Day 2, My Week and a bit ... 2012

DAY 2

Eating our continental breakfast, Mark was looking out the hotel window and observing the tall buildings in the city. He made some comments which made it clear to me that he had never been in a tall building. So off we went to find the tallest building. Now Mark and James not being city boys knew nothing of city life. All the traffic and people, they were talking that if they could have one cow for every person they saw they would have more cows than the chief himself. (Cows being the highest value in Masai culture)
       We stepped onto an elevator and the doors closed. Now Mark and James stood in still silence, button pushed and up we went. Now these two lion killing warriors were as nervous as a two little boy’s first trip to school on a school bus. They took hands and held tightly as we climbed only about 16 levels. Out the door we found a set of stairs that would take us to the outside roof top. With a smile and few words the security guard let us go on top the roof floor.
          With amazement the two looked around and could see the city below, they talked of the small mountain by their village where they could also see far away things, after a few minutes down the elevator we went. We made our way back into the city streets, I exchanged some money into the Kenya currency called the ‘Shilling’.

Over lunch Mark tells me that the roads are still very wet and muddy through the Serengeti. Some busses have been stuck for three even five days in the mud, so it is better for us to go to get Dr. Rick in Arusha Tanzania and then come back to Kenya and take the north route down to Lashota village were the seminar and first dental clinics will take place.

          Now getting stuck in the Serengeti may sound like the worst thing to you, but for me that would be great, all the “lions, tigers and bears” around? A bit of paradise for some days, sure it is not a five star lodge but I did bring my small tent, besides who needs a lodge when you have a tent?

Mark, why did you not tell me this before? I would have also flown to Arusha and saved time and money? Well, that conversation got me nowhere. Here, I have learned to just be flexible every day and all day because things change every day and all day. Getting frustrated and angry gets you absolutely nowhere; it changes nothing and no one so just go with the flow. Yes, it will cost you more money in the end but somewhere it will be made up to you again.

I left two of my bags at the hotel counter and off to find a minibus that would take us to Arusha TZ, some four hours’ drive away. Now taking a bus in - at least this part of - Africa is always an adventure. I usually try to get a front seat, because I know that there are 8 seats in the back of these minivans but putting two or even three per seat is not uncommon. Only two are allowed in the front seat because the police only look at the front seat, they look the other way when it comes to the back seats. Not always, but often they just hold out their hand and expect a bit of “chai money” because ‘driver you are a bad boy and you should know better. Now I could take you to your mother and give you a spanking, but let’s just keep it simple.’ A few coins later we are off again.

Now a Westerner would call this a ‘bribe’ but it isn’t called that here, that is a bad word here in Africa. It is called ‘chai’ or ‘tipping’; hey, we are all friends here, and you are just tipping me for doing such a great job for you.
           Right or wrong, or what we would call ‘truth’ in the West is not the issue here it is all about relationship, it is about “I take care of you and you take care of me”. A lot to say about this issue, truth vs relationship but time does not permit. Understanding these two different value systems alone is huge for anyone who works in this part of the world.

Well, our little sardine can on wheels makes its way through the southern part of Kenya, across the border and now into Tanzania. Making our way to Arusha where we will meet Dr. Rick at about 9:30 pm at the Kilimanjaro Airport.

For your interest, Arusha is the place for the ultimate wildlife safari; from here you can reach Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and many other wildlife parks. The 2^nd largest part of the Tanzanian income is through tourism. It is not hard to pick out a tourist. Most are Mzungu or White man, they often wear some type of safari clothes they spent a mint on, back in a mall somewhere in their home country. They are often followed by a group of young men trying to sell them something or looking for a free trip to the West.

           I am often mistaken for a tourist although I don’t wear safari clothes; my broken Swahili tells everyone that I am more local than a tourist here. My mzungu tee-shirt always brings a smile and a few comments. (It is a shirt that says Mzungu on it, meaning ‘white man.’)

Arusha is in the highlands and surrounded by several mountains, lots of moisture but not far out from the mountain area it gets dry with hardly a tree in sight. It is in the drier areas where the cattle Masai generally live, where their cattle are free to graze over the millions of acres of grassland.

Mark, James and I make our way to the YWAM (Youth With a Mission) base. It is at this base where I first met Mark six year ago.

           When Mark was invited to come to do his training or DTS at YWAM his tuition was paid for but he had to get there at his own expense. Well, he lives about 300 km or 240 miles away, so what do you do, well you do what most people do, stay home and pray for God to send you money. Not Mark, he picked up his Masai stick and throw on his red Masai Shuka or thin blanket and started walking. No water or food accompanied him, just a heart that was full of expectation for what was in store for him. Now Masai are not your normal people, walking is a part of life. Walking 20 plus km or 12 miles every day is normal.
            Not many days later Mark arrives at the YWAM base ready for school, a few days late but hey I just walked 240 miles. It was several years later when Mark was taking another course there with YWAM that we met. When living in Tanzania I would teach there at YWAM, I often taught on Spiritual Warfare. During one of his break times he stood outside my classroom window and listened in, he skipped most of his own classes that week and stood outside the window listening in. It was the Friday after my week when he introduced himself and invited me to Masai land. It did not take me long to realize that Mark was not your average guy. So this is where and how I met up with Mark Murenje, my Masai friend. Now you know “the rest of the story.”

Well, we borrowed a car and off to the airport where we collected Dr. Rick and all his dental equipment, looked like he was going to start a dental practice or something…

           Dr. Rick was tired, but ready to get started. He has taken several trips into India and also to South America, but this was his first time to Africa. Not sure he really knew what he was getting himself into, but he was willing, willing enough to take that step.

I leave you this day and ask the question if you are willing? Not just willing but willing enough to take that step. Yes, it is a risk, it always is, but that is faith. Some of you have had that deep cry in your heart to go, but you have not taken that step. Start that 240 mile journey as Mark did, it all starts with the first step. God is so alive and real, there are things of God you will never discover in church, it is only out on the journey. “There is no revival, where there is no risk.”

Simba