July 15, 2006

We had an outdoor games day with the FM church today.  We took all of the youth and some of the adults to the Arboretum to have some fun.  The Arboretum is a huge park in the city that has all different sorts of trees.  It is really beautiful.  It also has loads of wildlife including monkeys.  So we spent the day playing football (not American), jump rope, and we even taught them kickball.  We also prepared another picnic lunch.  All had a ball.  I also had the chance to share a devotion from James.  It strikes me that people here are so willing to entrust you with responsibility.  Since I’ve been here, I’ve been offered to preach a few times, on some occasion from people that I just met.  I don’t totally understand that.  Even as I was sharing the devotion today, I could tell that some of the younger people couldn’t understand me, and it’s very challenging to teach to a different culture because stories and jokes that I like to use to help explain things don’t always come across very clear.  But, I shouldn’t be too discouraged, I did my best and you never know when God is planting a seed. 

Another highlight of the day was just the bus ride to and from the Arboretum.  All of the children were singing praises together and having a grand ol’ time.  Gotta love when people, especially kids, are coming together and praising God =)

July 13, 2006

Today was a much lighter day.  It was our last with Theresa and Karyn, so we decided to go to the Giraffe Center.  It is such a magical place!  You can feed giraffes!  They are so friendly that they will come close enough for you to give them a hug.  A few of the braver ones can even place food on their lips so the giraffe can come and kiss you.  I must admit, I have gained a whole new respect for some of the animals here.  After spending today with them, I love giraffes.  They are such amazing creatures.  Another animal I’ve learned to appreciate is the zebra.  I always thought that they were kind of a girly animal, but I saw this video of a leopard trying to eat one.  The zebra just looked at it and kicked it right in the face.  I’ve been told that the zebra’s kick is so powerful that it could easily kill a man.  A zebra! Who would have guessed that?  Another thing I’ve learned is that hippos are scary and are to be avoided at all costs.  My only experience with hippos is the hungry hippo game, so I always thought that hippos were as jovial as the cartoon illustrations on the box cover.  But apparently out of all the animals here in Kenya, hippos kill the most people every year.  So to review:

giraffes = awesome

zebras = awesome and not girly

hippos = scary and don’t trust them (or Milton Bradley for that matter)

July 12, 2006

Today I spent the day with IJM. IJM, or International Justice Mission is a faith-based organization comprised mostly of lawyers that is committed to seeking justice for violation of basic human rights.  I think I’ve shared with most of you that I would really like to explore following this type of career path once I finish law school and it was an incredible blessing to be able to meet with some of the folks and see what operations look like on the ground.  The cases that they deal with here have been varied.  I was able to look through some case files of incidences of police brutality, sexual assault, police malfeasance, and land rights.  It will break your heart to hear about some of the stories that they have come across.  It’s so encouraging to see people committed to God’s justice being done here in Kenya though.  As part of my visit we also had the chance to do a home visit with one of the current clients in her home in Kibera. 

It’s funny, but being here has completely changed my view on overseas work.  More and more I realize how foolish it is to think that I have anything to offer these people.  I was talking with an intern at IJM, named Naomi, from the States.  She’s about to enter her third year of law school at Loyola Marymount and she also shared similar thoughts to mine.  We both have this sort of dream to go overseas and rescue these people from horrible cases of abuse, but in reality what can we do?  It is far more efficient to let a local lawyer tackle the case.  They are familiar with the constitution of the local country, they know people in the judicial system from already working in it, and they probably even know many of the lawyers as they had most likely gone to school together.  It really brings up the question about what I can realistically bring to the table.  I guess if anything, I’ve grown to have a heart more for America and the social problems that exist there.  Sure, the social problems may not be of the same sensational substance as those here in Kenya, but there are many issues nonetheless.  Regardless, it will be interesting to see what God has in store for me.

July 9, 2006

We all went to church with George and Dan today.  They go to Nairobi Pentecostal.  It is another humongous congregation here in Nairobi.  I think all together they have about five or six campuses.  It was so neat!  I loved the service.  It was really something to be a part of the praise, which was a blend of Kiswahili and English.  The message was about not settling for second best, more specifically about living in God’s will. 

