Welcome to my exasperatingly long Kenya missions journal. It's been a few months since I finished writing this and my spiritual life has grown. I hope that you enjoy reading this; I intentionally did my best to keep this as conversational as possible.
Feel free to write back to me or write a comment on any of these posts.
-Jennifer Silvey
It has taken me almost the entire summer to write about Kenya. I decided to write this journal so that my supporters could have an idea of what happened on this trip and how their money was provided so we could touch countless lives. Also, I felt that if anyone was curious about a missions trip they could have a first account experience of one that went smoothly in Kenya. We were only there for a little more than two weeks but we reached out to thousands of lives in this time. Also, I would love to go on a trip like this again, but it is not easy to get away from the hustle and bustle of life and nor is it easy to find those that will support you. If you want to read through my journal I suggest going back to the first post. Please keep in mind this is only one person's experience of this trip. I have also included several pictures-- some of which are mine and some our from other team members. All of the pictures, except for the ones in the politics and AIDS post, were taken on this trip.
It was our last day in Africa. It was wonderful to be back in the hustle and bustle of Nairobi. We went to the Masai Market one last time. I planned to use all my shillings since each time currency was exchanged the money would lose its value. As soon as we got there I had someone who was working on commission follow me. I had to stay with him; I don't really like being pushed into shopping. Yet, it was better than every seller chasing after me. I did end up having to pay a higher price for things but it was still cheaper than what I would have paid at an actual store.
He would get mad every time I shot down his prices. He would make them nine times higher than what I knew was even close to being right. I bought a lot of jewelry and a limestone elephant-- also some shoes that broke after a few days of wearing them. I'm not a big shopper myself but as for this experience I hate haggling prices and being yelled at by the seller and that no is not an answer. I was still firm but that didn't matter because anything that I considered had to be bought. I had accidentally put my euros with my shillings and ended up having to give those away-- then I gave up the five dollars of American money that I had.
We went to a pizza place that was nearby and we looked through everyone's random purchases. Eric and I passed April's plates around the table. We were hoping that they would be passed all the way back to her, but I suppose people were getting tired of her complaining. We then headed back to Ufungamano and the YMCA to get our bags ready for the airport. Most of my belongings were in one suitcase now while I had a few emergency type items in my carry-on. I had an extra suitcase that had been used for resources.
We said our last goodbye to the Journey and then headed for the airport. It was going to be a long flight home plus I would be going to a wedding once I got back to America. First we would fly from Nairobi to France. We were looking forward to Paris but unfortunately it was more like a three hour security hoopla and so we had no extra time to explore the city. We played mafia for a short while, and I hadn't slept in hours because I didn't sleep on the Kenya plane. We then headed to Chicago where we had a slight lay-over and delay. Then we headed for Springfield, Missouri on a short flight. Our team went their separate ways to various homes and friends. I went with Jenny to her house to stay until my parents could pick me up from Arkansas. I then headed to Oklahoma City the next day for a wedding. For seven days I had been sleeping in a different city and bed.
Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
We were in the vans for our safari before sunrise. It was a long adventure trekking through the safari. It was incredible to see animals completely free. The place was huge and exquisitely beautiful. Earlier we had said we weren't really in Africa unless we saw a lion. But first we saw monkeys, baboons, and the sort.
Near the end of our first tour we saw the lions. One of them walked past our vans to the other side. I've never been so close to such a fierce animal, and it was impressive to be by it when it was so calm. I still can't get over how the lions roam free along with the other animals.
We saw even more spectacular sights and even walked on the beach outside our van. We were close to zebras, hippos, pelicans, and all kinds of wonders. It was an unbelievable experience. I kept thinking that the Lion King did an amazing job depicting everything I was seeing, and there's no doubt that this is completely different than going to a zoo. The animals were by far much more healthy than I had ever seen in a zoo; it's always sad to go by the lion cage and to see it restlessly pacing back and forth.
We had to clean our shoes then we traveled up a cliff to see the most spectacular view I think I will ever experience. Being surrounded by all this beauty gave me this unreal feeling that we have a great and beautiful creator. Seeing this oasis God had created and how everything could coexist just sounded so impossible; there's no way that life could begin from nothing.
We went to the Java House-- are you surprised? Andrew came with us and told us that while we were gone he had gotten a job. Isn't it crazy how many changes can happen in a week?
