5 ALIVE IN KENYA

2011-12-27T11:20:00.001-08:00

Today we had the privilege of hiking to the rim of Mt. Longonot, a dormant volcano in the Rift Valley, which is a relatively smooth one hour ride west of Nairobi. We (my dad, Kevin, Noah and I) had intentions to walk the rim of the crater as well, which would of added only another 3 hours onto our trip. Those dreams were changed pretty much as soon as we reached the rim and realized the altitude at 2150 m above sea level actually affected us more than we thought it would. Hiking when three of the four people have dull headaches isn't so fun. We did stay at the top for a while and gawked at the magnificent view of the valley and Lake Naivasha. Luckily, the cape buffalo we saw from the top didn't encounter us on the way back.

We only have two days left here and we are enjoying relaxing on the guest house property. Our kids have found a gaggle of kids also staying here which keeps them occupied most of the day. The neighbors have some chickens, geese and rabbits, and the gardener has also helped entertain the kids when he butchers these animals. Mollie takes it surprisingly well... a farmer in the making?

I hope this week has been as peaceful for you as it has been for us.

2011-12-24T00:48:00.000-08:00

OK...Lets say that someone was going to take a safari and got lost in the process. Then, when he gets to the safari it looks like all the animals hate him a lot. An example of their hatred would be being charged by a very large bull elephant, two leopards looking at you like your some kind of tasty morsel, and a female lion who looks like she works out every day giving you the stare down, while dragging a 200 lbs water buck away to her den. That "someone" was me. I was also flashed by a baboon. Let me tell you, not a pretty sight.

Don't forget, I will be signing autographs when I get home!

Noahy

P.S. Weird name!

2011-12-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

Sister Louise's voice cracked then broke, her eighty year old eyes brimmed and spilt with the same vitality as the orphaned babies regularly given her by overwhelmed neighbours or nameless policemen. In a room with crucifixes, icons and pictures of the pope and numerous children she has raised, all hung with the same reverence from permanently yellowed walls, she told us the story of a 6 year old girl. It is a story of a boy who, having received love, felt compelled to share it with a girl who's only home had been the local market. It is a story of moving from abandonment and homelessness to the stability and shelter of the Dominican Sister's orphanage for children who lost their family by disease, war and poverty.

Sister Louise spoke through laughter and tears, telling us about 'one of her boys', an 8 year old now attending a local primary school, who's learned compassion sparked the saving of this little girl. It all began when he met her while she was seeking the charity of children, begging bits of lunch on the school grounds she would frequent if the market did not prove fruitful. After realizing his meagre contributions and failed attempts of encouraging his classmates to contribute to her well being could not sustain her, he brought her to the place he had come to call home. A home where he also had found consistent food, shelter, and above all, love.

It was his willingness to share what he had received that another 'waif in the market' has begun the long road of healing her physical, emotional and spiritual wounds. Struggling to tame the catch in my throa,t I reeled at the profound, life altering work of Sister Louise and the women alongside her who, by giving of their lives, had given life to so many over so many years.

Currently Emmanuel Centre is home to 148 children, who now have a place to belong and to contribute, all learning to receive and give love and life. They live in small homes with 12-13 other children and a 'house mama' where they are given opportunity to grow up as kids, with stability, relationships and education. Much of the food required to feed this large family is raised on the surrounding acres, with drip irrigated market gardens, cows, goats, ducks, turkeys and chickens along with an 'in house bakery', all tended by local people hired by the Sisters. It is this place and these people that will receive the gifts of money that friends at home sent along with us. It is this place and these people that remind me that light always overwhelms the shadows.

2011-12-20T08:01:00.000-08:00

We already went on a safari and an elephant charged us. It was so creepy. I don’t know if an elephant is my favourite animal in Kenya anymore. We didn’t see any lions yet. We saw giraffes and more elephants. The babies are adorable. And then we saw hyenas and we saw a baby hyena and one that was playing dead. It was just weird. We saw dik diks, zebras, baboons, a couple of hippos, impalas, and guinea fowls who kept on annoying us because they wouldn’t get of the road. And the last…the Agama lizard.

Mollie

2011-12-17T08:22:00.000-08:00

It is Saturday evening and we have safely arrived back in Nairobi. On our way home from the coast, we spent two nights in Tsavo West National Park on a safari and had the privilege of having our lodge right beside a watering hole which was lit up at night. I will let the kids give you all the details.
On this trip, I have had a few experiences that, due to my anxiety, I am sure have taken a few weeks if not months off my life. The latest was a lovely case of malaria Mollie must have picked up while we were on vacation. She has been on anti-malarial meds to prevent this, but those didn't quite do the trick. On our late afternoon safari yesterday she was suddenly lying with her head on my lap (while looking at lions!) and I could feel heat radiating off her body. Needless to say, I was in quite a state (a calm one I must say) trying to figure out what I was going to do about this out there in the boonies. I don't have much experience with malaria. What a blessing it was to find out the lodge had a nurse who said that in his opinion, she was presenting with malarial symptoms and he would recommend treating her for it. He had the medications she needed and told us that she should be feeling somewhat better in the morning. A rough night and a few fever induced hallucinations later, the fever broke and though she has been feeling tired and weak today (along with quite a few trips to the bathroom) she has the twinkle back in her eyes. I am so thankful it all happened when and where it did and that we can afford the meds she needs. I know there are many children and elderly who die from malaria because they can't.

2011-12-14T03:45:00.000-08:00

Mollie's Blog.

I'm having so much fun. I like the pool best. It's so much fun. The first time we slept at this kind of mansion thing, my bed wasn't too comfortable. There are these fishers that catch fish for us every other day. We all watch them in our new binoculars that my mom and dad gave to us. There's these dogs. They are both girls, one named Sally and the other one Elisabeth. They are both adorable.

2011-12-13T05:58:00.000-08:00

As you have heard from Noah and Anna, we have spent the last week on the coastal shore of Kenya, about 45 minutes north of Mombasa. My Dad had visited this house before and knew it would be a great fit for the seven of us. My parents work long, hard hours almost all of the time and truly deserved a week of rest and relaxation. That is exactly what this place has given us. Within steps of the Indian ocean, this house very comfortably sleeps all of us, employs a cook (we have to come up with the meals and buy the groceries, but the rest is looked after) Ishmael, a housekeeper Asha, and a gardener Swaleh. All three are lovely Kenyans we have enjoyed getting to know. There is an open porch on the second floor with two hammocks in which Anna spends most of her time. The first floor has five sets of double doors that open up the view to the ocean and provide an amazing breeze throughout the day. The four adults spend most of the day reading in the cozy couches placed everywhere, and Noah and Mollie get waterlogged in the pool. We are all content and at peace with life and for that I am grateful. It is a blessing to spend this week before Christmas in this state of mind.

2011-12-12T10:41:00.000-08:00

Hi, people.

I am very sorry that I can't connect with anybody on the Internet because you have to pay to get it. But, lucky us! We decided to head to the Caribbean's! Well, that is what I thought it was when I first saw this place. It is like those travel agency commercials for Hawaii or Mexico. What a place! And right now, I am sitting on a chair, watching the waves roll by and fishermen harpooning fish in the distance.

See'ya

Noahy

P.S Weird name!