After that we hung out with George and Dan for the afternoon.  It was George’s Birthday so we decided to invite them to our houses and cook for them.  It was an awesome time of fellowship.  After that I was invited to go with Alex, Esther’s host brother, to go play basketball with him.  It was amazing!!!  We walked towards Kawangware, which is a slum near Esther and Kelly’s home and in the middle of nowhere we see this huge half built structure.  It was basically a cement gym with gaping holes for window that was missing one of the walls.  Inside there were three full basketball courts with games going and maybe another twenty or so watching.  I was so happy!  I couldn’t help but feel like Kevin Costner stepping into my own Field of Dreams.  Some of these guys could really play, and a few of them were dunking on each other.  What a joy it was to play with them!  Alex told me that they started this gym because young guys without jobs would sit on the land and do drugs.  A few of the people in the community decided to build a gym to occupy these guys and it eventually blossomed into a church/community center.  There is now an organized league where teams are encouraged to participate and Bible studies are offered.  What a great ministry!  I’m beginning to be convinced that God moves most mightily through basketball =)

July 8, 2006

I believe I mentioned earlier that we stayed our first half-week or so at N.E.G.S.T.  It was a wonderful time and we had the chance to meet many incredible seminary students.  Well, a few of them are graduating and invited us to their graduation.  What a celebration!  Graduations are a big deal back home, but here it’s an even bigger deal.  I think this is partly due to the fact that it is so difficult to get a Master’s or Ph.D. here in Africa, that the accomplishment is a huge deal. 

The ceremony was fairly similar to those of the States.  The ceremony featured speakers and a procession of graduates.  One thing that was different though was all of the dancing.  It was so neat, as the graduates walked in; they were lead by all of the children of the graduates who were performing a synchronized dance.  There was also an African dance team that would perform a number between speakers.  What a joyous day!

We also had some visitors from the FH office in the US come and visit us, so we had the chance to meet them after the graduation.  There were two ladies, Theresa and Karyn, whom we had met at orientation back in Phoenix that came.  They are so much fun.  They took us out to dinner at Carnivore.  If you haven’t heard about Carnivore, it is basically a meat buffet.  I had never heard of it before, but apparently it is world-renowned as one of the top places to eat in the world.  The appeal lies in the fact that the meat served at this restaurant is all exotic.  We tried ostrich, camel, and crocodile in addition to the more common meats like chicken, pork, and beef.  The meat was ok, I must admit the only crazy meat that I liked was crocodile, but the atmosphere is definitely unique and I think we all had a wonderful time.  One thing I thought was pretty funny is that each table is given a little flag.  As long as the flag is up, men come with a rack of a specific type of meat come to your table and ask if you would like to sample their food.  As soon as you put your flag down, they come and clear all of the plates and proceed to dessert.  I thought that it was funny that we had to surrender to the meat.  I suppose that in life we must all surrender to something; excluding Jesus, what could be more worthy of surrendering to than meat?

July 5, 2006

We visited another school today, this one in Kikuyu country.  Of all the tribes here in Kenya, Kikuyu is the largest.  My first impression of the school was that it was 100 times nicer than the school we have been working at in the slum.  The classrooms have all of their walls decorated nicely, the students are much more respectful here, and there is always a teacher in every classroom.  What a concept!  I hate how at any time you walk by the classrooms at the FM school you will find almost half of them without a teacher.  I had the chance to play basketball again with a few of the schoolboys.  The school however, did not have a basketball hoop, only a set of steps behind the concrete sidewalk that we dribbled on, so the aim of the game was to beat your man and the place the ball on a certain step.  Isn’t it amazing how creative kids can be?  I love how all of the children I’ve encountered know how to laugh and have fun.  It doesn’t matter to them what they have or don’t have, they simply take what is there and have a ball.  It’s such a beautiful thing. 

Another thing that I thought was really nice was that the school had a field not to far from the classrooms where the kids could have recess.  It was so beautiful seeing a huge field of grass for the kids to play.  It makes me sad to think back at my kids at FM and see all 260 of them squished into a 10 x 40 foot dirt patch where they are kicking around plastic bags rolled and tied by string into a ball to substitute as a soccer ball they can’t afford.  Once again, it’s amazing though how content they are with what they have.  You can’t help but think back to your childhood and recall all the fits you threw to your parents about not getting the newest $140 pair of Barkley’s to showcase to your friend on the basketball court at recess.  I wish in so many ways that I could share this experience with all of you.  I wish that each of you could come and see and taste what life is for so many of the young ones here.   In short it will demolish your worldview and force you to create, from the ground up, a whole new perspective on justice and unabashedly confront you with the question of how God truly intended us to live in relation to one another. 

July 4, 2006

Happy 4^th of July!  It’s sad that I didn’t get to celebrate our country’s independence with fireworks, but Bob and Alice, our bosses here in Kenya, invited us over to their house to grill burgers and hot dogs.  It was a delightful evening, although grilling is a bit difficult here.  Since we didn’t have a grill, we macgyver’d a contraption consisting of coals and a flowerpot to cook the meat.  It took ages, but ended up being ok.  If I don’t end up playing basketball, maybe I can market our invention.  It worked for George Foreman =)

On a sadder note, I regret to inform you that I have had my first health issue.  My eyes have been really red for the past two weeks and recently it has gotten so bad to where I can’t even open them in the mornings because they are swollen shut with icky stickiness.  I went to see a doctor today and I think the experience summed up quite well some of the difficulties in adjusting to Kenyan life. 

