Jambo everyone! It's Thursday morning, and Chris and I are enjoying a leisurely morning at our hotel before our structured activities for the day begin.
I wanted to share a few further reflections about some insightful conversations we've had on this trip while they are still fresh in my mind. Chris and I reflect each night before we go to bed to summarize our thoughts, and wow it feels like we have at least 3 days on average into 1- abundantly fulfilling indeed!
Some insights into how life in Nairobi differs from US life: I shared yesterday how we met the Hagman family from Minnesota who have lived in Nairobi for 9 years. Tracy was very frank and honest with us, and mentioned of her "expatriate" friends who live there, half have been carjacked or robbed, but they have been very lucky without incident. When we pulled up to the gate of their house in the late afternoon after visiting Heshima, she commented how she forgot to call her housekeeper ahead of time to let her in, and that it's really the most dangerous and opportune time for carjackings to occur when people are awaiting for their gates to be opened. Yes, we're not in Minnesota anymore. It seems any house in Nairobi with a yard has a gate with a guard overnight. It is very common for upper-class Kenyans to not only have a guard, but also a driver, maid, chef, and gardener. When we drove to the Karen Country Club for our Rotary meeting that evening, the sides of the road were filled with young men walking through the neighborhood. I learned that they were walking to the residences for their guard post watch overnight.
I also learned some judicial insight from Tracy as well. She shared that when they first moved to Africa, she volunteered once a week at the Nairobi women's jail to offer bible study and prayers. Many of the women were in jail for circumstances we might not hear about in the US. For example, one Kenyan was awaiting for her hearing the past 7 years (!). Why was she imprisoned? Because she had been taken by force by a police officer in his house to rape her, and she ran away and broke down the door to escape. So, she is in prison for damaging personal property of the police officer.
Her husband, Eric, also has had his share of unique experiences traveling throughout Africa for his Wycliffe contracting work. He mentioned that he feels very safe wherever he goes, because missionary families are already living in the towns he travels to and builds new structures. He said that Wycliffe's missionaries are still in Nigeria despite the recent Christian massacres, and that they keep a close pulse of when evacuation is needed. He has had several interesting experiences, including upon arrival in Chad, the military offered him to rent an AK-47 rifle for $10 a day. He also said it's challenging sometimes to fly to countries where many African women are flying in a group together, as he knows they are about to learn once they arrive at the destination that they are to be prostitutes. Apparently some men from Europe and other places will walk into African slums and offer them a job if they fly with them to another country. These women trust the white men and believe they are being redeemed, not knowing what their future fate will truly mean. Eric has a friend who works for the US government to uncover these illegal circles throughout Africa- one man was found to be pimping an 8 year old girl, how sad.
It is hard to believe in less than 24 hours we will be safariing in the Maasai Mara plains of Southern Kenya, a rare place left on earth that Angela's brother Stephen beautifully described as "land that has been left to the way God made it". So, for you faithful blog followers, be forewarned we won't have internet access (or any electricity for that matter) for the next few days as we travel to Little Governor's camp. We will fly in a very tiny airplane to a dirt landing strip, where we'll be escorted to the Mara River crossing, before hopping on a boat to travel to the other side where the 17 tents are located. (Check out their website http://www.governorscamp.com/property_descriptions_governors_camp_little_governors_home.php- a 45 second video gives you wonderful insight into the "feel"of it). Sunday night we'll get into Tanzania and hopefully have access to a computer at that point at Peace House Africa schools.
No comments:
Post a Comment