Visiting Student Homes

In the middle of our time in Kenya, all of us had the very distinct privilege of spending a night with the families of our host students from Daystar University. Now that we are back in the states, and students are back into the routine of classes, I'm going to share about my experiences that weekend, and invite our students to contribute as they have the time. 

My roommate at Daystar was an older student by the name of Kimeli, a non- traditional student, in that he is about 25 years old and has a wife and two small children. I came to know Kimeli as a good friend, and as w

e spent time together the first week, I began to eagerly anticipate the opportunity of traveling to his home and meeting his extended family.  As it turned out getting to his home town of Marigat, about 4 hours north of Nairobi, was an adventure all its own. 

A matatu is a 14 passenger minivan, that will

 take you, rapidly, to your desired destina

tion for a small fee

 but only when the driver decides

 he has a full loa

d. And in our case, a full load meant 24 people. On our journey north, up the great rift valley, I learned we would be crossing the equator... well I was 

not about to let this momentous occasion pass me by, so 

I kindly asked our matatu driver if he would stop and let me take a picture at the

equator. He did, I did, and I was promptly accosted by a host of souvenir sa

les folk who wanted to sell me a little something to remember my equatorial crossing. What can I say, I was a

 captive westerner with more shillings than sense, they've seen my type

 before. SO... there I stood with one foot in each hemisphere, contributing to the local economy!

Just another 15 minutes down th

e road, Kimeli asked the driver to stop, and we got out, and as I looked around I saw a small gravel road heading off to the west. Next to the road was a small wooden stand where local folks would sometimes sell honey. On the other side of

 the gravel road was a small enclosure with a crumpled piece

 of tin for a roof. As it turns out that shed was just large enough to serve as the local pool hall. In the center was one functional pool table, and along the side was another older pool table that had seen its better days. I was introduced to the players and learned, that like most folks in this area, they were related in som

e way to my host, Kimeli. 

After visiting briefly with the local billiard pros, I couldn't help but wonder where our next stop would be. Two of the guys we met at the intersection were Ki

meli's younger brothers, one who is still in high school, and the other who is studying engineering at anoth

er university in Nairobi. After Kimeli consulted with his brothers, he said, "We're going for a walk, I want to show you around." Well that sounded great, but in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but wonder, where in the world we were going? We crossed the highway and began to walk down a path... straight into the brush, and that's when things really started to get interesting.

At our first stop Kimeli showed me a water retention pond where people and animals came daily for water. It was not very clean, and he shared about how he hopes after college he can return to this area and help improve the water sour

ces and living conditions for his people. We hiked on another half mile or so and we came to a small compound. It was a small fenced-in area complete with goats, a mule and two metal sheds and two mud huts with thatched roofs. "This is where I grew up" Kimeli said, as he invited 

me into one of the sheds. He showed me the kitchen, and he described 

how he used to stay close to his mother's side as she would prepare "ugali" over the fire. "Ugali" is a mashed potato sort of texture, but its made by mixing corn flour in boiling water. He explained how each structure was for different family members, his younger brother still sleeps in one of the huts when he is home.

On our half mile trek to the next home we stopped to meet a neighbor and her extended family. Once we arrived at his aunt's, we negotiated a small ga

te and we were greeted by more family members.  Meeting his aunt was another treat. His family members were all very gracious and so excited about having a guest drop by for a visit. Kimeli explained and helped me realize that I was the first 

westerner to ever come to his family's land and take the time to stop by and visit for a little while. 

The picture at the right, shows me, Kimeli, his grandmother and a young cousin. She only spoke Swahili, and so Kimeli translated as we got acquainted and visited about how long she had lived in the area. She said nice things about Kimeli and his brothers. Kimeli told me that I was the first white man she had ever met.

