Last entry from home

Saturday morning right around 5:15am; I've been up for a few hours and am going to try and catch sunrise --- my last KS sunrise for a while.

The news led to yesterday's IRIN story, which I thought I would go ahead and put on here for everyone. I knew things were steaming up in Congo again because I received an update yesterday from a news site (CrisisWatch off the Crisis Group website) stating that for the month of September they expect Congo to get worse. Things are expected to escalate there (seems they already have) in September and then with run-off elections at the end of the October, I imagine things will get stickier. Only time will tell at this point. Congo is on CrisisWatch's top 5 for crisis alert's this next month.

I was glad to see that Medair is trying to stick it out in Gety to help the thousands of displaced persons there (refer to the previous blog entry to understand). They would not do it if they did not feel they were capable of doing it in a safe manner, so something tells me my little NGO (non-governmental org) has done well enough at establishing themselves in that area that they can remain for the time being. We will see how long they are actually able to hold out. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers. The longer they remain, the the more people will be able to receive relief from the conflict in the area. At the moment that work seems a bit too far away. However, I imagine it will be close enough soon enough.

For the past few days, I have been very immersed in life here in Southeast Kansas. Two days ago I went to see some of my "little sisters" (my recent track athletes whom I have somewhat adopted--- no, they have great parents, I just wanted a bunch of little sisters) run their first cross country meet (poor kids... I conned them into the sport), had lunch with a former boss and caught up with her, visited on the phone with my sister-in-law Lynn (we talked about how Mike and Monica-- our sibs on their honeymoon-- were bearing down for hurricane John), had dinner with my brother Kyle, sis-in-law Lori and my nephew Aidan before they left for their family vacation out to Colorado, and then went to the high school football game to watch my cousins play and my "sisters" cheer. I stood there at that game and thought about what my life would be like here in Pittsburg had something gone differently for me.

As I stood there taking everything-in and talking to a friend (he's 2 years older than myself) , his daughter came up to ask for a daughter to go to the concession stand. Not sure why, it just kind of hit me to see him handing out money to his kids. I remember when he and my brother were begging my dad for a dollar at the games--- which doesn't seem too long ago. I am definitely old enough to be a parent, definitely old enough to be handing out $1's for the concession stand, old enough to have the family life he has. And as I stood there watching what could have been my life, I was by no means disappointed with any of it; quite possibly a little envious. This is a great place to live, to raise a family, with a great community for support. I would love to teach high school history, sociology, geography and coach xc and track. I think I would find it extremely fulfilling. I love being around the kids; helping them learn, watching them grow, getting to know the families they come from, and being involved in their lives. I love being close to home, being close to the family, being involved in the day-to-day with them. I love being around my friends here; going on runs together, having lunch and dinner, picking up the phone just to visit about an event from the day. But in the same breath while I love and will greatly miss all of the above and I love my time while I am home as it is a huge part of my life, there must be something about the work I get to do in Africa because it continues to be enough to take me away from all of this.

I love what I get to do-- serving others in the most vulnerable of times, hopelessly thinking that somwhere, someway I am making the world a little better-off for those suffering from constant civil unrest and starvation, and maybe even making it a safer place for my nephew(s), my godkids, and my "sisters"... who could ask for a better opportunity! I understand it must be difficult for people from my hometown to understand my life in Africa, but my life is no more an "adventure" than anyone living here in Pittsburg, KS or Washington, DC-- raising their family, working, doing their day-to-day. I like to believe the adventure is what we make it, not what is made for us. It's not really about where you are or what you are doing, but how you live your life and the happiness you carry within. Or at least that is how I look at it and it seems to help me get through my days.

So while I'll miss home immensely, I don't live in the past and constantly worry and wonder about "what could have been here" but rather am thankful for the time I do get here. I love my life, my work abroad and at home, and I honestly believe that it is the combination of everything that keeps me grounded. And believe it or not, I am actually good at the work I get to do there. While work is work, I am fortunate enough to love the work I have the opportunity to do and I'll continue to do it for as long as I can.

I do not think of Africa as the adventure, but rather as life being the adventure--- whether that scenario is being 16 at the moment, preparing to adopt and add to your family, sitting behind a desk crunching numbers, teaching 6th graders, or working in Isiro, DR Congo--- it's what we make of it, not what is made for us. But I'll stop rambling. I am thankful for my time home; it endlessly continues to teach me in one way or another.

The sun is up... ironically, it has a similar red tent to it which I have seen in African sunrises. Things are not always as different as we think.

I'll write more from Europe next week. I'll be in Switzerland from the 4th-12th for meetings and briefings, and on the 12th I'll take-off for Uganda. Not sure how long I'll stay there, but am hoping to arrive in Isiro, DR Congo, by the 15th or so. More from the otherside of the Atlantic soon.