I saw what I saw...

Your pain has changed me

your dream inspires

your face a memory

your hope a fire

your courage asks me what I'm afraid of

(what I am made of)

and what I know of love

I saw what I saw and I can't forget it

I heard what I heard and I can't go back

I know what I know and I can't deny it

Something on the road, cut me to the soul...

- Sara Groves

So, this is my last blog post. I know it has been a while since my last post, but I decided to wait until I was finally home to write this in hopes that I would better be able to summarize our final month and weeks in Kenya. It was full: white water rafting the Nile in Uganda, hanging out with monkeys, and saying a lot of goodbyes. And, I wish I had some neatly wrapped way to conclude this journey or some single sentence that summarizes what I have learned and feel. But, I’m not sure that I have processed it all yet, and I’m not sure that’s how God works. More often, he works outside of the boxes we try to confine him in our little worlds. I say this because I saw him do that with me during the trip, and I hope it will forever change the way I see the world.

“Final weeks in Malindi”: Our final few weeks in Malindi were a lot of the same. Adam was still going to the hospital to volunteer three days out of the week, and I was still spending time every day down at the shops. There were also a few more meetings here and there to finalize the small scale sports ministry we were starting. Before leaving we were able to get the sports ministry started for two weeks and have a meeting to see what progress was made. We ended up with six different teams around Malindi that played at least twice a week with children in the area. It was great to see the excitement and how the hard work and all of the meetings paid off.

I actually got a little discouraged one day down at the shops about a week before we left. In Kenya, there is a very difficult stereotype that you encounter daily if you are white: you are rich and will give your money away. Honestly, in comparison, we are extremely rich. But, it is really difficult to overcome this barrier and build actual relationships sometimes that aren’t there for the money. In all my time down at the shops, I attempted to break down this barrier, and I thought I had until the final week. There was a day down at the shops that I was bombarded with questions asking for money and for me to buy things or give them away, and it really frustrated me. I ended up feeling more like a bank than a friend, and I thought all of my time had been ill spent. But, that changed by the time we had to say goodbye, and I realized that I was really going to miss the friends I made down at the shops. I am going to miss playing chess, listening to/playing music, and having lots of conversations (sometimes awkward). I hope that someday I will return to Kenya and see them all again in a joyful reunion.

“Juma”: I have told you all a little about one of my friend’s Juma. But, here is an entry from my journal that I wanted to share. Well, if our time here amounted to nothing more than today, it would have been enough. Suddenly, all of our time was worth it. Today, Juma became part of God’s family. It’s amazing; it has changed so much of what I have though. Juma was probably the guy down at the shops who I had written off a bit, because he always seemed to be scheming, joking, and generally disinterested. But, then again, God loves the misfits and troublemakers. I was floored the other day when, while having a discussion with him about his Islamic faith and Adam and I’s Christian faith, he drew in the sand. He drew himself and us, asking, “How do I get to where you are?” God is amazing. He blew me away.

After thinking about it over the weekend, Juma came to shops Monday morning. He seemed eager to hear more, and he sincerely said, “this way is better and I want to change”. I was able to share the gospel with him again, and Adam and I prayed with him later that day. It was really amazing to see God work through the prayer. Literally, while Juma was praying with us, the Muslim call to prayer was going on, and it was a like a visible way of God showing the “old becoming new”.

“Probably the best rafting in the world”: Several of us went for a short weekend trip to Uganda to raft the Nile. It was epic! I would do it again at the drop of a hat without a doubt. It was class 4 and 5 rapids the entire day, and our raft was always first to go and always down the hardest line. We had a crazy/jokester guide named Juma who tried to flip us every rapid, and we ended up doing a lot of White Nile swimming. But, it was amazing. We went through some insane rapids and even went down a small waterfall. After seeing the slogan on the t-shirts about it being the best rafting in the world, we asked the guides how it compared to other places in the world they had rafted. They said for big drops, huge rapids, and pure adrenaline, you can’t beat the Nile. It was definitely an experience I will never forget.

“A monkey stole my lollipop”: In one of our last days, we went to Nairobi’s City Park. It is a large park with tons of monkeys…the reason we went. Most of these monkeys are pretty docile, and won’t try to harm you. But, they will steal your food. We bought a lot of peanuts before going in, and several lollipops. Immediately, when you walk through the gates, monkeys jump off of trees and start walking your way in hopes of getting a treat. Some a shy, but many are bold. Without warning a monkey will sneak attack and jump on your should from behind and then proceed to pry your fingers open to get to the food. Others will sit on the ground and wait to grab one from your hand. I started eating my lollipop and sat on a bench, only to have the lollipop snatched out of my mouth from behind. It was worth it to see the monkey in the tree holding and licking my lollipop. At one point, I had 5 monkeys crawling on me…not your typical day.

“Random thought”: This is a small entry from my journal reflecting on my time in Africa…There is a time of day, right before and during dusk where the sun’s reddish-golden light hits everything in just the right way. Everything looks a little softer. It’s usually the time after I have just finished my evening run, and I am riding back to the apartment. The back catches little idyllic snapshots of everyone in slow motion. If I look hard enough, it looks like everyone is happy, peaceful, and content. The long, hot day is coming to a close. Work and the day come to a cool end. Everything seems right in the world, and everyone looks beautiful. All of the problems: the poverty, the violence, the corruption…ceases and disappears for a while and the town is at peace. This is my favorite part of the day in Africa.

“Final day”: I’m not sure I have reflected on this journey like I should. Every time I start thinking about leaving this place, it ends up being much tougher than I expected. I keep closing my eyes and seeing different children smiling, and it makes me sad to leave them. It’s amazing that one week ago I was just ready to leave and come home. But, now, the gravity of the situation is much more than I realized it would be. I closed my eyes during a nap the other day and I kept picturing the children’s smiling faces: Doreen, little Monica, Karanja, Mongeli, Julius, Lydia. And, I started to tear up and have a difficult time resting. The reality that I may never see these children again is squeezing at my heart. It was even more upsetting to think that if I did come back to visit some years down the road, the children may not even recognize me or I them. But, I will always remember them and I hope they remember us. As one girl said, “It is only hills and mountains that will never meet”.

