Evil Can Not Be Subdued By Evil

Why do we engage in war?

We are told by those in high authority that the reason we go to war is to produce and preserve peace, liberty, blah blah blah. I do not write “blah blah blah” because I do not value peace and liberty, but because the statement that warfare is necessary for these things is a lie. Not only is warfare NOT necessary, it completely contradicts these ideals, and makes them impossible to attain.

Revenge, pride, the desire for power…these are the seeds of carnal warfare. Not peace. “From these [seeds] grow all the quarreling among children, the discord among families, the bickering, law suits, and broils among neighbors, the boxing among bullies, the dueling among modern gentlemen, and wars among nations” (D. Dodge).

Consider your own experiences. Repaying evil for evil on the individual level never achieves peace, and actually only destroys it. What happens in your own life when someone hurts you (emotionally, physically, etc.) and you seek revenge? What happens when you attempt to “settle the score” with a “dose of his/her own medicine?” When you hit a person, offensively or defensively, whether with your words or your fists, what happens?

So what makes us believe war on the international level will usher in a world of lasting peace and liberty? Maybe it is because that is the wisdom we glean from history! That must be it considering how in other pursuits we humans gain wisdom through experience. Oh wait, I seem to remember learning about not one, but two, wars “to end all wars” and still my brother, Kyle, is in Afghanistan armed with missiles. I have read and heard a lot of statistics regarding the ratio of wars to years in the past 100 years. Though different sources cite different numbers, they all list more than 100 wars. Over 100 wars in one century, more wars than years! And what has been the result? A very short list includes the loss of liberty, the destruction of property, homes, schools, theaters, sports arenas, museums, libraries, and churches, an increase in orphans and widows, the oppression of the poor and underprivileged, and over 160 million people dead. Huh.

It appears the real wisdom, dare I say the truth, is that war can do nothing to end war because evil cannot be subdued by evil. Two wrongs do not make a right. Error cannot be corrected by error. A “War on Terror” cannot eradicate terror; it can, has, and will only multiply it.

It is returning good for evil that overcomes evil. If you are a Christian, consider Christ’s teachings to “not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:39). Christ teaches us to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44), and to “do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). In fact, the second greatest commandment, after loving God, is to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22: 39). The list goes on and on. "Christ's teachings, which came to be known to men, not by means of violence and the sword, but by means of non-resistance to evil, gentleness, meekness, and peaceableness, can only be diffused through the world by the example of peace, harmony, and love among its followers" (Tolstoy).

If you do not believe in Christ consult your common sense once more. In your life is genuine and lasting peace secured through arguments and violence? I’m not talking the “peace” when you and your spouse or you and your child argue so much that you give up. That is only temporary. My experiences have proven, as I’m sure yours have as well, that unless you honestly transcend issue(s) through communication based in love the fighting, in time, will resume. We are much more wise before hostilities commence. It is then, when we humble ourselves and remain calm, that reconciliation is efficiently and effectively achieved, with our friends as well as our foes.

The same principle applies in international relations because according to Ballou, “[t]rue non-resistance is the only real resistance to evil. To injure another because he has injured us, even with the aim of overcoming evil, is doubling the harm for him and for oneself; it is begetting, or at least setting free and inciting, that evil spirit which we should wish to drive out. If all men refused to resist evil by evil our world would be happy.”

The preservation of peace and the prevention of war can not be achieved by building sophisticated weapons and training young men and women to kill humans with their hands, just like the preservation of good health and the prevention of obesity can not be achieved by eating McDonalds for every meal and leading a completely sedentary lifestyle. I recently heard about a bumper sticker that I will paraphrase by saying, going to war to preserve peace is like engaging in sex to preserve one’s virginity. To put a G rating on it: “War is no more adapted to preserve liberty and produce a lasting peace than midnight darkness is to produce noonday light” (D. Dodge).

Ghandi knew this when he used nonviolent tactics to win India’s independence. Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia knew this when they overcame the Soviet Union using nonresistance. Te Whiti knew this when he nonviolently stopped a war of genocide that would have wiped out New Zealand’s Maori people. A group of women known as “Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo” knew this when they nonviolently contributed to the collapse of a ruthless Argentinean regime.

