Busia, Kenya has officially been my “home away from home” for 3 weeks now. My team and I are finally getting into the swing of things and becoming well-adjusted to the culture shock that initially caught us off guard. We’ve settled into a rhythm of activities and relationships that gives us confidence in the ministry we’re doing. Even though that may sound corn-y, I can ensure you that my experiences in Busia are truly a-maize-ing (see picture below).
But it’s more than that, too.
I love it here. From the moment I wake up with my bed-mate Kim under our princess canopy (aka mosquito net) to the moment that I hit the hay (aka my sleeping bag and neck pillow) at the end of the day, I am enraptured by this town. Theoretically, this shouldn’t be the case. I am living in a place where toilets are glorified holes in the ground, crossing the street is like playing a real-life game of Frogger, feeling clean is an unknown concept, electricity is on-again-off-again (pun intended), and the world is your trash can (my team is still struggling to accept the fact that “Thou shalt not litter,” isn’t, in fact, the 11th commandment).
I think that’s why it makes it so difficult to justify why God has given me such a heart for this place. The difficulties here are more real than any I have ever experienced. Conflicts within churches are present, exemplified when a man I so admire was “dismissed” from the church due to seemingly unjustifiable reasons. Financial struggles are real, as a beautiful woman and mother I know is incapable of coming up with the necessary 450 shillings (about $6) to send her 2 kids to school. Violence is evident, manifested in the stoning of 2 “thugs” that my team glimpsed as we drove down a rural road. Governmental problems are apparent, such as in the strike of all the nation’s teachers that is currently going on. Kenya knows brokenness.
Life in Kenya isn’t easy, but it is beautiful. If you struggle with evangelism, then walk up to anyone on the street who will be eager to hear about your personal relationship with this incomparable God. If you ever want to know what a celebrity feels like, then walk into a crowd of African children who wrestle to simply touch your hand. Or if you ever thought Southern hospitality is impressive, wait until you see Kenyan hospitality. If you like animals, then you’ll be happy to know that this country is probably the world’s largest petting zoo because of the cows, chickens, goats, pigs, and other animals that walk down the street alongside you. And if you have a thirst for adventure, then hop on the back of a stranger’s pikipiki (aka motorcycle) to go for a little joyride. This is seriously my life right now.
God has called me to Kenya so intentionally. I have felt like God wants me to come here for a few years now, and I’ve been looking forward to my trip here for months. I was afraid that I’d built it up in my head so much that it could only disappoint me. But that fear is completely gone, as Kenya has blown my expectations out of the water in every way imaginable.
Yes, right now, Kenya is my “home away from home.” I don’t call it that though – I call it “home.” I have come here and encountered God in ways that I couldn’t have imagined. I would be content to live here forever, if here is where I should be. Even though my fluorescent-white skin tone may betray me, I’m pretty positive that I am a Kenyan girl at heart.
