Ugali - Kenya's Rice, Pasta, or Potatoes

 

Numbers 11: 5-6 -- We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”

Neil is on his 10th day of experimenting to determine how many days he can survive in Kenya without eating ugali. For years we have asked our destitute ROCK children supported through our Outfitters for Adventure missions organization, "What is your favorite food?" Most of the children say, "Ugali." However, Neil cannot agree with them after 20 years of traveling to Kenya for the ROCK interviews. A few years ago, Neil began requesting beans. This year he has been even bolder in declaring his dislike of ugali. What is ugali? Corn is roughly ground, and then boiling water is poured over it to set it to the consistency of cold cream of wheat. Although corn is less nutritious than wheat, potatoes, or rice, it is more plentiful and economical in Kenya. But people grow greens in their gardens, vegetables, and fruits. So Neil has been purchasing fresh produce from the vendors in the village square and bringing it to the women to add to the meals.

Here are some of Neil's text messages today:

I am sitting in Christof's home. We have finished the interviews and are visiting a nearby bishop. People here are learning to be the head and not the tail, meaning that they are learning to ask God to help them provide for themselves and their families, rather than holding out their hands to beg from others.

We came back to Mary's on all gravel roads. From here it is hard to fathom you are in a snowstorm. We have sunshine and about 75F. There are 10 in Mary's dining room. Two are speaking Swalhili. The rest Kisii. All the while we are under the pounding rain on the tin roof. Thank you so much to those who have been praying for the drought to end in Kenya. We are wading through the answer to your prayers.

The meal was excellent. lt is day 10 of an international experiment: how long can someone in Kenya go without ugali? I picked up 3 avocados on the road while we stopped at a hamlet market. So nice to eat one with cajun seasoning.

One of the caregivers at Ubi's told us that her 71-year-old husband went to the hospital last week presumably with liver problems. We sent George over to her house and her husband gave his life to Jesus. Please join us in prayer for his healing.

I passed the picture of you and me at the restaurant in Nelson Brothers Truck Stop at Clearwater and they "ooohed" and "aaahed" over you so much, I had to ask them what about me. "Oh you're ok." 😉

Neil and Francis have completed the ROCK interviews. Now they can turn their attention more fully to ministry. Please pray for those who need to be delivered from drunkenness, the many who need healing, the marriages that need to be restored, and many who need encouragement that their sin was truly washed away by Jesus' blood on the cross so they can be set free from carrying guilt and shame. 

There was a challenge yesterday with the sound system in the box truck. The generator burned out, so they went to a larger village where they could rent a generator. But when they got back to Mary's the rented generator would not run. Neil thinks it might have dirt in the carburetor. If it was his, and if he had the proper tools, Neil would just take it apart and clean out the fuel jets. But ...  their friend, Cosmas Solamba, is sending out another generator from Nairobi. Please pray that one will hold up just fine for the duration of their trip.