transitioning in Kenya

Right now Crystal & i are riding in the back from Nakuru to Nairobi. just loving every second of the beautiful Kenyan countryside. Crystal and i are riding with the other 3 from the Ridge team - Amy, Tiffany, and Keith. we've become tight with them. it's been an awesome 9 or 10 days together. We're dropping them at the Nairobi airport for them to start the long journey back to Charlotte.

but it feels like we've been here in Kenya for a month, not just a week! it's crazy. i honestly feel like i can't even remember much about America. it feels very distant and far off. i feel like i'm slowly forgetting customs and conveniences that we had there. i know that sounds crazy after only a week, but i'm just being honest.
i'm speaking less and less English and more and more Swahili. Kenyans are starting to ask "How long has this Mzungu lived here in Kenya?" haha... a week. i wonder how long it would take me to blend in?

so, the Ridge team is headed home and Crystal and i will be "on our own" for a while. i'm really excited about it. i remember talking to her before we left about the kind of life we want to live. even though it may be slightly more scary, risky, and unsure - i think when we're 100 we'll want to look back and have chosen the more ADVENTUROUS life. the life that was LESS SAFE. the life that was a little more EDGY and worth telling stories about.
i hope we're heading in that direction.

i don't know what to expect of staying in Nairobi the next few days. crazy city of about 3 million.
i can't even imagine the experience of meeting and spending the day with Peter, the child we sponsor through Compassion. and then meeting Erick, the boy that Upstreet at Ridge sponsors through the same org.
living and working in the orphanage in Havilla i am sure will be mind blowing. but i know that i cannot imagine leaving those orphans that Crystal and i will pour our whole hearts into.

it was so hard to leave Karima. i connected with so many kids and adults. they definitely didn't want us to leave and i didn't want to leave either. definitely hard.

the beauty here in Kenya absolutelyshouts God's glory! it's awe-inspiring. it just enthralls me with God's glory all day long.
not to mention we saw some pretty freaking awesome animals these past 2 days. i know you probably care about that more than my random thoughts, so i'm sure we'll post some pics soon.

i'll still be trying to post every day. looking forward to actually "sleeping in" for the 1st time tomorrow morning though (like past 6am).
peace out for now