Destination: Busia.

I said I'd tell you some more Africa stories... if you like them, I will share more. Here we go.

We traveled by plane for more hours than I can even remember to get to Kenya... I barely remember the hotel we stayed in when we arrived. It was kind of nice... had all the amenities. I think we all knew that after that morning, it would be the end of life as we knew it. We piled up into vans and hit the road for Busia, one of the poorest towns in Kenya. We were right near the Ugandan border. The "roads" were a little different from ours. I'm not sure, but I think they might have once been the ocean floor. I'm not saying there were potholes, I'm saying there were canyons in the road. "Life" took place on the sides of the road. I think they would freak out if they saw we had sidewalks here... the spoiling never ends. The drivers were quite used to the busy street life and really couldn't be bothered. At one point we saw a man dive into the weeds to spare his own life as we barreled past him. I can't count how many tires we popped as we drove along these roads at 60 mph. I can say that I know how a can of soda feels when a little kid gets a hold of it. Ten hours of that driving was incredible!

We actually saw zebras running along side the road and the greatest part about the van ride was the scenery. You always picture Africa with that one picture in your head... you know the one. A barren desert with the sun blazing down and that one African tree in the center. Instead, we saw forest with the tallest skinniest trees on earth. We saw ant hills bigger than a VW bug, and yes the joke was always, "I'd hate to see the ant that comes out of that thing!' So when we got to Busia, they showed us to our huts... we had cold water in barrels to bathe with, which they kindly supplied from a tank that captured water when it rained. I can't tell you how beautiful the people were. What a quiet, strong, contented beauty they had. Many were anxious to come to America and study, but they all looked so self assured and were so welcoming and fun!

We each had our own translators. I had a couple of kids... teens. They cracked me up... We were walking together from village to village and hut to hut. Once, as we walked through some grass higher than our heads, I heard a rustling, but couldn't see the cause. I asked one of the boys... he said, "That is... hmmm... how do you call it?" (I waited interested.) "Oh... an alligator." WHAT?! Come again!!! Could you please have some expression on your face when you say things of this nature? I looked around and no one showed the slightest interest... trying to wrap my mind around it all, I finally figured it out... they're not afraid and I think I know why. They're with a 30 y/0 white woman who hasn't spent one day in the outback, let alone running from wild animals... and she has a skirt on. "We're good." I think they thought. "We just have to outrun her." The faith of these kids was incredible. One of the boys, just 16, cast out demons by the power of God. I'm not saying he stood on a stage and put on a show... I mean a man that everyone knew was possessed, came to him swearing and screaming and this boy prayed over him and he was healed. Those kids were awesome... I didn't deserve to be sowing and reaping with them. May God grant them His hearts desire for them and not there own desires. May He keep them safe, loved, fed, healthy and productive... those are my desires for them.