I called around and found an optometrist who told me that I would be able to see the doctor this morning.  I went to the doctor’s office where I waited for thirty minutes or so.  The receptionist received a call and informed me that the doctor was running late and that I should return in two hours.  The office was located in a mall of sorts, so Esther and I decided to grab tea at a coffee shop to pass the time.  I returned at the time she told me where I waited for another forty-five minutes.  I went back to the receptionist asking about the wait where she informed me that she received a call a while back from the doctor saying that he would be another 55 minutes late.  Funny how she forgot to share that with me.  Eventually the doctor did come in and he turned out to be a really nice guy.  He told me that I had an eye infection combined with an allergic reaction and prescribed drops for me to take. The appointment took about 7 minutes.  Four and half hours for a seven-minute appointment!  Sad to say, but that is the way things work here sometimes.

July 3, 2006

I had the chance to play basketball for the first time since I’ve been here. The two boys that Esther and Kelly are staying with really enjoy playing basketball, and upon hearing that I love it as well, they invited me to join them.  I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed the sweet sound of a basketball on hardwood or the soft feel of the leather between my fingers so much.  Perhaps because I have largely felt out of place this summer did this game bring me so much comfort, but I felt at peace, like I had been welcomed back as the prodigal son.  I think it also helped that I played the best basketball of my life.  I couldn’t miss today.  It was amazing.  We played 21 since there were only three of us, but I torched them, every game.  I mean I didn’t just win; I destroyed them 21-0-0 in a matter of seconds (give or take).  It may sound premature and a little bit ridiculous, but I have a renewed hope that I can still play professionally, perhaps not in the NBA (though I’m still holding my breath for a tryout) but at least maybe in Europe or definitely in Korea =)  I’m sad that none of you guys were here to see it, because you probably don’t believe me.  But I promise it’s not like Neil’s “summer of dominance,” it really happened!!!  Ahh, I can’t wait to see what awaits me in my dreams tonight.  Step aside LeBron…

July 2, 2006

Today was our 2^nd service at the Free Methodist Church.  It was another beautiful day of worship with our Kenyan brothers and sisters.   Again, I can’t stress how incredible it has been to serve with the folks we have met here at FM.  Pastor Daniel has an unbelievable heart for God, and I love interacting with him.  Today we had another guest speaker come and speak to us while Pastor Daniel translated.  It was slightly humorous because the message was on a passage focused on marriage.  Probably would not have been funny except for the fact that the average age of the audience was about 10, and most of the older people that attended service didn’t seem to be married.  Yet, Daniel and the preacher were faithfully bringing God’s word the best they knew how, and that is something that never ceases to blow me away.  After the service we spent the afternoon with the youth teaching them some new songs.  It is so much fun seeing how they take our songs and make them their own.  They really liked Pharaoh Pharaoh =)

June 30, 2006

Today was another day filled with teaching at the Free Methodist School.  I was able to teach a joint lesson with Esther and it went really well.  We took the 8^th grade English class, and in it they covered vocabulary about economics.  One thing that I’ve noticed here is that the method of teaching and learning is very much based on rote memorization and mindless recitation.  For instance, the other day I was teaching math to 4^th graders and as I taught I would periodically pause to make sure they were following me.  As I would turn and ask if they understood, they would all respond in perfect unison, and funny enough, perfect harmony that they did.  But upon asking a question or checking homework I would find that many of the students didn’t understand.  They would be able to solve the exact problems I would work out with them, but they wouldn’t be able to transfer the basic principles to tackle a slightly different problem.  I think in general, that is how education seems to work here.  Creativity and creative problem solving are definitely not strengths among either the students or teachers.  The teachers, as they explain what they would like me to cover in class that day would simply read the bold headings from the book.   So based on what we had experienced so far, Esther and I decided to try and plan an activity for our class.  It was so much fun.  We explained the vocabulary and the importance of the basic concepts defined such as supply and demand, transport, fair prices, and business.  In the end, we had them each create their own company and fill out a corresponding form “to register” their company with the government.  It was really amazing to see their eyes light up and their excitement as they brainstormed for the mini-project. 

June 26, 2006

I’m not sure if I mentioned George and Dan yet, but they are two natives who live in Kibera who have been hired to be our guides in Kibera.  They are just really awesome guys who have incredible hearts for the Lord.  They are both about 25 and go around all over Kenya to put on shows/skits/concerts to share the gospel and promote HIV/AIDS awareness.  They are really talented dudes.  They have definitely been one of the bright spots of our time here so far.  We met them today at their home to learn a song and some of their skits. (Part of what we will be doing this summer is helping them put on presentations for assemblies at various local schools.)  This was the first time we visited their house.  It was in a part of Kibera that we had never been to before.  The first thing that struck me about their “neighborhood” was how nice it was compared to the place where our school is.  Who would have thought that there would be so much difference from place to place in the slum?  George’s house was incredible!  Though it was small, the standard 6 by 6 foot square, it was really clean and had a bunk bed and table.  Also posted along the wall were names of children.  George and Dan are part of a ministry known as Pillars of Kibera which is a ministry to the street kids of Kibera and George’s home is the headquarters of it (he calls his home da base). 

