Prelude to the preface

The five kids on the very left are all Kabachia (Dr Kabachia, our host who had to put up with our spoiled American ways) kids. The boy far right in the yellow shirt is the kid of one of the first people I met while in Kenya. The little girl infront of the other girl showing off her thumb (a Kabachia kid) is the boy's little sister. Their father's name escapes me at the moment. He's also a soldier with a great sense of humor. I remember the first time we introduced ourselves he had these really big buggy eyes - he looked nervous quite frankly. About my last week in Kenya I asked him about that first day and if he was nervous. He said he was really nervous because he didn't know me. We had a really good laugh about that. Sigh...the good 'ol days.

Preface

Could it be Mars?
While in Kenya I noticed that whenever I could see the stars clearly at night there was always a bright red star which was unusual for me . To observe it, I had to be somewhere where ambient light was minimal. That usually mean outside of a major city. I first noticed it in Nanyuki, Kenya - the small, poor little city that used to be a military outpost. I theorized that since Nanyuki is on the Equator, looking directly up into the clear night sky would reveal Mars, assuming that Mars was on the same plane as Earth. To this day I believe my theory is a sound one. Let me know if you know I'm wrong. I wish I had taken a picture of it - but then again, I had a really really cheap disposable camera with no flash!

Christian music videos
During my stay at the Ambassadeur while sick in bed, I was able to watch some Christian music videos on television. It was my first time ever to see a Christian music video. There were some pretty popular music groups. It lasted about an hour or so I guess. And during that one hour, I felt no pain or discomfort. I practically forgot about my sickness; perhaps it was because I was lying stomach down on the bed. Soon after the hour was over my sickness returned. That was when I came to a disappointing realization that I was going through what everybody else was experiencing at the time - I was home sick.

Science experiment - Catching butterflies
The funniest thing I ever saw while in Kenya, Africa was Marius chasing this one little bitty butterfly just next to the Agape Fellowship Center church. Marius may be a runner, but that butterfly sure did a heck of a job out-manuevering the butterfly catcher! Marius was simply all over the place, kicking up dirt and rocks in the air, running over wild vegetation, and simply putting on a good show. I just couldn't believe he did the same thing at the Tree Tops - where we were literally surrounded by wild beasts (elephants, wart hogs, and spotted yet hidden male lion)! While Marius ran around catching butterflies I made sure I wasn't too far from the man in charge of leading us safely to the Tree Tops hotel, who incidentally had a big 'ol rifle.

An immediate complication

July 25th, 2001

Had to buy another ticket to Atlanta. Also the flight was running late - arrived in Atlanta at approximately 9:50AM. Flight to Johannesburg, Africa depars at 10:30AM, and I needed to check-out my 40 pound bag/luggage! Thank God Atlanta-airport has a speedy train system. Somehow I managed to join the mission team with time to spare. Dale and rest of the gang seems almost surprised to see me able to make it on time...

In the driver's seat

I got to see the cockput on the 747 airplane. It must have been a few hours past noon as I could not see the sun directly from the cockpit (not that I'd want to). I could see 180 degrees - nothing but the top of portions of small, fluffy white clouds as if they were steaming from the ocean. but it was all blue - hard to tell what was sky and what was water.

There must have been a million gauges and instruments, some of them looked familiar (thanks to Jon Friederichs and his flight simulator game). The pilots should loosen up a little. I stayed for about 10-15 minutes - I had to tell the gang about this.

I got to see the cockpit a second time. This time at night. But this time the whole team (six including myself) managed to cram into the cockpit. Must have lastest atleast 30 minutes or so in there. Got to see the stars (the pilots turned off the lights for us) and listen to mysterious/weird people talking on the radio waves.

"I had less than good news," the pilots/captain announced. The 747 is short on fuel. Must make a quick (I hesitate to say emergency) landing somewhere. We're making the descent now to some small place called Windhoek.

