Jambo, Karibu TIA-This is Africa

Welcome!!!

Well what a week it has been. I had the priviledge of travelling to Mombasa on the coast and thank God for a safe journey! When I got there, it began to rain!! After everybody telling me, the coast is so so hot, you will be roasted!! Quite the opposite, I was cold!!! Anyhow the sun managed to come out for one day and I got swimming in the Indian Ocean. The water was beautiful and warm and the waves were awesome. I wore factor 50 sun proetection and still managed to get burned!! Obviously my fragile skin has not yet adapted to the African sun!!

On my way back from Mombasa, the bus stopped (in the middle of rural Kenya) for a toilet break, after all it is a 9 hour journey!!!! I saw a white couple sitting at a table. Usually I avoid people who I think are tourists but this pair had faces which said talk to me! So I did and boy was a I glad. They are John and Kimberley from Michigan. But three years ago they sold everything they owned and moved to Kenya to preach the gospel and reach a generation. They are here for the long haul. they have been here three years so far and it has taken this long to finally get a lease on a small plot of land so that they can build a home for themselves. I really enjoyed meeting them and they also knew a woman who is a nurse from Ireland and has been living and working here since 1978. they gave me her contact details as she sounds like a pretty amazing lady too!

Back to Naiorbi (very Briefly) before I headed up to Kijabe!!! Kijabe is a huge mission station about an hour's drive from the city. They have an international school with 500 pupils, a bible college and of course a HOSPITAL!! Again I met some fascinating people and got to see plenty. The hospital is a great neurosurgical centre and even has in ICU!!!! The lovely Elaine Getty was the perfect hostess and even  through me a little surprise birthday party!!! I really enjoyed meeting her girls over dinner and hearing what life was like for them at school in Kenya!

Back to Nairobi again to greet Mama and Papa Mwalwa (my Kenyan family)!!!! They were glad to see me back and found it amusing that I was never at home. Now they can relate to Mama and Papa Lindsay!!!!!!

Next, to meet my friend Doug!!! Doug is a Ugandan who was called to work in Kenya some years ago and does an amazing work with slum families. After a bite to eat, he took me to visit some of his friends. We first met Kingsan, a 23 year old boy who turned away from a life of stealing and doing drugs to follow God. He entertained me in his home and shared his testimony with me. His home is a 12feet sq room in the middle of Mukuru slum. Kingsan makes his own shoes and sells them to put food in his mouth. He is very involved in the church and his ministry is dance!!! There was not sufficient space but had there been, I am sure we could have danced a little!! He has such a heart for God and I admired his zest for life. He asked me if Ireland was like Kenya so I tried to explain a bit about our country. Then we met Kim, another outstanding young man who works hard for a living and has a beautiful voice. He sang for me in Swahili acapella as he did not have his guitar with him but promised me another rendition next time!!

From there we walked through the slum to visit Dolphin. Our sister Dolphin is a beautiful young girl who has been sponsored to go to school. She has been saved from a life of abuse and has been given the opportunity to attend school where she proves to be a very diligent student. She loves football and plays on a team. She supports Man U but i didnt hold that against her!!!! We spoke to her principal to find out how she is getting on. It was a wonderful priviledge to pray with her right there and then before she got back to sitting her mid-term exams! I really feel compelled to help these children and I want to see many more girls like Dolphin get an education. I realise now that is one thing in my life that I took for granted. I enjoyed school but never realised how blessed I was to be able to go!!!!

After sitting in traffic for three hours with papa and picking Sanzu and Ndinda up from the school, we returned home for a few minutes before setting off to Rhoda's (mama's sister) house for dinner. By this stage it was 9pm and we set off on a 10k journey which should normally take 30mins at the most. Two hours later due to traffic, we arrived, all a bit tired after such a long day. By this time it was 11pm and we were tired but rather hungry!! Papa quite rightly made a good point. "It would have been cheaper and easier to stay at home to eat but this is Africa and people are important!!" So if someone invites you for dinner, they dont mind that you are so late, they appreciate that you made the journey and are pleased that they can entertain you. What a wonderful way to live!!! Only in Africa!

I am coming to the end of my time in Kenya now but I thank God for my time here and for the hospitality and generosity of my Kenyan family!!

Kwaheri ya kuonana
Janey