Miller Family Kisumu, Kenya: A Farwell, An African Feast, An Charcoal Pills!!

Nandi Hills

(Saturday March 26th)

OH! Yes! Saturday mornings sleeping later, don't they just make the week worth it!? (for people that enjoy sleeping in at least!) by around 11 a.m. Dad was off with Tommy once again, this time for a funeral, it was an orphan girl that a member from our church took in an cared for. (I am not sure what caused her death, as she was a young girl.) seems like there are funerals happening all the time! life expectancy is only between 45-50 for most!

The Twins did odd jobs around the compound here, ran errands, washed off the vehicle, etc. I think they really miss having a job were they have their daily routine, of building barns, an everything is predictable, as far as what they will be doing the next day, but that is just another one of those changes they are struggling through, because here in Kenya, things move at a considerable slower pace, an there is always time to chat with your neighbor, "why hurry when you have all day!" seems to be most peoples motto!

The chiefs, deciding on a plan of action.

our family was challenged the other evening when a random native stopped us as we were "hurrying" through Kisumu town, an asked us, "why are you always in a rush?! you no have time to talk to us anymore? you like Kenyans?! eh? we think we have offended you, cuz you no more have time to stop an say, how is life?" so we stopped beside the road an talked, an dad finally even turned off the engine, an we assured the man that we do love the Kenyans, an that we want to learn from them to take time to ask, How is the family? an to take time to listen. he seemed pleased that we saw what he was trying to tell us. who is teaching who?! yep, you guessed it.

back to our day Saturday, mom was doing lots of cleaning, seems with the windows an doors open all the time, dust is everywhere, she also did cooking for the weekend, was good to have her home today!

I worked quite a while on the last blog post, an then helped a little with the cleaning as well.

Sakuma-wiki greens

Dad came home late in the afternoon, an we packed up supper an all hopped into our little rattle trap vehicle an went on a evening drive, we love just driving through Kisumu an seeing all the sights! I am sure eventually we wont find it quite as entertaining driving through Kisumu, hanging out the windows, eyes as big as dinner plates! but for now, that is what we enjoy doing! :)

We fueled up the vehicle, an got home around 7:30 p.m. and had some great family time! something we hadn't been doing much with Dad gone so much of the time with Tommy, we all just sat around sharing struggles, acknowledging fears, confessing wrongs, an encouraging each other to not give up! we all felt encouraged an refreshed after that! praise God for a family alter!

(Sunday March 27th)

Going through the line, to shake hands with the "pasta"

Today was a big day for our family, it was our second Sunday in Kenya, an Tommy's family left for another church,(all except Cedric, who is in instruction class.) to aid in the commissioning of Wayne Yoder as Bishop, of one of the AMA churches in Kenya here. So that meant our family an Cedric were the only white people in the church on Sunday, the attendance was around 145-148.

We had a good service, a local native member of the church taught instruction class, our whole family went early to be there for instruction class, we left for church around 8:00 since church is about a 50 min. drive from the compound.

A native Pastor from another AMA church then brought us the message, since we still don't have any local native pastors from our church in Nykoko. Dad was called on for an opening prayer, but was thankful for the opportunity to just sit back an observe how its done! one problem with a native pastor preaching, an a native interpreting, is that sometimes you don't understand either of them, even though one is supposedly talking English.

Dad & Mom an Cheryl

I was reminded on Sunday, that we laugh at things the Lou people do, but they also have their fair share of snickering at these Americans trying to blend into their culture. I was sitting out side in my Sunday school class of young girls between 12-18 trying to understand what was being said, since I was the only white person in the class, when I look over toward the out houses, an I see my own dear father come striding out of the ladies restroom, head held high, walking with confidence, toward the five gallon bucket with a faucet on the bottom, to wash his hands, I see the ladies peering in that direction as well, an then try to hide their snickering faces from me! I just laughed with them, thinking, oh! dear people! this is only the beginning, of many times you will laugh at what my Daddy, an my family will mess up on!!

They announced that on Wednesday there will be a Farwell for Tommy's family at the church, with a big African feast, an a slide show of pictures featuring the last 10-11 years that Tommy's have been here at Nykoko, so that should be an interesting day!

