Twende chai!

Passing the fields of tea on our way to language school.

Twende chai!  Let’s go to tea time – not a literal translation, but the meaning is clear.  Chai (tea) is an important part of a Kenyan’s day.

Field after field of lush, vibrant, green; each day, traveling to language school we pass through the tea fields.   It is a beautiful sight.



According to the Maramba tea box, “The first tea (Callmellia sinensis) seeds were introduced to Kenya from India by Mr. G.W.L. Caine in 1903 and planted at Limuru, near Nairobi.  The commercial cultivation of tea in Kenya began in 1924.  Today Kenya is the world’s leading black tea producer.”

As with everything, there is good and bad in tea.

Waist-high in tea!

Tea must be hand-picked; it can’t be done with a machine. Tea pickers work very hard. They must pick the tea when the bush is ready whether that is in the hot sun or the cold, pouring rain. During picking times they begin picking at 7:00 a.m. and end at 5:00 p.m. with a break at mid-day.  They are paid by the kilogram for the weight of the tea they pick. The tender, top leaves are plucked from the tea bush and thrown behind to land in the basket which is strapped to the back of the picker.  This one said she will pick 40 kg. of tea leaves in the morning and another 40 kg. in the afternoon, if she is quick and works hard – over 88 pounds of tea in the morning and another 88 pounds in the afternoon.   That is a lot of tea!


The tea leaves are then dried and packaged.  There is much more to the process, but for right now let’s just concern ourselves with the tea pickers.

Housing for tea pickers --
Many families will live in one building 

Many times these hard workers are under educated and live close to poverty.  If this one doesn't pick she doesn't get paid; so if she falls sick or for some reason can’t perform at her peak, she loses wages. How many years do you think someone can bend over and pick leaves all day long carrying at least 40 pound on their back at a time?



When you drink your next glass of iced tea, pray for the tea picker who picked the tea leaves which went into the teabag that was used to produce that wonderfully cool refreshment.


Ask God to bestow His grace upon the one who picked your tea, that that one may know the God of all creation who owns the cattle on a thousand hills.  That even though they live in physical poverty, they may prosper in spiritual wealth; understanding God’s abiding love and promises, His grace and forgiveness of sin, and His watch-care for each of His children.

Proverbs 19:20 People

“Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.” Proverbs 19:20

We have been impressed by some young friends.  These apprentice missionaries, living in a local setting, learning a local language, heard the call to go out further.

The place where they will eventually live is deep in the bush of South Sudan.  With no cell phone signal, no internet, and no air field; they will be at least two hours out, by road, from neighboring bush missionaries.

The remote area is a 40 minute drive from the nearest small town where only the very basics can be purchased.  It is hot and dry in the hot season and hot and wet in the rainy season.
During the rains, the rivers will swell cutting them off, for days at a time, from their town and those friendly missionary neighbors – from medical help if needed – leaving them isolated.

However, they will make friends with those whom they live among, those to whom they minister, those to whom they tell the story of God’s grace.

Spending several hours together today, they asked for advice, trying to glean something from what we experienced and learned during our years on the mission field and our time in South Sudan.
They are Proverbs 19:20 young people, seeking advice and council to gain wisdom for the future. We pray we were helpful.
Willingly, they begin a difficult journey – yet, many times those are the most rewarding.

Ask for God’s blessing to fall upon this young couple; that they would continue the journey understanding that while God’s call isn't easy, He is with them.

Pray that we, and others living in easier situations, would find ways of ministering to those whom God has called to plant their lives in the hard places.

Pray that we all would be Proverbs 19:20 people.

Your Word, O LORD

Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.  Your faithfulness continues through all generations; You established the earth, and it endures.  Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve You.  Psalm 119:89-91

Words – Words – Words.  From a very young age we learn the importance of communication.  Crying gets attention, but it doesn't give us exactly what we want; Mom or Dad checks the diaper – but really, I’m hungry.  As time goes on we learn the word for drink, candy, banana, etc. so we can communicate what it is we want.

Meet Dada (sister) Stella, our
kiSwahili teacher.

This is day four of language school – we feel like babies, for that is what we are, communication babies – at least in kiSwahili.  Will I ever remember all of this?  Will I get beyond, “my name is – I come from”?  Is it worth the tremendous effort?  Yes – Yes – and YES!

“Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.”  Impressive isn't it?  God’s word, which He has given to help us understand Him and live together in harmony, never changes; it is eternal -- it stands firm, unbreakable and infallible in the heavens.

The communication of that Word – God’s Word – is of the utmost importance.  If you hear me tell you about Jesus from His Word, but you don’t understand me – well, to quote another verse out of context, I am like a clanging cymbal!!   I continue to clang and you continue to nod, but you haven’t a clue what I have said; you will walk away without having heard the Word of God, even though I spoke it.