2011-12-10T00:17:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody,
You are all going to be so jealous... we are at a resort and you will see in the pictures how cool it is! We have a private chef and a house cleaner and really nice guard dogs and even a bum cleaner in our bathroom. There is four big bedrooms, three of them have queen beds and Mollie and I have to share a bedroom with a bunk bed and a "magic mirror" AND a huge deck were we can look over the Indian ocean and our private pool. I had a little bit of a cry " time when you want to be ALONE" about the bedroom part but I got over it. We swam in the pool for a bit but I didn't go until they were almost out because I was unpacking. The only problem is the huge disgustingly gross centipedes, you can see them on the pictures too. Tonight I was too freaked out to serve the mango passion fruit juice to Noah and Mollie because of the centipedes. This morning we had pancakes (crepes) and they were DEADLY! We went in the pool after and dad and mom came in. Now I am finished my math even though its Saturday and am sitting writing this and looking over the pool and the ocean… saying ”this is the life”.

2011-12-09T09:11:00.000-08:00

This week I found myself musing on a weather worn and sun bleached patio looking out over long valleys of rich green fields surrounding the Tea Hotel in Kericho, a town in western Kenya still holding an industry and identity of tea plantation and production. Noah, Dad and I had taken the long and battered highway to meet with one of the national partners that MCC (Mennonite Central Committee), the NGO that Dana's parents work for, works with.

The Tea Hotel is an aging and tired shadow of its former colonial glory, blushing grey and too weary to try and cover its cracks and sagging bones. Taking it in, I conjured up the many similar images telling the story of Colonialism's demise, the broken infrastructure of pock marked roads, bleeding water mains and electrical lines like sutures trying to heal the wounds of Britain's broken initiative. And yet it is an entirely different sense of identity that Kenya embodies despite these other realities... what can also be observed is young, ancient, confident and beautiful... the people and creation that were here long before the idea of imperialism was born and promise to continue to shape this place for generations to come.

Juxtaposed to the 'Queen mother knowing best' & the wisdom of 'holding her apron and purse strings' we have had the opportunity to meet inspired and innovative Kenyan's who love their communities and are partnering with others to promote health, healing, independence... a sustained and hopeful people and place. People like Bishop Clyde and Gordon, working outside the city of Kericho, struggle through barriers to their community's health and sustainability by creating micro loans programs, cooperatives, small businesses and resources that bring this hope and confidence. There is a lot to learn here... for everyone.

FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-12-05T23:32:00.000-08:00

Hi,
Today I'm going to tell you about a lot of things OK? OK. Well when we were doing the tree I said hey look at the angel. I saw an ornament that was an angel that looked like it was drinking a Fanta. So I said I was going to put it on the blog. There are these really cute bunnies next door here. One just had baby's three weeks ago. But I think the people ate them or sold them. Anna and I every day go out and feed them. But theres' this really grumpy one. He's really grumpy. There is this watch dog. His name is Serious. He is very serious.

Mollie

2011-12-03T03:58:00.001-08:00

Once again, I am sitting on my parents front porch, watching Kevin and Noah play soccer and looking forward to tea at the guesthouse. You never know who you are going to meet and enjoy talking to. Already I have had an opportunity to talk with one Kenyan woman who starts up programs in Kisumu for women with HIV and AIDS. She is passionate about how education can change the rate of infection and the stigma related to this disease. We also talked with another man who is an agronomist who's passion it is to provide irrigation to the farmlands of Kenya through the sand dams. The people we meet have a passion for Kenya and the Kenyan people and they seem to find a place of rest here.
My parents live in Westlands which is a multi-ethnic, middle class part of Nairobi. There are times when Kevin, the kids and I walk the streets here that we feel like an obvious minority. This is a very new feeling for the kids and they have yet to become comfortable with it. This morning though, we visited a huge Christmas Craft Market where we were definitely not the minority. This market was just outside of Nairobi and was geared towards foreigners. I had no idea there were so many 'mzungus' in the city! While it was more comfortable for me because there was no hawkers vying for our business and no bartering, it was a part Nairobi culture we weren't familiar with... more Western than African. Even most of the vendors were ex pats. Anyways... the truly African part of our morning was the mud. It has been raining a lot in Nairobi these last few months and this has turned the normally dry soil into red, sticky, mud that stains. This market was at the race track and the conditions were really unbelievable.
Smart people were wearing gum boots... we were in flip flops. As we were entering, we saw big dump trucks filled with rocks that they dumped on the mud which created a cleaner yet slower path. At one point, Anna fell hands first into the mud and we all spent a good part of the morning avoiding sink holes and trying not to slip. In the end we came to grips with the fact we would all get pretty dirty and walked on.

Tomorrow, there is a Mennonite hymn sing here at the guest house. I love these mornings, listening to all those harmonized voices. I have asked my parents to teach me to harmonize while I am here (I am Mennonite after all...). So far they have just laughed :)

The Legend Of The Baobab

2011-12-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

Anna here,
Today I am going to tell you a story about a tree.

THE LEGEND OF THE BAOBAB TREE

Among the first trees God created in Africa was the mighty Baobab.Next came the tall slender palm tree and when the baobab saw it, it cried out it wanted to be taller. Then God made the flame tree with its beautiful flowers and the Baobab was envious and asked God to give it flowers. Then the Baobab saw the magnificent Fig tree with its foliage and fruit and again cried out to God demanding fruit. God was very angry and pulled the Baobab up by its roots and turned it upside down to keep it quiet. This is the reason for the unusual shape of the Baobab tree.

Last night we decorated the Christmas tree... but not the normal Christmas tree,
it is a Baobab tree made out of banana leaves.

Thank you for listening to the story and I hope you enjoyed it.

2011-12-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

Hi, this is Noah speaking.

Has this been an uneventful (almost) week. Other than me throwing up my guts and Anna dropping down at my feet shivering like a leaf, its been pretty quiet. I am thinking about getting a nice football (soccer) jersey. I have been playing a lot of soccer lately. We have been shopping way to much in the past couple of days. Like, talk about authentic African experiences! We should be watching lions take down zebras..... no elephants! Wait, I am thinking like the lion.

Well I had better be going. I will be signing autographs when I get back.

See ya'll

Noah

Jambo

2011-11-29T22:19:00.000-08:00

Greetings once again from Kenya! Dana & I are contentedly perched on the front porch of Mom & Dad's home watching the kids reacquaint themselves with what they remembered and loved about the property. The rain drenched red earth has dyed their feet and knees in careless henna like patterns, which is a wonder as they seem to rarely touch the ground while skipping, climbing & swinging throughout the grounds. But it took a while to get here...
The journey seemed long, with two near sleepless flights that seemed to drain us, leaving us looking translucent and feeling fragile. Before we managed to navigate the itinerary Anna had collapsed in a trembling, unconscious heap at my feet and managed to conjure up a bleeding nose in her otherwise colorless countenance. Upon arriving, Noah wasted no time in catching hold of some quick but violent flu that stole whatever reserves he had and left him empty and blanched.
But that was yesterday, and today laughter, a sound nights sleep, new energy to explore our surroundings, & reconnect with our parents and friends we had met previously brings a welcome change in experience & perspective! Blessed and grateful.

