March 2021: Our Trip to Kenya

Greetings from New York City,

Yesterday, Naomi and I returned from three weeks in Kenya. We were back in the community that we have been investing in for the past three years. Although we are exhausted, this time, we returned in good health. I will do my best to share our latest experiences through the fog of jet lag.

Everyone knows that the world has changed in the last year due to COVID-19. We were unsure what world travel would be like, but we had done our research. Naomi had called Delta for their confirmation on our preflight COVID testing. We wanted to be sure that we were following the guidelines for our JFK departure and Nairobi arrival. We had our negative COVID tests, and the preflight checklist on our phones confirmed that we were all set for takeoff.

On our departure day, we arrived at JFK three hours early for what we hoped would be stress-free travel. As we approach our check-in counter, we were stopped and asked for our COVID results. They told us that we also needed a negative result from a rapid test within 4 hours of departure. So much for no surprises and stress-free travel. They informed us that we could get a rapid test downstairs. So is a state of confusion and frustration about why Delta failed to notify us of this change; we headed downstairs to receive rapid tests for $200.00 each. Now our pockets are lighter, but our spirits were heavy. We would have over 50 hours of travel time on this trip, and this was not a good start to our journey.

Fortunately, there were no more surprises between JFK and Nairobi, but we now know world travel is more challenging than pre-COVID. Frances Chan says, “(God) calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn’t come through” (Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God). We were aware of the risk and how little control we had on this trip. God has shown up for us continually in the past, and now once again, we were in a situation where we need Him again.

On arrival at Nairobi, if your luggage has an X chalked on it, you have to open it to be inspected by customs. Well, guess what, our largest suitcase was covered with multiple X’s. We are grateful that we experienced favor; the agent was amused/fascinated by the bottles of anointing oil, she didn’t seem to notice much else. After a day of purchasing supplies in Nairobi and catching our breath, we were ready for our nine-plus hour ride to the Uganda border. Several things could go badly from the time we leave our hotel until our final destination. At 5:30 am, we arrived, and there are only two seats left. I got a front seat for Africa travel, and Naomi is directly behind me. We got on our way and were at peace and relaxed enough to sleep part of the way. On arrival, we get an invitation to “stay a year.” We weren’t so sure about that but are reminded of God’s promise to us in Isaiah 58 to “Guide us continually.” They told us how disappointed they were that our January trip was delayed, and then we hear, “we need you now more than then; you always show up at the right time” Yes, God’s time.

The tailoring program has a new group of students, as well as a new instructor, Julie. Naomi was able to come alongside Julie in covering basics and showing them how to make baby blankets and tote bags. She also addressed some spiritual, emotional, and medical needs. This class has some very young mothers with little ones for Naomi to hold and love. Some of the students walk 1 ½ to 2 hours one way to come to class. Due to some health issues, Naomi did not join me when I visited last year. This time it was great having her with me again. She had some reservations due to all the difficulty of earlier visits. I’m grateful for her willing heart and more comfortable conditions than in times past. We had no malaria or sickness of any kind, electrical power was more constant, and we only had one night of bucket baths. COVID is not at high levels here, but malaria, cholera, typhoid, yellow fever, and more are always possible.

I spent most of my time in the carpentry program. The focus was on a new curved chair design. This involved the purchase of a band saw from a town about an hour away. What an adventure it was to get it back to the village. It resulted in three men and a five-foot-tall machine packed into a tuk-tuk, a fuel stop where the ignition key was collateral for fuel, and a police checkpoint with a bribe smoothly placed into the officer’s hands (not from me). We are not in the world of Amazon Prime; getting router bits was a real challenge, but we were finally able to get them shipped overnight via a passenger bus from Nairobi. Despite all the challenges, we set the program up with tooling and training to duplicate curved chair parts consistently and efficiently. The curved cutouts produce more scrap wood, which enabled me to make a couple of wooden toy prototypes. Our goal is to market the chairs and toys to make the carpentry program sustainable.

In addition to the training, I visited two churches in the bush. It was a blessing to give them some Bibles, reading glasses, and anointing oil. Both churches asked me to speak; this required me to use an interpreter. Public speaking is not one of my strengths, but the Holy Spirit helped me immensely. Naomi also brought some Bibles to share with her friends. This is not a part of the world where believers have multiple versions and copies sitting on the shelf. They are expensive and not readily available, so the Bibles were received with excitement and gratitude.

Here are a couple more examples of God revealing Himself to us. One day while getting supplies in a neighboring town, I hear a familiar sound as I go down the street following the source’s sound. I find a large speaker in front of a shop blasting the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. What a comforting sound.

The other example is while it’s only Naomi and I traveling together; we are not alone. The street that is our destination when we return to Nairobi is very chaotic; this is not a part of the trip we look forward to. There are always more people and vehicles than there is room for. Pushing, shoving and people hustling to get your money is all part of the experience. The day we returned, we were feeling exhausted, and a little beat up. Upon arrival, the door opens, and there is Ben. He has been our driver on several trips but not today. I speak his name, and he is happy to see us. He calls Naomi “mum” then wants to know how Janet is? She is one of our adopted daughters from the village 9 hours away. He grabs our luggage and helps us through the chaos until we get our car to the hotel. Then he directs traffic so our car can get out and on our way. These are reminders that we are not alone; God is with us!

We are grateful for the opportunity to visit Kenya once again. They asked us to stay longer, “extend your visa,” but it was time to go. We did commit to spending at least another month with them later in the year. For now, it’s back to meet the needs in NYC. The screening and testing for COVID added some new challenges to our travel experience. It also added a day in Nairobi while we waited on our results for the returning flight. Adding a day allowed us to take a day trip to Amboseli, where we saw Mt. Kilimanjaro, a plethora of African wildlife, and more elephants than we knew were alive. God always comes through for us. Sometimes in ways beyond what we could ask or imagine.

Thank you for your prayers and financial gifts.

God Bless,
Paul and Naomi

Read more newsletters about the Amagoro Tailoring Program here.
Read more newsletters about the Amagoro Carpentry Program here.