And you know this.

If you agree with the points I have made I urge you to examine your life for actions you may be taking which promote any spirit of violence, from arguing with a neighbor to endorsing the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Recognize any inconsistency between truth and your actions and being to change.

If you do not agree with the points I have made I challenge you to examine your thoughts, words, and actions and determine what the results are when they are based in love vs. when they are based in anything less.

Dodge, D. (1812). War Inconsistent with the Religion of Jesus Christ.

Kurklasnsky, M. (2006). Nonviolence: The History of a Dangerous Idea.

Tolstoy, L. (1894). The Kingdom of God Within You.

The Student Study Bible. New International Version.

Recent Ecuador Happenings!!

-A couple weekends ago the volunteers piled into the back of a truck and rode out to Pondoa, a community living on the side of the volcano, to read books and do activities with the children living there. (We had to have a motorcycle police escort drive in front of us either so the community people wouldn’t think we were coming to traffic their children or so people wouldn’t think the driver was trafficking us…not sure which one though). About 20 kids turned out by bicycle, foot, and on horse to their very rural basketball court. The activities included making bracelets out of paper beads and presenting a puppet show about a dancing guinea pig. The kids seemed to thoroughly enjoy the visit.

-Remember the hot baths I mentioned in my last blog post? Well Richard and Carmen go the baths a few times every week and always invite us. Here are the details of the one and only time we’ve joined them. We arrived at the hot baths, paid the two dollar entrance fee per person, changed into what we were going to wear in the baths, went to turn in our baskets containing the clothes we came in and then proceed to the baths, and I was denied. Being from an island where I swam A LOT growing up, and many times unexpectedly (you’re out fishing, it’s hot, naturally you jump in the water…clothes and all), I planned on wearing a t-shirt and gym shorts in the hot baths because I did not bring a bathing suit. For Ecuadorians it’s a no-no to swim in clothes. It’s also a no-no to refund people who pay to use the hot baths and then don’t because you won’t let them. Instead, they responded “you should have rented a swimsuit for $1.” Neither CJ nor I knew enough Spanish to tell them how disgusting that is! Oh well, while I sat and watched everyone enjoy the healing powers of the hot baths two 17-year-old Ecuadorian girls came and sat with me and we attempted to converse…it was mostly giggles though as I don’t speak much Spanish and they spoke even less English.

-CJ taught me how to play chess and now I am constantly searching for opportunities to play. Sometimes I win.

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I have read OnlyConnect, which is about transforming the public school system in America; Nonviolence: The History of a Dangerous Idea, which changed my life drastically (more on that later); The Year of Living Biblically, which made me laugh out loud and taught me a considerable amount about the Bible; Conversations with God (highly recommend); Civil Disobedience; and War Inconsistent with the Religion of Jesus Christ (recommend). I am currently reading The Outliers, which discusses why certain people succeed in their chosen field based on opportunity, as well as The Kingdom of God Within You, which receives my highest recommendation.

-We accepted an invitation to a home church meeting by an Ecuadorian woman, Yessi, who works at Arte del Mundo (where we volunteer). The small group meets four evenings a week. The Thursday evening we attended there were six Ecuadorians and the two of us. It was very similar to small group meetings CJ and I have experienced in America, in that we sang hymns, prayed communally, read scripture, and talked about scripture. It was a nice evening with kind people who love Jesus…and who I could only communicate with through my translators Yessi and CJ. I’m not certain of this but I believe CJ and I are the only two non-Ecuadorians who have ever joined them…which seemed to really thrill them. We are planning to join them again on a Saturday evening when the meetings are held around a campfire!

-Making dinner is nearly always a science experiment, which scares Richard and thrills us…especially when the meal tastes good (which thankfully it always does)! Our newest specialties include “Jungle Junk” and veggie lasagna (which still needs a fun name). Last night we made delicious homemade applesauce, Ecuadorian style.

-We have planted radishes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, lettuce, and Swiss char. We’ve also weeded, weed wacked, sawed down trees, planted trees, re-planted trees, and uncovered trees from weeds.