Unfortunate

2011-11-28T23:57:00.000-08:00

Two days ago we were in the Seattle Airport,waiting for our plane to Amsterdam.We finally said our last good-byes to gran and grandpa. It was heart-breaking...well,at least for me and Mollie.Once we all were through with security etc. we took a small 3 minute train to another building that was still the airport and waited for the plane to Amsterdam for 2 hours. We met this guy named Paul that was apparently my parents friend or something. He was really nice and jokey.He was a pastor.We were on the same planes. After those 2 hours we went on the plane,I think I watched 1 and a half movies, I don't remember very well.So we were on that plane for 9 hours.I slept 2 hours.Finally we landed,and all the air conditioning turned off. That was a bad move. Everybody unbuckled and started to stand up. We were in the aisle for at least 10 minutes and everyone wanted to get out and have some fresh air. That was also a bad move. A wave of hot air washed over me!I sat down but I passed out.According to dad I fell by his feet,shaking uncontrollably! Next thing I knew I was being guided of the plane.Lucky for me NO staff saw me.That was unfortunate. The next plane I mostly slept.Probably 6 out of seven hours of sleep. In the last 15 min. of the plane blood started pouring out my nose! I don't know what happened. It was all strange.
But now I am safe and sound in Kenya and I'm glad!

home agian, home again, jiggity-jig

2010-01-25T02:06:00.000-08:00

As we leave for home our bags are packed with beads and wood carvings, the laptop is bursting with images to help us remember and tell our stories, and our minds hold both memories of what has been and resolve for what could be. Quotes like 'this is the best day of my life', 'can we have a Fanta', and 'there's another casserole' (an attempt at Anna finding the correct word for carcass while on safari) conjure memories as vivid and colorful as the best of our photos and we are so grateful for having shared this adventure as a family.
The richest of what we take home with us is not particular 'African' or brought about by any one encounter or experience. It was found in the bright morning air of the safari, on the rattling clatter of the ancient train and in the dappled afternoon light beneath the canopy of trees. What we most deeply valued and had the clarity to perceive while away together was the extraordinary gift of being together.
This way of being is what we most want to both remember and give ourselves to as we come back to all that is familiar to us. We are discovering that routines, familiarity and our tendency to be just way too into ourselves, often cause us to miss the wealth that we have in being together. So while I know we will mess up more than we will succeed, we want to take what we discovered, or at least were reminded of in Africa, and live it out here with our family, friends, work and church community. In this, we are anticipating coming home with the same fervor we had in leaving it two month ago. See you soon.

Going home...

2010-01-24T23:33:00.000-08:00

-Written by Mollie

To nit we or goen back to canada on a plan at mid nit. we have to sta up from kenya. I am sad. I am goen to mes my Grampa and Grama. I am goen to mis Kenya a lot. It is goen to be fun on the ar plan. My two best things a bet Africa is the amivos and the pool.

-Written by Noah

Favorite Experiences
On this trip to Kenya, we had a lot of good experiences and a lot of hard times. My favorite experience was our Safari. We got to see many kinds of animals such as lions, rhinos, elephants, and a leopard! One of my hardest times was when we went tot he Embakasi Slum. I have never seen anyone so poor. We also had quite a few scary experiences too. One in particular scared us a lot. It was when we were coming back from Embakasi slum. Three men had got in the back of a big truck and threw a huge piece of metal out of the truck. Grandpa said they were going to steal it and sell it to someone, but they were caught red handed by the driver who came out with a sling shot! The piece of metal was too heavy to carry so they dropped it and ran! I can remember some funny times too. We were going to the Maasai Market. We all got into a matatu. Then the toute said we had to pay another 60 shillings. Dad said 'no' and we all got out. We flagged down another Matatu and we actually got to the Maasai Market.

-written by Anna
My favorite part of Africa
My favorite part of Africa is the safari with the animals. I'm glad I'm going home. I don't like Kenya as much as Canada. All I like is swimming pools, beach and suntanning. At the guest house, I like the big swing and tea time. What I don't like about Kenya is the driving. I am feeling happy about going home. So that is why I want to go home.

The Children

2010-01-23T05:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had the opportunity to visit two of the Nairobi slums. Embakasi, which we had visited at the beginning of our trip, and Mathare North. We didn't have to drive far into Mathare North before we arrived at Menno Kids Academy, a primary school with 341 students age 3 to grade 8. Things were pretty much under control when we arrived as classes were in session. Then tea time came (recess) and... chaos :). Caucasian adults visitors aren't that unusual but white children, they are a novelty. We handed out the soccer balls and skipping ropes and the students all played for a while but then the temptation to touch blond hair and white skin became too much. Mollie and Anna tried to find 'space' under my arms while I entertained the students by showing them their pictures on my camera. We definitely saw needs as up to six students share one text book in mud floor classrooms but we also saw a passion for learning from students and teachers who love what they do, though I am sure they were thankful when we left so they could bring some order back to their day.
In Embakasi we visited the Makuru Mennonite Academy. This is where two permanent classrooms had been built in December for Class 3 and 4. We arrived during lunch and this time, Kev and I were more prepared. We handed out some more balls and skipping ropes and then, as my parents were in a meeting, Kevin and I taught the students songs like The Itsy Bitsy Spider, The Hokey Pokey, and Head and Shoulders. When that became old, they discovered Kevin's arm hair and 'black' skin (tattoos). It was heartening to see inquisitive and energetic kids who live in such poverty have the opportunity for one good meal a day and an education.

Walking on Water

2010-01-21T14:22:00.000-08:00

The 'just 3 kilometers' off the main road was surly the optimism of the young Kenyans who had met us at the petrol station, our guides to another of the projects that the organisation Dana's parents work for are involved in. We pulled out past the multi-colored buses and those hawking peanuts or cabbage (and a multitude of other 'fast food' one might consider taking on a road trip), leaving the broken asphalt for the deep red roads found no where on the Kenyan map.
This long (actually 18.8 kilometers by the odometer) and winding road, that at times could not be called a respectable rabbit trail, took us deep into the bush, passing small villages and a multitude of beautiful waving children to our destination, a sand dam.
When we hoped out of the vehicle our guides reminded us to lock our doors. While we have become accustom to the heightened security measures of Nairobi's urban jungle, we were perplexed as to why, here in the middle of God's country, we were rolling up windows and locking doors. Baboons... perhaps most of these primates look innocent, but those familiar with the ways of the wild insist precaution is best, even if a troop's intent might be curiosity over malice.
Anyway, having secured our belongings, we went down to the river were we came upon a concrete wall clinging to each bank and spanning across the channel that the seasonal rains had cut away, an ancient watercourse that rarely holds water during the dry season. That is of coarse, before the community initiated project built the approximately 100 meter wide and 4 meter high dam. These projects, dreamt up and designed by Kenyans have been popping up throughout a number of the seasonal waterways, with a local community utilizing international funds to create a long term, sustainable source of filtered water throughout even the fiercest of droughts (namely the one Kenyans are just now celebrating the end of).
The dams work by slowing the torrents of seasonal rain, and more specifically the eroded sand they carry with them, causing the dam to fill with water saturated sand. The sand acts as a filter and a means to retain water, slowing evaporation by the sun's jealous rays. This causes the dams to look as though they are holding back a vast table of sand, and if walking on it one might not suspect they hold many thousand gallons of water the surrounding community can use for drinking, irrigation and livestock. People access this precious commodity with a shovel and a bucket... think about the last time you have been digging at the beach and come upon the water table... only less salty.
In the dry season they become and oasis, with the land adjacent to the riverbed showing a green blush of life and vitality that would give any farmer cause for hope. Oh, if you're interested in purchasing a little plot of agricultural paradise you can pick it up at $300 an acre. Tempting, though the commute would be daunting.

