Race up the Dual Carriage Way

I only have about 40 kilometers to my destination up the dual carriage way (divided highway with two lanes in each direction) but it can prove to be a white knuckled trip. It’s mid afternoon and the African sun has been doing its job. If I don’t get going soon I will have it in my eyes! I creep through town in slow traffic to get to Waiyaki Way. Once there, the challenge of being fully aware of all your surroundings is upon me.

I make a left turn into the near lane. Being a colony of England, Kenyans drive on the left. I ease around the matatus that have half pulled over to the side to fill their vehicles for the race. It’s already a slight incline and I notice the Pajero whizzing by me on the right. He would have taken the left lane had I swung wide. At least I hope he would have. I push from second gear into third, assessing the lorry in the lane in front of me, he’s probably going about 30 miles per hour; I check my mirrors and glance over my right shoulder. If I shift to fourth I should be able to make it around him before someone comes zooming up behind me.

The vehicles that share the dual carriage way range in speeds from 20 kilometers per hour to 120 kilometers per hour. Additionally there are bikers along the sides and pedestrians looking for a chance to dart across. From time to time there is a donkey cart, it’s square flat bed about the width of a small car, usually two wheel and some kind of load; hay or furniture. Since the shoulder isn’t very wide and sometimes it’s not paved, the cart is usually either partially or fully in the outside lane. The hardest parts to drive are a couple of the steepest inclines where the tarmac is more the texture of hardened lava that cooled as it was poured, with ripples and deep ruts.

It seems that everyone is racing to get to their destination. But most of the distance is uphill, climbing to the ridge of the Great Rift Valley. “Important” people in Mercedes or SUVs whizz by with their professional drivers handling the dodge and weave obstacle course. Average cars can keep a good pace of 80 or 100 kilometers an hour if they’ve been well maintained. There are also ancient Land Rovers or old lorries that might have a bit more challenge with their diesel engines. They huff along, making better headway when the climb isn’t so steep.

Folks know where the police checks usually are and the slow down for them. I avoid eye contact behind my dark glasses so I won’t get pulled over. I’m not doing anything wrong, like talking on the phone or driving without a seat belt, but I will get asked for a bride anyway. I edge the car through the spiked barriers barely far enough apart to get through.

If I stay in the slow lane I will come up behind the crawling trucks. But if I stay on the inside I may become the obstruction that is not fast enough to get out of the way for those finishing first. Besides, I am running this race too. I may not win, but I want to finish. So I do my share of metering out how quickly I can get around the slow lorry or if I shift right down to second in order to keep from plowing into someone or being plowed into.

I’m relieved to get off the highway, but I still have some distance to go. The country road I take from there has no paved shoulders and only one lane in each direction. It has much less of all kinds of traffic and obstacles but there are unmarked speed bumps thrown in here and there. But at least I can see farther since its more flat or even downhill and there is much less traffic. Once I turn into my lane I have only 3 kilometers to go, but the road is so bumpy that I barely get into third gear.

Fifty minutes later, I arrive at my destination. Please, a glass of water and a chair for just 5 minutes while I thank God for another trip without accident or breakdown.

Coming off the jet way into JKIA

When I arrive after 20 hours of travel into the international airport in Nairobi, named for the first president of the country, Jomo Kenyatta, it warms me like a subtle hug; the air is thicker than the plane air and somehow spiced. The corners of my mouth turn up as I realize that I have reached the exotic and familiar destination of the land I love. The faces I see as I enter the terminal are all stoic with business on their minds. But I smile feebly and manage a “Habari?” in greeting. I’m tired. The workers smile in return and answer they are fine.

I stumble along hoping I am going the right way. Have I ever arrived at JKIA when I was in my right mind? Yet, it’s my airport; I don’t want to look like a tourist! I queue in the line for those without visas. Every line seems to go faster than mine and I am in the last handful through and down the stairs to the luggage area. It’s okay. I’m sure my luggage isn’t off yet anyway.

Once I’m loaded onto a cart (there is no charge for luggage carts here in my favorite airport) I struggle to get it to customs. There I greet a tired agent in English with a question about how he is and how is his work today. He asks me what I have in those big cases. I tell them it’s my clothes and person things, some things for cooking and shampoo, things like that. Okay he says and waves me by.

