Appleseed Travel Journal

June 24, 2015 — Update from China

Brooks

Wow! What a week…our hearts are full as we reflect on the past 12 years and how God has connected all of us with specific people in specific regions all over the world. Our scripture for this season is:

Ephesians 3:18-21 New Century Version (NCV)

¹⁸ And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is. ¹⁹ Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with the fullness of God.

²⁰ With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine. ²¹ To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.

In looking back, we can see that this is exactly what God has done…we could never have known what to ask for…it only makes me more excited to think about the next 12 years!!!!! One of you wrote “I feel China is going to play a big part in the plan of things in the last days…” We really agree with this!!! Reaching China and also reaching Muslims…these are HUGE population groups in the world today and reaching them has the power to influence hundreds and thousands of people all over the world! As we come off of this trip, this is exactly what we feel it has been intentionally and purposely about. We believe that while it has looked very different than other trips we’ve taken, it has definitely been a continuation and outgrowth of what has gone on before. The focus has very much been in these two areas and we fervently believe there is much fruit to come…not from us, but from those on the ground, in the trenches, doing the hard work. Please pray with us for these folks!

As for China…I had NO idea what to expect, but I can assure you that China is more first world than even the US is!!! The technology, the wealth, the educational system, the businesses, global commerce, infrastructure…not to mention their thousands of years history which bring great strength and pride in their nation, their families, traditions and culture. They value beauty, history, ingenuity, intellect, perfection, and consumption. Of course, this is a first-timer’s very, very limited view of only two cities in only two weeks!!!

As for our group…phenomenal…amazing…inspiring…passionate…sacrificing all to “go into all the world.” Representatives from Indonesia, China, Australia, America, Singapore, Egypt…all believing they have been asked to go to Nepal or to a province in China. Even though we brought new information, challenging mindsets and long-held methods, as the days went by, we saw them wrestle with concepts, and daring to believe that maybe more could happen if they let go of the old and embraced the simplicity of the New Testament model.

And, really…who couldn’t just fall in love with these folks…check out some of the ones who are believing for the impossible…that our Dad can actually do more than we could ask or imagine!!!!!

Thursday night the students hit the streets…Roger and I had our own time of reaching out…we were in a large park lost and searching for the ancient stone wall that surrounded the city (seriously a whole wall, literally 60 feet high and we couldn’t find it????). In a land where we NEVER hear English spoken I heard somewhere in the masses of people someone singing “I am 16, going on 17…” in English at the top of her lungs with a gorgeous voice! There was this adorable young girl holding her phone with the music track blaring and singing boisterously into it as her mike! I ran back to her and asked if she could speak English…she stepped back and then answered, “Yes, we do!” So I blabbered on and on how happy I was to meet her and could she please help us find our way (remember everything, maps, signs, everything is in Chinese). In very, very good English, she and her friend said, “Yes, we are happy to help you and we are going that way. Can we walk together?” So we spent about 40 minutes with them. They chatted on and on, told us many things about Chinese life as students, the pressure to do well and how they had finished exams and had both been accepted into an obviously very prestigious university in Beijing and would be leaving in September. They talked freely, answering all of our questions about religion, customs (hanging red ribbons on trees for good luck at specific sites for health and marriage or things like parents hanging them there for their students’ exams). They asked if we had anyone to have dinner with and I’m very confident they would have spent as much time with us as we would have been able to give. Sadly, I only got their photo, not a contact number as our new friends would have gladly followed up.

June 22, 2015 — The New Missionaries

Roger

Brooks and I just completed a week training a missionary team in China. The details of this team and their mission organization are withheld for security reasons.

But we are reminded just how privileged we are to be involved in God’s work throughout the nations in this day and age. The face of missions has shifted in the last decade in several key ways and it is wonderful to see newer missionaries receive training that reflects this shift:

Missionaries are not taking their own culture, and not even their church culture, into new places. God’s work is meant to be expressed uniquely and beautifully through each culture it encounters as its seed takes root within that people.
National workers take on leadership quickly. Outside missionaries do not have to remain in one place, full time, for extended periods of time. Rather, nationals are entrusted quickly to build and sustain God’s work.
The message and power of the life-changing Gospel can reproduce and become a movement quickly. Unreached groups of people throughout the world are bound up in so much oppression, superstition, mindsets of poverty, and hopelessness. The Gospel is needed like no other time in history! To see the power of this Gospel unleashed among a world of over 7 billion people, it must become the simple, viral movement that Jesus initiated. Newer missionaries are receiving training in starting these types of movements!