From our point of view...

2010-01-18T00:23:00.000-08:00

-written by Mollie

My Dad said that ther was a swim up bar to get Fantas but ther was not a swim up bar. But in the pool ther was a lilut pool and a big pool and a rivr. I saw a geco in the pool. Noah pict up the geco and put it on a rock. The ants cam and eat the geco. It was fun. In the pool I can swim all the way a cros the pool.

-written by Anna
We are at Mwembe resort in Malindi! In the resort there is a pool and waiters and FANTA! This is my kind of life. We can go to the private beach and eat real chips! Me, Noah and Mollie made coconut drinks! with sea water in it. I touched the Indian Ocean! It was so nice and warm. My grandma and Mom got beach chairs but I didn't because it cost 300 shillings each day. We are eating Italian food like pizza and spaghetti. African eating for me is chapattis. My favourite fruit is pineapple. At the resort there is mango trees but I don't like mangos. Mangos just drop on the ground here. We went on a tuk tuk. a tuk tuk is a taxi with three wheels! We were really squished. I loved that day!

Six Hour Wait -written by Noah

Dad and I got to Malindi on a train. Once we got to the station, we waited and watched until our train finally arrived. We had to wait a few minutes before we could get on. Once we got to our compartment, we sat down on the couch. There was a fold out bed with a bed-rail made of seat belt material. I read to dad for 1 hour. Then we sat and talked for what felt like a really long time. a few hours later they called us to dinner. We sat by a lady who did NOT like Americans. She had a mental disability because she was mumbling things like 'I'm going to chuck my food at you' and stuff like that. She asked if she could move and hallelujah she did. The rest of dinner was a tension filled wait. After dinner we rushed back to our compartment, but no sleep for me. It was the longest night I ever had! When we woke up we brushed our teeth and went to breakfast. We had to jusmp off at a little town called Mariakani where the family picked us up. It was a long ride but we got there safely.

Uneasy ease...

2010-01-16T23:38:00.000-08:00

Freckles are starting to emerge out of nowhere, and the sun kissed sensation prickles with delight from the whitest of our winter skins. Brine and sun lotion are with us as an ever present confirmation of this glorious place. The tang of fresh picked pineapple and the sound of laughter and splashing bleeding into each other are sensations that will shape our memories.
But we have also observed that not all is paradise in paradise. A couple of days ago we went to the resort's 'private beach'... we should have seen it coming. We drove up and hopped out into the baby-bottom soft sand, into a tourists 'bliss', or not so much.
We first came across large men sprawled out on beds with young women massaging their every need... and for only 600 shillings. Heading down to have to kids dip their innocent feet into the vast warmth of the Indian ocean, we passed women literally sun baked beyond recognition, waiting for young local men to ferry cold drinks to soothe their scorched skin... drinks that cost more then they will earn in a day. There to, were the 'beach boys', local entrepreneurs, ready to sell you whatever your wealth can buy...
At the sea's liquid edge we marvelled with our children at it's bath like warmth while also needing to provide some explanation for the local women plying their beauty and youth, that seemed deeply juxtaposed to the burnt-out red, tired bodies of the men they clung to.
So while we walked down to the corridor of white sand and floated on our backs with seaweed tickling our feet I had to wrestle with my role in this teetering, unbalanced economy, where we come and take what we can afford while those that call this home might be giving more then they should have to afford. We will hold this uneasy tension and also take it as a memory that tells a more complete story.

Tuk tuk

2010-01-16T00:52:00.000-08:00

I thought I needed to document the fact that I indeed do use a form of public transportation... the tuk tuk should seat 3 but fit the 5 of us just fine. Definitely better than walking the streets in this heat.

2010-01-15T00:01:00.001-08:00

As Kevin said, we are in Malindi and enjoying the relaxing ocean-side environment. The resort is 2 km from the ocean but has a beautiful pool the kids enjoy playing in. It is a different resort than we have ever stayed in though demonstrated by the sign by the pool that says 'organized ball play or any self-organized play prohibited'. It has been a pretty quiet week here though so the kids 'play' hasn't been hampered yet :) Malindi is a town that has been greatly infuenced by Italy so we have had some fabulous pizza and pasta dinners. The waiters and attendents speak better Italian than they do English! The kids have had their first swim in the Indian ocean but say they prefer the pool due to the high winds, flying sand and presence of the 'persistant' beach boys. our experience has been so different than is was two years ago and I am looking forward to touring Malindi today... all reports being that Malindi is much safer than Nairobi. I love reports like that... no worries about driving at night :)

choo choo

2010-01-14T00:28:00.000-08:00

We have recently 'relocated' to Malindi, a beautiful, antiquated coastal town, different in architecture, culture, landscape, climate and pace then we have had the opportunity to experience thus far. Resting at the edge of the Indian Ocean, the town is bound by a ample strip of white sand and an east wind that pushes it back from the sea's edge. We arrived late yesterday afternoon, hit by the 32 degree heat and sunshine that has been largely hidden by the much prayed for and celebrated rain clouds in the Nairobi region for the past couple of weeks. My parents have generously given us a week's time share with huge mango trees providing a seemingly endless amount of fruity goodness and a huge pool, providing seemly endless hours of entertainment for our kids (and us). But, Dana can write more on that later... I want to write about how it is that we came to this place, and more specifically how it is Noah and I came to this place.
Two years ago when we were here, the post election violence resulted in our family being unable to experience the much anticipated (by some) overnight train from Nairobi to Mombassa, through the Tsavo park. So, Noah and I decided to seize the opportunity to fulfill a dream and ride these ancient rails.
After boarding the train at 6 PM we settled into our berth and awaited our 7 PM departure. 7, 8, 9, and 10 PM came and went with nary a lurch or whistle blowing, and while Noah and I are generally able to sustain our excitement and practice the patience of delayed gratification our faith was beginning to wane by the time our trip lurched into motion at about 10:30 PM. Our on board meal was filled with adventure of it's own as we were seated across from a British women who became increasingly agitated, muttering to herself after we had tried to exchange pleasantries, about how much she despised 'Americans'. Noah and I, uncertain if we were the cause of her distress and increasingly erratic behaviour, chose to make the best of it, though it quickly became apparent that her hostility was indeed directed at us! The escalating crisis was thankfully averted when the women asked to be seated elsewhere, informing us before she left that had she been forced to stay seated with us she would have responded by throwing her food at us. Noah, wide eyed and not a little distressed, was thankful that our interaction had ended without any flying chicken and rice, while I was sorry we weren't more obviously 'Canadian'.
After eating a 3rd class meal in a first class dining car Noah and I settled into our beds, happy with the prospect of being lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of our 1963 train car rattling it's way to the coast. Just before stumbling into the sleep of the satiated adventurer we slowed to an 'unscheduled stop' for another 2-3 hour delay. We took this in stride... (while remaining prone in our beds) and woke the next morning delighted to find ourselves in motion, albeit 6 hours behind schedule (due to multiple engine problems and a train derailment!(not us, but the train in front of us).
It was a happy mishap for the two of us, who now were able to take in the stunning countryside, and welcoming children at every station in daylight. We also had the opportunity to share a number of conversations every boy and his dad should have, but I will let Noah share more on that if he chooses...
Needless to say, the girls, and Dana's parents, who had left via the jeep the morning after we had begun our 18 hour epic, actually beat us to the coast and intercepted us in a little one mule town, making us likely the only muzungu's to have ever disembarked at the little train station since colonialism. After a little 'reunion celebration' with the girls we were spirited away in a much more efficient, though somewhat less character filled mode of transportation... destination, sunshine and palms.

