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Nairobi, Kenya
In the early morning hours of Thursday, February 6, when the sky was still dark and most of this side of the world was fast asleep, we landed in Nairobi, Kenya. Bleary-eyed, I strained to catch my first glimpses through the airport window. Tiny golden lights glowed below on a dark earth. Yes, we were coming closer. It wouldn’t be long now before my feet would take their first ever steps on African soil.
Although tired from the long journey and achy from the cramped seat, a thrill of excitement hummed through me. Africa, what a dream. Very soon the wheels of Turkish Air made their customary thump, thump as they hit the pavement. For a moment the speed of the aircraft felt so fast it almost seemed like we would careen off the side of the runway. I let out a sigh of relief when the aircraft finally came to a standstill.
Looking through the window, I could see a giant airport. However, we deplaned directly onto the runway using simple portable stairs. The air felt balmy with a slight breeze, which was a welcome relief from the stuffy interior of the aircraft.
Jason quickly directed us to the fastest route through passport control and customs, and soon we were standing in the open air outside. A driver was waiting to take us to our hotel. Since our flight had been delayed, it was already after 4:00 a.m., but it felt wonderful to shower and then crawl into an actual bed, where we quickly fell asleep.
Five hours later it was time to get up and start our day. After a quick breakfast, we gathered as a very multicultural team in the hotel lobby. Jason gave directions, and then it was time to take the bus to a shopping centre. There we purchased food for the Shiphrah Centre, which was next on our agenda.
Since I had been putting together the newsletters for Shiphrah Centre for the past five years, I was excited to finally see the place in person. Martha, who had suffered greatly in her life through poverty and abandonment, had over the years taken in 88 children, all of whom were cared for there. When we arrived, only about a dozen children were at the home, as the rest were attending nearby schools.
It was a special time touring the facilities and listening to Martha’s testimony of God’s love and grace, as well as hearing the stories of adult children who had graduated from school and now had opportunities to attend university. They spoke fondly of Martha, referring to her as Mom or Grandma. They also sang a blessing song for us, which was very special.
After milk coffee, a snack, and leaving buckets of fried chicken behind for the children’s dinner, we made our way back to the hotel. After a short time to freshen up, we met as a team to hear more about Westbow Foundation and Hungry For Life’s partnership over the years. Still tired from the short night, it was an early bedtime for all of us.
What a great first day in Africa.
