We've been in Kenya for a little over a week now and are pretty much all recovered from jet lag! So far most of our time has been spent getting oriented for going to Sudan, and working on shopping for all the supplies we will need in Sudan. Not too exciting, but all necessary things. This weekend we were anxious to get out of the city, so we went up to Kijabe and visited friends up there. Kijabe is a little north of Nairobi and is the location of Rift Valley Academy (RVA) where Ginny went to highschool, and she still knows some people there. It's in a great location right on the edge of the Great Rift Valley. Here are a few pictures from the weekend:
A chameleon! This one was caught in Kijabe.
The town of Kijabe. We got yummy Kenyan food (stew and chapatis) at one of the little Dukahs (like a mini-restaurant).
Tennis and basketball courts at RVA with Kijabe Hill in the background.
Us in the forest just outside RVA.
A butterfly that we spotted in the forest.
A view out over the Great Rift Valley. The mountain on the right is Mount Longonot, a dormant volcano.
Tumefika Kenya! (We have arrived)
We got to Nairobi last night (Friday) after a night flight from Newark to London, just enough time in London to get to our next plane, and a day flight from London to Nairobi. We're a little sleep deprived, but glad to be here. We're staying in a self-catering guest house while we're here, and have the weekend to just rest. Orientation starts Monday, and we may be heading to Sudan as early as Friday, but that is subject to change of course!
So far today, we woke up at 5, fought being awake for an hour, and finally gave in and got up at 6. After a couple hours enjoying a leisurely breakfast and a little reading, we went to Yaya Centre (mall-type place) for some groceries and a cup of coffee. In the kitchen are fresh avocados, mangos, and okra, among other produce, as well as some delicious fruit juice.
The question now is this: nap, or no nap? We're a little sleep deprived from the traveling, but trying to fight jet lag... If we're sleep deprived when we go to bed tonight, that will mean we'll be more likely to sleep a full night and get over jet lag faster, right? But, OH I'm so sleepy right now.....
School is finished for the summer, and coursework forever (at least for this degree). As promised, we took off from Indiana the day after I (Ginny) turned in my last assignment. Our friend Corrie drove up from New Mexico to help us move. We managed to fit most of our stuff into the two cars, and took off across the country.
We arrived in New Mexico May 22nd, and have been enjoying ourselves visiting friends & family and being back in the Southwest!! No more of this Midwestern business, at least for the foreseeable future.
Highlights of our past couple weeks include: Stephen's sister's (Laura's) wedding, catching up with friends, meeting some new folks, and hiking/camping around Mesa Verde.
As for our travels to Sudan go, we have our full support pledged! Most of that is in-hand, but some is still coming in through monthly gifts. This is a huge blessing in the very short time we've been raising money. We know some generous people! ALL the support we've gotten has been great - a number of people have not been able to give financially, but are faithfully praying for us. We're still looking to leave the US June 17th from Newark, but still waiting for our tickets to be issued... The British Airways strike has delayed that, but we've been told they should be issued by Monday, so we'll see. We are looking forward to greeting you all from Kenya in just two weeks!
And now to leave you with some pictures...
Laura and James Holland, with attendants
Camping in the San Juan National Forest, near Mesa Verde
Geology of Mesa Verde! Yes, reading it while I walked - I had to know what was going on around me!
We share a desire to see God's name known across the globe, as well as a love of science and the outdoors. Our goal is to bring these elements together to find our place to serve. From June until December 2010, this means going to southern Sudan and working on a water project with SIM (Serving in Mission). We don't know what it means next, but we'll keep you updated here on the adventures life takes us on!
