Poli Poli -- Little by little

It's hard to believe that already one week has flown by. Things at NCS (Nairbi City Stars) have started to pick up as the professional team is on week two of training, the Petra Boys start training in one week, and the Kickers Clinics will hopefully start this Saturday. So there is a buzz around the office that's ready for the season to begin. 

This past week has mostly been about learning, listening, and building relationships with the people here. From our secretary Dinah trying to teach me Swahili, to Robert showing me our marketing strategy for this season, to Benji, Justin, Stephen, Nicho, Jako, Gaga, and the rest of the coaches welcoming me and helping me get my feet on the ground. So far my travel outside of the office and apartment has been limited, but I am starting to use the matatu (taxi van) and buses a lot more. Today was my first trial by myself and thankfully I made it without any problems. I am still getting used to not eating big breakfasts and lunches and by the time dinner comes around my stomach is dominating my thoughts. Hopefully I'll be able to make that transition speed up. 

The internet over here definitely has it's moments when it's either really fast or just sucks. Olivia and I have had two nights where it was just frustrating trying to hear the other person talking. The Lord has been so good to Livs and I as we have both been able to connect and talk on a frequent basis. Since my day is happening when she is asleep, we have been able to work out a schedule that allows me to briefly see her in the morning after I go for a run and get ready for work when she's getting ready for bed, and then really catch up at around 9 o'clock at night my time, eleven am her time. Those times have been very special for me and there isn't one conversation that I don't cherish. I pray that the Lord will continue to give us strength to encourage one another in this battle over distance. Yesterday I was reading Shadow of the Almighty and one of the many things that Jim Elliot said about his future wife Elizabeth was that it seemed that even though they were doing this distance thing too, that God was "drawing them together" and his prayer was that one day they would serve him. So true of how I feel now. Poli Poli. Little by little, all of this will come to pass and I just continue to pray that God gives me a lot of grace as I continue to make this transition.Tutaonana