As Bushie's World Turns (The Update Thread)

[Keystone Phil]

I suppose the strength of people who are soooo blinkered by religion, they see everything, good-bad-indifferent as being from God, so take no responsibility for constant f*** ups.

It's stuff like this that I do ignore that is laughing at Christians and calling us stupid that it makes absolutely no sense.

Planning to move halfway across the country on a whim because God "told" you to do so is what makes absolutely no sense.

Bushie, with all due respect, we have been down this road before, with on company, the vacuum thing and a bunch of other crap.  It is one thing to have strong religious feelings, that is fine, no one is saying otherwise. 

However, its a completely different story when you decide to suspend all rationale thought and critical thinking because you asked God and he "told" you to do something.  Its simply a very dangerous way to live and go about things, you have been burned by it many times before. 

Yes, Kenya is "halfway across the country" from Oklahoma.

[WalterMitty]

how come no one has told bushie that he doesnt have african children?

[Mr. Morden]

how come no one has told bushie that he doesnt have african children?

Because making up stories about imaginary black children is a hoot.  Just ask Karl Rove, circa February 2000.

[BushKenya]

how come no one has told bushie that he doesnt have african children?

Because that would be a lie.  I don't have biological African children, but I am the sole financial support of two children and they have no mother or father, so I am their father.  In just three years, I will be going down there to begin the year long process of legally adopting them and moving them in with me.  I know what my God has called me to do and He is already starting to work out one of the biggest details, employment.  One of the big industries is Telecommunications which is very close to my degree.  I will be getting my Security+ and ITIL certifications up here before the middle of May for my job in Oklahoma and those certifications will carry over wherever I go.  Plus, I am hearing rumors around my Dell office that there are plans in the works for Dell to expand into Nairobi, which would be tremendous, because then, I wouldn't have to leave Dell to move, I could just transfer.  Dell is already in Egypt and Zimbabwe, I believe, and now they are looking at building in Nairobi.  I could live and work in Nairobi and drive to Kisumu (7-hour drive) on weekends to visit my children and help at Maisha.  I'm excited.

[WalterMitty]

they arent legally your children, bushie.

youre chasing rainbows again.  it will end the same as your other adventures have ended.

[afleitch]

The last thing Kenya needs is another obese white Christian indulging in a spot of modern day patronising colonialism.

[BushKenya]

they arent legally your children, bushie.

youre chasing rainbows again.  it will end the same as your other adventures have ended.

I know they're not legally my children, yet, it doesn't mean they are not my children.

This will not end the same way.

[BushKenya]

Nice insult, afleitch.  Kudos.  For the record, I have lost 30 pounds since November, and I am no longer morbidly obese, I'm just overweight.

[Grumps]

Tell us truthfully why you haven't talked to your parents yet?

[BushKenya]

Tell us truthfully why you haven't talked to your parents yet?

The timing is just not right.  I'm not leaving for three years, and I don't want to scare them.  I want to put some space after the initial trip to Kenya before I tell them so they won't think it's an emotional response.  I'm not worried about them trying to talk me out of it, because at this point that's nearly impossible, because I believe in my heart of hearts that God has been preparing me for the last 30 years for such a time and such an adventure as this.  I don't want to scare them, either, because I am their baby boy.  Plus, I want to have an idea of the employment situation down there before I tell them, which I've already got an idea of since Dell is planning to expand into Nairobi according to rumors I've heard through the grapevine at work.  I do want to give them a year or two to prepare their hearts for their baby boy living and working 8,500 miles away as the crow flies.  Their closest son would still be 1,500-2,000 miles away in Norfolk, Virginia.  I'm not ready to go, yet.

Oh, and Duke, you keep putting BushKy.  Ky is Kentucky.  KE is Kenya, so start referring to me as BushKe.

[Secretary Polnut]

I suppose the strength of people who are soooo blinkered by religion, they see everything, good-bad-indifferent as being from God, so take no responsibility for constant f*** ups.

It's stuff like this that I do ignore that is laughing at Christians and calling us stupid that it makes absolutely no sense.

That's the thing... I'm not laughing a 'Christians', I laugh at (and have serious concerns for) people who resign responsibility for their decisions.

I know PLENTY of Christians who would find your position quite horrifying.

You have made some literally mind-bogglingly bad decisions over the past few years... and thanked God for them at their inception almost every time... then when the inevitable end occurs... you thank God for that too...