Our time with them today was so cool!  They taught us one of the songs that they wrote o we could perform it with them next time.  It’s a cool song about each person’s testimony.  The chorus is the same, but the verse changes depending on who is singing.  We also learned two of the skits that they wrote.  The skits are really well written and I can’t wait to teach them to people back home.  These are definitely some guys blessed with talent and it’s so cool to see them using it to glorify our Father. 

We also had the chance to visit a boy’s home today.  It was in a different part of the city in a place called Karen.  It doesn’t get any easier visiting places like this.  The stories that some of these kids have will just break your heart.  But it is remarkable seeing how there are people willing to sacrifice and make a difference in the lives they can.  The two brothers that started the home are in their mid twenties.  They felt God leading them to take care of these street kids so they started a home.  Forty boys and two staff members, surviving on a yearly budget of under $6,000, blows your mind doesn’t it?

June 25, 2006

Church in Kibera, what an experience!  I sat in on a Sunday school class for kids in lower primary.  It was so much fun.  It’s so neat to see the kids so active and excited to participate in the lesson.  These kids are just too cute.  The main service was also really nice.  David, one of the youth leaders at the church was the music man on the keyboard.  It was so hilarious, this keyboard had a bunch of prerecorded beats on it, and David would bust them out for every song.  It was like techno praise =)  The sermon was a bit more difficult.  It was all in Kiswahili and I have to admit I struggled to stay awake.  (I tried really hard not to!)

After that we went to the Maasai Market.  One of the tribes here in Kenya are the Maasai.  They are an interesting people group.  They are the only remaining tribe here in Nairobi that is still super conservative about holding onto their tribal traditions.  They still wear  their tribal garb, so it’s easy to spot them around the city.  The Maasai Market is an open-air market for all sorts of cool souvenir-like items.  You need to be prepared though, the people selling their wares are pretty aggressive.  I won a bidding war though on a gift for my parents!  I was very happy =)

After that we attended a Chinese church.  While we were staying at N.E.G.S.T. we met a Kenyan lady there who was pastor of a Chinese church here in Nairobi.  She hit it off with Esther and invited us all to visit her church.  It was so weird to be sitting in a service in Mandarin in the middle of Nairobi.  Nevertheless, it was a cool reminder of how the body of Christ is universal and that we are each just but a small part of the story that God authors. 

June 24, 2006

Today we had our first activity with the youth at the Free Methodist church we are working with in Kibera.  We took them hiking to a place called Ngong Hills.  It was quite the day.  As soon as we showed up to meet the youth we realized it would be a long day.  Almost twice as many youth showed up as we were told to expect.  Definitely not a bad thing, except we offered to provide transport and food/water for the youth.  It was a mad scramble for extra transportation.  Fortunately Daniel, the pastor in Kibera was able to rent out a matatu.  Once we finally got to the hills it was absolutely beautiful.  I don’t think I’ve fully appreciated nor conveyed to you how beautiful Kenya really is.  From where we hiked all you could see was lush green rolling hills for miles.  It’s so different than the sparse desert landscape that I’ve always called home.  Unfortunately, because the group was so large (45+) and we spent so much time securing transportation we didn’t get the chance to hike very long.  After about 30 minutes or so of hiking, we stopped to have lunch and do some of the activities that we had organized for them.  We had a time of worship that was really cool, (taught them Father Abraham! They really liked it. =) For the activities, we taught them the dance game boom chika boom boom and telephone charades.  It didn’t work as well as we liked as we have now learned that Kenyans don’t follow instructions very well, but it was fun nonetheless.  Lunch was tough though, because we had so many more people than we expected.  We ended up having to give half a peanut butter sandwich to huge 18-year-old boys.  We felt absolutely horrible, but there wasn’t much we could do.  Esther was really upset.  Bad things come out when people are hungry.  Since we were so short, we gave food for people to share, but Esther caught a hiding the food we had just giving them so they could keep it for themselves.  It’s difficult to process that.  On one hand, I feel exactly like Esther does, but on the other I have to realize that most of these kids are always hungry.  You could probably count the number of times they have been full to the point of satisfaction on one hand.  It’s difficult to fault someone in that position.  It’s just another thing that I’ve experienced in my time here that is so difficult to deal with.  Coming over here, I thought these issues and my responses/answers to them would be so simple, but instead I find myself wrestling with not knowing how to react to situations like this. 

