Well, last night was the three-week mark for my departure to Kenya. I spent it getting creative with packing some gifts Michael Kimpur had to leave behind after his recent visit to Minnesota. Michael is the director of Daylight Center and School in Kapenguria, Kenya; I will be staying with him and his family during my seven-week trip. If I've forgotten anything, then it is just as well, because I am packed to the brim.
For those of you who don't know, I serve on the board of directors for Daylight Center and School. Daylight is an orphanage and boarding school that aims to bring safety, education, and hope to the children of Kenya. Visit Daylight's website to learn more.
It was in June of last year that I was debating out loud how to turn my master's of Liberal Studies coursework in Anthropology and Religious Studies into a well-formed thesis. Nathan Roberts, who is the United States director and co-founder of Daylight, responded simply with "you should do something with Daylight." I was beginning to disregard this suggestion when it dawned on me that it was perfect, providing the necessary environment for comparative religion that so interested me in joining the Master of Liberal Studies program in the first place.
The children who attend Daylight come from various religious backgrounds, but all come together to live and learn peacefully together at Daylight. This behavior, it turns out, is not unique to Daylight; many communities in Kenya, due to colonialism and missionization, are made up of people who practice different religions (as well as individuals who practice more than one religion). I am interested in observing and learning about the community practices that bring people in the community together, cross-religiously.
Well, that's all for now!
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