🎶”On the Road Again”🎶 - Miscellaneous Musings while Motoring to Matunda

The title of today’s blog entry is a nod to Missionary Todd Ohlmann (who is leading a Mission Helper Trip to Zambia, Africa as I am writing this). Pastor Gurath started singing, “On the Road Again” the first time we got into our vehicle and mentioned that Missionary Ohlmann would sing that song every time they loaded into a vehicle on their various mission trips together. Without fail, (including this morning) that song has popped into our heads and one of us has sung it every time we head out in our vehicle with our trusted driver, Dan.

Our driver, Dan Bossy, and our trusty (and comfortable) Nissan X-Trail

While we traverse another swath of the Kenyan countryside at the one-week mark of our trip I thought I’d write about some miscellaneous things I’ve observed and learned.

While we’re on the subject of travel…

TRANSPORTATION

Many people in the Kenyan towns and cities get around either by walking (it’s immediately noticeable how many more people are just out and about compared to U.S. cities and towns), or hiring a motorbike driver, or riding in a “matatu” (a Toyota van about the size of a VW van that are sometimes so crammed full of passengers that there are people hanging off them as they drive down the road). 

Motorbike drivers waiting for work

Matatus and motorbikes lined up at a junction

Enjoy this 50 second video of a typical drive through a Kenyan town.

Everyday I’m here I am appreciative of the vehicle and driver we have, the clean and comfortable lodging we’ve had, and the good food we’ve eaten (no sickness or stomach upsets for either of us so far, thank the Lord!). I’m especially thankful today after driving past the place where Pastor Gurath used to stay in busy Kisii town (just a few minutes from an enormous and incredibly smelly city dump 🤢), and hearing some of his tales from his early days when he first started doing mission trips here (and lived here for two separate 6 month stints) back a dozen years ago or so.

On today’s drive we went through some beautiful hills and mountains covered in maize and tea as far as the eye can see. The pictures do not do this idyllic and peaceful scene justice. Just breathtaking!

One other notable scene from our trip today:

A cow, right in the middle of town, hooves up on a dumpster just chowing down on the dumpster’s contents. Completely normal. No one even batting an eye. Wasn’t quick enough to get a photo, unfortunately 😕

VOCABULARY

I’ve learned a few basic Swahili words in my first week here, and have even used a few of them (with varying degrees of success), and with what is, I’m sure, a very strong American accent. Here are a few I can think of off the top of my head: 

“Jambo” = hello

“Karibu” (car-ee-boo) = welcome / you’re welcome

“Asante” (asan-tee) = thank you

“Sawa” = OK (“sawa sawa” = OK, OK)

“Serviette” = napkin 

(This one is actually the first word I learned and is very important!  About an hour after we first landed in Nairobi we were eating at the hotel restaurant and I asked for a napkin. Pastor Gurath informed me after the waiter walked away that “napkin” in Kenyan English refers to a baby diaper! The waiter had, no doubt, served many American customers before and, thankfully, brought me a napkin and not a baby diaper. Now Pastor Gurath quizzes me every time I reach for a napkin at the table).

Are you not impressed with my “vast” Swahili vocabulary of 5 words?! 😆

I’ve still got two more weeks here…maybe I can double it? 😏

Notable saying / Deep thought from week one:

“Americans have watches, but Africans have time.”

I’ve observed this to be profoundly true in the short time I’ve been here. Kenyans, on the whole, are refreshingly unhurried. Portions of each day are spent  walking, sitting, eating, and conversing with each other and enjoying each other’s company and not in a rush to get somewhere else. (This would also explain why “Africa time” is a thing. Meaning, events don’t always start when scheduled). Obviously, there needs to be a balance in life when it comes to the management of the great gift of time, but we Americans could probably benefit from incorporating a little more of a Kenyan perspective on it.

- Pastor Luke

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