Love from Nairobi Kenya  

Woke up with a couple of more mosquito bites.  Since the power was till out there wasn’t any hot water so we all took deep breaths as we showered.  Mercy came by the house, we got a taxi and dropped off almost two cases of Kids Against Hunger food for the children and students at Hidden Talents Academy . Our last day in Nairobi was filled with crazy shopping adventures where we were swarmed by vendors as we shopped for souvenirs.  We survived, came back to the house to finish packing.

Pastor Ann, Lamaz, BG and Mercy took us to the airport by 7pm for a 10:10 departure from Nairobi .  It was hard to say goodbye to our youth ministry friends. The plane was a little bit older, two-story, 747 filled to capacity – over 400 people.  It was like a city with wings.  

We woke up before the sun today to get to Nairobi National Park as it opened.  Pastor Ann and Mercy came with and we spent the morning driving through the park.  We saw some amazing animals – you can look at the pictures on facebook.

We moved to Eda’s parents place for our last night here.  The power went out as we settled in for the night.  

Today the girls were invited to share their testimony and talk about why they came to Kenya and I was asked to give a little devotion for the youth group at club Xpressions.  When we tried to leave we found the car battery was dead at Muteru’s so Leah walked up the road to get a taxi.  I got to Xpressions for most of the “unplugged” service where students showed off their skills; singing, dancing, designing, etc. Meagan, Shelby and I put our heads together on what we were going to say in front of the big group.  We were nervous to share on stage in front of hundreds of people but God helped us through.

After the service we enjoyed some fellowship, a samosa, and glass bottled Fanta with some of our friends at the big tent.  We even met a family that was originally from Minnesota .

We left the church and walked through a rougher part of town with Dan and some friends to the orphanage he was brought up in.  The place is called Hidden Talents Academy .  I suspected we were going to be in for an experience.  I’m still trying to process through what we saw and heard about.  Enos is from Uganda and was led by God to start this orphanage which hosts around 1,400 children from ages 4 to about 18.  They live entirely by faith for God to provide their daily needs.  They were praying for God to provide water for the day.  When we found out the cost was 4,000 shillings we were glad to give it to them.  With a quick call, the water truck showed up minutes later.  It is wild to see people who live out that kind of faith.

The kids were glad to see us and show off their talents which included gymnastics and even an expert with a diabolo.  We got a tour of the facility and spent a brief time in their afternoon church service.  I told Enos we had brought some Kids Against Hunger food to Kenya and would drop it off before we left.  I think it will be a nice change of pace from pourage and ugali even though it wont quite feed everyone in the orphanage a meal.  This was the most intense experience so far in Africa .  It will take me quite a while to process all that is going on in this environment.

In the process of planning our trip to Africa we definitely wanted to spend some time outside of the big city.  Today we get to go to Makueni, a village that Eda’s family is from about 2 hours away from Nairobi .  There is a bad drought there that has gone on for two years and people are hungry.  Two of Eda’s sisters have been getting donations and gathering food supplies.  We get to assist in the distribution of food for the people in the community.

Eda and Bulamu picked us up at about 8 and we headed over some rocky, pot-holed roads to the village.  Along the way we saw some great African scenery.  We stopped in a town called Machakos and enjoyed the best samosas ever; then continued through the mountains on a nice road to our destination.  Directions in rural Kenya resemble those in rural Minnesota .  They include more landmarks than streets.  The paved road became rocky, the rocks became dirt and got more narrow with every turn.  We got lost in the middle of Africa !  How lost you might ask… so lost that the homes that became shantys now turned into mud huts with thatched roofs – seriously.  It was cool though because Eda helped describe how traditional Kenyan homesteads work.  The family has a space and when boys turn 13 and go through a right of passage, they build a very small hut on the property and move out of the main house.  I found it interesting and enjoyed the adventure of being lost in the middle of Africa !

I was thanking God for the modern technology of cell phones in a primitive setting.  We connected with them and they sent a van to meet us at a row of shops we had passed some time earlier.  We arrived to find a big flatbed truck with food piled on it and many community ladies sitting in groups waiting for their turn to receive 4 to 8 bags of maize flower, a small container of lard and a packet of salt (the main components of ugali – a staple food in Kenya – that we have yet to acquire a taste for).  A few seemed thankful and offered a smile but most were shy or matter-of-fact about receiving the gift of food.  Meagan got to pass along a beanie baby that brought a smile.  The team worked great together in the dry, dusty field of orange dirt.  The stream of people seemed to continue trickling in throughout the 2 hour process.  Everyone who worked was served a nice lunch of goat, ugali, chapatti and vegetables.

