Laura in Kenya!

Ahh it all still feels like a dream! As I look back thru all our pictures I'm reminded of just how good our two and half weeks were together. Laura could not have come at a better time! Not only was it right after my one year of leaving San Diego but it had been a really emotional and trying couple weeks and it was nice to have someone who understood me as a person and just get to talk thru things with. God allowed for lots of laughs and good tears, many memories made and a deeper friendship for sure. 

Thank you Laura for flying to the other side of the world (literally) to see me! Words really can't thank you enough for the encouragement you brought, the willingness to live my crazy but awesome life for 2 1/2 weeks and make saying goodbye so darn hard! As for our time together... I shall go down memory lane with pictures to tell of our fun adventures!

1st stop - the village!

Arriving in the village for the first time. She landed in Malindi and then we took a matatu (public transport minivan) down to my village.

Laura's view on our walk home. I'm not sure what she was thinking but it had to be along the lines of...how long do we go for??

After a crazy two days at the funeral for Mama Clemens we got a few hours together in the church to catch up on life. 

One of the days of school we realized all three of us matched! This picture is priceless!

I had a meeting one day so I left Laura with Ellie to do some fun baking...yay for funfetti cake cooked village style! 

I had to let her experience ALL of village life which of course includes washing clothes by hand... I was a good friend tho and did the washing leaving her to rest and take pictures :)

She did help hang up everything... quite a bit of wash between the two of us!

Our our last night in the village my Kenya Mama asked me to make chapati for Laura. So fun for her to get to see me in one of my favorite places in the village...the kitchen!

Chapo in process...

I waited til the last day to take her on an official take pictures tour of the property.

Witnessing the way we get our water in the village. Praises that it came during the day for the whole time she was there!

2nd stop - Malindi!

The 3 of us rode together so that Ellie could enjoy some ice cream with us.

We got some awesome connecting time with the Indian Ocean as our entertainment. We only got bothered a handful of times which was a huge blessing!

Yay us hanging out together talking about Jesus, what we do best... btw Laura did you see how well we are still matching :) We adapt quickly to Kenyan culture!

Feet in the Indian Ocean...together!

Yay beautiful ocean!

3rd stop - Maasai Mara Safari

Day 1 of Safari

Breakfast before we started the journey to our safari (which really doesn't make since because I said journey twice so really the sentence should read Breakfast before we started the journey to see animals)

Yay safari vehicle! This is really going to happen!

Potty stop #1! We prefer natural toliets here! 

Our awesome tent that housed us for two nights. It was a perfect balance between village and city to make us feel very comfortable. Even had indoor plumbing!

I am so incredible glad these two got along so well! 

Safari Day 1! 

Enjoying a cup of chai after our day of travel and first safari!

Day 2 of Safari

Our guide noticed our bad breath and found us some natural toothbrushes (made out of a tree) that the Maasai use to brush their teeth. I sure had a lot of bacteria because it burned! I'm sure he was thankful we did it tho.

Safari Day 2 group pic!

Us with a cool Kenyan bird... Kenya has 1,000+ different species of birds!

We're in Tanzania!!

Our passports may not have gotten stamped but they were in the country of Tanzania...we have proof!

Thank goodness Ellie waited until just the right time to snap this picture...our kind of toliets for sure!

picnic lunch in the reserve. We didn't see any animals while we ate but just knowing we were where they could be was really fun.

The food was delicious!

Day 3 of Safari

We left where we were staying just after 6am (still dark outside) and it was pretty chilling but it was so worth it! Early game drive is awesome!

We successfully marked our territory three times in Maasai land! 

Back for breakfast, chai and snuggles!

Fourth and final stop - back to Nairobi

Started it out right with cinnamon rolls and coffee!

We had fun cooking village style, cracking coconuts and everything!

I'm so at home in this picture its ridiculous!

Just hanging out cooking dinner of a jiko...no big deal!

Cooking ugali!

This is how we buy fish here...completely whole and fried to a crisp. We cut it into three pieces and then added it to our coconut stew...

And this is the final product! It was so good!!

Last day...we're in denial kabisa (completely)!

Dinner together... fried chicken, garlic mashed potatoes and milk gravy

eek so much delicious goodness!!

enjoying our meal and chatting about our time together as well as making plans to see each other all together in the future!

Matching lessos :)

There's writing on the back but its hard to see, it says Tumpe Mungu Shukurani - we give God thanks

Just minutes before the taxi got there. A few minutes later and there were tears. Laura, words just don't seem like enough. I'm so thankful you had such a good time and didn't really want to go! See you friend in 9 months!