Merry Christmas
As we approach Christmas I am thinking about the chaos of Christmas,,,,(you might call me Eb or you might call me Scrooge) but here comes the chaos anyway,,,,,the debt we get into,,, the over eating,,,,the over drinking,,,, the presents we give and receive that do not glorify God,,,,,, the stress that it creates,,,,,,the thought that we just want Christmas to be over with,,,,,, if this is our focus our attention at Christmas then we are worshipping idols and we have a jealous God. Matt 4:10 Chaos doesn’t come from God but from Satan and at this time of year Satan is rubbing his hands with glee as we are distracted from the true purpose of Christmas,,,,,worshipping God
Here in Kenya there are people who are too poor to get into further debt but there are many who will sell a cow, a goat a chicken to pay for Christmas,
This is the worst time to sell a cow and you will receive only half of its value after you have taken care of it for maybe one or two years, at this point you enter into debt,,,,,, then you buys food and presents that have an inflated price and you go deeper into debt.
After Christmas ,,,the food is gone and you are left with a present that you don’t really want or need ,,,,,you realize that you have school fees to find for the new year,,,,,so if you have a cow or a goat or a chicken you go to the market and sell them once again for less than half its value and you slide even further into debt and chaos,,,,,,God doesn’t want this for us he wants us to have peace and order that only comes from him 2Chron 14:1-7
How true this is for people all over the world.
We listened to a teaching recently about the traditions of Christmas as opposed to the purpose of Christmas and picked up this little snippet.
Instead of a Christmas tree place a rock in your home this year,,,,,in the Bible there is no mention of a Christmas tree but listen to what it says about a rock (stone)
“And on this rock I will build my church” matt 16;18
“see I lay in Zion a stone (Jesus) that causes men to stumble and a rock(Jesus) that makes them fall and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame”,,,,,,,,”Rom 9:33
“The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone” Luke20:17,,,,,,,,and there are more
So when people come into your home and say what a lovely tree you have ,,,,,there’s nothing more to say,,,,,,,,but when people come into your home and say,,,,why the rock????,,,,you have a wonderful opportunity to tell about Jesus and what he means to you ,
People won’t remember your tree but they will remember your rock
Merry Christmas
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Home Sweet Home by John
HOME SWEET HOME by John
We arrived back home from Nairobi at about 10pm after an excruciating 12 hrs on a bus (which normally takes 6 hrs) this after many detours dropping people off and a slow driver,,,,, I think the driver had night blindness as he would slow to a crawling pace when we had oncoming vehicles approaching,,,,, but we made it anyway so God still has us on the payroll
The next day we wake up to find that our electricity and water has been cutoff and that next door had stuck a piece of wire across the fuse until we got back as they have an office out the back.
It is too painful and still so new for me to describe the first week back which was spent trying to reconnect services,,,,, so I will just hit the high spots
Our next door neighbours are a school for medicine and our landlords , he was approached by the water board saying that if he would slip them 10,000 shillings they would forget about the outside faucet that was unmetered, when refused they dug up the faucet and cut the supply
So we went to the water board who came up with a 65,000 shilling fine ($866),,,,,to which I replied,,,,are you kidding me?????,,,,,we then go to see the internal auditor,,, who reduces the fine to 14,000 shillings and gives me a form to sign confessing to stealing water ,,,,to which I replied,,,you guessed it ,,,,,,,well after a bit of haggling he crosses through the “confession” and we leave after paying the 14k which will be passed on to the owners of the house.
Now we tackle the Electricity board, to cut this story short they have been taking our money and crediting Tom, Dick and Harry’s account and so we entered a paper chase to discover and put right, hopefully once and for all,,,,,,,, can you imagine
But now picture this pastoral scene,,,,,,,,the sun is shining and the skies are blue,,,,,there’s just a hint of a breeze and Connie is hanging out some laundry,,,,,,,a smile mischievously plays upon her lips as innocent thoughts glide in and out of her mind,,,,,,,,,,but then a man comes from nowhere and makes his way to our electricity meter,,,,, and after reading the meter he approaches Connie with the words that no one wants to hear,,,,you are owing 12000 shillings and we are cutting off your supply,,,,,,,A SCREAM SHATTERES the scene as Connie explodes into a million pieces and rushes in doors crying JOHN JOHN,,,,,theyre going to cut us off
Well we get out our receipts and explain what had been going on and he went away reluctantly saying he would check this out but would be back if not satisfied as I write to, you we still have the benefit of power(as a footnote most of this story is true)
Before we left for Tanzania we kept ringing the school where Steven is attending asking when was the last day of term and they kept saying they would let us know,,,,,,I told them we were leaving the country and told them when we would return,,,,,,how hard is this???? So as we were on the road between Tanzania and Nairobi I get this call saying the school is closing and where are you???? At this point I just have to sigh,,,,,,I told them there was nothing I could do,,,,,,,,so part of last week also included taking Steven to an orphanage for the holidays.
