...And So Is the Western World

It's probably a good time to explain how blessed and appreciative we are to have Janet and Cicilia helping us. Before leaving the states, we had signed up for "house help." We didn't think we really needed it, but because we were advised to, we signed up for it anyway. Again, God was looking out for us. I can't imagine what it would have been like for us without Janet and Cicilia. They have been our saving graces. Janet does most of the cooking and Cicilia does most of the cleaning. Not because I want a break (though that's nice), but because it would be nearly physically impossible to do what we're here to do, while maintaining an almost "pioneerlike" lifestyle.

At home, in our busy lives, we become reliant on automation for our daily living. We rush, rush, go, go, and yes, have family dinners together as much as we can. However, it's not without the help of a microwave, dishwasher, washing machine and dryer. Some of us can certainly remember the days without many (or all) of these modernized inventions, but the days before grocery stores seem foreign. Here, something as simple as making a ham sandwich would require going to the butcher for meat, growing, picking and washing the lettuce, baking the bread and making the condiment from scratch. A task that alone requires several hours to prepare. Though many of us, on occasion, enjoy doing the "from scracth thing," it's not out of neccessity and not for every single meal that we consume. Consequently, we have Janet:) She's not here on the weekends, so we have to brainstorm throughout the week to prepare for the weekend, (the first week we neglected to do this, so we all lost a pound or two, but quickly gained it back once we got "into the groove"). Even if we had the transportation, the nearest grocery store is 4 hours away, back in Nairobi, so it's not possible to divert from the plan much by saying, "What do we feel like eating tonight?". While Janet prepares lunch and dinner, and any snacks that are to be had, Cicilia, meanwhile, is hand laundering our clothes, hanging them to dry and serves as Janet's "prep cook." Their help enables me to run things somewhat like we do back home - picking up after the kids, straightening up and implementing the day's activities. Weekends are also much like home. We often find ourselves picking up from the week and trying to take things in slower stride.

We have willingly put ourselves in this new situation and environment for a "spiritual rennovation" of sorts. At home, we start our days with noise, (and if you havn't seen the Rob Bell video, "Noise," it's totally worth watching!); the alarm clock ringing, music or television playing, the sounds of voices urging us to hurry. Added to this mix is an endless monologue swirling through my head - things I need to accomplish today along with snippets of conversation from yesterday. My day is a sea of endless noise and motion, a sense of "hurry up, time's a-wastin." It's not just the noise either that disrupts our peace. Our society promotes this lifestyle. In such a fast-paced culture, we have to be intentional about slowing down...being still and listening.

Although I don't miss the "hurry sickness," I (selfishly) appreciate our modern technologies and our ability for near instant gratification back home. and ahh-how I can almost taste a Starbuck's Decaf., Skinny, Vanilla Latte'! ...And so is the Western World. All Our Love, Ave & co.