Missing pieces…

They say distance makes the heart grow fonder.
Well, we girls are all already pretty fond of Daniel, but judging by Kim and my quivering chins and sinking stomachs as we pulled away from him at DIGUNA, distance—if only a few feet—can accentuate even the best of friendships.
Dan’s staying back in Nairobi for a while, on account of being sick. He had to make the call the night before we left, so it was even sadder, since we didn’t have time to prepare for it.
On a team like this—living where we live, going through what we’ve gone through—having someone missing is like missing an arm or a leg or your nose or something. (Granted, Steve & Co. were gone for three weeks and no one’s heart was aching, but I guess there’s a difference between team-to-team and team-to-leader.)
It just wasn’t the same, traveling without Daniel. He’s us girls’ self-proclaimed protector and source of inexhaustible energy. Not to mention the team’s truck-loading perfectionist—his absence was sorely felt when they nearly loaded half a ton on top of my bike’s gears, or when eggs cracked all over our travel bags, or when one of my boxes, with clothes and precious things my dad brought me, was soaked in diesel that leaked out of the drums. I realized on this vacation that even when I absolutely cannot stand Daniel, I still trust him, so it’s weird to be without him.
Anyway, we’re anxious for him to come back, and it’s only been a few days. Pray that they’d figure out the root of the problem, and that he’d be able to join us again as soon as possible.