 I told her what an honor it was to get to visit her home and to meet her and I g

ave her a small gift. She was so touched and thankful that she grabbed my 

hands and shook them vigorously, then she did something I was not expecting... she spit on my hands, and continued to thank me and shake my hands. Kimeli must have seen the surprise in my face after she spit on my hands, he leaned toward me and whispered how his grandmother had just bestowed a tremendous blessing on me, and was showing her deep appreciation for my small gift. It is said that when an elder blesses you in this way, they

 are blessing you the hope peace and prosperity. After a couple of pictures, it was time to make our way to 

one more home.

As we walked toward Kimeli's second mom's home it was beginning to get dark. I learned that in Kenya, men may sometimes take a second wife later in life. This

 was the case with his father. They often do not divorce, but they just mo

ve on to live with another woman. The father often continues to support the first wife. Unfortunately, I did not get to meet Kimeli's father, he works for the highway department and was out on a job in a remote area. I did get to talk to him on Kimeli's phone and he also 

thanked me for coming to visit. 

As we approached their compound we were greeted by Winnie, a cousin, who I learned, is a first year college student at nearby Eldoret. We were invited inside for a cup of tea. As I mentioned it was pretty dark by now so they lit a small kerosene lantern and set it on a small coffee table. We en

joyed a cup of tea and what they called ground nuts, I learned later they were peanuts. Again, I was reminded

what a novelty I was as a guest. As we visited and

 enjoyed our tea, Winnie sat next to me and constantly brushed my hair with her hands. She was very curious, and g

entle as she stroked my head. It was truly a blessing and I felt that this was a great opportunity to experience real immersion as Kimeli's family members shared their time with us. 

We finished our tea and said our goodbye's and by the light of the full moon we started our one mile hike back out toward the highway. When we reached the highway we met Kimeli's mother. She met us and we took another series of pictures, and visited briefly. Again I wondered, what are we going to do now? Kimeli's home, where we were spending the night was another 1

0 miles down the highway, and I was pretty sure there were not going to be any Matatus coming by this remote stretch of road any time soon. Kimeli ssured me, "Don't worry, we will get a ride." And sure enough, a car came by and pulled over and offered us a ride to Marigot.  I got to meet Kimeli's wife and two daughters. And we had a great evening sharing stories and more tea.

The next day before we started our journey back Kimeli took me to Lake Bogoria

a beautiful park where we saw hot springs, giesers, flamingos and an ostrich or two. More about that in my next entry.

Deo Fisus Labora -  Jeff 

Why We Went...

Brian McLaren's book, "Everything Must Change" is about to be released in paperback, possibly with a new subtitle: "Where Jesus' Good News and the World's Biggest Problems Collide." I've read this book, and the new subtitle does a great job of explaining why our group traveled to Kenya.

First, it is important to understand the value of water in this region of Kenya. T

he average annual rainfall for the region is about 15 inches a year, (Wyoming averages about 12) and most of that comes between March and May of each year. The rest of the year the climate is hot and dry and the Ukarimu House, as well as the rest of the campus, relies on water from a reservoir at the University, and a very unreliable pipeline that brings water from Nairobi. In very dry times they pay a great deal to have water trucked into the college. During the school year the campus houses approximately 1000 students who all observe strict water conservation practices. 

The second piece of this picture is the ministry center that is under construction, called The Ukarimu House. (pictured above) Ukarimu is a Swahili word meaning hospitality. Chip and Chari Kingsbury have

 been at Daystar for more than 8 years. Chip serves as the director for faculty development, and teaches classes in the area of leadership and community development. They also coordinate a program called "The Praxis Team" which trains and equips students for ministry. Currently they live in a small home adjacent to The Ukarimu House. Once completed the roof of these buildings will collect rainfall

and fill the newly constructed water tank, providing water for most of the year. They are currently recruiting team members to travel to Kenya in August of this year to be a part of a crew that will help fund and install the roof/rainwater collection sys

tem. Total cost for the metal and tile roof, $40,000 USD. I am told that they have a little over half of this team committed. If you are interested in participating

