Sun, 9/14: Lynne drove me the sad trip to Atlanta, saying goodbye at the airport. Happily, the security line was short! Then to D.C. During the layover, I watched the Redskins with a bunch of fans in D.C. Only a 6 hour flight to London, but a little Tylenol PM and melatonin, and I slept most of the way - waking up with breakfast already on my tray table. Good start.
Mon, 9/15: Arrived at 6:20am. I thought they had lost my checked luggage somewhere in the London airport - that bag contained the scanner, my dress shoes, a gift for Pastor Chris, and half of my clothing. But I knew from experience to keep the real essentials in carry-on luggage. I felt helpless even though I had two phones (one for the U.S., one for Kenya), because neither worked in London, so there was no way to track the bag. After a sleepy couple of hours trying to track down the bag, they discovered that they had checked it through to Nairobi. Able to relax, I discovered that I could sleep if I set my carry-on upright, then put my bookbag on that, then the inflatable neck pillow. However, sleeping in that position is prone for droolage.
Paid too much for internet access for 30 minutes, only to have a keyboard that reeppeeatted some lettttttters and lft othrs out. After tracking down the bag, took the underground to the other terminal to endure the rest of the 12-hour layover. The restaurant where TJ and I ate and played cribbage last year is now a place to rent a bunk by the hour to sleep between flights. $50 minimum, and it was tempting.
I camped out in a restaurant and worked on the lessons. Couldn't check in until 4pm, which then allows me to go further in only to wait again until the 8pm flight. Heathrow often doesn't post the gate until just before boarding time, so you watch the monitors and mentally gamble which gate will be yours ("departure gate Bingo"). I tried to find a tasty, affordable, and not-too-bad-for-you sandwich to tide me over - I settled for affordable. Got on the plane, sat next to a British newlywed couple. Her TV screen was broken, so they got moved, and I had 3 seats to myself. Dinner, Tylenol PM, melatonin, and 3 seats - I slept great. It would turn out to be the best sleep I would get for the next 2 weeks.
Tue, Sep 16: Arrived in Nairobi, long passport line, but no problems. All the luggage arrived. Starting to check in for the flight to Kisumu to find out that my 25 kg of checked luggage was 5 kg over the limit (which included the scanner, gifts, etc.). The guys shrugged it off and let me check it all anyway. The plane to Kisumu is bigger, better, and faster than before - got there in 30 minutes, well before the time I told Benard to pick me up. Lots of drivers want to give me a ride. Time for Benard, no Benard. After 15 more minutes, I asked a guy to call him - just as he drove up. The problem was 1) that he had gotten stuck in the mud, and 2) there's no way he could show up at the airport with mud on the car. Getting stuck in the mud in the ditch off the side of the road would be something I would experience twice this day, and 3 more times during the trip. Apparently, the technique on the very slick muddy roads is a semi-controlled alternating fishtail maneuver with the engine fully gunned. Woo hoo.
In Kisumu, I bought some "gum boots", which I would need for said ditching, and then I checked email at Ken Shoppe (a bad experience - neither Gmail nor Yahoo mail would display properly). Stopped by AEST (the seminary) to say howdy and to arrange the first class for 2pm that day - jetlag shmetlag. The second ditching occurred near the house, so Benard's son Abraham and another young man waded through the mud in order to carry my luggage down the road and into the house. After a rain, the dirt roads are horrible, but after only a few hours of sun and heat and foot traffic from the many school children, they are drivable again. At AEST, I covered John 1-2 for the first afternoon. Many students are not in class because they have not raised enough school fee to return (all expenses for one year amount to about $400). There were some new students, including David, a Luo man from Tanzania. Got the mobile phone working. More rain that night. Sleep problems begin.
Wed, Sep 17: Woke up at 3am - laid there until a time more proper for waking up. Then the normal routine of shower, Quiet Time, breakfast, and teaching from 8am to 12:45pm. We covered John 3-5. No chapel today. Found out that morning porridge has been replaced by morning tea, due to cost. However, Eunuce (the secretary and the daughter-in-law to Reverend Kute) still brings me porridge every day, and has me retire to the teacher's office. Handwashing, porridge, Fanta, and cookies. After class, called Lynne (good connection), and sent a few text messages that never arrived. Afternoon for grading papers and trying to stay awake. I try to avoid fish while traveling, but today was the first of many meals of tilapia. Lots of rain today.
