Territorial Music School

Hey everyone!

Sorry I haven't written in a while! I have been pretty busy. During the winter break, I went to the Salvation Army Territorial Music School at the training college in a remote little town called Thika. It was quite an experience. I was the only white student and the youngest of them all. There were times when I did get a little lonely, but overall it was an amazing, life-changing experience.

The music that was used was awesome. The leaders who were from the UK did a great job in mixing the African culture with some of the music from the UK and the United States. We sang some songs in Swahili while others were in English. (I even had a little solo in Swahili!)

My roomate was really nice. She goes to the Kabete corps like me, so I knew her before the event. She did a good job in helping me with all of the swahili!! We had some great late night talks about the differences between our cultures. I have learned so many things that I never would have known otherwise. What an eye-opener!!

The food was also wonderful even though they served the same thing every night. I was sooooo sick of rice by the end of the week! The cook and her helpers kept trying to feed me more and more! One of my biggest dilemmas was trying to wash my plate and cup in the extreemely small sink in my room!

This experience was awesome! You will be glad to know that during the final concert, I led a chorus in Swahili!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!! (I just hope he knows where the Kakamega forest is!!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!

I can't believe that another year has passed me by!

I have now finished exams. Yah! I'm so relieved now that they are over. I simply can't wait to go to the Kakamega forest and wake up on Christmas morning hearing the monkeys jumping from tree to tree.

Thanks to all of you that have supported the Hodder's three Christmas wishes this year!! Your support and contributions have made this an awesome Christmas season for many people here in Kenya!! You will be hearing more about how these have been developing in my mom's letters.

Last night, we watched "It's a Wonderful Life." We were so happy to hear that one of our friends on our compuond had the DVD since watching this movie has been a tradition in the Hodder family for years. As we sat around the TV, memories of the United States and the beautiful Christmases in Portland flashed through our minds. It made us feel a little closer to home. :)

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and an awesome new year!

-Jess

As I stood on the platform, it really hit me. "How amazing," I thought, "I'm becoming a senior soldier in KENYA!!!!"
I really felt blessed to be in the house of the Lord in East Africa. Though it is just a cement block room, it is filled with glorious singing and joyful dancing.
I wore my white uniform with great pride. Even though, when I got home, it was dirty (of course!)
I gave a two minute testimony and, somehow, God gave me strength to keep the tears back as I looked into the deep eyes of the small children wearing ripped rags in the audience. I hope that all of them will come to find the Lord and become a soldier like I did.
May God bless all of you senior soldiers and lead you through the marvelous journey He has planned for you!!

Update!

Hey ya'll!

As some of you know, I am being enrolled as a senior soldier of the Salvation Army this Sunday!! Woohoo!! I'm so excited!!I can't wait to wear that awesome white uniform! Mom is dreading it however because of the awful mud. She is stocking up on bleach and stain buster. Commissioner Anzeze is conducting the ceremony which is really cool. I'll be sure to post a few pictures after the event!!

School has been going well. I got straight A's on my report card that I got about 2 weeks ago! :)

We just held our thanksgiving feast this past friday night for all of the Americans on our compound. It was great fun and the food was delicious! However, the day really lacked a good football game! I miss those games so much!!

I'll write again soon!

Begging for Jesus

I still haven't been able to get over the poverty here in Kenya. There is one part of town that is hard for my mom, especially when their is traffic. We sit in the car, and we are bombarded my children in dirty, ripped rags. Their beautiful faces press against the glass of our windows begging us to buy their peanuts. You can faintly hear their whimpering voices. They know that if they don't sell their peanuts, they could go hungry. Their eyes pierce ours. We want to help them, but sometimes it is not an option.
We say silent prayers and continue to drive. We leave this part of the city and forget about them. But their daily struggles continue.
I hope and pray these children know Jesus, the provider. Because without Him, what hope do they have?