Then if you remember Maurice with TB and osteomyelitis,,,,,last week he was ready for discharge and so we took care of that or at least that’s what we thought,,,,,,,they called me into the office and presented me with a bill for three and a half thousand dollars and we only had one
So I called Jared and he helped me make a settlement,,,,, a down payment of the 1k and agree dates for the rest to be paid,,,,,,on the day of his admission I emphasized to them that I wasn’t an NGO or a rich white man and to use generic drugs etc etc etc “whatsamansupposedtodo”?
HOME SWEET HOME
We arrived back home from Nairobi at about 10pm after an excruciating 12 hrs on a bus (which normally takes 6 hrs) this after many detours dropping people off and a slow driver,,,,, I think the driver had night blindness as he would slow to a crawling pace when we had oncoming vehicles approaching,,,,, but we made it anyway so God still has us on the payroll
The next day we wake up to find that our electricity and water has been cutoff and that next door had stuck a piece of wire across the fuse until we got back as they have an office out the back.
It is too painful and still so new for me to describe the first week back which was spent trying to reconnect services,,,,, so I will just hit the high spots
Our next door neighbours are a school for medicine and our landlords , he was approached by the water board saying that if he would slip them 10,000 shillings they would forget about the outside faucet that was unmetered, when refused they dug up the faucet and cut the supply
So we went to the water board who came up with a 65,000 shilling fine ($866),,,,,to which I replied,,,,are you kidding me?????,,,,,we then go to see the internal auditor,,, who reduces the fine to 14,000 shillings and gives me a form to sign confessing to stealing water ,,,,to which I replied,,,you guessed it ,,,,,,,well after a bit of haggling he crosses through the “confession” and we leave after paying the 14k which will be passed on to the owners of the house.
Now we tackle the Electricity board, to cut this story short they have been taking our money and crediting Tom, Dick and Harry’s account and so we entered a paper chase to discover and put right, hopefully once and for all,,,,,,,, can you imagine
But now picture this pastoral scene,,,,,,,,the sun is shining and the skies are blue,,,,,there’s just a hint of a breeze and Connie is hanging out some laundry,,,,,,,a smile mischievously plays upon her lips as innocent thoughts glide in and out of her mind,,,,,,,,,,but then a man comes from nowhere and makes his way to our electricity meter,,,,, and after reading the meter he approaches Connie with the words that no one wants to hear,,,,you are owing 12000 shillings and we are cutting off your supply,,,,,,,A SCREAM SHATTERES the scene as Connie explodes into a million pieces and rushes in doors crying JOHN JOHN,,,,,theyre going to cut us off
Well we get out our receipts and explain what had been going on and he went away reluctantly saying he would check this out but would be back if not satisfied as I write to, you we still have the benefit of power(as a footnote most of this story is true)
Before we left for Tanzania we kept ringing the school where Steven is attending asking when was the last day of term and they kept saying they would let us know,,,,,,I told them we were leaving the country and told them when we would return,,,,,,how hard is this???? So as we were on the road between Tanzania and Nairobi I get this call saying the school is closing and where are you???? At this point I just have to sigh,,,,,,I told them there was nothing I could do,,,,,,,,so part of last week also included taking Steven to an orphanage for the holidays.
Then if you remember Maurice with TB and osteomyelitis,,,,,last week he was ready for discharge and so we took care of that or at least that’s what we thought,,,,,,,they called me into the office and presented me with a bill for three and a half thousand dollars and we only had one
So I called Jared and he helped me make a settlement,,,,, a down payment of the 1k and agree dates for the rest to be paid,,,,,,on the day of his admission I emphasized to them that I wasn’t an NGO or a rich white man and to use generic drugs etc etc etc “whatsamansupposedtodo”?
