On Friday morning all 13 of us (12 Kenyans and me!) loaded up
into the CFA Prado and a rented Safari van and drove about two hours North from Limuru to the city of Nakuru. We spent Friday afternoon exploring the town and then met up at our hotel for some "ice-breakers." I found out quickly that Kenyans in big groups love playing games, and Cornel and Duncan had all kinds of silly games and activities planned. Our goal for the weekend was for everyone to relax, de-stress, and not focus on work, and we got off to the right foot by running around, asking each other crazy questions, and dancing to the massive sound system that Kevin brought with him. I also learned that the highlight of a retreat like this for some of the staff was the food, and I was quite impressed with how they all attacked the hotel buffet that night!Saturday morning we woke up early and drove to Nakuru National Park for a game drive. For most of the CFA center workers, this was their first experience in a National Park. It amazes me that these people have grown up in a country with so much natural beauty and amazing animals, where tourists come from all over the world to visit, but they have never had the opportunity to see it for themselves. We spent the whole morning checking out massive white rhinos, cape buffaloes, zebras, antelopes, and the beautiful Lake Nakuru full of pink flamingos. It was so fun to experience this beautiful place with all of our staff - they really had a blast and their joy was incredibly contagious! We had a great picnic lunch under some trees outside the park, and then everyone broke into spontaneous soccer, frisbee, and volleyball games - Kenyans definitely don't require a lot of planned entertainment to have fun, a quality that Americans could use some more of.
In the afternoon we drove up to a big hill above the town to look out over the Menengai crater - a 5 mile-wide crater that leads to stunning views. We found a rickety wooden tower and the brave ones of us climbed up for a better look, while the ones who are scared of heights stayed well away from the edge. We had a great time running around taking pictures and enjoying the view, and at the end of the day I was so thankful for the chance to simply hang out and spend time with all of the people who I generally see as my coworkers, but who have really become my friends.Sunday morning we held out own church service in a meeting room at the hotel, complete with Kevin on the guitar and a sermon from Cornell about the journey of CARE for AIDS and what God is calling all of us to in it. Afterward we had a chance for everyone to share about what they are thankful for and what God is doing in their lives, which turned out to be the best part of the weekend for me. Sometimes it seems that every time the whole CFA team is together we are talking about business - things we could do better, things the centers need from the administration, concerns about clients - and it was a great blessing to hear each of the center workers speak from their hearts about how thankful they are to CFA and to God for the opportunity to minister to people living with HIV/AIDS. The heart that each of our workers have for this ministry is really amazing and humbling, and I was greatly encouraged to hear how they feel about the big picture.
As I prepare to head back to the States, I would love your continued prayers for all of our staff here in Kenya. There is a lot going on in the next month - our newest center in Kamirithu is continuing recruitment, our oldest center is "graduating" its current clients, Cornel and his family are moving to Kisumu - and your prayers for all of those things would be much appreciated. Additionally, most of our staff members will be spending time with their extended families over Christmas, and for many of them this means traveling to distant parts of the country. Please pray for safety for each one of them and a blessed Christmas season!
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