NEWS FROM A FAR COUNTRY
Time marches on and waits on no one. The weather continues to stay on the dry side with occasional light rains. It doesn’t help the crops much and the Kenyans are ‘being squeezed’ for food. In some parts of Kenya many animals have died of starvation. Prices have escalated. Transport costs have gone up. But “we leave all to God” the Christians say and really what else is there to do? It affects even us missionaries ...just abit...our local Nakumatt was rationing sugar to buyers and finally the shelves were totally empty. “No sugar until sugarcane harvest”, we were told. Several of us woman were dreaming of putting everyone on a sugar free diet:) ....that is until someone discovered more sugar in another store.
June brought us more visitors. Lavelle and Lyndon Beiler from Lancaster, PA came to visit their sister, Rosalie. Coming with them were two more, Jordan Stoltzfoos, a good friend of Daniel and Lydia Stoltzfus, a good friend of Miriam. The time was a little short but they had some good days catching up with each other’s lives. We did the typical tour we give visitors....visiting the churches and some local homes......the boys went on an orphan food drop....rode on top of a pile of bags and returned on the back of an empty box truck. (I wish the camera would have been handy when they returned.) Lavelle, Lyndon, Jordan, Daniel and Matthias were each clutching the rails peering down at us looking tousled and a little stressed from all the bumps and harried driving (done by a local driver). We also visited Jennifer’s Gardens and Masai Mara, the game reserve in southern Kenya.
pic. #2 Daniel Kauffman and Matthias Peachey assembling SAW parcels. Every month, these two boys will be seen packing many of these in the Agape carport. On this day it was done in our carport because the ladies were working on bedcovers at Agape. SAW stands for “support a widow” under CAM. In this land of increasing difficulties, the poor old mamas suffer the most.
pic. #3 Our family finally took a vacation together and decided to take a week getaway to Mombasa. Mombasa is along the East coast of Kenya and two days drive away. It’s a typical, large seaport city but the Maweni coastal resort was lovely. We had a private beach and had a delightful time watching the tides come and go by day and the full moon by night. We gathered shells and rode the waves. Each of the children even had camel rides. Pictured are Monica, Miriam and Martina taking a ride. We enjoyed a conversation with a born again masaai trying to sell wares along the beach. He didn’t have the usual pierced, drooping ear lobes; was totally unadorned and sold only pictures, shells, etc. instead of the usual beads and rings traditional masais wear and sell. He said he grew up in a Christian family in northern Kenya. Currently, he has his wife and 2 sons in Mombasa trying to make a living until the famine is over in his homeland. It was rather amazing...truly in heaven there will be people of every tribe and nation. The Holy Spirit is doing His work in every place.
pic. #4 The bereaved Joseph Oriema
In the Kajulu church we have a man named Joseph Oriema. He’s in his mid-50’s and a man of much energy who can talk very fast. Of a sanguine personality, he also has a strong sense of right and wrong. He’s not afraid of correcting anyone at any time. You will see him getting up in the middle of a church service and walking over to straighten an unruly child. He’s gotten up telling the church of sins we have in the church. Sometimes we sighed and despaired.....in spite of it all, there is something very likable about Joseph. He has a large heart and has taken in 3 orphan boys. He is a man who readily listens to advice and correction of church leaders. If only he could remember it better......sometimes it takes some discipline. Recently, Joseph was excommunicated for railing and assuming and saying too many things. About the same time, he discovered his wife had throat cancer. Eunice was rather quiet lady and a member of the local ‘Peace’ church. There was no medication or morphine and she suffered so much. Joseph said sometimes she would cry all night because of pain. This past Saturday, we attended her funeral. The attendance was between 500-600 people. Three tents were set up at the home. People were sitting everywhere, along the fence, on motorcycles and under the trees. Even two, bedraggled beggars came hobbling in and sat on the ground right up front. If there is a crowd this big there’s gotta be some food around. The casket was covered with lace and the deceased decked out in what looked like her wedding garb......dress, veil and all. The service was very lengthy with testimonials in a foreign tongue. Even in all this finery..... a dog thought chewing a bone beside the casket was a safe place to do it. A cat came strolling through and proceeded to retch and barf next to the clergy. No one seemed to notice.....a chicken picked at something ....whatever it was...under a chair. During the viewing line, amidst much singing and clapping, the dog was fast asleep beside the casket. Is this what living and dying close to the earth is about? It’s seems so ironic, yet so simple. The service lasted until 4:30 and we ate and finally went home. About 50 of our CBF people had attended. Joseph wants former missionaries to know that his wife has died. She was 54 years old. Jason and Cynthia Beachy and 3 children have arrived last week. Jason plans to relieve John Glick at the Lela church while John will be lead bishop. Changes have taken place in the churches and in the compound. In some churches, native bishops have been ordained to take on the work. In the compound, different families have moved to different houses to accommodate different needs. Cynthia is Sam’s niece, the youngest daughter of Aaron Lapp. Now we have family here on both sides and our time is running out. The difficult task of telling our church people that we are leaving in October has come. They were not happy although most do understand. Tickets have been purchased for us to leave Kenya on October 13 and fly to Ukraine to visit the missions there and meet David’s family. From there we go to Berlin, Germany. Sam would like to show his children his home of two years during IW service. We plan to tour some Anabaptist sites in Switzerland and arrive at our PA home on November 3. Next week, Glenn and Anna Bender plan to arrive and stay for 3 weeks. Jenelle, daughter of David Lee and Martha Miller from Kalona, Iowa, will be arriving to teach first grade the end of this month. The Marlin Stoltzfus family, from Chuckey, TN, will be replacing us, arriving the end of September.
So the work goes on in Kenya.
Sam and Mattie Kauffman family
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