Cliche Africa

Before I came here, everyone kept telling me, “Don’t go with any expectations.” So I tried my hardest not to. All I had ever heard about Africa was the cliche, stereotypical things. So I figured this advice was most applicable to me because I probably had a very ignorant and closed-minded view. 

I spoke to the friends of mine often that had just gotten back from Kampala, Uganda (the country next door to Kenya) and asked questions about the culture, what was appropriate to wear, and what I should and should not do to be most loving to these people. I was surprised to hear of ATM machines and other western culture ideas that were very prevalent in this city. I began to ask God to prepare my heart by removing any ignorant thoughts or misconceptions so that I could serve effectively and, at the same time, not be offensive. I was under the impression that this area of the neighboring country had to be similar.

Flash forward. 

For the next little bit of my life, I will live at this camp in South Horr, Kenya. In order to get here, I drove through the real-life version of Lion King. I have seen more goats, camels, and donkeys than I care to mention. I live in a cement hut with a straw roof and no electricity. I wash in dirty, cold water that literally stops working about 5 times each time I try to shower. I do everything outside except sleep: eat, shower, wash my hands, use the bathroom, brush my teeth, even cook (when Natalina and the other ladies let me help). What’s more mind boggling is that I am falling in love with these living conditions and the people I am living among. 

I live among the Samburu tribe. About 50% of these people wear Westernized (or “normal” as ‘ignorant me’ used to say) clothes, and the rest wear traditional tribal attire. The women have little to no hair and the men mostly have long red hair or short hair with red paint around their heads and shoulders. The men wear wraps and beaded straps around their chest. The women wear BEAUTIFUL colored wraps and many beaded wire necklaces around their necks. Yesterday, I attended the last part of a 2 day Smburu wedding ceremony among these people. This didn’t include the cow slaughtering that I missed or the drinking of the goat blood (true story). There was cliche African chanting, cliche African dancing, and even the occasional cliche African topless woman. 

Every child that I see seems to have been hand plucked from a Christian Children’s Fund commercial. Very few wear shoes, many at the wedding ceremony were naked or only wearing a shirt. Although the children that live here at the camp (which is open and free for all members of this tribe which means that any given morning I will eat breakfast next to a decked out Samburu warrior) are wearing a full outfit, the poverty is still very prevalent. Again - cliche.

This morning, Stakwell took us to church (In Africa - “chach”). I entered a covered area with cement floors and waist-high walls (which is preferable because of the breeze and the breath-taking view of the Samburu hills surrounding us). We, a group of white Americans, entered and sat down. A few people that worked at the camp entered closely behind us speaking to us in broken English. Then a handful of the tribal women and warriors entered as well in their beautiful, unmistakable attire. Stakwell’s friend initiated the service and led most of it. The entire service, with the exception of our introductions and greetings which was translated, was in Samburu. I figured out after a few minutes that “Jessu” is Samburu for Jesus as it was the subject of many songs, chants, and parts of the sermon. I have never felt so moved. 

Our God is so awesome that he used Stakwell, a native of the Samburu tribe and non-believer until he was in secondary school, to bring Christ to this unknown corner of the earth. This cliche idea of Africa that we think is outdated and no longer existing. The same God that I have worshipped my whole life in a Southern Baptist Church in Wayne County is being worshipped on the same day of the week, 7 hours earlier, by people that I thought only existed in legends and history books. 

I could obviously write more but I’m going to save some energy for when I start working with the Special Education program at the school tomorrow (PS - among the tribal children was a young man with Downs Syndrome so I look forward to seeing if he attends school and I will work with him or if he works with his family). I found out that this school has a Special Ed teacher who is Samburu. When I asked Stakwell how developed the program was he replied, “Is Nothing.” I can’t wait to see what God does there. 

Andrew and Ben are great. No need to worry about these guys. They were built for this. Andrew made this statement to me last night, “It’s safer to live in a dangerous place within God’s will, than to sit at home on your sofa out of God’s will.” What encouragement. 

Keep my family back home in your prayers as well. My sister will deliver any day now! (Love you my sissy and I can’t wait to meet Claire)

Erin Gamble

Server of Jessu