Kenya

Part of the the work I do involves responding to critical incidents in order to sit with survivors to help them process their experience and feelings and give them information that will help. These requests can range from meeting with a team after an unexpected death of a colleague or after they witnessed something traumatic. These requests can sometimes require an immediate response. On an otherwise normal Tuesday this past July, I got a call to see if I would be interested in flying to Nairobi to meet with a team that was needing assistance. That evening, Andrea and I had already made plans to have dinner with a former Chefoo student who was over from London for a few days. We had a delightful dinner with Jill and knew she was returning to London the next afternoon. When we arrived home, the go ahead for Nairobi had been given and tickets already purchased for me to leave the next day and I would be on the same flight as Jill! As it turned out, the British Airways flight we were supposed to leave on was eventually cancelled long after it was due to depart. Jill was put on the other daily BA flight from Washington while my colleague and I scrambled to find a hotel room for a few hours sleep before heading back to the airport the next morning and eventually getting on a KLM flight instead. Sometimes travel plans don't work as well as they should.  But eventually, we arrived in Nairobi where we began to meet with the team that had requested our services.

Jill and I waiting at the airport before the flight was cancelled.

I won't share any further details about the teams I worked with other than to say what a privilege it was to witness their resilience and heart for each other and for the countries they work in. I wrote the following words on facebook while I was there.

Early morning thoughts from Nairobi where for the past two days I have heard stories from S. Sudan of people losing everything - if not their lives - fleeing without shoes, of family members and friends executed because they are from the wrong tribe.Meanwhile back in the US the killing continues also. We continue to reap the whirlwind of our choices and policies when it comes to how we treat each other - years of racial discrimination, neglect and abuse - silence or a blind eye turned away in the face of oppression, asking police officers to solve all our issues while not funding teachers and mental health but protecting so many loopholes and laws that allow easy access to guns. 

Yesterday as I sat in a hotel lobby, Andra Day's Rise up came on and I was so grateful as I thought of the many, who in the face of so much hardship continue to work to make the world a better place and who do what they can to protect the vulnerable. Most go unnoticed and unpraised. Others rise to the challenge when given the spotlight even under immense odds. 

So for all those who serve in whatever capacity, who are kind, who don't give into fear and who show that another way is possible - whether that is with your children, your elderly parent or neighbor, the punk down the street, the child bride or child soldier around the world - for all those who in the face of exhaustion and unbearable pressure continue to rise up and choose to make a difference, I am grateful.

I had several non-work highlights during my two weeks in Nairobi. The first was the unexpected surprise of meeting up with one of my high school classmates who has spent years in S Sudan/Sudan and who I hadn't seen since graduation! I discovered this 24 hours before I met him. Chris discovered this when I walked into the room. Talk about a surprise! It was so great to catch up over several meals together and meet his wife Nelly too. AND to try to recreate our senior pictures from 26 years ago!

The second highlight was traveling outside of Nairobi to Rift Valley Academy, the boarding school my mom and uncles attended when they were growing up in Tanzania. I was thankful for a wonderful taxi driver who helped build a little trust with the guards when I showed up at the school gates without any advance notification. Since it was holiday time, there were no students or staff to be seen. Security was not messing around and escorted me around the school grounds without letting me take photos - but it was enough to see some of the buildings and the paths that my mom would have used 60 years ago.

One final highlight was meeting up with Gideon, a friend I know from Tacoma days who is part of the Street Psalms/Center for Transforming Mission network. Gideon lives and works in Kibera. It was a joy to meet his family and go to church with him and see the work that he does that I have heard about for so many years. 

Duncan

PS - If you are going to Nairobi and need hotel recommendations, check out our tripadvisor review page here. We worked and stayed in about 5 different hotels during our time in Nairobi and they all got reviewed!