Thursday, September 17, 2009

Water is Life

This is a photo of a man offloading water for sale.It's blurred because it was shot through the curtains (paparazzi :) )

In a list of basic needs, water does not necessarily appear at the top. When one is accustomed to a constant supply, there is seldom worry that it might run out. In developed countries, we are almost sure that water will flow the moment we turn on our taps. This is why it has been a shocking shift to watch our seemingly unlimited supply of water run dry. In Nairobi, one of the most developed cities in East Africa, the price of water has skyrocketed. The City Council is no longer able to provide an adequate supply, and residents resort to paying vendors exorbitant prices for water from unknown sources. Unscrupulous businessmen fetch water from the military, Red Cross, or even stagnant pools of sewage. . .and sell it at an extraordinary profit.

For a city that was once known as “the place of cool waters”, Nairobi residents now go without running water for up to six weeks or in some cases more than three months at a time. People have resorted to hiring carts, locally known as ‘Mkokoteni.’ Previously used for carrying luggage or scrap metal, these carts are now pushed long distances on foot, ferrying plastic containers filled with the elusive fluid. As a means of preserving the little they have, residents have reduced the frequency of bathing and flushing. Dirty dishes are stacked and left to wait. Clothes pile up in the corner. But as uncomfortable as these adjustments have been, our situation is much improved compared to those living in the slums of the city. Representing 60% of the urban population, residents of Nairobi's slums may go weeks without showers and are often forced to wash clothes with water tainted by sewage. Sanitation has become a major concern and there are threats of typhoid and cholera outbreaks.

Apart from domestic use, major industries have also been affected. The lack of water has limited irrigation farming and with failed rains over the past several seasons, food prices have shot up, resulting in an estimated 10 million Kenyans now at risk of dehydration or starvation. Environmental degradation is taking its toll with water catchment areas drying up due largely to deforestation. The water shortage now affects businesses across the country as Kenya depends primarily on hydro-electric power. With water sources literally disappearing, power companies are rationing supply and most businesses face power cuts three days per week. This in turn has led to rapid inflation and a 100% increase in costs for basic commodities. As the standards of living continue to decrease in Kenya, we've come to appreciate the saying, “Water is life.” We can't survive without it, so save it now while you can. . .

Please pray for the water situation in Kenya.

True Story: Accident on Plainsview

Last night after work I ran out to the store to pick up a few luxury dinner items: lettuce, milk, chapatis, sour cream, and cookies. At the time, my wife Lucy was in the house waiting for a mkokoteni cart of water to be delivered (we haven't had running water in one month). Anyway, on the way back from the store, I noticed headlights zig zagging back and forth across the road. The lights were traveling in the wrong lane and coming directly towards me. I started honking, but to no avail. The white Toyota saloon car rammed the front right side of my Toyota Prado. Our two Toyotas glanced off each other and came to a screeching halt in the the middle of Plainsview Road, just a few blocks from where we live.

(Brief background: In Kenya, whenever there is a motor vehicle accident, the cars are not supposed to move. Ideally the vehicles should remain in the middle of the road or wherever they are stopped until the police arrive. In theory, the police will survey the scene of the accident and then decide who is responsible for the damages. At that point, the drivers of the vehicles can settle the matter privately by handing over the necessary cash. Alternatively the drivers can submit claims to their insurance companies or continuing arguing it out at the police station.)

So our two vehicles sat sideways in the middle of the road, blocking several large matatus and an
onslaught of evening commuters. A large and lumbering man stepped out of the white Toyota along with several of his companions. The large man's speech was slurred and his breath smelled heavily of alcohol. As the traffic backed up, the crowd around us continued to grow. Buses and passenger cars were honking at us to get out of the road, matatu conductors (worried they would lose passengers and money waiting in the jam) urged us to settle the matter quickly and move our cars, young men came running to the scene offering to arbitrate for a fee. One gentleman advised me to call the police.

“What's the phone number?”, I asked. After some consultation, I was told “999.” My hands fumbled with the phone. Three attempts and no answer. The police were nowhere to be found. Meanwhile bus drivers and matatu conductors continued to shout and approach us angrily, grabbing shirt tails and pushing us towards our vehicles.

