Jambo and habari yako to you! (Hello and how are you?) I’m writing this blog a bit earlier than I anticipated to because… well things have gone a bit differently.
On top of Nick’s flight getting in 4 hours later than we thought, me forgetting my journal in Lusaka (which had all of my pertinent phone numbers for Kenya), and my bank not allowing me to withdraw money (even though I told them I would be leaving the country beforehand), my one checked bag got lost by the airlines yesterday. Thusly, Nick and I are having a much more relaxed day in Nairobi, waiting to see if my bag gets found. We’re done with all of our errands (which, praise the Lord, were all accomplished within a five minute walk of the place where we are staying, the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Gichane, who were my hosts the last time I was in Kenya and whom God used WONDERFULLY to welcome and encourage Nick and I last night) and, since we’re waiting/praying for my luggage, we’ve got time to use the free internet at a local coffee shop. I’m also enjoying maybe the best smoothie of my life!
So, this is mostly to let you all know that Nick and I are safely in Kenya, that I CAN now get money out of my bank account, and that my bag (which had most of my clothes and other non-important things in it) is lost. I’ve lost no sleep over it, and in fact have found myself laughing that something like this finally happened to me. I’m certainly glad it happened to me and not to Nick. Oh yeah, and they almost didn’t let me into the country because I didn’t have a return ticket for when I leave Kenya. It took about ten minutes to persuade the officer that I was going to take a bus out of Kenya, that this was always my plan, and that I wasn’t going to be stuck in Kenya (she said that sometimes friends don’t help even when people are stuck, so they don’t like people in who don’t have a ticket. Praise God I was allowed in, and if you come to Kenya then don’t do it one-way).
So pray for my bag, and for Nick and I to learn swahili, and travel well. Thank God for his provision and care of us so far, and that we’ve had a really enjoyable and fun time here. Ooh! I found my 2nd favorite fruit from Fiji today in the store- custard apples! Anyway, God is good and it’s been fun so far. We’re headed on to Naivasha from here, and eventually to Thika. Oh, and if you want to call Nick or myself you are certainly welcome to! Don’t forget the country code (254).
Nick: (254) 0712397294 Mark: (254) 0716927086

Chapter one

   After three day, 20 hours in airports, 20 hours in airplnes, 7 on a bus, and one at the immigration office, I'm safely in Kitwe, Zambia, typing on a computer and enjoying the light rain outside (it's rainy season here). 

   My trip went smoothly (all of my flights were perfectly on time!) and I even had a sweet surprise at the end!

   I've been re-reading a fantastic book on cross-cultural immersion (Cross Cultural Connections, Elmer) and on the plane to South Africa it hit me: I'm not interacting with AMericans anymore. 

   One of the things that I have gleaned during my travels is that I should not treat everyone the same (stay with me those of you who think I've lost my moral compass). I'm not talking about the value that I place on each person or the respect that I give them, but rather that the way I show respect and interact with others should change from culture to culture (since different cultures have different norms and guidelines for how to show respect and give honor to one another; I should adapt to that culture's ways in order to show them respect and honor). So what I mean is that the specifics (what words I say, gestures I use, eye contact, speed of speech, etc... ) of how I relate to others can and should change as I interact with different people if I am attempting to be consistent in treating everyone the same (that is, treating them well in a way that they will receive as respectful and honorable). 

   When I landed in Johannesburg (backdrop to Alan Paton's class "Cry the Beloved Country") I was pretty awkward talking with the airport informational helper people, and just people in general- I was re-learning a new way of relating to people. Thankfully the janirtor in the men's bathroom was nice and ended up talking with me for about ten minutes. After that enjoyable interaction I felt more comfortable and enjoyed the rest of my time in the airport by: walking for 90 minutes (to get in my exercise!), reading a lot, listening to a Zimbabwean choir thwas going to the states to talk about their church's involvement in a cholera outbreak in Harare, talking with guys from that choir, and (the highlight) having a 35 minute conversation with the immigration officer about my desire to honor God and have a healthy relationship with my girlfriend by not sleeping with her before marriage. I'll leave out the details, but it was one of the coolest conversations I've ever had, stranger or not. 

