So, since we’ve been in Kenya, the word of the day has been flexibility. We’ve had some big changes in our plans. Initially, we had planned to live in Nairobi for the first three months while we studied Swahili. Once we arrived, we realized the teaching method was not what we had expected, and we started looking for ways to make the most of our language-learning time. (Cause, you know, some of us need all the help we can get.)
Long story short, in Chogoria, where we always planned to work for the next two years, we had an opportunity to try working daily with a “language helper” who does an immersion-style method. We immediately felt like we were learning faster and picking up more words. So we decided to change plans and move to Chogoria right away and spend our three months of language learning there instead of Nairobi.
Which leads to the flexible part: because we didn’t have long term housing waiting for us in Chogoria until March, we are moving from place to place in temporary housing situations until then. So we moved to Nairobi, visited Chogoria, went back to Nairobi and moved everything to a very generous family’s house in Chogoria where we have been living while they are gone to visit relatives. Come the end of this week we will move the third time to a temporary apartment, and come March we hope to move the fourth (final?) time to an apartment we can use long term.
We are grateful that there have been so many people in our Chogoria community who have been willing to help us figure things out and show hospitality while we’ve been in chaos. We’re grateful we have language-learning options. And we are especially grateful to anyone who says a prayer that the continual moving and living out of suitcases does not drive us crazy until March.
Team Ryley 