 in this project contact Chip at:  ckingsbury@daystar.ac.ke 

So... how does a team of 10 college folk from the states fit into this equation? Jewell has had a longtime commitment to building student leaders that are engaged in their local and global communities. This project, with Jewell alumni, Chip Kingsbury, had all the righ

t pieces to mobilize and engage students at a number of different levels. First we sought the support of the campus by raising funds to help pay for the construction materials. Through the generosity of student organizations, faculty and staff we were able to donate $2,000.00 toward the water tank project prior to 

our arrival. When we arrived the hole had already been started, (pictured above) and for the next 10 days we used pick axes (the ground is very hard and dry) shovels, ropes and buckets to complete the foundational shape of the tank. 

Nothing builds community faster than working together, sweating and carving something out of the dense Kenyan soil. Our team partnered with 15 of 

the Praxis students from Daystar to dig this hole and the channels that will support the pipes carrying the rainwater to the tank. While building this ecologically friendly tank, what we were really building, was relationships with peers from a very different culture. We constructed bonds and understanding on levels much deeper than the 13 feet of earth we removed together.  

By the end of our second week our team began to dig the trenches that will be used to hold the pipes that will carry water to the tank during the rainy seasons. Chip employed some men that were skilled at lining the tank walls with concrete. As our time in Kenya drew to a close it was interesting to watch as the combined groups of students would walk over to the tank and stare with pride at our "hole in the ground," and reminisce at the amount of blood sweat and tears it took to make this huge tank. A sustainable rainwater collection structure, that will very soon make the Ukarimu House a self supporting ministry center at the base of the Lukenya Hills of southern Kenya. 

For two weeks in Kenya Jesus Good News, collided with the global issue of water conservation as Jewell, Carroll, and Daystar students shared labor and lives for the growth of God's Kingdom. Thanks again to all of you that helped make this happen.  Deo Fisus Labora - Jeff

Photos

Final Days in Kenya

We are on our way back, so while we have a few hours in the Amsterdam airport, why not feed the BLOG monster. I'll start with our latest adventures and as folks come by maybe someone will add a note or two of their own. I haven't blogged since Sunday, so here's a quick overview of the last 48 hours. 

On Monday morning we toured the "Beacon of Hope Ministry Center" in western Nairobi. This is a remarkable clinic meeting the needs of HIV positive women and families affected by AIDS. Monday afternoon we began packing our bags for the return journey. Monday Night was our big closing celebration time with our hosts from Daystar University. We had a "Nyamachoma" which is Swahili for goat roast, or more generally a barbecue. We had a great time eating goat and pork, and other local treats like "Ugali" which is a mashed potato type substance made of boiled water and corn flour. Following the meal the two groups exchanged gifts and shared words of thanks and blessings. We also enjoyed a slide show of pictures from the past two weeks projects and adventures.  The Vice Chancellor of the Athi River Campus, Dr. Godfrey M. Nguru and some of his staff also joined us for the celebration. He shared some brief words of appreciation, and looked forward to other opportunities for exchanges with William Jewell. To top the night of Chip mixed up an amazing batch of home made ice cream. 

Tuesday morning we left the dorm at 5:30 am with all of our luggage packed for the 10:30 pm departure. Why did we leave so early you ask? Well, when you tour the Nairobi National Wildlife Reserve it is best to tour at dawn or d,usk to see the most animals. Here is a short list of animals we saw during our 3 hour tour: (6-9am) Warthog, Hartebeast, Thompson's Gazelle, Ostrich, Zebra, Baboons, Rhino, Cape Buffalo, Storks, Guinea Fowl, Giraffes, Velvet Monkeys, Antelope, Crocodile, and the coup de gras... the King of Beasts, A male lion (Simba) and his pride of about 8 females. We were about 10 feet from the big guy as he laid in the grass - Sorry photos next blog.