We got home from church around 2p.m. we ate a quick lunch, an all retired to our naps.

Sunday evening, was unit hymn singing, at Wayne Yoders, the youth sang several songs, an then they had Wayne Yoders bishop from Wytheville, Virginia share in a short meditation, on peace an trusting in God. what healing balm....we soaked up the words, from our own language, an appreciated the timely message about Gods promised peace, an rest, to those who are walking in the Lords ways.

an accident, looked like the brakes gave out!

They then proceeded with a impromptu men's arrangement, singing one song in English, an one in Swahili, they did very well.

Mark Beachy an his wife, an son Micah joined our hymn singing as well.

We then had a carry-in supper together, enjoying good fellowship.

It was good to not just sit at home, an miss people from the states on a Sunday evening, was good to be with the dear people from here, an learn to know them better.

(Monday March 28th)

Monday was a busy day...Starting with our motion detector alarms going off at 5:45 a.m. we again couldn't see anyone, an figured it was an animal of some kind, since it was getting daylight already an surely no robbers would be coming at that hour of the morning.

so dad left soon after for the Monday morning pastors meeting, this meeting, I understood, was not just the American missionaries, but also the native pastors as well! it was a big group, Dad reported lots of jabbering in Luo, an then they would all bust out in laughter, an he was wishing he knew more Luo right then, so he could understand them!

I wasn't able to sleep either after the alarms went off, so I got up soon after, an worked on cutting up fruit, pineapple, banana an mangos to serve at the school at 8:30.

The school children, along with, their teachers, Carolyn Rhodes, an Charity Yoder, went on a early morning boat ride, they left around 6:30 a.m. So they wanted Stacey, Janette an I to serve them breakfast upon their return, they have quite the energetic bunch, I think their are between 10-15 students, they reported seeing hippos, an lots of various kinds of fish an birds, I think they really enjoyed it a lot! they were excited as they were only having school till lunch time after breakfast.

Our Church people

I came home hoping I could get a little nap before the swimming party that was planned at 11a.m. but the chickens, in the chicken pen right outside my window, were cackling, an clucking, an raising such a fuss an celebration, over another egg being laid, that I hardly slept! oh! bother!

after that I really wanted to have a chicken butchering, but there was a swimming planned at 11, so the ladies, an their young children, an all us single girls went swimming, with the school teachers an school girls joining us after lunch.

When we got there, there was hardly anyone in the pool, (We went to this hotel were you could pay several shillings to swim.) about 30 min. later a whole school bus full of children comes flocking in there, an needless to say our peace an tranquility was very much disturbed! but, I guess we were not entitled to have the pool to ourselves anyway so....

An the pool? it was in a rather disheartening state of being...I suppose it was nice for Kenya, but instead of blue water, or at the least clear water, it was a nice emerald green, an the steps going into the water, an the hand rails along the side were all rusty! but, it was nice to cool off none the less!!

we got back to the compound around 3:30, I quickly did my laundry yet, an got ready to go to Marlins for supper at 6:30, finally the rest of our family left for Marlins as Dad was still at the pastors meeting, he came straight to Marlins soon after, we had a good evening, with Marlins family, Dean an Barbra Jean, along with Lyndale Zimmerman as he was visiting, an plans to fly home on Tuesday.

After much story telling, an laughter, we headed home around 9:30

We actually had a good uninterrupted night of rest! Praise God!

(Tuesday March 29th)

Dad an Daniel

Well, Charcoal Pills seem to be a staple part of our morning vitamin routine these days! but praise God we haven't gotten too sick otherwise!

The twins went to work at the weld shop this morning again.

Dad left with Tommy to see about buying a laptop to replace the stolen one, the trip ended up being a smashing success, an Dad returned home with a HP windows 10 laptop in tow, my guess is, that he will most likely be storing the laptop between the mattress and the bed springs at night, from now on!!

I did some painting outside of the guest house, the majority of the painting was done, but whoever had done the painting was either very much in a hurry, or possibly allergic to sunburn, because they had done a very terrible, an sloppy job, so I got to touch up the run marks, an missed spots along the wall of the backside of the guest house, I found myself in some tall weeds, brush, trash, an long pipes of some kind, I kept turning around half expecting to see a snake ready to strike at me, but other then mosquitoes trying to eat me up, I made it out alive!

