Look up!

Kenya is home to several species of monkeys

including the ever playful vervets.

This mother and baby kept a watch above us

on the ledge of a nearby building.

We are learning that you just never know what surprises a day holds if you keep your eyes open. One of the ways that we have been growing in Kenya has been a shift in our focus from tomorrow to the now. For good or for bad, Kenyans live in the moment. Time moves slower, people take priority over tasks, and little things matter.

I was impressed today by a group of men stopping for chai on the street outside our apartment building. The ritual of daily tea breaks is tightly woven into the fabric of Kenyan life. I had just returned home for lunch and greeted them with "How's the News" (the Kenyan equivalent of "How are you doing?"). I was quickly invited into their conversation, and offered tea. They talked politics and they talked about the weather (typical guy talk) and how they both change. But what I took away from the conversation was a sense of optimism. In all things, you have to look up!

Some Good News

The leadership from both sides of the political strife have entered into negotiation talks with past UN general secratary Annan. Three representatives were selected today from each side. President Kibaki has also launched a fund for rebuilding the lives of displaced people and has appealed to the international community to come along side this effort.



At home, Erica is recovering from her surgery. She has been very sore and has tried to lay low and get some rest.

Baba Yetu!

Ufalme wako ufike
Utakalo lifanyike

duniani kama mbinguni.

"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven"

The words of the Lord's Prayer are a powerful message for all who seek to follow the way of Christ: seeking God's will before our own, trusting in God for our daily needs; and valuing forgiveness as a central dynamic to both our relationship with God and our fellow humanity.

Our friend Rev. Keith Grant in Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia, is leading his congregation through a series of meditations on the Lord's Prayer and is including versions of the prayer from the tongues of many nations. Below you'll find both Swahili and Somali versions of the Lord's prayer from Matthew's gospel and a link to a wonderful choral arrangement in Swahili. You can find many choirs preforming Baba Yetu ("Our Father" in Swahili) on YouTube, but the link I've added is actually from Disney's the Lion King II. Ava loves it!! Hope you enjoy it too! (Please let me know if you are interested in the phonetic pronunciation of the Somali, I'd be happy to send it to you).

"Baba yetu uliye mbinguni:
Jina lako litukuzwe
Ufalme wako ufike.
Utakalo lifanyike duniani kama mbinguni.
Utupe leo chakula chetu tunachohitaji.
Utusamehe makosa yetu,
kama nasi tunavyowasamehe
waliotukosea.
Usitutie katika majaribu,
lakini utuokoe na yule Mwovu."
Swahili -- Matthew 6:9-13



Lord's Prayer in Somali

Haddaba sidatan u tukada,
Aabbahayaga jannada ku jirow,
magacaagu qoduus ha ahaado.
Boqortooyadaadu he timaado,
doonistaada dhulka ha lagu
yeelo sida jannada loogu yeelo.
Kibis maalin nagu filan,
maanta na sii.
Oo naga cafi qaamahayaga sidaannu
u cafinnay kuwa noo qaamasan.
Oo jirrabaadda ha noo kaxayn,
laakiin sharka naga du.
Waayo, boqortooyada iyo xoogga
iyo ammaanta adigaa leh weligaa.
Aamiin.

Worth a listen!
Baba Yetu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgxG5ccoIJI

This is another version with a youth choir with the

Swahili words included for you to sing along :)!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cPjUbDiuwA

What a tangled web!

Erica and I enjoying the wide open spaces of the Swara Plains, it was here nearly a year ago that we first met the Cheetah that took such a liking to Erica. A number of people have spotted a mother Cheetah and her cubs roaming the plains over the past few months, but we were not so lucky as to have spotted her ourselves.

A big thanks to everyone who has been praying for Erica's surgery today. She is now home and recovering well. Praise the Lord!

Early this week, I was out for a walk with Ava when we came upon this impressive arachnid. I'm not adept enough to know the name or type of spider it was, but I did happen to have our camera with me -- Yikes!

