SteveJournal

Fall 2005 Trip - Steve Sonner's Journal

(In &) Out of Africa
My running journal of 22 days in Kenya

Fri. Oct. 28th
I left for Africa today. I prayed for the right seats (on the airplane!) and so far I sat next to
Joe, who kind of lived “in” the world, but loved Jesus and was going to see Joel Osteen
tonight. I met Brian Defries, a young (30 year old) pastor, now living in Pretoria, South
Africa and had a wonderful time of fellowship. On the last leg into Nairobi, I slept and only
talked to one older couple who were on their way to a safari, and they wished me well.
Arrived in Nairobi right on time. Bought a visa and got my bags in less than 45 minutes and
came outside and saw Geoffrey and Elizabeth. Then saw my Deb. How I had missed her. A
friend of Elizabeth picked us up and took us to our hotel and after a light dinner I rested
well. (No Jetlag)

Sun. Oct.30th
Went to a LIFAMI (Life Family Ministries) church in Kyoli and I greeted the people. Met the
wonderful Pastor Agree and he just “gave” the pulpit to Deb. She ministered to us “No
more visitation…but Habitation. God desires to live in us, not just visit us. Great Word! I
stood up asking for boldness during the prayer time.
Came back to the hotel and had lunch & was immediately invited to a “carnivore-type”
restaurant with James Fondo. Was not really hungry, but this was a Nuoma Choma
“Chared Meat” place that roasted what you picked out of the display window. Appetizer was
lamb’s heart, followed by 3 legs of Goat with all the trimmings .mokemo, (potatoes,
Sukamwicki, and corn) Ugali, all eaten “sans” the silverware. Knives, forks and spoons are
greatly overrated!

Mon. Oct. 31st
Our hotel was an inside room with no sunlight, so we slept till 10:00 am. We got up just in
time for Breakfast. Took a Matatu (14 passenger Nissan Mini-bus, national public
transportation in Africa) see Jerrod & Purity. They are in for some tough times, but they will
make it. Took a 3 hour bus ride to Nakuru. Roads are pretty rough, but I found it to be like
a full-body massage! Deb say’s it uncanny that I find so much favor...but I’m believing God
for his favor, OK?!
Gladys and Laban (our partners and director of the orphanage & school) had us as
honored guests at their home. We were served the “special” CO-CO (chicken) which is
reserved for special events, along with beef stew, Chapati’s (corn meal flat cakes), salad &
fresh pineapple. Laban and I sat around and drank Hot tea.
Went to bed and slept under Mosquito netting. Deb turned on the harmonic transmitter she
had brought and it may have helped my cough I had brought from America.

Tues. Nov. 1st
We got up to a sumptuous breakfast of fertile eggs, bread, chicken sausage, and more
fresh pineapple. I took my first “spit” bath. (either Hot, warm, or cold water in a bucket and
you soap yourself up, and try to rinse the soap off of you with the water in the bucket) I am
going to miss my Hot tub! We had a time of prayer before we went out. I watched a chicken
walk into the house and strut around in the living room. (I
think they wondered why I thought that image odd enough to warrant taking a picture, but
a chicken in the living room was a bit unusual to me) We took a Matatu into town and did
some banking and bought me a pair of jeans (as I managed to pack everything in the
world, except jeans!) for about $10 US dollars which included alterations! Geoffrey is good
at bargaining. If I would have bought them, they would probably been $50 bucks, as I am a
mzungu! Took a taxi to the school/orphanage. The roof is finished. PTL! I almost cried
when I saw all God has done.
5 or 6 classrooms on the 2 lower levels are finished and being used. WOW! Gladys &
Jehosaphat (the construction man) presented me with a list of what is needed for 2 more
rooms and put wrought iron railings on window wells and stair cases, plus windows and
doors and plastering of the walls and “whitewashing” (paint) and it was an astonishing
$457,500 Kenyan shillings, or about $6400 US dollars) A small amount, but only one of
many, many needs there.
I shot a roll of pictures there around the compound of the buildings, the kids, the new lawn
and the water treatment plant. We discovered that unauthorized volunteers are there at
the school. They just show up and start teaching. I find this to be a bit disconcerting, as
there needs to be information and maybe even a background check on these people. We
met Bosco and Monica Dacosta from Aptos, Cal, and Kathleen Richards from Kentucky
and Ashley from Canada. Good meaning and I hope qualified people, but we are going to
visit with the organization who is sending them, and who is really benefiting from these
people. We understand that these volunteers are paying to be there, and being told NOT
to give any monies to the school! I greeted the street kids who live at the orphanage and
they clapped and sang for us. I met Zadok Wekesa who is heading up the musical groups
there, and considered him a very sharp young man.
We, later in the day went to Dickson and Eunice Swegamy’s home for some Tea and
cookies. Dickson is running for the Kenyan Parliament in 2007, and Eunice is a
businesswoman. She has helped us establish a chicken business, and they seem to be
people we could work with and trust, as they seem to be Non-African thinking people. They
have a Chrysler Town and Country van and they took us back to Gladys and Laban’s
house. I stepped into a 3 or 4 foot drop off, into a culvert in the dark, and escaped
unscathed, which was a miracle. Thank You, Lord! Before we parted, they presented me
with a white sandstone Giraffe, which shows honor for their guests.