What a great time to be involved in the nations.

How blessed we are to have friends like you traveling with us and sustaining all we do!

June 15, 2015 — China – First Impressions

Brooks

Well, we sure aren’t in Africa any more!

After arriving in Shanghai late, late at night, this is what we woke up to:

Shanghai

Shanghai, a massive city of over 30 million people!!!! All of the skyscrapers have been built in the last 25 years, along with mandates for parks and planting 100, yes, 100 trees every single day!!!!

So…as for culture shock…Shanghai is more western than the West!!! Education and Tech and consumption is King.

Instead of the melodic Swahili being spoken all around us with English words intermittently thrown in, all we hear now is the seemingly harsh cryptic tonal Chinese dialect with NO English spoken anywhere. Ok, hardly anywhere…maybe a few hotel desk workers, but that’s it…no English on signs or menus or buildings or buses or shops…it’s taking my pantomiming skills to a whole new level! People no longer stare at us or call to us “mzungu.” Instead, even though white people are a rarity, people barely notice us as we walk by.

A few things I’ve learned so far…at least regarding Shanghai… people are very health conscious…practicing Thai Chi in neighborhood parks early, early in the morning, buying fresh produce and fresh fish, bullfrogs, crayfish, lobster, all kinds of fishes – salt and fresh water – chicken, lamb, and pork, choosing which part of the animal to prepare that day anything from the pig snout to feet of everything. Vegetables are the base of their menu with meat and rice. Shanghai is the originator of dumplings so they are made often with all kinds of insides – everything from meats and fruits and vegetables…flavors of sweet, sour, vinegary or even a mixture of several. Choices of sauces are always available and spices used on everything. Soda is a rarity; all kind of teas available and thought to cure anything and solve most any problem. Wealth, money, drive, success, fortune, owning an apartment seem to be what is important. Times are changing. In the last 25 years much has been torn down, and much has been built.

In Nairobi just crossing the street was stressful as pedestrians have the least right of way…cars, buses, matatus, motorcyles, and even bicycles will admonish you loudly to get out of the way and come so close you could hug the drivers! In Shanghai there is order, lanes where cars actually stay inside the right lane. Traffic is an issue. License plates cost as much as the vehicle itself. Sidewalks are even, steps the same height. People arrive on time.

Beauty for girls is rated on the lightness of the color of their skin (the whiter, the better), the shine and length of their beautiful straight black hair. This is why women walk hurriedly down the streets with beautiful parasols, looking delicate and very feminine in their sheer, but not revealing dresses or skirts or blouses. Everyone is tiny, tiny, tiny!!!!

It’s taken us eight years to even begin to understand East African culture and we’ve only been in China for two days so I really am just beginning to learn. The country is massive, about the same size as the U.S. The people diverse, making up 1/6 of the world’s population with ten times the number of residents as the U.S. Shanghai has 30 million people itself! Their history complex and LONG!!!! Steeped in traditions, familial, regional and national, it’s fascinating to hear the similarities and diversities compared to East Africa and even America.

Perhaps the greatest similarity I have noticed so far is in the family system. In both Africa and China, elders are extremely respected. Younger generations see them as wise and having lived longer, youth value that they have gained wisdom through life experience. They seek out their counsel. If there is conflict or a problem in the family, they are consulted and their word carries power and oftentimes, the final say in conflict. Family is important in both cultures, African and Chinese. Family comes first; relationship and obligation to family comes first; where you live; how you spend your money and your time is the most important consideration in making life decisions.

