Ever wanted to yell “Stop the World I want to get off?” For those who can’t keep track of me, I’m now in Chicago. I had a wierd situation the other day where I was walking through walmart and I suddenly realized I had actually no idea what state I was in. I was in Kansas at the time but let’s just say it was a disconcerting feeling. Since returning from Kenya I’ve been in NE, KS, CO, NE, IL, GA, AL, GA, FL, IL, NE, KS, NE, KS, NE, IA, and now IL. Hence the Walmart moment. In the next month I’ll be finishing up with IA, NE, KS, NE, and IL before Kenya.
I spent Thanksgiving in Nebraska with my parents and my grandma. Which was low key but good. The week before I’d traveled down to Sterling College (my alma mater) to make some contacts with their missions team’s leaders who are coming to Kenya in June. This will be Sterling’s 3rd year coming to Kenya and they have graciously brought supplies for the orphanage both times and are planning to again which is a great help to us as transportation of supplies is always an issue. We also went down to see family friends that we hadn’t seend in several years which was great and I spoke, briefly, at their church. It’s nice to be with people who knew me when I was just a farm kid from Kansas.
My friend Less and her daughter flew out to NE on Friday after Thanksgiving and got to experience the wierdness that is my family in it’s element. We decorated for Christmas on Saturday and then drove through the night back to Chicago in my parents car which I’m stealing for the next few weeks. While in Chicago, I’m making contact with friends, new aquaintances, have spoken to a small group from a new church, finishing 31 weeks of a devotional that I’m putting together for next year, working on the websites some, writting a newsletter and other needed last minute things before I return to Kenya in January.
Living the transient life is challenging. As someone who has moved a lot in my life ever since I was 8 I long to put down roots and be somewhere longer than a few months but I also know that this is where God has me right now. I just pray that there is a time when I’ll be more stable but am also working to enjoy this time and it’s benefits as well.
I’ll be returning to Kenya just after the first of the year. Pray for the kids as they celebrate Christmas as a family.
Praying for you…as you live the transient life… making pit stops at Walmarts. I too can’t wait till you put down some roots – hopefully in GA! 🙂 I get tired just reading your schedule. Merry Christmas to you, your family and a Happy New Year to all your kids in Kenya! They are going to be thrilled to have you back…to throw water and flour on…