Bonjoge Dispatch #3
Bonjoge Dispatch #4
Bonjoge Dispatch #5
Here is a picture from my trip to Kenya. I am teaching
at Bonjoge Boy's School in Kaimosi, Kenya, February through August 2000.
A few days after arrival in Nairobi Kenya, Feb. 4, 2000,
with Africa Inland Mission hosts Rick andCarrie Maples (and daughter Meghan).
Bonjoge Dispatch
#3 -- Jumamosi (Saturday), February 5th.
Jambo! Habari?
Usimwamshe aliyelala.
(Hello! How are
you? Let sleeping dogs lie (a Kenyan proverb I've
picked up))
As you can see, after
2 fulls day in Kenya, I am sending an update
email back to you all
pretending to be fluent in Kiswahili alreay. I
am currently in Nairobi
at the AIM Mayfield Guesthouse, but I will be
leaving for Bonjoge
tomorrow. Rick, Carrie, and Megan came down
Thursday afternoon,
and the 4 of us will make the 6-7 hr. drive
tomorrow back to the
school. Because they brought their laptop, email
is cheap here in Nairobi,
and I don't know when I can write again, I
decided to write the
first Dispatch from Kenya today.
It is hard to figure
out where to start with sharing what has happened
in the last 4 days.
Upon arriving in Amerstam, I found out my 14 hr.
layover/excursion into
Amsterdam was nixed because my flight that
night to Nairobi was
cancelled and I had to catch a flight that
morning. Got to
see some Italian mountains, a coastal city and the
Sahara desert while
flying to Nairobi. God saw me through while
travelling: met some
medical missionaries on my flight who offered to
take me to Mayfield
if my AIM people weren't there to pick me up
(which they were though).
Got 7 hrs. of sleep last night, so I'm also
accustomed to the 8
hr. time change.
Its pretty overwhelming
to try to think of all the new and different
things I've observed/learned
over the last two days, so I'll just share
some of the most interesting
stuff. There are about 25 missionaries
from all over Africa
at Mayfield at any given time, so meals are great
times to hear some good
"bush" stories. Last night, I heard about 2 70
year old ladies who
were evacuated from the Congo when the civil war
caught up to their village
(they were rescued by a small Cessna after
spending a night in
the bush evading guerilla soldiers) Rick also told
me about how he "zapped"
a local Nandi herder who was bit by a black
mamba snake. A
snake zapper is a mini cattle-prod, and you shock the
part of the body where
the venom is, which changes the molecular
structure of the venom.
I'm hoping not to have to ever have this used
on me....
Yesterday, I caught a
"matatu" into downtown Nairboi with a local
Kenyan named Bernard
that I have become friends with. A matatu is
basically a ridiculously
decorated mini-van (they are all over the
city) that looks beat
up enough that you could believe it went through
a war. You pack
the thing with more people than you thought possible,
and pay 20 shillings
for the mile ride to downtown. Two days ago I
saw a U. of Michigan
Woverines decorated matatu, and we listened to an
extremely crackly version
of one of 2 Pac's songs in the matatu I was
in.
In Nairobi, I saw where
the old U.S. embassy used to be before the 8/98
bombing. A 30
story concrete tower still stands next to it, but is
completely gutted.
I've been told that when the bomb went off, the
curtains at Mayfield
blew back, and Mayfield is a mile away. Because
I'm a muzungu (white
person), the city's homeless children and hawkers
were pretty persistent
with me. It was tough to see so many homeless,
parentless and emaciated
children in the city, many of which are
addicted to sniffing
glue. I will have to trust God to shape and mould
my soul's reaction and
development to the poverty and corruption in
this country, as it
is too overwhelming to deal with on my own. Other
excursions have been
to a supermarket this morning with the Maple's to
stock up for the next
month, and a tour of AIM's hangar at the airport.
Aside from these trips,
the last 3 days have been the most restful I
have had in a long time.
January was a ridiculously busy month
between finals, orientation,
packing, etc. I have many good times of
worship and times in
the Word (when I woke up the first morning at
5:30, I turned on the
radio to find a Christian station playing Jars
of Clay!) I praise
the Lord for the rest amidst the new
circumstances.
