Rift Valley Province

I took a journey to the worst hit areas in Kenya by this post-election violence. The roads were not safe to travel alone, so I flew. Flying over the area, you could see places that were once villages but now are blackened ash on the landscape.

People still live in fear here. (Well, we still do in Nairobi, too.) But, these people have felt the worst violence. One pastor told me that people from eight different tribes worshipped together on Sunday morning and by Sunday night, they had all turned on each other.

Many of our Baptist churches in this area were either burned or looted.

There are thousands staying in Internally Displaced camps. One camp I visited had more than 20,000 households. There are so many people there, the Red Cross is only keeping track of households and not individuals.

One of the most distressing things in this area is how things were burned. Walking down the business road with all of the store fronts, you can see two stores burned and looted, then you see a store that is just fine and still open. Then, you see a few more burned out stores, then a patch of normalacy again. It's very distressing because it shows that these burnings were picked according to tribal affiliation.

Pray for the Rift Valley Province. They live in constant fear. The pastors I drove around with would barely get out of the car -- even when I hired an armed escort.

Mass Funerals

There were two days of peace this week -- well, let me rephrase that -- two days of "almost" peace. These days were set aside so everyone could bury their dead.

In Nairobi, hundreds of people walked down the road holding branches (a symbol of peace). They walked in front of huge trucks loaded down with caskets.

There were around 35 caskets at the mass funeral I attended. Friends carried the casket to a table bearing the dead person's name. The caskets were placed under a tent.

Kenyans then pass next to each casket - weaving in and out. It was total chaos and no "personal space" allowed.

My heart sunk when I heard women wailing. We don't really do that at American funerals, but it is cultural here. Some people are still professional wailors -- just like Biblical times. Anyway, the mood was quite somber.

These people were lifted up as heroes for "the cause." I don't think hero status really comforted the grievng families.

I'm having a hard time writing about what I experienced here. So, you'll just have to experience it through my photos.

Story link

Here's a link to my organization's website. There, you'll see a multi-media presentation on Kenya. And you can find other stories I've written about this incident.

http://www.imb.org/main/default.asp

Let it rain!

We thought there would be a reprieve of the riots and violence, but word just came out that the opposition party is calling for the protests to continue through this next week.

Please continue to pray. Last week, the protests got pretty violent, but not as bad as everyone expected. I credit that to God. It just "so happened" that it rained all three days of the planned protests. Now while that may not sound like a big deal, it's actually a miracle. It is dry season in Kenya and we were not expecting rain until the end of February.

I talked to a friend in a part of Kenya where there are no riots or violence and they are completely dry, with no rain or cloudy skies. In the towns where the most protests are happening -- it rained off and on for three days straight!

Faith of a Child

Nothing is sweeter than hearing a church full of children pray!

I ran into the neatest story over the weekend. In one of the Nairobi slums, a group of children began gathering every afternoon at the Baptist church. They gather everyday to pray for their nation.

The pastor told me they started showing up on their own about two weeks. He just opened the door and let them in. Everyday, the number of children coming to pray grows. The day I visited, they squeezed about 226 in this small, tin shack.

They trekked through the sticky mud. Waded through water. Ran through the rain to pray for their country.

One of the older kids, 17-years-old, said the pastor always tells them God hears their prayers, so, the youth decided to start praying for peace. They brought their younger siblings because they were babysitting them. Soon, word spread and more and more and more children came. The age range of those praying is from 3 to 17.

The pastor said since the children started praying, there has been no violence in their part of this slum. No one has died. No houses have been burned.

Let me tell you, nothing touches your heart more than when you hear a three-and-a-half-year-old pray, "God, people die. Please don't let anyone be killed in front of my house again."

The prayers of children may indeed be what saves Kenya!

Tear Gas

Tear gas hurts your eyes, burns your nose and throat and is - in general, very uncomfortable. Not sure how many times this has happened to you -- but I've had one too many tear gas bombs blow up next to me this week.

In one day, I was gassed four or five times.

No, I wasn't creating riots. The police and riot police turned on the journalists one afternoon. We were waiting for the demonstration to start. I think everyone was bored. The police shot over our heads. They charged us with horses and ran at us with their sticks waving and shields up.

The funny thing about doing this to journalists is that no one runs away or really budges. The video guys just start rolling film, trying to get a good, tight shot. The photographers snap as many pictures as they can to capture the action. Reporters start screaming questions at the top of their lungs - "Why are you charging us? Do you care to comment?"

Don't think I'm only making jokes about the situation in Kenya. It is serious business here. But, I am getting tired of tear gas, bullets, police chases, fires, etc. The Kenyan people are even more tired of it than I am (after all, I'm a journalist looking for a good story).

Pray for the police to have proper restraint. Many of them do not really believe in what they are being asked to do. Sometimes, emotions and the fact that someone is threatening your life can cause the police to react with severe force. Other times, police just do these kinds of thing. Pray for restraint and for wisdom on behalf of the police and military.

Displaced Children

Imagine the dilema of protecting your garden and house, which has been in the family for generations, and keeping your children safe...

