Well I don’t know how to really recap the last week or so of my life but I’ll try. It all started with some pretty significant team changes and leadership changes before we left for Asia which will get covered in another blog when I introduce my new team. So as we are getting our things together and on the verge of boarding a bus bound for the airport someone came to me and said… “Do you know what we’re going to do?” followed by “We should probably call the states and Aly is on the phone with the embassy” I was just coming back from accompanying two people to the doctor and had NO idea what was going on so I kinda freaked out for about 1.3 seconds until it was clarified that Carrie, one of my new teammates, couldn’t find her passport. At that point it was just scramble mode to try to get something figured out before the bus left for the airport. As airlines and embassies and wonderful staff from Georgia are getting awoken in the early hours (thanks Andi!) Carrie says her friend that works at the US Embassy said that she needed to file a police report and the earliest she could have an appointment was Monday morning…it was Friday. So the decision was made that it would be best if I stayed back with her and the rest of the squad should travel to Thailand for simplicity and practicality.
I mean I don’t mind Africa for a few more days…right? I started asking Carrie, “Wow that’s super convenient that you know someone at the embassy…” And that’s where the real story begins. So a few days prior to all of this a few girls on our squad went out in Nairobi in search of internet. As they made it into town and started asking for help finding internet they met an American woman who overheard them talking and pointed them in the direction of internet. By the way this is all second hand but I’m pretty sure this is how it went down. So one of the girls gives her information about what we are doing and the link to her blog. Apparently this lady went home and started reading blogs and emailed the girls back and said she would love to have them over one evening for dinner, hot showers and internet. So the girls take her up on the offer and over the course of the night and conversation come to find out that this amazing woman, Naoma, has a husband who works for the U.S. Embassy. Fast forward a few days and the panic that is ensuing due to a lost passport and God’s divine appointment starts to fall into place. So after talking to Naoma and telling her of our situation and getting an appointment set up at the embassy we are offered the opportunity to stay with their family for a few days until it gets straightened out. I’ve never met this family and I know it’s Africa so I was interested to see exactly what we were getting ourselves into but Carrie reassured me that all was okay so after waving our goodbyes to the squad as they left for Thailand and filing a police report we were off to meet Naoma and go back to their house.
God is really good at surprised and blessings and this was no different. I’ve been in Africa for 3 months now so I’m pretty used to squatty potties, “new” food, “unique” living spaces, and preaching. So I meet Naoma for the first time and immediately recognize that she is extremely sincere, personable, and American. God had His hand in the situation from the beginning and it was even more evident when after talking to Naoma for 5 minutes I felt like I knew her and the family for years. We called her driver, Frederick, and he picked us up to take us back to the house. (I knew it wasn’t Kansas anymore from the get-go because we had a chauffeur so things were definitely looking up…thanks God). We drive up to this enormous gate with guards and start driving down a street with homes that reminded me of home. We walk into a beautiful house with a real Christmas tree, real food, a fire place, real furniture, a real shower, a movie room, and a Wii…WHAT???!!! (God when you bless you BLESS…thanks again). Listing the amenities is the easy part with this blog, what’s hard is trying to articulate exactly how loving and giving and just amazing this family was. It was definitely heaven sent to be able to spend time in a place like this but more than that it was soooo good to just spend time with this family. To see how they interacted with one another and how they loved and how they just took us under their wings and bent over backwards for what most would consider strangers. The next few days were spent watching movies, going to a country club and the driving range and pool for the day, telling stories with the family and some friends over a delicious meal one night, me getting to call up to the front to tell the guards to let our cab inside the compound to take us to the mall which allowed me to feel extremely important and dignitary-ish, playing Wii and other games with Eric and Conner (their two awesome boys), and just being able to relax before heading to Asia. What could have turned into disaster and stress ended up being a mini vacation! I will never ever forget this family and the blessings that they poured out over Carrie and myself for the time we were with their family. It’s just another way that God has blown me away this year, seeing how He blessed us and seeing more of who He is through this family and their generosity. I love it…
PS: Write your local Congressmen, the Supreme Court, and even the President to tell them all that there is a US Embassy family in Nairobi that should be commended and honored for their hospitality and they make all Americans and all Christians proud. Incredible people, even more incredible God…