Wens. Nov. 2nd
Gladys made us another great breakfast. I had wheatabix , a kind of shredded wheat. Not
had a decent cup of coffee to be had in Africa. Tea is the drink of choice.
Went back to the school/orphanage for a short visit, and then got onto an Easy coach bus
for a 4 or 5 hour trip to Kitale . The lady bus driver was kind of a combination of Bobby
LaBonte and Evil Knivel. She drove on any side of the road, and if off-road was better…so
be it! The cities of Africa are ugly and blighted, but the African countryside is rich and
fertile, and so green. Umbrella, banana, and sugar cane trees are growing everywhere
along the sides of the road… I think it was a road! We arrived in Kitale around 7:00 pm
and it took 2 taxi’s to to get us and all of our stuff to the house. Deb has made a cute little
(Spartan) domicile for the team to stay. It appears to be a stopover for visitors who might
be in the area, as well.

Thurs Nov. 3rd
Geoffrey took me to a regional farm show/ Agricultural show in Kitale. I was shown how milk
is made to be kept non-refrigerated for up to 6 months. This is a major issue, as there is
very little refrigeration with out electricity. I watched a man hand squeeze sunflower seed
oil with a manually operated press. I thought
“I could mechanize that process with hydraulics, but it may increase the outcome, but it
might put someone out of a job” [interesting dichotomy]
We went to look at a compound that might be usable for a church and Bible school to
possibly rent or buy. It was owned by an wonderful Indian couple. The place had lots of
possibilities.
We had lunch at a restaurant in the downtown area of Kitale, and had a really good meal
of Filet steak and spaghetti…best meat so far. We went grocery shopping and also
purchased electrical outlets and wire at the same store. Elizabeth, (who is Deb’s right
hand) who I am really starting to love and appreciate, got us a taxi, but the taxi ran out of
gas, so the driver just got a plastic jug out of the back and walked to the gas station, then
poured the fuel into the tank and primed the carburetor and started the taxi and brought
us back to the house. They have a saying here that just says “TIA, This is Africa” Geoffrey
took me to an internet facility. This is where people go to communicate with the outside
world. They have about 6 computers for internet access, and 2 or 3 for people to do
computer work. You pay by the minute [cash only, no credit cards here] and I began to try
to get onto our US bank account to check our funds and it took about 10 minutes to get to
their web site and it took about 15 minutes just to get onto my AOL account. I had 296 e-
mails and it took 1-2 minutes to pull up each one, so I decided it just was not that
important. It was slower than any dial-up modem I’ve had to use. I am beginning to
appreciate the things we just take for granted back home that we get in an instant, like hot
water and hi-speed internet service. Then I realize we are not here to change external
things, I suppose.

Fri Nov. 4th
We had breakfast together with the team, then I assisted Geoffrey in re-wiring the “ring-
style” hot water heater for the shower. It is actually in the shower head itself, so there have
been recent incidences of people being electrocuted taking a shower. We were re-wiring
because when Geoffrey had installed it a few days prior, it “blew-out” the inferior original
plug in. This time around he ran the Romex wire right along the wall and went directly into
the circuit box. Who really needs a permit anyway? After running the wiring,
Geoffrey discovered the heater was not producing any hot water, so for the next 2 hours
he completely disassembled piece-by-piece the non-working heating element, and was
able to make it work. Here in the US, we would have just taken the unit back to Home
Depot, but I don’t think they have much of a returned goods policy in their stores, so you
make do, or do without. (The heater then produced water that would scald you if you weren’
t careful!)
We heard from the rest of the Elisha Ministries team, and it looked like all 10 of them would
be converging in Kitale for a meeting and prayer, so we needed to get some bedding
together, so we went into town and bought a couple of mattresses and pillows at the
grocery/mattress store. We flagged down a taxi and he simply tied the mattresses down to
the top of his cab, and brought us back to the house. No big deal!
I came back looking forward to a hot shower, only to discover that the water was off. I
usually comes back on but it did not today. Jerrod & Purity came from Nairobi, Amos came
from Nakuru, and Robert came from Bungoma, so we had a house full. Deb made us an
American supper and we all prayed together.

Sat. Nov. 5th
Still no water, so you heat up a bucket and take a “spit” bath. I spent the entire day African-
style, just fellowshipping with everyone who was there. I am trying to relax and go with the
flow, as I am not accustomed to doing nothing! Carlson & Kiki show up, so the house
continues to fill. We go Visit James Fondo’s home as another possibility for a ministry
“home”. We have Tea & Cookies with Mr. & Mrs. Fondo and look at their property. I pick a
Banana right off a tree, this being one of many things I’ve never done before. House
certainly has some promise for the Bible school, a small orphanage, and the mushroom
crop, and a barn that could serve as a church building. The house is quite nice, by African
standards. It would be livable and has 5 big bedrooms for all the team to stay in one place.
We met James and his wife, Dora, and son Richard at the Kitale Country Club for an
African-style dinner. It consisted of Ugali(a sort of a white corn meal mush), Spinach, Fried
chicken, cabbage, and French fries, all served “family-style”. The dinner was capped off
with large clear cups of piping hot water with slices of fresh lemons. It was terrific. I picked
up the bill for all 10 of us, and it was about $30 US dollars! Not used to eating at 9:00 pm
but it was a very enjoyable evening. We sat around and talked another hour after dinner
just enjoying the fellowship. James is a member of the country club, and has a set of golf
clubs, but has never played. I tell him I would be pleased if I could take him out if we can
work out a time. I came home to find still no water!

