Tuesday - June 12
We began heading north after two nights in Kilgoris and once again encountered excitement along the road. This morning it wasn't rough roads, but rowdy students. Driving through Kitale, traffic came to a stop as the noise on the street continued to escalate. As we slowly moved forward we could see a mass of people standing in the street shouting and chanting as we drew even closer two policemen came out of the crowd walking at a fairly quick pace away from the action - I think it was about this point that our driver told us to lock all of the doors. As we drove by the angry shouts had turned to celebratory cheers as they passed a long yellow metal something through the air. Apparently one of the teachers at a college located on that street had a tire boot put on her car right in front of the school for some sort of parking infraction. The town council had been lobbied for it to be removed and they had refused. So the students refused to go to class and took to the streets and the two policemen we saw walking away had just unlocked the boot from the car. With some of the political/religious/social tension in Kenya right now the story seemed much funnier after we actually knew what was going on.
Our first visit of the day was at a Lutheran primary school (equivalent of our K-8). As was typical wherever we went, we were made to feel very welcome. The kids sang for us, the teachers prepared a meal for us, and the students loved seeing themselves on the screen of the digital camera. We brought with us from America a lot of school supplies and Rongo is one of the schools that received part of that as a gift. We also left a soccer ball and volleyball and jump ropes wherever we stopped - as well as candy. And if we thought we saw a riot among the students on the streets of Kitale that still didn't prepare us for the eagerness that engulfed the Rongo students when we pulled out the little pieces of hard candy. It was a moment of chaos. Everywhere we went throughout the whole trip, I felt like we weren't spending as much time as we would like at each place. The school at Rongo maybe best exemplifies this. We ate and then instead of sitting in on a class or interacting/playing with the kids like we wanted we were herded back into the van to get to our next destination. We were able to see so much and meet so many people, but if I were to ever go back to Kenya I would love to settle into one place and really get to know the people and ministry of that place.
Though it was hard to leave the school at Rongo so quickly, what came next on Tuesday was one of the highlights of the trip and again something I hope I never forget throughout my pastoral career. We met some deaconesses that serve various parishes of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kenya in order to accompany them on home visits. In Kenya, deaconesses go through two years of training (for which they pay) and then often serve without any compensation. These are truly remarkable women who love the Lord and love the people around them with much mercy and compassion and sacrifice. They make home visits; care for orphans, widows, the sick, and the poor; they teach Sunday School; they set up the altar area for Sunday morning worship; and they probably do countless other tasks that further the work of God through the ministry of His church. On Tuesday, we made three home visits that were each extremely special and simultaneously heart-breaking and up-lifting. We walked between each home as the three were all within what we would consider a couple blocks, but there were no sidewalks or manicured yards or curbs so we had to wind our way through muddy paths, puddles, and plots of corn.
At the first house we met Pemina. She was laying on a bed in the back of the house unable to get up. her eyes were glazed over and she could only speak in whispers and yet she expended great energy to get up on an elbow and greet each of us Americans. We were struck by the amount of flies buzzing around the room and pestering Pemina who didn't have the strength to wave them off. The deaconesses spoke with her for a while in Swahili so I don't know the specific words they used to comfort her. I had envisioned that as a guest on the visit I would stand in the corner well out of the way in order to watch and observe the deaconesses so I was surprised when I was asked to pray for Pemina. It was truly a humbling moment to hold her frail hand and pray that God would give her strength of body and faith and to express a trust in Him that spans cultures and remains even in times of hardship. At each of the three visits I would have the opportunity to pray for each home and family as my words were translated.
At the second home we met Walter and Doreena. We had actually seen Doreena walking toward the nearest town while we were driving into the area with the deaconesses. We stopped in the van and they had an animated conversation with her as she stood about 10 yards away from the road. At the time we didn't know who she was or what anyone was saying, but it was obvious that she was somehow connected to the visits we would be making. There was a younger man with her who continually tried to guide her in the opposite direction she was wanting to go. After the visit, we found out that she was angry with the deaconesses because they had told her that we would be there earlier in the day and we were much later than anticipated. With no phone the deaconesses couldn;t call her and update her on the changing schedule so she wasn't sure when or if we would arrive. So when we were approaching her house she was walking to the market to figure out what she could afford to buy for food. She did finally turn around and was at home by the time we made our second visit. We had purchased food to leave at each home so we were able to give her rice, flour, sugar, cooking oil, tea, soap, and some other things and it was evident that she was moved by the gift. She told us how she was going to the market but now did not need to. She also talked about the health issues that she and her husband were having so after only spending a short time with them I was able to be fairly specific in the prayers I offered.
