2nd Day Kimathi Church

It was cold this morning, so most of us wore jackets or sweaters. Breakfast was again wonderful. Sam had prepared eggs, sausages, waffles, pineapple, chai and coffee. After breakfast we headed out to Kimathi church.

Today I learned some Swahili and was ready to repeat as much as I could. It was a productive work day, however, it was hard for me to coordinate building the church, taking photos, communicating and developing relationships with the Kikuyu not to mention my church friends. Talk about a sensory overload. Luckily we had plenty of help. Don’t get me wrong, I was very busy most of the time and I did manage to cut some mabati using only a mallet and machete. It's not easy as you can see by my cut. Tom Marlin did a better job.

Sometimes Michael and I worked together until someone needed a tape measure, sheet metal shears, other tools or a helping hand.

Just as I was getting used to the work, it was chai time. Like most American southern folk, the Kenyan, Kikuyu were very friendly and hospitable, so we fit right in. As a matter of fact, almost all the Kenyans we met were that way. It is plain to see that African culture is carried over to America. Observing the similarities of North America's deep south culture to the Kenyan people was interesting. I would witness that even more when we participated in church service.

We washed our hands before every meal by having the ladies pour warmed water over our hands. This day we worked and talked and ate lunch, drank chi and worked a little more and played Frizbee with the children. The kids were a refreshing treat for the soul. They just seemed to recharge our energy. The church was complete, and Stu along with David put up the church sign, the cross, the banner. We danced and sang and prayed. There was so much that was done in one day. We would return for the dedication and church service Sunday

We packed up in the Toyota mini-van (I think it was 12) and headed for the retreat center. We were all tired but excited about a day to ourselves. That night Sam cooked some steaks with rice and a sauce that was tasty. Needless to say, we all had a good nights rest.