They wouldn't allow us to get out of the plane. So I just stood around an open door where a coupld of ladies were chatting. Eventually I found the hard way that they were smokers, and were just dying to get a cigarette (there was smoke in one of the lavatories just hours before - while in the air). One of the ladies really got mad at me - basically because I was bugging her about the health-hazards of smoking. When it was time to takeoff, I found out that she sat just two seats away from me to my left. She leaned over and said, "you better not sleep." I was amused and smiled - she didn't.

Arrival in Nairobi

Now I am on a flight to Nairobi. I got a whole row all to myself, yippy (by the way, I'm being sarcastic) - and got a great South African view. I might be able to sit in the cockput again, this time during landing (that's what some flight attendant said).

We're staing at a Catholic center. Very well kept, clean, and cheap ($17 per day - included meals). Brushed my teeth with tap water (that's a big no no!). Food was very good, tasted kinda like Indian food. I should go to bed early, everybody else it - besides, I must wake up around 6 or 7 to jog with Marius and Dale - even though I've been told it's extremely dangerous to walk around when the sun isn't up.

(I took a picture of my room at the Catholic center - but the film didn't quite make it)

Canine attack

Holy moly!!!...I can hear BIG DOGS BARKING OUTSIDE! The walls must be paper thin! Sound like 3 or 4 rabid dogs trying to kill each other (or something)....That definitely woke me up...anyway, tomorrow (or later today) we'll be heading off the nanyuki. It will be a 4-5 day trek in a bus (paid $11 per day each). Everybody else is already in bed, I must try to get some sleep as well.

I am out of shape

July 26th, 2001

I have no idea what time it is. I am awake early. A rev/pastor/bishop in a room across from me just left his room. he said he'd been awake since 5:00 AM. I saw his light come on. I have been awake, I estimate, since 4:50 AM. Before he left he informed it was 6:30 AM. I've done some devotional time. I can hear singing deep in the walls. I think it is a group of nuns. (I don't think we're going jogging this morning). I can hear birds outside - dawn is approaching. None of the sounds are familiar to me. Everybody else is still sound asleep.

Mmmm...burger

We ate in downtown Nairobi at a place called "Steer Burger" - a fast-food joint with meat that didn't taste like meat (worse than McDonalds). Our next destination for the next few days is Nanyuki, a defensive town on the equator. It is also a rather poor city with about 60,000-70,000 residents.

Crusade

A crusade had started there before we even got there - sponsored by one of the local churches. Dale Cutlip gave one of his powerful messages (which was translated to Swahili). I have away two of my only pens, which is why I'm using a pencil now to write this. Tomorrow I will be street evangelizing and possibly giving my testimony in front of some crowd.

Mugged for a ball-point pen

July 2th, 2001

I found out that one of the kids that I gave my pens to got "mugged" by his peers.

A church visit

This morning Marius and I went to visit Pastor John's small, humble church. It is extremely small - no larger than a big Ford truck. It looked like a redecorated barn - probably was a dual purpose building. Like I said, it is very meager - yet, in the words of Marius, "you can feel the Holy Spirit, it felt like Holy ground." The ground was made of chopped cedar - it smelled like a giant hamster's home.

Last day for crusade

It was also the third and last day for the crusade - sponsored by a branch of the Agape Fellowship Center church (1 out of 20 some churches). God placed a volleyball game before and during the crusade, so attendance was high (several hundred). Most people would stand and watch from the perimeter of the town's "central park," leaning against old buildings in the shade. A few people, including myself, approached everybody and handed out "tracks" - essentially the gospel in Swahili and English. All this while pastors (and Dale) gave there message on a crudely built stage. Like I said, everybody was exposed to the gospel one way or the other. Tracks were given and shared with the locals; volleyball players, the homeless, the sick, and even the obviously diseased. Pastor George, who became the pastor of a brand new branch of Agape Fellowship Center (I guess a sister church) personally broke up the volleyball crowd and requested/demanded that the game must end. Five minutes later, the crowd dissipated, leftovers from the volleyball tournament remained - Dale was sharing the gospel at that time.

