Here We Go Again!

It’s time for another trip!  I have to start be saying how incredibly blessed I have been to be able to travel to Kenya so many times.  It’s far and away the best part of my job, and the hardest.  This time, my wife Susie is making the trip with me and we are joined by GCR’s resident filmmaker, Matt Maxwell.  Susie and Matt will be with me for the first two weeks, and then go back to America.  I will stay an additional two weeks, and hopefully bring back four of our Kenyans with me to the US for a short visit.

 Our flights from the US went smoothly.  Everything was on time and all of our bags made it with us.  We were a bit unsure what our arrival process would look like when we reached Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, because this past June they had a big fire at the International Arrivals building.  The entire structure was gutted and the airport was closed for a few days while they got some temporary measures back in place.  (Some of you will recall this caused the cancellation of our last medical mission trip and a delay in getting some of our travelers back home.)

I am happy to say that our arrival was very smooth.  They have set up a complete arrivals building in the recently completed parking garage, complete with computerized immigration equipment, motorized baggage claim and even the currency changers and coffee shop were set up and running.  It’s actually quite a bit cleaner than the old building and I’m sure that in the long run the Kenyans will be better off when they complete the new Unit 4 addition that was already underway and a new arrivals building is built.

Friday was our rest and recover day, which of course also means a trip into Nairobi.  First Susie, Mauryn, and I made a visit to the U.S. Embassy to drop of some paperwork for the visa application process for our Kenyans to return with me to the US.  They should have their final appointment next week, and then we will know if they are cleared to travel.   Francis and Matt, waited for us at Java House, which I’m sure was a great sacrifice for both of them J.

Later we went to Sarit Center, a shopping mall not far from the Westgate Mall where the terrorists attacked a couple of weeks ago.  We drove by Westgate on the way and got as close as we could.  I really wanted to go there, if nothing more than to show our solidarity with them as they go through some of what we went through on 9/11.  The other malls in Nairobi are not as busy as they should be, I’m sure because of the attack.  But we did our part to stimulate their economy!  I got my hair cut and my usual place, and then we moved over to Village Market for the Masaai Market and lunch at ArtCafe.  Security was high at both places, but we never felt threatened and the Kenyans were very happy to see us.

Today we scheduled another treat.  We drove up to Ruila, north of Nairobi for a tour of a coffee factory.  It was very cool!  Matt is a big coffee lover, as am I, and we saw how the beans are processed and graded.  We even got a lesson on tasting, (called cupping) from the chief quality control manager at Kofinaf Coffee.  They gave us some coffee to take and we had a great time.  So much more goes into preparing good coffee that I ever imagined. 

The tour reminded me of one of the great things about Kenyan culture, the high value they place on hospitality.  Mauryn wrote a letter asking to visit their place a few weeks back and they relied to her agreeing to a special tour.  They knew that we were not buyers or anyone important, but two of their managers were happy to take several hours from their day to show us around.  Kenyans display this kind of hospitality at every opportunity; we have seen it so many times.  It makes the attack at Westgate particularly galling because their welcoming nature was used against them.  I pray that they never lose that side of their culture, and that no one steals it from them again in the name of a false religion!

We are back at Kamulu again as we are dining with the Coustons tonight.  Tomorrow we will attend church here and our old friend and driver, Angton Alulu will be baptized along with his wife.  He drove for us today and is so excited about joining the family of God tomorrow.  It promises to be a great finish to a great start of a long trip.  I can’t wait.