here.

habari za usiku.

hopefully that means good evening.

i’m glad to report that we are in kenya, and i’m writing you from beneath a superfun mosquito net. i am not so glad to report that there is a mosquito under here with me.

thursday and friday’s flights went off without a hitch–thank you for praying! amsterdam’s security asked to inspect our 10 year old’s blunt-edged school scissors, but didn’t even blink at my sewing machine. rock on, i say.

we’ve spent the weekend acclimating and recovering our human-ness at the mayfield inn, which was the best idea in the history of thinking. we had a solid month of high octane emotions and working and moving, and in the week leading up to our arrival i logged a total of 17 hours of sleep (this is compared to the 56 i tend to need to function properly). so the chance to rest before diving into our training has been beautiful.

the kids have spent 85% of the past two days happily kicking around the flattest soccer ball i’ve ever met with their new mk and kenyan friends. the other 15% is chai time.

tomorrow we’ll drive down to machakos to begin three weeks of orientation/training. i’ve heard the learning curve can be staggering–please pray for us to be teachable and patient and encouraging. internet (and while we’re at it, electricity) may be spotty there, so do not be alarmed if you do not hear from us.

my eyeballs are complaining, but here are a few initial impressions before signing off:

-nairobi dirt is a volcanic red like hawaii’s. every white article of clothing is now a lovely shade of rust.

-the lime jam and sweet chili sauce (consumed separately) are sublime.

-neighborhood roosters are like alarm clocks where someone hits the snooze every ten seconds. we are not quite friends.

-the smell of dust and diesel says africa to me.

-we’ve met some mighty fine people here already. they teach me things in swahili and then reteach me the same things three hours later.

-it’s a mixed bag: we’re so glad to be here, but also we miss you. i’m not convinced this will ever change, and come to think of it, i don’t know that i’d want it any different.

goodnight, friends. we love you.