I’m sitting at the internet cafe in the Amsterdam airport. Though it’s past 7:35 am, it’s as dark as when I landed an hour and a half ago and the snow is still falling. Back in Kisumu, the sun will have already been up for three hours. Having never been before to the south hemisphere, I never realized quite so much how placement on the earth effects how you see the sky and when the sun arrives. This was the part of the trip I wasn’t particularly looking forward to, a five hour layover but considering what else could happen with the snow storms of late, five hours suits me just fine. My plane, last I checked, is still on time so things are looking good.
Eden, I would also suggest the meditation center here if you haven’t tried it already. It’s very nice and very quiet, a different space which I enjoyed this morning. Making this trip a hundred or two hundred years ago might have taken months and for me it just takes 33 hours. I am grateful. I am grateful to have had the time in Kenya, I am grateful to have spent time with the people I was with there and for the friendships we developed, and I’m grateful to God for guiding it all.
Now that I’m in a place where it’s snowing outside, it feels a bit more like Christmas. Yesterday we decorated Eden’s Christmas tree in what was probably upper 80’s or 90 degree weather. I didn’t think I would have the opportunity to decorate one this year as I decided before I left not to put up a tree at home for the little time I would be there. It was fun and like holding Abigail on the train, I learned something about Christmas in the process. The materialism of Christmas was just not there, we worked with what we had and made something beautiful with our creativity and ingenuity. God likes to do that as well. He makes us beautiful.
I hope you all have a holy Christmas.
Sarah
365-09 #357
Have a good trip back, girlfriend. Favorite lessons for me: "You can unknow what you've learned, you just move on and let it sink deeper" and "God likes to make beautiful things of what He has available to Him with His ingenuity and creativity." Much love, sister. Welcome back to the States!
Ha! Emily and I got kicked out of the meditation center. I was worshipping on my back (eyes open, for the record). Apparently their welcome has some parameters on it. I questioned why/whether they tell people how to pray at the interfaith meditation center, got no answer and left flabbergasted; Emily tried harder, with no sufficient answer and left a comment in the guestbook.
Holly