I left the States 554 hours ago. I was in Kenya for 469 hours. I left Kenya 59 hours ago. I have been in London for about 50 hours. I will leave London in 116 hours. I will return to Midland in about 129 hours. I took the time to calculate all of this out more for my own curiosity, but I thought I would share it as well. So that means by the end of my traveling adventures, I will have been away from home for almost 700 hours. Once I get home, I will only be there for about 145 hours before I return to Lubbock. Needless to say, this summer has already flown by. Just saying, "Oh it was absolutely wonderful" does not even come close to describing how I truly feel about my experiences thus far. This blog is not a re-cap of the last month, I'm not going to talk about London, I'm not going to share my overall feelings of Kenya, but instead I am going to tell you about the last day I spent in Kenya which I haven't done yet! The Wedding Day! All of Wednesday morning was spent getting ready for the wedding. We wanted Cecily to have as much of a relaxing day as possible. This even included a day at the spa! Some former MITS students now work at a salon in Nairobi and they came back on Wednesday to do manicures and pedicures for the girls! Cecily thoroughly enjoyed hers and so did the other girls who got the chance to stop by the "spa". I wish I could have had a turn, but I was busy doing other things to get ready for the wedding and just ran out of time! We decorated the fence and archway with beautiful red, purple and pink flowers, along with some banana leaves. We made centerpieces for the reception tables. We made the bouquets for Cecily and the bridesmaids. We set up tables and chairs. We put down the aisle – 5 beautiful African wraps that we spread out for Cecily to walk down as her aisle. We went back, changed, and got ready in the dark with no electricity. We took our seats. We watched 2 of the most incredible people we know come together as one before their friends, and before God. Cecily was a stunning bride in her strapless white dress with a bright orange flower tucked back in her loose curls. Dusty looked very sharp in his black suit, with his scruffy beard accenting his giddy smile as he saw Cecily walk down the aisle. The ceremony was beautifully done, brought together by words from a few close friends, an audience of relatives and friends from home as well as friends from afar, a time for us all to share communion, Dusty and Cecily each taking a turn to wash each others feet, and the sun breaking through the thick clouds providing a breathtaking backdrop… all in all, the wedding was simply perfect. After having Mr. and Mrs. Dusty Breeding introduced to us for the first time, we continued the celebration. We had goat, sodas, cake, dancing, and a whole lot of fun at the reception! The newlyweds first dance was to the Lion King's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and their "get-away car" was a donkey pulling a cart decorated with glow sticks and the same African wraps that were used for the aisle! As the party slowly winded down, I found myself faced with a very tough next few minutes…and these "few minutes" lasted a lot longer than just a "few minutes". I had to say my goodbyes since I would be leaving the next morning at 6am. I hugged countless necks and promised several kiddos that I would return as soon as possible. I fought back the tears as long as I could, but there came a point where there was just no use even trying. It was like leaving family, not knowing when the next time I will see them will be. The pictures in my mind of these kids' faces as we said our goodbyes will never fade. Their sweet, tender words will echo through my mind, never to be forgotten. When I finally headed back to the girls' dorm to say goodbye to the Life Bread folks, I was trying to figure out how these 3 weeks were already over. I couldn't wrap my mind around it. When I planned my trip, 3 weeks really did seem like a long time. It went by way too fast. Saying goodbye to the Life Bread group was just as heart breaking as saying goodbye to the MITS kids. This group and I just clicked from the very first day they arrived. Being with them was like being with a group of lifelong friends. Attending Dusty and Cecily's wedding was like going to an old family friend's wedding. Spending this time with them in Kenya was a true gift. We are already planning their spring break trip down to Texas! I can't wait! Saying goodbye to the Mbuvis… that was tough. If anyone genuinely feels like family, it's them. There's just nothing else that can be said. They ARE family. I miss them so much already. Well, I'm now in London with my family and we've had a fantastic time sightseeing and walking at least 8 miles each day. We have a few days left and I know we will enjoy every moment. Yes, London is wonderful. Yes, I have always wanted to visit here. But when I return home, I will most likely not even remember half of the things we did in London. I will not have a full appreciation for this city. The one thing that I am enjoying the most and what I am still looking forward to for the remainder of this trip is just being with family. That's it. -SG | 
