Mixed Up People

Thursday February 18, 2016   The sun was shining bright and my suitcase was packed and sitting outside as I waited for the arrival of my ride to Shinyalu.  We were supposed to leave early but according to African time we left right on time even though it was almost two hours later than planned.  My driver assured me his tires were good and that his spare was in the boot.  Experience makes me check and double check some of these things before we take off for a 3 hour trip south of here.  His happy go lucky personality assures me that things are in order but I still had one more thing to ask him.  Did he have his license with him?  Even after he heard how a friend had been arrested yesterday because she was not carrying her license he showed no concern.  In fact it was the opposite and with a jolly laugh he replied “Oh yes, Mama Linda I have it, no worries.” Police checks are common and spike strips or tire shredders tend to make someone think twice before they try to ride through a check point.  It is very important to travel with the necessary documents.

My list of things had been addressed and checked off one by one.  I’m feeling little concern as I’ve been assured that things are in order and we are off.   My driver, Moses, takes a little side road and tells me he just needs to stop home for a minute.  No problem.  We pull up to the gate and it swings open wide and someone passes Moses his driver’s license.   Next the “boot” pops open and there is some commotion at the back of the car.  I asked if we had a problem and I was told “no problem Mama, I’m just putting in the spare.”   I was so glad we had a brief question and answer period before leaving this morning :)   Past trips with Moses have proven to  be full of adventure; a couple flat tires and no spare, running out of gas and then of course the everyday car trouble because of lack of funds for maintenance.

We travel through an area where sugar cane is grown and this tall slender grass turns the land into a sea of green. The mountain ranges running beside us frame it in and the beauty seems to go on forever.  Tractors full of sugar cane are overloaded and bulging on each side. Fires can be seen in the distance as the fields are burning in preparation for the next planting season and billows of smoke roll up into the sky.

 

Little market areas are busy selling their goods and the sheep, goats and donkeys mingle with the people walking the road.  As simple and relaxed as life looks around us we are reminded of the “live for the day” attitude that reigns among the risk taking drivers traveling at high speeds. 

We leave the tarmac roads and head toward the village of Shinyalu-Lukhumbi, which means the place of mixed up people.  Dust rolls into the car and the need to roll up the windows is a must.  It then becomes a balancing act of having enough air flow in the car or traveling in a cloud of dust.   

As we get closer the surroundings become familiar and my visits from previous trips are recalled.   

It’s been a long hot trip and the closer to the village we get the heat intensifies as Lake Victoria is not far away. We are about twenty minutes away from our destination when the car starts to slow down. Moses is known to shut off the ignition going down a hill to save on fuel but this time something is wrong. The car is overheating and he isn’t carrying any water with him.  Within a few minutes we have someone who is willing to run and get us a jerry can full of water.  It seems that the car had been in the repair shop and without asking if it had been repaired Moses picked it up so that he could carry me to Shinyalu this morning.  We both came to the conclusion that they probably hadn’t had the time to repair it and perhaps next time he should check with the mechanic before taking the car.

The pastor was notified that we were once again on our way and met us at the junction.There were some definite changes taking place in the village center. New buildings were under construction and lots of motorbikes waiting for someone to carry.

A short distance from the center and after traveling through some very large pot holes we finally arrived at the plot of land for the new church. This rocky knoll overlooks the valley below and is full of boulders that will need to be moved.   

About 70 children in their lime green uniforms and looking in need of some TLC were in the middle of their school day.  They were surrounded by mud walls with only a glimpse of light peeking through a few holes here and there.  Windows for light and ventilation were missing and many of the children were ill and coughing.  It was a very humble start at trying to give the children something that hasn’t been offered them in other places as the school fees are too high for the people living here in Lukhumbi.

After getting settled in my room, a change of clothes and something to eat I was ready to go back to the project site.  Once we left the forest the 9 kilometer ride on the back to the motorbike was hot and dusty and the potholes were big enough to send me bouncing up in the air with the hopes that I’d land in the middle of the seat when I came down. 

Tea is a major crop in Kenya and it is sold around the world. The tea fields look fresh and carry their own shade of green.  Large baskets which will be carried on the harvesters back will be full of the tender top three leaves of each plant and placed out to dry.

The children still in class leave the mud walled room and resume their studies outside under the trees and the mud walls come down. Today is the last day they will have to sit in a dark room without ventilation.  Breathing the dust from the floor and the walls can cause serious health issues.

The pastor’s wife has worked hard to prepare a meal but before we enter their home we make a stop along the way.  One of the older men in the village has some health issues and we want to show our respect with a visit and pray for him. We travel through a grassy field where people often gather for bull fights. They come prepared for bloodshed and their bodies become a human fence as they form a circle around the open space. When I was asked if I wanted to go and watch....I politely declined.

Friday February 19, 2016  The sounds of the forest wake me and the trees are alive with blue monkeys playing in the trees around me.   There is a rustle and then a leap of ease before landing in a tree nearby.  They study me as I study them and it appears that I am the intruder in their world.

During an early morning walk in the rain forest I take a few minutes just to stand in awe of the beauty around me.   

The trees are huge and they reach for sky. There are flowering vines tangled throughout the forest. A pond bubbles with fish and the rich and thick plant life rich flourish from the water beneath it.   

 

The forest lacks the noises of human life and explodes with chatter from the Colobus monkeys.  They are as excited to see me as I am to see them!  I stand still and try to absorb all that is around me. The Lord has filled my heart with his beauty.

The day quickly changes and the forest is left behind us.  The air warms around me and the sun continues to beat down without shame.  Supplies have been delivered and the children are outside as hammers pound away.   

It’s time to put up some iron sheets and we use the back wall of the church as the learning wall.  It is quickly noted that a level might be a good idea.  The carpenter is delighted to have such a gift and amazed that a woman knows how to use it!  Where did I get such knowledge was a question asked by not one man but several. And they let me know that it was very uncommon for a woman such as me to have such knowledge.

The children sat outside under the shade trees for class although I think it was very hard for them to concentrate with a white woman close by.  As we gathered together my eyes feel on a little girl that showed no signs of happiness.  Her eyes were dull and she didn’t care to run and play with the others.  There was also another girl with a rash all over the back of her neck and down her back.  We sent these two children to the clinic the other children were sent to the center for haircuts.

Gifts were given to each of the children and it brought big smiles.  Lime green t shirts to match their school uniform were designed and printed by our son, Cole. 

 

The little guys were given slippers that my mom, Charlotte Towne, faithfully knits for each trip. The children were ecstatic and for most the t shirts and slippers were the first gifts they had ever received. They cried when they were sent home from school as they didn’t want to leave. They will never forget today! 

At the end of the day the rain forest brings relief from the intense heat felt outside the forest.  The tall towering trees surround us and are tangled with thick vines.  The noises of the forest bring it to life and the monkeys move the branches like a heavy wind.  It is a land preserved and to be enjoyed; it is the only rain forest left in Kenya.

 Isaiah 54:2 Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.