REPORT FROM HELEN MURPHY'S VISIT TO BUKOYANI.  Helen returned on 5 October 2008.

 How happy is a Lobster?

Well, I thought it was a strange slogan!  Also, if I’m not mistaken the sign seems to show dolphins! This is one of the few photographs from my recent trip to Kenya.   I decided to take a few days “away from it all” at the Coast before going to visit our friends in Bukoyani.  After a most enjoyable time, on my last day at Diani Beach I hired a small boat for a nice trip out to the Reef, but after half an hour Amos (the boat’s owner) managed to capsize it, turfing me into the Indian Ocean before I knew what was happening.  Fortunately, we weren’t far from shore and the water was clean (and warm) but sadly that was the end of my nice shiny new digital camera!

I’m not sure how happy a lobster can be, I’m still puzzling over that.  I was happy though to see my family again when I finally reached Bukoyani.  Once again, I had to change my original travel plans as there were no trains running between Nairobi and Kisumu.  It would have been expensive to fly, taking into account taxi fares as well as the flight, so it had to be a whole day’s journey by bus instead.  I was very relieved when one of Fred & Keziah’s boys offered to “escort” me as I would not like to do that journey alone.  Fred was waiting at Majengo (impatiently) to welcome me and hired a car to take us home.

There was a lot of rain during the two weeks I spent in the village.  As there are no proper roads, even going to visit near neighbours like Peter & Judith or Dishon’s family becomes very difficult after a heavy downpour.  Some days I didn’t even leave Fred’s compound and I must admit that on occasions I did end up feeling a TINY bit bored!

I tried to arrange a visit to Joel Sande’s home as I haven’t seen him for about 2 years, but it wasn’t possible for me to see him this time either.  Joel Sande is still pursuing a court case against the Holy Spirit Church, which is very sad.  Most of the people who were supporting him have now returned to the mainstream HSC and the Church is very happy about that.  I attended two church services and the Greetings from CLM were well received, as was the news that another visitor (Neil Rees) would be arriving hot on my heels.  I spent some time with Peter & Judith, with Albert Obede and Jane, with Dishon’s wife Elisabeth and his son, Ronald - he is gaining some teaching experience in a local school while continuing to pursue his studies. The family are extremely grateful for the financial assistance they have received from friends at CLM.

Ronald’s younger brother, Davis is benefitting from being one of the students selected for our Sponsorship scheme.  Albert’s daughter, Helen is another one.  I visited her at the school where she is boarding and was shocked to hear about a recent incident where one of the girls was poisoned by a classmate.  The innocent victim is still recovering in hospital, meanwhile the other girl is being allowed to complete her final term at the school, though not as a boarder.  Please pray for our sponsored students as they face many difficulties in school and some, like Helen have many difficulties at home as well.  Her mother, Jane is somehow managing to keep the children fed and clothed (but only just) competing with many other women selling vegetables at Mbale. 

Life is tough in Kenya, the price of basic foodstuffs keeps on increasing and the price of petrol and diesel is now nearly as high as the UK price.  Travelling is difficult because the fares are so high now – this really impacts on the Church.

Just a couple of days before I left to travel back we got some sad news.  Fred and Joseph’s sister, Jane had died in hospital in Nairobi.  I met this brave lady in Eldoret last year, soon after she had had her leg amputated at the knee.  The cancer which had started in one toe had spread and she spent the last two months of her life in hospital (the first in intensive care), racking up a massive bill for the family.  Added to the hospital bill, mortuary fees and the cost of the funeral was transportation of the body back to Jane’s home - that cost alone would be not less than £300.  It was 3 weeks before they were able to bury her, but the hospital bill remains unpaid.

Back in Nairobi, it was lovely to be able to spend some time with Simwa (or the Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Simwa, Bishop of Nairobi, to give him his full title!) and with John Padwick, who has just moved again - I was the first visitor to his new flat.

 In my small hotel room, I held a little birthday party for one of the boys before taking him, three brothers and a cousin to an up-market shopping mall on the outskirts of town to play a couple of games of 10 pin bowling and marvel at how the other half live.   A small outing like this means so much to them as they simply do not have any disposable income to do such things.  Their enjoyment of that day made me feel very happy and will remain in my memory for a long time.

Thanks to those who prayed for my safe travel and good health while I was away.

NEIL REES VISITS BUKOYANI 9 - 12 October 2008

When Iain asked me to consider going to spend some time in Bukoyani, I was reluctant to add extra travel to my life... But when a conference I would be attending was arranged for Nairobi, it seemed the perfect opportunity. There wasn't sufficient time to organize the teaching for pastors that Dishon had originally envisaged, but an initial short visit seemed worthwhile.

I hope they were as blessed by my visit as I was through being there. Beautiful people in a beautiful place. I can understand why the British colonists headed for the Kenyan highlands!

