Off to a Great Start With More to Come

We have had a very busy two days in London. Yesterday was filled with various meetings. Suzanne spent a majority of her afternoon meeting with the Mothers' Union representaives while I met with Vanessa Anderson from the Five Talents UK office to discuss communications strategies as well as how to better share information between our offices. Last night, I attended as an art auction event at the Colomb Art Gallery to benefit Five Talents. The exhibit by artist Pip McGarry will be up until Saturday, May 23.

Today, we had the first-ever true Five Talents International board meeting at Lambeth Palace. I always find it so encouraging to meet with our "Five Talents Family" members that reside outside the US. At tonight's dinner table there were all sorts of interesting conversations taking place about past travels, living abroad, development work and a variety of other life experiences. I sat between Rachel Millward the UK Developement Director (who I've met on multiple occassions and always look forward to seeing) and Anne Figge, a Five Talents Fellow who will be heading to Tanzania at the end of of the summer (who I only briefly met a couple of weeks ago when she stopped by the US office when she was stateside).

I am now back at the guesthouse trying to get everything together before heading to the airport in the morning.

In about 11 hours, Suzanne and I will board a British Airways plane and continue onto the next leg of our journey. On to Nairobi!

Joining us on this flight will be a Five Talents Business as Mission team that will be working in Kenya and Uganda for the next two weeks. If you're interested in following their trip, Dan King (aka BibleDude) will also be blogging.

We all arrive in Nairobi on Saturday evening (Kenya time, which is 8 hours ahead of EST) and then on Sunday, Suzanne and I catch a flight to Northern Kenya before flying into Sudan on Monday.

But, before arriving in Sudan, I wanted to make a brief introduction of one of the partners we'll be spending time with while in Leitnhom. (While I have not yet met Thomas Anei, I have only heard wonderful things, and I'm definitely looking forward to an in-person meeting!)

Being born into a country that was in the midst of a 20-year civil war and being forced into the army as a child soldier has only strengthened Thomas Anei’s desire to bring healing and restoration to his homeland.

While working as a child soldier, Thomas, a native of southern Sudan, had a dramatic conversion experience. It was after this conversion that he sought refuge in Kenya and ultimately completed his studies and graduated from seminary.

In May 2007, Thomas attended a Five Talents-sponsored Christian Economic Development Institute in Nakuru, Kenya. As a result of the training, Thomas became a strong advocate for economic development as the mechanism needed for effective Christian witness in order to create a more stable Sudan.

Thomas, an ordained priest in the Episcopal church of South Sudan in the Diocese of Wau, serves as a Five Talents Fellow in Lietnhom. During 2008, he learned how to replicate the community bank model used in Lietnhom in order to start community banks in other parts of the Diocese of Wau.

Time for me to get some sleep. Looks like I might get about 6 hours before my alarm goes off...

Cheers!

Kelli

It's almost here...

In about one hour, I've got a cab coming to my house to pick me up and take me to Rosslyn, where I'll be catching the bus to Dulles.

I actually think I'm pretty much done packing, which has been pretty interesting. For our flight into Sudan, Suzanne and I are each allowed to take 30 pounds. That includes cameras, computers ... everything. I'm estimating I've got about 20 pounds of personal space for 10 days worth of clothes, toiletries, powerbars, etc., and I think I've come up with a solution: rotate the outer layer, have a clean inner layer. So, I've packed two pairs of pants, one skirt and five shirts for my Sudanese outer layer wardrobe. :)

I'm finally feeling the excitement and anticipation again. Up until last night, I've been so focused on other details that I hadn't actually slowed down enough to realize that "I'm leaving today!" Now, as I finish all the last minute details before hopping on the plane, I can't help but have that good, nervous feeling in my gut.

More from the other side of the pond...

Kelli

A Glimpse Into Where I Am Going...

Before leaving the office this evening, I wanted to upload some photos from our program in Lietnhom, Sudan, to give you a feel for where I am headed. Enjoy!

Time

At this moment, I am working on three computers. Typing this blog on my desktop PC, listening to Pandora and updating Five Talents golf materials on my desktop Mac, and loading software onto the laptop Mac that I'll be taking into the field. In the midst of this I'm fielding questions from co-workers, responding to emails and updating our Web site. I have also just created a "Do Not Disturb" sign for my desk in hopes of increasing my ability to multi-task.

Time. Right now, I'm not sure I have enough of it. And yet, regardless of what I do or do not get accomplished before I leave, I'll be on a British Air flight to London at 8:55 tomorrow evening. (That thought, I have to admit, provides both relief and panic! :)

One of our incredibly dedicated volunteers was just in the office. He prayed that Suzanne and I would be open to God's timing on this trip. To know that the Lord may have plans for us that are different than what we have organized or imagined and that we would be open to His leading.

There is definite reality in that volunteer's prayer. Yesterday, we received an email from Peter Macharia, who is the Sudan Country Director for World Concern and one of our consortium partners:

This is to let you know that the flight that was carrying Harun from [Kenya] was unable to land in [Sudan] today due to a very strong dust storm covering the area. They were forced to be brought back to [Kenya]. They will be leaving on Wednesday for [Sudan] and we hope the storm will have cleared. Kindly pray that we will not be affected and our trip will be as planned. Dust storms are common occurrences at this time of the year in Sudan.

This email was just a reminder that even with the best made plans there is always the possibility of change and alternate routes.

As Suzanne and I enter into our final 24 hours of preparation, I'd ask for your prayers that we be good stewards of our time before and during the trip and that would we would be open to the Lord's leading and His use of our time during the next three weeks.

OK, time for me to share my attention with the Macs sitting to my left... :)

Kelli

Six Days

Six Days. A little more than 144 hours. That's how much time I have before boarding a plane and heading east.

I'm not sure I can begin to explain how excited I am... It's been almost three years since I visited East Africa and almost a year and a half since I visited the Five Talents program in Chennai, India, and I cannot wait to get back in the field! Although, at the moment, I must admit that I'm feeling overwhelmed and tired with everything I need to finish in the next 100 or so hours (that is, if I'm taking time out to sleep and eat ;).

Anyway, I'll be traveling with Suzanne Schultz, our director of program, to Sudan and Kenya to visit our programs in both countries. We leave next Wednesday night (May 13) with a couple day layover in London for the Five Talents International board meeting prior to flying into Nairobi and then on into Southern Sudan. We'll get back into the states on June 3.

I'll be blogging my travels here as much as Internet access is available (and hopefully posting photos as well!). I'll provide more travel details in the days to come before my departure.

here we go...

Kelli Ross
Five Talents International, Director of Communications