Letter 141: Beautifully Unprepared
When we boldly adventure
After teaching Mark Twain to high school juniors for many years, I’ve come to hear his voice pop in my head time and again. His line, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness,” is often on repeat for me. This tenet is ever-present in Dr. Katherine Blackney’s letter today. She details her time working in Kenya and the various emotions of stepping out of her comfort zone. Now, more than ever, walking alongside and empathizing with those who lead lives very different from ours is crucial. Katherine exemplifies this beautifully. May we all find her same strength as we navigate through these times. —Molly
August 1, 2003.
The beginning of a transformation that perfected who I am today…not on the outside, but truly changed on the inside.
I said goodbye to my parents, grabbed my luggage to last for a year, and got on a plane traveling from Memphis to London then London to Nairobi, Kenya. I was going to work as a counselor at Akiba School in the slums of Kangemi and at Huruma Orphanage in the mountains of Ngong Hills.
The plane landed, I walked off and was clueless who was picking me up or where I was living. I so deeply wanted to live in Africa that the logistics and details were not important. I had arrived at the beginning of my adventure.
Thankfully, details were important to Mrs. Gitao, the principal at Akiba. She was there holding a sign with my name on it. And off we went on our first adventure…Akiba School for an in-service day with the teachers. I was tired, discombobulated, and missing home. Being thrust into this setting was overwhelming. And to add to this already interesting adventure, they had a celebratory buffet lunch of their finest meat…. goat.
I had to be bold that day. I had to be optimistic. And I had to be daring. And how was I able to do and be all those things…. God. But don’t think for a second that I was bold a second time to eat goat…it was gross!
Before moving on, let me back up a second and tell you what I think it means to be a B-O-L-D adventurer: being brave, being optimistic, being lionhearted (courageous and determined), and being daring.
A bold adventurer is brave and willing to undertake or seek out new and challenging experiences. Living in Africa ranks high as a daring and challenging experience for me. Trusting God would show up, braving the distance away from my family for a whole year, staying positive that this adventure would be amazing, and leaning 100% on God.
I rode the matatus, public transportation in Nairobi, to and from work and that was a brave experience. It was very crowded, very noisy, the van door never shut as they continued to pile people in at each stop, and they blared music like you were at the disco tech. I had to be brave.
Being a bold adventurer takes being optimistic, looking for the good, and staying positive even when things are difficult. I got very sick at Huruma Orphanage—probably from sharing a bunkbed (3 girls to a bunkbed). When I got sick, I went to live with Margaret, a dear fast friend who cared for me. I looked forward to our conversations over the fire each night. She helped me stay positive by seeing God in her love and generosity.
Another time I needed to be optimistic was Christmas. I was away from home, away from my four siblings, and away from traditions, rituals and togetherness. God met me in my loneliness and filled the day with 134 children to love on, laugh with, and take care of.
Mama Zipporah and I went into town and purchased shoes for every child (thanks to my supporters), and I had a delightful time playing Father Christmas. Smiles for days! Seeing God in these stories of abandonment and loss and seeing how He turns them into healing, restoration, and beauty was incredible. Life changing.
Being a bold adventurer means being lion-hearted, which means having courage and confidence. Adventure always has an element of the unknown. I did not know what my life would look like living in Nairobi or living at the orphanage. I did not know the stories I would hear in my counseling sessions or know the trauma these children have faced and lived through.
But when I realize God is with me, that He is for me, and that He loves me infinitely, I am confident to take risks, be courageous, overcome fears and step outside my comfort zone. I can treat each new challenge as an exciting adventure where I get to learn new things, meet new people, and see new places.
I will always cherish my time in Africa because it changed me for the better. I would not be who I am today without that bold adventure. I had to be brave. Akiba and Huruma, my new environments soon became my home away from home and the people that filled those spaces became family. I had to be optimistic. Being different, the only peach-skinned person in the slums and at the orphanage, not speaking Swahili or the tribal language, and counseling children who have experienced complex trauma, I had to be lion-hearted. Traveling across the city and into different countries, acclimating to new cultures and new foods, I had to be daring.
Yes, I have lived in 3 countries, I have started my own business, I have hiked 15 miles with my boys to see an erupting volcano in Iceland, I have climbed on the Great Wall of China…but being a bold adventurer also shows up in trying a new hobby, meeting a new friend, joining the mahjong table….everyone is a bold adventurer already, because we have done things in our lives that take grit, that take courage and determination.
So, traveling back to that day in August when I was all alone, in a brand-new environment, surrounded by people I did not know, and eating meat I did not care for…. I had to be brave that day. I had to be optimistic and lion-hearted. And I had to be daring. And you know how I was able to be all of those…. God. So here is my question: How can you be a bold adventurer today? How can you be brave, optimistic, lion-hearted, and daring?
Katherine’s 5 Favorite Things
Fresh air/being outside. Being outside is forgiving and expansive. I can breathe deeper and longer, giving my body the breath and energy it needs. The world slows down and I am truly grounded and holding space for the moment that will never come again. We are in the habit of going on a family walk each night. It is the "play" and "freedom" that I need to end the day and usher in a new one.
Family. Someone asked me once, "What is your superpower?", I said, "Enjoying the chaos." Our house is loud, messy, complicated by various ages, creative and full of color and fun. I love the chaos of our house and all my people in it. Cherishing and loving every messy and beautiful moment and trying to always extend grace to myself for ways I fall short and celebrate the moments that I rise up and win.
Funky sneakers. I am wearing Gola right now. They must have color. They are comfortable, make me smile, and have lots of silver! Shoes show my personality.
Purple mascara by Terry. It is a subtle little surprise only for me...kind of like a peek-a-boo element to my attire.
Photographs. There is such depth behind the memories. Layers upon layers of truth, emotion, thought, existence, and grace for the moment. Mine to cherish. They tell my narrative.
In gratitude,
Katherine Blackney
P.S. Beth’s Letter 19: Undoing Assumptions is an excellent pairing to Katherine’s letter — emphasizing how travel and new-to-us cultures expose our deepest learnings.
P.S.S Check out Katherine’s cousin Lauren’s letter here, or her other cousin Rebecca’s letter here. What a family!
I love this! It’s a beautiful reminder. I can feel her experience and all of its nuances. Thank you!
So thoughtfully stated. I love that God shaped you in your willingness to step into the unknown.