If you know anything about me, you probably know that I want to be an astronaut someday. Its a dream I first had when I was little, and for some reason, I just never stopped dreaming (its too bad that the world tells us to stop dreaming...but that doesn't mean we have to listen! (Romans 12)). I guess I can't let go of the thrill of being launched off of this Earth, feeling weightlessness, and getting to see from afar God's spectacular Creation.
However, before I experience this ultimate life-off, I'll be taking risks and seeking thrills in many other ways (I am in fact a product of my parents who've lived pretty interesting/adventurous lives, and I do look up to my sister, who is also a world traveler). Going skydiving last summer is probably a good example (which was absolutely amazing, and I highly recommend it). Bridge jumping, swimming at Cape Cod in October, or getting lost on long runs through Boston could all attest to my adventurous spirit. Choosing to go to MIT, which is an experience often described as drinking from a fire-hose, was probably one of the most significant, crazy decisions I've made in my life thus far...but it's taught me how big God truly is and how necessary it is to trust in Him!
In exactly 10 days I'll embark on a pretty exciting adventure...I'll be leaving for Kenya on June 12th, where I will live for 9 weeks. I will then travel to Uganda, and stay there for a week, until I depart for home on August 20th.
I am going to Kenya as part of my work with a club at MIT called Takachar, that aims to solve two of the biggest problems facing Kibera (a slum in Nairobi, Kenya): the accumulation of trash and the high cost of cooking fuel (charcoal). Our solution to this problem is taking the organic trash (compost) that youth groups in Kibera already collect from the streets, burning it in kilns (oil drums) to carbonize it, and then pressing the resulting charcoal dust into charcoal briquettes, which people can then cook with. By the end of the summer, we want to have at least one youth group using the Takachar method and making a profit from charcoal production. It will require a lot of work to introduce our technologies, work with local community partners, run experiments on the quality and safety of our briquettes, and do surveys to gauge the local reaction towards the new charcoal. But, I will be working with an amazing team of MIT students: Daisy Chang, David Ogutu, and Viveka Mishra, with the whole Takachar team supporting us at home. To stay more up to date with Takachar's progress and the technical side of things, you can check out our blog (of which I will be updating as well) at takachar.blogspot.com.
Of course, in addition to our work, I hope to meet many amazing people and to build relationships with them. I want to grow as a person in many aspects, especially in my faith. I want to explore and go on a Safari and learn Swahili and try new foods. I have high expectations for this trip and I definitely want to let it change me!
After I finish my work in Kenya, I am going to go to Kampala, Uganda, to visit the family my sister lived with last year for four months. They are amazing people, and I can not wait to finally meet my brother Alex and to learn more about his life. I my even get to see my roommate Debbie who lives there too for a day!
I will try to keep this blog updated as much as possible (with pictures), so I hope you will enjoy reading it and learning about all that I am experiencing! Feel free to leave comments or write me emails (lyndsy@mit.edu) or contact me on Facebook! I would also really appreciate prayers for finishing all of the preparations I need to do before my trip, for safety and health while I am there, and for success and productivity in completing our project.
Let the countdown begin....
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