first time in the desert...

beautiful view on the way to Kargi

We traveled to Kargi Wednesday afternoon…leaving almost three hours later than anticipated (which is how I have found that most things work in Africa). Time in Africa is looked at much differently than in America. In the States we are so consumed with “time,” living by the clock, from one event to the next. But here, the majority of the people don’t even own watches.

Anyway…we traveled to Kargi with nine people crammed into a Land Cruiser that is made to seat up to 5. As we ventured out of Marsabit into Kargi, you notice an immediate change in the landscape. The land is completely dry, as if the ground has not seen a drop of rain in years! Instead of fields of grass or wild flowers (that we’re used to seeing on the side of the road), there are fields of rocks in every form and fashion. The only plant that grows is one made of thorns. The thorns are close to the size of a toothpick and are too tough to even break by hand.

As we arrived in Kargi, the rain began to fall. This was a miracle! It had not rained in this area for over a month. It was so refreshing! I don’t think I have ever seen so many people excited about the rain. The people have to travel for miles to retrieve water from their wells. And the pools or wells of water are most likely contaminated with arsenic or some other kind of parasite harmful to their health. Also, the tribes that inhabit Kargi claim the different bodies of water; therefore, only individuals from those specific tribes are allowed to use the water. While we were in Kargi, two of the tribes (the Gabra and Rendille) were fighting against one another…over water. Isn’t unbelievable? Something that is so common to us in America is so rare and treasured here in Africa. Can you imagine individuals being killed over water? And people dying because they are not hydrated? Or become ill because the water is not clean enough to drink?

That night, we headed back to the compound, which is a house surrounded by a barbed wire fence. We had a guard named Algo who kept watch throughout the night. We were very thankful for Algo! We could not sleep inside because it was so hot, so we had to make our beds in the front yard. We each had a cot along with a sheet that we held on to for dear life, because if we didn’t the wind would carry it away. The stars were beautiful! I have never seen so many stars in the sky in my life! They illuminated the sky (because there was no moon). It was strange because the moon didn’t rise until 2 o’clock in the morning. I can honestly say that I saw the complete rotation of the night, sleeping a total of about two hours that night. We woke up to the Muslim call to prayer-which was kinda scary and disturbing. Shortly thereafter, every rooster in the village was crowing and the sun began to rise.

"And they sang a new song, saying,


'Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, 
for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God 
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
 and You have made them a Kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.'"

Revelation 5:9-10