   After that chat I got onto my plane to Lusaka, took a pic of the Jo-Burg sunrise, and watched two hours of African scenery disappear past my window. After I got my luggage I spent about two seconds looking for the guy I had arranged to pick me up from the airport... only two seconds because someone else had told him to not come! Tada- Karen cam eto pick me up from the airport!! (what a gal!!) It was an awesome surprise and I greatly enjoyed the rest of the day with her. I got to take a shower at a friend's house, and then she and I ran errands around the capital city (renewing her work visa (aka waiting in line), trying to go the Indian consulate, and asking questions at the American Embassy). We eventually got on the Euro-African bus and headed up to Kitwe (a trip which should have taken six hours, but was more like 7.5 because... well, it just seemed like the cars were all going slow. I guess that's called traffic, but it didn't feel like the traffic I'm used to, I digress...).

   The other awesome part of my yesterday was staying with Joseph. Joesph is a Zambian guy who is in change of the agriculture stuff happening ad the Boy's Ranch (where I'll be volunteering for three months, starting in June) and he's basically doing a bunch of stuff that I learned about in my community development classes in college! He's got a bunch of crops planted, is raising chickens, and tending rabbits and pigs too. He's got a well, a ltrine, and surely a bunch of other stuff that I haven't seen yet. Seeing all of that stuff, along with the cool night air really took me back to my trips to Fiji and Uganda, and it made for a really cool God-with-me-no-way-to-make-this-not-sound-overly-spiritual-and-I-hate-that kind of night. Yesterday was honestly one of the best days of my life. I fell asleep around 10 and woke up only once before getting up at 6 this morning to change the water and feed the the animals. I feel pretty adjusted to the time schedule here (thanks to the people on my Ukraine summer mission trip 4 years ago, who taught me to just grit it out and get on the new sleep aschedule the first day). 

   That's all for now. The next few days I'm going to be meeting the boys at the Boy's Ranch, learning from Joseph, and spending some much-missed time with Karen Hartman. I leave here next Thursday and arrive in Kenya that night (the 26th). That's when the real craziness begins! Nick and I will meet in the airport, go to the home of John Kinyanjui Gichane (my hosts the last time I was in Kenya!), get some stuff from Nairobi, and then head to Naivasha to stay with some missionaries there a few days. They're going to give Nick and I an opportunity to reconnect before heading to AMCC, and also give us tons of advice and good bits to think about as head to Thika to visit AMCC. Wow. Nick will be coming from Thailand. That's nuts.

  

   For those of you who'd like to, please pray for:

- Nick and I to both be well prepared in the next week for our time in Kenya.

- Good (and holy!) time with each of our girlfriends, peaceful goodbyes.

- John Muhika's neck to get better.

- The kids at AMCC to have healthy food.

- God to raise up Kenyan partners for AMCC.

- Friendship with all at AMCC.

     Adios!

FOUR PICTURES: Sunrise at Johannesburg airport, bed I'm sleeping in, cool plants outside front door of my place, view from front porch of my place. 

Here I Go!

Well, the day has finally arrived. Tomorrow I'll get picked up at 3:25 a.m. by a shuttle and taken to Denver International Airport. My flight takes off at 6:25 a.m., meaning that it'll be too dark for me to see the beautiful Rockies one last time. Oh well, better things are in store... (and higher ones e.g. Mt. Kenya)
From there I'll spend 5 hours laying over in D.C. before I leave for Johannesburg, S.A. at 5:30 tomorrow night. That 15 hour flight will put me in S.A. around 3 in the afternoon, and I'll then make camp in the airport for about 15 hours until I leave the next morning (the 20th) for Lusaka.
From Lusaka I've got to get from the airport to an ATM, get some food, and then get to the bus station. It's a 6 hour bus ride from Lusaka to Kitwe. I wonder how much I will remember, and how excited I'll be!! (Last time I tried to fly to Zambia it took me 30 hours longer to get from Lusaka to Kitwe than I had anticipated, I'm really hoping that it'll go smoother this time, though God has His ways and I trust Him...)
Once on that side I'll make a blog post and talk about how interesting/boring my trip was. And post some pictures too! I'm very excited for this, my longest international travel sequence ever (not counting my bicycling trip, which certainly deserves a category of it's own).