Well this is it. The finale. I just wanted to thank everyone who stuck it out to the end in reading my ridiculously long posts throughout these nine months. Thank you all for always being there and encouraging me along the way. I really appreciate it and I hope you enjoyed reading about my journey through Kenya.

much love…

Long time, no blog...

"Love is a harsh and dreadful thing to ask of us, but it is the only way."
- Dorothy Day

So, it has been a little over a month since the last time I wrote and since Adam and I have been in Malindi. A lot has happened and hopefully I can try to fill you in on some of our adventures. This has been a difficult post to write, not only because it is likely my next to last one, but because I thought I had nothing to say. Instead, it seems that I had a lot to say, but I didn’t really know how to say it. So I apologize for the length and possibly the disjointedness of this post, but I hope it is informative and entertaining.

“Sports Ministry”: Adam and I have been working hard to start sports ministry here in Malindi and along the Kenyan coast. It has been a difficult, fun, and slow (pole pole) process. To be honest, I think we may be taking on something that is bigger than us, and we may be in a little over our heads, but we know that God is faithful. A lot of what we have done has involved various meetings with different people and churches to talk about the idea and gather ideas and suggestions from them. Some of the meetings have been more productive than others. We have encountered the usual “problems” (I use that loosely) with the church here. By problems, I mean that the church and the culture here doesn’t exhibit any sort of urgency. Not that what we want to accomplish is urgent, but our time here is limited. On the one hand, I really enjoy the laid-back aspect the “no hurry in Africa” (hakuna haraka) attitude; but, on the other hand, when you are trying to accomplish certain goals it can be disheartening and discouraging that it takes three weeks or more to achieve a simple task. But, I will also be the first to admit that this may come from my own Western-centric views of how things should operate. But, it can be frustrating nonetheless.

However, despite the slow pace, things have been productive. We just finished a meeting yesterday with several people from various churches who are all interested in starting sports ministry in their various communities. It was a good meeting with many questions and a good boost to our morale as well. We were able to clarify the vision and goals to everyone and answer most of their questions (except one: someone asked if skits were okay as a subsitute for a sport? I’m not sure where this idea came from, but we were a little dumbfounded for a response at first and informed him that skits aren’t exactly what we were looking for). Also, we met the other day with two great contacts, one with SIM’s Sports Friends and the head coach of Kenya’s National Women’s football team. Both meetings went really well and things are looking good for the possibility of sports ministry in Kenya’s future. Lastly, Adam and go out to the beach every Sunday morning after church to play football with many of the locals. It is awesome to play in such a beautiful setting and see the 5 or 6 games going on all the way down the beach. It has also been a humbling experience to see just how terrible I am at football compared to Africans. But, it has been fun to get out some energy and make some friends.

“The Malindi Tourist Market”: Many of the days during the week, I go down to the local curio/tourist market. At first, it was difficult, because everyone would try to convince me to come to their shop to buy something, thinking I was a tourist. But, after many trips down I have made a few friends (Jeffa, Benard, Emmanuel, and Juma), and everyone knows that I have lived in Kenya for a few months and I work here. My friends all run different shops down in the market, selling various souvenirs to tourists. It’s a large market with many shops, full of all kinds of African trinkets and mementos.

However, due to last year’s election violence in Kenya, tourism has been at all time low. Unfortunately, what used to be a very lucrative business for many of these people, especially in Malinidi, is now fading. Most of the hours that I spend down at the shops, no one comes through; and, when an mzunguu does make it down to the market, they never buy or they buy from one of the many other shops. It’s become a difficult and dying business for everyone there, and it is sad to walk by many of these shops and see them full of items that won’t be sold. But, it has been a fun community to join.

Recently, I was down hanging out with some of the guys and they were letting me look through their photo album. It was full of pictures of when they were younger and the years past at the market. I could see how popular the market used to be; it was full of tourists and everyone looked extremely happy. Many of them have pictures hanging out and sitting with the tourists, even visiting them at the resorts. But, now, those packed stores are empty and the smiles have turned the faces dull by long and lonely hours. It’s sad to see a place so full of life once, now dying. It’s also sad, because I have become close with many of the young guys that work there. Soon, however, many of them are going to be forced to seek other employment, because they are making no money and have to pay for food and school fees for their children. On top of this, the shops are only open during “high season” which is right now (Septembe through March). But, in April, the rains come, and the tourists leave and the shops close for five months.

“Jeffa and Friends”: So, I have been spending time with these guys, just helping them pass the hours. Most of them are Rastafarian or at least “Rasta” by name. None of them actually practice the religious aspects; instead, they don dreadlocks, love reggae music, and oddly enough some of them have Jamaican accents (or at least attempts at Jamaican accents). So, we have gotten to talk some about faith, as well, and Jeffa has come to church several times. All in all, the guys are great and a lot of fun to spend time with, and I think they really enjoy me coming down, because it helps them pass the hours. We play a lot of chess and talk about life. I answer all of their questions about America: music, technology, geography, politics etc. And, they teach me some Swahili and Kenyan culture. I actually got several funny questions the other day. One buy named Benard was talking about American movies and asked what the phrase “chilling out” means. I explained that it was like relaxing and hanging out with friends, similar to kupumzika in Swahili. Then he said that he was watching a Jean ClaudeVan Damme and some one tried to fight him, so he said, “chill out”. At first, I laughed, because I misunderstood how the phrase was used, but more so at the quality of American movies that has been exported here. Then he proceded to ask me what the word p-i-m-p meant as he spelled it out in the sand. Needless to say, I laughed a bit, again, because I knew that he heard it from gangster rap, and I tried to figure out the best way to explain something that has become a part of American slang. So, I did what I could do and explained the actual definition and the one used by most rappers. It was an interesting and comical conversation to say the least, but such is life with curious Kenyans.

