It's hard to believe that we've been back in the States for four days already! Our bags are unpacked, we've been to Target and Chick-fil-A, Matt's back to work, and our sleep schedules get a little better each day (I'm hopeful to sleep past 5am within the next week). Elana and MJ are so happy to have access to all of their toys, but not happy that they can't just run outside anytime they want. I'm thrilled to have access to clean water, a dryer, a dishwasher, and Wegmans. :) Matt is excited to have access to practice medicine in the ER today...it has been awhile. However, as much as we are enjoying being home, we want to remember the friends we made and the things we learned during our time in Kenya. It is always a challenge to navigate all of our thoughts and feelings knowing that we will be living between two drastically different worlds.
OUR LAST DAY AT TENWEK:
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| Our house helper and closest friend in Kenya, Milka! |
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Elana: Mommy, take our picture! We are cute!
I have to agree...unposed picture. |
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| Matt's students / clinical officers gave him a Maasai blanket and artwork to show their appreciation. |
SAFARI at Maasai Mara: God's Creation is AWESOME!!!!!!
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| The very loud, but entertaining hippos that lived outside of our tent. |
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Watching the hippos. MJ loved the hippos and now thinks that any body of water has hippos in it.
He was looking for hippos in the River Thames in London. |
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| Matt found this friend outside of our tent too! |
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| Seems like an uncomfortable way to eat, but warthogs always eat this way. |
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| Our God is the best artist. |
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| Baby giraffe...one of my favorites! |
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| Maasai walking around on their land. |
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| This guy reminded me of Scar from The Lion King. |
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| God's lions relaxing. |
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We were told: "Take a walk with this ranger. You will be safe."
We had no idea that we were walking into a protected rhino's home until we were 10 feet from it. |
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| Elana was on rhino watch duty. |
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| Hyena eating wildebeest brains. |
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| Monkey outside of our tent. |
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| Maasai imposters. |
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| We spent a total of 10 hours in this vehicle. |
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| Buffalo. |
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| Zebra |
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| This elephant was not happy that we parked so close. |
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| Hup, two, three, four. Keep it up, two, three, four... |
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| Another uncomfortable way to eat. |
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| Baby! |
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| Lion cubs are just as playful as human cubs. |
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| "I got your back, Mommy." |
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| Our driver was the best. Both kids got to drive across the Serengeti. |
TRAVEL TIME!
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| This is what 2 days of safari and 5 hours of driving on Kenyan roads does to kids. |
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This truck had 3 layers of sheep. The guys on top are risking their lives
attempting to keep the sheep under control during the drive. |
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| Long London Layover. |
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| God's lions are better than man's lions. |
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| Big Ben! |
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| Westminster Abbey. |
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| We rode on a train, bus, car, and airplane all in the same day! |
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Buckingham Palace is in the brightness behind us.
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We had a loooong three days of travel. The kids did really well on the airplane rides, but not so great in customs and security lines. We survived though!
...although MJ was searched by London Airport Security. Apparently he looks pretty threatening. :)
ANOTHER PIECE TO OUR OWN SAFARI PUZZLE:
In Swahili the world safari means "journey." While our trip to Kenya did not exactly go as we had planned, it was definitely another important piece in the journey that God has for our family. We learned a lot about cross-cultural interactions & teaching. We were encouraged by and gained knowledge from both long-term and short-term missionaries. We discovered a lot about ourselves and about some of the difficulties we might face in the mission field. We embraced new friendships. We are hopeful that during our time in Kenya we were able to bless at least a few people as much as they blessed us.
WHAT'S NEXT?
*AUGUST:
-We will interview with Samaritan's Purse for the Post-Residency Program. We hope to be accepted to this program and assigned to Kudjip Nazarene Hospital in Papua New Guinea beginning in November of 2017. (Elana is already asking which of her toys she'll be able to take with her. She's also very upset that I won't let her bring our gerbil.)
-We have tentative plans to speak at Fairview Mountain Church of the Nazarene in Turbotville, PA.
*OCTOBER:
-We hope to attend Samaritan's Purse's Prescription for Renewal conference in North Carolina.
-We will attend a Cross-Cultural Orientation and interview with the Church of the Nazarene in Mount Vernon, Ohio.
Please continue to pray for our family as we continue on the safari God has planned for us!
