The skinny.

Alright people, here’s what’s going on in my life.

Still no job. I’ve had a few interviews, but I’m still waiting. So, in the meantime, I found some things to do.

Tuesday morning I’m going out on the road with this lady. Final stop: Los Angeles. From there, I will fly to Nebraska to spend some much needed time with my family. My brother will be home on leave for a week, and my grandparents will be there to see him also. It’s like Christmas, in July!

The first weekend in August every year is our big family reunion in Mississippi. Since my parents will be driving there, I am going to spend the next couple of weeks with them in Nebraska, then made the (long) road trip to Mississippi. This is my favorite event every year. What other place can you get great food, southern accents, and 100 years of family history conversations? It’s beautiful, and I can’t wait. On the return trip, I’ll be dropped back off in Nashville to start the job search once again. On the off-chance I am offered a job before the first weekend in August, I’ll fly back to Nashville early. On the other hand, should I be offered a job in Nebraska……

This means a few things:

1. I’m going to be away for several weeks.
2. I get a to see family!
3. I can have time to heal/recover from the depression that the past few weeks have thrown me into.
4. I can look into jobs in Nebraska
5. I can find new motivation to job search in Nashville
6. etc.

So, yes. Things are changing. There is much that I am dreading (hearing my grandfather say “i told you so” and a slew of other comments) and things that I am looking forward to (duh – road trip!).

Please pray. And stay tuned.

The end.

Protected: Here a job, there a job, everywhere a job-job

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

Protected: Just ask.

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

Congratulations, Ruhiyyih and Matt!

Check out this awesome story of God’s greatness and celebrate with Matt and Ruhiyyih in their engagement!

Briefly.

I haven’t blogged much lately, because every time that I think of things I’d like to write, I realize that I don’t want just anyone to be able to read and be part of “the deep”.  I can’t write great, cryptic messages like my friends Allison and Rich, so I’ve just chosen not to blog. However, I will briefly update you on my life.

I’m living with the greatest folks. They have been a strong part of my lifeline here. I’m working. Not consistently, and not enough to live well, but enough. My bills are paid and I am eating (too well sometimes). I’m also having fun, which is always nice. I have a few interviews lines up and other possibles that I’m waiting on for full-time positions. Until then, I’ll enjoy the flexible schedule that I’m on now.

I’m learning about faith and humility. Great things, always, to learn. God is just and faithful. I don’t deserve the way he has provided for me, but I am grateful. I’m slowly finding more ways to give to Him.

Overall, life is really great. I’ve had several friends/acquaintences come into town to visit, and more will be passing through town soon. I finally got to talk to my brother on the phone this week, for the first time in several months because of his crazy schedule and lack of phone signal.

Ok, this post is boring even me. Consider yourself semi-updated. There is a possibility that I’ll be writing a deeper, more thoughtful, yet password-protected post sometime soon. If I do that, you can get the password by emailing me.

Cheerio!

Finalize.

Valley of 1000 Hills

Kyla went to South Africa!
February 24, 2009 – April 15, 2009

First of all, thank you to so many of you who not only supported me financially, but who sent many prayers and words of encouragement throughout my trip. You sustained me while I was gone and continue to do so as I adjust to life in the U.S.

As you know, I worked with Angels of Mercy Pregnancy Crisis Centre in Durban, South Africa. The Pregnancy Centre is located on the property of a Methodist Church, alongside a school for underprivileged children. I lived in the centre with a roommate who was truly a gift from God. Nokuthula seemed to be the South African version of myself. We spent most evenings together, making dinner, talking, laughing, or watching movies. She taught me Zulu and guided me through the culture.

The majority of my involvement with the centre surrounded doing administrative work. This meant anything from designing and copying flyers, to typing letters and creating Excel databases. I also contributed ideas for basic operations and organized as much as possible. Angels of Mercy Pregnancy Crisis Centre opened in July 2008, so the organization is fairly young and still developing. I did everything that I could to support the organization in the projects they have already established. I was able to give them many suggestions, such as creating a donation closet. Finally, as the first international volunteer, I was a guinea pig for how to host volunteers, giving feedback and paving the way for others.
One of my largest projects was to run the Girls’ Think Twice Programme(GTTP). The GTTP, is a programme for teenage girls to learn about pregnancy and the responsibilities of caring for a baby. It ran for two hours each day during Holy Week (the week before Easter Sunday). I organized volunteers, came up with ideas, and led devotions every morning with the volunteers.

