Sunday, February 22, 2009

Sensory Overload!

The last three weeks have been absolutely phenomenal, and so jam packed with all kinds of things – meeting dozens and dozens of people, learning some language, figuring out my teaching schedule, adjusting to climate, learning a little about the Rendille culture, taking trips out to the goobs (villages), taking in the desert scenes (land rovers on dusty roads at twilight, camels enclosed by thorn tree fences, acacia trees against the rising sun, herds of goats at the wells by the lagas, or dry river beds, the smells (goats, camels, dust, hot…), the sounds (howling wind, the women’s choir rehearsing next door at the church, crickets, hyenas…), and even the tastes of Korr (tea made with smoky camel’s milk, for example) have put me into sensory overload!

I want to document it all – jam it tight in my brain so it never gets forgotten – first impressions, pictures, snapshots of time and space and sound that no photograph can ever capture – but it all slides by so fast. How can I possibly communicate what I am experiencing, seeing, doing? And when do I have time to do it? I fall into bed most nights totally and completely exhausted – the day’s work and the heat draining all the energy out of me. But it’s an exhaustion that I welcome. Every day I think about how amazing it is that I have the privilege of being here, and I don’t want to waste my time. I want to do it all, use every moment, see every sight, experience everything I possibly can.

This is a phenomenal place, not just for the climate, the people, and the beauty of the desert, but because of what God is doing in the hearts of these people. Every day I am more and more amazed at all that is happening here in Korr. How do I explain it? What do I say? Hopefully I’ll get some more posts up soon. For now there’s just too much to take in… not that I’m complaining!!!

Off I go, better walk home before the sun sets and the scorpions come out!

Wakh atin barristi (may God grant you peace as you sleep)

1 comment:

heather said...

I'm thinking of the verse that says, "and mary treasured all these things in her heart..."

sounds like you are doing some treasuring, friend!