On our way to Kenya, we made a pit stop in London before our evening flight out. It was a great chance to try out my British accent, which varied between British, Irish, Australian, and American all in the same sentence! Needless to say, I’m not very good with accents… Anyway, we toured Windsor Castle which is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and the official residence of the Queen. While the splendor and majesty of the castle was definitely a site to see, I couldn’t help the nagging feeling as I passed from room to room that we were in for a wake-up call when we reached Kenya. And I was right. The stark contrast of a room laden from top to bottom with gold to a shack hand-made with sticks and dung depicted the harsh reality of the extreme wealth and poverty in our world.
Full Group at Windsor Castle
Our leaders in England
Once back to the airport, we all tried various ways to get adjusted to the time change. Some couldn’t wait and had to take a nap while others tried to push through and better align their system with Kenya time. By now, we were no strangers to the cold, concrete airport floor. The stress of security and lack of sleep was definitely wearing on the group at this time. Because of the delays of our flight, we were permitted access to the first class lounge, complete with food, showers, massage chairs, etc. Finally, we boarded the plane to Kenya, saying goodbye to our lives of luxury and hello to the reality of how the majority of our world lives.
Sleeping at the Airport
WE MADE IT (and so did our luggage)! We arrived in Kenya at 6am local time and were greeted by Cheryl who took us to Gracia Gardens where we were staying the first few nights. On the drive, through downtown Nairobi, we saw a vast contrast in the income levels there. We saw tin shacks and gated manors in a matter of minutes on our drive. There were quite a few people walking and we were told that some would walk miles to work each day. In place of our nice paved sidewalks, they walked along dirt paths that had been formed by the thousands of steps taken on them each day.
We were finally here. After a long time of preparation, layovers, and multiple flights, we had finally arrived. Little did I know that God was about to radically change my perspective on the world and its people.
For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. -Ephesians 2:10
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