I'll probably start teaching
Wed. of next week, giving me 2 days to
settle in. Looking
forward to seeing a lot of Kenya tomorrow, and
having some time to
talk with Rick and Carrie. I'm sure that I will
get a long with them
very well...they are both very adventurous people
and are good at rolling
with the punches over here. Megan (7) is a
very "jumpy" little
girl, and I'm looking forward to learning a little
about what it might
have been like to have a little sister.
Praise God that I'm here,
healthy, and ready to leave tom. for Bonjoge
with a wonderful family
that will help me out a long the way. Please
pray that I would "throw"
myself into the Nandi culture, and be
dilligent with learning
Swahili and the local Nandi language (they are
very different)
Pray that each day I could be renewed and take each
day a new adventure
with Jesus leading the way. Its fun, exciting,
growing, and tough all
wrapped into one.
I love you all, and thank
you for standing by me. Your encouragement
and prayers have sustained
me.
Under His Mercy,
Matt
13 Feb 2000
Bonjoge
Dispatch #4
WARNING:
This email is likely to be very long, so if you want to read
all of
it, pull up a chair.
It is now
Wednesday night, and I have been at Bonjoge for 3 full days.
Figuring out where to start with this email is by far the most
daunting
task I've had in the last 3 days. Here goes nothing.
Here is what I did today, as an example of a typical day:
6:30-7:15:
Wake up and run. Here at Bonjoge, it is about 65 degrees
in the
morning, at 6,000 ft. elevation, and I have countless miles of
dirt roads
and trails to run on. (running heaven for those
non-runners
out there....my shins love this place) While running this
morning,
several boys with school bags joined me for a bit. I was
also the
laughter of an elemenatary school full of girls. Muzungus
(white
people) running around in shorts (a sign of being an
un-iniated,
immature schoolboy) are quite the oddity. When running
with Geoffrey
yesterday, (my fellow teacher and roomate) a middle aged
Kenyan
housewife carrying a bag hung with us for about a quarter of a
mile,
to the cheering of the villagers. For some reason this has
never
happened in Manoa or Boston...ummmm.
7:15-7:45:
shower by filling a mutungi (bucket) and letting it drain
on me
through a small hole. I will also drink chai with Geoffrey, and
boil some
of the collected rain or river water to drink later.
8:00-4:00:
teach a total of five diff. classes that each meet about 3
times
a week (History and Government, Geography, and Christian
Religion)
After putting
on shirt and tie (must do this everyday, as the sudents
also have
ties and sweaters), I led devotions for the morning. Because
we admitted
27 new freshmen yesterday (we were expecting about 3 or 4
people
to show up) we don't have a class room so I teach the 50
students
the game of ultimate frisbee for an hour and a half)
Allright:
I've just realized that this idea of telling you a typical
day is
totally useless because everyday is completely different.
So...here
is the blow by blow of the interesting things that have
happened:
1. Last
night I, with 20 other Kenyan men, watched Nigeria beat S.
Africa
in the Africa Cup soccer tournament on a black and white tv
powered
by a car battery.
2.
Monday I will officially begin my duties as head coach of the
Bonjoge
XC team, and Geoffrey will coach soccer (he played at the U.
of Nakuru)
3. I have
promised John, the school cook, to show him how to cook
kalua
goat.
4. I have
got into my mind the goal of completing the most perfectly
executed
jump in the world. The school has a well that is 50 ft.
deep,
has 10 ft. of water in the bottom, and the well has a diamter of
3 feet.
(is this what my mom meant about not doing something stupid
in Kenya?)
But really, Ambrose has promised me that before I leave,
he will
let me lowered by rope to clean the mud out of the bottom of
the well.
5.
I have met a 21 year old man named Meschach, who lives one
kilometer
down the road from me. He is a 3:58 miler and 13:40 5k
runner
who often trains under Kip Keino in Eldoret and spends the
summer
on the European track circuit. He is here for 3 more mo, and I
will be
doing about 10k each morning at sunrise with him, and begin
some speed
stuff in March. He is a great guy, and has offered to help
with Bonjoge's
new XC team.
6.
