Since Anita House and another Koinonia House for Streetboys that same night (it was a short visit - beautiful countryside/ river side location but I will write more about it after our next visit) we have been very busy and without a chance to write or send e-mails. In order to catch up on our time here in Kenya, I will write summaries of each day since the 14th of July.
Sunday, July 15th:
On Sunday we attended Nairobi Chapel for church, attempted to go to an orphanage called Happy Life (we ended up going to a gospel benefit concert for the kids - a little awkward to be honest), and then after dinner got a live performance from an amazing local drum and dance group. The church was definitely a challenging experience. Supposedly one of the fastest growing churches in Africa (and currently going through a huge relocation process to a tent - yes tent - that holds around 3,500 people) the church reminded me of my church back home that also recently went through a relocation process. While walking to the church (about a mile down the road from where we are staying) one of the guides Newton told me that this was a rich persons church (and Mizungu - white persons), noticable by the fact that there were so many cars parked outside the church (most of the cities residents don't have cars but instead walk and take public transportation - even bicycles are to expensive for most of them). So though the church is similar to mine back home (the only way to get to mine is by car), in the context of our visits to the slums and homes for street children this last week, it hurt to see a church that was negatively considered the rich person's church. After entering the tent (a big one, yet smaller than the one they are moving to on September 2nd) things only got more challenging to process. In the bulletin there was a flyer for a golf outing fundraiser for the new church (again only the very rich people know how to or even play golf), and had little mention of any service organizations or projects to the poor. The service and songs were very Americanized with big screens and American songs, and the sermon, though based around faith the God answers prayer, was very materialistic in nature and on the verge of a prosperity gospel. While I trust and pray that God works through this local body of believers, the experience challenged me to challenge myself and the rest of the body of Christ (now and while a pastor) to be more sensitive to and active with the poor and needy.
Monday, July 16th:
Monday was a day of even new experiences. We spent the day visiting an organization that served refugees all over the city of Nairobi. Included in this visit was their headquarters where a man named Father Eugene oversees training courses in hairdressing, beauty, and information technology, a bread shop, a thrift store for refugees, and a restaurant run by refugees. In the morning, after arriving, Father Eugene took us to an apartment complex for about 8 refugee families, and in the afternoon we went to a place where they make prosthetics and crutches for war torn and diseased persons.
Tuesday, July 17th - Thursday, July 19th:
Safari! Tuesday was the first of a three day journey to the western part of Kenya called Masai Mara. While the focus of our trip is obviously the community and church projects in Nairobi, it would have been hard to come to Kenya and not see the wildlife, landscape, and tribal people that make Kenya and Africa so unique. Tuesday afternoon, after driving 6 hours on the bumpiest and yet most scenic road I have ever been on, we went on a short game run at the National Park (1500 square kilometers) and then found our campsite (tents that believe it or not had a toilet and shower in them). On Wednesday we did an all day game run starting at 6:30am followed by a campfire with smores! and traditional Masai dancers and storytelling. Then on Thursday we did another morning game run, visited a Masai village, and traveled 6 hours back to Nairobi and Shalom House on the same bumpy road.
The animals were great! We were able to see zebras, elephants, giraffes, aarons, buffalo, hippos, baboons, gazelle, vultures, lions, jackels, and much more! It was Wednesday morning when we saw 10 lions (mostly female - they are the ones who do the hunting) eating a zebra they had killed earlier that morning. Because they were so occupied with their breakfast, our bus along with 10-15 others were able to get within 10 feet of the lions. The coolest part was went one of the few male lions, in order to protect the others, slowely approached our bus when Lori left the door open too long to take a picture. There was no danger for us but we got some sweet pictures.
The other amazing experience on our Safari was learning about and interacting with the Masai. One in particular was named Amos. His story is similar to all the others. Amos lives in the village as one of the many male warriors (meaning he was already circumcised between age 13-20). The village has around 75 members living in 15 huts made of cow dung and situated in a circle surrounded by a fence made of sticks to keep animals out. They own around 175 cattle that all stay in their camp at night. Their diet consists of milk, blood, and meat - the milk coming straight from the cows every morning (sometimes even directly into their mouths - it is better this way), the blood from the cows necks (poked once every 2 weeks), and the meat from goats and cows. Instead of money, the number of cows show how wealthy a person or a family is. Also, the chief often has 5 or more wives and rotates living in a different hut every night, and is able to get more wives by having more cows. Amos' friend Patrick told me that they practice Catholicism (probably coming from the the missionaries running their schools) and the Kenyan government requires one child from each family to go to primary school. The Masai are also nomadic. They will not live in one place for more than 10 years and the men often take the herds miles away during the day to find good grass for the cattle to graze on - always returning by sun down. The women stay back with the children and make the huts as well as make jewelry. In addition to all this, traditional Masai dancing is common, they showed us how to make fire with two types of wood, and they supposedly are very healthy, never having to go to the hospital.
This whole journey took place in the Rift Valley, a BEAUTIFUL valley surrounded by mountains that stretch from somewhere in Tanzania all the way up into Egypt. This is the place both scientists and theologians agree on as being the beginning of humans, and provided sites that were both breathtaking and left our group speachless. No camera or words could ever come close to describing the landscape. God knew what he was doing in creating Adam and Eve in this place!