June 23, 2006

Today was our first pastoral program instruction at the school (p.p.i.) Every Friday the school has p.p.i. First hour. It is similar to chapel.  Esther and I spent that time with the 8^th grade class.  It was a really cool experience.  As soon as we went in, we noticed the board had different duties along with student’s names next to them.  It was like a mini service.  It was so wonderful to see the class initiating all of this.  They even had one of the students designated to preach.  It blew me away to be a part of this service led by 8^th graders.  At the end of the period they left a time for Esther and I to share, so we both shared a bit about ourselves and taught them some songs.  It was a lot of fun. 

Today we also had the chance to bring a guest to the school.  Her name is Rachel, and she is the 14-year old daughter of the new C.E.O. of FH.  They are in town for a few days and she preferred to tag along with us rather than sit in board meetings with her father. She is a delightful little girl.  I couldn’t believe the maturity she showed.  The kids all loved her. I’m not sure I could have dealt with Kibera when I was 14 years old, but she was a real trooper.  As I we were going through the day with her it got me thinking about what a real opportunity it is to be exposed to this.  I can guarantee you that she will not forget some of the things she witnessed walking through Kibera.  I’m really starting to understand a lot about the importance of exposure.  Pardon me sounding naïve, but I think that people are genuinely good at the core.  I think of my friends and family back home and the people at my church, and I think that they would do so much more if they only knew.  Granted, you hear all the time about hearing of children starving to death and HIV/AIDS ravaging third world countries, but it will turn your world completely upside down when you live it.  I thank God for the opportunity to see what I’ve seen and experience a little bit of life outside of the comforts of America.  Hmm…Exposure.

June 22, 2006

If you are ever in Kenya and in need of detergent, pass on the Omo.  Since my family is better off than others, they employ a house lady who does dishes, cleans the house, and does the laundry.  I gave her my laundry to wash this morning and when I got it back, it was super crispy.  I tried to drape my socks over the arm of my chair and you can picture them just staying horizontal.  What a funny sight.  I tried to put on a pair of the socks, but since it’s so stiff they pull at the skin a bit.  Say no mo to Omo =)

June 20, 2006

Today was our first work day in Kibera.  It’s almost surreal after so much preparation, training, and prayer.  What a crazy day!  Immediately when I entered into the school, I was greeted by the headmaster (i.e. principal) and told me he was privileged to meet a mathematician and that the students were looking forward to having me teach them.  I wasn’t prepared for that at all, and finally convinced the teacher whose class I was supposed to take over that I would prefer observing at least a little bit before I taught a class.  The first class that I observed was 8^th grade math.  We discussed surface area.  I was actually really impressed with how the teacher explained things.  He even brought in some empty boxes to help the students conceptualize what surface area is.  After that class he handed me over to the 7^th graders to teach the same subject.  It was a really awkward experience.  I think I was able to explain things ok, but I could tell that at least a few of them couldn’t understand me.  Once again, the question of what am I really doing here, crept into my mind.  The teacher whose place I took did a much better job in teaching these kids.  He has a relationship with them, and he’s been trained in education.  I really resent the fact that just because of the color of my skin I am automatically assumed to have skill superior to those already in place here.  That part of the experience was kind of tough.  I’m curious to see how the rest of this summer shapes up.  I was expecting working here to be difficult, but I don’t think I realized the type of difficulty I would be facing.

 June 19, 2006

Kenya is such a beautiful country with beautiful people, some of whom are in the ugliest of circumstances.  I have seen and met people in the slums that have forever changed the way I will look at things.  Just the other day we were able to join an FH team on home visits to families with members suffering from HIV/AIDS.  We visited a family of 10 living in a space in which I would normally consider not enough room for 5.  The grandmother was suffering from HIV/AIDS and within the past month all of the men able to work had been severely injured through separate accidents, leaving the family with no way to support itself or pay for the grandfather’s transport back to the hospital who had performed surgery on his leg, when his hip was what was in need of surgery.  Among the family were two boys, not much older than babies really.  In the half hour we spent with the family, these boys did not smile once.  In my entire life, I have never seen children as sad as those two boys were.  As our time drew to a close, Ken (one of the workers who was leading us) asked us to share a word of encouragement.  I was absolutely speechless.  I had nothing to say.  I did not have a context anywhere in my mind to process what I had just seen and experienced.  After a bit of silence, we said a prayer and left.  I do not think I could describe a more horrible feeling in the world.  I so desperately wanted action for the injustice this family suffered, or at the very least leave something more tangible than a few words offered to our Lord on their behalf.  After we left Ken and Rose began discussing putting the boys’ mother – who did not work – into a training program where she could learn a trade and generate income for her family.  They also put in a request for an FH vehicle to transport the grandfather to the hospital.  It was beautiful to see how Ken and Rose cared for these people.  Despite my desire to help the family by leaving what little money I had, I realized how much more God could use what Ken and Rose offered to help this family.  It was such a blessing to see how God is using people like Ken and Rose to care for those in need.

