Shadowlands in review

Wow, I have to say that I am amazed at how well the play went, especially in light of the obstacles. We were only allowed in the Spencer Theater Wednesday through Friday, 9:00 to 5:00. And then we went through a technical rehearsal the afternoon of the performance! So we had to do all rehearsals (except for three-and-a-half days) in some other location. But the crowd was bigger than last year's by at least a hundred people. And they really liked the play and none of us seriously dropped any lines. The theater has only invited one university in the US to present a play on their
stage, ONE. And that is Wayland Baptist University. And they have told us they want us to keep doing this annually for the next seven years! Yeah, I'm proud.

The top photo is the much vaunted wardrobe. As Jonboy stated, it is ten feet tall and nine feet wide. The doors had to open and close automatically three times during the play, twice with fog coming out. And guess who designed the doors, hung them, figured out the mechanics, and pulled the strings to make it happen? Yeah, me, that's right. It was so cool to see this actually work. The wardrobe was disassembled and will be reconstructed on our campus for the ceremonies which welcome the freshman students in August.

The bottom photo is me in the role of Harry Harrington, a stodgy British preacher. The hardest lines for me to deliver came right after the very poignant death scene. I had to be uncaring, saying "Better sooner than later. Better quick than slow. After all, it was no mystery--the writing was on the wall." It was so difficult to watch the actors right before my entrance without weeping. They were really good.

Well, we are experiencing thunder and lightening at the moment, so I guess I should shut down my computer. I will post again later with scenic shots of New Mexico.

"Return to normalcy"

It has been almost two weeks since we returned from Kenya. That is enough time for the body to re-adjust to this time zone. Enough time to get back to the routine foods. Enough time to get consumed by the work and church schedules. But there is no returning to normalcy. I think that "normal" is simply an idea. It doesn't really exist. It is just a collection of attributes selectively extracted from the processes of life. In some ways, the idea of normalcy distracts us from reality. Instead of being attentive to the distinct details of life's progression, we dully register only the "normal" attributes.


Now to something else. While we were gone, a neighbor watered our houseplants. Well, she actually opened the door so her daughter-in-law could take care of them. And the plants look terrific! Our plumeria had started to bloom right before we left and we thought we would miss the show. But it was in full flower when we returned. The plumeria is a constant reminder of Hawai'i for us. When we visited Australia almost a year ago, I collected seeds from a flowering bush and brought them home with me (sssssshhhh! Don't tell Homeland Security!) I waited until spring and planted them. Lo and behold, there are now four seedlings! The leaves fold together at night, and in the morning when they open back up, they actually vibrate from springing open. Can't wait for the flowers because they smell so wonderful.

I'm headed to Ruidoso next week to be in a play. If you happen to be in New Mexico on Saturday 23rd, go to the Spencer Theater in Ruidoso and buy a ticket. It's a small role, but part of a team effort that has not been without its challenges. The play is "Shadowlands" and it is based on events in the life of C. S. Lewis. I will take a photo of the huge wardrobe (free-standing clothes closet) that we built for the play. It is awesome.

Safari

While I attended the e-learning conference, Cat was on safari at Lake Nakuru. This salty lake attracts flamingos and pelicans in great abundance. In this photo, the pinkish white color is thousands of flamingos. Of course there are other animals to see as well. On the early morning trek of the safari there was a family of lions within several hundred yards of the campsite. This video shows them strolling out towards the lake. Cat took this video.

Busy, busy, busy

Wow, a lot has happened since last week! Our team (or members thereof) conducted a workshop at a church, visited an animal orphanage and giraffe preserve, went on safari, attended an international conference, and walked through mud to make evangelistic visits in the slums nearby. The photo is Cat with a little girl in a Christian day care center in the slums. Some of the kids were abandoned and living on the street when the center started caring for them. They get two meals a day, education, games, and love in a one-room facility (there are separate buildings for kitchen, storage, etc.)

Here is an example of a visit that Cat and I made in the slums with our fellow Christian and interpreter Peninah. We simply opened the gate to the yard and walked up to the closest house. A grandmother was washing some clothes, but she immediately stopped and invited us in. We sat on a wee bench and a stool. This woman loved Jesus and would start singing about how faithful God has been to her. We talked about children and about physical ailments (her eyes are burning and she has not been able to go to a doctor). We prayed together. She insisted on giving us a gift, so we took the two sweet potatoes she offered. When I said I would like to take her picture, she disappeared for a minute and came back wearing her black and white hat. Here is Cat, Mama Jane, and Peninah. Peninah told us that we were doing good with our visits because we were showing concern for people without being condescending. We listened to their stories and told them ours. When we could give them something we would (Cat gave her Bible to at 19-year-old named Lillian, I gave a packet of Kleenex to Mama Jane). The people have been warm and welcoming and mystified by white people. (Peninah could not believe that in the US, if you knocked of the door of a stranger, they would likely send you away without even asking your name, much less inviting you in.) It is humbling to get to know another culture.

The Nest--it's the best!

Kenyan women are traditionally dependent on men. When a husband abandons his family, the woman may try to gain income from selling vegetables (without a license), stealing, or even prostitution. There is an orphanage in Limuru which specializes in children of imprisoned women. It is named The Nest. The children in this orphanage recieve excellent care and the program is wholistic. It involves counseling for the family. These babies sleep in a huge bed secure in the protective environment. Visiting here, feeding infants, playing with the older children, and hearing their stories was a wonderful experience.

Has it been a week yet?

It is the fifth day of our Kenya trip and we just completed the first full day of work. And I do mean full. For this first week, we are partnering with members of the Banana Hill Baptist Church. It is located in a town with high unemployment and political unrest. There are many single mothers. Here I am in the home of one of those mothers. She is on the left; I have her son on my lap. We visited with her because the gate to her yard was unlocked. She was washing clothes when we walked up and she invited us into her home. It is one room with a bed, two couches, a cabinet, and clothes hanging from clothesline stretched over the walls. A cooking pot with ugali sat on the floor. She was raised as a Catholic but rarely goes to church. Her two friends (pictured) go to other churches and they said that they all pray together. Her boy had to stay home because he was sick; the little girl was in school. When I asked her how to pray for her family she said that money for medicine (and food) was lacking. She also asked that we pray for peace in Banana Hill. Two factions in the town have become violent towards each other and mutilated bodies have turned up. One faction is characterized by drug use (marijuana).

If you pray, please remember these people.