Sun. Nov. 6th
Got up to discover that there is still not water. It seems the agricultural show needed it
more than the people, so the water was diverted to the farm show. Seems industry
supersedes the individual here in Africa. I try to not to be consternated with the culture, as
we are not here to change that, though I suppose it does anger me to see. After another
“spit” bath we drive to Pastor Benson Mawali’s church not far from Kitale town. He is a
wonderful, soft-spoken man of God, who has been instrumental in starting about 25
churches. Deb preached to the congregation from 1st Samuel, where Hannah petitioned
the Prophet, not accepting her situation, but getting mad at the circumstances (the devil)
even if the other wife was getting all the goods, but Hannah was her husband’s favorite! I
noticed one man literally “hanging” onto every word Deb said, so I believe she came half
way around the world for at least one person. After the preaching Pastor Benson had us
pray for the students in the audience who would be taking the national education test that
would be conducted next week.
We were then escorted to Pastor Benson’s house behind the church for lunch. His home
was a 3 room mud hut, without electricity or water. Mama Mark (all married women are
called Mama, and they take the name of their first-born child) prepared us a wonderful
meal of rice, beef stew, potatoes, and bread & butter sandwiches. These people have so
little, you really feel badly eating their precious food, but they are such
incredibly giving people, and it seems that they would do anything they could for anyone.
Mama Mark had 3 bad teeth (Tooth & gum disease is a huge problem in Africa, due to the
lack of dental opportunities) that needed pulling and Deb gave her some money to get the
teeth pulled and replaced.
We had a second service after lunch and I shared a vision I had received from the Lord
concerning the Banquet table of the Lord. Deb taught the congregation about being led
by the spirit of God in your everyday lives, about knowing the Father, knowing the Son,
and knowing the Holy Spirit, and used a circle to get her point across.
We came back to the house just long enough to pick up the clothes and stuff we’d be
needing for our trip to Bungoma. We had originally planned on being in Kitale till
Wenesday, but with no water (still) and Geoffrey and Kiki needing to get back to school we
decided to go with them. I rode “shotgun” next to Carlson for the next 3& ½ hours in the
ministries 1986 Nissan B11 station wagon. The car is a piece of crap that Deb bought in
Mombasa a few years back and has cost hundreds of dollars to maintain over the past
years, but it does beat the matatu and other public transportation means. I’ve really never
been to concerned with traveling in a foreign country, but this drive had me a little
concerned. Pedestrians and bicycles and cattle on both sides of the road, busses and
cars passing, with no centerline stripe, and it was getting dark, raining and we we’re
headed right into the sunset. We did arrive in good time and Carlson turned onto a road
the likes I had not been on in all of Africa! This was the road that took us to the Bungoma
Countryside Inn for us to retire for the evening, but not before going into town to eat
supper. I had literally lost all appetite, but I did enjoy a freshly made fruit drink of Mango,
Papaya, (Pa-Pa, as it’s called there) avocado, and passion fruit. This was made from fruit
that was not many hours off the tree! We went back to our hotel room (with water that was
HOT!) and Deb and I had a heavy discussion about me, her, my observations and [bad]
attitude, and our future. Not pleasant, but necessary. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions.