The train and car trip

2010-01-11T01:25:00.000-08:00

-written by Mollie (translated by her mom)

to nuyt my bruthr and my dad is goen on a tchran i bet that tha or goen to hav lots of fun we or n0t goen on a tchran we or goen in the car i bet we or gena hav lots of fun my sistr is cumen my mom is cumen my grampa is cumen my grama is cumen it is goen to be fun we or goen to Mombasa.i am look en frd to the swimen pool .
(Tonight my brother and my dad are going on a train. I bet that they are going to have lots of fun. We are not going on a train. We are going in the car. I bet we are going to have lots of fun. My sister is coming, my mom is coming, my grandpa is coming, my grandma is coming. It is going to be fun. We are going to Mombasa. I am looking forward to the swimming pool.)

Travelling to Hope

2010-01-08T08:54:00.000-08:00

In the past couple of days we have had the opportunity to connect with two women who have had the vision, compassion, savvy and faith to create places and ways to love kids who have come to them having little or no experience of it's transformative power. We have also spent time with some of these kids and have sensed just how profoundly they have thrived physically, emotionally and spiritually in a 'home' in which they can contribute, belong, be safe, love and be loved.
Sonia, and her husband Chris, have been working with and advocating for the street children of Molo, Kenya for the past number of years. Their desire is to help remove barriers to education so that the children they work with might have a chance to step out of the cycle of poverty they are entrenched in by no fault of there own. They do this by providing nutritious meals, school uniforms & fees, a place to live and learn life skills such as hygiene and cooking... all aspects of life that most of the kids they care for would not have the opportunity to provide on their own. They have kids who have 'grown up' with them who are taking further education or trade school and embody the hope that has been poured into them. It is for this work in Molo that Alex Aitken Elementary School in Duncan has raised funds for the past three years. Sonia was thankful for the money, soccer balls, and skipping ropes donated by the school.

Lucy, is a young woman who felt convicted to start caring for a 5 year old boy living on the streets of Nairobi, whom she met in front of her house 12 years ago. She began to feed, care and provide opportunities for this boy to go to school, all while deepening her mother's heart of love for him. After some time, the boy began to bring home other orphaned children he would meet in the neighborhood or on his way to or from school. When faced with the reality that no other options existed for these children Lucy opened her home and heart again and again, until she found herself caring for 20 boys and girls who had come to know her as moma Lucy.

Personally knowing the lack of love and stability and love in her own childhood, Lucy did not see her limited resources has a hindrance that might limit reaching out and taking in these kids. So with a deep faith that God would provide she and this gaggle of children moved to an outlying town and lived in a church while praying and working toward a home and space in which her growing 'family' could thrive. Along the way she has acquired the support of individuals, churches and NGOs. With that she was able to purchase some land, and with that came opportunity to invite more children to live with her and a growing staff that work with her providing a home, food and schooling until they reach adulthood... but more importantly a life where they can love and be loved.

It was overwhelming to visit with some of the 175 children living at the home(s) now known as 'Hope Center'. We were welcomed with singing and warm smiling faces of kids ranging from age 17 to newborns. It was a brilliant experience for our family to spend some time hanging out with babies and playing football (soccer)with these laughing, healthy and tireless kids!

Lucy has created a home where these kids are not just 'receiving', but are fully engaged in a life of giving to one another. Many of the older teens, who have grown up in the security of this home, care for the needs of the younger or newer children in the manner of siblings. They live in large dorms that might have an institutional appearance, however the sense of living as a family is evident throughout the place. Lucy is 36... she has been a part of changing lives with the conviction of her faith and love. It is inspiring to see the potential of a life abandoned to these things.

Benjamin the Bunny

2010-01-07T06:37:00.000-08:00

We have been asked to 'bunnysit' a rabbit for a few days while it's owners are on the coast of Kenya. The kids are more than thrilled. This bunny is hand fed, fought over and loved. If only we would have known that for Mollie's most memorable experience we could have stayed in Canada and only spent 25$.

Today I (Dana) had the privilege of visiting 'Amani Ya Juu', a sewing-marketing-training project for marginalized women in Africa. It is a peaceful setting with a store, outdoor cafe and large building where all the sewing is done. I met women from Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique, Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Somalia, all who are benefiting from the project. I saw a room with many sewing machines, huge windows, and couches where they have their morning prayer time. I saw peace quilts being made and women just enjoying working together. What a blessing this place is for women who have survived numerous different tragedies. After four years of training, they are equipped to start businesses of their own. I did not bring my camera but I think I will remember this place of peace in the center of Nairobi.

The Horse Man

2010-01-06T02:33:00.000-08:00

-written by Mollie (translated by her mom)

Ges wut cind of drinx ur in Kenya. Cocacola and fanta and bidr lemin and stoney and chui tea. Sum tims we go to the gest hos to hav rel tea. Sum tims a hors man cums to let cids rid it. He cums on sundays. It was fun to ruid on the hors. It was 100 shilens.
(Guess what kind of drinks are in Kenya. Coca cola and Fanta and Bitter Lemon and Stoney and Chai tea. Some times we go to the guest house to have real tea. Some times a horse man comes to let kids ride it. He comes on Sundays. It was fun to ride on the horse. It was 100 shillings).

From our point of view...

2010-01-04T00:05:00.000-08:00

-written by Noah
Yesterday we went to the stressful, Masai Market.We got there in a van called a matatu.The matatus are very small buses.They are always crammed with people!There are usually five people in a seat!!!When we got to the matatu stop, grandpa paid and we all piled in. A matatu has a driver and a toue. The driver drives and the tout collects the money. But the tout said we had to pay sixty shillings extra.Dad said no,and we all piled out. Then we got into the next matatu,and we finally got to the market.
When we went inside, it was like bees to honey! They surrounded us trying to make us buy something. Dad was rapidly saying "no!". Once it settled down we walked around. We bought bracelets and necklaces. I got freaked out whenever we bought something because dad would barter pretty hard. He called himself 'hard as nails'. It suited him pretty good too.
I went in thinking that they would be shoving bracelets up my nose! But I came out feeling good. That's why I had such a good time.

