Travels / Update

The past couple of days have been full of travel, meetings, and conversations with wonderful people over good food! We left yesterday morning for Kijabe, which is about a 1-2 hr drive from Nairobi (depending on traffic). Kijabe is a beautiful mission compound, with a hospital and multiple schools, that overlooks the Great Rift Valley. We enjoyed our time there as we visited with multiple people – some that we met last time we were here, and others that we actually saw last in Nashville! It’s amazing how many connections there are here between Nashville and Kenya… We had many thought-provoking conversations and I feel like my mind has been almost constantly swirling with various thoughts about culture, people, careers, God, and the world since I’ve been here. I know this doesn’t surprise those of you that know me, but it’s meant some late night talks for Jason. :)

Our evening plans fell through today so we decided to take the opportunity to hike Mt. Longonot. This mountain is a dormant volcano that is not far from Kijabe. The hike was very steep in places and only took about 2 hrs to complete (the short version) but the view was absolutely worth it! We saw two wild giraffes grazing along the side of the mountain and you could also see a couple of hot springs coming up from inside the crater. Definitely a new and fun experience for both of us!

We have now returned to Nairobi and the day is winding down. Our plans for tomorrow are to attend a church here in Nairobi, grab brunch with our friend, and then fly out to Eldoret. This will be our first time to Eldoret – another African city several hours drive from Nairobi. We decided to fly because it is actually much cheaper than driving for this trip, and so much faster. We will have a few meetings on Monday with people from the University and hospital in Eldoret that are going to be a part of the research project. On Tuesday we will then head to Kapsowar (about a two hour drive from Eldoret). Kapsowar is a small village where we will settle in stay for about 6 weeks or so. Jason will be working with a plastic surgeon there to gain some hands on experience. We are looking forward to becoming settled in one place for a little while, learning how to cook and live here, and getting to know the people. We’re excited about all we will learn from them, and are hoping to learn how to serve and love them well while we’re here.

Thank you all again for all of your thoughts and prayers! We are adjusting to the time change and new place remarkably well. We are excited to see glimpses of the work God is doing here. Continuing to pray for His work to be accomplished both in and through us.

Agape,

     Meridith