World Traveller?

I thought it might be fun to post a map of the places I've been so far on this crazy journey. I've been to places in blue and lived in places in red. :) Hope you all enjoy maps as much as I do... or maybe not... because if there's a way to love maps too much... I think I found it... oops.



Sometimes I think that I'm well travelled. I've been to 5 of 6 continents, blah blah blah. But then I look at the map and I see all the places I haven't been! Even in the countries the maps say I've visited, I've generally only been to a city or two. I don't know every nook and cranny of the place. I haven't explored the variety of restaurants, haven't found the best park or looked for an apartment. I went, saw the sights, did service projects, and left. It's broadening to go somewhere new and I love love love the adventure of traveling. Simultaneously, though, I love being home. We can spend a lifetime getting to know the people closest to us. It's an adventure without an end, a joyous pursuit into the soul of another. To be honest, it's the kind of travel I'm most excited about these days.

Moving to Africa

It's funny, reading back through this blog, especially the last post I wrote about leaving Kenya. I'm so surprised that God has done a marvelous work in the last year and has provided me with blessings that I didn't even begin to imagine. I am now moving to Africa. (gulp) There are some wonderful things and some crazy circumstances. Most days I feel like my feet aren't quite on the ground, and I think that's okay. Here's some of what's happening....

• Finances are looking good. I have enough money for the year, I think, with a little left over for things that I'm not aware of now. Praise the Lord for his provision for funding when I didn't even ask for it!
• My packing list grows daily and I'm starting to wonder how many crates are going to be going with me to Kenya... (and how much the airline is going to charge me!)
• I have a 13 hour layover in London on September 12 to fritter away and I wonder how I'll choose to spend my precious European hours
• Logistics continue to dog me, from getting approvals from Tenwek and Ohio State, to figuring out the nitty gritty of enrollment, a semester switch, etc. I met with a wonderful advisor today in the Honors and Scholars center and she passed my case to another coworker who is taking over as the financial aid contact. I wonder how big the "Joanna Daigle" file is...
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I'm adjusting to life as a vagabond. I moved twice between 10 months and 2 years and didn't move again until college. In the last two years I've moved five times and I'll be moving again! My bedroom at home looks incredibly bare as the last boxes have been sorted through. It's teaching me a simpler way of living and, if I were smarter, it'd be teaching me a lot about staying organized.

There are moments when I realize I'm going to Kenya and I cry. I can hardly believe how blessed I am to be able to go "home" to Kenya with a dear friend and a new roommate who I get to meet, a doctor named Matilda who is a wonderful godly woman and a great mentor, and my Africa family to meet me with three new additions! What an amazing God we serve!

And then there are the other moments. I've been feeling overwhelmed lately and, honestly, frightened at times. Kenya is a beautiful place but it is also a smelly place. It is a place where diseases progress farther than they do in the USA and a place where sanitation is not as good. It is a place that is utterly far away from my family and I know I'll miss them. Moving to Africa sounds scary sometimes. But I've found comfort too, in the kindness of the savior.

You see, we went and watched a terrible play yesterday. Yeah, I know, a sacreligious play that we thought would be respectful doesn't sound like a time to have a breakthrough, but it was. Jesus Christ, Superstar is about the Passion but it protrays Jesus as sniviling and Judas as a hero. Gross. In one scene the sick come to Jesus in ghost-like rags and ask him to be healed. It's a creepy song and the characters come at him until he is surrounded and completely covered by their wailing shapes. He then has a moment of "ach! I can't do this!", proclaims "heal yourselves" in a loud voice (well said.... or not), and rushes into the loving arms of a certain Mary Magdalene. Right. So. Not something I'd have expected or hoped to see. But I was surprised. I'd never thought of Jesus being overwhelmed and he wasn't. Jesus could look at everyone and see a person with dignity, which is a goal of mine I feel like I largely fail at because I tend to be rather preoccupied with avoiding looking stupid, among other things. That's reflection A. Reflection B is that Jesus didn't run to Mary Magdalene for comfort and strength. He actually ran to the Father. I don't do that well enough. I'm working on instituting some spiritual disciplines into my life and some practical disciplines as well (it's time to be a big girl and make my bed.) I hope that in these coming days I'll learn more and more of what it is to derive my strength from the Father and to shun the idea of doing anything on my own.

May we all be empty vessels, at his disposal.

Joanna