Heading
Through snow and slush, everyone safely arrived at the airport, and after dropping off our checked bags, the adventure truly began. Almost all of us were told that our carry-on and personal item had to be weighed together and come in under 11 kg. What followed was a scene many travelers would recognize: people pulling on extra layers of clothing, stuffing pockets full, and redistributing items however possible—anything to make the scale happy. Once approved, we quietly put everything back where it belonged and moved on, relieved and a little flabbergasted.
We departed Toronto a little late and landed in Frankfurt, Germany just after 8:00 am, where we met up with our final teammate, Carla, who had traveled from British Columbia. It was a joy to be all together at last.
At 12:05 pm, we boarded our last long flight, bound for Nairobi. After hours in the air, we touched down at 10:00 pm, only to find ourselves waiting nearly two hours to get through passport control.
Finally through, we retrieved our suitcases, only
for seven of us to be pulled aside and told we needed to pay customs. We paused to pray—thanking God for safe travel and asking for wisdom and favor as Carla went to negotiate with the customs officials. While we waited, a conversation with a customs officer brought us back to what is truly important: God and His goodness. It was a meaningful and timely divine appointment in the middle of a long night.
When we finally exited the airport, we were warmly greeted by Nelson, our driver, and Everlyne, our field partner. At 1:15 am, a shuttle brought us to the hotel. After nearly four hours of sleep, we were back up again, enjoying a delicious breakfast before heading out at 7:00 am for the next leg of our journey.
We boarded our flight, waited on the tarmac, and took off, touching down at 10:13 am. Cyrus, another driver, met us at the airport, loaded our bags into the van, and by 10:45 am we were on the road.
Not long after, we were stopped by spike belts for a registration check. As we pulled away, the lock on the back of our van broke, causing the door to swing open and several pieces of luggage to spill onto the road. Thankfully, nothing was lost, and after securing everything again, we continued on.
At 12:15 pm, after roughly 40 hours of travel, we arrived at Alex’s house. Mary and Aggrey greeted us as we climbed out of the van—tired, grateful, and ready to begin our work in Kakamega.
We unpacked the team suitcases and prepared gifts for the women we would be visiting. Each woman will receive a useful gift bundle: flour, a jug of oil, green grams, tea, sugar, and cookies, all wrapped neatly in a tea towel.
We headed out and were able to visit with four of our widows, each of the ladies had one common prayer request — for good health for themselves and their families.
After returning from the visits, we enjoyed the simple joy of fresh popcorn—one of the best snacks imaginable after such a full day. We debriefed, sharing our highs, lows, and first impressions.
Following a lovingly prepared supper, we worked together to prepare for the next day, including assembling a wheelchair—without instructions.
We are tired… so very tired. And deeply thankful. Soon, we will rest, ready for what tomorrow will bring. We look forward to worshipping our great God with a local church.
