Nesscapades!

 As many of you are aware there has been considerable problems in Kenya stemming from a disputed election held at the end of December.  The rioting from the agreived side was immediate but it began to take on an ethnic flavor as it continued.  Eventually it progressed to the point that mobs were searching out anyone who could be construed as an opponent and killing.  It did not take long until reprisals from victims began to take shape: groups of young men seeking out victims to kill as payback.  When I try and analyze the situation, what is blaringly apparent are the deep felt hatreds that have been fostered and taught from one generation to the next.  Hatred of other races, other ethnic groups, the economically privilaged and political opponents has flowered and under the pressure and chaos of the political stalemate have been allowed grow unchecked into the neglegent violence we have witnessed.   Anyway, we are hoping the worst is over.  As I speak Dr. Condaliza Rice is in the country trying to help settle the political dispute, please pray that the leaders will make decisions that are in the interest of the people and not their own self-interest.

 During the first week of the violence, Food for the Hungry and a few other organizations and churches began to immediately assist the refugees, those who lost in some cases everything and the victims of killing.  The relief assistance was not much when you consider there are hundreds of thousands of refugees camped out in police stations, church compounds and other relatively safe areas throughout the country, but we did what we could to help a few.  We provided food, cooking pots and charcoal to cook the food over.  Now we are being requested to continue the assistance to areas in western Kenya which have been hit the hardest by the violence.  I was on the team to deliver this food in some of the slums of Nairobi and the pictures were some of the few that I could take while delivering the relief items.    

We can begin to say we are settling down to Nairobi life. It took some time but the kids are enjoying school and involved in extra-curricular activities. They both have good friends. Rachel and I just had our third child about two weeks ago. His name is Kyle Robert Ness and was born at a healthy 9lb 15oz. He is eating well and we are enjoying him a lot. I do have down time after work each day and on most weekends which was not the case when Zach was a baby, thus I have more time to take in all the funny baby things he does. Anyway, I know most of you do not want to hear me talk so her are some pictures.

A church in the US and FH-Kenya teamed up to build two water systems for two communities in Kenya near the town of Meru. This project which I was given to see to completion is still in process but one of the two communities (Njuruta) has a complete bore hole water system with several water tanks to provide water for a school, the community and all their livestock. At the remaining community (Marere) we are in the process of putting a system in after our first attempt with a hand pump failed. I hope to have the new working system in soon, in African time that is a month or two. All the people in these communities are going to benefit but the women were the most joyous and excited. Before they had to travel to a distant water source, get water and return which was a whole day affair. Now the women can spend more of their time and energy taking care of their children, home and gardens. This is just one of the many ways we can tangibly assist needy communities.

After making countless calls, and spending countless hours looking at houses, the Lord provided one in His perfect way.  Had I not spent all that time, this would not have jumped out at me as the right place, and even now I sometimes question the decision, but when I remind myself of the story, there is no doubt.

All the houses I looked at were either complete dumps and usually insecure (but with a decent yard), or nice maisonettes/town homes with just a strip of grass, or too expensive, or not available until months down the road.

Then one day I got a call from Erik’s Aunt (also in Kenya).  Months before they had posted a notice at a local grocery store stating they were an expat family looking for a four bedroom home.  They never got any calls on that notice and subsequently found a house through an agent.  Usually these notices are removed after a few weeks time, but the Lord’s hand kept this particular notice up, until one day, a lady was looking for such a family to take over the rent of her house.  This is unusual for a tenant to look for renters, but she was committed to finding the guards a family so they wouldn’t loose their jobs.

So Erik’s Aunt passed on my number and I went to look at the house.  The rent was so cheap (that is a relative term) compared to what I had been looking at, that I was sceptical.  But when I drove up with the kids, they were full of exclamations of how beautiful the yard was, and immediately jumped out and started running around, soaking in their new found freedom.  The house was an old, rambling home with it’s quirks, but certainly livable and quite secure.  It had bars on all windows and doors, extra bars for the bedroom area, a pre-wired security alarm system, and two guards that knew the area.

The tenant was telling me that the great thing about the guards was they were from up North so they didn’t mix a lot with local people (most break-ins are actually set up by people’s guards through bribes or threats).  Then she said they were Rendille, and I thought, “How ironic.” (it was not too surprising as lots of Rendille come to Nairobi to work as guards), then she said they were from Korr, and I got chill bumps.  Just then they walked around the corner and said, “It’s Erik’s car from Korr!”  So they knew who we were, (or at least our Landrover), and we had even given one a ride to Nairobi years ago.

So the house needs painting and has had to have some minor repairs done, but the part that was overwhelming to me was the yard.  It is five acres of a lot of over-grown bush and forest.  However, it has been and will be a good stress release for Erik and fun for the kids.  As he has been clearing the forest, Erik found napier grass and leucina (two fodder crops used in zero grazing) and there is a zero grazing stall allready set up.  So now he has plans to have dairy goats, poultry and maybe some small pigs.

Anyway, the point is, the Lord may have removed us from Korr, and put us in a city bustling with terrible traffic, billions of people, pollution and apartment complexes going up every where, but He also gave us a huge house (bigger than we ever hoped for) in the middle of some of Nairobi’s last indigenious forest.  A place where Erik can do his various projects and bird watch to his hearts content (when he’s not working that is), and the kids have five acres of land to run around and explore.  Plus we have the two best guards we could find because they feel a particular commitment to us from our connection to Korr. 

You are all welcome to come retreat with us any time you are in Kenya!!!

Pictures will have to come later

Welcome to the blog site of Erik and Rachel Ness and our two children, Renee and Zach. We work for Food for the Hungry, serving the neediest population in the northern part of Kenya.

This area is called Marsabit District. It is a largely desert area, approximately the size of Switzerland. The people groups who live there are mostly shepherds, tending their camels, goats, sheep and cows. The focus of our work is to meet these peoples’ physical, emotional and spiritual needs. The life of a shepherd in the deserts of Africa is not an easy one. Droughts, insecurity, lack of employment, low education levels and lack of medical help means the needs of these people are high.

We will be leaving South Carolina at the end of December to start a two and a half year commitment to Food for the Hungry. Our financial needs are met through both support from individuals and part salary. We thank you for taking the time to learn about our ministry, and we look forward to keeping you updated through this blog.

Welcome to Nesscapades, the new blog (web log) of Erik and Rachel Ness.