However different, I am confident as humans we are the same. We look forward to our time here to get to know more about this fascinating country through the people we’ll be spending time with this week. In the meantime, check out some of the things we experienced in the past couple of days:

Major Priority for the first day…and pretty much all consuming…buying water for drinking and getting sim cards for our phones which was a whole experience in itself…at the local 7/11 stand…fortunately, this young boy spoke enough English for us to communicate what we needed. We are adjusting to no google, no facebook, no twitter (all blocked in China)…fortunately, thanks to my amazing husband, we were able to navigate how to receive emails from our gmail accounts.

green vegetables
Health and food are big priorities…with many neighborhood markets. Chinese believe everything should be fresh and cooked that day…vegetables a mainstay, rice, noodles, dumplings, fishes, shellfishes, octopus, chickens, ducks, all body parts eaten…and, of course, all alive and fresh!

woman cooking
sticky rice and meats.

We are lucky enough to be here for crayfish season. There are millions of these sold on the streets in stalls, seasoned with mild, medium or a lot of spices, then deep fried. You buy them by the kilo, eating them like a lobster.

cooking pancakes
Sticky rice “pancakes” fried with no oil.
Yummy breakfast…for those so inclined. For the Chinese, they prefer pickles and porridge.

egg noodle accompanied with green vegetable, preserved bamboo shoots and fried egg in chicken soup.
the special where we eat breakfast!

Dumplings made by very skilled hands. These are filled with pork and vegetables. We were taught that first you make a concoction of soy sauce a few slips of ginger and vinegar. Then pick up the dumpling very carefully, dip it in the sauce, take a small bite to open the dumpling and allow the steam to come out, dip again, then very gently put the whole dumpling in your mouth to savor the flavors.

Beautiful night time in Shanghai…the city is alive and pulsing with activity late into the night.

June 12, 2015 — Day Trip to Kakamega

Brooks

Seven-thirty am we leave, the text from John said as we crawled into bed the night before. Buzzzz…mzungu time read the next text. Mmmmm, well, that’s always questionable, as I’ve written before. There’s African time and Mzungu time. Why hurry and stress when the day is going to unfold with all that it holds without forever glancing at our watches or cell phones to prod us to think faster, move quicker and get there above all else on time!

Well, good for us that we chose to believe him this time. We were up and ready to roll by 7:30 for the two hour journey to Kakamega from Kitale. When we learned that John’s car (I think you may remember this infamous car from trips before) was in the shop that very night for the second time this week, we suggested to John that perhaps he find another car. He was, relieved as obviously we were, that he was in agreement and admittedly agreed, “You know that car; it is being very stubborn!”

So, true to his word, John arrived…well, kinda sorta on time…for an African, a definite on time: 7:50, only 20 minutes beyond his eta. And we were off!!!! Again, kinda sorta…first a stop at the gas station on the way out of town…to check the tire.

gas station

And, after a short while, we were off…again.

Until…after bumping along on the unpaved, very rocky road under never-ending Chinese construction…John announced, there is something wrong. Before even stopping he could tell (from so many previous experiences) that the same tire was a problem, most likely something to do with the nozzle. So, we hobbled along til we reached the early morning bustlings of nearby Kiminini.

Kiminini market

Where once again, the tire was attended to:

John overseeing changing of the tire…again

…and before it was all over…yet again….

But such is life traveling via car in Africa! I’m not sure if we have EVER gone from one location to another by car when we haven’t been able to spend time “visiting” an unplanned town or village due to car issues!

When we were in Kakamega we met with some of John’s disciple-making leaders, some of whom had been in Nairobi with us. It was so great to be with them and to hear their comments and sharing with their fellow leaders regarding their time in Nairobi. Not only did they teach the others what they had learned about Muslims, but also made comments like:

“I am already meeting with three Muslims. We are doing a Discovery Bible Study and they want me to share more.”

“All of these teachings were new to us. Before I used to have Muslim friends and we were not on good terms. I started (last week) looking for some of those guys and called five of them to come and talk with me. I am meeting with them tomorrow. When I called them, I greeted them with their greeting, “As-salam alaykum.” (Peace be upon you.) They were surprised that I would greet them this way and that I want to build a positive relationship with them.”

“Since we came from Nairobi I have gone up to that region near Somalia known as Lodwar. I spent three days studying those teachings so I could go and pass them on. There are many Muslims there living in dire poverty, especially in the refugee camps.”

“Last week I was with my neighbor that up til now I have avoided because he is a Muslim. I was talking with him about some things about the Kingdom of God. He works at night, but asked me to come between 4 and 8 p.m. to talk with him because he wants to enter into relationship with me. He even wants us to sit with his father and his brothers. Now we will not be enemies any longer. I believe we will be able to discuss many things about God and His Kingdom as time passes.”