Many in Kenya are being forced to make that decision as election violence continues in Kenya.

Around 40 percent of the 250,000 internally displaced people are children. Their parents find a way for the children to get to safety, while they stay behind to protect their home, belongings and garden (which is what most Kenyans' livelihood is based on).

It's a normal thing here for older siblings to practically raise the younger ones. But even so, an eight-year-old travelling a hundred miles on the back of a stranger's truck with her 15-month-old sister strapped to her back will make any mother nervous.

At most of the camps, the children far outnumber the adults. At the camp I visited today, one Kenyan volunteer kept the kids busy by playing games. One of our missionary kids joined in the fun and said it was a "great day." My friend (and fellow missionary), Sandy spent the morning hold babies so their older siblings could play the games.

School starts next week in Kenya -- after a one week delay due to all of this chaos. Many of these kids will not be able to return home for months. Pray that the government can figure out a way to make sure these kids don't get behind in their studies. Pray that their minds will continue to be stimulated, instead of just sitting in the camps bored to death.

Rift Valley Province

Went to visit the Rift Valley Province yesterday. At this internally displaced people camp, there were about 3,500 Kenyans with more filing in every second.

They came on big trucks. They had any belonging they could manage to get on a truck. Many came with their couches, chairs, mattresses, etc. all piled high. Others came with only the clothes on their backs.

The showgrounds normally looks pretty spacious, but yesterday - pretty much every little space was in use. There was a clinic, a counseling area, food storage, clothing piles, even a comedian entering the crowds. In the only small open space, teenaged boys played soccer with a deflated basketball.

Baptists in Kenya have donated a lot of food to many of these camps, as well as blankets. They are distributing it in six of the major hot spots in Kenya. One of the elder Baptist pastors said he's never seen anything like this. He said this has gone past election violence to something he never thought would happen here -- Christians raising their hand against another simply because of what ethnic group they belong to.

"We used to think this way back in the old days. Kikuyu and Luo thought differently," he said. "But when Jesus Christ came to our country, all of that changed. During the Great East African Revival of 1936, these areas that in the most conflict now became Christian areas. We began thinking of ourselves as brothers in Christ and not as enemies."

One really neat thing that has come out of this conflict is Kenyans helping Kenyans. In past conflicts like this, elders said Kenyans did not respond like this. They wanted to help others but did not have the means or power to do so.

You should have seen the lines of Kenyans bringing in a sack of clothes or vegetables from their own small gardens. Thousands of Kenyans have been displaced but millions of Kenyans are reaching out with a helping hand.

Internally Displaced Peoples of Kenya

Spent the day working at an internally Displaced camp today with my church's youth group.

Don't have much time to write about it tonight - but wanted to share some photos. These people all came from the Rift Valley province in a truck. Many had relatives die. Some said they fled their burning houses with only the clothes on their backs.

My church and the IMB donated food for these people. Other churches donated clothing and mattresses.

Kenyan National Day of Prayer

Church was quite the event Suday.

First, most people had not seen each other since Christmas Day service. Elections in Kenya were just a few days later. For the entire next week, thinks turned into chaos. Election riots turned into ethnic animosity. (Many international media accounts are calling it a genocide, but most Africans HAVE seen or experienced genocide and say it is still at the animosity stage.)

People stayed in their homes. They kept in touch through text messaging. Some in my church were beaten. Some had houses burned, Others went without food.

In general, people were just glad to see each other and be alive!

Second, today was the National Day of Prayer, so we spent a lot of time in prayer. It was very humbling hearing my fellow church members pour their hearts out, praying for unity.

One woman apologized to God for the sins of the country and asked for his forgiveness. The pastor talked about loving people and not drawing ethnic lines.

Third, after church, everyone just hung around outside chatting – enjoying being together.

Tonight on EVERY television station was a one-hour Day of Prayer show. That was quite interesting. Just about every faith represented in Kenya had a presence – Catholic, evangelical, Hindu, Islam, Jaine, etc.

The television show was totally amazing. Just thinking about millions of Kenyans watching it all at one time and praying for their nation gives me goose bumps!
This chaos in Kenya is not over. There were a few mo

See My articles

Article 1
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27126

Article 2
http://www.bpnews.net:80/BPnews.asp?ID=27137

Friday's Uneasy Peace

I went out again today. Most people ventured out of their houses in the Nairobi area. There's an uneasy calm. Public transport started running again. Businesses opened.

Everyone wore running shoes today. May not sound abnormal, but for a society that does everything in flip-flops, wearing athletic shoes to work or to the store is a major cultural shift! There were rumors that another rally would take place at city centre. Everyone knew that if it happened, violence would erupt again. No one wanted to get caught out in the open, thus the reason for the comfortable athletic shoes!

I ventured to Kibera today. It was a "no go" zone yesterday and probably what most of you saw on television. They burned tires. Police shot tear gas in the crowds. Police brought out the water cannon trucks to control the angry rioters.

Today was a different story. People strolled about in search of food and just happy for the short break from the violence.

