Goodbye Kenya

Hello friends!

It is now time to say our goodbyes to the wonderful country of Kenya.  We have wrapped up this week with shopping (for things we can’t get in Chad as well as a few souvenirs) and running other errands.  We did get to spend the last day (today) in Nairobi National Park (bringing back some fond memories).  I had traveled through this park with my family 16 years ago (give or take).  We got to see a whole variety of animals including zebra, wildebeest, hippo, giraffe, lion, ostrich, warthog, water buffalo, baboon, crocodile, and a variety of gazelle type animals.  It was a wonderful day full of beautiful sights, dust, and sun.  The variety of animals we have seen while visiting Kenya is quite amazing.

Tonight we depart of Chad…with a brief stop in Ethiopia.  Fortunately we will be arriving in N’Djamena around noon but it also means that we will be flying throughout the night.  Hopefully we will be able to find transportation, when we arrive, to our guesthouse.  We are travelling with quite a bit more luggage then when we came.  We have stocked up on foods and other household goods that we can’t get in Chad.

The trip over-all was truly a blessing.  Thanks for those that made it possible for me to travel.  It was wonderful to meet the Kariuki family and so many other friends.  I also enjoyed seeing the tourist attractions and visiting the beach.  It is really amazing how diverse God has made this world and how differently everybody lives.  It is also amazing how similar some things are.  We certainly enjoyed having a grocery store near by.  I even got to see how additions and braids are done as I helped in braiding the girls hair at the salon.  They are quite fancy for our return to Chad.  This trip will never be forgotten!

As taken by the kids

picnic area thief

so tall and so close

lazy guy sleeping next to the road

they will steal your lunch

sorry family, no lionesses this time

beauty

mix and match

get that baby out of the road!

Perhaps a bit of the future is figured out

Recently I have been reading messages from some college friends.  It is amazing how different our lives have become, despite having shared a year where our lives were so similar.  We are all located in various parts of the world, are facing different struggles, joys, and decisions.  The overwhelming theme it seems in all our lives is that of making decisions.  It is true that the decisions are different, but most are life altering.  I suppose we are simply at the point in our lives where everything is not figured out and change is frequent.  It seems that I have just figured out what to do with my life when I am yet again making a change.  Currently I think I have finally decided on what to do this coming year.  There were a few things that I have been considering and unfortunately I want to do it all!  I have a family wedding at the start of July, and thus would like to return to the U.S. to attend this and see all of my siblings and extended family (when there are 4 siblings in 4 countries this is a rare occurrence).  So my proposed future is that I return to the States at the end of June (after the school year is over) and stay for a while.  The wedding will be in California and I would like pop up to Portland for a visit as well.    It would also be nice to make a stop in Ashtabula after.  All this travel is dependent upon finances.  After a small respite in the States (doing a little lesson planning I hope), then I would like to return to Chad to continue to assist the Kariuki family.  I think that I could truly be able to help this coming year.  They will be quite involved in a building project and will also be moving, thus the extra assistance is even more important for school.  I am really enjoying my time with the family and want to help…again this all depends on finances.  I really am not certain what God’s plan for my life is, but I am taking it bit by bit.  I truly appreciate all your prayers and help financially as I continue to help others.

Who wouldn't want to help this gang!

Greetings from Kenya

Nairobi has continued to be full of wonderful surprises.  One day this past week we went on a little nature walk.  It was a preserve for primate research though we were told there were no animals.  It was a lovely place to have our picnic, see beautiful scenery, explore a cave, and we considered ourselves lucky when we saw some monkeys swinging in the trees.  It made for a great escape anyway from the small confines of the apartment.  We also got to enjoy some delicious fro.yo. (frozen yogurt) afterwards.  More recently we had the opportunity to go to the David Sheldrick elephant orphanage.  It was an amazing experience to have baby elephants bumping into us.  We saw them feed them bottles, introduce them by name and where/why they were orphaned.  Katelyn had one stand on her foot and the same baby put my skirt in its mouth.  There is really nothing quite like having a baby elephant sucking on your skirt.  Once in a lifetime experience I say.  Our time in Kenya is drawing to a close, but there are still a few fun things for us to do.  Tomorrow will be an embassy visit to get additional passport pages, there is swimming planned, and much more.  These last couple weeks will fly by I am sure.

The littlest elephant keeping a close hold on its keeper

feeding time

follow the leader back home

This little baby was leaning on me and chomping my skirt!

On the edge of Nairobi National Park...a little critter in the corner

waterfall

just like home

Return to the City

Alas, we have returned from our great beach adventure and are now back in Nairobi.  We enjoyed our last few days at the beach in the pool and walking along the ocean (well a bit of swimming there as well).  For all of you hammock lovers like myself, I found the perfect solution for when I own beachfront property….hammock stand build with one end drilled into the coral cliff along with a sun shade….perfection.  We did see one camel and its driver wandering the beach and cooling off in the ocean.  Pretty much we spent as much time as possible in the water.

The return trip was the latest adventure.  We took the overnight train.  The first challenge was to find two adjacent compartments without a flooded floor.  Our original rooms had one flooded.  The next set we moved to we were told were extra noisy so we moved again.  Then we were told that our new compartments would probably lose electricity.  Eventually we found our home for the night and the train began to move with all of us sweating inside.  Once the dinner bell rang, we made our way to the dinning car.  To our dismay the car where we were staying was probably the furthest we could get.  We tired and hungry children we arrived at the dinning car to discover that there was no more space and we would have to wait for the second seating.  Instead of heading all the way back to our car, we found a vacant room and waited, still sweating and the children getting crankier, hungrier, more tired, and a little motion sick.  With nothing else to do, we began singing to occupy our time.  Oh yes, I even broke out “Butterfly Kisses.”  (Let’s just say we were all a little tired and loopy at that point).  Eventually we did get to eat and the children were falling asleep towards the end of the meal.  So as soon as we were done, we bounced our way back to our car, brushed teeth, and went to sleep with the wonderful scent of exhaust, the rumble of the rails, and the rocking motion in all directions.  Oh yes parents, I am pretty sure the train hasn’t changed since we rode it in ’97.

We awoke in the morning to the sound of the breakfast bell and the sun streaming in our window.  It had also nicely cooled off throughout the night.  We ate a delicious breakfast and then spent the morning spotting animals such as zebra, wildebeests, gazelles, and the typical domestic animals.  It was a wonderful trip with breathtaking views.

Now we shall start some new Nairobi adventures.  Thanks for everyone who has been supporting me through prayers and gifts.  Thus far it has been a very memorable trip.

Crows and crazy clouds

boarding

dinner

ocean view

our train