Pentecost

Father Josaphat consecrates the Eucharist at St. Teresa Church

On the evening of that first day of the week,

when the doors were locked, where

the disciples were,for fear of the Jews,

Jesus came and stood in their midst

and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.

The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,

“Receive the Holy Spirit.

Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,

and whose sins you retain are retained.”

John 20:19-23

Mail

It’s always good to hear from all of you back home. Whether it be through comments posted on this blog, email, or snail mail, all of your words of encouragement and thoughtfulness have been very much appreciated. Asante sana! (Thank you very much!)

In the time I have been in Kenya I have received two packages by snail mail. The first was from my parents for Easter; a shirt, a watch, and best of all, jelly beans. The second was from Jane, my friend from Australia, who just returned home after working at an orphanage in Kenya; an UNO deck and delicious Cadbury milk chocolate. These were both very good gifts to get and I enjoyed them immensely.

Some of you back home have asked me if there is anything that I need and the fact of the matter is that there really isn’t. I am trying my best to adapt to the Kenyan lifestyle and everything I need is here. If I get a letter or a package in the mail I consider it a luxury and a real treat. I am grateful to have such friends and family, but truly I don’t need anything.

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST

However, if you are the type of person that doesn’t take “no” for an answer. Some things that I don’t need, but wouldn’t mind getting are greeting cards, any kind of candy, and ketchup and mustard packets. These things can usually be sent at very little cost. Postcards can be sent to Kenya for $0.75 and 1-ounce letter envelopes for $0.85.

*Just a tip -- The Posta (Post Office) in Malava can sometimes be corrupt. Large packages receive a high tax and can cost more to retrieve than they did to ship from the States. Packages with expensive items listed on the customs label can go “missing” before they are retrieved. So my best advice is, stick with envelopes. Large packaging envelopes are fine…bubbles or no bubbles. Sending time is usually about two weeks.

My mailing address is:

Tim Constantino
Box 323
Malava 501 03
Kenya
Africa

Weekend in Webuye

Webuye Falls

About 30 minutes north of Malava is the village of Webuye (WAY-BOO-YAY). Webuye, in my mind, is known for two things, one of them is absolutely gorgeous while the other is absolutely disgusting. Webuye is home to the stunning Webuye Falls, but unfortunately it is also home to the Pan Paper Factory and also a sewage treatment plant. The falls are breathtaking beautiful and provide a relaxing retreat from the busy marketplace, while the pollution from the factory and treatment plant produce one of the worst smells on earth. The smell is a cross between car exhaust, burning rotten trash, and an overflowing pit latrine. It is mind-boggling that Webuye’s residents would tolerate such a foul stink in their community, but then again, I suppose they don’t have any power over the rich businesses in their village and furthermore, many of it’s residents are employed at either the factory or treatment plant. Fortunately, the falls are some distance from the village center and are isolated from the dreadful smell of appalling air pollution.

From the falls there are many tributaries that go in many directions

Behind the main falls are a series of smaller falls

In some spots, you can cross the river on a foot path of stones

The still water is very beautiful, but is also home to some crocodiles

From the marketplace, I hired a boda-boda, or bicycle taxi, to take me up the rocky path to the falls. The distance is only about a half-mile, but the terrain can be slightly challenging for a bicycle not built for off-road. For this reason, I had to pay double the standard taxi fee and what’s more I had to get off the bicycle and walk when the path became too difficult. Nevertheless, I gladly paid the 200 Ksh ($2.85 USD) round trip fee to spend a day at the falls. The boda-boda rider’s name was Joseph and he offered to be my tour guide for the day to show me around.

