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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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

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

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.

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

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

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!