Monday, January 2, 2012

Welcome 2012!

2012 has arrived! And so have I--to Kenya! I brought in the New Year by going to bed at 9:30--lame, right? But I knew when I got up on January 1st, I wouldn't be back in a bed for a good 36 hours :)

My trip here went well and I've been amazed at God's gentle nudges along the way. Just a few of the things that  reminded me that He's been with me:

  • a rainbow popped up in the sky as I drove to the airport with my parents; a tangible sign of His faithfulness and promise-keeping
  • the friends I made along the way--an adorable, older Asian woman that encouraged me in the Philly airport; my seatmate to London that was a teacher in Turkey; my seatmate to Nairobi that is a medic in Somalia.
  • 3 trunks that all arrived intact!
  • a smiling Kenyan face that greeted me at the airport and helped me lug the 3 trunks to the guesthouse
  • a nauseating moment of anxiety as I realized I left my iPad on the plane; a panicked phone call to my Mom; sheer relief as I called the airline and they said they'd found it and I could pick it up tonight. S.O.S. prayers answered quickly at 1 a.m.--thank you, Jesus!
Currently, I'm in my own little paradise. Sitting in the shade, surrounded by tropical plants, listening to birds chirping, sipping coffee, and not sweating in the lack of humidity. I have been so blessed to have the next 2 weeks as a time of slow but steady transition back into life in Uganda.

Despite the huge differences between Nairobi and Bundibugyo, it is good to be "home" in Africa. Last night as we drove from the airport to the guesthouse, I felt a (sleepy) contentment and smiled to myself. I have missed hearing the African English, driving on the left, and seeing ads for African products. I am enjoying the smell of Imperial Leather soap on my hands and sleeping with a mosquito net again. I guess I thought after spending more time back in the States than I spent here in Africa, it would all feel alien and strange again when I returned. But I am happily surprised by just how at home I feel.

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