Hospitality Galore in Nairobi

so friday japheth and i set out early to catch the bus in Boma. while still at the base, it took some persuasion to find a driver to take us to the bus stop. $13.71 USD to get to nairobi (17,000 tanzania shillings). i find that price ridiculously cheap. (but this is the 'local' price, as opposed to the posted internet price of $25 usd.) all the travels went smooth, even the border crossing. let me correct that - everything went smooth, besides the fact that the road is filled with potholes. not sure how any of the vehicles have any shocks or axles left. it was great to see the different landscapes - from the rich, green rolling hills of arusha to the dry, flat lands covered in acacia trees.

the border crossing is an interesting place. you get dumped off at the tanzania immigration office and are expected to know what to do. so grateful for japheth's knowledge! so we went thru the line at the tanzania immigration office then made our trek to the kenya immigration office. there's an area in between the two where there is nothing except looters trying to sell different 'treasures' or young men offering to exchange money. it's an odd area of land.

from the bus stop we walked to allen and japheth's house. no one was home, so japheth broke in. the house is simple, but full of life. after about 2 hours allen, judy, and joyce arrived. once you enter the house, you'll want to stay because of the hospitality which resides inside. this family is rich in hospitality - all of them. judy, japheth's mom, has a way of lighting up the room with her smile. joyce's kind and enduring heart is deep in grace and acceptance. allen has incredible cooking skills and is studying to be a chef. the people truly made this easter trip glorious!

in the evening we all took a little adventure to this mansion belonging to japheth's aunt and uncle. the place is incredible! there are many large gardens, nicely trimmed shrubs and greenery, and a beautiful home filled with prayers, smiles and laughter. i have some photos which i'll try to upload later (i'm running out of time tonight!) the part that made this place so amazing was not just the magnificent house/landscape, but the people inside. abigail, japheth's sweet grandma, greeted us with a warm smile and hug. her eyes are as gentle as a newborn lamb. there is a depth to her that reached into my soul. she's lived a hard life, but God has graciously blessed her with a beautiful family. gettting to meet her was a highlight of the trip. even though she doesn't speak english, nor i swahili or kikuyu, somehow we managed to communicate perfectly.

after returning to japheth's house we enjoyed a great meal of coconut rice and chicken. did i mention that allen's is training to be a chef? it was so good to have flavored food. this always was a highlight!

saturday japheth and i headed into the city. it's a beautiful mix of race and diversity. the place was buzzing with energy and traffic and people! it was good to be in that business again. the city has everything you could ever need - western clothes to tribal attire, electronics to markets. i found a dictionary to/from english to swahili and some other things. just for your knowledge the exchange rate was $1 usd : $69.71 kenya shilling.

after a tour of downtown, we took this amazing dali-dali called 'kamikaze' to another part of town with a mall. the dali-dali was a combination of rollercoaster and racecar with a suped up stereo system with LCD screen. so fun! the driving in nairobi is mostly wicked crazy! i'm surprised there are fewer accidents. somehow all the drivers know how to manipulate through the crowds and watch out for each other. it was amazing to see how the drivers all work together thru the crowds.

the mall seemed like any mall in america. stores ranging from a flower shop to clothing stores to a grocery store. it definitely attracted a higher class of citizens. while in the mall we ate some chicken tikka with curry and rice.

for dinner on saturday we were blessed with chicken, baked potatoes, salad and a banana and cheese dessert. man - it was so good! but what really made the meal great was the wonderful conversation around the table. there is a deep respect for each family member and for me, a simple visitor. they included me in all the conversations. truly this is what hospitality should look like.

the trip was really great - so good to get out of the country and experience a different culture for a few days. and meeting japheth's family is a major blessing. God has bestowed them with His favor - there's no other way to say it!