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.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
A Backwards People
During one of our daily outings Pastor Robbie saw two younger girls and a young boy alongside of the dirt road. They spotted us and waved enthusiastically at the car. Robbie called out to them using some African tongue and they replied in suit. We pulled up to them and Robbie offered them a ride to their "Shamba" (home) which was nearby on an expansive dirt, mud, and grass compound. As the children approached the car I could more clearly see that they were dressed very differently from the average African I was becoming accustomed to. The girls in particular were wearing bright-colored and beautifully designed, tribal dresses of some kind. We put their things in the back and drove a distance onto the compound. The kids laughed joyously as the roofless land rover jumped and jolted along the bumpy terrain. It was obvious they rarely got the chance to ride in a car and they were having the time of their lives. We soon came upon a small village of Shambas and tin shacks. We let the children out and helped them with their things, and before we knew it people-- children and adults alike--seemed to pour out from all over the place and approach the vehicle. At this point Robbie smiled and explained this was a Maasai village. He told us that he knew the two girls and the boy we gave a ride to through his wife Elizabeth who had been ministering to them for the past 9+ years. The children instinctively ran to the window and began running the hands along the metallic car doors. One boy in particular walked right up to my window and with a giant smile asked me my name. "Rainier" I said, "But you can just call me Ray. What's your name?" He smiled again, reached into the open car window to shake my hand and told me his name was Samuel. Of all the children, he remained at my door and continued to talk to me asking me all sorts of questions. He seemed so powerfully interested in who I was, what I was doing, and what brought me to Kenya.
Though using broken English and sometimes straining to understand my replies, I truly enjoyed my conversation with Samuel. All the while countless men, women and other children approached the car from all sides to shake my hand and greet me with enormous smiles. Most of which spoke no English whatsoever, and so I strived to express my thankfulness and friendliness in my smile and body language. It was such a joy meeting so many tribal Kenyans at once. All of which were so friendly and warm-welcoming! Through all the excitement Samuel never left my side. Always with more questions, and his express desire to see us more "lots" he said, and to bring a "futbol" (soccer ball) to play with him. Almost the entire time Samuel's hand lay on my forearm resting on the open window ledge. He seemed fascinated by my skin which was so much lighter than his own. He even reached in further to grab my bicep and said "show me your big muscles, yeah?" I laughed and was reluctant at first but had the hardest time denying such a sweet face. I rolled up my sleeve and flexed for the him and he grabbed my tense arm with the widest smile. I had seen and noticed it often, but had forgotten that almost all Kenyan have a powerfully similar body type and structure. They are all quite thin and lean. Tight, but necessarily in a muscular way, and all have stereotypically thin arms. I had not fully realized that when seeing me, a pleasantly-plump and husky-thick Mzungo (white/foreigner) I stand out against the norm here in Kenya. I then playfully said "Come Samuel, show us your big muscles, yeah?" and he laughed and rolled up his tiny sleeve and flexed as hard as he could. I reached out and grabbed his arm and expressed the same amazed face he gave me and said, "Wow! Samuel! You are so strong! What do they feed you African boys out here!" He laughed, smiled big and expressed how happy and thankful he was for meeting us. At one point Samuel's hand moved from my arm and reached for my left ear and he said he liked us cause we were good people, "I can tell you good person." With that simple sentence alone I felt my heart melt in my chest. I smiled large back at him and said, "Jesus make me good person. Without Jesus I be bad person. Because Jesus live inside of me He change me. He make me good person." I reached out, put my hand on his head and said, "You good person too! Jesus inside of you too? You born-again?" He nodded his little head, "Yes, Jesus inside of me, I born-again." I praised God and yelled "Amen! High five!" We both smiled so enthusiastically and were now overjoyed to know we had a connection in Christ. At this point Robbie had approached the car and was finishing up a conversation with the Maasai village pastor who then invited us all to an upcoming Maasai wedding. He asked if we would be interested in going and we of course said yes. "Sounds great" Nathan said. I shared the news with Samuel and he was super stoked to know we would be returning at the end of the month, and I told him I would bring futbols, lol.
As we said our good byes and began to leave the compound all the children gathered in a large group and called out to us, waving us along as we drove away. Though possessing so litte, playing with little more tha stick, stones and trash, these little ones had more joy than any other children I had ever seen! And that's saying alot working for the Children's Ministry of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. There was something special and blessed about these little backwater, tribal kids. Robbie began to tell us of the Maasai people, and that they are a warrior tribe. I thought back to the loving way we were greeted and asked if they are like that with all people. Robbie said that normally no regular person would be allowed to simply approach and enter a Maasai village like that, and that we were greeted so warmly because of the work of the Lord through Elizabeth and his ministry to them. They knew them very well and had earned their love and respect. We were accepted because of our connection to them (the Gordon family). At that point I felt so immensely privileged to be able to experience such warmth because God's love now moving through their tribe. Robbie also began to describe that many other Kenyans look down on the Maasai as a strange and backwards people. Compared to many other tribes or people groups living near and in the capitol of Nairobi, the Maasai stand out strange. All for remaining close to their cultural traditions. Even down to what they wear, eat, and do for a living, which is largely cow farming. They are a completely agrarian people. In fact, almost all of the land in and around Nairobi was and still is Maasai land. The word "Nairobi" (the name given to the capitol all Kenya) is a Maasai word to begin with. Much of the land was stolen or bought from the Maasai years ago. Much like the Indian people of America. Because of this, the Maasai are among the very few tribes (if not the only tribe) with certain special privileges. For example, to my current knowledge, only the Maasai are allowed to carry swords and "Rungu" (a special wooden, boomergan-like club) in public anywhere in Nairobi. Even amongst native Kenyans they stand out as an old-fashioned people. It made me think of the Amish community of the States. "What an amazing people" I thought to myself. And how blessed I was to meet them. If you think of it, please pray for the Lord's continuing ministry amongst the Maasai of Nairobi. They are a wonderful people that need Christ powerfully.
