The Kenya thing has been approved by both the Prior in Kenya and the BVC so in just over a week, I will be in Nairobi and I am stoked for it. I am somewhat saddened to leave Togo, but all good things must come to an end sooner or later. For me, the time is now. The most important task, building a BVC foundation, is finished, the garden is almost finished, and all that remains is my 5th grade English class. Sadly I will not be able to see it fulfilled, and it is no consolation that I only have 4 students. If I take that approach, then every act of volunteering that I have ever undertaken would be undermined. If not for the difference in but one person’s life, why do it? But it is the reality that while meaningful, the quality of life given to my students would not be drastically increased if at all over the remaining 3 months. For the most part my difference here has been made, the seed has been planted. But someone else needs to water it.
In contrast, Simon told me about the work he was doing in Nairobi over our brief phone call a few days ago. He is working through a social outreach program that finds school aged street urchins and attempts to find out why they are not in school/what can be done to get them there. Now there is something that I can help with while making an immediate impact in the life of another person. Not that I am opposed to the slower, potential impact; but I need a mental boost right about now. And in moving to the other side of the continent and seeing a stark contrast in the lifestyle of another, more developed country, I think I will find that. At first I was skeptical as to my ability to re-energize to take on such a task after expending so much energy already, but then I realized that I thrive on it. It is when I am at my best, on my toes and ready to move with things to see, people to meet, and cultures to experience.
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