So... either God really doesn't like you... or you're really bad at using your own God-given brain and free-will to make decisions for your life.

I'm being harsh, and as usual, it probably won't set-in, but this actually comes from a place of deep concern. It's not like you need to give up your faith to inject a little common-sense.

[WalterMitty]

Tell us truthfully why you haven't talked to your parents yet?

The timing is just not right.  I'm not leaving for three years, and I don't want to scare them.  I want to put some space after the initial trip to Kenya before I tell them so they won't think it's an emotional response. 

uh.  it is an emotional response.

another serious question, what if you meet a woman between now and your planned departure?  will she have to sign up for a kenyan deployment?

[Lіef]

my reaction to the past five pages:

[bullmoose88]

Tell us truthfully why you haven't talked to your parents yet?

Right after he finds his stapler.

"...but then, they switched from the Swingline to the Boston stapler, but I kept my Swingline stapler because it didn't bind up as much, and I kept the staples for the Swingline stapler and it's not okay because if they take my stapler then I'll set the building on fire..."
 

[Inks.LWC Supports Chuck Hagel]

how come no one has told bushie that he doesnt have african children?

Because that would be a lie.  I don't have biological African children, but I am the sole financial support of two children and they have no mother or father, so I am their father.  In just three years, I will be going down there to begin the year long process of legally adopting them and moving them in with me.  I know what my God has called me to do and He is already starting to work out one of the biggest details, employment.  One of the big industries is Telecommunications which is very close to my degree.  I will be getting my Security+ and ITIL certifications up here before the middle of May for my job in Oklahoma and those certifications will carry over wherever I go.  Plus, I am hearing rumors around my Dell office that there are plans in the works for Dell to expand into Nairobi, which would be tremendous, because then, I wouldn't have to leave Dell to move, I could just transfer.  Dell is already in Egypt and Zimbabwe, I believe, and now they are looking at building in Nairobi.  I could live and work in Nairobi and drive to Kisumu (7-hour drive) on weekends to visit my children and help at Maisha.  I'm excited.

Do you really have the financial means and parental expertise to be the adoptive parent to two children?  Perhaps you should talk to a counselor before you start trying to go down this road.

[bullmoose88]

Do you really have the financial means and parental expertise to be the adoptive parent to two children?  Perhaps you should talk to a counselor before you start trying to go down this road.

You honestly think he'll give this or any other intelligent consideration any thought whatsoever?

[Inks.LWC Supports Chuck Hagel]

Do you really have the financial means and parental expertise to be the adoptive parent to two children?  Perhaps you should talk to a counselor before you start trying to go down this road.

You honestly think he'll give this or any other intelligent consideration any thought whatsoever?

If he truly cares about the children, I think he'll talk this over to a professional counselor to get their opinion of whether he should be adopting 2 children.

[bullmoose88]

Do you really have the financial means and parental expertise to be the adoptive parent to two children?  Perhaps you should talk to a counselor before you start trying to go down this road.

You honestly think he'll give this or any other intelligent consideration any thought whatsoever?

If he truly cares about the children, I think he'll talk this over to a professional counselor to get their opinion of whether he should be adopting 2 children.

You're giving him way too much credit.

[Secretary Polnut]

Do you really have the financial means and parental expertise to be the adoptive parent to two children?  Perhaps you should talk to a counselor before you start trying to go down this road.

You honestly think he'll give this or any other intelligent consideration any thought whatsoever?

If he truly cares about the children, I think he'll talk this over to a professional counselor to get their opinion of whether he should be adopting 2 children.

You're giving him way too much credit.

I agree... does he know if God wants this yet? Or because he's had a good time and wants to return... the surely he does and will provide all in time which is necessary?

[wormyguy]

Jeff:

Have you met these children in person?  Are you sending them money at present?  If so, to which person or entity specifically are you sending money?  What method of money transfer are you using?

Have you done any actual inquiries into housing or employment at all?  What happens if your car breaks down or you run out of gas in the middle of your 7-hour drive through Kenya?  You can't exactly call AAA.  Have you considered that a long drive might be dangerous for an out-of-shape white person, alone, driving a (presumably for Kenya) expensive car?  There's a good chance you could be kidnapped or worse.

[Nagas]

Guys, I think we should support Bushie. Better he adopt two kids financially than have some biological ones on his own.

