The past week or so

You know how a kid who receives a sled for Christmas keeps looking out the window to see if it has begun to snow yet so he can go enjoy the gift? That is my feeling. I have been given some neat experiences during our short time here so far and I keep looking out my window (Microsoft Vista) to see if I have a good enough Internet connection to post pictures and write here. Finally it has begun to "snow." Here is a snippet so far...

Tuesday, September 9
The Partners Worldwide Kenya team (Tim, Martin and myself) headed to Kibwezi, a rural town of 11,000 in southern Kenya. It is somewhat underdeveloped due to the water be saline. An American donor funded a project to bring water in from hills 50 kilometers away. The benefits of the expensive pipeline have not yet been fully realized. Partners Worldwide is discussing stepping in to help utilize the excess water to develop the area's agriculture.

Thursday and Friday
Apartment shopping proved fruitful when we found a place central to where Lydia and I will be working. It is close to a Nakumatt (Walmart type store), cinema, and Java House (tasty, affordable Western food). We almost feel guilty by how fortunate we are to be in such a nice, clean apartment, but then we realize it is a blessing from God and a refuge for us in this crazy city.

Monday
Again on Monday, the Kenya PW guys traveled to the rural areas surrounding Nairobi. They introduced me to the leaders of the business groups I'll be working with for the next year. That night, my good friend Michael and his sister flew into Nairobi. They have friends here, but fortunately they are staying with us. Great to have a friends visit so soon. We hope more come ;-)



Tuesday

On Tuesday, Michael and I drove around and picked up furniture all day. We then hauled it up four flights of stairs. Coincidentally, Michael helped Lydia and I move out of our apartment in Washington, D.C. a month and a half ago. It feels good to begin settling down after living out of suitcase for that long. It will feel even better once we figure out how to get warm water for the shower.

Here at last!

New foods, new smells, new sights. It all seems surreal to finally be here in Nairobi. God has blessed us richly with great people to work with and a fun family to help us transition into life in Africa.

We are staying with a family of four who works with First Love. The five acre property they live on is in the Karen area of Nairobi. It is named after Karen Blixen, made famous in her book and the movie Out of Africa. The area is mostly for diplomats and other expats, but it was gifted to the organization from two very generous donors ;) to be used to develop as a refuge for kids from the Kibera slum, a school and a trade center for training young men with skills to provide for themselves and their families. The property has great potential, with several buildings currently under construction.

The nights are perfectly cool with a nice breeze that comes through the gated windows. Security is a much larger concern than I would have imagined. With the breeze comes the barking of the dogs protecting the property along with the Swahili chit chat of the guards. The other night a Ramadan festival at a nearby Mosque woke us up with fireworks and some long winded Muslim teaching over a loudspeaker.

Today, I am at the office learning more about the business groups Partners Worldwide works with - Gitithia Rural Agro Frinance Group and CHESS. Also, Martin and Tim are briefing me on possible partnerships in the less productive agricultural areas to the west. Lydia is off in Kibera at the educational center and feeding program.