Kenya Thursday February 17

Kenya  Thursday February 17

Shalom Aleichem!!

I just don’t have enough words to describe what is happening; or maybe just not the right words.

It is so clear that YHWH has been at work here.  I still find it amusing that they are so surprised that there are Messianic believers in America.  Telling them about thematic study and the Hebrew understandings is like pouring water on dry ground…and there have been physical rains while I’m here, too; a few weeks earlier than expected but very much welcomed.

So, Tuesday we did go to Nairobi. I keep forgetting though that Nairobi is a province as well as a city. 

Found myself in a nature park, observing 14 Falls, climbing around on rocks and paths and into a boat. I am standing under an acacia tree here.

Good thing I had the right shoes, but had I known I would NOT have worn a dress! Saw either a lizard or young crocodile depending which person was right.

  Peter found a baby Kingfisher so we had a close look at that one.

The falls were beautiful and while we were there we also watched several divers entertaining other tourists.  It reminded me a lot of climbing around at Cave Point on Lake Michigan.

We did make it into the city of Nairobi.  It is a big city like anywhere else, though perhaps more trees and greenery than I have usually seen.

Again, the concept of lanes of traffic was only a general guide. Those matatus, public transportation bus/van that seat about 15 people each, just careen all over and jump out in traffic when they are done loading or off loading, barely without looking.  It seems everyone wants to get where they are going first so they don’t have much concern for who they might cut off. Yet, it is also true that I saw hands motioning from larger buses indicating when it was safe to pass, and I think I saw passers by bang on a bus to get it to stop before it backed into us.

 

Every walk of people and dress was evident, though I saw just 3 “white” faces while there, so the grand total of “white” faces I’ve seen since leaving Jomo Kenyatti airport is “3”.   I have been taking pictures of all the different churches as we go and all the men have been very helpful in that endeavor.  Everything from Baptist churches, to Word of Faith assemblies, Kenya Nazarene University, Catholic churches, Hindu temples, Islamic mosques, all shapes and sizes.  They range from a small shack to the largest most ornate brick or stone buildings, one with stained glass windows.  It says in the Kenya guidebook that it is a nation of churches; a Christian nation, but I had no idea what that really meant!   Every passing truck or bus has some kind of “Christian slogan”   I may have mentioned this already, but I still find it amazing and so clear that these slogans are just part of the scenery. To me, it is almost becoming offensive to see these words in such obviously not worshipful places.  My understanding, too, is that Peter and SAM here also see them as completely meaningless.  Perhaps an example of what happens when religion becomes integrated into culture?

It took several hours to work through the traffic to be able to get downtown to see the Kenyatta building and Parliament.  Even with the stores lining the streets, there are still street vendors everywhere.  Peter then drove us out to a suburb for chicken at Chicken Inn, which he said is the only place he knows is trustworthy.  I’m afraid I disappointed him by ordering a cheeseburger instead of the chicken. Missed my cue there I think. This restaurant was in a little strip mall, with a pizza place and both indoor and outdoor seating.  They asked where I’d like to sit and I quickly chose outside. I realized then, that the temperature then was pleasant for me, but bordering on too cold for them. Another oops! They found it rather funny that the chili sauce they liked on the fries, called chips, was on the hot side for me.

Having been satisfied with food, we then headed back downtown once again, in search of a highway/street map.  Apparently it is almost unheard of for anyone to have such a thing!  They just travel around knowing where they are headed or asking people as they go to help them find the place they need.  This is one reason the elders seem to be taking phone calls constantly, sometimes even when we have gathered for worship!  If there is someone who is traveling to join them and can’t find them, they don’t want to be unavailable. ( While I certainly understood, especially when people might arrive anywhere within a 2 hour window with all the travel challenges instead of maybe a 15 minute window as we have, you should have seen them laugh when I challenged them that taking a call while in worship was like saying: “Oh, just a  minute Messiah, while I take this call.” ) By the time we got through the maze of traffic, we had purchased a map from a street vendor who came to the window which was better than nothing if we hadn’t been able to find another. We did finally find a small kiosk that was open AND had maps!   It was 300 KS which was outrageous to Francis, the elder, I think K. and comes out to just less than $4 USD I think.  Seemed a good price to me for a full color map with topographical info as well as all we’d usually expect. They pored over it before I had a look.  Now it is much easier for me to grasp where we are going and how long it might take, especially since the map includes different colors for “main roads’  “minor roads” and “tracks.” It took 2 hours to get back to Kamiti in a terrifically blocked up traffic jam, not enjoyable for Peter who was driving this day. He says he’d rather deal with the rocks and bumps out in the country and avoids Nairobi as much as possible.  Can’t say I blame him.

Not much happened when we returned, other than a neighbor lady, Joyce, came to meet me; telling Peter how disappointed she was that he’d waited an entire week before telling her I was there! Then, MamaJamal brought some food for supper and a pink snood she’d made for me.  Her favorite color so she had the yarn.  Very nice!  I wore it yesterday on our trip to Nakuru.