The third visit was maybe the most touching. One of the American young adults had received a monetary gift in memory of her godfather who had recently died and was asked to use it to benefit someone in Kenya. Pastor Chuchu suggested Roda as the recipient of that money so we arrived at her home with additional gifts of pots and pans and other household items. Roda is a widow who fell and broke her hip. It is evident that both her feet/legs and her hands/arms have been crippled and she wasd carried from her bed out to a chair by two deaconesses. We visited for a while and learned about the troubles Roda was having. With us strangers in her home she was very honest about the moments when her physical pain and the circumstances of her life weigh heavily upon her and how Satan uses those earthly thorns to raise doubts about God and her faith in Him. But her honesty was matched with a desire to remain steadfast making her a wonderful example of faith in the midst of trial and inspite of hardship. And again her openness allowed for very specific prayers to be offered. Part of the gift that our group member brought for Roda was also in the form of cash (transferred into Kenyan shillings). Roda had been receiving therapy for her hip and other physical issues but she now longer had the money to continue with the treatments. This additional gift from an American donor would now allow her to get the medical treatment she needed. As you can maybe tell, I remain fairly animated and excited by these experiences as can be evidenced by the number of words I am using for each day.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Kenya - Day 5
Monday, June 11
Mondays are my typical day off in a normal week and that was kind of the case during the trip to Kenya. We woke up early Monday in order to drive into the Maasi Mara (the Kenyan side of the Serengeti) game refuge for a safari. We took one way there and later in the day we took a different way back to Kilgoris and both routes took us across roads that would not be considered roads in the US. I will never know how our drivers navigated the cracks, crevices, potholes, wash-outs, and other obstacles but they did. On the way we had to stop for a while and fix a pan that had been knocked loose on the bottom of one van (there was no duct tape so the drivers used a rock and a rope). One the way back the road was impassable so we had to pay some locals to drive across their land in order to rejoin the road at a further point. The trip was not without human casualties as well. One person did lose his $25 buffet lunch and another participant sustained a concussion when a bump sent her straight up into the ceiling of the van.
During the safari we were able to take in the wonderful landscape of southern Kenya and the creative wonders that God has placed upon the earth. Most of our time in Kenya was spent in hilly, tree covered areas, but there was a moment on Monday when we drove out of the hills and before us was just a flat, sparse, almost treeless plain. During the day we saw countless warthogs, water bags (from the antelope family), impalas, hippos, crocodiles, and buffalo. We got upclose views of zebras, giraffes, and elephants. We saw colorful lizards and butterflies. We entered the park with orangutans up on a hill running alongside our van and we would be entertained by elusive little monkeys later in the day. And about 100 yards from the gate as we were leaving for the day, our trip guide Pastor David Chuchu proved himself to be a great safari guide as well. He pointed our driver off of the road toward another vehicle and sure enough we found a mother lion with about 5 cubs. We'd been hoping all day that after enduring the roads and the time in the van we would see a lion and it happened at the last moment as we were just about out of the park.
Have I mentioned the roads - they added an upleasant element into the day. Back in Kilgoris with everyone still a little on edge and extremely tired we tended to our wounded. One trip participant's health continued to deteriorate during the night and was taken to a clinic that was connected to the convent where we were staying. There were some scary moments, but it was a blessing to see God work through people - American and Kenyan - to restore him to health. During dinner that night, another American who was staying at the convent introduced herself as a nurse so later we knew exactly who to turn to for our medical emergency. And after a couple days of rest and recovery all of the group was back in good health and able to fully experience and enjoy the people and places we would encounter and meet.
