As we were driving home from town last Wednesday, our mobile phone rang. It was our library assistant calling to say the truck had arrived with some of the shelving and furniture for the new library. Praise the Lord!! Ray drove as fast as he dared to on the muddy, slippery roads. We arrived in time to get pictures of the shelving etc. being unloaded off the truck. Everyone helped, students and faculty alike.

On Wednesday/Thursday Ray and some students put the shelves together and on Thursday afternoon we had all the students lined up to take the books from the old library to the new. Ray was in the new library shelving books and I was in the old library making sure the students took the books off the shelves in the order they needed to be put in the new library.

Friday was spent shelving additional books that had been cataloged and put into boxes for the move. We also spent a lot of time going through all the shelves making sure the books were in the correct order. Some old shelving had to be disassembled in the old library and moved to the new library because not all our new shelves arrived. This took quite a bit of time. We are using these shelves temporarily for the Reference section of the library.

Needless to say we are very tired but happy. We will work this afternoon cleaning up and then on Monday the library will be open from 9am to 9pm. On Wednesday we hope to have a celebration of the new library by providing cake, ice cream and drinks for students and faculty.

Please rejoice with us and pray that the rest of the furniture and shelving comes this week.

Blessings to all of you.

Birds, Plants, Food and Life in Africa

There is so much beauty around us here in Kenya that it is hard to take it all in. The birds in our area are beautiful. We wake up every morning to their singing. We’ve seen many of them as we drive, sit by the house, or walk to RITT. A few of the birds we see are the Glossy (iridescent) Ibis, and the speckled pigeon. The speckled pigeon has a large red ring around its eye. The Tropical Boubou is a black and white bird with a whistle song. The Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling is a beautiful blue green iridescent color, while the Superb Starling has a black face, blue back, green wings and orange breast. All have their unique beauty and song but most are too quick to photograph.

The flowers that are in bloom are also breathtaking. To name just a few, we have seen: jasmine which has a very strong scent and is white, yellow or pinkish and the twigs of certain varities are used as toothbrushes. Anthericum leaf juices are used by some tribes for tribal tattooing. The Euphorbia has many different species - 320 species in Africa – it can grow like a small herb or as large as a big tree. We have Merremia in our gardens and it is creamy in color with a dark center. The seeds are used as a substitute for coffee, The Bottle Brush tree has a red feathery flower that is elongated like a bottle brush while the African Tulip tree has bright orange/red flowers. Then there is one of our favorites, the very vibrant Jacaranda with its purple flowers. The Parrots Beak is just like its name – it is red and yellow and looks like a parrot’s beak. I wish we could send pictures of all of them.

Right now specific fruits and vegetables are in season: mangoes, pineapple, oranges, papaya, water melon, banana, strawberries, avocado, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, cucumber, onion, sumawiki, etc. We have been enjoying all of them. Pumpkins are growing in the garden by the house so we have been enjoying pumpkin soup.

We have been able to get some frozen fish – tilapia, perch. Chicken is always available as is beef from the butchery. More and more items are being stocked in the stores in Eldoret, but not as much variety as one sees in a big city like Nairobi. We have also found some good restaurants, including Nakumat Grill where you can get a good pepper steak dinner for about $5.00, a Chinese restaurant where you can get plenty to eat for about $5.00 per person, and a pizza restaurant at a gas station in town. Mostly we eat at home and enjoy the variety of fruits, vegetables and meats.

We try to have our Kenyan friends and colleagues over as much as possible, but with schedules being what they are because we are so busy at the library we are sometimes just too tired. The other night we had the RITT principal, Ariko, and his family over for dinner. His wife, Immaculata, and their two young sons, Enoch and Abel, had never had pizza. We made homemade pizza and served it with chips and Coca Cola. They loved it. We had banana splits for dessert. Since they live in a house without electricity, the boys were fascinated with the hot water heater, refrigerator/freezer, microwave, TV and washing machine. We are truly spoiled!! They have a microwave and TV at home (that were given to them) but because they do not have their electric hooked up as yet (for lack of money) they are not able to use them.

Saturday, as usual, we went into town – always an ordeal – we come home very tired. Besides shopping, we needed to go to the Internet café. Ray spent an hour or two getting cataloging information for some of RITT’s library books while I took care of our personal emailing, etc. We needed to get some supplies to make our own cardboard magazine boxes made for the library. We purchased cardboard, cutting knives, tape, book binding glue etc. Ray made box templates and a student (who is also the student pastor at our local RCEA Church) and his wife, are making them for us. The boxes are looking great!

