Bottomed-out

So, I got stuck today. Sort-of. I don't think one can call it being stuck when you were able to get yourself unstuck by just putting some rocks under your one wheel. Perhaps I was just temporarily without traction. Temporarily inconvenienced. Bottomed-out, but just for a bit.

Erin, a visiting ELI staff member from our US office, was in the car with me heading from Ilula to town when we got delayed. We had a carload full of people we had picked up along the way. The usual thing here, you know. But they were heading to church (as were we, actually) when the road was deceiving. Much of the rest of the road was already dried out by the sun. But this patch was in the shade, so . . . yeah, well, we got delayed.


The passengers all hopped out and continued on their journey to church. There was nothing they could do, anyway. As I looked to see what I could do, a quick crowd gathered. Some men offered to help push, but I had called guys from Ilula to come, so I told them so. Another man thought we should get a tractor to pull me out. Others just stood and stared. One asked if I had tried engaging 4WD. Ummm, no. (Of course I had. The car was, in fact, in Differential Lock Low. Not that I know what exactly that means. But it's supposed to be used "in likelihood of traction being lost." Today was a good time to try out DifLock. It didn't work. Not at first.)


So while everyone watched and the boys giggled at me starting to pick up rocks, I did just that. I started placing some rocks in front of the wheel. And behind it. Just so it had something to grip onto. Erin grabbed some more rocks. The boys stopped giggling, realizing we wazungu women were serious. They brought a few more. All in all, we must've just thrown about 10 rocks in front of the wheel and one behind it. Then I simply pulled forward and "Voila!" it went. Erin had to catch up down the road, when I got to solid ground.

Then we had to get the mud washed out from under the car. So we missed church today. Or, at least, we missed worshiping with others. Life here is church, many a day.

The rest of the day didn't hold nearly as challenging events as getting unstuck. No other rocks had to be hauled around, at least.

We met colleagues for lunch. Went to see their house in town. I had about 6 cups of chai in the process. Got sunburned and rained on in the same lunch hour. And after we picked up another colleague from the airport, we headed home while the rain was still coming down in a steady drizzle. Got home just before dark.

As I got home and visited with God about some challenges of the day, I wondered how often I get deceived by how simple something looks, only to get stuck. And Jesus reminded me that He is my rock. With him, I can get out of any mess.

I may still get out dirty on the other side, a reminder of my choices, but I'll get out. And then I can be cleaned up.

And so right now, it's time to go take a shower and get rid of the mud that's still holding on to my legs as evidence of this morning's delay. And then Jesus and I can continue our chat about life's lessons...

Got into the shower just to discover there is NO water coming out of the faucets tonight... TIA. TIA.

Sniff & Duck!

I have a cold, it seems. Maybe just a sinus infection. My head is throbbing. To add to that, today was a crazy day!

Other than the fact that I have this head cold, a bunch of crazy things happened today.

A snake was killed in my house, to begin with. I didn't get to see it. My sister Sanet found it while I was at staff devotions and had a Kenyan kill it. It was a house snake, it turns out, but nevertheless, a scary sight to see lying curled up under some shoes...

Next, a colony of red ants invaded Sanet and my shoes. OK, I'm exhaggerating, but having around 10 big ants bite you is not funny. Not first thing in the morning. Not ever, actually. At least I found mine shortly after putting on the shoes. Sanet's started attacking only after we were in the car and they were halfway up her pant legs! She got rid of them before I started driving.

Sanet, my colleague Juli and I were going to Ilula today for 3 reasons: We had been invited to a colleague's home for lunch, and I had to take photos of new staff. Plus Juli wanted to go and say good-bye to the visiting team from her church. #2 and 3 could've happened tomorrow, when I have to go to town in any case to take Sanet to the airport. But lunch had to be today. It had been arranged yesterday morning, and though I tried several times to call the colleague to make sure it's OK we're coming, his phone wasn't on, so I just had to trust he'd remember.

By the time we pulled off the main road onto the soil road to Ilula, it was evident that the road was much worse than it's been since I've been in Kenya. But I have a good car, so I wasn't concerned. We just slowly drove through the worst parts till we finally pulled into Ilula.

The worst parts:
This is the worst stretch. Though it looks like it's "only mud", several cars have gotten stuck in this patch in the past week, so there are deep potholes hidden by the mud. Which, in turn, has caused more cars to bottom out and get stuck...