“The poor will always be with you”: It has been a struggle the entire time we have been here to figure out how to handle and grasp the crisis of abject poverty in Africa. It’s very difficult to weigh the outcomes and situations and assess the real needs and whether to hand out money or food. It is everywhere, not just Africa. But, the scale here is so much larger and ovewhelming. It has bothered and disturbed us all. I have constantly been reminded of Mother Teresa’s quote, “In the poor, we meet Jesus in the most distressing disguises”. I have tried to keep this idea in mind that each one of us is a child of God. When Jesus lived on the earth he was homeless spent much of his time with the poor, and he commanded us to treat the poor and “least of these” well (Matthew 25:40 ).

Some of the same issues have been a struggle now with the tourist market. Many of these people are now my friends, and they never ask for money, unless they are trying to sell me something in their shops or if they are really on the outs and need a buck for a little food. Either way, I struggle with how to help these guys and many others. Part of me wants to just give them money the money they need to do different things. The other part of me doesn’t want to feed into the ideology (so common in Africa) that all white people have lots of money and they will just give it out. This not only feeds into a stereotype, but it also creates a detrimental dependence on the West that already exists on a larger (country) scale throughout Africa.

Instead, it has helped me a lot to approach each situation with these guys the same way I would with my friends at home. Since I have become pretty close with some of these guys, it has helped to view it this way.

“Lamu”: We went for a few days to the island, Lamu, north of Malindi. It is a beautiful and historic island with cystal clear water, old dhows, and rich Swahili/Muslim culture. The only mode of transport, besides boat, is donkeys, and there are many of them. The “streets” on the island are, essentially, alley ways with hotels and shops on each side. We saw many mosques, and we walked a few miles to a beautiful beach on the opposite side of the island. We, also, got to enter an old fort and get a bird’ eye view of some of the town. Lastly, Adam and I each bought a “siwa” (old wooden and tusk “trumpet”) historically used by Muslims to call togther meetings and prayers. We have both attempted to play it, but to no avail. It was quite an isolated place, but beautiful and full of culture and friendly people.

“Alice”: One of the pastors we met with in Lamu was a kindly and older woman named Alice. She was one of those people who seemed to be full of wisdom and she was a great story teller, kind of like Morgan Freeman in any movie he narrates. Anyway, she shared a breif story of her experience befriending a Mulsim lady in her community. She said one of the Muslim women that is a friend of her’s came to hide and stay in her home one night, because she fear her husband beating her. So, Alice took her in and took care of her. She let her stay until she felt safe. When the woman returned to her community, her friends asked her, confused, “You chose to stay with a Christian women when you had problems and not in your own community?”. They woman replied, “Yes. You all just add fire to my already burning problems. She is a dear friend and helps comfort me.” The story was simple enough, but the picture was huge and beautiful.

I couldn’t help but thinking of how beautiful a picture it was of how we should look as Christians and the Church. We should be a place of welcoming, refuge, peace, and a place of comfort. We all too often get caught up in judging, condemning, or making light of someone’s problems, when sometimes we should just be silent and love.

Struggle well with life...

"And I think that's what our world is desperately in need of - lovers, people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issues they are concerned about."
- Shane Claiborne

Well, it has been quite the whirlwind adventure since my last post. We had to travel to Ethiopia for two weeks so that we could renew our Kenyan visas. I have to admit that I was tentative to go to Ethiopia at first, because we had looked into so many other places to travel in Africa that were farther or seemed more interesting. But, God works in mysterious ways, and we never realized how much of a blessing our time in Ethiopia would be. So, the fact that travelling/flying in Africa is so expensive and that it prevented us from going places like Madagascar, South Africa, and Egypt, was really God’s hand at work. Anyway, let me try to fill you in on some of the details.

“Ethiopia and Kenya: Compare and Contrast”: I realize this title sounds like an answer to a college exam question on the history of Africa; but, it is actually the most frequent question I have been asked in the past few weeks, so I figured I would try to explain what I have seen in the two countries. First, I in no way claim to know or have any of this figured out. I have a very limited experience with Africa, so these are just a few of my own observations, and may not be general truths.

Organization and cleanliness: Ethiopia, at least the parts we saw, seemed to be much more organized. Addis Ababa was much closer to a city in America in terms of environmental cleanliness, law enforcement, and driving on the right side of road. In Kenya, all over, there is an exorbitant amount of waste disposal in open areas. Plastic bags litter the dirt side walks, roads, and slums. In many areas, the trash is just burned in large piles out in the open creating plasticky fumes that permeate the area. There is a general lack or knowledge and education, or maybe a lack of concern, for the environment and waste disposal. However, this isn’t everywhere; many of the areas we have visited in Kenya have been absolutely beautiful and well preserved. But, unfortunately, it is a fairly common occurrence in most towns that we have visited to see this type of waste. So, it was nice to see a cleaner side of Africa in Ethiopia.

Culture: Both places have amazing and rich cultures that get into your blood. However, the music, culture, and food are quite different in the two countries. I have to admit that I am a little more of a fan of the traditional Ethiopian food. The food is delicious. It is all really spiced, varied, and fun. I say fun because it is all served on a large platter and everyone at the table eats with their hands and njera (like a thin, large, sourdough pancake); it really makes for a shared community experience. Also, the amount of food is quite large (plenty for three people) for less than 6 dollars! In Kenya, the food is much blander. Both musical styles were completely different. The entire time we were in Ethiopia we never heard any rap or American music blaring from speakers in matatu or shops. Ethiopia is much quieter, and there music is much more soothing than the tinny guitars of the Kikuyu songs that are so common in Kenya. But, as much as Ethiopia’s music is soothing, Kenya’s music has grown on me, and it feels more like home, even if it is a louder more abrasive home. Lastly, there is a greater sense of safety and less corruption in Ethiopia.

Overall, I love both Kenya and Ethiopia equally and for different reasons. I think it is necessary when travelling to assess each culture and country separately. I try not to make too many comparisons, because each place is unique and each place has its ups and downs. Most importantly, each place is beautiful and full of its own treasures.