I was met at Kisumu airport (or airfield!) by Simwa along with Joseph, the General Secretary, who was to be my host. The short trip up the road to Bukoyani helped me to get my bearings – this was my first visit to Kenya – and get an idea of what I would be doing for the three days there.

After a rest and lunch it was off to church to meet with the archbishop a group of the leaders. I was told it was for a cup of tea and just a brief greeting, and I did get the tea... but it seemed a sermon (or two!) rather than a greeting was the order of the day, so off we went. “Always be prepared” says Peter... We looked together at the responsibility of leaders to pass on all of God's word to those they lead, and it seemed to touch their hearts. To be able to speak to a group of leaders – women included, which surprised but pleased me – and encourage them in their task, is a great privilege.

The next day was a special day – a commemoration service for one of the founders of the church, Jacob. A load of us piled into Simwa's pick-up and wound our way along the tracks to the house where the commemoration was to be held, arriving before the numerous processions that converged there from different directions.

As an aside... Africans are much closer to their ancestors than we are. And their theology reflects this. Where in the UK would you find a church dressed in robes dancing to the beat of numerous drums round the tomb of one of the founders, appropriately buried in his son's garden?! When they asked me what we did with our dead if we didn't bury them in our gardens, they didn't like the idea of putting them all together in one piece of ground, and at church of all places! They found it very strange that many people burn their deceased relatives and take them home in a special jar... Funny people these Westerners! (Moral of the story – don't ever tell an African you want to be cremated; they will wonder what kind of special witchcraft your spouse wants to do with your ashes, or perhaps just consider you completely mad. You certainly won't help your credibility rating...)

“You won't be preaching”, I had been told. But just in case, “always be prepared”... True to my inner suspicion, I was invited to abandon my seat in the shade of a tree and stand in the midday sun to address the hundred or so eager listeners distributed on benches around the garden. Hebrews 13:7 was the starting point for my message: “Remember your former leaders, who spoke God's message to you. Think back on how they lived and died, and imitate their faith.” I enjoyed myself, and they were encouraged to live out the faith their founders demonstrated. Prophets spoke up to confirm God's word and apply it to their lives, and much rejoicing and dancing ensued. The meeting was followed by tea, chicken and “stiff-stuff” (for the uninitiated, this is how CLM's young people referred to ugali, the staple food of most Kenyans), and a Stoney Tangawizi – Kenya's ginger beer – for me, good stuff!

Any of you who have been know all about Kenyan hospitality so can guess what happened next. The rest of the day was spent talking, eating, drinking tea, talking...

My last day was Saturday – the main service day in Bukoyani. Praying that morning, the Lord gave me an unexpected message, not what I anticipated speaking on at all. 1Jn.1:7 - “But if we live in the light – just as he is in the light – then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from every sin”. Now, I did know I was supposed to be preaching that day. But I didn't know what everyone else in the church seemed to know – that a group who had left the church six years ago were being received back into fellowship that day. So maybe God's word to me wasn't so off beam after all.

It was a wonderful experience for me of watching how conflict is resolved and decisions taken in an African village context. One stood, then another, then another, men and women, all who wanted were given their turn to speak. The prophets were called on, one by one, just as it says in 1 Corinthians, to give the revelation they had received from God, or to interpret the previous prophet's words. Slowly consensus was reached, sins were confessed and shouted out through the windows, and fellowship restored in hugs, shouts and dancing. I didn't need to understand much Maragoli – the local language – to know what was going on. It was wonderful to see an African church, living and practising the gospel of Jesus, totally in African ways.

“How long should I preach for?” I had naïvely asked before the meeting started. I am happy to be flexible, but do like to have a rough ballpark figure to aim at. “Finish by lunchtime,” was the answer. Mmm... Wonder what time lunch is? Well, as I didn't start till 2.15, it probably didn't matter and I didn't need to worry. I'll know for next time. The meeting finally finished sometime after 4.30, and I was hurried off for lunch at 5 before being sat down again for evening meal at 7. More cabbage and stiff-stuff!

I left the next morning, driving back down the road to Kisumu to catch the plane to Nairobi for my conference there. I was sad to go so soon, and hope to be able to return to give something more into these churches, and to receive the blessing of being able to share in their natural and sincere expression of faith. And if you have never had the chance to go, do plan it in some time. You won't regret it. Mirembe vos!

LIZ WYNNE LAUNCHES MALAIKA CHARITY

LAUNCH OF MALAIKA CHARITY

Supporting the village of BUKOYANI in North West Kenya

AN EVENIING WITH HELEN, LIZ and

ASMALL PRIMARY SCHOOL BRASS BAND

at Cottage Lane Mission

Friday 21 November 7.00 pm to 8.30 pm

followed by refreshments

Everybody welcome

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