What's so good about Good Friday?

A day off school and a lie-in?
Baking hot cross buns?

Cadbury's mini eggs, successfully smuggled into the country by the Easter Bunny?

Of course, Good Friday is about more than cultural traditions (and there are far fewer Easter traditions in Korr than there are in UK). Good Friday is when we celebrate the death of Jesus. But think about it for a moment...it's a strange thing to celebrate, isn't it? The death of the only perfect human, the son of God, a cruel death reserved for criminals. What's there to celebrate?

It's that it should have been me that suffered, for my rebellion against God that should separate me from him. But God willingly sent his own and only son, Jesus, on an amazing rescue mission to earth. Jesus died and took the punishment I deserved. The prophet Isaiah put it like this:

But he (Jesus) was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us (me) peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

Because of Jesus' death I can come to God. Forgiven, debt-free, redeemed and ransomed. Jesus himself said:

I have come that they may life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd, who lays down his life for his sheep.

I think that's pretty good! Something worth celebrating?!

How to...prepare for exam season.

Last term I was school nurse, a role I didn't particularly enjoy and wasn't very good at. It was a blessing to all that none of the students got very ill. And another blessing is that Misha, one of my new housemates, was keen to take on this job (and the 'Where there is no doctor' book) when she arrived in January. She is doing a marvellous job! Thanks, Misha!

This year I am in charge of internal exams which is infinitely more preferable to being nurse, but not without its challenges.

Most teachers type their exams onto the (one) school netbook or get someone to do this for them. We had some trouble doing this last week as cloudy weather meant there wasn't sufficient solar power to charge the netbook as well as light the classrooms in the evening and early morning. So last Friday afternoon some of us encamped to my house where we set up 'staffroom #5' and teachers borrowed me and my housemates' laptops to meet the deadline (that I had set!).

I proof read and format the exams and print them out at headteacher Laura's house.

Then, once staff have done a final check on the printouts, and the 'exam panel' check for accuracy and syllabus coverage I photocopy the exams. Simple, you might think - just pop down to the print room. Not here. It's a 40 minute round trip, walking, from school to the copier. I have to arrange in advance when I want to photocopy so that the church hall is open, paper available and the generator on. There's no Charlotte  (LCHS's lovely reprographics assistant) to help when the copier jams, it doesn't do double-sided and it is really slow! 

We often say that children in UK are over-tested, but here formal internal exams happen three times a term. Beginning, middle and end! All students are off timetable, classes and year groups are mixed up to reduce cheating, and all staff do invigilation! They are taken very seriously; all marks count towards a student's grade for the year. If they don't pass they cannot move up!

My desk

This is my desk in Staffroom #3, shared with my housemate, Sarah, who teaches English. I don't have a desk in my classroom as the students stay in one place and staff move. With no computer on my desk (or in any classroom or office) far less time is spent checking and replying to emails. To find something out or pass on a message to colleagues I go and find them.

 

However, I am still on LCHS gpallstaffdistribution so I don't feel completely out of the loop, and can get on the internet where I live.

How to....make Kenyan chai

1. Bring water to the boil on the stove in a large metal teapot.
2. Dissolve a large amount of sugar.
3. Add tea leaves and continue to simmer.
4. Add plenty of milk and bring back to the boil.
5. Pour into cups through a tea strainer. Be sure to fill each cup right to the top!
6. Drink piping hot.

The way, the truth and the life.

A different Sunday for me today. And a longer post! But persevere to the end and you'll get to the baby picture!


Travelling to 'Dubsahay, a ten minute ride in the back of a pickup.

Rather than going to church in Korr town, I went with a Korean family to 'Dubsahay, a one of the Korr go'obs (villages). They had arranged to meet with local people who wanted to find out more about God but who struggle to make the journey into town. There isn't normally a Sunday meeting in 'Dubsahay, and so we didn't know what to expect. However, the small building, normally used for nursery and adult education, was soon full with women and children. A few men came along later.


Before it really filled up and the children had to move to the floor.

They sang Rendille Bible songs and then Jisun took the children for Sunday school under a nearby large tree while Inho spoke to the adults. These Rendille people have a tough life and look forward to heaven. One of their songs speaks of how it is a wonderful, shining place and another speaks of how they get to heaven by faith. However, many Rendille (and many of the folks who were singing the songs) also cling to traditional tribal beliefs of ancestor worship and animal sacrifice. Yet the Bible is clear that it is only through Jesus we can spend eternity in heaven. Jesus himself said 'I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.' (and my new 'I Love Korr' t-shirt has this verse printed on the front!)

And whilst I was sad to see how far from God some of these Rendille folks are, I was reminded about how in the UK so many people are looking in the wrong place for meaning and purpose to life. For example, I so easliy look to things like being good at stuff, friendships, security, having nice things...when I should look to God all the time! When I value other things (which aren't necessarily bad things themselves) above God that it's idolatry, just like Rendille worshipping their ancestors. And God hates it. It is only through Jesus, who died to take the punishment that I deserve for my rebellion, that I can be free and come to God, now and for eternity. And it is costly. Costly for me and for the Rendille as we surrender our lives to God and have him change our hearts and priorities and practices. But it was most costly to God, it cost his son Jesus.