I then came home an did some emailing, an caught up on replying to emails, I then went to town with dad to see about buying a camera, an after some searching we found a fairly cheap little thing, just to take pictures for the blog.

we then drove through town abit, (of course, our favorite thing to do!;) an got some passion fruit "slushies" except the slush part was nonexistent, ice, or something cold to drink, is rare in Kenya, I take it.

Beef!

while we were driving around, Dad proceeded to tell me a story of something that had happened to him earlier that day, he said he was in the cruzer, driving along the road, an here a mob of people come storming toward his vehicle, before he knew what happened they were all around him, he said they were protesting about something or other, a couple hundred people was his estimated guess, they were waving signs, yelling in comprehendible things, waving palm branches, an storming all around his vehicle! Dad said, that he remembered that Tommy had told him that that is something that sometimes happens, an to just roll up your windows an smile, an so that is what he did, till the crowds pass on by him!

we then got home around 4:30 an I did some ironing, an then we had supper, after supper I finished ironing an we all just lazied around home that evening.

(Wednesday March 30th)

We all got up around 7:30 an got ready to go spend the day with the church at Nykoko, for Tommy's farewell.

Tommy an Margi had a big day planned, as a farewell for their family as they are terminating in several weeks.

It was quite a day, with lots of experiences that I never thought I would get to experience!

first thing that I get their all the cooks wanted to greet me, bless their hearts, their sweaty faces, smacking both sides of my face in the traditional greeting! I couldn't help but wipe my face off with my cape afterwards!

Looking at slides...

First they had a "yard sale", of sorts, with all the things Tommy's had accumulated over the past 10-11 years they have been in Kenya.

so as everyone came into the church they got a number on their hands, an once everyone was seated, Tommy shared in a short devotional, after the devotional, Tommy painstakingly explained that the items at the back of the church were for them, an that they could pick two from the right side of the church building, an then show either Charity, or myself, those two items an we would give them a bag, then they could get 4 items from the other side, an then show Steve their bags an he would check to see if they had 6 items in all, also there was a little basket if they wanted to give a donation, which would then go to the church alms, (donations is something totally foreign to the Kenyans.) after explaining the process several times, an stressing that there should be no bickering an fighting over items, an no fussing over if someone got something better then you did, he dismissed groups 1-5 so that is what the number on their hands were for. an then groups 6-10 an so on...but soon I could tell they were no longer coming by 5's!! an Tommy had to make some sit back down until their turn. but a little later, there was a whole crowd again, picking through things.

Well, for those of you who know how countries like Africa operate you will know this whole thing was a prime stage for a stampede! an as a Mennonite girl, fresh from America, I thought we had a stampede, but apparently not as Tommy thanked them afterwards for the orderliness, so must be it went ok in their opinion.

As far as my vantage point of the story?! well, I was standing their waiting for the first individual to bring me two things to put in the bag, so I could send them over to the other side, where they would proceed to pick out four things on that side of the building.

I had just minutes before had a crash course with Margi an Charity, how to say. "only two" in Luo, seemingly the key words here at this point of the day!

Serving lunch at the farewell

The crowd kept pushing up toward Charity an I, an we kept edging further an further backwards! "standing your ground" took on a whole new meaning to me, as both my sandaled feet were firmly planted on the dirt floor of that church. they came with armloads of items, never-mind we just had a session for a very long period of time, about only picking out two things! they had bunches of things! then I stood there saying "only two" over an over, an some would even try to just plow their way through with arm loads of stuff! the one lady stood there with 5-6 items looking innocent, an like she has no clue what I was saying, even though I was saying, "only two" in her own native tongue!

another lady starts stuffing things into a bag she found, an at that point there were people all over the place, if someone was in my face, I would step back, an bump into people behind me! finally when they came to get their bag I would just keep repeating "only two" an so they would spent time deliberating over which 2 of the 6 items they wanted. some would come up with their arm load of things looking for a bag, an after I repeated "only two" in Luo 4-5 times, it would all of a sudden click, an they would say, Ah! ok! an start sorting out things till they had two items! an so it went for a good hour! I felt like Zacchaeus must have felt, short little me, an people babbling Luo right into my face, an I back up a little to escape, an bump into people milling an bumping into me from behind! an hardly being able to see out over the crowds milling around me!

after much efforts to make sure everything was fair, an everyone had went through, ( some even giving a little donation, bless their hearts!) Tommy announced that first come, first serve, they could clean up the rest of the items, Wow! I've never seen things disappear so fast! within a matter of seconds, all things were extinct!!

lunch! we all ate with our hands.