I have risked my life several times in matatus (minivans that hold
20 people
that drive 80 mph an hour on pot-hole ridden single laned
roads...none
of this exaggeration either) But...they are pretty cheap,
so i keep
just saying a prayer as I board. Oh yeah, in a 30 min. ride
down the
road, it is normal to be stopped twice by police demanding a
bribe
to avoid an imaginary violation. In Kenya, the people have
truckloads
of aloha on a personal level, and truckloads of corruption
at the
gov't level.
7. I have
had an interesting time trying to explain to Kenyans what
surfing
is (all of my students have never seen an ocean) It is also a
challenge
to explain what exactly Tim will be doing in fighter jets.
My pics
of cliff jumping in the islands really cook their noodles
(most
of them cannot swim)
8.
So far, I have eaten ugali, sukuma wiki, githeri and chapati, and
enjoy
them all. I will explain each one later.
I could
go on, but feel pretty tired and don't know where to go with
this letter
for now. (oh yeah, i sat through a 3 hr. coaches meeting
today,
that was delayed 2 hours, and nothing really got done (: )
Anyway,
I will write more next week and will try to put some more
coherent
thoughts together. It is very hard, however, to describe a
diff.
world in one email. Anyway, I can say for certain that Jesus
has surpassed
all my expectations, and I love it here. The people
have all
welcomed me warmly, and I relish in working with students who
are hard
working in the classroom and with athletics.. Pray that
strong
friendships would be forged with them that would yield
spiritual
fruit. It is truly wonderful to wake with the sun, read by
candlelight
at night and serve Jesus. Thannks for making it a reality
for me.
i rise at 5:45 tom. to put in some miles with Meschach, and
some of
the students may come as well. Then head to Eldoret for
prayer
day with other AIM'ers.
Talk to
you later, under His Mercy,
Matt
PS: my
correct mailing address is
Matt Stevens
Bonjoge Boys Secondary School
PO Box 13
Kaimosi, KENYA
Greetings Friends,
You just can’t get away from me, even when I’m ½ way around the world in Kenya. I don’t actually plan to write this often, but I was particularly dissappointed in how muddled and un-informative my last email was, so I’m giving it another shot. I am grateful for all of the support each of you has given me in different forms, and want to share the many answered prayers and blessings God has lavished on me in my first week at Bonjoge. Here they go, roughly in order of importance:
1. Godly, Adventurous, and Loving Mentors in Rick and Carrie.
I feel truly blessed to have the
privilege of “doing life” with this couple and their daughter Megan over
the next 3 months. Rick and I have found community in adventure,
and it is invaluable in living in the rural 3rd world. Also, he and
I plan to tackle Mt. Kenya in April when the school is on break.
He is extremely pragmatic, and approaches the logistical and spiritual
development of the school with life and creativity. Carrie also rolls
with the punches of bush living with grace, and has been very encouraging
to me as I get my feet on the ground here. Both Rick and Carrie have
been a source of wisdom as God guides me in understanding how the love
of Christ engages Kenyan culture in unique ways. Megan has already
made me a paper chain, helped me learn some Kalenjin and also introduced
me to her best friends, Sharon and Brenda.
2. Hard-working students to work
with, both academically and athletically.
These students, in many ways, work harder and shoulder heavier responsibilities than most American students. Each one seem content with a staple diet of ugali (like grits), beans, sakuma wiki (like spinach) and occassional goat meat. Each one is a boarding student, washes his own clothes, and studies for 2.5 hrs. each night in prep. for the 8 hr. school day. Though some are still a little rusty in English, which makes learning difficult, they each seem grateful for the opportunity to be in school (not a right, by any means, in Kenya).
3. Constant opportunities to practice teaching, both in the classroom and in churches.
Between my 3 subjects, I teach about
18 40 min. lessons each week. In addition, I led the devotions each
morning last week, will preach in the school service approx. one Sunday
every 2 months. Geoffrey, my roomate, fellow teacher and friend,
has invited me to preach at his Anglican home church, and he will do the
translating. As I feel convicted that God is leading me towards education
in the future, each of these opportunities and challenges are a blessing.