The next worst patch. I found that the safest thing literally is to drive with my tires all the way against the mud wall on the right.


OK, so we made it to Ilula. But it turns out the colleague forgot about lunch. But it also turns out that the team decided to leave a day early due to the road conditions. They didn't want to risk having to drive on that road in the morning since it's been raining most nights.

So I interviewed the new staff and took their picture. I packed a few more things to bring to my house in Kipkaren (like my hair drier). We visited and then had to leave just as the team joined the kids for a lunch celebration for the 3rd anniversary of Ilula Children's Home. We couldn't stay due to having to be back at Kipkaren by 4 for a women's Bible study.

And so we pulled out, back into the mud. By the time we got onto the main road, it felt like something was wrong. It was, indeed. My left, rear tire had been punctured by one of the rocks that had been placed to fill the muddy potholes.

Out we jumped, Sanet, Juli and I, and exercised the most amazing teamwork in changing a tire! I pulled out my super-size car jack, and Juli - bless her heart! - started jacking up the vehicle. Sanet in the meantime hauled rocks over to place in front of the front wheels. And I got dirty by starting to unscrew the nuts.

Keep in mind that we had just passed through mud that was literally as deep as the wheel nuts, so it made for one very messy job unscrewing it all.

Now, this is Kenya. In Kipkaren or Ilula, people would stop in a heartbeat and offer to help. But we were close to town, so no-one seemed to care. In fact, I think we were quite the spectacle! A group quickly gathered to watch the three wazungu ladies change a Land Rover tire.

Just like that, the tire was off and the spare tire was in place. Well, actually, getting the spare nicely in place took great effort. Land Rover tires are HEAVY! Nevertheless, we did it. As I lowered the vehicle and Sanet was tightening the nuts one last time, two men stepped up. One asked if he could help. I do believe he had been watching us and thought by helping at the last moment, he'd make a very easy tip. We politely declined. The other gentleman simply wanted to know if we could give him a ride to town. I politely declined, quite amazed that he would watch us struggle, but then ask for a ride. After all, we were very close to town, on the main road, where it would take all of 2 minutes for the next taxi to pass, and it would cost him a mere 20/= (25cUS) to get to town.

But the craziness of the day was not yet over. Since we all had different errands to run (I had to get the bad tire fixed while Sanet had to buy groceries for me and Juli had to do a few other things) we agreed that I'd simply call the others once I'm ready to pick them up. And depending on how long the tire takes to get fixed would determine where they'd be in terms of their errands.

I first dropped off Juli, then Sanet. It's then when I noticed that Juli had left her phone in the car. I figured she'd figure out how to call me, so I proceeded to the garage and watched a very capable elderly gentleman find the two cuts in my tire and fix them at a cost of just 200/= ($3)! Not long afterwards, I was heading back to town, happy to know that everything's once again fine.

While waiting for Sanet, I got chatting with Kanmau, a street boy. I encouraged him to go and stay at the shelter for street boys, but he wanted nothing to do with that, basically because they aren't allowed to sniff glue while staying there. I took him to the bakery, bought him some bread and something to drink, found Sanet, and we headed to the part of town where Juli had since left a voice mail that she'd meet us. As if planned perfectly, we pulled up just as she came walking with some of the goods she had to purchase for friends back at Kipkaren.

One last stop: Raiply. We're getting some cabinets made for the office, and I needed to buy plywood. They didn't have any at the hardware store when I went earlier in the week, so I was heading directly to the supplier. I quickly learned that it's quite the process getting wood there! In fact, to buy three pieces of plywood took me maybe 30 minutes and I had to stop at no fewer than SEVEN "stations" before I was cleared to take the wood home.

That's when our very last almost-catastrophe of the day unfolded. As the guys were placing the planks on my Land Rover's roof rack and started to tie them down with ropes, a wind came up and blew one plank off the top of the car. All I could do was stand there and watch it fly like a magic carpet, heading straight at a woman! Fortunately, she saw it coming and DUCKED just in time as the plank barely touched the top of her head! The wood landed nicely behind her while the woman kept walking, totally amazed at what had just happened. The guys, in the meantime, were cracking up, while I apologized profusely to the still-walking woman. Seriously, she could've been hurt BADLY had she not ducked!