-written by Anna
Today I am writing about the maasai market! To get there we had to go on a matatu. I hated it... I was squished so much that it felt like my eyes would pop out! When we got there Noah and Mollie and me were holding dads hands. At first I didn't look at anything. Then I saw cool bracelets. I bought two bracelets. and I walked around and got an orange Fanta (orange pop) and walked again! Then I saw pocket mirrors. I bought one with a cheetah on it. Everyone wanted to sell everything to us! I felt timid. After a while, I got used to it. That wasn't the best day.

big city, bright sights

2010-01-02T11:17:00.000-08:00

We have spent the past number of days nestled in the comfortable 'suburbs' of Westlands, Nairobi, in a quiet sanctuary of sprawling grass and shade trees. While this has been a wonderful place to call 'home' it would not accurately tell the story of the sprawling urban giant of Nairobi. No, to experience this you must go to where the people are.... and what better way to get there than how people get there.

This morning Dad, Noah, Anna, Mollie and I braved crossing one of the many completely chaotic traffic circles, where drivers prefer their horns, gas pedals & front bumpers to the completely unheeded traffic lights that seem to serve no purpose whatsoever. Our destination? We adventurers in this urban jungle were setting out for the Massai market in the heart of downtown, bustling with vibrancy and life... though not a description I would put to the infrastructure.

We began our journey by looking for 'public transportation'... more accurately we found the public transportation to be looking for us. A 'tout', one of a two man team, beckons to us, amidst a chorus of other such 'public servants', to choose their vessel of transport, affectionately know to hundreds of thousands of commuters as the 'matatu'.

The matatu is a Toyota or Mitsubishi minivan, generally festooned with painted pictures and slogans apparently intended to entice you to that particular vehicle... "Jesus is my Rock", "Gangsta" or "Long live Cuba" are coupled with corresponding images, and most often accompanied by music with lyrics drowned out by metallic static. All of this, along with the driver tooting his horn while the 'tout' calling to you, standing in the open sliding door, as the vehicle careens towards the curb you happen to be standing on, make it hard to resist the invitation. Inside, you will find no less then 14 seats, in various stages of disrepair... none of which boast a working seat belt.

So it is into one of these confidence inspiring vans we alight, having negotiated our price with the tout before setting foot inside. The matatu begins to roll away, our kids barely having time to look for the non existent seat belts (not likely necessary with how tightly we are pack in), when the tout tries to double our fare. Not wanting to be the travelling muzungus we so obviously are, Dad & I resist, calling our now somewhat disoriented kids to disentangle themselves from the other passengers and hit the sidewalk again, seeking a more trustworthy crew.

Fortunately, the next van is waiting, kissing its front bumper with that of the van we had just stumbled out of. So, before the kids could finish their plea to 'just walk downtown', we were spirited away...all 15 or 16 of us.

Downtown is a cacophony of color, sound and movement. The kids cling to my shirttail, hand or pant leg, wide eyed and obviously less then comfortable. Tripping over the kids, shuffling along, I am determined to forge ahead, not so much to a destination, but to an experience that will add balance to our rural and suburb exposure to Kenya. Amidst a chorus of 'can we just go home' Dad navigates through the busy streets until we arrive at the market.

While the kids have come prepared to 'just not look at anything', hoping that their feigned disinterest will keep them from the vendors seeking to ply their wares on folks just like our bedraggled group. However, we soon find the market to cause less claustrophobia then we had anticipated and we lose ourselves to the maze of people and product, with smiles, curiosities and calls of 'karibu' (welcome). After an hour of wandering, admiring, bartering and purchasing the kids have noticeably relaxed each holding their luke warm soda and souvenir.

We retrace our steps, feeling more like seasoned Kenyans, back to the familiar suburbs and our temporary home. While the reality of our obvious inexperience is apparent to all, we are grateful for the many strangers whose smiles, counsel or greeting have set us at ease and given us yet another adventure for our collective memory.

A few pictures...

2010-01-02T09:10:00.000-08:00

It has been a very relaxed couple of days so I thought I would post a few pictures...

things i love

2009-12-30T09:56:00.001-08:00

There are many things I have loved about are time away from home... perhaps most significantly experiencing time differently...

time for good books, alone and with the kids... time for Frisbee and lying in the grass. I have loved having, and taking, the time to lean into home learning with Dana and the kids. We spend most mornings reading, or being read to, hunched over math books, shoulder to shoulder with Noah or Anna, learning (or attempting to recall) what antonyms are, or why 'ck' and not 'k' happens at the end of a spelling word with Mollie.

I love watching our kids grow, stretch and learn... yes, about this place and it's people, but also about whatever is in front of them in the moment... gecko's caught in the early morning, the joy of tea , sunlight and a good book, reading a social cue...

I am so thankful for this time, because of the experience of where we are, but more so for the space to be slow, to watch our kids grow in real time... to see Mollie's two front teeth reach further out daily.

Though we are half way through our time, I want to resist marking the weeks and days we have left, counting time until 'time' returns to normal. Rather, I would want to continue in the practice of being more aware... engaging our kids, other people, books, shade cooled grass, and learning to live in the present... not just vacation there.

Weeding and Walking

2009-12-28T02:12:00.000-08:00

-written by Noah

Last Tuesday we went farming. It took two hours to get there, plus we had to pick up two people on the way there. when we were just about half way there, dad said I could listen to the Ipod. I listened to 'Shilo' all the way there. When we got to the house, a man named Solomon came out. Me and dad got out of the Cruiser and dad and Solomon talked for a long time. Then he toured us around his plants and vegetables. Then we got to work. We started to weed the vegetables, then they called us in for tea. While I was gardening I felt so exhausted and tired. I didn't want to stop because dad and Solomon were still working. After tea we came out and worked for an hour and a half. For lunch we had rice and potatoes. Then we went to catch the goats. We walked for a long time. When we were walking I felt miserable because I couldn't catch a goat. I tried three times! But on the last time I caught one! I was so excited.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T08:08:00.000-08:00

Well, we are back from a truly Kenyan Christmas celebration. We were invited along with my parents to celebrate Christmas with a large extended Kukuyu family just west of Nairobi. So after enjoying gift opening with the kids in the morning, we left wondering just what this day would hold for us. Was I apprehensive? I will leave you guessing. :)

There really was no need to worry. The family was thrilled we came (though they had been hoping we would be there earlier to help slaughter the goat... most of us were happy we missed that). We were given a tour of their gorgeous, lush, green farmed countryside (all on a quite a steep hill), tasted sheep liver, shook hands with many people and just enjoyed visiting before dinner. We were seated on wooden benches and told how dinner would be served. We have not gotten used to the amount of food normally heaped on plates, though they are a fit group of people. We served ourselves sheep stew, lentils and carrots, rice, chapatis, cabbage, and traditional African mashed potatoes with maize and greens (like pumpkin leaves) but didn't get close to the amount they thought we should have. Our kids going back for seconds on chapatis made up for the initial surprise though.

After dinner, we were back on the benches (congregation style) and proceeded to hear a couple of sermons, prayers, songs and introductions. Our host brought everyone up (around 60 people were there) by family. Our introductions were a bit more simple as dad has only one wife :)

In closing we had sodas (the Coke for which I was glad as I was about to be introduced to African sausage as a parting gift).

As we shared with them, we felt privileged to share this Christmas with some new friends.

