The Next Decade of Adventures

Today I got a new passport.

I could tell semi-amusing anecdotes about how American government agencies are just as frustratingly bureaucratic as any other country's, but actually, this morning went pretty well. Including the 20 minute walk each way, the 4 layers of security, and the fact that I lost my receipt and had to get a new one, the entire experience took less than an hour. Impressive.

And now I have a shiny new passport, very electronic-looking, still stiff, with a printed-in photo instead of a laminated-on one. Incidentally, I'm VERY happy to be rid of the old photo. Many of you remember my giant round glasses, and I look so peaceful in the picture that, well, I possibly look stoned. Angel calls the picture "Harry-Potter-John-Lennon-Jessie," and that's not entirely inaccurate... The new photo looks like me, which is all you can hope for in an official ID, though I'm ashamed to say that the old one also looked like me at the time.

Getting a new passport is a bit like starting a new journal- what will this one hold? What will God do in this space? What adventures will be represented by the stamps? Where will I go in the next 10 years? I barely escaped adding pages to the old passport- there was one free space left. This one's sure to be overfilled, even just with normal traffic to the States and back. I've already sent it off for my work permit and re-entry pass, and I do have a Stateside trip planned over the holidays. So that's 3 pages already spent. Other semi-planned trips include stops in Egypt, UAE/Dubai, the Netherlands, and possibly Japan. And that's just in the next year or so! My Kilimanjaro climbing buddy and I have talked about Machu Picchu, so maybe I'll finally get a South American stamp, and I'll likely visit South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Uganda at least once during this first term. I wonder if I'll be living in Africa in a decade. I wonder if China will resurface in my life after all. I wonder, I wonder, I wonder.

And of course, retiring this passport makes me reminisce about the places it has been: Thailand, Cambodia, New Zealand (I'll be very sad if that stamp's not repeated in this passport), England, Croatia, Tanzania. More unusual- my passport's been to Perth, Australia, but I haven't. But that's a whole other story featuring a sketchy visa agency, a lavish office in the middle of an empty warehouse district, a giant cigar-smoking blond Norseman with big muscles, his scantily clad Thai secretary with her desk drawer full of multicolored passports, and my host family assuring me everything will be perfectly fine. It's a good story- remind me to tell you sometime.

I never would have guessed the twists my life has taken in the past decade, and I certainly expected to be living overseas long before this point in my life. But God in His good plan gave me seasons of waiting, opportunities for rest and for service, and yet chances to see so many of His wonders all over the world.

So even if the picture embarrasses me in 10 years, I bet this new little blue book will still speak to me of God's kindness and His unexpected storyline in my life. I'm looking forward to it.

Christmas Visit

This morning I'm a little homesick, which prompted me to make a list of what I'm looking forward to about being in the US. I don't know if it made the homesickness better or worse...

I haven't blogged in a while, so I thought I'd share the list. Some have "I need a break from Africa" undertones, which I usually don't allow myself and hardly ever publish. But it will give you some insight into what I'm feeling these days. Remember- the list is far from complete, so rest assured that I AM looking forward to seeing you even if it didn't cross my mind at 5:30 this morning.

Things I'm looking forward to on this visit:

• Worshiping at Crossroads
  
• Coming into a warm building from the cold
• A hug from Uncle Arf
• Seeing progress on the new building (the framing was almost done at my going away party)
• Breakfast with Dad
• A backrub from Mom
  
• Chile Works
• Bobcat Bite
• Holding my new "nieces and nephews"- Ava, Ina, Olivia, Rowan, Ryley
  
• Skiing
• Visiting the Simple Lodge and Hostel
• Seeing married Lynches
• Driving in the mountains
• A McCranie/Schoenborn latte
• El Parasol
• Movies at the Reel Deal
• Power that stays on
• Target
• Wireless internet
• Knutson time
• Cars that start on the first try
• Dogs that aren't guards
• Trading the clothes I've been wearing for the last year and a half for a different suitcaseful
• Seeing who comes into Starbucks/Coffee Booth/ Film Festival
• Cheese that tastes good
• Stream-of-consciousness conversations at the Christensen table
  
• Seeing how kids I've poured into are doing
• Thomson time
  
• Seeing how tall the Gilbert boys are now
• A good African visit with Dena
• Sidewalks
• Marked lanes
• Snow
• A walk in Mrs. Stevens's canyon
  

Obama Day Outing

Kenya's excited about Obama- so excited that when they heard he'd won, they declared a national holiday. For the next day.

Before the west coast polls even closed, my students showed up in first period asking, "Do we have school tomorrow? President Kibaki declared it a national holiday in honor of Obama!" Of course my response was, "Until I hear otherwise, we will ALL be at school tomorrow."

About 20 minutes later, I indeed heard otherwise. My principal walked in, explained to the kids that Rosslyn Academy would be closed tomorrow in keeping with Kenyan law, and we would run Thursday's schedule on Friday. They all cheered and blessed Obama for being Kenyan.

Kenyan expectations of Obama are interesting. The most sane response I've heard came from a friend in Kenya's Election Rights and Processes Forum: "We don't expect to become the 51st state, but we are pleased that the world community has a chance to see Kenya as a country that produces significant leaders." Well thought out, and in great contrast to thoughts like _all_ Kenyan visas to the US being approved, or Obama guaranteeing electricity and running water up in Kisumu, or Obama's Kenyan relatives being given positions in the US government.

There are cultural reasons for these wacky expectations- like I wrote a few posts back, relationships mean more here than systems. Kenya's perception of its relational status just skyrocketed, and many Kenyans don't see that the presidency is both supported and limited by major systems within the US. And when their own president can just say, "Hey, tomorrow's a holiday!" and it is, that reinforces the idea that powerful people can do whatever they want.

All that's intellectual and interesting. More to the point- we had an unexpected day off this week! My normal, hospitable, capable self seems to be resurfacing slowly; I was able to initiate and organize an activity.

Nine of us worked out a day hike to Hell's Gate, a national park about 2 hours away. We saw some animals, hiked around, scrambled our way through a slot canyon, and emerged on the other side. It was a great day.

Baby giraffes by the road

Hiking in the slot

Layers

Soft rock = graffiti; this seemed especially appropriate today.

Katherine and I

Paul looking at something only he sees

A dead end?

Not if you have helpful friends

Teamwork triumphs, and we arrive back at the top

A happy hiker

Beach Trip 08

Renting a house on the coast in October should become an Rosslyn teacher tradition. I'm pretty sure it makes us better educators.

Our "home"

Dinner in a coral cave

Group photo