December it still felt like i had a while to go. After New Years
however, I started thinking about how much time i have left and how I
was going to spend it. Suddenly I realized there wasn't much time
left! And now 2 weeks have already flown by into this new year. I
have a little more than a week left and I still have much packing to
do and I have a list of people I need to see and say goodbye to before
I go.
It's not just that I have to say goodbye to people either, but places,
foods, random facts of life, and just Africa in general. Not since I
graduated from high school in 2001 have I spent such a long time in
Africa and so I find I'm feeling the need for closure much stronger
than in the past when I've been able to slip in for a few weeks and
then slip out.
The goodbye's have not necessarily been sad yet. I have a very strong
feeling that i will return to my beloved Kenya some day and I am sure
that I will stay in contact with many of my friends here and see them
again. However, I also feel like I'm closing a chapter in my life,
one which I've been building toward and experiencing for several years
now. It was the summer of 2007 when I first talked to John Muehleisen
about coming for this trip. Now as I enter 2010 and I'm finishing my
time here I really feel that I've come a long way.
It is amazing to look at how God has worked since that first talk in
2007 and carried me to Kenya, and all over East Africa. He has been
intricately involved in providing for my financial needs, through
supporters in the US, and He has travelled with me everywhere granting
safety and guidance, He has been a comfort and companion in the trying
and lonely times. I feel truly blessed to have been on this journey
and I am also very thankful for the support of friends and family back
in the US and around the world who have stood by me on this journey.
As the VIA chapter of my life closes I am looking forward to seeing
what the next chapter holds. My immediate plan is to set myself up
for freelance video production and start saving and planning for the
short film I want to produce. I'll also be using my tie to reflect on
this year and try to detterming if this kind of work is where God
wants me. I appreciate your continued prayers and thoughts as I close
one chapter in my life and open the next.
