Church and Sunday

This morning we attended the church where Polykens is pastor. They start at 6:00 am for prayer, then English service, then Sunday School for all ages, then Swahili service. We only attended the Swahili service. It lasted for almost 3 hours, but it was absolutely fantastic. The children's choir had matching yellow shirts and did quite a few numbers, with dancing. James and Zebedee were part of the choir but Mercy had not been to the practice. Zebedee said they practiced for 3 hours yesterday. There was also a ladies choir, along with a worship team. African singing is great, very lively. Then Polykens introduced us, and we sang a song with his whole family, in the Langala language. We had practiced as a family last night, they have great rhythm.

After church we had a late lunch that Agnes prepared, she has done a lot of cooking for our meals. At one meal she usually has rice, meat, beans, noodles, potatoes, and fruit, such as papaya, bananas, and fresh pineapple that we bought along the road on the way back from Homa Bay. The meals have lots of choice and Anton eats quite well there. He is getting a reputation as the pineapple hog. The fruit is so much better than back home.

After lunch the whole family piled into the car (James and Zebedee in the hatch) and we went to the Kabarak Dispensary to donate the medicines we brought from home, 2 grocery bags full.

Agnes and Polykens told us about a time they were on this road and were forced into the back seat of their car by 4 armed men, who proceeded to kidnap them. However, the armed men could not operate the car and eventually left them stranded. This is one reason that we are advised not to go anywhere after dark.

We continued on to their family home in a community called Rafiki Farm. Polykens and Agnes had bought this home in 2002 as a place for them to retire. The place they are living now in Nakuru belongs to the church and they will not be allowed to live there once Polykens retires. They have been slowly working on the home. It has no water, no electricity, and no washroom. The front hall serves as the kitchen. During the post-election violence in 2007 and 2008, they were forced out of the home where they were living by the opposing tribe. They fled to their unfinished home and lived there for a year before it was safe for them to return. The home still belongs to them and they intend to retire there. Polykens discovered that some of their fence posts have gone missing, stolen by the neighbours for firewood. There is a huge water barrel outside the home to collect rainwater, about 500 gallons, and it was full. Agnes was afraid the neighbours would steal the water, so all the kids and Anton helped take some water, bucket by bucket, for about half an hour, and fill some containers which they left in the house.
In the evening Agnes cooked for us again, and we spent another good evening with the family. Last night we were finally able to open the taped up suitcase and give them everything we had brought for them. We will also leave behind most of our clothing once we are done at the end of the week.
Sent from my BlackBerry device.