Lawn Mowers, Mules, etc.

WOW, another couple of weeks elapsed, and the whole gang is still alive and kicking!  Even though it is the rainy season, we have not seen a lot of rain.  Most days it does rain, but not very much, although it is sufficient for the immediate vicinity of Marimba.  The problem is that there is the possibility of drought in other areas, which can be devastating in this part of the world.  As usual most days I go for a walk for some exercise, and that is when I take most of the photographs.  The walks tend to last from ½ hour to as long as 3 hours.  I wish it wasn’t so laborious and time consuming to download the photographs on this blog site.  We have a slow and sporadic wireless connection in Marimba, so I have to be selective as to which photos are presented on the blog, which may be a blessing, otherwise you would have to suffer through a lot more of them! 

I’m not sure if I have already mentioned this, but it is very cold in the morning because of the huge temperature change from day to night.  Imagine being in Africa with the stereotypical preconception of a very hot climate, only to discover that you have to put a thick sweater, or jacket, or both on as soon as you get up in the morning!  The sun rises and sets at more or less the same time every day, and is directly overhead at noon.  This is an observation and not necessarily a bad thing, but I find myself subconsciously anticipating a change, and thus wonder what’s askew.  I continue to be pleasantly surprised at the kindness and gentleness that the Kenyans express, and coupled with their keen sense of rhythm and song, these qualities endear them to others.  It seems everyone from about the age of four and older are proficient in singing, dancing and playing the drums.

Father, Michael and I were at the retreat center for a youth retreat from April 11^th to April 15^th.  Father Jules was there to say mass, hear confessions, etc.  Michael was there to give one talk.  I guess my reason to be there was to go on walks, and perhaps be company for Father.  More than half of the pictures included in this blog were taken during this retreat.  I was looking for elephants, but only found some evidence of their existence.  I did manage to see birds, mules and monkeys.  These monkeys were different than the ones that we saw in Marimba.  This reminds me that I did not mention it in the last blog.  Father and I were sitting outside the new house when we discovered some monkeys playing and foraging in the trees, approximately 300m away, on the other side of the creek.  We watched them for about an hour, and enjoyed every minute.  Anyhow, back to the walk!  What struck me the most is cacophony of sound coming from the forest, even though I was walking down a sparsely used highway, which seemed to have as many mules as cars.  The sounds were produced mostly from birds, and it very reminiscent of what one would hear in a movie or documentary about Africa.  Perhaps I really am there, after all!

Watch out for runaway mules and lawnmowers!

Kenyan lawn mower with a machete in the right hand and a file in the left hand.

Yellow birds and nests in palm tree.

St. Joseph Cathedral in Meru.

Have mule, will travel!  Cabbages in trailer.

The Lone Ranger!

As if you wouldn't be able to see them!

Where have all the mules gone?  At least the radio works!

Look really close and see a monkey with a white tail, and a white face.

Well used elephant trail.

Guess what came down this 9' bank?

Children outside the Retreat Center in Kaaga.

A thing-a-ma-jig.

A what-ya-ma-call-it.

The busy bees working away, including Rita (background).

Is that a Crazy Canuck walking around in this tea field?

Sure enough is a Crazy Canuck, and is he ever silly looking!

Kenyan multi-tasker: at work, babysitting, and talking on the phone!

Dueling lawn mowers!

Forest Canopy.

"The Gateway to Success."

Tea field on the left, and a shelter for tea pickers - center right.

New building construction site in Meru.

Same palm tree as in earlier close-up.

Mt. Kenya (barely visible) in central background, as seen from the Retreat Center.

Seminary Trip, Kaaga Retreat, misc.

24/03/11

I got up, ate breakfast, washed clothes, etc., then I decided to go for a long walk.  Left at 10am, and headed north on the new road that is under construction.  I am so used to solitary walks, and can’t seem to get them here.  I am a foreigner, so everyone wants to say hello.  One guy wanted to send his kids to Rita’s orphanage.  I guess he doesn’t know what orphanage means.  Another drunk kept walking with me and babbling incoherent things in Swahili, English, and Italian.  When I changed directions to head back, he kept walking, and when we came to where he was sitting when he started following me, he just kept following.  Finally, I said arivaderchi, and began to walk fast, and he couldn’t keep up!  Most people asked me where I was going, and thought I was lost.  Just before the end of the walk, I went down to the creek that borders the property, to take some pictures.  I got back just after noon, and had pretty much walked the entire time.  When I arrived at the house, I could feel something biting me in the upper legs.  I decided to go for a shower and discovered that it was little black ants biting me!  We had lunch with Fr. Sebastion, a Nun, and five novitiates.

