I once (was on) a farm in Africa

I have been spending this past week a couple hours north of Nairobi with the Hovingh family. And let me tell you, Karen Blixen doesn’t have too much on these folks. What a joy it was to be welcomed into their home and see and hear of their adventures of developing their test farm, learning to home school and just figuring out how to live life in the bush of Africa. I had come out for a day in October with Paul & Elizabeth and just knew I needed to come back (refresher: Lisa’s younger sister, Lindsey, is one of my great friends from growing up (along with Heidi from Ethiopia) and Paul knows Jason from RVA…so we are all connected).

It has been a great week…great conversations with Lisa and Jason about life, life in Africa, life amidst transition…the chance to meet three young volunteers who are out here because they want to help and are taking some time off from school to learn more about life…watching kids explore nature and tap into their creativity that isn’t stifled by hours upon hours of sitting in front of a television…sorting through (not exaggerating) over 200 stuffed animals (VALUABLE LESSON: don’t send stuffed animals to Africa for orphans—everyone else is already doing that. Also, no need to send underwear that you no longer use) and mounds of clothes…learning even more about hospitality and the values and challenges of living in community…and, I even got to milk a cow.