Kenya in One Word...

Oh Kenya. How can I explain Kenya to someone who hasn't been? It is impossible. I can't do it and I can't possibly put it into a few words for you, or it would be about 1,000,000,000,000,000 pages long. But I will try to give you a feeling or explanation of how I felt when I got there and when I left............... Overwhelmed. Overwhelmed in the condition Kenya is in, the condition of the people of Kenya, the condition of Segera and Endana. But through the midst of my awe in the way things were, I could see how I was sent and others were sent to help things that are to become there. I was overwhelmed in the endless possibilities that Kenya has to offer itself.  Though it might be a poor country, it has a ton of potential and all I see there is what can happen rather than what has already happened.

 

So not only was I overwhelmed in what I could see physically, but God overwhelmed me with a huge since of Himself being in the people there. We are rich to the point of not being able to see God through our selfish desires, but because of the few things they have, they desire God everyday and let down their sorrows and troubles on Him to take care of. I am jealous. I am speechless about what I saw and can't quite say any more. God has worked through them so much and I feel that I came away with more by going to Africa than I could have possibly given them. What could I have given them. Materials??? Why??? Materials are good and all but they have God in full blast in that mission and community that I felt "overwhelmed."

So there is an attempt of what Kenya was like. I have stories but stories can't quite tell the precise feelings either. So I might pop one out every once in a while in my blog or something. There are definitely some funny stories that I will tell. But there you have it. The long awaited (maybe not) Kenya post. Sorry it took so long.

In Tokyo

So I am here on a plane, 35,000 feet in the air with the temperature like negative 50-60 degrees outside traveling over 600 miles an hour and I am comfortable in business class with flight attendants serving me coffee and sushi. If that is not overwhelming or unimaginable to you then there is something seriously wrong. Technology amazes me. I have been on more uses of transportation in the last 15 hours than I have in my life. But as every second goes by, every foot of distance, I am the farthest away from my home in America than I have ever been. It all started to be real to me very quickly as our first plane took off.  Even though we were going in reverse, from Dallas back to Houston, the whole trip started to really creep up on me. I am not going on a vacation. This is a some-what permanent home for me and to say the least, I am so crazy excited. It’s hard to think that even though there may not be a physical marker to show that this is a new chapter in my life, God has completely showed me and made an emotional mark telling me that t

his is a next step and that I am going to love every bit of it.

 

But anyway, I will try to post this in Tokyo. Right now we have about 5 or 6 more hours before landing and I am jamming out to some Creed and Coldplay. House has kept me good company and especially Everybody Loves Raymond. The stupid flight only had 3 episodes though. Haha .  The Pink Panther 2 was quite disappointing. I didn’t find it as funny as the first. I will write again after we land in Singapore and maybe post some pictures. The lady is walking around right now and I want more coffee so I am leaving. Man I am gonna hate couch after being spoiled in business class………….

I'm here in Tokyo... haha posting this post.

The Things I Got To Do Before We Leave

Ok so everyone has had a chance to say goodbye so far to mostly all of our friends and the whole thing is starting to be really real. Yesterday Tori and I said goodbye to all our friends that are leaving for Bigstuf (which happens to be the greatest camp on earth). I am not all that worried at the moment because I will see them in Kenya, but that will be the hard part... for me anyways. Being thousands of miles away from the people you have grown the most fond with for at least a year at a time is not that pleasurable. 

I had the pleasure of running with Zach one more time, playing marbles one more time, laughing way to hard one more time, watching a funny movie (Rocketman) one more time, shooting the Bud n' Breader one more time (Zach will appreciate that one), having one more serious injury, giving Kyle one more big, over-longed sweaty, somewhat undesirable hug, getting a haircut by the one and only Jason Culvorhouse at Urbaneve, and calling Amy one last inappropriate name before we leave. 

But oh this won't be the last of any of these for sure... (sorry Amy)

The Start of Something Great.

Dad and I were talking one day while running about a certain event and how some people take it as the beginning of something great or the end of something great. Moving was, at one time the beginning of something great, a new chapter in life, a next step in this journey called life. The point is coming, though, where moving seems as if the end of something. The end of a chapter. I can’t bear the thought of leaving my friends. But this can’t be the end of my relationship I have with every one of you. I have been thinking about what friends will leave me and move on and who will keep in touch for years to come, but I don’t want to think about that. People keep asking me,” Are you sad or excited?” and the truth is I am way completely excited. Excited about too many things that I am worried I will be disappointed. But the truth is also that I am getting to a low point about leaving everyone behind in America. It seems like a heavy weight is pushing me down to my knees.

 

Then, the other day I was doing a devotional, and a verse popped up that said,” Do not worry about anything, but instead pray about everything.” So these last few days I have tried hard to lay everything down on God. I went to 6:33 and the service was great! It got my mind going about why I am a Christian and why I believe what I believe. This gave me hope and lifted some of those weights off my shoulders. Then came the party after 6:33. We played and had such a good time that it only further showed me what I would miss. But it also showed me that I have some incredible friends who, no matter what direction we go in, we will always keep in great touch and continue to have a great time. So now, with this new found encouragement and trust I have in God, my point of view has changed. The move is a start of a new chapter because whether I like it or not, this is my next step with God, and in order to continue my walk with God, it has to happen. Things are starting to look bright again.

Scary Lady Looking at Me!

Start of a New Thing

So Tori is the one who got me started in this but I want something fun to do...sooooo. I am going to post a daily photo on this blog... I may slack off a lot sometimes but it is a challenge and something to do and it sounds fun. At the moment it becomes an obligation I will quit.

Here is the first photo and quite an awesome one too. 

This is my new Macbook

Oh the Bare Essentials

So I was thinking of things that I needed to pack to take to Singapore today and I, playfully, tried to narrow it down to just a few things. I thought of books. I hate reading so I shot that one right out of my head but then the Bible popped up in my head. Then I thought of clothing. One or two pairs of clothes would do me some good. One to wear, one to wash. Then I thought of music. I could not exist without any music to listen to. So I thought that the guitar was an instant #1 pick but it is too big. So I told myself that an ipod would do just fine, but then again I am trying to narrow it down a bit. So I immediately decided that I would take U2's "How to Dismantle and Atomic Bomb" album with me. I picked this one because musically, I love U2, and lyrically, I love their lyrics, and rockily (haha) there is some rock. Then I thought about companionship. I could not do without a good friend. So I would have to take a friend with me, and oh, of course something to do with that friend. I thought about the greatest times I have ever had with my friends and that would be something along the lines of a Frisbee. So I would take my Frisbee for me and my friend to play with. Then I thought of the other side of me. The side that is fully content with being alone and what I like to do when I am alone. Immediately, without one doubt in my mind, running was the top of the list. So running shoes hit my mind. But who says you have to run with running shoes on? So I thought of running clothes... but who has to run with a shirt on? So running shorts was my top option.
So here is my list of essentials:

- Bible

- 2 pairs of Clothes

- U2

- A Friend

- A Frisbee

and...

- Some Running Shorts.


And the awesome thing is that I already have packed all these things... and too much more.