Sunday, July 15th:
On Sunday we attended Nairobi Chapel for church, attempted to go to an orphanage called Happy Life (we ended up going to a gospel benefit concert for the kids - a little awkward to be honest), and then after dinner got a live performance from an amazing local drum and dance group. The church was definitely a challenging experience. Supposedly one of the fastest growing churches in Africa (and currently going through a huge relocation process to a tent - yes tent - that holds around 3,500 people) the church reminded me of my church back home that also recently went through a relocation process. While walking to the church (about a mile down the road from where we are staying) one of the guides Newton told me that this was a rich persons church (and Mizungu - white persons), noticable by the fact that there were so many cars parked outside the church (most of the cities residents don't have cars but instead walk and take public transportation - even bicycles are to expensive for most of them). So though the church is similar to mine back home (the only way to get to mine is by car), in the context of our visits to the slums and homes for street children this last week, it hurt to see a church that was negatively considered the rich person's church. After entering the tent (a big one, yet smaller than the one they are moving to on September 2nd) things only got more challenging to process. In the bulletin there was a flyer for a golf outing fundraiser for the new church (again only the very rich people know how to or even play golf), and had little mention of any service organizations or projects to the poor. The service and songs were very Americanized with big screens and American songs, and the sermon, though based around faith the God answers prayer, was very materialistic in nature and on the verge of a prosperity gospel. While I trust and pray that God works through this local body of believers, the experience challenged me to challenge myself and the rest of the body of Christ (now and while a pastor) to be more sensitive to and active with the poor and needy.
Monday, July 16th:
Monday was a day of even new experiences. We spent the day visiting an organization that served refugees all over the city of Nairobi. Included in this visit was their headquarters where a man named Father Eugene oversees training courses in hairdressing, beauty, and information technology, a bread shop, a thrift store for refugees, and a restaurant run by refugees. In the morning, after arriving, Father Eugene took us to an apartment complex for about 8 refugee families, and in the afternoon we went to a place where they make prosthetics and crutches for war torn and diseased persons.
Tuesday, July 17th - Thursday, July 19th:
Safari! Tuesday was the first of a three day journey to the western part of Kenya called Masai Mara. While the focus of our trip is obviously the community and church projects in Nairobi, it would have been hard to come to Kenya and not see the wildlife, landscape, and tribal people that make Kenya and Africa so unique. Tuesday afternoon, after driving 6 hours on the bumpiest and yet most scenic road I have ever been on, we went on a short game run at the National Park (1500 square kilometers) and then found our campsite (tents that believe it or not had a toilet and shower in them). On Wednesday we did an all day game run starting at 6:30am followed by a campfire with smores! and traditional Masai dancers and storytelling. Then on Thursday we did another morning game run, visited a Masai village, and traveled 6 hours back to Nairobi and Shalom House on the same bumpy road.
The animals were great! We were able to see zebras, elephants, giraffes, aarons, buffalo, hippos, baboons, gazelle, vultures, lions, jackels, and much more! It was Wednesday morning when we saw 10 lions (mostly female - they are the ones who do the hunting) eating a zebra they had killed earlier that morning. Because they were so occupied with their breakfast, our bus along with 10-15 others were able to get within 10 feet of the lions. The coolest part was went one of the few male lions, in order to protect the others, slowely approached our bus when Lori left the door open too long to take a picture. There was no danger for us but we got some sweet pictures.
The other amazing experience on our Safari was learning about and interacting with the Masai. One in particular was named Amos. His story is similar to all the others. Amos lives in the village as one of the many male warriors (meaning he was already circumcised between age 13-20). The village has around 75 members living in 15 huts made of cow dung and situated in a circle surrounded by a fence made of sticks to keep animals out. They own around 175 cattle that all stay in their camp at night. Their diet consists of milk, blood, and meat - the milk coming straight from the cows every morning (sometimes even directly into their mouths - it is better this way), the blood from the cows necks (poked once every 2 weeks), and the meat from goats and cows. Instead of money, the number of cows show how wealthy a person or a family is. Also, the chief often has 5 or more wives and rotates living in a different hut every night, and is able to get more wives by having more cows. Amos' friend Patrick told me that they practice Catholicism (probably coming from the the missionaries running their schools) and the Kenyan government requires one child from each family to go to primary school. The Masai are also nomadic. They will not live in one place for more than 10 years and the men often take the herds miles away during the day to find good grass for the cattle to graze on - always returning by sun down. The women stay back with the children and make the huts as well as make jewelry. In addition to all this, traditional Masai dancing is common, they showed us how to make fire with two types of wood, and they supposedly are very healthy, never having to go to the hospital.
This whole journey took place in the Rift Valley, a BEAUTIFUL valley surrounded by mountains that stretch from somewhere in Tanzania all the way up into Egypt. This is the place both scientists and theologians agree on as being the beginning of humans, and provided sites that were both breathtaking and left our group speachless. No camera or words could ever come close to describing the landscape. God knew what he was doing in creating Adam and Eve in this place!
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