“Addis Ababa”: We all really had no idea what to expect from Addis when we arrived or what to do when we got there. It was night so there wasn’t much to see. Then we arrived at the SIM compound in the city and unpacked our things and took the rest of the night off. The next morning a missionary couple, Joe and Kay, informed us that there was a delicious, inexpensive, and fun restaurant within walking distance. We decided that it was too good of a combination of things we were looking for to pass up. It was quite the place. We sat down in cozy little chairs and ate the traditional njera and wots (not sure what they are…but, they’re delicious). On top of the amazing food, we got to hear some authentic Ethiopian music and singing in the restaurant. During our meal, several different singers and musicians entertained us. The music was beautiful, and the singing resembles a wave the way the voice goes up and down. We also decided to visit the national museum or Haile Selassie museum the same day. It was a really neat place full of eccentric items from Ethiopia’s past and present. There was amazing and disturbing art. We saw Haile Selassie’s throne, and we learned about the fossil “Lucy”.

During the rest of the week, we visited the Mercato (market), which is the largest open-air market in East Africa. It was enormous and a little overwhelming to walk through. But, we found several friendly shop owners and bought some neat souvenirs including a clay coffee and tea pot set that I was never intending to buy, but was convinced in a matter of minutes. Now I have a plate, coffee pot, several tiny coffee cups and an incense burner (which was a plus), which I have no idea where I will put it. We also visited the Sheraton hotel in Addis (quite the dichotomy between luxury and poverty) and visited an ancient rock church.

“Washa Mikael Church”: This was definitely one of the highlights of our time in Addis. I was reading the in-flight magazine on Ethiopia during our flight, and I came across an article describing an ancient rock church, similar to the more well known Lalibela, right within the outskirts of Addis. We decided to go and see what this “secret of Addis” was all about. It took a little while to get there in the cab, and we arrived at an Ethiopian Orthodox Church. At first, I thought we had been misguided, but once we got out and paid our fee of 30 burr ($3.00), we were led by a guide up the mountain. It was a nice 40 minute hike through the woods and eucalyptus forest to the church. Once we were there, it was quite the site. The church is in ruins in many places and it is recessed in the ground. We were informed with a brief history of the church as we walked through its old, moss and vine ridden archways and caverns. We were even informed that it, supposedly, was once the church that held the arc of the covenant. We took many pictures and enjoyed climbing around in the ancient walls.

However, the experience didn’t end with the church. Just a short walk away we were led to a clearing that gave a breathtaking view of the entire city of Addis. We proceeded to take a bunch of pictures including several, successful and unsuccessful, pictures of us jumping. All in all, it was well worth the hike and money to see something that most people don’t know about or see while they are in Addis.

“Smiles are universal (a thought from my journal)”: I was having a bit of a rough day when I wrote this, but the smiles of the children turned that day around: Children are an amazing source of joy. Even if you aren’t a parent, they can be a soothing salve to a battered soul. Smiles are universal. I saw a quote today by Mother Teresa that said, “Peace begins with a smile”. I like it as a reference to non-violent resistance, but I like it even more as an inner peace that is an out flow from God. I can say that in the emotional turmoil of the day, the smiles of the children and others helped heal my heart. I had forgotten the joy children can bring and the hope they have. There is so much beauty in the simplicity of someone who just wants to be held and someone who delights so much in a smile or a wave.

“Camp Langano: Sports Friends”: While in Addis, as I mentioned earlier, we met Joe and Kay Harding who are heavily involved in the Sports Friends ministry of SIM, in Ethiopia. We had a chance to sit down with them and hear more about the ministry and how God is using the soccer ball to spread love and grace. There goal is to create an international movement of sports ministers to empower the church and others to spread God’s love through sports to all parts of the world. It was such an awesome time to hear Joe and Kay describe their work and how God was using it in Ethiopia. You could see their joy when they spoke and how soccer was crossing racial, religious, and cultural boundaries. After meeting with them, they invited us to join them at their camp for our final week to help serve with the construction team coming from Church at Charlotte.

At first, I have to admit that I had a difficult time deciding whether to go along to Camp Langano or to head back to Kenya to finish out our time on the coast. But, I couldn’t deny the appeal of making new friends, seeing a new side of Ethiopia, and getting to serve in the process. It ended up being an amazing week full of hard work, new friendships, and lots of laughter. Just to give you a brief rundown of some of the events: we went on a boat ride and saw a hippo, we painted 25 gallons of paint on the camp, we tiled several floors, we took cold showers daily, we held a monkey tail, we saw a 13 year-old slaughter a cow, we drank more crystal light packets than I thought possible, and we laughed more than any week-long mission trip I have been on. By the end of the trip, Adam, Katie, and I felt like we had been welcomed into and become part of a Church at Charlotte/Camp Langano family. The week was a great time of joy and rejuvenation that has given us a lot more excitement to head back to our time in Kenya, because we saw the joy and excitement in the construction and vision teams at the camp. Adam and I also saw a great opportunity to pursue this same type of ministry hear on the coast in Kenya. So, we will be working on finding solid people to be involved and catch hold of vision that Sports Friends has in hopes of creating a similar situation here.

“A few funny phrases and quotes from the week”:

- “Apple bottom jeans…boots with the fur…”

- “Happy wife, happy life.”

- “Control group!”

- In reference to numerous marriage proposals and the final acceptance, “you know where the ring is in the sock drawer”

- “So, you were hip to her form, but she wasn’t hip to your form”

o Response: “No truer words have been spoken.”

- “Do.What. You're. Told.”

These are all references to the week and specific people, so I apologize to all who don’t understand some ofthem; but, to those that do, I hope you enjoyed. I just want to say thank you to the teams from charlotte for allowing us to serve with you all, and we are all excited to finish out our time in Kenya and to come visit our new group of crazy friends.

Love wastefully...

"As you press on for justice, be sure to move with dignity and discipline, using only the weapon of love."

- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

It’s official; AT and I are currently on the coast in Malindi. The coast of Kenyan is a gorgeous place decorated with palm trees, coastal breezes, and laid-back culture. It has been a great experience so far meeting new people and being pushed out of our comfort zones at times. It has also been quite the rollercoaster experience so far: grappling with the different culture of the coast, heat and mosquitoes, and preaching at different churches. All of the difficulties aside, it has been a great learning experience that I think will prepare us well for everything we will do the final two and half months.

