Ten Years Later

This week marks the tenth anniversary of the United States' invasion of Iraq. I was a junior in college, simply trying to make sense of what was about to ensue. None of us knew what this would mean for our nation, for Iraq, for terrorism, or for the world. As we consider our personal journeys and stories along the way, it is important to remember that much of our own story is deeply impacted by the stories of others - good and bad - the stories of the world that somehow intersect into our own. I couldn't have known then that both my brother and sister-in-law would be sent to war, and would never be the same, as a result.

The following excerpt is my journal entry from March 18, 2003 - just a day before our nation initiated war in Baghdad.In many ways, life is completely different than it was ten years ago. But in some ways, it's still the same. How have you seen the world change in the past decade?

Kenya Elections: An Update from the Field

This week, we have a guest post from James about the current elections in Kenya. I posted a bit about this last week, but I wanted James to give us a look into the situation from the perspective of one of Blood:Water Mission's partner sites in Lwala, Kenya. James is the Executive Director of Lwala Community Alliance.

The Election The election on Monday was generally peaceful, as I am sure many of you who have been following in the news may know. The results are still coming out, and you can click here for a very good way to keep up with them. If you hover your cursor over individual counties you will see that the results per county are a little troubling. For instance, in the counties near Lwala in the West (our county of Migori, or our neighbors in Homa Bay, Siaya) Raila Odinga took nearly 100% of the vote. In Central Kenya (e.g. Nyandarua and Nyeri), Uhuru Kenyatta is winning nearly 100% of the vote. Overall, it looks like Odinga will lose to Kenyatta, which, of course, is counter to the hopes of the people in and around Lwala. Looking ahead to the certified results, which should come out on Friday or Monday, our immediate worry would be that some people in Migori, Kisii, and Homabay counties will handle this news poorly. Our hope is that they will not respond violently.

It is also possible that Kenyatta will win but take less than 50%, which would lead to a run off with Odinga in April. This looks somewhat unlikely, but we will see by Monday. Imagine though- 99% of your neighbors voted the same way you did and yet your candidate loses. There is at the least a false expectation in our region that Odinga will win. I will try to keep you informed.

Our Safety Precautions In the meantime, I also want you to know the precautions we have taken as an organization. As a precaution we have evacuated our American staff member Kathy Kemp and our Vanderbilt Nurse Practitioner Kayla Thielk. They have been staying in Mwanza Tanzania and the plan is for them to remain there until results are known. Both are safe, in a pleasant lodge on Lake Victoria, and I have spoken to them several times.

The hospital still continues to provide services, though at a low volume. Some of the Kenyan staff who are not Luo are delaying their return to work until results are out. Local staff are at work now, though schools and local business have mostly been closed this week, which means our education and economic development programs are on pause. We have also had extra security on the Lwala premises since 2 days before the election. We are trying to be prepared for even village level unrest. I am proud of the forethought our team has shown.

Migori County and Basic Commodities Robert Kasambala our Kenya Program Director reported today: "I travelled this evening to my home in Migori. All the shopping centers and big towns I passed seem to have opened for business. Unlike Tuesday, there were matatus and some buses on the road, hawkers have returned to the streets, and shops/stores were opened. The big surprise/shock is that there are no basic commodities like bread, milk, maize/wheat flour, anything. Food was not on the shelves at the supermarket I visited in Migori. There is no fuel anywhere."

After a 5 day hold up on our monthly wire transfer, the Kenya side of the organization has money in the bank right now and drugs and some commodities on site but we will be watching this situation closely to make sure we are not surprised by shortages.

The Big Picture The big blessing so far is that the process has been more fair and democratic than the process was 5 years ago. Our long term worry for the country as a whole is that the election was almost entirely on tribal lines and the new switch to decentralized power at the county level may exasperate this in the future. The likely winners, Uhuru Kenyatta and his running mate William Ruto, are both charged by the International Criminal Court for crimes related to the post election violence in early 2008. A ruling against them by the ICC while they are the sitting leaders of Kenya could be very bad for international aid and to the reputation of Kenya. Even the suspicion they are under now is delegitimizing at best. Overall we pray for continued peace and a smooth transition of power. Carrying out the full implementation of the new constitution in the upcoming months and years will be complicated no matter who is president. It is likely more critical than ever that strong civil society organizations like the Lwala Community Alliance exist at the local level in counties like Migori, Kisii, and Homabay. We will be needed in the days to come. You will be needed in the days to come.

