day eleven: grace and longing

im already wrapping up my time in kenya, at least for now. i will have been here for two weeks exactly, and then, off to uganda. that means, come wednessday, tyler and i are embarking on the long, arduous journey to uganda.

i have really enjoyed my time here. hopefully you can tell that by the stories ive told, but maybe not. this place has quickly become comfortable here, i feel that i have begun to sink into my skin. im using that expression as a good thing, again, maybe you couldnt tell : ). the people here have been great, especially tyler and irene. i have spent just about every day with them, and although we are leaving irene for a while, i feel like we have made a lasting connection. i look forward to the time when i come back here and meet with her again.

this was a great place for me to start my journey. and although it really started weeks ago with prayer and planning, physically, my short time here has been invaluable. most of our time in kenya has centered around construction, whether buying materials, balancing accounts, or running around looking for rules and regulations to abide by, and the occasional manual labor to boot. things are slowing down now, soon the building will be complete, at least as far as our funds will take us. the whole time here has felt slow, but it has been good for me. maybe i expected a wave of opportunity the moment i stepped off the plane, but the time ive had here to settle in to everything has left me a lot more prepared than i would have been.

i am learning more and more to listen- to people, to God, to myself. i am learning to take the time and be still, to wait for direction and not proceed head first into uncertainty. i am learning, slowly by slowly, but learning.

yesterday, tyler and i rented two bodas (motorcycles) for the day. we took our friends irene and damareise to mount Ngong, about two and a half hours away. it was a great day of resting, reflection, and just spending time as friends, all work aside. God really protected us, as neither tyler or i are very experienced at driving, but we made it there and back unharmed, through some pretty rough climbs. friday, we bought the timber for the roof, that will start on monday. all that is left now is the tin slabs that will go over the wooden frame. we are hoping that construction will be finished in less that two weeks- perfect timing as the rains are about to come.

unfortunately, tyler is going to leave before he can see the finished building, or, as i specified before, finished to this point. ill be in uganda when it is finished, but ill be able to come back, and i plan to, some time in november. if you want to read about the childrens home we are building, and its construction, from start to finish, check out tyler's blog and the childrens home website at kjcm.org. ill leave you with that. thank you for your thoughts and/or prayers. you are a blessing to me. also, let me apologize to those who comment on these, i dont have the time to respond, as i am kept pretty busy with writing and updating, but know that i read them all, and they encourage me and warm my heart. my thoughts and prayers are with you as well

grace and longing
jon