Bulamu and Shelby took a nap on the way back to Nairobi .  We could see rain falling in the distance.  That was a welcome sight since the drought was a big topic everywhere we went.  God answered the prayers of so many people who have been praying for rain.  

Muteru was kind enough to drop me off at my favorite Kenyan Starbucks alternative - Java House again this morning around 7 for breakfast with Albo.  On the way we passed the State House (the White House equivalent in Kenya ) which looked picture worthy.  As I aimed my camera, Materu saw what I was doing and grabbed it saying no No NO!  Muteru is usually a calm guy but he freaked out.  In Kenya taking pictures of many government buildings is a serious crime.  They have been known to send police after you and confiscate your film or destroy your camera, even put you in jail.  So I spent the rest of the trip to Java looking over my shoulder and in the mirrors wondering if I would spend my last few days here in jail.

Fortunately we made it to the coffee shop for my meeting with Albo.  It was nice to share ideas and talk about similarities and differences of youth ministry.   Because transportation is difficult and since Nairobi is not a very safe place to move around after dark, youth ministry primarily happens on Sunday morning and afternoon.  Even with those limitations I still found much in common and know that I have much to learn from Albo and the ministry team here.  I want CSI to be like Xpressions when we grow up in terms of numbers, staff, volunteers and organization.  They have “D” groups going on for discipleship and he liked our Doing Up Community Together concept so much he asked if he could steal it.  I say, the more DUCT groups the merrier!

He left me on my own for a while and I wrestled with the internet and tried unsuccessfully to download some pictures then came back when Mercy, Meagan and Shelby got there.  We dropped them off at Cheryl’s then went to the Nairobi Chapel office for a tour and to get online.

I caught a taxi and joined the girls to check things out at Cheryl’s.  We stopped by each of the classes and passed out suckers to the children who played games, sang songs and asked us questions.  The kids seem happy here.  Most of them have uniforms or decent clothes but as you look more closely you notice that they are tattered / torn and their shoes don’t fit well or are in bad shape.  This place may need a few more resources, TLC and another teacher or two, but I come away from my visits feeling like they do a good job caring for and teaching the children that God brings their way.

Muteru and Leah invited the girls to join us for dinner with them and a sleepover at their place.  So we bought 2-for-1 pizzas, pop and real ice cream and took it back to their place to enjoy each other’s company and conversation for the night.

Today Mercy is taking Meagan and Shelby back to Cheryl’s Children’s Home and Albo invited me to come to a big meeting with all of the pastors and ministry staffs of Nairobi Chapel (NC) and many churches around Nairobi that have been planted by NC.  It was a great experience listening to these churches share what is going on in their respective areas of ministry and spending time praying for each local fellowship.  Interesting there were some Brethren roots that started such a vibrant movement of God, which now includes around 12,000 service attendees around Nairobi each weekend.

The pastors who spoke were unique in their approach, passionate about their mission and deeply committed to their vision.  It is thrilling to see how God has blessed this diverse unity of ministers – I am definitely inspired!  They definitely have "IT" and I can see why they will be effective at planting churches and spreading the gospel across Africa and around the world.  Jamaica comes to mind again.  I would love to see fresh, inspiring churches like these planted in Kingston, Buff Bay, Accompong and Montego Bay!

All of the pastors and staffs shared a great meal then we left for Albo’s for more clothes, passing the US Embassy along the way.  The girls had a lot more stories from the day of ministry at Cheryl’s and a matatu ride where they were almost mugged.  You’ll have to ask them about their adventures when we get home.  We had two hours to chill and catch up over ice cream and coffee at Java House.

Muteru picked us up at 9pm, dropped the girls off at their gate and then took a stranded student across town to her home.  We talked a little more about adoption in Kenya, since their work is related to it.  They turned in and I caught up with Kris and Aimee on their way home from Iowa.  It made me miss home even more. Lord willing we will be back in less than a week.