Bwana asifiwe! (Praise the Lord!) I think this is my new favorite Kiswahili phrase. I have had so much to praise the Lord for over the past week and a half since I departed from the US for Kenya. I don't think I have even fully recognized all the wonderful ways that God has blessed me since leaving home. I was so scared when I left last Wednesday, but God has given me so much peace and provision that I simply cannot be afraid anymore.
The blessings began as soon as I set foot in the airport in Rochester. My suitcases were too heavy and were going to cost over $1,000 to get to Kenya, so I had to take some things out of them to get the weight down. The requirement was 50lbs. but the man at the check in desk allowed me to check both of my suitcases at 5 lbs. over the limit. On top of that blessing, my mom explained to a lady that I was leaving for Africa for the summer, and since she didn't want to see my mom cry, she gave her a pass to get her and my grandma all the way to my gate to say goodbye to me.
Flying was completely insane, and God must have been carrying the planes the whole way. I think my flight into DC went right through the middle of a big storm cloud! In spite of delays and rerouting, God provided me with traveling companions so that I wasn't stranded alone in an airport in Zurich as I waited to be rerouted to Amsterdam and then to Nairobi.
When I arrived in Nairobi, my luggage was all lost, including the carry-on that I had to check in Zurich, which had all of my medicines in it. I could not find the person who was supposed to be meeting me, but some nice man at the information desk called the ELI office and managed to put me in contact with Alex so that I could get out of the airport. The most important two pieces of my luggage (the carry-on and the big one with my clothes and personal items in it) arrived that night, so I could take them with me to Eldoret and then to Ilula the next day.
In the week that I have been in Ilula, the children, parents, and staff have been such a blessing to me. They are so patient with my shortcomings and understanding of the fact that I was really missing my home and feeling somewhat lost in this strange new place. God has been with me every step of the way, and his Word and his Holy Spirit have been my constant comfort and companion as I take each step on this journey that God has set out for me. I can do nothing but stand in awe and praise God when I look at the children and their joy in the simplest things in life.
The Kenyans have a custom of thanking God for everything in their lives and recognizing each blessing that they have been given, and I have learned much from this and from each of them. God is so good, and I praise him because he created these people and this land and sent me here to be a blessing and to be blessed by them. Bwana asifiwe!
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