The book shelves have not come yet from Nairobi. Just keep praying with us that they will come before we leave next week. It’s been quite a disappointment, but they should arrive within a day or two. We’ll see. We have moved our computers, supplies and a couple of old tables, etc., into the new library and are using them until the library furnishings arrive. At least it is a more pleasant place to work than the old library. By the shelves not arriving when expected we were able to get much more organized for our move – God is good and there is a purpose for everything. We have been told that the company rep was lying to us about the shelving being enroute. In talking to the head of the company in Nairobi, Ariko was told that the shelves have not been finished. Last Monday we had news from the company that they should be here this week – we won’t hold our breath on that one.

Ray has also been busy preparing a sermon on “The Presence of God”. He has been asked to preach but a date has not been set – we have one Sunday left at RITT so maybe it will not come to pass and he will at least have a sermon available for the next time. It would not be unusual for him to be asked to preach an hour so before the service is to begin!

The short rains are still with us – good for us because we plan to spend two days at Masai Mara and are hoping that the wildebeest will be migrating – but not good for the farmers who have stacked their sheaves of maize but have not as yet ground the maize for animal feed. The maize and wheat will rot if it gets too wet. It has rained a lot the past few days and is very cold. We have been wearing sweatshirts most of the time. In fact, it was so cold that last evening we lit a fire in the fireplace to stay warm.

Our library assistant’s three year old son, Ian, has not been feeling well so we took Priscilla and him to the hospital on Saturday. He has been diagnosed with a mild case of typhoid. We will be going to Priscilla and her husband’s house for dinner on Sunday evening and are looking forward to that.

The needs here are so great – so many people are so poor. We always seem to be handing out money for one need or another. Although we are very careful as to whom we help, we oftentimes give well over $100 US per week to causes, but we only help those who we personally know have a serious need. Compared to the people here we have so much. It is hard to turn anyone down who truly has a genuine reason for asking for help. It’s always difficult to know how much to help people in need. Too much, and they will begin to depend on us. If we don’t, we may miss an opportunity to build a lasting relationship with our Kenyan brothers and sisters here at RITT.

Blessings to all of you. R & B

Kenyan Justice

Kenyan Justice

Last Monday morning our Kenyan coworkers told us about an incident that had occurred just a short distance from where we are living. A man was found dead two days earlier along a small road that goes right by our house. He was naked. Parts of his body were badly swollen. He smelled like the local alcoholic brew. A house had been burned down. What had happened?

The man had been hired by RITT a few days a few days before his death to help harvest some of the maize crop. It was said that after he got his pay, he headed directly to a small hut nearby where a woman made and served illegal “local brew”. To our surprise, we found out that it was located very near to where we live. It was rumored that his body had been dumped by the side of the road by the others with whom he had been drinking. Some people had heard him moan during the night, but they were too afraid to do anything. A woman found him dead the next morning.

Since none of those involved would talk, no one was sure what caused his death. Perhaps the woman (who was not from the local ethnic group) had mixed some deadly poison or chemical in her brew. But no one else had died after drinking it. Or, perhaps he drank too much. Maybe he was killed by his drinking pals. The police were called. They did not come, as is typical in Kenya. A death certificate was needed to determine the cause of death. When the police didn’t come, someone arranged to get one from a local chief. Since the police were not coming to dispense justice, some of the local people took justice into their own hands. They went to the lady’s brew house the next night and burnt it down. Interestingly, we weren’t aware of any of these happenings.

The dead man, who was not a Christian, was married and a father of two. He was living with his brother’s family on a small farm next door to RITT. His wife had left him and was living in a different area of Kenya. He was buried last Monday near RITT, alongside a small path. The RITT community and the local Reformed Church congregation, of which his brother is a member, offered support, condolences and testimony to the dead man’s extended family. We were heartened to see their Christian spirit in action.

More later. R & B

Meet Benard and His Family

On Saturday (October 14), we traveled more than 100 km (about 65 miles) to the home of Benard Nyongesa, one of the students at RITT. Since he and his family have almost nothing to live on, we are personally helping to support him and his family while he is at RITT. He is in the third year of a four year course, after which he will be ordained as a pastor. He is 27 years old with a great deal of energy and feels a calling to provide spiritual leadership to his people. His wife and two small children remain at home while he is at RITT, on a tiny parcel of land provided by Benard’s father, living in a small mud house that Benard built with his own hands earlier this year. Benard is only able to get back to his home during semester breaks, and occasionally for special events.

Although we knew that Benard’s situation was difficult, we did not fully realize its seriousness. Since he cannot provide for his family while he is a student at RITT, his family seldom gets enough nutritious food to eat. They often go to sleep hungry. His parents are also poor and try to help out as much as possible, but they have several other children at home that they cannot afford to send to secondary school, since they cannot pay the tuition. Although Benard is working very hard to come up with tuition money, he, and the Reformed church of which he is a member cannot collect enough money for tuition and room and board—which is very little compared to North American standards—about US$ 400 per year. Since RITT itself is very poor and cannot afford to allow outstanding tuition debts, Benard may be forced to leave RITT.

