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

My Week and a bit with the Masai 2012, part 1

A 30-day African Safari:

Mark and Simba

Come on a 30 day safari with me! We will take walks, meet the Masai people, we will learn about culture and deep traditions, sleep in mud huts and even hear a sermon or two. You will hear things that make no sense; some of the things you hear may even make you mad. Let us also take a trip into the Rufiji Delta islands and a trip on the Indian Ocean to Mafia Island in an old wooden dhow boat.

Hi, my name is Lyle Hall, my African name is Simba, Lyle has become Lion which is Simba in the Swahili language. Karibuni Safarini - welcome on the journey!

 

Day 1

It’s that time again; I pack my bags and head to Masai land. In the past I have driven from here in Zambia which is 4 full days of travel just to get there, but this time I am alone so I will fly as far as I can. I will be meeting up with Dr. Richard who has a dental practice in Washington State and we will travel together, doing dental clinics and ministry. Dr. Rick has been a supporter of ours for many years now so a big thank you to you, sir.

The plan is to fly to Nairobi, Kenya and bus it to Arusha, Tanzania to collect Dr. Rick there, and then we take a bus up to Masai land through the Serengeti plains. This drive is always full of wildlife and adventure, especially by bus.

My plan is to make my way back to Nairobi, Kenya in the end but I am not holding my breath on this one. Anything can happen; all the unknowns is half the adventure. If everything went according to plan, what ‘fun’ would it be, right?

 

I will miss the family as I always do, but my kids know that daddy goes to help others, so they are learning to understand the value of helping others.

           With a few smiles mixed with tears, I wave goodbye and head off to the security check in the airport; it is the moment that one just pushes through. You don’t want to think about that hard goodbye, so you just get on with it. This is the hardest moment of my leaving away from home. Jette and the girls wave goodbye also with a smile and a tear. The only good part about that tear is that it means there is love there, something many spouses and kids do not have at home. I love you, Jette, thanks for all your support to me. I got a great lady that stands beside me.

Well, I better get out of here or I will miss my plane, see you in Nairobi…..

   -------------------------------------

               I flew out early afternoon to Nairobi, Kenya to meet up with Mark, my Masai friend, whom many of you have read about over the years. He met me at the Nairobi airport with smiles and hugs. Mark introduced me to Pastor James and another friend, both of whom were Masai. I had met Pastor James at the previous conference in Tanzania two years ago; James greeted me also with hugs and smiles. This other Masai I had not met before, he lives in Nairobi. Little did I know at that moment when I met him, that his life would change forever that night.

We tucked ourselves into a taxi and off to the big city of Nairobi in search of a hotel for the night. After hours of traffic - not just vehicle traffic, but people traffic, we found a reasonable place, threw our things on the bed and off to find something to eat.

In the East African culture especially, people are a very social people at night so the streets are always full, not only in the city but in the rural villages as well. People by the thousands just fill the streets to eat from the small venders selling on the streets, chicken, chips (French fries), fruits, tea or chai, chapati and soups, and then there are some things you are just not too sure what it is…

I chose the chicken and chips, and with a coke and a smile we were enjoying the busy environment. After eating my greasy chicken and chips and wishing to clean my gizzard out with a cold coke we made our way through the crowds back to the hotel.

           Back in the room this other Masai guy that I had met at the airport, out of the blue said that he had been watching and listening to Mark and James over the years and that he now wanted to give his life to the Lord right here and now in the hotel room for it was time. He said, “I have taken the time to watch and see if what you have said was also how you lived and now meeting Simba and all that you have said I can see that it is truth what you say.”

I took some time to share with him so that he understood what salvation was all about. (I am pretty tough on people when it comes time for salvation; I do not make it too easy, rather just the opposite. Salvation is generally made too easy for people so they do not go deep. Then it does not last long, easy come easy go. When you start talking about a life of surrender and discipleship it goes a lot deeper than ‘God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life’.)

Well, he was more than convinced that he was ready to take that step of faith, so in our little room we all knelt down and I had him pray his own prayer of salvation. He sure did not need to repeat after anyone, the desperate cry that came from deep within his soul moved us all. After he prayed he said, “I need to go home now and tell my family”, so out the door he went. Mark knows him well, so he will follow up on him in the coming days. Mark, James and I had a time of prayer for our new brother in the Lord and off they went to their room.

So this was our first day of a lot more days to come. Another word of thanks and prayer to the Lord, earplugs in to drown out the noise from the city streets, and I was out.

Lyle in the Rufiji Delta

Hello friends,

Thank you for your prayers for Lyle and his team on this outreach trip to Tanzania.
Tomorrow Friday, they fly into the remote and not easily accessible Rufiji Delta to conduct two days of  medical and dental clinics etc.
Lyle will be traveling for the next nearly two weeks, please keep him in your prayers, and pray for safety also for the girls and I here at home.

Tomorrow is also our 16th wedding anniversary, we'll have to wait about 2 weeks to celebrate it, though...

News from Lyle

Hello all,
In the past two days, I have received a couple of text messages from Lyle, telling a bit about their trip to Masai Land so far...

  They are back in Tanzania after some days in Kenya. The first day, 15 churches came together for teaching, then 2 days of teaching and speaking to  about 50 church leaders.
  Also, our dentist friend Doc. Rick has been pulling lots of teeth. Lyle says, if our girls could see all the decay an rotten teeth, they would start brushing their teeth at least 4 times a day... They have 2 more clinic days there. In that area there is only 1 dentist for every 150,000 or more people. Lyle says he still doesn't think he'll ever want to be a dentist... There is always so much work to be done.
  The trip back across the border took a long time, many hours of waiting because the car that was taking them kept breaking down and the roads are really bad.

  Yesterday, they went to the Warrior Ceremony, which is a rare treat since outsiders are very rarely allowed or invited to come.
  Lyle and Doc. Rick have to share a bed, "at least it is a mattress, which is softer than the cowhides, that most of the people here sleep on." They mostly get to eat only once a day, but it isn't too bad, he says.

    Just now tonight, he said, "We are having dinner with the Masai chief in his mud house, talking about community issues. They have been wanting me to build them a clinic, but I keep encouraging them to build it themselves, they don't need the white man!"

  He says he's been getting some great photos, so that will be great to see! He will have many more stories to tell too, when he gets back.

So stay tuned!!