Where has three months gone? Unbelievable. I spent, most of the week on safari in the spectacular Masaai Mara and Lake Nakuru national parks. Vast and expansive country...Stunning to behold the grandeur and complexity of God's creation. While there, I took more than a thousand pictures, made new friends and collected some wonderful lifelong memories of a dream realized. I will have one more day of touring around and seeing the local sights, before heading to the airport later in the day, to begin the long journey home.
The last couple of days have been spent mostly in hotels, reflecting on God's faithfulness. My first hotel was situated in the bowels of downtown Nairobi - not what I had planned and quite an experience being in the less desirable part of town. Just when I was feeling a tad vulnerable and alone...what should come wafting through the air than the sound of country gospel tunes. Dolly Parton I think. Not my first choice but comforting words. He leadeth me... And this morning, as I am packing and preparing to head home on a Sunday morning, pondering how nice it would be to attend church, what should come wafting up from the filthy, rubbish-strewn back-alley outside my window, but the sound of a church service...how cool is that? He meets our every need.
He remains faithful even when we do not. A week of being out in the world again - out from the umbrella of an organization that is so Christian in focus and practice - has made me realize how easy it is to get sucked back into the world again...into making our own plans, relying on our own strength, following our own desires. As I come to the end of my time here in Africa, I am left with a strong sense of just how important it is to press in, constantly. To make choices, daily, moment by moment, that bring us as close to God as we can possibly get. It is only in the shadow of his wing that we are assured of salvation, protection, abounding joy and peace. My one prayer going home is that He provides me all the grace and wisdom I need to choose Him and serve Him daily. May it ever be so...
Friends and family, I look forward to seeing you soon. Please don't expect to meet the me you think you know. I am changed. Treat me so.
xxx H xxx
Saturday, 7 December 2013
Monday, 2 December 2013
Jambo Kenya
Oh my gosh what a day! After a very early start this morning (3.30am) here's what I've managed to do on just 3 hrs sleep:
The flight was over very quickly. I enjoyed looking out the window at Lake Victoria and marveled at the amazing topography of Kenya, with its rifts and steppes. It's plain to see there has been some major geographical upheaval to this land in times past. First impressions of Nairobi?... far more modern than I expected and surprisingly tame, when compared with Uganda. Apart from a brief glimpse of Kibera slums, the city is actually quite pretty, not unlike Wellington in some ways. Having been ferried from the airport to the tour office, I ended up doing a mission to the bank and then signed myself up for an afternoon of impromptu sightseeing.
I have now patted an orphan baby elephant, feed and cuddled Ed the giraffe, watched a spectacular show of traditional music and dance from different tribes in Kenya, experienced the difference in hut design and village layout of all the tribes of Kenya, survived rush hour traffic and made it to my hotel and am now looking forward to dining at Carnivore restaurant on warthog, gazelle, water buffalo, crocodile or ostrich...haven't quite decided which I'll go for yet...
I'm looking forward to a good solid stretch of sleep before being picked up to start my tour tomorrow morning. I'm really liking Kenya so far and am pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the people and the civility of urban life...
The flight was over very quickly. I enjoyed looking out the window at Lake Victoria and marveled at the amazing topography of Kenya, with its rifts and steppes. It's plain to see there has been some major geographical upheaval to this land in times past. First impressions of Nairobi?... far more modern than I expected and surprisingly tame, when compared with Uganda. Apart from a brief glimpse of Kibera slums, the city is actually quite pretty, not unlike Wellington in some ways. Having been ferried from the airport to the tour office, I ended up doing a mission to the bank and then signed myself up for an afternoon of impromptu sightseeing.
I have now patted an orphan baby elephant, feed and cuddled Ed the giraffe, watched a spectacular show of traditional music and dance from different tribes in Kenya, experienced the difference in hut design and village layout of all the tribes of Kenya, survived rush hour traffic and made it to my hotel and am now looking forward to dining at Carnivore restaurant on warthog, gazelle, water buffalo, crocodile or ostrich...haven't quite decided which I'll go for yet...
I'm looking forward to a good solid stretch of sleep before being picked up to start my tour tomorrow morning. I'm really liking Kenya so far and am pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the people and the civility of urban life...
Sunday, 1 December 2013
Until We Meet Again Uganda
I'm sitting in Entebbe airport watching football on the big screen. Can't say I'm feeling particularly eloquent or sentimental. That could have something to do with the hour...pre 6am and I've been up since half 3, after a mere 3 hours sleep.
It's been an extremely busy week. I managed to squeeze in a few last shifts at the Bulrushes Babies Home and was amazed at how much my wee friends had grown in 2 short months. We were treated to a lovely traditional lunch in Bbira village during the week, hosted by some of the mothers there. It was a lovely opportunity to connect with the children. A young boy called Derek was rather taken with my hair and adorned me with some braids and a lovely hairstyle to enjoy lunch with. We then had a great game of footy - kids against Mzungu oldies. I'd like to say we held our own...
My last 2 days were spent running around with my head sawn off, getting ready to leap countries and adding an extra 16kg to my baggage allowance! Thankfully I'm just under my 30kg allowance, having left home with only 11kgs. Christmas is coming and I have a new red suitcase in tow. Ho!
So from here, I'll board my plane, arrive at Nairobi about 9am and hop straight on the safari bus. I anticipate a long, bumpy road to camp, which if I recall rightly is somewhere in the middle of the Masaai Mara. I pray the mosquitoes will be kind and that I have a double anointing of sleepy goodness. I have a feeling I'll be well past my used by date by the time the sun sets. After 5 days of touring around Kenya, marveling at God's creation, I'll then spend a couple of days lying low in Nairobi before embarking on my delightful 36 hour journey home. I'm likely to be offline until I hit Dubai airport, so until then be good everyone and I look forward to seeing you all soon :)
It's been an extremely busy week. I managed to squeeze in a few last shifts at the Bulrushes Babies Home and was amazed at how much my wee friends had grown in 2 short months. We were treated to a lovely traditional lunch in Bbira village during the week, hosted by some of the mothers there. It was a lovely opportunity to connect with the children. A young boy called Derek was rather taken with my hair and adorned me with some braids and a lovely hairstyle to enjoy lunch with. We then had a great game of footy - kids against Mzungu oldies. I'd like to say we held our own...
My last 2 days were spent running around with my head sawn off, getting ready to leap countries and adding an extra 16kg to my baggage allowance! Thankfully I'm just under my 30kg allowance, having left home with only 11kgs. Christmas is coming and I have a new red suitcase in tow. Ho!
So from here, I'll board my plane, arrive at Nairobi about 9am and hop straight on the safari bus. I anticipate a long, bumpy road to camp, which if I recall rightly is somewhere in the middle of the Masaai Mara. I pray the mosquitoes will be kind and that I have a double anointing of sleepy goodness. I have a feeling I'll be well past my used by date by the time the sun sets. After 5 days of touring around Kenya, marveling at God's creation, I'll then spend a couple of days lying low in Nairobi before embarking on my delightful 36 hour journey home. I'm likely to be offline until I hit Dubai airport, so until then be good everyone and I look forward to seeing you all soon :)
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