Our safari was a blast, following that adventure we visited a gift shop and then had an amazing wild meat lunch at a restaurant called "The Carnivore." It was kind of cool, after seeing all this wildlife we got to sample Ostrich, crocodile, and the staples of beef, pork and chicken. They would continually cycle through with swords of skewered meat, and cut some off on your plate. We dined there for a couple hours, and ate our fill of meats.

Ironically the next event on our schedule ws a brief tour of Nairobi's poorest slum area known as "The Kibara Slum." It is the second largest slum in Africa, and this overcrowded area is home to over 1 million people. Our guides were some remarkable young men and women that grew up in the slums and have returned to lead a futbol program for the children of the area. They currently coach over 300 teams and they hold tournaments at neighboring schools that are very well attended by the residents. It was very humbling and eye opening to tour the area. I think our repsonse to that experience will require an entire entry of its own.

Next we made one last souvenir stop in the downtown market area known as "Biashara Street." Once our final Shillings were spent, we stopped at a home nearby, some friends of Chip and Chari, to re pack our luggage, grab a snack, and clean up before our flight. Once that was done we made our way to the Nairobi airport for our return flight. 

My Battery is nearly dead... Deo Fisus Labora -  Jeff 

Weekend Update

What an amazing weekend! 

Its late and we are all beat. 

So here's what I think I'll do...

...I'm going to do a bullet list of activities various members of our group got to experience with our Kenyan hosts over the last couple days. Hopefully this will serve as a great discussion starter the next time you see one of our team members... 

* Hiked around and climbed a volcanic crater

* Met a grandmother of a Kenyan who shared in Swahili that this was the first white person she had ever met. 

* Enjoyed an interesting dish made of bananas, black eyed peas, and potatoes

* Had a college aged Kenyan rub and touch his hair while he had tea with the family

* Didn't go to Nakuru National Park (Flamingos) because the Non-Kenyan price is $60 per person, Kenyan price - 300 shillings = $4.00 USD

* Watched a Kenyan produced soap opera

* Hiked by the light of the full moon

* Looked at the full moon using the Daystar University's telescope

* Crossed the Equator - Stood in two hemispheres at once

* Bartered with artisans at the Masai Market in downtown Nairobi

* Rode in a Matatu... numerous times (Public transportation - seats 14) However I counted 24 people in the one I rode 

* Stood by and watched as one of our Kenyan hosts argued with a Matatu driver for trying to over charge her American guests for a ride 

* Was mistaken for a local - and tried to act interested as a person spoke to her at length - in Swahili. 

* Taught Kenyan hosts how to play chess

* Drank Mango Juice - from a pop bottle

* Overwhelmed by the gracious generosity and appreciation shown by all of our host families

* Had there hands spit on by an elder (This is a gesture conveying great blessings)

* Saw geysers, hot springs, ostrich, zebra, Thompson's Gazelle, antelope, baboons, warthogs, flamingos, and 8 foot tall ant hills

Thats enough for now - as I said its late, and I may have confused a detail or two, but we really had a great weekend with our Kenyan friends.  Tomorrow we are visiting an AIDS ministry center in the morning, and having a nyamochoma (Goat Roast) tomorrow evening. 

Deo Fisus Labora - Jeff

Stalking Giraffe

Friday January 9, 2009  - Guest Bloggers: Elizabeth Warth, Sarah Taylor, Dawn Ferguson

Today was our last work day.  The hole was plastered and the brick wall is complete.  Trenches have been dug and we are now proud parents of a nine thousand gallon water tank. There is still a bit of finish work, but we are excited about moving on to the next thing. As our day

 ended, the group divided and headed different directions. Some went to a nerby town for supplies, another group headed back to the hostel (dorm) and six of us went giraffe hunting, including Chip Kingsbury, who has been our host and today served as our guide.  

