Have you ever met a hero and made a fool of yourself?

A few months ago, I was leaving a school which has one textbook for every seven children, and I was in a rather foul mood. An official government procession went by, and by law, you must pull over to the side of the road, stop your engine and get out of your car.

And I counted over 15 new Mercedes.

I had one of my hitting the steering wheel of my car drives home, but I read something the next day in the newspaper that spoke the truth about the Kenyan budget. Sunny (the journalist at the newspaper) was so on the money that I had to write him and thank him for articulating what I felt in a way far more eloquent than I would ever be able to.

And another unlikely friendship in Kenya was born. Sunny is a Hindu who is not fond of current American policy, and perhaps has some distrust of all Americans. I am probably the poster child for the ugly American.

But we found a bond in our view of economic policy in Kenya. Week after week, he spoke the truth in a country that doesn’t always reward the truth, and fairly recently, would punish it severely.

And I would write to him to comment, and we began to forge an email friendship. We had both been consultants, both worked in technology, and both had a love for Kenya and a deep sadness for the things that drag it down.

He asked me once about what I was doing, and I told him about the computer center and the feeding program. He asked if he could visit sometime, and we set a time.

It was going to be a great day for him to visit. We were going to award prizes for kids who typed the fastest and the most accurate. After three months, children who had never seen a computer before were typing 50WPM with 95% accuracy.

I wanted Sunny to see the project, because he has been in technology, and I have been out of it for so long that I don’t trust my own judgment sometimes. He was complimentary and helpful with suggestions.

But I was like a fan boy at a Star Trek Convention who asks Mr. Spock questions like `In episode 23, you began a sentence in the first 15 minutes and had an unusually long pause. WHY?’

I was saying things to Sunny like:

Me: `You know the column you wrote about the effects on regressive tax policy on economic growth?’
Sunny: Yes?
Me: `It was awesome.’

The twins are not exactly sure about all this America business. Not much has gotten through, although we have tried hard to tell them about all the wonders of the USA. We have had several discussions like this:

ME: You will have so much fun in America!!
THEM: Will Lauren be in America?
Me: No. But you will make LOTS of friends in America.
Them: Will I still be three in America?
Me: Yes!!

Many of you have asked what our plans are for our year in America. We hope to begin by getting some rest. The end of school is so busy and so stressful, and when you add to that trying to pack everything you have and storing it away in a different place for a year, and you add three years of 24×7 dorm duties and adopting twins and everything else, you might come upon me and say `He is a bucket of chuckles.’

But you probably wouldn’t.

So after a few weeks of rest, we are going to shop for clothing. It would be in bad taste to tell you the state of repair that my underwear is in, but my friend Chris would say that it is held together with baling wire and spit. We want the older boys to get reacclimated to the states, and try to see America through the eyes of our three year olds, who have never been to the US before.

RVA has given me encouragement to get certified in college guidance, so I am going to take a series of classes online through UCLA to get further training in that area. The goal the Lord has put on my heart is to come back to Kenya in a year with enough funding for 25 computer centers and 100 schools being fed.

In addition, our own support level is low enough that we would not be allowed to return until it is at our mission approved level, so we need to seek out new support. I hope to find some kind of work once the older boys start school in the middle of August. And, someone is planning to publish a collection of our emails for a book, which still amazes me.

It has been a wonderful three years. Someone asked me: `What accomplishment are you most proud of?’ Upon consideration, I realized it was something most of you don’t even know about. I decided that I needed to be home on Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons so Nancy could work at the library. I’ve always been so driven in any kind of work situation (not that I was necessarily successful or hard working, but I found my identity in working) that laying it down was very difficult for me.

Recognizing that Nancy’s work was as or more important than mine, and that I needed more time with the twins doesn’t sound deep or spiritual, but it was the eternal moment for me.

I know this has been lengthy, but I wanted to end with thanks to all of you. It would be difficult to sum up what you all have meant to us without getting sappy or weepy, both of which are things I like to avoid. What comes to mind is an old TV show called The Invaders. The plot was about this guy who discovers that aliens have landed and are plotting to take over the world.

And no one believes him. Worse, no one cares.

In you, we have found people who would weep with us in what we have seen and experienced in Kenya. There are many people who are bored to death with what we write about, and I can’t say I blame them.

But you have stood with us, and often times, it was an email from someone who gave us the fuel to continue the fight, and to be encouraged in it.

I still go back to the end of the TV show. On the last show, the guy is seated at a table with a small group of people. The stern voiced narrator says `Finally, he has discovered allies. Those who also know. Those who believe.’ And the guy looks at the group of people at his table, and he weeps.

Thank you for all you have done for us, and what you have done for the people of Kenya. You all have made a difference in so many people’s lives. You have been a voice for the voiceless. You have given hope to the hopeless.

Please don’t take this wrong, but when I think of you guys, sometimes I just weep

Your pal,

Steve