Mutterings of a traveler

I have been out of town 4 of the last 5 days. Last Friday we had barely recovered from Christmas when Rob and I left the kids with my Mom and headed to Houston to see a new shoulder doctor. We left mid-morning and returned around 10pm that night. The next day we got up, packed and headed to Dennison for a quick overnight Christmas trip. We were on the road by 10 am. We had a slight fender bender mid-trip in Dallas. No one was hurt and both cars were drivable, but our van has a crushed driver side headlight and front turn indicator, therefore no night driving. We had an eventful Christmas with the Grosz clan before heading back to Waco late Sunday afternoon. With no stops we made it home just after sunset. Monday I woke up bright and early to get to the doctor. I have an ear and sinus infection. After the doctor's office, Kolby and I spent about 2 hours in the grocery store getting stuff to take to my Moms for New Years Eve. The moment we got home and put the groceries away, Rob, Kolby, Rhett and I jumped in the Van and headed to Killeen (about 45 minutes away) to look at a van I had seen on cars.com. We test drove one or two vans, kicked some tires and talked numbers until a little after 4 when we realized we had to get home and get ready for the crowd coming over at 7! We flew home and made Potato Soup and Chicken Noodle Soup to help feed our crew. It was a fun night but I was exhausted. Tuesday I did nothing. NOTHING!!!! Except e-mail a dealer in Dallas about another van. Wednesday morning Rob returned to work for the first time since December 19th and the big kids and I left Ek with my Mom and headed to Dallas to check out that van. Again, we kicked tires and test drove until around 4pm when I wrote a check ! Yes!
We bought a van!
It is the first time in 9 years that we have bought a new car. (new to us anyway) We are all thrilled!!! The kids were debating giving the new van an name. Since we are keeping the old van can no longer say the car and the van because we will have two vans. Rhett does not want to give the van a girl name...of course! So we tried to come up with a genderless name... and the kids came up with Marion. Really? I was thinking Sam or Chris or Spot... I'm not naming the new van Marion.

The kids and I started home around 4:45 and hit bad traffic. Around 6:45 we stopped in Hillsboro for a bathroom break and food. We also managed to swing by the Children's Place Outlet. We finally got home last night about 9:00. This morning I took Kolby (and Ella Kate) to the doctor. Kolby has a sinus infection. And now we are home. For a few hours. Hopefully tomorrow we will go back to Dallas to get our new van. (The dealership is fixing a few minor things for us today.) If we don't go tomorrow, we will go Saturday. School starts Monday. Where did our vacation go?

I haven't even started taking down Christmas yet... But as soon as I push publish I am attacking the tree. The mere sight of anything Christmas is starting to make me nauseous. I am ready get my house in order and stay put for a while.

I guess I should end there and say Happy New Year. I should, but I can't. The rest of this might be a bit depressing so stop reading here if you want.

During all the running around and hectic trips here and there, my heart and mind have been on a completely different journey. Since New Years, my thoughts and prayers have been centered around Kenya. The video and news stories coming out of Nairobi this week are chilling.

I know people who were missionaries in Eldoret where 50 people were killed while seeking safety in an Assemblies of God church. Many of the Kenyans I worked lived in the slumberb (slum/suburb) of Nairobi called Mathare Valley. From what I have read, Mathare has been a hot spot for violence in the last week. It scares me. This is not the Kenya I remember.

In the midst of the third world turmoil of it's neighboring countries (Sudan and Uganda to name two) Kenya has been a haven of peace and relative stability. It has long been called the breadbasket of East Africa because it has enjoyed decades of peaceful self rule that allowed for a billion dollar a year coffee, tea and tourist industry. While Kenya was still impoverished (millions still living in poverty and starvation) and lacking in so many things (public education and affordable health care were unheard of) it was peaceful. In the 6 or so months I spent in Kenya I did not ever fear for my life, no matter where I went or who I was with. Honestly there are more places in Waco that scare me than there were in Nairobi. Guns are outlawed there. I hope the recent events and resulting tribal clashes are just a side effect of a close, passion filled election and not a catalyst into an uncertain, tumultuous future.

We who are born and raised in America have no idea how fragile democracy can be. We can not imagine how a national election can completely upset the balance of peace causing violent riots and angry mobs who seek out the opposition with murder in their eyes. But the questions that will not let my heart stray far from Kenya in the midst of all this involve the million+ homeless children (ages 1 to 13) who roam the streets of Kenya. Who is looking out for these forgotten children when mobs are burning down markets and military police are firing back with bullets and tear gas?Where are my precious gate kids? Sadly the most innocent will be targeted and suffer greatly. The thought of these kids hurting... it just haunts me.

And while there are children in Kenya fearing for their lives and their country, on the other side of the world I sit sipping designer coffee in the comfort of my 4 bedroom 3 bath house with a heater keeping my family warm, a refrigerator packed to the gills with holiday leftovers, my biggest concern: being a bit overwhelmed by more new toys and gadgets than will fit in our already too full closets and putting away Christmas decorations. While I do not want to trade, it doesn't seem fair
or right.
And I have this knot in my stomach
and a lump in my throat
that no amount of Starbucks can ease.
What can I do to change any of it?
I wish I were more like Pam Cope
or maybe Oprah
at times like this.
But I am not Pam
and I will never be Oprah.
I do not know what I can do...
So I blog
and I pray.
Protected by the many miles and worlds that separate me from those who live with true fear, pain and suffering everyday, I pray that someday I will find the courage and means to do more for them than just blog and pray.