Wednesday 12/14/2011 - Njoro

Angie working with the kids in Njoro

Today was another wonderful day spent with the people of Njoro.  Our dinner last night was excellent at the conference center and we had another nice breakfast today.  The mornings here are beautiful! Sunny, but cool. The high elevation helps keep this area somewhat cool.  I got to talk to my wife which was very nice!  It was just nice to hear her voice.  The conversation was much shorter than I wanted, but calling from Kenya is extremely expensive!
We arrived again towards the end of the church service in Njoro.  The music they play is wonderful.  Very upbeat and spiritual and the people truly enjoy the worship service.

Man digging bathroom hole!

We learned how they build bathrooms here!  Of course, we knew the bathrooms out here are simply holes in the ground, but we had no idea how big and deep the holes are.  We saw a man digging a bathroom hole on the property adjacent to Pastor Hudson's property.  The pit is 9ft. by 3ft. and 45ft. deep!  When we saw the hole it was only 25ft. deep.  What makes this amazing is that the hole is dug by one man!  He uses a pick and a bucket with a rope.  He will shimmy down the pit, pick away at the clay, fill the bucket, shimmy up, pull up the bucket, dump the bucket, shimmy down, and finally repeat this process hundreds of times.  This job takes 2 weeks.  Once done, they will take the existing bathroom building and move it on top of the new hole.  The will fill the old hole (there will be about 4ft. left unused) with dirt.  What an amazing feat!

I got to spend quite a bit of time with the kids today playing all sorts of games.  They love to play follow the leader, simon says, and ring around the rosie.  I also learned they love to be chased, so I would walk for a bit, they would follow me, then I would turn and ROAR then chase them...this was their favorite game with me.  I enjoyed this alot!

Girl getting served some Kids Against Hunger Food!

Today the women prepared some of the Kids Against Hunger Food and served it to the children.  I was pleased to hear the women talk about how easy the food was to prepare and how much they liked it too!

After our time in Njoro today, we went to the market in Nakuru.  This was not as crazy as the Masai Market in Nairobi, but it was still pretty crazy.  There are no brokers in this market, but the booth dealers are very aggressive.  We were better prepared of course, because of our VAST experience as barterers in Nairobi.  This market was also smaller.  However, it was interesting to see other westerners there.  Nakuru is a safari resort area and thus typically has a fair number of Mzungu (white people) in town.  I was able to get a few things for my kids and picked up a Chelsea jersey for my son (only $1500 shillings! abt $18!).

We played some games this evening back at the conference center and were joined by Joseph, one of our security guards.  Tomorrow will be our last day in Njoro, then we leave for the Masai Mara for our safari.  I can't believe our time here is winding down!

Tuesday 12/13/11 - Njoro, Kenya

We were up today and off to the village of Njoro, outside of  Nakuru.  The conference center we stayed in was nice here too.   We had our team meeting outside in a gazebo.  It was such a beautiful morning!  After our team meeting, we had breakfast then headed off to Njoro.

Pastor Hudson Nyando

The countryside here is so different than in Nairobi.  The biggest different here is all the green.  Farms are everywhere here.  Njoro is a very poor village.  Again, there are shanties and the low stone buildings that serve as commercial buildings.   Here we saw bicycle taxis and motorcycle taxis.  There weren't too many bicycles in Nairobi, as one would have to have a death wish to ride a bicycle anywhere in Nairobi.

Just a few minutes oustide of Pastor Hudson's church we picked up additional security personnel.  We were joined by two Kenyan Military.  They were dressed in camos and were carrying machine guns.  (MP 5s for those gun enthusiasts out there.)  They also turned out to be really neat guys and great to get to know.

Our security (and Philip my driver on the right!)

Today we had our first day in Njoro, a village just outside Nakuru, Kenya.  On our way to Njoro we stopped to pickup two additional security personnel.  These two were in military uniforms and carried MP5's!

On arrival at Pastor Hudson's church we were ushered into his office for a welcoming by Pastor Hudson, then were led into the sanctuary where a service was winding down.  They start everyday with a church service there!  Once the service was over, introductions were made of our team.

We had a chance to go out and meet some of the kids in Pastor Hudson's church community then the soccer guys headed out to the Njoro Boy's High School soccer fields.  We had a girls team join us for the trip out to the fields.