Though using broken English and sometimes straining to understand my replies, I truly enjoyed my conversation with Samuel. All the while countless men, women and other children approached the car from all sides to shake my hand and greet me with enormous smiles. Most of which spoke no English whatsoever, and so I strived to express my thankfulness and friendliness in my smile and body language. It was such a joy meeting so many tribal Kenyans at once. All of which were so friendly and warm-welcoming! Through all the excitement Samuel never left my side. Always with more questions, and his express desire to see us more "lots" he said, and to bring a "futbol" (soccer ball) to play with him. Almost the entire time Samuel's hand lay on my forearm resting on the open window ledge. He seemed fascinated by my skin which was so much lighter than his own. He even reached in further to grab my bicep and said "show me your big muscles, yeah?" I laughed and was reluctant at first but had the hardest time denying such a sweet face. I rolled up my sleeve and flexed for the him and he grabbed my tense arm with the widest smile. I had seen and noticed it often, but had forgotten that almost all Kenyan have a powerfully similar body type and structure. They are all quite thin and lean. Tight, but necessarily in a muscular way, and all have stereotypically thin arms. I had not fully realized that when seeing me, a pleasantly-plump and husky-thick Mzungo (white/foreigner) I stand out against the norm here in Kenya. I then playfully said "Come Samuel, show us your big muscles, yeah?" and he laughed and rolled up his tiny sleeve and flexed as hard as he could. I reached out and grabbed his arm and expressed the same amazed face he gave me and said, "Wow! Samuel! You are so strong! What do they feed you African boys out here!" He laughed, smiled big and expressed how happy and thankful he was for meeting us. At one point Samuel's hand moved from my arm and reached for my left ear and he said he liked us cause we were good people, "I can tell you good person." With that simple sentence alone I felt my heart melt in my chest. I smiled large back at him and said, "Jesus make me good person. Without Jesus I be bad person. Because Jesus live inside of me He change me. He make me good person." I reached out, put my hand on his head and said, "You good person too! Jesus inside of you too? You born-again?" He nodded his little head, "Yes, Jesus inside of me, I born-again." I praised God and yelled "Amen! High five!" We both smiled so enthusiastically and were now overjoyed to know we had a connection in Christ. At this point Robbie had approached the car and was finishing up a conversation with the Maasai village pastor who then invited us all to an upcoming Maasai wedding. He asked if we would be interested in going and we of course said yes. "Sounds great" Nathan said. I shared the news with Samuel and he was super stoked to know we would be returning at the end of the month, and I told him I would bring futbols, lol.
As we said our good byes and began to leave the compound all the children gathered in a large group and called out to us, waving us along as we drove away. Though possessing so litte, playing with little more tha stick, stones and trash, these little ones had more joy than any other children I had ever seen! And that's saying alot working for the Children's Ministry of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. There was something special and blessed about these little backwater, tribal kids. Robbie began to tell us of the Maasai people, and that they are a warrior tribe. I thought back to the loving way we were greeted and asked if they are like that with all people. Robbie said that normally no regular person would be allowed to simply approach and enter a Maasai village like that, and that we were greeted so warmly because of the work of the Lord through Elizabeth and his ministry to them. They knew them very well and had earned their love and respect. We were accepted because of our connection to them (the Gordon family). At that point I felt so immensely privileged to be able to experience such warmth because God's love now moving through their tribe. Robbie also began to describe that many other Kenyans look down on the Maasai as a strange and backwards people. Compared to many other tribes or people groups living near and in the capitol of Nairobi, the Maasai stand out strange. All for remaining close to their cultural traditions. Even down to what they wear, eat, and do for a living, which is largely cow farming. They are a completely agrarian people. In fact, almost all of the land in and around Nairobi was and still is Maasai land. The word "Nairobi" (the name given to the capitol all Kenya) is a Maasai word to begin with. Much of the land was stolen or bought from the Maasai years ago. Much like the Indian people of America. Because of this, the Maasai are among the very few tribes (if not the only tribe) with certain special privileges. For example, to my current knowledge, only the Maasai are allowed to carry swords and "Rungu" (a special wooden, boomergan-like club) in public anywhere in Nairobi. Even amongst native Kenyans they stand out as an old-fashioned people. It made me think of the Amish community of the States. "What an amazing people" I thought to myself. And how blessed I was to meet them. If you think of it, please pray for the Lord's continuing ministry amongst the Maasai of Nairobi. They are a wonderful people that need Christ powerfully.
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