Malindi

  This week we have had the privilege to spend time with many of the WGM missionaries from all over Kenya at the annual WGM retreat.  Despite what a previous blog said, which we just deleted, we are not in Europe (there was a scam posted asking for money for Jeremy Greenlee, who lost his wallet).  Don’t know where the posting came from.  Anyways, the retreat was actually held at a beautiful hotel on the coast of Kenya in Malindi.  Though we have enjoyed our stay greatly, we have frequently been blessed with the scoots (sorry, probably too much info)!  Our intestines are not yet adjusted to the extra parasites in Kenya.  The hotel is an all inclusive resort and the food is wonderful.  We had to pay the expensive rate of 5000 shillings (about 60 US dollars)!  That included all our expenses while here, so the trip was well worth it since it was so cheap.  We also were able to get a free 30 minute windsurfing lesson.  It was a blast.  We have had meetings throughout our stay here and had the privilege of hearing from Roy Lauter, former professor at Asbury College, who gave us powerful lessons about centering down with God.  We also were able to get to know many of the missionaries a little better.  We feel extremely blessed to be able to work with these amazing people who have given up so much to serve God in difficult circumstances throughout the country, many for over 20 years.  It is amazing to hear about all that has been accomplished through these dedicated and humble servants.  We live where we work, and thus we often do not get much time to relax, so the timing for the retreat was perfect as we were able to get away and take some much needed rest.  Though we have not had much free time because of all the meetings, which were very enlightening, we feel refreshed and excited to return to the babies! ~ Jeremy and Nicole

Mt. Longonat

Planning for any youth event in Kenya is significantly more challenging than in the United States.  Today, we took a hiking trip to Mt. Longonat with the youth, which would seem to be a relatively simple event with little or no room for complications, or so I thought.  It is safe to say that I am completely exhausted tonight after the day’s events.  The few main tasks in planning this hiking event are relatively simple when in the United States, but they are definitely not so here.  My first task was to arrange transport and determine the cost of the trip.  Pastor Habib and I contacted a few people and worked out a deal with one of our church members, who owns a matatu (public transportation van).  We were given a price of 300 shillings per person and reserved 2 matatus for Friday.    I inquired whether there would be any other expenses and was told that there was no entrance fee to Mt. Longonat so we set the price for the youth to be 300 per person.  Nicole and I planned to provide breakfast for the day, which of course is chai and bread.  We decided to have the youth pack their own lunch.  My second task was to announce the details to the youth at church and have them sign up.  On Sunday, after we made the announcement and had the youth sign up, the church member informed me that they could no longer provide transport for 300 per person but could do it for 400.  I talked with Habib, and we decided that the church would supplement the remaining since we had already told the youth 300.  I then was informed that there was a 200 shilling entry fee for Mt. Longonat and that some people lit the mountain on fire because they were angry with the government and that the park had been burning for 4 days.  Luckily, it rained the next few days to put out the fire.  A few days later, on Thursday, which was the day before we were leaving, I received a call at about 9 PM stating that one of the matatus was in Nairobi and would not be back until 9 AM the following day.  We needed to leave by 7 so we had a big problem.  I then talked with the owner, who assured me that the Matatu was coming back Thursday night instead now so it could be ready by 6:30 AM Friday.  I then discovered that our other reserved Matatu was headed for the Masai Mara.  Another big problem.  The problems continued for another 2 hours until we finally were able to secure another Matatu, but for a price of 450 now per person, which meant we would have to pay our first matatu 450 as well.  Friday morning comes and I have no idea how many youth will actually come because you can never be certain despite having a sign up sheet and calling to confirm with them the night before.  I told them to be at the church no later than 6 AM and that we were leaving at exactly 6:30 (I actually had the goal of leaving by 7 because time is very relative here).  The youth finally arrived and were ready to leave at  7:30.  We had another big problem though.  One of our promised matatu was still in Nairobi and could not come, thus we needed 18 seats and only had 14 available.  Luckily, we had a missionary’s car that was available, so we took that as well.  Habib also informed me that the other matatu that had arrived was refusing to take us now unless we paid 500 per person.  AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!  We finally left at 7:30 and of course, some of the youth did not bring any lunch, so the youth leaders in the front Matatu, without being kind enough to let me know (I was in the car), told the driver to pull in to a near by grocery in Nakuru so the youth could pick up some lunch.  I assumed we were just picking up our other youth member in town, as we had planned.  We then had someone, not sure who he was, take the licenses of our two drivers and refused to return them until we paid him a 500 shilling bribe because we were “parked illegally.”  I am not sure what exactly transpired after the matatu driver and I began negotiating with this man (most of the conversation was in Swahili).  One of the youth then told me that things were taken care of, whatever that means.  I am not sure if the driver paid the bribe or not, but we left after about an hour of delay.  So we finally reached Mt. Longonat.  Margie and I, the two wazungu (white people), also discovered that we were being charged 8 times the amount of the Kenyans.  Since Margie didn’t have her residency papers with her and I have not yet gotten approved, we were forced to pay the extra charge.  I also had to supply each youth with a bottle of water, since most did not think to bring water when hiking one of the highest mountains in the rift valley (I figured they would forget).  We ate breakfast and began our ascent at about 11 AM, about 2 hours later than when I planned, which meant that we were joined by the sun’s most intense rays as we climbed.    Somehow, we managed to get everyone up and down the mountain and returned safely.  As my wife and I like to say often to each other, “Nothing is easy in Kenya.” The youth did have a great time and were able to bond well during the trip so that’s what is important. ~Jeremy