When we got there, we noticed the fields had grass on them!  However the grass was very tall, since the school was not in session for the holiday.  The fields were also being used by a herd of cows!  The cows departed nicely, but left behind many presents for us to work around (and at times through).  This did not seem to bother the local kids at all.

We split the groups up into boys and girls.  TJ and I worked with the girls.  We ran several drills, played some games, and overall had a great workout.  The girls then wanted to scrimmage, so I refereed a game between the girls and a boys team younger than them.

After the game we headed back to the church for lunch.  Lunch was excellent!  The women here prepared an excellent meal for us!  After lunch we stayed and worked with the kids at Pastor Kennedy's church.  We ran more soccer activities for the kids and generally had a lot of fun.

Monday - 12/12/11

There I am about to be taken to school!

Today was our last day in Kariobangi.  This was a tough day.  I had grown attached to some of the kids and some of the adults!  The people of Kariobangi are amazing!  I look forward to coming back here some day.

We played some keep away (soccer) with the kids and then formed teams to play.  I refereed the game and was disappointed that I couldn't play more.We played some keep away (soccer) with the kids and then formed teams to play.  I refereed the game and was disappointed that I couldn't play
more.

Saying Good-Bye to Kariobangi

The club of angels came out and we had a chance to talk to them then played against them.  It would be terrific to have them come to the states so we could have them play our kids teams!  Of course, they would crush a lot of American 14 year old teams.  They are really good!The club of angels came out and we had a chance to talk to them then played against them.  It would be terrific to have them come to the states so we could have them play our kids teams!  Of course, they would crush a lot of American 14 year old teams.  They are really good!
We had yet another pleasant lunch served by the terrific women of KAG-Kariobangi, then it was off to Nakuru!

We stopped at a grocery store in a very nice part of Nairobi...it was great!  I got a donut (it was so yummy!) and a soda.  It really felt like any grocery store in the US.  Two different worlds in the same city.

On our way to Nakuru, we stopped at a scenic overlook to view the Great Rift Valley.  After being a geography teacher for years, it was so amazing to be standing right there looking at it for real and not in a textbook.

The 2 1/2 hour trip to Nakuru took 5 hours.  We arrived safely at the conference center in Nakuru, got our room assignments and had a late dinner.  I took some melatonin tonight for a good night's sleep.  

Day Three - 12/11/11 Sunday

Today was church day!  We attended an 8:30AM service with the local Assemblies of God Bishop and then went on to Pastor Kennedy's church for their later service.  The 8:30 service was nice.  The church was much larger and built better than other buildings we had been in, in the slums.  I was impressed with the sound system and the overall service.

A little girl came around and welcomed us all (probably 2 yrs old) then hopped up in my lap.  She cuddled with me for quite a while.  This was very cute!  This definitely made me miss my own children quite a bit.  Pastor Dean gave a great sermon and the overall spirit of the service was very moving.
When we arrived at Pastor Kennedy's church, the men were asked to follow Pastor Kennedy and our security team to another location.
We witnessed the birth of a brand new church! We were asked to attend, because the soccer team that won the youth division of the tournament would be there.  This was a way for Pastor Kennedy to get some people to attend the first service.  The boys were asked to bring parents and siblings if at all possible.

The "church" was in a shanty probably 10ft. by 15ft.  No lights, wobbly wooden benches, but most importantly it was a gathering of people to worship the Lord!  This was very moving to see.
The boys were very excited to receive their trophy and a rousing round of ole' ole' was sung!

We headed back to Pastor Kennedy's church where the women took the children into the children's church and the rest of us stayed behind for another Pastor Dean Sermon (he gave a different one so the GP folks wouldn't have to hear the same one twice...thanks P. Dean).  This service also provided us an opportunity to award the other soccer team with their trophy and 6 of the young men on the team stepped forward to accept Christ!  A great day indeed!
This service also was a chance for the wonderful people of Kariobangi to thank us for coming to their church and spend time with them.  We also thanked them for their amazing hospitality.  Each of us were given a beautiful piece of Kenyan artwork (made from banana peels)...they are AWESOME!  Then the church gave us six large wooden trucks made by the local men in Kariobangi for us to take home and share with the children of our churches.

