Back to Blogging!

Hello friends! I am so sorry it has been so long since I have blogged and updated you on life here in Kenya.

Believe it or not, I have actually been blogging every day for Tatua Kenya, so I will give a quick plug for you to go and read our blog. Exciting things have been happening since Be The Change has become a part of Tatua Kenya. I know it has been confusing for some of you so please read the blog. I hope it will explain more, but if you have any questions please do not hesitate to email me.

Now on to other exciting news from Kenya. I had a visitor here a couple of weeks ago. My fellow YASCer, Jared Grant, came to visit.  We had a wonderful adventure. God has given me so much love for this country and I love when I get to share it with other people in my life. I would encourage you all to read his blog as well about all of the things we got to do together and get another perspective on life here.

Jared and me on top of Kenya International Conference Center.

Really, though, Jared had 3 requests- Lions, monkeys and pizza! I may have failed him on pizza, but surely not on lions and monkeys.

Lions!

Monkeys!

My next piece of news is that I just found out David Copley, mission personnel officer from the church office in New York, is coming to visit in May! He will be here for just a couple of days so Natalie, Zach (Episcopal missionary in Western Kenya) and I will do our best to show him a good time. I am thankful he gets to come because I know he is busy traveling all over the world. In fact, he is currently in Japan visiting some other YASCers working there.

My last big piece of news is that I know my departure AND return date. Yes, that's right, departure AND return. I will be coming home for about a month and then returning to Kenya for about another month of work. My visa expires in July so I have to leave the country, but there is a group from Boston coming to Kenya in August and I am leading their trip. In order to make this all work the church has agreed that I can come home on June 27th and then with the generous contribution from my home parish, St. Catherine's and Tatua I will be able to return to Kenya July 29th through August 20th to finish my work. I cannot believe how soon June 27th is. There is no way to know how I will feel returning to the US, but I am trusting God is sovereign and He will prepare me for each next step in life, just as He prepared me for my time here.

I know so much has happened in the world in the past couple of weeks and I want to leave you with the prayer for Boston, my future home, provided by our Presiding Bishop.

Gracious God, you walk with us through the valley of the shadow of death. We pray that the suffering and terrorized be surrounded by the incarnate presence of the crucified and risen one. May every human being be reminded of the precious gift of life you entered to share with us. May our hearts be pierced with compassion for those who suffer, and for those who have inflicted this violence, for your love is the only healing balm we know. May the dead be received into your enfolding arms, and may your friends show the grieving they are not alone as they walk this vale of tears. All this we pray in the name of the one who walked the road to Calvary.

Amen. I will do my best to not let so long pass before my next post. I am thankful for you all!