second heartbeat.

May 12, 2010
13:29
Nairobi, Kenya

Jambo, friends!
I am thankful to say that I made it to Kenya without any glitches…not one!! It was a smooth 22 hours of traveling, and although I was by myself, I never once felt alone. Jesus is an amazing travel buddy.

During the flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi, I experienced something that I hope to never forget. It was while we were flying over Sudan, perhaps, and it was the most spectacular sky I have ever seen in my 20 years and 6 months of living. The clouds were majestic, resembling an overflowing bubble-bath. And each cloud, great and small reflected the blazing sunlight which then bounced off of other clouds creating the most marvelous sight. And below them, the vibrant green land was full of tree covered hills and valleys. It only lasted about 10 minutes, but those 10 minutes will forever be engrained in my memory. It fascinates me how we can fly over sheets of pure white, broken glass floating in ice cold water, and then across a vast desert followed by a thick jungle all within about 20 hours of each other. I love the diversity of this planet. It’s all so beautiful in such drastically unique ways.

It was about 8pm when we finally arrived in Kenya, (smoothest landing ever, by the way! Way to go, KLM.). I felt like my heart was racing with excitement, but I also felt at complete peace. I was ecstatic to finally be back in Africa, and I truly realized that I had indeed left my heart here three years ago…I was glad to have found it.  I felt so silly grinning from ear to ear as I looked out the little window…nothing “special” about the Nairobi airport, really, just that the utter JOY that my heart was pumping into my body affected my face uncontrollably! Mmmm…one step closer to my long lost friend, Congo.

Shortly after arriving at the BTL (Bible Translation and Literacy) guesthouse, where I was warmly welcomed, I fell asleep to the sound of the sky soothingly drumming the earth with its water, and awoke 8 hours later to hear the birds singing praises to Jesus for giving them another beautiful day. Nairobi is lovely. Although, one thing that was lost in translation at some point is that Nairobi is 10 hours ahead of Seattle time, not 8 as I had thought. And because there were no other clocks in my guest house I set my clock ahead 8 hours. My alarm sounded at “8:00am”, but as I opened my eyes and looked out the window, I found that sheesh, Kenya’s dark at 8 in the morning…yes, Jodi. 6am it is still quite nighttime here in the middle of May…I finally figured out the actual time by 720; just in time for 730 breakfast :) Thank you, kind sir, for making a bit of noise outside my door so that I could kindly ask for the time.

The people here are just as I expected them to be; fully of warm smiles, welcoming eyes and honest words. Being at BTL has been wonderful, and it’s only day 2! Everyone who works here has such a passion about them that comes out in their words and actions. They love their Lord and they love Eastern Africa. They are so dedicated to His calling on their lives; it’s inspiring to see their diligent work and humble attitudes.

When I met Karen, the woman that I have been corresponding with for the past 6 months, I felt like I was meeting up with an old friend. It amazes me that I didn’t know anyone prior to coming here; I definitely don’t feel that way. And now that I have come face to face with some of the people I’ve been emailing with for the past 6 months, it’s unreal that I have only just met them!

Karen and I have gotten most of the details taken care of that need to be dealt with before Monday, the day I fly to Congo. I got my visa application sent in today and I went through a bit of an “orientation” this morning with Karen.

It’s been a day full of getting to know people, driving around town to run some errands, and taking a 2.5 hour nap, and just relaxing as I try my best to catch up with myself and internalize that, Jo, you’re really here.
You’re on your way to Congo.

Please Pray!
-That my visa for Congo to get processed quickly and easily
-That I will be a sponge and just soak all this in!!
-That I will continue to find strength to be here, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.
-That I will have the eyes to see the needs of the people I’m here serving and so that I can do it without even being asked. I want to be a blessing, not a hindrance.

Word(s) learned:
-Jambo welcome, hello
-Asante (sana) thank you (a lot) “Asante sana squash banana…” :)


“Come rest your head upon His breast, listen to the rhythm of His unfailing heart of love, beating for His little ones, calling each of us to come. Be still.” –Steven Curtis Chapman.