As the Beatles put it, “You say Goodbye, and I say Hello”. Goodbye to Kenya, Hello to Tanzania. The World Race is filled with hellos and goodbyes. As we road the bus for 15 hours from Nairobi, Kenya to Mwansa, Tanzania, I felt the weight of another goodbye hit. I was hopeful that since Tanzania is still in Africa (and is neighboring Kenya) it would still feel like home. Unfortunately, it’s not home. I like it well enough, but it is not Kenya.

I’ve been to Tanzania before. My family and I visited one of my students from RVA and her family who live in Arusha, Tanzania. Their family organized T.I.M.O. trips for African Inland Mission (the other AIM). Being here makes me think of their family and miss them even more.

The World Race life is not so different from the life of a missionary kid when it comes to goodbyes. The past 6 months have been filled with meeting new people, becoming attached, and then saying goodbye. In New Zealand it was the staff at Totara Springs, in Australia it was members of the other teams we worked with, in the Philippines I left Dona Grace, Rosa Lee, my boys at Children’s Garden as well as the wonderful staff there. I left neighbor children, Vuthy and his family in Cambodia, Karis, Knome, Bonrong’s family and the youth from the church in Thailand, and in Kenya I said goodbye to Pastor Ezekiel, Sharon and other friends (not to mention my students at RVA and staff there).  

Why has God led me to a life of constant goodbyes? I think back to the Beatles: “I don’t know why you say goodbye, I say hello…. hello, hello.” About 1 minute into the song you hear in the background “hello, goodbye, hello, goodbye, hello, goodbye…” The World race is not just goodbyes; after each goodbye I am greeted with many new hellos. It is amazing to think back to all the friends I’ve made all over the world.
 
(I made a video, but the internet is too slow here to upload it)