We were amazed to find out that Benard cannot even afford to pay for cheap public transportation (via matatu) back and forth to his home. He rides his bicycle! Not a light weight multi-gear bike, but a heavy, old one speed African style bike. He says that it takes him about eight or nine hours to travel the 100+kilometers over dangerous and rough roads. He is young and strong, but the trip does take a toll on him ranging from sore knees to severe chest fatigue pains. Needless to say, we will pay his transportation expenses from now on until he graduates from RITT.

Benard’s home area is in a rural part of Kenya, not too far from Uganda. Most of the people have small farms where they grow subsistence crops such as maize, cassava, sweet potatoes and other vegetables. The last 15kms of the dirt road going into their area is brutal, especially during the rainy season. (Thank goodness the rains are ending.) In many places, the road is so rough and uneven that we wondered at times if our vehicle was going to tip on its side, into one of the giant holes where heavily loaded lorries had been recently dug out!

As we traveled along the road, we passed a lot of people walking or on bicycles. Many seemed surprised to see us or looked dumbfounded and could hardly respond to us when we greeted them in the Kiswahili language. We asked Benard how often wazungu (white people) come into this area of Kenya. His reply was astounding. The last white person that he knew of that came into his area (about 60 sq. miles) was a Catholic priest about 10 years ago. Most, if not all, of the children had never seen a real live white person! Of course, they, and many of the older people had seen pictures of white people, but had never seen real live ones. We didn’t exactly feel like aliens, but we did get some strange looks.

When we arrived at Benard’s home, we were greeted warmly by his wife and other family members. His children (as well as two nieces), however, refused, at first, to come out of the cooking hut, looking at us from the dark recesses of the hut. After visiting with Benard for a couple of hours, his wife served us an appetizer of plain bread slices and hot chocolate. Later she served us the typical East African lunch, comprised of rice, potatoes cut cube size, and a few beef pieces mixed into an excellently spiced tomato soup. It was delicious! Most likely, they sacrificed financially to provide this meal for us. Afterwards, we looked over his small plot of land, walked to the nearby home of his father and mother, where we visited with them for a while. They, too, are very poor, since they are struggling with educating their five other children, all of which are younger than Benard. We also found out the his wife digs/hoes by hand other peoples farms in order to make money for the family.

At the end of the day, we returned home on the same way we came. (It took more than an hour just to traverse the 15kms of dirt road to the tarmac, which in itself isn’t exactly a super highway.) Although we were exhausted when we returned home, we felt privileged to visit this corner of Kenya to see how so many people have to live from day to day. It gives us energy to continue our work here at RITT. We are, and will continue to see Benard through his education at RITT. By Kenya standards, he is seriously in debt for tuition (about $600 US). We are/will personally provide about $200 toward his tuition and transportation, and are wondering if there might be others who would be willing to help out with some support. If so, send us an email, and we will let you know how you it can be handled.

Blessings to all of you.

What a disappointment!! The shelving for the library is still in Nairobi. The problem is transportation. There was not enough room to put them on a bus and there was no lorry (truck) available for transport. The lady from the shelving company here in Eldoret was supposedly going to Nairobi to arrange for transport. Hopefully, they will arrive soon. The students begin a one week holiday on Saturday so they will not be around to help move the library books from the old to the new. Ariko stated that the staff would be rounded up to help. Don’t know if that will work or not as a lot of them are also leaving for holiday. Not having the shelving gave us some time to organize books that we can’t catalog and catalog some books that have CIP or Marc info. Also able to organize the periodicals.

The clothing we brought out for Ian fit him perfectly with a bit of room for growth. He love his new clothes from the US. Every time we walk through the “narrow gate” to get to the college Ian and his friend are wanting to swing on the gate as it opens and closes. This seems to be their highlight for the day along with greeting us with “how are you?” To which we reply, “I am fine”. Then we have to has them, “how are you” and they reply “I am fine”. Then we do the greetings in Swahili and they reply in Swahili. Both children are about 3 years of age.

Last night we went to Pieter and Tinneke’s home for tea. They live in campus housing and are here on a one year internship from the Netherlands. Since they have only a stove top burner and not an oven they have learned how to bake cakes etc. using pans and steaming the cake on the stove top. It tasted wonderful. They will return back to the Netherlands in December.

Ray has been talking to many of the students about the role they will play once they have finished at RITT and are back into the pastorate. They realize that the RCA here in Kenya has to change and relate to the young people or it will become a dying church. There are so many issues they have to face here and many are huge challenges: HIV/AIDS, female circumcision, women workers in the churches, making their lifestyles and preaching relevant to the young people, poverty, etc. etc. Right now a title is a big thing for their credibility. We have been trying to tell them that doctorates do you make you successful in the pastorate – it is who you are, what you represent and what you present that will makes you successful. Their relationships with their congregates is far more important than having a title and being put on a pedestal. They need to be able to relate in order to be able to share and present the gospel. The younger generation is seeing this – the older generation of pastors is another story – they love their titles.

