Back from the Black

Just a quick note to let you know I’m back and well - happy and tired. There is so much to tell you about the trip that I will have to sit and do some considerable writing. There are some definite ‘themes’ to this new land I discovered. Addis is far more laid-back than Nairobi. The people of Ethiopia are stunningly beautiful. And there is certainly an umbrella culture to the place.

I’ll explain more in the coming days. Suffice to say, I really liked it there! I’d go back in a heartbeat.

"Blackness" of the Blog - for a Week

In a way it’s a shame, my readership has become more consistent and since I started blogging on a more regular basis. (Not that you would know it from the comments section.)

The shame isn’t in the increased readership; it’s in the fact that I am going to be away from the internet for a whole week! It seems hard to imagine. My friend, Molly went black for a day to do her taxes. But a whole week? Let’s just chalk it up to being in Africa.

I’m going on vacation to meet some friends from Minneapolis in Addis Ababa. I may be able to get on to the net while I’m away, but I have no plans to at this point. I simply plan to have a really good time!

Sorry in advance for the ‘blackness’ of the blog. But I hope to have some great photos when we get back. We being my friend, Jane Kilonzo who is going with me on vacation. – An added treat.

Hope to see you around Thursday or Friday next week. God willing, I'll post some cool photos then.

What I’m Reading

Last night I came to the following portion in A Praying Life by Paul Miller

When [Jesus] first greets [Mary Magdalene] outside the tomb (on Easter morning), he deliberately conceals his identity; then he draws her out with a question. “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” (John 20:15). It is classic Jesus, a genuine question mixed with a tender rebuke. She doesn’t need to cry because he is alive. Jesus stands at the edge of the story, unwilling to overwhelm her so that a richer, fuller Mary could emerge. He allows her pain to continue for just a moment so Jesus the person could meet Mary the person.

Mary responds, thinking he is the gardener, “Sir, if you had carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away” (20:15). Of course, she couldn’t “take him away” because she is too small. Her words imply that she has servants or access to people who do. She has wealth, access, and chutzpah. Luke tells us that she, along with several other women, “provided for [Jesus and the disciples] out of their means” (8:2-3). If Jesus had disclosed himself immediately, we’d never have discovered Mary, the manager. This new Adam is a gentle gardener.

Jesus announces his presence by just saying her name: “Mary,” In other words, “Mary, stop your rushing, your planning. I was always here, at the edge of the story. I am all you need.” It is so like him to identify himself so simply, so subtly. It is pure poetry.

Many of us wish God were more visible. We think that if we could see him better or know what is going on, then faith would come more easily. But if Jesus dominated the space and overwhelmed vision, we would not be able to relate to him. Everyone who had a clear-eyed vision of God in the Bible fell down as if he were dead. It’s hard to relate to pure light.

from pages 192-193

An Easter Celebration

Easter Brunch a day early - with old friends and new ones.

In Your Vernacular

What person doesn’t love his native language? Maybe Americans don’t really think about it because more often than not, they only know one language.

I remember when I lived in England, working with OM, there was only one guy from France on the team that worked in the book distribution warehouse. One time I caught him in the aisles of the store room talking out loud in French. Being the bold American, I asked, “What are you doing?” He flipped over to English saying, “I like to hear my language.”

I was recently thinking about how some of the Kikuyus and Kambas I know love their mother tongue so much. They are so proud to speak it. And some that I know who grew up abroad didn’t learn it growing up. Some came to it late and some just don’t know it well.

I think of this as I type because I’m listening to the kids from my complex playing outside. They are all Kenyan, and they almost always play in English. Yes, maybe they come from several different tribes, but you would think their recreational language would at least be Swahili. It’s not.

It makes me wonder what language their parents speak in the home. I wonder if they will one day wish they knew their mother’s tongue.

Water

As I was preparing for some guests at my house, I was thinking about all the special considerations of water for consumption here. I was serving fresh veggies, tea, coffee and various other snacks.
Water going into the coffee maker has to be filtered because the coffee maker just heats, not boils the water.
Blanched vegetables need to be cooled in filtered water, not tap.
And fresh veggies that aren’t being blanched need to be ‘disinfected’ then rinsed in filtered water. Boiling water is sufficient for tea or any kind of drinking. But filtered is probably better. Doing both is a good idea when you are prone to tummy problems like I am. It’s a little complicated to keep all the pieces in mind.
It’s certainly not the same as just getting it all out of the tap.
And while all of this is necessary, it's not the same as Living Water.
Happy Good Friday.

Happy April Fool's Day

While Americans are fooling each other today with little April Fool's jokes, the weather has tricked us here.

I woke this morning to what appears to be a very England-ish looking day. It's lush and green outside and there is a soft rain falling. A huge contrast to the storms with thunder and lightening over the past days and weeks. The visibility is low. And I need to drive out to Athi campus today. So, I should be off.

The weather will probably trick me again. If I take a sweater, it will be hot and sunny by noon. Typical Nairobi.