Mon. Nov. 7th
Next morning I got up and took a long, long HOT shower and then we went into the hotel
restaurant for breakfast. (In Africa you usually get the breakfast free, or it is an additional
minimal charge.) I think that we were the only guests at the Countryside Inn, so we got
great personalized service, especially when knowing the “mzungu” (white people) had
been known to leave a tip! (tipping is a pretty foreign concept to Kenyans) We went out to
an outside cabana, which was a thatched roof open hut, and had coffee and I watched a
lizard run around the outside perimeter. A wonderful African moment!
Carlson arrived to inform us that Mama Doris (at the Bungoma Bible school) had somehow
heard we were in Bungoma, and she was “put out” that we had not come directly to her
house the prior night! People and feelings are the same the world over, I guess.
We arrived at the Bible school and Mama Doris’ house in time for her house keeper/cook
to make us a great feast of…spaghetti! It was really good by ANY standard, and she made
a cabbage cole slaw that was the best I have ever eaten!
We walked up the road and met Mrs. Justice Ochuro, who is the wife of the school director,
and Pastor of the church, which is directly behind the Bible school. I also met her sister
Ann, and again was offered food and tea to drink, as in every where I go. These are a very
gracious people, and God is working on me.
I took a power nap and then the guests began arriving. From 4:00 pm till 9:00 pm there
was a steady stream of people who just came by to say “HELLO” and fellowship. It’s a bit
hard on me, being from the west. We could (or would) be inconvenienced to have people
just “drop in”, but Deb had told me of the sense of community that they share is much
greater than ours. They either have to walk or take a matatu to everywhere, so it’s not like
they just happen to be in the neighborhood, they just come.
It is an honor to be associated with Mama Doris “Hatfield” Stotler. She is an amazing lady,
who was invited to Kenya in 1985, and never left! She started the Bungoma Bible school in
1987 and have produced over 1500 graduates, and most of the graduates have gone out
and started churches all over east Africa. It is a totally a free school, and it’s needs are met
by God, through people all over the world.
I met John, who was one of the “lost boys” from Sudan, who had been separated from his
family 20 years prior after being conscripted into the army, and has a deformed leg from
an exploding land mine, and who had just returned from Sudan to evangelize in the
refugee camps along the border. He was able to be reunited with his mother, who he had
not seen in 20 years! He is finishing his education here in Bungoma, and is planning on
going back to Sudan to start a church. What a commitment! I am so humbled to be here at
this special place.
We went back to Mama Doris’ for dinner, and her housekeeper/cook prepared us a meal
of fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, and her signature carrot salad for us, and a
table full of guests, some coming and some going! We watched the news of the day and
went to bed and slept soundly under mosquito netting.

Tues. Nov. 8th
Deb was asked to speak at the lunch hour church service for the week, and to address the
students that were to graduate from the diploma program in a couple of weeks. She was
also asked to come and be a teacher at the Bible school! She ministered on the recurring
theme of Habitation… not just visitation, which was woven into nearly all of here preaching
and teaching. The students seemed to hang on her every word. On Tuesday evening the
town lost electricity, and the longer Deb preached the darker it got, so they wanted her to
continue, so 2 or 3 guys started to hustle, and in about 5 minutes they had the generator
going and the lights and PA system were back up and going. The way they just functioned
in getting the generator going, made me pretty sure they had done this a few times in the
past! Deb spoke for another 30 minutes and we went back to Mama Doris’ house for
dinner, which Ann had made an incredible meal of…Swedish meatballs! What a place,
Swedish meatballs in east Africa!
I had made the suggestion that someone needed to document Mama Doris’ larger-than-life
life story, and everyone said it would be a good idea, but no one felt like doing it, so I spent
the next 2 or 3 days asking lots of questions about her life, her ministry, and her travels,
the churches she has been instrumental in starting and the people she has come in
contact with. She is a national treasure, and I really believe her story needs to be told. Her
short term memory may not be so good, but her long-term memory is as sharp as a tack.
After a brief rest we loaded the car and headed for the town of Yalo. It is about a 2 & 1/2
hour drive, even fixing a flat tire along the side of the road. “God, we must have a more
reliable car if the ministry is going to have to travel, Please, Lord” (I am responsible for the
valuable cargo, namely Debra, so this is a priority to me especially.)
We drove through rain and finally got to a meeting place where we were to meet Pastor
Michael Wambeo. The plan was to call him when we got to the Yalo Guest House and he
would give us instructions on where we could get to his church, but he said just wait for him
and he’d be right there. After about 20 minutes he did arrive, on foot, with an umbrella in
the drizzling rain! He walked ahead of the car and directed us to his home and then
ushered us into his house. The front room was filled with chairs and a coffee table, and
suddenly a tray appeared with COLD soft drinks! (cold drinks are so rare, it was an
incredible treat!) Michael’s wife, Ruth (which had just given birth to twins 10 days prior!)
prepared us an amazing meal of fried chicken, (again, we were the guests of honor) beef
stew, rice, ugali, cabbage, and spaghetti. We were joined by another local Pastor Jackson,
who is another humble servant of God. Pastor Michael told us of hearing the audible word
“YALO” spoken to him, not even knowing if “YALO” was a person , place, or thing! He was
doing his studies at Mama Doris’ Bible school and was told that there was a town out near
the Ugandan border named “YALO”, and he finished his education and moved to YALO!
He has been there for 7 years and has seen only small things accomplished so far. I asked
him of some of the challenges and he mentioned that the family fabric had come unraveled
and that the entire community was mainly consisting of orphans, single mothers, and
polygamy (multiple wives) with many children. He said that the traditional & religious spirits
mixed in with witchcraft have made it a real difficult area to minister in, but he has been
called and he is staying there. {he said in a private conversation with Geoffrey that he was
greatly encouraged with our coming to minister there in his church, as he had tried to get
the ministry team to come there on several other occasions}
Immediately after lunch, he invited us to go to the church. I had on jeans and a tee shirt,
and asked if we could change clothes and he said that it was not necessary, so we walked
to the church, with the rest of the team following in the car. I walked with Pastors Michael
and Jackson, and mentioned that I am probably seeing more of Kenya than most tourists
do. (Most tourists come for safari or to do business in Nairobi.)
When we got to the church and before the church service, I put on a dress shirt and tie
and we went inside. I spoke to a group of only about 5 or 6 people about the weapons of
our warfare being mighty and not carnal. It is difficult using a translator, and I was quite
nervous. You have to speak a few sentences and wait for the interpreter to finish before
you speak again. Everyone said I did a good job, but they were
probably just being nice to me, but I did feel I had been given that word for those people
for that time.
After the service was over, we followed Pastor Michael to the Silent Guest House hotel. It
was the premier lodging facility in Luanda, down the road from YALO about 10 miles. It was
a combination bar/restaurant, but more bar than restaurant. I don’t think that they were
expecting guests, as it took them about 20 minutes to make up our beds, and then gave us
a kerosene lantern to find our rooms. I have never stayed at a hotel that had neither
running water or electricity! They asked us if we would like some water heated to wash
with. We went into the restaurant, which had NO food, so they went outside and bought 4
eggs and took them to the kitchen and cooked them for us! They did not have food but
they did have booze! The rooms were at least clean, and the mattresses were quite good
to sleep on. We went to bed at 8:30 as it was too dark to do anything else. Deb said just
think of it as camping. Pit latrine and all. I took a picture of the toilet
stall and the shower stall. The latrine had a square hole, while the shower had a round
hole, otherwise, not much difference.

