Fernweh

"You will never be completely at home again because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of living and loving people in more than one place."- Miriam Adeney

I recently learned a new German word: Fernweh. Like many words in other foreign languages, there is not an exact translation of this word into English. It is similar to the term wanderlust. The word is described as meaning the opposite of homesickness. It is an ache or longing for a distant place, and a craving to travel.
The last year has felt like a roller coaster ride. It is hard to explain all of the emotions that are felt when returning to your home country after living abroad. It's been one year since I packed up my life in Kenya and moved back to the United States without any plan for what to do next. The first few months back in Lancaster were the hardest for me to cope with. I was stressed about not having a full time job, overwhelmed by the fast paced culture I returned to, and emotionally and mentally drained from trying to fit back into a place where I didn't necessarily feel like I belonged anymore. Although I have mostly adapted to living back in the United States, the feeling of Fernweh has not left me. There are days when I have spent hours looking at pictures and researching travel sites to find out how much it would cost to just hop on a plane that day and fly back to Africa.
In one week, I will finally fulfill that itch to travel. I will be be traveling back to Kenya for three weeks and then visiting South Africa for one week. I will spend the first week in Nairobi visiting with friends that I haven't seen for a year. I am very much looking forward to a week of just enjoying time with people without the hustle and bustle that we often experience here in the US. After my short stay in Nairobi, I will be heading out to the village of Alendu to work with the teachers of Lighthouse Academy. Myself and one other teacher from the US will be doing some teacher training and professional development through Rafiki Africa Foundation. In the village, I am most looking forward to building connections with the teachers at LHA and learning how to best help them achieve their goals for their students.
After my two weeks in Alendu I will be traveling down to South Africa for one week to visit Jenn, one of my former roommates in Kenya, and her husband Symps. I am looking forward to just spending some quality time with them, probably playing Canasta and baking/eating :)

For those of you who don't know the updates of my life from this past year, here is a quick summary:
I taught 7th grade math learning support this year in a small district about a 30 minute commute from my home. A few weeks ago I found out I would be transferred to teach 5th grade general education next year. I am looking forward to the new challenge but will really miss the people I worked with at the middle school. Since returning to the US I have not settled on attending one church on the weekends. There are 3 different churches that I have attended pretty regularly, but haven't fully connected anywhere. The church I had been going to before I left was a bit too large and overwhelming when I first returned to the US.  Coming from a church of approximately 100 people in Kenya, to a church of a couple thousand in the US was too much for me in those initial weeks of transition. You can be praying that I find a community where I feel like I fit soon. I did spend one day a week this year helping out with a middle school youth group and have loved getting to know the students and other leaders. Other than that I have pretty much just been hanging out and enjoying time with my family.
I want to thank all of you again for the support given to me throughout my 2 years in Kenya. I could not have been there without your prayers and support. If you ever find yourself wondering what it might be like to travel to Africa, give me a call. You would have to try really had to get me to turn down a trip :)

Pictures and stories will be posted after my month long journey through Africa, so check back in early August! :)

Verse of Encouragement:
"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps."- Proverbs 16:9

Prayer Requests:
- Safety in my travels
- Peace in Kenya (There has been a lot of violence in the last year)
- For me to find a home church
- For the education training we will be doing in the village