BWANA ASIFIWE! (Praise the Lord)

A daily journal from the African wilderness reserve of Kenya

By Jessica Leopold
June 16, 2001

I am sitting in the London airport absolutely exhausted. Mass transit is not what it’s cracked up to be. We spent the day sightseeing in London during a layover. It turned out to be amusing, even though I am so tired. I had an interesting encounter upon checking into the London airport. I’ve never been through customs before, having never left the country, so I had no idea what to say to the man at customs when he asked me about my trip.

British Customs Guy: What is your purpose for being in Britain?

Innocent Traveler Jess: Um... we... I am going to Nairobi and we are just in town for a day.

BCGuy: Doing what?

ITJess: Sightseeing and stuff.

BCGuy: Why are you going to Nairobi?

Random Eavesdropper (a little too patronizingly): Are you with your school group?

ITJess: No, with my church. We are going to Kenya for a missions trip to have some crusades.

BCGuy: Crusades against what?

ITJess (laughing): The devil, I guess.

BCGuy: The devil lives in Kenya?

ITJess: The devil lives everywhere!

BCGuy: The devil lives everywhere? Alrighty then... Security!

Gotta love British humor. I realized far too late that the chap was making fun of me. I am not looking forward to eight more hours on a plane; I can’t wait to get to Nairobi.

At the Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi: And they say this is roughing it? A five-star hotel? Seems they misprinted the part about yellow fever and malaria. This hotel is a paradise! I flip on the television and mainly find British networks and American programs. The entire world really is westernized. I don’t actually feel like I’m anywhere different. So far, things are the same here as they are in Southern California or Texas, which is only slightly foreign from my small town in Ohio.

One observation thus far is that the women here dress modestly which defines them as being women. I haven’t seen one woman in a pair of pants. Also, the men and women are kept separate, in school and otherwise, for most of their lives. The separation of the sexes is very defined. It’s probably not a coincidence that homosexuality is virtually unheard of in Nairobi. Scientists argue that sexual identity and sexual preference are biological issues, yet plainly illustrated in the comparison of African and American culture is that "gender blending" is actually the culprit. This isn’t biology; it’s a principle of the Word of God.

June 17, 2001

After dinner: We had a meeting/orientation after dinner with the missionaries, Brother Walter Droke and his wife Shirley Droke. A short prayer meeting followed in which the Lord really moved, and my excitement for the mission was renewed. With all the hectic planning and worries of getting ready for an overseas trip, it’s easy to get sidetracked from the purpose. If just one person is affected, ministered to, or changed by our group being here, it’s worth all the time, money, airsickness, lost luggage and immunizations. Every excruciating minute in hectic, sweaty airports will be absolutely worth it.

Tomorrow we shove off for Masai Mara. I’m looking forward to the safari. Brother Droke has warned me about the "roller coaster bus ride." Note to self: Dramamine.

Today we drove from Nairobi to Narok to Masai Mara. Only one hour was on terrible roads, but those roads are unlike anything you’d find in the U.S. The roads beat the vans up so much that they can only be kept for two years before they are no longer reliable. In the safari we saw zebras, wildebeests, gazelles, thompsons, giraffes, a lion and a hyena.

The Masai people are everywhere. This indigenous group of cattle and sheepherders are completely self-sufficient and do not rely on the government. The government in Kenya is so corrupt that those who do depend on it probably end up worse than those who do not. The Masai, for the most part, are very friendly people, although some are trained to milk tourists for all they’re worth. They know tourists want pictures of them, so they’ll refuse to have their picture taken unless you give them money. Even the children are taught to ask for money. The Masai warriors are hateful of photographers to the point of physical violence¾ throwing spears, knives, etc.¾ if they see a camera. When we stopped for gas in Narok, a lady wanted to sell me her bananas in exchange for my taking a picture of her; Five dollars for a bunch of tiny, rotten bananas and one picture that I can take when she isn’t looking. She was persistent and aggressive with her sales-pitch, but I did not pay her money for food I wouldn’t eat.

After dinner: Because of tourism, the food is basically American. It has a European flair, with about 60 courses to each meal: salad, soup, bread, vegetables, rice, lamb, chicken, beef, dessert, coffee, etc.

Our lodge is beautiful. It’s called the Mara Sopa, and it’s located right on the reserve in the center of animal kingdom. Masai warriors are hired as security guards because of their ability to fight the animals: lions, hyenas and other predators that are a threat. Because of the national energy shortage, there are only four hours of the day when hot water is available. Sister Gaddy told me not to kill the lizards in the bathroom because they eat the spiders. I don’t know whether that’s comforting or frightening.

Today we went to a Masai village. The women, dressed in their traditional garb, were singing as we drove up. The men came out wearing lion headdresses and chanting to the tune of the ladies’ song. A strong pagan influence was evident. Although most of the Masai are Christians, they still suffer from spiritual oppression. Their singing and chanting is definitely charged with something, but it isn’t the spirit of God.

After their welcome song, we went into the village and toured different homes, which are huts made from mud and manure. The children were covered in flies and some wore no clothes, but they still played and acted silly like normal kids. Compared to middle-class Americans, the Masai people have absolutely nothing, yet they are content. We are incredibly wealthy, yet never seem content. Many people take trips to third-world countries and return feeling thankful for material things. I am thankful for drinking tap water and driving on smoothly paved roads, but I am not thankful for the materialism that plagues my life and hinders my walk with God.

