during the first session with middle school as I listened to these five students praising the Lord so sincerely and so purposefully.  A quick final prayer to prepare my heart and my mouth, and I was standing before our students, showing them a clip from the Truth Project: two minutes of "evil," composed of fragments of news coverage of tragic events from the past couple of decades.  Point number one: The world wants you to believe the lie that all people are essentially good at heart.  It's a pretty deception - but a lie nonetheless.  You are a sinner and you have offended God, injured yourself beyond repair, and have caused pain and suffering in the lives of others.  


At the end of the high school chapel session, I offered them a final metaphor.  I used the familiar metaphor of a courtroom: Sinful Man versus a Holy God.  I laid out all the "evidence" that stands against them and referred to the dozens and hundreds of witnesses ready to testify to their "crimes" as sinners.  And that's where I had to stop.  Because next week, my colleague Lynne will address the issue of the "So what now?"  So there's even more bad news to come.  Rough couple of weeks, perhaps, but I'm praying that the Truth will sting for a while - like hydrogen peroxide bubbling in a wound.  Nasty at first, but healing when we allow it to do its work.  


If you've seen the recent film Inception, you'll remember Leo DiCaprio's "totem" - a simple object used as a reminder of whether he was in reality or in the alternate reality of a dream (a lie).  At the end of this morning's session, I offered to my students their own totem: a nail.  Nothing spiritually powerful about the object itself, but the idea was for students to grasp on to that little piece of metal and remind themselves of what's Real: that this was the consequence of their sin.  Nails driven through the Perfect Lamb to pay their debt.  


After we finished the session, students filed out of the chapel, headed to their second period class.  As I gathered my things, a sophomore girl rushed towards me, wild-eyed.  "What do I do about this, Miss Weiant?" she asked, desperately searching my face for hope.  "What if I repent of my sins - what happens then?"  


I looked this sweet girl in the eyes, grabbing her shoulder firmly, and in lieu of the fact that this poor girl would be left waiting another two weeks to hear the glorious message of the Gospel and the beautiful sacrifice that her Savior makes in offering to stand before God as her Defender in that heavenly "court," I offered her the truth as simply and directly as I could.  Her countenance shifted immediately, relief flooding back to her face, and she beamed back at me.  


Please pray for this young woman as I work in following up with her over the next couple of weeks - and pray for those like her, who have been slammed up against the wall of Truth and who are hungry for answers and hope.  

* * * * *

As if any of this wasn't encouragement enough, my high school girls discipleship group met for the second time today during lunch.  I cannot express how blessed I feel to be in the role of discipler in these girls' lives.  Five junior and senior girls, swept up in transition and relationships and experiences and leadership and everything else high school.  Five young women in the process of growing up.  And I get to walk alongside them for a bit.  What a tremendous honor.  Two of these girls are missionary kids, two are Kenyan nationals who just joined our WNS family within the past year, and one has two non-believing parents and has made a decision for Christ during her time as a WNS student.  Four are serving on the student worship team.  Two are involved in FCA leadership.  All are involved in community development projects.  The seniors are all considering attending Christian universities and even missions and ministry as possible career paths.  All are stand-out leaders, each in her own way, who are dedicated to loving the Lord and have taken a sacrificial step in pursuing this discipleship program.


But these same young ladies have also already demonstrated sincere transparency.  And while they join me in celebrating the honest-to-goodness revival taking place at our school, they're quite willing to share their own personal struggles with one another, calling out for prayer and encouragement.  Here are some of the things they've written and shared as prayer requests:


- "My sister (6 yrs) is going through some self-esteem issues"
- "I'm feel really swamped at the moment with everything going on and I feel like I'm ignoring God and focusing on school"
- "To be more open with people & for me to accept things"
- "For my father's salvation"
- "I need help with my music.  It may not look like I'm scared but I'm terrified of the world.  I want to bless the world with my music, but I'm afraid I won't be able to do that.  Like I'm not good enough."
- "I feel overwhelmed by the amount of expectations on me and to just be good"
- "All of my best friends EVER have left, so that He will provide new ones"
- "My mum pretty much had an emotional breakdown.  Also, possible divorce coming up.  Just hoping God will be with my family through this time."
- "That I will truly be able to make a difference this year."


I feel so small in my ability to be of help to these precious girls.  But I'm so thankful for them and their virtually instantaneous desire for true relationship with one another [the day that Mike, our chaplain, "revealed" who would be in each group, my girls gathered together and gave hugs all around] and their willingness to be real with each other and with me.  This is a gift.  A challenge.  A responsibility.  I don't want to let these young ladies down, and I'm praying that God will use each of us in one another's lives as this year goes on.  I'm praying for big things.  Mighty things.  And I know He's big enough for all of that and that He will be glorified, no matter what.

* * * * *

Praise the Lord - God Almighty, the King of Kings - for who He is and all He is and was and will be.  Thank you, Lord, for giving me a front row seat to witness all that You have in store for this year.  And thank you for considering us worthy to participate in that plan.  May we glorify you in all we do.  This is not the same place as it was last year, or the year before - and I praise you for taking the old and making it new.  For fresh starts.  For new beginnings.  For revival, renewal, and refreshment in broken and dry places.  You are so good.