Out of Africa: Part 10 (Continued – D) – Full Day of Debriefing, Reflection and Relaxation

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Experience #5 – Still More Animal Reflections

Lion – It is not just Disney that calls the lion the “King of the Jungle.” The oft repeated phrase among the Africans was, “He is the king.” Or, “There is a reason he is called the King.” The lion will attack and usually kill anything when the hunger is enough.

We drove up to where a male lion was resting. It was about 9:30 in the morning. The male lion was sleeping seemingly oblivious to our presence just 20 feet away. I stood with my upper body protruding out of the opening in the top of our vehicle amazed at his size and beauty. We were told by one regular there that there were two young cubs in the bush and if we would be quiet, they might come out for us to see. Where there is young, there is a mother.

We then were aware off to our left, a very young gazelle that had gotten separated from the herd and was walking all around the lion that seemed to ignore it. After a few minutes our driver started to move toward it. I asked him to stop, pointing out the female about 25 yards away stalking the young gazelle. I kept repeating this, but he did not hear me, or did not care to, and drove between them, causing the gazelle to leave. We moved where they could see the female, but I kept my eyes on the gazelle, knowing something would soon be up with an inexperienced animal separated from the herd like that. Another vehicle came between us, and I lost sight. Everyone around started making a commotion, and commenting that the male was up and moving so we could get close. We drove back over; to discover the young gazelle in the mouth of the lion as the last of its life was squeezed out as the male suffocated it.

One of the men from another vehicle told me that he was watching as well; when he saw the lion raise his head, see the gazelle and was upon it in an absolute instant. When he appeared to be asleep he was just exercising the trait that any good predator must exercise . . . patience.

As he stood there completing his kill, he was only about 15-20 feet from us. He then walked to a shady place where he began the slow process of eating a meal that had been delivered to him, not one that he had hunted down. The “lion lying with the lamb” will never be read the same by me!

Our guide said he probably was not that hungry, but could not pass it up since it was close, and he could always eat. One lady in our jeep said, “Will he take it over to feed the young?” “No,” was the reply. Actually a male will take food from the female and young. It is up to the lioness to feed the young. The male lion provides protection from any predator that might endanger the others, including the young. So much for family values and the providing father!

Out of Africa: Part 10 (Continued – C) – Full Day of Debriefing, Reflection and Relaxation

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Experience #4 – Still More Animal Reflections

Zebra – These animals “look like someone painted them,” as one of my colleagues said, are certainly not endangered. They are everywhere. On the drive over, we saw what Americans call “road kill.” It was a zebra! They are very prolific. Unlike their horse cousins, they will sit or lie down just to rest or scratch themselves. We saw hyenas finishing off a zebra kill after the lions had finished.

Gazelle – They appear as graceful as on TV. It was interesting to observe them as they move along the savannah. They keep close together for safety. You will often see one lone male outside of the herd, because the dominant male has expelled him. A baby separated here became breakfast as described in the lion discussion.

Impala – Similar to the gazelle, only smaller. I have a photo of two males fighting, probably over a female . . . just like humans.

Water Buffalo – We have seen these creatures sparingly. There were 3 or 4 in the group we first saw. The second group had about 10-12. The primary comment made to us is that they will put up with your presence for a while, and when they have had enough, they will charge, and sometimes that time period is extremely short. They are large, so that in and of itself is bad. But they do not charge alone. If one charges you, they will all charge you. Most animals will usually go away from a human and only charge if given reason, a water buffalo needs no reason. Also, they know that humans will go for a tree, so one will go ahead of you and cut you off at the tree. You have no where to hide.

Crocodile –Large and vicious. Some members of our group saw them drag a wildebeest under and kill it to eat during a wildebeest river crossing. A wildebeest is no small animal. There are differences anatomically and physically in the crocodile and the alligator, but you can read those anywhere. One difference pointed out to us by the Africans compared to a member of our group who lives near the everglades, is that an alligator will generally run from a human, unless there is no escape or there is some other reason to attack. A crocodile will almost always attack and hunt a human when presented with the opportunity. We stayed clear of the water, not only when they were around, because you cannot always see them.

Rhinoceros – Fierce and large! One female we saw was as large as the jeep we were riding in, and this was no small jeep, it carried nine passengers. They will tolerate your presence for some time. Their eyesight is poor, that is no myth. We drove up to within 25 – 30 feet of the two we saw. After a bit she turned her backside to us and snorted a bit. Ole Masi said, “She is irritated with us now. That was a warning. The next turn will be towards us and a rhino will indeed charge anything once it decides to do so. We had better leave now.” And since a group of rhinos is called a “crash,” we turned and drove away.

Vulture – Numerous, but not as much as I originally thought. They keep the jungle clean after a kill. We drove by 4 or 5 of them on the way in and they were huge!! They were 4 or 5 feel tall and their wingspan had to be at least seven feet. The next day we got photos of 20-25 of them finishing off a wildebeest kill.

Out of Africa: Part 10 (Continued – B) – Full Day of Debriefing, Reflection and Relaxation

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Experience #3 – More Animal Reflections

Disclaimer: No Animals Were Harmed in the Writing of these Posts

Giraffe – They are as large as they appear. They are in abundance here. They appear graceful on TV, but not so much here. They tend to lumber along. They will be eaten by lions. The lion will attack them while they are drinking water. The valve in their throat will close breathing when they bend over to drink, and the lion will attack them and suffocate them. In actuality, that is how the lion kills almost all of its prey, by suffocation. It grabs it prey by the throat and holds on until they die.

Elephant – Huge as you would expect. However, they not as cute and docile as you would think from zoos. Amazing Videos on TV will lead you to believe that the rampaging elephant is an exception, when in reality, it is their nature. An elephant can and often does attack humans.

The Kipsigi farmers whom we were among part of the time, as well as the Masai consider them to be pests. They are extremely destructive. There are entire fields of trees, less than a mile from where we were staying, that were leveled by elephants coming through. They come through a farmers crop and what they do not eat, they will trample. This field may have been his family’s food for the next year. They have even eaten an entire field of corn, off the stalk, and the farmer does not know his crop is destroyed until he goes to inspect the field.

They are very fast when they attack. One chased a jeep with our group members in it because it came too close for its comfort. Our guide said, he is just warning them. He can go much faster than that if he desires. On our smaller group’s game drive before everyone else arrived, we were near a herd of elephants. After watching them, we rounded a bend only to see a male about 300 yards behind them down a hill feeding. Ole Masi told us that was the dominant male. He pointed out that it was mating season (pointing out the physical evidence – again, enough said) and said this animal was very dangerous, especially if he thought we were between him and a female in his herd.

Elephant having a great memory is true. It is not an old wives tale. They also are very communal as are most animals in the wild. An elephant will live 60-70 years. When they are old and their teeth fall out and cannot travel with the herd, they leave them by water. Later, maybe a year or more when they travel by, they will check on them. If they have died, they will all trumpet and cry. Then they will get branches and cover the body. That is also what they do if an elephant dies another sort of death.

Two of the staff in our group were charged by an elephant while on a motorcycle because they inadvertently got between the mother and its baby, a no-no with all wildlife. They escaped only because they were on a motorcycle and were able to ride into the thick brush up wind.

Wildebeest – As numerous as you can imagine anything being. So much so that one of the other pastors here said God could have told Abraham “your offspring will be like the wildebeest on the Masai Mara.” This is the time of year when most of them have migrated south across the famous Mara River to the Tanzania side of this savannah grassland. When they return migrating, we are told the land is simply black. They estimate 4.5 million of them are here. Not an endangered species by anyone’s stretch.

The locals told us, “They are very stupid animals. They will not even know you are beside them many times, and if they do, they do not know what to do.” They even look a bit on the dumb side when you look directly at their long face.