Wed. Nov. 9th
Today was my birthday, but no one observes birthdays in Africa. Many people do even
know their birth date, so the day passed. We drove into Kisumu to have breakfast. I saw 4
white women and 1 white guy.
Does not seem like a big deal, but I can empathize when a person of color comes to our
church! We drove back to Luanda to get ready for the service that was to begin at 2:00
pm, but Pastor Michael called us at 1:45 pm and told us he’d call us when it was time for us
to “begin” to start coming to the church. He called us back at 3:15 pm and said it was time
to start coming! This is African time, I suppose.
We drive up to the church and there are no cars in the parking lot, actually, there is not a
parking lot! No one has cars, so who needs a parking lot? We get to the church and
Pastor Michael has a big speaker outside the church “blasting” the music and preaching to
the whole community, and we hear what sounds like a big crowd with singing and shouting.
When we go into the church we see Pastor Michael setting in a chair, facing the wall crying
out to God for his community, he and 2 ladies and 3 little kids! He was in travail and
intercession for the souls of his city, for Grace and revival! They were calling in sinners
from the east, west, north, and south. What a calling that pastor must have. WOW!
We worshipped with that congregation of 5 or 6 people and watched it grow to 25 or 30,
and Deb later preached to the people about the intimacy God desires with his people, and
not just dancing and screaming.
It was a different type of service and there was a good time of ministering to the people.
When the service was about over, Pastor Michael invited the visiting pastors to greet the
congregation. Pastor Jackson got up and he spoke directly to me and said that my coming
to YALO had so ministered to him, as most visitors coming to Africa only come for safari
and to do business in Nairobi, but I had come to the real Africa, and He said he thought I’d
come back to YALO. He had remembered our walk to church the day prior, and his
comment kind of hit me hard.
We went back to the Silent Guest House hotel and it started to rain, and rain, and rain. I
have to admit I was not in a very good frame of mind. No Lights, No Water, and rain
running under our door, getting our room all wet. At that moment, I wanted to go home.
Again God is dealing with me on many different levels. Could I make it here? Am I called?
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!
After a meal by kerosene lamp, of along-the-side-of-the-road purchased goat meat, ugali,
and smashed cake (we had brought back from Kisimu) we all prayer together. (No I did not
pray. I sat there and felt sorry for myself, and how unfair it was to have to be there in Africa
with no lights and hot water and no privacy. Not pleased to report my emotions but God
knows our hearts better than we do. The heart is deceitful above all things.) A 5 gallon
bucket of HOT water appeared at outside of our door, and we were able to clean up a little.
That hot water felt so good. Went to bed and rested well.