Not unlike the trap of a spider's web, the present situation in Kenya is complex, tangled, and dangerous. Over the past weeks, it has become apparent that beneath the disputed election results are deep rooted threads of fear, mistrust, tribalism, injustice, betrayal, and corruption that have been building up strand by strand for decades and even generations -- And now Kenya is caught within her own web.

In Western townships like Kisumu, Nakuru, and Naivasha (to name a few) the death toll rises as people lash out in violence. If the political leadership does not act quickly at striking a compromise, the country may spiral into such a state that they will not be able to bring it back. Already the rage has destroyed railway lines, businesses and burned entire villages to the ground. and now it threatens ethnic violence against whole tribal groups. Each day we are hearing of new threats being made in the name of tribalism -- Neighbours turning against neighbours.

The problems which Kenya faces are complex, but the answers begin with courageous, and yet powerfully simple, actions -- Honesty, humility, and forgiveness. We are praying for God to lead Kenya's political, civic, and church leadership to make the courageous steps needed to draw Kenya back from the destruction it is swiftly headed. And to deal transparently, honestly, and graciously with the disputes and injustices which brought about this crisis.

I am glad to say that bold acts of humility and compassion are already happening: Churches are crossing political/regional/tribal lines to care for their fellow Kenyan neighbours; Good Samaritan's are risking their own security to protect neighbours of different tribal groups; And communities of faith are opening their homes and houses of worship to shelter the wounded.

Please continue to pray for Kenya!

Also in Prayer:

* Please remember the thousands of people fleeing their homes because of threats of ethnically targeted violence. We have several good Kenyan friends who have been forced to abandon their homes out of fear of attack.

* Please pray for our Somali friend Indos who is trying to get his sick mother out of Somalia to recieve medical attention here in Kenya.

Visiting the Bannisters

Glenden and Greta Rae (Diane Bannister's parents), Erica, Emma, Tim & Diane Bannister, Mary, Tristan, and the Bannister's pets Watson, Max & Kisuku (spelling?) their grey parrot -- together at the Bannister's beautiful home near Athi River.

This week saw relative calm in Nairobi and in many areas of Kenya. We enjoyed a wonderful drive into the breathtaking hills of "Kamba country" beyond Machakos, where our partner church the Africa Brotherhood Church holds its headquarters. The dozens of small towns and villages perched along the steep hillsides and sweeping valleys were quiet and free of the violence which has escalated in Western regions of the country. On Sunday, we saw hundreds of children and families walking throughout the area to various churches for worship and continued prayers for peace.

A highlight of our week was a visit to Athi River to the Kapati Plains where our fellow Canadian Baptist Team-mates the Bannisters live. Diane and Tim are hosting her parents who are visiting from Canada. It was a joy for us to be able to get Mary out of the confines of the city and for her to see more of Kenya.

The past two days have seen an increase in conflict in several areas in the west including Nakuru and Naivasha, not far from us in the Rift Valley. Please continue to pray for peace in Kenya and for the ongoing talks between the political leadership of this country.

Please also keep Erica in your prayers as she goes in for a minor surgery on Tuesday here in Nairobi. Thank you all so much for keeping us and all of Kenya in your thoughts and prayers!

Slums

Photo of Kibera slum taken long before the current unrest in 2004 during Erica's first Short Term Mission trip to Kenya.

Late yesterday afternoon, at about 3:30 pm, protest rallies began to form in Uhuru Park in downtown Nairobi. The protesters were met by riot police who sent volleys of tear gas into the crowds. One of our neighbours closed his business, which is located in the city centre, as a gang of looters attempted to break into his dealership by throwing bricks at the showroom windows. The worst violence took place in the city slums: Juja road leading to Mathare Valley and Eastleigh was blockaded by burning tires and angry groups of youth, and at least two people were killed in the police response to rioting in Kibera slum. This leads us to offer an answer to a very good question raised Mr. Hayward's social studies students in New Brunswick concerning "slums".

