callings and colors from Nairobi

I'm enjoying the lovely outdoor gardens at the Mennonite Guest House in Nairobi, Kenya right now as I tickle the keys on my little mac laptop computer. It is sunny, peaceful and calm here, despite the chaos that is happening in the rest of the country. The guest house is packed full with people who are transitioning between locations, some being evacuated and others just arriving.

I decided to walk around the gardens and make some images of color, since a colorful place it is. It is nice to have a day of rest between Sudan and Egypt and I'm not looking forward to our 4:45 a.m. flight tomorrow morning.

In between all my adventures and exotic experiences I've had some ample time to think and reflect. One of the reasons I like traveling so much is that it takes me away from the familiar and the everyday routine distractions and forces me to think more about the complexity of this world we live in. Not that I don't keep up with world happenings while I'm at home or that life isn't complex there, but there is something about the experiences I have in learning about MCC's work and hearing people's stories that inspire me to serve in a foreign location somewhere.

At lunch the other day we were talking about callings and how God often brings us to certain places in life because he is calling us there. I believe that the door was opened to MCC and thus the world for a reason in my life. I have to say that all my hopes, dreams, and expectations for my first job out of college have far exceeded what I thought was possible. I have been truly blessed and changed by the opportunities to travel the world and see the ways that MCC is working alongside people in places of war, poverty and injustice. In my opinion it beats National Geographic by a long run. This work has heart-it cares deeply for people and to think that I am making a difference with my photography in telling their stories is a great encouragement to me.

With all of that said, here I am trying to figure out the next stage of my life. For some time I have have had an interest in learning foreign languages and living abroad. I'm still not sure where or when, but at some point in the future I see myself going overseas. I just wish it were easier to figure out the right place and the right time. And I guess with time the answer will come.