Eric Says “Lisa Needs Sleep.”

Airports in general are tiring, hot, sweaty, aggravating, stuffy and crowded. I don’t like them. Airplanes are like miniature airports but with an increased factor of all of the above. I really don’t like planes. I want to be home, in my bed, showered and clean and able to stretch as much as I want.

Terminal three at Heathrow is like a mini Chinook mall with just as many people cramming themselves into less retail space. It’s wonderful! Unfortunately it doesn’t have a shower like terminal four did on the way to Kenya and so I will stink when I get home and you hug me at your own risk.

Eric also says “Lisa has to write two positive things about Heathrow so everyone doesn’t think we’re going through hell.”

Heathrow terminal three has a Starbucks.

Heathrow terminal three has a sushi bar which I plan to snack at before getting on the plane. I hope it’s good.

PS – I’m grumpy!

Lisa

We Are Baptists...

And that means we eat. We like eating, especially goooooood food. Turns out the Acacia Camp has really good, good, good, food. We had pasta bars, omelette bars, kabobs, salad, and curry’s and all of it was so yummy. Needless to say any of us who lost weight have gained most of it back if not all. Don’t get me wrong, we are NOT complaining!!!

Not only does the Acacia Camp have great food but also great scenery. We saw, Guiney Fowl, Oryx, Thompson Gazelle, Grant Gazelle, Antelope, Giraffes, Zebra, Mariboo Stork, Ostrich, Warthog, Civet Monkeys, Eland, Wildebeest, Impalas and lots of birds. Between debriefing sessions and meals we got lots of opportunities to experience all that the camp has. If you ever get the chance go for a visit.

Lisa

A Day of Rest

We went to church at Nairobi Baptist Church, it’s basically Center Street Church and at least as big as the old building and most likely bigger. Some of the worship songs were ones that I would normally do back in Calgary with Hearts Wide Open and I found it really comforting but I think others found it a little unnerving. All around it was a good service but very similar to services at our church which I found a little unexpected.

After church a number of us watched some Olympics for a couple hours. I really found this to be a treat since it’s really the first time we’ve seen or heard any coverage of the games. It’s rather bizarre to have the biggest sporting event in four years happening and to know nothing about it. I guess it’s not that bizarre when you consider that most of the people we’ve been working with have WAY bigger problems to deal with, like where am I going to get the water I need to be able to drink today.

Post lunch we packed all our crap into vans and headed out to the game ranch that Tim lives on. Wow is all I can really say about it. There are MANY, MANY, MANY animals here to watch, hear and chase away from the compound. It’s kind of like living on the farm but having no fences. We are here for the next two days and will have our debriefing while here. I think this means that all the weight I lost will be back by the time we’re home, the food here is really, really good!!!

Lisa

I Tried To Adopt a Baby...

But Eric said no! It’s probably best, I’m not sure if dad would let me keep an elephant in the barn during the winter. I suspect that he’d say no, well at least until he saw how cute it was and then maybe I’d have a chance.

We went to an elephant orphanage today and got to spend an hour or so watching the baby’s eating (which they do every three hours) and playing in the dirt and water. It was amazing and heartbreaking all at the same time. Most of the orphans had mothers that died because of injuries and some were just found wondering by themselves. Amazingly some even fell down man holes (they are waaaaay bigger here)! The youngest one we saw was only three weeks old and had just a few days ago come to the orphanage. It was still quite skinny and recovering from being alone for a day or more with no food or water. I can hardly believe that they can actually survive at this age, if you took a three week old human baby away from it mother and put it in a grassland I bet it would be dead in hours. How these little guys survived is beyond me.

The baby’s who have been there a little longer really like to play with the people and come to rub along as many as possible in the front row. Needless to say, elephant babies are not exactly clean. More than one of us had huge red dirt stains all over us. I tried to convince Nada that she should go roll in the mud to stain her entire pair of capris but she wouldn’t go for it. I can’t understand why, at least the other babies would help her play!

lisa

Travel day

We moved to Nairobi today and let me tell you, if you think traffic in Calgary is bad you REALLLLLLLLY need to come to Nairobi for the day. Twenty minutes of sitting in traffic here will cure you of any ill will you feel towards the City of Calgary and their 'traffic calming measures'!!! The most interesting part of sitting in traffic was the men and women walking up and down the lanes selling Kenyan Passports and Greencards. I knew they were a hot commodity here but that was unbelievable to me.

