Relaxing, thinking by the fire in Ruhengeri, Rwanda.

What did I learn living in East Africa?

Well, overall, I learned that living overseas changes you in ways that are not immediately clear but become apparent as time passes and you re-enter your home country. I’m still in the process of this.

But, here are a few things that come to mind now… I learned…

Nairobi is a long way from home and it feels like it.

I can make friends and build a life anywhere in the world – especially with the help of a local church and Christian friends.

I love East Africa and in some ways it feels more like home than the US.

When the sun comes up early, I prefer early to bed, early to rise.

I love animals and the outdoors even more than I thought and I’m a secret conservationist!

When working in a cross-cultural setting you must have patience and humility.

Honesty and integrity are not valued by all cultures even though I believe they should be.

My values and beliefs are well established and not everyone thinks the way I do (Okay, maybe I already knew this).

I can be wrong many times and need to admit my mistakes, but sometimes I am right and I need to be bold enough to stand by my convictions and conscience and not doubt myself.

There is a line between my own mistakes and someone else’s and I need to learn to tell the difference.

I love driving on the wrong side of the road and, deep down, I am a non-conformist!

Doing meaningful work that impacts lives brings me more joy than I ever imagined.

About God – I learned that He cares deeply and intimately for me. I learned that He grows my faith apart from my works. He is good. He is love. He is all sufficient, sovereign, omniscient, all-mighty, omnipresent.