Our guide spoke word for word what I have said in America watching them on TV. The only purpose they can see for the wildebeest is to provide food for the lions and cheetahs. That is clearly an overstatement of the ridiculous for they surely help the ecological balance here, but you get the picture.

Out of Africa: Part 10 (Continued - A) – Full Day of Debriefing, Reflection and Relaxation

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Experience #2 – On Safari and Animal Reflections

The next couple of journal excerpts will be focused on the fun part of the trip – the excursion into the world of the jungle. This is every man’s Disneyland! For the non-nature lovers, I simply say, “Good-bye.” For those interested in the wildness of nature, I hope this is interesting and possibly enlightening. Remember I am not a zoologist. For the most part these are just facts the locals shared with me.

The day for me began by getting up at 5:30 am to prepare for a 6:15 am departure on a game drive. This in itself was an incredible experience. I have been on two already since we were living right beside the Masai Mara, but this one allowed us to see three animals that we had not seen yet. We were able to see hippos, crocodiles and lions for the first time. You cannot appreciate the incredible creative nature of God by seeing these animals in a zoo – although I have no problem with that. But, there is something about being 100 – 200 feet from these animals that cannot be described.

We saw lots of young. It is spring here, so it is mating season. Enough said. Dogs, chickens . . . fights.

Hippopotamus – A hippopotamus is absolutely huge. Words do not do these incredible animals justice. You do not realize until they get out of the water and are standing 50 feet from you. Here is an interesting fact: a hippo is one of the most dangerous animals in the wild when you begin to talk about Human Wildlife Conflict. More humans are killed each year by hippos in this region than any other animal I was told. Since they hang out near the water, where humans come and they are often invisible to the human eye, they come in contact with humans a lot. Hippos do not like humans. They will chase a human simply for the purpose of killing them. They are very fast for an animal their size. (Almost everything with four legs will outrun things on two legs.) Once a hippo charges you, you very well could be a goner if you are not in a vehicle or holding a weapon. They have these enormous teeth that they simply gore you with. Masai warriors are known for killing hippos. Where we stayed the previous four nights there is one killed every year in the dry season searching for water. The Masai warrior has deadly accuracy with their spear. They also can run incredibly fast, jump incredibly high, and climb with amazing skill and speed. This allows them to be able to kill this extremely dangerous animal when need be.

Baboons – They live right outside our hotel. There are warnings in your hotel that if you leave the doors to your “balcony” open and food visible a baboon will come in your room. They are very intelligent and can open the door if you do not lock it as well. Two pastors last year left their door open when they left once with some snacks on the table, only to come back and find baboons in their room. They are strong and dangerous, so this is not good. There is an emergency button to push outside of our room. It lists two reasons to push the emergency button. The first is fire; the second is wildlife in your room. Enough said.

Oh, as I was writing this a baboon just ran by my door. He looked in at me and started to come in until he saw me! The three guys in the next room just squealed like schoolgirls.

Out of Africa: Part 10 – Full Day of Debriefing, Reflection and Relaxation

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Experience #1 – Future Partnership

There is great value in reflection following an experience such as this. So many thoughts are rumbling through your mind that you simply need time and space to process, analyze, listen to God and determine what is going on inside and what He is going to do in my spirit, life and ministry as a result of this trip. In my case it impacts an entire church.

This afternoon John Thompson and I sat down and talked about 45 minutes or more about Fountain Park’s future involvement. (He is the World Vision US C2C Coordinator, who by the way lives in Greensboro, NC less than an hour from my hometown of Kannapolis, NC. Our schools used to play one another in high school football. It is a small world. He is the man in the very center of the above photo who jumped in at the last minute.) We had already had 3-4 discussions in this vein throughout the weekend, but this one was directly about how they could assist us in the decision making process. Our discussion centered upon what I think God will want us to do in partnership with World Vision as a follow up to this trip. I am sure it will be something. I told him I came here with no agenda, and I leave with none.

I have an idea of what I think God will want us to do, but I will have to see how that plays out. When I return I intend to meet with my local World Vision representative to ask some questions in preparation for a meeting with Fountain Park folks and discussing our involvement with this ministry. I was pretty honest regarding two primary issues that impact where Fountain Park will end up. The first is that we already have at least two other options for partnerships in overseas missions. The first is in Brazil and the second is potentially partnering with a woman several of us have known who is working with the Kurds in Iraq. I / We have some work to do in our evaluation process.

Out of Africa: Part 9 – Exiting with Sadness (Continued)

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Experience #2 – Arrival at Debrief Hotel

We arrived at the Masai Mara hotel around noon. The entire staff came to be with us. Many photos and good byes were exchanged. As they left, I realized the reason they came was because, many of them had never seen this place, and they truly hated to see us go. Each of them told us that we were an encouragement to them. It was genuine; they are truly God’s choicest servants!

This hotel is extremely nice by any standard. There are differences from an American luxury hotel because we are hundreds of miles from what we would call civilization, but it is very nice. I told the other four guys at lunch the reason for this is to remove all distractions and put us in an environment as much like we are accustomed to back home so we can thoroughly process what has taken place in our lives over the past eight days and especially the last four.

Masai Mara is the name for the Kenyan side of the Serengeti. So when folks asked if I was in the Serengeti, the answer is “yes.” It is also interesting to sleep with a mosquito net due to the prevalence of malaria.

The entire team was back together at dinner tonight. It will be the first time we had all been together since last Thursday evening. Each main team, Rwanda, Ethiopia and of course Masai in Kenya took a few minutes to share some stories that impacted them. Tomorrow evening we will have a fuller sharing as a group.

After the evening meal, Gary, Joshua and I sat at the table and talked for a while. We are from very different and very similar backgrounds. I had prayed, and asked many others to pray, that the pastors on this trip would drop their pretenses and just be real. Well, that has happened with many individuals, but with these two men it has happened in a much more real way. There were numerous factors playing into it. God is doing something very unique in each of our lives and we are each trying to determine exactly what it is He wants us to do. All three of us have had very difficult and somewhat painful experiences in our churches in recent months and it has left us wounded and doubting a lot of things that anyone who is not in pastoral ministry would have a difficult time understanding. Secondly, there are difficult staffing issues awaiting us when we return. This leaves you wondering about lot of things while you are gone from the primary location of ministry.

As I plan my return in two days, I will take back much learning from these two men. I will most definitely need it while looking at what the next six months hold for me.

Out of Africa: Part 9 – Exiting with Sadness

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Experience #1 – Farewells

After breakfast this morning we packed to leave. After packing, we all gathered in the “lounge” area where we held devotions. We have had this each morning. It is pretty incredible listening to the African men sing. I do not think I have mentioned before, but we sing almost exclusively American hymns along with some African chorus. The hymns are mostly songs I recall from my teenage years in the Baptist church. I must be honest, there is something pretty powerful in the singing in a room with all men, from various cultures, who love Jesus and just pour out their heart to God.

This morning I was the one who gave the devotional thought. The other two pastors had shared the previous two days. The entire staff of this project area joined us for devotions this morning. I shared from Genesis 41 where Joseph named his two children Ephraim and Manasseh. This is one of my favorite passages to speak on. I know some of you have heard this talk before. Manasseh means “to forget.” Joseph named him that because God had enabled him to forget all the trouble he had been through and forgive the perpetrators. If anyone in history had a reason to hold a grudge, it was him, and he did not. One thought I shared was “there comes a time in everyone’s life when they have to realize, that they cannot change their past.”

The other son he named Ephraim. Ephraim means “to be blessed.” Joseph said God had blessed him in the land of his suffering. The idea is that Joseph saw God’s blessing in the land of suffering rather than always seeking to be delivered from his suffering. Enough said.

Following devotions the staff presented each of us with African gift that is supposed to have been tied to our character as they observed it over these days. These are gifts that I will cherish for the remainder of my life. Ask me how I am a twofold Masai Warrior Chief!

