Hannah’s Going Away/Hells Gate

 Well my best friend left last week. Hannah was sent home by Peace Corps due to security reasons at her site. It was really sad because we talk everyday and have had each others backs since the beginning. We’ve really gone through this journey together. But I know she is going to do great things back home in America and her PC service will be with her forever. She brought her dog, Kibaibai, along with her which was a good experience for me to see since I want to bring Sangala home. It wasn’t easy, but she got him back safe and sound and says he’s “made for America”. I just hope Sangala fairs the same. We spent Hannah’s last night going out in Nairobi for happy hour and all drinking a little too much. Let’s just say we sent her off with a bang! 

 

We had planned a trip together for the next weekend, but since she had to leave, Lindsey and I decided we’d still go in her honor. We went to Hells Gate National Park in Navisha County. It is where the Lion King scenes are imagined from. It was soooo beautiful. Vast fields with high cliffs, zebras and giraffe roaming in the distance; makes you know God is real. We camped out on a high cliff for two nights drinking, talking and enjoying music. We lived off PB&J. While every other campsites near us luxury camped out of their cars, we hiked in and made do with head lamps and cold raman. During the day we rock climbed Fisher’s Tower which was measured at around a 5.0, but felt more like a 11.0! We all made it to the top though which was about a pitch high. It was beyond imaginable how beautiful it was at the top with impalas gliding through the grass below us. We also rented bikes and rode about 9km to the gorge. We hiked down through running water in the gorge and saw the hot springs and amazing volcanic structures. The park is named Hells Gate because of the hot springs. The Maasaii that lived there hundreds of years ago couldn’t understand why the water was hot except that it must have been the work of the devil. Anyway, I’m so happy we did this and it was exactly what I needed. Uninterrupted time in nature away from it all. Thank God my dad raised me to love camping and the outdoors. I couldn’t do without it now.

The maternity ward is fairing on strong. I’m actually almost done. Waiting for the equipment deliveries. We finished the shelving. Waiting for the grant money to come in for our building of the new structure. We are planning the fundraising for same right now. Things are pretty easy at site. I leave in a week and a half for consolidation during the election so I’m just trying to spend time with Sangala and get my house in order. I’m packing everything up just incase the election gets violent and I have to leave the country. Please send prayers for it not to be. Anyway, time seems like it’s going fast right now. I only have a few months left in this place. And as much as I complain and say I want to go home, it’s starting to hit me that it’s almost over and I’m getting really sad to say goodbye.