Day 2 — Team goes to Naomi’s Village
July 29th
On Wednesday morning we left the hotel in Nairobi and headed to Naomi’s Village. Our first stop was to the strip mall where we exchange money and grabbed a quick Kenyan coffee before hitting the road. The thing that stood out to those who have never been to Kenya was the how the strip mall looked and felt like we were in the United States — meaning, it was typical row of stores that would be found in a major city (Kenya style of course). After we left the strip mall we headed for lunch… but this wouldn’t be an average lunch…
While we were at Wells of Joy, Pastor Geoffrey told us “Americans make watches, Kenyans make time” — this was a perfect description for what we were about to experience.
One of our team members, Amy Barclay (btw shoutout to Dianne!) has a Kenyan friend who now lives in Arkansas and insisted that we visit her family in Nairobi for lunch. This led us to Esther’s house in the Riara area. Amy mentioned multiple times prior to the trip “they know we have 20 people right?.” As we pulled to Esther’s house we were treated by Esther who escorted all of us inside. Ester’s house was a beautiful and felt like a home you’d find in the US, well, except for the barbed wire and electric fence surrounding it, which is a Kenyan staple for many homes and buildings.
Once inside her home she introduced her family. First her brother Humphrey who is a pastor at Jesus the Potter Church. Then her parents Jael and Edward. Her parents, both elderly, flew in from Yella (by Lake Victoria) to be here. We met Susan’s daughter, Vivian, and her husband, son Jeremy, and their baby Jessica. There was another friend Ester and family members Dexter, Joy, Stacey.
Next, we all prayed together — and then we were told to hang out until the meal was ready. Please don’t let the details of this story allow me to lose you in the moment — here we were, 20 complete strangers. The only worldly thing bonding us together was a distant relationship, but Esther and her family didn’t see us as strangers, no… they saw us as brothers and sisters in Christ. They opened up their home to us, invited all their family and friends, then served us. It was like nothing any of us had ever experienced. Now, let me tell you about the meal!
After we prayed they began cooking the meal. The men were outside grilling beef while others were inside preparing a feast. I couldn’t pronounce the food so there is no chance I’ll be able to spell it, but just know it was a feast. It was the African version of Thanksgiving. They rented a giant tent in the backyard with 6 round tables decorated in satin table clothes. For a large group of total strangers. Fresh fruit was set out for us while we waited. Every minute there seemed to be another family member or friend who was coming by to say hello and introduce themselves. Once we ate more than needed, we sang in worship together and Bob led us in prayer for Ester and her family.
The hospitality and love they showed was not cultural, it was spiritual. The family followed the lead of the Holy Spirit and he was felt at this meal with every smile, laugh, and hug shared between us.
I saved the best part for last… in the backyard we had a very special guest visit as well — it was a monkey eating lunch as well. His name was Bingo (okay, we don’t actually know his name but it looked like a Bingo).
We left Esther’s at 3:30pm — everyone was filled with the same joy we felt the day before when we were with the Wells of Joy children, the joy of love from the Lord.
We had about an hour trip to Naomi’s Village. Trip isn’t the right word, this was a journey. On our way we passed another Kenya slum which was a quick reminder of the mission and the needs of the vulnerable in Kenya. As the journey progressed we entered into the Rift Valley. The Rift Valley was beautiful — the road we were on when we saw it was frightening. Let me try to explain — the bus was literally feet (and at times felt like inches) from the edge of the cliff. Meanwhile, buses and trucks were coming the opposite direction as incredible speeds, it was as if everyone was late for an accident. However, it was easy to forget about the roads when seeing God’s majesty. If you haven’t already Google “Rift Valley” and you’ll see a small taste of what I’m talking about. It’s humbling to see God’s creation. No matter what man makes nothing is better than God’s creation. It was amazing. Speaking of maze, on the side of the road overlooking the Rift Valley there were men selling fire roasted corn. The bus pulled over and giant corn cobs were shoved through the windows. For thirty cents we each we were able to buy some and it was awesome — it tasted like popcorn but with the kernels still on the cob.
Before sunset we arrived at Naomi’s Village (NV). We were warmly greeted by Megan who is the NV liaison to the US teams. We had a quick dinner then headed down to meet the kids for a bonfire. The team made s’mores for the children. A big shoutout to PJ for bringing the largest marshmallows anyone has ever seen. After we finished s’mores the NV staff introduced themselves to the team and vice versa. That was followed by a dance party. It was a great night with the kids and tomorrow can’t come fast enough.