Of course, there were many other things that took place while I was there. I enjoyed myself, did my best at giving my all to the centre, struggled, and laughed. Now I’m back in Nashville, Tennessee, living day by day and making decisions about “what’s next”. I’ve had one job interview and sent around 40 applications. For now, I’m attempting to stay in Nashville, but that could change depending on the job situation. God has provided for yesterday and today, so I’m trusting Him to provide for tomorrow as well.

You will find photos of my trip here and here.

I am constantly praising God for you and bringing you to him in prayer. You have been a great encouragement to me for many years, and I am thankful for the opportunity to share this experience with you.
Grace and Peace.

People:

Nerisha, one of the volunteers I trained, is struggling with her faith. As her father is Hindu and her mother claims Christianity, Nerisha feels that choosing a faith would mean choosing a parent. Now that she is a steady volunteer at the Centre (thanks for praying for the new assistant!) she will hopefully be engaged in more conversations about Christ.
Pat, the Centre founder and director, was extremely gracious to me as she relinquished many tasks to my hands as well as spent time with me, teaching me what I needed to know in order that the centre would run smoothly. God has given her a great vision and I’m glad that I could partake in it.
Shelly & Sarah, Shelly, the American sister of a former coworker of mine, is married to a South African and lives about 10 minutes from the centre. She helped me in my transition, as she was not only a tour guide for me, but was a great friend and comfort to have close by. Sarah, a friend I’ve known for several years, spent weekends with me, providing rest and needed encouragement.

Prayer Items:

• That Angels of Mercy could hire a full-time Assistant Director
• A way for the Centre to accept international donations
• A job! And discernment about where to apply.
• Praise God for his daily provisions, especially for TJ & Holly, who have opened their home to me.

Let’s go fly a kite..

Let's go fly a kite!

 

I went to Nebraska all last week to visit my family. We had a great time. I talked my parents into buying a $3 kite, and it proved to be good fun. As a result, we got to go that night to the park’s observatory and check out Saturn’s rings through the telescope. The rest of the week I enjoyed coffee shop internet, new piano music, and hearing my sis play the guitar. Add in a few movies, and lots of reality TV, and I had myself quite the restful holiday. Now I’m back into the groove in Nashville, applying for jobs, going to the library, and giving out lots of hugs.

Oh, by the way, you will be suprised at how stress-relieving flying a kite is. Buy a cheep one and enjoy an afternoon this summer with a few friends and some tunes. Let me know how it goes!

You don’t have to drink coffee in a coffee shop.

I have returned from South Africa, and am now spending the week with my family in Nebraska. The last week + since I returned has been a whirlwind. Filled with house-hopping and hunting, job searching, and catching up with people. Today I’m hanging out in a coffee shop in Lincoln, NE and attempting to write a real update on the final days of my trip and the last few days since returning. Stay tuned.

And the debriefing begins.

Bonga is the caretaker of the property where I stayed. I saw him many times a day and he was always available if something went wrong (like the day the ceiling almost fell in!).

Thinktwice: L-R: Pat, Thami (Tommy), Kyla, Immanuel, Adam, Siphokazi (See-po-kah-zee)

Display board: This was one of my big projects!

My roommate and one of our creations.

These are the dolls that the girls from the GTTP took home for one day as they learned what it's like to care for a baby.

These photos are just a taste for you about what I did while in Durban, South Africa. There will be more photos little by little, but it takes awhile to upload them. I’m slowly recovering from jet lag while friends graciously host me in Nashville. I’m still rather groggy, but grateful for a place to stay and friends who care for me. Keep your eyes open for more photos soon!

Final update from South Africa

Today was day four of the Girls Think Twice Programme: a.k.a. Galz Clubhouse. We’ve had anywhere from 9 to 16 girls participate, not including six amazing leaders. My favourite part about this week has been these six ladies. They have each participated in past programmes, and returned to lead for this week. The programme would not run without them.

The leaders have been here on time each day, most days arriving much earlier to help me out. They have given ideas, prepared food, led group discussions, cleaned, and in general made this week happen. Tomorrow, they are all arriving early to prepare for our final day. We’re making a large lunch for everyone as a party to celebrate making it through the week. And when I say “making it through”, I mean they really did survive!

