bush "church"

once a month AH tries to take as many people as they can out to the various rural areas to participate in the local community churches. Many of these churches are in areas that are not very accessible and have some connection to AH.

I was invited to go to an area where currently there is no church. There are a few believers, but not even many of those. I went with a national AH missionary names Steve. He has been working to build relationships in this community for a while now, but there is no established church.

The community is so rural, that government agencies don't even go there. There is a road to the place, but it is basically 2 tire tracks going off into the distant rolling hills. this community is at the end of this "road".

There has been rain in the region for the last couple of nights and this turned the "roads" into something much closer to mud pits. the mud here is extremely sticky. It is comparable to driving on ice after the mud fills in the tread of the tires.

we see the necessity of 4 wheel drive vehicles in traveling through the bush.

We had a paved road for about half the way to the community where we were headed. We sloshed and slid the remainder of the way. The vehicle that I was riding in had four of us...two were dropped off at a church on the way. Then Steve and I went on further for another hour or so... to the place the road literally ends (it actually fades into nothing).

Steve and I pulled up to one of the housing areas, the women were all working to get the sheep and cow pen cleaned out before the next rain storm. but they took a break to bring us tea and join us for a short service. we sang 1 song and then I was invited to speak (with steve translating) to the 6 ladies, one man and about 12 kids. Steve spoke for a bit, then steve had me pray.

our next service was at another house that as we were pulling up to we realized we were entering into a wedding celebration (just before it began for most of the people). There were kids surrounding one woman who was just beginning to butcher a freshly killed goat. Many men of this village came to hear what was going on...the women and children followed. Most of the people who attended were there because they know steve. this was to be a short service as I was asked to tell one short story (steve translated again). just as I was coming to the end of the story, one man began to make a big ruckus...he didn't see to like what he was hearing. He had also began the wedding celebration already with a lot of home brew. Steve talked after me, but much of what he was saying was directed at this man. I don't know what was said exactly. we then shortly afterwards left. as we were getting ready to leave once of the sober old men told me in swahili (his and my second language) thanks for coming.

then we began the trek back and even as only 1 hour had passed, there was a big difference in the road conditions. we were able to go quickly and only had to be in 4 wheel drive for maybe 1/4 of the time. we arrived at a meeting place where I and two of the people in my car were to catch a ride back to narok. Here we took tea and then met up with our ride, and headed out to narok before the heavy rain clouds let loose their loads.