Let me begin by saying that I am now in the small town of Lwamata, Uganda. Between a lack of power during the day, and only 4 hours or so of power at night, and little to no internet, as you might be able to imagine it makes blogging difficult! Please have patience with me as I catch you up to speed, dear readers! Much love!
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I remember when I was little, and the pages of National Geographic made the world seem so distant and exotic. My family never had a subscription, so my most vivid memories are in the dentist office waiting room, forgetting about the sheer horror of my visit, being totally and completely enthralled with every single page.
I was lost on every glossy sheet, and dreamed that maybe even some day I would work for them. Regardless, there was a deep longing set in my soul to see those places with my own eyes, and to interact with the people of those pages; that they would come to life.
By seventeen, my travel outside of the US included a trip to Canada, and a week long mission trip to Mexico my freshman year of high school. Six hours past the Juarez border, in the city of Chihuahua, the fire was further fueled. There was burning desire deep inside me to travel the globe and experience as much of this glorious creation as possible, coupled with the yearning to gain a larger lens with which to view the human condition in the frame of my mind.
The year was 2003. Life before Facebook; before iPods. Imagine. Somehow, I found myself scrunched between my parents late one spring night in May. The anticipation in the air was nearly palpable. What would Kenya be like? I couldn’t wait to see my older brother, and I knew my parents were more than anxious to see their son. This was the longest flight I had ever taken in my life. After hours suspended in the air, the wheels of the plane finally kicked out from beneath itself and we began our descent.
I made sure to burn a mixed cd before I left, just for the occasion. Pressing play, Toto’s “Africa” came on as the plane touched land once again at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyata Airport.
I never could’ve foreseen that night, that *exactly* eight years later I would find myself in Nairobi, Kenya once again, singing and dancing to that very same song, and in the grocery store aisles, nonetheless.
Even at the time of departure for this crazy trip around the world, I wouldn’t have ever guessed I’d end up here again. Our original race route was to take us to South Africa and surrounding countries. We were never supposed to come here, and to be quite honest, I would’ve been content to never set foot in this country again.
Not at all because I didn’t like my time here all those years ago. The thing was, I didn’t want to come back because I *loved* it so!
Dad & I touring a Masai home. Made of mud & cow-dung. The most unexpected thing: the radio playing on the inside.
Wyatt & I in a Kenyan cave. Fun fact: Part of the first Tomb Raider was filmed here.
Sack-breakfast: Safari on the Mara.
And here, certainly one of the more odd family photos!
Wyatt, mom, dad, the Masai and I!
(Wade & Amy, I’ll have to photo shop you guys in someday!)
Those memories out on safari with my parents, walking on the African red dirt around my brother’s school, amazed at my brother’s driving skills, dodging matatus and potholes on what was at that time a dirt-road highway all the way to the coast, and then marveling at the tremendous beauty of Mombassa…
(It was the first time I’d ever been snorkeling, and loved it!)
I didn’t want to risk replacing these, some of my most precious and beautiful memories, with new ones.
To be honest, when S-Squad got the news that we were returning, I was scared.
What if we returned to Kenya, and it was my worst month on the race?
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self discipline.” (2Tim.1:7)
It’s laughable now to reflect on those fears. A moment longer reflecting, and I’m brought to my knees in repentance. Fear is not a fruit of the spirit. If God is for me, who and what can be against me? God has not given us a spirit of fear but of…
In fact, Kenya has done it again, taking my breath away every single day at it’s beauty. On a sunny day, the skies are unlike any I have ever seen before, the most brilliant whites and blue. Even grey rain clouds have a kind of unmatchable splendor!
More beautiful than anything, are the people and how quickly so many have taken in my teammates and I as family.
It’s true, I’ve fallen in love with this country all over again. This has been, beyond a doubt, my favorite month of ministry!
I’ve had the blessing of singing on the praise team, my tongue delighting at learning new words and phrases in Swahili.
(I’m over there! On the far right!!! Okay, I think most of the team took video rather than photos of this time, so hopefully I can get some of those up later! Stay tuned for that!)
One of my favorite ministries this month has been working at Mother Theresa’s home for the disabled, feeding women who cannot feed themselves. It was one of the most humbling experiences I have ever had.
In one of the largest slums of the world, the kids of Kibera won my heart.
For the first time on the race, I vocalized the hard to admit details of my testimony.
That day, twenty-seven Kenyan kiddos gave their lives to Christ. One even came to the church this Sunday to further cement his new commitment to the Lord!
Please join me in continuing to pray for them!
Living with a Kenyan native, I think it’s safe to say, my teammates and I have never felt more welcomed before. This month, we slept in our pastor’s home. We would eat meals together, and on occasion, help take their beautiful daughter to school. Doing the dishes, doing our laundry, praying together at the end of every night, and just living life together, we truly felt a part of the family. It will be harder to leave this home, than any other place we have been. I can’t speak highly enough of Pastor Joseph, his wife Mercy, & their beautiful daughter Patience.
Here’s a family photo of all of us!
Oh, and those other people in the picture, that’s Anderson, on the right. He’s the man who cooked for us nearly every meal the entire month, and Lillian, on the left. She’s the woman who helps to take care of Patience and all of the necessary chores that must be done to help keep up a house with 12 people living in it! Anderson dreams of using his cooking skills to show God’s love to people. Hands down, his meals are some of the best I have ever eaten in my life! Lillian has an amazing gift with children, and a joy that carries her thought all she does in the day. Some of my favorite memories with her are singing and dancing together to Swahili songs in the kitchen! She also happens to have a mad talent for braiding and dreams of opening her own salon someday. Her and Anderson have enriched life in this household and have become dear friends to all of us on the team.
I have no idea what the future holds, but I hope it brings me back to Kenya once again someday! I have a strange feeling it will!!!
