Walking - the Marsabit reality

Walking is the way of life for many, many people in this area.  Even when we were driving on those very muddy roads on our way to Logologo, we could be far from any community and we would pass people who were walking along the road.  One of the child mothers who had agreed to come and have conversation with me walked to get here - 13 km one way!  It is just a way of life.  So it felt very good today to go for a long walk with Tim.  We headed north of Marsabit to go to see the Gof Choba Crater.  Once again, we were struck by how very green the fields look - hard to believe that just over a month ago the dust was so thick a plane was not able to land here.  Here is a view of one of the fields along the way:

In the background, you will notice the rocky slope.  That rock will be cut up to be used to make bricks to build houses.  The tools that are used are a pick, a chisel and a hammer - all done by hand.  It is very hard, labor-intensive work.  However, it is one of the ways that people can make some money - by breaking up stones to build bricks.  Along the way we also saw a couple of water pans.  These are areas that have been dug out, with the sides built up, to collect water during the rainy season.  During the drought these water pans were all empty, but they are quite full right now.  Very few people here treat the water.  One of the widows we spoke with said that she grew up drinking this water, and so she was fine with not treating it.  I worry about the health complications.  However, I suppose it would be helpful to have the water close by, even as dirty as it is.

Along the way we stopped to visit with a friend of Tim's.  She and her two sons were very happy to visit with us.  She, like many others in this area, is very concerned about the effect of the rain on her house.  The mud walls are getting eroded and softened to the point where they will collapse if it rains much more.  And then she would lose her house, and have to start all over again to re-build once the rains stop.  There is no predicting when the rains will stop, but they could easily continue on through December.  Today was the first day in about a week where we had no rain at all - another week or two of sun would be welcome right now.

After walking about 1 1/2 hours we arrived at the Gof Choba Crater.  It was quite spectacular!  There is no way to really capture it on camera, but here is my attempt.

It felt very very good to stand there and simply look out at the world.  There are times when the views of life in Marsabit and the area around here can be very difficult - it can weigh heavy on the heart to see some of the ways that people struggle.  So it was very good to clear the brain and just stand there in the wind and the sun and look out at the beauty in front of us.  In the picture below you can see the road that goes out into the desert.  We are here until November 25th.  If it is heavy rains and the plane can't land at the Marsabit airstrip on the mountain, then they may carry on and land at the next community out in the desert.  We would drive along that road for about 45 minutes (assuming the road is driveable!) and meet the plane there.  Here's hoping the skies are clear that Friday!

Remember how I said that everyone around here walks for miles to get where they need to go?  Well here are two pictures of women who most likely left their homes at the break of dawn, and who were now getting close to the town of Marsabit after hours of walking.  And they were carrying heavy loads on their backs.  Although both Tim and I were feeling the effects of our walk - it was the most exercise I have had since I left home - I looked at these women and knew that I am extremely fortunate to be able to walk through my own choice - unlike these women who walk in order to survive.

Later this afternoon Tim and I were visiting with Charles - a local man from the Marsabit area.  He was telling us that he had spent about 6 months at St. Francis Xavier college on the east coast of Canada.  He told us that as he spent time there in the snow and the wind and the freezing temperatures, all he could think about was getting back here to the sun - and to knowing that at any time he could get on his motorcycle and ride out into the desert!  While it may seem harsh in some ways, this place is home to many - and today I saw both the trouble and the beauty.  May we each give thanks for wherever it is that we call home, and give thanks for the strength to walk whatever path we find in front of us.