A slum is an impoverished urban area where people of multi ethnic backgrounds gather to live in overpopulated substandard housing and squalor. The United Nations estimate that over one billion people in the world live in slums. In Kenya, hundreds of thousands of people come to find work in the capital city of Nairobi from the rural villages and towns of the other provinces. For most people, a slum is their only option for an affordable place to stay. In Kibera, Africa's largest slum, people crowd into into makeshift houses often made from mud and sticks with tin roofs, mud floors and without running water or toilets. Sewage runs down the little alley ways that run between kilometers of shacks. Whereas there are many slums in Nairobi, areas like Eastleigh are considered "ghettos" as they are impoverished areas that are distinguished by ethnicity and religion (Eastleigh, for instance, is largely made up Somalis and other Cushitic Muslim groups).

The prevalence of unrest within slum areas is probably the result of several factors. The mix of impoverished people from diverse tribal and political backgrounds is certainly one contributor to the problems. People feeling anger and frustration over injustice and political upheaval, often look for someone to blame. Sadly, generational mistrust and tribalism can spark people to take out their rage over the political situation against people of tribes they perceive as causing the trouble.

A second factor may be the the sheer size of the slums -- pack enough frustrated people into a small area and something is bound to blow! Well before this current situation, Kenya has seen countless examples of "mob violence' or "mob justice" being acted out in slums. Someone is accused of a petty crime and the crowd acts swiftly to exact punishment (often leading to the beating and death of the accused person). In Kenyan slums, the police are often preceived as a threat. This distrust alone may at times contribute to the size of the mobs fighting with police.

Slums are also places where people are fighting to survive. People living in slums are good people who for the most part struggle to find work and get ahead, most dream of getting out of the slum or at least providing for their children so that they will have a better future. Of course there are people who have contracted terrible diseases, suffer from addictions, and many who have just lost hope. And yet, we know many people living in slums with the will and faith that they are not meant to stay there. This desire to live against the odds, causes people to react against what they perceive as as an attack against their future. I have heard people say that for an election to be rigged is throwing their country back into a past they want no part of. For these people, they are driven by a deep fear that if they do not cry out that they will lose the future they have toiled for -- not only for themselves but for their children.

I am sure there are many other reasons behind the violence between police and protesters and amongst the neighbours within the slums of Kenya. Sadly, human life is not always valued within communities of great poverty. Children and women living within slums are all to often the victims of greed and violence both from predators living within and outside of the slums. You can be praying for the churches, organizations, and schools that are trying to make a difference in the lives of some many vulnerable people. Thanks again for asking such a great question!!

Oh, and to the last question: No, Emma's loose tooth has not fallen out yet but we do think there is a tooth fairy in Africa!

Shifting Times

Television screens throughout the country were tuned in for yesterday's live broadcast of the opening of Kenya's tenth parliament and the swearing in of the newly elected body of 207 members of parliament. Rumours were circulating that Odinga would cross the floor and sit on the government side of the house: fortunately, Odinga did not slip into such theatrics and remained with the opposition. In another surprising turn, Mr. Kenneth Marende (an ODM MP and member of Odinga's opposition) was elected speaker of the house in a narrow secret ballot vote. This is seen as a big victory for the ODM (But did not appease their call for a new election).

The big debate of the day arose as members of the opposition refused to swear an oath of allegiance to President Kibaki: requesting to swear their allegiance "to the Republic" as they do not recognize Kibaki as President. The ODM speaker, Mr. Marende, over ruled their requests and enforced the Constitution by having anyone who wanted to remain an MP swear the oath of allegiance as written. The day saw no violence, but everyone was left with the sobering reality of 28 ODM protest rallies called for across the country over the next three days.

The mood seemed very cool today, matched by a heavy and chilling rain. The rallies today took place outside of Nairobi in towns such as Mombasa, Kisumu, and Migen. Rosslyn Academy, where our children attend school, shut down its bus service for the remainder of the week and is only opening the classrooms in the mornings. We brought Tristan and Emma today, but only three other students showed up to Tristan's class and five other students in Emma's. People are being very cautious when it comes to travel, and staying in close contact through mobile phones. We have been very safe and have seen no trouble throughout our movement in the city (We have even driven into the downtown core where our only concern was the ussual Matatu traffic).

Presently, there are estimated to be 250,000 Kenyans forced out of their homes by rioting, looting and ethnic violence. Even Uganda is receiving nearly 6,000 Kenyan refugees who have crossed the unmarked boarder and are living in a camp near the hilly town of Malaba. This is a huge shift, as Kenya has been the one accustom to receiving refugees from Uganda (not the other way around). We have even heard that some food stocks from the UN store houses in Dadaab have been taken to Nairobi to help in the aid relief going on here (I find this news unbelievable). And yet, the buses from Eastleigh to Northeastern Province have been overloaded this last week, as many Somalis leave the city to stay in a more mono ethnic community such as Garissa.

Thank you all so much being a part of this journey and for lifting up Kenya in your prayers!

In Prayer:
* Please remember Yattani and Kengi who have made it to Dadaab and will be working there with the primary schools. Please also be in prayer for the Carline family who are leaving for Dadaab in the morning for the weekend. They will be visiting Kengi and helping him settle into Dadaab.

* Pray for our partners the Africa Brotherhood Church and African Christian Church and Schools, as they coordinate relief efforts with the Red Cross.

* Please pray for the massive refugee community here in Kenya.

* Pray for safety in slum areas that are suffering from violence of gangs such as the Mungiki who are raising trouble particularly in Mathare Valley and Kibera slum.

* Please continue to pray for the health and safety of all our team mates here in Kenya. Dr. Gary Nelson will be wrapping up his meetings tomorrow and returning to Canada. Please pray for his safe return.

CBM Kenya

CBM Kenyan team

Malcolm, Aaron, Yattani, A, Paul

Patty, Erica, Gary, R, and Kelly

(missing in the photograph: Sam & Pauline Mutisya, and Tim & Diane Bannister who both had to leave before the photo was taken; as well as Laura Ward who is currently in Rwanda.)

Our CBM Somali Ministry Team with Dr. Nelson

Aaron, Yattani, Paul, Erica, Gary, Kelly and Kengi

(Yattani is a Kenyan who has joined our CBM work in Dadaab, and Kengi is Paul and Kelly Carline's nephew who has just arrived to spend three months as a short term missionary in Dadaab.

Kengi has also been helping with the refugees at Karura

Community Church over the past two days.)

Aaron and Tristan sporting new Sharing Way hats!

The Sharing Way is contributing emergency relief funds to help our national partners in addressing urgent internal refugee needs.

Today Erica and I had the pleasure of joining our fellow Canadian Baptist team mates for a meeting with Dr. Gary Nelson, the General Secretary of Canadian Baptist Ministries. Gary had been planning to come to Kenya for Sharing Way meetings before the outbreak of conflict, but even after his original meetings were cancelled he decided to come anyway to encourage our team and to support our national partners. It was good to be able to discuss our experiences of the past three weeks and to consider our options and strategies for further life and ministry here in Kenya. We left the meeting thankful for the wonderful support and concern that we've experienced from CBM. We will be seeing more of Gary as he comes to visit our entire family tomorrow. We will no longer be taking him into Northeastern province during this visit. Our entire team will be staying in close contact over the coming weeks.

Watching and Waiting

Emma is very excited to be losing one of her front teeth. She hopes it will be gone by Monday when she and Tristan return to Rosslyn Academy for second semester.

Of course, Emma is not the only one "watching and waiting": the entire country is on edge over President Kibaki's decision to name his cabinet without any sign of resolution with Mr. Odinga and the ODM. Virtually everyone here is fearful that if something isn't done soon, to demonstrate Kibaki's willingness to cooperate with Odinga, that the fragile peace will be lost. Kenya's parliament returns this Tuesday, and it is widely believed that this could be the next flash point for violence. We are praying that Kenyans will show patience and restraint throughout this time of political uncertainty. Our friends in Northeastern province are even hearing an increase in anti-Kikuyu rhetoric. We will all be watching and waiting, talking and praying, and doing what we can to help.