“Brother “Bear”nard (aka Bernard) & Mikindani”: As expected, AT and I arrived in the early hours of Monday morning (4 am) in Mombasa after a long, sleepless night on the bus. But, we were excited to be here. We were picked up by Bernard (pronounced “Bear”nard by himself) and taken to the home of a family in his church in Mikindani. Despite being exhausted and just wanting to sleep, AT and I toughed it through an hour and half of breakfast and meet and greet. Then we went to our lodgings in the hostel…and, passed out. The large fan spinning overhead at turbo speed was our saving grace from the heat and humidity the few days we were in Mikindani. The next few days were a whirlwind of travelling and meeting families/people in the town. It felt like AT and I were on a rollercoaster in the dark: never knowing what the next turn would be or when we would be thrown for a loop. It was quite the experience. Everywhere place we visited, Bernard asked us to pray over the people we met. Many times, the introductions were awkward; but, many times, we learned a lot of valuable information about the area. One day, a few hours before we headed to a different town, “Bear”nard informed us that we would be preaching to a group of pastors. Having not prepared anything to say, we were rushed to figure out what we would be speaking on. I was literally running over my thoughts up to the second I was called up. I introduced myself and AT to the crowd and told them briefly the work we were doing on the coast. Then I jumped right into a talk on Jesus’ call for us to be harvester’s in the harvest field. It actually went better then I ever imagined; I’m still can’t remember most of what I said, but I know I got an emphatic “Amen!” once or twice.

Another time, we talked with a group of children and mothers in a tiny village slum and preached at Bernard’s church. Each time, I spoke about enemy-love and Jesus’ difficult call for us to love wastefully and love those who don’t love us. By love wastefully, I mean loving in spite of others not returning that love; love that seems wasted, on the surface, but it is just an outpour and overflow of the immeasurable love Jesus shows us. You know, those hippy teachings of Jesus in the Bible haha. On top of that, I think I ate more rice and stew than I ever thought possible. Everywhere we went, we ate a meal with the family. It is traditional Kenyan culture, especially on the coast and rural areas, for a family to feed a visitor. Many times, even if the family isn’t well off, they will cook you a very nice meal. But, for some reason, rice and stew was the meal of choice everywhere we went…literally. That said, the rice and stew are pretty delicious, and I quite preferred that to and ugali (a cormeal type dough) or githeri (a mix of beans and maize).

“105 year old Kenyan and a blind preacher”: On the last day we were in Mikindani, we went to have yet another meal with a family. This time, however, we were met with a surprise as we walked back into this tiny village, we were greeted by a man who looked no older than 85 years old, only to find out that he was actually 105! On top of that, we ate dinner with a blind preacher. He was a really neat man. He had the entire bible in brail and was quite the jokester. Even though many times he made jokes in Swahili that I couldn’t always understand, I laughed quite a bit, because his laugh was so distinct. We had a delicious meal with his family. He had the cutest little girl, who had never seen an mzunguu before. She was hesitant to come close at first, but then she warmed up and had a great time giving me and AT high fives. Eventually, she let me pick her up and I would throw her in the air. I have never seen a bigger smile, and she had the cutest laugh. I don’t think she had ever been thrown in the air before. She was addicted! Every time I sat her down, she wanted back up. I obliged. So, I threw her in the air up until the point we had to leave.

“I drank Obama”: I know this sounds like a really ridiculous title…and, it is. But, there is a little story behind it. When we arrived in Malindi, AT and I went to a tiny African restaurant to eat. After perusing the menu for a while, I saw they had several fresh juices. Then, at the top of the juice list in bold letters, was something called “Obama Mix”. I immediatley laughed and then asked what the Obama mix was…I want one. The waitress laughed a little and informed me it was a mix of all of the juices together (Mango, passion, and orange). I enthusiastically replied that I would have to have that, and I would have to have it in a large. It was delicious, and it if the “Obama mix” is any indication of his presidency, it will be delicious, refreshing, and fruity.

“Malindi”: AT and I found a little one room apartment, about the size of closet, that we are living in. It has worked out pretty well so far, but we are going to continue looking for other possibilities. However, the town of Malindi is pleasant little beach town with some great Italian food, beaches, and last but not least churches. We have already met with several pastors (including a Pastor’s fellowship). Each person has been full of information about Malindi and the coast area. However, over and over again when we ask what the Church is doing to reach out to the Islamic community, the answer is always very little. And, when asked why, the answer is always lack of knowledge and know-how. There is a desperate need for love and grace towards the Islamic community on the coast, and a need for the Church to take part in this. Hopefully, as At and I spend more time here, we will find out more ways for the church to get involved in community building activities and ways to love and build relationships with the Islamic community. There are many needs in the Malindi community: poverty, infrastructure, education, and sex tourism.

“Sex tourism”: This has been a shocking and more prevalent side of Malindi’s dark underbelly that we never expected to encounter. Unfortunately, while Malindi has some delicious Italian food, many of the 2,000 Italians that live in the area are perpetrating another terrible and deplorable business: sex tourism. It has been going on for years now, and it has been very difficult to stop. In the basics, many older Italians, men and women, after being divorced, retired, or widowed will move down here because there money goes a lot further. However, it has been twisted into preying on the poor and young (some as young as 9 years old) in the area for sex. It is not uncommon to walk around town and see an older women or older man with a much younger Kenyan hand-in-hand or showing affection (not part of Kenyan culture at all). Additionally, one of the many ways that these people exploit the impoverished and young is to offer to pay for their school fees or food in return for sex. Sadly, this isn’t a difficult way to convince the poor, because of the desperate need for money for school and food. In fact, some poor families will even encourage the practice in order to bring home money for food. Many young Kenyans will hang out near the resorts or on the beach in order to solicit money in turn for sex. It has even sparked a pornography industry. It has really turned into a depraved business that has perpetuated poverty, sexually transmitted disease, and corruption. Little has done little or nothing to end this corruption, because it brings in a valuable tourism industry and money to the country. I tell you this, not to degrade Kenya in any way or point out its faults. Every country and person has faults. Rather, I tell you in order to expose a serious issue that is prevalent throughout many other countries in the world, and to call on the Church and others to act. I ask for your prayers and suggestions for solutions.