-Wedding plans – Nearly everything is planned except the two most important things…date and place! We may be having the most fun any two people have ever had planning their wedding. For instance, which sharing a plate of Ostrich at an Argentinean Restaurant, where the atmosphere made me feel like we were living in a tree house with the Lost Boys in Peter Pan, we thoroughly discussed “strongly encouraging” our wedding guests to wear tie-dye. There is only one ironic situation with the wedding. The United States Army, which CJ and I are both very much oppose to, is making it challenging to decide on a date and place. This is because one of my two extraordinary brothers, Kyle, was deployed to Afghanistan last week with a vague idea of when he will return.

-Speaking of war, CJ and I are in the process of undertaking a challenging project…that of becoming nonviolence activists. After reading, thinking, and discussing a great deal about nonviolence we’ve made it a common life goal to educate people about nonviolence. We are researching and brainstorming a variety of opportunities, from teaching nonviolence classes at the University level to traveling around presenting nonviolence seminars to working for specific nonviolent campaigns. Be prepared for the future of my blog to discuss such ideas as our “voluntary” military being nothing more than a draft of the poor, violence only leading to more violence, human nature, why you can’t promote both Christ and a violent military, the history of violence, the history of nonviolence, and MUCH more. CJ will also be writing nonviolence posts and his writing is sure to be more witty and thought provoking than mine so check it out at http://www.cjdates.blogspot.com/!!

Settled Down in Ecuador!!

INTERESTING BITS ABOUT BANOS

- Multiple entire streets are lined with vendors selling taffy, tangerines, and sugar cane at small stands. In the States it would be like eighteen McDonalds and Wendys on one block, all lined up, and sharing walls! And we think pharmacies and gas stations on every corner is a little much!

- The rest of the streets are lined with hostels, massage parlors, restaurants, internet cafes, and adventure tours (offering bungy jumping, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, jungle excursions, etc).

- Garbage is collected every night by a dump truck blaring the ice cream truck tune!!

- Many, many, many private and city walls are covered in really neat murals and graffiti. There is such an abundance of it and it is such great art that CJ and I have already devoted two days to walking around taking pictures of it, totaling over 350 pictures, and there is still more we want! We collect art from everywhere we travel and our piece from Ecuador is going to be a book of our graffiti and mural pictures!

- They don’t flush toilet paper down the toilet. It all (and I mean ALL) goes in a little trashcan sitting next to the toilet. This is true for private homes, as well as businesses.

- Every funeral includes a walking funeral procession down the narrow one-way streets of Banos.

- Guinea pig is a delicacy. They cook it by roasting the entire guinea pig (eyes, tail, claws and all) on a stick over a grill. CJ and I are going to try it this week.

- Banos is named after it’s world-renowned hot baths, which according to National Geographic offer the greatest health benefit of any hot baths in the world. At the hot baths there are pools of murky light brown water, rich in nutrients and heated by the volcano, as well as cold swimming pools. You are supposed to go back and forth from the hot to the cold nine times, sitting in each for a few minutes.

- Lunch is the most important meal of the day and children get out of school at 1 pm to go home for lunch. It’s crazy in town around that time as there are hundreds of school kids walking in packs and messing around with each other.

ARTE DE MUNDO

We have served at Arte del Mundo (a.k.a. the Bib) for two weeks and things are going wonderfully! The organization offers an adult and children’s library and after-school program from 3:30pm-6:30pm Monday-Friday, as well as English classes for adults and kids from 2pm-8pm Monday-Thursday. CJ teaches two 30-minute guitar classes each day, one for girls and one for boys. Once his lessons are over he helps with the after-school program (usually playing chess with the kids) and does miscellaneous beautification/construction projects around the property. I’ve been helping in the two activity rooms by playing games with the kids (Uno, Jenga, Set, Dutch Blitz) and doing projects (making bookmarks and jewelry), helping in the children’s library by reading to and being read to by the kids, and also getting involved in the kid’s photography class. It is a really fun place and the kids love it.

