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Weenie roast in Kenya? You bet!!, August 15th, 2008 |
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August 15th, 2008
Much to my surprise I did not wake up till around 6:30AM. I am thinking the PA system was not working at the early morning worship service. I emailed Lori back home and wrote the previous days blog entry and got it posted. I am supposed to meet with the sub-chief this morning to discuss the land issues again. Eric is to meet me at the ICIPE gate at 9:00AM. The phone rang just as I was leaving and it was Pastor Gombe asking me why I was going to the sub-chief’s office because the District Officer (DO) had already settled the issue. I told him I would go ahead out of respect but I could really se no reason for any changes. When I arrived at the main gate of ICIPE Eric was there waiting. He told me the sub-chief was furious yesterday because Henry had challenged him in public about the whole issue. I’m sure the meeting is going to be interesting. The DO had previously granted me permission to build the fence to the lake and so that is what I did. When we arrived at the sub-chief’s office he was not there but the DO called us over to discuss things. I found this a bit strange because I was under the impression this whole thing was settled from the previous meeting. Turns out the DO has had a change of opinion and informed me I had no right whatsoever to the easement and the fence I built had to be torn down immediately or the people who built it could be arrested!! I argued that he had given me permission to build the fence prior and he said it was not so. He flatly lied to me. I even referenced that Pastor Gombe was present and would testify to the truth and he said Pastor Gombe has no say in this matter. I then asked him why if I was not to use the property why did he agree that I could grow bananas on it and give Henry a bunch now and then and he flatly denied that he said that. Turns out the DO is a man who sees the truth as a flexible situation. He told me I had no right to access to the water from the edge of my property and I was not allowed on it! I told him I believe he is harassed so much from Henry that he is tiring of the issue and he said it was not so. I also asked him if every other person with a fence on the lake was going to have to take their fences down and he said every one will have to come down. I then asked him if no one was allowed to basically trespass on that easement was every woman who gets water from the lake and every fisherman that has a boat resting on it would have to remove it and he said they could be there. I then asked him if the rules were different for foreigners than locals and he said they were a civilized society and the rules were the same for everyone. At that I asked him why he was restricting me as a foreigner but allowing anyone else access. At that he restated that the rules were the same. I told him from my perspective it felt like I was being discriminated against. Every other person on the lake shore has access except me. I told him if the roles were reversed he would feel the same. His arguments simply did not make any sense. I then asked him, if I had to remove a fence that I was granted permission to put there in the first place who was going to compensate me for the expense. He said no one would and I would have to remove it at my expense or he would have someone destroy it. Plainly the man is being manipulated. He even told me I did not really own the property but was only leasing it for 99 years at which I told him I would consult my attorney about it all. He said I was free to do so but the law was the law. I told him I respected his office and I think there is a great misunderstanding about all of this. I think he believes he can say whatever he wants to and I will simply believe him. I know now he cannot be trusted because he will change the story to suit the current situation. At that he said the meeting was finished. I shook his hand and Eric and I left. We went downtown and bought a piece of chain and lock to secure the gate later and I took Eric back home. On the way Henry was walking and I stopped and gave him a ride back as well. Henry actually thanked me under his breath but I did catch it at which I said he was very welcome. When we got to his house I told him I had to go back to ICIPE to let him know I did go out of my way to give him a ride. He is a strange fellow to be sure and I am not sure really what problem he has with me other than he thinks for some reason I am very wealthy and he can extort something out of me. I really hope he comes to a real relationship with Christ some day. I then returned to ICIPE to write this part of the blog entry and get my camera’s to take some pictures of the property for Lori and Malorie back home. It was then off to the property and take care of a couple things on the base.
When I arrived at the base they were in the middle of a pastors meeting there to dedicate the property. I slipped in and took a seat and stayed with the whole meeting until they were finished. It seems the pastors of the area were very supportive to what is going on there. We went from place to place and prayed over the whole operation and thanked God for all that was to be done there. After the meeting was over I went to the kitchen to wait for Martha and Yoko to discuss the rain water catchment situation. We talked about where the water tank should be located and I cut some sticks for the weenie roast later that night.
I returned to the masonette to get some rest and pack things for tonight’s festivities. Allie was not feeling well but still wanted very much to go so we got things packed and went to the property. As soon as I got there I started the fire to get a good bed of coals and people started arriving. It was a good time and the Kenyans there had never done anything like a weenie roast so I demonstrated how to cook hot dogs over an open fire. It didn’t take long at all before they all got into it and I think we may have started a whole new fad. Everyone had a really good time and they prayed over our place and Pastor Gombe even prayed for Henry Okatch to soften his heart about the whole thing. I was given a massai weapon as a gift which amounted to a club with a very hard ball on the end designed to stop the heart of the person struck with it. Allie was given a very nice necklace. My only sadness was the fact that Lori was not present. I wish so much she could be here to see the land and the people who are so nice to us here. It will be so good when she can be with me here and share in all the good things God is doing already and we haven’t even got started that much. The people here are very much wanting to see her as well. We talked about how nice it will be some day to talk about the old days and what it used to be like and how things have improved over the years. I will really be glad when we can get the funds to build a house and small demonstration farm here. The people are eagerly awaiting it and it will be well received when it comes to pass. After the weenie roast Eric locked the gate as I left to go back to ICIPE. It was time to get cleaned up and get to bed. It has been a long and mostly joyful day!!
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