Medical crew at work

July 28th, 2001

Today was the first day for the medical crew (basically Marius and Jennifer and Kishma) to do their work. It was tremendous - lines were long all day, yet people waited patiently, never made a single complaint, never raised a question....just simply waited for their dear turn.

Walking the streets

I walked the streets of Nanyuki while the medical crew did their work. Most of the time I was with Joe, a local Nanyukan, also, surprisingly, a minister, because he must be still a teenager. He translated for me as needed and of course provided protection. I had the privileage to lead two women, visiting from nairobi, to the building where the medical treatment was being held. We got lost, so we returned back to where we started. I was foolish to think I knew the way.

Interestingly enough, our driver, Charles, got lost in the streets on Nanyuki while trying to take us to a church. The funny thing was that I knew exactly where to go. It felt good being an American and giving driving directions to a Kenyan.

Day 5, The Ambassadeur

I've lost track of what day it is. I never knew what the time was since day one (didn't bring a watch). I am in a hotel, The Ambassadeur - that much I know. Topnotch in kenyan standards. The team agreed yesturday that "Africa is kicking our butts!" That is a slight understatement.

Bug recovery

I am just recovering from a bug I caught. I have been suffering for atleast two days. Marius, Jennifer, and Kishma are probably at a Masai village right now providing more medical (veterinarian) treatment for their animals. I know Jennifer has been "sick" as well - she's probably in bed now too. In the past few days we've been to the Tree Tops Hotel. A very nice place, in the middle of wilderness, in the middle of danger, good food, good view, good safari...but very cold and no heaters. That is when I came down with flu-like symptoms. I didn't enjoy it very much. But I'm glad everybody else practically had a ball.

Marius saved my life, twice

Marius saved my life twice (in a way), so far. First of all he provided medical treatment when I was sick. He even gave up his precious water for me to drink and rehydrate myself. There was another time - back in Nanyuki when we were jogging early in the morning. As usual Marius eventually starting running so far ahead of me that I coudln't even see him for miles. Sometimes I tought he ran back to Nairobi. Anyway, I decided to stop and talk to some of the locals, expecting to meet Marius on his return run.

Well apparantly Marius and I missed each other because about an hour or so later Marius was riding a bicycle (where he got it I have no idea). He was wide-eyed. Not long after, I was riding on the back of the bicycle (on the carry-rack) while Marius was peddling up and down a series of hills at about 30 mph. Marius was just brutal and unforgiving with the big speed bumps. My headache is returning - Must rest now.

Sick again

I have been sick with some kind of "bug" for the past three days. I think it was because of that one morning in Nanyuki when Marius and I were going 30 mph in the bitter cold. I had shorts and a shirt on, and I was freezing my butt off. Then we ate fruit for breakfast, that could be the other source of my sickness. My terrible illness struck me at the Tree Tops Hotel. I am in Nairobi's Ambassadeur Hotel. The team (including myself) just came back from a dinner at a Korean Minister's home/church. Yes, that is correct, a Korean Minister in Kenya. He and his family were extremely generous with the best Kenyan food thus far. However, the gospel wasn't quite the gospel I know. Then again, I do come from America, where medicane is advanced and abundant. This minister heals people, on the stage, on tv, and face-to-face. But who am I to judge? Tomorrow is a big day. The team is heading towards the slums of Nairobi, Kibera.

Carnivore

We ate at the Carnivore. Amazing place. Zebra, Ostrich, Crocodile, Cow, you name it, they cook it. I must go now...must digest....

Friday and journal regret

Today is friday. That is all I know. I regret not keeping up with this journal on a daily basis. I think my sickness interrupted me.

Broke

I am broke. I have no cash and no shillings. Actually I have two shillings. The rate is 75 shillings per dollar. I am staying in a hostel. Only Derek Johnson (pastor from Alabama) and I are left in Kenya. We have about three days left until we leave to go back to America. This hostel will be our home until then. It is not a bad place - nice place really. Honestly, this place has the best food and the most amazing view I have ever seen. This is also the first place I got real close to a cow with horns. Also the first time I got to see banana trees up close and even touch the big flower/bulb. Banana trees are the strangest living creatures on land - let me tell you. I felt right at home when the owner of the house (from the United Stated - married to a Kenyan) served us pancakes with maple syrup from Ohio I believe. They get fresh eggs every day (they have over 200 chickens). They also have three big German Shepard-looking dogs. I was attacked by all three - well, actually they were playing - but I was still scared out of my wits!

Somebody ran over a big slug. African slugs are big, and they stink too.

New clean clothes at last

I received my luggage (a duffle bag that Jon Friedrichs bought me) a couple of days ago! I have been roaming around Kenya this whole time with two pairs of pants, one T-shirt, and pair of sox/shoes, and one underwear. You'd be surprised and what you can live through. I was broke with no extra clothes for over ten days and yet I was happy as a big old clam.

Teacher for few days

I taught kids today and yesturday during the pastor's convention/conference. Alot of the Kenyan pastor's are not learned in the Bible. They teach and preach largely by emotion and simple biblical theology. Anyway, I even taught this teenager some jujitsu moves. I mostly adlibbed my way through that because I don't know jujitsu. OK, I totally make it all up - but the kid enjoyed it!

I noticed that I've either become braver in my taste in Kenyan cuisine or I'm just fully adjusted. I say this because almost everytime for the past two days flies and mosquitos accompanied everybody at the table (and everywhere else). Surprisingly, it didn't bother me at all. Quite frankly, alot of traditional Kenyan foods look and taste alot like what mom used to make. And that's a good thing. I've been stuffing myself to maximum capacity lately at every meal. I've noticed this - and nausea usually follows.

I have butterflies in my stomach now. Good butterflies that is. It is alreay friday night. I am sitting on a coach in this girl's highschool hallway while the pastor's conference is going on. In about 72 hours I will be on a flight to America. Ahhh.....America. She is a good country. Right now I'm being bitten by mosquitos. I hope T don't get malaria.

In hindsight, Kibera (the slums of Nairobi - the largest slums in Africa, second largest in the world) wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Pastor Steve Taylor warned me about covering my mouth. Marius warned me numerous times to basically watch my back and to keep an eye out for people who might want to stab me in the back with a knife and walk away. Fortunately, none of these were true at the time. True, the conditions in Kibera are bad (the pictures support this), but again, it is not quite as bad as I had imagined. In fact, I was fairly comfortable most of the time. There were a couple of times when a couple of men on different occasions approached our small group for shilings, food, or just to pester us. One man (who looked like Kevin Garnett) had a big black Uzi type of gun around his shoulder. The moment he saw us he stopped, unraveled his gun from his shoulder, and threatened to shoot us!! Amazingly, our group remained compIetely calm about this. A few seconds later, we realized the gun was made of wood painted black. I tried to ignore any and all threats. I tried to be cautious and aware of things around me. One of the worst things that you could do, in my opinion, is to react with your emotions. And the usual reaction to these situations is fear. And fear is kind of obvious. Most parts of Kibera were really bad - literally sewage in the dirt streets that they use to walk, tnd with their home not to far off. But there were definitely some tolerable and liveable places as well. It seems like there are different classes within the slum city of Kibera. Pastor John has his home there which he invited Derek and I. We ate food their - good food. A neighbor, a man I met somewhere before, invited me to his home, right across the street. I drank pineapple juice - good juice.

In my last remaining days as mentioned, I stayed with a pastor and his wife (a "mazungu" = white person), friends of bishop Kabachia. It was like a cottage in the middle of the country-side. I felt very safe with barbed wires, sturdy gates, keepers, and three big dogs. They had a hostel for missionaries. We stayed for about three days and three nights. The good was amazing. Fressh eggs, toast, french toast, and maple syrup from wisconsin!! We even had spaghetti the first night when we were starving. They treated us like good family. That was a wonderful change from all the Kenyan meals I was getting used to.

There is a great/amazing/beautiful/grand view. Amazing trees (the banana tree is one strange animal; a very weird organism if you observe it up and close).


The End