Doxa in Kenya: Arrival

Sunday, July 23. Kiluani.

I'm an idiot. I packed in such a hurry that I forgot to bring food... I had a whole bunch of instant soup and stuff, and I didn't bring any. All I have are two packages of candies and some gum that I brought for kids... Fortunately, PuiMeng (the nurse) is cooking for me just for tonight. Starting tomorrow, I'll have to pay to have someone cook for me. It's about Ksh200 ($2.80) per meal here, which is not bad at all. But I don't have anything to eat for breakfast. I might have to go to Namanga (the border city) tomorrow to buy some food. We'll see...

Kiluani is quite a nice place. Although, I wasn't surprised, because that's what I was told. We have a big generator that powers the houses in the mission station during the night. I'm staying in a guest house, in a room that David (or SunYik), Pastor Ahn's son from London, was staying a week ago. The house is actually made on two cargo containers (those giant metal rectangular box thingies that you see on freight trains and ships). You'll have to see the pictures later (when I come back to the US).

The trip down here wasn't too bad. Pastor Bernard came with me to ride on the matatu (public transportation), since it was my first time riding one. Before I came to Kenya, I read that matatus are very dangerous, that they pack as many people as possible into a van, and drive recklessly. Accidents involving matatus were (or are) very common, so recently a law was passed that limits the number of passengers depending on the vehicle. Also, all passengers have to wear seat belt. If you don't, and get caught by the police, you'll be fined and/or kicked out of the vehicle. In personal cars, only the people in front seats have to wear seat belts. If they don't, they'll get arrested. Yes, not just fined, but ARRESTED. So wear your seat belt if you're driving or sitting in the front.

Our matatu guy tried to rip me off Ksh100 by charging for my "luggage" (a backpack and a small bag). They're not supposed to charge people for luggage, but probably it's because I'm a musungu. Pastor Bernard helped me out and got the Ksh100 back. It cost Ksh20 per person to go to the bus (or matatu) station, and then Ksh300 per person to go to Namanga. We got off a little before Namanga, and walked to Kiluani.

I sat next to a young business man named Richard Moshi. We had some good conversation. People here are generally very friendly and talkative. He was born and raised in France, his family lives in Nairobi but he works at a seaport in Tanzania, and he speaks 7 languages. It turns out he's Jehovah's Witness, but it's because his mother is also. He told me he didn't know much about other religions, so I explained to him who Christians believe Jesus is. I explained to him the concept of Trinity (which JWs don't believe. They believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but below God), and admitted that it doesn't make much logical sense. But I also told him that if God made sense, if you can logically explain God, that can't be God. God is beyond our ability to reason. He created logic and reasoning. Just as a man living in two dimensions (say, a stick figure or comic book character) cannot understand three dimensions (world of the creator), we (the creation) cannot fully understand God (the creator).

So I was told that they have electricity at night here (and they do). I just got back from PuiMeng's place for dinner, and she told me that after 9pm, they switch off to a smaller generator, which powers only a few lights. They turned on the big generator around 7pm, so that means I can only recharge my laptop for two hours each day... Oh well. Once I go to Lenkijape there won't be ANY electricity, so I should first get used to having very limited electricity. They turn off the smaller generator whenever PuiMeng goes to sleep, and you never know when she will, so I guess they can turn off all of a sudden.

I got to see the goats, sheep, and donkeys that they keep. I was surprised that I was actually ok with their smell.

Tomorrow, the day starts at 7:30am with chapel hour. I'm going to talk to Pastor Steven's brother about cooking for me then.

I need a candle.