OK, OK. So that's probably not the best way to handle the situation. If I don't make friends, I'd miss out on so much. A perfect example of this would be my friend Jenny.
A mutual friend of Erica's, she had us up for dinner the week we arrived back in Kenya, which was perfect because we were living in the first of many temporary houses and didn't have much in the way of cooking stuff. From that point on, we would hang out every few weeks...as her busy life at RVA allowed. We got a lot of walks, and a lot of meals, in over the year and a half we were back in Kenya. She visited Kyalo in the hospital, and loved on him a lot.
To wrap things up nicely, she and her roommate Naomi, had us, and Francis & Evelyn up for a final supper at her house. I always loved going to her house. Going up to RVA always felt like a retreat from the hard life (ha) of Kijabe, and her house is always warm, welcoming and inviting. She makes hosting and entertaining look easy! She's been a teacher for three years at RVA now and is leaving in July...she has big adventures ahead of her...she's just not quite sure yet what they will be. But that's the fun thing about following God's lead; He always takes you interesting places.
Jenny & a squirmy Kyalo
me & Jenny
{*do I have a really large head, or what?}
Naomi, Jenny, me, {a very tired} Kyalo, Dexter
Kyalo, feeling a little sad to say goodbye to Jenny, but mostly ready to go home and go to bed.
The dinner with Jenny ended up being the first of about five goodbyes we said. Guess we just weren't ready to make it final. I'm so glad I got to know her, and it is a reminder to me that even though goodbyes are hard and sad, it is the people who surround me who make life rich and meaningful. If it weren't for the relationships I had in Kijabe, it wouldn't have been nearly as hard to leave!
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