Christmas Eve in Africa

Morning on Christmas Eve came a bit early for the adults.  I think about 2am we all were awake.  I knew we were in trouble when Yvonne went out and started the coffee grinder.  I think we’ve all agreed to see some medical help before going to bed tonight – mind you U.S. pharmaceutical laws do not apply in Kenya.  I wonder if there are any side effects of mixing Simply Sleep, Tylenol PM, and Ambien… maybe dreams of pink heffalumps?

The families of RVA collected donations over the year to distribute to some needy families and invited us along.  Our group split among 3 other teams and delivered the gifts to some of the neighboring villages.  Sorry – you’ll only see photos of the one I was on.

The landscape was filled with squares of farmland and mud homes.  Trekking to some of the homes proved to be both slippery on the still wet paths as well as exhausting – being at 7500 feet it seems I’ve lost all of my elevation endurance from living at Hume.

All of the homes we visited were very hospitable.  In fact one home actually had prepared some rice and potatoes to share which was very humbling – yet was very delicious.  On our walk to the last house we got to observe a brief local dispute.  Funny how a drunken farmer with a machete wasn’t too much concern to everyone else…

After the gifts were distributed we headed back for lunch and then off to visit the family we are building a new home for.  We could only drive part of the way and had to pack our things in the rest of the way.  A 60 pound pack of potatoes on my back did bring me back to my days of the fire academy.

We got to visit and listen to Mary who was living in a house her father had built 40 years ago and was falling apart.  She shared her faith story and how she came to know Jesus working at RVA many years ago and being surrounded by Christians.  All of us were a bit concerned when we were told that it was up to us to build the house…  luckily we then were told that some “professional” Kenyan builders would be there to help.  I think the last project I built on my own was a canoe in high school – and it never did float.

On the way back we had to cross a railroad track and the kids decided it was a great photo op.

That evening we went to the local hospital to sing Christmas carols to the patients.  Seems there are only 2 carols they know here, Silent Night and The First Noel – and really only knew the chorus. (which was sung much louder whenever it came around)  I got to share a Christmas greeting to the men’s ward and Yvonne shared to the women’s ward.  

Once we got home, we settled down for some relaxing games and singing – the girls decided to follow tradition and sleep out in front of the fire for Christmas Eve.

Another Day in Paradise...

We awoke to a beautiful morning in Nairobi. We were able to find lodging at a Mennonite Guest House which ended up being a beautiful facility with wonderful hosts. After a good breakfast of baked oatmeal (my wife was in heaven) and as much toast as you wanted (Ben was in heaven) we packed up our gear (again) and headed into town.

This being our first time to actually see Kenya in the daylight, it was quite an experience for those who had yet to travel outside the US. It did take some getting used to the traffic laws and driving habits of those here.

We stopped by a shopping area to buy groceries for our stay as well as pick up some money for our projects. The currency exchange rate was 75 Kenyan Schillings for ever US Dollar. It was quite interesting to walk into a bank and ask for $200,000. I also was unsure if my bank’s ATM card would not work – I was told just before leaving that it wouldn’t, so it was like an early Christmas present to punch in my pin and have colorful money pop out. Of course it’s too difficult for me to do the calculations in my head so I really have no idea how much I actually withdrew. I also am convinced that the reason foreign currency is so colorful is so that tourists will want to take it home as souvenirs and not spend it – brilliant!

We then headed off to Nairobi’s version of a shopping mall – complete with a tall & slender, dark skinned Santa. Along the way we learned much about the driving considerations of Kenyans. For example – if there is room on the road a car will fill it, regardless of direction of travel. Also, noticing all the people walking in and out of traffic we asked our driver, Josiah, if pedestrians have the right of way in Kenya. He said, “Yes, until they are hit.”

We were treated to a wonderful lunch with some of Ben and Colleen’s old friends before heading off to Kijabe and Rift Valley Academy.

Along the drive our team got to see much of the daily life of Kenya. Roadside markets and shops, several large dead animals along the road, two motorcycles colliding, and Fletcher’s favorite – a man sitting on a red loveseat being pulled down the road by a donkey. Me, I used this wonderful opportunity to spend the trip in meditation and prayer. And unless there was a lightning storm – I think Loni has discriminating pictures of me drooling. Yep, and I was forced under duress to add this one…someone call the United Nations for me, please.

Once we arrived at Rift Valley Academy which will be our base of operation for the next week, we (again) unloaded our bags and got them under cover just before a sudden thunderstorm. The girls decided an African shower was in order. That was all fun until they realized they were then cold and wet while we waited to have the house we were staying in unlocked.

We got briefly settled and then it was off to one of the local nationals who worked for Ben and Colleen the last time they lived here. Due to the rain, it was quite an adventure climbing up the hill to their home in the mud. Isabelle and her family treated us to some great chai tea and Kenyan delights.

After visiting we took photos outside their home. Several of us noticed another wave of clouds rolling in. Being that we had decided to walk home, it was quite concerning if we would be able to traverse the hillside in tack once the rain started falling. It was quite a site to see our team struggling up the path while the local kids just seemed to float up the hillside. We were spared another strong downpour and were able to get back to our home with only minor damage.

