Where He leads...: Karibu Kenya!

Karibu Kenya!

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Welcome to Kenya!

So why am I in Kenya? I'm so glad you asked. :) Last year at ABO (pre-Namibia orientation with AIM), I met Jenny. She quickly became a dear friend of mine and I told her that if I was ever able, I would come visit her while she was living in Kenya. (You can see our budding ABO friendship on this blog entry.)

I decided that visiting Kenya on my way home from Namibia would be the best option. It has proved to be great transition time between the two extremes. Jenny has been a huge encouragement to me as I process my time in Namibia and prepare for my time at home. She's a friend who truly understands, as she's dealing with the same challenges of being a single missionary as I have. As I move on to new adventures, I'll enjoy keeping up with her work here, praying for her, and sending her goodies from the States. :)

We're already over halfway through with our time together, but it has been so sweet! I'm so thankful for God bringing us together, and it is such a blessing to be able to spend this time with her here, getting to know where she lives, what she does, and the other great missionaries that God has placed around her.

I was also able to reunite with my favorite Scots, the Wilsons. They were previously serving in Namibia and have since moved to Kenya. Peter and Jenny picked me up at the airport and then we got to spend Sunday with the whole family. I had missed the terrific trio--Daniel, Caleb, and Levi. They are an energetic bunch of adorable little lads and it's so good to see their sweet faces in person once again. I'm looking forward to spending a little more time with them this weekend as I fly back out of Nairobi.

Jenny's assignment is over an hour away from Nairobi at Rift Valley Academy (RVA). We hitched a ride back to campus with some friends of hers, including Carl and Laurel Becker who I met at Candidate Week in 2008. It was so great to see them again! When we got to RVA we headed down to the "dukas" to stock up on some fruits and veggies. It is always interesting to see how different places operate. RVA is not near a big town, so shopping options are limited. Most AIMers at RVA stock up when they are in Nairobi. But there are basic staples at the little shops down the road. This fruit and vegetable place has several ladies who each have their own table of similar products. Jenny always tries to buy a little from each one so none of them get angry or jealous. It was neat watching Jenny interact with the ladies. She's a seasoned pro by now and knows what she's doing! We headed home with a basket filled with with fresh goodies for about $5... what would have cost around $30 back home.

To give you a little more information about RVA... Africa Inland Mission started this school over 100 years ago. There are around 450 students from 20+ different nationalities. Some of the students have parents serving in nearby areas of Kenya, many others are serving all across Africa, representing 80 mission organizations in over 20 African countries. There are over 100 AIM missionaries on staff at RVA this year. Jenny teaches English and loves it! Life in Africa always has its challenges, and though the campus is so nice, you still know that you're in Africa. One of the biggest adjustments for her is having to cook everything from scratch. And with the limited selections around RVA, you have to be a little creative at meal time.

I have really enjoyed vegging out with Jenny these past few days. I've also enjoyed meeting many of the families on campus. I'm encouraged for Jenny to know that she has so many fabulous people loving on her and encouraging her here. Even in the brief time I have visited with these families, I've already grown to love them. And the kids are adorable. We had an overnight babysitting job (four kids!) last night. But they were so cute and well-behaved. Obviously, this has been quite a different setting than my life in Namibia, but it's a great place and I am enjoying seeing what other AIMers are doing in this part of the continent.