Thu, Sep 18: Another good ditching of the car, so I started to walk to class, but the car became unstuck by applying maximum RPM's, so we rode in after all. Taught John 6-12, finding myself stepping out of the lesson many times in order to encourage the students in ministry based on the text. Agnes made it back to AEST today (ended up with the 3rd highest grade - very bright). On the way home I bought phone credits, topped off the phone, and called Lynne again. Bigger storm that ever. We lost power before dinner, so dinner and paper grading was done by lantern and candlelight. More trouble sleeping (having the lights come on when the power was restored didn't help).
Fri, Sep 19: Taught John 13-17. The students and I were equally brain numb from too much information too fast, so not the best day of teaching. The groups gave their "I AM" lessons - very good. Albert spoke for his group - he was more bold than previous years, but still shy and quiet. I met Pastor Edward from Sudan - he will teach bibliology on Tuesday. He's a chaplain of a Kenyan school, displaced from Sudan. We packed for Wachara in the afternoon (I would forget my toothbrush, toothpaste, shorts, flashlight, and pajamas). Not looking forward to having only a "squattie potty" for 48 hours. On the way, the car was making funny noises (not funny, really), so we stopped in a town on the way to have it fixed. Pamela left silently to go shopping for groceries. I left the car to stand in the shade. Eventually, one of the many "mechanics" walked up carrying a seat torn out from a car, laid it on the ground next to me, and walked off without saying a word. It took me a second to realize he had brought me something to sit on, so I felt obliged to sit. Next to the garage was a mosque, and across the street we could hear an overloaded PA system with someone preaching the Gospel. Car got fixed, we made it to Oyugis for more shopping (after getting back to the car, Benard mentioned that I needed honey for my sore throat, so she went back - what a sweet lady). Friday is market day in Oyugis. I saw a few young couples that looked like they had a little money - nicer clothes and better hygiene.
I found out why they stop in Oyugis before heading to Wachara - in Wachara, there is nothing to buy and no where to buy it. They must get supplies in Oyugis. More than an hour walk, the car ride is not much better - 6 kilometers of extremely rough terrain, a road not frequented by motorized vehicles - a dirt path with inverse potholes (rocks that stick up like stalagmites).
Wachara is way back in the sticks. At one point on the trip, you can see Lake Victoria in the distance. But the house! It's great! Pamela paid for it while Benard was at CIU by growing sugar cane. The plants are lush, the house is nice (but no electricity or running water ... yet), the view is spectacular. Two large tanks to collect rainwater from the roof. Benard's parents live uphill, the church is off to one side. The mill generator would make a lot of noise and spew smoke, but that was only a few times a day. The shepherd is a very nice, very strong man - he tended the goats, the sheep, the cattle, the chickens. One goat had given birth that very day - the baby was struggling to stand and walk. Mama goat got real huffy when the dogs got too close. There's a garden in the back with maize and potatoes and all kinds of things both yummy and grody. There's even landscaping in the front - grass and flowering bushes. The weather was perfect. Even the rainstorm at night was pleasant, as we sat on the covered porch and talked.
I met Alice, a young lady who teaches the Sunday School and who helps around the house.
Do not, by the way, lean over when standing in a squattie potty with your glasses in your shirt pocket. It took me a while in the dark to discover that they had not fallen into the hole, just very close by.
Lynne is at the women's retreat, so no phone contact for a couple of days.
For $1000, Benard installed a well pump, arranged so that neighbors can access it without coming inside his gate. It's been a boon to the village. We should raise money to install another.
After dinner, just before going to bed, Benard said, "Oh, and there are rats." Great. But, they just get on the roof and make noise.
First good night's sleep since the Nairobi flight, oddly enough.
Sat, Sep 20: We did a conference for the youth in the AM and the adults in the PM. Nothing like finding out last minute who your audience will be and what you should teach on. Good thing I brought a lot of notes from recent series and lessons. We could never agree as to what time everything was supposed to begin - but why do they bother? Nothing starts on time no matter what time you pick! (Interesting: as they were discussing this, they were talking in Luo - except when there was a time-bound concept, such as "15 minutes"; those phrases were in English, but everything else in Luo - that reflects the two cultures view of time!)