HOME SWEET HOME
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Tanzania the story continues
Tanzania Revisited
Having spent many hours in front of a tv watching nature programs of every description on Africa I could not believe we were there right in the middle of it all,,,,,you could walk just five minutes out of camp and there you were right in the middle of nowhere,,,,,when you see all around you the most amazing things it gets you thinking about our God of creation. He who gave so much to detail and variety and providing all the evidence of creation to those who do not believe in Him, and leaving it up to them to make up their mind( not even to mention Jesus Christ)
There were times when I would go out by myself and sit and wait for the landscape to come alive and invariably it did ,,,,,,,when you are still then other things start to move, all kinds of creatures great and small. Way in the distance you will see a splotch of purple and as it nears it turns into a Maasai.
The Maasai have a god called engai and that he is a god just for the Maasai and then again not for all of the Maasai but an individuals clan within the tribe. Apparently the Maasai do not see themselves as a nation just clans and this maybe why they only have fives seats out of four hundred in parliament,,,,,,why would they vote for any one outside of their clan and why would anyone outside of their clan vote for them?????,,,,and yet they are the largest tribe in Tanzania. We went to two other villages to meet relatives of the Maasai who were working in Kenya,,,,,,they would sing and dance a welcome in the middle of the compound. The compounds are similar to each other but vary in condition of repair some are “house proud and some are not At one Maasai kraal we received gifts,,,,,bracelets and necklaces and Connie received a pair of beaded shoes no one had any idea what made Connie so special( except me)
There is a lot of romance surrounding the Maasai and there is a danger as a missionary or aid worker to fall for the romance when in reality they are ordinary people going about their own ordinary business
As is the case in all of Africa much of our time was spent sitting around waiting for someone to come before we could go onto the next thing,
When the day arrived for our safari we waited two and half hours for the official guide to come, they were bringing extra vehicles so that the whole team could go together eventually we decided to make a move and that one group would go ahead that day and the other would go the next day,,,,,,after we had been driving for sometime time three vehicles were coming towards us to pick us all up. That would make it three and half hours late by the time they reach camp and then four hours by the time we waited for them to catch us
Eventually we get to the crater and as we descend from the rim there in front of us, laid out in all its glory, an extinct volcano of massive proportions .The sky is filled with just enough cloud to give us perfect temperatures and shade from the sun and gradually different animals come into view,,,,,,the pictures speak for themselves, and so I won’t.
We leave the crater on a very scary mountain road which probably ages a vehicle by ten years as it labours up an incredible incline,,,,,,,, you look back over where you have come and pinch yourself and ask yourself,,,,, were you really there ?
Almost everywhere we traveled the roads were unbelievably bad and the thing that always surprised me was how few cars were broken down on the side of the road and those that were mainly had flats. One day we got stuck in the mud,,,,, what a fiasco,,,,, no amount of grunting would get, the thing to move even with help from the Maasai,,,,,, so we had to walk home,,, about 2 1/2 miles . As we did so the light was failing we had to cross two running rivers one we managed before dark the other after dark,,,,,,you are not supposed to roam after dark because of the wild animals eeeeeeeeeek! But we made home anyway,,,,,,, the next day there was evidence of elephants in the area namely a mountain of elephant poo and broken trees ,,,,this really is Africa
There were trucks wrecked and on their sides and these were due to overloading and drivers falling asleep,,,,,,,and other than that we left and arrived safely,,,,,thank you God
Two of our Americans were robbed in Tanzania, one as we were coming into Arusha and the other as we were leaving, a video camera and over a thousand dollars was taken in the two attacks and this always leaves a bad taste in your mouth
The mission was long and tiring and taught us all more about ourselves and each other than we ever expected. On our last night together in Nairobi ( a Maasai word meaning, a cold place) we had a kind of debriefing where some strong words and gentle words were used to express some very intimate thoughts and feelings about people and events throughout the trip
Connie and I were ready to be at home,,,,,,,(home Kisumu),,,,,,,,funny how home becomes a home don’t you think?:)
Connie adds:
Thanks for all the prayers we felt them as we traveled. John has covered our trip so well I will not add more.
