Multicultural Day 2018

Once a school year we take a day to celebrate the different cultures represented at Rift Valley Academy.  This year we started Multicultural Day with the flag ceremony.  We had 27 countries represented and the oldest student(s) on campus representing that country has the privilege to carry the flag to the stage and greet everyone in that country's language.  We ended the ceremony by singing the Kenyan National Anthem. 

We wore our red, white, and blue!  

27 different flags to represent the 27 different countries our staff and students are from.

Then on to the Amazing Race, our theme for this year.  Students were matched with their little sisters/brothers and worked in groups to follow clues and complete different roadblocks and detours before they made it to the "pit stop".

We were in charge of the International Foods stop.  As groups arrived they had a choice to make, "Bland or Brave".  If they chose bland, then their task was to have a member of the team eat a bowl of rice in 45 seconds.  If they chose brave, then the group would pick two people to spin the wheel.  The wheel determined which international food the lucky two would try and as a group they would decide which country the food was from (we gave them four to pick one from).  We were amazed by how easily some of the foods were recognized.  Just by the taste of the spices of the chutney several groups were able to quickly pick Pakistan as the correct country.  We were impressed by the students' skills and loved working this stop.

Bland- a student tries to eat a bowl of rice in 45 seconds.

Shelly shows a food a student must try.  From a list of four countries, they must pick where it comes from.

Can you guess which one is from England and which one is from Spain?

Do you know the name of these foods?

My favorite food was represented on the far right, Mexican food!

John directing the groups.

For lunch the cafo served fried chicken and yummy picnic foods.  The girls loved seeing all their friends from young to old at the school wide picnic.  Once they were done eating, they quickly collected a few of their preschool friends and started a game of chase with some of their favorite high school dorm kids.

In the afternoon, John ran in the One World 5K race while I supervised his twin four year old cheerleaders.  John was happy that he improved his running time from last year.

The girls are cheering on the runners with two of their preschool friends.

At the finish line with preschool friends.  Daddy shared his watermelon with Gracie.

Cousin Rachel was one of the top three runners for her age group!

In the evening we grilled dinner with our neighbors, then went to the cafo for hot chocolate and caramel apples.  The day ended with a concert by the Kijabe Boys School and fireworks!  Our girls loved the finale and were ready for bed once we crawled home! 

If you would like to see more pictures from this amazing event, then check out the RVA FB page at 

https://www.facebook.com/riftvalleyacademy/

Visitors, School Days, and Prayer Requests

Enjoying lunch in Kijabe

October 7, 2019

Greetings friends and family!

We hope this update finds you doing well!

Our family loved having our dear friend, Carrie, John's Mom, Ina Lou, and Becky's Dad, Jerry, visit over our vacation.  While catching up with our friend and family, we visited a variety of places in this beautiful country we live in.  Vacation went by quickly and the new school year started in August.  John is teaching 6th grade and loves teaching next door to his twin brother, James, who is teaching 5th grade.  There are 12 four year olds on campus, so Becky has helped organize the pre-K classes.  The preschoolers have been divided into three groups.  Becky hosts a preschool class in our home.  They meet on Mondays and Fridays and Becky splits the teaching time with another mom.  Ruthie and Gracie also attend a preschool soccer class on Wednesdays taught by two preschool moms.  They are soccer rockers!

Carrie, Ruthie, and Becky at Thompson Falls.

Becky on safari in the Mara with Mom Ina Lou and Papa Jerry.

Ruthie and Gracie on their first day of Pre-K.

Our school year is off to a great start!  Along with teaching, we are hosting a 7th grade boys caring community, attend a couples' small group on Sunday night, and we each attend a Bible study.  Ruthie and Gracie love having two Junior girls babysit them while we are at small group.  The twins keep their babysitters busy with tea parties, dance parties, and movie nights with popcorn.

After having a busy vacation and the start of the new school year, we are now enjoying a few days of rest over mid-term break.  We spent a night in Nairobi while spending time with our good friend Dan and family, James, Shelly, Rachel, and Levi.  Our next two days will be filled with relaxing family time as we prepare for the second half of term one.

