Week Three of Kenya

So I have made it home safely from Kenya and have more or less recovered from the jet lag (Kenya is 7 hours ahead of Ontario). We arrived back in Toronto on Tuesday then were released to go home on Thursday after some debriefing with CBM and leading their weekly chapel. Since I last wrote I have seen and done a lot. After attending the ACC&S church service (in English) our team drove to Machakos where we began seeing and learning about the ABC (the African Brotherhood Church). Then on Monday we visited the ABC head quarters (which they liked to explain is like the Vatican of the ABC church) and met the Bishop (similar to the pope) of the ABC for tea. Following this meeting we visited the ABC showground, which is an experimental farm where new seeds are tried and farming techniques are taught to the local farmers.

There is also a guardians of hope group that meets out of these grounds that specialize in tie-dying material and making detergents and soaps for sale in the local market. (As a side note, Josh also started his new job at Nray in Dundas, very exciting!). On Tuesday we drove to the Africa Integrated Theological College - which is en route to becoming a university with the help of Carey out in BC. We also visited a water project - a weir to collect rainwater for the purpose of agriculture. Tuesday afternoon we were hosted by the students at the ABC deaf school (a trade type school that was training it's deaf students in computers, wood working and sewing) and were truly blessed to have them lead us in worship.

On Wednesday we drove to Kibwazi and took it easy that day. We walked into the town from the place we were staying hoping to find Internet access, but were not really successful, but it was really interesting to walk down through a small market and interact with the locals. Thursday we visited the Kibwazi farm where all ABC theological students must reside for at least 3 months in order to learn about farming and agriculture such that they will be able to help train and work with the members of their congregations once they are placed in a church setting. It's really quite a neat idea, but I can't really envision it catching on in Canada.

Friday we drove to Thange and visited a Girls school and dispensary (sort of a clinic type place) where once again we saw the principles of integral mission being played out wonderfully. We even got to plant a mango tree in their farm. The remainder of our time in Kenya was spent in Acacia Camp going on safaris and debriefing with our various leaders. We saw all kinds of wildebeests, zebras, giraffes, ostrich, gazelles, monkeys, baboons, some warthogs, 2 hyenas, a wild lion, and we went into a cage with a cheetah.

Acacia camp was a nice time to start trying to put together and process all of the things we had seen and learned over the past three weeks, but I am a long way from having processed it all. We concluded our trip with attending church at the ABC headquarters on Sunday morning (both the 1 hour English service as well as the 3 hour Swahili service), then we enjoyed a Canadian style dinner at Java House (very comparable to a Starbucks with a bigger dinner menu) before heading to the air port for our 15 hour flight home (stopping over in London). All in all, it was an amazing trip. I truly hope I will have the opportunity to go back someday, bring Josh and perhaps another group of interested people along with me. Kenya certainly has found a place in my heart.