Mobasa to London

Hello Friends!

We were sad to leave our good friends in Mombasa. It seemed like such a quick visit, however, we made lasting friendships and gained several pounds! The hospitality of the local people and our dear friend Carol made us feel so welcome. The Indian, Arab, and Kenyan food was so tasty, as well as healthy!

I conducted seminars and clinics for guitar, spoke to young college kids about friendship and accountability, but most importantly we developed relationships with people who are living out their lives there. Though it's coastline is beautiful, Mombasa has it's difficulties for westerners, water issues (lack of water), heat/humidity, wild life (monkeys throwing mangos at our head and insects!). The culture is predominantly Muslim/Hindu, and their "swahili/arabic coffee" is too sweet and spicy! We enjoyed our time with the Fellowship Baptist Church, joining them on an all day safari at Tsavo National Park. We got a close up look at a huge lioness!

We traveled to Nairobi for a night, and stayed at the wonderful Mennonite Guest House with its beautiful grounds. We were able to walk to a nearby coffee shop (Java House), and had the best vanilla latte in Africa! Soon we boarded our flight to London. Upon arrival, we quickly found the Starbucks in the airport. There was much rejoicing! (See photo above!) Then, we braved the train and the tube and met up with Cathi's aunt and uncle. Now we are at our hotel (Holiday Inn Express) in a modest room for only $160/night. Ouch! We will be setting up our revised itinerary, since our Nairobi plans fell through.

We will keep you updated!

Jerry

A Day in Mombasa

Dear Family and Friends,

We wake up with fingers crossed this morning…will the water come? Since we arrived, the city has neglected to deliver water to our apartment complex. In fact, it has not delivered for a total of three weeks now. Normally, the water lines are opened for two hours on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, to fill the water tank. Fortunately, there is a cistern that stores water for times such as these and we have had limited water. We are learning the fine art of water conservation! This morning, we listen as the neighbor’s gutters bubble with water that flows onto the street. They have a bore hole (a type of well), which gives them too much water and is dumped into the street when their cistern is full. We longingly listen and hope. By 9am, we know that water won’t happen today. I take a quick sponge bath and dip my hair in a bucket. Jerry opts to go without!

The boys are set up with homeschooling so Jerry and I headed out with Carol to do some “quick” errands. Quick is just not in the vocabulary in Africa. We started with the Water Department. Carol needed to pay her water bill. You may ask, why pay your bill when you don’t get any water? I guess that could be considered a rhetorical question here. In any case, we park downtown and search for the parking ticket man who may or may not be found, depending on the time of day. If you park downtown without a ticket, you risk having a lock put on your wheel or being towed! However, it is not unusual to find the parking man missing. We are in luck, he is decked out in a yellow jacket and is just a block away. We buy our ticket and head for the water department. Water bills and other utility bills must be paid in cash. After standing in line with the rest of Mombasa to pay a water bill for water that has not come in three weeks, we advance to the office to speak with the supervisor about the situation. His office is a block away on a pot-holed road in a building that would have been worthy of condemning in the U.S. Carol asks around for him, he is not in his office, but in a meeting. We are promised that water will come on Wednesday. We’ll see…

After the errands, we rush back home and are picked up by our friends, Venu and Raji who take us in two cars to visit Venu’s factory and the rural school that his company sponsors. The factory is incredible, with state-of-the-art equipment and technology. It is run almost completely by Kenyans. We are fed lunch at the factory, which includes half a dozen delicious Indian entrees and chapatti. We arrive home for a short time, then off for gelatos and an evening visit with Carol’s friends. They welcome us like dear friends and serve us ice cold juice. Like all the friends we have met here in Mombasa, they really want to feed us! We decline as we have just filled ourselves with gelatos (much to their disappointment!) We visit for an hour or so; Jerry is amazing in his ability to generate conversation with anyone! We arrive home after 10pm.

Back at home, I sat down in the comfortable big blue chair in the bedroom and type in my thoughts about today. I put my feet up and lean my head back. Ah, a moment of relaxation. Jerry comes in to get ready for bed, takes one look at me and says those dreaded African words, “Don’t move!” He instructs me to slowly move my head to the left and to get off the chair. I cautiously obey, and discover an 8 inch millipede who had settled in about an inch from where my head was so recently resting! Here is a photo of the fellow.



Life in Africa has its share of challenges, but the people are so warm and friendly. We have already made wonderful friends and again will be faced with goodbyes too soon.

Love to you all,
Cathi

Guitar Man!

Friends,

Mombasa is a cornucopia of different cultures; Kenyans, Indians, Pakistanees, Arabs, and Whites inhabit this beautiful coastal island. Most religions are represented here. While it seems that the majority of the population is Muslim (because of the loud calls to prayer), Hindu and Christian churches abound as well.