Mondays are my typical day off in a normal week and that was kind of the case during the trip to Kenya. We woke up early Monday in order to drive into the Maasi Mara (the Kenyan side of the Serengeti) game refuge for a safari. We took one way there and later in the day we took a different way back to Kilgoris and both routes took us across roads that would not be considered roads in the US. I will never know how our drivers navigated the cracks, crevices, potholes, wash-outs, and other obstacles but they did. On the way we had to stop for a while and fix a pan that had been knocked loose on the bottom of one van (there was no duct tape so the drivers used a rock and a rope). One the way back the road was impassable so we had to pay some locals to drive across their land in order to rejoin the road at a further point. The trip was not without human casualties as well. One person did lose his $25 buffet lunch and another participant sustained a concussion when a bump sent her straight up into the ceiling of the van.
During the safari we were able to take in the wonderful landscape of southern Kenya and the creative wonders that God has placed upon the earth. Most of our time in Kenya was spent in hilly, tree covered areas, but there was a moment on Monday when we drove out of the hills and before us was just a flat, sparse, almost treeless plain. During the day we saw countless warthogs, water bags (from the antelope family), impalas, hippos, crocodiles, and buffalo. We got upclose views of zebras, giraffes, and elephants. We saw colorful lizards and butterflies. We entered the park with orangutans up on a hill running alongside our van and we would be entertained by elusive little monkeys later in the day. And about 100 yards from the gate as we were leaving for the day, our trip guide Pastor David Chuchu proved himself to be a great safari guide as well. He pointed our driver off of the road toward another vehicle and sure enough we found a mother lion with about 5 cubs. We'd been hoping all day that after enduring the roads and the time in the van we would see a lion and it happened at the last moment as we were just about out of the park.
Have I mentioned the roads - they added an upleasant element into the day. Back in Kilgoris with everyone still a little on edge and extremely tired we tended to our wounded. One trip participant's health continued to deteriorate during the night and was taken to a clinic that was connected to the convent where we were staying. There were some scary moments, but it was a blessing to see God work through people - American and Kenyan - to restore him to health. During dinner that night, another American who was staying at the convent introduced herself as a nurse so later we knew exactly who to turn to for our medical emergency. And after a couple days of rest and recovery all of the group was back in good health and able to fully experience and enjoy the people and places we would encounter and meet.
Kenya - Day 4
Sunday, June 10
I love gathering with the people of Crosspointe on Sunday mornings to worship our God, but this was a special day in my life as a pastor. It was such a humble honor and great privelege to not only worship with the men, women, and children of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church of Dirubi, Kenya - but also to stand before them to preach God's Word and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus.
We were greeted upon our arrival with singing the moment we got out of the car. Everyone was waiting outside for us and with smiling faces they welcomed us with their voices. The church itself was a small building with no glass in the windows (the candles were all extinguished by the wind at some point during worship) and with a dirt floor. The structure is still an upgrade from the previous sanctuary which still stands to one side of the church. The service followed a traditional order of worship in the local vernacular of Luo. So at different times us American visitors could pick up on the rhythm of the Creed, Lord's Prayer, or other elements of the liturgy. And though we didn't know the Luo lyrics, two hymns were familiar by their tune - Rock of Ages and Nothing But the Blood. A group of 6 or 7 added additional special music standing before the congregation. I think their handful of voices without microphones may have been louder than the 130 voices that fill Crosspointe on a Sunday morning so we may have some volume knobs to crank up in our worship. The service also included Communion providing even greater joy in sharing the unity of the church with these individuals who spoke a different language and lived in a different part of the world. Beyond the opportunity to preach, I also helped with Communion serving wine from a chalice - for the first time. During the worship service the men sat on one side and the women and children sat on the other (on very simple wooden benches without any back support) and then during Communion almost all of the children waited outside the back door looking in while the adults received the Sacrament. The offering also was very unAmerican. Two people we would identify as ushers stood up front and members of the congregation then brought their offerings forward. Many people gave various amounts of money, but some also brought forward bags of produce - I remember kale, sweet potatoes, and avocadoes and there may have been more. The bags were placed at the feet of those gathering the offering and then add the end of the worship service they were auctioned off with one member acting as an auctioneer and those in worship bidding against one another. That money was then added to the rest of the offering. It was definitely more exciting to watch than the typical offering given in an American church and it was neat to see how people gave from what they had. I again cannot fully describe the experience of worshiping with this group of Kenyans who are our brothers and sisters in Christ, but it is something I hope to never forget.
