The Bush

I'm here! In the bush! on my neighbor's wireless internet modem. amazing, this technology. I will be brief because the internet is precious and pricey here, so I'm just going to type up a few excerpts from my journal: 23 March - The drive from Nairobi to Wamba ... All around was still green, lush farmland. We constantly saw shephards roaming with goats, sheep, cows of many kinds finding green grass. Then, all of the sudden, we were in the bush. Sister Linda was right when she said I wouldn't have to ask when we were in the bush... I'd know. The ground was red dust. The road was straight and flat. Though vegitation covered the landscape, it was all bushes. A few classic African trees [insert pre-school grade picture here]. But it wasn't totally flat. Always, the distance revealed tall mountains. Not a range with foothills, but single or a pair of tall hills covered in the same terrain. We occasionally passed a several mile patch where the trees were green with fresh leaves and grass scattered the dusty, rocky earth. Those were the places that had seen recent rainfall. Otherwise, there was just dust and grey bush. We saw very few people but occasionally we passed someone walking or riding a bike down a long stretch. I wonder where they are going or coming from!? Finally we turned off the paved road for our last 53km stretch to wamba. A dirt road marked by the lack of bushes. Like Sister Linda said - the road is like corrogated tin. A full series of bumps followed us to wamba. we passed 10 or 20 other traveling vehicles along the way. Once we passed a group of 6 or so children digging a human-sized hole searching for water. Then we got to the Samburu district - where the Samburu tribe lives. They wear brightly colored fabrics wrapped as dresses and skirts. The men have large, sagging holes in their ears with weighted earrings. The women wear their hair short - some bowl cut - with large plates of beaded necklaces. It seems that every man carries a large stick and every woman a small child in her back. They are dark as night with such beautiful, brightly colored clothing and jewelry. I have so much more to say, but I will leave you with those few but exciting images. I am setteled into my own place (bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room). The biggest difference in my living in that there is not a constant water supply. So, I harvest water from the tap during the couple of hours each day that it works and store it in a large bin. When I need water to bathe or wash dishes, I just dip in my pitcher! Also, the water is bad quality. I strain it to get the mosquito larvae out then boil it before drinking. Still, it is full of minerals that make it harsh on my skin. So I will forever feel like I've washed in salt water! I am outfitted with a tailor-made uniform (I'll send pictures when I can... It'll definitely be one for the fridge... old school:) and plan to start work tomorrow! I'm so, so, so excited!!!

Address

For those of you that don't make it to the end of my previous post, here's my new address:

Skye Chambless c/o Wamba Nursing Training
P.O. Box 49
20603 Wamba
Kenya

Hello Kenya!

I said my goodbyes to my new friends of Bangkok and received gifts of food, chocolates, pocky (my favorite snack) and notes of encouragement... Then off to a new land. The travels went nicely. My only scare came when I was sleeping at my terminal in Mumbai, India waiting for the boarding of my flight into Nairobi. I slept two straight hours contorted over arm rests on a row of seats. I woke up as the last few people boarded the Nairobi flight. I grabbed my things and shufled quickly to the attendant. Crisis averted. The plane was huge and there were not many passangers, so I stretched out and slept the whole way to Africa.

I did have more trouble than expected with immigration, but I guess there are some true perks to working with nuns! I got a three month tourist visa after sister linda spoke with the previously unwilling officer over the phone. I wil go to immigration on monday to convert the visa to a one year work permit. Sister Linda and her trusty driver John have been quite the hosts! They set me up with a rom in the Catholic Hostel - which is available to tourists like any hostel, but it is on the grounds of the Nairobi convent and its profits go to support the catholic missions of Kenya. Sister Linda brought me into the convent for a breakfast of toast and delicious Kenyan coffee! Ah, finally! I met lots of sweet, really funny nuns. We traveled to the nursing council and successfully secured my Kenyan nursing license. I feel so exotic! Yes, I hold nursing licenses in Alabama and... Kenya! (dear Chelsey... isn't that cool?!)