I was asked to lead a guitar clinic at a local Baptist church. My classroom was in the rear of the building, with good attendance. The students who were there had a wide spectrum of experience levels from beginner to advanced. The ages ranged from 11 years to seasoned adult. Three students had never even touched a guitar before!

I taught the basics of chord structure and guitar anatomy. It was challenging for both the inexperienced as well as the experienced. I increased the difficulty to those advanced players by having them find chords we were discovering, utilizing all the chord positions. I touched on rhythm and palm muting, and recognizing that the guitar can be a rhythm instrument.

After 3 hours, it was time to dismiss. I can’t wait until next week. I teach a song in three parts! Beginners will play the basic chords, intermediates will play the same chords but in a different position, and the advanced players will attempt a harmony lead part.

Ahh…music to my ears!

Jerry



While Jerry worked with the fledgling guitarists, the boys and I had a ministry of our own. We made some new friends! We sang, laughed and danced together. What friendly, open and loving young people. We felt welcomed! Karibuni! (Swahili for Welcome to you all!)

Cathi

Mombasa!

Dear Family and Friends,

We are settling in to our spacious and comfortable 2 bedroom apartment, next door to our host Carol. Talk about a great welcome! She picked us up at the airport and served us a delicious meal, then took us out for Italian gelatos! Then we had an exciting drive through old town Mombasa, that was a truly cultural experience. Mombasa has many Muslim residents and this being Ramadan, many folks are out after dark, eating and shopping. We could hardly drive down the narrow streets due to the crowds.

We had such a nice day today. Well, the afternoon was fabulous! (after a challenging morning...Homeschool meltdown.) After doing a bit of grocery shopping (in the best stocked and least expensive grocery store so far in the trip) we headed to a lovely hotel just south of Mombasa. We swam in the ocean and the beautiful, clean pool, then sat in lawn chairs to dry off. The water was the temperature of Hawaiian waters, the palm trees were gently swaying in the breeze. Ah, this is just what we needed!

Photos to come.

Much love to you all. Cathi

Saying Goodbye to Uganda and Hello to Mombasa!

As we travel, we have made such good friends along the way. The hardest part of this journey is saying good bye to them. It was such an emotional good bye when we left the children's home. I remember staring into to the eyes of all those precious ones, not really knowing if we will ever see them again. Of course it is our hope that we do return, but in this life there are no guarantees. As I left, I wondered what the future holds for them. But this I do know, Mike and Lori (of Show Mercy, International) have given these children a chance at having a better life, and for this I am grateful. In our one month stay, we attempted to share some joy and laughter with these children, unaware of how deeply it would affect us. The Von family is forever changed. Every day we spoke of taking home a child, or maybe two. We knew this would be impossible, however, it was weighing heavy on us, knowing in America, this child would have a chance of a better life and a good education.

We also had to say good bye to our dear friends in Kampala. Brian, Susan, and their boys, Kenny and Roy, Richard, Douglas, Gilbert, Prossy, Christine, Rose, and Andy.
They had been such a part of our lives here in Uganda, a great part, an infastructure that kept us safe and sane. We will miss them so much. I know technology will help us to stay in contact.

So here we are in Mombasa! Already making new friends, feeling the warmth and love of the people. Here on the island, life has a different pace then Kamapla, layed back and yet, more intentional. Here, schedules are maintained and arranged. Our days have been quickly filling up with engagements, picnics, excursions, and tours.

Our host Carol is wonderful. She has been on the island for more than 24 years. She knows all the ins and outs of the place. Mombasa is culturally diverse. Here there are Arabs, Asians (Indians and Parkastanees), Kenyans, and Whites. There are many different religions ranging from Muslim, Hundu, Christian, and a variety of others.

We are looking forward to meeting/making new friends and developing an African network of relationships, sharing together our experiences and our joy.

Jerry

Jiggers?

Dear Family and Friends,

We headed out to Hope Children’s Home today with a very full taxi. Our driver, Richard, who now has been out to the home three times, picked us up in the early afternoon. We crammed 6 of us into Richard’s Toyota Corolla. Katy, the young woman who is staying with us after the Show Mercy team departed and our dear friend Douglas, who Jerry has mentioned in our blog, joined us. Douglas had heard so much about the children and wanted to see the home first hand.

As I sat on the front steps of Hope, my arms and lap full of half a dozen children, 8 year old Teddy grabbed my hand and asked me to follow her. She led me to the far side of the home where a small boy was sitting. He had obviously been crying. I asked what was wrong, then I saw his toes. They were swollen and infected. He had a large safety pin in his hand and it appeared that he had been poking his toes. I picked him up and carried him back to the entrance to the house. As I tried to evaluate what to do with his painful toes. Should I wash them with soap and water, put antibacterial cream on them? Richard and Douglas came to take a look. Richard announced, “He’s got jiggers.” I had never heard of jiggers. They are insects that embed themselves in one’s toes, causing much pain and infection. He said they must come out. As I held little Kato on my lap, Douglas tenderly held his toes and Richard extracted the jiggers, using the same safety pin that Kato had been trying to use. Kato never even flinched, but stoically endured, while I choked back the tears. For the rest of the day, Kato quietly snuggled up to me.