Gracie and Uncle Dan

Gracie and Ruthie at Mayfield Guest House in Nairobi

As we look at the next month, we have several prayer requests.  Please pray:

1.  For Becky's Dad, Papa Jerry.  He is having hip replacement surgery on Monday, Oct. 8.  Please pray for the doctor, nurses, and for a quick recovery.  Also, please pray for our family who will be taking care of  Papa.  He won't be able to drive for six weeks.

2.  For our Gracie Girl.  She has a hernia and will have surgery on Oct. 23.  This surgery has already been rescheduled once due to a cold.  Please pray she will stay healthy for the surgery and she will have little pain as she recovers.

3.  For Spiritual Emphasis Week.  Students return from mid-term break on Tuesday and this short week of school will include special music and a speaker each night.  Please pray for the speaker and those organizing this special week.  Please pray for our students to be focused on who they are in Christ.

Will you please pray with us?
Please tell us how we can pray for you!

In the love of the Savior we serve,
John, Becky, Ruthie, and Gracie


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Gracie with her preschool class enjoying ice cream after a treasure hunt.

Growing Up to Be Unicorns

July 26, 2018

Jambo Friends!

We sat down to eat the other night and a friend of ours asked Ruthie what she wanted to be when she grew up.  John spoke up and said, “You want to be a doctor, don’t you Ruthie?” She said, “No.” Becky said, “Do you want to be a teacher, Ruthie, like Daddy and Mommy?” Again she responded, “No.” “Then what do you want to be when you grow up?” our guest ask again.  “A Unicorn!” Ruthie responded. We enjoyed the seriousness of her comment and talked of how much fun that would be. 

Our girls are children, and as such, they think about childish things.  Their imaginations are growing, and the idea of growing up to become a unicorn seems very real to them at this time. It will not always be so.  As Paul says, “When I was a child I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man I gave up childish ways.” (1Corinthians 13:11) Let me encourage you to put away the childish things and take seriously your growth in the faith.

Third term is completed here at RVA, and it has been another busy, successful term. Campus is now empty with the students enjoying a well-deserved break from school. Graduation was on July 12^th and most of the seniors departed Africa within a few days. Graduation is always a major change in a young person’s life, but here it seems even more dramatic as the students not only move from high school to University, but also leave their homes in Africa for “home countries”, where the people and cultures are often unfamiliar. 

Becky found herself quite busy at the start of the term, balancing the demands of being a mother of twins along with helping with the 5^th and 6^th grade musical, performed the fourth weekend of the term.  The children did a fantastic job of presenting the love of Christ in their musical.  Becky was pleased with the depth of the students’ desires to present the gospel well, and for people to understand the message. 

Becky’s business continued as she helped guide the 8^th graders through the planning and execution of their 8^th grade celebration.  Eighth grade celebration is a formal dinner including decorations and entertainment planned and presented by the eighth graders, with parent support in the cooking.  Each of the committees completed their tasks well and everyone enjoyed the 8^th Grade Celebration.

John completed his assignment as geometry and 8^th grade math teacher.  John enjoyed working with the 8^th, 9^th and 10^th graders, and being able to invest in their lives.  Sharing the Love of Christ and the word of God while teaching math was both a challenge and a joy.  

John had the opportunity to drive for the Mai Mahiu Sunday School Outreach.  The Sunday School Outreach is a program John led for years before returning to the states in 2011. The program is continuing in much the same fashion as it has for years.  RVA students and Adult leaders go to Mai Mahiu on Sunday Mornings with a tarp, some soccer balls, Frisbees, jump ropes, and with Peter, our faithful interpreter. The RVA students then walk through the streets, where children come and gather in an empty lot to play games, sing songs, and hear stories from God’s word. It was a joy to see the 50 or so RVA and street children playing and worshiping together. 

