Churches and Beaches

I’ve been in Kenya for four days now and it already feels like an eternity since I last saw home. I’m still not quite feeling adjusted to the time and culture and place, but it’s getting better. Today was actually really great and has helped me to feel more at home because I finally made some friends besides Simone (the wonderful woman I’m living with).

This morning I went to the beach at 9 to go to church with Faith, a woman I met on the beach my second day here. She didn’t show up for awhile, so I wound up being invited to sit on a washed-up tree stump in the sand by a guy about my age, and it was really nice getting to chat with someone new for a little while. He tried to sell me fish (and even said he would fillet them for me since I don’t know what to do with a whole fish), so who knows if that’ll work out or not. Could be… yummy?

About ten minutes later a guy named John, probably a few years older than me, came along and told me Mama Faith sent him to get me and bring me to her house, so I followed him back into the nearby village and waited in their courtyard on a little wooden stool around a smoldering fire as Faith showered and got ready. They live in poverty and filth… but for some reason it didn’t phase me like when I was in Ghana. I was honestly just honored to have been invited to their home!

On our way out I made a child cry, by the way, when John tried to bring her to me. I know, I know – I still look like a pasty-white ghost, but there’s not much I can do about it! Sorry : (

We walked to the little church made of boards and tin and sat down in plastic chairs with broken backs along with the rest of the small congregation dressed in their Sunday best. The service lasted for four hours, consisted of multiple sermons, and was about what I’d expected I guess… very high-energy worship (in Swahili) and super hot and super long. I was very thankful that nearly everything was translated, and what wasn’t Faith and John were able to explain.

One of the most interesting parts (besides one of the preachers calling me up constantly to read my Bible in English and then asking me after the sermon to come forward and give my remarks to the congregation – and my opinions on Obama) was seeing the contrast between their two pastors. One was a small, stoic European (Swiss or German?) and the other was a tall, sturdy-looking Kenyan who preached (screamed?) with such animation, jumping and arms flailing, that I have NO clue how the two pastor a church together! They must make it work somehow… and I hope I can talk to them both maybe next week?? Could be interesting for my thesis – or just interesting in general for me.

After church I went to the beach for a swim and walked by a family of monkeys that look like little baboons. Then farther up the path I passed by several Colubus monkeys (I think that’s what they’re called at least – the black and white ones that most zoos have) that were big and so beautiful! It’s strange to see animals like that up close with no glass between us.

While I was out I met more of the beach people and feel like I have a few more friends here. One girl told me which beach boys to avoid and how to get them to stop pestering me, another told me how to take the Matatu (mini-bus) to the clinic tomorrow, and yet another named Osmond (who practiced his German with me) saved me from getting stung by a pretty little blue jellyfish that was far too close. Phew!

Guess that’s it for now. Sorry these updates are so long… kudos to you if you made it all the way to the end, and I’ll try to work on shortening my posts for next time.