See it for Yourself

There is quite a difference between hearing about something and
experiencing it for yourself. In leading up to my time in Kenya I
spent hours talking with people (one person in particular, thanks
Darriel) about what I should expect. I asked about the people, the
food, the accommodations, our specific tasks. But in all my
questioning and requests for clarification I still didn't "get it" or
understand it all until I came to Kenya for myself. All that we have
seen and experienced in just a short 2 weeks can only be described in
part. You must see it for yourself (and I recommend that you do).
Likewise, I did not realize until now how many of the intricacies of
the Biblical stories and principles I was missing until now. All of a
sudden things start to make just a little more sense when you can see
things for yourself, not just read about it.
For example, I literally saw a woman at a well. Having grown up in
the suburbs of a major city I have never seen such a thing. From
where does water come? –The faucet. But Sunday, I saw a woman
(actually a few women) at a well drawing water under the hot, Kenyan,
sun-filled sky. My mind immediately raced back to the gospel story
where Jesus meets a woman at a well, tells her about her life, and
offers her Himself - the living water. As I watched the women I
thought of how Christ met this woman where she was, entering her life
during such a mundane yet difficult task of drawing water (not to
mention all the sociopolitical implications, the forgiveness of sins,
and her later witness). And I thought of how for the people of Kenya
such biblical accounts make more sense. It just clicks in a way that
it did not for me, not until that very moment. I wondered what it
must feel like to see many of the images of the Bible lived out and
actualized in live, living color every day? With all of the
technology and books at my disposal, the people of Kisumu (the area in
Kenya where we are staying) have a level of understanding and
relationship to the Bible that is real and personal (something I had
yet to grasp) because they experience it each day. Honestly, can you
really understand the importance of never having to draw water again
(never being thirsty again) if you can just easily turn the tap at any
given moment? Can you really understand the importance of sheep
knowing their shepherd's voice if you have no concept of grazing and
herding? Of course, someone can try to explain it to you or you can
read about it in come commentary but to be honest, the answer is
simply, "Not so much."
The most amazing thing about my experience in Kenya, however, is not
only that the images of the Bible have been brought to life but the
very principles as well. Everyone I have met (including the children
on the road who yell out "Mazungu, how are you?") are gracious. They
are loving and welcoming. It is in their very Kenyan culture to love
and serve others, especially visitors. For them, all visitors are
angels of God and we, as visitors, are treated as such. Every day I
feel what it is like to be loved by someone who truly takes Christ's
words to heart - that one must love God with all one's heart and love
one's neighbor as one's self. They show me in the smiles and the
handshakes, the efforts to speak English and the hearty, warm
embraces. They share fresh fruits and vegetables from their gardens
and patiently teach me how to prepare local dishes. They teach me
their language, their songs of praise, and their dances.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to spend this time here in Kenya
learning about a different culture. Most especially, however, I am
enjoying the experience of seeing the stories, parables, and images of
the Bible brought forth in the landscape of Kenya and God's love
embodied and shared by the Kenyan people.