Urban Pastors Conference

Last week I had the chance to attend an Urban Pastors Conference in Nakuru for 3 days.  Though the days were very long, it was a rewarding experience as I learned much about the culture and was able to meet many Kenyan pastors from around the country, who were very accepting and kind.  I was very humbled as I began to get to know some of the pastors.  Many of them are serving in some extremely difficult situations.  One pastor I met has a budgeted salary of only 5,000 Kenyan shillings per month (about 60 dollars) and the church cannot afford to pay even that.  He has a wife who does not have a job and, I think, three children, and he cannot afford to pay for their schooling.  He said that many of members who do tithe can only afford to tithe about 50 shillings, which is around 60 cents.  One pastor was asking for prayer that they could afford to get electricity for his church, another was thankful that his church could replace windows on one side of the church and was praying that they could raise enough money to replace the windows on the other side, which was a much needed project.  Another pastor was asking for prayers that the church would be able to install bathroom facilities as the congregation is currently using his own personal bathroom at the pastor’s house.  It made me realize how feeble some of the things are which we worry about having in our churches in America.  It makes me wonder, with over a billion people in the world living in desperate and grinding poverty, most of whom are starving, have no health care or access to clean water, and cannot afford education, about how much the churches and Christians in America, if we gave just a portion of what we spend on our lavish sanctuaries, new cars, and bigger houses to aid in fighting poverty, what a difference it would make.  Ronald Sider, in his wonderful and very challenging book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, quotes “The Christians of the world enjoy an income of at least $10 trillion a year.  It takes only about $500 to create a new job among the poor and improve the living standard of a family of five by 50 percent within a year.  At $500 per job, 1 percent of Christian income for just one year could create new small loans producing 200 million new jobs.  In one year, that many new jobs could improve the well-being of one billion people.”  I do not think that spending money on buying nice things or building up the church is a bad thing in itself but hearing the stories of the many pastors who are making an impact with what little resources they have makes me wonder whether our priorities are up to par with the way Jesus would have them.  I am reminded of God’s anger for Israel in Isaiah chapter one and also Amos 5, where God declares that he is sick of all their sacrifices, prayers, offerings, celebrations and pious meetings because they forgot about the poor.  “Give up your wicked ways.  Learn to do good.  Seek justice.  Help the oppressed.  Defend the orphan.  Fight for the rights of the widows.” Isaiah 1:16-17.  “I hate all your show and pretense—the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.  I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings.  I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings.  Away with your hymns of praise!  They are only noise to my ears. I will not listen to your music, no matter how lovely it is.  Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry.”  Amos 5:21-24.  Apparently our worship for God is not enhanced by upgrading our sound systems if we forget about helping the poor.  I need to reevaluate my priorities. ~ Jeremy

Panya Hunting

We had an interesting day today at the Babycenter as we were hunting for some unwelcomed panya (rats).  A few of the workers, including Sammy, Mwangi (pictured here and below), and I had a successful hunt.  Apparently, the Kenyans are not at all afraid of rats as they were enjoying the hunt.  One worker had even taken off his sandals to use as projectile devices and used his bare feet to kick the panya.  They were also trying to get the rats out from under tight places, so they would lay down on the ground with their face about 6 inches from where the rats were hiding in order to get a good view.  I guess they are not afraid of the rats having a good shot at biting their noses.  They were more courageous than I.  Nonetheless, I was able to kill two.  In all we killed 26, including 10 babies and 16 adults, and about 6 of them were big boys.  Nicole is glad that we are on the second floor.  We are both glad that my mom has already booked flights here so there is no turning back for her despite reading this post.  Even now, as I am writing this, Nicole is freaking out because of a spider crawling on her while she is in bed.  Such things are normal for the Kenyans here. ~Jeremy