It’s been a full day. My head is full. My stomach is full. My heart is full. My eyes are full. There’s so much to see and hear and smell here.We started the day with breakfast at 7:30. In the dining room, I sat with a couple who do peace and justice work with MCC in...

I wish I could record the sounds and smells of this place. It’s incredible. I was woken this morning by a cacophony of birds. During the night there were dogs howling their happy tune.I slept reasonably well. I woke up a few times, but was always able to fall back to...

We’re at the guest house now. The Mennonite Guest House in Nairobi, Kenya. It’s quite beautiful. The rooms are rather like hostels in Europe (simple furnishings, nothing too extravagant), but the grounds seem quite amazing (at least what we can see at night).I’m...

We started the morning off with the rest of our orientation session. This morning, Randy talked about the impact of culture shock and how the change continuum can impact us on a trip like this. He says people hit the low point just before the halfway point of the...

Our first day of orientation is over. Our facilitator is quite good. He has lots of good stories to tell. I liked his illustration of culture – he says it’s like an iceberg, with only 10% being visible and 90% being invisible to an observer. The 10% is what people DO...

We arrived at the Delta Hotel in Toronto last night. The flight was uneventful. Micheline talked alot on the way here. She’s really sweet and she’s been through some really hard crap in her life. But through it all, she seems to have this child-like faith that’s...

Leaving the girls behind isn't easy. Maddie didn't seem to catch on as I dropped her off at Oma's. Julie cried this morning before leaving for school. Nikki cried at school in the hallway - she'd been fighting it up until then, and couldn't hold it in any more. Today...

Only a few days left... aaahhh! I don't feel prepared yet. What do I still need to buy? What do I need to remember to pack? What things do I need to do ahead of time to help Marcel get through 3 weeks without me? Where are my summer clothes? What will I wear on my...

Pretty Girl walks up to the counter and begins to unload her cart. Plain Girl behind the till grabs the first item and swishes it past the electronic reader. Pretty Girl looks up and there is a spark of recognition on her face. She catches Plain Girl's eye. "Did you...

They're SO much bigger now!