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Saturday, June 18, 2011

Trip to Nairobi

On Wednesday Grant and I left the camp before sunrise. He had several business appointments in Nairobi and we'd also do a little private shopping while in civilization.
Driving through sleepy villages as the sun came up
There'd been a lot of rain in this area recently. I loved the reflections in the flooded plains next to the road

Grant has his Kenyan driver's license so instead of using a company driver, he took us all the way to our destination. After Khartoum with its eight million inhabitants, roaring traffic for 20 hours a day, every conceivable mode of transport - including conventional vehicles - in the city streets, donkey carts, rickshas (three-wheel motorcycles with canopies) motor taxis, mini-bus taxis, busses, wheelchair motorcycles, hawkers, beggars, pedestrians, goats, chickens and cows, driving in Nairobi was the proverbial walk in the park.

We stayed at Silver Springs Hotel in the heart of the city

When we returned home on Thursday, we stopped in Nakuru. We were collecting company guest house and private meat orders from a popular butchery in town. I had arranged to meet a fellow blogger from Canada who was visiting in Nakuru and we managed to spend a few minutes in a nearby restaurant. Penny regularly flies out to East Africa where she has a personal ministry amongst the Kenyan people. Penny embodies the Scripture of how faith needs to be accompanied by action. James 2:14-16:  Dear brothers and sisters, what's the use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can't save anyone. Suppose you see a brother or a sister who needs food or clothing and you say: "well, goodbye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well" but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? Penny ministers to the young and homeless, feeds them, gives them a warm coat and above all, prays with them.  She gives these youngsters hope for the future. She listens to them as they tell her of their worries and fears, (the good ones are threatened and often victims of verbal abuse from their glue-sniffing peers) their dreams and aspirations. Penny reminds me of that special 20th Century lady who dedicated her life to ministering to millions of people in Calcutta. Bless you dearest Penny, it was a pleasure and a privilege to meet you. Travel mercies and God speed on your journey back home.

Dear reader, perhaps your faith is moving you to assist in Penny's work. If so, you can click on her blog here.

Grant and I arrived home in the camp at five on Thursday evening. Ginger and Shadow had been well cared for by Naomi during the day and Johan in the evening. These two spoilt felines immediately tried to climb into our shopping bags! Perhaps they smelled the dried fish we'd bought in the city for them?


Even though it's a treat to go to the city, I love coming home to the valley.

I hope you're all enjoying a blessed weekend.

7 comments:

  1. Wow, and I thought my drive for shopping was diverse. This is really a mix. Fun to keep exploring the area. And nice of you to bring fish treat home to the kitties.

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  2. Glad you made it home safely.
    So pleased to hear about your meeting with Penny. What a wonderful person.
    And your spoilt felines make me laugh!
    Luv — K

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  3. WoW! You drive down to the center of Nairobi and call it "a walk in the park"? If Khartoum is worse, then I surely don't want to drive there. I've never been to Khartoum - but have to admit that Nairobi is tame compared to Lagos!! How are the roads between Kimwarer and Nakuru these days? No potholes? Well...for that matter I remember some major potholes at times between Nairobi and Nakuru!

    So glad you had a good trip and met the noble Penny who is putting her heart into Africa. God bless her and all of you who love the people there.

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  4. Great post, Jo! Penny must be a wonderful and caring person. How nice that you wee able to meet up with a fellow blogger. Have a great weekend!

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  5. The hotel room is lovely. Looks like a very pleasant shopping expedition.

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  6. Another lovely post, Jo...I hope you slept well in that wonderful bed! So glad you got to meet Penny. She sounds like such an inspiring woman!

    I so enjoyed the drive through the villages, especially seeing evidence of all the rain (lovely rain!). So glad you remembered to buy the dried fish for Shadow and Ginger...I just know they asked you to do so before you left...that's why they were checking, to make sure you'd not forgotten!

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  7. May the Lord bless Penny and protect her in this ministry of love. What a wonderful servant she is. I'm sure those young people see Jesus in her.

    I, too, enjoy coming home to the boonies after being in the city for awhile. There's no place like home!

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