Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Welcome to Nairobi (Archive)

There are no perfect beginnings. But we had to start somewhere. In many ways our beginning has been unexpected, filled with challenges as well as happy surprises. Our team landed in Nairobi a little over a month ago. We came as representatives from The Falls Church, with giant duffel bags and hand sanitizer and a desire to serve. We believed God was calling us to leave our homes to serve him. The church supported us, encouraged us, and sent us with a mission to listen, learn, and build relationships in Kenya. It was overwhelming and hard, but we said our goodbyes, collected our bags, and left.

In the past month, there have been miscommunications and confusions, housing headaches and computer crashes, power outages and water shortages, and even sicknesses and robberies. But we're here, and we're learning and making new friends.

We've been blessed by the warm hospitality of our friends in Kenya. We've spent time at Akiba School, Light and Power Center, Beacon of Hope, TULIP, and the Kibera Card Center. We've also been finding our way around Nairobi. In the process, there have been half-marathons, charging rhinos, graduation ceremonies and basketball tournaments, chapati pizzas and frosted donuts, exploding art supplies, matatu escapades, national exams, and executive board room meetings and quiet conversations in the slum. Amidst it all I know that God has begun something new. This is a new world, strange and often troubling but deeply beautiful. . . Welcome to Nairobi.

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