Hello my many rafikis (Friends)!
Well the journey so far has been absolutely amazing. After leaving Nairobi we drove about 8 hours north and spent the night over looking a beautiful safari conservation park. The next day we drove another 7 hours on dusty, incredibly bumpy roads and we were dealing with a slipping clutch. We bought a new clutch but couldn't replace it because there was no mechanics pit to work over, so we just drove slowly so the land rover would not kick into Turbo mode. :) We spent the next night with some local Kenyans and had a wonderful evening of fellowship. I slept on the floor of a fairly simple home, but at least it was made of cement. The neighbours houses were all made of sticks that were rounded in to nomadic huts.
On Sunday we drove the final 7 hours of the journey and I saw zebras, gazelles, baboons, dik diks, and vultures. For about 2 hours we drove on the Chalbi desert since it was dry so that made our trip go a bit smoother - but man, the dust was atrocious. Finally we rounded a small mounded and landed in an oasis called Kalacha - where camels and goats roam freely even though they have a shepherd looking over them. A camel is worth about $200, about half the price of a cow. I have been eating a lot of camel and goat up here because it is so very accessible. And chai - every where I go I am offered Kenya tea and it is super yummy. Each location has it's own set of spices to put inside... sometime bark adds the flavor - other times it is ginger and nutmeg, etc. I love it every time.
In Kalacha I am living on a mission station. I have my own guest house and Rachel and Eddie live right next door with their five lively children. Thorn trees grow everywhere. Lizards and spiders hang out on our walls and screens. Long drops serve as the bathroom facilities and joyfully there is a cement pool here... 5 feet deep.
It is super hot - well 95 degrees and very humid but the wind is constantly blowing. But that also means that the sand and dust is blowing too. Everything is gritty. We are 400 miles from a grocery store so fresh produce is a rarity and a sheer delight.
Today I had a the privilege to fly in a Cessna 6 seater to a northern mountain town called Gatab. I went with a young couple who were going to have their baby's arm xrayed at the local hospital. It was a 20 minute flight or a 6 hour drive. :) The view was incredible as we flew over the desert. From Gatab I was only 100 miles south of the Ethiopian border. The Cessna brought in all the missionaries mail and packages so it was a great day for everyone.
Yesturday I was able to go with the nurse to a mobil clinic. We found a village about 15 km away and 12 women came out with their babies and children tied to their backs. We weighed the babies, immunized two little ones and gave polio vaccinations to all the children. A local pastor also preached a very short sermon. A truly neat ministry.
Other wise, I am resting, enjoying meeting people, looking out for snakes and scorpions, and rarely writing an email because my computer is dead and everything here runs on solar power or satellite connections.
Hope this finds you all well. I am having a blast. I never thought I'd enjoy the desert - but it's phenominal.
Love ya!!
Karebear
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