We all arrived safely. Ed and Carol Fischer met the rest of the team when they arrived in Kenya on Sunday evening. It was so exciting to welcome the team to one of my favorite places, to the beauty and splendor of Africa. We arrived a few days earlier than the team and spent 3 days relaxing with our Kenyan friends, David and Patience Waweru, in the coastal town of Mombasa. It was a dramatic change from the snow and cold weather we left behind in West Virginia. It was the perfect antidote for jet lag as we spent much of each day on the beach enjoying the sun and the relaxing sound of the waves gently crashing on the shore.

Our first evening, we enjoyed a special dinner around the pool as we were entertained by an excellent band that played many familiar songs. We felt right at home when they played the John Denver song, “Take Me Home, Country Road”. Our table was located next to the US Ambassador to Kenya, so we had a chance to get acquainted with him. I shared with him that our team was serving at NEGST and how we were able to bring 21 donated laptops and 11 flat panel monitors to use for teaching with plans to leave them behind for students to use when our classes are completed. He mentioned how proud he is to represent the United States here in Kenya, and how it warms his heart when he hears stories of Americans coming here and making a difference in the lives of Africans.

Monday will be a relaxing day for the team. After a late breakfast, we will hear from Christi Byerly about some of the social customs and to help prepare us for our interaction with students at NEGST and beyond. We want to be sensitive to the Kenyan culture and most of all, we do not want to embarrass ourselves or our hosts as we serve and spend time in their world. We will tour the NEGST campus this afternoon to help orient those who have not been here before. After a trip to the bank to exchange our US dollars into Kenyan schillings, we will travel to the Kazuri Bead Factory. This is a ministry that provides employment for single women allowing them to earn an income and learn a skill. They make very beautiful necklaces and other types of jewelry. This is a great opportunity to pick up souvenirs and stimulate the local economy.

Each day I will spotlight one of our team members so that you can get to know us better. Today, we will present one of our team leaders, Polly Harrington. This is Polly’s second trip to NEGST and her 4th international mission trip. She has also served in Vienna, Austria and Bucharest, Romania. It was in Vienna, that Polly realized that her calling was to serve in education based short term mission trips. Back in Indiana, Polly volunteers at Grace Kids Company in the infant and toddler area. Polly’s career in is project management and works for a consulting firm. She appreciates the flexibility her job affords her to travel and serve on short term missions.