CASA DE RICARDO

As far as our living arrangements go, it’s quite the experience! We are living with an American man, Richard, and his Ecuadorian girlfriend, Carmen. He spent the majority of his life moving around the world building and restoring houses (beginning with no experience) and through doing that has lived in 20 different countries! Richard also had a pineapple farm in Costa Rica, was a Buddhist Monk in Japan (though at this point he has “a low opinion of all religions”), and I can’t even imagine what else! Everyday is an adventure to say the least. Carmen is a masseuse with her own massage business in town. They are housing us for free in a rustic 3-story home Richard restored, in exchange for us working in their garden an hour or two each day. They have amazing flower gardens and a fruit orchard with oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes, walnuts, and avacados. We are currently planting a vegetable garden (so they can sustain themselves when the world turns to chaos).

Ecuador: The 12th Country I’ve Experienced Outside the U.S. and My Favorite!

Two weeks and more golden moments than I could have ever imagined! As in Kenya my goals for this trip are to serve, to love, to learn, and to be aware, with the added one of investigating what makes a successful volunteer program. The night before we flew to Ecuador I conjured up a new career option…to be a volunteer program consultant. In this role I would figure out what makes a successful volunteer program, go out and volunteer, and then consult with the administrators on how to improve their program in order to make it more effective for all parties involved. I have never heard of this type of consulting, but if you have, and wouldn’t mind saving me some research time, please share your insight below or in an email!

ANYHOO, you’re probably wondering what CJ and I have been up to our first two weeks in Ecuador. There are four main aspects of our trip to this point I would like to share including, the town of Banos, the jungle, Katitawa School, and most important OUR ENGAGEMENT J!

BANOS: Upon arriving in the capital, Quito, CJ and I hightailed it to Banos to meet Linda, my nephew’s grandma. This took five hours by taxi and bus through the most lush mountains and past the most waterfalls I hadever seen. As we neared Banos CJ & I saw our first ever view of an active volcano, as dark smoke billowed out of Tungurahua. (We have yet to see lava but are planning a late night walk to do just that pretty soon.) Once we found Linda she walked us around Banos, a quaint town geared toward adventure-seeking tourists. She introduced us to her many Gringo & Ecuadorian friends and showed us the best cafes, markets, hostels, internet places, parks, etc.

We were both immediately captivated by the warmness of the people, the menu of things to experience, the cleanliness, and the surrounding view of enormous green mountains with mysterious clouds toward their tops and waterfalls cascading down their sides, and of course the active volcano. Linda lives a 30 minute bus ride and one hour walk through the jungle away from Banos and goes there every few days to restock on supplies, as she does not have electricity. Her log home in the jungle has served as CJ and I’s primary home so far. Banos has become our second home. * So all you sports fans can rest easier know that CJ and I made a special trip into Banos to watch the Super Bowl and continue making special trips to watch the Olympics…all with Spanish commentating (and normally the volume turned down).

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE: Linda owns 185 acres in what I believe is one of two cloud forests in Ecuador. The hour long walk through the jungle to her log home takes you across a long, rickety foot bridge, up a mountain, by wild orchids and wild lemon trees, across small rivers, through mud liable to suck your knee-high rubber boots off, down a mountain, near waterfalls, on and on and on. Linda’s 185 acres is split into a 160 acre plot and a 25 acre plot, and she has the 25 acre plot for sale. During our first trek in CJ and I were already brainstorming ideas of how to purchase the 25 acres…and we still are! The log home she built is two stories with what I would call a glorified widows watch as a third story, where I like to read, pray, and do yoga in the mornings.

There is a wrap around porch, 1 bedroom, a bathroom, full kitchen, living room, fireplace, and huge loft. If I had to describe the jungle in one word it would be pristine. It’s one of those places worthy of National Geographic Magazine and also too amazing to fully depict through words or photos. You just have to experience it…the mist, the vibrantly colored butterflies, the funky bright flowers, the variety of grasshoppers, the blanket of clouds, the roar of the river…you just have to experience it.