WOWZA

WELCOME TO MY NEW AND IMPROVED BLOG! You gotta update every once and a while right?
What do ya think of my pictures? Pretty snazzy, eh? I used one of my friends computers to take pictures and use really cool effects.
Oh hey have you guys seen the new issue of the Young Salvationist?!? One of my mom's letters is in it. It is about me and my graduation ceremony that took place this last June. Check it out!!
What else is new......? Hmm well cheerleading is coming along well. If all goes well, tryouts will be the week after next. Please contintue to pray about this. I really want it all to work out!!

:) <3 <3 <3 <3

How cool is this?!?! I'm just sitting here at the computer and I am listening to choirs singing at the corps right outside my window!! I love living on a compound!
Get a load of this: I am going with the 9th grade class this week to Lake Naivasha. We are going to go out on a boat to see some hippos and then take a few long hikes. We have to train for Mt. Kenya, so between these long hikes and our climb up Mt. Longonaut ( a smaller mountain) we should be all set.
School is going well. I am enjoying it a lot. It looks as though I am going to be a part of the MUN program this year (Model United Nations.) I did this last year, and I really enjoyed it.
I will let you know how my trip goes!!

HIGHSCHOOL!!!!!!

Yes, that's right! I am officially a highschooler! It honestly feels just like yesterday that I was playing in the dirt. But, low and behold, I am a freshman. One second you are a kid and the next you are a young woman. How time flies!
Well my first day was awesome. I got to school, greeted some of the new kids, went to the highschool assembly, and then went to my classes. I love my new teachers and the new kids seem pretty cool.
Well, there's not a whole lot more to say about my day. It was cool and I am still trying to get over the cool fact that I'm going to highschool in Kenya. Somebody pinch me PLEASE!

Back On Campus :)

Hooray!!! I once again returned to my school for an orientation. It was SO wonderful to be on the campus again and see lots of my friends. The orientation was for all of the new students at my school. I saw the same look on their faces that I remember having on my face the first day of school. It's that look of excitement with a bit of terror (and a little shy as well.) You know, you can tell a lot about a person by spending 5 minutes with them. Some of them have no problem being a new kid. They just talk and talk (sometimes they talk more than you do!) Others keep to themselves. First impressions are so crucial!!!!
This year is going to be WONDERFUL! I can just feel it! Soccer and volleyball tryouts are in 5 days. Pray that I get into both of the JV teams!! I simply can't wait to start sports, inherit my responsibilities as class chairperson, and all of the other things that come along with being in a highschool. WOW!! HIGHSCHOOL! Pray that my first day will be one to remember!

Being a Teenager in Africa

Have you ever had a day when you have so many things on your mind and you try to write them down but no matter what you do, all you can find are empty words that don't seem to mean anything? I'm having one of those days. So many things seem to be crowding my mind...I guess that's what every teenager goes through.
I am surprised to find that this new life here in Kenya has seemed so real. I thought that everyday would feel like a dream that I would constantly think that I would wake up from. But I can honestly say that it feels as though I have lived here for much longer than 5 months. I think that throughout my whole life, I was meant to be here and make a difference in the kingdom of God.
You may not be too surprised to know that life for a teenager here is still quite similar to life in the States. Although there is no American Football or cheerleading (which I miss), no good malls to shop at, and beauty products are more scarse, life here is much more similar to my life on the other side of the world than I thought it was going to be. Those things which seemed like everything then don't seem very important now. Other things have taken the place of these things which have more meaning and value. My mind thinks of the song Amazing Grace and the lyrics, "was blind, but now I see." In many ways, I think that God has opened my eyes to the world around me.
Being in Kenya has definately been the biggest and best adventure the Hodder family has ever had. Even for a teenager like me.

Still Happy in Paradise

Hiya! Guess who!! It's me again writing to you from good 'ol Kenya! I haven't been doing a lot lately. I start school in exactly two weeks from today which is exciting yet a bit sad. I can't wait to see all of my friends, but the load of work I am going to get for homework doesn't thrill me as you can imagine. But I am still hopeful that this year is going to be my best year yet!
This next week, my family and I have a lot of plans, which probably means that there are going to be lots of new updates here on my blog. So, make sure that you keep checking in for new pictures and stories!
Lots of love and blessings to you all!!