Out of Africa: Part 8 (Continued - B) – Final Full Day

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Monday, October 24, 2005
Experience #2 – First Game Ride and More Discussions

This afternoon we took short game ride. It would be the first of three we would take in the next three days. I learned a ton about animals and HWC (Human Wildlife Conflict). I was taught a lot about the hippopotamus, elephant, wildebeest, and even the cow! I spent considerable time talking to Simon Ole Masi as we rode the Masai Mara and watched the animals. He is an amazingly intelligent man. I will give a lot of the information I gathered here in entries to follow over the next couple of days.

After the game ride, I had my first hot shower since last Friday morning. Hot water was available, but by the time I got to the shower each day it was gone, so there was only cold water for me. Because of that, I kept showers very short and most days skipped the shave altogether. After this long hot shower, I feel like a new man. A shave and shower just does something for you that cannot be achieved any other way.

We sat around after dinner and talked with Phiona (pronounced F­­éona) about the HIV pandemic and its affect in this area. She is Masai herself and has come back with World Vision to serve her people here. I was greatly impressed by her servant spirit, knowledge and ability. She shared many stories that revealed once again that HIV’s chief weapon here is stigma. I also learned that this is yet another reason the women want a maternity clinic. Since blood is one of the four primary bodily fluids to pass on HIV, (the four are: blood, semen, vaginal fluids and breast milk) children here are at risk, because Masai women bleed a lot during childbirth. A clinic could serve to protect the unborn children. It also has another positive protection for children. If women learn they are HIV positive, they can be taught to refrain from breast feeding and thereby passing on HIV to the infant child.

HIV and its devastation simply cannot be escaped here!

Out of Africa: Part 8 (Continued - A) – Final Full Day

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Monday, October 24, 2005
Experience #2 – Visiting My Sponsored Child

After M & M football we traveled back to the school where we had the incredible reception and program on our second day in the field. I had no idea that the child I sponsored attended that very school and that we had driven by his home days earlier.

The boys name is Loongishu. It means son of the cow. As I talked to him through an interpreter, I learned that he desires to be a teacher. In this area that is an absolutely huge need. I had brought him a couple of small gifts. One was a Pittsburgh Project ball cap that my oldest daughter had given me. It was a cool way of connecting him with me and my children. I also gave him a photo of me along with my Grandson Gavin.

He sat up front with me in the vehicle as we drove to his home to meet his father and his mother. His house was a pretty incredible site. There were Bible verses written on the walls inside and outside of his home. We were invited inside for a “soda,” and just as before we were given Coca Cola and Fanta Orange.

As we sat talking we learned that Loongishu’s Dad has two wives, both of whom are Christians and have been for several years. His father was not a Christian. With all the verses around, Gary could not resist (I am sure prompted by the Holy Spirit) beginning to ask his father if he has ever thought of becoming a Christian. When he said yes, I had the privilege of praying with him as he accepted Christ. Now, do not get me wrong. I deserve zero credit here. It turns out that both of his wives had been praying for him for five years to become a Christian. They not only prayed for him but lived a life in front of him to cause him to desire to accept Christ when presented with the opportunity.

I once heard a man talk about how when a man in these cultures becomes a Christian he should divorce one of the wives, preferably all but the first, so he only has one wife. I thought to myself, “My, what an idiot. Have you any idea of what that would do to those women? It would just throw them out to fend for themselves along with their children in a culture where they have no ability to earn a living and care for anyone.” Before you go off on me, I am not promoting polygamy. I believe God’s intention was one man and one woman, and each man should have one wife in any culture. But in cases where there are already family units intact and disrupting what is already in place would put women and children at risk, there is no reason to force a change upon them.

This had been a very eventful day although on a much different plane than our previous days. After some time taking photos, we left with promises of future communication and a continuing relationship that goes beyond financial support, although that is definitely included.

Out of Africa: Part 8 – Final Full Day

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Monday, October 24, 2005
Experience #1 – Time Spent with Sponsored Children

Each morning we met to begin our time together with devotions. Joshua shared some challenging thoughts from Isaiah 61 and Luke 4. After devotions we prepared to drive to visit our sponsored children. We would be leaving in two separate vehicles going in two separate directions. As we prepared to depart, I noticed that each morning after we had driven in every imaginable mud road the previous day, the Area Development Project staff had washed the vehicles. I commented on that to John and he said, “Yeah. They take good care of these vehicles.” Once again, I was very impressed with the World Vision staff here in Africa.

Visits to our sponsored children were pretty incredible experiences. There were four children that we had to visit. In two cases we were going to pick them up at school and drive them home to meet their parents. We talked about how strange this must have looked to the children. The parents know their children were going to be sponsored, but there was a lot of explaining ahead of time regarding what “adoption” and “sponsorship” actually mean. Many parents, understandably so, desired assurances that their children would not be taken away to America. Fair enough. Now imagine a four wheel drive with two white men, showing up at their school, and driving away with one of the children. The adults all knew the scoop, but I am not sure the children did.

Before departing, the school we visited classes. Here is a sad point; the children were literally CRAMMED into the classrooms. My best count there were 110-120 kids in the level 4 class we visited. Imagine three rows of ten desks with four children at each desk!! I could not help but think about how many teachers in the US talk about they have 25 kids and it is too many. I am not disputing that, I am just saying, imagine 120!!!

Ole Masi, asked the kids how many of them were seeing a Muzungu for the first time. (I am a Muzungu. A Muzungu is a white man!) At least 45% of the kids raised their hands and laughed aloud. It was a truly great moment for me to raise my hands and say, “I am just like you!!!” And I am. The only difference is skin color. Inside we are all alike. We are all children of God. We are all loved by God equally. We are alike!

After our visit to the first family, we took the boy back to school. They were so excited to see us back. It was recess, and we then did something really crazy. Gary had brought a Miami Dolphin’s nerf football for his child. (Gary is from southern Florida.) We got two teams and taught them to play American football for about 15 minutes. It was a hoot!! They absolutely loved trying to learn the game. I had one interception but it ended a tie game. We did not bother with sudden death overtime. Since we had introduced our African hosts to M & M s the night before, we joked that in ten years, we will see the Kenyan national football team sponsored by M & Ms!!

Out of Africa: Part 7 (Continued - E) – African Worship & Community Needs

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Sunday, October 23, 2005 – Experience #6 – Conversation Becomes Graphic

Here is a warning!! This discussion will be quite honest, open and perhaps graphic. Please do not be offended. I intend to be open as long as I am not profane or vulgar. The church has a long history of skirting the discussion of uncomfortable topics. This will be just that for many folks. If you feel that way, please feel free to simply exit the page and return at another time. I have to hope that search engines do not pick me up for pornographic searches as this discussion unfolds.

Many cultures, including America, have set up circumcision as a rite of passage. For the ancient Israelites it was ceremonial and performed on the male child’s eighth day alive. This was for them the time the child was officially given his name. Other cultures have made this procedure a passage into adulthood for the males. This is the approach the Masai have taken.

When a Masai male is circumcised it occurs in their early teen years. It is a major cultural ceremony. The procedure is performed in a public ceremony. The entire village is invited and usually attends. When the circumcision is done, the male is not permitted to cry or shed tears just as at the removal of the two front teeth. If the young man does not cry or shed tears, he will be given a cow by every herdsman present. This could mean he will receive as many as 20 to 30 cows as gifts at the passage into adulthood. It is no small matter to be given a cow since they are so revered in this culture.

If a young man decides to move on to being a Muran, which is a Masai warrior, they should keep themselves pure. This in many cases means they will not have sexual relations until the age of 35. It is no wonder that many of the tribes in Africa are surpassing the Masai in sheer numbers. The number of men who take this route are becoming fewer and fewer. Some simply break the code and do not tell anyone.

