Robbery! Or misappropriation of church funds, at least! We’re sitting in a tin-roof church in Kakamega, and 3-year old Terry attaches himself to Marge. He holds her hand throughout the service, and sits on her knee. When the offering is being collected, Marge gives him 30 cents…..but instead of tucking it into the plate, he runs out the door. He returns a few minutes later with a little bag. And for the rest of the service, he and 10 friends are sucking on candy he had just bought.
Then there is the glimpse of those horrible yellow pills I am taking (21 of them). They are for a stomach illness I get in Africa once or twice a month (for 13 years). The nurses tell me I will be cured. They are almost as bad as my cooking.
And there’s the donkey cart, heavily loaded, making its way up the hill beside a busy road outside Nairobi. And the driver is lying on top of the bags of charcoal, asleep. Sure hope the donkey doesn’t decide to investigate something on the other side of the highway.
On a sober side, there is the sight of 6-month old Marcus. He was born a twin, but he has hydrocephalus, and will never walk following surgery on his spinal cord. He’s a cheerful little guy, even though he was abandoned by the parents in the hospital (after all, they had one child to take home). Some missionaries are trying to adopt him, and give him a chance at life.
And, as Marge tells the story, there was this beautiful, young African lady. Well dressed. Neat. Attractive. But she had crutches. And only one leg. And her remaining leg had scars from a machete. Such attacks are common – the school principal across our road was attacked in the same way, and has taken over a year to walk properly.
Thanks for thinking of us. God bless.
Ken & Marge MacGowan
