Welcome back to Kenya: a story!

Last Tuesday Alan and I headed into Nairobi to pick up Emily and Tony at the airport.  We had decided to do a little grocery shopping first, since the cupboards were pretty bare, yet as we pulled into a little shopping area, the Land Cruiser sputtered, steamed, and died.  

Before leaving Kijabe, the RVA mechanic had assured us all was well with the Beast, so Alan called him from the parking area to make sure.  He again assured us all was well, and that we were over-reacting after having been gone for a year, and that should trust our guages.  After sitting for a few minutes, all seemed fine and all guages appeared to indicate all was indeed well.  A friend happened by while the hood was open, and helped Alan check things out.  He seemed to think things looked OK too, but said he would be around the shopping center for awhile if we needed any help, and he also gave us the name of a friend of his who ran a taxi service should we be unable to get to the airport.  

So feeling pretty good, we completed our shopping and headed through town to the airport, located on the far side. Things went quite well the first 15 minutes or so, but as we neared Nairobi’s main roundabout (intersection), the Beast again stuttered, steamed and died, in the middle lane of rush hour traffic.  Alan stuck his head out the window, asked the many street vendors nearby to help push, and we got the dead car onto the median of the highway.  

As usual, lots of folks came over to see what was happening, and one, claiming to be a mechanic, offered to get water to refill the radiator and help check things out.  Apparently there was NO water in the radiator, so after many trips to the nearby DITCH, the water level seemed adequate.  

In the meantime, I called the taxi driver and asked him to go out to the airport and pick up our kids.  “How will I recognize them?” he said.  “Just look for some short wazungu (white people)” I replied, “ and you’ll find them.”  After the call, as I sat there and watched about 12 guys staring into the engine, and the one running back and forth from the median to the ditch on the side of the road, I couldn’t help but start to laugh.  

Eventually we got the car started again, turned around and headed back to the shopping center where our little saga had begun.  Again all was well for about 10 minutes, then other drivers began pointing to our car and making strange hand signals.  A flat tire?  Something stuck to the bottom of the vehicle?  So just then a gas station appeared and we pulled in.  We checked the tires and all looked fine.  Then as the gas station attendant came over, we noticed the waterfall coming from the engine.  Upon popping the hood this time, what to our wondering eyes should appear, but a blown hose!  

Again, I just started laughing.  Couldn’t help myself! The hose was repaired, the radiator filled again, and we were off.  We arrived safely back to the shopping center, waited for the taxi to deliver Emily and Tony (who we were never able to get through to, and so had no idea to look for anyone but us), and once they arrived we made it safely back to Kijabe!!  Everyone around here we told this little story to, said “Welcome back to Kenya!”

God is so good and has SUCH a sense of humor!  

RVA will once again begin the year understaffed, and we are looking at a very busy demanding school year.

Kenya is in the midst of a very severe drought.  Lakes are drying up, electricity is being rationed, and people are starving.    Please pray for rain.

Sara and Alan