Bradley: American African

When I first met Bradley it was the fall of 2005 and he was a freshman in my Introduction to Engineering class at Baylor. I liked him from the beginning. As I have told him on several occasions, he has a maturity beyond his years. Perhaps it was this "like", or perhaps it was Providence, or perhaps those two cannot be meaningfully separated. At any rate, I decided he would be a good member of a student team I was assembling to go to Kenya in May, 2006.

Brad later wrote to me, "...I have been asked frequently how I was drawn to travel to Kenya my freshman year... I look back and always immediately recall a cold December afternoon in 2005 when you chased me down as I was leaving Rogers to urge me to go to Kenya. I was so touched by that and would later come to realize that God was transforming my life through you by that simple personal invitation."

(Bradley with Rwandan gorillas, stolen from his facebook page and brazenly used without permission!)

He did go to Kenya in 2006, and then he went to Rwanda twice in 2009 and 2010. He now considers "missions... especially in Africa, to be a passion that I hope to pursue long into the future..." Each time he went he was engaged in some service project, usually for children, and usually involving giving them access to clean water, so he really is giving a cup of cold water to the least of these. In all those times, however, I never got to travel with him as his team leader. Even when we were in Kenya at the same time, he was on a different team, unfortunately for me.

Brad has the unusual gift of being an encouraging person. At least to me, he always has an uplifting word or two for my soul, and this makes me want to keep investing in the lives of students. The returns are tremendous. It makes me want to pour myself out on their behalf. His words, and others like them from different students, confirm to me that I am where God has placed me, and that feels great.

Thanks Brad.

(Red) Laces

The M got me a pair of (Red) laces for my shoes as a Christmas present. They are produced by Nike as part of the (Red) campaign to combat AIDS in Africa. All the profits go towards the cause, and I look pretty cool.

It's one small step in my master plan to become Bono.

You can buy your own here.

Now That I Have Seen

BROOKE FRASER

"Albertine"

I am sitting still
I think of Angelique
her mothers voice over me
and the bullets in the wall where it fell silent

and on a thousandth hill,
I think of Albertine
there in her eyes what I don't see
with my own
Rwanda

now that I have seen,
I am responsible
faith without deeds is dead
now that I have held you in my own arms,
I cannot let go till you are

I am on a plane
across a distant sea
but I carry you in me
and the dust on, the dust on, the dust on (lots of dust) my feet
Rwanda

I will tell the world,
I will tell them where I've been
I will keep my word
I will tell them Albertine
Rwanda

I am on a stage,
a thousand eyes on me
I will tell them, Albertine
I will tell them, Albertine

Engineers with a Mission Talk at Local Church

Tomorrow I am going to a large church here in town to make a presentation about Engineers with a Mission. There are likely to be lots of people, including my boss's boss, in the audience. I find myself nervous. I'm seldom nervous about public speaking anymore, but this time I am. I have two students coming with me, so maybe if I freeze up they can take over.

One of the students is Brittany. I took this picture at the Giraffe Refuge in Nairobi. We fed them from a tree house and their tongues would lap up giraffe chow right out of your hands (or even your mouth!).

Jonathan is the other student helping me. This picture is of him with children in the Kibera slum of Nairobi (one of the places of much post-election violence last month). He is sitting on the concrete wall of an open sewer. He's the white guy in the middle.

Kenya Polititians Planned Violence Before Election

Today I read the latest news about the recent violence in Kenya. The story says the election violence was planned from before the election, and that it was highly organized. Here is a shocking quote:

"We say it's organized because they are working in groups of 10 to 15 people and in shifts. Their training areas have been identified, some of the people from whom they get money have been identified," commission chairwoman Muthoni Wanyeki told the Associated Press. "They are being paid 500 (shillings, or $8) per burning (a home) and 1,000 per death."

The article explains how those seeking power often stir up tribal unrest and use it to their own benefit.

Each time election season comes around, politicians play the tribal card as a way to whip up support, hobble the political opposition and accumulate land for their fellow tribesmen.