Break has begun and our schedule has been full.  We enjoyed a visit from one of Becky’s dearest friends, Carrie.  We enjoyed showing her around our little part of Africa and catching up on news face to face.  We invited students over for tea and cookies to celebrate the beginning of vac and Carrie had an opportunity to meet students, hear about life at RVA, and the work their families are doing across Africa.

Becky and Carrie enjoyed a two-night stay at the Maasi Mara and saw a variety of animals while on safari, including two leopards.  We also moved houses during the visit, making for a busy start to our break. Our new house is bigger with a nice yard, which will be good for us as a family.

As a family, we are looking forward to the arrival of John’s twin brother and his family, Becky’s Dad and John’s mom. The grandparents will be visiting for a month and the others will be serving at RVA this next school year. John and James will both be teaching in the elementary next year, with their rooms side by side.  John will be returning to teach sixth grade, a position he held for seven years at RVA in the past.  We are thankful for the visitors and family we will have living close to us our second year here.

As you pray for us over the next several moths, please pray for the following:

1. Seniors as they adjust to their new homes away from home

2.  New staff as they prepare to serve at RVA for the 2018-19 school year

3.  John as he adjusts to teaching 6^th grade after teaching at the high school

4.  Our family as we find ways to rest and prepare for the students arriving August 24 and 5

5.  Praise for our vehicle, purchased with funds from supporters.  Our vehicle has been reliable while taking students and adults to various activities.

Thank you for your prayers and support.  We appreciate the encouraging emails and mail we receive.  Please let us know how we can pray for you!

In the love the Savior we serve,

John, Becky, Ruthie, and Gracie

Becky buying produce from the Veggie Ladies in Kijabe

Standing on the equator with our friends Carrie and Rachel

Visiting Hell's Gate

John cleaning up his HS classroom.

Celebrating the end of term 3.  Can you see Ruthie practicing to be a unicorn?

Carrie, Ruthie, and Becky at Thompson Falls

Showing Carrie around Kijabe
(Thanks Carrie for sharing your pics)

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

Dear Team,

We have just come back from mid-term break and are ready to help meet the needs of our students and staff to end the school year strong!  The month of May was full of ups and downs.  As John and I looked back on the month we decided it came in like a lion, and went out like a lamb.

The beginning of May was cold and wet!  John records the high/low temperature each day and the total rainfall.  In the first few weeks of May we had over 9 inches of rain (average is 6) and we have had over 30 inches of rain this year (average for a year is 37).  We didn't see the sun for what felt like most of May and our high temps showed it.   Since John is in his classroom most of the day teaching or preparing for math class, I am responsible for keeping the house warm and for entertaining our busy four year old girls.  My fire making skills are improving!  At first I could go through a whole box of matches and still not have the fire started.  In my defense the matches are tiny!  Now I can get the fire going with just a few matches and have learned how to keep the fire going throughout the day.  Good skill to have since the fireplace is our dryer for our laundry on these humid, cold days!
Three days a week I have help with the laundry and with the twins.  Momma Mary is a local Kenyan who comes to help us.  Her first name is Emily, but with Kenyan culture it is proper to be called Momma plus the name of your first born.  So you can call me Momma Ruth. 😃
Momma Mary helps me to rotate the wet clean clothes trying to dry in front of the fire.  She also makes yummy chai for Gracie, REALLY SWEET hot chocolate for Ruthie (or that is how Ruthie says it) and delicious bread!  She takes a chai and bread break at 10 am and 3 pm each day.  She makes it for herself, our girls, and our outside worker, Joel.  I often will make my own tea since I'm allergic to milk. Chai is warm milk with tea and LOTS of sugar (this is why Gracie loves it so).
See the pics below!

To help with the "winter blues" the high school principal declared May 23rd "Warm Winter Wednesday".  The students were encouraged to dress in winter gear and bring a warm drink to class.  Many students wore scarfs, mittens, boots, and hats.  One of John's geometry students from cold Canada wore snowflake earrings and a snowflake ring!  To help keep the students warm on this Warm Winter Wednesday, I provided hot water, tea bags, milk, and sugar to John's classes.  It was rainy most of the day, so with my umbrella in one hand and a container of boiling water in the other hand, I would walk down to John's classroom after each class and refill the carafes of warm water. His geometry students were reviewing for a test that day, so it worked out perfectly that they could get up and refill their cups whenever they wanted to.   The students appreciated the tea and many stopped me to thank me.  What a fun and easy way to reach out to the students!  While at the store last week, John and I bought small cups so we can do this again for his next review day!

