Kenya Pump It?!

Today's story is from our Kenya Venture Internship team. Please keep our interns in prayer and check out more of their updates and stories here!

Habari Zenu from Keam Tenya!

Every day, God treats us with bright red sunsets, grazing zebras, and herds of wildebeest with their gurgly bays to be our lullaby as we fall asleep. Being out in the bush, we get a taste of true African wildlife and culture. The town we are just outside of, Maji Moto, seems to be a part of Kenya that has held off westernization and still holds true to their traditional roots.

One way we have really been able to dive into the culture is at the well. Every day, twice a day, we walk to the closest water source that is about 600 meters away to get water for ourselves and for the tomato seeds we just planted. We usually meet women who live in the nearby manyatas (traditional huts). They speak no English, and we speak very little Maasai, yet they still have managed to show us the best way to pump water, chase the donkeys away, and carry the jerry cans (water jugs). We often stand side by side, pumping the water together. Figuring out how to carry 20 liters of water on our backs for almost half a mile definitely gave them some comic relief I am sure. We must have been quite the site our first few trips. Although we do not carry it with a strap over our heads like the Masssai women, we have become much stronger and can carry it much farther thanks to their help.

Having had access to clean, running water my entire life, I gained a huge appreciation for this basic resource. God has shown me how much I have taken this for granted and has given me a very thankful heart for every drop I use. He has also shown me how basic resources can break down cultural and lingual barriers. Our team has been able to build relationships with the women at the well because of our need for water. Even though we come from different countries, different cultures, and speak different languages, we are all human, and we all need water to live. Our common need for this life-giving resource unites us in our humanness. We are reminded that we all need the same things to live and to thrive. We are reminded that we are all children of the same Heavenly Father. We are reminded that we all are sinners and in need of our Savior.

- Jon, Team Leader