Chad Prater - My Kenya Adventure

My Kenya Adventure

By Chad Prater

After graduating from high school in 2009 I decided to travel to Kenya with a group called 

Wrestling the World. Along with Phill Klamm, I had some high school friends and other local Edgerton 

community members that were going on the trip with me. I didn’t really know what I had got myself into 

as the plane took off from Chicago. I had never been on a plane before and yet there I was, on one for 

the first time headed to another part of the world. 

Chad with his buddy Tim at St. Anne's

My trip focused around three main objectives along with a three day safari excursion. While the 

safari was a great time and made for some great photographs I find that the other experiences I had in 

Kenya were the ones I remember most. This included helping out at St. Anne’s orphanage for three days, 

helping at the local Hopewell School, and helping build an International Village to aid in future travelers’ 

lodging. All of these opportunities gave me important experiences which helped me learn valuable life 

When I arrived in Kenya I was thrown into a culture that was new and interesting to me. This 

allowed me to do one of two things; put up walls and view my surroundings from a bubble, or open up 

and embrace everything that I was about to encounter. I decided to roll the dice and choose the latter. I 

decided to approach each day with the mindset similar to that of “When in Rome.” This taught me to 

view people for who they are and not take into account the stereotypes that are so prevalent in our own 

society. Our schedule was pretty busy during our time in Kenya which is probably one of the reasons 

why I was able to appreciate the down time we had. I remember going on runs with our driver and good 

friend James, playing soccer with Hopewell students during their breaks, and going on morning walks 

with the children at the orphanage. These were not events scheduled into our itinerary but rather 

impromptu opportunities that you have the option of partaking in or passing on. While you might think 

that these moments are minuscule, I would have to disagree with you. These are the moments that 

made me feel most at home in Kenya. Realizing I could engage in common interests, hang out, and just 

have fun allowed me to appreciate the trip in the moment. Most people look back on their travels or 

vacation and wish they could have done more. I do not feel this way about my trip. In embracing every 

opportunity and taking advantage of the small moments I feel as though I left it all on the table. Sure 

there were times when I was feeling tired and homesick. However, I would much rather be exhausted 

on my trip than have any feelings of regret when I returned home. Kenya helped me learn to not take 

the small things in life for granted. Every moment is an opportunity to improve yourself and others 

around you. Life is sink or swim, so jump in.

The most valuable lesson I learned in Kenya is that you can’t let your happiness revolve around 

material possessions. In the beginning of our trip Phill told us that in the end it wouldn’t be the photos 

that we would remember but the relationships that we made. Needless to say he was right. Looking 

back at the pictures I took on the trip only sparks my memories that could not be captured with a 

camera. Although I was only there for 16 days when I left I felt as though I was saying goodbye to people 

I had known for years. Most everyone that I met in Kenya approached me as a member of their 

community. Everyone was so helpful and sincere that I don’t know if it was possible not to fall in love 

with the people. Two of my best friends that I met there were two young men, around my age, named 

Nico and Charles. I worked with Nico and Charles in building a kitchen at the International village and 

tearing rocks out of the road to the village. We clicked immediately. During work we would talk about 

our lives including our hobbies, daily lives, and of course girls. I also had the opportunity to hike down a 

crater with some Hopewell students. Honestly it felt like a field trip in being with some of my Edgerton 

high friends and our new friends from Hopewell. Hiking down this crater we talked the entire time about 

our interests in music, sports, and school. I will never forget helping two of the Hopewell girls, Sally and 

Grace, climb up a watch tower near the crater. Both of them were not good with heights but slowly 

climbed up the tower anyways to make it a group accomplishment. I still keep in touch with my friends 

from Kenya today via the internet and will continue to in the future.

Kenya had an impact on my life much bigger than my 18 year-old self could have ever imagined. 

My trip taught me not to judge others who are different then you. It taught me to look for similarities 

and interest rather than differences in people. This mindset was especially helpful to me in college 

where you meet new people daily. Working with Charles and Nico taught me to respect other people’s 

methods and judgment. Just because people do things differently does not mean it is the wrong way. 

This has helped me tremendously in the workforce. Learning to work with others instead of just beside 

them has improved my relationships and performance. These are skills I will be implementing when I 

start my new teaching job this September at the Twin Cities German Immersion School. I do not think 

that I would be who I am today without my experiences and relationships that I had in Kenya. 

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the 

adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharlal Nehru