Following the worship service, a number of leaders within the Kenyan church also addressed the congregation with various announcements. Throughout the trip, there was a high level of formality and respect when we met with different church leaders and on Sunday there was a lot of excitement as they named Dirubi (the place we were) as a future site of a Project 24 orphan rescue center. Everyone present erupted into applause as the announcement was made. The North Dakota and Minnesota North Districts of the LCMS have committed to jointly funding three rescue centers over the next three years and on Sunday Dirubi was identified as one of the locations for this effort. Following worship we were again fed extremely well with a kale dish, rice, ugali (which is a staple served with most meals and made out of cornmeal that is like a thicker version of mashed potatoes that you eat with your hands and shape into balls to soak up the rest of your meal. It doesn't have a lot of taste but it was good), chicken, and our favorite tortilla-like dish of chipati. During the lunch we were able to speak with church leaders, pastors, and others in a more informal manner to learn more about the church and its people and its ministry.
It would have been great to spend the whole afternoon and day with the people we had worshiped with but we were soon back in the car and headed toward another orphan rescue center in Othoro. The children who live in the rescue centers have lost at least one if not both parents to AIDS, malaria, poverty, or some other cause. As we toured the grounds including the dorms, kitchen, and church we met kids that were probably 2 all the way up to the 8th grade. We saw how they drew water from a well and also scrunched our noses at a dish that is very popular in Kenya - minnow (yes, as in the fish). The rescue center is located right next to a church and right next to a public school. The local pastor/evangelist took us over to the school and introduced us to the classes. Now I know I have been writing a lot, but do you remember what day this is? Sunday. And there were kids in the classrooms - some of them with a teacher receiving instruction for a couple hours in the afternoon and others studying on their own (quietly and diligently) without the supervision or guidance of a teacher. From Othoro we continued on down the road to a Lutheran high school or secondary school for girls. There were about 320 students and 260 of them lived there at the school. The school is in the process of building a dorm but for now the girls sleep in converted classrooms. We met with the principal and a couple teachers and learned more about the education process and challenges. At all of the schools we went to there was a sense of excellence and a commitment to helping the students achieve a successful future despite the lack of resources. At Othoro, the boys were up at 5:15 and in class by 6:00. At the Lutheran high school, the girls were awake at 4:45 and in class by 5:30. At the high school, all of the grades were also posted with the students names where everyone could see them so that those who were excelling could be congratulated and those who were struggling could be encouraged. While we were at the school a heavy rain storm blew through and all of the girls took pots and basins outside to be filled with rain water. The final leg of Sunday's traveling took us south to Kilgoris.
I love gathering with the people of Crosspointe on Sunday mornings to worship our God, but this was a special day in my life as a pastor. It was such a humble honor and great privelege to not only worship with the men, women, and children of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church of Dirubi, Kenya - but also to stand before them to preach God's Word and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus.
We were greeted upon our arrival with singing the moment we got out of the car. Everyone was waiting outside for us and with smiling faces they welcomed us with their voices. The church itself was a small building with no glass in the windows (the candles were all extinguished by the wind at some point during worship) and with a dirt floor. The structure is still an upgrade from the previous sanctuary which still stands to one side of the church. The service followed a traditional order of worship in the local vernacular of Luo. So at different times us American visitors could pick up on the rhythm of the Creed, Lord's Prayer, or other elements of the liturgy. And though we didn't know the Luo lyrics, two hymns were familiar by their tune - Rock of Ages and Nothing But the Blood. A group of 6 or 7 added additional special music standing before the congregation. I think their handful of voices without microphones may have been louder than the 130 voices that fill Crosspointe on a Sunday morning so we may have some volume knobs to crank up in our worship. The service also included Communion providing even greater joy in sharing the unity of the church with these individuals who spoke a different language and lived in a different part of the world. Beyond the opportunity to preach, I also helped with Communion serving wine from a chalice - for the first time. During the worship service the men sat on one side and the women and children sat on the other (on very simple wooden benches without any back support) and then during Communion almost all of the children waited outside the back door looking in while the adults received the Sacrament. The offering also was very unAmerican. Two people we would identify as ushers stood up front and members of the congregation then brought their offerings forward. Many people gave various amounts of money, but some also brought forward bags of produce - I remember kale, sweet potatoes, and avocadoes and there may have been more. The bags were placed at the feet of those gathering the offering and then add the end of the worship service they were auctioned off with one member acting as an auctioneer and those in worship bidding against one another. That money was then added to the rest of the offering. It was definitely more exciting to watch than the typical offering given in an American church and it was neat to see how people gave from what they had. I again cannot fully describe the experience of worshiping with this group of Kenyans who are our brothers and sisters in Christ, but it is something I hope to never forget.