For the youth, we talked about being ransomed from the Law. This area of Kenya has only known a very legalistic Christian cult, until this church was formed last year, so the topic was pertinent. It's like the book of Acts there - the religious leaders of the legalistic religion reject and threaten the incoming preachers of the Gospel of grace, and shun those residents who convert. For the adults, we did Matthew 11 (the yoke of discipleship, again very pertinent to their legalistic background). In Albert's discussion group, I became the Bible Answer Man - great questions, especially from Bernard's elderly father.
But Albert! He was amazing! Not the shy student, but Mr. Gregarious, working the crowd, laughing and smiling and teaching and leading music. I didn't recognize him! It was so awesome to see him pastoring these people with joy and confidence! Every difficulty of teaching at AEST meant nothing compared to seeing Albert using his willingness to serve and his training.
During the discussion groups, the elementary and younger kids sat in the sanctuary, leading each other in songs, without adult supervision for over an hour. No misbehaving at all. Having the misungu balance the pulpit on his chin was good for about a minute of entertainment.
We had a donor from DBC donate money for new Luo Bibles. Most of those Bibles are in use at this church.
But ... the camera doesn't work! I get zero pictures in Wachara. The batteries acted dead, although after we returned to Ahero, they were fine. Grrrrr.
After the conference, back at the house, I sit in a chair outside to record these thoughts. But the neighbor boys and girls want to see the freak misungu. They start at the gate, slowly working their way closer, giggling every time I look at them. They slowly get close. A few boys find broken tiles and pretend they are mobile phones, saying "Hello" over and over. I would then pretend to talk on a phone back to them, and apparently that's pretty funny. Then we practice English words, like "cow", "chicken", "chair", "arm". Then, magic. We did "knees" and the "head", and then by some silent cue, all of them instantly broke into the "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" song, first in English, then in Luo. Some ended up stroking my arm - because of the arm hair, plus they heard that white skin was very soft. Others stroked my hair. At one point while writing notes, I was surrounded by a dozen little children, easily entertained by an occasional glance and goofy face. Then, Albert got them to play a hopping game.
The Safari ants were mobbing something on the path - apparently their bite is pretty nasty.
I met a former MP, a stately lady named Phoebe. Her daughter was with her, visiting from her home in Roanoke, VA. They invited Benard and me for breakfast on Sunday.
Lots of flies in the house - the second biggest negative (the first being the squattie potties, which were not only squattie potties, but they had flies, too - a double whammy. Interesting: just as you begin to use the SP's, the flies stop flying and rest on the walls ... waiting; I prefer to think that they are being polite, but can't shake the thought that they are staring). Pamela informed me that a chicken got shut into my room during the day, and used my bed as her own personal SP (the chicken, not Pamela).
I met Benard's folks earlier in the day. They are so proud of him! Both are in declining health, and this was the first day mama was able to get out of bed and sit in a chair. Benard looks like his mama.
Before dinner, on the porch with Albert, I gently broached the topic of him finding a wife. We talked carefully, and his shyness returned. But then Benard grabs a chair and joins us, looks at Albert, and says, "So, what do you think about Alice????"
Benard told me the story of growing up here as a boy, when there were more wild animals, like leopards, monkeys, and hyenas. More than once while walking along the path at night, a leopard would track the young Benard. Seeing that he was no danger, the leopard would go ahead of him and clear a path for him. The leopard would escort Benard and protect him from the other animals. Amazing.
Tried to sleep without pills, since I did so well the night before. Bad mistake. Awake from midnight to 4, including a bad situation of needing to use the SP, but finding that the front door is locked, and the key is no where around. I weighed a lot of options (including the bedroom window), but opted to sacrifice my water bottle. (I am never without a water bottle in Kenya.)
Sun, Sep 21: Breakfast at the former MP's. Very, very nice house, not far from Benard's. Also there was the local chief, Phoebe's husband, daughter (whom I had already met), and her son Cesar, who lives in Nairobi. The daughter's pastor from the States (Kingdom Life Church in Roanoke) was also there, looking to expand her church's mission from Ghana to Kenya. Lots of laughs at the table, and a scrumptious, full meal. I had to learn the difference between "tea" and "tea tea", the latter having lemon grass tea added.