The Titchie (elementary) Musical was performed on May 13.  I had been helping to direct a group of 5th and 6th graders since second term.  The students did an outstanding job!  My favorite part of the experience was praying with the students (see picture below).  Before the performance, the entire cast and crew, along with the three staff members and student director, met behind stage and prayed.  We opened it up for any student to pray has they felt prompted and I closed.  I had to keep my composure!  The students' prayers were simple, yet sincere.  Many prayed that God be the one to receive the praise and glory for the performance.  Oh, to have faith like that of a child!

The day of the performance was also my first Mother's Day without my mom.  To be honest, the week leading up to Mother's Day was harder than the actual day.  On Mother's Day, after the performance, my family took me to lunch at one of our favorite places near Nairobi.  The sun was shining and we were able to enjoy our lunch as a family outside.  There were other children that played duck, duck, goose with our girls and to keep things funny, one young boy came over several times and put his finger in John's ketchup!  We could see where is family was sitting.....he had his own ketchup but just really wanted John's!

John and I had prayed for a family and waited a long time to be parents (we both had dreamed of being parents long before we met and were married in 2013).  On this first Mother's Day with my dear Mother in Heaven, I focused on being thankful that I was a mother and tried to be with my girls in the moment.  I am one lucky Mommy!!

As the month went on, the sun started to shine again and the last week of May brought the anticipation of mid-term break.  We spent the break doing fun things as a family!  We visited the Giraffe Center (click on the words to learn more about the giraffe center), went swimming at a hotel in Naivasha, and ate at Amani ya Juu, Cafe Ubuntu, Curry On, and Java House.  I have included pictures and more details below.

At the start of June, we have several prayer requests:
*Please pray for the heath of our students and staff.  Several students returned from mid-term with colds.  I specifically could use prayers for my medicine to help fight off a bacterial infection. I may have eaten or drank something over break that has made me ill.  I am getting better!!
*Please pray for the students to stay focused on their school work and to finish the year strong!
*Please pray for the staff coming next year.  There are some dorm parents who still need to be fully supported and there is a need for a few more teachers.

Please let us know how we can be praying for you.

In the love of the Savior we serve,
Momma Ruth for the Myricks

Gracie and Momma Mary enjoying Chai

Momma Mary

The girls are helping Momma Mary make naan.

Praying with the Good News Cruise cast and crew before the performance.

The Titchie Musical

Mother's Day at Brackenhurst

Enjoying the start of mid-term and May going out like a lamb.

Amani ya Juu in Nairobi.  The girls loved the pizza and playground.  John and I loved the relaxing atmosphere.  I was excited to have a delicious glass of iced tea, but it may have been the ice that caused my illness. 

The Giraffe Center in Nairobi.  The girls discovered that if they worked together, one could feed the giraffe while the other one petted the timid and soft animal.

This giraffe was so tall we had to feed him from the deck.  You can see from the look on the girls faces that they loved meeting the giraffes.

John loved the giraffes so much he tried to kiss one.  The girls said, "YUCK"

I Love A Rainy Night

Our backyard with a foggy, rain.

Our front yard with a foggy, rain.

It is 6:47 in the evening here in a cool, wet Kijabe.  Supper is finished and the dishes are done. My wife is on the couch reading a book while fighting a fever that seems to be going around campus, Ruthie is in the kitchen, standing on a stool and pretending to wash the dishes, and Gracie is painting a water picture at the table. John is sitting on a stool enjoying the fire.  We are enjoying the last few days of break and preparing for the return of the students for the start of term three in just a few days. 