I was so moved by the love and tenderness of our two Ugandan friends. We were able to have them translate for us. Jerry had particularly connected with a shy 11 year old girl named Fatima. She attends school at Hope, but does not live there. Often Jerry noticed that she doesn’t have anything to eat when the other children go off to eat their lunches. So through Douglas’ interpreting help, he asked Fatima if she was hungry and when she had last eaten. She replied that she is always hungry and that she had not eaten since yesterday. Jerry told her to “go with Aunt Cathi and she will give you something to eat.” I led her off to one of the bedrooms, thinking that I could slip her a couple of cookies to relieve the ache in her stomach. After handing her the cookies, she quickly left the room and shared them with all the children who happened to be close. We are learning that this is the Ugandan way.

With love, Cathi

Life in Kampala

Hello Friends!

We have received several emails asking us what life is really like in Kampala, Uganda. I thought it would be interesting to take you on a small journey. Here is "A Day in the Life of the Vons" in Kampala.

5:30 A.M. We are awaken by the sound of thunder and heavy rainfall. Our bedroom window is leaking water on the floor. I open the curtains and mop up the floor. Cathi rises early to shower. She tells me, "I hope there is hot water", no such luck this morning, so she takes a cold one. I skip my shower this morning. We get on line to check email, and Cathi "skypes" with her sister. I go to the kitchen, open our 5 liter water bottle, and pour enough water into out electric kettle to boil water for coffee. Coffee is made in our "JetBoil", which we brought from home, and it has a French press adapter which has been very handy. Oh, did I tell you that there is only one electrical outlet in the kitchen, and one adapter for the whole apartment. This adapter is not a tight fit into the outlet, what that means is when we use the kettle, toaster, or microwave (yes, we have a microwave!) one needs to physically hold the plug into the adapter! So patience while toasting bread is now an acquired skill!

7:30 A.M. The boys rise for breakfast, chores, and school. The computer programs for homeschooling are far from perfect. Cathi is trying to master the math program, while I take a taxi to a part of town named Katwe. Here in Katwe, I am having a pedal-operated washing machine fabricated. I meet with the fabricator, exchange ideas and money, and I am taxied back to our apartment. (I am so thankful for our driver, Richard, who is so faithful, and reliable). Upon my return, I find Cathi still wrestling with the math program! She is so frustrated, that all I can do is give her a hug! Micah needs to take a math quiz, but the program won't allow it! Cathi attempts to "live chat" with the software company, but they work 8-5 Central Time! Ok it is 2:20 A.M. Central Time! This obviously won't work! They decide to print out the quiz, do it on paper, and move on to other subjects (Cathi will have to input the answers at another time.) I, in the mean time have run down with our bed sheets and towels and arranged with the manager to have a maid come and clean our apartment (this is included in our rent.) The rest of our laundry we do daily by hand, and hang dry on the line. I brought with us a laundry line and it has been very useful! Yesterday's laundry is sopping wet from this morning's rain! We pray for a little sunshine!

We have now had to fix lunch, and get ready for the "team bus ride" to Hope Children's Home. (Show Mercy has sent a team out to help with the home.) We leave our apartment for a short 10 minute walk to the Hotel Equatoria. It is a 45 minute bus ride to the home, and when we arrive we are greet by the children. It is always a beautiful thing! Cathi and the boys race off with the children. I have a few of the older boys with me as we inspect the work we have been doing. Jess soon joins us and we are up on ladders working to complete our project. In the mean time, Cathi and Micah are busy with the children, playing, loving, medical care, and being their friends. As much fun as this is... it is also emotionally draining. The afternoon ends with getting the bus "unstuck" from the mud, ferrying two team members to a local hotel, and the bus trip to the Hotel Equatoria.

On our walk back to the apartment(15 minutes coming back... it's uphill!), we arrive back at the apartment, too tired to cook tonight, so I have the brilliant idea to order Chinese take out! So Cathi gets the honor of making the call to the restaurant! Communication, especially via cell phone, can be extremely challenging! She and Jess walk down, pay, pick up the food and bring it back to the apartment.

The boys clean up after dinner and hope for a relaxing evening, but their laundry still needs to be done. Hot water is at a premium so I get into the shower. All follow my lead. As I completed my shower, now about 9:20, our friend Kenny knocks at our door. He is most welcome at our home and stays and visits until 11:30. A quick brush and floss, and we all fall into bed looking forward to tomorrow. Good Night!

Jerry