KATITAWA SCHOOL: For nearly a year prior to traveling to Ecuador I followed the happenings at Katitawa School on their blogs. I understood it to be an experiential Spanish/English primary school for the indigenous children of the small town of Salasaca. On their blogs it looked like a wonderfully successful program with construction going on, photos of the children engaging in cultural celebrations, and rave volunteer reviews. While the facilities are incredible, looks can be deceiving and after one day of volunteering it was clear to CJ and I, as well as the nearly dozen other volunteers there at the time, that the school lacked vision and organization. There was no curriculum, no class schedule, and no consistency as the school is almost entirely run by volunteers who come and go every few days or few weeks. If you’re thinking their disorganization was a real opportunity for us to help, forget it. It became very much apparent as soon as we started asking questions that they have no intention or desire to change. As CJ frames it, “It’s a glorified playground,” and because of that after two days we returned to Banos in search of a volunteer project that better fit our reasons for coming to Ecuador. We are now serving at Arte del Mundo (art of the world). For two months we will both assist with their incredible after-school program by playing board games and card games, doing art, and reading with children. Additionally, CJ will teach guitar to children, I will teach English to children and adults, and I will hopefully start a dance class for the children.

“WILL YOU MARRY ME?”… “FREELY & GLADLY, FREELY & GLADLY!!”: Exactly one year from the day CJ and I met, which just happened to be Valentine’s Day, we started the day by taking machetes to vines, which were forming a ceiling over the narrow path to Linda’s home. We fed two horses, planted the top of a pineapple, and chopped firework…all very appropriate Valentine’s Day activities wouldn’t you say? After lunch we set off on a 20-minute creek stomping adventure up to an impassable roaring waterfall. Upon arriving at the waterfall we sat to the side of it, sharing cheese and crackers. Knowing the thrill I get out of feeling the mist from a waterfall CJ suggested I cross the creek to where I could stand closest to the front of the waterfall. He followed me across, gave me a huge hug from behind and asked how I was doing. After responding that I had never been better and that I absolutely loved that spot he reached into his pocket, pulled out a ring, held it in front of me, and asked me to marry him. I immediately spun around and began hugging him and bawling…and bawling…and bawling. Eventually, I answered “freely and gladly, freely and gladly,” a term I use regularly and he totally anticipated. After he put the ring on my finger and we hugged and I cried some more he took a vile out of his pocket for us to collect some “engagement water” from the waterfall. Collecting water from places we visit is something both of us did before we met and now enjoy doing together. It was perfect.

Saying Goodbye to Kenya Hard to Do (weeks 5/6)

HAPPENINGS DURING WEEKS 5 & 6:

- CJ came up with the incredible idea of making s’mores with the boarders who had never even heard of marshmallows and kept getting them confused with mash potatoes, before actually seeing & tasting them. It took some energy to find the ingredients and we had to substitute gram crackers for another type of cookie/cracker/biscuit thing, but as their faces ended up smeared with chocolate and marshmallow I judged it as a complete success. One boy held out his s’more to CJ and exclaimed, “CJ, you have created the sweetest place!”

- CJ and I hung out with Nip’s friend, Noel, and a couple of his art/rasta brothers. We made music together, discussed culture, justice, music, respect, art, peace and life, enjoyed Kenyan food together, laughed together A LOT, and mostly understood each other’s English.

- Keela, CJ, and I drew and colored A LOT of educational posters for the classrooms on everything from the human body to native plants and animals to the foods we eat to weather patterns.

- Keela and I made no bake cookies for the boaders. I will never forget immediately becoming teary eyed having learned the kids have never tasted chocolate chip cookies. With no access to an oven, no bakes were a delicious alternative that they thoroughly enjoyed and savored. Next time I come you can bet homemade chocolate chip cookies will be on the packing list.

- CJ and I continued talking with the kids about topics presented in the Bible including eternal life, fear, baptism, worry, the books of Psalms and Proverbs, etc.

- Keela and I purchased fabric and had dresses custom made representing the style in Kenya. CJ purchased fabric and had a shirt made. For all of our fabric plus the cost of having the clothes made by a tailor we spent less than $50 between the three of us!

- We took the kids to the field to play football on a Saturday when a crusade was going on. It was an incredible, unexpected surprise for me because I had been wanting to attend a crusade outside of a church and I thoroughly enjoyed it. At the beginning of the crusade a group of about dozen Kenyans stood in a circle holding hands and praying together. Later, a worship team sang and danced on a temporary stage built at the field specifically for the crusade. Many of the boarders and I energetically danced for what seemed like hours as the crowd grew and grew. It was probably the most fun I’ve ever had worshipping God!