After the service at Pastor Kennedy's church, we headed to another area in the slums.  We visited an orphanage and church where we were able to tour and then be entertained by the children with some songs and dancing!  Behind the orphanage was a landfill that was horrific.  The children often go through the landfill to find things that they can trade for food.  This was too much for me, I finally had my "moment."  It had been a long three days and seeing people out in the landfill and then thinking about these children picking through waste so they could eat was alot to take in.  Again, the 3D effect of Sight, Sound, and Smell had hit me in the face hard.

After the trip to the orphanage, we went to Pastor Kennedy's home for lunch.  This was a wonderful afternoon.  Emily, Pastor Kennedy's wife, made a wonderful meal for all of us!  After dinner, we went back to BTL and played some games.  We taught our security fella, Jackson, how to play Yahtzee!  That was fun.  After playing for about 45 minutes it was time for be.  Tomorrow will be our last day in Kariobangi.

12/10/2012 - Day Two in Kariobangi

Team USA (with some Kenyan help!)

One item leftover from the previous day.  We attempted to go to an elephant orphanage just 45 minutes away from Kariobangi.  3 hours later, we arrived right at closing.  The gift store opened for us to get some snacks and gifts, but then we headed back to BTL and a very late dinner.

- Saturday

Proof I played!!

Today was more soccer for the men, fitness for the women and pastor training for Pastor Dean.  We helped run the tournament going on at the church field and we played today!  I played for a short time after being highly encouraged by my USA teammates.  My hamstring was still very sensitive, so I subbed off after about 10 minutes of play.  I was proud of my USA teammates!  They played very well and even scored!  However, we were not victorious.  Although we were defeated on the pitch we proved too much for the Kenyans on the basketball court.  This is a relatively new game for Kenyans.

Getting the ball out of the puddle!

I spent more time with the children during the soccer game.  They found my arm hair to be very fascinating.  The little ones thought it was funny to pull my leg hair.  I didn't find this too funny, but they loved it.

We were fed again by the locals in the classroom at KAG Kariobangi!  Today we were more prepared for the portion sizes and were smarter about how we ate.

Drinking tea, and eating Chipata bread!

The chipata (spelling?) bread was incredible.  I was also very thankful that the women were willing to make black tea for some of us in lieu of the warm milk/tea.

















The Masai Market in Nairobi

Masai Market

TJ being harassed by a "broker."

After a day of running fitness, soccer, and other training, we were rewarded with a trip to the Masai Market in downtown Nairobi.  This was quite an experience.  The market is where craft booths are setup in a walled-in area.  As we approached the market we were swarmed by "brokers."  The brokers will lead you to believe that they are the ones that you shop with and pay when you are ready to go.  They will stick to you and block every attempt you make to deal directly with the booth owners.  Fortunately we had locals and armed security with us that made the shopping experience a little more manageable.  The bartering is kind of fun, but the "in your face" style of the brokers is not fun.  We went through in small groups and the brokers would do everything to split our group up and get us away from our locals to try and deal with us by ourselves.  I got a couple of good deals and then was impressed by Pam M and her dealings with the broker that followed her ruthlessly.  TJ did a great job too!  However, supposedly Angie was supposed to be in our group and we never knew it and never saw her as she was swallowed up by a broker upon entering the market.

12/9/2012 Day 1 in Africa

We woke up at 7:45AM this morning to the sound of an African Horned Devil named Pastor Dean.  He woke us up every morning in a very good mood and ready to go.  I was very impressed by his discipline to get up every morning and exercise, read, etc.  It has motivated me to consider it...hmmm...well we'll see.
We had a team meeting every morning.  This was a nice time to discuss the plans for the day, our observations, our prayer concerns, etc.  This morning we talked about Matthew 5 and being a positive Christian Role Model. This would be important as we were heading into the slums of Nairobi for day 1 and we didn't know what to expect.  After prayer we headed to breakfast.

I was pleasantly surprised to find breakfast to be nice.  The conference center where we stayed, BTL, is used to accommodating westerners.  They had an omelet making guy every morning!  I was not happy with the coffee, so I switched to tea.  Little did I know that this would become such a small thing to be concerned about.  

After breakfast we headed to Pastor Kennedy's church in Kariobangi, one of the slums of Nairobi.  The drive in was an eye opener for sure.  First the driving in Kenya should be made into a video game.  There are no lines of the roads, there are speed bumps everywhere (to regulate speed), and people walk along every road.