The rest of our drive was uneventful, though it felt like the security guards at the gate was never going to let us go. They were telling us how the one guy lost all his earthly possessions in the recent floods, and how one of us should come and be the guest of honor at his harambe (fundraiser). We politely declined and were finally on our way home.

Unfortunately, I wasn't back in time for the women's Bible study at 4. I'll plan to join the ladies next week instead. It should be good.

But for now, I still have photos to put on CD for my sister and a few last tasks to do before I can call it the day. We have to leave for the airport no later than 6 am tomorrow. I only have 2 meetings in town, and should be able to be home at a decent hour, and get caught up on lots and lots and lots of work that have been put on the back burner while I was hosting my sister.

It's been good to have family around for a bit. Poor Sanet got to experience the wild side of life in Kenya, though! In fact, just this morning, she asked me if I've often had a flat tire, to which I could say, "Thankfully, only once." But now it's, "Only twice, so far."

I'm glad my dad taught us to know how to change a tire. We're not in the world of AAA. And while I don't have a husband, I'd best know how to change a tire.

It takes a good jack. Some basic mechanical knowledge. And good teamwork.

I miss my Land Rover . . . and more

As I drove the team home after a long day of ministry in Kipkaren and a moving time of fellowship at a colleague's house, I dreaded getting stuck. It had rained much of today, and we were in the rear-wheel-drive Nissan minivan. It's one of the worst vehicles to drive through the thick mud. On top of the challenge of the rear of the vehicle fishtailing every time you accelerate, the van is not nearly far enough from the ground to make it through the deep mud tracks, so you bottom out more than you'd like to!

All that to say that we did NOT get stuck, which was nothing short of a miracle. I cannot wait to get my Land Rover back tomorrow! It's been in automobile intensive care for a few weeks. Feels like months. Tomorrow, I get to pick it up from ICU and drive it to Nairobi.

I'm taking Karen to Nairobi. We'll meet my friend Laura (missionary in Mozambique) at the airport tomorrow night. We'll have a 4th of July celebration dinner at a restaurant in town, and on the 5th I'll take both girls around Nairobi to see the Giraffe Center, the elephant orphanage, and more. Then Karen flies home, and Laura and I will go on a short safari to celebrate her 40th birthday. And to rest.

This time away couldn't have come at a better time for me. I've been both haunted and driven by thoughts of my new friends. As much as their faces keep coming to my mind, I know things are already better for them.

Several of you responded yesterday, saying you'd like to help. Starting this morning, the kids have received a quart of milk. They'll continue getting milk every day. And every afternoon, they'll get porridge delivered to their home. In order to fight the infection in their hands and feet, we've got to get their immune systems stronger. They've got to eat.

I packed a bunch of bananas as I headed out with the team this morning, determined to check in on the kids. But we ran into Jepkemboi on the side of the road, so we gave her the bananas. She gave a little smile. She had milk stains on her face. It made me smile.

We got them socks today, plus underwear and deworming meds. And a blanket for their dad. Though I wish I could just shake him, I believe God is telling us to love this man, to allow him to see God's love, and that the love will be what turns his heart.

Next week, Ruth and I will take the children to a pediatrician so they can get antibiotics. It'll probably be the first time ever these kids have ridden in a car. They will have been in public transportation before, but never a private vehicle.

The journey continues.

I am thoroughly aware of how blessed I am. Muddy roads despite.

This time, I really did get stuck

This afternoon, the team and I were out and about. First, we wanted to go and drop off some food with a family in the greater neighborhood. During debriefing one evening, Adriel mentioned how strange it is to know we get such good food (and so much of it) while there are neighbors all around who don't have much. From that came the thought of fasting one meal and taking the food to neighbors. God laid two families on my heart: The first was the family of Caroline, a girl I had taken to the hospital last Thursday. The second is a family down the road where a toddler and another young child is taking care of their baby brother while their dad works. (Their mom left after the birth of the baby.) Granted, ELI seeks to empower rather than simply give handouts, but the Bible also teaches us, "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"

So we set out today to go and bless these families, and then to head to town. As we rounded the second to last corner (at a place called Corner Bar), the children's home van almost got stuck. Keep in mind that it's basically been raining for three days straight, so the roads are less than ideal for anything but 4WD vehicles. And my Land Rover is still in for major repairs to its gearbox.

