Catching up, October 2016: Enjoying the outdoors with croquet, plus GeoCaching at Karua Forest

Sammy teaches his son how the game is played

Joshua coaches his daughter on technique

Ruth swung a mean mallet, all-the-while holding her last-born 

Jennifer lines up and takes aim

Zerekiah really got into the sport

These flower photos are all from Joshua and Ruth's garden, just down the road from me.

Enjoy!

"The earth laughs in flowers."

~ E. E. Cummings 

American poet, 1894-1962

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Gloria and I combined GeoCaching, a picnic lunch, and a Bible study while at Karua Forest, a beautiful spot in the midst of Nairobi

Looking up at a large, old Mugumo (Fig) tree in the forest

"The forest and I was all there was. 

In the deep still silence I could feel the Earth's beating heart." 

~ Author unknown

Gloria holds one of several GeoCaches that we found this day; behind her is Lily Pond.

I captured this shot of the setting sun, through the windshield of the bus I took home... a quite fitting end to our day.

Catching up, October 2016: A visit to Jeremy's and Robai's schools

Students in boarding schools in Kenya always love a visit from a family member or friend. And I love to make such visits, often with a few snacks to leave behind.

Click here to see a few more photos from these two visits last October.

Catching up, October 2016: A visit with Nathan's family, plus some roadside flowers

Two of Nathan's sons giggle, when they realize I'm watching them from inside the house.

Between the towns of Eldoret and Kitale is a village called Fafaral, where Nathan and his delightful family live. As is common when I'm in the area, I paid them a visit.

I chatted a bit with Nathan and his wife, Alice, about their daughter, Deb's, education.

Mt. Elgon, as seen from Kitale town

This maize has been harvested and is now stacked and drying in these bunches.

I do a fair amount of walking in Kenya, not because it might be the only option, but because I actually enjoy it. I like feeling the sun on my shoulders and listening to the birds sing, or perhaps an awareness of a breeze across my face and the various aromas. I like seeing things up-close, things that would not be seen if I was in a vehicle... for instance these flowers.

But in every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks. 

~John Muir, 1877

Catching up, October 2016: Lunch and GeoCache outing at Iten (near Eldoret)

Intentional days of rest and leisure are so vital for our general health and overall well-being. I firmly believe this is especially true when living in a foreign country and culture. Every single thing one can imagine is culturally different than it is in ones home country. These differences - sometimes looming and obvious and other times quite subtle and even silent - gradually take a toll on a person's energy level and sense of serenity.

When I'm at home - in my house at Ngong town (just outside of Nairobi) - I do my best to be intentional concerning this discipline. I might do some coloring, bake some bread, or read a book while sipping tea. I may get outside in the fresh air and sunshine by working in my little succulent garden, going on a hike, or head out on my bike exploring.

Even when traveling, I am equally intentional in scheduling a down day for my own good. Last October, on a trip upcountry to Eldoret and Kitale, I set aside a day to do some GeoCaching by heading to the Iten area. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and found one of the two caches that I looked for.

Come along with me, won't you, as I reminisce through these photos.

Top photo: I hung out a while with these two friendly girls, who were out herding their family's sheep. As per usual, they found me - the 'mzungu' (white person) - rather fascinating.

Feeling 'on top of the world' on an escarpment of the Great Rift Valley

Close-up of an attractive dry flower

I had lunch inside the banda on the right, at the always-wonderful Kerio View Hotel, overlooking the amazing panorama.

Snack kiosk at a viewpoint near Iten town

5,550 feet elevation, overlooking the Great Rift Valley below

I took a boda boda back to Eldoret; this and the next three photos were taken on the move

Gorgeous field of wheat ready to be harvested

Maize, harvested and drying on the stalks in bunches

I never tire of seeing an Acacia tree, the quintessential tree of Africa

Catching up, September 2016: Visiting friends in Kijabe and a garden stroll

I took cupcakes and candles with me to Kijabe, so Ben, Debra, and I could celebrate Vera's birthday.

I enjoyed strolling through the garden near Kijabe hospital  

Willis gave me a tour of the new building for Bethany Kids, and showed me the plaque honoring Dick Bransford 

Two Ways to Support the Missionary in Your Life this Christmas, by Sarita Hartz

Learn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someone’s life. 

Be the light that helps others see;

it's what gives life its deepest significance.

― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

It was dry season in Africa, the sunflower heads wilting in the heat, thirsty for drops of rain. Somehow it felt strange to be celebrating Christmas in near 100 degree heat.

We bought a miniature plastic tree and put it in the corner, but it looked kind of pitiful, like it was trying to pretend to be something it wasn’t. There were no presents or care packages that year. I found myself daydreaming about cold things. Wintry cabins tucked in the mountains with icicles hanging from their roofs, being cozied up next to a blazing fire with a big cup of hot chocolate.

