Random Non-chronological Memories Thus Far

1: Our very first night with Pastor Robbie Gordon, we stepped out onto his front porch and using his 5 million candle-light powered spotlight we shined out its rays into the dark abyss and saw two hyenas out in the game park. We could see the gold reflection of their eyes as they approahced closer and closer. Nathan and I had never seen such dangerous animals aside from National Geographic or zoos, and to be so physically close sent chills down my spine. Eventually we lost them in the darkness and Nathan and I became increasingly happy for the high-powered electric fence separating them from us...

2: Yet another night as we were coming back from the city of Nairobi we stopped at a butcher shop to buy some meat for Robbie's dog, Spicy. At first we remained in the car but Robbie called out to us, so we went to him. Upon entering the shop we instantly noticed the giant side of skinned cow hanging on a hook by one of its hind hooves a foot away from the open door. All manner of insects and flies were buzzing around its uncovered flesh. We went to silently look at each other with mutual disgust when just as I turned my head I saw the BIGGEST MOTH I had ever laid eyes upon sitting on the wall just next to Nathan! With no exaggeration, it was maybe centimeters smaller than my entire hand! And that was with its wings folded! I motioned for Nathan to look at the wall and as he turned the look of shock on his face was photograph worthy to saw the least. He stared at it for a good 20 seconds completely wide-eyed. But nothing could have prepared us for what we would witness next. We took a few steps closer to Robbie as we watched the butcher chop the slabs of meat. Just below the butcher was a glass-windowed show piece shelf with a plate of meat in it. Robbie pointed at it and as we leaned in we saw all kinds of flies, mosquitoes, and moths flying around the plate. Some of which even dead. But what really caught our eye was a giant wasp-like fly that was walking all about the meat. At first it simply caught our eye because we have never seen anything quite like it before. We then became horrified as with every few centimeters it would take its big butt and jab it into the flesh! Again and again it paced the meat as it wiggled its abdomen and injected what looked like larva into to the meat! For coping mechanisms I can't fully explain, I began to chuckle at the grossness of it all, but didn't explode with laughter until I saw the look of aghast horror plastered on Nathan's now pale face. It truly was the MOST DISGUSTING thing I have ever witnessed... We have hence named this creature the "Meat Injecting Butt Fly"

3: One Sunday service, I was listening to Pastor Robbie teach the sermon while Nathan was helping with the kids. We have agreed upon a system in which we switch off every week. That way, we both get to be spiritually fed as well as both get to serve. This time is was my turn to enjoy the study. I had checked on Nathan once or twice because I noticed a large influx of kids that Sunday and had offered to help, but he encouraged me that it was fine and that I could enjoy the study. I accepted his offer and returned to the study. At one point in the sermon I heard what seemed like a child yelling or screaming on the backside of the church. I had noticed a little African boy running around the grounds unattended earlier and wanted to make sure it was not him, so I left my seat to see what the commotion was about. I made it around the corner and to my surprise I found Nathan chasing around a loose chicken that had escaped from the coop. It was quite a hilarious sight. It took us at least 20 minutes chasing around this chicken and we finally cornered it and I grabbed it from under the cone Nathan dropped on it, lol. We had a great laugh over the intense effort and planning it took to catch such a harmless, but troublesome bird.

4: Robbie, Nathan and I were invited and attended an African wedding just recently. We entered the big sanctuary of a large pentecostal church and quickly found our seats. It took only moments for Nathan and I to notice that we were among the extremely few Mzungus in the service. And among us foreigners, Nathan was among 1 of three other fully Caucasian men, lol. We weren't necessarily surprised at all, but it was yet another powerful reminder that we most certainly stand out. And no matter how dark I tan, I can never blend in here. The wedding was beautiful. Though among more modern Kenyans their weddings are not much different from ours in the States, we definitely noticed and enjoyed the extra amount of joyous and loud celebration in a Kenyan Pentecostal wedding. Even their reception is notably more upbeat simply because the tiny contrasts. Instead of a few people dancing or singing, often nearly all of the attendees are dancing in the middle of the giant room or singing enthusiastically on the side. When leaving the reception we made plans to leave in spurts, even though there were only three of us. There is nothing more noticeable in an all-black, African wedding then for the only three "white" guys leaving at the same time, haha. We stealthy exited and while approaching the car Nathan chuckled and said, "Well, 80 percent of the white people are gone..." We all laughed and headed home.