Day 6 - I'm no Longer the Same

p437.mov Watch on Posterous

Until I can actually articulate what I saw today and what it means, this will have to suffice.

Posted via email from Color and Voice

Day 5. Running in Kenya

On Wednesday we went for a run at the AIU complex and chatted with a couple of runners what we saw warming up. Turns out that they are in training and one of the runners, Gladis is an olympic hopeful. They invited us to run with them the next morning at 6AM.

A few of us from our group were already up due to jet lag so we met together and ran up to the "Gray Gate" at 6 to meet Gladis and Milton. We said our hellos and then set out.

The run was relatively short, but at 5500 feet, I was struggling slightly. We talked about what everyone was working on, and how great it is to run with friends. I thought back to "Born to Run" as we ran with smiles on our faces.

We ran next to each other, not in a line, taking up the whole dirt road. That was different for me, it was so much more social. And if you fell behind, Gladis would put out her hand and encourage you to catch up. It was subtle, but so different than what I'm used too. It made it fun to be together.

Aftwards we streched in a field and we all learned new ways to hurt ourselves. Our guests teased us for not being able to do things and taunted us to try harder.

It was pretty magical to be honest. The feel of the run wasn't competitive, it wasn't how am I performing compared with the others. It was all of us together.

This morning, other's are going to join us and I look forward to the fellowship.

Posted via email from Color and Voice

Outrageously Awesome Plant

Posted via email from Color and Voice

Day 4 - Overwhelmed

p393.mov Watch on Posterous

We toured Nairobi today. History, politics, religion, oppression, hope, fear and violence.

We visited the site of the 1998 US Embassy bombing in Nairobi http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_United_States_embassy_bombings

We drove through the slums that sit right next to wealthy neighborhoods. The contrast is unbelievable.

It's going to take me some time to process all of what I've seen and heard today.

Posted via email from Color and Voice

Day 1. Stuck in Portland

Thanks to Hurricane Irene, we're stuck in Portland for another day. We've been re-routed through Canada and then Europe before arriving in Kenya on Monday at 1:30 in the morning.

The last few weeks have been insane. It's strange that before and after every trip the level of tension and stress goes through the roof.

Spending the day walking around Portalnd, Italian Fest and various coffee shops trying to get an internet connection.

I'm excited to begin, to learn, to see things I've never seen before. In conversations leading up to this trip, there has always been the expectation that I will be changed, that I will return different. I'm fully expecting that.

My wife and I talked about "The Trip" as it's been dubbed. We agreed that I will return with a new zeal for things not yet know. The coming weeks are pregnant with potential.

But between Africa and now is 30 hours of travel. So, I've got that going for me.

Posted via email from Color and Voice