Following the worship service, a number of leaders within the Kenyan church also addressed the congregation with various announcements. Throughout the trip, there was a high level of formality and respect when we met with different church leaders and on Sunday there was a lot of excitement as they named Dirubi (the place we were) as a future site of a Project 24 orphan rescue center. Everyone present erupted into applause as the announcement was made. The North Dakota and Minnesota North Districts of the LCMS have committed to jointly funding three rescue centers over the next three years and on Sunday Dirubi was identified as one of the locations for this effort. Following worship we were again fed extremely well with a kale dish, rice, ugali (which is a staple served with most meals and made out of cornmeal that is like a thicker version of mashed potatoes that you eat with your hands and shape into balls to soak up the rest of your meal. It doesn't have a lot of taste but it was good), chicken, and our favorite tortilla-like dish of chipati. During the lunch we were able to speak with church leaders, pastors, and others in a more informal manner to learn more about the church and its people and its ministry.
It would have been great to spend the whole afternoon and day with the people we had worshiped with but we were soon back in the car and headed toward another orphan rescue center in Othoro. The children who live in the rescue centers have lost at least one if not both parents to AIDS, malaria, poverty, or some other cause. As we toured the grounds including the dorms, kitchen, and church we met kids that were probably 2 all the way up to the 8th grade. We saw how they drew water from a well and also scrunched our noses at a dish that is very popular in Kenya - minnow (yes, as in the fish). The rescue center is located right next to a church and right next to a public school. The local pastor/evangelist took us over to the school and introduced us to the classes. Now I know I have been writing a lot, but do you remember what day this is? Sunday. And there were kids in the classrooms - some of them with a teacher receiving instruction for a couple hours in the afternoon and others studying on their own (quietly and diligently) without the supervision or guidance of a teacher. From Othoro we continued on down the road to a Lutheran high school or secondary school for girls. There were about 320 students and 260 of them lived there at the school. The school is in the process of building a dorm but for now the girls sleep in converted classrooms. We met with the principal and a couple teachers and learned more about the education process and challenges. At all of the schools we went to there was a sense of excellence and a commitment to helping the students achieve a successful future despite the lack of resources. At Othoro, the boys were up at 5:15 and in class by 6:00. At the Lutheran high school, the girls were awake at 4:45 and in class by 5:30. At the high school, all of the grades were also posted with the students names where everyone could see them so that those who were excelling could be congratulated and those who were struggling could be encouraged. While we were at the school a heavy rain storm blew through and all of the girls took pots and basins outside to be filled with rain water. The final leg of Sunday's traveling took us south to Kilgoris.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Kenya - Day 3
Saturday - June 9
We returned to the Lutheran compound in the morning and had our first opportunity to really interact with kids. There were a handful of them hanging around trying to figure out what this strange group of white people were up to. We learned immediately that the kids loved to be in pictures and then they loved to see their picture on the screen of the digital camera after it was taken. I also learned that playing peek-a-boo is an ice breaker with bashful kids that spans cultures and countries. During this time, I noticed something I would see on multiple occasions throughout the week - one of the little boys was wearing girls shoes and another was wearing jeans shorts with flowers that were also definitely made for girls.
