A spiritual travelogue BEAUTIFUL KENYA

BY DIANA NASH

When I think of beauty, my thoughts go straight to Kenya. It truly is how I'd pictured it before I went there. The bright colors and surroundings show God's creative design. I feel the love that ties families together and gives each person a purpose. The people of Kenya uplift me to a higher level of thought. They always seem ready to lend a helping hand. I've seen how Kenyans embrace all races and all cultures.

I came to Kenya on a volunteer trip. This was my first time traveling abroad. It was a very anticipated trip for me, as I'd worked as a nanny for a year and saved up my every dollar so I'd be able to go. I'd decided to take a year off after high school and broaden my horizons with an experience that might really change my life. I'd appreciated how Science and Health mentions living unselfishly: "... blessed is that man who seeth his brother's need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another's good" (p. 518). The trip would be my time to give of myself and, most important, I would get to work with children, something I love to do.

After a lot of prayerful preparation, I was ready to fly away from my normal everyday routine and enter into a brand new experience. On the day I was leaving, February 28, 2008, post–election violence in Kenya had ended, and the power–sharing agreement was being signed, which enabled the country's leaders to work together.