A tearful goodby

Well, I got two pieces of sad information this weekend. Well, I knew it was coming. One of the hard things about working with young people here is that they are often uprooted to go to university or a job. Two of my key players are leaving next week. Both are going to universities in Nairobi. I really am happy for them, but it I’m sorry to see them go.

I remember Richards first performance. He had a mic, but the audience still couldn’t hear a word he said. Over the last year he has been a wiseman, an angel, Jesus, a prisoner, a husband, an executive, a drunkard, an antiques buyer, and with each role he has gotten better and better. The last skit we did he was the only character, the entire thing was ad lib and he was absolutely brilliant. I laughed, I cried, it moved me, Bob. I also discovered some writing talent in Richard. He has that ability that I so completely lack to get a good point into a ten-minute script. Richard is faithful. There were a number of times when he and I would be the only two people who showed up to drama practice. We would keep working and encouraging each other. He is a good friend. He will be greatly missed.

And then there’s Esther. She is grace in a hundred-pound package. I was once accused of favoring her over the other dancers. It’s true. She does everything with excellence. Which is why she is off to college at the age of 16 having achieve higher scores in high school than even her brothers (who are now doctors). I am proud of her. She also has improved a lot through the year. She is gutsy, and would often end up doing the “flying” moves and has suffered a couple minor injuries through the years. She has grown in confidence on stage and in her portrayal of worship. She brings tears to my eyes when she dances. I was crying today when I was trying to introduce the last dance she did with us. We did creation calls, one of our favorites… Ester has a couple solo parts and a tricky lift which she did beautifully. As usual, she is going out in style

Well, I hope you will take this sentimental post as a reminder to appreciate those around you. Far too often we wait until departure looms to really reflect on how important our friends are to us - or what life will be like without them.

Thank you si....ah, ma'am

I saw something new today. A woman tout. A tout is to a matatu what a conducter is to a bus. So they ride the running board, calling out the matatus stops. They signal the driver to stop and go and are always on the lookout for potential passengers. Its a tough job and the guys who have been at it for awhile are ripped from pulling themselves in the moving mat multiple times a day. This gal was one of the best. She would jump in front of the other touts and flash a winning smile to potential customers, getting their ticket. She was this beautiful blend of charm and toughness and she was able to keep up with the big boys. Score one for womens lib...

Escorts

So lately I've been doing a lot of walking. With gas prices at 6 dollars to the gallon, it costs way less to use public transportation then to start up the car for just me to drive to the church. Another advantage of public transportation is the journey is broken up into three lengths. So it is pretty motivating to think that if I just leave the house 10 minutes earlier I can walk the first length (to town) then board a mat to kibuye. I have even walked all the way when I am not particularly pressed for time (it takes about an hour).

We had a Brit over for dinner Tuesday night who asked if it was annoying having everyone talk to me along the way. Not really. I mean, proportionately, there is about the same percentage of people who are friendly and curious here as there are in the States. In Monroe if I walk to church there might be two strangers who give me a friendly hello, but I only pass ten the entire time. Here the ratio is about the same - two for every ten. The difference is that every ten feet of sidewalk has ten people on it.

Oh, but there are the occasional escorts... guys who figure since they are walking the same direction as you they would make a good walking companion. I don't mind it too much. I keep a friendly distance and make light conversation. Once I walked with a maasai (in his full regalia) for quite a ways. He didn't understand a word of English, so that was good language practice. Usually after I politely decline to give them my number they will part ways.

Actually, three times this week one or more of the youth from the church walked with me part of the way. It makes for good relational building.

Do I LOOK Like I'm in Charge

I don’t know how many can relate to this but do you ever find yourself shouldering responsibility you didn’t apply for? I find with my mom gone the last few weeks I am being conscripted for more than I asked for. I am almost afraid to walk by the office, so often I have and there is someone sitting there looking a little lost. “Can I help you?” (maybe I should stop being so helpful) “Yes, I was told to wait for Cheri.” Last time I checked I have no authority to hire anyone so I don’t know why I’m getting all the applicants, the secretary can accept applications, but I guess the desperate ones want to see someone.