I am venturing out on this trip, and not just to a different continent. I've left my job, my community, the stability of life that I've developed in Denver, ease of language, access to most of my favorite foods, and a general understanding that I know what my life is going to be like when I wake up each day. This trip will probably not be like that...
For the most part, I'm going on this trip to develop relationships, with John Muhika (www.amcckenya.org), Nick Jackson, the boys at the Nehemiah Boy's Ranch (http://web.mac.com/walkersxl/iWeb/Walker%20Fam%20in%20Zam/The%20Nehemiah%20Project.html) , and Karen Hartman. Please ask God to guide each of these and for His Kingdom to come in and through them. I also ask that you'd pray for personal discipline for myself. I no longer have the support structures I've grown accustomed to, and my falls in africa will go farther and hurt deeper. I greatly appreciate your Body-Movement in this regard. Please let me know how I can pray for you!
Kingdom Come.

Out of this world!

Hey everyone! Here are some pictures from my time in Roswell so far. It has been a very enjoyable stay thus far. I've gone on some great morning walks, eating some delicious food, and had some (safe) adventures cutting limbs from trees! Most of all I have greatly enjoyed my hosts, Bill and Polly Hartman. 

New Financial Update

As of today $1,399.22 has come in from thirteen different people. Thanks to everyone who has contributed! 

   $2,100 is left for my original goal, though my shots cost about $400 more than I was expecting... the Lord will provide. ;-)

Nick and Mountains

Here's some of Nick and I... from the last time we'll see each other until the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on Feb 26th!!

   Plus some pretty mountains on my drive down to Roswell. It was gorgeous out. 

Pics from the last while

Here are some pics from my last week of life!

1-5. Going away party thrown with friends downtown.

6-7. Pics of Andrew and Ansley, my cousin's kids. One of Scott too. They're such an awesome family, I love them! 

Phase 1: Complete

It's official: I quit my day job. 

Last Friday was my very last day of gainful employment for a long time. It went just fine (ptl) and I had some nice goodbyes with people at work. I also got to see my cousin Scott and his wife (Becky) and kids (Andrew and Ansley) at work on Friday- unplanned and super cool. 

   After packing like a mad-man and eating nice great pancakes (thanks Ryan!) I drove down to Roswell, NM for a week of chillin with the Hartman clan. So far it's been really nice here! Nice weather, nice people, nice food. I was unexpectedly asked to speak at the adult sunday school class yesterday, and had a really enjoyable time sharing what God has been doing in Denver in the last year. Someone even said that they wanted to support my trip to Kenbia afterwards! How creative is our God?!

   Today I'm choosing the insurance that Nick and I will use, blogging here, and other stuff associated with the trip. I'm pretty stoked to go!!!

    Also, my apologies on not updating my financial situation like I said I would. So far about $1,200 has come in for my trip- about 1/3 of the total goal! Thanks to everybody who has sent stuff in, that's pretty tight cause I hear that there's not a lot of cash to go around these days. 

   Well, that's it for now. I'm here in Roswell until next Saturday (the 7th). Here's my schedule from here on out:

     7th- Leave Roswell for Camp Eagle

     8th- Leave Eagle for Austin

     10th- Leave Austin for JBU-land

     13th- Leave JBU for Austin

     14th- Leave Austin for Denver

     18th- Leave Denver

     20th- Arrive in ZAMBIA!!!!!!!!

    I'd love to see you before I go, so email me (markjadawson@gmail.com) or give me a call (512-470-2781) and let's get together. Vaya con Dios!