June 18, 2006 

Well, I made it to the second Sunday!  Today we went to church with our host families.  We went to Nairobi Baptist.  It was quite the experience.  It was strange to be in a bigger church here in Kenya than mine back home.  It was so big it reminded me of the resurrection celebrations we used to have with Calvary at the Tucson Convention Center.  I really liked the service.  I love hearing worship songs in Kiswahili.  It’s so beautiful and I love how everyone is involved.  It truly is corporate worship the way everyone is singing and dancing.  I wonder if it’s a little glimpse into what heaven will be like.  The passage that was preached on was Amos 9, focused particularly on Israel’s restoration.  I love the imagery of it; “The plowman will overtake the reaper.” That’s how beautiful and wonderful God’s restoration will one day be!

After the main service (of which there are 4 throughout the day) I went with my sisters to the youth service.  It was so lively!  Man how I wish I could see youth get jacked up for Christ like this back at my home church.  It was a whole lot of clapping and jumping!  The preacher also spoke on Amos 9.  I’ve never been to a church in which the adult and youth services are synchronized.  I thought it was a really cool idea.  What a neat way to get parents to connect with their children by providing them common ground to meet at.

June 16, 2006

Today was the first visit to the FH office.  It is a really neat place.  I love that besides us interns, Alice was the only mzungu there.  FH makes it a priority to work alongside the local people and not simply provide things for them.  They heavily rely on nationals to mobilize their fellow countrymen.  We began our time with devotion.  It was such a wonderful time of worship.  It was really funny, because as we started our time by singing a few hymns, things seemed really dead.  Then, after about two hymns, everyone stood up and began singing some songs in Kiswahili.  All of a sudden people around me were dancing and clapping and making all kinds of fuss for the Lord.  It’s funny that it seemed like they had to kind of get the hymns out of the way so the real worship could begin =)

We also had our 1^st visit to Kibera today.  It was a sight to see and certainly a smell to smell.  No exaggerations about dirt trenches carrying human waste around between the crowded shacks these folks called home.  Surprisingly I felt comfortable there.  Granted, the 1^st impression of Kibera is an assault on all the senses, but after you are able to block out at least a little bit of the smell, the first thing that you will notice is the sense of strength in the eyes of the people.  Another observation you will make right away are the throngs of children running at you with open palms, hoping to get a touch from you as they are yelling out HOWAREYOU, HOWAREYOU, HOWAREYOU!  We had a few local guys escort us to the church, and it was such a joy to talk with them and see their zeal for life and the Lord.  One guy from the church who walked us back sticks out in my mind in particular.  As we were talking he asked me if I liked it here.  I told him I did and was struck by the kindness shown by all of the people we had met thus far.  I then asked him what he thought and he told me he loved it.  He said that he loved living there because things are simple.  It really struck me that he had no problems with living in Kibera.  He had a joy and contentment that really made me think about what value I had in being there.  What could I possibly offer this young man?  Shoot, I would love to feel the same contentment and joy that he does.  It made me realize that things like bathrooms and money are not necessarily solution to the problems that lie here in Kibera.  It’s funny how us westerners always think that we can solve problems by throwing money and technology at things.

June 15, 2006

Today we had a matatu challenge.  In order  to better acclimate us with matatus, Kay, our wonderful liaison to Food for the Hungry (FH), created a scavenger hunt with directions to use matatus to get to certain places.  Unfortunately Emily was really sick so we weren’t able to get very far.  The evening before we ate cow stomach (euphemism for meat with teeth) along with sukumawiki and ugali.  Sukumawiki is a somewhat bitter tasting spinach-like green and ugali is a maize flour bread-like substance, both of which are staples here in Kenya.  I am trying my best to be open-minded and adventurous while I am here, but I completely understand why Emily was feeling so sick. The meal we ate is not going to air on the Food Channel anytime soon.

Since Emily was feeling so sick, we just went to the end of the scavenger hunt.  We called Kay and met her at Java House.  Java House is probably one of the most bizarre places I’ve seen so far.  It looks like it should be lined up next to other posh café’s somewhere along the Champs Elysee.  If you take the time to look up from browsing from your laptop using their free wireless connection and sipping your designer coffee, all you can see is a see of wazungu (i.e. white people).  I immediately felt extremely guilty.  I hated sitting in this restaurant in the middle of Kenya.  I vowed never to come back again.  (Although I made that vow before I tasted their bacon cheeseburger with fries.  I think it was the best burger I’ve ever had in my life.  I have since modified the vow to consist of silently pass judgment on the other people as I munch on Java’s heavenly cheeseburgers and mouth-watering fries.)

