My journey to from Butte, MT to Nairobi, Kenya was very long, I normally enjoy flying and the whole environment of it, but this time I was a bit anxious which did not help the time pass by. After spending 36 hours in airports and 4 different airplanes I made it to Nairobi and was lovingly greeted by my contact Pastor Erick. I spent the next 36 hours resting at a hotel and walking the city with Pastor Erick. Nairobi is east Africa’s largest city and one of the worlds most dangerous and poorest city’s. I only had a small amount of time in Nairobi but what little I saw was heartbreaking, children alone on the dangerous streets and cripples begging for money on every corner. Nairobi is strongly developed compared to the rest of Africa but poverty is still at a high.
Early the next day Pastor Erick and I boarded a bus headed for Tanzania. The traffic laws in Africa seem non-existent, the drivers take opportunities at anytime to pass someone else, and there doesn’t seem to be a passenger limit on busses. Once on the bus we had a 6-hour ride to the boarder, then at the Tanzanian boarder we boarded a second bus headed for Mwanza. Now this is where there seemed to be no passenger limit, luckily we boarded our bus early because not to long after people kept getting on standing in the aisles and not to long into the ride people were squished in and literally sitting in your lap for most of the 6 hour ride to Mwanza. As much of a “patience’ and “growing” experience this was I look back and now laugh, it was actually kind of fun and well worth the experience.
Finally after 14 hours of busses we made it home, Mwanza. I was warmly greeted by all of Pastor Erick’s family and immediately felt comfortable.
And now the REAL journey starts!
