Going to Kenya

Oh, where to begin! Where to begin! Our trip to Kenya was the most amazing experience! We traveled all day on Monday. We made the 2.5 hour trip in just over 9 hours from start to finish. Rule #1 (Remember nothing is ever easy in the Congo!) Upon our arrival at the airport, we were met by our facilitator and thank goodness! Rule #1. Nothing in the airport is labeled. If you don't know where things are, there is nothing to tell you where to go and it takes at least six steps to get through the process of getting on a plane. Rule #1 Our young helper took our bags, paid a few francs to the inspectors so they didn't search them as we entered the airport, got us checked in, processed our luggage, which requires a hand search and weighing of every bag, and seated us in plastic lawn chairs while he finished the last step, passports and visa. Rule #1 It turned out that we needed an additional visas that made it possible to leave the country and then return again. After much time spent by Brent and the facilitator with the head immigrations person and $200 paid for the infraction, we were able to go. Rule #1 Our flight took off, an hour late, and they announced that we were going to Kenya, by way of Ndola, Zambia, which was a surprise to us. Rule #1 So, after a short diversion and forty-five minutes on the ground in Ndola, we were off to Kenya. We had a very nice flight, with even a pretty good meal and a movie on our way to Nairobi.

The airport in Kenya was completely different than those in the Congo. It looked like an American airport. Things were clean, in good repair, modern and well marked and navigating the airport was simple compared to the 8 previous hours. We bought our Kenyan visas with no problem and as we walked through the security, there were our friends, the Pucketts, waiting for us! They had been waiting for two hours, since there is no checking ahead to see if flights are on time. It was a joy and relief to walk out and see their smiling, welcoming faces. We drove through crazy Nairobi traffic directly to their apartment building, which was fairly ordinary in the "real world" but looked amazing to us.

Except for the barred entrances to their "flat,"you would have thought that you were in the USA. Six missionary couples live in the same stairwell in this complex. All the couples in Nairobi meet on Monday nights for FHE, so we went along. When we entered the room, lined with 10 or 12 chairs full of senior missionaries, it was almost overwhelming to us. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing as I saw all of these good seniors who had left home and family and were together in Kenya serving the Lord. I wasn't sure if the tears were because of the dedication represented in this group, the warmth of their greeting, or just being with others who share so much in common with us, but it was a very emotional experience for us to be with them for the first time. Spending four days with these wonderful people was going to be the highlight of our trip!

Elders and Sisters Bergeren,Blake,Fox,McBride,Flinders,Nevin,Randall and son,

Puckett, Watt, & Udall, and Hunters, Larsens, the Blake's son & daughter