After many miles of trees and dirt, Elizabeth Warth spotted a long neck in the distance.  After the first giraffe was spotted we found a total of eight of them in a herd.  They did not find us as interesting or as cute as we found them to be.  We eventually attempted to sneak closer to them, which failed due to the sounds of eccentric picture snapping and the fact that we

 are not stealthy. Feeling defeated we sat down thinking that if we were low to the ground and didn't move that they would come to us.  We were wrong.  

Everyone gave up except two of us.  Dawn Ferguson and Cyrus (a Daystar friend) decided to give it one last attempt.  They were very successful and Dawn was very excited because they finally got within 20 feet of them.  At this point there was a tragic turn of events.  Cyrus decided that it would be a good idea to storm the giraffes.  This did not work so well as giraffes are faster and stealthier than they look.  Within a few seconds of chasing, and zig-zagging around, the giraffes were scattered. And there was Dawn, standing with her mouth wide open in shock and disappointment, the giraffes were as far away as when the attempt began.  

The bystanders at this time were no longer sitting but standing in shock, much like the home team crowd at a football game when their team fumbles the ball. Overall the giraffe hunting experience was amazing.  There is nothing like being so close to wildlife in their natural habitat knowing that your encounter is genuine.  We are all preparing for a fun weekend with our friends shopping and visiting their homes.

A quick update... a couple students will be writing an entry a little later this evening. Briefly I wanted to let folks know I may be "offline" over the weekend. Our group is dividing into small groups and traveling to the homes of our host students.  I will be traveling to my roommate's home, which I'm told is a couple hours away via a "matatu" which is a small bus or minivan. Our girls are all going to one place where they will have the African version of a slumber party. Monday we are visiting an Aids ministry Center called Beacon of Hope, and Tuesday we will tour the Nairobi Game Park. So please stay tuned as our adventures continue.

Deo Fisus Labora,  Jeff

The Wall

Today we dug trenches and helped put a retaining wall around the top of our water tank. Its actually starting to look like a little more than a hole in the ground.  More than once today I spoke with students that were staring in amazement at our handiwork.

Tonight we introduced our African friends to S'Mores, they loved them, we ran out of biscuits (Crackers) and marshmallows. We built a small fire on a high hill on campus. Around the fire we sang songs and listened to some very nice music. We told stories and finally headed back to the residence halls, weary from another productive day.

Pictured to the right is the gourd my friend gave me yesterday. In northern Kenya these are used to transport and store milk.

The Gift

Today one of the young men from the school invited me to his small room, just off campus. He proudly showed me pictures of his family and told me about how in his tribe, milk cows are the staple of the society, in fact they are traded as currency. He has already begun to raise some cows himself to use in the future as a dowry. After a brief chat he gave me a small gourd that was hand painted and decorated with beads by his mother. He explained that these are used to carry milk and as a container for drinking. In December, while he was home, he told his mother that our group was coming to visit, and she gave him this gourd to share with someone from the group. I have to tell you I got a little choked up as my friend shared a piece of his life with me. We have a little less than a week left to spend with our friends and my experience today was one very small example of the kinds of relationships that are developing between these two groups of students. 

We have a few more work days on the water tank, and I can't lie, today was a hot one. We have begun to mix concrete for the rim, and dig the ditch that will carry water from the Ukarimu House to the tank. We had to take a few extra breaks this afternoon. I'm afraid our fair skin, gallons of sun screen included, is no match for the hot, dry, baking qualities of the equatorial African sun. We are about 50 miles south of the equator here, and the sun rises and sets at about 6:15 - am & pm each day.

We are also sharing some American culture with our friends. Tonight we shared a good old fashioned "Movie Night." The school provided a projector, and together we had pop and popcorn and we watched the classic movie "The Princess Bride." We had a great time laughing, and teaching our friends to say... "My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die." Tomorrow night we are planning to teach them how to make S'Mores around a campfire. 

