Blog 4 – Settling down to life in Kisumu, Kenya

Sunday 24th February 2008

Greetings to everyone from Peter & Paula!

We are well, enjoying the beautiful Kenyan people and climate.
We are slowly learning the geography of the city and the best ways of getting around.

We particularly want to focus on the theme of 'Kindness' in this 'blog'...

For our first two and a half weeks here we were travelling around on 'boda-bodas' (bicycles) and 'tuk-tuks' (3-wheelers), then we began using a car! This silver grey, 4x4, 21 year old Nissan Sunny became ours through the amazing generosity of our home church in Fareham, Hampshire, UK. We let them know of our need and they amazingly had a love offering for us.
It has been completely paid for by their kind generosity!
Such kindness is the substance of the Kingdom of God! We have an amazing and generous heavenly Father who sees our needs and as we reach out to Him he graciously responds.
5 days a week we travel the 6km from calm middle-class Milimani across to the poor and shanty suburb of Manyatta. We pass evidence of the notorious 'post election' rioting and demonstrations; burnt out and smashed buildings, cars, lorries and damaged road surfaces caused by burning tyres.
There is some semblance of normality returning to the community; roadside sellers pedal their wares of charcoal, wood, furniture, and materials of all shapes and sizes. Precarious 'boda-bodas' loaded with provisions keep closely to the edge of the tarmacadam road, narrowly being missed by the mad 'matatu' (mini-bus) drivers, whose vans are stuffed full of cheap paying locals hoping to get to their destination safely! The colourful 'matatus' have wonderful names emblazoned on their front and back windscreens; 'GLORY', 'CHOPPER', 'FAITH', 'AGAPE', 'HOPE', and 'BEG FOR MERCY'!
In Manyatta we have been developing good relationships with the local community. At the new primary school site we have completed the redecoration of the 2 largest office rooms to be used for the administration centre of the new school.
Each day has been a joy to work alongside two hard-working young men, Sam and Jacob. They have been gracious and friendly and very kind to us. Sam has been supported by To Kenya With Love (TKWL) for 15 years from nursery school and is hoping to study at a local University; finances permitting. He will make a great teacher one day.
5 minutes walk away from the new site is the rented accommodation for the Nursery part of the school. On arrival, we are kindly welcomed and if it is lunch-time we are shown to a small empty staff room where we have our hands washed and a tasty meal – usually rice or spaghetti with beans, or pieces of meat - served on immaculately clean glass plates.
Such kindness! This meal is served by one of the most joyful women we have ever come across; Vivienne. A tall elegant lady whose small mud-walled hut we had visited 4 years ago at Dunga, a small fishing village on lake Victoria; 10 km from the school. A single mother of several children who loves to serve with sincere joy and a broad smile. She cooks for all the children in Nursery and Primary 1(90 children, and all the staff) over a charcoal stove.
It is at this site we have begun to support the Primary 1 class teacher, George, with Pastoral/RE lessons on a Wednesday afternoon. On Friday mornings it is our privilege to join the staff at their early weekly prayer time. Then we love to pop in to every class (4 of them) and greet every child. Paula found some monkey puppets and somewhat frightened a young child when she appeared with them on her hands!
There has been an ongoing sewerage leakage from a mains sewer on the new site which is still unresolved. A local firm are struggling to fix it; we wonder if they have given up trying! None the less it has to be resolved before the 90 children and staff can move to the site as soon as possible.
All for now. Until next time when we hope to have news of a home we can rent and an update on the school development. Thanks to so many for kindly emailing and texting us.

Lots of love

Peter & Paula xx