In mission together, James

May We

For the hungry and the overfed May we have enough.

For the mourners and the mockers May we laugh together.

For the victims and the oppressors May we share power wisely.

For the peacemakers and the warmongers May clear truth and stern love lead us into harmony.

For the silenced and the propagandists May we speak our own words in truth.

For the unemployed and the overworked May our impress on the earth be kindly and creative.

For the troubled and the sleek May we live together as wounded healers.

For the homeless and the cosseted May our homes be simple, warm and welcoming.

For the vibrant and the dying May we all die to live.

(New Zealand Prayer Book)

Health & Hope

This is post 9 of 10 in the Broken:Beautiful series.                             

Like, James, I am honored to see the vision of Isaiah 65 lived out as I walk alongside the villages and organizations we partner with through Blood:Water Mission. So much of the progress we see is slowly, but steadily pushing back the darkness and ushering in bits and pieces of a "new heaven and a new earth." Progress like this:

In the Cyanika district of northern Rwanda, water has been one of the greatest challenges for its people. They live on the side of a mountain, so in order to obtain their daily water, the women and children have had to walk down the mountainside and to a lake that is 18 kilometers (11 miles!) away from their homes, only to walk back up the mountain (11 more miles!) with buckets of water on their heads. And most days, they make this trip more than once. Moreover, the water from the lake is contaminated and contributes to many diseases that plague the Cyanika district. In the midst of this, small groups formed together through the local church and our local partner - they called them solidarity transformation groups. As they analyzed the challenges of water together, they decided to build rain tanks that could capture clean water during the rainy season. These small groups began a long campaign for providing, not only the tanks for their surrounding neighbors and community, but also for the marginalized pygmy people that are ignored by the rest of society. Slowly by slowly and brick by brick, these communities have worked together to achieve 100% water coverage for the entire district - something very difficult to attain anywhere in Africa, much less in village located on the side of a mountain. Children can go to school and women can care for their community because neither has to walk for water. Those who suffered stomachaches, diarrhea, skin infections, eye infections, typhoid and cholera are now enjoying a life of health and hope.

Are You Tired? Get Outside (Of Yourself)!

John Muir observed that:

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity.

I couldn't agree more. I have an insatiable love for the mountains because they save me from myself, they humble me, they push my comfort zone, and they paint Glory like I have never experienced before. They remind me I am alive.

And today, I was especially alive. James and I have the privilege of traveling together during my sabbatical. Right now we are in the French Alps as part of an 8-day layover to France before heading to Kenya. This morning, I woke up to a winter wonderland and felt a sense of awe catch my own breath.

I generally like to calculate risk before stepping into the world, but this time, I am glad I chose otherwise. Without a plan, we rented a toy-looking car, drove past Geneva and found ourselves in this Eden of Winter. James even convinced me to go skiing - a sport that definitely pushes my comfort zone. But as you can hopefully tell from the picture above, I had a blast!

Do you find yourself tired, nerve-shaken or a little over-civilized? I would never have planned a day like today - it's not practical, it's not convenient, it's not cheap, and it's not even comfortable. But dear friend, days like these are a necessity.

Wise Words for Your Day

I love this quote from Anne Lamott. It reminds me to slow down and actually look around at the broken and beautiful world around me. It reminds me to notice the details and rest in the ordinary moments.

There is ecstasy in paying attention. Anyone who wants to can be surprised by the beauty or pain of the natural world, of the human mind and heart, and can try to capture just that - the details, the nuance, what is. -- Anne Lamott

Wise Words for 2013

As we find ourselves making New Year's promises to ourselves and to our loved ones, let's resolve to focus on the most important things of this life. I love the quote below and have it hanging in our home as a reminder about the practices that bring fullness and joy into a life well-lived.

"Remember when you go into the world to keep your eyes and ears wide open. And be kind. Love one another. Take care of each other. Tell the truth. Always do your best. Listen to the big people and the little people. Explore new paths and have fun. Know that you are loved like crazy. Give thanks for all your blessings. Above all else, love and you will do wonderful things in this world." - Unknown