Pure Christianity

HIV Hope

Last week we hosted Duane Crumb, who is the director of HIV Hope, for a week long meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to encourage local leaders to come up with creative ways to help stop the spread of infection.

Duane was an entertaining speaker, and he had the knowledge needed to teach about HIV. I must admit that when Ben approached me with the idea of doing this meeting I was reluctant. As a missionary I am not accustomed to someone wanting to do a meeting, and not wanting to pay for it. Duane does not want anyone to become dependant on him, so he asks for the host to pay for the meeting and all his lodging and eating expenses. (I have to say that dependency is not always bad. I used to fear the idea of someone being dependant on me, but then I realized that we all need to be dependent in some way.)

Ben insisted that he thought it would be a good meeting, so I gave in. Well Ben was right and we had a good time.

During the meeting some crazy questions were asked. For example; "If we moved to the Moon would there still be HIV? What if every person on the planet dies, and God creates a new Adam will there still be HIV?"

There were also good and serious questions, and I believe that all twenty-two people who attended felt better for having come.

The emphasis was on creating solutions that would work in the local context. Duane did not come offering us a solution, instead he helped us to come up with ideas that we can try out here in Nakuru.

Thanks Duane for the work you are doing to help stop the spread of HIV.

Is it a Plague?

Last night while we were all watching "Hello Dolly," one of the girls decided to go to bed. Suddenly, loud screams came blasting up the stairs. Here is what she saw in her room...

Someone had left the window open and the light on. This picture doesn't do them justice, but there were THOUSANDS of giant termites flopping and flapping all over the place. Our cats were in Heaven, but the girls were, well, terrified!

Here's a picture of Ben and the girls trying to get them off of the net. They were swarming everywhere!

Pauline brought a basin of water to put them in so they couldn't fly away but one is managing to escape...

Believe it or not, Kenyans (especially Luos) eat these little guys. In fact, Edith, our 5 year old orphan, was eating them while still alive! So after drying them in the sun, we decided to cook them for dinner...

That's one big skillet full of sautéed bugs! YUM! Tastes like peanuts. My kids love 'em.

~Kate Brooks

Missionary to Nakuru, Kenya, East Africa

Co-founder of A Future and a Hope, Home for orphaned girls

The Little Things

Kate wants us to go on with the mini-series about challenges we face living in Kenya, but if we do, it would no longer be a mini-series. So this will be the end of it for now, but we will continue to blog about the difficulties we face from time to time.

I thought I would make a list of the little, at least little here in Kenya, things that bug us here in Kenya. I understand that these issues are insignificant in comparison to others, but even the little things build up after a while. Sometimes I have to release some pressure, which for me usually means watching a movie or playing video games.

So without further ado, whatever ado might be, here is my list of The Little Things that get under my skin:

• Strength of the dollar. This is something that once upon a time I never had to think about, but now I actually have to pay attention to economics. When it goes down, I lose. Usually I lose big time.

 

• Whispering. To be honest I have to remind myself from time to time to project my voice, it is just naturally not loud or deep. However here in Kenya everyone likes to whisper. Can be very annoying, especially if you are trying to order something in a restaurant, or maybe you are asking for directions or something. Just today a woman was trying to speak to me, but I never heard what she said. I kept telling her that I could not hear her, but she kept on whispering.

 

• Body Odor. Granted this is more cultural than anything, but come on people, use soap.

 

• Driving. Seems to me that every driver in Kenya, with the exception of me of course, lacks any patience. They will drive on sidewalks, grass, in the oncoming lane (even when there are oncoming cars,) and any other place they can fit their cars just to get around you and immediately make a turn.

 

• Waiting in line. People here just do not get the concept of waiting in a line. I mean you stand behind the person who is before you and wait until they are finished before approaching the clerk, right? Just the other day I was at the post office standing in line to buy some stamps,. When it became my turn, a woman just walks up to the window and asks to buy stamps. I was not distracted. I was not holding up the line. In fact, I was walking up to the window as well. I am sorry to say that I complained to her and made her move behind me, I guess the little things had built up to a boiling point that day.

 

• Toilets that flush properly. I have yet to find a toilet that will flush everything down on the first attempt.

 

• Pollution: Noise and trash.

 

• bicycles on the highway.

 

O.K. obviously if we keep going the list would be endless, and we would be depressed. So best to stop now, and think about some good stuff. Soon we will do a couple of posts about lessons we have learned by moving to Kenya.

 

      Johnny Brooks

Missionary to Nakuru, Kenya. Co-founder of A Future and a Hope, a home for girls.

Our Kids, The Challenge

Our kids have no clue about being 'American.' It's actually a good thing, but the down side is there as well. Butterfly asks me if her grandparents are white or brown. Now she's seen them (a year ago) and has a better understanding; however, Emma Caite will probably have the same questions in the future as well.

