Kelsey's Magic Book

So right now I'm at our pre-departure orientation (PDO), basically just our pre-trip training. I have to admit I was super nervous about it before I got here, I thought it was going to be really boring and they were going to force me to do silly team building exercises and games that I would hate, but it's actually turned out to be really fun and very useful! I've met a lot of great people and it's been such a good time, so thanks to everyone who's been praying for me even before I leave the country!!

I've also been learning a lot more about what I'll be doing while I'm in Kenya. We had an entire afternoon to talk to one of the guys in charge of the whole micro-financing program for CMF and we found out tons about what they do and where we'll be involved and what they expect of us, so that's exciting. I really can't wait to get there and get to work helping out with the already amazing program they have running!

Also, I wanted to tell you all (and by you all I mean the 5 people that are probably reading this haha) about the AMAZING going away gift I got!! Jennifer Cherish Stone, my bestest friend in the whole entire world, gave me what she calls Kelsey's Magic Book. She talked to all of my best friends and my family members and had them write me letters or notes or funny encouragements for when I'm in Kenya. It really is the most amazing gift I've ever gotten and will help SO much when I'm feeling homesick. So I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed, I really can't tell you how much it means to me. I have the most amazing friends and family in the world. I've really never felt so loved before and it is so comforting to know there are so many people back home praying for me while I'm wandering random continents. So really, thank you so much for all the love and support you've all given me in preparation for this trip. I'm so grateful to have you all in my life and I can't wait to be able to come back and tell you amazing things about my summer!!! Love you all :)

TOMORROW!

So I'm leaving TOMORROW for training in Indy! I really couldn't be more excited, which is good, because I thought at this point I'd be super nervous and scared but I actually feel really great. So thanks to everyone who's been praying for me, it's totally working :) I'm not actually packed yet, which probably isn't good, but we're working on it. I have everything I need to take, but the tricky part will be fitting it all in my suitcase and making it weigh less than 50 pounds! 

To be honest, I am not exactly looking forward to the training part. I'd really rather just go to Africa tomorrow instead of waiting a week! But I am excited to get to meet and hang out with all my teammates for the summer. This is just such an exciting moment in my life, I'm getting ready to embark on this exciting adventure that will (hopefully) change the way I see the world. So mostly, I just want to say thank you again to all of the people who have been helping me out and supporting me and praying for me. I really couldn't have done this without you! I'd like to especially thank my family for being so proud of me and for being so supportive and for taking 1,000 trips to Wal-Mart with me while I try to get everything I'll need. You guys are the best and I love you :) But that's enough of the cheesy stuff....

I also thought everyone might like to know that I watched an episode of Man vs. Wild last night where Bear Grylls parachuted into the Kenyan wilderness. He taught me how to avoid elephant stampedes and lion attacks and how to survive on dead zebras and elephant excrement....so if anyone is worried about my safety, don't  be. Bear taught me everything I need to know if I get left behind during the safari or am carried off by an angry wildebeest or something. 

So to sum up....Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support, I will really appreciate them while I'm gone! And I know how to eat dead zebra. That about takes care of it...

1 Week!!!!

I'm leaving in 1 week!! Ahh! So crazy. I have so much to do before I leave it's kind of overwhelming, but I'm super excited!

Anyways, a lot of people have been asking about my living arrangements in Nairobi so I thought I'd tell you as much as I know. As far as I've heard, I'll be living at the Ufungamano House, which is on the campus of the University of Nairobi. I'm pretty sure all 20 interns will be living in the same house, but I'm not entirely positive about that yet.

Also, if anyone gets the urge to send me real letters while I'm in Nairobi that would be awesome!! I should be able to check my e-mail pretty frequently, so you can always e-mail me, but real letters are always an exciting surprise :)  And as much as I'd appreciate it, I can't get packages or boxes or anything that doesn't fit into a regular envelope! But if you'd like to write, my address down there will be:

Kelsey McMullen

PO Box 59322

00200 City Square

Nairobi, Kenya

East Africa

Battling Self-Imposed Illiteracy

So my college career is coming to a close, which is super weird. I'm finished with all of my assignments and now I'm basically just waiting to graduate...how crazy is that!?