The church service was great. Albert was like a seasoned pastor. I preached on Psalm 3. The youth choir was awesome. The first-time visitors gave testimonies, including an old lady who testified that with medical mission from Pennsylvania came (see, Beth Morgan) in 2005, she could not see. With the medical treatment, she can now see, and is very grateful to God.
Benard made a point to show me homeless people, widows, orphans, etc.
After church, the leadership council asked to meet with Benard and me. They shared with me their vision for the future and the challenges to get there. It was the only board meeting I've been to with a chicken walking around in the middle. They want a medical center, daughter churches, schooling for the children, plaster for the walls, proper facilities for the church (now, there are none), youth camps for the kids. I encouraged them the best I could, reminding them that Jesus commanded His disciples to do the impossible (like telling them to feed 5000 families), and that whatever He commands us to do He will empower us to do, even if it is "impossible." After this, Benard and I left and the council and Albert remained. This is enormously important, because Benard could easily overshadow Albert. Staying would have done that. Leaving affirms Albert as the pastor. Benard is very intentional about establishing Albert as the pastor.
In the afternoon, people started mysteriously showing up in Benard's living room. When the room was full, a little girl popped her head in, saw all the familiar faces, then got to my misungu face, and starting bawling and running for mama. We all had a good laugh about that. The gathering was to formally say goodbye to me, with several speeches.
Note: The technique of using a SP properly is to get close to the target ... but not too close!
The way back was harrowing. The car quit on an uphill climb, apparently a fuel line problem. So, Benard would gun it going downhill to get up every next hill, weaving in and out of traffic (motor, foot, and bicycle). I was praying like I've never prayed for a car trip before. Along the way, I noticed for the second time a local wearing a hockey jersey. In Kenya. Hockey jersey. In Kenya.
Mon, Sep 22: Today's class (John 18-21) was very encouraging, with lots of good side discussions and questions. Anne made it back today, but is too far behind to join us for John. She's not doing well - an infected foot problem and lacking school fees.
Benard, however, witnessed a horrible accident on the road to Kisumu - a man got off his motorcycle in the middle of the road only to get struck by a mutatu (minivan used for public transport). Everyone scattered, including those inside the mutatu. Benard took him to the hospital, and went to find the guy's wife. Benard found out later that the hospital discharged the man, and told him to come back the next day. When he did, then they diagnosed his multiple fractures!
I went to the orphanage in the afternoon. Amazing progress! We broke ground in 2006, saw the first 3-room building in 2007, but now, the new wing dwarfs the first building. (The tin shack is still there, still being used.) The running water is off to the side, but is a major feature. The principal, another man named Benard, is very concerned about making sure the academic standards get competitive with the public schools. (We need to pay teachers more to retain them - we get good ones, but then they find jobs that pay the going rate. We won't reach our academic goals without paying teachers better!) I was mobbed by kids, especially when I started taking pictures (see http://picasaweb.google.com/cek1227/Kenya2008). The staff have a proper room and table for lunch and devotions (they were having beans for lunch this day). They want to another another wing for classrooms, a chapel, a better kitchen with a cafeteria. They want to cement a lot of the grounds to get the kids off of the mud and dirt. We need to get Brick by Brick going stronger.
All the time here has been Ramadan. So, there are several commercials and talking heads for the Muslim religion on TV. That's just part of the large increase I've seen of Islam's influence on the area. They are using the petrodollars to bring services in exchange for loyalty. They have purchased many of the major businesses in Kenya.
I finished designing the exam, but computer problems galore make printing full exams impossible. All I can do is print a list of questions - the students will have to use their own paper.
Finally got another good night's sleep.
Tue, Sep 23: Taught angelology and prepped the students for the exam. I realize that my test is too big - lots of glazed, shocked faces. I'll pare it down a bit. Not able to call Lynne today. Still lots of business to handle with Benard - we actually got a lot of it done this night. I took several notes of their needs.
