Kenya Tuesday - Wednesday 6/15-16/10

Tuesday and Wednesday were days set aside for Margaret to show us her home region. We left Asumbi about 10:00 and got to drive down the dancing road that we drove in on in the dark. We drove through Kisii and on to Kisumu where we stopped for lunch at the Arch Cathedral where we found that the Sisters convent had been demolished because it was so old. There are plans to rebuild but until that time they are living in a number of buildings that are owned by the diocese. They laughingly told us that they were a convent without a house but God would supply.

Back on the road towards Siaya. Little did we know that Siaya would be 3 hours away with the roads getting worse and worse. We arrived in the dark (the Sisters call themselves “Night Runners”, as they often travel like this to meetings and events. So we became “Night Runners” with them. We arrived at Mbaga Convent about 10:00 where we had dinner with the sisters. Margaret had a meeting far into the night but first she took us to her second family’s home. Mama, Rose, Michael, and Steve helped raise Margaret. Their families were very close and this was a reunion after 10 years of Margaret being in school in the States. To get to this house we drove on smaller and smaller roads and which were rain sodden and washboard out across a meadow and then having to back up because the road was washed out and back down another track to her house. We cannot describe how dark it was out there.

We arrived at the compound and found a wonderful little house with electricity, shower, and TV. We could not have guessed. We were greeted by Rose that night and welcomed to the family home.

On Wednesday morning we were greeted by Mama. She spoke no English, only Luo, so Sister Pauline had to translated for us. But the greeting was warm and she was a delight and excited to tell stories of her children, Margaret, Margaret’s mother and a school mate who is now the Bishop of the Diocese.

Margaret finished her meetings and arrived. Michael, who is the younger brother, joined us for the day. We headed off to Margaret’s family home. She had not been there for 10+ years and she was like a little kid she was so excited. More rough roads that narrowed into walking paths that the van pushed its way through to a pastoral setting of several buildings and open compound that made up Margaret’s family home. We spent some time there while Margaret told stories of her childhood and the neighbors came over to greet her.

Her aunt, who she calls mama, (family relationships are fluid) is Sarah Obama’s sister. Mama decided to join us as well on the next stop for the day which was to be Sarah Obama’s compound. We drove back to larger dirt roads to the town of Kogelo past a school named for President Obama and down the road (well maintained) to her compound. The gates were closed. The military guard stopped us and refused admittance even for her sister. There was a discussion for about an hour but it did no good. We took pictures. The one to the right is in front of Sarah's corn (maize) field.  She is well known for her farming practices. They are so worried that something might happen to her and reflect badly on the country. As we drove to Sarah’s compound we heard stories about the reception for Senator Obama, how during the election American flags were flown throughout the area, and how proud they are that a Kenyan is President of the US (Kenyan family linage is tracked through the father so for Kenyans President Obama is Kenyan because his father was Kenyan. It does not matter that he was born in Hawaii.) They also told stories about Barack Obama visiting his grandmother when he was about 16 and how he sold vegetables in the local street market. Michael was school mates with Obama’s father and was on the team that planned and executed the reception when Senator Obama came a few years ago.

But the day was not done. We then drove back to Kisumu (about 2 hours) to watch the sunset into Lake Victoria and see the hippos at Hippo Point. (Too much in one day. We got there after the sunset and the hippos had gone to bed.) So back into the van and 2 hours later back to our little compound. What a wonderful and full two days.