My first glimpse of Marsabit

This morning began with a very long taxi ride to the airport in Nairobi.  The roads would have to be seen to be believed - makes me think I will never again complain about potholes in Regina - our cab could have disappeared in some of the holes we drove around today.  I am rather amazed at how the vehicles all seem to know how to drive without hitting the pedestrians, the bikes, the motorcycles, the occasional goat or cow, or other cars.  From where I was sitting, I had no idea what the rules of the road were!  But we did arrive safe and sound and began with all our bags getting weighed - mine was the heaviest, but was still under the limit thank goodness!  Each person then had to be weighed - made the check-in at Westjet seem very simple somehow!  This is the plane we then flew in - 8 people.  We flew high above the clouds, with the cabin air being pressurized just as it is in the larger planes.  So all we had to look at along the way was the tops of the clouds.  It was about a 2 hour flight.

This is Tim Wright, and his cousin Karen, and her husband Lorne.  Karen and Lorne are from Alberta and will be here with us until Tuesday.  One of the first things that Tim noticed was how very green it is right now.  The rains have come early, and there has been more rain in the last while than there has been in about two years.  Because the rains are heavy, and then the sun comes out right away, you can almost seen the grass growing - it gives everyone a sense of hope to see the green land rather than the usual clouds of dust.  However, the wet, muddy roads bring a new set of problems - many, many stuck vehicles.  The man who came to meet us at the airport told us that last week he had spent the night out in a mudhole in his vehicle waiting for someone to come and help get him out.  Any plans we make to go out and about will be contingent on whether it is raining, and whether we can find a 4 wheel drive vehicle available for use.  Many of the vehicles that would normally be available are being hired out for the food aid in the villages in the district around Marsabit.

While we are in Marsabit, we will be staying at the "Food for the Hungry" guest house in the town of Marsabit.  It is good to set myself up in this room and to know that I will be here for the next 3 weeks.

Today has been very full.  We have done a lot of walking around the townsite.  It is going to be difficult to take many pictures.  Partly because there will be some people who will expect to be paid if they think they are in any pictures.  And partly because it feels rather uncomfortable to look so much like a tourist.  We already stand out enough with the color of our skin - the last thing I want to do is feel like I am somehow putting this community on display.  I will do my best to get some pictures, but mostly I hope to be able to simply absorb being in this world for awhile, and find ways to share it with you as I continue to listen and to watch and to wonder.  I think what I am holding the closest in my heart tonight, is my thanks for the deep compassion of so many of the people we met today.  Compassion and generous hearts.  Life is far from easy for many people living here, but the sense of community is strong.  Tomorrow we are hoping to meet some of the child mothers who have been sponsored by Sauti Moja - I am looking forward to hearing their stories in the context of this place rather than simply reading about them on the website.  It is very good to be here.