Having spent many hours in front of a tv watching nature programs of every description on Africa I could not believe we were there right in the middle of it all,,,,,you could walk just five minutes out of camp and there you were right in the middle of nowhere,,,,,when you see all around you the most amazing things it gets you thinking about our God of creation. He who gave so much to detail and variety and providing all the evidence of creation to those who do not believe in Him, and leaving it up to them to make up their mind( not even to mention Jesus Christ)
There were times when I would go out by myself and sit and wait for the landscape to come alive and invariably it did ,,,,,,,when you are still then other things start to move, all kinds of creatures great and small. Way in the distance you will see a splotch of purple and as it nears it turns into a Maasai.
The Maasai have a god called engai and that he is a god just for the Maasai and then again not for all of the Maasai but an individuals clan within the tribe. Apparently the Maasai do not see themselves as a nation just clans and this maybe why they only have fives seats out of four hundred in parliament,,,,,,why would they vote for any one outside of their clan and why would anyone outside of their clan vote for them?????,,,,and yet they are the largest tribe in Tanzania. We went to two other villages to meet relatives of the Maasai who were working in Kenya,,,,,,they would sing and dance a welcome in the middle of the compound. The compounds are similar to each other but vary in condition of repair some are “house proud and some are not At one Maasai kraal we received gifts,,,,,bracelets and necklaces and Connie received a pair of beaded shoes no one had any idea what made Connie so special( except me)
There is a lot of romance surrounding the Maasai and there is a danger as a missionary or aid worker to fall for the romance when in reality they are ordinary people going about their own ordinary business
As is the case in all of Africa much of our time was spent sitting around waiting for someone to come before we could go onto the next thing,
When the day arrived for our safari we waited two and half hours for the official guide to come, they were bringing extra vehicles so that the whole team could go together eventually we decided to make a move and that one group would go ahead that day and the other would go the next day,,,,,,after we had been driving for sometime time three vehicles were coming towards us to pick us all up. That would make it three and half hours late by the time they reach camp and then four hours by the time we waited for them to catch us
Eventually we get to the crater and as we descend from the rim there in front of us, laid out in all its glory, an extinct volcano of massive proportions .The sky is filled with just enough cloud to give us perfect temperatures and shade from the sun and gradually different animals come into view,,,,,,the pictures speak for themselves, and so I won’t.
We leave the crater on a very scary mountain road which probably ages a vehicle by ten years as it labours up an incredible incline,,,,,,,, you look back over where you have come and pinch yourself and ask yourself,,,,, were you really there ?
Almost everywhere we traveled the roads were unbelievably bad and the thing that always surprised me was how few cars were broken down on the side of the road and those that were mainly had flats. One day we got stuck in the mud,,,,, what a fiasco,,,,, no amount of grunting would get, the thing to move even with help from the Maasai,,,,,, so we had to walk home,,, about 2 1/2 miles . As we did so the light was failing we had to cross two running rivers one we managed before dark the other after dark,,,,,,you are not supposed to roam after dark because of the wild animals eeeeeeeeeek! But we made home anyway,,,,,,, the next day there was evidence of elephants in the area namely a mountain of elephant poo and broken trees ,,,,this really is Africa
There were trucks wrecked and on their sides and these were due to overloading and drivers falling asleep,,,,,,,and other than that we left and arrived safely,,,,,thank you God
Two of our Americans were robbed in Tanzania, one as we were coming into Arusha and the other as we were leaving, a video camera and over a thousand dollars was taken in the two attacks and this always leaves a bad taste in your mouth
The mission was long and tiring and taught us all more about ourselves and each other than we ever expected. On our last night together in Nairobi ( a Maasai word meaning, a cold place) we had a kind of debriefing where some strong words and gentle words were used to express some very intimate thoughts and feelings about people and events throughout the trip
Connie and I were ready to be at home,,,,,,,(home Kisumu),,,,,,,,funny how home becomes a home don’t you think?:)
Connie adds:
Thanks for all the prayers we felt them as we traveled. John has covered our trip so well I will not add more.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Sunday Morning gathering for Clinic so we had a worship service first. Our group sang a few songs and then the Maasai started singing. John taught about Jesus and it was interpreted in Swahili and then to Maasai. We ended in prayer and song and then the work of the clinic began. Many came as far as 30 miles and were there before daybreak each morning. 