On Saturday we took our first extended drive into a rural area. Throughout the trip, our group was amazed that wherever we went, we would see people walking - even in the most remote, middle-of-nowhere areas. The plots of land in Kenya are much smaller than they are in the rural Midwest. People worked with hoes and hands not with machines that tilled the land and harvested the crop so their corn and rice were planted on more of a garden scale than a farm spanning hundreds of acres. The smaller plots of land also meant that small houses and huts consistently dotted the landscape. So during our drives we saw lots of people walking and lots of little homes and lots of cows, goats, and donkeys wandering around often without any human supervision. It was also common to see young children walking on their own without adults nearby indicating that some of the fears and dangers we live with in America (like theft of livestock and abuse of children) are not as prevalent in Kenya. Small towns in rural areas of Kenya are also not what we would picture when we think small towns. Most striking is the fact that there were people outside everywhere - standing in crowds or sitting in smaller groups. When we drive through a Midwestern small town, it's rare to see anyone in a yard or in front of whatever business may still exist. But in each and every small community the corners and open spaces were congested with people. Small businesses also lined the streets and additional goods were laid out on blankets or set up in stalls between the buildings and the roads.
Our Saturday destination was a rural congregation where four children's Bible clubs from four different towns would meet for a competition. The idea for the Bible clubs began in the home of Pastor David Chuchu - our main guide for the trip. The Chuchu's had a television that would draw many of their children's friends on Saturday mornings. Pastor Chuchu's young daughter decided this was a great opportunity to teach her friends about Jesus so they began to incorporate time in the Bible and Luther's Small Catechism whenever the kids would gather to watch TV. That has now grown and expanded and multiplied through the work of deaconesses and pastor into other communities. Pastor Chuchu smiles what is almost a mischievous smile as he explains the strategy of inviting people who would not enter a Christian church into people's homes in order to teach them the very things that are taught in church. Many of the children are from non-Christian homes so the Gospel is heard by those who have not previously heard about who Jesus is and what He has done. Pastor Chuchu also sees this ministry as a way to prepare youth at an early age to deal with questions that come from other religions when they get to high school and eventually leave the home so that they can remain steadfast in their faith. On Saturdays the groups meet and memorize sections of the Small Catechism and hear from the Bible. They learn songs and eat and laugh and have fun. Then two times a year all of the groups come together for a competition. This is what we witnessed. Each group presents what they have memorized and sing songs they have learned sharng both the truth and the joy of our faith. The kids try to outdo the other groups in creativity and how well they know the Catechism and how loudly and smoothly they present. For the kids, this is one of the few chances they may get to travel to other communities and it is evident that they love the groups and the time when the groups all come together. Pastor Chuchu told us of a couple Muslim parents who prevented their children from going to the competition because they did not want them learning about Jesus from the Bible so the kids decided to go on a hunger strike refusing to eat their meals that day in protest. Our group from America got an extra kick out of the introduction for each Bible club's presentation. One of the kids stepped forward to identify where they were from and to state that they were ready to present and then he/she invited us to "sit back, relax, and enjoy." And that we did!
After the presentations we had the opportunity to teach all of the groups a song and then I was called on unexpectedtly to teach about Communion. That was my first experience of using a translator and luckily we were also teaching them a song - they probably had a lot more fun with that. We were then fed as we were everywhere we went and then we had an unbelievably awesome night of hanging out with the local kids who did not have to board a bus and return home. We hit a volleyball around with them and did sack races and watched as some of them played soccer and then they began to group around us and ask us questions and talk about their lives and our lives and weather in the two different countries and all sorts of things. That eventually gave way to more singing. We asked them to teach us a song and then they wanted us to teach them a song and so standing in an open field as the sun slowly set we took turns singing back and forth. It was beyond words to take something as simple as This Little Light of Mine which the Kenyan kids did not know and to get lost in the joy in their voices and their eyes as they heard it and sang it for the first time. This was the first of many moments that we did not want to end.
We returned to the Lutheran compound in the morning and had our first opportunity to really interact with kids. There were a handful of them hanging around trying to figure out what this strange group of white people were up to. We learned immediately that the kids loved to be in pictures and then they loved to see their picture on the screen of the digital camera after it was taken. I also learned that playing peek-a-boo is an ice breaker with bashful kids that spans cultures and countries. During this time, I noticed something I would see on multiple occasions throughout the week - one of the little boys was wearing girls shoes and another was wearing jeans shorts with flowers that were also definitely made for girls.