It seems like if Mr. Ongondo (the headmaster of primary and really the in-charge guy) is not looking for me Pastor Charles is. And why do the teachers need to ask me if they are going? I’m not the head teacher. We do have a head teacher on campus who is usually there but he seems to be absent at the most critical moments. I guess the weird thing is I don’t actually make any major decisions. I just get informed about the whole processes of everything and put my two cents in. Sometimes not even that. Anyway, I think I’ll try to stay home most of the day tomorrow.

New pics!

I have some new and have updated some old pictures on my picasa site. check out the link to the right.

A pile of .....

My dad was at one of our rural churches recently. The pastor there was so glad my dad (the regional overseer) was there because he needed help in dealing with an issue that was threatening to split the church. It seems an issue had arisen between one of the old polygamists in the church and the pastor’s mother. The pastor’s mother and a few other ladies were re-plastering the mud walls of the church. Part of the plaster recipe includes some cow manure to make it stick. Well the ladies had gotten the cow manure for the plaster from a friend down the road rather than going to the polygamist for his manure. Mind you, this is a major offence that has grown until it threatened to split the small congregation.
Some of you know that look my dad gets. A little twinkle in his eye, a tiny smirk under the beard. Finally he asked: “now, let me get this straight, this is all about cow manure?” The irony hit everyone in the meeting…except the polygamist. Makes you wonder how many church splits and relational conflict really boils down to a load of c__p.

Blackout

I woke up in the night…as usual, I thought. A couple hours of restlessness in this seemingly incurable insomnia. The past week had taught me that nothing seemed to help. I had some great prayer times, stretch, grade papers, read my bible, I always was up for at least an hour. But that night seemed different. My stomach felt heavy. Maybe something I ate… the feeling got worse. Finally it culminated with a face to face encounter with the porcelain. Yech. Well, glad that’s over with, get some sleep. I had a meeting in the morning. After my meeting I had to run downtown and get some laminating done at the mall. A half hours wait? I felt so tired, and my stomach was starting to hurt again. Might as well order a water at the cafe and get some grading done… I felt increasingly worse. Even the water was upsetting my stomach. I found it harder and harder to think and finally passed out. Literally. On coming to, I had a very concerned waitress hovering over me…yes, I’m sick, I…excuse me… I had never used the bathroom at the mall before, but on entering it on this occasion I decided it was too foul to even throw up in…. I swallowed it and headed back to my table, paid for the water…no, I don’t need to go to the chemist for drugs, I need to go home and sleep. Good, my half hour is up…The office store wasn’t done, but they offered me a chair while I waited. Then I felt it again… ok, just let me take a step outside…deep breaths…that’s better…back in now…why is the floor moving? The store manager caught me and insisted I call someone to drive me home. Steph came right away. I never did find out what was wrong with me. I was running a temp, but slept really well that afternoon and every night since. I took it easy the next day and was right as rain. I can only guess I had some bug.

I’m thinking of having a revolving door installed…

Exams finished yesterday morning. The teachers all had half hour slots scheduled with their classes to give back the exams and hand out holiday work. But most teachers are more focused on meeting their deadline for getting their reports in, so they get the exams back in between the tests if they can or in a ten minute period of time. So the kids are left pretty willy-nilly (they haven’t invented playground monitors here yet). Of course there is a big group who take to the field and arrange themselves into volley-ball, basket-ball, soccer and badminton teams. There are a few who sit on the benches and chat or stare at their feet and then there are the rest who make their way to my office in trickles or torrents.

Many want to listen to my music, some want to chill and chat. Often they have a problem to solve (“can you answer this biology/math/chemistry question, I can’t find/don’t understand the teacher?”) or a theological issue that’s been burning on their minds (“what is the difference between the mind, the soul, and the spirit?”) or they have a need to be met (three kids burned their lips in chemistry and I happened to have some sunblock chapstick). My dear friend Harriet (teacher in primary) stopped by for an hour. We work on the same compound every day, but only get one on one once a month or so! And mom wonders why I have to bring work home at night.