We returned from Kenya on December 10th, but it took a while to adjust, process and make time to write about it all. We had a wonderful trip! We met my parents and one of their friends, Brian, who had served in Kenya. Essentially Brian became our own personal tour guide and it was great to have someone who knows the area.

We did go on a few game drives, which was a blast. Here are some photos from those.

It was good to spend time with my parents too. By far the thing each boy misses most is family, so this time together is not taken for granted.

We also got to spend some time seeing our friends Boaz and Africa and visiting two orphanages. The stark contrast to Burundi was mind blowing for all of us. Although Burundi is less than 400 miles from Kenya, there are no animals in Burundi like there are in Kenya. Because of the war the animals fled or were killed for food. It was amazing to see how many animals are in Kenya and then to wrap your mind around how close Burundi is and how few animals are in Burundi.

For all 5 of us the western influence in Kenya was a great luxury. We hadn’t had any American foods like we got in Kenya so we all 5 indulged ourselves! We even went to KFC a few times, a place we never go in the U.S. but we went simply because it was American and we could go. We also feasted on Papa Johns, Pizza Hut and we even went to a few malls.

Burundi is so different from Kenya, it was a hard adjustment back for the boys. Josiah loved all the food choices, Samuel loved being with my parents every day (as did the other boys), and Neil loved that people don’t yell “muzungu!” to you and crowd around you. Even the orphanages and the hospitals we visited were stark contrasts from Burundi. Every country has poverty and poor people. Burundi is poor as a whole. You really do not see people who are “well off” in Burundi. They exist for sure, but by a global standard I’m not sure if they do exist.

We’re so thankful for the time we had, it was a good break for us. We were also humbly grateful to be welcomed back to Burundi. To be loved, missed and receive smiles and hugs upon our return reminded us that what we’re doing matters here. These people are worth the sacrifices.