In any case, I have another question for everyone. Let me start by saying this, I love reading. It's one of my favorite things to do, when it's for fun, that is. But for the last 4 years I've really only read school assigned books and I feel like I've missed out! I know I'm going to have most of my evenings free when I'm in Kenya and I'd like to catch up on my reading for fun. That being said, what are some awesome books that I should take with me to Kenya? 

I need some ideas, whether it's fiction, non-fiction, pseudo-fiction, whatever! It needs to be something that will be crazy amazing/entertaining that I'll love so much I won't be able to put it down. Some of the ones I've purchased so far to bring are The Bell Jar, Blue Like Jazz, and Catcher in the Rye. 

Does anyone have any suggestions of books I can't live without reading!?

I'm all out of....ideas

So. I need some opinions/suggestions here. Before I leave for Kenya I'm supposed to pick out a few different gifts to bring along. I need gifts for my host missionary family and for any Kenyan nationals that I work with and "befriend," if you will. Any ideas?

They said we could bring things the missionaries can't get in Kenya, like food items, or newer books and whatnot. For the nationals we're supposed to bring multiple little things that we can give to lots of different people, like keychains or something.

But I need some specific ideas. So, if you have any, do share! I could use all the help I can get.

It's a Miracle!!

So I have some exciting news for everyone...I've reached my goal for Kenya!!!! I officially have all the money required to go! How awesome is that!?! I seriously can't believe it. Just a month ago I was only at 40% of my goal. It's amazing how it's all come together so quickly.


For those of you who have donated, I seriously can't thank you enough! (For those who didn't, I still love you :) I had no idea I'd get that kind of response when I sent out my letters. I've had over 70 people donate money so I can do ministry in Nairobi this summer. 70!!!  It really blew me away. I didn't even know I knew that many people! haha But it's awesome to know I'll have so much love and support here in the States when I'm overseas. So thank you so much everyone! Seriously, you have no idea what your generosity means to me. 


I still can't believe I've reached my goal already. I honestly thought at this point in the semester I'd be making mass phone calls and begging and pleading for money from everyone I've ever met. So....thanks for not making me do that :) 


If you haven't donated and still want to help the ministry e-mail me at kelseymcmullen@gmail.com and I can give you a few other ways you can help out!


Thanks so much everyone! You're all amazing and I love you all oh so much! 

Shots! Shots! Shots! Shots! Shots! Shots! Shots!

Yes that is a Lil' Jon reference. Moving on...


I got some of my shots for Africa today! Which by the way, are super expensive!! And yes, it does hurt. A lot. I feel like that slab of meat Sylvester Stallone practiced on in the first Rocky movie. I had 5 different shots today...yellow fever, typhoid fever, hepatitis A, H1N1 (which I'm still afraid is going to kill me rather than help me), and a polio booster. Although I don't think I'd be that mad if I got polio...I'd feel like FDR. 


So I have a question for everyone...and by everyone I mean the 6 people that are probably reading this...4 of which I'm most likely related to  :) The nurse at Passport Health, where I went for my shots, was trying to make me get the rabies vaccine. Is that really necessary? Or is it a good idea? The nurse told me that even if I get the vaccine I should still go directly to a hospital if I get bit or scratched....so whether or not I get it I have to go to a hospital if I get bit. Also...it costs $250 per shot...and I'd have to get 3...that equals $750!  (Thank you CCU math department) So is that worth it? Do they really help that much? 


While I'm at it...does anyone have any other type of overseas travel tips? Any specific kinds of medicine I should bring with me or things I wouldn't think to bring? I want to be overly prepared...like a boy scout on crack.


If I do get rabies though, I know Michael Scott can tell me how to handle it.....

"Maybe there's some sort of animal that we can make a sacrifice to. Like a giant buffalo. Or some sort of monster... something with the body of a walrus with the head of a sea lion, or something with the body of an egret. With the head of a meerkat. Or just the head of a monkey with the antlers of a reindeer. With a body of.... a porcupine."