It’s a small plane and the flight leaves from an airport
just two hours away. Soon I’ll be
stepping into a climate that averages 100 degrees every day.
The mountain ranges below are rugged and covered with the
green of the dense forests. The evidence
of life is not seen. In time the blanket
of green fades beneath us and an open and empty land emerges. There is nothing
but wide open land as far as one can see.
It is brown, lifeless and cracks beneath the heat of the sun.
We land safely and are welcomed with a rush of hot air as
the plane door opens. The hot wind swirls the dry earth around us. Beyond the very small terminal is a group of
people lined up at the fence. Nine of
these people have come to greet me and to see me safely to my room.
The Chief is among them and has become a
friend of mine since my first visit to Turkana land in March of 2010. I was
enjoying some cold water when an older man with a walking stick over his
shoulder approached me. He was dressed in the traditional way with a red plaid
robe and sandals made from old tires. He was selling a dried fruit that grows
on trees. He had the bundle of fruit tied to the end of his walking stick, hobo
style. Each piece of fruit is the size of an ear of corn. When it is dried it
becomes something they use to wash with. I bought a couple to bring home to show
people and then asked if I could take his picture. He agreed. From there it
went really bad as some nearby men demanded my camera as they felt I had
dishonored an elder. I didn't comply and they continued verbally attacking and
threatening that it was now a legal issue. They spoke English but it didn't
matter what I said they didn't want peace. Even though the men opposed I called
the pastors I had met with earlier and told them I was in trouble and needed
them. Within five minutes four pastors showed up on the scene and sat with us.
You could feel the whole atmosphere change and peace settled in over the
situation. The lions wanted to devour me but the angels shut their mouths.
Psalm 124 The Chief heard of this
incident and the next day he came and apologized for their behavior. He then walked with me the rest of the day.
He wanted everyone to see that I was his guest and his friend. He informed me that no one would bother me as
he was the government here. So through
this troubled time in 2010 I gained a wonderful friend.
December
28, 2013 (Friday) The fan that hangs from the ceiling was on as
high as it would go last night. The air
starts to cool around four in the morning but shortly after that the sun rises
as hot if not hotter than the day before.
The cold water warmed by the sun makes a refreshing shower and brings
some life back to the tired body. From
my window I watch the monkeys play in the trees. Beautiful shade trees are hard to find in
this area and even the monkeys know that they have found an oasis in the midst
of the desert land.
I was here earlier this year, in May, and woke up to a flash flood. We had severe thunderstorms during the night
and it had also rained in the mountains. The water from these storms had rolled down
the mountain ranges toward us. The police came in trucks to remove us from the
area as the river had completely surrounded us.
The water had started to enter my room and was
continuing to get deeper. As I walked toward the main gate I stepped into a
sink hole. It took two strong men to
pull me out as I was helpless with the water rushing around me.
The water filled each room; it took down trees, and left a coating of
slippery mud every place. The Sisters
told me that every room had to be repainted and there were so many snakes and
spiders around the compound during that time.
They were even seen in the rooms. They have worked hard and now the
place is shines.
We are preparing to travel further into the interior parts of Turkana
land tomorrow. So we are checking on prices for maize, beans, salt, cooking fat
and also transportation. Prices continue
to rise here as everything is brought in by bus or truck. It’s a hard life and so many are suffering
here in Turkana land.
The Turkana are known for making beautiful baskets. The women will make baskets as a way to earn
money for food for their family. It is a beautiful art that has been passed
down from woman to woman throughout many generations.
Ecclesiastes
1:5 The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.
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