Somalis

The Somali community in Eastleigh has remained relatively stable throughout the rioting and unrest which followed Kenya's national election. One of the apartment buildings was set ablaze in the immediate aftermath, but since then the trouble in that area was focused more within Mathare Valley Slum which lies just North of Eastleigh across Juja Road. We have heard of very little response to the election from the Somali Community in Northeastern Province. In fact, our Somali friends in Northeastern have expressed great concern for us living here in Nairobi. We are considering a trip into Northeastern to visit our partners in Garissa this week, but our plans are still not confirmed. Last night, Paul and Kelly Carline's nephew Kengi arrived to spend three months of volunteering in the schools in Dadaab. Please be praying for him as he and our colleague Yattani plan on traveling this week.

In answer to a question from Mr. Hayward's social studies class: our students in Eastleigh are not back in classes yet. We taught English to Somali refugees living there from ages 15 to 50, but most of our students were in their early twenties. Presently, we are not teaching in Eastleigh, but still keep in close contact with some of our students. Erica has had a group of women meet in our apartment, but they haven't been to visit us since Christmas.

For our own children, Tristan and Emma will be returning to school on January 14th, as their school has postponed it's opening by one week. Thanks for the question!

Responding to Great Need

Today, along with several of our Canadian Baptist colleagues, we met with representatives of our two partner denominations and the Sharing Way to discuss our emergency aid response to the present refugee crisis in Kenya.

We were able to receive tallies from pastors and churches housing people from across Kenya, the number of people affected by the violence is staggering: between our two partner denominations we are looking at over 96,000 refugees. Although the Red Cross is doing a very good job overseeing the temporary refugee camps, churches and individuals are housing thousands of uncounted people. As of today, we have identified churches in Kibera and Mathare Valley slums, and churches in Kwale and Mombassa, on the coast, as desperately needing urgent help. Canadian Baptist Ministries and its partners will be immediately reaching out to these communities and will be in cooperation with the Red Cross as they organize relief in other areas of the country. Canadian Baptist Ministries has released funds for emergency aid relief, but many churches and individuals are beginning to send more into CBM to help with the costs of rebuilding peoples lives.

Sharing the loaves and fish

Yesterday, refugees from western Kenya continued to pour into the city: The Karura Community Church is now caring for 157 people who are living in their sanctuary and church grounds. An additional 103 people from Nairobi slums and other affected areas have also moved into the church because they have nowhere else to turn. The congregation is mobilizing to arrange for all the things you need to house, feed, and care for 260 people.

Erica and I are also taking part in planning meetings today with the Sharing Way (the relief and development arm of Canadian Baptist Ministries) and our two national partner churches, the Africa Brotherhood Church (ABC) and the African Christian Church and Schools(ACC&S). Churches throughout Kenya are taking a proactive role in bringing healing and restoration. In many cases the people giving the help are sharing out of their own poverty. And yet, people are being fed and the homeless are being cared for.

We want to thank you all for your concern for Kenya and for your prayers. A BIG hello to Adam Hayward's middle school Social Study Classes in the Miramichi, New Brunswick. We are thrilled over your interest in our family and the people and cultures of Kenya. If you have any questions for us, please feel free to post them on the blog and we would love to try and answer them.

Healing

A group of refugees from Eldoret were among the many who arrived in the city today seeking sanctuary. This particular group turned to the Karura Community Church where several of our friends attend: 28 women, 50 children and 14 men each burned out of their homes and forced to seek refuge outside of their home community. Over a hundred thousand Kenyans have become displaced by the violence of this past week. In Karura, the church community rallied together to turn their tented sanctuary into a tented home for this group of exhausted souls: we arrived to meet throngs of people carrying in mattresses, blankets, clothing, and food.

Thank you all so much for lifting up Kenya in prayer.

Praying for Peace

This morning Kenyans of every tribe and tongue gathered across the country to pray for peace. In our church, we prayed specifically for five areas of need: against the spirit of revenge that could so quickly destroy the fragile peace and bring further suffering and death; for the power of Christ's love and peace to penetrate the hearts of Kenyans and make healing and reconciliation possible; for the physical needs of thousands of impoverished Kenyans who have been most keenly affected by the violence; for humility and wisdom for Kenya's leadership, that both President Kibaki and Mr. Odinga will come to a compromise needed to bring Kenya out of the present state of conflict; and for the unity of Christ's Church that believers would lead the way to compassion and mercy.

