Mudding Mamas

Our recent trip to Kenya provided me with one of my BEST , authentic village days ever!  We had the privilege and joy of building a mud hut for a woman and her family.  Prior to our going, we had collected funds from USA friends and the money was sent ahead so an appropriate, needy family could be chosen.  This family was a woman and her three kids; she had been widowed just a year ago, and left with no means of income.




She and the kids had been living in the cook hut of her husbands' family, and these folks generously  gave her the gift of of land to build on.

She had personally dug out the flat spot for a floor from the steep  hillside around it, and a friend from the community had erected the stick structure walls and attached the precious metal roof prior to our arrival.

 Five of us Americans (Mzungus) joined a dozen African women to do the next phase which was MUDDING or SMEARING the hut.  Using just the clay dirt around us and added water, we mixed and mashed the two together with our feet---great fun , and a  gooey sensation I haven't felt since childhood!

Next comes scooping up the sloppy, red mud with our hands--- cramming it into the sticks,starting at the bottom and going up on both inside and outside of wall. 

Yes--- we were tempted to have a good ol' Mud Fight!

The builders cleverly built a bed INSIDE of the house, before it was closed in , as it would not fit through the door once mudded.  The bed covered about 1/3 of this house --- which would actually all fit inside of one American bedroom!

 About 4 hours (and lots of mud and dirt later) we had ourselves a house!  After cleaning up as best we could with buckets of river water, we walked to the Mother-in -laws nearby hut to enjoy our thank you gift--- a yummy meal of potatoes, rice and beans that had been prepared for us!

At the end of the day there was one very grateful Mama and her family!  Oh I wish everybody could enjoy this sense of contentment, thankfulness anad security --all for $250 dollars and a day's labor by friends!  I wish that I could always use the simple things in life like dirt, water, sticks, feet,  and sweat to let people know that they have a Father who loves and cares for them!

Tea With Thomas

Last year I taught English to Thomas, one of the gardeners around Tenwek. He is a delightful 24 year old who has graduated from high school in Kenya, and is now attending computer school about 3 hours away.  He has just come back to Tenwek area for a month long school break, so we have reconnected again.

Thomas invited Read and I to his family home for tea (chai).  It was an offer we couldn't refuse--- even if the skies were threatening rain.  We gathered umbrellas, jackets, and a kilo of sugar to give and headed off to meet him. Thirty minutes into the walk the skies opened up in a  torrential Kenyan downpour; we huddled in an open air school building along with other travelers until it passed.  Another 30 minutes walk and we arrived at his home.

Thomas is second from right..... mama on left

Back "home" again at Tenwek

We've been in Kenya for 2 weeks.....and are comfortably reunited with friends (both missonaries and nationals) at Tenwek hospital.  We are living very near the equator, so 12 hours of both dark and light.  We are located about 4 hours west of Nairobi in a hilly area that is beautifully dotted with tea plantations.

View from an orphanage about 10km away

This past weekend was Easter weekend, and it is so meaningful to be away from all the bunnies, baskets, and fancy dresses..... On Maundy Thursday we gathered to re-tell the story of Jesus washing the disciples feet and His command for servanthood to our "brothers" , followed by our own footwashing ceremony.  Good Friday was a solemn service which ended in darkness and silence as we all left our gathering and returned to our homes.  My favorite.... Easter sunrise service in my neighbor's front yard..... the roosters were crowing, the birds flying around in the darkness then the dawn.  

We had a stark wooden cross as our reminder of the day, and we had  been instructed to bring a flower  to the service from your yard or the roadside.
At the end of the service, one by one we each attached our small floral  contribution to the wooden cross.  It was instantly transformed from  wooden sticks into a vibrant, colorful , fragrant thing of beauty.  I was reminded that this is really what the "Body of Christ" is all about too.  Each of us brings who we are , and what we have to the table-- be it our time, talents, resources, energy, etc.  Each of those things is rather insignificant on its' own, but when we put ALL of our stuff together, we can be a Beautiful, Fragrant, Vibrant witness of Christ's love to our world.

Milk, Milk, Udderly Magical Milk

Sharing one of our Kenya mornings with you from our apt. at Tenwek hospital, Bomet, Kenya.

MOOOOOO  juice....... a vital part of daily Chai/tea in Kenya.  Milk is mixed about 1/2 and 1/2 with strong local tea  and about 3 TBS sugar/cup........It isconsumed by all as "breakfast" and again at 10:30 am.  Life screeches to a halt for all to partake.  Owning a cow (or many) is vital to a family's health and wealth.

EVERY  day we saw a "parade" of folks walking to the hospital
past our apt at about 7:30am......carrying old plastic jugs.  After
following behind the jug carriers I learned that they sell to the
hospital daily as the suppliers of the hospital's milk for patients
and staff.  About 35 "vendors/ local farmers bring in their gallon jugs
each day .

The milk gets "sold" thru a window at hospital cafeteria,and
the vendors are paid once/month for their milk.

Next we have Kenyya's version of pasteurization--- all milk is heated to
boiling for some minutes, then set in pans to cool in the window until needed
later in the day.  The hospital kitchen has no refrigeration, thus the daily Milk Runs.