Yesterday, Samuel, the driver, had recovered from his headache and was back in the driver’s seat as we went north to Nakuru, where Peter M. is the leader.  Being a weekday, they didn’t think there would be more than 3-5 people available so the plan was to meet in his home. This was probably the best highway I have seen so far!  We made good time until I noticed some sheepskins hanging for sale.  I asked how expensive they were, and said they were as much as $100-200 USD.  Peter said much less than that here.  Before I knew it, they had seen some nice ones, and we stopped. They wanted me to take pictures of the Rift Valley but NOT get out of the car as they were bargaining and thought they’d get a better price if the people didn’t know I was there.  Do you believe it? A full sheepskin for $10!   I mentioned that I had hoped to be able to bring some remembrances back for our community but we didn’t have a lot of resources to work with.  Again, the men were off, with me staying in the car with Francis K.  They came back in great joy and glee with a bag full of treasures that you will see when I get back!  They did well!  Let no one ever say they don’t know how to get nice things that ladies might like! I think they enjoyed baffling the shopkeeper as to why a bunch of Kenyan men would want these things!

Back on the highway again, we stopped near Gilgil to take pictures of a herd of zebras.  Apparently they are often in this area.  Sadly, it seems I won’t be seeing any giraffes as it is too dry this time of year, and Peter (photographer) says they are hibernating up in the hills where there are still more acacia trees  that they like.  Not sure he meant hibernating, but I got the point!

Peter M.s home is in a group of stone buildings, almost like the insula we saw in Israel, though of course, nicely kept.  Inside, I met MamaMoshe, Peter’s helpmeet, as he made of point of introducing her. (They didn’t know what ezer knegdo was either…but have grabbed on to the concept quickly.)

Their home is painted aqua inside, with lace curtains like I have had in my office window draped over the walls.

Once again, the tradition is to feed guests first before any serious talking or teaching occurs.  How can anyone listen or understand if they are hungry? As we ate, more people kept arriving so eventually we had to move outside into the central common area.

Have you ever heard of a worship gathering being held under a full clothes line?  Well, there we were!  And it was joyful!  This time I was able to do an overview summary of selfworth, responsibility teachings, leading into menorah teaching, and noting mashal rule vs. rada rule, due to questions about marital relationships, and finishing up with our SAM goals sheet, as a picture of the need for individual, family, group and worldwide echad in Messiah.

The elders were delighted to stand up and be candles again, helping those who hadn’t done it before,  even working hard to make sure the one in the middle was the tallest.  Over and over they expressed their gratitude and asked me to tell our community how much they appreciated their having sent me out! Praise Yeshua. I can see a natural segue here, to go from the candle moedim demonstration to teaching them to dance Hine Ma Tov!  We will see if it happens!  One man, who has come to call himself Yedidah/friend, asked that I come again and please reserve 3 days to be in Nakuru!

This was truly joyful! They are so pleased to see things they haven’t seen before.  Again, the children were intensely curious, and wanted to touch my hair again. “It’s soft!” I heard several say.  One toddler, maybe about 1, took one look at me and cried to not have to come close. The Mom was embarrassed but I told her it was understandable!

My “film crew” was again directing some activities, and everyone good naturedly cooperated.  I have seen a few minutes of what he has been shooting, and I would have to say that sometimes he is getting way too up close and personal!!! J We had to shoo the children away from the car in order to get on the road, though we had Peter M. and not Peter W. among the 4 in the backseat.

 We headed downtown, snapping more pictures of churches along the way, until we found a parking place and waited.  Kenyans do a lot of waiting.  They tell me it is not unusual to wait 2 hours to meet with someone you had agreed to see. It wasn’t that long before Peter W. arrived and Peter M. said his goodbyes. I told them in America anyone would be lucky if someone would wait 15 minutes, unless they heard otherwise.  But then, in both places, cell phones have become a way of life and communication so you can keep in constant contact as you go.

Darkness arrived before we got home.  We stopped at Naivasha on the highway, by the turn off to his worship building with the menorah windows, to drop off Francis/Chege who then had a 45 minute walk to his home from there.  10 km.  He called before we reached Kamiti to say that he was home safely. Can you imagine anyone in America walking 10 km on a regular basis to get to fellowship meetings?  Definitely a different lifestyle, and dedicated people who really do all they can to encourage and strengthen the followers of Messiah Yeshua here.

I was glad to arrive home and get to sleep soon.  This morning, I have packed the sheepskins and various things as part of travel preparations. I also gave myself a note reminder to confirm the flight on Sunday night.  It is strange to see these two weeks moving quickly toward the end and I know I will miss these new brothers and sisters. There are still 3 places to visit, another visit with all the elders and a visit with just the ladies to happen before they bring me to the airport Monday evening.  I am also looking forward to being home and with my family and my SAM family there, too!  Spoke with Janell last night and heard that all is quiet and well on the home front so I am glad about that!  Ran out of minutes on the cell phone so will have to top that up today sometime.

The Francis’s and Peter’s should be arriving any minute for another days travel, and I hope to get to the cyber store to enter this note and a few pictures. We won’t be traveling as far today and much of it IS on that good highway.

All honor and praise to our Messiah Yeshua, who is indeed raising up His people from every tribe and tongue and nation!

Watching and praying,

Barb