Fast, fast, no blessing; slow, slow, that's the way to go

One of the things I have come to appreciate about my time in Kenya is also one of the things I have found most challenging: the slower pace of life.

Back home in the United States, we are used to schedules, deadlines, and having a plan for just about everything. We watch the clock, keep an eye on the time, and measure our days by how much we can accomplish. We want to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible, checking things off our lists along the way.

Here in Kenya, I have been reminded that life doesn't always work that way.

On our second day in Kenya, we arrived at church 30 minutes early. We were ready to worship, meet people, and get started with our day. There was just one small problem: no one else was there yet! Church eventually started once everyone had gathered together, more than an hour after the scheduled time.

On our mission work days, we were supposed to finish our time with our mission partners by 3 p.m. Two out of those three days, we didn't finish until after 6 p.m. Our carefully planned schedules didn't quite go as planned.

And the driving! If you have ever traveled throughout Nairobi or on rural roads in Kenya, you understand that sometimes slow isn't a choice; it's a necessity. Between the traffic jams, uneven dirt roads, and cows blocking the roads, you learn pretty quickly that getting there safely is more important than getting there quickly.

Even on safari, we had to learn to wait. Sometimes we would sit and watch an animal, hoping it would turn its head and look our way so we could get that perfect photograph. We couldn't rush it. We couldn't tell it to turn around or pose for the camera. We simply had to sit, watch, and be patient.

And somewhere in all that waiting, I began to understand the wisdom behind a Swahili saying we have repeatedly heard during our time here:

Haraka haraka haina baraka, pole pole ndio mwendo / Fast, fast, no blessing. Slow, slow, that's the way to go.

I will admit that slowing down doesn't always come naturally to me. There is a part of me that wants to know what comes next, how long it will take, and whether we are still on schedule. Waiting can feel like wasted time, especially when there is so much to see and do.

But what if the waiting isn't wasted time at all? What if arriving early and having to wait gives us an opportunity to sit quietly and take in our surroundings? What if a delayed start allows us to meet someone we might otherwise have hurried past? What if the longer days give us more time to listen to someone's story, share a meal, pray together, or simply be present with another person?

During our mission work days, we were welcomed into homes, listened to people's stories, shared prayers, and served meals. Those moments were not things to rush through. They deserved our time and our attention. Relationships cannot always be squeezed into a schedule, and meaningful connections don't necessarily happen on our timetable.

Perhaps that is part of what mission work is all about: being willing to set aside our own expectations so we can be present with the people right in front of us.

I am not suggesting that schedules and punctuality don't matter. They do. And I know that adjusting to a different pace of life can be frustrating. But I also know that there is something valuable about learning to let go of the need to control every minute of every day.

As people of faith, we often talk about trusting God's timing. Yet how often do we become impatient when things don't happen when or how we expect them to? We pray for patience, but then we get frustrated when we have to wait. We ask God to open our eyes, but we move so quickly that we miss what is right in front of us.

Maybe the blessing isn't always in getting where we want to go. Maybe the blessing is in what happens along the way.

As our journey in Kenya comes to an end, I hope I can carry a little more of pole pole home with me. I want to remember that not every moment needs to be productive, not every delay is a problem to solve, and not every experience needs to be rushed to make room for the next one.

Sometimes we need to slow down enough to listen, slow down enough to notice, slow down enough to love because life isn't just about how much we accomplish or how quickly we get things done. It's also about the people we encounter, the stories we hear, the beauty we notice, and the blessings we might otherwise miss. This experience in Kenya has given me a different perspective on pace, patience, and presence.