When we finally made it past the worst of the traffic we stopped at a Curio store for a little more shopping. The store had no set prices and you had to see what you could get done on your own. I think in general we really outdid ourselves in the bargaining department. Quite a few of us walked away from ridiculous deals and the rest of us managed to talk them down to some more manageable prices. The guy Eric and I talked to tried to sell us two goblets for 7000 shillings. We knew from the trip to the carvers that they shouldn't be anywhere near that price and low balled him at 1000. His eye's nearly popped out of his head and he wouldn't budge from 6000 so we walked away. After some time we walked back in the store to look around again and the man approached us four more times before finally coming down to 2500 shillings. Personally, I still think we paid too much but I was more than happy that I won the battle.

The highlight of the day was a trip to the Java House for lunch. They are kind of like a Starbucks but with a full menu and after being on Kenyan food only for so many days we were all ecstatic about the prospect of some 'normal' food and some real coffee (they only serve instant in the hotels here). I had an indian curry and Eric had a burger. Our expectations were not high by any means but they sure exceeded them, what a joy.
Tonight we are in a new guest house which sits beside a huge Baptist church which typically sees 3000 per service. Thankfully this house has internet and we are able to catch up on our blogging. We will be here until Sunday morning and then we move to Tim's ranch. We're all very much looking forward to that as we expect to see many animals there.

Lisa

Water works

We went to the ABC Agricultural Show Grounds and were able to see how the church is teaching people to farm in different ways and to conserve water. When you consider the resources that these people have it is absolutely astonishing to see what they can do. If even half the people in Calgary followed the water saving techniques we saw I would bet our ecological footprint would take a massive cut. They also showed us some amazing tiered gardens that were made out of old potato bags, each garden only took up about three feet in diameter at the base but was more than four feet high. You can imagine how much that increased their square footage. For people who have little or no space to begin with this really increases the amount they can produce for their families, its unbelievable!

After the Show Grounds we did a little shopping and then went to a wood carving place. When you walk in to the store it totally overwhelms you. There are soooooo many carvings, layers and layers and layers of carvings. There are carvings of every animal in Africa, nativity scenes, spoons, bowls, masks, you name it, they have it. It's quite amazing that all of these things come from this one cooperative of carvers who are basically out in the middle of nowhere. Eric spent a lot of time talking to the men and discussing their techniques. A few of them tried to convince him that the chisel method he uses for carving is useless. It's interesting how two people can do the same work in such different ways. I still think Eric's work is better but maybe I'm biased.

Lisa

We're back!!!!!

While we were in Machakos we were staying at the ABC Guest House and had no access to internet. We have now moved to Nairobi and are able to access internet through some cyber cafes. I'll start posting the last week or so below so read on and quit worrying because we're all still alive!

Lisa

More dancing

We went to two Dispensaries today where ABC runs some basic levels of health care for outlying communities. I found this particularly eye opening due to the lack of even basic supplies. These facilities did not even have some of the supplies we have in our First Aid Kits. Admittedly, between Kathryn and I we are rather over prepared for a lot of things but we're only here for two weeks. I don't want you to think that they have nothing. They have a lot of medications which can fix a multitude of problems but that is about the extent of their supplies.

On the way in to the last Dispensary we were met beyond the gate by the Guardians of Hope group and we all marched/danced/sang/laughed/looked like wazoongu's into the compound. It was really a wonderful experience but I have never felt so white in my life. At home I usually have a pretty good sense of beat but I think the plane ride here erased that. When we dance the ladies usually start laughing at us and then we start laughing and it all goes downhill from there. Let's hope that the plane ride home doesn't completely erase my sense of beat!

Lisa

Saying goodbye

Today was our last day on the dig site at Mitaboni. Thankfully it was also the longest amount of time we were able to spend there. There is something so very cathartic for our souls in getting to work alongside the people of Mitaboni. Singing songs and talking to them makes the work a little easier and seeing the difference we were able to make was really astounding. It's amazing to think that we have contributed to giving them clean water which will change the lives of those people we got to know so well.

After the work was finished we all gathered under the tent and had some presentations from Guardians of Hope orphans and other members of the community. These were moving and you got a clear sense of the true thankfulness they had for us coming and working with them. All this paled in comparison to the biggest surprise of the day, as part of the goodbyes they had a naming ceremony for us and we each received Comba names according to how they had seen us and interacted with us on the job site. This was an amazing experience for all of us and really made us feel part of the community. After all the pomp and circumstance we finished the goodbyes in true Comba fashion with a song and dance. I don't think any of us have any rhythm yet but at least now we can sing some Comba songs and pretend pretty well.

Lisa

Went to school

On Monday we worked for about two hours in our continued digging efforts and then left the work site for the college at the ABC Mitaboni complex. We then had tea with the principle (Edward) and a number of pastors and lay people from around the country. They were all taking a leadership course while the students are on vacation. Edward explained to us what they currently do at the theological college and the challenges they are facing in moving towards supporting more secular courses and diplomas. Their greatest need at the moment is for transportation of the teaching students to and from their practicum’s. He then took us on a tour of the campus and the dorms. I think the tour made all of us appreciate even more the luxuries that we have at home as well as the space. I didn't think it was possible to pack people in more than we do in University dorms but I was VERY mistaken!

