Into the Unkown

Well, it's finally happening. I've met the team, and we're just about to head out to the airport to catch our plane to Kenya, a wonderful 21-hour trip (including a 3 hour layover in Brussels). It's been really cool to meet everyone--to finally put faces to all of the names that I've heard as we've prepared throughout the semester. I've also been so blessed to see who God has placed on the team and begin to see what kind of a journey He has planned for us all!

I will say, though, that it's very different being one of the only guys around; there are only 3 male American students including myself, though we're meeting 3 more male and 1 female Kenyan students once we get to Nairobi. Yes, it's been a totally new experience for me, especially coming from NMT with essentially the reverse situation. The guys have been sticking pretty close to one another for support and trying to maintain the testosterone for the group, making sure to eat meat at any opportunity and carry large heavy things even when it's probably not helpful. Yeah, we could probably use some prayer for this summer...

As a bit of a side effect, having 3 American guys + 3 Kenyan guys means that each of us will probably get paired with a Kenyan student for whatever assignment we have, mostly because the leaders want to be sure that the Kenyans are all exposed to Americans to get the most out of their experience as well, but also as a way for us to experience a more complete immersion into the culture. I'm honestly not entirely sure how that makes me feel; it will definitely be a growing experience for me to be almost completely disassoiciated from any cultural normalcy that I have. Pray for that as well!

That's it for now. Hopefully I'll be able to send out a few more messages as the week progresses and we undergo our training in Nairobi. Please pray for:

• The continued unity of the team throughout the summer.
• That we would have safe travels to Kenya today/tomorrow.
• That we would be open to what God has in store for us, even if it's not what we expect.

And praise:

• That all of the bags are currently in our possession, though my bag and another member's (Lindsey's) were lost for a short time.
• That the team is so ready and willing to see what God has in store.
• That we were blessed with a great meal from two former project members and able to pick their brains a little about what their experiences were like. :-)