Back to the story. We almost got stuck, but I rocked the vehicle forward and backward in the mud (not pushing, but by using the gears) and voila, we were out. We were smart enough to park and walk the final stretch to the home. The family was indeed blessed by the token as well as by the mere fact that we had stopped by to pray for them. Caroline is still in the hospital, and they asked if we'd come back when she's out to pray for her again.

Off we went to the second family, but we couldn't find their home right away, so we went to town, first. The team wanted to buy supplies to make breakfast for the staff on Friday morning, so I took them to the market. This was quite the experience for them! They bought some fruit, too, and Kigen (Teimuge) took them for a walk through the entire market with its bright-colored fruits and vegetables, smiling (and staring) vendors, and the smell of produce that had been trampled upon and had gone sour. The smell really is quite something!

I had an unusual experience in the market today, though, when I greeted a young mother and she jokingly asked if I would take her baby. At first, I thought I must be misunderstanding her. Perhaps she meant "take a picture of her baby," but I asked Kigen to translate for me, and he confirmed. I know she meant it as a joke, but it hurt my heart that a mom would even say something like that. I tried to respond with the biggest smile with a "But it's YOUR baby!"

We ran a few more errands, and the team really enjoyed seeing what life is like in town. In fact, for debriefing tonight, they wrote poems about the experience, and some were really funny, others were touching.

By the time we headed home, it had once again rained. And at the very worst part of the road, the car fishtailed once again, but this time, I couldn't straighten out of the mud and VOILA, there we were. Stuck. The car had turned almost 90 degrees and the rear wheels were in the little ditch on the side of the road. Without 4WD, this car was going nowhere. As the team got out to push, a little Suzuki pulled up, and the local vet, Dr. Shah, pulled me out of trouble.

However, the entire time he was towing me (he was going in reverse, towing me with the dinkiest metal cable imaginable which was hooked onto the bar right under the driver's side of the car), I was praying. But not necessarily that he'd get me out of the mud. My greatest concern was that the cable would snap and come right through the window...

Great was my relief when the car was straightened and on somewhat dry mud. The team were really excited that we actually got stuck and that they were there to experience it.

By the time we got home (and after dropping of the second batch of food with the other family), the guys went to Sammy's house for a visit. Sammy is a neighbor who had recently been hit by a taxi at night (a hit-and-run) and had a cracked skull. The girls went to Peris' house for chai. She told us about being called to a neighbor's home two days ago to deliver a baby. (She's a Traditional Birth Attendant, sort of like a midwife.) We also learned about her chicken farm, as well as about how God has redeemed their family. And we got to meet the newest member of their family, a nephew who they've taken in since the passing of his grandmother who had taken care of him. The boy's name escapes me for the moment, but I'd ask that you join us in praying for his healing. When he was a baby, he was in the hospital and had had an IV in his right hand. By the time he left the hospital, his little hand was paralyzed, most likely because of a damaged nerve. But that's not too big of a deal for God to heal, is it? I'm believing God for his hand to be restored fully.

It was a great day of cultural experiences for the team as well as a time for them to step out in faith and obedience. They were pretty wiped out by the time dinner and worship was over. I don't think they even went to read to the kids tonight!

Tomorrow, the task of keying the children's home continues. They've finished the kitchen and have now started with individual homes.

It has been such a joy working with this team, challenging them at times when they get discouraged by how much the kids know, and simply seeing how God is using each and every one of them in various ways.

Speaking of challenging: George and Sue (who left yesterday) had met with the parents from the home on Monday and talked for hours about culture and marriage. In the end, they challenged the couples to express their love for one another. Even one couple who has been married for 25 years said, "We just don't do that," but they accepted the challenge nevertheless.

When we asked them last night if they've "done their homework" yet, they just laughed and said, "It's not that easy." But this morning, the husband walked into breakfast with a smile, declaring, "I have good news!" He shared how he had dreamed about telling his wife that he loved her, and in the dream, she was radiant! So the moment he woke up, he told her, "Why should we not express what we feel?" And so they told one another that they love each other... Though expressing affection may be cultural, I do believe most people want to also hear that they are loved. It's cute to see a couple who've shown one another their love and devotion finally take the plunge and say it!

On this note, it's time for me to head to Dreamland. Flannel's already fast asleep in the pillow on my lap.