Introducing Kahawa Farmers

Rev Alfred Kanga, Rev Douglas Njoka, Sheena Orr, Peter Maura, Rev Donald Scott.

Kahawa Farmers is the name of the congregation that I have been given as my home congregation by Nairobi North Presbytery. During the last 3 weeks I have been worshipping with them and getting to know some of the elders including Peter Maura, the Session Clerk. Rev Douglas Njoka is the minister - a lovely, gracious man. He knows Edinburgh having studied at New College for a year in the 1980's. The Presbytery Clerk, Rev Kanga has been very helpful in releasing me to work with in prison ministry. And Rev Donald Scott from my home Presbytery of Falkirk came out to check I would be in good hands!

The church is situated 15 kms to the north of the city and is in a coffee (kahawa) growing area and just 1 km away from Kamiti Maximum security prison. Three services are held on Sunday - An English service 8.30-10.00; a Swahili Service - although most of it is actually in Kikuyu - from 10-12.30 ish...... there is also a youth service going on concurrently with 100+ young people in addition to the very well attended Sunday School. I have been impressed by the involvement of people in all aspects of the service particularly young people who get up and lead worship as well as extempore prayers. I have been very warmly welcomed and look forward with great anticipation to making this my spiritual home for the next few years.

Mombasa to Mara

Angus, Euan, Niall and Aidan 
relaxing
 in the Indian Ocean

Arrived in Kenya in early July for 3 weeks holiday with the whole family plus Angus, a friend of Aidan's, who was coming out to see where Aidan is going to be living and going to school.  After a few days in Nairobi we headed down to the coast.  What we thought was going to be a 6 hour journey ended up being 10.5 hours on a very busy road.  All the containers arriving at the port in Mombasa are put on lorries which then c...r...a...w...l along the road between Mombasa and Nairobi and back.  The whole journey is stop-start as cars try to overtake on a single carriageway.  It is not uncommon to be forced off the road as a 'matatu' - mad minibus - comes tearing towards you with lights flashing.  The road drops from 6,000ft in Nairobi to sea level at Mombasa with lots of changes of scenery as you go down the escarpment.  The temperature also heats up - rather welcome as being the middle of winter in the southern hemisphere it can be very chilly in Nairobi. In fact we have rarely had a sunny day since arriving. One is not surprised to learn that  Nairobi was originally chosen as a place to settle because its weather is like Britain's!

Zebra in sight

A week later we went to the Masai Mara where we had an amazing time seeing animals.  Herds of buffalo, zebra, giraffe, elephant, antelope, zebra.  Warthog with their funny little tails in the air, hyenas, leopard, thousands of vultures circling over the Mara as they prepared to gorge on yet another carcass of wildebeest or zebra that didn't make it across the river.  And the most amazing thing - a lion kill just 4 metres away.  We all watched with bated breath as a lion crouched behind a bush - we then realised it was eyeing up a young zebra that was walking past with its mother totally unaware of the lions presence. We watched with horror and awe as the female lion sprung out grabbing the young zebra around the neck and dragging it to the ground.  The mother zebra was absolutely distraught standing for a good 5 minutes staring and braying loudly as she watched the lion drag her baby away.  I wasn't dry eyed either. I know its nature but to see something so powerful happen in front of your eyes is rather overwhelming. No photo of the kill I'm afraid as I was too stunned to take pictures!  

 At night we returned to the 'bush camp' - luxury tents complete with beds and solar lighting.  The camp was on the edge of the escarpment above the Mara with amazing view over the plains below.  A trip of a lifetime.