- We devoted one day to shopping for goods to sell in America to support Jambo Jipya and a few souvenirs. That day also turned into a fun experience with multiple forms of transportation including walking, riding on pki-pkis (motorcycles), and riding in matatus and tuk tuks (3 passenger motorized tricycle things).

- As with the first month of the trip most of our time the last two weeks was spent with the kids, playing, talking, and teaching each other.

RANDOM:

RELIGION/CHRISTIANITY/BELIEFS –

In six weeks CJ and I attended three Church services, one crusade at the field, and discussed spirituality/religion/Christianity at length with a variety of Kenyans. By some we were labeled “bad” Christians for not attending Church more often. Our decision to not attend Church every Sunday did not come without much contemplation, prayer, and discussion. Among the many things we evaluated were whether discomfort at a Church service is an indicator of false teaching, whether discomfort can be an indicator of false teaching, how we can discern false teaching, whether false teaching is reason not to attend a certain Church, and whether attendance indicates support.

We arrived at two conclusions…

1) If you believe you can attend a certain Church one time and support the body of Christ and not their doctrine you should go. If you don’t think you can go even once without showing your support for the doctrine they are teaching then you shouldn’t go even once. If you think you can go 200 times and just show support for the body of Christ and never for their doctrines then you should do that. (This concept is something we had discussed in the past with one of the Pastors in Lake Placid who we respect very much, but which took on new challenges and meaning while in Kenya).

2) Together we decided that the question is not what is the value of your action. The question is are you acting? Taking action is what it means to be free in Christ. If you are free then you can stand for whatever you believe and it is right because you are standing…because you are taking action. You are not being lukewarm. You are not being idle. Everything belongs. So the people who are sitting on the roof on Sunday morning, instead of going to Church, because they don’t want to support something they don’t understand are right. They belong. The person who feels you have to go to Church to be a good Christian is right. That person belongs. The person who goes to Church out of respect for another person, even though she is bored and doesn’t agree with the teaching is right. That person belongs.

JAMBO JIPYA – Simply put I would be thrilled to send my kids to Jambo Jipya. If something happen to me I would have no problem with my kids moving into Jambo Jipya and growing up there.

SHARING/GIVING – I have never experienced giving and sharing like I have in Kenya. To watch the children sharing their food and clothing and anything else they have with one another is miraculous compared to the hording of personal possessions I am so accustomed to witnessing and doing myself. Two of the three Sunday’s I attended Church here two different woman let me wear one of their tailor made African outfits. Both women later gave me those outfits! I am so excited about how these last six weeks have bolstered my sharing and giving. I should arrive home with at least two less bracelets and one less pair of shoes and that is super cool!!

ASSUMPTIONS - I was reminded of how dangerous assumptions are. This reminder came both from assumptions I made about a few Kenyans and assumptions that a couple Kenyans made about me.

NONVIOLENCE/COMMUNITY-BUILDING – I read seven books, as well as many passages from the Bible, most of which discussed nonviolence and community. After much thinking and discussion about these topics I am seriously considering studying these subjects in greater depth in hopes of someday teaching these subjects as an adjunct professor.

RASTA – I realized parallels between the Rasta way of life and Christ’s teachings and decided that Rasta culture is something I want to learn much more about.