Our kids don't know what life is like having consistent running water and hot water heaters. Dishwashers are foreign to them as well as clothes dryers. Gas pipes in a house are never heard of so when they grow up, will they know what to do if they live in a house with gas and there is a leak? What about air conditioning? They've never adjusted a thermostat nor used a heater. (Not even in the car since neither the van nor the Camry has AC).

They have no idea what it's like to have a broadband Internet connection and unlimited cartoons. (I don't mind, honestly, though they may not be able to play Trivia Pursuit very well and I hope they can catch up technologically.)

Also, they have no idea what it's like to live in a place where no one notices them because in Kenya they are treated like movie stars. Every where we go, flocks of children crowd around touching, greeting, and even pinching my kiddos. In America, no one will even turn their heads to see 'the white kids.' Obviously.

Let me end with a funny story:  While visiting the US, a wonderful lady named Tanya Goldbeck was assessing my children to see their strengths and weaknesses to help me better educate them. When we walked up to her office, she jokingly said, "Hey! I've seen you before! Are you famous?"

Andrew looked up with all seriousness and replied, "Well, kind of."

When I questioned him about it he said, "Well, we are!"

I cracked up!

 

~Kate Brooks

Missionary to Nakuru, Kenya, East Africa

Co-founder of A Future and a Hope

The Challenge of Money

We are continuing our mini-series on the hurdles we face living in Kenya. Kate spoke yesterday about how it is hard to live so far away from loved ones and friends, and now I want to talk to you about money.

One of the biggest issues I have with money is how do I speak to you about it? I risked a lot by titling this post "The Challenge of Money." Many people see a missionary, preacher, or someone involved in the type of work we do talking about money and automatically tune them out. "Oh my God not another appeal for money! Who do these guys think we are? Rockefellers?

Despite the fact that it is a touchy subject with many, but not all thankfully, it is still an issue that we face as missionaries. We decided before we came to Kenya to not focus our attention on fundraising, but instead to pour our energies into the project and the people who need our help. God, using many of you, has been faithful to provide for all our needs, and even a few of our wants.

Fundraising from Kenya is a pain. I can tell you story after story of people who are in desperate need of help, but after 3 days of this you may start to get overwhelmed. That would be when you learn just how easy it is not to read this blog! You may even suspect me of exaggerating, because let me tell you the level of suffering I encounter on a day to day basis is just hard to process. So communicating the needs to you is difficult, at least for me. Also I do not want our relationship to be about money, yes I need money, but I need you more. Striking that balance is not something I do easily.

This year we have been able to assist hundreds, perhaps thousands now, because people see what we are doing and want to help out. Thank you so much.

Money is not just hard to solicit for, it is also a stumbling block in relationships here in Kenya. Most of my friends, colleagues, and well just about every stranger I meet thinks I have as much money as Bill Gates. No kidding. It is like I am seen as an ATM machine, and can just spit out cash whenever there is a need for it.

I am not even talking about greedy folks here, these are everyday guys, some of whom are close friends. It is just hard for them to understand our position when it comes to money. They see us living in a big house, driving a car, eating good food, and paying the school fees of our children. Unfortunately they just do not see the struggles we face getting the money to pay for those things.

I find it hard to explain to a mother whose child has been kicked out of school for not paying, that I just cannot send her kid back to school and fuel my vehicle at the same time. Maybe I need to get rid of the car? Actually I spent 2 years without it, and I definitely know that with the car I can do more than without it. Each and everyday I have to decide who to assist and who we cannot, and each and every one of them has a genuine need to be helped.

Money is a challenge, both getting it and getting rid of it.

 

     Johnny Brooks

Missionary to Nakuru, Kenya. Co-founder of A Future and a Hope, a home for girls.

In a Land Far Far Far Away

Johnny mentioned in our previous post that I would kick off this series of articles concerning the difficulties of living here in Kenya.

Since my brother passed away last week, and I was unable to attend his funeral nor see him while in the hospital, it has sparked these next few days  of articles on this topic.

First, let me say (and you will hear us repeat this again and again, I think): We love living in Kenya and doing the work we do. In fact, it is my dream job. Helping people is so fulfilling. The rewards are part of the work.

Now concerning living far away from our families. That in itself is one of the largest 'pains' we have. Our parents miss out on interaction with their grandchildren and vise versa. They miss celebrating their birthdays (though they send packages), milestones, and getting the chance to see them grow.

For example, Butterfly was only 1 year old when we moved here. Now she is almost 5 (June 28th). She is tall, beautiful, and talkative. She's grown up, and if it weren't for modern technology, our parents wouldn't recognize her!