Late in the evening we talked to our host Simon Sole Masi about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and the need for the empowerment of women in this culture to fight HIV and other social issues. Other than HIV education across the culture, which is primary, a key issue in combating HIV is the empowerment of women. Female Genital Mutilation, or female circumcision, is therefore another major issue in the empowerment of women in some African cultures. (If you do not know what FGM is, you will if you continue to read this entry.) FGM is actually illegal in Kenya, but so is the arranged marriages of young women to older men. Yet, it does not stop both from taking place. (I will write a bit more on the arranged marriages later in this entry.) Things that are that culturally entrenched, die very hard!

When we first asked Simon Ole Masi about this issue he said, “Thank you. I am very glad you asked that question.” It turns out that he did his Masters thesis on that subject in England. He chose that topic because it has almost 100% prevalence among the Masai people and he is Masai himself; so he sought to fully understand it. Ole Masi personally interviewed hundreds of men and women to see what he could learn about the cultural phenomenon.

The first question we asked him was to us the most obvious: “Why?”

It turns out there are three basic reasons in their culture. The first reason is that it is seen by many as a parallel to the male circumcision. It is the passage into womanhood for the female. The second reason is that the female clitoris is viewed as dirty just as the male foreskin is viewed as dirty.

The third reason is the least talked about and the one that in many cases is a control issue by the males. Masai, as I have stated, are herdsmen. This means they are gone from home with the cattle a great deal of the time. If sexual intercourse is not pleasurable, or in many cases is painful, there is little reason for the female to be unfaithful to her husband. This makes the sexual act purely for male enjoyment and a procreative act for the female and ensures her faithfulness.

He later informed us that this is another reason some of the women want a maternity clinic. Some women who manage to avoid this hideous practice, will have the procedure performed on them by a midwife during the birth of their first child. At that time they are in pain and do not know what is taking place. After they heal and realize what has been done to them, it is too late. It is almost as if the older women are saying, “We went through this and you will too.”

I probably should not close this entry without (as promised) explaining what FGM is. We asked that very question, “Exactly what takes place?” Ole Masi said that in his studies he discovered that there are actually four levels of FGM practiced worldwide.

Level 1 – This is the level practiced by the Masai. In this the procedure involves the removal of a portion of the female clitoris. This is similar (sort of) to what is done to the male in circumcision, except that in the male, it does not reduce the enjoyment of sexual activity. That is the case with women. Women who have this level of procedure can still achieve orgasm during intercourse and sexual activity but enjoyment is reduced.

Level 2 – The entire clitoris is removed. It is practiced by some African tribes and some Muslim cultures.

Level 3 – The entire clitoris is removed as well as the labia minor. Extremely painful it would seem. This is practiced almost exclusively by some Muslim cultures he said, although there may be some exceptions.

Level 4 – This is the most gruesome of all. The entire clitoris is removed as well as the labia minor and the labia major. The vaginal opening is then stitched closed except for an area to allow the passage of urine.

As I said . . . hideous!

One final area we talked about was the arranged, and usually forced, marriages of younger Masai girls to older men. There are times where a younger female has kept herself from sexual activity and is free of HIV. Yet because of a sum of money paid to a father, the girl will come home from school and see family all around. She will be told to greet them and next thing she knows she is married to a much older man (many times 60-70 years old) who quite often is HIV positive and infects her! This is often closely tied to the Virgin Cure myth. This belief is that if a male has sex with a non-HIV female, he will actually cure himself by giving it to her!! Many times that is why they take such young brides. This shows the importance of education in combating HIV.

As I sat listening to him I thought, “Talk about empowerment of women issues! No wonder it is such a big deal here!”

Sorry for the length of this day’s discussions requiring five entries. It was very intense. This has been our most intense and most busy day. It has also been the most enlightening and challenging.

Out of Africa: Part 7 (Continued - D) – African Worship & Community Needs

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Sunday, October 23, 2005 – Experience #5 – An Evening of Conversation

After a very long and intense day, we shared dinner then retired to the “lounge” area for some time to talk. Simon Ole Masi was with us and we were afforded a lengthy time of talking and asking questions. We had been asking him questions all week, but this time we were a bit more intense. We asked questions and picked his brain for about two hours. Our first line of questioning was related to some of the cultural aspects of the various tribes in the area. Here are some highlights of what we learned.

As I have mentioned previously, the Masai are known for several things. They have an incredible running and leaping ability. They also have an astonishing ability to throw their spears with amazing accuracy over great lengths. If my memory is correct they can throw their spears about 100 yards with accuracy that can be measured in inches at times.

There are several items you will notice immediately upon meeting a Masai. You will notice their incredible ear piercing and you will notice that they have had the two bottom center teeth removed. That was two points of questioning that we had to pursue because it is so obvious.

The two lower front teeth in the center of the mouth are removed very soon after they come in replacing what we call “baby teeth” in America. Our first question was pretty obvious: “Why?”

There are two basic reasons, the first is medicinal and the second is appearance related. In times of tribal war, a warrior can be shot with a poisonous arrow and could be in convulsions with clinched teeth. (Tribal warfare ended a few years prior to our arrival here.) By having the two teeth removed, medicine can be inserted into the mouth of the victim even though their teeth are clinched and they are in convulsions. The second reason is that the Masai simply consider a full mouth of teeth to be unattractive. (Before becoming too critical, stop and think of some of the things we do to our bodies and the clothing we endure simply to appear attractive.)

The manner in which the teeth are removed sounds excruciatingly painful. The young boy (who is between six and nine years of age) will be taken in front of the entire village in a very public ceremony to have the teeth removed. He will be given a stick to bite down on and a knife is taken to cut the teeth out. As difficult as that sounds, here is the harder part. The young male (on a rare occasion female) is not allowed to cry or shed a tear. The child has been raised their entire life, and watched this take place on numerous occasions, to know that crying is not an option. If the boy sheds tears, he has forever disgraced his family. They will be known as “the family of the boy who cried.” That is incredible pressure to be on a young boy, but it is engrained in them from birth as a rite of passage.

Richard, the World Vision Area Development Project Director told us that his tribe removes five teeth, and they are knocked out! Ouch!! His tribe is also known for their dress. They believe you should be sure to dress good even if you do not have adequate housing or food. We told him that there are groups in America who also have priorities that lead to similar decisions. It may be clothing, housing, the vehicle you drive, or the gadgets you choose to own, but the principle is the same. It is a matter of priorities.

Piercings are pretty incredible with the Masai. Both genders have multiple ear piercings. The first piercing occurs in the upper portion of the ear in the cartilage area. A hot “poker” will be used and a stick will be inserted in to assure the hole remains open. The hole that ultimately is there is about the size of a toothpick or a little larger.

Later, I cannot recall exactly when, the lower portions of the ear are pierced on some individuals. It is not across the board, so it does not seem to be as culturally mandatory. It seems to be reserved for warriors and a few others. This meaty area will be pierced in the same manner as the upper portion. The difference is that as they get older, larger and larger sticks are inserted into the area until at an older age, the meaty portion of the ear will in some cases hang down almost to the shoulder. I saw one man who pulled this portion above his ear. During dances, necklaces and beads are hung in those portions of the ear and they swing them as they rock back and forth during dances.

I mentioned to them that my two daughters both had several piercings. One had a nose piercing the other had a lip piercing. They looked at me and said, “The lip and nose?! Oh man that must really hurt.” I chuckled and thought; it is all about what your culture tells you is acceptable.

So much for piercing and teeth, next entry we'll talk about their manner of circumcision and FGM and the education we received in a painful cultural learning experience. (Please refrain from posting your jokes and comments. After reading, the next entry the humor will fade quickly.)