The second term at Rift Valley Academy went well for the students and the teachers.  John continued in his role of Geometry and 8^th grade Math teacher, and Becky continued in her role of mother of twins, class sponsor, preschool teacher, and general manager of the household.  Although the substitute for John during the end of the first term was excellent, “Mr. Myrick” was welcomed back by his students.

Life at RVA is always busy, and second term was no exception.  John worked hard to stay ahead of his hard working Geometry students, and Becky took the leading role of teaching the preschool program. Normally, the parents divide up the teaching responsibilities, but after teaching the first two weeks of the term, Becky decided to stay on as the lead teacher to give the kids some normalcy in the program, establishing routines for the classroom.  Other parents helped out throughout the term.  Becky also took on the directing of the acting part of the elementary musical, which will be performed the third weekend of this coming term.

We were able to buy a car here at the end of first term, taking possession of it when we returned in late December. The car has proven its worth in taking us back and forth to Nairobi for shopping and dentist appointments. This last weekend, we took another family with us to Ol Pajeta, a private game reserve close to the base of Mt. Kenya. The rains have come to Mt. Kenya and the roads were exceptionally muddy. John enjoyed navigating the park in his four-wheel drive Toyota Prado. The car has some age on it, it’s a 1995 model, but had been refurbished well by the previous owner.

John is teaching G about lions as
one rests by the road.

On the left, John has help while driving slowly through the game park.  The sunroof made a great extra window to watch the animals from.  We will post another blog with more pictures and stories from our safari!

A savanna elephant.  We saw over 50 adult and baby elephants

In our effort to bring a blessing to the people around us, we will often stop and pick up passengers heading up or down our road from the main road.  We had a new adventure the other day when John stopped to pick up a few RVA workers heading up the hill for home after work one day.  Those workers called to some friends, and before we knew it, we had ten people in the back of the Prado, and area the size of the back of a station wagon. They chatted happily with each other and the girls as we took them a couple of kilometers up the hill. Grateful for the ride, there was not one word of complaint as they unpacked themselves to unload at their various destinations. 

We were grateful to everyone for the encouragement and support during the unexpected passing of Becky’s mother, Sandy.  Our home church, Lone Jack Baptist, gave us tremendous support, conducting Sandy’s funeral, providing the meal for family and friends, and encouraging us as a family. They also gave financially above all we could ask or imagine. Their financial gifts covered the entire cost of the unexpected trip home. God is good, and He used many of you to bless us during this difficult time. 

The long rains have started in Kenya, so we are having cool temperatures, with a high of about 60 yesterday, and wet days, with nearly 4 inches of rain in the last four days. This is a good start to the rainy season and, God willing, the people around us will be able to grow enough food this year.  Hunger is a constant concern to the poor in Kenya and the blessing of a successful rainy season is important to their health.

As we look forward to the start of third term classes on Monday, please pray for the following:

       1.  Pray for the rainy season to bring enough water over the next six weeks or so without flooding out the shambas (gardens).

       2.  Pray for the students as they prepare for the third and final term of the school year. Pray for the many who must say good-bye to their parents as they settle into boarding school again.

       3.  Pray for John as he seeks to share Christ and teach the principles of God in the mathematics classroom.

       4.  Pray for Becky as she works with the students acting in the Titchie musical  (5^th and 6^th grade).

       5.  Pray for Christ to be shared liberally with those who do not know him, both here in Kenya and at home where you live.

Thank you for your prayers, love, and support.  Please let us know how we can pray for you!

In the love of the Savior we serve,

John, Becky, Ruthie, and Gracie Myrick

We celebrated the twins' 4th birthday at Turtle Bay Resort on the Indian Ocean!

We took a 6 hour train ride and
 two hour taxi ride to travel to Watamu, Kenya.

The girls enjoyed drinking hot chocolate and chai by the pool!

We went looking for shells during low tide.

We found many beautiful shells!

A local showed us where to find sea urchins and eels during low tide.

The Indian Ocean!  The water was extremely warm!

R and G enjoy a Traffic Light drink by the pool!  What a fun and relaxing way to start our break!