One girl in our group gave the T-shirt she was wearing to one of the Masai children. Another girl gave away her hat. Everyone seemed strongly affected by the visit to the village, but the girls who gave away their clothes seemed the most humbled.

Today my roommate and I met a security guard named Isaac. We spoke to him for a while and began talking about the Bible. As it turned out, he is filled with the Holy Ghost and is a minister of the Gospel. When our Youth on Mission team arrived at the lodge, he said he told his fellow guards, "I know this group is saved because of the way they dress and the way they act." What a testimony.

Yesterday we arrived at Nakuru, the site of our crusade. Not only was it a Youth on Mission crusade, but it was also part of the "Follow the Fire" Crusades. The A-Team, headed by Pastor Danny Chance from Monroe, Louisiana, is here as well. Tonight was the first night of the crusade and the Lord really moved. Africans know how to worship, and they aren’t the least bit shy about singing, dancing, and shouting. Twenty-two people were filled with the Holy Ghost, and we are looking for an even greater harvest tomorrow.

The natives we’ve met so far have been friendly and welcoming. Of course, at the market they want you to buy their carvings and soapstone, but even more than that, they are willing to exchange knowledge. They are eager to hear about American customs, and they love it when tourists attempt to speak Swahili. If a Kenyan hears an American attempt to say something in an African dialect, he will go out of his way to teach more. Our drivers on the safari are especially excited to teach us new things about various tribal cultures and phrases in Swahili. Douglas, our driver, even taught us a song called "Jambo Bwana."

Tonight, the second night of the crusade, superseded the first night. The people of Nakuru worship so freely; it makes me realize how pretentious Americans are. We come to church with our fixed hair and high heels and praise the Lord in our meek way so we don’t wrinkle our suit coat or cause our hair to fall down. These Kenyans come from their homes, some barefoot, with moth-eaten, torn shirts and dirty clothes just to be in the presence of God. The song leader had everyone jumping, marching, clapping, dancing, squatting, and really getting down. It was uplifting to be in that atmosphere.

Another thing I realized is that people are the same everywhere. Children are the same everywhere. Everyone has worries, concerns, problems and joys. The need for God is the same. In spite of the cultural barrier, God ministered through our group and through Bro. Chance. There was so much faith among the people of Nakuru, with many hungry for God. I am trying to grasp the reality of this unbelievable experience.

I don’t just want to go with the flow; I want to have a purpose. It’s good to ask yourself what you want to get out of something or what you want to accomplish. Was it Thoreau that encouraged people to "live deliberately"? That’s what I want to do. Maybe someday my Walden Pond will be Nakuru, Kenya.

Earlier today at the market, I traded my Marietta College T-shirt for some woodcarvings. The guy was very excited to hear about my school and even more excited to get a T-shirt. When I came back later, he already had it on. I can just imagine some MC alums touring Kenya and coming across a Masai boy in T-shirt advertising their alma mater! The other YOMers thought it was really funny.

Today is the last day of the crusade¾ 79 people received the Holy Ghost throughout this crusade. This has been a tremendous spiritual awakening for me. I have realized how huge our God really is, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to participate in such things. I have never been in a service where more than a few people were saved.

As I was leaving the crusade last night, a girl named Elizabeth came up to the van and introduced herself. She is only sixteen, and she had brought her little sister to the crusade with her. She is Catholic and either her father doesn’t approve of Apostolic worship or he has passed away (I wasn’t sure what she meant¾ this is an unfortunate illustration of the language barrier.) Well, tonight Elizabeth sought me out in the crowd and we talked for a while. She interpreted what the song leader was singing, and the songs made a little more sense. At the altar call, I asked Elizabeth if she wanted to go pray at the alter. She declined, but the Lord dealt with her. She began to weep and pray for a very long time. Eventually I had to leave since missionary Droke didn’t want our group to stay out after dark. I am not sure if Elizabeth got the Holy Ghost or not, but I will continue to pray for her.

If I could sum up what I’ve learned this week, I would have to say that nothing in the world is really that different from anything else. The Masai live in mud and dung houses with flies and cows, but they still have children and families. They work to live and need the Lord. People from London talk funny make fun of innocent tourist missionaries, but they truly are the same as us.

The African people are responsive to the Word of God because they are already humble people with a giving attitude. It’s not hard for them to accept the fact that Jesus died for them. Americans, on the other hand, have much intellectual pride and materialism to wade through before they can accept that they need the Lord.

I also learned that being away from home is only as far as you make it. I lived two minutes away from home my freshman year at Marietta College, and it felt like a million miles. But in Africa, 8,000 miles away, I was at ease, comfortable, and not the least bit disconnected from home. I suppose when you’re living for Jesus, He becomes your home and the need for material comfort is not important. He really does offer a peace that passes understanding. It was very encouraging to make this discovery since I am moving away from "home" in a few months. I realized that I can do this. It’s not that hard.

After the plane touched the runway, our group began singing "America the Beautiful." After the flight, amongst the teary good-byes and farewell wishes, the people filtered out and several of us ate at Pizza Hut. I told the Pizza Hut guy, "Asante sana," and he looked at me quizzically.

I’d love to get back to Africa ... maybe someday.

ã 2001, Jessica Leopold

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Currently Jessica Leopold is recovering from jetlag and preparing for enrollment at the Urshan Graduate School of Theology in Florissant, Missouri. Her hobbies include skipping out of work five minutes early to enjoy the sunshine, counting on one finger how many of her friends aren’t yet married, and dreamily gazing at the glow-in-the-dark star stickers on her bedroom ceiling.

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