Out of Africa: Part 7 (Continued - C) – African Worship & Community Needs

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Sunday, October 23, 2005
Experience #4 - The Water Source

We left the dispensary after the 25 minute program that closed with me having a public prayer for the project and the people. We all walked about a mile to a local water source. I am sure you have heard about these water sources; I know I have. But nothing can prepare you for what you actually see. It is a sickening experience in many respects.

This water source is actually a wadi. Wadis are not well known in the US, so let me briefly explain them. A wadi is in essence a dry river bed most of the time. In the rainy season however (especially the March-April longer rains) they become a raging river for anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours while the rain runs off. It is similar to what we call flash floods in the States, however in this part of the world, they are a vital source of water.

The water source had to be reached by walking 6-8 feet down the banks of the wadi. The water itself was about an 8x12 foot area of the filthiest mess you can imagine. It had a film on top of it. It is the same location where animals get their water. Each year during the dry season a hippo is killed at this source to protect the women and children. (Masai can throw their razor sharp spears with deadly accuracy over very great lengths.) I will write more why a hippo is dangerous later in the week.

The women will spend 2-4 hour every day simply getting water! They will select a location ten to fifty feet “down stream from the source” on the dry wadi bed, and then dig down two to six feet in the sand to retrieve water that has “filtered” through the sand. It still looks brown! They scoop it up into whatever plastic containers they can find. It then must be carried home (remember water is 8 pounds per gallon!) The lucky ones have a donkey or a cart.

There are several justice issues at play here. The first is the sanitation and health issue. That is quite simply a no brainer. Imagine the health concerns that can be addressed simply having access to clean water. The second issue is the loss of man/woman power. Imagine what your life would be like if you were to lose 2-4 hours every day just getting the day’s water!

As we returned from the visits the day before, I had observed the Africans throwing their Dasani water bottles out of the windows of the vehicles. I thought, “They are making the same mistake Americans did. They are throwing trash on the landscape just as we did.” I was later told that in reality this was a helpful thing because the local people will pick these bottles up and use them to carry water. In addition the smaller bottles provided the children a container to carry water to school. Be careful what you think Terry. Things are not always as they appear.

Out of Africa: Part 7 (Continued - B) – African Worship & Community Needs

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Sunday, October 23, 2005
Experience #3 - Available Medical Care

Following lunch and pastoral discussions we were walked “across the street” to visit a dispensary used to give out medications. This location is very primitive and in our terms unsanitary; but it is all they have. We chatted with the two men who serve the dispensary. One serves as a doctor as it were. I was very impressed with his sincere desire to aid the people. He talked about his limitations and his desire to see the folks get proper medical care.

The dispensary, as I recall, is five rooms in a row in an older building. There is an office, a medical storage room, two “examining rooms,” and a location for medical records. They are rooms in a row with a common covered porch area to connect them. The outdoor area serves as a waiting room. This is the only medical facility for 50,000 people. There is no real medical help for 40 kilometers – 25 miles. Imagine walking that far when you are sick with malaria!

Waiting for us at the dispensary was a gathering of local officials and a large gathering of women with children. Following our 30 minute visit, the crowd had grown to 75 people or so. I was reminded by their presence that a maternity location was a high priority for the women of this area as had been pointed out to us.

This gathering was not accidental. It was another of the planned outdoor gatherings where speeches were given and encouragement was dispensed. It was once again led by the Area Development Project manager Richard. I thought to myself, the staff of this ADP has been absolutely masterful at using us as visiting Americans to raise awareness of the issues they have identified as needed in their culture. A case in point, the previous day, Richard, took a very bold stand at the large school gathering when he told the community gathering they would not stand by and allow younger girls to be pulled out of school and married to older men. It was so bold, that the older chief, actually grunted disapproval at the comment after only moments before having publicly acknowledging times are changing.

Before going any further, I should probably mention here, that seeing poverty was not a shock for me. I have witnessed extreme poverty many times before, some of the time in the United States. In 1996 I helped lead a group of 25 folks on a mission endeavor to Costa Rica. We did not remain in San Jose or the coastal resort towns; we were in the poor countryside. We spent some time in an area of 40,000 Nicaraguan refugees who had fled Nicaragua during the civil wars. They were living in filth of the worst order. We were privileged to assist in a worship gathering in a make shift church in that area. In some aspects those refugees had it worse than many folks I was seeing in Africa based strictly on poverty.

I want readers to realize that what I am writing here is not an emotional response by a person who was witnessing poverty for the first time. What has impressed me about what I am seeing here, is witnessing holistic ministry addressing the needs of the community, in the priority the local folks wanted them addressed. This is being done while setting up a plan that will hand total control to the local folks with them being fully capable of handling the transition. In other words, the World Vision value of human dignity is on display in fine form. This is one of the primary reasons I see a partnership here and with my community of faith a very real possibility.

Sorry for that digression, but as I continued to write, I could “hear” people misunderstanding what I was witnessing and my response to it. To say that the emotions of an ENF/TP are not at play would be false, for they are always a part of me. I am aware of that. However, my responses are not emotive outbursts. As we move forward, they are carefully thought out and prayed over ways that Fountain Park can and should respond to a continuing revelation that God is laying in our path. I will probably blog about just that as a final entry when this trip is over. But for now, I should just keep to the story.

Out of Africa: Part 7 (Continued - A) – African Worship & Community Needs

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Sunday, October 23, 2005
Experience #2 - Post Worship Celebration & Visiting

At the end of the worship, they presented gifts to all of us present. Since I was the one who preached, among the gifts, I was given a Rungu. It is a club with a large head on it that was originally used for hitting and defense. It later came to symbolize a Masai chief or elder and finally a Masai leader. Ask to see it if you are in my office. It will be on display. After all not many white men ever get to be Masai chieftains!!

A very touching moment occurred with us barely noticing it. One of the women came forward and spoke softly to the Pastor during the final singing. After a moment he nodded “yes.” What we later realized was that she had gone around after getting the Pastor’s permission and collected necklaces from the women. At the presentation, they came forward and put the very necklaces they were wearing around our neck. That was a very moving experience.

They also had prepared personalized Masai bracelets for every member of our team in Kenya. To really get the picture here, you need to visualize the bracelets. They are leather straps with hundreds and hundred of beads strung in rows around them. Here is what is amazing – all of our bracelets had our names on them. It is hard to imagine how much time and planning went into the making of each bracelet. The exact placement of every bead had to be carefully planned.

After worship we went outside and as is a custom here we are very quickly learning, had a “soda,” – Coca Cola and Fanta Orange. (Please note here, Coke not Pepsi!) We then had photo ops with the various folks. The women who made our bracelets all wanted to have their picture taken with us. I am going to mail it to them upon my return.

In the afternoon beginning around 3:00 (it took that long to get back from worship since it was not over until 2:00) we had lunch with seven pastors. It was very interesting to hear some of their stories. When we asked what their needs were, they responded two things: prayer and training. For most of them all they have is a Bible, if that. I thought about all the training we pass up in the states as Pastors while these men were begging for some.

In one very challenging event, we heard the story of one pastor who came close to being beaten for the cause of Christ. He stood up to one community leader and told them he would not permit them to force a certain young girl to marry an older man. When one of the chiefs said he would beat him, the pastor turned his back and said, “Which side do you want to start on, because I will not permit this to happen!” I could not help but think of the issues and pressures we so easily cave in on in the United States.

Out of Africa: Part 7 – African Worship & Community Needs

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Sunday, October 23, 2005
Experience #1 - Worship in Africa

This was a busy and very intense day, so to keep this entry from being too long, I will break it into several entries. We began the mid point of this journey as every day with a communal breakfast. After breakfast we departed for two separate churches for worship. Joshua and I would worship at a Masai congregation while Gary would go with John (World Vision US rep) and his 20 year old son Taylor to worship at a Kisipigi congregation.