On Saturday we took our first extended drive into a rural area. Throughout the trip, our group was amazed that wherever we went, we would see people walking - even in the most remote, middle-of-nowhere areas. The plots of land in Kenya are much smaller than they are in the rural Midwest. People worked with hoes and hands not with machines that tilled the land and harvested the crop so their corn and rice were planted on more of a garden scale than a farm spanning hundreds of acres. The smaller plots of land also meant that small houses and huts consistently dotted the landscape. So during our drives we saw lots of people walking and lots of little homes and lots of cows, goats, and donkeys wandering around often without any human supervision. It was also common to see young children walking on their own without adults nearby indicating that some of the fears and dangers we live with in America (like theft of livestock and abuse of children) are not as prevalent in Kenya. Small towns in rural areas of Kenya are also not what we would picture when we think small towns. Most striking is the fact that there were people outside everywhere - standing in crowds or sitting in smaller groups. When we drive through a Midwestern small town, it's rare to see anyone in a yard or in front of whatever business may still exist. But in each and every small community the corners and open spaces were congested with people. Small businesses also lined the streets and additional goods were laid out on blankets or set up in stalls between the buildings and the roads.
Our Saturday destination was a rural congregation where four children's Bible clubs from four different towns would meet for a competition. The idea for the Bible clubs began in the home of Pastor David Chuchu - our main guide for the trip. The Chuchu's had a television that would draw many of their children's friends on Saturday mornings. Pastor Chuchu's young daughter decided this was a great opportunity to teach her friends about Jesus so they began to incorporate time in the Bible and Luther's Small Catechism whenever the kids would gather to watch TV. That has now grown and expanded and multiplied through the work of deaconesses and pastor into other communities. Pastor Chuchu smiles what is almost a mischievous smile as he explains the strategy of inviting people who would not enter a Christian church into people's homes in order to teach them the very things that are taught in church. Many of the children are from non-Christian homes so the Gospel is heard by those who have not previously heard about who Jesus is and what He has done. Pastor Chuchu also sees this ministry as a way to prepare youth at an early age to deal with questions that come from other religions when they get to high school and eventually leave the home so that they can remain steadfast in their faith. On Saturdays the groups meet and memorize sections of the Small Catechism and hear from the Bible. They learn songs and eat and laugh and have fun. Then two times a year all of the groups come together for a competition. This is what we witnessed. Each group presents what they have memorized and sing songs they have learned sharng both the truth and the joy of our faith. The kids try to outdo the other groups in creativity and how well they know the Catechism and how loudly and smoothly they present. For the kids, this is one of the few chances they may get to travel to other communities and it is evident that they love the groups and the time when the groups all come together. Pastor Chuchu told us of a couple Muslim parents who prevented their children from going to the competition because they did not want them learning about Jesus from the Bible so the kids decided to go on a hunger strike refusing to eat their meals that day in protest. Our group from America got an extra kick out of the introduction for each Bible club's presentation. One of the kids stepped forward to identify where they were from and to state that they were ready to present and then he/she invited us to "sit back, relax, and enjoy." And that we did!
After the presentations we had the opportunity to teach all of the groups a song and then I was called on unexpectedtly to teach about Communion. That was my first experience of using a translator and luckily we were also teaching them a song - they probably had a lot more fun with that. We were then fed as we were everywhere we went and then we had an unbelievably awesome night of hanging out with the local kids who did not have to board a bus and return home. We hit a volleyball around with them and did sack races and watched as some of them played soccer and then they began to group around us and ask us questions and talk about their lives and our lives and weather in the two different countries and all sorts of things. That eventually gave way to more singing. We asked them to teach us a song and then they wanted us to teach them a song and so standing in an open field as the sun slowly set we took turns singing back and forth. It was beyond words to take something as simple as This Little Light of Mine which the Kenyan kids did not know and to get lost in the joy in their voices and their eyes as they heard it and sang it for the first time. This was the first of many moments that we did not want to end.
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