Loving Kenya - Week 3 & 4

Happenings over the past couple of weeks
- CJ and many of the boys recorded a cd consisting of 8 original raps in Kiswahili (and a little English by “DJ CJ”)!
- Keela and I led the kids in a project coloring pictures and designs on t-shirts with fabric markers. The t-shirts are going to children in America who made shirts for the kids here.
- CJ & I started a bible study/discussion group that is going phenomenally! About a dozen kids come everyday to learn what the bible has to say about various topics and ask questions. Our intentions the first day were to try to make it last one hour, three hours into it we were still talking. The list of topics the kids came up with includes Jonah, anxiety, fear, cheating, complaining, discipline, fasting, juding others, gossip, Job, jealousy, and much, much more!
- Made boondoggle bracelets with the kids.
- Watched Michael Jackson music videos with the kids.
- Took the kids to a field a few times to play football and just run around.
- The kids and I have danced…A LOT!
- Drawn, colored, and read books with the kids.
- Celebrated Christmas with thousands of East Africans at an annual Christmas crusade. More about that another time.
- I have read 6 books (Everything Belongs, Community Making and Peace, Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, Dead Aid, People Power, and Say You’re One of Them).
- Keela and I have watched six Julia Roberts movies…I think CJ has made it though one with us haha.
- Celebrated New Years Eve with card games, wine, and chocolate. Keela and CJ drove Mama’s car…quite an adventure considering neither of them had ever driven in Kenya and the car wouldn’t accelerate properly. Later, I engineered a ball (bag of banana peels) to drop from the top of our staircase at midnight. A New Year’s to remember no doubt.
- New Years Day we took the boarders to the beach where we enjoyed a feast of goat and chipatis, played football, collected shells, and swam in the Indian Ocean. It was my first time swimming in the Indian Ocean and easily my favorite day of the trip so far.

In love with Kenya
- I love how spirited the people are. There is much singing and laughter here.
- I love the references to God painted on cars, fruit stands, hair salons, etc. It is normal in one day to see a sticker exclaiming “The Lord is my Shepherd” on the back windshield of a matatu, “In God We Trust” painted on a wall at a hair salon, “God is good” on the mudflaps of a semitruck, and “Glory to God” painted on the side of a car.
- I love the children (so much). Their eagerness to learn, their physical toughness, and their ability to joyfully entertain themselves is too incredible to explain.
- I love the variety, affordability, and availability of fruit! Everyday we make a huge fruit salad with mangos, bananas, pineapple, passion fruit, and occasionally coconut. People line the streets and alleys selling fruit. Everyday I am baffled by how cheap it is…you can buy four mangos, six bananas, a pineapple, and eight passion fruit for $4.00!
- I love how warmly people greet each other. Everyday people shake my hand and smile excitedly when we greet…children and adults alike.
- I love the incredibly large number of small businesses – tailors, fruit stands, hair salons, internet cafes, clothing stalls, furniture shops, stalls selling handmade metal cookware, and the list goes on and on. There is one paved road through the middle of town and off this road lining every side dirt road and alleyway are small businesses. Most are set up in stands or stalls measuring about 6x6 and made out of plywood, tree limbs, palmfrawns, and scrap pieces of metal.
- I love the breeze and the sunshine while it sprinkles.
- I love how everyone happily exclaims “Jambo” to us as we walk past each other.
- I love renting movies! For a little over $1.00 we get a dvd with 10 movies on it!!

Thoughts/Reactions to Life in Kenya - Week 2

--- I Have 40 Brothers and Sisters in Kenya
A few days ago a couple of the kids began asking me the names of my family members, “What is your mother’s name?” “What is your father’s name?” “What is your mother’s father’s name?” On and on and on. Most of these kids are orphans. Some of their parents are dead. For others no one knows where their parents are. One boy was found living in the woods all alone. And yet they have such interest in family. It thrills them to look at pictures of mine and CJ/Keela’s families. I would like to think that faced with their situation at such a young age I would feel the same joy toward learning about another’s family. However, I’m not sure I wouldn’t instead be cynical of the concept of family and cynical towards those with families. I am so thankful that the leaders of Jambo Jipya created an environment where each boarder is surrounded by 40 brothers and sisters everyday and that they view me as their sister.

















--- Time, Trash, & Trying to Figure Out the Right Reaction
Though the heat is exhausting, the food is very different, and I only understand a handful of Kiswahili words, the only two things that really get to me here are the way in which people treat each other’s time and the trash. From my perspective the culture is very disrespectful toward another’s time. To quote Keela, “No one is where they are supposed to be when they say they will be there.” Being of the mindset that early is on time and on time is late I am finding it difficult to keep from getting annoyed with this aspect of their culture. What is more frustrating is that, as a guest, I do not know whether it is better/more respectful to go along with it or voice my opinion...Thoughts? Suggestions?

I have the same reaction toward what they do with trash (throw it anywhere on the ground and when a heap gets big enough, set fire to it). Although the trash issue is a little different as it pertains more to their Government and lack of public services, it is still a matter of respect for others and the earth, as well as a sanitary issue.

