We're off!

So Campbell and I had just passed through security at Dulles Airport when I looked at her and said aloud, “Wow. Are we really moving to Africa?” The whole thing is still completely surreal. After so much anticipation and a past month that has been a whirlwind of loose ends, it feels great to finally be on our way.

I’m writing from Rome where we have a quick fuel stop before proceeding to Rwanda through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. There’s a great sense of community on the plane! We’ve already enjoyed all sorts of interesting conversations with other folks, mostly Africans, but also a surprising number of Americans (including two large church groups). We also had a very cool view of the Eiffel Tower flying over Paris!

On the ride over the Atlantic, Campbell and I talked about how excited we are to be going to a place where we can refocus on things that matter. During our time in DC, we’ve increasingly felt a sense that life was out of balance and we were neglecting relationships with the people we cared about most. We’re excited to be someplace with a markedly slower pace of life, where we can take time to read, write, reflect, and most important, invest in people. We didn’t go to Rwanda for this reason, but it will surely be a blessing of our time there.

If you’re reading this, it means that you’re one of those relationships that we value so dearly. Thanks for joining us in this adventure. More to come from Kigali!

-Dan

p.s. It feels great to be in the land of (some of) my ancestors! I stepped off the plane to take in the Italian air—unfortunately the flight attendant only allowed me about 30 seconds, so that will have to do for now.