It was also interesting to note the differences in how they would solve the short comings versus how we would solve them. It was a struggle for a number of us to understand their options or to suggest other options. We all needed a lot of time to digest the differences and I'm sure we will continue to watch this project with anticipation.

lisa

Sunday

The Ki-Swahilli service was actually a little mild compared to what we were expecting. The girl’s school that normally attends ABC church was not there that day and this had the effect of calming the dancing a little. The choir was still an amazing experience and they sang and danced with great emotion. It was nice that they had actions to a lot of the things they were saying somehow this gave more meaning to their words. The church took great care to have interpreters sitting with us during the service and also to interpret the sermon from the pulpit which was done by Sam Mutisia. Sam is a really wonderful person whom a lot of us have a growing respect for. His work with the Sharing Way is leading the charge on a number of issues in Kenya.

After church we went to a restaurant for lunch and all of us seemed to enjoy eating some new fare or some more familiar 'western' food. The afternoon was spent relaxing and napping. A number of couples took the opportunity to reconnect with each other which was refreshing. Living in a dorm style doesn't allow a lot of opportunity for the normal connection we are used to in Calgary. This makes Sunday afternoon all the more valuable.
lisa

Tired

We were in Mitaboni again today to build and it was hot. Again we danced, sang, threw cement, chucked dirt and dug rocks but somehow it was more tiring today. Some of us walked from the work site to the Mitaboni church for lunch and that was most definitely the highlight of my day. It was great to feel like you were really here amongst the people doing what they do, walking! We also got to walk back and again it was really relaxing and exciting all at the same time.

The kids here are soooooo filled with joy. Their smiles are the epitome of infectious and you can't help but laugh with them. When they see us drive or walk by they immediately stop what they're doing and wave. They smile a huge smile and flash their white teeth and often follow us down the road great distances. It makes us feel so welcome and excited no matter how tired or sore we were five minutes ago.

Tomorrow we go to a Ki-Swahilli service that should challenge our abilities to keep a beat in a whole new way. So exciting!

lisa

Sang and danced all day

Today we met the people of Mitaboni. What amazing people they are. We worked alongside many of them and helped them build two holding tanks. The tanks will have water pumped to them from a pre-existing weir, it will then be purified and used for villagers to drink and water their plants with. These tanks will change the lives of everyone in that area. Currently some women have to walk up 6 kilometres and pay for just 20 gallons of water. If you want to know what that's like then get a large camping water jug and strap it to your back, now hike six kilometres, fill the water jug, and hike six more. Oh wait I forgot the important part, I'm pretty sure it really is uphill both ways! That was tiring just writing the sentences let alone actually doing it. Not only will they have cleaner water closer to home but they will also be able to use all the time they would have spent fetching water to instead grow plants to feed their families and sell at the markets. This is LIFE CHANGING!!

When we got to Mitaboni we split into groups and some of us started hauling dirt while others helped finish the mortar and bricks for the first tank. Those of us who were digging and hauling dirt worked alongside the women for the most part. They are an inspiring group who kept us all singing Ki-Comba and dancing as we went. Somehow the work seems better when you're dancing.

lisa

Took a walk

This morning Peter, Wendy, Nada and Janet went for a walk around the compound we were at to see what animals they could find. Turns out there were a lot of them, giraffe, zebra, gazelle, antelope, and lots of birds are just the ones I heard of. Those of us who are not so motivated slept until breakfast and then we all piled into the vans and headed to the ABC headquarters.

We learned a lot at ABC headquarters. They do something I found very interesting, after every second Sunday the women and men meet separately and talk about what they are interested in and their current ABC projects. The ABC headquarters is responsible for telling each church how much money they need to raise for some projects and other targets they set themselves. During these meetings they talk about how they will raise the money and more importantly how they will use the money. This is a really simplistic take on what they told us but the best I can do for now. Besides the meetings they also toured us through the rest of the headquarters including the church, the area offices, the bishop's house, the development office and also past the day care. The day care was by far a highlight for a number of us. The kids were VERY excited to see us and Peter and I took video and pictures of them and then showed them what they looked like on the screens. Their reactions were priceless and we were nearly knocked over while they clamored for a look. At some points we even had to stop and let the small ones at the back see. It was made more interesting by the fact that none of them spoke English so telling them to stop or getting one child to the front was all hand gestures.