Deo Fisus Labora, Jeff

Sorry about no pictures tonight - technical difficulties - jb

Conquering the Clod

Jan. 6, 2009 - Guest Blogger - James Buscher, Carroll College, Helena, Montana

Today was epic. The center pillar in the hole was toppled like your ego right after your girlfriend says "I just want to be friends." It was a Titanic feet, requiring all the man (and woman) power we could muster. After a few minutes of chopping at the solid base of the pillar, we lassoed that sucker and played the most one-sided game of tug-of-war ever to be played between twenty humans and one very large dirt clod. The humans won. With the mass of broken dirt carpeting the floor of the hole, we all felt the thrill of defeating such a huge and ominous inanimate object. 

With that surge of energy coursing through our dirt clogged arteries we headed just down the road to swim in a pool at an oddly located hot

el known as the Lukenya Getaway. Once there our Kenyan partners told us that most of them did not know how to swim and over half of them were afraid of water. So we did the culturally sensitive thing and shoved them into the deep end to learn through emersion. Not really. Actually we held a small swim lesson that ended up resembling a class on the art of drowning, rather than any form of swimming school. After a few pointers though, our Kenyan friends were racing each other across the pool, and while none of them would ever be mistaken for Michael Phelps, for multiple reasons, they certainly held their own

 considering for most, it was their first time in a pool. So as I said, today was epic.

Our group has learned why the old song says, "God Bless the rains down in Africa..." Water storage and conservation is critical for daily life, and it reinforces the importance of this project. We have determined that every bucket of dirt we remove, means a bucket of water for someone in the future. 

Today we made huge progress on the water tank. We nearly have all the dirt removed from the hole. Using picks, shovels, buckets and ropes, we will complete the "dig" tomorrow. To celebrate this portion of the project, we may go swimming at a nearby hotel at the end of the day.

Our trip to Nairobi yesterday was a great adventure. Never again will we complain about road conditions or traffic in Kansas City! And did I mention the British influence here also means they drive on the opposite side of the road than us folks in the states.

Yesterday a handful of new students arrived at the university for orientation. And some of our group went to the evening welcome program. At one point in the program they invited (read grabbed) new students from the crowd and put them onstage. Among the "victims" was my son James. The played a few games and pranks, it was pretty funny. He got a lot of ribbing about being a new student. Thanks again for your prayers and support, The team is doing very well, and we look forward to beginning our second week in Kenya!  Peace,  Jeff 

Andy's African Holy Day

Africa – 4 Jan. 2009 (guest blog by Andy Kirk)

I never thought the day would come when I would consider performing a church skit as a part of a “fun day.” Usually, my fun days at home in Liberty involve being glued to a trashy reality TV marathon while drinking enough Dr. Pepper to kill most animals and small children. But today, visiting a church meant NOT digging a hole, and for that, I was uncharacteristically overjoyed to praise the Lord.

This morning, our group of Cardinals, Kenyans and Carroll College compadres traveled into the city of Nairobi to attend a contemporary worship service at Kileleshwa Covenant Community Church. Our group was also charged with the task of performing a church skit for the congregation—a task that could easily tarnish the delicate reputation of the United States in Kenya, if gone awry. With all of the positive energy here behind President-elect Obama, we couldn’t ruin the U.S. for these people. Additionally, I somehow found myself writing and directing this skit, which would be hilariously ironic if it weren’t utterly terrifying. I’ll spare you the details of my “baby,” but let’s just say it was written and practiced less than twelve hours before production.

After about an hour of singing, our group was called to the stage to perform. I was ready to throw up all over the altar, but we kept it together and got a reaction from the audience that I would compare to parents awkwardly clapping after their middle schoolers’ hot mess of a Christmas pageant. The rest of the service was fine, and we weren’t smitten by a higher power, so we considered it a success.

