Jambo (Hello)!!

I decided to update you as to what is going on in our lives since my Mom and Dad have been so busy this last month. Our dorm guys came back January 3rd and school started January 5th. Our second term this school year has started off pretty crazy:

• A flu bug spread through campus and over 75 students were in the infirmary (the place where dorm kids stay when they are sick) at one time and continued to rotate through the student body. This flu started with sore throats and high fevers and went into horrible coughs that hung on forever (and keep hanging on!).

• Close on the tail of the above flu came another one. This one was the stomach flu that everybody hated! Yuck! Those who survived–like ME (and Levi)–were VERY glad! Our dorm and family got hit hard by both viruses. It seemed that Mom and Dad spent all of January either being sick, taking care of the sick, or helping out in other areas. (Pink Eye came after that and some students got that too!)

• A high school student named Donna had cerebral malaria and ended up in the hospital in a deep coma. Her life was in jeopardy and we as a campus prayed for her. I think people around the world were praying for her also. Our prayers must have helped because she came out of the coma, was released from the hospital, and returned to classes in just over a week. I learned that we have an awesome God who answers our prayers!

• While you all were having blizzards and snowstorms, we were having Titchie field day in 85 degree weather. Titchie field day is a time when elementary students gather together and have tons of fun! This term the theme was water and all the events had to do with getting soaked. For example, there was a dunk tank, a water slide, musical buckets filled with water, and another game called, “Drip, Drip, Soak” (similar to Duck, Duck, Goose) where a sponge filled with water was used to Drip or Soak! That one was my favorite! This is a highlight of every term!

• At the beginning of the school year, each titchie is given a high school student to be a big brother or big sister for the year (or longer). We do different activities like Carnival (where we dress up alike), Coke dates the first Monday of every month (We go to studie, which is our student center, and hang out together and buy candy and sodas.), and Drive-In Movie Night. We go to the gym and a huge screen is set up so that we can sit with our big brother/big sister and watch a fun movie together. We also get to eat popcorn and drink hot chocolate with them! They are an important part of our lives and we always look forward to being with them! My big sister’s name is Jasmine and she’s from Canada! Imagine that, eh!

• Mom was Levi’s preschool teacher for the month of January. Levi really liked that! He didn’t have to leave the house to go to school. There were eight preschoolers in our dining room a few days each week. Along with the dorm guys, us, and teaching Sunday school, Mom was hopping.

• Dad is teaching two classes each of photography and photoshop, one class of graphic design, and he also helps with the yearbook. He’s often seen all over campus taking pictures of sporting events, school activities, and students having fun. For example, when it rained pea-sized hail a few weeks ago, there was Dad–with camera in hand! He’s good at capturing unique things.

I think that Rift Valley Academy is one of the best places on Earth! I like it here because the teachers are really nice and funny. They don’t give us a lot of homework either! Mom says, “Just wait until next year!” I really like that we get to pray in class and study the Bible. This year I’m playing the flute and just started violin lessons again as we were able to find a teacher whose name is Ludwig. His dad’s name is Mozart. Music must run in his family!

Another thing I really like about RVA is that everyone is called “aunt” or “uncle” which makes me feel more at home and like family is all around me. That’s a good thing since my relatives live so far away. In only four days, we will have been in Kenya six months. It doesn’t seem possible. This is really feeling like home now! I pray that I will be able to graduate from RVA one day!

The best part about living in Kenya is being with a different culture and having the Kenyan people all around us. Our family has made some very special Kenyan friends since we came. I am learning to speak Swahili in school and it’s fun to be able to use it when I’m with the people. I have learned the importance of water and how it is needed for survival in so many ways. We are on water rationing right now as there have been no rains for some time and our tanks are running low. The fields are very dry and the shambas (gardens), which are essential for food for the local people (and us), are in desperate need of water. Please pray with us that God will send rain to our area!

I’m sure Mom and Dad will write next time!

From your Kenyan 6th grader,

Kylea Nielsen, 11 years old

Door to Door Service: (these are some things that are delivered to our front door)

• Eggs (from a friend who brings them on his piki, or motorcycle)
• Milk (fresh from the cow every morning)
• Strawberries (& other yummy fruit)
• Manure
• Tortillas
• English Muffins
• Spring rolls
• Chickens (not alive)
• Vegetables
• Pizza crusts
• Chameleons (Everyone knows how much Levi loves them so they bring them right to our front door for him!)