IMAGINE

I didn’t realize until this visit how often Kenyans say ‘Imagine’, usually with exclamation-mark expression when emphasizing something surprising, remarkable or simply in place of “think of this”.

I like it.
It reminds me to imagine possibilities and remember that God can do anything; He is limitless.
Here, faith is real and believing God for every breath is a given. What these beautiful people teach me… is still so very awesome. I was awestruck last year and am again now.

I have been in the Mukeu village almost 6 days. It was like ‘coming home’ in many ways. This time it isn’t a strange place with unfamiliar faces. I have enjoyed running into friends each day, always met with a warm welcome and invites to come for ‘chai’ (tea & a visit). I am already afraid I won’t have enough time! I love their friendliness and high priority for friends & family.

Some of what I have been up to…

Sleeping. Catching up is pretty well done I think. The NEW rooster (and I didn’t kill the last one, promise, they ate some time last year) is a 2:30/3:00 a.m rooster. Pretty sure the last one was a 4 a.m guy…I never thought I would miss him.

Spending time with my Kenyan family. Time spent sitting in the cookhouse or playing with the kids while chatting, or visiting after supper…quality connection here. Love it. It’s different without my Canadian team around, but different in a good way. I am getting to know the family better with more 1-on-1 time. My Kikuyu (language)…isn’t improving much, but I do catch the odd word or phrase. My new word of the week sounds like “okka” & means ‘come’. That’s important to know when it is spoken to me!

Spending time with my friend Mikey. I have spent a lot of my afternoons with my good friend Mikey. I put some pictures up, you will see his smiling face with a goat kid. Those who know Mikey, know he has a perma-grin. It hasn’t changed. He is ALWAYS happy.

Our team purchased a pregnant dairy goat for his family last year. This year he has a herd of FIVE (imagine)! “Delighted” doesn’t adequately describe his love for those goats. It is incredible to watch and be a part of the excitement. I was treated to my first cup of goat chai 2 days ago (with Mikey) – and I loved it.
I can’t help but think that God was behind the goat idea. Mikey’s mother (single mother of 6 kids, 5 boys live at the farm & Mikey is the oldest) had a stroke last month and is bed-ridden. Her one side is paralyzed although she is improving all the time. Mikey has been staying home (6 weeks so far) from school to work & care for his mother & brothers. To say he never stops working is an understatement (I feel so lazy here!). To give you a glimpse of his day…Mikey is up early, milks cows for his farm plus the Kibarita farm 2x/day (I timed him on one cow and he could milk her in 5 minutes – fast!), cuts feed for his animals, ploughs land by hand for planting, fully cares for his mother which includes turning her over at night every 2 hours (!) so that she doesn’t get bed sores (imagine), and cares for his brothers needs (tomorrow we are taking the youngest one to the clinic for a skin problem on his head – fungal?). Recently Mikey has had help from his visiting sister & aunt, but asked me yesterday to pray about what he can do so that he can go back to school. I said, “Does that make you stressed?” Without skipping a beat he said, “NO! God knows and He cares for us.” Imagine…

What touched my heart was when I found out (a ½ day later) that the boy ploughing in the field for Mikey one day was paid by Mikey to work so that…him and I could spend the afternoon together. Ponder that for awhile. Yeah, imagine.

And spend a great afternoon together we did. We went on a de-worming spree in the neighborhood, like we did last year. After talking about it we were both looking forward to it. We decided we should deworm right away so that I could see the results before I left. What we did is head to the local ag store, bought a syringe & dewormer, selected some (lucky) neighboring livestock to wrestle and medicate and – made it happen.
I think it makes ME feel better knowing they are rid of the nutrient-robbing bugs!

It was a great time with Mikey laughing together, visiting with farmers, explaining what we were doing (after receiving permission), laughing through translation and hopefully making a difference in production. We have yet to drench the donkeys (an all-together different experience –with much laughter as well) and finish deworming a few cattle and sheep. Come to think of it, I have 1 hour to get back to the farm for our 2nd de-worming spree. Mikey will be finished work at the farm at 1:00 and I said I would be there. Well, Africa time has some lee-way so I should be good :). I LOVE it here (that’s my style)!

The “what else” is I found a couple little girls that I grew to love last year, Lucy and Maryanne, and spent the afternoon at Lucy’s yesterday afternoon with the girls and her mom Elizabeth. Elizabeth said I was her ‘valentina’ – I almost forgot it was valentines day!
So I spent v-day at church in the morning (I probably understood 5 words out of those 3 hours!), spent time together with the ‘girls’ I mentioned, visited Mary & her kids (Lindsey! – tea there tonight at 6pm) and made a trip to Mukeu with Mikey for supplies for the farm and then spent time with the family last night.

I had 1 other new experience. I was offered something that brought flash-backs of tasting tripe in South Africa. Some men in town were cooking up a sheep for visitors and, when introduced by a friend (David the lumberman), I was offered to try some ‘liquid’ that one man was mixing up in a pot. They laughed when the offer was made and I didn’t know if it meant it was a dare …well you have to be a good sport so I had a few sips of the greasy soup and…it did remind me of tripe! Tabitha (my Kenyan sister at the farm) later told me it gives her the runs. I am glad I didn’t drink a full cup!

That’s my novel for now. I landed some internet in Haraka (neighboring village) so hopefully I can send out a few more updates. Thanks to all for your love, prayers, notes, smiles and Olympic updates (Daniel)! I am so glad to be here.
Imagine…


-Kami