I have also learned a ton from Rick about school administration, as we
have admitted 32 new boarding students over the last week. In addition,
Rick teaches Math, Christian Religious Ed., and oversees the building of
the new dormitory. It is great fun to work on lesson plans in the
little school office while Jon (village leader) haggles with various workers
over wages and cost of materials (no price is ever fixed....everything
is always negotiable)
4. A close Kenyan friend—Geoffrey.
Also an athlete and teacher (soon
to be headmaster when the Maples head out for furlough in May), Geoffrey
and I are good friends already. He and I share a passion to train
these boys up in the Word, and pray regularly together for them.
He will also be the head coach of the soccer team while I lead XC.
I am certain I will visit his home many times while here.
5. Running/Coaching Opportunities
that I did not dream possible.
God has chosen to place me in the
mecca of distance running, and it humbling to realize that my years of
training and racing has prepared me for ministry and personal renewal at
this time. Today was the first practice for XC, and I had 4 freshmen
awake and eager to train at 6:00 AM sharp. With the exception of
one student who had breathing trouble, the other 3 handled the 45 min.
run with ease. Hopefully some sophomores (who were on a weekend break)
will join us tomorrow, and we will be able to field a full team.
The first race is Saturday, and it will be a good adventure for all of
us to catch a matatu to Andai for the race. I am thrilled to be working
with young runners who are eager to “beat their bodies” (Apostle Paul)
and who know that invalubable rewards lie ahead.
God has also provided Meshack,
who I already mentioned. This national caliber athlete who lives
in a mud hut a km. away will be my assistant coach, but will also be coaching
me. During my first run with him, “puke-dadddy Stevens” came through
strong at the 35 min. mark with a knee-clutching, vomit spewing performance
like many of you have had the “privilege” to see in person.
Meshach promised me that if I am willing to throw up twice when I work
out with him, I will have a personal breakthrough while here. Bring
it on, baby. Waking up to run in the pre-dawn to run with a sub-4
miler and fellow Christian, as well as ambitious young students, has given
new life to my understanding of my running as worship. Please pray
that I would be obedient and responsive to God’s leading in this area,
and that I may also impart this to the students.
6. Living Simply—medicine for my
soul.
Taking ugali with the students,
boiling my drinking water, brushing my teeth under the stars, sleeping
in a bunk with a mosquito net and becoming a sharp-shooting marksmen in
the “outside longdrop” have all been good things to teach me what truly
are necessities in life, and which are not. (By the way, the longdrop
is a small structure with a 3”x 6” hole that leads to a 50 ft. deep pit.
By measuring the exact air time of my projectiles, I can calculate the
exact depth using simple physics. I’ll save that for the next
dispatch (: )
Extra Stuff:
It has been very challenging and
fun to explain pictures of cliff jumping and surfing to people who have
never seen an ocean. It has also proved hard to describe what it
means for Tim to be training to be a fighter pilot.
I praise God for the warmth of
these people. They have extra measures of the aloha spirit, and could
teach us Americans much about Christian hospitality.
Prayer Requests:
? that esp. through sports and
extra-curricular times, I would finish learning the 50+ students names
and begin forming discipling relationships. Times of laughter have
been good to bring this muzungu closer to the students. These have
involved me foolishly brining a bucket with a hole in it to the river for
water, and trying to imitate a student who used a small stick to scratch
a word onto his forearm to show me a Swahili word. (black skin is
better for this than white skin, fyi (: )
? that I would be disciplined and
learning what the Holy Spirit wants to teach me through my own reading
while I’m here.
? that I would be more dilligent
in praying earnestly for the students here and the fellowships that I have
left behind in the U.S.
? that I could be helpful and encouraging
to the Maples in practical and spiritual ways
That is it for now....I look forward
to sharing God’s work in me and with these students soon with you.
God is truly a loving and providential God, evidenced by my first week
here.
Under His Mercy,
Matt
PS: I gave you my wrong mailing address. It is actually
PO Box 13
Kaimosi, Kenya.
(hint hint (: ) Aloha
RETURN
TO MATT'S HARVARD WEBSITE.
If you have comments or suggestions, email to my father at
stevens131@aol.com
This page created with Netscape Navigator Gold