A Surprise Birthday Party

Friday was Jacqui's birthday, and the freshmen approached me asking if they could take my class period and turn it into party time and then make up the missed class on tuesday. I agreed, and everyone got down to party planning. On Friday morning, the freshmen were absolutely terrible in Jacqui's class.  Their plan was to be super respectful and quiet (something generally out of the norm for them) but their plan failed due to loud and uncooperative classmates. When I found Jacqui, she was hiding in the staff room surrounded by paper airplanes, and other various gifts the freshmen gave because they were too "poor" to give her anything else. I told her I was giving the freshmen a test next period, and asked her if she would be willing to help supervise. This was a complete lie, but a believable one that would get her into the health room.  

Jacqui unfortunately arrived sooner than expected, and the freshmen did their best to pretend to be getting ready for a test. I of course had nothing to give them, so I somehow managed to unintentionally make Jacqui believe that the printer had swallowed my test and would not print (also a believable scenario). It all worked out in the end, because before too long a cake, popcorn, and ice cream came waltzing into my classroom and the surprise was complete! 

In typical fashion, I didn't get one picture of the festivities, so here are some completely unrelated pictures from our trip to the primate research center on Sabbath! (Sorry, no primates)

Waterfall Climbing at the Primate Center

Leaving

My plane to Kenya

Leaving seems to be the topic of almost every conversation. Just yesterday, I walked into my room to find Macy sitting on the floor with one suitcase completely packed and ready to go. Granted, she leaves sooner than I do, but not that much sooner! The SMs can't seem to stop talking about the food we will eat when we arrive in North America, how long we will roll around on carpet when we first see it, and how strange it will be to drive on the right side of the road again.

I have very mixed feelings about leaving; about packing up my whole life for a year, sorting through the heavy parts, packing it all into two suitcases and a backpack, and heading back to Tennessee. I absolutely love it here in Kenya. I love the weather, the Ngong hills out my window, and my students. But I think I'm finally ready to go home. As much as I thought he was crazy at the beginning of the year, Derek knew what he was talking about; ten months is about the right amount of time to serve as an SM.

After 9 months, I'm tired of the food in the cafe, I'm tired of not having my own source of transportation, and I'm tired of dealing with disrespectful students. I wasn't homesick in the beginning  but now I find my mind wandering more often to my family, the chemistry department at school, and vague memories of what the true cold of winter feels like. But at the same time, I know that my heart will crave Kenya when I'm gone. I know that I want to come back. There are friends and students here who I dread leaving with all my heart. As much as I want to go home, I can't bear wishing away one day with my freshmen, or one moment with this crazy group of 7 missionaries I now call friends.

If Books Could Talk

Sometimes I'm struck by the books sitting silently all around me. For some of them, the last time anyone recorded checking them out was in the late 1980s. Have they really been that neglected, or did the checkout system simply fail them? What changes have they seen in their lifetime? How many groups of SMs have watched over them? 

It's a funny thing to think about next year. To think about Maxwell moving on without any of the current SMs. To think about all the changes that those books will witness. 

Gratitude Lately: Maasai Mara

This weekend has made me thankful for pictures, driving, and the teamwork to make them both happen

I'm thankful for protective mommas and their precious babies

For playfulness and friends to chase

For rooftop views and adventures

For chance sightings and big cats

For flushing toilets and cushy "camping"

For fishtailing, four-wheeling, mud drives that stretch my sense of adventure

For paved roads, and the Chinese who made them.

And for stunning endings to wonderful journeys

Here's to a fantastic long weekend, and a safe journey home.  

What I'll Miss #2

I am going to miss the Maxwell gazelles. Call me crazy, but they look different from other gazelles I've seen; they're distinctive (inbred?). I've been to the Mara with its incredible wildlife (twice now!) but every time I pull back into Maxwell's campus and see our own little herd, with the babies and unicorn in all, I know I'm home.