Every morning Ray studies Swahili – he is so much better at languages than I am. He tries new words out every day – sometimes the results are quite funny – however, the people really appreciate the fact that you try to communicate in their language. Sometimes we accidentally use a word from another language we have worked in and the word means something not quite so nice in the Swahili language. It’s just hard to keep all the languages straight. Oftentimes, we use words from more than one language in a sentence.

Hard to believe that it is October already. Another week of school has finished, we have cataloged a lot of books this week – found some excellent books in some of the boxes. Some of the materials are for throw away as they don’t relate to people in Africa. People have this idea that if it is no longer useful to them it should be useful in a Third World country. I can never figure out how it can be good enough for Third World people if it isn’t good enough for our own personal use. Maybe I shouldn’t get on this “soap box”. I will go so far as to give people credit for not having thought this though at all. Third World countries don’t deserve our junk; our standard of what is useful for us should be the standard we use with people around the world. If it isn’t good enough for us, it is not good enough for Third World countries. They deserve every advantage that we have. Some where along the line we all got our priorities messed up.


We have had house guests most nights this week. A group from Partners WorldWide joined us for a few nights. They were helping out with seminars on church growth through small group Bible studies, visiting some of our primary schools and looking at developing a clean water project for RITT (Reformed Institute for Theological Training). Tonight the Africa director for World Missions arrives with his wife and they will stay for 4 nights looking at possible ways that World Missions can help RITT out.

The Internet is very frustrating here - slow at the Internet Caffe (as they call it here) and non-existent at RITT. It is almost impossible to set up a first class library without use of the Internet but we are trying. We use the Internet Caffe for cataloging some of the books that at not on our disc or that do not have a CIP. Ray printed up about 15 records the other day, or so he thought, but when he went to the printer to pick them up, the printer was not working properly and nothing printed. It took me over ½ hour just to get to my emails via the Internet. FINALLY, it came up and worked for a while

Next week Friday we will be driving about 100km each way to a students compound. We support this student and have been invited to see his home, wife, two children and parents. We will leave in the morning, spend a few hours at his compound and then drive back home in the afternoon before it gets dark.

BOOKMARK THIS PAGE IN YOUR FAVORITES AND CHECK IT OUT ON A REGULAR BASIS. WE WILL TRY TO UPDATE ONCE A WEEK.!!!!

Saturday, September 30th, we drove to town for some shopping and to use the Internet. The road between RITT and the main road to Eldoret is a real mess. The map says it is paved – however, it does not have one cubic inch of pavement anywhere to be found. We have been told that there was money given for the road to be paved but the person absconded with the money and it was never paved. When some of the RITT staff requested that the road be paved the Public Works Department said that according to the map it was paved so therefore it did not need to be paved again. EAWA!

While in town we had to pick up a maize/corn grinder for our small farm. This is the time of year for the maize to be ground. We were told in the morning that it was ready for pickup. However, when we arrived it was not ready. They had to readjust the pulley and so some welding, the hitch was not finished so it would not fit the Land Cruiser properly. We were told that the wait would be about 10 minutes (in African time it turned out to be over 2 hours). However, during that time some previous acquaintances passed by and we were able to greet and talk to them. One of them is a Dutchman who is advising/supervising our student pastoral trainees. His wife and two children are with him and we hope to get together for a meal/fellowship soon. Once the grinder was ready and attached, off we went at less than 10 miles per hour because of the roads. The first half of the road was paved but had lots of rough spots and pot holes. The rest of the road is like the one pictured above. Shortly after getting to the dirt road the grinder came off the hitch. Since it is so back heavy we had trouble righting it again. After if detached for a second time, we left one of our students with the grinder and we drove home to get some rope, wire, chain, nails and a hammer. Ray, Jackson and Martin went back with the car to try to hook it up more securely by using all of the above. It worked! Ray and Jackson were happy to get it home.

Also, while in town, we had another interesting experience. There are many, many poor in Eldoret. One man asked for money and Ray gave him a few shillings. He was very unhappy and wanted more. We told him that this was enough for today. After harassing us for a very long time he threw the coins back at me and continued his tirade. When Ray returned and I told him what happened he gave the shillings to the student who was in the car with us and the student told the beggar that he was very happy to have received the shillings. The beggar left in a huff. In so many ways you cannot blame them for wanting more from us when every idea they have about America is from Hollywood.

There are many wonderful people living in Africa and they have become what we call “rafiki” – friends. You try to win over the not so gracious by being gracious to them anyway..