Monday was all fun and games. Then came Tuesday. On Tuesday, we began by watching a Focus on the Family video about abstinence. Each girl left that day with a pillow on their tummy, looking pregnant. Not only did they walk/taxi home this way, but they took it one step further. Each girl went to the local shopping centre to “shop” and prepare for their baby. They learned how expensive caring for a child is, as well as endured stares and whispered comments about being pregnant at such a young age (13-19). Our lunch this day was a “cravings lunch” in which the girls ate strange sandwiches. I taught them my favorite prayer: “God, if I get it down, you keep it down” (thanks, Ashley).

Wednesday, the girls arrived with their pillow tummies, complaining of no sleep, but with positive attitudes (thank you, leaders!). I was entertained by one of the leaders, who showed up with a much larger tummy than she had left with the day before. Apparently, when she arrived home on Tuesday, her mother told her that her tummy was too small and made her use a larger pillow. The poor girl barely slept. Although I’ve never been pregnant, something tells me they still had it pretty easy, as I’m confident that a pillow is much lighter than a real baby!

The first task for Wednesday was to “give birth”, which just meant losing the pillow tummies, and meeting their babies. Each girl received a baby dolly, baby clothing, and a blanket. Our guest speaker this day was Jenny, a woman who runs a home for abandoned babies. She has cared for seventeen abandoned babies in her home, so she knows a thing or two about children. Each girl followed Jenny’s example to learn how to bathe a baby. Later, the girls completed birth certificates and went home with an assignment: follow a pre-made schedule. They had to do things such as wake up in the middle of the night to feed their baby. Once again, no sleep!

Today, Thursday, the girls showed up tired. The leaders came early to create goody bags for tomorrow. Each bag contains fun things such as an abstinence pledge, group photo, and an individual photo with each girl and her baby. We had a teaching moment when the Director, Pat Bayley, pointed out to the leaders that all of their baby dollies were at the Centre while we were busy with our project. The girls quickly learned that part of their responsibility as leaders is to be full participants in the programme. Since there was no one babysitting, their babies had been left alone for quite some time. A good lesson for them in leading.

I was today’s guest speaker, to teach the girls about spiked drinks. I spent about twenty minutes teaching the girls what a spiked drink was, the results of your drink being spiked, and how to protect yourself and your friends from being victims of spiked drinks. We followed the talk with group skits, so I’m hoping they’re remember what they’ve learned.

I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. Not because it’s the last day of the week and I’m completely exhausted, but because of tomorrow’s guest speaker. Jean is older than the rest of us here, with a vibrant personality. She has a lot of great knowledge and the youth love her. The previous GTTPs, Jean led a discussion on the reproductive system and how to give birth, in vivid descriptions. She will actually be on the ground showing the girls the birthing position. The girls learned so much and were hoping she would give her presentation again. I can’t wait to see their reactions when she surprises them tomorrow!

PRAYER:

Please pray for the final day of the GTTP, and especially the leaders. Two of the leaders are unable to finish the week as their Gran has fallen ill. Also, your prayers for more volunteers are slowly being met. This week there were so many volunteers that I wore myself out trying to come up with projects for them. It was nice that Pat and I were able to work as a team to make things happen, and one of our volunteers has turned out to be a huge help. In addition, this volunteer is still seeking out what she believes, so we’ve been able to have a couple of talks about what it looks like to follow Jesus.

Our largest prayer request is for an assistant for Pat. I’m concerned that when I leave, she will struggle with basic operations of the centre. However, the centre cannot afford an assistant. We have very little funding and the GTTP this week has used up a lot of it. Every morning this week I’ve been taking the leaders through the book of Phillipians, one chapter at a time. This morning we read a portion of Chapter 4, which includes “be anxious about nothing, but in everything make your requests known to the Lord”. Five days from now this short-term mission trip will be over and I’ll be on a plane to the United States. To further unknown. Not only am I anxious about returning, but I am anxious about leaving Pat with no assistant. Please pray for both.

Thank you for partnering with me in this. I look forward to seeing many of you soon.

Grace and Peace,

Kyla Nonjabulo (Joy)

Please pray:

• Funding for the centre
• Assistant for Pat
• My last five days to be fruitful, and the unknowns when I return