As
we approach our 2 year mark of serving in Samburu, Kenya, we are happily
anticipating our return to the US for furlough. We are realizing that there are many differences
between our Samburu and American culture and there are things we will have to
re-learn, once we arrive home.………. Enjoy our Furlough Funnies!
We will
have to remember:
-To speak English to our friends and neighbors.
In our village, we speak Samburu. It’s amazing how our brains think in Samburu
now.
-To tune into the weather man. In Samburu, we listen for the bubble birds
and honey bees to know if it’s going to rain.
-Not to look at Fred & Wilma (the wild
lizards that live on the roof of our house) as pest control. Is it wrong to have wild lizards in the
house??
-We don’t need to go to the spring or
watering hole to get water. Or find a
clean jerry can to put the water in.
-We can drink the water right from the
faucet!
-It’s ok to go barefoot outside without the
fear of giant thorns impaling our feet (but we will have to re-learn to fear
the fire ants).
We will NOT have to fire-up the generator to:
Watch a movie
Use the blender
Keep the freezer running through the night.
Keep the lights on at night.
Charge the phone when it's raining.
Funny
phrases we WON'T be saying during furlough……
-“It’s raining! Are the rain buckets in the right
position to collect the water?”
-“Time to brew the water.”
-“Who didn’t fill up the toilet bucket to flush the toilet?!?
-“Time to recharge the lights.”
-“Who’s turn is it to stack the chairs and
load the shower?”
We will
have to Re-learn:
-How to flush the toilet.
-How to use a shower with 2 knobs.
- -How to use a kitchen and bathroom faucet.
-How to use a dishwasher.
-What a bathtub looks like.
-How to use closets, clothes hangers and
cupboards.
-How to use a washer and dryer (if you
haven’t noticed, our house doesn’t have running water or electricity).
-How to wear pants again (the men in
Samburu, including Nick, wear shukas (man-skirts)).
-How to drive on the right side of the road.
We are
excited about having access to:
-3G internet!
-Bibles and book stores.
-Air-conditioning and heat.
-Apples, grapes, Pop-tarts and Milkduds on a
regular basis.
-
-Walmart!! Our village doesn’t have any stores and the
shops in town, which are an hour away, are small and greatly under-stocked.
-Walmart!! Our village doesn’t have any stores and the
shops in town, which are an hour away, are small and greatly under-stocked.
-A REAL mattress to sleep on.
-Paved roads. The closest paved road is 60 miles away!
-Church pews. We normally sit on the ground
for our 2 hour church service.
-Convenient stores. We travel with a lot of supplies like:
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Toilet paper, to go pee in the
bush
Many bottles of water
A fully-stocked medical bag
A machete to clear a path
Boots during the rainy season
A full gas can
A shovel to dig-out the car if we
get stuck
At least 5 bags (one pound each)
of sugar for those that help us dig-out the car
Things that
we will remember and continue to pray for during our furlough:
-The emaciated bodies of our neighbors due
to the lack of food.
-The image of the crosses that hang around
their skinny necks as they learn about their Savior.
-The faces of the children in our village
and their need for food, water and a Savior.
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