It's been a long and exhausting day. I walked through a market that I frequent on the edge of Kibera. It's where I go find used clothes. The market is no longer there. Last night, the young men rioting burned it all down. Now, it's just acres of smoldering ash!

Stayed tuned for more updates...

Kenya riots

City centre was a ghost town today. In the morning, people tried to get to Uhuru Park (the place of traditional political gatherings), but police set up baricades all over town in an effort to stop people from coming.

This afternoon, I walked to city centre to check things out. There was no public transport, so it was about a four mile walk. I've never seen it like this. Every store was boarded up and closed. No one was on the street -- not even the street kids.

I saw a lot of police and an a human wall of para-military guarding Uhuru Park.

Americans are being told to stay home. It's tough staying home! While there's nothing we can do to help, it's hard sitting back and hearing that your friend's house is on fire.

Pray for peace in Kenya!

Christmas Celebrations

We had the chance to see some amazing things on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Early Christmas Eve morning, Justin and I ventured through a private entrance to the cave where Jesus was supposedly born. Hundreds of tourists stood waiting to enter the cave from the other entrance.

We were able to watch a Christmas Eve ceremony where the priests bless the wine and bread that was used for midnight mass. It was amazing to watch, let alone be down in the cave standing next to a 14-point gold star pinned to the spot Jesus was born. When most people see this star, they drop to their knees and either touch it with their hand or kiss it. The cave smells like damp incense mixed with too many warm bodies.

We also watched a parade on Christmas Eve. Hundreds of Scouts marched through the cobblestone streets playing their drums. (Yes, the modern day version of "Little Drummer Boy.")

We watched the Latin Patriarch march into the church behind a processional of priests. These priests were pilgrims from all over the world. They sang songs in Latin as they marched. It was beautiful.

Christmas Eve was pumped with a lot of energy as the entire world saw Manger Square celebrations live on television. The small square, which is usually deserted, was jam packed. The media reports 60,000 tourists there that night, but I didn't see that many tourists. I mostly saw Palestinians out having a good time.

We ended our Christmas Eve with a party on Manger Street outside of a church. A group of Bethlehem Bible College students held an outdoor concert. It was so popular that the street was blocked with the crowd of people.

Christmas day was a bit more relaxed as we visited friends we had made during the course of the week. Our friend Mary prepared tea for us, s she did everyday. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is the main day of business for her and her family. They do about 70 percent of their yearly business on these two days as tourists flock to this small city to celebrate Jesus' birth.

Bedouin Fun

We were out searching for wise men on camels just a few days before Christmas. We found camels but a Bedouin family found us. They invited us to their home for coffee and tea.

Mohammed, his wife and children, live in the desert. To them, it's the most beautiful place in the world. They love the wide open spaces.

He told us that the government built them small, cement block houses, but they prefer their tent. The government house is used for storage.

While the men drank coffee and stood around, I went inside the cooking tent with the women. There was not much English in this tent, but we were able to communicate through smiles and charades. I learned how to make "unleavened" bread the old fashioned way.

This friendship ended up being an important one for me. Back in town, everytime I ran into problems with men trying to "hit" on me, Mohammed appeared out of no where to be my little guardian angel. His reply to my constant thanks was, "You my daughter's friend, so you my daughter."

Bethlehem for Christmas

The night was anything but silent. A bright light (a passing satellite) shone above the manger underneath an ancient church building. Wise men sat around the square offering directions to tourists (for a small price). Shepherds without their flocks drank thick Arab coffee from tiny, disposable cups.

TV cameras and media crews scrambled through the crowded streets to find the perfect angle or interview. Stage lights focused attention on musical performers and away from the military presence pacing the rooftops with guns pointing down.

A strained nasal voice sang from a crackling speaker at the back of the square, causing everything (including the stage performance) to come to an abrupt halt. Christmas Eve paused as Muslims said their nightly prayers.

The prayers rang louder and truer than any other night, as if reminding everyone that despite this being Jesus’ birthplace, this was Muslim Palestinian territory now.

Bethlehem was not the “Biblical Christmas” one might expect. Don’t get me wrong - it was fun being there, but I didn’t get “holy goose bumps” or anything. Christmas in Bethlehem, for most people, is just an all-night party!

We went to Bethlehem to write about a modern day Christmas. In the course of the week, we met a “born again” Christian family and a Muslim-Christian family. We spent our time hanging out with both families. The differences between these two families in celebrating Christmas were day and night.

The Muslim-Christian family worked their tourist business, never stopping to really remember what day it was – other than to make a fast sale. For them, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day accounted for about 70 percent of their yearly business.

The “born again” family had a very simple Christmas with very few presents and focused on Jesus’ birth. They were forced out of their home in the Gaza Strip months ago when a Baptist leader was killed for his faith. They left with only the clothes on their backs. Their Christmas wish was to see family and friends from the small Baptist community in Gaza. Their wish came true!

For the media crew and I, well…what Christmas in Bethlehem would be complete without being told, “There’s no room in the Inn.” That’s right, on Christmas Eve, there was no room for us. The Inn Keeper offered us space in an unfinished apartment. He moved in a space heater and a couple of mattresses for us.