Thurs. Nov. 10th
Got up and took a warm “spit” bath and waited and waited for the church service. We got
to the church area with 15 minutes to spare, so we went to a road side coffee shop that
was out of coffee. TIA! We snacked on Mendazi’s (a pastry like a doughnut), Chapati’s and
Deb got her eggs and of course, Chai (Tea made with milk). We got to the church at 10:30
am and Deb was finally given the pulpit at 11:30 am! She told the body about several
instances where she had been spoken to by God through times of intercession she had
been involved in, and encouraged them to be sensitive to the voice of the Lord. The
church took up an offering for the ministry. It was difficult to accept an envelope from that
little church, but the Bible says you have to give to receive. We used the $1000ksh to buy
gas to go to Busia.
Carlson drove like a crazy man to get us to Busia for the 4:00 pm service, but when we got
to Bishop George Odiombo’s house, we sat there at his house till 5:00 pm drinking Tea
and eating cookies. So much for the 4:00 pm service time. We got in the Bishop’s car and
drove to the church. The city had been a tumultuous area that day as the referendum
demonstrations got ugly, with rocks being thrown and riot police having to be called out.
There were tires burning in the middle of the road to block traffic...a little intimidating, but I
felt no fear. Deb preached again on “We shall be like him”, which seems to be what God is
wanting to be spoken to the church…that and the 10 virgins allegory.
After church we went to the open air market and Bishop George parked the car away from
the vendors, so they would not see the “whitey’s…ops the mzungu’s”, because the price
would immediately go up! We enjoyed wonderfully fresh bananas and watermelon from the
fertile fields of Uganda. The pineapple were the largest I have ever seen. When we
returned to his compound, Bishop George took we on a tour of his property. He has dogs,
a kitten, an African grey Parrot, geese, chickens and a couple of turkeys, all running
around. He has 3 vehicles in his yard, (not all running!) but I would imagine a Bishop’s
lifestyle would be quite envied by the average person. His home had most of the comforts
of an American home, having a refrigerator, microwave oven, toaster, clothes iron, and a
washing machine, and of course, a TV set, and He had a HOT shower. His church which
he pastors is one of the largest in Busia, and has 1500 to 2000 members. He has a
concrete 3 story building but funds have not come in to finish the 3rd floor, so it just sets
there unfinished. He confided in me that the building has been a very stressful endeavor.
(kind of like building programs here in America!)

Fri. Nov. 11th
After a big breakfast on toast and eggs (again!), we were off to Bungoma. I had mentioned
we should stop for another one of those wonderful fruit drinks served at the Red Heart
restaurant, and a bit of an explosion amongst the ministry group arose. We had this
discussion about “it is better to be trusted, than to be loved” and when people are together
for long periods of time, nerves get frayed. We all have feet of clay, and God is not
finished with any of us yet! We went back to Mama Doris’s house for a bit of a rest. (In
Africa, any married woman is called Mama) We were scheduled to minister in a small town
about 20 kilometers from Bungoma, named Enzoyia at 6:00 pm, but when we arrived there
we were the only ones at the church. When the local children saw the car, and mzungu’s,
they came running! The church sang worship and praise songs for over an hour before
Deb preached “like a dying Horse!” (No one really knows where that saying came from, but
it appears to be a compliment, of sorts!) We went back to Mama Doris’ for another one of
Ann’s dinners of Fried chicken, Mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and here special
cabbage salad, just for me. Absolutely incredible, and I may be the only visitor to east
Africa who could actually gain weight!

Sat. Nov. 12th
I got up and went to “Morning Glory”, which is an early morning (5:00am) prayer time there
at the Bible school. Students pray every day at this time, and I listened to an African
brother preach a sermon in Swahili, and I did not understand a word of it. They were not
expecting visitors, so there was no translator. We stayed and prayed till 6:30 am, and I am
convinced that it is the prayers that hold this “thing” all together, and makes it the amazing
place that it is.
We did not have anything else going on this day, so I went to the lunch hour meeting and
listened to Pastor Elijah preach on the “principles of impartation”, what a powerful
message. I asked if I could have his notes.
We went back to Enzoia, but not till 7:00 pm! They gave the pulpit to Deb at 7:15 and she
asked me to share the vision of the banqueting table with them. She them spoke gently to
the congregation, and I say gently because my lovely bride has turned into something of a
screaming preacher! I do not say this in any kind of derogatory manner, as she is an
anointed preacher/teacher who the American church would greatly
benefit from! Seeing her preach, I am so amazed and proud of her! She is in her element
preaching here in Africa.
We returned home to a fantastic meal at Mama Doris’ home of Meatballs and rice, and
then had fresh Pa-Pa (papaya) then we went to bed and Deb and I talked and prayed
together for quite a long time, like we have not done in a long while.

Wen. Nov. 16th
I got up early again to pray, but did not go over to “Morning Glory”, but just stayed at the
house by myself. I think my visit to Africa has the potential to change me, and “Do I want
that change?” Heavy thoughts, Heavy questions.
We loaded up the POC (piece ‘o’ crap) vehicle and made the 3 hour trip to Kitale, while
having 2 flat tires along the way! We were changing a rear tire, while the donkey carts, and
walking women were passing us by, and the little kids yelling over and over, “Mzungu,
Mzungu, How are you?”! I noticed we changed a tire with a tire that did not seem to be
much better than the flat one. About the fourth visit for Deb, she was in Mombassa, and
she said God told her to purchase the next Nissan she saw. This car was the next Nissan,
and it broke down 100 yards after she bought it! I told her at that moment changing the
tire, she should
have waited till the next Nissan came along, as we have spent hundreds and hundreds of
dollars on this vehicle, but it does beat matatu’s and walking!
Actually the 2nd flat occurred as we were just getting back to Kitale, so we “nursed” the car
back to the local service station to put in 2 new tire tubes! It seems the hot asphalt we
were driving on had caused the previously glued patched to melt and that is what caused
the tire failures! Deb, Elizabeth, and I walked to a local restaurant and went ahead and
ordered lunch for everyone. They bought Elizabeth’s food right away, then 20 minutes
later, Geoffrey and Carlson’s came out, 5 minutes later mine did, and then about 20
minutes later Deb’s fish came out! I think it took them quite a while to catch the fish! but
This is Africa! (TIA!)
We went to an open air market and bought absolutely fresh Pa-Pa’s, Mangoes, bananas,
tomatoes, carrot’s and onions, probably not long out of the ground! No frozen foods here,
or ice for that matter! Cokes are served at about room temperature, so getting a cold one
is a real treat!
Elizabeth cooked up all the purchased bounty and we ate a great feast. We then turned on
the radio and listened to the debate which was broadcast on all TV and radio stations
regarding the upcoming constitutional referendum which was to take place the following
Monday. As an outsider, it looks to be a difficult time for Kenya if the Banana (YES Vote)
gets their way. I have my personal opinions and have become quite interested in the
politics of the country of Kenya. It is an emerging 3rd world developing country and change
is not always easy (or friendly), and I just happen to be in the country during this exciting
time in the history of Kenya.