We arrived at our gathering shortly after 10:00 am. Folks were already inside singing. One of the leaders of the church told me that the folks would be slow arriving because the Masai have work they must do with their cows before they can come to worship. Folks continued to arrive for the next hour.

We later learned that this was a combined worship of four churches gathering together. It was not until 11:15 that everyone, including the primary pastor arrived. Worship then went on for another two hours. It included more singing, testimonies, two primary sermons, and 3-4 mini ones.

There were some similarities in their worship to our own, but it was not a 100% cross over. Their singing is in responsive chanting using only a single drum. The women are the primary leaders since in this culture the women will sing to the men anyway. However, one visiting Pastor did lead one song.

The primary pastor (red tie in the photo between Joshua and me) reminded me of my first pastoral mentor, Richard Horn. My son Richard is named for this man; that is how highly I respected him, so this is not small passing praise I am offering up here. He walked like him, carried himself like him, preached like him and even moved among the community folks with the respect that I have never seen in any man except Richard Horn.

This pastor and I both gave the two primary sermons in the worship. What a great treat! I shared with them the story that crept into my conscious during the worship. When I was still in seminary, I heard a missionary speak who worked with the Masai. He showed some photos of the Masai, and asked us to pray for them. I recalled praying for the Masai, never in a million years imagining that I would be worshipping with them and preaching in their congregation some thirty years later.

During the introduction they apologized for the worship being in their language and not in English. When I arose, I said it was we who should apologize for not knowing their language, not the other way around. Prior to rising, I asked one of our interpreters how to say, “Praise God,” in Masai. It is “Meisisi Yesu,” which is literally “Praise Jesus.” I wanted to show respect for their language so at the end of the message I said “Meisisi Yesu!” The look of delight and joy on their faces told me that I had indeed done the right thing.

Their method of taking up an offering was unique. They put three large bowls on a bench in front. Each was a different color. The pastor said that one was regular offerings, the other was tithes, and the other was for special offerings. I am not sure of the distinction between them, but the Masai clearly knew what was taking place. Then they sang while folks filed forward putting in their offering of Kenyan Shillings. I put in some shillings myself. But what was most moving, one woman carried forward a bag of seeds she had brought to worship. As she laid them on the bench, I prayed for her. I have no idea who she is, and will probably never meet her again until I get to heaven, but I have prayed for her numerous times since that day.

Out of Africa: Part 6 (Continued) – First Community Visits

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Saturday, October 22, 2005
Experience #2 - A Schoolyard Celebration

After lunch we visited the Engudi School for Masai children. We all felt the opening welcome when we arrived yesterday was incredible. And it was. But we had not seen anything yet. We learned full well the Africans have a great love for ceremony. We knew we were heading to a school and they were expecting us. But we had no idea of what was about to transpire.

After driving down a slight grade toward the school area, we crossed an open field to the “gate” entrance to the school. There in front of us were several hundred children in full Masai dress and lined in a military precision. As we exited our vehicle, they came toward us dancing, singing, smiling and looking for us to touch their head and bless them. Girls who had been selected approached us and presented us a “stick.” (Actually a small branch of a tree that was stripped and clean. It is what the Masai use to shepherd the cattle.) They then took our hands, one girl on each hand, to lead us to the area where the program would be about 100 yards away. We were seated in seats of honor in preparation for the program that had been prepared. As we walked I could not help but notice that the girls would lightly rub or touch the top of my hand. I was reminded that I had been told that I was the first white man many of them had ever seen, and they were feeling my skin to see that it felt the same as theirs. Tell me that does not give you the chills!

We were given Coca Cola or Fanta Orange and greeted very warmly by the dignitaries present. There was an elder, a former chief, a government official, numerous school officials and probably more than a hundred parents. Folks were literally climbing up in the trees to get a full view of the day’s events. It was apparent they had been preparing for this day a very long time and it was one of the biggest events to occur in this community for a very long time.

We had numerous dances and songs by the children of all ages. The women performed a song for us. We even got to see some of the legendary Masai jumping ability! There were speeches, presentations, and gifts, and an opportunity for each of us to address the crowd. I was more in awe than I think I have been at any time in my life. Actually, there may have been times that rival this one, but there were not many!

Following the program we visited the classrooms of the school, mingled with the folks and had some photo opportunities with the children. Here are some facts about the school itself.

* Started 1950
* The Headmaster was a former student here.
* Current enrollment 290 Boys, 160 Girls (shows the need to empower women and to keep girls in school and out of early arranged marriages.) The gender ratio is about equal until grade four or five.
* Eight classrooms, two are permanent
* Six teachers (Do the math here. There should be a student: teacher ratio of 40:1 at most. It is 90:1!)
* They use water from Mara River, sometimes water is contaminated by sewage dumped upstream.
* School has only three (3) toilets (one for boys, girls, and staff)

We were at the location a couple hours. After greetings and photos, we got in the vehicle to drive back. By then we were hungry and our host had prepared some sandwiches for the long rough drive back. One of the members in our group picked up a parasite probably from not using a hand disinfectant after shaking so many hands. In my vehicle I had brought it we did use it and I was able to explain to our African hosts why we did. We explained that our bodies all build up immunity to the bacteria we are in contact with regularly. Our bodies are not used to the bacteria in their culture and it would make us very ill, as happened to Taylor. We also told them that if they were to come to America, they would probably have a similar issue in our culture. We wanted to be sure they fully understood that we did not look down on them in the least. It was simply a matter of immunities.

The vehicle carrying our African hosts took off and drove like crazy to get home well ahead of us. This is no small feat considering the terrain. When we finally got back we realized why. They had rushed back to prepare us tea and cookies and a time to relax before dinner. The hospitality is legendary here, and we were experiencing it first hand.

As I debriefed the day’s events with Gary, Joshua, John, Taylor and our hosts, I was once again very humbled by the incredible experiences of this most significant day in my life.

Out of Africa: Part 6 – First Community Visits

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Saturday, October 22, 2005
Experience #1 - The Hidden Affects of HIV

After breakfast this morning we all piled into the Toyota four wheel drive vehicles and drove to spend the morning visiting four family units. We learned later in the day, that our presence could go a long way toward validating their work among the people and making things a bit smoother as this ADP (Area Development Project) moves to the second phase in this area. The roads in many places were almost non-existent. It was the roughest terrain you can imagine to drive a vehicle on. Because it rained the night before it was even worse. Our four wheel drive vehicles became stuck three or four times and took much effort to get them out or not turn them completely on their side due to the grade of the hill we were riding on.

All of the family units we visited are in the Kipsigi tribe. The Kipsigi are farmers unlike the Masai who are herdsmen. This means that they own and inherit land where in the Masai the land is communal. It is not owned by any individual. I learned very soon that there are good and bad things in this. The Biblical comparisons are uncanny. Only Kipsigi males can inherit land and they must be 18 to do so. As you continue to read notice how that comes into play in negative ways.

The first person we visited was Jonah. (Pictured in center fifth from the right.) Numerous folks here have a Biblical name in addition to their African name that we would have a hard time pronouncing! Jonah had two wives, both of whom died of AIDS-related illness. He is left with 14 children and grandchildren to care for. He is living positively (one of only 5 out of 50,000 in the entire ADP area who is doing so.) Currently he is only occasionally sick with minor infections. One goal is to remain healthy and live long enough for one of his male children to reach an age they can inherit what he has so no other family member could come and take it.

We walked into his round hut, which has a grass roof, mud walls, and dirt floor. It actually is a pretty cool piece of construction. It was full of the smell of smoke due to the fire inside it. It has one larger room that I estimate to be about 15 feet by ten feet. There was another room off to the side that was about ¼ that size. The opposite wall had one window. Imagine 15 people living in this space, while we complain we are cramped in our “small houses” with no storage. But I digress . . .

