Here we go! I’m back on African soil! As soon as I stepped off the plane, the hot muggy air with it’s sweet beachy scent reminded me that I was home. And, as I was funneled into a stuffy room pre-customs, the overwhelming smell of trash and B.O actually made me smile. It’s this weird thing that I’ve actually come to relate to pure happiness.
I’ve had just a short time in Kenya spending my days with family here, I can’t express how dearly I love them all. Final meetings before heading out almost made me miss my flight as the team and I dreamt together how we can “end prostitution” and “stop human trafficking”. Oh Jesus. And then from here it’s Congo bound! I’m so excited to be back in the dirt in the red zone. My heart’s delight. All I want to is to be dropped off in a mud hut and picked up a few weeks later…
This is one of my shorter chunks of time in Africa, I’ll literally be here 3 months and then it’s back to the states to gear up for a wedding! Oh yes, since the last time I’ve blogged (if you don’t follow me on any social media) I got engaged! He’s amazing and I’m smitten. (#weddingplanningandwarzones for my current craze)
It’s kind of an interesting season for us, though we just got engaged (May 3rd) we’ll probably be apart the entire summer… He’s got a great job in the states but my work takes me to Africa, so though the only reassuring news is that this won’t be our life forever, we’re currently separated by a gazillion miles.
(For more on our story, we finally have a wedding website up! www.theknot.com/wedding/cassandra-and-edison )
SO, now. Three months. Three. That feels so short. My goal is to spend as much time "in the dirt" as possible. And return to the basics: How can I love extravagantly? In the midst of active conflict, how can I love myself well, love my team well, love the mama’s well, love the soldiers well?
What does it look like to live successfully? That while having no water, electricity, comfort food or privacy, in the midst of all the demands that war and poverty and bring…. how can we be full and live refreshed?
Jet lag woke me up at 4:30am today and as I watched the rats scurry around the windows I couldn’t help but smile. There’s something in me that comes alive between the high pitch squeals of trying to pee without being attacked by cockroaches. Life makes no sense sometimes but there’s a beauty in it that I can’t deny.
For your summer reading over the next few months, hopefully you can tune in to more regular blogs as I will be aiming to get them out weekly! “ish”.
My current normal of planning a wedding and trying to figure out how to replicate our Congo projects to other war zones... (Curriculum writers-- this is my shout out to you!) We’re also dreaming this summer of expanding more in our schools, more desks, feeding programs…. Etc. We’ve pretty much finalized our wedding registry and oh- bridesmaid dresses just came in. This. is. my. life.
Thanks to everyone for your epic support while I was stateside, the continued love while I returned to Africa and the wedding advice as I gear up for the next season! You are all my heroes and your personal notes (though sometimes go unreplied to) mean the world to me! Until next time!