Sister Linda has informed me that I wil have my own apartment and will be living in community with the professors at Wamba's nursing school. They are all kenyan and have families with children! She says they helped her set up my apartment and are really excited to be living near an American:) They want to teach me Swahili and how to cook Kenyan food... I'm so lucky! I will work 7 hour shifts, 6 days a week most likely on the regular medical/surgical floor. They say wamba is beautiful. Sister Linda has told me there is a mountain in sights and beacause it's been so dry, they've already had to shoo elephants away from the cultivated compound three times in the past season. She says there's a wildlife park nearby too!

My contact will be quite different from now on. I will no longer have internet access. I will have a phone - so in case of an emergancy I can have contact with the states. But my main communication will be letters. My new address is:

Skye Chambless c/o Wamba Nursing Training
P.O. Box 49
20603 Wamba
Kenya

With much love and hope and excitement!
Skye

Koh Samet

This past weekend was my last in Thailand. I will leave on Thursday for Kenya. So, two of my housemates joined me for a vacation on a beautiful Thai island - Koh Samet. Story for the fridge!... the island is considered a national park. So, like all national parks, Thai nationals get in way cheaper than foreigners, in this case 40 Bhat for Thais and 200 Bhat for foreigners. We are always joking with the girls at The Well that we're Thai and try to prove it by eating hot peppers and other such Thai things. So, when we reached the beach a uniformed fellow approached us to collect our fee. I chuckled as I repeated the well rehearsed line, "Bin con Thai" (I am Thai) and handed him a thousand Bhat note. He responded straight-faced, "Con Thai" (ok, you're Thai). HA! I was chuckling all the while until he asked for a smaller bill because he didn't have enough change for such a big note!!!! He charged us all 40 Bhat each! Amazing! I can't complain about everyone staring and calling me "farang" after I got a break like that from a man in uniform!

We rented a small bungalow on a rocky beach just a short walk from a sandy white beach. It was peaceful and afforded for a quiet and restful weekend. The scenery was incredible! The water was bright hues of blue and green and clear to the bottom. I walked in up to my shoulders and could still see my feet! The three of us went kayaking one afternoon, hiking another, and drank lots of delicious smoothies and ate amazing Thai food, as always. Mostly though, I just sat in a lounge chair and read, relaxed and reflected.

Cultural faux pas number 762:

I went to a new part of town last week. The nature of the location necessitated that I take a form of transportation new to me in this city: the bus. I boarded the great monster just in time to avoid the torrential downpour. I loaded at the back entrance and saw no empty seats. I walked the length of the bus to be sure my eyes weren't tricking my body into the discomfort of standing for the long ride. All the seats were indeed taken. My thoughts drifted toward my lady-ness, secretly hoping one of the men would realize their chivalrous duty and offer... oh... yep... he noticed... he's standing... he's definitely looking at me. I drop my chin and raise my eyes to his shoulder in order to read his face without making eye contact as a woman to an eastern man. He's definitely acknowledging me. He's walking straight towards me, standing next to me and watching me. I give a short bow with my neck and drop my face farther in thanks. I take his seat at the front of the bus. A pause. He's walking toward me again... oh no! he just wants to talk to me because I'm white. He probably wants me to teach his nephew English... What's that? He stretches his arms out and shows me the long sliver tube he's carrying. Wow, quite a coin collection... Oh! Oh my! He's the attendant! I just took the seat of the money collector! I can't help but chuckle. He came to collect my alms and I took the opportunity to snag his seat, never even revealing my change purse. Silly foreigner!

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

"Is the distinction between living for Christ and dying for Him, after all, so great? Is not the second the logical conclusion of the first?" - Elizabeth Elliot

"Relationships develop when people spend time together. Spending time with God ought to be the essence of prayer. However, as it is usually practiced, prayer is more like a series of email or instant messages than hanging out together. Often it involves more talking than listening. It should not be a surprise that the result is a superficial relationship." - David Benner in The Gift of Being Yourself