As I mentioned yesterday we met the Bishop. He is a very kind man who has more recently taken over the 'bishopdom' (What do you call that?). In his past life he was a teacher who taught Math, English, and some other subjects that my mind refuses to recall the names of. He is now married to his second wife, as his first wife passed on some time ago, and they have seven children and two orphans that they care for. It makes for a large family and they are too large for the rooms they now have in the Bishops offices. They rent a house close to the compound where the boys live most of the time. It seems as if both this and the fact that he is 'always on duty' because they now live in the offices is very tiring for him. I know that in my own life while working with family I sometimes feel as if I can't leave it and so being a bishop in a huge church organization and having people feel as though they are entitled to your presence whenever they like would be frustrating. He must be a man of great patience.

Because of the Bishop's past experience as a teacher he is very dedicated to the church's newest mission of building a University. I'm sure that all the pressures of being the Bishop are easier to take now that he can help guide the church towards a goal which is so dear to him. They have made a plan to have the university open in 15 years but I would be surprised if it takes that long when you have such a dedicated leader pushing the project along.

The Bishop, Sam, Titus and Peter took a great deal of time to tell us about all the things the church is doing and how many churches they have throughout Africa. It was a very informative day but also very tiring. Even I had to fidget purposefully during our last session just to keep myself from nodding off.

We are now at the ABC Guest House in Machakos which has its own compound and garden etc. It's amazing to see all the flowers that I would normally see only in flower shops at home. This guest house will be our home for the next seven-ish days before we move to Nairobi. We actually got to walk most of the way from the ABC compound to the guest house and I must admit it was a little weird being stared at. All of the children and some of the adults we passed waved and were very excited when we waved back. We passed more of the small roadside shops and I'm dying to get a chance to stop at some eventually. Tomorrow we expect to get to Mitaboni and work on the water project we have helped with there. We'll do our best to take many pictures for all the folks at home to understand what we are doing here.

Lisa

Good night to Crossfield!

In Canada my parents live in a small town north of Calgary named Crossfield. Often while I’m laying in bed falling sleep or waking-up I hear large planes overhead waiting to land at Calgary International. As I was sitting in bed last night talking to my husband about the experiences of the day I suddenly heard that familiar sound. A plane went overhead and brought with it an overwhelming sense of calm and peace. I felt completely at home.

lisa

We’re in a Kenyan Paradise!

Well we made it here and we’re all alive. We even kept everyone together for the most part. Unfortunately our luggage was not so lucky, Darren’s bag never made it on the plane to Kenya. Apparently Heathrow figured this out before we even got here because when we did get all the Visa’s figured out and the rest of the luggage found we noticed a huge list of people whose luggage apparently is still at Heathrow. After many lines and a new appreciation for Air Canada and West Jet we’ve come to find out the bag should be on the next flight and in his hand tomorrow.

Tim met us at the airport and two vans took most of the team to our lodge for the night while Lynn, Nada, Eric and I waited for Peter and Darren to brave the Lost Luggage Line-up. The lodge we’re at for the night is called Lukenyan Getaway and it’s really spectacular. There are all kinds of trees and plants that we don’t get to see much of at home, even a Ficus tree that’s at least the size of a large lilac bush!!! Not only that but there are also animals, we all caught a glimpse of a small herd of giraffes on the way here and then found the BIGGEST BEES IN THE WORLD in one of the flower bushes. We all have rooms for the night and got to have nice warm showers before meeting for our first briefing. Tonight we get to have dinner in the bush, so cool!

All this is in stark contrast to the people/towns/houses we passed on the way to the lodge. Many people seemed to live directly under the trees which while romantic to me I’m sure is slightly less than that for them. Many unfinished apartment type buildings line the sides of the ‘highway’ we traveled and we saw nearly every shop you can imagine on the way to the lodge. It’s giving us all a great appreciation for our new found paradise and the care and safety afforded us even here.

Tomorrow we expect an audience with the new Bishop which will really be an honor. We hear he’s pretty wonderful and not much for protocol. Should be interesting!

Lisa

Sleep Deprivation and Boats

Good Morning to Calgary!!!

We're in Heathrow and I'm fairly certain that everyone is sleep deprived. The first leg of our trip was long, cramped and stuffy as most plane rides are. EXCEPT for Peter! Peter managed to get an entire row to himself and was able to stretch out in relative comfort and sleep almost the entire flight. We've all decided that this really isn't fair at all and there should be some sort of punishment for it. We have yet to figure out the form of punishment though.

Heathrow is a busy place with five terminals and one flight coming and leaving every three minutes. Now that's organized!! Some of us found a shower and managed to 'hire a towel' which was a pleasant surprise. It's very humid in London today and it's been raining off and on all day. It appears that the movies are true, in London it's always raining.

We don't have a gate for our next flight yet but should find out shortly. The trip to Nairobi is about 9 hours and that's longer than the one we just left. I'm not sure anyone really relishes the thought of getting on another plane at this moment. Maybe CBM should look into boat rides instead of planes?

Lisa