Saturday morning was bittersweet. I got up and made oatmeal for Michael's family and Longiman. It was Longiman's first time to have oatmeal, and he seemed to enjoy it. Then Michael, Angelina, Longiman, Peter, and Lomaler broke out singing traditional Pokot songs that recount historical events significant to the Pokot. Pokot is an oral culture, so it was pretty cool to witness one of the ways stories are passed from one generation to the next.
Then, Longiman decided to leave for his long journey back to Ombolion. By car, this trip takes about 4 hours. My guess is that it would take about 20 hours for Longiman to walk. This didn't seem like a big deal to him...walking is usually how he gets anywhere. He explained to me (through Michael) that because he doesn't know Swahili (he only speaks Pokot), he wasn't counting on being able to ask to hitch a ride from anyone along the way. So, with a simple handshake and head nod, Longiman was out the door and on his way home.
I realized then, that it wasn't hard for me to leave Ombolion earlier that week since Longiman was coming with us to Kapenguria, but when Longiman left, it was like saying goodbye to the entire village. Although I was only in Ombolion for a short time, so much happened, and I was able to connect with so many people despite the language barrier. As my mother observed, I think I left my heart in Ombolion. And I very much want to go back some day (if not later this trip!).
On Sunday night, it rained, and I mean a full-out thunderstorm. My first real rain in Kenya. And I got to enjoy every minute of it thanks to the tin roof over my head. It started at around 12:30am and didn't let up until around 3:00am.
So, I eventually pulled out my computer and queued up some Brett Tyler on iTunes, which helped me at least relax and rest, despite not sleeping. Even though the rain had interrupted my sleep, I was looking forward to what this rain meant...the start of the rainy season in Kenya. The drought will soon be over! (Coincidentally, after writing this blog, I remembered Brett's album is also called Bittersweet.)
In the morning, I discovered that the electricity was out. This happens from time to time for maybe 2 or 3 hours. But I found out later from Angelina that it is quite common for electrical outages to last much longer during the rainy season. Well, it lasted until 8:30pm Monday night...and because I used most of my computer's battery life to listen to music the night before, it meant that I couldn't do all of the typing I had planned to do...compiling notes and survey responses...
On the bright side, I finally had time to explore Kapenguria with Nelly. We did some grocery shopping and stopped at some traditional Pokot jewelry shops. Then it started raining again!
Thankfully, Nathan Roberts suggested I bring some stuff to do to kill time...stuff that I didn't have to rely on electricity for. So, I sat down and opened The DaVinci Code....and then some time later, finished reading The DaVinci Code...
Early this morning, I woke up not feeling very well. I don't think it's technically something I ate. I think it is a combination of the sudden change in weather, along with the excessive amount of milk and fried foods I've been eating, thanks to the Kenyan diet. It simply amounted to yet more restlessness.
But today was very important, so I had to press on. Today, there was a meeting concerning county government due to the new Kenyan constitution. A task force from Nairobi led the meeting, intending to receive feedback from established organizations and groups in the area, as well as the general public on their criteria and thoughts concerning the "devolution" of county government. I think they got what they needed. The meeting lasted 5 hours...
Originally scheduled to begin at 9:00am, Michael thought it would be best if we went at 10:00am...at 10:20am, when we arrived, the event crew was in the middle of setting up the chairs in Mtelo Hall and only a handful of people were already there. The meeting didn't start until 11:40am; by then, there were about 300 people in the audience, both men and women. Here are some pictures.
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| Inside Mtelo Hall. Note, it was named after the Pokot's holy mountain. |
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| In the middle of the conference, a woman came up to me and put this traditional Pokot beaded necklace and headband on me. She said it was from Michael, but then Michael said another woman was so excited to see me there, that it was a gift from her. Whatever the story, I have some cool jewelry now. |
After the meeting, the District Commissioner from the Alale area of Pokot, along with a Nairobi representative who served as the Master of Ceremonies came and greeted me. The District Commissioner was pleased to find out that Michael and I will be visiting Alale, probably sometime next week.
It's only 7:00pm now, but I feel like taking a nap!
I have remembered the 2 little girls( Adela and Librada) I got to know in a small town on the Texas/Mexico border 40 years ago after spending only 1 week with them during a Summer Bible Camp . I have remembered them in prayer ever since. We sat in the back of the bus on our way home to their neighborhood every day after Bible school and sang 'God is so Good' in their broken english together. I have wondered over the years, how they have come to experience the goodness of God in such dire conditions. I have come to understand that where our efforts stop, God keeps going, and that His love is faithful and is a constant presence . I have never forgotten those 2 little girls . I said goodbye to them so soon after I said hello. As I look back, it is easy to see how that week shaped the direction I took in my life. No doubt, these experiences you are having will show up in many ways for years to come. No doubt, the people of Kapenguria and Ombilion will always be in your heart. Thankfully, they are in the heart of God too and because of your efforts in introducing them to us, they are taking up residence in in our hearts too.
ReplyDeleteYou are all in my prayers.
Love, Mom