After Emily went home to rest, the remaining faithful trudged on to Adam’s Arcade.  It’s a neat open-air market that sells secondhand clothing.  Dave (Kay’s husband, also a student at NEGST) mentioned that the items that are sold here are basically all the stuff that doesn’t sell at outlets in the US and Europe.  They figure they might as well give their leftovers to the Kenyans.  Although initially it seems beneficial to the people here, how exactly does this help in the long run?  Doesn’t this just stifle the Kenyan market for producing its own clothes?  Also, it creates a dependence on outsiders to provide clothing for its people.  It’s questions like this that I had not before thought of.  It once again displays how complex and crazy complicated solving social issues like poverty is. It raises the important point of understanding how to really help developing countries like Kenya and realizing that sometimes the steps we take are not the most beneficial. 

For dinner, we went to Alice’s.  Alice is the wife of FH’s country director, as well as the “boss” of our internship.  There home was so beautiful!  I could not believe how nice their home was.  Alice has a very wonderful way of making you feel at home.  She made an amazing appetizer of been dip with maize and salsa and spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.  However, I began to realize a struggle that had started to rise within me between the obvious disparity that exists within the Kenyan social structure.   Today at Adam’s Arcade was the 1^st time that I was really approached by beggars.  The 1^st one I met I bought a pastry for, but as I was approached by more and more I didn’t know what to do.  Each asked for money and I didn’t end up giving any more out.  One of these beggars was particularly pushy and as he began to really get in Esther’s face I became really upset.  I wanted to get in his face and scream at him.  Why do you think I’m here?!  Don’t you know we’re here trying to help you!  If I give you 2 schillings what will that do?  You can buy food or booze, but you’ll just be hungry or thirsty again.  I’m trying to help you see the bigger picture and help you provide for yourself!  But then it hit me. I’m only here for a few months.  There are hundreds of NGO’s and non-profits here, but it will take time, possibly decades or longer to implement a new mindset and system that will be able to provide for these people.  In the meantime, men like him still go hungry. 

I suppose its experiences like that that make me feel very uncomfortable going to places like Java or Alice’s.  Even the family that I am staying with is extremely wealthy, so coming home is also a constant reminder of how some people live often without even the remote idea of their brothers and sisters starving in the street.  Bringing it closer, it’s made me realize how often have I been cognizant of the poor in my city.  Certainly makes you think…

June 14, 2006

Well it’s been nearly a week since I’ve been here.  It’s amazing to how fast time has gone by.  We have begun our home stays, where we will be for the remainder of our time here.  Emily and I have been placed with a family called the Betts, while Esther and Kelly are staying with the Njendu’s. The family I am staying with has been awesome. It’s a large family, seven total.  There are the parents, Judah and Rael, and then five children.  The two oldest daughters are away for school.  One is in the U.K. and the other is in Australia. Michael (25) is the only boy, and he is in town for a month before he leaves to study in South Africa.  Janet (17) and Zipporah (12)  are the remaining daughters. It was actually Janet’s birthday today, but birthdays don’t seem to be a big deal here, so we really didn’t do anything special.  We didn’t have a chance to buy anything for Janet, but fortunately Emily had some Jelly Belly’s in her bag. In a bit of a misunderstanding, I thought Emily would present it as a joint gift, but as we met Janet she just gave them to her by herself.  It was one of those really awkward moments again.  As Janet finished hugging Emily, her eyes kind of expectantly glanced over at me.  Unfortunately, the only things I had in my bag by this time were some dirty socks, so as her eyes focused on me I just tried giving her my most charming smile.  Nice way to start off eh?

June 10, 2006

 My first morning waking up in Kenya was amazing.  It was such a sweet combination of sounds and smells.  I can’t believe how green Kenya is.  It is absolutely breathtaking to see all of the flowers in bloom.  I must have seen 50 different types of flowers today, certainly much different than back home.

For the first few nights, Kelly, Esther, and I are staying at Negst (Nairobi Evangelical School of Theology).  It’s quite interesting.  The seminary is on its own compound of sorts, complete with gates and guards.  The first thing you learn about Nairobi is how dangerous it is.  Most people will not even go out at night, so their days will end at 6 or 7.  The seminary itself is really beautiful.  It consists of a few buildings of classrooms, a chapel, a library, and a chicken coop turned student housing.  The seminary also has a garden in which all food that is served on the complex is grown.  After waking up I had a chance to wander and chat with a few of the students.  It’s so refreshing to see the community that exists here at Negst.  As I walked with my host, we couldn’t go a few feet without someone greeting us and taking time to talk with us.