Thur. Nov. 17th.
We awoke to a gorgeous African morning and Deb and I talked about our future and the
African cultures I was observing. I find it quite sad, as the people (even our ministry team)
see us as a source of unlimited resources. Everyone has great needs (and wants), and a
young man involved in the ministry is planning to married in December, only problem is, he
has 1.) no money required for the dowry 2.) no money to buy the rings 3.) no money for
the wedding (or wedding dinner), and I, (in my American mindset) ask “ I you cannot afford
to get married, How can you afford to be married?” Their customs are quite different from
ours. If one just went to a Justice-of-the peace, they could be disowned from their families,
so there is great pressure on the young men wanting to wed. So Deb pays for another
wedding she will not attend!
Deb makes me a breakfast of fertile eggs we bought last night. I ask myself “Is refrigeration
REALLY all that important anyway?!”, and we also have toast to eat. I had brought along a
toaster from America, and it has been a big hit, but the first time it’s used, they “hit” it with
240 volts and it has not worked quite the same since.
Bread is the staff of life here, as well, and at about 15 cents a loaf people eat a lot of it,
often surviving on bread and some tea. Kenya is a poor country, but not a starving
country. The country abounds in natural resources, and people somehow manage to get
by. It seems especially hard on the Moma’s, as they seem to know nothing of efficiencies,
and all work is done bent over, and labor saving devices usually require the
need for electricity. The cook stoves are all just above ground level, and they are
completely bent over doing the floors, which they seem to clean every day. They also carry
water pots and firewood on the their heads for miles, so their backs and necks must take a
real beating. It is little wonder that the average lifespan for Africans in some areas is less
than 40 years. Tough Living.

Fri. Nov. 18th
We got out of bed and Deb made me French toast for breakfast, and Elizabeth made an
incredible fruit salad consisting of Passion Fruit, Watermelon, Pineapple, mango, Pa-Pap,
and bananas, all so fresh, you could nearly taste the tree. It was like heaven.
We were to have 2 services today back at Pastor Benson’s church. The first one was to
begin at 2:00 pm and another at 4:00 pm, but at 1:45 we Geoffrey called Pastor Benson,
to have him call us when the people had arrived at the church, so we could come. He did
call back at 4:00 pm! Needless to say we had only one service, and it was for the people
who were to be baptized the next morning at the river. I was asked to preach on the
ordinance of baptism, which I did and it appeared that the baptismal participants were all
younger children, I got very basic. After I spoke I asked Geoffrey to close in prayer, and he
began to preach another sermon about what baptism is about. (He told me later that the
African church has a way of mixing Christianity, with traditionalism, and sometimes even
witchcraft, so he wanted them to know exactly what they were being baptized for, and that
salvation was the only prerequisite.) Deb closed with some additional thoughts, and then
we again had Tea and bread with Pastor Benson & Mama Mark, and the visiting church
leaders and had a wonderful time of fellowship. We had to run but the battery in the car
was DEAD! No big deal, we just ask to “borrow” a battery from another vehicle close by!
We put the “borrowed” battery in the Nissan and get it started, then remove it (car
running!) and take it back to it’s owner and re-install our dead one for the return trip home.
Only in Africa. I have been reprimanded for commenting on their ways, as they are a proud
people, and it is how they have to live. We returned to our “house” and the neighbor lady
had prepared for us a feast for us, and our invited guests. We had to borrow chairs, pot &
pans, and utensils from the neighbors, but that is acceptable practice. We re-paid the
gesture by sending home a little food for their table. The one neighbor who had done most
of our laundry in the past made this huge dinner of Chapati’s, beans, rice and beef stew
for about 5 or 10 US dollars. She was paid well for her service, and we enjoyed a fantastic
meal. It was truly an African/American win/win situation.

