I Made It!

I made it to Kenya! Despite the two, already huge storms, merging directly over New England, my flights skirted out just in time. Sadly, I missed 2 feet of snow dumped all over Massachusetts.

My snow covered and plowed in car 

It feels so good to have my feet on the ground and a real bed to sleep in. After approx 30 hrs of traveling, checking in at the AACC (All Africa Conference of Churches)/hotel in Nairobi felt amazing. Transferring flights 3 times and being cooped up in a plane for a total of 20 hrs makes a man weary...especially if you're 6'5". With that, I was never more grateful to settle in for the night.

AACC (note the warm, 80 degree, sunny skies)

Time in Nairobi has been nice. The first person I met was James, a driver who picked me up from the airport. Finding him in the crowd of drivers, holding the sign “Rick Malo, CMMB” was so relieving! When I first got off the plane, I only passed a few people holding signs for passengers and I was a little concerned to where I was going to find mine. 
After getting my tourist visa and backpack (which was so exciting knowing it had successfully made if from Boston to New York to Dubai to Nairobi) I found James, as I had mentioned. 

James was a young man from the Eastern part of Nairobi who was so informative to how Nairobi was laid out, the culture of the city, and the upcoming elections. Funniest part was when James asked me if I knew what my Kenyan name meant. Obviously puzzled, he explained that Malo is actually a common Kenyan name among some tribes. Laughing, he further explained how he was the one truly puzzled when he picked me up because he was almost sure he would be waiting for a Kenyan. Surprise! Not the passenger he expected :)

I was able to scoot to downtown Westland (the region of Nairobi I'm in) and pick up some needed goods from their market center (Sarit Center). It was a nice chance to see the local area and become familiar with the part of Nairobi I'll be staying in for the next few days. One thing I know for sure, although I am a seasoned Massachusetts driver, I would not fare well in Nairobi traffic. It's madness. Everyone is seemingly changing lanes simultaneously and has no fear. James explained, drivers only get in trouble if they 1) drive on the sidewalk or 2) drive on the wrong side of the road; he found it hilarious and shocking that in America a driver would be issued a $200+ ticket for going 15mph over the speed limit. 

Nice seeing the market with local goods being sold.
Definitely hectic on a Sunday afternoon

I'm in Nairobi only temporarily, staying at the conference center until I meet with some CMMB employees of the Kenyan office on Monday morning. From there, I obtain the remainder of my paperwork (work permit, nursing license.) After that, I will meet up with Fr. Emilio, of Karungu's St. Camillus Mission Hospital, to drive out to Karungu! At that point, I will settle in and learn of my role for the next year! :)

More to come from Karungu when I arrive and settle in! Take care!

Foreshadowing? Let's hope not.