After that we had an African feast of Ugali, Sukuma-wiki, beef, an chicken, an fruit punch, there was just a plastic plate an a cup, we ate with our hands, an after lunch with tubs full of plates an cups we went to the well pump, to wash the dishes, halfway through we stopped to go see the slides Tommy was showing, an then after that finished up the dish washing.

they had to put up black plastic all around the church to darken it for the slides, but it also had an oven like atmosphere, it got so very warm in there till we were done.

me with this little honey!

after that. Tommy, Margi, Charity an I all handed out pens, gum, suckers, for everyone, an shawls for the ladies, as they passed through the door way, an so ended a long, hot, dusty,memorable day!

This is Luke an Lois, he is a member in the church, his wife is not, he bikes 60 miles every Saturday, to be at church on Sunday!

handing out 25 Bible stories

our family all piled into our vehicle, an headed out the dirt roads to the main hwy, meeting up with dump trucks who would pass us, sending clouds of dust into our open windows, when you have to choose over having a breeze cool you off, or a cloud of dust every now an then, you usually leave the windows open, an just brace yourself for the dust!

Stanley, Couldn't be happier!

we went over a bridge where, people were, taking baths, doing laundry, an swimming all in the same stretch of river! amazing! we got home around 4:30 exhausted, took short naps, made supper, an tumbled into our beds!

(Thursday March 31st)

Dad was off this morning with Tommy again, they were visiting all the baptismal applicants before baptism. they also visited several other members, who were facing various issues.

sometimes I wish I would get to go along with dad so I could document his journeys out in "real life" Kenya, but then my blog would just get that much longer, an more boring, so breath a sigh of relief!!!

Harvesting tea!

mom was around home here cooking an doing laundry, an cleaning, she also gave some of the men folk hair cuts. I baked some banana bread, took some to the guard shack by the gate, for the guards, an froze the rest, then I made a drink from mango, pineapple, an passion fruit for the boys in the weld shop, an for the sewing ladies at the sewing center.

then I did other random things, an got chicken ready to grill for supper, grilled it, an had a quick supper together before we left for prayer meeting at Jake an Janice, after prayer meeting us youth along with Mark Beachy went to Marlins house, an practiced some Swahili songs that we want to sing at Tommy's farewell.

(Friday April 1st)

Dad buying bananas

Our family along with Joseph an Becky went to The Nandi Hills today to visit a school, an to pass out the 25 bible stories to the children, that was a experience of which I could write a long epistle about it, but wont. the school had over 200 students, an their school motto which they were singing for us when we entered the hall were they were all gathered at was, "exultancy in education, with a personal touch" interesting motto for the surroundings, but they were very organized, an whatever the principle said, was law, an those students had a respect for authority that way out does children in the USA!

As each of the students came to receive their bible story book, they did a little bow an said thank you! they seemed so nice an respectful! after lots of singing an clapping, our group sang several songs, an shared in a devotional, we also had introductions. we then were dismissed, the students sang for us as we left.

amazing Nandi landscape!

after that we visited another newly married couple John an Cheryl, they lived close by an they are from Joseph an Beckys church, an after waiting in their tiny little house for about an hour the ladies husband finally came home, he washed all our hands, an gave us bread an soda to eat.

there is so much more I could write, about our visit there but...my letter is getting way too long!

we got home around 3:30 an ate a quick lunch, I worked on the blog a little, an us youth got ready to go to Jake an Janice for supper at 6:30, we youth had supper there, an played Volley ball afterward.

and that wrapped up another busy week in Africa!

I would love to hear from you if you enjoy the blog, leave me a comment, or send an email!

Sylvia, for the Miller's