Conn in Kenya: Tent Post

The adventure began around 3pm on Friday the 21st. The last bag packed into the back of Dave's Toyota we left the Church Army compound heading in the direction of Rowallan, in the Ngong Forest. Stopping along the way to pick up some potatoes and onions, we arrived close to 4.

As we entered the site I recall excitedly pointing out a monkey swinging gracefully through the branches. If only I knew then what I know now...

We paid for our camping site, and made the short walk to its resting place beside a recently used fire ring. To the intern's chagrin and my delight the site apparently was a package deal that included three dogs.

The men setup the tents while the ladies unpacked the food. Those jobs completed the party set out into the wilderness in search of wood... to little success. The forest, which is just a stone's throw away from the slum of Kibera is evidently raided early every morning for anything that can be used as fuel to cook meals, burn garbage, and be sold to those who don't feel like scouring the forest floor.

Finding roughly enough twigs to get a fire started we began the walk back to camp. About 100 yards from our tents, our three trusty companions (the dogs who come along for the search) took off, barking and sprinting towards our tents. Originally confused, we soon saw nearly a dozen monkeys shooting up the handful of trees surrounding our camp.

We rushed over to find that nearly a perfect half of all the food we had brought had been stolen by our primate cousins.

Adding insult to injury the monkeys all just looked down at us while they ate our bread and avocados a mere 20 feet above our heads. We threw sticks and stones, but failed to break any bones, and names didn't seem to hurt them.

Giving up on vengeance we turned our attention to starting a fire; and spent the next hour and a half on the task. We are currently in the middle of Kenya's rainy season, so all the wood we managed to find had been thoroughly saturated in rain water, but after much effort, smoke, and hissing logs, the fire was burning.

We began boiling water to make Ugali (the white amorphous blob of food), and sat around talking as the sun went down. Around 8pm Teacher Lillian, who was to join us once she finished at the academy had finally reached Kibera, and Festus and George left to meet her. They returned close to 8:45pm, just as Eunita, Suezett, and I finished up cooking dinner: Ugali and Sukuma Wiki (literally translates as "Push the week" because it is so cheap and common in Kenya and eaten when no other food can be afforded.). Sukuma Wiki, which is supposedly called 'Kale' in English (I've never of 'em), is quite good when prepared with some tomatoes and onions.

We ate dinner, had a Bible study, and talked well into the night, hitting the sack around 2am. I didn't have any bedding other than my pillow and layered on the clothing. Along with being in the rainy season, it is now also, more or less Kenya's "Winter" so it dropped to the low 60's in the wee hours of the morning.

The next day I was the first to rise, and managed to revive the fire as the rest of the group arose from their slumber. We ate breakfast over a span of 3 hours due to the large quantity of food, and the time it took to cook it. We then spent the remainder of the morning playing games.

I found it intriguing that all of the Kenyan games were group, or community games that involved everyone, and didn't have any kind of clear winner or loser. Theirs, were different kinds of singing, dancing, and memorization games, and the majority of them called for everyone to work together.

The only games I could think of were competitive and individualized with clear winners and losers. We played the American games, and had fun doing so, but I couldn't help but find childhood games an interesting insight into cultural differences.

The games were interrupted from time to time as we noticed a monkey or two eating more of our food and we quickly ran over to chase them away. The dogs did a good job of chasing, but unfortunately never seemed to notice the long tailed pests until after we did.

Dave and Lucy game to visit around 3pm, and we utilized Dave's automobile to replenish the supplies stolen from us by our notable adversaries.

The Chaves hung around until a little after 5 as we began cooking our late late lunch (the breakfast was huge) then Lucy (who is 8+ months pregnant) was taken home.

The following evening took place much like the previous one, but this time we made fries, and I was surprised with kuku (chicken) which was fried up as well.

I have become somewhat notorious for my unappeasible hunger for kuku. The chicken here is unexplicably delicious and I eat it, and as much as I can, pretty much every opportunity that I get. Because of this fact I have been graciously accepted into the Luhya Tribe, and given the name "Conn Kamau Wanjala Wepukulu" (Wepukulu, for short). The 'Wanjala' means born in a time of hunger. The Luhyas hail from western Kenyan and are infamous for their love of kuku. Lillian, a fellow Luhya and tribesman, organized with the interns to surprise me with a chicken and the meal was eagerly devoured.

Again, the after dinner events followed closely to the previous nights, though again, with one notable difference. Around 12:15am, as we sat around the fire talking, Lillian received an unexpected phone call.

We were laughing and joking as she answered but her grave manner quickly quieted us down. I heard through her receiver a man on the other end say, "I was in prison, but I did nothing wrong." I was perturbed and oddly assumed not only that the man was must assuredly guilty for whatever he was accused, but that some danger may arise.

Lillian kept repeating that she didn't believe the man to be who he said he was, and muttered something about a testimony, before saying that she will message everyone and no one will believe.

The rest of us sat silent, and watching. We waited anxiously as she hung up the phone. She said nothing, opened her Bible, apparently read a verse, and began to cry.

We looked at one another, unsure of what just happened or what to do. Then she began:

(Backstory)
Lillian attended Carlile College (Church Army's college) over five years ago.

(Current story)
The man who had called her was a classmate during her time at Carlile. After a couple years of classes together, and about a month before their final exams, the man vanished on a trip to his home town. It was heard that he had been imprisoned, but was moved around so often no one could get in touch with him. He was charged with the murder of his wife. He was in jail, for five years; up until Sunday 'morning' at 12am. He had been acquitted. New evidence had come to light, and it was clear he was not guilty of his wife's murder. Five whole years he spent locked in a Kenyan prison cell, an experience George (who had passed some time in the big house himself) described as a place that is scarring to spend a second in. He (Lillian's friends) not only was falsely imprisoned but was done so for the brutal murder of his own wife! However, now, he was free, and called to ask Lillian if she thought it would be possible for him to finish his exams.

Before they ended the conversation Lillian asked him how he got through it, and the man simply replied, "Joshua 1:9."

The verse reads:

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." ~Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

It was learned that he had done next to nothing over the past five years but evangelize to his fellow prisoners. He exclaimed that God answers prayer, that He has a plan no matter how blind we are to it, or how poorly we misinterpret it; that He is a faithful God.

I struggled to get over the fact that no one seemed to note that the man's past five years were spent being tormented in jail, and pondered if that is really a blessing or an answered prayer. However, I slowly came to realize that it is when we attempt to put parameters on God's window of intervention, the time frame in which we expect (indeed, demand) Him to act, that we remove all faith in His divine will and plan from the equation.

To believe in God is to believe in His will for our lives, and you cannot fully believe in one without the other. Therefore, no matter what situation we are put in, even when things seem to be the exact opposite of anything that could be in the Almighty's game plan, be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

We prayed and thanked God for the man's release.

The next morning we awoke early, ate another large breakfast, and packed up camp before walking through Kibera, and catching a matatu home.

Pictures from the trip: