Here we saw the hand of God!
Romans 8:28 says, "All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose." Well, we missed the early bird bus. BUT......... God provided a waiting public taxi to take us up the hill to the main road. And His faithfulness doesn't end there!
Once we reached the main road, we ran into the brother of one of the ladies in the praise and worship team I am a part of. He offered to take us to Nairobi on his way to Thika! Praise the LORD!
We made it to Nairobi around the same time as the early bird matatu would have arrived.
Now to be honest, I don't really like to take the early bird matatu because one of the conductors overloads the vehicle (which is illegal) and I don't know which days he conducts. However, when you need to get into Nairobi early that matatu is the only option unless you want to pay over ten times the price to hire a private taxi (assuming you even have the number for one) to take you up the hill. The next matatu leaving Kijabe is 3 hours later. When I realized we had missed the matatu I was really discouraged, but as I said God provided a public taxi (holds 6 people in a compact car) and then FREE transportation to Nairobi.
GOD IS GOOD!!!!!
We made it to the bus station without further incident and bought our tickets. While we waited, we went to the supermarket and bought some food for the trip. A little after 9am we boarded the bus.
During the next 7 hours we alternated sleeping, eating, reading, and looking out the windows. Mostly, we slept.
We arrived in Kisumu around 4pm. It was great to arrive in during daylight (my first trip I arrived after dark). The Head of the Orthopedic department (HOD) at Nyanza hospital and own of his co-workers met us with a patient's car at the bus station and took us to the guest house where Doreen and I would spend the night. After freshening up a bit, the five of us went out to eat. The evening was enjoyable; filled with fresh fish and good company. I was asleep before I hit the pillow. I must have woken up sometime during the night because I vaguely remember thinking, "I should probably get under the covers."
Friday went well. I got my business done by 2pm so Doreen and I decided to travel. We spent Friday evening in Kakamega visiting some of her friends. Kakamega is 1 hour north of Kisumu. The main method of transport is bicycle, motorcycle, or piki-piki. When crossing the road these two-wheeled transports pose more of a risk than cars or trucks. Doreen's friends live in modest 1-room apartments that are smaller than my university dorm room was. However, the rooms don't seem that small because everyone moves in and around each others rooms and the shared compound. The toilets are communally shared as is the washroom.
Doreen decided to go to Kericho Saturday afternoon. On the way, Doreen introduced me to sim-sim. These are sesame seed balls held together by pure melted sugar and boy do they taste good! The little girl in the picture below was sitting in front of us in the matatu and is enjoying one of these balls.
The visit in Kericho was short but beautiful. Kericho is known for its tea farms and beautiful views.
Here is just one of the things we saw on our way back to Nairobi.
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| View from our seats out the front of the bus. |
What a Journey!
Praises:
- Made it to Kisumu, Kakamega, Kericho, and back safely.
- I have excellent new neighbors.
- Getting over a cold. Please pray it disappears.
- I lost my phone while transferring vehicles last weekend. Please pray that I can get my contacts back.
- I have been struggling to get a good nights rest. Please pray that my sleep would be restful
- Work is getting stressful. Pray for patience, follow-through, and efficiency.
- There have been a rash of break-ins recently. Please pray for safety, that the intruder is caught and justice is served.
- Pray for patience and unity in the Orthopedic department at CURE where I am stationed.