It was really great to see the guys so enthusiastic to teach the others what they had learned and to already shift their thinking in this very hard area where in particular Kenyans have suffered so much at the hands of militant Muslims.

Everyone shared reports on what is happening in their regions with development and house churches. It’s staggering to see their sacrifice of time, monies, and ego to lift so many in rural Kenya into a new life in Christ where they are experiencing tangible, practical loving relationships. Check out these amazing men and women:

and, of course, John and George:

June 10, 2015 — KITALE

Brooks

We decided to hole up in Kitale where, as John Wanyonye says, “Jesus lives.” And, he could be right! We are at an elevation of almost 7,000 feet and it rains almost daily; it’s green and lush, trees, monkeys, tons of brightly colored birds and it’s the hub of agriculture for all of Kenya. There are seasons of commerce based on the wealth of the harvest season or the drought of the current beginning season of monies have long been spent on school fees, housing rent, food, new shoes and clothes and now the long wait from now til November when the maize will be harvested again. The favorite food of all Kenyans is ugali…I have been told over and over again, “If there is no ugali, we have not eaten!” This is why this region is so important to all of Kenya…most of the maize that’s ground into flour to make the ugali comes from this area.

City center of Kitale

One seller in the huge outside market. This lady is selling tilapia; the man in the red hat beside her is selling cassava.

Ready to eat ugali…cut into wedges for eating.

Ugali is typically eaten with “greens” pinching off some ugali rolling it into a ball, adding some greens and then eating.

And a very big treat is chapati, a whole wheat Indian-nan-like flat tortilla, cut into halves or fourths. The greens pictured are an all-time favorite, sukuma wiki (kale) that stretches any meal by sometimes adding bits of meat to it instead of serving a whole and hardly ever gotten big piece of meat.

We “live” in a small guest house compound with various tiny structures situated here and there…kind of like camping only way better! At one time belonging to a wealthy British somebody, there’s the main house with glass panes and a big front porch. We are enclosed and secluded from the outside world by tall hedges and massive trees, a beautiful lawn, kept short by forever grazing sheep and a bamboo gate with the typical and needed guard posted…well most of the time! And also most of the time we have electricity, hot water in the showers, but not the sinks, purified water in tanks, accessible clotheslines, access to a somewhat tepid fridge, and the warm friendship of owners, Kenyan Ibrahim and British wife Theresa and their various adopted or fostered children…oh and yes, the assorted folks coming or going working with NGO’s from all over…although this time we are mostly on our own except long term Kenyan residents who have found Karibuni Lodge their home.

Some of the resident children

Main house where there are more individual rooms, where we eat and where there is a small, sometimes working tv in the living room where we all hang out.

Some of the various structures on the property

The garden

One of the many interesting types of birds…this pair screeches at the slightest thing and are ALWAYS compelled to announce when it’s morning!

Last week we were busy with Liberty School, as you might have seen, and then we traveled over to Kakamega for a training…more about that later…

We are using this week to catch up, research for our upcoming trek to China, continuing to connect with John Omondi and John Wanyonye…which means walking to town for either supplies or finding a place to talk. I so wish you could be with us as we pull on socks and hiking boots, mainly to keep the red dust or as the rains come intermittently, the mud, off of our feet, as we walk the two miles into Kitale. Even a walk to town is a welcome adventure…we walk amidst cows with their shepherd close by either stretched out in the shade napping or coming behind with stick in hand prodding the cows onto greener grasses; ladies with sometimes enormous bundles balancing precariously on top of their heads—even while talking or texting on their cell phones; women with babies strapped to their backs cooking huge batches of french fries in large woks or roasting ears of corn over open fires to sell to passersby; students dressed in uniforms trudging home for lunch before returning to school for the afternoon session; small children whispering “mzungu” as we pass by and timidly trying out their English by saying “How are you?” hopeful for a response and the customary handshake; and the ever present sheep or goats straddling the railroad tracks chomping away at the green, lush grasses…well, you can see just walking to town is a pretty wonderful experience!!!!

Carrying her bundle while talking on the phone! :)