It was a wonderful site to see . . . a huge white tent (I'm talking HUGE) similar to a big circus tent, set up out in a big field. As we got closer, we saw 2 or more tents nearby (these were for the children's ministry and youth). The temperatures are fairly nice year round, so no need for walls. We sat in plastic chairs and enjoyed meeting many new friends. The service was similar to ours (a bit more clapping) and we felt a wonderful community spirit. We were fortunate to meet Pastor Oscar in the parking lot as we were heading to the tent. He oversees all of Nairobi Chapel, which consists of the main church and 34 church plants in and around Nairobi. He spoke at Urbana '06 and is very active in initiating partnerships between the African Church and the Western Church.
Our lunch was at the mall - very similar to an American mall - and we stopped in the Nakumatt, a store similar to Wal-Mart. To expose us to a more Kenyan-ish market, we also visited the Masai Market which had hand-crafted African items, such as jewelry, scarves/kikoys, carved animals and bowls, etc. This market is different than most in the US as you have to bargain for your purchase - a bit overwhelming for this first-time shopper (I'll have to practice for next week's visit). The rest of the afternoon, we rested . . . it has been a lot to take in. We found ourselves in the dark from 5-10pm during a planned power outage for all of Nairobi. We ate a nice dinner by lamp light. We surprised Mike Anderson with a birthday cake (we didn't ask how many!). It was a wonderful way to end our first official day in Kenya.
My words for the day would be: beautiful yet dusty, rustic yet modern, and appealing yet gates/fences everywhere. It is quite a dichotomy. But overall, we are feeling very blessed to have this opportunity to share life with people in another country.
Linda Hershberger
1 comment:
Linda, great job in your story telling. I could image that I was there. I am praying for you all!
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