Following church, we ate at an Ethopian restaurant in Nairobi. I had Coke for the first time in six days, and I now have the strength to finish the rest of the trip. The other significant note about the restaurant was that five of us shared a tray of various Ethopian delicacies with no utensils. My friends and I talked about everything, from hot teachers to the Gaza Strip bombings, and it was almost enough to make me forget that I was mopping up spicy goat meat off of a communal plate. Kenya has been good for me, personally, because I’ve had to abandon my rigorous standards of order and cleanliness in order to survive. In the United States, I wouldn’t eat half of the things I’ve eaten here, and I would demand perfect conditions in which to consume them. But here, if you’re afraid of ingesting saliva, dirt or mustard, you die. To be honest, I’m more grossed out my decomposing than drinking tap water with just a touch of the tapeworm.

Finally, our group went to an orphanage and played with small children. There’s really no way I can make fun of these children because they were absolutely precious. We went down slides, played on the swings and ate cookies together. If even I could appreciate these adorable African toddlers, then there is hope for my beautiful biracial babies with Brittany Talley.

One of the songs in church today repeated the chorus of “anything is possible” about 30 times. If I could try strange food, semi-enjoy church, and have my ice cold heart warmed and broken by Kenyan orphans, then that might be somewhat true. Day 6 is ending, but it’s been one of my favorites thus far.

P.S. A quick shout-out to Bob and Gay Lee Bonney and Nancy Talley! Your daughters and I are totes enjoying each other’s company.

Birthdays & Soccer

Today was my birthday, and it was certainly a memorable one! Our new friends at Daystar have an interesting birthday tradition. At some point during the day of one's birthday, your friends will 'wash' you. I think the picture will explain what I mean. The day started with everyone singing birthday songs to me at breakfast. First our traditional stateside version, then a sweet Kenyan birthday song was shared by the students from the college here. But as you can see it all went downhill fast after lunch.

We worked hard all morning knowing that this afternoon we were going to engage in the world sport of soccer. We played a great match. We mixed players from both schools because we had a significant cross section of students. Some who have played soccer, and some who were less than enthusiastic about their athletic capabilities. We made it clear that we were truly out to have some fun, and that was exactly what we did.

This evening we are putting the final touches on a short skit that we have written as a combined group. We will be performing in church tomorrow morning. We will attend Kilelshewa Community Church in Nairobi. After lunch we will be visiting an orphange that has a great ministry to Aids orphans and their families.

Dig Day One

So there we were. In Kenya. Blistering hot, sunburned faces, no water, dirt everywhere, and pirates attacking every hour or so. We tried to fend them off, but we eventually lost some of our brave comrades to the scourgeful pirates. By pirates, I mean mosquitoes... OK, that may have been a little overstated. But seriously. today was our first day on the work site, and quite a day it was. Digging through the red African soil that seems to be the life blood of...life itself. Who knows what we may find digging this hole, we are only 200 miles from the famous paleontology site of the Olduvai Gorge. Everyone took turns in the dig, as we used pick axes, jembe's (or hoes), and shovels to clear the dirt and create a hole to store water for the new ministry house.

This hole is absolutely ginormous. Literally, take the biggest hole you could ever imagine and then times it by seven. Even then you have no clue. When we are finished this un-imanigably large hole will be about fifteen feet deep and thirty feet wide. Then we ate.

We also learned that not all rocks are really rocks. Some of them are frogs.

New Year Monkeys

As Chip was showing us one of the classroom buildings at Daystar University, the tour was interrupted by the appearance of a small group of monkeys just outside the building. Cameras started clicking as the primates put on a show for us.

The night before we arrived on schedule with all of our luggage New Years Eve. We brought in the new year about 9 hours before all of our friends in the Midwest.

After our tour today we did some group building activities with our partners from Daystar and then everyone needed a nap to recuperate from jet lag. This evening students from both schools watched an hour long video about President elect Obama's visit to Kenya a couple years ago. We enjoyed a great time together discussing how both cultures are reacting to his leadership.

Tomorrow we will begin working on the water tank.
Deo Fisus Labora, Jeff