On a lighter note, Katie, Ryan, and Lindsey are here for a few days to visit. We had a great day yesterday showing them around town, drinking Obama mix, getting slightly (or a lot) burned at the beach, and eating some delicious dinner. They will be here for a few more days, and we are all looking forward to hanging out and spending some more time together. Also, keep AT, Katie, and me in your prayers as we will be continuing to follow God’s leading in the last few months. Lastly, we are excited to head to Ethiopia for two weeks as we have to leave the country to renew our visas.

For the times they are a-changin'...

Well, it is a new year and change is coming, so I thought it was a good time for another post to update everyone on what has been going on during the holidays here. It has been such a joyful time and full of adventure. It has also been a sad time as we left another home to come back to Nairobi before heading to our final ministry on the coast of Malindi. It has been bittersweet, because we all miss Thika, its people, and its life dearly. But, I will go ahead and get to the past month…

“Lake Naivasha and Aberdares National Parks”: We did a little park hopping a few weekends ago. First, we went to Lake Naivasha and took a boat tour around the lake to see the hippos. Almost immediately after getting into the boat, we thought it would be a better idea to get out of the boat and go onto a little peninsula where we saw some giraffes. We got really close, and Ryan chased a few of them around creating a great National Geographic-esque video. After the wild adventure, we got back in the boat for more of the tour. We saw many hippos from a safe distance. We all wanted to get a lot closer, but our guide informed us that hippos are rather ornery and mean-to the point that they are not opposed attacking a boat. Hippos are also the most deadly animal in the world, which surprised me, but made the game “Hungry Hungry Hippos” seem even more realistic. However, we got too close once and a very large hippo decided to charge our boat, but he stopped before he got too close. It was awesome; I even got part of it on video. But, that was the closest we got. Overall, it was a gorgeous day outside, and it was relaxing to kick off my shoes and prop my feet up on the boat for a lazy ride around the lake.

Following this, we went to Tumaini for a much needed reunion with the children. It was so exciiting to finally go back after three months and see my “brothers and sisters” again. Lindsey told us that they were all really eager to see us, and they even prayed for us the night before. When we returned, it felt a little like coming home and back to familiar faces. After arriving, AT and I walked out onto the field where they were all playing games, and the looks of excitement and the smiles on their faces had me smiling all weekend. My little girl Doreen wouldn’t let me put her down the entire day; she was constantly on my shoulders and making demands about where she wanted to go. I couldn’t believe how much she and so many of the other kids had grown. We all picked up right where we left off with the kids and had such a great time hanging out with them again. Fellowship was really great, because we all got to re-experience the children’s overwhelming hearts for God again, and we were reminded of what we were here for: to serve. It was great falling in love with the kids all over again, but our time there felt too short.

Lastly, we went to the Aberdare’s mountains. We took a safari van through the park in hopes of seeing the famous wild tembo (elephants) that live there, but with no luck unfortunately. But, the day was not lost. It was filled with trips to several huge waterfalls. Each one had its own unique appeal: one had a rainbow, one had a cave, and one was enormous. AT, Ryan, and I even hiked our way through the brush and down the river to the top of one. It took a good hour or more, because there were no trails, and eventually we decided to just walk in the river down to the edge since that seemed like the easiest option despite how frigid the water was, and we knew it would lead to the end. When we got to the edge it was all worth it for the view down and out from the top. And, who doesn’t love a good adventure? We also had a mini-adventure trying to push and pull the safari van out of the mud. Luckily, the girls captured our efforts on video.

“The Amazing Sun (Solar Oven)”: Well, it is finally completed. After several months of research, buying, building, blood, sweat, and tears, the solar oven is finished. It was a long process, and AT and I aren’t sure if we would do it again outside of the U.S., because the access to materials and tools was difficult. But, the payoff has been great. The first thing we cooked was brownies, and they turned out amazing. The oven reaches a temperature of around 280degrees Fahrenheit. It can cook about 7-10 loaves of bread at a time. We found a bread recipe, and have already baked several loaves and shown the caretakers at Macheo how to use the oven and make the bread. They were quick learners, and we hope that they will continue to use it to bake bread for the children. The bread was delicious and a big hit with all of the kids.

“Christmas in Africa”: I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical of what Christmas would be like minus my family and home. But, Christmas here has surprised me in more ways than I ever thought it would. At Macheo, we celebrated Christmas twice. First, we celebrated with the boys from Macheo-Joyous. It was a full day event that included everyone waking up early in the morning to retrieve the goat to be killed for the meal. I didn’t participate in this event; instead, I opted to help chop tomatoes, cut potatoes, and sing a few songs that were played over and over on the CD player. The entire day was amazing and full of fun. All of the boys were really excited to celebrate Christmas, and we all really got to see each boy’s personality. They were all extremely relaxed and joyful. Most of the times that we had visited before, the boys all seemed a little guarded. But, on that day, everyone was singing, laughing, dancing, and letting loose. It really helped remind me of the joy we are supposed to experience and live during the Christmas season with our family and community. The day ended with a big meal of chapati, goat meat, chips, cabbage, stew, and sodas. We all crowded into the small house and ate together, and watched to boys cheer as they received presents.

A few days after, we celebrated Christmas again with the children at Macheo. It was the last day we would all be together before many of them headed home for a few weeks. I can’t think of a better note to end on. The day was very similar to the events at Joyous. It was a full day of cooking, laughing, and playing with the kids. But, the most touching experience was the when the children all received their gifts. Each child had their own separate bag of presents, and they were all called up individually to receive them. It was encouraging to watch as each child walked up with a smile ear-to-ear to receive their bag. All of the children cheered for each other as the process continued. But, the neatest thing was seeing how each of them waited patiently, until they were told to open their gifts. You could see the excitement in their eyes and incessant movement. It took me back to being a kid and waking up way too early in the morning, because I was so excited to run downstairs to see the gifts. But, they were so patient, and it paid off. I have never seen so much joy and excitement when gifts are being opened. They were each so grateful for the gifts, and they were ready to show them off and many of them started sharing with each other right away.