Sat. Nov. 19th
We were invited to participate in a multi-church baptismal service at a river quite a distance
from town. It was probably 4 or 5 miles from the town, so all of the persons attending had
to walk or ride a bike to the river. Geoffrey preached another exacting sermon on what the
process of baptism represents, and then we made our way to the river. It was muddy and
dirty, and people used this water to drink, bathe, and water their cattle. We had 5
“baptizers” and we each baptized 8 young people! After we had finished dunking everyone
who had signed up earlier, Geoffrey asked the on-lookers if anyone else wanted to be
baptized and a little girl maybe 5 or 6 years old stepped forward, and we baptized her,
according to her confession of faith. What a great morning we had, watching cattle cross
the river and drink, while we were baptizing a bunch of new believers.
We went back to the house and showered off the mud from the river and loaded up the car
and headed bach to Nakuru. Carlson took us on the scenic trip through the Rift Valley, and
OH, what an incredible country. The rolling green hills looked like Ireland, and the
agriculture produced here is some of the finest in all of Africa. I told Deb this was a blessed
land we were looking at. We stopped at a scenic overlook and bought some African hand-
made crafts for just a few dollars, to remind us of this brief stopover.
We got back to Gladys and Laban’s in time for a light supper and went to sleep under
mosquito netting, but not before discovering that we had managed to leave Deb’s retainer
(for her teeth) at the house in Kitale. We had Geoffrey call his sort-of girlfriend to see if
she could find it, and send it to us on a courier.

Sun. Nov. 20th
We took a very dusty ride to Amos Wakesa’s chuch in a run-down area of Nakuru. We got
there and were seated in the special guest section up front. Geoffrey preached to the
group of about 40 people on the subject that we are new creatures in Christ, and are not
to be looking back, but ahead! We had been asked to conduct a communion service, and
asked Amos if it was still on, as we saw no elements for the service.
He pulled Deb aside and asked if we had brought the elements! She told Amos that they
could do it later, and somehow as I was talking to the congregation about the meaning of
communion the stuff we needed showed up! We had a wonderful observing communion
using broken-up cookies and Quencher (soft drink) purchased from a little Duka (road-
side shop)!
We learned that Geoffrey’s lady-friend got on a Matatu and had ridden 5 hours to
personally hand deliver the left-behind retainer! This meant she had another 5 hour trip
home on a terribly bumpy highway so she could do her studies the next morning. She
traveled 10 hours to bring us the missing retainer. I am pretty sure that not many people
here in America would do this sort of service. What a blessing Carol was to us.
We were supposed to get to Gladys & Laban’s church before 2:00 pm, but because of the
lateness in leaving the first church and a communications miscue, we did not get there.
They had prepared a complete meal for us there, which we missed out on. We had
planned on leaving for Nairobi after lunch, as we had been informed that it might not be
easy to get to the city and to the airport on the day of the vote. We did
decide to spend the night in Nakuru, and had a season of prayer that God’s will, and not
man’s would be done on the election outcome, and that it would be peaceful and accepted.

Mon. Nov. 21st
We travel my matatu, with all of our luggage to the bus depot in Nakuru and arrive at 9:00
am and wait for over an hour for the bus to fill up. (The transportation system works this
way, a bus or matatu will not leave till it’s FULL! This is great for the operator, but not great
for the people who can sometimes wait all day for their shuttle to fill up)
It is Kenya’s voting day for the constitutional referendum and the main highway is generally
empty. When we get to Nairobi, I am told it is like a ghost town. Nearly all businesses are
closed as today and tomorrow are legal holidays to allow people to get to the polls and to
get home. We have enough time to get a nice lunch and take in a movie. We go to view
the movie “Flight Plan” with Jody Foster, the film our son Ben was an extra on when he first
moved to Hollywood, but we could not identify anyone resembling our son!
After going back to the hotel to get our luggage, we bid Elizabeth a fond farewell, and
raced to the airport. We needn’t have done so, as the roads again were nearly deserted!
We had time to sit at an airport café and have a snack before boarding the airplane and
watched a little bit of the election returns. It appears that the voting is going to go to the
NO campaign, which we had been hoping for. The people we have been working with saw
it as a vote that would curtail evangelism, but I saw it as a freedom issue, which it probably
is the same thing, in reality. They seemed to think if the YES vote won it would keep the
gospel from being preached, but I don’t think they realized it would also impede the
Muslims in their very aggressive invasion into Africa. I saw the YES vote as taking away a
two party system, and giving all power to the federal government, so anytime there is a
monopoly on anything, it is usually a bad thing. The polls were supposed to have closed at
5:00 pm, but in Africa, if there are still people waiting to vote the polls will stay open all
night and into the next day TIA!
The gate attendant moved us to better seats, and we were able to ride next to each other
all the way except the last short flight from Minneapolis to Denver. That we were able to sit
together was a real blessing. Thank You, Lord! We basically sleep and watch movies to
pass the time, and clear customs declaring we left everything we had in Africa.
As the trip comes to a close, I realize I am, and have been touched by Africa. Could I live
over here, and could I make it…or is “What does not kill you, makes you stronger”. It’s
interesting as my faithful pen I have been using these last 3 weeks is just running out of ink
as we land in America. As it uses up it’s last bit of ink, I close this tome, and will continue to
pray for the work of God we have been a part of seeing happen to change the hearts and
lives of the people of Kenya…and for Deb and I as a couple.

Steve Sonner Nov. 25,2005