After the meeting I chatted with some of the people in my limited Rendille language, and happened to meet one of Nick and Lynne's workers who seemed pleased to see me and greeted me by my Rendille name Kokomo (means 'short'!). And we visited a few homes and chatted some more.

One special visit was to the home of a lady that Inho and Jisun had bought a goat for. It also turned out that she had a newborn boy, just three days old. I got to hold little Haricha, which is pretty special as women here don't go out until the baby is several months old so you don't see small babies out!

 

How to...nyama choma

Directly translated from Swahili, nyama choma means roast beef. But it seems to be used for any kind of meat cooked over a fire. Goat is common here. I cannot claim to have done this myself but I know how to do it should the need arise!  

 

1.       Buy a goat

2.       Kill the goat (a good thing that the picture isn’t very clear…it can be messy!)

3.       Skin it (in some traditions you give the skin to the person from whom you bought the goat).

4.       Remove the internal organs (most of these will be cooked in the stew, or served separately) and joint the animal.

This goat was killed, skinned and cooked by a man called Christmas!

5.       Roast over a fire (some of the meat can stewed).

6.       Eat with ugali.

7.       Find a toothpick (or a thorny acacia tree!)

The goats that wander into our garden and house need to watch out!

Meet...Tigger and Barok

Tigger and Barok are Nick and Lynne's dogs. They are big softies, who love being fussed over. They are very loyal to the wazungus (white people) and often come to school, follow me if I go for a run or wander up to our house if they are bored. At school it is like having two shadows and they will curl up under the desk in my office or squeeze into the classroom! I don't mind that but it can cause problems as they are less friendly to local people. The feeling is mutual, though, as Rendille people don't have great affection for dogs. They only keep dogs to ward off hyenas, consider dogs as dirty and don't look after them very well. Tigger and Barok, in contrast, are well cared for. Today Lynne and Nick left for a break in South Africa and have taken the dogs to stay elsewhere whilst they are gone. Although I'm not a 'dog person' I will miss the pair of them! 

Meet...Nick and Lynne

Nick and Lynne Swanepoel are an amazing couple who have been working with the Rendille tribe in Korr for over 30 years. They first arrived here from South Africa with their young family at the time of the big East African famine of the 1980s. They came to do Bible translation but soon became involved in the distribution of food aid and animal restocking programmes. Doing this valuable work cemented in Nick and Lynne a deep love for the Rendille people and enabled them to win their trust (at first local people used to throw stones at them because many had never seen white people!).

Since then they have learned the language and developed it in written form for the first time. Nick works alongside two Rendille men in translating the Bible. So far they have translated most all of the New Testament books of the Bible and much of the Old. The Bible is the word of God, vital for showing all people what they are like, who God is and how he loves all people so much that he sent his son, Jesus, to earth to die, so that everyone who believes in him shall have eternal life. Having the Bible in their own language enables people to discover this for themselves and learn more about God’s character, his purposes and how we are to live in light of his great love and mercy.

But of course, to use the Bible folks need to read. And that is why Nick and Lynne also set up adult education progrmmes. A team of local people run adult classes in literacy, basic health, numeracy and animal care in the go’obs (villages). There are also go’ob nursery classes.

The translation, literacy, nurseries, primary schools and the secondary school where I teach are all part of the local church’s ‘Tirrim Project’. Tirrim is the Rendille word for the centre post in a min (traditional Rendille hut) that holds the house up and keeps it from blowing away. In the Bible Jesus is described as being the Tirrim, or cornerstone. The Project is so called because Jesus is at the centre of the work in Korr.

God has used Nick and Lynne wonderfully in Korr. They have witnessed many lives changed, both materially and spiritually. They no longer have stones thrown at them. Now they are honoured by the community. Though still poor, the Rendille Christians are rich in faith and love for the Lord. On Sundays the growing church is full and is led by local men. Many of the church leaders, translators and school teachers went to Tirrim schools or had school fees paid by the Project and it is great to see them seeking to serve God by helping others in their community.

It is a privilege to have got to know the Swanepoels, serve alongside them and be a small part of the work that God is doing through them in Korr. They have looked after me and welcomed me into their family. I spent Christmas with them, their son and daughter-in-law and four grandchildren (who are also missionaries in northern Kenya) and I have loved hearing their own (often humorous) stories of God’s love, sustenance and guidance.

Meet...the ladies

Sarah, Ruth, me, Faith, Martha, Mercy and Kulamo, Alice and Misha

These are some of the ladies from church who come over on a Saturday afternoon to practise English. The first week they came they taught us how to make proper Kenyan chai.

I've enjoyed getting to know these women and learning about their lives. They often bring along the smallest of their children which mean I get baby cuddles. As well as chatting, we pray and sometimes read the Bible together. And Martha recently asked if we can do some baking together one week...how cool is that?!