But we wouldn’t make it “home” that year.

And even if we had, I imagined a Christmas that came with it’s own set of difficulties. Cringing at the massive displays of wealth and uneaten food on the table, having a panic attack at a mall not used to the materialism, plus feeling like I no longer understood my friends' lives, nor they mine, missing the bright smiles of our women and kids back in Uganda.

Suffice to say, the holidays can be a tough time for missionaries.

We are always caught somewhere between multiple worlds. Displaced. We long for the nostalgia of times past, yet we don’t belong in that world anymore. We long to invite others into the lessons we are learning from suffering and joy, beauty and pain, having little but having everything, the extremes of living in a poverty stricken world.


This post is for the churches, supporters, donors, and families who want to understand and want to help, but don’t know how.


1. Be non-judgmental

Most missionaries have been through a lot on the field. There may be hurts and griefs they haven’t had a chance to process yet. They are probably exhausted from their rigorous schedule. Reverse culture shock can be debilitating, ranging from feelings of guilt to enjoying the vast pleasures of the developed world, to not knowing how to handle themselves in crowds, to feeling like family and friends have moved on without them.

If they’re burned out they might experience outbursts of uncontrollable anger. Shopping malls can be terrifying. Even family dinners can be full of land mines as missionaries often have a more global perspective. Comments are made about the work they do, or why there are still there, or when they’re going to “come home.” This can lead to feelings of loneliness and feeling misunderstood.

Have grace with them. Really listen to them. 

Give them space to be and do what they need to without feeling they have to commit to too much. And try not to relate your one-week service trip to Mexico to their current experiences. Also try not to place too many expectations on their time. Don’t just care about their ministry, but care about them as a person.


2. Purchase a counseling/coaching session for them

Most missionaries do not receive regular, encouraging contact from someone they can trust. They often don’t have someone they can process the difficulties of life with or the suffering they witness on a daily basis. They face many challenges, responsibilities, griefs, and traumas, and yet they often face them feeling alone and feel like they have to hide from the world.

Because many people put missionaries on a pedestal, they can buckle under the weight of other’s expectations. Often, they feel they have to hide their fears and their weaknesses for fear of being judged or losing support. They put on a “good show” meanwhile feeling stressed, depressed, and overwhelmed.

One way you can help is to offer to pay for them to get the help they need, to feel less lonely and more understood. They can get the healing and support they need.

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Personal hint from me, Deb:
While I'm back in the States this Spring, I hope to do some debriefing with Dave and Irene Lewis at Bean Sabai in Indiana.

Would YOU act on Sarita's advice and help pay my way? I would greatly appreciate it! See the link below.

http://paracletos.org/baan-sabai/

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See Sarita's full blog post here:
http://www.saritahartz.com/5-ways-support-missionary-life-this-christmas/

Meditation on the Sea; remembering my Dad

The sun drops to the west, continuing across the continent of Africa
Wispy clouds in the east hover over the horizon of the Indian Ocean
Bright pink and white, resembling stretched-out cotton balls in a row
The sky gradually darkens, transforming the clouds into various shades of purple

Tall, majestic palm trees bend ever so slightly with the gentle evening breeze
Their lovely green fronds do a slow rhythmic dance in the sky
Naked grayish-brown baobab trees also line the edge of land
Squatty and comical-looking they don’t move a bit with the breeze
Gradually losing their color, the trees transform into black silhouettes against the bright western sky

Children frolic on the beach
Hand-in-hand, a couple strolls on the gorgeous white sand

My nostrils smell salt
My ears take in the quiet and the distant song of a lone bird

The tide recedes further from the shore with each ebb and flow of the sea
My relaxed body rises and falls with the gentle movement of waves
With a simple movement of my hands, I occasionally rotate a full circle
All around me the sky is vivid

The afternoon was stiflingly sultry with no relief
My entire being is used to moderate temps and dry air at 6,000 feet
At sea level I feel lethargic

I waited for this moment, a respite anticipated
An evening swim in the calm sea
I am the only one here

I recall the first time I laid eyes on the Indian Ocean
To the disquiet of my Kenyan friends with only toes in the water, I swam far out
Fourteen years ago, I was but a novice living in this foreign land

My awareness returns to the present
Floating effortlessly on my back, I look up at the sky
The crescent moon almost straight above me, also lies on its back

Thoughts of my Dad come to mind
Ten years have already come and gone since his departure
I miss him
I think of my Mom, hitting the milestone of 85 this month
And how is it that I am already past the age of 60?

This lovely evening on the sea evokes this inspired meditation
I contemplate the passing of time

My mom and dad

[4 December 2016 / Diani Beach, South Coast, Kenya]