God’s Word serves Him – all things serve Him.  In order to serve Him and bring His eternal Word to those who don’t know Him, we must be willing to work hard, acquiring the communication skills needed to tell them about Jesus in a way they can understand, no matter what language we use – if we don’t, we are just clanging.

We don’t want to clang – Pray that God would increase our capacity to remember all the new words and phrases.

Pray that we would humbly stand back up and continue on when we trip over our tongues and make mistakes.

Pray that God would loosen our tongues and connect them tightly to our minds that we can think and speak His Word for His glory.

Grateful

Kenyans are grateful today...
...grateful that the election is finished and results have been made known
...grateful for an atmosphere of calm across the country
...grateful for the spirit of peace in the hearts of their fellow countrymen and women.

Thank you for praying for Kenya during this time.

It is a huge step for this country to hold elections with few acts of intimidation --- with apparent transparency --- and with a general acceptance of the results.  Other countries in Africa could learn a lesson from this time in Kenyan's history.

God has made Himself known -- people around the globe have been praying and peace reigns.  Praise His holy name!

Determined

If you had to stand in a queue (line) for six hours at the minimum to vote – Would you?

A picture of the queue on the front page of the Nation newspaper.
 Kenyans waiting to vote in Kenya's Presidential election

The minimum wait time to vote in the presidential elections in Kenya was six hours – in some areas people stood in the queue for eight to ten hours.  The polls were to close at 5 p.m.; however in an effort to be fair and peaceful the polls stayed open until the last voter, who was in the queue at 5:00 p.m., voted – it was 11:15 p.m. when the last polling station closed.  In a world where voter turnout is low when it rains or is too cold --- Kenyans stand out -- determined to exercise their opportunity to elect their government leaders.

God has been at work in the hearts of Kenyans.  A heavy emphasis was placed on a peaceful election and for the most part, we have experienced just that.  The results are trickling in – emphasis is also on transparency and the security of the ballots; which will help to promote peace as the results are announced.  Because many polling stations are located in remote areas, this process is painfully slow – all eyes are on the television and all ears on the radio.

This is just a short update – things are peaceful thus far.  God is working His will and His way – We glorify Him as He works in the hearts of Kenyans.
Thank you for praying.
Please continue to  pray that peace will reign as the final tally is announced.

...and so it begins

Waking up to dogs barking -- the clock reads 5:15 a.m. – it is beginning --voting day.
 In the darkness, people can be heard talking in hushed tones as they walk in groups to the polling stations hoping that if they arrive early they won’t have to stand in the hot sun all day.
A Kenyan friend is among a group who arrives at the polling station at 5:30 a.m.  Even at that early hour a queue (line) has already formed and he joins at the end of it for the wait.

There are millions of Kenyans who will vote today, over a million in Nairobi alone.  The newspaper describes the security which will be out; over 99,000 officers garnered from police, forestry, national parks, prisons, and the youth league will be milling around, stationed at polling areas, to ensure no violence breaks out today.

The voting process is quite arduous. A list of exactly what to expect and the process one must go through to vote was printed in the newspaper.

There are seven steps:

1.  Voters queue outside polling stations (Voting begins at 6 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m.).

2.  Inside the voting room an official verifies your identity using your identification documents.

3.  A second official inspects your fingers to make sure there are no ink marks (ensuring you only vote once).

4.  A third official takes your identification documents, finds your name on the voter role, loudly calls out your name and cancels you out on the voter role.

The identification mark -- I have voted!
I guess this means no nail polish today!

5.  A fourth official detaches a ballot from the ballot book, stamps the ballot on both sides with an official IEBC (Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission) stamp, and gives you the ballot.

6.  Taking the ballot, you vote – it didn't say if there would be a curtained area in which to vote.  There might possibly be just a single table sitting off from everyone where a voter can fill out the ballot.

7.  After inserting the completed ballot in the box, the last official marks the fingernail of your smallest finger on your left hand with indelible ink.  You collect your identification documents and are encouraged to return home and wait for the results.

Our friend returned at 11:00 a.m. saying many were complaining.  “The queue is too long (going for miles) and it is moving very slowly.  Some will not get to vote, they cannot reach the room before it closes,” he commented.

The newspaper said results could be expected within 48 hours of the close of voting; meaning by Wednesday evening the results will be announced.  Continue to pray. . . We have already heard a report of four policemen killed in Mombasa today.
This whole week will be one of tension.
Pray for calm hearts, peaceful thoughts and a desire for unity no matter what the outcome.