Webuye is a relaxing retreat from the busy marketplace

Local village children play in small caves formed by the huge rocks

The scenic rapids

The tropical landscapes

The main falls cannot compare to Niagara, but even still they are somewhat large and can be seen and heard from some distance. Where Webuye is lacking in size in comparison to Niagara, it makes up in serenely beautiful green tropical landscapes. Behind the main falls, huge stones dominate the countryside creating a series of smaller falls and rapids that give the feeling of peacefulness and tranquilly. There are even scenes of still water that make you want to spend an afternoon lying on the banks. The lazy stream is so inviting that children will often bath or go swimming it’s calming waters. But as Joseph, my guide, told me, “You have to watch out for the crocodiles!”

The stunning Webuye Falls!

The Crying Stone of Ilesi

On top of the hills just south of Kakamega is the mysterious Crying Stone of Ilesi. The Crying Stone is a local landmark that consists of a large boulder resting on top of a massive pillar of rock eight meters high. The formation is supposed to resemble a solemn head falling on weary shoulders and from the top “tears” flow down the length of the column. The legend has it that the “tears” never stop flowing, but the stones were definitely dry when I came to visit. Although it seemed to be in good spirits on the day I came, remnants of many sorrowful days can still be seen. The stone is stained a dark green color from many years of weeping.

The cause of this natural curiosity is a hidden reservoir at the top of the stone “head.” When it rains the reservoir fills up with water and slowly flows through small cracks down the side of the “shoulders.”. Moss that grows inside the reservoir soaks up water and allows it to flow for many weeks at a time, even during a drought.

Labor Day

Angela and Nancy making chapati

On Labor Day, Ryan and I had a few members of the St. Julie Centre staff over for dinner to celebrate both the work we are doing and also our day off. Angela, one of the occupational therapists, and Nancy who helps with just about everything at the Center, agreed to prepare the meal. David, the occupational therapist who runs the Center, and Tom, the groundskeeper were also invited.

David and Tom in the sitting room

Ryan entertained David and Tom in the sitting room while I helped Angela and Nancy in the kitchen. Although it is Kenyan culture for women to prepare food in a household while the men sit and discuss “important” matters, such as sports or politics, I spent most of my time in the kitchen learning about Kenyan cooking. The meal would consist of chicken, chapattis, ugali, and sukuma wiki.

Since most women in Kenya do the cooking, it is not uncommon for a Kenyan woman to know how to slaughter a chicken, and so Nancy did the honors. Ryan and I purchased a large rooster and Nancy slaughtered it in our courtyard before cooking it for dinner. I tend to enjoy a meal more when I haven’t witnessed the slaughtering of the animal just before and so I went out back while Nancy did her work.

Nancy removes all of the feathers

Slaughtering a chicken is typically done by removing the animal’s head from it’s body using a standard kitchen knife. Once the blood is allowed to drain, the chicken is put into a pot of hot water allowing the feathers to be easily removed. Then the chicken is cooked three times. First, it is smoked whole over a charcoal fire. Then it is cut into pieces and boiled in a cooking pot. Lastly, it is fried on a charcoal jiko in a sufuria pot until the skin turns brown. Then it is nearly ready to eat.

The chicken is smoked on a charcoal jiko

The chicken is fried in a sufuria pot

It is also part of Kenyan culture to use every part of the chicken so nothing goes to waste and one chicken can feed a family with many members. It is common to serve chicken with parts such as the liver, gizzard, feet, and even the head. I was told that the gizzard is considered one of the best parts and it is served to the head man of the house. Tradition says that a man can divorce his wife if she does not prepare for him the gizzard of a chicken. No complaints here!
While the chicken cooked, Angela and Nancy were busy preparing the rest of the meal. They prepared chapattis; a Kenyan flat bread, along with ugali; maize meal porridge, and sukuma wiki; kale that is fried with onions and tomatoes.

When the food was finished cooking we brought it all across the courtyard and into the sitting room of the house where David lead us in prayer. We thanked God for bringing us all together on this day to enjoy the food which had been prepared for us and then we began to eat. The meal that Angela and Nancy prepared for us was delicious and it was good to be able to spend my Labor Day with friends.