Nine

My lovely niece (she who changed my name to TT) turns nine today. It seems like just yesterday that I witnessed her birth (although, that's probably because witnessing a birth is one of those images/experiences that you don't soon forget--it etches itself into your brain, so it is always a salient memory).

But, in those nine short years, she has turned into a beautiful, witty, mature, confident, caring, intelligent young lady, and I am so proud of her.

Happy Birthday, KK!

home

I've been back in the states now for almost 48 hours--and my body seems to be adjusting very well from the jet lag, although my mind and heart are still busy processing everything that happened in the past two weeks.

The trip was truly incredible--much better than we ever could have imagined. The students we traveled with were wonderful, and we had no illnesses, no injuries, and no problems. Everyone worked well together, and we accomplished much in a short time.

As I sit here remembering, it is the faces that keep running through my mind. The children, the warriors, the teachers, the mothers.

The Maasai men who were our guardians on the mara:
Nalotwesha, the woman who showed up every day to help us work:Beautiful Joice, my friend with the sweet smile:Moses, whose singing voice was so lovely and piercing, it could break your heart:


...and so many more. So many faces and stories that I will not soon forget.

I will try to write more about the trip soon--for now, I am still in a bit of a daze and trying to get back to the grind of daily life here.

But--I am home.