Pip is busy with his course on Ezekiel, so I am guest blogging today!

So far my time in Kenya has been a wonderful, though overwhelming experience. It took a few days to get over the jet lag and the whirlwind of getting used to new sights, sounds, and smells. The students, staff, and our hosts at CTI have been very kind, and it’s been a joy to get to know them.

A few things I’ve learned

• A closed fist means five, not zero:

Today, an older student named Jane asked me, “you are the mother of how many children?” I said none, and felt a little conscious. She corrected, “No, you are the mother of future children.” I asked her how many she had. Jane proudly held up a closed fist. I thought, surely with that expression she cannot mean zero, so I asked her if she meant ten kids. Nope, she meant five!

• Fermented milk is not buttermilk:

I purchased a fermented milk drink called “Lala” hoping to use it as a buttermilk substitute for a meatball recipe. Our Korean hosts asked me to make an American meal with some spaghetti noodles they had; spaghetti and meatballs seemed like an obvious choice. I chickened out and used milk in the meatballs instead, but tested the Lala later. I like buttermilk and sometimes drink it straight, but I did not care for Lala. It tasted grassy, watered down yogurt and had an almost manure-like aftertaste. Too bad I can’t bring it back for you all to try 😉

• Singers lead the piano, not the other way around:

I was asked at the beginning of last week to play the piano during chapel each day. I am not an especially talented musician, but can get by. I quicky discovered that the African students are not used to being led by a piano! The students sang one way, I played another. This was confirmed when we visited churches in Loitokitok; the keybordest followed the rhythm and even the key of the singers. I do not have the ability to change key based on what I hear! We will just have to soldier on at CTI.

We thank you for your prayers and support! Continue to pray for Pip as he teaches this week, and for the students at CTI as they learn. The students have excellent attention spans, but it is clear that after three weeks of intensive courses, they are exhausted.