Snaps

Suffice it to say I haven't had time to be a great blogger with Michelle's arrival, Whitney's two week visit, our amazing safari, a week of substitute teaching and now a 5 day trip to the coast (yes, I realize I've been on 3 trips in two months...TIA).

To tide you over, here is a link to some of our safari "snaps" as our driver/guide/guru Evahnsu called them. It was life-changing, epic, humbling, glorious, amazing and so many more adjectives!

Love to you all!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2652386&id=3409163&l=e96d375e9c

Good thing the BFF is a Photographer

Not only is the BFF beautiful and hilarious and super smart...she is an awesome amateur photographer. AND she has a sweet camera and even rented a cool lens for our safari adventure. So you and I get to benefit from this. I don't have to worry about taking cool pictures of my house/neighborhood/friends/adventures over the next two weeks, and YOU get to see much better photo documentation of my life here. Follow along on my Flikr photostream and enjoy the adventure with us.

Highlights so far include:

CRAZY Nairobi Friday night rain traffic (welcome to Kenya, Whit)
Being paid by the Nairobi airport to leave (seriously, they gave me money)
Whit meets the team: friendship worlds collide and i LOVE it
A turtle sighting (first wildlife)
Peanut butter eating (goes great with mini-bananas)
10 hours of sleep for Whit: she is a jet-lag rockstar

Christmas in March

As if having the BFF arrive yesterday was not splendid enough (the airport arrival was dramatic, joyous, and involved lots of jumping up and down), more excitement was to come when we arrived at the house and she started to unpack...and unpack and unpack and unpack. No, she didn't bring 12 pairs of shoes...but she DID bring half of Costco (thank you Papa Dan!!!!) to replenish my supply of American "needs". Yes, I've only been here for 6 weeks, but as she is my only visitor expected in many months and it really is amazing how exciting it is to receive goods that you just know you could never get here. It really was like Christmas. Take a look at the loot.

In case you can't see, here is what was lugged halfway across the world. 

The biggest bag of chocolate chips I've EVER seen

6 lbs of creamy peanut butter (I never knew how much I loved American PB until I was deprived)

Baking chocolate: unsweetened and semi-sweet...hello cupcakes)

Sunscreen

Puffins cereal and Tootsie Pops courtesy of my sweet friend Becca!)

About 20 bags of mini Reese's cups

Paper from Paper Source--room decor! 

And as if all that wasn't enough...a brand new pair of Kenya Stripe TOMS for my bday. :) 

I cannot wait to show Whit around, we're off for a walk in the dewy post-rain African dirt. So SO blessed. 

Climbing

Finally my climbing shoes put to good use! This weekend Jason, Stephen, Andrew, Anna and I headed out of the city for some sweet rock climbing, repelling and giraffe sighting (chasing). Take a look at our photos here.  I am beyond blessed by this adventure, and these friendships!

This. Is. Happening.

From college friends, to post college roomies, to best friends (forever...duh). 

We have traveled the world together. From LA to Big Sur, to Pittsburg, to Dallas, to Nashville, to San Diego...

to Cabo!

to Scotland!!

To London!

Everything is more fun when you're with your best friend. 

And now???

In less than 2 WEEKS. 

Whitney. Lexi. KENYA. 

SO excited. So blessed. So ready. 

Fun Facts

Here are some random fun facts about my life here.

#1 (and the most important)? I found frozen yogurt 10 minutes away. Granted, it's not exactly like American frozen yogurt. But it is YUMMY and because it's called frozen yogurt, it immediately losses half it's calories, right? I enjoyed my first on last Friday with a new friend from my street.

#2 Drinking Coke is more fun here! They don't do recycling, so the responsible way to drink Coke Light is to buy glass bottles and bring them back to the grocery store when you're done! Not only is this eco-chic, it's obviously more fun to drink this way (duh!) and very nostalgic. It's like glass bottles of milk delivered to your door, only better because it's COKE, not milk. :) 

#3 The flowers are BEAUTIFUL and they are CHEAP. Which means fresh blooms in my room all the time with zero guilt. 

#4 No voicemail. Weird, isn't it? If someone doesn't answer their cell, you either keep calling, text, or let it go. At first I was worried, because heaven forbid I miss something important. But you know what, it's kind of nice. 

More revelations to come!

Thoughtful Jumble

I really want to write some profound post about my thoughts and emotions and experiences since coming here, but it feels like too great a task to put into words. Suffice it to say, it is good. The kind of good that only comes from God, the giver of all good things. It's exciting, it's challenging, it joyous, and it's fun. I wake up in the morning, and I feel simultaneously at home, and like I'm in a foreign world where everything is new and saturated with meaning. And that is a fun place to be. I have often wondered at how someone with duel parts adventurous spirit and also a longing to be at home and to be settled could possibly live in a state of satisfaction on both sides. And guess what? For the time being at least, I believe (I) have found it. (I being not me of course, since let's be honest I played a minimal/non-existent role in my own road to Kenya). Not surprisingly, my Lord knows me best, and crafted a role for me that would speak to my various layers of spirit. Don't get me wrong, I don't for a minute think the purpose of life is to feel a certain way, or that there is any real value in self-satisfaction. Life is not about me, nor is my role in God's kingdom about finding my perfect niche. I guess my point is that when we somehow, miraculously find ourselves in the midst of God's plan for our lives, instead of our own plan, we find a new level of satisfaction that has nothing to do with the outside elements. Yes, living a life of adventure and relative ease is enjoyable, and I'm loving every moment of it--but what I'm truly marveling at is the feeling of purpose and joy that I've found in the service of my King. It's the American dream to be your own boss, the king of your castle, the TOP of your self-propelling pyramid of being (what? just run with it). But oh the joy of living for someone greater than yourself, THE someone to be exact. Believe me, there is truly nothing sweeter than giving up all control to the giver of life itself.

That wasn't at all what I set out to write about, but it's what is on my mind, and what I'm thanking God for right this minute.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."