During our matatu ride to Mombasa last week I witnessed people, cows, and goats rummaging together through a heap of trash. I hope the people were not searching for food like the cows and goats, but I would be surprised if that was not one of the reasons. Riding in the 14 passenger matatu with 19 other people I began wondering if in America we are that much better putting trash in bags in our homes and public places only to have it totted off to a landfill. While I do believe it is a health risk to have trash scattered everywhere, we Americans are very ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ What is the effect of that?

The best answer I have come up with so far is to consume less, thus creating less trash. If we lived simple sustainable lifestyles, growing and catching much of our food and using our food waste for fertilizer, rather than buying food packaged in excess amounts of plastic, styrofoam, and cardboard, we would have much less trash. Less trash means less negative impact on our global climate, and yes less of an eye sore…Thoughts? Suggestions?

--- To Do My Own Laundry Or Not? (sure never thought I would struggle over this question haha)
Two days a week a woman ("Auntie") comes to do all the wash and clean the bathrooms and kitchen. The first time Keela, CJ, and I prepared to do our laundry Mama (Christine) told us to save it for the woman to do. However, we felt it was our responsibility to do our own wash. So we went against Mama and did it. When Auntie came later in the week, on the day CJ and I were planning to do laundry, we again met resistance from our host family who could not understand why we were going to wash our clothes, instead of giving them to the woman to do. This prompted a long conversation between CJ and I.

Standing in the yard holding our buckets of dirty clothes we discussed the pros, cons, and reasons for doing our laundry and for the woman doing our laundry. I am well aware how silly this entire situation probably sounds to you. If it does, think about being a guest at a friend or family member’s home for Thanksgiving or Christmas and how you change to respect the environment you are in, or maybe the crap you get for not? CJ and I are guests in a completely different culture trying to respect our host family, the local community, and Kenya.

If we do our own wash we convince ourselves and attempt to convince those around us that we are not lazy. We also think it is the responsible thing to do, to be willing do what our parents hounded us about growing up. However, by allowing Auntie to do our wash we are providing her with an income to feed her family and not contributing to her being aid dependant. The result of our conversation is that I am sitting on the roof writing this and CJ is sitting next to me reading. Auntie is standing behind me hanging up one of my skirts. Hopefully I’ve got it right that creating a sustainable existence is not always doing for yourself what you are capable of, but sometimes contributing to the sustainability of another human, while you take a break. No man is an island unto himself…we are all connected.














--- Church
Our first Sunday here we attended church. Out of respect for Mama, Keela, CJ, and I decided after that service that we would go with her every other week, instead of every week. It was a lot to handle. At the Miracle Center Church there are three columns of plastic patio chairs. Women sit on the right and in the back of the middle column, while the men sit on the left and in the front of the middle column. I was very thankful when Mama let CJ, Keela, and I sit in the back with the Jambo Jipya kids, instead of with her in the front row! The first half an hour was loud, energetic singing. The only instruments were people’s hands, which they clapped more enthusiastically than a Yankee fan could after watching their team defeat the Red Sox in game seven of a World Series. I recognized one song as the kids would sing the chorus in English while looking at CJ, Keela, and I… “nothing but the blood of Jesus.” The next two hours consisted of the Pastor screaming in Kiswahili into a microphone that resembled a huge strawberry ice cream cone (the heat may have gotten to me a little too much when I made this connection J). As the Pastor screamed into the “ice cream cone” he rushed back and forth across the stage. Every few words he would pause so the man following close behind him could translate into “English” for CJ, Keela, and I. In two and a half hours I only understood a handful of phrases. I know there was a lot about God’s providence and sexual immorality. The middle of the sermon felt like an infomercial as the Pastor elaborated on every spread of a 2010 calendar the Church had for sale. A few times he directly talked to CJ, Keela, and I, which was awkward as we were three of a couple hundred people. I love experiencing new things, especially when it pertains to a different culture, and I often say you have to try something new twice as the first time could have been a fluke. However, when CJ asked my reaction as we were walking out I told him I was glad I experienced it, but I never needed to again. Soon after returning home CJ, Keela, and I had church on the roof.