At dinner, we realized we all were fading fast, still feeling the effects of the time change. We were then greeted by several of the other families who live at RVA and wanted to see Ben and Colleen and treated to some Christmas Carolers. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

Over the river and through the woods

Getting back to the London airport was much better in the morning.  One of our drivers was an aspiring grand prix driver (or at least thought he was) and the other was fairly quiet – even I was trying to start up a conversation without luck.  Once we arrived at the airport we discovered all the previous night flights had been canceled.  This created quite a mob of people trying to check luggage in.  If our bags had not been checked all the way to Kenya, I think we’d still be at the airport in line.

While waiting for the team to get through security I noticed someone who didn’t seem to fit in the crowd – Kimbo Slice.  For those of you who don’t know who he is, it’s probably better that you don’t or you’d judge me because I do.  One growl and a head fake and he was running… can’t you see how close I got to him later.  Sorry Brad, you had to be with your kids…

Finally on the plane we headed east.  Since this flight was during the day we had some better views.  Here is the Alps – and what you missed was Yvonne singing the entire soundtrack to The Sound of Music.  Good thing I recharged my iPod.

8 plus hours later we had landed in Nairobi, Kenya.  Surprisingly the custom officials noticed the amount of bags we had and just shook his head and waved us through – guess he was almost done with his shift and figured we’d be too much of a pain.

 We met our ride from the airport and got a chuckle to see his expression when we told him that there was eleven of us… and 27 bags.  He had to call in a military transport…

So we are here…enough said.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

So off we go.  We piled into our dependable Dodge Caravan and headed down to LAX to meet up with the Klassen family.  With the back of the van full and 6 bags strapped on top the kids got to feel every bump along I-5.

Good thing we planned to arrive a bit early.  I, for some reason, had a fascination with driving around and around all the terminals until I found the right one.  BTW, if you do make a wrong turn don't think that the airport planners with give you and easy way to fix it - just head towards San Diego and when you see the Mexican border, turn around and try entering the airport again.

81/2 hours inside a metal tube.  Good thing I had my iPod... for about an hour.  British Airways have these wonderful 747's which have several different classifications of seats.  There's the sleeping "cocoons" for those who could have just bought the plane themselves - they got the entire upper deck and front of the plane.  Then there's first class - it was like walking through a room of private cubicles, with very nice staplers.  For "budget" minded travelers, British offers World Travelers' Plus - sponsored by LazyBoy.  Oh wait, there's one more section in the far back.  It's the "we charged you more for your luggage than your seat" section.  I do think my luggage probably was more comfortable.

We arrived in London to.... snow.

So pretty.  Unfortunately, someone forgot to instruct the British about snow tires and snow plows.  I guess these are luxuries for us spoiled Americans.  Funny thing about Europe... small cars, small tires, small streets, and small discernment when it comes to driving in the snow.  Our taxi drivers, complaining about how all the "other" drivers didn't know what they were doing, decided to forgo the normal routes of travel.  Of course the streets we ended up on had much less traffic - which meant that there was nothing melting the snow off the roads.  London also isn't the most flat of cities.  Several times our taxi driver would push on the gas and the car would just sit there on the incline - so he'd just press the pedal more.  I guess he thought that with enough friction the snow/ice would melt under the tires.

So originally we had these wonderful plans to explore the sites of London during our 1 day layover.  That plan was scrapped when it took 2 hours to go from the airport to our lodging.  So we dropped our stuff off and headed down the street to a local pub... for some fish-n-chips.  So for the record, our first devotional time was done in a London Pub.

On top of all this, Yvonne and I celebrated 17 years of marriage today.  Not exactly what I thought it was going to be like, but as long as I'm with Yvonne - I'm happy.  Now if I can figure a way to lose these 9 other people...

Off to Kenya in the morning (if we can get back to the airport) and 80 degree weather.

Cleaning for Armageddon

This is Brian - I have officially hacked control over this blog for the next several weeks.  Yvonne carries no responsibility or liability for the statements/comments/general thought process which will be shared.  For those concerned(and you know who you are) you can just close your computer for the next 3 weeks and pray and fast...and seek some counseling and/or prescription medications.

We leave on Sunday - so this being Friday means I've got one more day to watch some TV, surf Ebay, and eat Bon-Bons before I'll start thinking of packing.  My wife on the other hand is diligently rearranging our bedroom into a Walmart shopping isle of folded shirts, socks, toiletries, and nick-knacks. (all hypoallergenically sealed in ziplock bags of course)

We (myself and my children) were, as expected, told the house need to be cleaned before we leave.  I beg the question to all humanity - Why do we clean our homes just to leave them - which then upon our return we instantly unload all of our dirty laundry, empty our overstuffed luggage, spread out all the overpriced souvenirs and "gifts" for those who watched our turtles and watered our plants, as well as tear through all the missed mail and completely obliterate any coherence of order in our homes...  Tell me how any of this makes any sense.  I guess if we die it will be easier to sell our house - you can thank us at our funeral.

But now it's off to don the latex gloves and clean underneath the backside of the drainage pipe behind the toilet. - I can't imagine what we'd have to clean if we were going on vacation... Merry Christmas and Yes, I do love my wife - hope she knows that.