Notes From Africa, Chapter 1

[Didymus here, standing in with a message from Brother Sweetaction. We got an e-mail - he wanted ya'll to know. . .]

I am in Africa. It is the most incredible, crazy, different, idontknowwhat place I have ever been. I love it. Things are well with me. I am down staying in just at the main gate to the Maasai Mara game reserve. I do not really have access to the internet here so this will be my only communication for a little while. The couple that Timm, myself, and Jon (Timm's brother) are staying with have a laptop computer, so when the rates go down tonight they will send this out. I am not actually able to go on the internet myself, so I cannot check or update "the blog," much to my disappointment [I will keep you all posted as the story unfolds - Didymus].

The trip here was fairly uneventful. Timm and I had a nice stay in London: you know, went to a pub, had some fish/chips and a pint, chilled very close to Victoria station. We walked down to the river and looked at Rodin again. I think I like the cast in D.C. better b/c you can "walk among them". [Didymus concurs]

When we got to Africa, there was already a slew of people waiting to meet us because we had packages and supplies from the states for all of them. Amid a sea chauffers and cabbies holding signs with people's names on them, we saw Timm's brother, Jon, holding up a sign that said, "ugly." It was great to see someone we knew - especially just getting done with customs and having to bribe the woman to let us into the country.

The past two days here have been phenomenal. Timm, Jon, and I all sleep in a little tin shack. We wake up around 6:30 and work until 5:00. We are building a home for the Russells (the missionaries that live here). The Russells have been here for ten years and are still living in a small structure they made of tin and a large frate container. They are truly amazing people. Timm, Jon, and I have been bending metal and setting up grids to lay more of the foundation for the house. We hope to pour a pretty big section come Thursday.

Last night after work, the three of us ran down into the little village and tossed the Frisbee with some kids. We then joined in the soccer (futbol) training and practiced with the team. It was fricken sweet. After soccer we had some dinner and then I stayed up listening to the hyenas. You can hear the hyenas howling just about every night. As I was listening to the hyenas I heard a Lion. Timm and Jon were with me as well and it was getting louder and louder. It sounded like it was just on the other side of the fence. Timm then climbed on top of the tractor to see if he could see it and it fell silent, which I guess means it sees you. After that we did not hear from it again. I think the Lion was around because we saw a Zebra just outside the compound (our fenced in yard) earlier, and some of the Maasai said that they saw a couple of elephants on top of the hill our house is built into.

Today I rode home from the worksite on the back of the 4 wheeler with a Maasai warrior.

This place blows me away. I love it. I hope to get some internet access of my own in two weeks when we travel through Nairobi on our way to north Kenya.

All is well and I am happy. I Miss you very much. Take care.