CURRENT MISSION

I am working with refugees, and Jill is teaching kindergarten.

ABOUT ME

Jill and I got married in August 2007, and live in Kenya. Jill is teaching at an international school, and I am looking for alternatives for refugees who are experiencing warehousing. I hope to walk with the refugee community to support existing and implement new programs for peacebuilding.

Personally, Jill and I are all about cooking from scratch, laughing and being outdoors... preferably backpacking. Jill is teaching me how to sing harmony--she is super musical.

We are all about living simply, and try our best to live low on the land. We have a small garden that is pretty shaded, so probably won't do so terribly well. We enjoy quiet nights just chatting, catching up on email, playing games or reading.

We are currently in the midst of getting adjusted to our new lives here in Kenya, which means that we are still establishing connections and finding our way. We'll look forward to hosting you, though we might not be able to do too much with you when you are here, depending on our schedules.

PHILOSOPHY

Both Jill and I follow Jesus, and want to live our lives transparently--what you see is what you get... A 90+ year old friend of mine has always had her house open, and I always admired her and her husband, and wanted to be like her. Bc of her open door policy she had tons of folks--even the prime minister of Ethiopia! She didn't even have a big house--just a one-room schoolhouse that they converted into a house. But she and her husband had a lot of love, and that is what drew people. Plus, I have stayed in the Middle East at people's homes--and they are SO INCREDIBLY hospitable. I love their warmth and willingness to share their lives with people. I hope that Jill and I can offer that to all of our guests (though I know that we will pale in comparison with our Arab friends).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've stayed at tons of houses where I didn't know the owner, but I usually had a connection: friend of a friend; distant cousin eighty times removed; or through some type of exchange program where we quickly became friends... And I LOVE IT! I love connecting with people directly when I travel. It's the only way to go.

Interests

Hiking, biking, traveling, reading, hanging out with friends, discussing, cooking (you might even get a meal if I have some time!),

• singing
• cooking
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking

Music, Movies, and Books

I love Francis & Edith Schaeffer's lives and want to model my home after them--always open to guests and surprised by each new person that walks through their door.

As far as movies... I love Everything is Illuminated. I also liked, "De Tweeling" and generally prefer international films that make me think.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I think that everyday life is amazing. We have a simple back porch, and have a nice hammock to sit on.

I love connecting with other cultures. I resettled refugees in my area for the past five years, so have ties to some amazing people who have experiences that I can't even begin to imagine: Burmese, Cubans, Somalis, Mesketian turks, Afghans... It is such a joy and privilege to connect with them.