Back home again

I'm finally back home in Chicago, brrrr!

Stormy is happy to see me.

I was comfy in my own bed and enjoyed making coffee this morning. I spent the rest of the day unpacking and looking at pictures. 

Harrod's in London (my layover)

I hope you can tell from this record that I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Kenya and Niger. I already miss the warmth, the pool, the chipatis, the chai, the smiles, the scurrying of the lizards, the mangoes, the therapists, the prayer times, and my daily siestas, to name a few.

And I'm grateful to all of you that have joined me on the journey. 

Here is a lovely poem that I read while on the plane home, which captures many of my feelings about that great continent:

"Africa" by Kerry Lovering 

Africa, Africa! 

Delightful land, endearing earth

Over your age-old coasts are sunshine, clouds and gentle breezes

On the other side of the ocean are steep mountain ranges

Immense deserts, rapid rivers

And quiet plains. 

Your greatest beauty is your lovely people:

Fulani, Bariba, Somali, Amhara

And many other tribes

With names that sound like music.

Your people are gifted poets, legendary figures, 

Players of long flutes and round drums, skilful craftsmen

Incomparable are the brass utensils of Benin and silver ornaments of Ethiopia. 

Your enthusiasm and friendliness,

Love for children, bond with your land. 

Jesus has long known of your beauty

In his childhood years he came to your shores

Learning to walk on the sandy road of Egypt. 

Later he left. 

He has returned to you now, no longer a child, 

He is the Savior of the world. 

And because you welcomed and received Jesus

You have become far more beautiful and lovely, 

Manifesting the glorious beauty of the Son in you. 

I PLAYED WITH BABY ELEPHANTS TODAY

GUYS, I PLAYED WITH 24 BABY ELEPHANTS TODAY!
This is a real thing that happened. Look!!!

 This morning we visited the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which currently cares for 28 orphaned elephants.



They require 2 bottles of formula every 3 hours "because it's quite hard to milk a wild elephant" said the head Keeper (sorry, not a Quidditch reference).

They came right up to us at the ropes and let us pet them 😍😍😍

The Keepers are chosen by the elephants themselves (talk about a job interview!). Within 5-9 years the babies will be reintroduced to a wild herd (it takes time to find a herd that will accept them).

They also have 2 black rhinos at the Trust but they are not as personable and they are free to come and go, so we didn't see them.

Then we went to the giraffe conservatory and I kissed a giraffe. No big deal. 

Except it was, so I did it like 6 times! Giraffe kisses are awesome!!!

feeding one of the babies

Kelly, my giraffe girlfriend ☺

It was a fabulous day! But anyway, rewind to yesterday, aka the factory tours. I had arrived at my friends' house around 3am so after letting me sleep in ☺ we went to Kazuri beads which employs over 300 artisans to make ceramic beads and pottery.

the painting/glazing room

wearing a new necklace...

Then we visited the Ocean Sole workshop, which repurposes old flipflops into toys, furniture, art, keychains, etc!

 carving rhinos

Kevin says, "Recycling is cool!"

But also, here are more elephants and giraffes to brighten your day:

I've got just over 25 hours left in Africa and I'd say that I've done everything that I set out to do. I can't wait to share the hundreds more pictures and the stories that go with them, when I see you in person.

 This is only the start of the journey! Thanks for joining me!

Sai Injema

After several blessedly uneventful flights and a couple of days without internet, I have arrived in Nairobi to stay with friends from WBC until my evening flight on Sunday. We have wonderful touristy things planned, plus I get to start telling all of my stories to sympathetic ears 😊
Here are some blessings I'd like to share from my days of travel:
❤ my friends saw me off from Galmi with a pancake breakfast
❤ I felt well enough after Tuesday's debacle to eat a pancake and 2 cinnamon buns before my flight on Weds

❤ in Niamey on Weds evening I went to a restaurant called La Cabane across from the guest house and ate the most delicious dinner, sitting under palm trees in a stuffed chair. Like a desert princess or something 😆 I don't speak French (yet) so I don't actually know what I ordered; it was a mixed plate which I figured was a good bet! If you know how much I love falafel, there was a type of falafel BUT BETTER. Sweet and savory at once. And little mini samosas and crispy cheesy crepes. And a side of hummus with soft pitas. (Sorry that I forgot my camera so there's no actual documentation of this oasis experience! Thank goodness for Google!)
❤ while waiting for my next flight in the Niamey airport, a gentleman from Namibia, David, sat next to me and we conversed in English and exchanged emails. Please pray for his business and his journey
❤ in the Ethiopia airport, I was seated for dinner with a gentleman from Rwanda named Kiro (pronounced kee-row) who has lived in Kenya for 8 years but currently lives in California. We conversed in English and I had wonderful lamb tibs. This time I do have a picture!

❤ after arriving at my destination in Nairobi around 3am, I was allowed to sleep in and lounge in my pajamas today until almost noon 😴

Thank God for all of these traveling mercies!
I find that I am missing certain things about Niger already, so I will say "Sai injema" or "see you later," because I refuse to think of it as goodbye! 

On the road again

I was under the weather yesterday, not how I wanted to spend my last full day at Galmi. Thankfully I am up and around today, in time to say my goodbyes before U start the long trip home. I will travel from here to Niamey, the capital of Niger; to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia; to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya; to London, capital of England; to Charlotte, North Carolina; to Chicago. Please pray for the travels ahead!
I'm incredibly indebted to all of the new friends at Galmi who have made my stay here so wonderful. I'm going to be processing all of these experiences in the weeks and months ahead and praying for you, too!