Overwhelmed, I got back into the car, the car door still open. I called Lucy. “Sweetheart, I've been in an accident, but I'm O.K. Some drunk guy hit me and now there is a big commotion.”
I decided to pull the car up on to the curb to allow the menacing matatu drivers to pass. As I started to move slowly to the left, a strong hand grabbed my arm, pulling me from the car. I tried to slam the door, but now two people were there, prying it open. A hand ripped the keys out of the ignition. A short wrestling match ensued. I was on the pavement and then up again, held firmly by one of the drunk drivers companions. People began to shout:

“Pay 5,000 and you can settle it.”
“I witnessed the accident, wait for the police.”
“This driver is drunk.”
“Give him the money and then you both can leave.”
“One of the keys has fallen to the ground.”
Several people surrounded me, demanding that I pay the the drunk driver in cash for hitting his car.

A large group then gathered, offering all types of advice. A smartly dressed man pulled me aside, a neighbor I'd never met. “Don't worry, I saw the whole thing.”

The rotund man declared, “So what if maybe I am drunk? I am the local Councilor. These people voted for me. They are my witnesses. Just pay me and we can go. . .I am the local Councilor.” (Note: City Councilors in Nairobi are notorious for being some of the most corrupt, violent, and evil people in the country).

Incensed, I joked with some of the bystanders. “So being a Councilor means someone can drive drunk, crash into cars, and then demand that they pay. Is that what a Councilor does? No wonder tuko na shida. Hakuna maji, hakuna stima, hakuna kazi (No wonder there is no water, electricity, or jobs).”

Lucy arrived on the scene, debating the drunken driver's companions in rapid Kiswahili. “He was
driving drunk, on the wrong side of the road. He has stolen the car keys. How can you demand money? We are waiting for the police.” She copied the license and registration numbers as our neighbor snapped photos of the scene. . .

Initially we thought that many of the young men who had rushed to the scene were hooligans affiliated with the City Councilor. Slowly things calmed down, however, and the young men began to laugh at the hilarity of it all. My car was just scratched, but the other had a busted headlight, large dents, and a popped hood. The drunk man and his companions became convinced that they should leave. We exchanged information, agreeing that there was “no agreement and no one would pay anything. Let the insurance companies sort it out.” The drunk driver gave his official name as “mjomba” (uncle). The other vehicle left.

Lucy and I were advised to file a report with the police. Since he was a Councilor, the other driver could go to the police later, after sobering up, and push his own story through the authorities.

We went to Industrial Area Police Station straight away. The electricity was out and the traffic officers on duty were “on duty somewhere else” and “should be back within the hour.” Lucy's uncle came and met us at the station to assist. As we waited a violent woman was restrained and locked up. Two and a half hours later the traffic police arrived. The officer who filed the report was very nice. He offered us a cup of tea and shared a few jokes. He inspected the car. Then he wrote our particulars on the back of a piece of paper and posted it along with other notes to dirty Styrofoam hanging on the wall. “I can't stand impunity. Let this Councilor come and give his own story and we'll rip his head off.”

− So ended Part One of our Monday evening adventure. (10th August, 2009)

Many thanks for your continued prayers. Despite the scary nature of this incident, Lucy and I are both very well. We thank God for protecting us, watching over us, and sending a neighbor to help. We now have some new friends at the police station, and I have the happy tale of having wrestled with a drunken City Councilor.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Visitors from The Falls Church, USA

In this photo the team from Falls Church and the Light and Power crew are standing in front of the center's main building.


The past few months have been a whirlwind of activity. We've seen the launch of several new ministry initiatives, the planting of sixteen new churches, visits from two missions teams, a commissioning, and several conferences. Lucy and I are grateful for the support and encouragement of our friends during this season and it was a joy seeing some of you recently in Nairobi! In June, a team of eleven from The Falls Church, USA came for two weeks of missions engagement in Nairobi. A mix of ages and stages in life, the team worked together to present gifts and lead a retreat for sponsored students at Akiba School. They also helped landscape, construct a fence, and build a pit latrine at Light and Power. They shared testimonies of faith with persecuted Somali Christians, visited homes in informal settlements, got stuck in the mud with wild buffaloes, and much more!