We hope you also shared your day with friends.

Mollie's Adventure

2009-12-23T22:40:00.000-08:00

-written by Mollie (translated my her mom)

we went to a kenya vilag . 3 kenya boys stol a medl oet uv a chruck. my mom sur the 3 kenya boys thwo the medl oet uv the chruck. i was sckerd. the gui asckct sum uthr boys to help him get the medl. tha did. i was hape to get hom that day.

(We went to a Kenya village. Three Kenyan boys stole metal out of a truck. My mom saw the three Kenyan boys throw the metal out of the truck. I was scared. The guy asked some other boys to help him get the metal. They did. I was happy to get home that day.)

An African Wedding

2009-12-23T00:09:00.000-08:00

-written by Anna

This week I am writing about an african wedding. To drive there it took two in a half hours!I can't believe I made it! All I did is read Where's Waldo? Eat. And listen to Adventures in Odessy. When we got there we didn't go to church right away...we went to another person's house. The house looked like a little cottege. The bathroom was an out house. After we had the break at the house it was time to go to the wedding! It took three hours! After the wedding we were forced to go to the reception. I had rice and chapates!On the way home all of us had to go to the bathroom in the bushes. A giraffe was right there watching us!

I loved that day.

Extraordinary people

2009-12-22T09:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we have had the opportunity to meet and spend time with some extraordinary people. We spent part of the day at Emmanuel's Place, home to dozens of beautiful children, from babies to high school graduates. Sister Louise is a Catholic nun who has been loving and advocating for children who have lost parents to war, AIDS and other circumstances for the last 20 years. Many of the kids we had an opportunity to meet spoke of her as their second mother, and while you can imagine there would be need for some strict routines in caring for over 100 kids it was immediately apparent that love and being loved shaped the children there.

Many of the kids have spent their whole childhood with Sister Louise, while others have come more recently, escaping SPLA (Sudanese People's Liberation Army) where they had been forced into lives as child soldiers. Regardless of where they have come from, Sister Louise advocates for, and strives to ensure, education and the opportunity for a future, shaped by the dreams and ambitions of the kids she is caring for.

It was very cool to spend a little time with some of the kids, as they proudly showed us their rooms, talked about what they wanted to be when they grew up, or what sport they excelled at (Dana and the kids had the chance to give some of the Soccer balls and skipping ropes provided through the Alex Aitken fundraiser). What struck me most about this place and these kids, is that they were kids, given the opportunity to be kids again... to be loved, to belong and to dream.

Today, Mom & Dad drove Noah & I 56 kilometers in a mere 2 1/2 hours (it is difficult to describe the road conditions, and might be best to say at times we drove on nothing that resembled a road!). Our destination was the town of Najile, where Noah and I spent the day with Solomon, a small plot farmer, who has resiliently established a sustainable farm that feeds his family in a place that is currently suffering from the worst drought the Maasai people can recall in their oral history.

With one 1/2" water line he has cultivated about an acre of corn (for maize flour), beans, cabbage, collards and indigenous fruit such as mango and papaya. After touring their land, Noah and I set to weeding the collard patch with Solomon, his daughter and some neighbor kids curious about the muzungos (Noah and I), pink and sweating under the relentless African sun. Solomon was a farmer to the core, saving seeds, nursing next season's seedlings along, while praying that this years crop would not fail. Nothing is wasted, with weeds going directly to their goats, chicken and cattle, while the livestock' 'fertilizer' goes back into the soil around the hand watered & weeded plants.

Noah and I plied Solomon with many questions around his farming practices, family life, and Maasai culture while we worked. He in turn asked about our life in Canada and we wondered at all that we held in common, despite our very different lives. It was a truly amazing day, in which Noah even learned a little about herding goats... a transferable skill even if we don't have leopards and baboons to contend with at home!

Lately...

2009-12-19T10:34:00.000-08:00

Well, we have had some full days.

This week started out with a visit to Nairobi Handicraft Carvers. It it nice to see these places with people 'in the know' and John, a carver the Ten Thousand Villages store buys from, toured us around his shop and others in the coop. Kevin is excited about a cross he is having John carve for him.

On Friday, we decided to visit the Giraffe Orphanage for a more 'touristy' experience. Noah got up close and personal with a giraffe (see picture) and would love to do it again. Anna wanted nothing to do with it, and Mollie ended up throwing the food into the giraffes mouth. They say giraffes saliva has healing properties... here's hoping.

After today's experience, I am just glad to be home. It was a nice day in Najile (a 2 1/2 hour drive on VERY bumpy roads... thank goodness for the SUV) where we were able to celebrate with Joseph and Elizabeth on their wedding day. It started 3 hours late (thankfully we were given a heads up and only had to wait 1 hour). The bride had 24 attendants, the groom nine. The room was packed, and with the choir performances, dancing, preaching (translated into English) and actual wedding, the ceremony lasted 3 hours. I was so proud of the kids, they lasted the whole time... quietly. When it ended at 4pm we had thought we would skip the reception so we could make it home before dark (one big rule in Kenya... try not to be on the roads after dark) but the Maasai culture is very generous and it was obvious not eating would be a huge disappointment to them. We were seated in the grooms mothers house and served our first goat meat. I decided to go at it with both hands and it was pretty good. The Maasai people are so friendly and welcoming, it was a pleasure to eat with them. The only downside (and HUGE stress for me) was the trip home- 1/3rd in the dark. I think it took some years off my life and got through it by burying my face into Kevin's leg. Nothing bad happened and we got home fine but my dad has assured me will try to be in before dark from now on. I will be teased about that for a while.

Again, we are amazed at the generosity and friendliness of the Kenyan people we have met. Our kids continue to be a novelty but they take it in stride, with the occasional 'intervention' by their grandparents.

A day in the life...

2009-12-17T08:10:00.000-08:00

Our days look a bit different now than they did two weeks ago. I keep wondering what I will do without Kevin at home all the time come the end of January. If my parents have to spend the day at the office, we spend most of the day doing schoolwork with the kids, either at the office with my parents or at their home. To break up those days, we venture out to the grocery store, trying to cross the roads where the rules are very different than they are at home. Mollie can't get over the fact we are running between cars, waiting in the middle of the road, just trying to cross safely. Pedestrians here NEVER have the right of way. It takes a lot to get used to.

Many days we take trips with my parents to various places. Today we went to one of the more upscale shopping centers for some ice cream. A nice treat on a hot day. Yesterday we visited the Nairobi Handicraft (a carving cooperative) in one of the city slums. Saturday we have been invited to a Maasai wedding in Najile. I hear the bride has 24 attendants!!! Should be fun.

We have adjusted to the food very well. My mom is a great cook and very careful which makes for an smooth experience for us. I am thankful.

Some of the experiences we were anticipating have been cancelled (trip to Molo, Arocha) due to cost and timing. We find we are experiencing plenty just hanging out with my parents! We have a trip planned to Emmanuel Center which takes in orphans, refugee children, and Sudanese child soldiers. This whole trip is an eye opener for our kids but they seem to adjust very well... other than those crazy road crossings. Mollie just closes her eyes and holds a hand.

We have met and had good conversations with many Kenyans. Whether it is about homeschooling (it hasn't caught on here yet), similarities raising boys, or the differences in farming. We love having a 'not so touristy' experience.

