A Mission Trip Within a Missions Trip

(Can it be true?? Was it just a week and a half ago that we departed? With all that we have experienced, it seems more like a month!)

Before we jump into the details of our trip to Maralal, we want to add a couple of points to our last post. The first is in regards to hand-holding. If you recall, we pointed out that many locals find it offensive for couples to hold hands in public. However, it is common for two men or two women (as friends) to hold hands. The next is an addition to our lake story. Shortly after arriving we could hear a noise in the distance and at the same time saw all the boys quickly kneel to the ground. We followed suit – and it’s a good thing we did since a swarm of bees (hundreds!) passed us overhead. Now that’s something that doesn’t happen every day!

Now, on to our first mission trip within a mission trip – Maralal. The 6.5 hour journey down the windy, and incredibly bumpy dirt road to and from Maralal definitely wasn’t easy on the rump, but it enabled us to see the contrasting landscapes of Kenya – from the lush and green pine-like forests near the mountain tops to the dry and desolate savannas of the lowlands, which are dotted with stunted trees and rather large (and flowering) cacti and aloe plants. Most interesting were the forests of cacti trees which can tower to over fifty feet tall! We saved ourselves from having to pay for a safari, as we were able to see camels, zebras (lots!), antelopes, gazelles, buffalo (large herd of at least a few hundred), pelicans, beautiful blue birds, lizards, and a group of giraffes eating from some trees! Most animals were a distance away, but some of the zebras we passed were a mere 20 feet from our bus! Of course, we were very enthusiastic which made the local boys and girls on the bus chuckle. The long drive also gave us an opportunity to see many little towns and villages along the way. For many of these remote communities, seeing a muzungu (white person) is pretty much unheard of and so when we got off of the bus for a break, all eyes were on us. Of course, this also meant that we were business targets for every street vendor and beggar.

That being said, the highlight (and majority) of the trip was our time in a small tribal community just outside of Maralal. The Samburu tribe, who live similar to the Masi people, are still very traditional in their dress, the way they live, and their cultural roles. They have only recently been ‘evangelized’ (August 2008), and this evangelized group represents less than 1.5% of the total tribe. The rest of the tribe (numbering around 1000) are spread out across the northern plains of Kenya and have never heard the name “Jesus”! And so, about a month ago, PACE met up with a couple of missionary families to build churches in another area on the outskirts of Maralal, and in the process were introduced to this tribal community. PACE discovered that their church services were being held under a tree, which gave little protection from the scorching heat of the sun and the heavy rains. PACE decided they would return to help build a permanent covered structure – a church – for the over 100 women and children who come to worship.

PACE requested that each woman attending the church collect one or two logs before returning the following month to assist in the building process. After talking with the local women, we discovered that some of these pieces of timber were carried down from a mountain at least a kilometer away! And to think Taryn thought she had it rough carrying logs for just a couple hundred meters. Ha! Although the women faithfully collected the required timber, there was still a sentiment among them that the promise of a church would not be carried through. So, when the PACE bus arrived and we began working, the elder men, women and children came to greet us and their joy was overflowing. Led by Irungu (pronounced ee-run-goo), Maina (pronounced My-na), and Ngmau (pronounced ga-maow), the team (us and about 20 youth) pulled off a miracle in building the 100 foot tin covered structure that now serves as the gathering place for these Sumburu Christians…. all in the matter of a day and a half!! While I helped the men (and some women) build, Taryn was off interacting and chatting with the local women and playing with the many children – which, in her own words, brought her “great joy”! By the second day, the children were very comfortable around her and weren’t shy to touch the things that intrigued them … which turns out to be pretty much everything about Taryn: her hair, skin, hair band, hair elastic, watch, chapstick, socks and runners, etc. If it was on Taryn, the kids loved it. Even the older women in the tribe got a kick out of watching all the children circled around Taryn! Another highlight for her was when she joined the children as they sang and danced in the old church – she fit in there like an old shoe and it was great to see.

The people in this small community have really touched us through their joy and hospitality. Before leaving, we received a tour of the community, and some home doors were open to us so that we could see the way in which these people live. Each home - called a “manyatta” – is occupied by one male and several females and children. As a quick description, these homes are made of logs and sticks cemented together with cow dung, and typically have just two or three rooms. The homes that we saw barley exceeded four feet in height (though some had tin roofs and were taller), and relied on natural light through one or two tiny holes in the walls and ceiling. The women construct these homes very simply, and they possess very little so that they can quickly pack up and transport their belongings with just a single donkey or camel. “Where are the men?” you ask … most of them are out in the fields, sometimes up to a hundred kilometers away tending to herds of sheep and goats that can number in the hundreds. It was, however, a blessing to see some of the elder men join us for the Sunday service held in the new church just before we left.

As a final note, Wachira shared Isaiah 25: 4 with the group just as we were preparing for the mission ahead, and it’s a verse we wanted to share because we felt it was very fitting not only for this trip, but for life in general: “You (God) have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm, and a shade from the heat.”