Kenya Safari

Kenya is one of my favorite countries to visit. I've been there eight times in five years (I went back and counted the number of stamps in my passports). I've made some wonderful friends there...Elizabeth, Sidney and Susan to name just a few. Most often my travels have been restricted to regular work related activities with the hope of occasionally spotting some of Africa's beautiful wildlife on the side of the roads. On my last couple of trips I've gotten to go on safari in the Maasai Mara area in Southwest Kenya. The Maasai Mara turns into the Serengeti at the Tanzania border so it's pretty much the same thing. 

Both times I've visited I've stayed at the Kichwa Tembo tented camp. Yes, I said tents but it's not anything like what you're thinking. The tents have a completely functional bathroom (including a shower) and the beds are very comfy - they do a turn down service and put a hot water bottle between the sheets each night. The meals are served in the main dining room and the food is absolutely delicious. In the morning they serve you coffee or tea as part of your wake up call. As a side note, they give you the option to either bring the tea into your tent or serve it on the porch. If you ever visit, have them bring it into the tent because the monkeys will steal the biscuits off your plate...while you're standing there looking at them! If Kichwa Tembo seems too rustic for your tastes, check out their adjacent luxury tented camp, Bateleur. I reserve the right to call you a snob if you choose to stay at Bateleur Camp and will probably hit you up for a "grant" to fund my next trip to Kenya!

The area is beautiful with it's tremendous African sky. The wildlife is amazing! Maasai Mara is a game preserve so the animals know they aren't in danger from humans. The result is magnificent photo opportunities. The following are examples of a few of the pictures I was able to take. I've been considering making prints or desktop images of some of my pictures available for people to purchase. Pricing would depend on how large a print and what type of media you'd like it printed onto. I'd be more than happy to discuss details with you if you're interested.

By the way, I'm still working on getting the video of the Maasai dance together. I'm hoping to have something ready to show next week.

Back in Action

So sorry for being absent for so long. As I mentioned in my last post the days in Kenya were longer than I expected and the internet was rather spotty. I've been back in Colorado for over a week but got whipped by one of my worst cases of jet lag in a long time.

So, here I am...back in action.

My trip to Kenya was amazing! I was very honored to attend the grand opening celebration of a girls boarding school in the Rift Valley. It was my third opportunity to visit, but the first time when school was actually in session.

Of the 130 girls attending the school, 30 are sponsored by Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program. One of the teachers is a graduate of Compassion's Leadership Development Program.

I met a young lady named Margaret. Margaret is a prime reason the school was built. At age 14, her family was ready to marry her off to a man much older than she is so they wouldn't have to be "burdened" with her any longer.

A young man who works at the local church was able to convince Margaret's family to let him and his wife "adopt" her and put her in the Najile Girls School. Margaret is now attending school and learning how to make the community she lives in a better place instead of becoming someone's 3rd or 4th wife. The school has been open for less than one year and it's already fulfilling the purpose that was once just a dream that a few people dared to imagine.

I won't bore you with details of the opening ceremony. Suffice it to say that it went on for nearly four hours. There were speeches and some dancing. More speeches. Gifts were exchanged. A little more dancing followed by more speeches.

It really wasn't as bad as I'm making it sound but it did last a long time. We got to see lots of the Maasai people wearing their traditional dress...absolutely beautiful! The boys from the Najile Boys School performed a traditional Maasai dance. They've won national awards for their dancing so it was good! I'm hoping to be able to post some video of the dance soon. There were dignitaries and government officials. Everything was very formal and recognized the significance of the change in culture that is allowing this school to exist. It really was special and I was honored to be able to be a part of it!

Things to look forward to in upcoming posts...I got literally hundreds of incredible pictures on the safari we went on at the end of the trip! I'll get a few of those posted later this week. Until then, have a great week...and why not consider making a difference in the life of a child less fortunate than we are this Thanksgiving. It really does work.

Still in Kenya...

Sorry for the lack of posts...the trip has been far busier than I anticipated and the internet has been far less reliable than on my previous visits.

 I will have to catch up when I am back in the US.

I'm in Kenya!

We landed Saturday night shortly after 7:00 - we're 10 hours ahead of Colorado so I'm getting ready to tuck myself in for the night.

The flights here were uneventful...which is always a good thing! For the first time in a long time United actually got our whole group to our final destination with no delays and no misplaced bags! Woo-Hoo!

We landed after dark so you'll have to live with a few pictures of my room at the hotel. Not too bad! I was fortunate to get assigned when of the more recently updated rooms at our hotel.

It started to rain about 15 minutes after I got to my room. It's now been raining for about an hour and a half. It could be kind of muddy if it keeps up for too much longer.

If you remember, I'm here to cover the opening ceremonies for a girls boarding school out in the Rift Valley at a place called Najile. I promise the stories and pictures will get much more interesting over the next week.

Watch for more soon!

A New Day

It's a new day. As one of my pastor's likes to say, "a day that has never been used before." I've always liked it when he says that. It's usually in the context of a prayer, giving thanks to God for all he has given to us, including each and every day. It's easy to take for granted what we're given everyday and get mired down in day to day life. 

I'm trying to be better about keeping a good attitude and letting go of the things I think I have control over. I'm trying to be better about remembering to pray. It's actually pretty amazing how much better things go when I do pray. You'd think that would be incentive enough to pray more regularly, but it's not.

I'm trying to have a better attitude and not be so pessimistic. It's funny how prayer makes a difference with that, too. Sometimes I wonder if I enjoy being negative or having a bad attitude. I don't think the people around me enjoy it much...I know my wife doesn't. You'd think that would be incentive enough to lighten up, but it's not.

I'm trying not to get caught up with always wanting new things...stuff...gadgets. I have plenty of them. I use some of them more than others. A few weeks ago I got rid of a lot of stuff that I hadn't used in a long time. That felt good. Then I started thinking about what I might be able to replace some of that stuff with. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think this is commonly referred to as materialism. You'd think that at some point I'd be content with the things that I have, but I'm not.

My prayer today is that I would appreciate each new day for what it is, an opportunity to do something positive. To in some way make a positive difference in the day of the people around me. To be content with what God has blessed me with; a beautiful, loving wife, a great family (in-laws included), awesome friends, a good job, a free country to live in, the opportunity to travel the world, the ability to make a difference in the lives of others.

Can I ask you to pray for me? Pray that I would keep my priorities straight and have a positive influence on the people I come in contact with. Pray that I would seek God's direction each and every day and not get wrapped up in selfish desires.

Thanks. I feel better already. I'll pray for you, too.