Together in Spirit

I returned back to America yesterday afternoon. Patrick and I landed at JFK International Airport in NYC and parted ways. It felt strange being separate, and newly independent for the first time in ten weeks, as he walked away. I couldn't have asked for a better partner-in-service than him this summer. He caught a connecting flight to St. Louis and I am staying in the NYC for a few days to spend time with friends before flying home to Florida. It feels good to be back in the U.S., but I'm already missing Kenya incredibly much.

On the night before we departed, we exchanged gifts with Welliminah and family. After ten weeks of amazingly generous hospitality, Patrick and I were surprised to receive a gift from them as well. We were each given our very own beautiful African kikoi shirt and konga fabric to give to our mothers. They were moving gifts - whenever I wear the shirt I will think of my Kenyan family, their beautiful country, and their warm hearts.

The next morning we were up early to depart. I was proudly wearing my new kikoi shirt. Susan arrived with Okwemba to take us to the airport. In almost perfect symmetry, we ended our stay at Welliminah's house the same as we started - by bowing our heads in prayer. Welliminah said a touching prayer thanking us for our time together and wishing us safe travels until we return to Kenya in the future. I'll never forget what she said: "Our bodies are parting ways, but our spirits remain together." Sitting here in New York, I couldn't agree more, because I can still feel it. On the return flight across the Atlantic, I kept thinking back to our final goodbye in Welliminah's front yard, and I couldn't stop thinking to myself, "Why am I leaving Kenya?". That's how comfortable and natural and alive I felt there. I'm already anticipating the day that our bodies and spirits are reunited once again.

As bittersweet as it was being driven away from Es'saba village in Okwemba's car that morning, there was a large feeling of accomplishment as well. As I took one last look at the beautiful scenery surrounding Kisumu with a clear, sunny, blue sky all around, I knew that we were leaving Kenya better than we found it. And not nearly just because of the success of our projects, although I have great pride in what we accomplished. We were flying away from a new Kenya - a young democracy with a bright future ahead of it, with a new Constitution in tow. The country overwhelmingly passed the new constitution on August 4th, and did so peacefully. As Okwemba, the driver whose interest in politics I profiled in an earlier post, delivered us to the airport, he remarked, "You see, this country now is peaceful and happy because the people have been heard."

Their peace is my own. Their happiness is my own. I will continue to watch Kenya and stay in touch with my family there with much interest in their growth and progress. In the coming months, I will watch as 30 Kenyan students work with 15 American students to promote solutions to the global water crisis. And until the next time I return to Kenya, I will keep their spirit, and my own, alive deep inside my heart.

Myself, Ann, Divo, Welliminah, and Esther the day before I left

Bags Packed, Ready to Go! (And a new friend!)

Tomorrow, I depart for my adventure! Along with my friend and classmate, Patrick Banks, I will board a 6:30pm flight from JFK International Airport in New York City. 11 hours and 5,000 miles later, we will be in Cairo, Egypt!

Of course, Cairo has nothing to do with my International Public Service Project, but we figured we would take advantage of the opportunity to see a new part of the world on the way to Kenya. Along with our other classmate, Ryan Ubuntu Olson, who will meet us there, we will spend three days in Cairo - soaking up the culture, enjoying the food, and visiting the pyramids! Fun.

As you can see from the picture above, all of my possessions for the summer fit into two bags - a duffel bag embroidered with my initials that I received as a high school graduation present, and my trusty laptop bag. It is so liberating to be responsible for just two bags of possessions for the next ten weeks. I can go anywhere with these two bags....nothing's holding me back!

I'd also like to introduce you to another friend who will be accompanying me on my adventure - my very own Flat Stanley! Flat is the main character of a popular 1964 children's book, and has stuck around in popular culture ever since as a world wide traveling companion for thousands thanks to the Flat Stanley Project, which was started to promote cross-cultural understanding and literacy for schoolchildren throughout the globe. For the past few years, the Clinton School has partnered with Arkansas First Lady Ginger Beebe to bring the benefits of the project to schoolchildren in Arkansas. I'm pumped that my very own Flat Stanley will be sporting the lovely colors of the Kenyan flag - green, red, and black, as well as the yellow of the sunshine in Kijana's logo! And of course, he's looking good with not only the name of my partner organization across his chest, but a very powerful word, idea, and state of mind - Kijana, the Swahili word for Youth. That's what Flat, Patrick, and I are working for this summer - youth - which in my opinion, is the world's most valuable resource. It's not just a time in life, but a way and quality of life - the place where creativity, imagination, idealism, and fun come from. The world needs more of this thing called Youth. And Kenya needs more Kijana.

You'll be seeing more of Flat right here on this blog, but if you're hankering for even more, my classmates and I will be collectively sharing updates of Flat Stanley's travels throughout the globe on all of our projects. Click over to Flat Stanley Travels to see what's going on (and to see Flat's travels last summer with the Clinton School Class of 2010)!

Other than that, I've been chillin' in New York for the past several days, visiting my dear and amazing friends, Caleb and Samantha Hawley. They deserve a shout out - I couldn't ask for better friends. That's all! The next time I post will probably be from Cairo, so until then, stay beautiful!