25/03/11

We drove down to Chuka to stay at the Fransalian Seminary, the home of Fr. Sebastian, Fr. Jacob and eleven novices.  Both priests are of Indian descent and are from the same area of India.  Chuka is southeast of Marimba and takes just about 90min. to get there by car.  We arrived late in the afternoon, and headed straight to the volleyball court.  The court is made out of red dirty clay, which is very common in this area.  I played barefooted, like everyone else.  I couldn’t jump as high, run as fast, spike as good, or set as proficiently as I used to, but thank God, I could still bump a hard serve adequately!  After about an hour of playing, covered in sweat, I managed to hobble off the court with my ego barely intact.  It seems like it was only yesterday that I was able to do myself proud on the volleyball court.  We joined in on evening prayer, and a wonderful dinner, which included some curry dishes.

26/03/11

The morning was spent in prayer, then, Fr. Jules and I went for about a 1km walk to the entrance of Chuka College.  One the way there was this place called B.C. Hostel, no kidding!  I even got a picture of the entrance.  In the afternoon we went to Chara to visit Fr. Jobe, and the nuns who run a dispensary.  They have a large church, which seems unusual, as it is almost in the middle of nowhere.  Inside the church is a wonderful fresco of the Passion.  In the evening, back at the seminary, we were all anointed and prayed over.

27/03/11

In the morning after mass we headed back to Marimba.  We had showers, lunch and a short rest, then left for the Retreat Center in Kaaga.

Pictures before and during trip to Seminary:

Father Jules and the children.

Entry to the Seminary in Chuka (south of Meru)

Novices taking a tea break.

Believe it or not!  This is just north of Chuka.

Same as above, but written in the shrubbery!

As the banana unfolds.

Before the banana unfolds.

Church in Chara (S.E. of Chuka), which is off the beaten path!

Cooking area for the school at Chara.  Those are 5 gallon pails!

Chara - children with Father Sebastian (Fransalian).

Three of four Nuns that run a mini-hospital/dispensary in Chara.

Back in the Seminary - 5 of 11 novices.

Father Jules and Father Jacob at the Seminary.

27/03/11 – 01/04/11

The week (Sun.-Fri.) retreat had good and bad points – mostly good points.  The theme was Healing Your Family Tree, and forgiveness.

Beans, beans, and more beans.  This was resolved during lunch on the Monday, when I walked to some stores and got food, water, etc.  The days and talks were very long, and took a toll on my back, as I had to sit in plastic deck chairs for hours at a time.  Some talks were in Kimeru, Swahili, and English.  They were not translated simultaneously, which means that everything took three times as long.  Most of the talks were geared toward the Kenyans and how they are prone to bondage through ancestral curses.  In other words, some of it was hard for a westerner to grasp, and the message was geared to a slower thinker – I think!

The spiritual team was very good, and consisted entirely of lay people, and a very capable group.  I was particularly impressed with John Ooko, the main speaker.  John, an exceptional orator, was animated and on fire during his talks (in English!), and a good listener, as he is a therapist by profession, and he is also an author.  I spent some valuable time with him.  Father Jules was the only priest there, so he celebrated mass, heard confessions, preached, etc.  Father was well equipped for the charismatic component, and commented that it was like being back in the middle seventies, when the charismatic movement was in full swing.  They have a wonderful chapel, as well as the crucifix, which is in the hall / church area.  The retreat participants were mainly Catholic, and included other Christian denominations.  Father, Michael and I were the only white skinned people in the entire complex.  There was praying in tongues, and they sang in tongues only once, which unfortunately, I missed.  The Blessed Sacrament was exposed among the entire congregation.  Wouldn’t you know it, but I was the only one that was Slain in The Spirit!  How to stand out (lie down) amongst a crowd of dark skinned Kenyans – double contrast!  The singing and dancing was wonderful, and a large part of every day!  The theme was on healing the family tree and forgiveness. 

01/04/11

We left the retreat center, had lunch in Meru, and drove back to Marimba.  Nice to be back home and eat Rita’s good cooking.

03/04/11

Another Sunday spent in Kenya.  As usual Father and I celebrated the Eucharist together, and Michael and Rita celebrated in the church.  Father Vincent has yet to ask Father Jules to concelebrate, and I’m O.K. with this because the mass in the church goes on for two and a half hours.  The Bishop and Father Vincent came for dinner.  The Bishop seems to be a kind and humble servant of the Lord.  With permission, I took a picture of everyone else, and then Michael took a picture of us.

Retreat pictures:

Crucifix inside the Church / meeting hall at the retreat center in Kaaga.

The Blessed Sacrament in the Chapel at the retreat center.

Father Jules celebrating mass during the retreat.

Chapel in the background.

Cooking area at the retreat center.

Close up view of the Blessed Sacrament in the Chapel.

The Blessed Sacrament with a Nun in the right foreground.

First litter (without mother) of five pups - OLG Marimba.

Second litter of six pups with mother - OLG Marimba.

Bishop comes to dine.  Michael, Rita, the Bishop of Meru, Fr. Jules, Fr. Vincent.

Same as above except I change places with Michael.