“Masai Mara”: Well, several of us just got back from one of Africa’s most notable national parks: Masai Mara. It was a bumpy journey there in the “raise the roof” safari van over dirt and rock roads. But, the journey took us to one of the most beautiful places in Kenya. The Masai Mara landscape is vast fields and rolling hills of tall grass with scattered Acacia trees and mountains throughout. We saw many lions, buffaloes, hyena, cheetahs, giraffes, and elephants. We even witnessed several male lions eating a buffalo and we got very close to several giraffe and elephants. The land was breathtaking and it was like walking into the photos of Africa that everyone pictures in their mind. Getting to see the animals in their natural habitat and so close to the vehicle was a once in a lifetime experience. Lastly, we saw many Maasai peoples of the Maasai tribe. They are a beautiful people adorned in colorful kangas, blankets, and beads. Seeing them walk across the landscape is like watching art in motion as their vibrant colors dot the vast expanse. They are very graceful and joyful people whose sole existence depends wholly on cattle (food, marriage, wealth, etc.). Katie thoroughly enjoyed yelling “Supa!” (a Maasai greeting) at them as we drove by, and they all responding in kind. Lindsey, unfortunately, had a little less luck. But, overall the Maasai are a very friendly people. It was an experience that I won’t soon forget.

“Thank you”: I wanted to extend a very big thank you to everyone that replied to my last post and expressed interest in helping with many of the projects I mentioned. It is a blessing and encouraging seeing everyone’s heart to help and love those in need in the margins of society. You are all truly living Christ’s love and encouraging others in the process. I hope you all are encouraged just as much as we are. Also, if anyone is still interested in helping out, feel free to send me an e-mail anytime and I will be able to direct you further.

Continue to keep us all in your prayers over these last four months. While we were sad to leave Thika, we are anxious and excited about the possibilities in the last four months on the coast. We know it will be a very trying time, but we are trusting God to guide us and help us spread love amongst the Church and the Islamic community there.

The answer is blowin' in the wind...

Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

- Bob Dylan

It has taken me longer than it should to write this post. It has been on my heart for some time, but I was never really sure how to go about writing it. We have all been working, during our time at Macheo, to raise funds for various projects. However, it has been more difficult than we imagined finding grants and organizations that are willing to help or pertain to the specific needs of these projects. So, I think God has shown us that there is no more appropriate place to turn than family, friends, and his Church. I hope that this doesn’t come off as some cheap and distant solicitation for money. Instead, I hope that I can share with you some of the various projects that we are working with and hope that one touches your heart and God compels you to act. Most of the next few paragraphs will provide some of my own feelings and thoughts about the projects:

- "Malnutrition Program": I know I have written about this already in one of my earlier posts, and some people have already responded. But, we went to visit again yesterday, and I wanted to share my feelings after the visit: It’s tough. It’s really tough, and it’s heartbreaking. We just returned from a meeting with the sisters in charge of the malnutrition program. We sat with them briefly to encourage them, because there are several people that want to give and help. But, in our time of encouragement, we were met with the stark reality that this program needs our help even more…and desperately. Today, they had to turn away most of the 100 single mothers that come each week in hopes of food, health education, and hope. The program only had 2 Kg. worth of food to distribute, because of a lack of money; so, the families were forced to find food by other means. Most will probably remain without food for the day possibly even several days and go back to their homes in the local slum. Mother Teresa once said, "In the poor, we see Jesus in the most distressing disguises". And, in this program, I think I see what she means. I look at the faces and into the eyes of each child and parent and I can see Jesus weeping for love for them. I hope that this program will continue.

- "School Feeding Programs": This is a really amazing program that Macheo is directly involved in. At four local schools in Thika (several in slums), Macheo helps provide school meals for the children (800 + at one school) by asking their parents to pay only one shilling per day (70 shillings = $1). It is great to see the kids enjoy healthy meals for less than it would cost the parents to make a meal on their own. Due to these programs, the schools have seen significant increases in school attendance, and the children are receiving healthy meals that they wouldn’t receive otherwise. Not only does this project promote health amongst the children, but it provides education in the process.

- "Self-sustainability at Macheo": There are several projects that Macheo is involved in to make the home self-sustainable. Currently, they are breeding German Shepherds, and one of the dogs (Jeokal) recently had three puppies. In addition, Macheo has been building two large buildings for a poultry project. The chickens will provide a source of food as well as income (eggs and meat). Lastly, the home is working on purchasing more cows for a dairy and building a fish pond as well. All of these projects will help provide necessary funds for the home.

- "Child Sponsorship": There is always the need for a child to be sponsored at any home. There are 87 children at Tumaini and 56 children at Macheo. Many of the children at Tumaini don’t have any sponsors, and Macheo is attempting to provide double sponsorship for each child to cut the costs for the sponsor. The money received from the sponsors is used to pay for the children’s school, food, maintenance and bills of the home, administration, and any other needs the children have. Sponsoring a child is probably the most helpful way to give to either children’s home, but it does require a commitment. After working at both of these homes, I can tell you how tempted I am to sponsor each child. I would do it in a second, if I could. Each child has his/her own unique personality, smile and laugh. And, I love each one equally, and the children love their sponsors, and most even know them by them name and pray for them daily. It is such a joy to see what a sponsorship does for the life of these children.

I you are interested in any of these projects, feel free to e-mail me and I will send you more detailed information about how you can get involved (agannett@gmail.com).

What's been going on...

It has been too long, and many things have been going on at Macheo since the last time I have written. From a soccer tournament to painting murals we have continued to remain busy with projects. The kids are finally out of school for about 2 months which is great because they are around the home all day; so, we are all excited to be able to spend a lot more time with the children. Anyway, I won’t spend too much time rambling on, because I am excited to catch you all up on different anecdotes and happenings around Thika.