The second family was headed by Phillip Nyatich (22). He lives with his two brothers Jackson (16) and Kosmas (14). Their parents died of AIDS related illnesses about five years previously. Phillip is sole breadwinner; works when he can find it for 50-70 Ksh (Kenyan Shillings) per day (70 Ksh = $1). He often can't find work. It is likewise difficult to find or buy seed and plowing money. When he gets seed he often cannot cultivate his land. He has to rent a plow . . . you get the picture. They have no money, to pay for education. Primary school is free, secondary school must be paid for.(And we take for granted our education in the United States!! But again, I digress . . .) Phillip qualified for secondary school before his parents died but was unable to attend due to financial concerns.

When we asked Phillip his dreams he said, it was for his brothers to go to secondary school, study, get good jobs, and to have capital for livestock trading, and planting on his 2 acres.

Family number three was headed by Wesley (18). He lives with wife (16), younger sister (grade 5), brother (grade 3) and grandmother. His mother never married and later died of AIDS related illnesses, so when grandmother dies the land will pass to her son bypassing Wesley. They are for all practical purposes homeless. He works at a local mill for 30 Ksh/day. Everyone besides him and his wife must search for a place to sleep every night. He married early to find help in taking care of the family.

We asked him what we could pray for. He said that he will somehow be able to find land to care for his family. Remember, he is eighteen years old!!

The saddest story of all was our fourth visit. This young man was also named Wesley. He is 17. The entire community believes his father was the local source of HIV. They in turn blame him and his family for the sickness. They were, relatively speaking, wealthy. The two huts on the land are in disrepair because Wesley was forced to run away the stigma is so great. He had 2 younger sisters and a younger brother. They were taken in by far-away relatives and he has not seen them in many years. The next door relatives refuse to help him because of the stigma.

He lives with his uncle in a hotel that was once his father's and should belong to him. Do not even let your mind think of hotel the way we envision it here in the states. The rooms are about 6x8 with nothing but a wooden stick bed and a dirt floor. The uncle would owe him rent for the hotel so he trades the rent to be able to eat at the hotel. The primary use of a hotel in Kenya is to eat not stay overnight.

Simon Ole Masi said he has never seen anything exactly like this. A family is pretty well off but so shunned, they cannot even make use of what they have. For him to say this is a powerful statement since he has seen the devastating effects of the HIV stigma many times.

Fortunately the local headmaster at his school is understanding of his situation and has waived his secondary school fees up to this point. Wesley wants to become a doctor and work on a cure for AIDS. His best subject is biology – fits doesn’t it? - (normally scores around 700/1100). He stands to inherit the land that formerly was his father’s, but cannot if the uncle takes it. This very well may happen since Wesley is about to turn 18 and the uncle may see this as the time to move and take possession before Wesley is of age. Since the stigma and shunning is so strongly directed at this family the community would do little to make the uncle feel he is doing anything wrong.

Out of Africa - Meeting the Community Photos

Photos here include an elder in the community addressing the crowd of over 300 assembled to meet us at the school and the teens and women dancing in the native attire. You can see the presidential representative sitting with us. He is the second from the right. The man with glasses is Simon Ole Masi whom I have been writing so much about. Above him look in the trees at folks climbing so they can see! The last photo is of the Kisipgi man we visited. He is HIV positive and is one of only 5 folks in the 50,000 in the area who are living positively and publicly with HIV. He lives in the hut behind with his 14 children and grandchildren hoping to live long enough so one of the males will be 18 years of age so they can to inherit his land.

Out of Africa - Travel to Masai Photos

We leave orientation and travel to our Area Development Project. This shows our first view of the Masai people, the Masai Mara from the mountains, and road kill of a variety that is never seen in Western Pennsylvania!

Out of Africa - Sunday Worship Photos

Here you see various photos of Sunday worship. They are the Worship Leader (blue shirt) pastor (red tie) ladies who made our bracelets and necklaces and a couple photos of the meeting location.

Out of Africa - Orientation Photos

Images of the Safari Park Hotel and our training session. This hotel is top notch by African standards.

Out of Africa: Part 5 – Arrival with the Masai

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Friday, October 21, 2005

After driving over 300 kilometers in sub-Sahara Africa in a four wheel drive you have a new appreciation for the roads in the United States, no matter how bad they are. We drove for over two hours of this seven hour journey over roads where there were no roads. We drove where the safari vacationers were, only we kept going. There is something very unique about riding down the road, paved and unpaved, with zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, warthogs walking beside the road with the sheep and the cattle. The funniest part of the journey, was to see road kill beside the road, much as in the states, except the animal killed was a zebra!

That was the easy part of the journey. I had no intestinal issues, and no near death experiences, but I did have a near life experience once I arrived. It impacted me tremendously. Here are some details of that experience.

We came down the dirt “road” to where the Area Development Program was located and saw something that I will never forget as long as I am allowed to breathe air. There, lining the road waiting for us, (we were 90 minutes late!!) were several hundred Masai Tribesmen. There were men, women, children, boys and girls. Lining the road, dressed in their best colorful attire (matching for the children) singing to us and swaying as we drove past. They were waving to us and acting like we were visiting dignitaries! They followed the cars in on foot, and when we stepped out, the children came upon us singing and one after the other asking to be blessed. We were then told by World Vision’s Project Manager (an amazing African man – that in itself would be another blog) that they would like us to make our way to the stage for a short program.

We went to the stage area and were given the seats of honor. There small children continued to come up to us to place our hands on their heads to bless them. Some of these kids were the age of my grandson Gavin. I wanted to cry but that is the ultimate sign of weakness among the Masai. Also, it is hard to shed tears when they seemed so joyful. These precious human beings felt better because I touched them! There is something incredibly humbling about that experience.

It began to rain so we suggested turning the stage so almost everyone could get under shelter. They were going to do this entire program standing in the rain while we sat in the dry if we had not made this suggestion. The Manager gave the layout of the program (aided by an interpreter) with us as the guest of honor and opening prayer. He once again welcomed the visiting guests from America and they began the program.

The smallest children gathered in front and sang praises to God in the Masai tongue. Simon leaned up to me from behind and translated the words they were repeating as they sang and danced. It was then he told me that this was the first time many of these children had ever seen a white man in their life! Next the older children sang songs similar but more mature, also about praise to God.

Finally the women came forward and sang to us. I was reminded that the night before Simon told us the women sang to the men. As they sang, one of them came to each of us and presented us with a bracelet. My hand was too large for it, but oh how I wanted to force that bracelet on! Tears wanted to come once again, although I choked them back.

Finally the women did a skit, as the entire group laughed. The skit was about a woman in labor, with the purpose to show us they needed a maternity clinic here. Women die often in childbirth, or it was very difficult and the travel out for assistance was all but impossible. I was reminded again of one of World Vision’s primary objectives to assist in the HIV fight was the empowerment of women in the communities as the cultures could adapt and accept. This one already saw the need on some level.

A political representative of the President came forward to extend his welcome and greeting. Along with one of the World Vision personnel from Africa who reminded everyone, what they knew, but we did not, that because it was raining was a good thing. Rain here is a sign of blessing, and this showed God was going to bless our next four days among the Masai.

Afterwards, each of us was invited, to give a greeting which was translated for the entire community. The ceremony closed in prayer and we were escorted to the guest quarters, where I now sit. There is no doubt in my mind, that this is the nicest place to stay for 50 square miles aside from expensive Safari hotel locations. The people we are here to meet live in huts, I had a room in a building.

Once in the house, they served us coffee and cookies as we sat and talked about their plans for us for the next four days. They have been planning and preparing for our visit for MONTHS I was told.

We conversed about what the community both wants and needs and their plan with World Vision to bring that about and release total control of everything to the local people by sometime around the year 2018.

We were given 30 minutes to rest before they gave us our dinner. It was served buffet style and included soup, salad, vegetables, mutton, goat and fresh fruit.