So that is a peek into our life right now... never boring :)

Peace, within and around.

2009-12-16T22:17:00.000-08:00

During the past week we have had the oppertunity to connect with a number of the Kenyan partners that Dana's parents work alongside. These groups have formed in response to local needs or concerns and include such inititaives as HIV/AIDS education, Food for Work (in response to the current drought), peace, water & food security, and support for children without parents.

Wehanya, a young twenty-something man, has been working in his home town, inspired to pursue and promote peace amongst his own people. He told us about events that occured in his grandparents generation that have caused deep, generational animosity and hatred, intentionally taught and passed on from parent to child. During the era when the British were leaving Kenya, his tribe, the Kikuyu, became deeply divided into two factions, those who supported the revolutionary Mau Mau and those that supported the British (the Home Gaurd). This resulted in violence, discrimination and broken trust that has profoundly effected this people group.

Wehanya, sensing that these entrenched perspectives among his people needed to change, began speaking with his grandparents generation as well as his own peers, wrestling with how to bring peace between families that have harboured hate while living in the same village for nearly 60 years. This has included inititives of bringing both factions of his grandparents generation together to work toward reconcilation, forgivness and grace. While he admits that this work for peace is difficult, and may not be embrace by the whole of his grandparents generation, those within his own generation have begun to throw off the shackles of mistrust and hate.

Beyond this, Wehanya and other who have joined him have begun to work towards a deeper sense of peace, recognising that having the absence of violence needs to be pursued but must be complemented with peace between genders, food security, spirituality, inter tribal relations and within the family. It is inspiring to see a generation respectivly challenging and inspiring themselves, their parents and grandparents to seek peace as a whole way of being, having it permeate customs, work, relationships and individual souls.

I do not know if there is a Swahili or Kikuyu word describing this deeper and holistic peace, but I believe the Hebrew word for this idea is Shalom. In this Advent holiday season, we are inspired to pursue and expereince this of kind peace within and among us.

Mollie's Safari

2009-12-15T05:35:00.000-08:00

-written by Mollie, translated by her mom

We god on u SAFARI trip and gus wut we sur. Grafs, elfits, zebus, los uf thes ammls lic cap buflo, hippos to rinos. Lios, dade lios, mome lios, babe lios, leprs, chedus. The leprd wus up on u tree. Los uf vans ther. My ffrt ammls wus the babe lio be cause it wus cute.

( We got on a SAFARI trip and guess what we saw. Giraffes, elephants, zebras, lots of these animals like cape buffalo, hippos and rhinos. Lions, daddy lions, mommy lions, baby lions, leopards, cheetahs. The leopard was up in a tree. Lots of vans there. My favorite animal was the baby lion because it was cute.)

Anna's Elephant

2009-12-14T09:23:00.000-08:00

-written by Anna

This weekend Grandpa and Grandma & my family went to a Safari Lodge! On the first night I was mad because I was tired. So I went outside and guess what... right in front of our house there was an elephant! So I called Dad and he called Mom to bring the camera out. Noah and Mollie already ran to tell a Maasai warrior. So dad & I went outside and bats flew right in front of my face! I cried so dad picked me up and carried me half way until a dung beetle creeped in front of me! It was as big as my fist! My dinner was great! I was so tired I went to sleep right away.

That day was great.

Mule Mania!

2009-12-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

-written by Noah

We are in Africa! Tuesday we went to a village called Kimende. On the way there we passed a market. I challenged myself to count as many mules as I could. In the end I ended up with 53! We had to deliver 5 computers to the village. When we got to the village, everybody was waving at us like we were kings! We drove past all these shabby looking houses. The truck stopped and we all got out. We took the computers to the lab. People offered us to go to the museum. I expected it to be big, but it was just a clay room. There were amazing artifacts. There were clay pots and horns and many necklaces. Samuel was the museum operator. He talked for a long time and I got tired. I went to the washroom and all it was was a hole!!! There was poo and pee smeared all over. And there was no toilet paper. Finally Samuel stopped talking and he bought us a soda. I was freaked out when they asked me to stay. I had a lot of fun at the village.

Oh my word

2009-12-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

Dana writing today. We seem to have conquered the jet lag... thankful for that. It is warm (at times hot), green and beautiful here. Our day today included a visit to the slum Embakasi for the opening of a new school built by 14 Manitobans sponsored by MCC. It was an eye opener for all of us, particularly the kids. It was pretty obvious not many 'Muzungu' (Swahili for white person) visit the slum. We felt a bit conspicuous with our white faces in our white jeep, trying to navigate the nearly impassable lane ways, but when we arrived at the church where the school is being built, we were welcomed with big smiles and greetings. If not many adult whites visit, very few white children visit the slum and our kids were the first white children some of their kids had seen. It took quite some time for Noah, Anna and Mollie to get comfortable but by the end, the girls had left our sides and Noah was playing tag with the young kids.

Though we know their schools are nothing like ours, it is hard to imagine tin walls, dirt floors that turn to mud with any rain, and no windows. They were thrilled to have two new permanent classrooms made with stone walls, windows, cement floors and even a porch! We look forward to going back in January when school is in to see it in use.

The 'Oh my word' in the title had more to do with the trip home. I didn't feel exactly comfortable driving through the slum, and then we experienced something that put it right over the top. We ended up behind a large semi truck that was driving really slow and we saw three young men climb up the back and into the trailer. We thought they were just getting a free ride, but then we saw them unload some of the contents on the road. When the driver realized what had happened, he came out armed with a slingshot looking to right the wrong that had been done. Unfortunately, we were in the middle of this impending conflict, a place you do not want to be. Stuck between a truck and a hard place (that's from Kevin :). Dad couldn't get the jeep around the semi and even the Kenyan in the jeep with us was suggesting we try hard to get out of the situation. The truck driver noticed our predicament and graciously moved his truck forward before seeking retribution on the thieves. Needless to say, my heart was in my stomach. While it gave us a scare, it didn't put a damper on the days experience.

Tomorrow we are off to a food distribution sight for those most affected by the drought here in Kenya. We look forward to sharing it with you!

Pancakes and AK 47's

2009-12-08T00:18:00.000-08:00

We make our first blog posting detailing our expereinces in Kenya, happy to have arrived in Nairobi after two relatively sleepless plane trips and enough canned air to be grateful for the deisel scented 'fresh air' of the city's morning gridlock. While looking forward to attempting a full night's sleep we are wonderfully happy to be here with Mom & Dad (aka Grandpa & Grandma). We began our cultural emmersion 'softly', easing into it with a breakfast of pancakes and strong coffee, while talking over the many expereinces that will not be as familiar as Mollie's favorite food...

The kids have observed many little cross cultural differences and have many questions for each of these! Whether it is people selling live chickens or pillows in the stand-still traffic or the AK 47's that every serucity gaurd causually holds while greeting you coridially, we have much to expereince and learn from.

I believe that today is Tuesday, and the week ahead holds a visit to a school in one of the slums where Noah, Anna & Mollie hope to connect with some kids with the universal language of soccer & jump rope. After that we will be heading to the Massai Mara to connect (from the safety of an all terrain van) with the 'big 5' on a three day safari.