Letters, stories, and other stuff
132 stories
Feb 2, 2008
“I was a very bad man,” Timothy says as we rocket along in a rattling old mini van, a matatu, heading straight for Kibera. “I was a fighter,” he continues. “The man you see before you would be dead if not for Jesus.” He bows his head and…
Continue readingJan 31, 2008
IDP. Another acronym you learn in Africa. Internally Displaced Peoples are, by definition, refugees in their homeland. Presumably a little more fortunate than a flat-out refugee. A little less fortunate than a homeless kid on the streets…
Continue readingJan 28, 2008
"One month after a deeply flawed election, Kenya is tearing itself apart along ethnic lines..." NYT Article here Today I walked the streets of Kibera. It is the largest slum in Kenya. (I've heard it called the largest in the world.) People…
Continue readingJan 20, 2008
Finally a Sunday. A number have gone by in recent weeks, but at last this one feels like a Sabbath. Nairobi is calm today. No doubt what millions of Kenyans are praying for all over the country. Peace. I spent a good part of last week up…
Continue readingJan 7, 2008
It's 5 am in Nairobi and I can't sleep again. Amelia woke up with her obligatory "bad dreams" and is camping out at my side, asleep again under the protective watch of her father. I spent an hour with tears slowly soaking my pillow.…
Continue readingJan 3, 2008
"Within the span of a week, one of the most developed, promising countries in Africa has turned into a starter kit for disaster. " (NYT) (Article - Kenya Topples Into Post-Election Chaos) Our bags are packed, sitting near the door…
Continue readingJan 1, 2008
Fighting Intensifies After Election in Kenya Above is a link to the latest report about events in Kenya from the New York Times. Such sights are common for me. But not here. Not in my hometown. This happens in other places like the Congo,…
Continue readingDec 30, 2007
“It’s a sad day for Kenya,” said Michael E. Ranneberger, the American ambassador to Kenya. “My biggest worry now is violence, which, let’s be honest, will be along tribal lines.” (Full NYT article here) We have been in a state of…
Continue readingDec 24, 2007
It's Christmas eve here in Kenya, and the kids are getting ready for bed... on that night above all other nights when kids can't wait to get to bed. It's fun to re-live the anticipation of Christmas morning through the eyes of our…
Continue readingDec 19, 2007
Through the eyes of a pilot and a plane, these years have offered a window into what God is doing here. And they have revealed His purposes in us amid the process – through the uncertain moments, the heart-stopping, the heart-wrenching,…
Continue readingDec 8, 2007 · Essay
As I maneuvered around mounds of dirt and spots of soil that looked soft enough to sink into, I hit a little rise with the right wheel and spun around to the left, burying my right wing in the shrubbery. Stuck on a dry airstrip.
Continue readingNov 18, 2007
Some weeks back I spent a few days deep inside DRC Congo. During the busy time I had some moments to glean a bit about the history of the mission station we were visiting. There's something beautiful about a Cessna airplane tucked back…
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