A Turn of Events

Megan and some American goodies Ryan brought

For almost a year, we have been living in Kenya, learning local customs, eating local cuisine, and forcing ourselves to look at issues from perspectives instinctively foreign to us. Through our experiences we’ve built rewarding relationships, overcome frustrations, and challenged our worldviews. However, despite the progress we’ve made understanding Kenyan culture or regardless of the length on time we’ve lived on the continent, we are still routinely referred to as visitors.

Tim, Megan, and Ryan at a Lake Nakuru National Park viewpoint

Sam our driver learning to play some chords

So in the second half of the month of May, we were very excited to welcome a visitor of our own.  Our friend Ryan, that we both met and became friends with while in college at Valparaiso, made the 24hr journey to Africa. After meeting him at the airport in Nairobi, we hung around the Kenyan capital while Ryan adjusted to the time change and visited a few places around town. Then we ventured about 2hrs north of Nairboi to a small village called Karundas. The organization Kid’s Alive has an office and is running a few different projects here. Ryan’s church in Valparaiso supports Kid’s Alive, so it was a great opportunity to learn about their orphan and vulnerable children program and the school which they have begun in the village.

Silas and Kid's Alive girls living at the Karundas Children's Home

As we departed Karundas, Mt. Kenya watched us wind our way to Nakuru where we spent a day in Lake Nakuru National Park. On safari we saw several rhinos, troops of baboons, zebras, giraffes, and even a couple lions off in the distance. 

From there we traveled westward through the Rift Valley to our home city Kisumu.  Ryan accompanied us on a trip to the city vegetable market, a stroll to the city center, and observed a typical day in our work. Ryan was even Tim’s guest at school for a lunch of githeri (boiled maize and beans).

Famous Lake Nakuru Flamingos

With the visit coming too quickly to a close, we all went to the village of Atemo to stay on the Swedish Mission Station there, visit with our American friends living there and go to church at one of the rural parishes. Following worship, the mamas of the congregation fixed us a hearty meal of local foods (ugali, sukumwiki, beef stew, rice, and chicken) all washed down with a room temperature soda.

Eating a local lunch after church

As we made our way to the airport on Sunday afternoon in time for Ryan’s departure flight we said our good-byes and reflected on the wonderful time we had together. Friends are truly a gift from God and He places them in our lives when we need them most. We certainly believe Ryan came at a perfect time. And hope while we were all considered visitors, we could offer him a little bit of the knowledge we’ve collected previously.