Arrived in Kenya

Sorry it has taken a few days to blog. This was my first opportunity to get online. My flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi was very smooth. I arrived at 6:30am and waited for an hour to get through immigration to get my visa. Praise the Lord, I didn’t have any problems there. Then I headed downstairs to collect my luggage. After I got my bags, I walked through the doors and spotted George’s mom waving at me. Then I saw George. It was so great, but weird to see him again. I kept thinking, wow…. I am really here. The last time I saw George was six and a half months ago. We have been through a lot since I left Sudan so it was surreal to be here again with him.

After our reunion, George’s uncle drove us to the bus station. I forgot how bad Nairobi traffic is. We were stuck in traffic for over two hours. Normally the drive from the airport to the bus station would take 15 minutes. Finally we arrived at the bus station and embarked on the seven hour drive to Kisumu.

We arrived in Kisumu around 6:00 pm and took a tuk tuk to George’s parent’s house. After we had dinner and prayers, I headed to bed around 10:00pm. After all that traveling, I was exhausted. I slept until 11:00am!

Tuesday morning, George’s sisters and sister in law came to greet me. It was really nice to see his sisters again. We ate lunch, but I could barely keep my eyes open so I went back to sleep at 1:30. George had to wake me up again at 5:30. I could have slept until the next day. I went to bed kind of late Tuesday night and woke up fairly early today.

Today was a much more active one. In an attempt to shed the weight I gained in the US, I started an exercise routine this morning. I jogged (VERY slowly) and walked up and down a small hill. Then George and I began the trek to town. Normally we would ride matatus (vans used for mass transport) to town from Kibos (where I am staying with his parents), but for a little more exercise, we decided to walk. It took us two hours and I was spent. Too bad we had more walking to do to complete our errands. We had to go to the bank, buy a modem for my computer, get credit for my phone and go to the grocery store.



(Here is us taking a break eating oranges.)

After 4 hours of walking, we were exhausted so George hired a motorbike to take us back to Kibos. It’s how Kenyans get around, so I am trying to get used to it. When in Rome…. Well, it will take me time to be able to relax on one of those.



Being here has been great. George and I have enjoyed reconnecting and are in prayer about our future, as a couple and in ministry. We are feeling God pulling us to Tanzania and hope to visit there next month. In the meantime, I am taking time to adjust to the culture. I am determined to learn how to cook Kenyan style and do things the way they do. Tomorrow, I will be washing clothes by hand. In Sudan we were blessed to have a washing machine. Here, the only washing machine I have is myself. I tried it last time I was in Kenya and was not very good at it. With practice, I will get better.

Thank you for your continued prayers. I will keep posting blogs as I am able. The internet connection is off and on, so if you don’t hear from me for a few days, don’t panic. I would appreciate your prayers for good health. My digestive track is getting used to new foods which will take time. Also, malaria is a concern. I am spraying myself and sleeping under a net so hopefully I won’t get it.

If you have any questions, please feel free to post them as a comment and I will respond in a future blog.