I can't begin to explain the conditions in Kariobangi.  To say they are awful would be an understatement.  I have seen many pictures from other groups, tv commercials for non-profits, and have read about these places.  When you get to go to these places you get the 3D effect.  Sight, Smell, Sounds....Above ground sewers, trash heaps everywhere, unspeakable poverty and hopelessness.  It makes one wonder "Where is God"?  I believe we were there to share a bit of "Heaven on Earth" with these amazing people who live in Hell on Earth.

The women in the sanctuary doing fitness!

The soccer pitch in Kariobangi!

Upon arrival at KAG-Kariobangi (Pastor Kennedy's Church) we went into the sanctuary and had introductions.  We were then split into groups based on our activities to begin the day.  The women stayed in the sanctuary to conduct fitness classes, Pastor Dean went to work with a group of young men on basketball, and Aaron, TJ, Jeremy, and I went to work with the youth on soccer.  The soccer pitch was quite a place.  Not a blade of grass to be found on it.  It was very uneven ground, lots of exposed rock, broken glass, nails, and all sorts of other items were scattered everywhere.  There was also a large puddle on the field.  The kids would play in it, relieve themselves in it, etc.  However, it did not deter play.  At one point a local goat herder led a herd of goats across the pitch during a game.  We didn't stop play at all.

The other field...notice the bare-feet and slant on the field!

Aaron Litke and I stayed at this pitch while Jeremy and TJ went to the other "pitch."




We had quite a few amazing experiences that day.  Handing out candy and stickers to the kids became quite a challenge at times.  The kids are quite aggressive.  It was unbelievable how fast the kids could mob us for even some stickers.  I learned that you have to be careful and watch out for some of the smaller children.

We had a long day in Kariobangi.  Refereeing was fun and lunch was nicely presented to us in one of the classrooms.  Jeremy and I learned that one must clean their plates in Kenya before they will take them from you.  The other lesson was to ask for small portions first, then ask for more if you are still hungry.  I went on to clean my plate that first day and was glad I did.  We had rice and meat in kind of a stew.  It was essentially the same lunch everyday.

Returning to BTL (the conference center) each night was an oasis in a rough land.  My room was nice and I was able to take a shower.  The water turned red from the clay dust all over me.

Right before taking some melatonin and writing in my journal I thanked God for a safe day and prayed for all my new Kenyan friends and for my family back home that I missed terribly.

12/8/2011 - Arrival

Our flights from Detroit-Amsterdam-Nairobi were nice.  I sat next to some nice people.  I sat next to a Kenyan  girl who is studying in America on the way to Nairobi.  She gave me lots of good advice.

Arrival in Nairobi was quite a cultural shock.  General conditions in the airport were fine, but certainly not up to what I would consider western standards.  Our flight from Amsterdam was FULL (747).  That meant the airport was a bit chaotic on our arrival.  There were hundreds of people there to welcome family and friends coming in for the holidays.

Passport/Visa/Baggage took 3 hours!  It was nice to be received by Pastor Kennedy and a team from Nairobi.  We had two vans, 3 security guards and new friends!

After introductions and a briefing by Pastor Dean we loaded into two vans.  I volunteered to get into the luggage van alone with a few of our hosts.  We broke down about 10 minutes out of the airport, but after a few minutes of tweaking with the engine, we were on our way again.  The trip to the conference center where we were staying took a while, since we got lost a few times.  The roads in Nairobi are not always connected, paved, etc.  Driving at night is very difficult since there aren't lights everywhere and I never really saw any road signs.

We finally found BTL and they waited up for us and had some food for us.  We got our room assignments, found our rooms and I got to talk to Stacy for a minute, which was nice.  I finally hit my bed around 2:30AM Kenya time.  This will be a short night.

Journal-After the Fact

I will be putting my written journal entries here.  I kept a written journal in Africa since I took NO electronic devices with me.  It was strange to not be connected, but I was never far from connectivity with a few members of our group having technology with them.

This experience was a life-changer. I had an amazing time and look forward to returning to Kenya again!  I hope you enjoy my entries and pictures.  (Thanks to Edward Zlaty for taking so many amazing pictures for us on this trip!)