"We've had a long history of ethnic violence in Kenya that has been politically manipulated since the 1992 and 1997 elections," said Binaifer Nowrojee, director of the Open Society Initiative for East Africa, based in New York. "Events of the last two weeks show how rapidly we can deteriorate, and that's what's scaring everybody. The danger is that we can become Rwanda, but we're not there yet."

For a few minutes after reading the article I was shocked and indignant. See the full article here. I thought about other countries with ethnic strife like Rwanda or Iraq (Kurds vs. Arabs) and then I remembered what the day's news had been about. On the U.S. airwaves today, Kenya is not the story, instead it's how Hillary and Obama are using the same tactics to manipulate Americans as they both seek the Democratic nomination! It's disgusting.
I took this photo in western Kenya where much of the violence has occurred. It has nothing to do with the election, but I think it's a really good photograph and I wanted to show it off a bit.

Update from a Kenyan Orphanage

In light of the recent violence in Kenya, I wrote several of the people I know there to check on them. One lady, Catherine "Mom" Muth, runs an orphanage in the small town of Neema (nay-A-ma) for over 100 children whose parents have died of AIDS. I visited there in 2006 and tried to help them with their solar panel problems. Catherine was a delightful person and the kids were gems. We visited the classrooms of the school she runs with volunteer teachers, and then all the children came out to sing us songs. Their singing, while child-like, was beautiful in its enthusiasm and tight African harmonies. I left a bit of my heart there when we left. Below is a photo of some of the younger ones.

This is her email cut-and-pasted from what she sent me. It is sad, and yet hopeful. It is tragic, and yet filled with unquenchable faith.

Brother Brian,

The Lord Jesus be exalted! Thanks a lot for your concern and prayers. We are safe at Neema and we thank God for it all. We however had a very traumatising experience on the night of Dec 2nd and 3rd, when thugs boke into my house and did a lot of mess, harrasing me and an Australian lady missionary, stole property, and worst of all raped the missionary. They even tried to attack twice after but were blocked by the watchman and our boys.

Following the nasty events,my children and I resolved to take some precautions, including my temporarily moving out of yhe centre while we improve on the security of the house. We also intend to hire trained guards and procure a guard dog. To further strengthen security we intend to have secure perimeter fence around the center. All of this will require funds. We are requesting our friends to pray with us, as well as contribute, as the Lord leads them. Otherwise, the entire nation of Kenya is bleeding and hurting but we are praying and trusting God for peace.Thank you for praying and God bless you .I will keep you posted on the situation at Neema. Meanwhile please pass our new year regards to your students, family and friends.

Together in the battlefield,
Catherine.

Kenya All Just Get Along?

In case you aren't up to speed on East African news, there is trouble in Kenya, the country considered to be the most stable of the entire region. The recent presidential election was very close and violence has broken out over much of the country, especially in slums. I won't try to be an amateur reporter on the subject, instead I will provide links to some stories I have read.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/01/02/kenya.unrest/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/01/02/kenya.background/index.html#cnnSTCPhoto

http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=672051

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iQUIrJzN6krWc0yJ6DP3ySeXQekQD8TUL0D00

This is very troubling news to me personally. I have made friends from both Kikuyu and Luo tribes, the two that are now fighting each other. I can't tell the difference between them. I have also seen tribal loyalties influence business decisions in a way that was frustrating to my partners from the U.S., no, more than frustrating, it seemed ridiculous. This captures how I feel now. I am upset and saddened by the violence. I am worried for the vulnerable and for the entire region. I am even embarrassed for a people I have grown to love, and yet, now are reflecting the worst side of mankind. It illustrates that every culture, like every person, has dark sides in need of redemption. Please pray for peace in Kenya.

The following photo was taken in Kitale, western Kenya. It was taken at a church on a Sunday morning as we waited for services to start. Nathan runs a ministry called Circle of Light that deploys cooking and lighting technology businesses in rural west Kenya. Kitale is not far from the city of Eldoret, where families fleeing the violence hid in a church and were burned to death by rioters this week.

With friend Nathan Chesang visiting church in Kitale, Kenya, 2005.
(photo credit Sarah Gibson)