We're Here!

Just wanted to say we're here in Malindi, Kenya! Yep, you saw that right! We are so blessed to be with Mom and Dad in Kenya as well as the Barnacles, James and his sweetheart Sarah-- who turns out to be truly a sweetheart and so much fun.

This is the first time I've been back in Kenya in 9 years. We got to spend two days in Nairobi where we stayed on Rosslyn campus-- the school I attended from second grade to twelfth. It was so nostalgic to walk around and see my old classrooms, trees I used to play under or chat with best friends on ten minute break, where my high school locker was . . . . Though the campus has changed and developed so much since I left (there is now a theater, pool, gym, two media centers. . .) it still was so good to see where I spent most of my childhood and created so many treasured memories. I don't often get to reconnect with my past. My childhood in Kenya often seems so disconnected from my present day life that it feels like it belongs to someone else. Getting to see my elementary classrooms, hear the incredible and familiar chorus of birds in the early morning, and walk around the track I used to run long laps around in track helped reconnect me with this deeply formative, precious and treasured part of my identity and past. I loved seeing Hannah exploring on campus though I couldn't help but wish she was older and could really understand where she was. I hope we can come back some day when she is older.

The other highlight of our time in Nairobi was getting to visit with some of the boys we worked with during Shawn and I's two years here. We were able to see four of them and it was SO amazing. I shouldn't call them boys anymore-- they are all in their twenties, are grown men, and trying so hard. It was amazing to talk to them in English seeing how when we left them they could barely speak any English, were just learning basic reading, writing and math and were such little boys. Now, of the four we saw, three are in school-- one for journalism, one for catering, and the other is applying for school. They all could speak English really well. They told us about a lot of the other boys too, many who are also doing well, many who are still struggling. We were overwhelmed by their gratitude and welcome toward us. I really can't describe what it was like to see these people whom we had loved so deeply and invested so much emotional energy and time and care and hope into 9 years later turn around and thank us and share how they are working to overcome the immense obstacles that have always been present in their lives and how they have changed and have some hope in part because of the fact the we were once a part of their lives. It was humbling and uplifting and touching and I just felt so grateful to God for the opportunity to see them again. Shawn was able to see even more of the boys later the next day and some of the youth group that we had worked with too. Talk about an intensely emotional two days-- and in the midst of jet lag fog too!

Our July fourth was spent traveling to Malindi-first tackling Nairobi's horrendous traffic fearing we would miss our flight as we arrived 45 minutes late only to have to wait at least half an hour because our flight was delayed. As mom says, in Africa you often hurry, hurry, hurry to wait, wait, wait. Anyway, we finally were on our plane and landing in Malindi. It was so exciting to see the ocean out the window as we landed! The atmosphere at the coast is so different. As soon as we stepped off the plane I could just tell "We're at the beach!" Everything is so much more relaxed, laid back, slow paced . . . It's been very refreshing after our travels and intense time in Nairobi. Mom and Dad live in an amazing place. We are so comfortable here-- that's an understatement. We are spoiled rotten. Us and the Barnacles have our own apartment down stairs from Mom and Dad complete with king size beds, marble bathrooms, pool side patio and the most gorgeous pool you could imagine right outside the back door. The beach is a ten minute walk away! The kids are loving swimming every day, playing in the sand at the beach, getting lots of extra attention from aunts and uncles and Sho-Sho and Babu, and our beloved Mukonyo. Mukonyo is our dear family friend that has worked for our family from the time I was ten. She has now been reunited with my parents and works for Caris teaching the single moms to bake bread to sell, as well as part time in my parents' home. It has been such a sweet reunion and Hannah just loves her-- calling her "Konyo".

Hannah is also really coming out of her shell-- usually she is so shy but she has been greeting every Kenyan she sees with "Jambo!" Then she turns to me and proudly says "I said Jambo!" The other morning she came and found me to say she had greeted the person cleaning our apartment (yes-- I don't even have to clean while I'm here. :)). She said "I said Jambo to the people! I love the people!" It was so sweet. She also surprised me yesterday by answering the greeting "Habari Yako?" properly with "Nzuri!" I hadn't realized she was picking up on what we were saying already. It makes me wish we could live where she was exposed to another language on a regular basis-- she is so interested and in tune with all our interactions with the Kenyans.

Well, it's getting really late here and I'm starting to fade out though I feel like I've left out so much already! I won't be able to post pictures while I'm here but I want to at least write when I can. . . . it won't be all that often as we're sharing two computers among eight adults and the internet isn't all that reliable.

I miss all my friends so much-- wish we could have brought you along to share all this with you in real experience not just through words and pictures. Love you all and I appreciate knowing you are praying for and thinking of us.

This weekend we're off to the Tsavo gamepark to give our kids a taste of Kenyan wildlife-- and to treat ourselves! Corban and Hannah are soooo excited to see animals. The minute we stepped off the plane here even in the midst of travel fog the first thing both of the kids said was "Where is the lion? I want to see the giraffes!" We had to explain that we will see the animals at the game park, they just aren't wandering around the airport. :)

Well . . . Kwaheri! I'll post again after our big safari!