We arrived back from Kijabe yesterday.
Our time there was very profitable as we had
an ample mix of rest as well as ministry.
The weather in Kijabe is quite pleasant and rather cool as it is nearly
a thousand feet higher in elevation from here.
Breathing is far easier as the air is quite pure and not nearly as
smoggy as in the slums.
Moreover, the
water in Kijabe is the only place in
Kenya where it can be safely
consumed from the tap.
We were very
thankful for those simple niceties and recognize how terribly missed those
things are.
On Friday we were able to visit the wards, praying for
people who were injured and healing.
Many
were believers and we were able to encourage them in the Lord.
The hospital, although one of the best in
East Africa, was rugged by our standards.
Many beds were crammed into large rooms and
the patients all lay there together.
There was a certain sense of hopelessness for those who were wounded beyond
a quick recovery.
However, their faces
did brighten when we walked in with the love of Jesus Christ.
We rejoiced as one gave his life to the Lord
and was left with assurance of his salvation.
Friday night we had a little campfire outside and roasted
marshmallows, a real American treat.
The
local Kenyans had never heard of marshmallows, let alone see them roasted and
consumed.
Due to their lack of exposure,
we thought it necessary that they participated and they truly enjoyed it, even
if they did have difficulty in pronouncing and understanding the
“S’Mores.”
It would be unfair if they found a new cultural ideal and we
did not, therefore, I was pleased to find a bag of roasted rocks in a small
store there.
I asked the fellow what
roasted rocks were all about, for they really were just a couple of stones in
this small bag.
He said it was used
mostly by pregnant women who had cravings to eat rocks.
For those who had such cravings, they would
be glad to find that they could enjoy roasted rocks.
When asked about the roasting process, the
fellow said it involved putting the rocks in an oven and roasting
them…naturally.
Why didn’t I think of
that?
Why have I not roasted rocks in
the past?
I shall never know, but rest
assured, we have them in abundance.
Just
one more Kenyan delight for the culturally savvy.