The biggest 'growth' missed is little Emma Caite. I went through 9 months of pregnancy, child birth, and a full 5 months of her growing before our friends and family got to meet her. They got to see her learn to crawl during our short visit to the USA, but now she is walking and talking!

Being far from our friends and relatives also means that when we have an emergency, we don't have them around to help. For example when Andrew was hospitalized with Malaria, I couldn't ask my parents to baby-sit the other 11 children for me while we tended to him. Which also means no vacations or holidays for us, but that can be addressed perhaps an upcoming article...

~Kate Brooks

Missionary to Nakuru, Kenya, East Africa

Co-founder of A Future and a Hope

Challenges

More often then not we speak of living in Kenya in positive terms, which to be honest is how we think most of the time. However there are some challenges to being a white American living in Nakuru, Kenya.

So for the next few articles Kate and I will share some of those difficulties we face, sometimes daily, here in East Africa.

Being a missionary is not rosy all the time, granted the life we live does have it's advantages, but there are times when we feel down, times when we have no money, times when no one understands or cares about our feelings, times when we feel too far away from our families, and times when we wonder will our kids ever fit in when they return to the USA.

I promise that these articles will not be depressing, and trust me when I say the advantages of following God outweigh the disadvantages. I know my God in ways that I never even imagined before coming to Kenya, so I will suffer through a trial here and there for him.

I think I will let Kate start, by tackling the challenge of being so far away from family.

     Johnny Brooks

Missionary to Nakuru, Kenya. Co-founder of A Future and a Hope, a home for girls.

Did You Get that Email?

Lies, lies, and more lies. Seems like each time I get a forwarded email it is just packed with untruth after untruth. Those of you who care about the truth know what I am talking about, the rest of you may be scratching you head (or other body part) trying to remember the last time you read something that was not true.

You may have received an email about missionaries in Kenya named Loren and Celeste Davis. Apparently they made some comments about Barack Obama being a sleeper terrorist or something like that. A good amount of them have arrived in my inbox, perhaps because people are concerned about us or something since we live in Kenya.

I am not going to refute everything they say, though if everything they say is not a lie it is at least said in the wrong context. The most recent one I received had an interesting line in it. It mentioned how during the recent election related violence in Kenya many churches were burned but not a single mosque.

What? Is that supposed to prove something? It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out why churches were burned and not mosques. Most all of the violence was perpetrated by Christians, or at least people who have been born again.

Here in Nakuru churches are divided by ethnicity, they were before the election turmoil, but they are more than ever divided now. We have whole estates (neighborhoods) that are divided by tribe. These same people that are refusing to live next to someone who speaks a different language or at least has a different name, attend Christian religious meetings on Sundays without fail. If you ask them if they are Christian they will not hesitate to say that Jesus Christ is their personal savior and Lord. Must be a different Jesus then the one I know.

In my life I have met a good number of religious fanatics. Not a single one of them was Muslim, in fact all the fanatics I know are Christian. Before you ask, yes I do know a good number of Muslims.

Just because Loren Davis claims to speak for God does not mean he does. I mean come on he is the same guy who said the American flag was Satanic. (O.K. what he actually said was using the image of a star is Satanic. Which would make the American flag Satanic.) Should also be noted that just because he uses the title missionary and has wasted lots of money in Kenya on meetings, does not make him the spokesperson for the rest of us missionaries living here in Kenya.

I say we take a stand for what is true and stop forwarding emails around that are anything but true, and if you fear a black man being president then vote for someone else.

 

Johnny Brooks

Missionary to Nakuru, Kenya. Co-founder of A Future and a Hope, a home for girls.

Where's the Water?

Remember me discussing our water issues? We haven't had water since November of '07. Well, they repaired the pipe down the road. Our neighbors have water, but we still haven't gotten any.

Our meter has read 006614 for months. This month we got a BILL from the water company just because we have an account! It's a mere $5.20, but I'm not paying it (with the intention of having the water guys come to the house to collect the money). Then maybe I can get them to see that my meter hasn't moved in months! Perhaps then they will fix the problem.

So, yesterday, the guy who closes the water meter came saying, "You owe me money."

My reply, "Go ahead close the meter. I haven't gotten water since November so at least I won't be getting bills for nothing."

He said he was shocked that we hadn't gotten water. He didn't close the meter, nor did he take my money. Instead, he said he'd file a complaint at the water office. (He's the 7th person to complain to them about our water issue.)

Maybe, just maybe, he's 'high enough' in the water people hierarchy to get something done!

We've even had a plumber come to the house to find it's all working properly, we just don't have water.

 

~ Kate Brooks

Missionary to Nakuru, Kenya and Co-founder of A Future and a Hope.

Picture of the Week

 

Half the village pushing our car through mud during a recent trip to visit an orphan project near Kisii.