I now sit in this room writing and asking the same question I asked on opening night, “God what are you up to?”

Check back, photos will be added later today.

Out of Africa: Part 4 – Learning how to Change the World

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Thursday, October 20, 2005

I learned a lot about World Vision today. They have been around over 50 years doing relief work and holistic ministry among the poor. Presently they are serving in 100 nations. They are definitely not an American ministry. They employ 13,000 world wide. Only 800 are in the United States. That is less than 5%. They pay a good wage to get good people and therefore many other ministries are envious of them. But the respect they have in communities from the people is pretty impressive.

To get an understanding of what takes place, I jotted down these key elements of holistic ministry as seen through World Vision.

1. Transformational Development - this includes:
*The well being of children and families
*Empower children as agents of change
*Transform relationships
*Interdependent and empowered communities
2. Transition systems and structures
3. Emergency Relief
4. Promotion of Justice
5. Public Awareness
6. Witness for Jesus Christ by life, deed, and word to encourage people to respond to the gospel.
7. Respect dignity of life

The goals are long range:

* Assess needs with the community
* Design a plan based upon research
* Implement the plan (3-12 years)
* Monitor and Evaluate
* Reflect and learn from the process
* Transition total control to the community (12-15 years)

Some key elements of this Church to Community sponsorship program.

1. Child sponsorship dollars go to the community – thus assisting the child you are sponsoring and the entire community.
2. Each community decides their own priorities. World Vision does not dictate to them.
3. HIV education, prevention and assistance is interrelated in all aspects of their ministry.
4. The model of church engagement is church to community not church to church.
5. African staff and communities make the decisions not Americans.

Here are some startling statistics they shared with us that are pretty eye opening.

Every 1.2 seconds a child is born into poverty
Every second a child is infected with HIV
Every 2.1 seconds a person becomes a refugee
Every 3.6 seconds a person dies from malnutrition

The afternoon was set up for a time to visit a giraffe park and the Karen Blixen estate. (The movie Out of Africa is set there.) I was told by some folks that it is not really that great, so I skipped out on that trip to catch up some reading, journaling, and a nap!

This final night in the Orientation phase, we sat with our teams for dinner. Our team will be led by Simon Ole Masi. It means “Simon son of Masai.” He is a Masai elder himself, so this makes for great ministry. He is very excited that we will be among his people. The more I talk to him, the more impressed I am with him.

There are three pastors visiting this Area Development Project. Joshua is a Church of God Anderson, Indiana pastor serving outside of Indianapolis. Gary is a Grace Chapel Pastor from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and of course me. I cannot say for sure, but I think we are going to hit it off.

We will meet two primary tribal groups the Masai and the Kipsigi. The Masai are warriors and herdsmen who do not own land. The land is for the community. They all share grazing on it. The Kipsigi are farmers so they own land. They used to be at war, but now are in a time of peace. There is an excitement building and there is likewise a bit of fear developing. Gary told us he has never been on a Mission trip where he did not get gravely ill from the food, climate, etc. But he is here because God told him, through his wife to come. When I heard that, I compared my situation. My family is not why I am here, but I have to give them credit because they did not get in my way or make it difficult so I would be distracted while here. That would surely have limited God’s working.

We depart tomorrow morning just after breakfast. We will have a six hour ride in four wheel vehicles that will cover about 350 kilometers. The first 120 are decent roads we are told. When we asked him about the others, Ole Masi just laughed.

On a side note, I will have some photos up tomorrow.

Out of Africa: Part 3 – When Orientation is Dis-Orienting

On my recent trip to Africa, I disciplined myself to keep a daily journal of what transpired and how I felt about it. These entries are from that journal.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005
The day’s orientation, lasting from 8:00 am until 1:00 pm was spent in HIV and AIDS training. The training was led by a man and woman from South Africa. Ernest, the African is one of the top African officials in World Vision. The primary “trainer” regarding HIV was Logy (pronounced Low-ge with a hard “g”). She was a former social worker who now works with World Vision in the HIV battle. Her father named her while studying Greek. Her full name is Eulogia which is Greek for “Blessing.”

As we talked about HIV the stats basically were nothing new. In truth, the statistics was one of the primary items God had used to prime my heart for this trip in the first place. It was interesting to learn that India is overtaking Africa in new infections and that the Eastern European block of the former Soviet Union has the highest percentage of new infections per capita.

The knowledge about how the disease spreads was basically already in my knowledge bank as well. There were facts of which I was made more keenly aware. For example, the method of mothers transferring the disease to the child was made clearer. It is through the blood that is involved in childbirth and through nursing, but not through the pregnancy period since there is no exchange of bodily fluids during pregnancy.

The bodily fluids that carry the highest concentration of the HIV virus are semen, vaginal fluids, blood and mother’s milk. These fluids make the risk of infection especially high. Saliva, tears, urine have a much lower concentration and the risk of infection is likewise very low.

I learned a bit more about how the virus operates. One of the facts that make the HIV virus so dangerous is that it, not unlike the flu virus or the cold virus, mutates regularly. This makes it much more difficult to attack because there are so many strains. This fact alone means that if a couple were married who both were HIV positive, they should not have unprotected sex because they could be carrying different strains of the virus and then both compromise their immune system further by running the risk of double infection.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is so dangerous because of the method it attacks the body. HIV, as the name suggests attacks the body’s immune system. It is a very insidious virus. The HIV virus attaches itself to the body’s T-cells. The T-cells are the “generals” as it were who direct the immune system to attack any invader. This virus causes the T-cells to not alert the body’s natural defense mechanism. In time the T-cells will actually reduce in number. It is then that the person is diagnosed with AIDS. A healthy body will have a T-cell count of 800-1200. Once it drops below 250, the person is said to have AIDS. In reality the only thing that has changed is that the body has a lower count of protecting T-cells due to any number of reasons.

In reality, no one dies from AIDS. They are said to die of AIDS related illnesses. Opportunistic viruses, such as flu or pneumonia, etc. can have a more deadly affect, and cause death, because the body’s natural defense is shut off.

This is distinct from another attacker of the human body . . . cancer. Cancer cells are the body’s own cells. They are renegade cells that are attacking the body rather than promoting health. Since they are the body’s own cells, albeit renegade, the body will not attack them, and they cause all manner of illness and death. Both illnesses prevent the body from defending itself, but by very different means.

So much for my medical expertise. (My doctorate was not in medicine, so if I have some errors, please excuse me.) Even this is just the tip of the ice berg of what these hours were like.

There were items I would change in the training, but all in all, it was a worthwhile time. In the developing world of Africa, the empowerment of women is seen as a key component in the battle against HIV and AIDS. Women have little if any rights in most of the countries. That will come to bear in a much more real way as the week goes on and I will share some more of that.

An interesting take on this pandemic can be found in this interview with Bono in the New York Times. You may have to take two minutes to create a login account.

During the afternoon we boarded a bus and took a shopping excursion to a local shopping district. The area was close and tight like I have seen in the Middle East, and there was likewise a lot of pulling you toward their booth in that vein. I have to admit I was not overly excited because I, like most men, do not like shopping. I wanted to get gifts for the significant people in my life, and for the folks who sponsored me to come here, that alone was why I was here. I was about to learn something about myself.

I have always thought I hated to haggle over prices. Our Kenyan host told us that the quoted price was always the beginning place to negotiate down. The experience actually became fun. I wanted to pick up some gifts for my family, a few friends and the folks who had given financially to make this trip possible. I began to enjoy the haggle so much that I got some good deals. Our host said not to worry, even if we had a good deal, they will not sell if they do not make some profit. That is good, because I did not want to take advantage of anyone. But perhaps I learned something about myself. I may be better in the states if I had the cash to be in a position to discuss. All I all, this was a good diversion after the morning sessions.