When I find my friend and push the cart outside after telling more than one person I do not need help or a taxi I find the night air warm and windy. A second kind of a hug from my place in the world. I’m glad to finally be in summer after such a long winter. I will be greeted the next day by my house worker telling me that I am “very white.”

Arriving in Nairobi after such a long trip challenges both my intuition and my senses. I want to use both, I need both but everything is difficult in such a sleep deprived state. I enjoy my initial impressions immensely, if only I could experience them well rested.

I have News - Here's my Feb Newsletter:

As you know, I’ve been in the States for some months mainly for the purpose of doing additional support raising. However, during this time after much prayer, and godly counseling, I believe the Lord has redirected me to a different ministry. When I return to Kenya, I will be working with Daystar University in Nairobi as their U.S. Communications Coordinator. I am very excited about this new calling. This position is a much better fit for my skills, experience, and personality while keeping my primary heart’s desire: to minister God’s grace and love to the people of Kenya.

Although leaving Care of Creation is sad in many ways, I am pleased to say that being with Daystar in this position will enable me to promote the work of Care of Creation in much broader sense. Care of Creation is very supportive of the change and for that I am grateful and blessed.

Daystar is Kenya’s leading Christian Liberal Arts University with 3,500 students. They offer a variety of undergrad, and graduate degrees mainly in communications and community development. The goal of Daystar is to equip godly leaders for the future and advance God’s kingdom in Africa and the world. My tasks will include such activities as gathering data for U.S. funded projects, creating current scholarship student profiles, and helping international guests to connect well with staff and students.

Through a recent series of events that only He could orchestrate, God has made it so clear that He is leading me to this new ministry. Your continued support through prayer and financial giving is greatly appreciated. Care of Creation will forward all contributions that have been made on my behalf to Daystar through March 30th. Enclosed you’ll find information on how to redirect your regular giving and more information on Daystar University itself. You may also find more information at their website: www.daystarus.org.

In looking at the immediate future, I will return to Kenya for two weeks in March to bring closure to my previous position and household. I need God’s continued grace and wisdom during the coming transition. I will also meet the Vice Chancellor of Daystar and some staff in Nairobi and begin a search for appropriate housing. Upon returning to the Twin Cities I will immediately begin working at the Daystar U.S. office. After a time of orientation here, I will move back to Nairobi permanently in mid June.

Dividing Professional and Personal

Dear Readers,

Just wanted to let you know that I have created a new 'personal' email address that I would love my friends and family to use. This is my way of trying to polish up my efforts to be a more effective professional. (I still get email at both if you forget.)

You can now contact me at: korbel.jc@gmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you.

Background, Foreground

I think it's interesting that the background in the photo of Mom from 1948, below looks a lot like the foreground in the photo of Mt Rainier. I am fairly certain Mom was in the Rockies, though.

Out of Seattle

I just spent a week in Seattle area. I went to visit my sister, Lee, who is in the hospital there and about 3 hours from her home in Port Angeles, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula. Her situation is improving, however it’s very complicated. We’re hopeful she can return home this weekend. In fact, I left Minneapolis in a big rush on Sunday, February 8 to be with her in her home and since she was still in the hospital when I arrived we hoped I would be driving her home. Neither worked out. But she has a network of friends in PA who will look after what she needs for when she arrives home.

From her hospital lounge I could see Mt Rainier. Not every day was clear but it was visible a good chunk of the week. I lived in a suburb of Seattle for two years while in college. I often visited my sister in PA and I always counted it a privilege when the mountains were visible. On more than one occasion I was on the ferry from the Seattle side to the Peninsula side when it was clear enough to see both Mt Rainier to the south and Mt Baker to the north.

God’s work in creation is absolutely amazing. His majesty is displayed so incredibly in things like mountains. I see his handiwork so clearly there.

Thank you for your continuing prayers for my sister’s health. The improvements I saw the week I was there were a result of your prayers and also God’s hand on her. Bless you.

Same Outfit

I thought this outfit looked very much like what she was wearing in the drawing below. This photo isn't marked but I am fairly certain that it's from this trip.

In the drawing she portrayed both snow and flowers. She mentioned in one of the letters that is was almost as if you could pick flowers and play in the snow together. Thus the reason she can be wearing shorts in the snow.

Looks like the fun of someone who is 22.