Wed, Sep 24: Exam day. Yet another ditching (this one required us to drive along the ditch for a ways until we got to the crossroad). Dauglas (that's the correct spelling) has gone through this entire class without anyone telling me that his English is very weak. This happened with another student in 2006 and we tried to correct it in 2007. I should have been more diligent to ask Benard or one of the advanced students. Pastor B had to translate the exam for him. His homework was OK (they can collaborate some), but his exam was miserable. The first exam was finished by 9:35, but the last (Albert!) was not until after chapel.
I got pictures of all the students, individual and group.
All of the chapels these two weeks were selections from our ecclesiology series called "We Are."
Sign in the classroom: "Noisemaking is quite abominable, vexatious, and obnoxious."
I graded all the exams in the afternoon. The good ones were great - they clearly learned and assimilated! The weak ones were not good. A few failed the exam, but with the homework style I chose (more creative), no one failed the course. For the course, 5 A's, 6 B's, 3 C's, and 4 D's.
Dinner at the Kute's, like we do every year. Benard was late because someone at the gas station put diesel in his tank (the gas cap says diesel, but it's not diesel). So, they had to drain the tank.
Thu, Sep 25: The car will not stay started (probably the diesel problem). My flight is coming soon! Benard called to hire a driver, but then got the car to stay running. He drove like we were late for my flight, but we weren't. A frightening drive - it made me a little mad, actually, but there was no need for it.
The flight was event-free. I met Pastor Tom in Nairobi (he's the former principal of AEST and a good friend). His cousin David, who has his own software company, took off the morning to drive us around. We toured NIST (a graduate school for theological training run by Campus Crusade for Christ), where Tom now works - what a thrill. Our church in Austin supported the first librarian of NIST years ago - he now attends that church in Austin. At NIST, they consider him to be the "father of the library."
Then we went to the Fairview Hotel to hang out in their beautifully landscaped grounds. We had coffee and then a buffet lunch, and talked for 8 hours. Tom's wife Dorothy took two hours by mutatu and on foot to meet me. Tom is still involved with AEST, helping the board to gain a vision for what AEST can become.
The hotel is near the Israeli Embassy, so the security on this road is tight. The signs say "Your friendly traffic stop" and "The safest street in Nairobi." Yeah. The Uzzi-bearing guards went through my luggage in the trunk just so we could get to the hotel - friendly.
Then to the Nairobi airport and the long wait. I talked with an English guy who is bicycling from Korea to Cape Town to raise money for a charity for Africa. He was taking a break to go back home for his brother's wedding. Interesting guy.
I did not sleep well on this flight. I could not get comfortable.
Fri, Sep 26: No problems changing airlines, although the passport control dude insisted that UA was in terminal 3. It was in 1, as I thought. Our gate was the furthest away possible in all of Heathrow. I met two guys from Arkansas coming back from a mission to Kenya and a young gal from Georgia on her way back from a mission to Sudan.
I tried to work on the sermon for Sunday on the flight, but was brain dead. A few cat naps, but mostly just watching the same movies over and over.
Starting feeling ill in the airport in D.C. - almost took the offer for a later flight due to overbooking so that I could stay in a hotel and recover, but I just wanted to get home.
Lynne was waiting for me at the luggage claim. She had struck up a conversation with a retired, ex-Air Force guy. Steak and Shake on the way home! A real burger and a real shake!
I come home to find an email from another Kenyan Albert (who translated for me in 2006 at Onjiko Church) saying that he feels lead to teach at AEST.
Some lessons:
- Wachara is loaded with potential for evangelism, growth, micro-business. They could use a medical mission, and even moreso could use a permanent clinic. The orphanage could grow large.
- Albert demonstrates the power of multiplication that's possible through AEST. Through one trained student, we have in less than one year a church of over 100 people, with potential for far more.
- There are even more needs and opportunities than before - how to sort through all of them and prioritize?
- The danger level in Ahero is higher than ever, including a rise in crime and vigilante justice.
- Short term trips are still worth the effort and expense.
- I want to be more in control of the transportation situation for future trip - even hiring our own driver, if necessary. The danger I was put in is not acceptable for future teams.
- We need to pray for the Lord to raise up someone for overseeing micro-business development, especially in Wachara.
- We're not thinking big enough for the orphanages and AEST.
- AEST needs 3 full-time faculty.
- God is at work - how do we best partner with His work?
- But it is also true that Islam is advancing in Kenya - these are critical times, and the Muslims are well-financed with a clear strategy.
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