Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Hello, Prayer Warriors,

Yesterday evening I was able to move back to my house. Sure feels good! When I left everything was so extremely quiet, but now roosters are crowing all day, a cow passed by the house mooing very loudly, children were playing and people were talking. Quite a difference--sounded like a normal day.

Today Henry and I went to Nandi Hills town to go to the bank, post office and get gas for the car and generator. The bank was open and the ATM was working, but no mail had been delivered yet. And there was no gas at the only remaining filling station. I saw the Total station that was burned to just a brick shell and some shops that were boarded up and burn marks in the road where tires were set on fire. Other than that it didn't look too bad.

We needed gas so we drove to Kapsabet. Along that road more burn marks were evident and on the sides of the road were piles of huge rocks and tree trunks that had been used as roadblocks. One roadblock remained but it was situated between two speed bumps (called "sleeping policemen" here) so vehicles had to slow down and were able to go around it.

When we reached Kapsabet the first gas station where we stopped had only diesel, so we had to go into town. I was about the 5th car in line for gas, and they were rationing what was left. Two pumps were empty; only one was still operating. We drove away with 3/4 tank in the car and 40 liters in the containers for the generator, which will last about a week if we're careful.

Politically doubts are rising again. President Kibaki appointed 17 men to his new cabinet--something he wasn't supposed to do until after the negotiations with the Ghanian president. That made the opposition mad and Odinga announced they wouldn't speak with Kibaki on Friday as planned. Time will tell. A very good thing happened: Kibaki appointed Kalonzo Musyoka as Vice-President. He was the third runner-up in the presidential race and is a born-again Baptist, godly man. How exciting to know that his advice will be heard even if not heeded.

One more ominous report came out last night. Henry received two text messages and the Kalenjin radio announced that Mungiki, the evil, decapitating, murderous Kikuyu gang, is training in Nakuru (half way between us and Nairobi) and will be dispatched to all the major towns, including Eldoret and Kisumu. Anna and I wondered how long it would take for the Kikuyu to take revenge for all the murders and displacements they have endured. This group was front-page news a few months ago until pressure was put on Kibaki to reign them in. We'll see what happens this time.

So, as I said before, getting the country back to normal will probably take quite a while. Please keep praying. God is answering prayers, but the enemy hasn't given up yet.

Mungu awabariki!
Judy

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