Photo compilation of Falls Church team's visit to Light and Power Center.





Commissioning Evangelists




On June 12th, thirty three students from Carlile College were commissioned as evangelists at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi. With over one thousand guests in attendance, the commissioning service was graced by the presence of outgoing Archbishop of Kenya, Most Rev. Capt. Dr. Benjamin Nzimbi; Ugandan Bishop, Rt. Rev. Capt. Charles Odurkami; and Canon Capt. Johnson Chinyong'ole from Tanzania. During their commissioning, each candidate pledged to “show the love of God revealed in Christ. . .and to bring the good news of God's salvation especially to the poor, the broken, and the rejected.” The 33 new evangelists will serve the work of the Anglican Church and Church Army Africa in Uganda, Sudan, and Kenya. The commissioning was one of our biggest events of the year and we are excited to see how the Lord will use these new evangelists in their ministries

Video Production Center


One of the main projects I've been working on over the past two months is the launch of a Video Production Center. The goal of the project is to
share stories of God's work in the mission field while creating jobs and raising funds to support ministry. Starting with a donated camcorder and
some basic knowledge, we now have two professionally trained videographers as well as several interns serving in the department. The
Center has already produced one documentary, covered several events and conferences, and recorded a wedding. By God's grace, we hope to
begin work on several more documentaries and instructional videos as well as produce our first gospel music video during the month of August.

Evangelism and Youth Workshops



Over the past decade, Anglican church membership in Kenya has decreased significantly. Most of those leaving the church are youth. Many Kenyan youth consider themselves Christians, but feel neglected by the church or consider it irrelevant to their daily lives. Church attendance has dropped dramatically among the youth in most mainline denominations with a good number leaving to join Pentecostal churches, attracted to lively services or loud promises of prosperity. The youth represent nearly 75% of Kenya's population and face a host of social and economic challenges including unemployment, crime, corruption, tribalism, and HIV/AIDS. At Church Army Africa we seek to reverse the trend of youth leaving the church, believing that the local church is God's primary vehicle to address the concerns of young people and bring substantive change to their communities, offering authentic hope and help through Jesus Christ.

As part of the efforts to re-engage youth and revive the
church, Church Army has been conducting Youth for Work
seminars and Evangelism and Church Planting workshops
in dioceses across Kenya. In May, Church Army ministered
to nearly 100 youth leaders in Southern Nyanza and Kericho
as well as to dozens of evangelists and church leaders from
throughout the dioceses. The workshops emphasized small
group discussions and identifying and addressing local
challenges and opportunities. As a result of the workshops,
fifteen new churches have been planted in Kenya over the
past several months and dozens of new micro-enterprises
have begun among the youth.

In Search of Water


Following a prolonged drought and years of mismanagement, Kenya is currently facing an acute water crisis. Agricultural production has dropped dramatically across the country while urban centers such as Nairobi are unable to provide residents with adequate water supplies. Long lines are common at water filling stations and some residential neighborhoods have gone without running water for as many as three months. At our apartment in South B we have running water one day per week on average. Unfortunately the pressure isn't enough to shower or flush the toilet, but it does allow us to collect and store enough water to last for the week. Please pray for the rains and for the water situation in Kenya.

Prayer Requests and Praises


  • Thanksgiving for the recent visits from The Falls Church, USA and St. Mary's, UK. and for their ministries in Kenya.
  • Thanksgiving and continued prayer for Dave and Lucy's health and security as they live and serve in Nairobi.
  • For students at Akiba School in Kangemi as they prepare to enter the final term of the school year.
  • For the new Video Production Center as it seeks to develop as a sustainable business and missions enterprise.
  • For the group of interns at Church Army Africa who will be finishing in September.
  • For Light and Power Center as it begins production of energy efficient transportable stoves.
  • Severe drought, coupled with food mismanagement and soaring prices have produced a major famine in Kenya. An estimated 10 million Kenyans are at risk of starvation. Please continue to pray for those affected and for the leadership of the country.
  • For the new churches and believers in Jesus Christ to grow in their faith and service to their communities.
  • For justice, reconciliation, and peace as the government of Kenya and the International Criminal Court investigate top government and business leaders suspected in crimes against humanity.