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