So this is my first ever blog post. I am excited about this whole thing. I have never blogged before, but for those of you who know me, I have a lot of stuff to say about a whole bunch of topics.
My goal with this blog is to create a kind of journal for my African experience. For some reason, there is something deep within me that calls out to Africa, and surely, there is something in Africa that calls out deeply to me. I first traveled to Africa in 1998 with Teen Missions International. I spent the summer in Timbuktu, Mali building a church for a group of Christians there.
What a shock for a middle class white boy from the Midwest. I remember being absolutely terrified that first night we spent in Bamako…what had I gotten myself into? But that summer was invaluable to me. I saw poverty for the first time. Real poverty. Mali was and still is one of the poorest nations on the planet. My time there changed the way I look at the world.
Fast forward a decade, and I was lucky enough to then be stationed at U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa. During my time in Germany, I got to visit eight African countries on 11 different trips. This time, I was seeing things from a different perspective, working with military folks and state actors. But still, every time I got to go, I relished the opportunity to experience the people and the culture of Africa.
Now, I have the opportunity to live and work in Nairobi, Kenya for a whole year. I am greatly looking forward to it and hope to share this experience here: photos, videos, stories, all that. I hope you enjoy.
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