Kenya (2) in Text

Photos from previous post are reflected in this text

Sunday morning was church at Bernard’s church. Spent time in Bernard’s office which is a rented room next to the church land. This houses part of his library (I am sleeping with the rest).
Church service was very different from the Zulu church of last week. Clearly a lot more poor people with a number of committed professional people attend this church. This reflect’s Bernard’s priorities to reach the poor and vulnerable. The church relocatd it’s tin shed premises about 100m up the road two weeks ago in preparation for a new building. The slab had been laid the day before and friends in Sydney were financing the first stage of the construction. Land is 100x 50 feet so it will be a three story construction in time. A crew of people transferred chairs, lecterns, plastic flowers etc up the road ready for the service which commenced at 10am and had people arriving to gradually well this building to overflowing and kids doubled up on the plastic chairs.

The service went for three hours and under the tin roof it was very hot. Lots of singing, people coming out to share their story either in song or spoken word and Sam the assistant pastor speaking a number of times before Bernard came to bring the sermon which was in English (the rest of the service was in Swahili) and interpreted in Swahili.

After the service Bernard, Mary and I went for a drive to Limuru for lunch at a former colonial hotel which has seen better days. Lunch was amazing and the tilapia fish I had would rate as close to the best ever. A whole fish served with rice and vegetables for $6.

After lunch to the Rift Valley. We climbed to 8000 feet and the valley below was an amazing spectacle as from our height it dropped to a vast plain of over 300kms in no distance. On the way back we travelled via the school Mary operates at Limuru. There were a myriad of “private” schools from the time I left the airport. As Bernard explained the public education system cannot cope and has classes of over forty and poor outcomes. Many children attending cannot speak English which is the language of instruction and the official language with Swahili. Bernard’s programs target vulnerable children and support them by maintaining them at home while attending school and sometimes boarding school. They are able through his church to fund fees and other expenses for these children who otherwise may not be able to remain at home. By the time we drove home I had to ask if the clock in the car was right as 6pm had come and the day had flown.

Dinner was prepared by Judy. We were joined y Maureen, Bernard’s niece from Nyeri who came to visit for a week. Both girls are awaiting final high school results from November exams which will determine their futures. There were also two other guests for dinner, Juliette and Stephen, both teenagers Bernard had assisted. They live in rooms Bernard rented. Juliette operates a small vegetable stall not far from here. Stephen is studying a trade. Dinner was a beef and bean dish with rice and chippata which are like roti bread and vegetables.