- “Random Thought”: This is another short entry from my journal that I thought I would share…Sometimes I forget that I am living in Kenya, and that bothers me. I wake up and get involved too much in what needs to be done for the day that I forget to pause for a moment and take it all in. I fear that somehow years down the road I will wake up and forget these amazing lives and people, the joy and laughter, the love and servant-hearts, the fun and the tears. Will I still be affected by the poverty? Will I still remember the children's laughter and songs echoing through the home? Will I still remember their joy despite their unbelievable hardships at such young ages? Will I remember the malnourished children who can’t walk at three and four years old? Will I remember the joy and peace of God shining through it all? Will I remember?...

- “Obamania”: Obama is officially president-elect of the U.S. Being here in Kenya during this time has been eye-opening, fun, and ridiculous. I have never been extremely enthusiastic about politics; I have always been more passionate and enthusiastic about issues rather than any one candidate. That said, it was and is officially “Obamania” here in Kenya. Even before the election-day, people would yell “Obama!” at us as we walked by or ask us if we were voting for him. But, during and after the election was the craziest. There are a few African musicians who have written songs and music videos praising him; one song even included the line, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in the United States of America”. On top of that, there is an unfortunate belief that Obama will do as much, if not more, for Kenya than America. The two newspapers that were printed after he won were filled cover-to-cover with articles: How Kenya needs to clean up its act for Obama, Children need to look to Obama for an example, and How Obama will change Kenya etc. Furthermore, Kenya celebrated a national holiday in his honor on November 6, Obama Day. Everyone got the day off. But, that wasn’t even the most absurd. Uganda actually got two days off, and Nigeria got five days off! All of the absurdity in Kenya aside, I do believe Obama’s election is truly a historical moment for America. That said, I am not expressing my own views of who should or shouldn’t be president. I hope for the best for Obama, and I hope that he does great things both nationally and globally. But, as I said before, I hope to never put too large an amount of faith or trust in any one candidate or government. Instead, like many of us, I realize that my first allegiance is not to a man, a country, or a flag, but to a king and a kingdom not of this world. I am constantly reminded of when Jesus is confronted about Pilate about the claim that he is "King of the Jews"; "Are you?" Pilate keeps asking. And, Jesus replies simply, "My kingdom is not of this world". (John 18 33-36)

- “Jamii Challenge Cup”: Just a week ago, we all organized and ran a large soccer tournament for several local slum-schools in the area. We had to do most of the organization. We figured out dates, schools, teams, times, schedules, rosters, food, and awards. We were also in charge of marking out the field, building goal posts, and officiating the games. It was held at a school down the road, Gatuanyaga Primary School, which hosted the five other schools (approx. 300 kids). It was such a great time. If anyone has ever been to Africa, or any other part of the world outside of the U.S. for that matter, you know the passion and obsession with soccer (football); so, you know the kids had fun. It was also a great opportunity to bring various communities together in one big event for the children. One woman even commented to me, “This is so great for the community. Some of these children have never travelled to this part of town. Seeing every one together like this blesses me”. The event lasted most of the day; it started around 8:30 am and the closing ceremonies were around 4:00 pm. It was touching to see all the smiles and cheers throughout the day. Everyone was rooting on their school, and when goals were scored, the field erupted in cheers. At the end of the day during the ceremonies was even better. Individual children were chosen from different schools to be awarded: best all around player, top scorer, and most disciplined. To see the smiles on the kids faces and how they encouraged each other brought a smile to my face.

- “Painting murals”: Let me preface this by saying that in no way do I profess to be an artist. I have not been gifted, or at least not to my discovery yet, with a talent in art. However, I love and appreciate art in all of its forms, and I think I will continue to try to produce some of my own after how much fun it has been painting here. Beautification of the home has been one of our projects since we arrived. Just recently we have started painting in both the girls and boys’ rooms. So far, we have painted, two rabbits, a leopard, a huge tree, a giraffe, two monkeys, a bird, and Adam is working on a lion. The kids have been so excited to come into their rooms each day and see where a new monkey is hanging or a bird is perched. We have also dedicated a wall outside to the hands of the children which was both a fun and tiring process to complete. Lastly, we have two large murals outside to paint: Moses parting the Red Sea and a large underwater scene (sea turtles, octopuses, fish, etc.). It has been a lot of fun for all of us to test our skills at painting and to see what new creature the kids want in their room. The boys are currently arguing for a large gorilla roaring and beating his chest. I see a new mural in the making…

- “The last 4 months”: It has been a thoughtful process since we arrived in Kenya to figure out what to do with the last four months we are hear from January until the beginning of May. There has been a lot of prayer and deliberation and research. As of now, it looks as if we are all going to travel up and down the coast, starting in Mombasa, to setup future ministry and church contacts for SIM Kenya. We did a little research and it seems that outreach to the Islamic community on the coast is next to nil. We also talked to several people at SIM, and they said that the greatest need in Kenya right now is to reach out to the Muslim community in love. The largest concentration of the Muslim community is along Kenya’s coast which, subsequently, boarders Somalia. We all discussed it as a group and came to the conclusion that it will be exhausting physically, emotionally, and spiritually; we all decided that we saw a great need and had a great desire to serve, and we weren’t really sure how it would all play out. But, we are all going in with no expectations and lots of love in hopes of making contacts for SIM where there are none and making friends along the way.

It has been quite a month, and there is still so much more to write, and I plan on writing another post very soon. But, just to fill you in a little more, AT and I are still finishing up the solar oven, which has been much harder to build and work on than we originally realized. We have had to search Thika thoroughly to find parts and materials that we need several times. But, it is taking shape well, and should be finished in the near future. Also, our pup Simba is doing well and growing by the day, but he is still being house trained. Unfortunately, he also has one the smallest bladders (pees constantly) and largest bladders (tons of pee) at the same time. He is a great pup otherwise; but, he has now learned that sleeping on the chair is much more comfortable than a cement floor. Lastly, AT and I have decided to live our final month at Macheo over at Joyous with several of the boys he formally worked with while in Kenya. It should be an interesting time and hopefully a great time of growth.