First installment from John on Tanzania
To Tanzania and back again
The trip to Tanzania was a medical mission specifically to the Maasai in the Ngorongoro game reserve and we tagged along to add the word of God. The mission was organized by Myrna Shelley an American from Kalamazoo, who is a retired nurse and who also has a non profit here in Kenya
The Ngorongoro is a three day journey along roads that are extremely hard upon your bum, we travel from Kisumu to Nairobi to Arusha and onto a village called Eseri and there we set up camp.
The mission was dogged by stumbling blocks of various sizes of frustrations to the individual and the group at almost every stage of the trip, but the mission went ahead in spite of everything that came our way.
The frustrations ranged from sabotage from disaffected individuals in Kenya to the incessancy of beaurocracy in Kenya and Tanzania. There were problems with logistics and supplies both food and medicines and free passage in and out of the reserve.
The medical team treated 420 patients in the time they were there and by far the majority suffered from some sort of urinary infection. This is not a surprise when you consider that female genital mutilation is alive and well and combined with polygamy the infection is riding on a merry go round. There were three patients who we saw needed immediate hospitalization and so we would transport them there.
The days of the clinic started at about 8 am and we closed the doors at about 3;30 as it sometimes took a couple of hours for the back log to clear as after the patients saw the clinical officer they would go to the lab and from there to the pharmacy,
Many more people turned up than we could ever see but we believe each day we attended to the most unwell The people started arriving at 6 am having walked many miles from their villages, the word got out pretty quick that the clinic would be free, other medical help available has a charge
Connie worked the pharmacy some and also directing patients to their next stage. I got to be the doorman most of the time as well as talking in waiting groups about God.
The Catholics have moved into the game reserve and have a hospital there along with a number of churches scattered throughout and by far the majority of Maasai describe themselves as catholic.
When I was talking to the Maasai I spoke through two translators, which made conversation very interesting,,,,, one time when I was talking to the chiefs and elders the chief asked what was my denomination and when I said none but God he called me a pagan,,,, and as I walked away after saying goodbye, he called out to me and through the two translators he said,” go find a denomination!” how funny is that?
The trip to Tanzania was a medical mission specifically to the Maasai in the Ngorongoro game reserve and we tagged along to add the word of God. The mission was organized by Myrna Shelley an American from Kalamazoo, who is a retired nurse and who also has a non profit here in Kenya
The Ngorongoro is a three day journey along roads that are extremely hard upon your bum, we travel from Kisumu to Nairobi to Arusha and onto a village called Eseri and there we set up camp.
The mission was dogged by stumbling blocks of various sizes of frustrations to the individual and the group at almost every stage of the trip, but the mission went ahead in spite of everything that came our way.
The frustrations ranged from sabotage from disaffected individuals in Kenya to the incessancy of beaurocracy in Kenya and Tanzania. There were problems with logistics and supplies both food and medicines and free passage in and out of the reserve.
The medical team treated 420 patients in the time they were there and by far the majority suffered from some sort of urinary infection. This is not a surprise when you consider that female genital mutilation is alive and well and combined with polygamy the infection is riding on a merry go round. There were three patients who we saw needed immediate hospitalization and so we would transport them there.
The days of the clinic started at about 8 am and we closed the doors at about 3;30 as it sometimes took a couple of hours for the back log to clear as after the patients saw the clinical officer they would go to the lab and from there to the pharmacy,
Many more people turned up than we could ever see but we believe each day we attended to the most unwell The people started arriving at 6 am having walked many miles from their villages, the word got out pretty quick that the clinic would be free, other medical help available has a charge
Connie worked the pharmacy some and also directing patients to their next stage. I got to be the doorman most of the time as well as talking in waiting groups about God.
The Catholics have moved into the game reserve and have a hospital there along with a number of churches scattered throughout and by far the majority of Maasai describe themselves as catholic.
When I was talking to the Maasai I spoke through two translators, which made conversation very interesting,,,,, one time when I was talking to the chiefs and elders the chief asked what was my denomination and when I said none but God he called me a pagan,,,, and as I walked away after saying goodbye, he called out to me and through the two translators he said,” go find a denomination!” how funny is that?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)