Back in Kwale

Today was a great day. I decided that when I got out of bed and got to drink a cup of coffee for the first time since last Friday morning. For all of you serious coffee drinkers out there, you understand the joy that a cup of delicious Kenyan coffee brought my soul (espresso roast, by the way). I was able to drink a cup of coffee today because Mark Grossman took us grocery shopping yesterday. It felt so nice to get our kitchen cottage stocked up with food. Besides missing family, friends, and my dog, I feel pretty much at home here in Diani, Kenya.(It’s true, I admit it… I love my dog. I am officially one of those people who misses their dog when they go away. I didn’t know that would ever be me, but alas, it is).

So, today’s highlight was that we went into Kwale town for the first time since we arrived. In order to get to Kwale town from our little cottage, we had to take 3 matatus to get there. (For those of you who don’t know…Matatus are like caravan mini-vans that pack way more people in them than seats).

Taking a matatu is quite an experience. The stops for matatus are chaotic because each different matatu driver fiercely competes for passengers. Several times today, a matatu worker grabbed one of our bags from us and put it on his matatu so that we would have to choose to ride with him to get our bags back. No problem. Nothing got stolen, and we got a ride.

A few times today I felt like a total American klutz/ethnocentric jerk. And it was always accidental, of course, but that didn’t make it feel any better. At one point I took a seat that was towards the front of the matatu, and then felt bad because there were open seats in the back that I probably should’ve taken. I felt a little selfish, but I get a little claustrophobic--- it’s just my instinct to position myself nearest to a fast escape. Then with it being so cramped and crowded, there were several incidents when I hit someone in the head with a stray limb, dangling in some direction trying to stay within the confines of the matatu. At one point, Collin’s leg fell out the door, while he was crouched on the side of the seats on the floor. No problem. He just pulled his leg back in and scrunched in tighter ball on the floor. Meanwhile, the matatu flies on at an unfathomable speed.

As each new matatu ride drew us farther from the hectic pace of Diani, the crowds and the traffic faded away. We moved our way past the rural villages of the Kwale district. It was fantastic to be back to the red dirt, the cool breezes of the shimba hills, and the colorful fabrics that the Digo women wear. Just as I remembered, there was a faint smell of something burning in the distance...some kind of wood, maybe? And the trees and hills are so verdant and lush that it feels like another world. Instantly upon arriving to Kwale town, I remember how much I love this place.

Once we arrived in Kwale town, we navigated (when I say “we” in the instances of navigation, I really mean Collin) our way to the literacy center. This is the new office of Bible Translation and Literacy. We were happy that we found the building after not being here for 2 years. Last time we were here, it was just a plot of land with good intentions and a building permit. It was really exciting to see the building complete. No one was there when we showed up, so next time we will call someone from BTL first to arrange a visit.

After that, we walked around Kwale town, through the market and talked with people while we looked at their merchandise. We had some really positive interactions with people…laughing, smiling, and talking…that helped to erase the sting of my former blunders on the matatu. In talking to one of the women we met in town, we learned that she knows the family of Joseph Mwalonya, (the Digo man who worked as a translator on the New Testament and who we are now sponsoring through bible school to become a pastor)!

We returned to our cottage in time for Collin to start work in the evening, and it has been a pleasant night. I am enjoying cooking here in our cottage. It’s been fun to really settle in and feel at home here.

Some future plans:

Tomorrow I am going in to Kwale again with MJ Grossman and Melissa Rains, two women who are missionaries. We are going to do some ministry/service with the women. I do not know what we are doing, but I will report back afterwards with an update.

We are still formulating our month’s schedule as we are contacting people here in Kenya and setting up times to meet. We plan to visit existing projects similar to things that we would like to initiate. Gideon M’betsa (a leader in the literacy projects) and Teresa Awendo (leader of Pamoja, women and children’s training and care facility) are two people who we plan to meet sometime soon for this purpose.