It was today that I also had my first experience with a matatu.  Matatu’s are basically small 14 passenger mini vans, similar to the VW vans you would see from the 60’s.  It seems like they are used as the main means of public transportation and are really cheap.  They are absolute madhouses though.  Despite being 14 passenger vans, the one I got in had 17.  I’ve heard stories from others that they’ve been in some with as many as 27 others.  I hear that near Nairobi the matatu’s are better, but the ones near me are pretty bad. 

It was in the matatu that I had my first memorable experience of the trip.  We jumped in a matatu to head into town for some lunch.  When we got into the matatu there were only a few of us, and I immediately learned that matatu’s will only leave when they are full, so we just sat there awhile waiting for the van to fill.  As we were sitting in the back, an African lady with her two daughters sat in the front.   As I saw them I smiled at them, but instead of a return smile, the mother looked at her daughters, placed her hands over her eyes, stretching them to make them smaller and began to laugh with her kids.  Completely shocked and taken off guard I looked away to rejoin the conversation between the others who didn’t seem to notice what had happened.  I wasn’t sure what to do, I hadn’t felt humiliated like that in a very long time.  I don’t think since early in my childhood did I feel discriminated or ridiculed because of my race.  I was too stunned to say anything, but I looked back at the mother trying to catch her eye.  She looked away, but I began to feel angry inside.  After all that we have been through, for all the education and history of senseless violence is this still where we are?  Is this what we have to show for? 

It’s been about a day now since that incident happened, and I’ve been able to see more of the culture and social issues that exist here in Kenya and I think the one thing I’ve taken from this already is how complex these social issues are.  Over this past year as many of you know I have been exploring exactly what path God is leading me down.  Recently I’ve been pursuing a track in social justice and advocacy through law.  In researching and reading about some of the ways that Non-Profits and N.G.O.’s tackle justice issues I think I began to picture exactly what a career in justice would look like.  Being isolated from what is going on here and in so many other places in the world it was so easy for me to picture myself rescuing children trapped in slave trade or stop police from abusing their power but even in the short time I have been here, I am beginning to see how difficult and challenging approaching these issues are. 

I met my host family today.  They are a wonderful group of people.  It is a huge family!  Judah and Rael have 5 kids.  It’s really nice being around such a big family, especially since I’ve got small one.  Two of the daughters are away for school, but two young ones (Janet and Nipporah) and the oldest (Michael) are here at the house.  Michael’s only going to be in the house a few days before he heads off to South Africa for school though, so after that it will just be the two girls.

This leads me to my first official prayer request.  I had a chance to talk extensively with Michael and had a chance to hear a little bit about his story.  He’s such a cool guy.  I really hope to get to know him better while he’s still here.  He grew up in a Christian home, but now he’s just kind of searching on his own.  He reminds me of when I was struggling with a lot of questions with faith and God.  My prayer request is that God would continue to tug at his heart and gently guide him to himself.  As for me, I would ask that you would pray for wisdom in pointing to the true living God in love and humility.

To end on a lighter note, I shared my first devotion/worship time with the family.  I brought my guitar here, and as I was bringing it in, Judah (or papa Michael as I’m supposed to call him=)) asked if I could lead us in a worship session after dinner.  I wasn’t sure what they were familiar with, so I pulled out a songbook I had made filled all sorts of songs.  He picked out here I am to worship, so I began to play it.  It was really cool!  We started by singing the chorus and at first everyone was all singing together.  However, after the chorus I went to the first verse and after a word or two I realized I was singing by myself.  Then the father stopped me and said “Enough!  I don’t know where you are!  It is too confusing!  Next song.”  It was kind of weird, but I played the next song and we all worshipped together.  It was just one of those really funny cultural scenes where wires get crossed =)

June 7, 2006

Hello all,

Habari!  (How are you?)  Greetings, my dear friends.  First of all I want to thank each of you for your willingness to support me through prayer.  The comfort of knowing that my journey has been covered in prayer brings joy and peace to my heart, and I give you my sincerest thanks.

I am not sure how often I will be able to access the Internet and keep you updated, but I will try my best to update this journal as often as I can.  I wanted to begin by sharing a few prayer requests.

• For the team that is going (Jason Lee, Esther Hsu, Emily Pohl, Kelly Fisher) to ceaselessly find time to commune with God.  If we are first able to find ourselves resting in Him, we have no need of worry for anything else.
• Clarity and wisdom in developing relationships, adjusting culturally, and ministry.
• Please pray that God would begin softening hearts of those we will be in contact with as well as giving us a spirit of humility as we minister and are ministered to.

Once again, I thank you each so much for your friendship.  Also, if there are any prayer requests that you have, I would love to pray for you as well.  Please feel free to let me know how I can be supporting you as well. 

6/12/06

6/10/06