Our hope is that you and your community of faith might join us in praying for Kenya. Thank you.

Out and About!

Dear Friends!

Relative peace and calm has spread across Nairobi today: Although the police continue to blockade the roads leading into the city, Nairobi has awoken with many shops re-opening and people on the move. We were able to get out of the apartment and help out some friends in Eastleigh. We were also able to give Mary a chance to see a little more of the city and to enjoy her first Java House Experience! (Java House is a popular coffee shop here in Kenya).

Everyone we talked to today was very optimistic about a resolution being found. People on both sides seem dumbstruck over the how terrible things went in the immediate aftermath of the election with so much senseless killing. The intensity of the conflict seems to be calming down. Thank you all so much for your concern for Kenya and for our family. We believe that the prayers of God's people are powerful, and that good can come from even the most dire of circumstances. Already churches of diverse tribes and denominations are pulling together to house the thousands of people displaced by the burnings and people are giving generously to care of the urgent needs of those most affected by the rioting.

Blessings,

Aaron & Erica

Limbo

Today we spent a tense day awaiting news of the ODM rally: We learned bits and pieces as word trickled in throughout the day. The government sent messages over the mobile phone network warning people "not to take part in any unlawful assembly that may result in violence" and that it is illegal to use cellphone messaging "to send hate messages inciting violence". We used our cellphones to keep in contact with our CBM team mates and friends.

Riala Odinga's ODM rally that was called for 10 am, was interrupted by riot police that kept crowds away from site and blockaded the roads into the city. By the late afternoon, one protester had been killed on Thika Road by a fallen electrical line and Odinga had rescheduled his protest rally for Tuesday, January 8th. Throughout the city were numerous reports of burning tires and mobs being dispersed by police water canons. Later in the day I spoke with a man who had been part of a protest march downtown that had been broken up by police wielding batons, but no one was shot. He told me that "[he and his friends] could not stand by and do nothing while their country was being stolen from them... We only wanted to make a peaceful protest... it is our right!"

We appreciate all of your prayers for Kenya and her people. We continue to pray for a peaceful resolution to this conflict.

We learned this evening that Rosslyn Academy will not be reopening until January 14th at the earliest. It has been a long week for Tristan and Emma to be cooped up in our apartment, but if things quiet down we hope to be able to get them out for a little exercise, even if only to a friend's house with a yard.

BBC_News_Report
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7170493.stm

Blessings!

Uncertain Days Ahead

Kenya seems to have heeded a New Year's Day call to peace issued from many civic and religious leaders after the country wide rioting which erupted on December 30th and 31st over rigging claims in the national election. Despite the immediate swearing in of President Kibaki for a second term of office, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) rejected the polling results which have come into serious question by outside election observers. The rioting has hit worse in townships such as Kisumu where over forty people are reported to have been killed and many of the homes and businesses have been looted and burned. In Nairobi, skirmishes between the police and angry protesters have been contained mostly within slum areas where outrage over the election is sounding loudest.

Yesterday we had the challenge of getting Erica's mother, Mary, home from the airport which is on the other side of the city. With the ODM leader, Odinga, having called for a city wide rally in Uhuru Park and the military preparing for rioting, this was no simple task. We are so thankful for the people who have been praying for our security and for peace in Kenya. I made a dash for the airport in the morning and encountered no protesters. The main highway that runs through the centre of the city was lined with riot police and military, but everything was quiet. By evening, the threat had dissipated and Mary and I were able to drive home without worry -- Erica and three very excited grand kids were awaiting our return!

A few shops opened up again today and people emerged from their homes glad to be able to restock cupboards. We were even able to find some eggs, but meat, fresh milk and meat are still in short supply. We are very comfortable and feel safe away from the violence.

Please continue to pray for Kenya. Odinga has called for a million Kenyans to assemble in Nairobi on January 3rd for him to declare himself "the people's president". Such a rally could turn very ugly. We rely on the Lord to bring lasting peace back to Kenya.