Weekend in Kenya

The weekend that I spent in Kenya was amazing.

I went on thursday with Grace to Nairobi. We caught a bus in Moshi to Arusha, then took a mini van taxi from Arusha to the border, obtained a visa and then took a dala dala from the border to Nairobi. It took about 9 hours to get there. The dala dala when it had dropped everyone else off ended up dropping us off at Hannah and Fredrick's apartment.

They have a one bedroom apartment, in which lives their 2 children, Hannah's mother and Hannah's neice. The children sleep in the bedroom and the grandmother and neice share a foamy on the livingroom floor. I got to sleep on the couch. Hannah and Fredrick and the kids all slept in the bed in the bedroom.

Fredrick took me around the the school he helped start when he was a pastor in that area. It has 70 students and they are primarily from the neighbouring slums. The students are sponsored by people so that they can attend school. They are from grade 9-12.

Then Fredrick took me through the neighbouring slums. The homes are made of corregated metal and have dirt floors. Some have wooden doors and others just have a sheet hanging in the doorway. There were a lot of children, all dirty and all curious about the mazungu. Most wanted to touch or hold my hand and go with me. There was a lot of babies and toddlers playing in the roadway.

They roadway is not for cars. It is a dirt road - in some places there is a sewage ditch and in some places there is not and the dirt is wet from the sewage. The dirt has a lot of garbage and plastic bags sticking out of it as well. In some places we had to jump to walk on dry ground.

At the end of the one slum there is land that belongs to the local church and the church has let the people grow a garden. The produce is sold to the people in the slums. They also have some cows and some pigs as well. Apparently, the church has been asking for the land back but has given a time frame for reclaimation.

Then we walked through another slum to the church where Fredrick used to preach. All along the way we were greeted by people whose lives had been changed by Fredrick leading them to Christ. Many, many people love and respect him.

Fredrick is no longer working as a pastor as he used to have a lady sponsor him and his family so he could do God's work and still live but she was no longer able to help him and he was no
longer able to support his family working as a pastor. He says his heart is still there wanting to do God's work but is unable to afford to. I also met young men who used to be drug addicts but whose lives were changed through the work that Fredrick had done.

On saturday, Fredrick and his family and I did some sightseeing in and around Nairobi. We went to the elephant orphanage, the giraffe centre - where I got to hand feed and kiss a giraffe. Then we went to the house of Karen...... the lady about whom the book and movie "Out of Africa" lived. It is now a museum. Then we went to the crocodile farm and I held a 16 month old crocodile. Then we went on a safari walk and the Kenya zoo and I went into the cheetah pen and petted the cheetahs. Very cool!! Afterwards we went to see the bomas of Kenya, which is a place that has replicas of the different dwelling places of the Kenyan tribes. That also was very cool. We ended the day with a visit to Fredrick's mother's house and we shared a glass of hand ground porridge. It was good.

On sunday we went to the church where Fredrick used to preach and visited with some of the congregation afterwards. Then we went to a place called 14 falls which also was very cool. Fredrick, the kids and I with the help of 2 guides crossed the river above the falls and then we took a boat ride across again at the bottom of the falls. Afterwards we went to Hannah's mother's house out in the country and visited with her sister and family. We were warmly received and ate supper there. Then we went to the pastor's house and visited and shared a meal with them. We didn't get home until almost midnight on sunday night.

On monday we headed back home to Tanzania, Fredrick, Hannah, grandmother and the children and I. The children don't have school now until friday, so they came for a couple of days visit.

The car is still not fixed completely and Hannah and Fredrick's brother in law Ivans has been working on it while we were gone.

The other volunteers came back from safari and had a good time.

Prayers: For Fredrick's car that it is fixed soon

For the people of Kenya = that they find hope in an almost hopeless area. 9 million people live in Nairobi and of that 9 million, 6 million live in slums. 16% of the Kenyan population has a regular job or work and they support the other 84% that don't have work. Of the 16% that works 1/2 is below the poverty line.

For me that I keep God as my focus and listen to Him in how he wants to lead me. That I am open to all that he has for me and that I am a good ambassador for Him. All Glory and Honour to Him be given.

Thanks to those that have commented. It is great to hear from you and it encourages me. God bless you all.