[Secretary Polnut]

Guys, I think we should support Bushie. Better he adopt two kids financially than have some biological ones on his own.

Consider what those kids have already been through?

[VP Duke]

You know, as someone with experience in long distance relationships, I feel I should say something about this move, yet again.

If you aren't even sure you will live in the same city as your "kids," then why go to Kenya? A 7 hour drive every weekend will not last as the gas will be insane and you will be exhausted. Trust me. I dated a girl long distance for 7 months after I graduated college, and it drained me both emotionally and physically trying to go to law school and travel between SC and NY all the time. Plus, it isn't the same as being near them all the time. Plus, a 7 hour drive in Kenya is far different than a 7 hour drive through the Carolinas and virginia. What if something happens and your stranded? You'd be dead. Whoever you stumble across won't be there to help you in most cases. None of us want to see that.

I know you met these kids and really like them, but to uproot your entire life to move to Kenya for them when you don't even know if they will want to live with you is absolutely insane.

In the past, I felt like your actions were just unlucky, but I am seriously thinking now some professional needs to step in before you really do screw up your life. Seriously, I am concerned. If the sole reason you want to move to Kenya is to be closer to your "kids" and those kids will still be 7 hours away if you transfer with Dell, you're setting yourself up to be heartbroken. Some other sponsor might come along and they'll be their "kids" too.

I feel like you're being very naive about all of this. One doesn't just up and moves to Kenya on a whim because they feel a "calling" to go there. That's a huge life decision and not something one just does. Especially an overweight white person from Oklahoma. You went there on a mission trip. You had a nice time and felt a powerful message, but I just feel like you're acting like a child who just went to the beach for the first time and you're begging your parents to move there so you can go to the beach all the time.

If you move to Kenya, you leave your friends and family behind. Flying back and forth between the US and Kenya probably isn't cheap and since you had to save up before for this ONE trip, imagine if you had to do it regularly. And your "kids," when they start getting older and are more independent. Then you're by yourself in a foreign country. You aren't Kenyan. You never will be Kenyan, no matter how much you think you will, and you're setting yourself up to make a mistake bigger than simply quitting your job.

[King]

This is pretty much setting us up for a potential series finale if contract negotiations stall.

[BushKenya]

Jeff:

Have you met these children in person?  Are you sending them money at present?  If so, to which person or entity specifically are you sending money?  What method of money transfer are you using?

Have you done any actual inquiries into housing or employment at all?  What happens if your car breaks down or you run out of gas in the middle of your 7-hour drive through Kenya?  You can't exactly call AAA.  Have you considered that a long drive might be dangerous for an out-of-shape white person, alone, driving a (presumably for Kenya) expensive car?  There's a good chance you could be kidnapped or worse.

I have met these children in person.

I am sending them money directly through the Maisha Headquarters in Oklahoma City, a non-profit, which will go directly to Maisha in Kisumu and to the children.

I haven't done any real research on the housing situation down there, what I'm going on now is what I've heard not just from Dell, but from someone from Choctaw High School (my alma mater) who lives 3 hours away from Kisumu.  Even though she's moving to Nigeria in 3 months, she is still a good source of information, because she herself employes thousands of people in an Agriculture and Farming business, which is the biggest industry in Kenya.  The other main research I've done on my own in terms of employment is knowing that Tourism and Telecommunications are their 2nd and 3rd biggest industries.  As far as actual companies in Kisumu, I haven't gotten that far, yet.  I want to have a better idea of the employment before I look at the housing, because it takes money from employment to afford housing.  Duke is right, I would rather be in the same city as my kids, so I don't have to make that drive.  The Dell in Nairobi just makes another option, not a done deal.  I know the children will want to get out of the current situation they are in, living with their aging grandmother only eating 5 meals a week - lunch Monday-Friday when Maisha feeds them.  Later on in April, I will be buying both of them a pair of shoes and maybe a new outfit to send with the group that's going down in early June.  That is over and above the $35 a month each I am sending them for their education and health care.  I gave Phelix my Bible while I was down there, now I need to get Rose a small Bible so she can read it.  None of these items will break my budget, but they will go a long way to improving, even if just a little, their living situation.

The children will grow up and move out of my house, but, by then, I will have at least 3-4 years of experience living in Kenya and I can focus a lot more time with the other children and supporting my children through high school, college, and university.  There are many possibilities.