I received this email from Kristie after announcing my commitment to Uganda. Kristie and I met when we both went to Kenya on our mission trip last October. Through a special turn of events, she met her now husband while trekking Mount Kilimanjaro and is now living in Africa! Here’s what she had to say:

 I am so super excited for you and selfishly for myself as well! I am going to have a friend on the continent with me. Yay! You will be my neighbor, country-wise anyway. Do not worry at all about the things you will be missing. You are going to love living in Africa and the good things here make up for what you are missing back home. Don’t get me wrong there are going to be moments where nothing could make you happier than having a nice juicy hamburger or Chicfila but those moments always pass.

Before you come I will also send you a list of must have things to bring with you. My husband and I also going to Uganda next month so I will do a major scouting mission for you. What city will you be in? What are some of your favorite items? I will check out the stores when we are there to see if they have them and the cost. You can get almost anything we have in the states here (at least in Dar Es Salaam) but a lot of those US comfort things are super expensive here.

Like I said you can make it without any of it but it is also nice to have a couple of things for those home sick moments. I also have a couple of books to recommend about Africa. One is Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles which is on the history of Africa and the other is African Friends and Money Matters is about how African’s view money. I have not read the later yet but several people here have recommended it to me and in our short time here I have already experienced the need in reading it. I have ordered it to read. We are also going to have to plan some trips to see one another. I am sorry for my rant above. I am just so excited for you and this big change in your life. As you I would be super scared and super excited. If my crazy journey over the last six months can be used as an example trust me it is not scary just AMAZING. I still have moments where I ask “is this my life now?” and “how did I get here?” but I would never go back for a split second even if you were to take out falling in love and the whole marriage part. 🙂

If you want more of thoughts I would love to share them so let me know. I so admire you for taking this leap. I cannot even begin to imagine the blessing the Lord is going to bring through it. He is smiling down on you right now with a huge smile. I can just picture it.

Kristie

Certainly makes the world feel small.
amanda