Day 3- Church and the Maasai Market

Today we had the privilege of going to a local church here in Kenya. This is always an awesome experience for our teams because they normally come having only experienced church in America. Typically church here in Kenya lasts about 3 hours if not 3 and a half hours. This year, due to COVID restrictions, it is limited to an hour and a half. With that said, we didn't really know what to expect. 

As we arrived, we were welcomed warmly by Sylvester and his family (this is where they attend church each and every Sunday morning). They ushered us off the bus and into the worship center. Now, their worship center looks and feels very different than in America. Here in Kenya, when you are building a church, you build as you have the money to pay. So, this church building was unfinished in multiple ways. However, that didn't stop them from worshiping God every Sunday morning as a group of believers. The walls were not decorated, the sound system wasn't perfect, the chairs were plastic outdoor furniture, but the time with this body of Christ was priceless.

Worship, prayer, and communion took up the first hour and fifteen minutes of the service. When the pastor got up to preach, he said, "Well, I only have fifteen minutes to speak this morning." This is very atypical for us in the United States. His message was short and to the point. It was direct and understandable. Many of our team walked away impressed by the service and how much time we didn't spend on the preaching and how much time we spent on prayer and worship. 

 

After church, we loaded the bus and headed to lunch at a local restaurant called Java House. Imagine a mix between Starbucks and Mooyah. Here it is an upscale place. Many ordered coffee to bring back home with them as well. Some of us ventured out of our comfort zones and tried Kenyan dishes but many took this chance to eat something more like food we would find in the US. 

 

As we ended lunch, we walked out to what's called the Maasai Market. This is an outdoor space where local vendors set up small shops to sell their goods. What makes this experience so unique is that it is fully based on a haggling system. You negotiate back and forth until you and the vendor land on a price to pay for the goods. Everyone walks around and it's every man or woman for themselves. Some do really well with this but others...not so much! This is truly a Kenyan experience as it's not even close to how we do it in the US.

 

When we were all done, we loaded the bus and headed back to Heart for the evening. Everyone laid their purchases out and we had a show and tell. We talked about the prices we paid for different things and realized who got "had" and who did well. It's SO fun! 

 

Another day in the books! The next two days will be great as we go back to the Center to serve the kids and teachers and make home visits to see where the families of Project Lucas children live. Stay tuned for another update! Much love from Magical Kenya!