As the days seem to pass all too quickly here in Kenya I
thought I might take a moment to reflect on the past few. After a busy weekend we slightly recovered
with the start of this second week here in Kijabe. Teresa has had no lack of opportunity or work
as she has been in the hospital every day since arriving. Tomorrow marks the shift from the medicine
side of the hospital to the pediatric side which she will be involved with
until our departure. Monday evening we
had a wonderful time during the weekly dessert night for the missionaries who
serve at the hospital. It truly is a
blessing to have such a wonderful community of individuals passionate about the
Lord as well as the work to which He has called them.
I also had an opportunity to work with Moffat Bible College
both Monday and today. Today I got to
sit in on their chapel service which happens to be one of the last for this
semester. Their school calendar is a bit
different than American schedules and next week will mark their exams and
semester’s end. Nevertheless, this
chapel service was a bit out of the ordinary as the president of the college
wanted to handle some “housekeeping” matters.
His remarks included a warning against “Pentecostalism” around the
college which I later learned included students having marked outbursts during
their meetings, rolling around on the ground and slapping the walls with their
raised hands in some wild display.
He also shared that the fellows should have a shaved head,
look smart, pay their fees on time and not wear open toed shoes. His presentation about open toed shoes was
most entertaining as he stated that God created men to keep their feet covered
because no one wants to see their feet.
On other hand God permitted women to wear open toed shoes because their
feet are generally more delicate and not as off-putting as a man’s. This was met with raucous laughter by both
the men and the women in attendance.
Lastly he warned the students against putting too much information on
“the Facebook” as people do not want to see them kissing other people or see
their posts about silly, insignificant things.
I chuckled a bit inside as the exhortations from the president seemed
remarkably similar to the words shared in American schools, albeit in a
different cultural presentation for sure.
Additionally we continue to make great connections with
people here and recognize what a small world it truly is. I met a fellow this morning who is teaching
at the Bible College who went to Furman University and previously served as a
chaplain at Greenville Memorial Hospital.
How wild to fly halfway around the world and meet people who have the
same reference points as you. Crazy
enough I was talking to a fellow just last week who referenced eating at Wade’s
in Spartanburg and I had to check to make sure I was still in Kenya!
I went out earlier this week for a walk and found a
beautiful view of the Rift Valley on the edge of Kijabe just a bit west of
here. I found a few mischievous monkeys
swinging about in the trees, curiously looking to see if I had anything they
could steal. Those here who live on the
opposite side of the hospital from us told us that they have to be overly
cautious as the monkeys will find a way into their houses and take whatever
their little paws can get a hold of. I
also stumbled upon a few signs of a local hyena or two which I had no knowledge
of being around Kijabe. I do not think
they come up quite as far as the hospital but we were warned to keep an eye
out. At this point I am not sure what to
do if we do see a hyena but I have played out a few scenarios in my mind where
I use various implements to either poke out his eyes or break one or two of his
legs. Otherwise the natural world here
in Kenya continues to delight.
Despite the beauty of this land, do join us in praying for
the people here in the Rift Valley as the delayed rains have caused increasing
problems. I heard a report today that
not only are people’s gardens drying up but they cannot even find basic
vegetables and food at the markets. Water
is a resource that is all too scarce. Also
due to demand the prices of things have dramatically increased bringing
additional strain to families that already are struggling. One fellow was telling me today that a Maasai
was asking for water and when some was brought to him he first poured a bit
into a basin for his sheep and he drank some himself only after they had a
bit. Life here is hard forcing the
precious people of this land find a greater dependence upon their Creator. May God bring them both spiritual and
physical rain as He nourishes a world in need of His renewal.
Scott
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