Fwd: Newsletter 2: Arrival in Meru

Begin forwarded message:

From: Kathy Macdonald <kmac@macdgroup.com>

Date: February 14, 2015 at 2:36:09 PM EST

Subject: Newsletter 2: Arrival in Meru

To: Gary McClusky <gary.mcclusky@gmail.com>

I suspect many of you reading this are not really interested in a weather report from the equator, but it is HOT.  Even for Kenya.  We sweated our way in the van to Meru today doing it the old fashioned way … with the windows rolled down and the dust pouring in.  It was glorious.  The photo below was taken at the Methodist Guest House in Nairobi before we departed.  Trust me … we did not look quite so chipper when we arrived in Meru 7 hours later.  For those of you who have come on past trips, you will recognize Charles from Lindberg Travel in the Photo.

Kenya is known for its over-crowded matatus which are vans that pick up passengers and packages of all sorts along the roadsides.  As we were departing Nairobi on a 4-land highway, we passed a matatu with a passenger on roller skates riding along behind clinging to the tail lights.   Our best guess was we were all going about 40 MPH.    James Bond would have been impressed.  

Mount Kenya was "happy" today and showed us her peaks which are often covered in clouds.  We also saw a rainbow which we decided to take as a good omen for the week.  Julie has decided to record some of the wonderful names Kenyans give their businesses.  Among the best today were:  Overflow College of Hairdressing and Beauty, The Fair Deal Apartments, and side-by-side were the Glory Milk Bar and Dash Cake Market.

We had a wonderful Valentine dinner tonight prepared by Dan Clauw from FUMC who was in Meru scouting plans for a large group from the University of Michigan coming in June.  It featured "slow meat" which is delight he often creates for his students.  Bishop Imathiu, Moses (from BLISS), and a variety of local dignitaries and teachers came to join us for dinner.  It was a great evening capped off by comments from the Bishop.  We are now all falling into bed.  Grateful to have finally arrived.  Looking forward to beginning our planning work tomorrow.

Kathy, Greg, John Marcos, Dixie, Debbie and Julie (this really was a group effort)